I will share what I have learned through my experiences to motivate and encourage you. Winter is the perfect time of year to start training. Plus, you will have a whole group behind you to keep you accountable and make the long runs fun. We will enjoy the great outdoors, make new friends, meet and exceed our goals and make this a great year.

I was able to discover my passion for running and athletics at a very young age, which has given me the opportunity to enjoy and learn so much through hard work, consistent training, and amazing races. I have completed 7 half marathons, 3 marathons, 28 triathlons and has coached several swim teams. Through my experiences I have learned the value of honest hard work. Nothing is more important than sticking to your training, listening to your coach, asking questions and soaking up as much fun as you can.

Salt Lake Running co.’s half marathon training schedule will start Saturday January 14^th with a 3 mile group run, and will end with a spring half marathon of your choice. Training doesn’t have to end with the race. Running is a lifestyle, and my goal through this program is to help you catch on to running, to train efficiently so that you will enjoy it and make it a part of your life. A half marathon is a great goal, it’s a huge goal, but it is absolutely attainable. Everyone has the ability to do it; sometimes it just takes a little coaching to bring out the confidence in yourself and see what you are really capable of.

I am honored to have this opportunity and I am excited to be your coach!  I hope to meet you Tuesday January 10^th at our Launch Party/Information meeting.

Until then, happy running!

Linnley

Hi, I’m Deveree. I’ve been running for 8 years. I originally started to run as a way to lose the “freshman 15” I gained during my first year of college, but I quickly fell in love with the sport. I still remember the day I completed 1 mile without stopping to walk!  In 2006, after casually running for 2 years, I joined a local marathon training group and started training for the St. George marathon. At that point I had never run more than 5 miles, so every week’s long run was a huge accomplishment for me. After completing the 26 week training program, I crossed the finish line in 3:57. It was such a great feeling! The actual marathon itself was amazing, but even more amazing was the people I met and the experience I had training with the running group. I loved it and knew that I wouldn’t have had such a great race had I trained on my own.

In 2007 I trained with the group again, and then in 2009 and 2010 I coached for the group. Last year when SLRC was looking for a coach for their winter half marathon training group I jumped at the chance. Besides my experience with coaching running groups, I have a Master’s Degree in Health Promotion and Education. I absolutely love promoting health and wellness to others, so training with other people and watching runners fulfill their goals throughout these training groups is the perfect way to do that. 2011’s training group was a huge success and I’m so excited to be back again this year!

See you soon!

Deveree

As runners prepare for an upcoming marathon, here are three common questions that arise:

1. When is the best time to buy a shoe for a marathon and how do I get my pair ready?
2. How do marathon runners know whether or not their shoes will have enough life to get them through the race free of pain?
3. How close to marathon day should a runner purchase the shoes they are planning on using for the race?

These are probably the most common questions we get asked concerning the topic of marathon shoes. The answers to these questions are fairly simple and logical.

The shoes a marathoner wears during the actual race should be in their prime. The prime of a running shoe is typically between 50 and 150 miles. The first 50 miles is to ensure that the shoe is compatible with the runner’s foot. There is very little actual break-in period with running shoes because the materials used are very supple in comparison to leather boots or shoes that traditionally need to be broken in. It is conceivable that if a runner is familiar with a certain shoe, he/she could pull a brand new pair out of the box and run the race. This is not recommended, but this is better than running on a shoe that has too many miles on it.

After a shoe has reached approximately 150 miles, it starts to lose its capacity to cushion and support the impact that comes from running, especially toward the end of longer runs. The typical life of a shoe is 300-400 miles. A running shoe is obviously still good after the 150-mile mark, but a marathoner runs the risk of having the shoe fail toward the end of the race when the foot and body need the most protection and support.

Aside from being uncomfortable, if the shoe fails at mile 18, 20, or 25, this may cause the runner’s pace to slow significantly, costing the runner valuable time in the race.  More importantly, it can cause the runner to recover more slowly at the end of the race, and can even cause significant injuries such as stress fractures.

