Run4PRs

www.run4prs.com It has been a tough and long winter for those of us living in the upper regions of the US. A lot of runners in the midwest will use the treadmill for the majority of the winter due to poor footing or sub zero temps. The treadmill is a great tool for runners to stay consistent in the winter, however, we know that as the spring approaches runners are eager to say goodbye to the treadmill and transition outside. We wanted to do an episode about transitioning back outside because while it can seem like a relatively straightforward task, we should approach cautiously because outdoor running can be harder on the body than the treadmill Cite studies about treadmill surface being softer/more bounce/give than outdoor running The surface is softer on your joints: Treadmills are typically a much softer surface to run on, and therefore softer on the joints. Looking after your joints can help you reduce injuries, and keep running for longer. Research on the differences between treadmill and outside More muscle activation: Compared to running on the treadmill, when you run on the road, or the trail, you’re having to use more muscles to grab the ground and push off. One of the downsides of running on the treadmill is that the belt assists leg turnover, meaning you don't have to work quite as hard. When running outside, you’re also forced to not just move in a linear motion, as you’ll often find you have to dodge people, cars, and objects on the sidewalk as you move. Moving on the lateral plans vs side to side Incorporating band work side to side? https://breakingmuscle.com/train-the-lateral-plane-for-maximum-athleticism/ https://www.kinetic-revolution.com/multi-planar-strength-for-triathlon-and-running/ Assess how many miles per week were on the treadmill Example: averaged 30 miles a week the past 6 weeks and 25 of them were on the treadmill Week 1 transition outside aim for 10-15 miles outside Week 2 translation outside aim for 15-20 miles outside Week 3 transition outside aim for 20-25 miles outside Week 4 transition outside aim for 25-30 miles outside It might be good to ease into things and give yourself 4-6 weeks to go from majority treadmill to 100% outside. Can you get away with more? Possibly but we would rather be safe Running on softer surfaces may also help: consider the trails Try not to add in too many variables at once. If you haven’t been running workouts or long runs, try not to add that in during this transition time.

www.run4prs.com for a free 7 day coaching trial. It can be tempting to want to go all in on a new plan or type of training because after months of doing not-a-lot or less than we did in the summer, we feel like we need to do something really BIG to motivate us. The truth is that this is not the best approach. We want to talk about the progressive overload principle today & why sometimes doing less will lead to more optimal results. The reality is more is not always better sometimes it is just more! How often do you see people overtrain? How do we know if it is the right amount of stress? Why do people not like to do less? Comparison trap Fear of not being ready for their race Thinking that more is always better. Can you still improve by doing more than you should?

We often see people do workouts on strava or social media and sometimes we think, if I could just hit those paces in a workout, I could be as fast as them? This might lead an athlete to run workouts faster than they should. The whole point of this podcast is that each workout has a purpose. Even a workout like 6 x 800 meters could be a threshold workout or a VO2MAX workout. The purpose of the workout will dictate the pace you run for the intervals. If you are doing a threshold workout, you would run this reps slower and have shorter recovery inbetween. If you are doing a VO2MAX workout, you would be running these much faster and have maximum rest inbetween. Racing DEFINED! What really is racing? Max effort 1 max rep at the gym Takes time to be able to push yourself: don’t know how to push it Beginner Intimate Advanced The purpose of each workout VO2MAX Threshold Upper end Aerobic/Marathon Pace Easy run Why faster/more isn’t always better 4x 1 mi @ threshold pace @ 6:30 Let’s say you go out and run 6:10 pace (5k If you do 4 miles of work at 5k pace, that is hella stress If you do 4 miles of work at threshold pace, it’s less than a race effort Overtraining Giving 100% effort is harder to recover from Saving racing for racing Is it better to do less? Not always→ sometimes you have to do more.. Law of diminishing returns You need to stress the body just enough to make a change→ progressive overload Signs you might be racing your workouts Unable to consistently hit workouts Feeling like you always need additional recovery between reps Feeling like you are not recovering inbetween workouts/overtraining Not wanting to do workouts Injury

www.run4prs.com  1.Trail running vs road running: How can running in trails be a benefit? - not ultras, just getting miles in on the trail during training blocks. I run alot of my long days on the trails, it kind of forces you to run slower, and i feel way more ab engagement than just on the road. Any recommendations on how often to trail run? I’m a New England runner so lots of great trails out here. 2.  I am getting ready for the Murph workout this year, and the workout is bookended with a 1 mile runs wearing a 20 weighted vest. What about wearing a weighted vest once or twice a week for runs? Too much on the joints? Good way to increase strength? Very hard on the joints. Risk for injury unless you increase slowly. Rucking involves wearing a weighted pack. DO NOT: Run with a weight vest if you’ve never run before or never lifted weights before. Run with a weight vest if you have a serious injury. Wear a weight vest all day. Run with a weight vest over long distances. Wear a weight vest that is too heavy for you. You might go on some runs after lifting to account for the fatigue 3. Eye injury– 2 weeks off running go straight into it? 2 weeks isn’t enough time to really lose a ton of fitness, but with any time off I usually recommend easing back into things slightly and see how the body responds. Also considering eyewear? 4. If I have been training at a BQ pace, how should I pace the marathon? Training at exactly BQ pace is tricky because it doesn’t give a ton of room for error. Often marathon courses measure 26.4 miles. A sub 3 hour marathon is 6:52/mi pace but even 6:50 per mile on most courses will not be enough to break 3 on your watch. It is nice if you calculate the pace you need to run based on the assumption that your watch will measure the course as 26.5 miles AND that you will want to run something with a 30-60 second buffer. For example A 3:29:30 on a 26.5 mile course is actually 7:54 per mile instead of the 8:00 per mile A 8:00 pace for 26.5 miles in 3:32- 2 min shy of the goal. I would take this into consideration for pacing 5. How do I lower my heart rate while running? I tried running really slow like 13 min pace and it is still not working Make sure you are measuring with something that is accurate. Wrist HR monitor is NOT accurate. The chest strap is better. Then, be realistic with the paces. 13:00 pace is not that slow. If you run a 5k at 8:00 or 9:00 per mile, 13:00 pace might be your easy pace at a low heart rate as your body adapts. It could also be a sign of overtraining. Other things also impact HR such as stress, caffeine, medications. I would look at all the things that could be impacting HR and see if we can’t find a reason.

Ever have a day where you just don't feel like running? This can be common especially this time of year if the weather is tough. You are not alone in feeling like running can sometimes feel like a chore. This mindset makes consistency very challenging. We have talked about the power of consistency so many times in this podcast. If we are able to be consistent with training over time, we will be able to transform as runners and reach our potential. Things to do if you feel like you are stuck in a rut Find a running friend/partner Talk to someone on the phone Netflix New running routes Mentally what might be going on Lack of goals/direction Not excited about your goals/direction Something else might be off in your life Not enough time to workout Not enough energy “Everyone should meditate for 10 min a day unless you are too busy then you need an hour”

Www.Run4prs.com for a free week or personalized workouts! Many people show off their monthly mileage totals on social media. It is a great way to track your progress in some respects, but in other respects, it is easy to get ‘caught up in the numbers game’ of running. Two runners of the same abilities might run vastly different peak mileages in marathon training yet run the same finishing time. It is less about what your weekly mileage is and more about finding the sweet spot of mileage for you during this season of your training. 1. Progressive overload: more usually is better until it’s not 1. Aerobic base: science Legendary coach Arthur Lydiard’s philosophy was that it all starts with mileage. That's because endurance training stimulates many physiological, biochemical and molecular adaptations. All his training programs would consist of an 8-10 week base building phase. 1. stimulates more fuel (glycogen) to be stored in your muscles 2. increases the use of intramuscular fat at the same speed to spare glycogen  3. improves your blood vessels' oxygen-carrying capability by increasing the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin  4. creates a greater capillary network for a more rapid diffusion of oxygen into the muscles  5. increases mitochondrial density and the number of aerobic enzymes through the complex activation of gene expression. This increases your aerobic metabolic capacity. 2. Time of feet: science Time on Feet follows the principles of Lydiard training to reach peak performance. This is achieved by using a systematic approach to training. The emphasis is on conditioning in the early stages of a programme, in order to give the individual a feeling of a 'tireless state.' This is looked at as a crucial phase if achievements are to be made later. 2. There becomes a point where running more is not productive 1. Overtraining signs Constant niggles Feeling run down Mentally feeling down in the dumps Train smarter not harder:  How much running can you physically and psychologically handle? For example, the mitochondrial enzyme content of rats has been shown to reach its maximum adaptation with running 60 minutes per day, five days per week.  A study published in European Journal of Physiology in 1998 on horses training for 34 weeks found that increases in muscle fiber, # of capillaries number of capillaries per fiber plateaued after 16 weeks of training. After the first 16 weeks, the horses were divided into two groups: a control group and an overload training group, which trained with higher mileage. Both groups increased mitochondrial volume and VO2 max with the increased mileage over the next 18 weeks, but there was no difference in those variables or in muscle fiber area and capillarization after 34 weeks despite the two-fold difference in training volume between groups over the final 18 weeks. Clearly, there is a limit to muscles' adaptive response to training. If you look at the training data of elite athletes, you find that the optimum training volume for the world's best athletes lies somewhere between 75 and 110 miles per week What is REDS syndrome? Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) syndrome, or what’s more commonly known as the Female Athlete Triad. Not eating appropriately for the amount of energy an athlete expends

1 .What pace should I am to race at for a 5k or half marathon? Threshold? Intervals? Slightly slower? Slightly faster? Answer: if you download our guide at www.run4prs.com it will go over this in great detail written out. We will summarize here. First, it’s important to do a fitness test. This fitness test usually looks like a time trial of running 1-3 miles ‘all out effort’ to see where your current fitness is at. If you have absolutely no idea where your fitness is at, start at a pace 30-45 seconds faster than you run on a good ‘moderate/harder’ effort run. We can’t establish paces without first understanding where you are at currently. If you totally bomb the time trial, that is okay, we can always test again. The result will still be a good guide within reason. Your 5k pace is usually the same (slightly slower) than your time trial pace. Intervals are going to be done anywhere from slightly faster than 5k pace to threshold pace.. It depends on the purpose of the workout Your threshold pace is about 20-30 seconds per mile slower than time trial pace Your half marathon pace is 5-20 seconds per mile slower than threshold pace Whenever we do an event for the first time or even if it’s the 5th time, but you feel newer to racing, we might not go out at that exact pace I said above. We might want to ease into things and start slower. We build confidence by having positive racing experiences. 2. What are the worst things to eat before a long run? Depends on the person. The worst thing you can probably do is not eat. Next, anything with insanely high fiber content. Like multiple fiber one bars. Spicy foods, etc. Some people have very strong stomachs and could literally tolerate anything. I have a friend who can’t eat veggie straws the day before a run. Knowing your body is key! Usually they say to avoid fiber and greasy foods. Also if you have food intolerances, avoid that! 3. What are the effects of birth control on female runner performance I would look into the book roar by Tracy Sims. Anytime you take synthetic hormones, you are changing systems in the body. There can be some benefits to taking birth control, but are there some drawbacks? I think it’s important for people to do their research and have this discussion with their doctors. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32666247/ Oct 2020: The Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Exercise Performance in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Conclusions: OCP use might result in slightly inferior exercise performance on average when compared to naturally menstruating women, although any group-level effect is most likely to be trivial. Practically, as effects tended to be trivial and variable across studies, the current evidence does not warrant general guidance on OCP use compared with non-use. Therefore, when exercise performance is a priority, an individualised approach might be more appropriate. The analysis also indicated that exercise performance was consistent across the OCP cycle. What exercises/workouts/circuits can I incorporate in the gym to help my running? Running is going to be the best thing you can do that directly makes you a better runner. Other workouts the strengthen the endurance of the muscles that are used for running can help but nothing helps as much as running. Biking, stairs, etc. Why do runners lift then? Strength training can help you stay injury free. The longer you are able to stay injury free, the better you will be able to run consistently. Runners need: Postural alignment, stabilization, strength and power Train for strength 8-12 reps

