Prevention & Treatment of Over-Use Injuries in Spring
Spring is here and you’re ready to really cover some miles. No more ice and snow and miserable winds to hold you back. Watch out though. All the beautiful weather in the world won’t make up for being grounded by overuse injuries. Follow these guidelines to reduce your risk of running yourself into the ground. Maximizing running performance requires you to improve conditioning by overloading – slightly surpassing present functioning levels – both the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. However, excessive overload exceeds the...
read moreAre You Running Yourself Ragged?
When you trip hard on a hidden root or slip on a patch of ice while running, the source of resulting injury is painfully obvious. But sometimes much subtler forces are at work. If you’re injured, fatigued or otherwise hurting, a simple flaw in your running form may be the culprit. Just a slight forward lean at the end of a run or an inch or two extension of your stride on one downhill can lead to a time-out from running for days or even weeks. By understanding and correcting these mistakes, you can reduce injuries and recover...
read moreCold Weather Nutrition
Used with permission from www.jeffgalloway.com and by Nancy Clark, MS RD Some athletes embrace winter’s chill as a welcome change from exercising in summer’s heat. But others complain about hating cold weather. If that’s your stance, remember that exercising with proper nutrition (and layers of dry clothing) offers the opportunity to chase away the chills. After all, an aerobic workout can increase your metabolism by 7 to10 times above the resting level. This means, if you were to exercise hard for an hour and dissipate no...
read moreRace Day Tips
Chafing Especially in warmer weather, chafing is common when logging longer mileage. Trust us, you want to take necessary precautions to avoid this. Chafing most commonly occurs in areas that rub against each other, or are sensitive and come into contact with your clothing. Here are the big ones: Nipples: Rarely an issue for women, men will experience chafing of the nipples very often, resulting in bleeding and discomfort. It is a good idea to cover them with band-aids, “nip guards,” or an anti-chafing cream. Fleet Feet in...
read moreEstimating race finish time: Using the "Magic Mile" method
After having worked with over 200,000 runners over 30 years and compiling hundreds of performances, Jeff Galloway has compiled a predication formula based on a one mile time trial. The Magic Mile is a unique tool to help runners and walkers determine realistic goals for their race finish time. Runners and walkers who regularly incorporate the Magic Mile into their training find that their progress typically improves as they get stronger and faster. Guidelines for running the Magic Mile Go to a track or other accurately measured...
read moreCold Weather What-to-Wear Guide
Excerpts from Dressing For Cold Weather Running by Rick Morris Used with permission So why do people who love the outdoors hibernate through the cold months as they wait for spring? Most of the time it’s because people just don’t think they can stay warm. With some understanding of how to prepare for the colder temperatures, and a willingness to venture into the cold, running during the winter season can be fun. Dressing for cold weather running can be a challenge. If you dress so that you are warm at the start of your run you will...
read moreEstimate your pace & half marathon finish time
If this is your first time to run or walk a full or half marathon, you will be asked to estimate your finish time when you register for your race. This may seem daunting if you’ve never done it before. So, we’ve provided a few guidelines to help you estimate as accurately as possible. Keep in mind that the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 requires you to complete the half marathon within 4 hours and the full in 7 hours. If you know your average pace per mile, click this link to calculate your estimated finish time using distance...
read moreWhy you should register now
It’s hard to believe that the New Year is just around the corner. If you’re like us, you’re probably not even thinking about it yet. Instead, you’re likely consumed with holiday planning, shopping, and preparations. But, the ubiquitous message on your car’s side mirror applies to this time of year nonetheless, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” You may wonder, why should I think about signing up to run or walk a half marathon in April–now? There are several good reasons. You’ll save money If you’ve...
read moreStay cool in warm weather
From Jeff Galloway. Used with permission. Slow down early The longer you wait to do this, the more dramatically you’ll slow down at the end and the longer it will take you to recover. Walk/shuffle breaks, early and often, help to lower the exertion level, which conserves resources for the end and reduces heat buildup. Wear lighter garments, but not cotton Loose-fitting clothes allow heat to escape. Don’t wear cotton clothing. Sweat soaks into cotton, causing it to cling to your skin, increasing heat buildup. Choose a wicking...
read moreFive baby steps to fundraising
Here are the five baby steps to fundraising. Each step is designed to help you reach your goal of $1,000 as quickly and easily as possible with minimal demands on your time. Click the link to view the individual blog post with instructions on each baby step. Set up your FirstGiving.com account Personalize your sample fundraising letter Compile your list of names and addresses Put your letters in the mail Send your fundraising...
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