Run4PRs Run4PRs

We did a podcast about postpartum and pregnant running back in spring of 2021, and we decided to do another episode about this topic to answer questions we have gotten from our listeners. In this podcast Coach Mary will be joining me in chatting about her 2 pregnancy and postpartum running experiences. I am a mom of 3 kids 6 and under myself. Together we have had our share of struggles and triumphs during this stage of life. We hope sharing our experiences can help you navigate this season without feeling so alone. We will be talking about lots of pregnancy and postpartum related things in this episode, so if that isn’t your jam, probably best to skip this weeks episode :) We also are not medical professionals and just sharing our our experiences. Please consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program or advice on your specific situation.

Pregnancy Experiences:


Pre pregnancy & TTC



Lots of messages about how long it takes to get pregnant


Does running impact fertility?


Have you ever lost your period from running





First Trimester



Symptoms 


How does training change


Fear?



Second Trimester



Symptoms 


How does training change


Unsolicited advice?



Third Trimester



`Symptoms 


How does training change




Birth Experiences:


“Does training help with birth”



C section vs vaginal


Spontaneous vs induction


Epidural vs no epidural


Birth = so many unknowns




Recovery timeline


Rest/Healing 2 weeks


Walks 4-12 weeks


Core engagement exercises expecting and empowered 


Pelvic floor PT


Walk/Runs 6-12 weeks



What is postpartum like?


Everyone’s situation is different



Sleep


Help/support


Recovery


Desire to train



Is postpartum running harder than pregnant running?



Expectations vs reality 


It took you a long time to build the fitness before pregnancy, so it will take awhile to get back to old levels


Pregnancy takes 9 months to make the baby… give yourself time to get back to feeling like yourself




Breastfeeding


How do you ‘maintain your supply’


Best breastfeeding sports bras


pumping/feeding before and after runs


Mastitis



Training


How long does it feel to get back to norma


How long does it take until you sleep again?


How do you find the time to train?

Long runs are the cornerstone for many half and full marathon training plans. Many people have bucket list goals to train for a full marathon and train their body how to run 26.2 miles at a time. This endeavor will require a person to be able to run for long periods of time. It can almost seem unfathomable to build from a 3-4 mile long run to 20 miles as a long run. We often see athletes struggle to get to a place where they feel comfortable running for 90+ min at a time. While it is always a challenge to run for long periods of time, it is something that can be trained for and done without leaving you feeling like you were hit by a truck! We are going to do a deep dive into how to build your long runs and the common mistakes we see in building up longer runs.


What is the prerequisite long run to begin training for a full marathon?



90 min is a good benchmark


Long runs in marathon training are usually 2-3 hours 2-3x a month



What type of weekly mileage do you need to support long runs



We have used the 30% rule in the past which states your long run should not be more than 30% of total aerobic volume


If you workout 6 hours in a week, no more than 2-3 should be a long run


There are exceptions to this rule & we need to find what works best for the individual


Marathon training is more than just the long run & the more volume we do on one day the higher the chance for injury.


Balance risk vs reward



10% rule: We don’t want to increase long run too much too soon



10% of time of mileage


Do not increase every week


Having a cut back week



Consider having every other week be a build long run



We don’t need to run long every single weekend


More to marathon training than 1 single long run



SLOW THE F DOWN



You need to go slow enough to be in zone 2


Run/walks work well



FUELING



Fueling will allow you to run better


Carbs are fuel for long distances

We spend a lot of time focusing on the training for race day but sometimes athletes find the art of racing to be complicated. We rarely practice racing for the obvious reasons because we can only have so many A races a year without burning out or compromising our training.

However, if we never practice digging deep into the well, the already daunting task becomes even more daunting. It is similar to a lot of things in life. Like public speaking, we can prepare and rehearse everything perfect, but we rarely get the exact opportunity to speak in front of the large group. For this reason, many people fear public speaking. Although, those who do practice regularly seem to have less of a fear.