We have almost all been asked the question when someone finds out you are a runner, the next thing they typically ask is if you have done a marathon. Everyone knows that marathons are hard work. They know this is the very long race that seems to be viewed as the pinnacle of running success, but is it? Why have the 100 or 50 miler ultra marathons not taken on the same allure in the running community? We are going to do a deep dive in this episode about marathons and some of our theories around why we think the marathon is so popular! We are also going to give some advice to those who really want to run to their potential in the marathon. The answers may surprise you because we actually recommend some athletes take time off of the marathon to get faster at the marathon How long people run before doing a full marathon Why is an elite training going to look different from a beginner in terms of workouts/long runs Why it becomes important to work with a coach who really understands your background and the distance What is the advantages to working on speed before going to the marathon Why does running a fast 5k not translate directly to the marathon distance

What is the best type of music to listen to while running? Depends on the purpose of the run Workouts: hard music Easy runs- slow music How do you fuel when you are not hungry but must eat High caloric foods that taste good When during hill repeats or speed work is it okay to walk? The goal of the recovery between for shorter intervals is to get breath back under control so that you can push hard on the next set. Most shorter intervals are anaerobic so it might take a more reduced pace like walking to recover. Check HR. A really slow jog is already hard for people because they slow down on easy days. Sometimes walking is wiser. 20x400 could actually be a threshold workout. How to get back to running after pregnancy Usually you will get cleared to run at 6 weeks by your OB. Many people need longer and recommend getting seen by a pelvic floor physical therapist. It depends on the person but most people start back with walk/runs even if they ran throughout pregnancy. Your core is very week and went through trauma. Allow yourself grace and time when coming back into things You may also be nursing which can be a new factor Is body weight strength training as effective as using weights Body weigh training can be highly effective. It depends on your starting point, how you are lifting, and your goals. Many body weight plyometrics can be challenging even for the strongest athletes. We always want to strength train with a purpose. Plyos work on speed and power. Everyone says running is bad for knees.. How do I prove them wrong? Pull up research studies of the benefits of weight barring exercises. There are myths like this about running but I think it is important to address that many people have injured their knees from running. Even elite runners sometimes need to have knee replacement type surgery. Let’s talk about WHY. Overtraining can lead to overuse. When you are pushing your body to the limits like an elite/professional runner where your job is to literally do everything you can to get faster sometimes you toe the line and things happen. Overuse injuries are common because many people unintentionally overtrain. Let’s say your grandma knows someone who ‘blew their knees out from running’. Perhaps they did because they went from 0 to 50 miles in 2 months and ran a marathon then could never run again. This is why the progressive overload and offseason are key. Weight bearing exercise actually makes your body and knees stronger BUT if you overdo it, you do put yourself at risk. www.run4prs.com

As coaches we work with a lot of athletes who have young kids and other life responsibilities like busy careers. A question that often comes up with athletes who begin to ramp up their training is when do you have time to train? How can you put in 7+ hours of training per week? We don’t have a one answer solution for you because everyone’s life looks different. We do however have a few ideas for when/how you might be able to utilize different resources to get your training in even with small kids and/or a busy career. Time of day: Working out while kids are sleeping Pros: easier Cons: lose out on sleep Working out while kids are awake and at home: Pros: you get to sleep Cons: you miss out on family time, logistically harder Working out while kids are at school/daycare Pros: you get to sleep Cons: logistically easier, guilt `1. Treadmill at home Investment: $2000+ dollars 2. Treadmill at gym with daycare Investment: $150/month 3. Stroller outside Investment: $500 Babysitter Investment: $20/hr Is it worth it to invest in yourself and your hobby? How do you deal with guilt associated with going on a run or running a race? Waking the kids up at 5:30am to go to a race? My kids like to go to races and run races themselves now. What they see as normal they will take mental notes. It’s one thing to say something is a value, but when you live it, kids witness it. It becomes a part of their identity. I don’t have the answers, but I can share my experiences and sometimes that can help. Is it worth it to train for big races? How does the competitiveness/running change after having kids?

Coach Breanna shares all about her journey from small town farming to becoming a professional runner. We took a deep dive into her recent marathon debut of 2:42 at CIM. Not only was this her first ever full marathon, but she also tackled it at 9 months postpartum with her first child. We talked about her journey running throughout pregnancy & postpartum and her plans for future racing. Coach Breanna has been coaching at Run4prs for 2.5 years and is currently taking on new athletes. If you are interested in working with her fill out the form at www.run4prs.com or reach out to us via email info@run4prs.co

Injuries are tough and a taboo subject. We don’t like to go through these times of setbacks because the uncertainty starts to creep in. How long until I can run again? How much fitness will I lose? Will I ever be as fast/fit again? These fears can often cause runners to comeback into running too quickly after being injured OR to avoid taking time off when they first feel an injury come on. Before we dive into things: What to do if you are injured! Why do some injuries happen Overuse They don’t always happen right away! Stress= body can only handle so much Underlying issue Running on sand Rolling an ankle Strength Training What is the injury ‘cycle’ Are comeback runners more likely to get injured Coming back too quickly Ego is high Run/walks Getting to the root cause instead of hoping rest will help Helps to avoid future injurywww.run4prs.com

How do I increase my calories in a healthy manner Calorie dense foods PB, nuts flax seed More carbs: fruit juices, maple syrup, honey Favorite season to train in & race in Depends on where I live Fall is ideal because summer training is ideal with temps never hitting more than 75-80 degrees in the early morning Humidity is poor man's altitude How to do you pick a run coach? Personality fit Open responsiveness : some people don’t care but take it as a red flag if someone doesn’t understand Philosophy fit Opennesses Understands your goals Has a clear plan for how to get you to your goals Communicates the plan to you Can help you learn and grow from experiences Not all races will go well We learn from each race 3:38 PR long term goal to BQ but wants to get pregnant 1st Have something to train for when TTC that you have a lower investment in like 5ks Postpartum comeback slowly and give yourself grace Lots of unknowns but consistency is helpful What to do when life happens and you miss a workout Depends on what happens Illness- going to take time off and not try to make anything up Other situation- might have you make up the workout Either way these both require you to probably re-work the entire plan because you are going to have less time in between workout days, etc. Depends on what you missed for a run 20 mile long run vs 5 mile easy run totally different How long until i expect to see muscle gains with the strength program How are you measuring progress Progress pictures Weight gain Measurements Gaining muscle is hard to do if you are in a catabolic state (undereating, over exercising with cardio) What are your goals with lifting?

How many races is too many? A lot of people are thinking about their goal race schedule for next year. It is good to look ahead and plan out your races so that you don’t over commit yourself. There are so many options and it can be tempting to sign up for all of the races, but what if we focused on building the year around your goals and then schedule races to accommodate those goals? Deciding on your goals for the year How to find races that will be in alignment with your goals How frequently should you race? How realistic is it to PR at every race? Half marathon PR in the build of for a full marathon? Should you wait to register for some races? Benefits of keeping ‘options open’

WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK? . As we approach the end of the year, many people begin to think about 2023 racing plans. Before we dive into signing up for all the races, we believe it is important to assess your 2022 progress and set yourself up for success in 2023 by setting goals. If we don’t assess the past mistakes we can be doomed to repeat them again! No one had a perfect running year in 2022 even if you PRed in every single race distance, there is STILL something you can learn from this year and bring into 2023 to become a better runner. Weekly mileage: was it too much? Too little? Workouts: did you do them? Were they too hard? Is that they you skipped them? Were expectations too high? Did you run easy enough on easy days Did you get injured? Seasons of life & routine What season of life are you in? Will it change in 2023? Is it realistic to train more or less next year? What did your routine look like in 2022, will you be able to keep it or will changes need to be made? Are you getting enough support? Races How did your races in 2022 go? How can you improve mentally? How could you improve physically What is your long term goal Define a goal 5-10 years out and then narrow down on a benchmark to get there My long term goal is to run a 100 miler some day Bite sized goals in 2023 that are challenging enough to motivate you to train but not so ridiculously that it throws you off Set a goal 2-3 years into the future Set a goal for next year Break 2023 into 2 parts Part 1: first half of the year Part 2: second half of the year

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS❓🔥 Podcast Episode #184 🎙 • We post about athletes crushing their previous best times often… but how long does it actually take to improve? 🤔 • 👉It takes about SIX WEEKS to see physiological aerobic benefits from training using the progressive overload principle! This means overloading the body with training stimulus, recovering from it, and then overloading it again • 👉In TWELVE WEEKS? You can expect to see even more benefits and the longer you train, the more benefits you will see. Consistency is key!🔑 • Something we also get asked as coaches ⬇️ 🔥 "How long will it take me to run x:xx time?" This depends on so many factors! No two athletes are the same. It depends on: ⭐️ Your background and tendencies as a runner (how long you've been running, if you played other aerobic sports previously, how consistent you are with training, your ability to push yourself, what sacrifices you're willing to make for running) ⭐️ Your genetics ⭐️ Your age ⭐️ Your life stressors overall (kids, job, etc.) . 🔥 ALSO IMPORTANT: You CANNOT improve without proper recovery between! Remember that everyone is different and therefore every runner’s recovery time is a little different🔥 . Are you ready to reach the next level with your training? Sign up for a FREE seven day trial with us! Link in bio. 👉 www.run4prs.com . #run4prs #teamrun4prs

TREADMILL VS. OUTDOOR RUNNING: ARE THEY THE SAME? 🤔 Podcast Episode #182🎙 . A frequent question we get asked is: What are the PROS and CONS of running on the treadmill and running outside?! Are they the same? . CONS OF THE TREADMILL👎 ⭐️ Treadmills do not allow your body to use as many muscles (when outside you do not need to pivot to change directions; you are running in one direction the entire time) ⭐️ When running on a treadmill, the belt is moving TOWARDS you so there’s less effort required to move your body forward You are not able to mimic outdoor race day conditions inside . PROS OF THE TREADMILL👍 ⭐️ The treadmill is a softer surface, which can give your joints a break! ⭐️ You can set the speed for workouts without having to check your watch for your pace ⭐️ Safety in the inclement weather ⭐️ Can multitask on treadmill . CONS OF OUTSIDE RUNNING👎 ⭐️ You are at the mercy of the elements outside which can be dangerous ⭐️ You have to monitor your pace more frequently during workouts . PROS OF OUTSIDE RUNNING👍 ⭐️ You activate more muscles when running outside by changing directions and needing to maneuver more! ⭐️ Running outside callouses your body and allows your body to become stronger due to the harder surfaces ⭐️ You can mimic race day conditions and surfaces . THE BOTTOM LINE👇 If you're training for a race, running outside is the best possible way to mimic race day. Sometimes the treadmill is the only option due to unfavorable weather, not having childcare to get outside of a run, etc.. Run outside when it's safe, and use the treadmill as a tool when needed! . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofinstagram #marathontraining #5ktraining #womensrunningcommunity #runcoach