So, how does a marathoner keep a shoe in its prime leading into a marathon? Here are some tips:

• A runner should use the shoe he/she is going to run the race in during at least one long run.
• It is not recommended that he/she wait until the last long run because there is not another long run to correct any problems that may arise.
• The shoe that will be used in the marathon should be purchased with enough time before the second to last long run to be able to do a few shorter runs on it before going out for 18 or 20 miles.

If we look at a time frame, here’s how it breaks down:

• The last long run should be no closer than three weeks before the race.
• The second to last long run should be two to three weeks before that.
• The shoe should be purchased a week before the second to last long run.
• That puts the purchase time for the marathon shoe at four to six weeks before race day.

Purchasing a shoe at the recommended time, and testing it out on a few short runs plus a long run, should get the shoe near the 50-mile point. Here are some tips for leading up to the race:

• Box the shoe back up until race day. This will ensure that the shoe used on that day is proven to work for that runner and is still in its prime.
• Continue to use other training shoes for the balance of the training program, until they reach 300 miles, then move into another training shoe, not the race day shoe.
• This will keep the race day shoe at a mileage less than 150 miles, maintaining its prime condition.

With a little planning, this process will help a marathoner complete the race free of injury and as comfortable as possible, plus speed up the recovery process following the race.

Don’t be discouraged if time seems to be running short. It‘s better to run on a shoe that has fewer than 50 miles than a shoe that has more than 150. If time is short, try to get a shoe as close to the one that has been used for the majority of the training program. A specialty shoe sales person should be able to help you find a shoe that closely matches the one you have been training in.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of, we’ve all had them. It is estimated that one third of all runners at any given marathon will walk, or limp, away with blisters. Even veterans of the sport can end up running into this problem, literally. Well let’s take a look into what these little shoe demons are and how we can help prevent them.

It helps to first understand exactly what a blister is and how they are caused. Blisters are the body’s natural defense mechanism against friction and heat. In either case, the body produces a layer of liquid between the top layer of skin and the more sensitive layers below. Heat can cause the plasma fluid between these layers of skin to rapidly expand, thus causing the separation and fluid build-up we call blister. Continuous friction in a given area, even for a short time, can cause enough heat to form a blister. Friction can also help separate the layers of skin with force, allowing fluid to build up and create the little buggers. The idea of the blister is to create a barrier of cushioning to help protect against whichever culprit is responsible. So now that we know about what a blister is and what causes them it will be pretty easy explaining how to prevent and treat them.

There are several steps in preventing blisters, all of which have to do with reducing friction, heat and moisture. First and foremost we need to make sure that we are running in proper fitting technical running shoes. Technical running shoes are made from higher quality materials designed to breathe and help reduce moisture within the shoe. A proper fit involves two qualities, width and length. Shoes should fit snug but not tight (I know, it’s a thin line). Also, there should be enough distance, roughly a half or full shoe size, to accommodate for the swelling that will occur while running and the splaying of the toes during the toe off phase of your gait. An improper fit being too tight would cause friction between and on the tips of the toes and on the sides of the feet along the shoe’s edge. Too loose of a fit can also cause friction along the bottom of the foot as it slides around inside the shoe. Also, make sure that the heel is fitted properly.

Your second step is to make sure you are running in good socks. How do you know what a good sock is? Check out Elizabeth’s take on socks for an in depth look at the different kind of socks there are. Socks work in two ways, they wick away moisture that can soften the skin making it more susceptible to blisters and they also create a barrier to absorb all the friction occurring between your skin and the shoe. The biggest rule to socks (or any other type of running apparel for that matter) is NO COTTON! Quick educational moment; cotton is hydrophilic, meaning that it absorbs moisture and holds onto it, and it also tends to lose its shape and become loose around the foot, causing more of that pesky friction and heat. So cotton not only keeps your feet wet but it also tends to create even more friction if it loses its shape. Double dang!

