Hi everyone, Well, we are really starting things this week. \u00a0Up until now, we have been building our muscles and our lungs and our psyche to know that we can run for 60 minutes. \u00a0We will now start to add on a bit each Thursday to build you up to the distance you need to run that race. \u00a0The other thing to know is that while we plan the runs for a certain amount of time, we won\u2019t all finish the planned distance at that time. \u00a0So depending on your pace for that day, you may run a little less than the expected time or a little more, but we will all need to run the same distance for the race so we all need to build up to that distance even if it takes different times for each of you. \u00a0I will start putting the expected miles so we all know how far we should be running each week since we aren\u2019t running together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melissa will continue to coordinate coach\/runner pairs on your What\u2019sApp group. \u00a0I can\u2019t wait to run with someone this week!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of how far you\u2019ve come \u2013 it really is amazing. \u00a0We can\u2019t wait to watch you grow from here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few reminders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should be running 3 times per week now<\/li>
The Tuesday run should be about 45 minutes and the weekend run should be about 30 minutes (Tuesday runs will get longer in a few weeks, but not yet)<\/li>
It is OK to try to run a bit faster on the weekend run, but only if you want to<\/li>
Bring water for the Thursday runs<\/li>
Eat something before the Thursday runs<\/li>
The Thursday run is SLOW<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Training<\/strong> We cannot emphasize enough that the way to build up to the half is to just put in the time and miles. \u00a0As we run for longer times on Thursdays, we will continue to make you run more slowly than you might otherwise. \u00a0Running slowly builds your body and muscles in a different way. \u00a0Why? \u00a0Read on later in this email for our founder, Paula\u2019s explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HOWEVER – I know that these are extraordinary times and that many of you are away or otherwise unable to run with a coach on Thursdays. \u00a0If you are struggling mentally to get out there and do the increased time\/miles, please just get out and do what you CAN do, even if it\u2019s 45 or 60 minutes, 3 times a week. \u00a0Although we have the goal of the race, the REAL goal of this program is to turn you into runners (shhh!) who can get out there without fear. \u00a0ALL of you have done more than a 5K. \u00a0Once you do the 70 min run, you\u2019ll be just about to a 10K. \u00a0That is a HUGE milestone. \u00a0We are still hoping our planned Hampton Court race will still happen (they have told us it\u2019s still a go right now) but even if it does not, we hope to create a virtual event in line with whatever rules exist then, so we are going to continue on our training schedule and keep pushing you. \u00a0If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to any of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Water and Nutrition<\/strong> As our runs get longer, you will want water along to hydrate. \u00a0It will make you feel better on the run and will help your body recover faster. \u00a0Also,\u00a0please please eat something<\/strong>, just a little something, before the Thursday run. \u00a0We don\u2019t want you feeling faint from lack of energy. \u00a0Maybe some yogurt or a banana \u2013 just a little something for your body to use to fuel you. \u00a0As our runs get longer in a few weeks, we will talk to you about fueling for much longer runs and during the race, but we\u2019re not ready for that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OK – today\u2019s lecture \u2013 why we run slowly. \u00a0This is from Paula Mitchell, our founder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do we run the long run slower than race pace?<\/strong> The quick answer is that it has to do with how your body builds fuel, which is something you\u2019ll need for the race! I\u2019ll delve into the basic science of fueling (which I have hugely over-simplified but hopefully it\u2019ll get my point across). To fuel our runs we have 3 options \u2013 Creatine Phosphate (CP), glycogen and fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creatine Phosphate<\/span>\u2013\u00a0You have about 15 seconds worth of CP fuel \u2013 that\u2019s it. Think Usain Bolt running the 100m \u2013 he fuels with CP and it works because he can run 100m in less than 15 seconds. CP is where your body will go first looking for fuel, particularly if you take off like a rocket from Barclays. Think of CP as kindling on a fire \u2013 it catches fire easily but burns out very quickly<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Glycogen<\/span>\u2013\u00a0Glycogen is the next fuel option. Glycogen is basically stored in your muscles and in your liver and because of that it makes glycogen a bit more difficult to burn as fuel (think of damp firewood \u2013 it will eventually burn but it takes quite a bit to get it going).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fat<\/span>\u2013\u00a0Fat is the 3rd source of fuel and most runners, even the very lean women, have an ample supply of it. Think of fat as a butane tank of gas on the BBQ grill \u2013 once it\u2019s lit, you can have countless cook-outs before the fuel is gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the important part<\/span>\u2013\u00a0All of those fuel sources \u2013 kindling, damp firewood or butane gas need something to ignite them and keep them burning. Physiologically speaking that ignition or burning \u201ctool\u201d is ATP which is created by mitochondria; so, the more mitochondria you have the more efficient you are as a fuel burning machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is mitochondria and how do we get more of it?<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Some of us are genetically blessed with higher mitochondria counts. Thank your mother for that \u2013 it comes through the maternal side of the genetic equation. If you didn\u2019t win the genetic lottery, then the only way you can increase mitochondria is through LONG, SLOW, ENDURANCE training (LSE). When you go for a long run at a slow pace, you actually produce mitochondria. Kind of cool, huh? Now remember \u2013 we need mitochondria to help ignite our fuel sources. So what does that mean for you? It means SLOW DOWN on your long run \u2013 give your body a chance to become a mitochondria production factory. If you do your long run at a strong pace, you\u2019re missing out on this benefit.So we will be keeping it SLOW on Thursdays, and now you know why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n