COLD WEATHER RUNNING SECRETS REVEALED 🔓 . We’ve got you covered!👇 . WHAT TO WEAR (in general, use your best judgment with windchill and other factors. You may need to wear more or less depending on windchill!): . ✅ 50 DEGREES (10 C): Shorts & t-shirt ✅ 40 DEGREES (4 C): Long sleeved top, shorts/pants, gloves ✅ 30 DEGREES (-1 C): Gloves, tights, long sleeves (two layers-- one tighter close to skin, one looser on top), headband/hat ✅ 20 DEGREES (-6 C): Gloves, chopper mittens possible, tights, long-sleeved tighter base layer, windbreaker jacket, headband/hat ✅ 10 DEGREES & UNDER (-12 C and under): Gloves, chopper thermal mittens if really cold/windy, tights & windbreaker pants, long-sleeved tight base layer, headband, neck buff, face mask, windbreaker jacket ✅ SNOW/ICE: Winter waterproof running shoes for snow & ice, YakTrax to put on your shoes for snow or putting own lugs on shoes . HOW TO TRAIN: ✅ Run on the treadmill when needed: Use your best judgment and stay safe inside when you need to . ✅ Run by effort: Your paces will be slower in the cold and snow/ice. Run by effort instead of pace! . ✅ Find plowed paths for better & safer footing . ✅ Reflective/light up vests/headlamps for darkness . ✅ Set rules for yourself: If it’s above “x” degrees outside, then you have to run outside instead of inside. Not only is training outside better for race day performance (your races are outside so you want to simulate race environments), but you also get therapeutic and mental health benefits from getting outside too . Other posts will show our favorite brands and products for winter! 👍 . Follow us for more training @run4prs ⭐️ . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #wintertraining #5ktraining #marathontraining #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofinstagram #womensrunningcommunity

HOW MANY MARATHONS IS TOO MANY? 🎙 Podcast Episode #180: Listen for more on this topic! . We want to get OFF the marathon hamster wheel (doing 2-3 marathons per year every year) if we want to get faster in the marathon. Doing 1️⃣ marathon every 12 months or 2️⃣ marathons in an 18 month period will help you get FASTER more quickly because you're able to focus on SPEED in shorter distances between the marathons 🙌 . Many athletes can get away with doing more marathons early in their running/marathoning careers and still see big success, but as you get faster you will need to be a bit more structured & specific in how you frame your training to continue to see those results 💪 . SWIPE in post to see a sample two year schedule to turn your 5K PACE into MARATHON PACE 🤩 . ➡️ There are MANY reasons to do more than one marathon per year. Maybe you got into a race for charity or maybe you're trying to become a Marathon Maniac by trying to run a certain number of marathons in a certain timeframe. We don't want to discount these reasons! We just want to provide the knowledge that running LESS marathons may be the key for you to get faster (if that's your goal) . We hope this helps you frame up the next few years of your training to reach your goals! 🏃‍♀️ Let us know if you have questions in the comments or DM us 💌

TOP 5️⃣ QUESTIONS to ask yourself when choosing your 2023 goal races ⬇️ PODCAST EP 179 🎙 . There's a lot that goes into choosing your race calendar especially when you're going for a PR. This post is geared towards those who specifically want to run their fastest time! 💪 . 👉 1) ELEVATION: Do you like flat, downhill or hilly courses? Downhill and flat courses are much faster than hilly courses. Downhill courses, like REVEL, aren't for everyone but most people will run much faster on a downhill course. Aim for 200 feet or less of elevation gain for a flatter race. You can go to www.findmymarathon.com to look at course elevation profiles . 👉 2) WEATHER & TRAVEL: Do you do well running in warm weather? Do you have the opportunity to heat train beforehand? Do you do best in cooler weather? Do you have the means to travel to a race? If you want the best possible shot at 40-50 degree weather to run your best, we recommend November in northern U.S. states and December/January/February in other parts of the country. Many October or March/April races in northern states can still be 60-70 degree days. We recommend steering clear of longer races (half/marathon) anywhere in the country from May-September to avoid heat . 👉 3) CROWDS: Do you thrive off of crowds? Do you need spectators to push you along? Aim for a larger race! Do crowds stress you out or cause you to run too fast too soon? Maybe you'd be better off with a more low-key race! . 👉 4) COMPETITION: Many runners like to have competition when they race and get pushed by other runners. If this is you, aiming for a larger race may be the best call. Smaller marathons, for example, get very spread out and you're running alone for a majority of it . 👉 5) LIFE SITUATION: Are you a teacher or someone who has the summers off? A fall race is probably better for you so you can train during your time off. Do you have younger children who are home for the summer? Maybe a spring race is better for you when they are back in school during your training months Figure out what works best for your life! 🙌 . We hope this helps! #teamrun4prs #run4prs

UNLEASH SPEED: How FAST Can You Become? 🏃‍♀️💨 FREE PROGRAM 🙌 . Are you wondering: 🤔 ❓ "What should I be focusing on right now?” ❓ “How many miles per week should I be running?” ❓ “What sort of workouts should I be doing?” . JOIN Unleash Speed program now starting on Oct 31 💪 . Let’s keep you excited for training & set you up for success for Spring & Fall 2023! 🤩 . THE PROGRAM DETAILS:👇 ⭐️ Totally free & FLEXIBLE. You don't need to start right on Oct 31 if that doesn't work best for you! ⭐️ 11 weeks long ⭐️ Weekly training tips sent to your email inbox ⭐️ FIVE time trials throughout the course of 11 weeks ⭐️ The Run4PRs Unleash Speed Training E-Book complete with a training plan and race pacing guides . WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN?👇 ⭐️ Nothing changes if nothing changes: If you are constantly training for a half and full marathon and you are seeing the same times year after year, chances are you need to CHANGE THINGS UP! You need to focus on your speed to see those big results ⭐️ Build confidence in other distances ⭐️ Capitalize on speed before you age up ⭐️ Learn how to race hard and push yourself! . 👉 Go to https://run4prs.com/unleash-speed to join! If you know you need a more specific plan, you can start a free trial TODAY with us! Link in bio. www.run4prs.com . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #5ktraining #1miletraining #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofinstagram #womensrunningcommunity

WHAT IS POLARIZED TRAINING❓ Podcast Episode #177 🎙 . Simply put: Keeping the easy days easy and the hard days hard . STRESS + REST = GROWTH 💪 . 💪STRESS = hard running days and hard strength training 👍REST = easy running, easy cross training, yoga, sleep, complete rest days, walks 📈GROWTH = get faster & get stronger . YOU👏CANNOT👏REACH👏YOUR👏POTENTIAL👏WITHOUT👏POLARIZED 👏TRAINING . MOST of your training is the “REST” part of the equation. 80% of your mileage needs to be easy so you can fully maximize the hard workouts and recover from them. Hard workouts and hard strength training is taxing on the body. You NEED to respect this and take your rest seriously if you want to improve . EXAMPLE:👇 ✅22:00 MINUTE 5k PR (7:04 pace per mile) ✅80% of mileage is run @ 9:00-10:00 pace (2+ minutes per mile slower than 5k PR pace!) ✅20% of mileage is run @ 6:30-8:00 pace per mile depending on the type of workout • 👉See what pace range is left out there? 8:00-9:00 pace! This athlete should generally AVOID doing a lot of training in that pace range (what we call the ‘gray zone’) because it’s just hard enough to delay your recovery but not hard enough to help you improve . IF YOU DON’T SLOW DOWN ENOUGH, SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL:👇 ❌Get injured ❌Get burned out ❌Not reach your potential on hard workout days ❌Not reach your potential during races . Easy runs DO help you improve too. They aren’t JUST for recovery: ✅Increased capillary density which means more ways for your blood to make it to your muscles to delay fatigue ✅Mitochondrial growth to help you burn fat efficiently which is needed in endurance events . 🔥BOTTOM LINE: Slow way down on your easy days. Work hard on your hard workout days. POLARIZE YOUR TRAINING!🔥 . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #marathontraining #igrunner #fasterrunner #rundisney #runcoach #vdot

THE OFF-SEASON: How to Perfect It & Why You Need One 🎙 PODCAST EPISODE #176 . 1) Avoid Injury & Burn Out: You can't be in peak fitness forever. You need a break from half or marathon training to avoid injury and burn out . 2) Mental Break & Long-Term Goal Planning: Your mind will benefit from a half or marathon training break. An off-season doesn't have to mean no running! It can mean running with a bit less structure and running less than peak training. You can also use this time dream up your next goal race or time! . 3) Get Faster: Did you know getting faster in shorter distance races will ultimately lead to faster times in longer distance races? Change it up and work on your 5k or 10k speed after taking some recovery post-Fall race . 4) Focus On Other Areas of Training: Focus on your strength, nutrition, flexibility, mental toughness. Use your extra time to your advantage to become a well-rounded athlete! . This is a podcast episode you won't want to miss! Listen now 🎙

BUILDING FITNESS OVER TIME Podcast Episode #175 🎙 . Stress + Rest = Growth 📈 . 👉 It can feel like you "start over" when you build back up after tapering, running a race, and recovering. But you're actually building on all previous training cycles! Fitness builds over time, training cycle after training cycle 💪 . 👉 During your running career, there will and should be periods of rest and recovery where you won't be in peak fitness! This is normal and good. You can't peak forever 🙌 . 👉 After a training cycle, you should have an offseason where you're running less mileage and doing less intensity. This is necessary to continue improving! Your body needs a break after a training cycle to repair and build to become stronger 💪 . Remember: Your body is smart! It doesn't forget all the training you've done 🤩 . Do you struggle taking off-seasons? It helps to have the accountability of a coach to make sure you don't overdo it! Start a seven day FREE trial with us today and see what coaching can do for you. Head to the link in our bio. www.run4prs.com ⭐️ . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #marathontraining #CIM #houstonmarathon #rundisney #bostonmarathon #womensrunningcommunity #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofiinstagram

THE SHAKE OUT RUN Do you do a shake out run the day or two before a race? ⬇️ . The shake out run isn't something that you physically NEED to do to run a great race, but many like to do it for their mental game . WHEN ⬇️ ✅ 1-2 days before a race ✅ 1.5-3 miles for most amateur runners pre-marathon . HOW ⬇️ ✅ Aim to do it at the same time of day as your race ✅ Do it at the EASIEST end of your easy pace ✅ No need to do strides the day or two before a race. If you're used to doing them before a marathon, aim for marathon pace and no faster . ❗️ The shake out run won't make or break your race, unless you go too long or too hard. Remember you aren't gaining any fitness in the week or two before your race! . #teamrun4prs #run4prs

What can we do as amateur runners to race more like an elite? ⬇️ Podcast Episode #173🎙 . PACING PRACTICE in shorter races, workouts and long runs. You can race shorter distances more often since they aren't as taxing on your body, so you can practice racing more 5ks and 10ks in the lead up to your marathon. Give yourself honest opportunities to practice race pace and not pushing it beyond race pace. Run AT your fitness level instead of running at the fitness level you're striving for. You can also try doing workouts with other runners 🤩 . PRACTICING A POSITIVE MINDSET: Take a key positive out of EVERY workout and run. Write down those positives so your mind becomes more accustomed to looking for the positives. Try to visualize a non-time based goal ahead of time, like not stopping on your run or staying present in the mile you're in. It's also helpful to remember that a workout or race that doesn't go well isn't the "end all, be all". There will always be more opportunities! 🙌 . HAVE REALISTIC RACE EXPECTATIONS: Give yourself pace ranges that are realistic for you based on your training and recent race times, and have A, B, C, D goals. Ask yourself: How hard do you want to push in this race? Is this your A Goal race for the season/year? This will help determine how aggressive your goal should be! 👍 . PUSH YOURSELF IN NON-RACE ENVIRONMENTS: The more often we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations in our lives, the more we will thrive in a racing environment. Run in unfavorable conditions or run after having done some mentally challenging work tasks. There are many ways you can challenge yourself in a non-race environment to become a more mentally tough racer 💪 . What have YOU done to become more of an "elite" racer? Let us know! ⬇️ . #teamrun4prs #run4prs

THE TAPER: Frequently Asked❓s . Have you ever wondered…👇 . ❓CAN I RUN FASTER ON EASY RUNS DURING THE TAPER? NO! You want to continue running the same easy pace on your easy runs. As your legs carry less fatigue, it may be tempting to speed up the pace. Do NOT do this! Allow your body to recover and save it for race day! . ❓SHOULD I TEST MY FITNESS? NO! You want to save the race for race day. The "hay is in the barn" as the old saying goes. You have already done all the training. Reflect on your past workouts for confidence. DO NOT leave your race in a workout . ❓SHOULD I EAT MORE CARBS? You will want to focus on proper nutrition during the taper with an increased carb intake! Simple carbohydrates work best for carb-loading . ❓SHOULD I KEEP DOING HARD WORKOUTS? YES! You want to decrease duration, not intensity during the taper. You will continue to do hard workouts/run faster/tune into race pace, just less volume (i.e. instead of an 8 mile workout, you would do a 6 mile workout) . Have more questions about the taper? Let’s chat! Head over to the link in our bio for a FREE consultation. www.run4prs.com . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #marathontraining #bostonmarathon #chicagomarathon #berlinmarathon #londonmarathon #CIM #houstonmarathon #womensrunningcommunity #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofinstagram #runcoach #runtraining