The last step in defeating blisters is consumer products such as wraps, lubricants and toe caps. If you have the proper fitting shoe and the right socks then supplemental products might end up being an additional solution to the problem. I find that lubricants, such as Body Glide, Blister Shield Powder or Tri Slide, work the best for me. There are also pads such as Mueller Blister Pads and toe caps that could be used to cover the blister for more centralized or problematic areas. Unfortunately there is no single answer as to what works best to prevent blisters so come in and see us and we’ll help get you taken care of and make things as comfortable as possible.

Extreme Endurance Benefits
- Improve Aerobic Threshold
- Speeds up Recovery
- Reduces Muscle Soreness
- Replaces Electrolytes
- Reduces Lactic Acid Build up During Exercise and Competition

Dose
If you work out 5-7 times a week take 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening for a total of 6

If you work out less than 5 times a week, use the dosage chart on the back of the bottle (by weight)

For more information go to http://xendurance.com/

It has been over 24 hours since the race and now that I am well hydrated again and have restored my blood sugar to acceptable levels I can finally report on the race.  But before I do I want to thank everyone for all of their kind words of encouragement either by phone, text message, facebook post or just in your thoughts and prayers.  It is a long lonely stretch of lava rock on the big island and I had to dig many times into the well for your strength that you were giving me.  Most of all I want to thank my wife Chrystel for being such an amazing support and for the sacrifices she has made so that yesterday could happen.

Pre-Race

I woke up on race morning at 4:00 AM just as planned and made my traditional pre-race meal of old fashioned oatmeal and a cup of coffee.  I like to wake up about 3 hours before key races in order to get the appropriate amount of time in for digestion.  The rest of the morning I spend hydrating with a sports drink and trying to stay relaxed.  This morning was like any other and I took my time getting to body marking and of course I am one of the last one there to get marked.  To my good fortune, my friends, Tracy and Mike Mamales, and Mike Conti were there volunteering at body marking and I got to be marked by friends.  After getting my numbers painted on, I made my way to the pier to fill my bottles and inspect my bike.  Everything looked in order so I went back out to the family and proceeded to apply a generous amount of sunscreen and lube to my tri shorts and swim skin.  In the final moments before leaving my wife and child I tend to get a little choked up because of the atmosphere and because I am fully aware of the sacrifice they have made and I am very grateful to them for it.

The Swim

The walk into the ocean is really one of the most amazing feelings of the day.  As you take your steps into the ocean you see the entire seawall as far as you can see and every balcony nearby covered by spectators.   Not to mention the giant finish structure and Jumbo-tron all with the sound of Hawaiian drums and the drum of the NBC Helicopters flying overhead.  Needless to say the nerves get kicked into overdrive at this point.  I swim out to the start line and that is where the real fun begins.  The starting line is very brutal with kicking and shoving for about 10 minutes while everyone waits for the cannon treading water.  When the cannon fired it was an absolute free for all no holds bar wrestling match in the water.  I took my share of blows and delivered as many in an effort to find some open water and swim horizontal.  The hard part about Hawaii is that it never thins out like a normal Ironman because the level of talent here is so high.  On the plus side you never have to look far to find someone’s feet to swim behind.  My goal going into the swim was to swim under 58 minutes.  I exited the water under 59 minutes but very pleased with my effort and ready to transition to the bike.

The Bike

After the madness of transition I passed on the chance to use the bathroom figuring I would be able to go on the bike.  Just like the swim you have to really settle down in the opening miles of the ride because the amount of spectators just cheering you on.  I had set my heart rate limit for the bike around 145-150 bpm  let’s just say I was well above 150 for the first few miles so I broke that rule of staying in control early on.  I was able to see Chrystel and friends before leaving town  and then it is one long rolling stretch of asphalt to the the north end of the island.  I let my heart rate settle again but it was a little on the high side on the first half of the bike but we did have a slight headwind.  Now one thing Kona is famous for is Heat and Wind and let’s just say she delivered on the back half of the bike.  The crosswinds were scary as hell but I just smiled and thought about how awesome it was.  I had a moment where it felt like I was riding the side of my saddle and my bike handling was ready due to the preparatory rides I had done in the wind.   The turnaround is on the north end of the island at a little town called Hawi and the wind is always blowing in your face climbing up to this turn so it makes for a nice rest section and ride the wind to the deadly crosswinds on your return trip.  As I made this turn I realized that my bike split was quite a few minutes faster than I had seen it in years past and I was excited to see the hard work over the past couple of months pay off.

