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

A few years ago I recognized I was creating a dysfunctional routine that was sabotaged my fun. Every winter I would get excited about the upcoming racing and training season so I would begin to plan my schedule before the holidays so I could hit the New Year already “on track”. In December I would develop these grand plans about how I was going to squeeze every available workout in every possible minute. In my head these ideas seemed very doable; all it would take is controlling my time and staying on schedule.

It took a few years of repeating the same pattern until I started to notice a trend. I wasn’t a robot that could constantly follow the “ideal schedule” (life tends to throw things in our way) and more importantly, I would get burnt out by mid to late February and be totally bored of trying to squeeze everything in. It was starting to feel like a second or third job and the joy was gone.

With this in mind I made some changes that have definitely helped.

• Anchor workouts: I now create a schedule for myself that has “anchors” at certain times of day that I KNOW I can do. This provides me the foundation of structure and makes sure I have specific hours of training time per week no matter what. These keep me motivated.
• Rigid Flexibility: I schedule these secondary workouts day by day but know they can be done anytime during the week. Sometimes even after the anchor workout.
• Holiday festivities and food: I do not worry about what I’m eating or what kind of weight I’m gaining from Thanksgiving through to New Years day. As long as I am committed to training all year, I can enjoy the fun for 5 weeks out of the year.

• Timing: If I have a 6am workout planned and I need to get to get up at 5am, I MUST get to bed around 9-9:30pm, which means setting my phone to go off at 8:45 as a reminder to wrap up the evening.
• Lunch: Because I feel quality food is so important to health and performance, I try and either take my lunch every day or coordinate a healthy restaurant to eat that I can call ahead to pick up something after my lunch swim. This means preparing the food either the previous weekend or planning what I’ll need and getting it from the grocery store the night before.
• It’s worth it: Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle having to throw 3 bags over my shoulder every morning (lunch, work backpack, swim bag) but it pays big dividends long term and many times can be the difference between getting to work out in or missing it because the hunger pangs redirected my brain.

I’ll post a few podcast links on my Facebook page next week that can help you get more ideas for time savers, scheduling and your training. I would also recommend www.runtri.com and the book “Qualifying for Kona” by Raymond Britt. He does a nice job of breaking down how get the most out of your day.

As always, let me know your thoughts.

Dr. Michael Cerami is an avid runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is available for a no charge consultation one Saturday per month at The Salt Lake Running Company (Salt Lake store) by appointment. He can be reached at 801-486-1818 or online at www.utahsportsandwellness.com

****Dr. Cerami will be at Salt Lake Running Co on 700 east on Saturday Jan 14th 2012 Please call 801-484-9144 to schedule and appointment.

You’ve already read Running For Beginners: The Right First Steps so you know way more than I did when I first started running. You have the right shoes, fit to you specifically for your Biomechanical needs, the right socks, a running buddy and a goal.

Now that you have all the confidence in the world, let’s crush it! Just kidding…but really, the first runs can be quite humbling/heartbreaking, especially for those who used to run and ran quite well. It takes time and patience and consistency to be able to run so take note of your accomplishments along the way and don’t get discouraged. You will get there. I promise. If you follow the steps below, your run will be motivating instead of demotivating.

Your first run is a chance to test the waters, test out your new shoes and to see what your starting point is. You will see great improvements in your fitness over the first few weeks of running and it will boost your confidence. I recommend getting a note book or training journal/log to track your workouts and see improvements. Anything will work for this purpose. You could even start a training blog and all your friends can read about your progress. The log I like to use is part of the the Nike + Sportband system.  This watch is really affordable, tracks my distance pace and time, and after every run I plug it into my computer and it keeps track of everything! I don’t have to write anything down!

When my husband and I had our first baby the first thing we purchased was not a crib or diapers, it was a baby jogger. I remember when I was pregnant going to an appointment and my husband asked the doctor how old the baby needed to be before he could run a marathon with the jogger. The doctor’s reply was “Why would you want to do that?”