Podcast Episode #171 🎙 ✅ TEMPO RUN is a *HARD EFFORT* run We only want to run 20% of the time at most! “Tempo” is a general term for comfortably hard running for a prolonged period of time. There are different types for different purposes! Marathon pace tempos, half marathon pace tempos, threshold tempos . THRESHOLD RUN: ✅ A TYPE of tempo run, also known as a "lactate threshold" run ✅ You want to run at a pace where lactate does not accumulate in the blood during the workout but instead stays at a constant level. You can figure out what that pace is by doing a time trial or taking your most recent race result and plugging it into a VDOT calculator ✅ Trains the cardiovascular & muscular system to utilize oxygen while simultaneously removing waste products such as carbon dioxide & lactic acid (imagine a bath running with the drain open. Running at lactate threshold tempo pace is the rate at which the waste removal and waste production is basically the exact same) ✅ 20-45 minutes in duration, often split up with short 1-2 minute recovery jogs . HOW SHOULD A TEMPO RUN FEEL? ✅ You could keep going after workout mileage is up ✅ You could speed up 10+ sec per mile if you had to ✅ You could say a word or two if you had to . WHEN SHOULD YOU DO THEM? ✅ 1x per week during a training cycle (the type of tempo will depend on what your goal race is!) . #run4prs #igrunner #marathoner

WHY DO YOU RUN? Podcast Episode #170 🎙 . → What is your intrinsic reason for running? → Why did you begin running in the first place? → Maybe you run to challenge yourself. → Maybe you run for the community. → Maybe you run to show your kids that you can reach your goals with hard work. → Whatever your reasoning is, you get to decide what pushes you everyday to get out and run. → We want to dig deep to find the reasons why we decide to lace up and get the miles in each week. → Uncovering your "why" will help you navigate the tough times in training and the days when you just don't feel like getting out. → Uncovering your "why" will help

HOW DOES STOPPING ON LONG RUNS AFFECT YOUR TRAINING?🤔 Podcast Episode #169 🎙 . PHYSIOLOGICALLY👇 ➡️ The benefits are not as great if your heart rate drops too low on several stops throughout your run. Benefits for building running endurance occur when your heart rate is elevated and muscles are working for extended periods of time. If you are stopping for 10+ minutes on a two hour long run, you likely won’t reap as much benefit . REASONS FOR STOPPING👇 ✅ Feeling fatigued: If you're constantly stopping to take a breather on long runs, you're probably going too fast overall. You should be running your easy pace for the majority of your long runs! . ✅ Group runs: Know the structure of group runs before going! If your group is known to stop for long periods of time during runs, then pick a couple times a month to run with them instead of every single long run . ✅ Stoplights/traffic: Find a new route if you constantly need to stop on your runs due to stoplights/traffic (especially important for long runs) . ✅ Restroom: If you gotta go, you gotta go! This is a perfectly legitimate reason to stop . ✅ Practicing waterstops: Many runners will stop and/or walk at waterstops during races. You should practice this so you don’t get flustered bobbing and weaving while trying to continue running! You can still be very efficient by walking for 10-20 seconds through a waterstop . OTHER HELPFUL FAQS👇 ➡️ Designate one or two long runs a month where you treat it more like a race (at easy pace) and really work to decrease the stoppage time . ➡️ Don’t worry as much about your easy, shorter runs during the week. Having a few minutes of stoppage time during these runs is totally fine. Getting too strict with it could cause unnecessary anxiety! . We hope this helps! 👍

RUNNERS & THE COMPARISON TRAP 🪤 Podcast Episode #168 🎙 . Have you ever gotten caught into the comparison trap with your running? 🙋🏻‍♀️ This is super common and something many runners go through . Not only do many runners get caught up in comparing themselves to others, but they may also start exhibiting people-pleasing behaviors and showing signs of extrinsic instead of intrinsic motivation! . HELPFUL REMINDERS:👇 ✅ You are a 100% unique individual with a different background, different goals, and a different physiology than everyone else. When you started running, what sports you played growing up, your genetics, etc... these are all things that factor into your running right now! Runner A that starts cross country at age 12 is going to take a MUCH different path in their running than Runner B who started running at age 25 with no sports background. Take pride in your individualism and enjoy comparing yourself to previous versions of yourself 💪 . ✅ Studies show that if you begin offering extrinsic rewards for something that someone was previously intrinsically motivated to do, they're motivation to do that thing DECREASES. This goes hand-in-hand with the reward system of getting "likes" on social media for your running accomplishments. It can disrupt your original reasons for doing something and inhibit your progress as a runner. Keep your "why" at the forefront and try to remind yourself daily of why you run. Most of us begin running for intrinsic reasons. Protect that at all costs to have longevity in this sport! 🙌 . ✅ Many runners struggle with committing to too many running social events which are often races and runs. If your goal is to improve and get faster, it may mean skipping out on some of these and keeping the big picture in mind. Enjoy spectating and cheering your friends on! 🤩 . How have you helped stay intrinsically motivated or how have you gotten yourself out of the comparison trap?

Have you ever "peaked too early" for a race? . How to avoid this👇 PERIODIZE YOUR TRAINING aka don't do the same training all year long and have different seasons for different aspects of training . 1️⃣ BASE BUILDING: This is the foundation of any endurance training plan. The focus here is aerobic development with an emphasis on easy miles. This phase could include shorter speed workouts, like fartleks and strides, more strength training, building on your long runs, etc. You want to be pushed a little bit but not TOO much during this phase so the bigger workouts in the next phase aren't as big of a shock to the body. 4-10 weeks in length depending on what and when your race is (longer for a marathon) . 2️⃣ RACE PREP: This is when longer runs, longer tempo runs, and longer repeats are implemented after getting the aerobic development from the base building phase. This is where you'll have the more "traditional" marathon workouts if you're training for a marathon. 8-14 weeks in length depending on athlete level and race distance . 3️⃣ TAPERING/PEAKING: Overall volume (number of miles/kms) decreases, but intensity stays up! Many people make the mistake of not keeping intensity in during their taper/peaking phase. Keeping intensity in allows for fine-tuning your speed and running econony. 2-3 weeks in length for a marathon . 4️⃣ RECOVERY/OFF-SEASON: You should plan to take at least a full week off of training after a marathon. Take the recovery before you think you need it! It’s important mentally to draw the line in the sand and “end” the training cycle. The next few weeks of recovery can include easy runs, running every other day, etc. 👍 .

HOW DOES EASY RUNNING MAKE YOU FASTER? 🤔 Podcast Episode #166 🎙 . As runners, we can have a distorted view on what “easy” means. Distance runners are taught to “push through the pain”. We know how to push ourselves to the limits. Sometimes we aren't slowing down enough on our easy days . As coaches, we are firm believers in the 80/20 rule from Matt Fitzgerald. 80% of your weekly mileage should be run at a slow and easy pace; the remaining 20% is reserved for faster/moderate running (tempos, speedwork, etc). Easy running is generally 65-77% of your max HR 💪 . ✅ STRESS + REST = GROWTH: The 5k distance and up are AEROBIC events. You want to STRESS the aerobic system for GROWTH in the aerobic system. The aerobic system is stressed at EASY PACE! Easy pace also allows for REST/RECOVERY so you can push hard on your workout days 🏃‍♀️ . ✅INCREASED CAPILLARY DENSITY: With increased capillary density, there are ways for the blood to make it to your muscles to aid when muscles get fatigued. Your body makes more capillaries as an adaptation to running more easy miles . ✅MITOCHONDRIAL GROWTH: Low-intensity training helps the growth of mitochondria (your cells’ powerhouse), which helps the body burn fat efficiently which is needed in long distance events . ✅RECOVERY: Running at easy pace helps facilitate blood flow to muscles that need repair after a hard workout (fast running). It helps speed up the recovery process if done correctly. When your heart is working too hard, it actually puts more stress on your body and hinders the healing process. When your body is not able to recover between “fast” running days, it can lead to burn out or injury! . WHAT SHOULD EASY PACE FEEL LIKE? It might feel a little weird, almost like a walk. You should end the run feeling like you could go a lot longer 😃 . Need help embracing easy running? Sign up for a seven day FREE trial with a coach today! Link in bio. www.run4prs.com ⭐️ .

TOP 6 TRAINING MISTAKES WE SEE Podcast Episode #165 🎙 . ❌ NOT ENOUGH RECOVERY: You can't maximize yourself as a runner if you're doing a lot of other activities (Orange Theory, CrossFit, etc.) Many athletes try to train for races while also doing activities like this. When training specifically for a race, try to focus on the specificity of training and taking classes like this after your race is done . ❌ TOO FAST ON EASY DAYS: Plug in a recent race result into a VDOT calculator to find out what your easy pace is. This is the pace you'll run for 80% of your training. Many athletes need to go even slower than this. Easy pace = more recovery, more aerobic development & increased ability to go hard during your hard workouts! . ❌ WRONG TYPE OF WORKOUTS: 10 x 200m shouldn't be a staple workout in marathon training. 16 miles at marathon pace shouldn't be part of 5k training. You want to do the RIGHT workouts for the race you're training for. Additionally, you want to avoid running your workouts too hard. We want to aim for 80-90% effort on workouts and save 100% all-out efforts for race day! Hold back a little so you have something left in the tank for race day! . ❌ NOT ACCUMULATING ENOUGH OVERALL VOLUME: Similar to the above training mistake, many athletes don't do enough volume during the week. They may only do a couple 3-4 mile runs and then a big 16 mile long run on the weekend. Marathons reward consistent volume and having more runs in the 60-90 minute range will give you a HUGE advantage on race day. . ❌ TOO MUCH FOCUS ON THE LONG RUN: Long runs are super important, but they aren’t the end all-be all. Just like one run isn’t going to ruin your training, one run isn’t going to make your training. Overall volume is more important than just the long run each week/ Your weekly volume needs to support the long run (no more than 30% of your weekly volume should be in your long run) . ❌ NOT ENOUGH OF THE “little” BIG THINGS: Sleep, good nutrition, less or no alcohol, yoga, meditation. These are the things you do the other 23 hours of the day when you're not training. They might seem like the little things, but they add up over time to the big things! . Do you need helping fixing some of these issues in your training? We’re always here to help! Send us a DM 💌

PRACTICING HYDRATION FOR RACE DAY Podcast Episode #164 🎙 . STEP 1: Research your marathon course offerings ✅ Larger races will have all of this info online ✅ May need to email race director for smaller races ✅ Most races are pretty consistent from year to year ❌ Some races don't allow hydration packs or have unmanned water stops. This is why research is so important! . STEP 2: Practice, practice, practice during long runs! ✅ During some long runs, set up a table with water outside of your house, run past it grabbing water every 40 min ✅ Limit water stop times to 30-90 seconds max ✅ Practice drinking while running ✅ Practice drinking out of a plastic cup or Dixie cup ✅ Practice running race pace while drinking out of cup ✅ Larger races = water/electrolytes stops every mile. Smaller races = may be every 2-5 miles. Practice and plan accordingly! Can take less/do sips with water stops every mile. You may need to take in more with less frequent water stops ✅ Ideally, pair your gels with water stops. Take gel, wash down with water . STEP 3: Do a race in training to practice more ✅ We don't recommend relying on a loved one to bring you your hydration on the course unless it's a very small race . STEP 4: No more anxiety about hydrating. Perfected strategy! 😃👍 . Have more questions? Let us know! Our DMs are always open! 💌 .