After 70 miles of riding I was finally able to pee which is a skill you have to learn to truly enjoy the experience.  Needless to say you need an extra water bottle for some rinsing and the courteous rider will veer to the right so as not to splash the rider behind that is unless of course they are drafting off your wheel.  The hardest part of the ride was the final 34 miles back to town that gradually climbs but also is accompanied with headwinds.   My nutrition strategy for the bike was 1 gel every half hour and 2 bottles of perform every hour that I would sip gradually but made sure to finish nearly 2 every hour.  This seemed to work very well but I was starting to get a little worried that I only needed to urinate once on the bike but I chalked it up to the heat.  I came into town all smiles because I knew I had rode clean and had my fastest bike split ever in any ironman particularly Kona.  Naturally I was ready to hit the streets and show these people that this big boy can run.

The Run

Just like the bike the opening miles of the run the crowd can really get your momentum going but you have to hold back if you want to finish strong.  I began my quest of running under 3 hours and everything was going as planned.  My opening miles were a little fast but my heart rate was well below my planned limit.  I felt good and I was able to hydrate well and cool off at each aid station.  I really felt in control and I was working my way to my goal time.  The course was really starting to heat up at this point because the clouds that usually make their way to that side of the island had not made it there yet.   I was making pretty good time through the first 10 miles and felt like my hydration and nutrition was on par.  Because I was wearing a bright red tri outfit I became known as Big Red.  I made my way up the steep climb on Palani and headed out into the lonely lava fields.  This is where I went through several rough patches that are infamous for the event.   You go from being at this emotional and physical high and a mile later you are in the pit of despair and you just want to walk the rest of the way.  Usually if you are patient you will feel better again, you just have to asses the situation and make sure it is not a hydration or nutrition issue.   In my particular case it is the heat.  My heart rate actually dropped to a very comfortable level but my legs and core temperature were beginning to suffer.

I had to dig deep at this point and start focusing on form and controlling my negative thoughts.  I began to focus on my turnover and telling myself that it was just my legs that hurt and not my lungs.  It would work for some time but there were a few aid stations I had to really motivate myself to get running.  As I ran up the last mile one of the spectators in a deep Aussie accent says the last 2K of this Ironman are free.  I smiled inside myself because it is the exact thing I tell my clients during hard workouts and for their races.  The last mile is free however it is still a mile and it is that much longer before you get to finally stop.

The Finish

The last 2K are free but the Last 1K down Alii Drive is absolutely special.   All of the pain temporarily leaves and adrenaline and love carry you home.  It was very memorable this year not just because I was coming in with my best Kona performance to date but my wife and child were there cheering me on.  I saw many familiar faces and let the crowd take me all the way up to hear Mike Riley call me an Ironman for the 4^th time in Kona.  I had a good day and I felt satisfied with my result and my body could finally stop.

It is hard to put into words the emotion and the environment of the race and I guess in some ways it is like they say.  You just had to be there.  I was not alone this year and was happy to see friendly faces from Utah out on the course.  Utah had quite a few competitors and they all had great performances.  Watch out Kona we are on our way.   Now that the race is over it is time to rest and recover and maybe add a few pounds.  And then I can start to make plans for next year and hopefully earn another spot into this coveted race.

Some people mistakenly think that their wedding was the biggest day of their life. These people probably haven’t run a marathon. Especially when you are running your first marathon, you feel like are finally tying the knot with that hard earned, yet elusive lover. The only problem is that the isle you will travel down to do the deal is 26.2 miles long. Long enough to call it quits! So, what preparation do you make to hold onto the romance and make it last all the way to the finish line? Is there really a way, to make the marathon marriage just a formality of the running relationship you have just built? Consider the following tips before embarking on your marathon journey to the alter.