When our baby was 4 months old I was so excited to run the Salt Lake Marathon 5k with the jogger. I was bummed when I found out that joggers with stollers had to start in the back. It was frustrating trying to get ahead of the people who were slower than me. Despite the less-than-ideal start, I loved having my jogging stroller. It made the run so much more fun!

Was the jogger a pretty penny? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely!  We look at the jogger as an investment that has definitely paid off. It is still going strong after two children, many marathons and many, many miles. It has even been run over by a car (not with a child in it, of course).

Here are the things I have loved about our jogger:

• 5 point harness – for safety and keeping in those wiggly children
• Easy to wipe clean – great for spills and explosions
• Shock absorber – so baby doesn’t have to feel those bumps
• Reclining chair – great for infants and nap time in older children
• Sun Canopy with viewing window – so I can keep an eye on baby while they are protected from the elements
• Hand brake – awesome for running down hill
• Parking brake – so baby doesn’t roll away while you are stretching after your run
• Light weight and easy to fold up – easy to put in the trunk so I could go run at the park

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/

What is a REPITITION workout? Basically, it is when you do shorter intervals with lots of rest. Sounds fun, ehh? Seriously though, I am not kidding here. You actually get tons of rest and get to go for short distances lasting anywhere from 15 seconds -90 seconds. What is the catch? The catch in this case would be the speed part. You do have to go pretty fast. Not quite an all out sprint, but a pace that is backed off enough to relax and think about your form. An example would be to do 8 X 200 meters on the track with a 200 meter slow jog in between. When you are fully rested (how cool is that), then you go again. Remember that you have to go pretty fast, but not too fast or you may not be able to finish. The goal is to run the distance at a speed that you might be able to actually RACE for 4 times the length. So the 200’s would be run at a pace you might be able to all out race an 800.

The great part about this kind of workout is that you give your body much different physiological signals than when you run slow. When you do REPITION work, you are training your brain and muscles to go faster, run more efficiently and powerfully, and kick out more growth hormone. This growth hormone burst is a legal way to get an anabolic workout in. So you get to build muscle, strength and power (which all endurance athletes need a little more of), build your immunity and give your body even more fat burning signals. The hard part about the slower base mile type of running is that you are actually telling your body the opposite. I have seen countless endurance athletes (including myself) run and run all that slow distance and not be able to lose fat. But, if you add speedwork and weightlifting, then you get a totally different hormonal response. And of course, you get strength and speed and power. Those gains will most definitely help you become faster as you apply them to longer, race pace oriented workouts.

Remember to always warmup for at least 2 miles before doing a set of REPITITIONS. Take plenty of rest in between and do them only once a week at most. Sometimes after about 3-4 weeks, you need a week off. And then of course there are tons of variations. You are free to do any combination of 100,200 and 400’s that don’t exceed two miles of fast stuff and most people do about 1.5 miles worth. Always match the interval distance with that much slow jogging. On the road, you can go by time once you have a feel for this workout. So an example would be to do a 90 second fast effort (about 400 meters) and then rest for about 3.5 minutes so you are leaving about every five minutes for the next one. How many? Not more than 2 miles, so that would be 8(about 400 meters) of them at the very most. When the going gets a bit tough, just remember it takes time to adapt so stay as relaxed as you can.

Should you do them all year? Yep, pretty much. The only exception being your 3-4 week rest period after your last race of the season.

By Katie Thomas

Every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. Salt Lake Running Co. at 2454 South and 700 E, has a free running group. We run anywhere from 3-7 miles and every ability level is invited. You can pick your own pace, and your own distance. We love to have new people so please come join us! Not sure the benefits of waking up on a Saturday to go run with some strangers? Well then, please read on…

Top 10 Benefits of Running With a Group… According to Katie

10. Socializing- When running with someone you really get to know more about them and you get to get into some great conversations.

9. Learning- It’s hard to keep on top of all the new running gear, gadgets, nutrition, etc.
Running groups are great places to discuss of the latest running trends, products or upcoming races.

