Hill Time

Totem Pole - Donated by J. Walter Todd, 1926.

This Sat. we'll be going for 8 miles.  It'll be a bit of a jump from our 6.5 last week, but if we take it nice and easy, it shouldn't be a problem.  The added bonus is that we'll get to go up the Santa Monica ramp and run up along Ocean blvd. and head north to the iconic Totem Pole.  Meet at the school by 7am as usual and we may start south into the alley again, but probably won't go down as far before we turn and head north.

This bit of hill work and the slight grade up is an important element in our training.  It is no surprise that there are hills in LA, and even though over the years, the Marathon course has changed dramatically, one thing it has never been is a flat course.  There are many hills along the 26.2, and the sooner we start working on them the better.  This is also important to your weekday training, if there are hills in your neighborhood, don't avoid them, take them on.  If you happen to live in a very flat area, it might be good now and then to seek out some nearby hills and get some hill training into the schedule.  Further down our schedule, there will be specific hill training at Dodger Stadium.

The basic idea is to take hills slowly, but try and stay consistent.  If it's a long one, I usually don't even look up and just focus on each step, and to pump my arms which help keeps the momentum going forward. When I crest a hill, take advantage of the leveling or if there is a downhill on the other side then keep the motion going, and possibly come upright just a bit more, and let gravity help you down the other side, just stay loose and the legs carry you.  Learn to relax and I think of it as recharging the energy that I've used getting up there. 

Running uphill uses different sets of muscles than running downhill.  Going up seems to take more of the calf and hamstring muscles, and running down, because we tend to hold back a bit, uses more of the front quads of your thighs, so it's important to train both ways.  Don't just train running up hill and then reward yourself by walking the downhill....run the downhill also and then walk the flats if you have to.

Because it's been exceptionally hot these past few days, in preparation for the weekend, which should cool down just a bit, keep drinking a lot of fluids....water preferably.  Hydration is a very important element in long distance running, especially in our warm climate.  And to properly hydrate for a long workout or race, you have to start at least a few days before.  Drinking an extra glass the morning of the long run is not enough.  Start at least two days ahead and drink more than you normally would.  You should be going to the bathroom every several hours if you are fully hydrated.  And there should be very little color in your urine when you do go to the bathroom, if you are hydrated enough.  Drinking while you are running is important of course, but you can't catch up if are not prepared from the start.  The most obvious signs of dehydration during a run is cramping of your leg muscles, getting slightly dizzy, and just plain loss of energy.  When it really gets bad, your fingers will start to swell up, joints get very tight, and if you ever start to get the chills during an exceptionally warm day...that's a very bad sign, and it's time to seek medical attention.

Can you over drink, yes, but fairly rare cases.  If you only drink water, and you sweat out all your nutrients, and your sodium, then there can be reverse problem, but that is usually only in extreme cases and highly unlikely at our pace.  But to help alleviate that we will start calling "GU" breaks every hour.  Peggy will explain this much more during the morning chat on Sat, and will show examples of snacks and supplements which we actually take while we're running.  This is to replenish the sodium, potassium, and other necessary electrolyes which our muscles burn up. When I run I carry gatorade to help offset this loss, because I know there will be water at the tables.  During our longer runs, there will be gatorade available, and during the marathon, the later miles will have both gatorade and water.

Mary and I will be missing this weekend, but Peggy, Nancy, and Jamie will be there to keep you all in line, so don't mess up, I will get reports.  I will file a report on my absence in the next email, and hopefully supply pictures on the blog site.

Have a great run,

Walt

links to articles about hydration:

http://www.active.com/soccer/Articles/Hydration_is_just_the_first_step_to_avoiding_heat_disease__maintaining_energy.htm

http://depts.washington.edu/hhpccweb/article-detail.php?ArticleID=335&ClinicID=13

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/ProperHydration.htm