HAVE YOU EVER DONE BACK TO BACK LONG RUNS? 🏃‍♀️🏃 PODCAST EP. 163 for more! . They might be best for you! Here's why:👇 . ✅ THE 3 HOUR LONG RUN: As proven in research by Jack Daniels and other exercise physiologists, there is more risk than reward when running longer than three hours in marathon training. For many athletes, you aren't able to get 20 miles in within a 3 hour training run. So we split it up into two runs on a Friday night and Saturday morning, for example . ✅ NO MORE THAN 30% OF MILEAGE IN ONE SINGLE LONG RUN: Running more than 30% of your total weekly mileage in one long run is a big risk for injury. So in order to run the infamous 20 mile long run in marathon training, you would need to be running 60+ miles per week. Many runners don't run that much so we want to adjust the training with back to back long runs instead (see example below) . ✅ TIME ON YOUR FEET: Remember that our bodies do NOT know what “miles” are. It knows stress. It knows time on your feet. One runner may average 9:00 min/mile pace throughout a given week while another may average 11:00 min/mile pace. Running 40 miles/week will come out to vastly different amounts of total time on feet (6 hours of time for the 9:00 min/mile pace runner and 7.3 hours for the 11:00 min/mile pace runner). That’s a big difference over the course of a week that needs to be considered! . EXAMPLES: 👉 13 MILES @ 13:50 pace/mile [8:35 pace/km] = 3 HOURS 👉 14 MILES @ 12:50 pace/mile [8:00 pace/km] = 3 HOURS 👉 15 MILES @ 12:00 pace/mile [7:30 pace/km] = 3 HOURS 👉 16 MILES @ 11:15 pace/mile [7:00 pace/km] = 3 HOURS 👉 17 MILES @ 10:35 pace/mile [6:35 pace/km] = 3 HOURS 👉 18 MILES @ 10:00 pace/mile [6:10 pace/km] = 3 HOURS . We hope this helps! Comment below if you've done back to back long runs or if you're wanting to try it! 💪

ADJUSTING YOUR PACES IN THE HEAT 🔥 PODCAST #162 🎙 . If you run your usual paces that you would in perfect temperatures while running in higher temps, you end up racing your workouts and running too hard. This can lead to injury, burn out and performance stagnation. We want to avoid this by adjusting our paces! . OUR TOP TIPS TO HELP WITH THIS TRANSITION: ✅ Some athletes don’t struggle as much in the heat compared to others. Try not to compare yourself to others! . ✅ Along those same lines, keep a journal for yourself to see how the different factors of heat, humidity, dew point and direct sun affect YOUR performance. You may find you’re more affected by the humidity than heat. Journal after each run about how much slower you had to go based on the weather. This will help you from year to year . ✅ You’ll likely find you don’t need to adjust as much for shorter reps like 400m repeats as you would for longer reps, like 1k repeats. So always keep in mind that longer reps = more pace adjustments in the heat . ✅ Effort is best to go off of (0 being rest and 10 being the hardest you can run) in the heat and just knowing you will be slightly slower. This can carry over into other seasons and will help you get in tune with your body . ✅ Keep in mind that running in the heat is a great mental challenge for you if it’s safe to do so. Remember that you’ll only be faster in the fall for having run through the summer! Trust the process . ✅ Check your ego at the start of your workout! You’ll have a much more positive experience if you expect you’ll need to adjust and be a bit slower from the start . ✅ If you’re analytical, use the online pace adjusters for the heat (Runner’s Connect calculator is one we like to use)! This can give you a good idea of how much you should be adjusting, but don’t worry if you need to adjust even more! Everyone is different and the calculator is just using an algorithm . We hope this helps! Send us a DM if you have any other questions 💌 .

HOW MANY MILES PER WEEK SHOULD YOU RUN? 🤔 . PODCAST EPISODE #161 🎙 . Factors to consider:👇 ✅ YOUR RUNNING HISTORY: Take into account previous training cycles and your consistency over your years as a runner. Think about how you felt on 10, 20, 30, 40 miles per week. Where have you historically thrived in terms of mileage? . ✅ YOUR CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Starting a new job, taking care of sick parents, raising young children, etc. These are all situations that may require you to run less mileage in order to stay healthy and stay consistent ✅ YOUR CURRENT FITNESS: Average how many miles you've run per week in the last 4-6 weeks. That should be your starting point when you begin a training cycle ✅ YOUR PHYSIOLOGY: Some runners do just fine increasing their mileage while others need to be a bit more careful with injuries and burn out. With time, you'll discover what kind of runner you are and what amount of weekly mileage you need! . Do you need help finding your mileage sweet spot? Send us a DM and we'll help you! 💌 . #teamrun4prs #run4prs

Have you ever gone out HARD in a race then crashed & started slowing down? It’s super painful right? Not only physically but it’s hard on the ego! Starting a race FAST then slowing down is called “positive splits”. We often find that the opposite approach of starting slower and finishing faster allows for athletes to push harder at the end of the race & gain confidence resulting in faster times! This type of approach to starting SLOWER and finishing FASTER is called NEGATIVE SPLITS 💪 . WHY DOES IT WORK? 👉 Mentally, negative splitting makes staying optimistic throughout a race a bit more effortless. It’s a great feeling to look down at your watch and see your mile splits getting faster and faster as you go along. If you can mentally stay in it, your body is much more likely to oblige to the demands you are placing on it! . 👉 Physiologically, negative splitting shields your body from producing too much lactate at the beginning of the race, which will help you sustain your pace for the race’s duration. When your body is clearing the lactic acid as quickly as it’s making it, your muscles can continue to contract optimally, thus allowing you to run to your potential! . HOW DO YOU PRACTICE IT? 👉 In training, you should implement progression runs and fast finish long runs to practice what it feels like to speed up as you go along. These types of workouts can teach your body (and mind!) how to hold back in the beginning and switch to the next gear later on. For all easy runs, you should make it a point to start at an easier pace and gradually get faster (while still staying within your easy pace range) . 👉 Not sure how or when to practice negative splits? We can help! Start a FREE seven-day trial today by heading to the link in our bio. www.run4prs.com . 👉 Follow us for more training tips @run4prs

WHAT ARE THE TOP 6️⃣ LONG RUN MISTAKES? Podcast Episode #159 🎙 . You can improve your training and race success by tweaking a few things with your long runs!👇 . 1️⃣ LONG RUN TOO LONG COMPARED TO WEEKLY MILEAGE: Your long run shouldn't be more than 33% of your total weekly mileage! You will have a tough time with quality workouts if you're doing too much volume in one long run . 2️⃣ LONG RUN TOO FAST COMPARED TO CURRENT VDOT FITNESS: Many runners want to "prove" their fitness in a long run by attempting to run goal marathon pace during their long runs. This is NOT the way to reach your goals. This runs the risk of leaving you injured or burned out by the time your race comes along 👎 . 3️⃣ JUMPING TOO MUCH IN DISTANCE FROM WEEK TO WEEK: Your body is resilient and you may be able to get away with jumping from an 8 to 13 mile long run with no problem, but continuously doing this from week yo week can lead to injury. Increasing long runs 1-2 miles per week with cutback weeks is ideal . 4️⃣ NO CUTBACK LONG RUNS DURING THE MONTH: Doing a cutback week every 2-4 weeks gives your body time to repair. It prevents you from experiencing burn out as well. You want to do ~70% of what the prior week was, so 30 miles if the previous week was 40 miles 📉 . 5️⃣ RUNNING MORE THAN 3 HOURS: We like to cap long runs around three hours. Research has shown that your body gets the most benefit from runs between 60-90 min in duration AND that runs over 3 hours start to have diminishing returns . 6️⃣ NOT FUELING FOR RUNS OVER 90 MINUTES: Your glycogen stores begin depleting once you start running 90+ min, and your body prefers simple carbs as fuel. Yes, your body can dip into fat stores but that isn't as efficient as fueling with simple carbs, like gels, while running long 🍌 . We hope this helps! Comment, save, share and like if this helped you ⬇️ .

SUMMER TRAINING TIPS Podcast Episode #158 🎙 . Summer miles can be draining! With the heat, humidity and sun, you can really overdo it if you don’t adjust your training . Check out our top summer training tips so you don’t burn out and continue to feel strong: . ✅ SLOW DOWN: Whatever paces you normally run in the Fall and Spring will NOT be the same in the Summer. Anything above 60 degrees will slow your paces down, especially if it’s humid! DON’T force paces & trust that you aren’t getting slower in the summer. If you took the humidity and heat out of it, your paces WOULD go back to normal. It takes about 6 weeks to get physiological adaptations to the heat so slow down and allow the process to happen naturally . ✅ INCREASE HYDRATION: Try to hydrate every 15-30 minutes. Options are to carry it in a handheld or hydration vest, do loops around your house or car, drop water bottles at different spots along your route. How much hydration and electrolytes you need depends on your sweat rate. It takes trial and error to figure out what YOU need to stay hydrated! Everyone is different . ✅ RUN AT COOLER TIMES OF DAY: Avoid the hottest time of the day and get out when it’s cooler! . ✅ RUN A SHADY ROUTE: Sunny routes really zap energy. Do your best to head to the trails or find a shady running path/sidewalk! . ✅ DRESS FOR THE HEAT: Opt for lighter colors, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen . ✅ AVOID OUT AND BACK ROUTES: Loop around your house or where you parked your car instead so you aren’t stranded 7 miles from your starting point if you start having issues in the heat . ✅ ADJUST YOUR TRAINING SCHEDULE BASED ON THE FORECAST: Get your quality workouts in on cooler days so you don’t have to adjust paces as much and so you can stay safe . ✅ KEEP A JOURNAL/LOOK BACK AT TRAINING: Look at your training from year to year to remind yourself of how much slower you need to go in the heat. It’s a good reminder that you can run really slow in the Summer and still run PRs in the Fall! .

TOP 5 MARATHON TRAINING WORKOUTS 👇 Podcast Episode #157 🎙 . 1. Easy runs: The cornerstone of marathon training. You can have a VERY successful marathon doing only easy runs. 80% of your total mileage should be EASY. If we had to pick the most important run for marathon training, it would be this (2-3 minutes per mile slower than 5k pace, 1-2 minutes per km slower than 5k pace) . 2. Long runs: Anything over 90 minutes is considered a long run. 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours is the bread and butter length for long runs. MOST of these should be done at easy pace but some long runs can have some pace work in them. Your long run should not be more than 30% of your TOTAL weekly mileage . 3. Steady state runs: An example workout would be 2 mile warm up, 5 mile steady state/marathon pace, 2 mile cool down. This should feel like a 7/10 effort level. The harder 5 miles would count towards your 20% hard mileage for the week . 4. Threshold/tempo runs: 3 x 10 minutes @ threshold, 4 x 1 mile @ threshold, 6 x 1k @ threshold, etc. These types of workouts will build gradually throughout the training. This should feel like 7 or 8/10 effort level . 5. Medium long runs: 75-90 minute long run in the middle of the week. Can have some pace work within these long runs . Join our FREE marathon training group today! Get your free plan now: www.run4prs.com/project-262 ⭐️ . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #marathontraining

HOW TO BUILD UP FOR YOUR FALL RACE Podcast #156 🎙 . Many runners will begin a training cycle and jump into ❌ TOO MUCH ❌ TOO SOON . How can we avoid that and have a successful training cycle? . THE PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE This means:👇 ✅ Starting where you’re currently at ✅ Take the average number of miles you’ve run in the last 6 weeks and start there ✅ You want to avoid a big ramp up when your training cycle “begins” and make sure to only increase your mileage by MAX 10% each week ✅ You should feel like you’re holding back until peak weeks of training (2-4 weeks before your race, depending on race distance) ✅ You want to feel STRONG during your training cycle instead of very fatigued and struggling day to day . Have you ever felt very fatigued halfway through your training cycle, or like you “peaked too soon”? Let us know in the comments! ⬇️ . Looking for a marathon training plan that utilizes this training principle? Sign up for our FREE marathon training plan at www.run4prs.com/project-262 🏃‍♂️ . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #summertraining #fallracing #igrunner #instarunner #igrunningcommunity

