Completing a long run is a rewarding achievement for runners of all levels. Whether it's training for a marathon, half marathon, or simply aiming to improve endurance, long runs play a crucial role in building stamina. However, it's essential to remember that the work doesn't end when the run is over. Proper recovery is the key to maximizing the benefits of your long run and preventing injuries. What are effective recovery strategies to help you bounce back stronger after a long run? Let’s dive in:

Rehydrate and Refuel

Long runs can lead to significant fluid loss through sweat, which can result in dehydration. Proper hydration is crucial for a successful recovery. Within 30 minutes of completing your run, consume a balanced meal or snack that includes carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and protein to support muscle repair. Additionally, rehydrate with water or an electrolyte-rich beverage to restore essential minerals lost during your run.

Rest and Sleep

One of the most underestimated aspects of recovery is adequate rest and sleep. During sleep, your body undergoes critical repair and rebuilding processes. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to allow your muscles and joints to recover fully. If you feel fatigued after a long run, don't hesitate to take an extra rest day or adjust your training schedule accordingly. Listen to your body, and know that rest is an essential component of progress.

Ice Baths

Ice baths are a popular recovery technique among many athletes. The cold temperature is believed to constrict blood vessels and reduce inflammation, helping to alleviate muscle soreness. Spend 10-15 minutes chilling out the legs.

Compression Sleeves

Wearing compression sleeves post-run is said to aid in reducing muscle soreness and enhancing blood circulation. These snug-fitting sleeves provide gentle pressure to the muscles, which may help decrease inflammation and promote faster recovery. While the scientific evidence is mixed, many runners swear by it, so give it a try to see how your body responds.

Foam Rolling

Foam rolling is an effective way to target tight or sore muscles and release tension. By applying pressure to specific areas of the body, you can increase blood flow and improve tissue mobility. Spend 1-2 minutes rolling each major muscle group to ease any tightness or discomfort.

By incorporating these recovery strategies into your post-run routine, you can bounce back stronger, feeling more energized and ready to take on your next running challenge. Happy running!

1-Wash your hands! It’s simple, takes one minute, and can protect you from germs that hand sanitizer can’t kill. 

2-Get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise 4 times per week. Getting the blood flowing re-oxygenates your body and helps boost your immune system.

3-Stay well hydrated. In the cooler weather, we forget that hydration is still important!

4-When you travel, change your clothes and take a shower after every flight to get rid of the germs you encountered en route.

5-Don’t skimp on sleep! Rest is essential for your health.

6-Mediatation, yoga, or a short walk to start your day and put your mind in the right place can significantly improve your day.

7-Cut back on sugary foods and increase your vegetable and protein intake to boost your energy and your immune system.

8-Spend time outside getting fresh air on a daily basis. 

9-Avoid sitting down for long periods of time. If you get up every hour to get a drink, walk around, or stretch, your body will thank you.

10-Smile, laugh, and be happy. One of the most important, but easily forgotten, components of health is happiness!

Last modified by; Cally Macumber

We reached out to new mom Lauren Stroud, a Texas native, who is aiming to return to marathon racing this January at the 2019 Chevron Houston Marathon. Her preparation for this race will be different than what she is used to, as she rebuilds her endurance and mileage, Lauren will utilize the  adaptive Runcoach training to help take her fitness from where it is now to where she wants it to be in January. With a new baby, Lauren needed a progressive plan and a supportive coaching environment, and we at Runcoach, are thrilled to work together towards her goals. She loves to race, and has her sights set to qualify and compete in the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon. We wish her the best in this journey.

Hello everybody!

I am so excited to run my first Chevron Houston Marathon! I will have a little extra challenge this year, as I gave birth in August, and I'm learning how to manage my time wisely as a mom. My last marathon was in 2016, and while I love to race and get after shorter distances frequently, the marathon is a whole different challenge. 

I had never heard of Runcoach, but I absolutely love how convenient and easy the app is to use! Runcoach is an app that tailors training for you as an individual. As difficult as it is, I know I have to be patient with my body and my fitness and I believe that using Runcoach this year will help me ease into my training as I balance life as a working mom and runner.

I started my transition back into training at 3 weeks post partum, and my first run back felt amazing because I missed running so much. I was fortunately able to run up until the day I delivered, but most of my last month of training before delivery consisted of run/walk intervals.