1. Do your last long run of 20-22 miles 3 weeks out from the event. Men don’t like to be pushed and rushed and neither does your running legs. You need that much time to absorb your training, recover and feel good for your big day.

2. Practice your race day nutrition before and during every long run. A marriage certificate does not a relationship fix. Whatever behavior you exhibit before the marathon will be the same as the day of the event. Therefore, by race day, your nutrition plan should be habit! Working out the kinks and discovering how high maintenance your fuel needs will be is what training(ha ha…and dating) are all about. Since no marathon or marriage will ever be perfect, learning how to take care of your energy needs will help you overcome other challenges and kinks that may be thrown your way. The following articles are a must read Fueling for a race over 3 hours long and long run/race breakfast. They also link to other articles on electrolytes, gels and hydration.

3. Use and check what gear you will be running in. No one likes surprise behavior from their significant other. This is easy to avoid when it comes to race day equipment. Make sure your shirt,shorts,socks, fuel belt and shoes have been worn and gotten use to ahead of time. Even though you may hear stories of wearing new shoes in a race, it is not recommended. For more information on your marathon shoe read Getting a shoe ready for a marathon.

4. The week of the marathon. Not wanting to let one detail of your big day fall through the cracks and feeling like you are more than ready shouldn’t be too hard if you have done the above three items. But, to confidently seal the deal, then the important thing you can do is RELAX! The prep work is all over, you have a firm grasp on what to do,what to eat, what to wear and how you will feel. You are now ready to learn a bit about carb loading and last week tips. With all that knowledge, you should be breathing deep and enjoying life this last week. Be ready to savor the emotion of your very ownwedding on wheels!

Wasatch Back Relay Checklist

Can you really ever describe a relay team experience? That sweet and sour journey of sleepless fun on the run? It only takes once to understand the indescribable experience of trying to survive the all-night and all-day van extravaganza. Since there are so many things to learn and to help your Wasatch Back Relay team run(double meaning implied) more smoothly here are some tips submitted by The 2009 Women’s 2nd place team Sole Sisters-Anna Judd, Caprice Schwarzwalder, Chris Perrins, Danielle Bauer, Marie Hunter, Summer Willlis, Holly DeMille, Jen Dunyon, Sue Turley, Missy Allred, Amy Welling and Angie Baird.  Caution: none of the above individuals will either confirm or deny the validity of do’s or dont’s written in the middle of the night, before or after the 3rd leg, or whilst sleeping at the wheel.

DO’S

• Bring a change of clothes for each leg. Store them in a Ziploc plastic bag along with gel and whatever else you need for that leg.
• Eat right after each run leg. Start with liquid recovery and then eat solids.
• Shake your tamborine…A LOT!
• Jump in the creeks to ice  your legs for recovery between legs.
• Cheer on ALL your teamates.
• Bring extra food and be sure to include salty foods, PB and honey, extra water,  etc.
• Pee whenever, wherever. Porta-potties are a luxury.
• Bring lots of wet wipes and hand sanitizer.
• Bring ear plugs for the group mini-sleep session between van rotations.
• Support other teams and share your goods with the desperate unlearned ones.
• Use anti-chaffing cream (bodyglide, trislide, or chamois butter will all work!)
• Bring rain gear.
• Take random candids of your teammates.
• Keep track of your splits (how fast you ran each leg).
• Let the guys change your flat tire.
• Decorate your van.
• Run fast.

DONT’S

• Bring only 1 CD.
• Get a flat tire coming down Avon pass (but refer to #15 above if you do).
• Be late to your hand off. This does not encourage team unity.
• Eat salad for your recovery meal.
• Forget your toothbrush.
• Take “No, you can’t park here” for an answer.
• Cut the cops off, they WILL give you a ticket.
• Back up into reflector poles.
• Honk your horn in the middle of the night.
• Open your doors at night whilst on the side of the road.
• Give Chris your Zone bars!
• Throw up in the van. That is what roll down windows are for. And this does not build team unity either.