COMING BACK AFTER INJURY: What to do and how to come back stronger 💪 Podcast Episode #155 🎙 . With running being such a high impact sport, injuries and flare-ups are bound to happen as a runner if you do it long enough and you’re training to get faster. Nothing is more frustrating than an injury for a runner, but we want to set you up with tools to limit your amount of time off and keep you running for a lifetime! 🙌 . Coming back after an injury or time off is going to look different for everyone based on several factors: How long did you not run for, where was your fitness at previously, did you have any injuries, etc. It can look very different from person to person 🏃🏿‍♂️🏃‍♀️ . One thing remains the same for everyone: you do NOT want to jump back into what you were doing right before you took time off. You need to apply the progressive overload principle regardless of your fitness level, paces, injury status, etc. . ✅The first step is body awareness: Be aware of niggles and things that feel “off” when running. Hopefully those acute things go away on their own from backing off for a few days ✅It’s ALWAYS better to be on the safe side and if the flare up doesn’t seem to be improving after a few days, go into a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist for a diagnosis ✅Have a go-to sports medicine doctor, physical therapist when things flare up to prevent/decrease time off ✅A lot of flare ups can be solved relatively quickly with treatments that a PT can do ✅These professionals can also set you up for prevention success by providing you with exercises to do on a consistent basis . [PHASE 1] WEEK 1: ✅Run/walk intervals for 20 minutes ✅Run every other day . [PHASE 2] WEEKS 2-4: ✅Increase sessions by 5-10 minutes every time you run ✅Run every other day ✅Go back to phase 1 if it’s too much . [PHASE 3] WEEKS 5-8: ✅Keep run mileage the same as week 4 ✅Add in another day of running & try to run back to back days and see how this feels ✅Go back to phase 1 or 2 if needed . [PHASE 4] WEEKS 9+: ✅Increase one variable at a time (adding to weekly long run, overall mileage, or workout intensity) ✅Add in a cutback week every 2-3 weeks ✅Go back to phase 2 or 3 if needed . Do you need more help with your comeback? We're here for you! Start a seven day FREE trial with us. Link in bio. www.run4prs.com . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs

IS YOUR TRAINING STAGNANT? Podcast Episode #154 🎙 . If this is the case, one of two things is going on: ❌ You're doing too much ❌ You’re not doing enough . For those not doing enough:👇 Improvements happen really quickly when you start running or start a new training program However, over time, you have to do more to see even less results as time goes on. This is the law of diminishing returns It can be frustrating to have to work extra hard to only get a 30 second marathon PR! But this is the reality of running You can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect to see more results You should: ✅ Get outside of your comfort zone. Try training for a new race and dong different types of workouts ✅ Increase your mileage if you’ve been stuck at the same weekly mileage for awhile. At some point, you will have to do more to see improvements ✅ Work on the little things like strength training, nutrition, yoga, etc. The little things in training often make a big difference! . For those doing too much:👇 Overtraining is a real thing and for our Type A runners out there, a very common thing! It can be very tempting to keep increasing mileage, run too fast during workouts, run easy runs too fast, etc. Symptoms of overtraining are: elevated resting heart rate, insomnia, continually getting sick, not feeling great on runs or after runs, amenorrhea You should: ✅ Make sure you’re running the appropriate paces for workouts and easy enough on easy runs based on VDOT (and oftentimes even SLOWER on recovery runs than VDOT tells you!) ✅ Improve upon your rest and recovery. This may mean less mileage and more sleep ✅ If you’ve been struggling with overtraining symptoms for awhile, see a doctor! . Need help breaking through your plateau? We’re here for you! Sign up for a FREE seven day trial today. Link in bio! www.run4prs.com ⭐️ . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #igrunner #instarunner #marathontraining #marathoner #bostonmarathon #rundisney

SETTING RACE DAY GOALS 💥 Podcast Episode #153 . REFLECTION QUESTIONS: ✅ How many days were missed in your training block? ✅ Were you sick a lot? ✅ How long have you been running in total? ✅ What have your last few years of running look like? ✅ Running is a mental, physical and emotional sport ✅ Where is your head at? ✅ Are you EXCITED about the race and having goals? ✅ Have you had any injuries? ✅ Do you thrive off of pressure or get anxious with time goals? ✅ What was my last race at this distance like? ✅ What were my races like in the lead up to this race? ✅ What were my key workouts like in the training cycle? . Additionally, having multiple goals is important! You need more than one goal to push you through your race if you’re having an off day. We HOPE the stars align perfectly for you, but the reality is that won’t happen every time. Set yourself up for success by having four separate goals! . A GOAL: ⭐ If all the stars align ⭐ Best possible weather ⭐ Best possible pacing ⭐ No fueling issues ⭐ Realistic based on your training . B GOAL: 👍 A very good performance 👍 Keeps you focused even though it’s not your best day ever 👍 If you make a minor pacing error 👍 Weather is a little off . C GOAL: 👌 An alright performance 👌 Keeps you focused on an off-day 👌 If you make some pacing errors 👌 Weather is not good . D GOAL: ✅ An off-day ✅ Keeps you focused to get to the finish line as fast as possible ✅ Can be a non-time based goal like finishing strong, not walking, etc. . 👉 Do you set up multiple goals for races? Need help figuring out a pacing plan and goals? We do FREE CONSULTATIONS! Head over to the link in our bio. www.run4prs.com

GET THE EXTRA EDGE ON RACE DAY Improve Your Mental Toughness 💪 Podcast Episode #152 🎙 . TOP 3 Ways to Improve 👇👇👇 FIGHTING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS Have you ever thought:👉 ❌"Should I really go “x” amount of miles today?” ❌ "It's just too hilly, too hot, too cold, etc." ❌ "What's the point of going out and doing this run?" Thoughts can get out of control if you let them Instead of allowing your thoughts to adjust your actions, let them just "be". See your thoughts as neutral rather than negative. You don’t even have to make your thoughts positive Your thoughts are simply just thoughts that will come and go . LIMITING BELIEFS The story that you tell yourself is so important ❌"I’m better at speed and not long distances." ❌"I can't run negative splits. My body doesn't work like that." That will be true if you think it Your body follows your mind. Your only fighting chance is if you believe you have one! 👊 . GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE Whatever is challenging for you in training: DO THAT! ✅Doing different types of training ✅Running in the rain if you don’t like running in the rain. Yes you can move your run but ask yourself why? Are you trying to make it easier for yourself? Rethink that decision! ✅You need the challenge to get better Mental toughness in running translates into mental toughness in life 💪 . Do you need help improving your mental toughness? We have an online course called Commit60 that focuses on this for 60 days! Check it out on our website 👉 www.run4prs.com . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #igrunner #commit60 #mentaltraining

Coach Meghan Roth! Meghan has been a coach with Run4Prs for 4 years. Before coaching with us, she was a personal trainer and coach for several years at a big box gym. She ran her first marathon 14 years ago and has since shaved a significant amount of time off and qualified for the Olympic Trails in the marathon. In this episode we will discuss her 2020 Olympic Trails Marathon experience, training during pregnancy during the 2020 pandemic and her recovery after a C-section delivery in December 2020. Meghan was in peak fitness going into the Boston 2021 marathon after crushing a 1:20 half marathon just 4 weeks before Boston. She suffered cardiac arrest during the 2021 Boston Marathon and stayed at a hospital in Boston for a week involving surgery implanting a medical device. Meghan shares her experience at Boston and what her recovery has been like. 6 months since the incident, Meghan is back to running cleared by her doctors and training again. Hear what she hopes for her future and CPR awareness in this episode

It’s not just the Newton Hills, the whole course has rolling hills! Try not to obsess over pacing too much and focusing more on effort. It is a crowded race so make sure you plan accordingly. We want to make sure to stay properly hydrated and fueling during the race. It can be shoulder to shoulder runners for several miles but don’t let that be an excuse to miss those first few aid stations. The Newton hills are about as hard as people make them out to be. However, there is also a lot of downhill and recovery in Newton between hills. Play to your strengths on the hills. You want to save something for those final 4 miles. The crowds will carry you home to the finish line regardless of how your day is going. Www.Run4prs.com

For a free 7 day trial you can fill out the form at www.run4prs.com  Assessing your strengths and weaknesses is key for building self awareness and also knowing what you should work on! When we know where we could use a little work, we can channel our energy to that area of life. This is important for your personal life as well as for your running. You will be able to better reach your potential when you know what direction to go. We have 3 areas of runner traits we are going to address in this episode as well as ways to turn your weaknesses into your strengths. For more information on this we have a commit60 mental training toolkit on our website that goes into this in depth. Weaknesses 1- impatient- you want results right away, you speed up at the end of runs Make yourself wait Meditation/mindfulness Deep breathing Yoga Read Do a puzzle Accept what you cannot change & practice empathy 2- Too negatives/self critical- you beat yourself up, perfectionist tendencies, unable to see positives, can lead to black or white thinking Mindfulness Recognize your triggers Come up with neutral statements instead Try a gratitude journal 3- inconsistent- lacking organization or discipline Routine Run streak Accountability buddy Building a habit/habit stacking 4-insecure- doesn’t believe in themselves, races workouts, pushing it on easy days Practice self care: nutrition, sleep, boundaries Maybe you always wanted a coach or to buy a certain pair of shoes: do it! Step away from toxic people, spend time with people who make you feel good Write down a list of things you are good at 5- Lack of experience- pacing, grows with time, technical Get experience Sign up for races Hire a coach Try new workouts 6-over analyzing- focusing too much on the details What do you over analyze? Weekly mileage (run 49.5 miles one week) Paces (don’t hit your paces) Run streaks (break it) Certain workouts (eliminate something you think is super important- IE yassos 800) How many 20 milers (run 18-19 milers) Focus on trusting the big picture

We are doing a little different format today interviewing a Run4prs coach! Many of our coaches were interviewed back in the beginning episodes of this podcast and we wanted to bring it back! Kat talks about her journey into running from 10+ min pace half marathon to 3:16 debut marathon. We also chatted about navigating a major life change in careers while continuing to train at a high level. Www.Run4prs.com for a free 7 day trial

www.run4prs.com free 7 day trial! Podcast #147: ALL ABOUT RUNNING SHOES 👟 ✅ How to Find the Perfect Shoe ✅ How to Begin a Shoe Rotation ✅ Carbon-Plated Shoes: Should You Wear Them? . There are three categories of running shoes:👇 ✅ Neutral: Good for little to no ankle rotation inward (pronation) ✅ Stability: Good for mild to moderate pronation ✅ Motion Control: Bulkier stability shoe for pronators . There are also different stack heights and heel to toe drops in shoes that can make a difference depending on if you’re injury-prone in the hips and glutes or calves and ankles (more posts on that later this week!) 🤩 . THE BOTTOM LINE IS:👇 You want your shoe to maximize your body’s mechanics and help you stay healthy . HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT SHOE: ✅ Going to a local running store is a great option to figure out the right shoe for you. They will have you do a series of tests and learn more about your running history to figure out what shoe is best for you. A step up from this would be a true gait analysis done with a physical therapist . Now that you have your perfect shoe, should you have MULTIPLE shoes for different runs? Many runners will have: ✅ Faster, lighter weight racing shoe for workouts and races ✅ More cushioned, forgiving shoe on easy recovery runs . WHAT SHOE FOR WORKOUTS AND RACES? ✅ Lighter weight shoes/carbon-plated shoes ✅ 6-9 oz for carbon-plated shoes no matter the brand. They are all very lightweight ✅ High stack height to help propel you forward ✅ More cushioning on many of the carbon-plated shoes that help decrease fatigue especially for longer races . THE FACT IS:👇 You still have to do the training. Faster racing shoes don’t work unless you do . More posts to come this week all about shoes! Stay tuned 👂 . ⭐️ Listen to our podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts ⭐️ Want to try out coaching? Head to the link in our bio! FREE 7 DAY TRIAL www.run4prs.com ⭐️ Follow us for more training tips & motivation @run4prs .