8. Easier- It’s a weird phenomenon but when running next to someone the negative self talk diminishes and before you know it, you’ve climbed a hill, which when alone, seemed impossible.

7. Accountability – Along with creating friendships comes commitment to show up every week. You know they’ll give you crap if you choose to sleep in.

6. Improvement- The distance gets easier, you’re better able to control your breath, you get faster and self confidence as a runner increases.

5. Distraction- It’s a lot easier to get lost in your run when you’re carrying on a conversation. Before you know it you’ve gone 6 miles and don’t even realize it.

4. Safety – Whether it is making you more visible to cars, decreasing likelihood of being attacked or just in case of getting injured, running with a group is definitely safer.

3. Competition- Who doesn’t enjoy a little competition? This comes natural when you’re surrounded by people who are pushing you to the next level.

2. Camaraderie- Running groups create an atmosphere to meet all kinds or people. Being able to share running as a common interest leads to new friendships.

1. Exercise- The benefits of regular physical activity are numerous both physically and emotionally. Get those endorphins pumping!

Joining a running group is often the hardest part, but don’t talk yourself out of coming because you’re worried of being alone, the slowest or because you think you run funny. You never know until you’ve tried it. So get out there and try it!

Join the Salt Lake Running group

Every Saturday*

8:00 AM

700 E. 2454 S.

*On “Red Burn” days where air quality is bad, we will be meeting at the Olympic Oval in Kearns.

Join our Facebook page or email me at katie@saltlakerunningco.com  if you would like more information and updates on the group.

By Harrison Livsey

As the holidays are now upon us, some of you are probably packing your bags for some far off land.  No, not Cincinnati. I’m talking about a place that’s really far off, a place where you’ll be sitting on a plane for at least 8 hours to get there.  Here are some tips to help your running experience abroad go as smoothly as possible. *For tips about running while traveling in general be sure to check out Amanda’s blog “Training While Traveling.”

Running in another country starts, as the rest of the trip does, at home.  Do your homework before you go.  Getting on the internet and checking what the weather is going to be at your destination will let you know what running clothes to bring.  In some cases people have already made suggestions for running in the city you are about to visit.

Once you are on your way, be sure to give your legs some time to work.  Embrace the layover.  I know for most of us layovers are frustrating hours spent at an airport and not at our destination.  For our legs however, they are a welcome chance to get some blood moving.  Skip the duty free store (the prices aren’t better anyway) and brisk-walk some laps around the terminal.
When on the plane be sure and get up every hour or two and walk around and do some stretching.  Do your stretching in between meal and drink services so the kitchen is empty.  Politely ask one of the flight attendants if you can use the space to stretch for a minute or two and most won’t have a problem with it.  Whatever you do don’t sit the entire time.  When you take your first step after sitting for nine hours you might just collapse into the aisle because your legs don’t quite work the same way as you remember, not that I’ve ever done that…

My favorite run of any given trip is usually my first run there.  I wake up a little early and head out into the city . I also find that waking up and going for a run the first morning really helps me get used to the time change.  The city is usually quiet in the morning and it gives me a good chance to orient myself and explore.   A spibelt can be a really handy way to carry your room key and a little map of the city if you want to bring one along.  Asking for directions can be a great conversation starter though!

If your holiday plans are taking you to somewhere in the Westernized world, you’ll probably be able to get your workout in without having to think too hard about it.  Running is very popular in many places and there are a lot of great places to run that are very accessible.  However, if your holiday travels are taking you more off the beaten path here are some things to consider:

• Trying to minimize the attention you draw to yourself is helpful because, almost inevitably, some of the attention you draw to yourself will be attention you don’t want.  Again, doing your homework is key. If everyone on the street is dressed in darker clothing and you fly by in a neon track suit you are going to draw a lot of attention to yourself.   Also keep in mind that in many places running for fun is a very foreign idea.  In general people in these places only run if someone or something is chasing them, so just by being out there running you are drawing attention to yourself.  If you do bump into someone or accidentally knock over someone’s cart always stop and say you’re sorry.  Even though there may be a language barrier being apologetic and showing common courtesy will go a long way.