Here's an example of how last week's training looked:

Sunday - Long run
Monday - Easy run
Tuesday - Short leg turnover workout
Wednesday - Easy run 
Thursday - Medium long run
Friday - rest day
Saturday - Easy run

I can't wait to take my fitness to the next level with Runcoach!

You can follow Lauren's road to the Houston Marathon (and see cute pictures of baby Sadie) on her instagram @Laurun123

You may have heard it, but we will say it again: The long run is the most important run of your week.

Personally, the long run is my favorite run of the week too. It doesn’t always feel good, but I am always proud of myself once it’s completed because I know fitness was gained and mental strength too. But why is the long run so important? Why does the training plan have up and down weeks with total mileage/minutes? Is it really possible to finish a marathon if my long run never covers the entire distance in training? Here are our answers.

First, the importance of the long run stems from the cells. Runs exceeding 60 minutes help create more capillaries within the system, the more capillaries in your body, the more efficient oxygen can be transported and delivered to your muscles. Thus, increasing your endurance level and ability to run faster and further. As you feel stronger, and you accomplish mileage you never thought possible, you gain confidence.  You start to learn that you can push harder and longer than ever before, and that is huge for the mental game come race day.

Next, the up and down weeks of mileage may look random, but we have a plan. We train you to run 2 weeks hard, 1 week easy. This cycle of training prepares the body as you work to build up fatigue, push through fatigue, and then recover. The adaptations that build fitness come when we soak up the training during the down week before increasing the mileage higher than before. For our marathon runners, these two challenging long run weeks back to back can help simulate the second half of the marathon with the accumulation of fatigue.

 Last, the long run is more about time on feet than actual miles covered. Exceeding more than 3.5 hours of running during training has been known to have diminishing returns. Meaning that running longer than 210 minutes can negatively affect your body’s ability to have quality in training and could leave you sick, overly fatigued, or injured. Depending on your pace, any run 16 miles and over will allow you to successfully finish the marathon distance. It’s important to trust the process and know that with a taper, you will feel strong and ready to conquer 26.2 miles at the peak of your training program.

If you’re like me, you can’t wait for the next long run to get out the door and increase your body’s efficiency now that you know the goal of your most important run of the week.

"You're only as good as your training, and your training is only as good as your thinking." -Lauren Oliver
Article written by Neely Gracey
Updated by Rosie Edwards

If this is your first race ever, or your 1,000th race, in running, there are times where it gets tough while racing. Especially in the longer races. The doubts, negative thoughts, and emotions can sneak in and take over. Training your mind to focus on positive things will keep you moving forward towards your goals. The mantra you need today may change or evolve, or perhaps you need a few to get you through different parts of the race. Here are some ideas to get you started! 

Stronger Every Mile

Run Grateful

Chase The Dream

Attitude Is Everything

Every Mile Is A Gift

I Can, I Will

Fit, Fast, Fierce

You Are Strong

Focused Every Step

Embrace The Struggle

Breathe

Trust The Process

Be Strong

Attitude Determines Direction

Focus Ahead

Never Give Up

Relax

Be Fearless

Run Hard, Be Strong, Don't Quit

Chase Progress

Run With Ambition

Feed Your Focus

Run Inspired

Believe In You

Focus Determines Reality

One Foot In Front Of The Other

Conquer From Within

Relentless Spirit

Tough Times Don't Last

Enjoy The Journey

Strive For Progress

Positive Mind, Positive Outcome

Tips for the Taper

In running, the final phase of training is where you get sharp, peak, and taper. The last 1-3 weeks prior to a big race is where the emphasis is on all the fitness coming together at the right time. This part of training helps your body to mentally focus,  gives you time to hydrate, fuel, and rest in preparation for your big goal. Here are some tips to maximize the final phase of training to get the most out of yourself on race day!

Training

Cut back some of the miles, but still keep some turnover workouts in the training that final week. This will keep your muscle tension in a good place so you don’t feel “flat” or heavy legged on race day.

Psychological

Take some time during the taper weeks to get your mind in the right place for race day. Look back at all the training you have done to prepare for your goal, and gain confidence in yourself and your fitness.

Hydration

Start an emphasis on hydration during your taper. This will help your body perform on race day!

Fueling

It is important to not over eat during the taper phase. However, be certain to get in good nutrients the few days leading into the race. You want to have all your energy stores filled and ready to carry you to a strong finish.

Relax

Focus on sleep, propping the feet up, and encouraging your muscles to repair and freshen up prior to race day.