AEROBIC VS. ANAEROBIC: BY RACE DISTANCE 🏃🏽 Podcast Episode #146🎙 . If you're training for the 1 mile all the way up to the marathon and beyond (which is most of us amateur runners!), you should (in most cases) be training your AEROBIC system more than your ANAEROBIC system 👊 . ✅ AEROBIC SYSTEM: This is the predominant system used for races longer than 3 minutes. This system produces energy via OXYGEN. The aerobic system doesn’t create nearly as much power as other systems, but its capacity is virtually endless 👉 WORKOUTS FOR THIS SYSTEM = progression runs, tempo runs, long runs, cross training . ✅ ANAEROBIC SYSTEM: This is the predominant system used for races less than 3 minutes. This system does NOT need oxygen to produce energy. It uses energy stored in the cells. There are limited amounts of stored energy in the cells, which is why you can only use this system for very short periods of time 👉 WORKOUTS FOR THIS SYSTEM = interval/rep workouts, short fartleks, hill workouts . ➖ 1 Mile: 80% aerobic, 20% anaerobic ➖ 5k: 84% aerobic , 16% anaerobic ➖ 10k: 90% aerobic, 10% anaerobic ➖ Half Marathon: 97.5% aerobic, 2.5% anaerobic ➖ Marathon: 97.5% aerobic, 2.5% anaerobic . You can see why it is more helpful to train your AEROBIC system for the 1 mile to the marathon and up 💪 while also doing SOME anaerobic workouts to improve power and speed! . (**This research was done by Paul Gastin in 2001 → “Energy System Interaction and Relative Contribution During Maximal Exercise”**) .

BENEFITS OF HILL WORKOUTS 🏔 Podcast episode #145 🎙 . Hill workouts will help build you into the runner you want to be! Everyone wants great form, strength, and confidence, so add some hill workouts to your training routine for big improvements: . ✅ Improves form: It’s difficult to run uphill with bad form! Running hills naturally gets you up on your forefeet, forces you to lean forward, and requires you to use your arms efficiently and effectively. They also force you to shorten your stride and increase your cadence, which is a big part of ideal running form. Running hills, and therefore using proper form, will improve your neuromuscular connections so your body remembers what good form is and feels like! . ✅ Increases your power: When you run hills, you’re fighting gravity and the grade of the hill which builds up strength . ✅ Easier on your body with similar benefits of speedwork: Hill repeats are easier on your body than speedwork on flat terrain because you aren’t able to reach top speeds going uphill, and faster running is hard on your body. But you are able to practice the same fundamentals of speedwork during hill workouts (i.e. hill workouts and speedwork require similar efforts). This is easier on your joints, connective tissue, and muscles because you’re going slower! . ✅ Allows you to tackle any racecourse with confidence: You often hear people describe certain runners as “strength” runners, which basically just means they are able to run well on any terrain and hills don’t beat them up as much as the more “metronome” type runners who do really well on flat courses. Become a STRENGTH runner by adding hills into your runs! You’ll also become better at pacing any course with hill training under your belt . HOW TO ADD HILLS TO YOUR TRAINING: ✅ Add them into your easy, long, and tempo runs -Rolling terrain, bridges, etc. -Focus on keeping an even effort rather than even pace ✅ Do hill-specific workouts in addition to adding them into your other runs -30 seconds-5 min hill repeats -Can use steep hills -Can use stairs -Can use treadmill 6% grade or higher . Want to reach your potential as a runner? Click the link in our bio. www.run4prs.com ⭐️ .

MOBILITY, STABILITY & BREATHWORK FOR RUNNERS Podcast Episode #144 🎙 . DID YOU KNOW: Mobility and balance decline naturally as we age. It’s important to incorporate mobility & stability exercises into our routine to counterbalance the natural decline we will inevitably face. We know, we know– it’s not the most FUN topic and it’s hard to add another thing to our training plate. But these exercises don’t need to take a ton of time! You can get the benefits with just a few minutes a few times per week 👍 . MOBILITY DRILLS:👇 Dynamic warm-up before a run. Takes 3 minutes to do! 15 seconds per exercise Examples: Marching leg lifts, scoops, walking lunges, quick feet/quick foot strikes, A skips, B skips, high knee carioca (for visuals of this, please see our YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lrOCSUoR9o) . YOGA FOR STABILITY:👇 Many yoga poses require you to be on unequal footing. Yoga also requires you to hold different positions that you aren’t typically in. By working through yoga poses, you may be able to improve your stability overall . YOGA FOR BREATHWORK:👇 The breathwork needed for yoga acts as a nervous system reset. Races and hard workouts can induce some level of the “fight or flight” response and it can take a few days to come down from that, thus limiting your recovery. Through breathwork & yoga, you can calm your body down after hard workouts and races and get back into “rest and digest” mode . REMINDER: While these types of exercises can help prevent and eliminate pain while running/injuries, if you are currently injured: Please see a physical therapist or sports medicine doctor 👩🏾‍⚕️ . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofig #womensrunningcommunity #yogaforrunners #mobilityforrunners #mobilitydrills

6 WAYS TO BECOME A BETTER RACER 🤩 Podcast episode #143 🎙 . Racing is a skill that takes time to develop. Pacing, fueling, mental toughness, etc. There are so many parts to racing that you can continually improve upon . 👉 PACING: Running negative splits & finishing races strong takes a ton of practice. Feeling out the effort and knowing when to hold back and speed up is not an easy skill to acquire! HOW TO GET BETTER:👇 ✅ Race more: Not every race you run is going to be a PR. But you can run races with non-time based goals like running negative splits or running completely off of effort without looking at your watch. Doing this often will improve your ability to read your body and pace appropriately in your PR attempt races . ✅ Set realistic goals: Look at your workouts and training as a whole. Set realistic goals based on that training. It helps to get an unbiased look at your training from a coach. The more realistic you are, the better you’ve set yourself up for success . ✅ Run your own race: If you want to negative split and finish as strong as possible, be aware that pace groups don’t run negative splits and that they run even splits. You may run better with your own plan! Keying off of pace groups can be great and it’s helpful to keep their whereabouts on your radar . ✅ Practice how you want to race: Doing progression run workouts and running all of your easy runs as progressions will help you start easier and finish strong during races. Your body will learn to run every run and race this way! . 👉 MENTAL TOUGHNESS: Racing is very mental. When you’ve done the training, it comes down to your mindset on race day to reach your goals HOW TO GET BETTER:👇 ✅ Gratitude list/”I am” statements: It seems so simple, but keeping a gratitude list and writing down “I am” statements (I am fast. I am strong. I am a good parent) daily can do so much for your mental state. Did you know you can actually rewire your brain to see the positives in things? You do this by spending a little time each day focusing on the positives. Do this daily and you’ll find you can overpower negative thoughts while racing and stay positive when it gets tough . ✅ Practice visualization: During your workouts in training, picture yourself in a racing environment. Visualize your race course and practice how you want to feel at certain points on the course. Visualize yourself finishing strong and running your last mile your fastest. The body follows the mind! . Do you need help improving your racing? You can become a great racer! You have it in you. Start a free trial training program today and see what coaching can do for you! Link in bio. www.run4prs.com ⭐️ .

STRENGTH TRAINING: THE BENEFITS Podcast episode #142 🎙 . ✅ INJURY PREVENTION: Strength training allows your body to handle your training volume and continue training without injury. Strength training strengthens connective tissue and muscles. It also corrects muscle imbalances in the body that can contribute to injury. If you have muscle imbalances, your body begins to compensate and favor the stronger side, which can lead to injury. Avoiding injury = staying consistent as a runner! Getting specific exercises for YOU from a physical therapist is key to improving your body imbalances/avoiding injury . ✅ FASTER FINISHING KICK: The marathon is 99% aerobic and 1% anaerobic (the final stretch of the race). Strength training is an anaerobic activity. If you strength train, you’re able to target your anaerobic system and improve your ability to finish a marathon strong in the final stretch . ✅ IMPROVES RUNNING ECONOMY: When your muscles are strong, they don’t need to expend as much energy to hit faster paces. This leads to your form staying intact throughout the entirety of a race, allowing you to hold onto that faster pace instead of breaking & slowing down! SMALL improvements in your running economy lead to BIG differences, especially over the course of longer races like half marathon/marathon . ✅ IMPROVES NEUROMUSCULAR CONNECTIONS: Strength training improves your power by strengthening the mind-to-body connection. This allows your body to recruit more muscle fibers more quickly, and do so much easier which makes you more efficient . ✅ IMPROVES BALANCE: When running, you’re either airbound or on one leg. There is potential for landing wrong and hurting ourselves. Our legs have many small stabilizing muscles that can help us navigate uneven terrain when they are strong . TOP TIPS:👇 ✅ Use the progressive overload principle. Start SMALL! Bodyweight only at first and work your way up to weights and then heavier weights ✅ Ideally, strength train on your hard workout days. Keep the hard days hard and the easy days easy ✅ You don’t need to do a lot! Just 20-30 minutes 2x/week will do the trick . Want to see what strength exercises you should be doing for runner-specific strength? Start a free strength training trial with us! www.run4prs.com/strength-training . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs

How Different Paces Should Feel Podcast Episode #141 🎙 . 👉 Have you ever wondered how pro runners don’t use GPS watches during races or workouts? 👉 OR have you ever wondered how runners ran pre-GPS watches (pre-2000s)? 👉 The KEY is learning to run off of EFFORT and knowing what different paces should feel like 👉 It can take decades to learn what different paces should feel like so be patient with yourself as you navigate effort-based training . EASY PACE:👇 ✅ It should feel like you didn’t run after an easy run ✅ Could easily nasal breathe the entire run ✅ Could sing an entire song without taking a breather ✅ 3-5/10 perceived effort level . MARATHON PACE/STEADY STATE:👇 ✅ Shouldn’t be on your hands and knees afterward ✅ Slowing down in the later miles of a steady state run/unable to keep consistent pace = going too fast ✅ Needing to take a walk break after marathon pace miles = going too fast ✅ Feels “comfortable” but not easy ✅ 6-7/10 perceived effort level . THRESHOLD PACE:👇 ✅ Can race for one hour at this pace ✅ Can talk in short phrases ✅ “Comfortably hard”/tolerable. Harder than marathon pace ✅ If you feel like you couldn’t do another mile at that pace, you’re going too fast ✅ 7.5-8/10 perceived effort level . INTERVAL PACE:👇 ✅ Able to say one word ✅ You feel breathless between intervals ✅ Not an all-out effort ✅ 8-9/10 perceived effort level . IMPORTANT REMINDERS:👇 ✅ Try to use your watch/GPS technology as a tool rather than the end all-be all ✅ Don’t attach your ego to your paces. Paces vary from day to day and so many outside factors affect it. You aren’t a robot and giving yourself a little grace will keep your confidence up and keep you from running too fast during workouts and easy runs! . 🔥 Do you need help with effort-based training? At Run4PRs, we help you with specific VDOT pacing for your fitness level as well as HR ranges and effort ranges. Sign up for a FREE seven day trial with us! Link in bio. www.run4prs.com🔥