• Ladies – if you are in a country where women typically dress very modestly consider covering up a little more than you usually would.   Not only does this show respect for the culture but it can save you from attracting a lot of negative attention.

• Drivers in many parts of the world are not used to having runners around.  Drivers in a lot of places are crazy anyway. I’ve seen some drivers who think the sidewalk is another lane, and just because you have the right of way does not mean that they will give it to you.  Finding a park, river, or beach to run along is a good way to avoid having to deal with traffic.

• Know where not to go.  Don’t think that just because you left your iPod in the hotel you can get away with going into shadier parts of town.  Thieves will steal anything on you, including your shoes.  Believe me, the middle of a strange city is not the place you want to see what this whole barefoot running thing is all about.  The desk clerk at the hotel is a good resource.  Even if they don’t have any great ideas about where to go on your run they will definitely be able to tell you where you shouldn’t go.

Running is always one of the things I look forward to most when traveling.  So have some fun putting in miles through the streets of Hong Kong, Paris, Timbuktu, or wherever you’ll be flying off to this holiday season.  They are bound to be miles you’ll never forget.

About this time last year I was running near my in-laws house on some back roads near Highland, Ut.  The temps were chilly and it was dark.  With not too many sidewalks in sight, I had to run on the shoulder of the road. This can be especially nerve racking when a car comes up on you.   Are they going to move out of the way?  Are they going to see me?  Are they going to slow down?

As one particular car drove towards me that night, they slowed down and moved out of the way which told me they saw me.  As the car started to pass me, a teenager stuck his head out the window of the car and yelled out to me, “Safety nerd!”

I expected to hear “run forest, run” or some other non-inspired insult, but this was unexpected and appreciated!  I did look like a Christmas tree out there which was the point.  But if that means people can see me and it makes me safe while running in the dark, then I guess I am a safety nerd.  I don’t want to be hit by a car and will do what I can to ensure my own safety.

When it comes to running safely in the dark, don’t put it on someone else’s shoulders to see you.  It’s your responsibility!  But how do you do that you ask?  See the safety nerd tips below.

10 Safety Nerd Tips on  how to be safe while running in the dark.

1.   Wear a reflective vest. Wearing lightly colored or white clothing is not enough for cars to see you at night.  Wearing a reflective vest greatly increases the ability for cars to see you when it’s dark.    Some reflective vests can reflect up to 1000 feet away!  A car will be lucky to see you 100 feet away with white clothing on and then it’s usually too late.  When a car is driving nearly 50mph, 100 feet isn’t a lot of time for them to react.  Also the reflective tabs on clothing and shoes generally are not enough reflective material to really draw attention.  A vest is always better.

2.  Wear a head lamp. This does two things.  It allows cars to see better and it also helps you see where you are going. There is nothing worse than stepping into that water filled pot hole or spraining your ankle in it because you can’t see the ground.

3.  Wear blinking lights. This also helps cars to start seeing you before their headlights can.  People’s eyes will be drawn to it.  Wearing one on your shoes and then having one on your backside makes you light up and makes you easy to see.

4.  Wear a hat or visor with a brim. The hat can act as a buffer between your scalp and the head lamp to make it more comfortable.  The hat can also block the light of oncoming cars so you can see where you going easier.

5.  Run against oncoming traffic. That way you can see what’s coming towards you and you can react faster if there is a problem.

6.  Run on the sidewalks when possible. Staying off the roads is safest way to run at night.  You just have to watch out for cars driving in and out of their driveways and intesections.

7.  Run with numbers if possible. If you run in a group, it makes everyone more visible and also can prevent anyone from harming you as easily.

8.  Never Assume. Assuming someone sees you is a sure fire way to get hit.  When it’s dark you can’t make eye to eye contact with a driver.  So when you and a car come to the intersection at the same time, give the car the right of way. Wave them through and wait for them to go.  Also, instead of running in front of a car sitting at an intersection, run behind it.

9.  Communicate. Take your cell phone and tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back. This one is pretty self explanatory.

