Posted: 11/24/08

Congratulations, LR Striders, on completing the Seacoast Half Marathon in Portsmouth on November 9th!

Posted: 10/18/08

Below you fill find a link to a suggested 11.5 mile run for Sunday.  The route begins at the Gilford Cinema parking lot and runners meet at 7am.  The loop takes you out to Governors Island.  Please review the "mapmyrun" course in detail for this section to avoid adding mileage.  Once you begin the loop, you will stay along Shore Road then Edgewater Drive.  Watch for the Dead End signs and avoid those roads.  You can stop at the Coapland residence for water if you would like.  It's the 6 million dollar home with views of the Ossipee Range:) 

There is one steep hill that begins at 7.7 miles/White Oaks Road.  Please speed hike this hill.  Do not run!  Keep your heart rate at a sustained level.  Once the hill begins to level off, then return to running.  When you come to Shaw's, cut through the parking lot rather than going all the way to the lights.  For a cool down, please walk from the bypass bridge back to the Gilford Cinema parking lot.

Anna and I will meet runners somewhere around mile 7-8 with water and fuel.  We will be in a spot where you won't miss us!  If you have something (fuel, gels, bars) that you do not want to carry, leave them with Jen at the Cinema parking lot.  I will get those supplies and meet you all out on the route! 

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/nh/gilford/878459720024

Also ...
It was brought to my attention that some of you early morning runners have been feeling sluggish and heavy on the Thursday night group runs.  One thing to consider is nutrition.  Make sure you are eating a good snack like an energy bar and banana, roughly two hours before the run.  Stay well hydrated throughout the day.  For a back up, you can take in a gel 15-20 minutes prior to the group run.  With these tips, you should notice improved energy! 

Posted: 10/7/08

As we are all familiar with the area for parking and the route, Thursday group run will be a hill workout that will begin at 5:30 pm from the Gilford Elementary School - nice easy warm up followed by a half mile climb up Belknap Mountain Road.  This is the same run as three weeks ago.  Each of you has a plan that asks for 4 or 5 repeats.  PLEASE DO ONE LESS REPEAT THAN IS INDICATED ON YOUR TRAINING PLAN .  Only consider completing the original number of repeats if you feel AMAZING and the sun is on your side. 

If there is anyone who has tight or sore calves due to the increase in mileage/hills, you MUST take it easy!  Please be aware of your body and how you feel.  This is no time to risk an injury.

Posted: 9/29/08

Change of plans!  We will be meeting at the Gilford Elementary School at 5:30pm this week (10/2).  If you get this information before others...please spread the word via email or phone.  Many of you are tired of running from LASC, so we are changing things up!  There are two groups going out Thursday. 

3.5 Mile Group
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/nh/-gilford/513790678010

5.0 Mile Group
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/nh/laconia/117808563847

THE LONG RUNS
Many of you are just beginning to reach distances on the Sunday long runs that you have yet to run, so we need to talk about fuel.  If you plan on running over 1:15, it would be very wise to begin experimenting with fueling.  For fluids, you will need water and some type of electrolyte replacement fluid.  Examples are Hammer HEED, Cytomax, GU20, etc.  Gatorade is loaded with evil things (high fructose corn syrup, dyes) so try to avoid long term use if possible.  For carbohydrates consider gels such as Hammer Gels, Clif Shots, GU, etc.  If gels do not agree with you, try Sport Jelly Beans or Shot Blocks.  The goal is to practice on the long runs so you know what works best for you on race day!  My advice would be to try the gels first because they pack easily in your shorts.  MC Cycle has a variety of choices to get you started.

Drink fluids at roughly 2:1 ratio of water:electrolyte replacement.  Space this out throughout the run.  Do not drink in excess!  The longer runs may require you to bring a hand held bottle or waist pack.  You can also drop a bag somewhere out on the route prior to your start. 

For runs exceeding 1:15, you should use gels, beans, or blocks every 45-55 minutes.  The idea is to fuel yourself in a timely fashion in order to avoid the bonk.  Wash this down with water or electrolyte.  If you do not take in carbohydrates, the run will get more and more difficult as you proceed.

Posted: 9/19/08

Running hills is fun! 
Just ask the Seacoast Half Training Group . . .











See you at the track at 5:45pm on Thursday.

Remember - if you have any questions or concerns with regard to your training, give me a call.




Posted: 9/18/08

What a beautiful night to run hills!  It was great to see everyone out getting those heart rates up.  Check back for more action shots.  We'll have them posted soon.

Also - this month's issue of Runner's World has an article on hill workouts and proper form.  How timely!  Check it out:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-264-12863-0,00.html 

Posted:9/14/08

Hello All,

This week's group run will involve some intoductory hill repeats.  We will meet at the Gilford Elementary School at 5:45pm.  Our run will begin with a half mile warm-up on Belknap Mountain Road to Goodwin Road.  At that point, we will proceed up Belknap Mountain Road to complete 2-4 repeats of a half mile hill. 

Click on the link to see our route:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/nh/gilford/656829319778

If you have any questions, please contact me!

Posted: 9/10/2008

Looking good team!  We are up to 20 runners in our Seacoast Half Marathon Training Group!  Many of you are preparing for your very first half marathon - WAY TO GO!  This is a great start and a fabulous way to stay fit and have fun this fall!

As you train, please remember the following with regard to your personalized training program:

HR ZONES:  If something feels a bit ‘off’ (too low or too high), please let me know and we can make adjustments. 

PACE:  It is a conservative estimate at this point. We will make some adjustments to pace in the next couple of weeks. 

ENDURANCE RUNS:

This is the foundation of your half marathon traiining!  This is not race pace and should be completed at roughly 70% Max Heart Rate.  Look at the mountains. Smell the flowers. Enjoy these runs with your friends!

STAMINA RUNS - Steady State:

This training is important because it simulates race pace.  Complete at 83-87% MHR. 

SPEED RUNS:

This will help you get wicked fast!  Match your pace to your track workout. 

TRACK: 

It is very important that you warm-up prior to any track sets.  10 minutes at least!   Secondly, you must recover from each of your track workout sets.  Your recovery should always be half the distance of each set, at a light jog or walk if needed. 

HILLS: 

Please warm-up 10-15 minutes prior to any hill repeats. 

3 x 0.5 mile means find a hill that is 1/2 mile.  Run up and slow jog down or walk.  This is one hill repeat. 

Remember, we still need a team name for race day shirts.

See you Thursday at 5:45pm!