We are doing a different format of podcast today. You may be used to the standard 1 topic podcast where Jason and I chat in depth about 1 topic but today we are asking YOU to bring your questions & we answer them. We talk about a variety of topics. We ask the audience on IG what questions they have and we answer in a podcast forum allowing for a greater discussion of the question than on an IG story. We love to help runners achieve their goals and grow a better understanding of the sport. 1- HOW DO YOU GET MOTIVATION BACK AFTER YOUR GOAL RACE WITH NO OTHER RACE IN MIND? Post racing blues are real! It can be hard to find motivation to workout when you don’t have a goal! 1- find a goal 2- search about what it is that gets you excited about running 3- set weekly process goals 2-DIET TO ELIMINATE BATHROOM ISSUES ON LONG RUNS AVOID FIBER SIMPLE CARBS TRY TO TRAIN THE BODY TO GO BEFORE 3- DOES A HEALTHY BMI IMPACT PERFORMANCE FUELING YOUR BODY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF RUNNING. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO NOT DEPRIVE THE BODY OF FOOD. IF YOU ARE IN A CALORIC DEFICIT, IT CAN BE REALLY HARD TO ACTUALLY HIT PRS. MANY PEOPLE START RUNNING AS A MEANS TO LOSE WEIGHT. THEY MAY FIND THAT AS THEY LOSE WEIGHT, THEY BECOME FASTER, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES AT PLAY IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHICH CAUSES THE SPEED INCREASE. THERE ARE CERTAINLY CAUSES OF PEOPLE WHO LOSE WEIGHT AND GOT SLOWER OR INJURED. 4- What is your least favorite thing about coaching? Coaching is generally a good time! I don’t have a lot of complaints about coaching. It can be hard in the rare occasion that someone has a hard race and they lose confidence. It’s just one race! 5- i just took 2 months off- do i have to start back at ground zero? Not necessarily at ground zero. It really depends on how you are feeling and why you took the time off. With a medical issue, it might make sense to treat yourself like you are starting from actual ground zero. 6- what should I do about knee pain? Getting hurt is a really hard part of being a runner. Injuries can be common because it’s a high contact sport (with the ground). I recommend seeing a physical therapist and consider active release therapy

WHAT SETS BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETES APART? Podcast Episode #139.🎙This is one you won’t want to miss! 🙌 . Have you ever seen someone run a big PR and think “How did they do that?! How did they get so fast?” Sometimes it can feel like there’s a secret training tool you’re not aware of. We’re here to break it down for you!👇 . ✅ ENVIRONMENT & YOUR TRAINING AGE: Athletes that start running young and are exposed to the sport in their environment have a leg up. The longer you’ve been running, the better. More years of running builds your aerobic capacity and allows you to get faster over time . ✅ HOW THEY TRAIN: Consistency over the months and years, 80% of their training easy mileage, and not racing their workouts– these are all pillars to a successful training program that will give an athlete a breakthrough race in time. You need to repeatedly do the correct training to see a breakthrough! . ✅ THEIR MINDSET: You have to truly believe you can reach your goals. You have to believe in yourself wholeheartedly to make it happen. When you believe you can achieve your goals, you’ll do what needs to be done to make it happen. Mindset is so important . ✅ GENETICS: Your highest potential as a runner is determined by genetics (your VO2Max capacity, biomechanical efficiency, and other endurance-based inherited traits). However, many runners do not train hard enough or long enough to ever find out what that potential is. It’s likely much higher than you think and it takes years of dedication doing the correct training to find your performance ceiling . Are you ready for your breakthrough race? The time will pass either way. Will you start today? Link in bio to start a seven day free trial with us. www.run4prs.com ⭐️ . Follow us for more training tips & motivation @run4prs

REBOUNDING FROM A BAD WORKOUT Podcast Episode #138 🎙 . Have you ever had a bad workout? If you’ve been running for a while, chances are you’ve experienced a bad workout! What’s the best way to get through it and move forward? 👇 . ☑️ JOURNAL & TALK ABOUT IT: Journal about it or talk to your running coach or friend about it. They can help offer perspective and remind you that you aren’t alone and you will be stronger for the next one! It’s important to debrief from the experience so you can move forward . ☑️ ASSESS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED: Did you sleep well the night before? How was your hydration and nutrition leading up to the workout? Figuring out what may have led to the bad workout can help get you out of a negative mindset about the workout . ☑️ FIND THE SMALL WINS: You can’t always control the times and paces you’ll hit due to weather and other external factors. There are always positives you can find though. Did you complete the full mileage for the day? Did you stay mentally strong in the last mile instead of giving up? . ☑️ HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT MINDSET: Go SLOWER if you need to. Give yourself the flexibility. You can still have a great workout if you adjust and know that’s OKAY to do so especially in bad weather, on hills, etc. . Are you looking to take your training to the next level? Start up a seven day FREE trial with us! Link in bio. www.run4prs.com ⭐️ . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs ⭐️ . #teamrun4prs #run4prs #marathontraining #halfmarathontraining #igrunner #instarunner #runnersofig #womensrunningcommunity #runcoach

SHOULD YOU DO SPEED WORKOUTS OR THRESHOLD WORKOUTS? 🤔 FREE 7 DAY RUN COACHING TRIAL AT WWW.RUN4PRS.COM . WHAT ARE SPEED WORKOUTS? 👇 ✅  Speed workouts target your anaerobic cardiovascular system and your top end aerobic system. Speed workouts increase your strength, form and efficiency as a runner 👉 EX: 6 x .5 mile @ interval pace, 10 x 45 seconds @ 1 mile/5k effort . WHAT ARE THRESHOLD WORKOUTS?👇 ✅  Train the aerobic cardiovascular & muscular system to utilize oxygen while simultaneously removing waste products such as carbon dioxide & lactic acid (imagine a bath running with the drain open. Running at lactate threshold tempo pace is the rate at which the waste removal and waste production is basically the exact same). These workouts help you run faster for longer! 👉 EX: 6 miles at marathon effort, 3 x 1 mile @ threshold effort  . WHAT WORKOUTS SHOULD YOU DO?👇 ✅  You should do BOTH, but... For half marathon and marathon training, there should be an emphasis on threshold workouts to target your aerobic system. The half marathon & marathon are 99% aerobic in nature, so you want to train the correct cardiovascular system. Speed workouts should still be incorporated so you can work on good form, efficiency and your top end speeds. However, speedwork is a big stress on your body and it's not as effective to improve your endurance event times . Do you need help doing the right training for YOUR goal race? We're here for you! Sign up for a seven day FREE trial with us AND/OR👇 Sign up for our FREE half marathon training program here: www.run4prs.com/half-marathon-program . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs

www.run4prs.com for a free 7 day trial. We are doing a different format of podcast today. You may be used to the standard 1 topic podcast where Jason and I chat in depth about 1 topic but today we are asking YOU to bring your questions & we answer them. We talk about a variety of topics. We ask the audience on IG what questions they have and we answer in a podcast forum allowing for a greater discussion of the question than on an IG story. We love to help runners achieve their goals and grow a better understanding of the sport. 1- WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT BEFORE A RUN? Eating before a run is key but it can take time to build up to tolerate that if you aren’t used to eating much. Think of the BRAT diet that you would eat after the flu. Things that sit well with your stomach! Things like toast, oatmeal, banana, apple sauce are all good starting points to build from. Avoid anything too crazy 2-MY GOAL IS SUB 5 MARATHON- WILL A 3 HOUR MAX LONG RUN BE ENOUGH? The 3 hour rule will be perfect and we recommend that you do some back to back long runs to build the endurance and simulation of running long on fatigued legs. If you did 90 min run the night before your 3 hour run, this reduced chance of injury and also helps simulate the fatigue of the marathon. A lot of people run better when capping long run at 16. Look up the Hanson’s method! You’d be amazed 3- TOP 3 WORKOUTS FOR THE MARATHON The long run with or without marathon work, a medium long run with some threshold/steady state work, and then more tempo work! 4- HOW TO GET MOTIVATED AGAIN AFTER TIME OFF? The key is to start small and realize that it may take awhile to get back into the groove. Goal setting each week and each day can go a long way. Say you set a goal this week to run 3x. Then on each day you run set a goal like “run at least 2 miles”. Then you can set another goal the next week and keep building the momentum. It can be addictive over time! Having a long term goal like a race also helps 5- HOW CAN I AVOID CHAFFING? Unfortunately some areas and some people are just more prone to chaffing. There can be many reasons for this, but bottom line is skin rubbing over and over can HURT! Where do you find you chaff the worst? It may be finding better clothing options! When I am pregnant I experience a lot more chaffing (under bra, under arms & between legs) I find that wearing longer shorts is a game changer for helping between the legs. Wearing a shirt that covers the under arm area tightly can help with under arms. I have yet to find a solution for under the bra. I would experiment with clothing!

DO YOU RUN THE CORRECT PACES? Podcast Episode #135 🎙 • Www.Run4prs.com free 7 day trial • There are several different online VDOT calculators available to figure out your paces for workouts and easy runs.👇 A popular one is the Run Smart Calculator by the renowned exercise physiologist and run coach Jack Daniels👇 • 👉Plug in a recent race result/time trial from the past few months and you’ll get your different paces for each type of workout/run • 👉Jack Daniels uses these different pace ranges for pacing: ✅EASY PACE: Easy pace running refers to warm-ups, cool-downs, recovery runs, recovery running within a workout and generally long runs. Usually 2+ minutes slower than 5k race pace ✅MARATHON PACE: Steady run or long repeats (e.g. 2 x 4 miles at marathon pace) ✅THRESHOLD PACE: Comfortably hard running for either a steady 3-4 miles (or 5 to 6km) or repeated runs of 5 to 15 minutes each, with 1 to 3 minutes of rest between the runs ✅INTERVAL PACE: Intervals are "hard" but not all-out running by any means. Usually at a pace that you could maintain for about 10-15 minutes in a serious race ✅REPETITION PACE: Reps are fast, but not necessarily "hard," because work bouts are relatively short and are followed by relatively long recovery bouts. Recoveries are to be long enough that each run feels no more difficult than the previous run. Think of Reps as similar to current 1500 or mile race pace • 👉EXAMPLE: 🔥Recent 5k PR time: 30 minutes (9:39 average pace)🔥 ✅EASY PACE RANGE: 11:16-12:21 pace (2+ min slower than 5k race time!) ✅MARATHON PACE: 10:48 pace ✅THRESHOLD PACE: 9:45 pace ✅INTERVAL PACE: 8:42 pace ✅REPETITION PACE: 8:10 pace . ⚠️ WARNING: These calculators will also give you “equivalent race times”. BE CAUTIOUS! If your 5k is 30 minutes, it will tell you that your equivalent marathon time is 4:43. This may or may not be accurate depending on your strengths as a runner. Some runners do better at long distances than short distances so your marathon time could be faster than what is projected (and vice versa!) A coach is better equipped to tell you what you’re capable of based on your training! 💪 .

www.run4prs.com for a free 7 day coaching trial. STAYING CONSISTENT AFTER TIME OFF 💪Podcast Episode #134 🎙 . Did you run a fall race? Have you been running less these last few weeks? If you’ve got a spring race coming up, it’s time to gear up! But how do you do it safely and how do you stay consistent with training after time off? 🤔 . ✅ PROGRESS SAFELY: Ease back in. You might have the urge to start an aggressive training plan after time off. But what is most sustainable long-term? Aggressive plans are not sustainable. Jumping from no miles to running 5 miles every day can lead to injury or burnout. Your first month back should look too easy! . ✅ TIME-BASED INSTEAD OF MILEAGE-BASED: Most of your miles coming back should be EASY! Running for time will keep you accountable to your easy pace because no matter how fast or slow you go, you need to run for “x” amount of time. Better to run slow! Run/walks are helpful as well, depending on how much time you took off . ✅ USE EASY MILES TO MULTITASK: Focus on self-development through audiobooks or podcasts, call or run with a friend for social time, etc. Try to focus on the good that will come out of your runs instead of thinking of all the other things you could be doing . ✅ RUN A NEW ROUTE: Running new routes can be a huge motivator! Seeing new things and being surprised by the route can make the miles fly by . What are your tips for staying consistent after time off? Let us know in the comments! 👇 . Follow us for more training tips @run4prs & listen to our podcast @run4prs 🎙 .