10.  Run on a treadmill. If you are not comfortable running out in the dark, then don’t .  Use a treadmill and run in the comfort and safety of your home or local gym.

If you follow these safety tips, you too can become Safety Nerd like me and be safe while running in the dark.

Written by Scott Dickey
SLRC Staff Member

By Debbie Perry

It has been quite a long year for most folks.  You may or may not have done a lot of races or events, but usually most people have dedicatedly stuck to some sort of structured program since last Nov, Dec or Jan.  Time for a break! Back away from the Garmin, put up your feet and don’t even think about working out hard…or long…or tomorrow…or often.  Seriously, there has to be a time every year where you give your body, mind and spirit a vacation.

It would be nice if we could all lie on a Hawaiian beach for a month, but most of us have to find a way to put our bodies through a staycation of sorts. Yes, life goes on, work still happens and the kids are always hungry, but allowing your body to recover, repair and restore is not just important, but VITAL to a life long pursuit of sport.

What needs to happen in this phase of training? And yes IT IS TRAINING! You can’t make a tired and broken body go very fast.  So putting fuel back in the mental and physical tank is the priority.  And this process is a little different for everyone. But here are some things to consider:

• Let go of structured workouts and schedules
• Do only what you feel like and NEVER force a workout at this point
• Slow down—go for a hike instead of a run.  Preferably alone, with friends or family you don’t normally “workout” with because you are “in training.”  This applies to biking too.
• Stretch–do yoga or stretch for 30 minutes as a days workout and then take a hot shower
• Do only light core work if you INSIST on strength training.
• Add an extra rest day or two. Stretching is not a rest day. Doing nothing is.
• Don’t get into a pool to swim laps if it brings tears or the thought of “I would rather pour acid into my eyes”
• Never train hard enough to need Endurox or any other recovery product……Okay, maybe just once a week for those of you who just have to do SOMETHING.
• Do something around the house you don’t normally have time for because it just feels good to finally git’ er done without being worried about how it effects tomorrows workout.

How do you mentally recover? Mentally “let it go.” Just let your mind take the vacation too. Stop thinking about workouts, schedules, races, goals and whatever else clutters it up at this point. Turn it off and think about something more important like how the morning light trickles down through the trees during your hike or how fresh the early fall wind feels on your skin as you run and ride easy. Yoga is really good too at training your mind to feel the subtleties that most people want to ignore.  And don’t ignore the unstructured silence you may encounter.  It is said that in the silence you discover your own shallowness, but it is there you discover your own strengths too.  And if you are uncomfortable admitting to such transcendental thoughts, then just don’t tell anyone! But think them…no.matter.what!

How long will it take? Usually at least 3 weeks, but sometimes up to 6 or 8 if you have put your body through a tremendously high volume or intensity over the last 10-12 months. This could be the result of training for multiple ironmans, half ironmans and marathons (which I don’t recommend.) OR maybe you are very competitive in the shorter events and have invested A LOT of time to train hard and race even harder. Whatever the case, if you have put your body and mind through the ringer, have regularly trained over 12 hours a week, trained very hard, raced hard more than 6 times, or done too many long events, then you may need more than 3 weeks. Even if you have just done your first marathon or first year of structured training, but it challenged you more than anything ever has, then take it one week at a time!

When is your body, mind and spirit ready to go again? Physically, you are ache free, loose, flexible, feeling light in the legs and rested overall. Mentally, you have your excitement back! You definitely can wrap your brain around your next adventure and are more than ready to get back into a routine of some kind. Spiritually, you feel renewed, more calm and directed.

This is one of the most fun points in the year when you do it right. When you have properly rested and recovered for long enough, this is when you find the love in what you do again.  This is when you can breathe deep and feel no weight on your shoulders. This is also when you are ready to look ahead with eyes wide open ready to chase and catch the next, even higher state of becoming at true athlete. What is a “true athlete?” Well, that is something that is available to anyone at any level. It is worth you pondering about and a discussion we will have another time!