I know public speaking and road racing are not entirely the same, but they do share some similar principles. Today we are going to talk about the things you can do to become a better racer.


Pacing Practice



How you do anything is how you do everything


Practice negative splits in workouts & you will find it comes naturally on race day



Practice a Positive Mindset



Confidence boosting when you have experience. People who ran in high school or were athletes in high school. Some people are naturally more aggressive physically and they naturally want to push themselves more. Others more cautious


How do you talk to yourself during training runs?


What do you tend to focus on?


Practice saying 5 positive things after every run




Have Realistic Expectations & A Plan



Look at how your training went & develop a data driven plan



Practice doing uncomfortable things/pushing yourself



Many people say once they become a mom, they have ‘new strength’. I don’t think this is physical. It may be mental. Perhaps you realize you can handle more than you thought


Practice mental discomfort every day in non-running related ways

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

Forced into a waiting pattern with winter, illness, pregnancy, etc.

Some people say they can’t slow down on their easy days: 


Make yourself wait


Meditation/mindfulness


Deep breathing


Yoga


Read


Do a puzzle


Accept what you cannot change & practice empathy



2- Too negative/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-insecurity- 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 

www.run4prs.com

Most runners know that we want to build our aerobic system while running. The marathon and half marathon are said to be 99% AEROBIC in nature. It only makes sense that distance runners should focus on that aerobic development the most. However, when it comes to the shorter distance races like the 1 mile or 5k, more of our performance is going to require development of the anaerobic system. We want to chat today about the different systems used and the type of workouts you should focus on for each type of distance you are training for.

What is the anaerobic system?

How long can you run at an anaerobic pace?

What is the aerobic system?

How long can you run at an aerobic pace?

The marathon & half marathon are 99% aerobic in nature: TEMPO, progression, LT, MP, steady state

What kind of workouts will help build the aerobic systems?

What kind of workouts should you avoid during marathon training?

If you did only speed work during a marathon training cycle, could you still run fast in the marathon- why/why not?

Training specifically for the distance matters

The 5k is 90% aerobic. I said earlier it is important to develop the anaerobic 10% because that is a 1-2 min of the race.

How would you train 5k runners?

What type of speed workouts?

How often do you do a speed workout vs threshold?

How long of a long run?

The 1 mile is like 60% aerobic. A lot more of this race is anaerobic. How do we develop runners for this?

What type of workouts do you run?

Would running long make you slower?

Why do college xc coaches not allow their runners to do a marathon?


What are running workouts?



Track workouts



What is an easy run? Why do we do easy runs most of the time?



We need to go slower to build the aerobic base


You need to go slow enough to recover from workout days


“I can’t slow down. My legs won’t let me”



Your workouts aren’t hard enough


You aren’t running enough



“9 mile marathon plan”


Mileage is key to success: You can get away with less mileage if you have a strong aerobic base like a masters runner or a triathlete



What are the best time of running workouts to do?



Training for a 5k 10% anaerobic



Speed work comes into play



Training for a 10k


Training for a half 99% aerobic 


Training for a full



Video on youtube that goes over all of this



Medium long runs


Steady State Runs


Threshold workouts


Long runs in the mid-zone not hyper focused on the 20




Training for an ultra



What are the most common mistakes we see athletes make



Running in the gray zone


Not doing the correct workouts


Only doing workouts they are comfortable with


Not progressing stress


Doing too much too soonMara

I can't complete 20 miles in 3 hours, can I do 5 easy + 10 mp + 5 easy?239



3 hour long run rule


Marathon pace work- when is it good



Can I run a marathon 6 weeks after running a marathon?



Marathon manics


Ultra marathons


Racing vs running


50 states 



What should be the fartlek pace?



Fartlek = speed play




How to get constant speed for a longer run



How are we measuring this?


Do we need to go fast on long runs?



Is HR too high 170-180 for MP?


Easy Pace only improved by 30-60 sec after a year of zone 2… is this normal?


What is the best shoe for a first time marathon?