• Keep it simple: only include the essential items that you will need during the race- everything else goes in a bag in the car or leave it with your fan club.
• Essentials make you faster: equipment like Yankz, Trislide, a Race Number Belt, and tri shorts will go a long way in keeping your transition times fast.
• Smile: even though you may be in pain, smiling keeps the attitude positive and positive thinking keeps you fast.

Here is a great little video to help answer more of your Triathlon Transition questions.  Thanks BJ!

Disappointment.  That is one word that most people would rather not feel after finishing their race. Yet, it happens. But, why? What is happening out there on race day to cause some people to feel bad about their race? Now sometimes there are things that happen beyond anyone’s control, like a cancelled swim leg of a triathlon, or a weird mishap that result in twisting an ankle or something. But, beyond the unavoidable, how is disappointment avoidable?  Let’s take a quick look at that as the race season is coming full swing since the negative race experience usually comes due to a shallow, wrongly focused, and /or ill-timed race goal.

Pick a goal with some POP to it

That means to pick a goal that really means something to you and helps get you motivated to not only train, but to actually reach the goal during the race when the going get really tough. My favorite definition of endurance is “to hold firm within oneself”.  So, what are you holding firm to? That is the most important question any athlete of any age or level should know the answer to.  What’s it all for? Do you really care about what you are doing? Does the place, time or event matter enough to you to have that goal propel you through the turbulence times that come predictably and try to loosen your grip? So, the next time you decide on a goal of some kind, then be able to picture yourself  passionately holding firm to that driving force from within. If that is hard to imagine, pick a different goal that POPS out at you, grabs you and that you just can’t shake because it means that much to you.

Bring reality into focus

Be honest with where your current fitness is at or what your current life demands take out of you.  If you want to make a time prediction, then do some workouts before the race that may help you understand where you will actually be.  There are tons of pace charts and workouts that will help you know more about where to set the time goal if that is what matters to you.  And then you have to take into consideration what your life stresses are. It is okay to be at peak race fitness some years and not in others based on your how your life is going outside of exercise.  Be okay with altering your time goals if you just know that you are not ready to emotionally or physically give what you have in the past.  If you can’t handle that adjustment, then stay home.

This is also true about place goals. Reality is that you cannot control anyone but yourself in a race. So to say that you want to be top 10 in your age-group or top whatever can sometimes set you up to fail. This happens most often when people have done small events and then move up to bigger ones with more competition and have no idea what kind of competition is really out there. Now, I am not suggesting that picking a place goal is obsolete, but to really make it stick and not be disappointed, then consider getting to know better those you race against before making judgment. There are a lot of fast fishes in the sea and they may or may not be swimming in your school on race day.  Therefore, as you get to understand who is around, you may be able to broaden your goal to different scenarios like being top 5 in smaller races, but being happy with top 10 in bigger ones.

When the time is right, go for it.

What’s the rush? Too many people trying to go too far or do too much in a race too soon. Slow down!  Don’t speed up progress so fast you end up crashing in bright red flames. The daily exercise grind should be happening the rest of your life so let the bigger, faster, longer races come in their own time, not your time.  I have heard this best described as picking a goal that helps you establish a feeling of flow. Your next goal or race should be something that get you excited, fits in your life, challenges you, but doesn’t overwhelm you. If you keep all your athletic pursuit inside of the flow parameters then you will find that happy medium between pushing yourself without the race(or life) pushing you back.   Getting yourself into the right flow of things well set you up nicely on race day to accomplish the goal that is completely and totally within your realm to reach at that time

Rethink

Now is the time to rethink your race goals. When you do this, ask yourself the following, Does my goal really grab me? Is it realistic? And is it time to do this? If you answer no to any one of these three, then adjust your plan. You need to say yes to all 3 questions in order to put yourself in the best and most gratifying position possible on race day.  And if you answer the first two with a yes, but not the last, you are in good company. Sometimes you know you are passionate, you know you are capable, but you must be patient. Racing isn’t everything. Always a good thing to remember when you get to the starting line anyway.

What to say to yourself during the race–Race self talk article