When you put all these tips together, it can bring you more confidence knowing you are trained, mentally prepared, hydrated, fueled, and rested… the key components to taking your goals from a dream to reality.

Q&A with the Runcoach CEO and 2:12 marathoner, Coach Tom McGlynn, who shares some thoughts on including a half marathon race within your marathon training. 

1.) Do you advise runners to race a half marathon prior to running a full marathon?

If the athlete is preparing for a marathon, then I like to see them run a half marathon 4-7 weeks out.  The reason we like it that far prior to the goal race is that we always recommend enough time to recovery after the half marathon. The recovery period is intended to spring board the athlete into the final marathon stage of training.

2.) Does practicing race day routine in a half marathon help your marathon?

The actual practice of waking up, eating, drinking, going to the bathroom and arriving at the start line in plenty of time is most helpful.  Some of the intra-race hydration is important as well.  The half marathon should be thought of as a dress rehearsal for the marathon.

3.) Does a half marathon time accurately estimate your fitness for the marathon?

The science suggests that if you double your half marathon time and add about 12 minutes, that would be your current fitness for the marathon.  Meaning that a 2 hour half marathon converts to a 4:12 marathon. This is an extremely rough estimate, and doesn’t consider key variables such as weather, course variation (between half and full), the athlete’s health on either race day,  the need for nutrition and hydration in a full marathon that isn't as important in a half marathon, the runner's form/efficiency, etc

Do you have any more questions to ask our coaches? Email them today!

Are you heading to the beach for a final summer vacation? Or maybe you just want to spend some time relaxing by the pool, or lounging in the AC. No matter your intentions, if you want some quality reading, look no further.

Peak Performance by Steve Magness

Insight into the commonalities of success. From athletes, to CEO's, to musicians, what drives performance?


Run The World by Becky Wade

The story of pro marathoner Becky Wade when she traveled the world to explore what it's like to live and train in other cultures and landscapes. 


Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor

The American record holder for the Marathon, Deena Kastor, shares the story of how she achieved great things once she trained her mind to stay positive.


Endure by Alex Hutchinson

Learning to endure is a key trait to success. Using the mind to push a little further and a little faster.


Pepper Jones Series by Ali Dean

Sports fiction author and runner Ali Dean brings a high school runner girl to life in this easy-to-read story about the highs and lows of success in sports at a young age.


How Bad do you Want it? by Matt Fitzgerald

Mind over muscle is the mantra in this book as you learn to push your limits further than you thought possible.


Running with the Buffalos by Chris Lear

The true story of the 1998 men's cross-country team at the University of Colorado and their relentless focus for an NCAA victory. 


Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

A talented runner forced to forego his Olympic dreams when drafted for WW2.


Grit by Angela Duckworth

Insight into the combination of passion+perseverance=grit and grit is one of the key ingredients to success.

Jack Daniels, an exercise physiologist who inspired some of the Runcoach ideals, said "The stronger your core, the more solid you are as you hit the ground, this reduces the need for unnecessary stabilization, and allows you to be a more economical runner."

What are you waiting for? It's ABSolutely time to get to work. Here are some videos to help you get started.

Side Planks 2-3 sets
Works the internal and external obliques to build better core stability.

Hamstring Bridge 2-3 sets
Core is more than just your abs. One of the most common weaknesses we see in runners is their glutes which are the key powerhouse for propulsion with every step you take while running. 

Push-Ups 2-3 sets
Works your arms, upper body, and core. Can be done on your knees to start, and then as you build up strength, you will be able to do a full push-up!

Partner Punishment 2-3 sets
If you don't have a partner to help you out in this exercise, you can do leg lower and left controlling the resistance of gravity on your own to get a deep core exercise

Try to include core into your weekly routine and watch your form and strength increase!

Welcome Hiruni Wijayaratne

Thank goodness her smile and calm demeanor makes her approachable, because while running, Hiruni is a fierce competitor. She holds 10 National Records for Sri Lanka, a marathon personal best of 2:36, and a passion for chasing her goals and helping others do the same.

It doesn’t stop there, Hiruni brings her A game to the office too, where she has taken over as the Business Development and Sales Lead, but she does so much more than that. Hiruni is also one of our world-class coaches, and enjoys answering your questions and sharing her experience as both coach and athlete.

We believe that Hiruni brings a lot of value to us as a company, and to you as our customer.  We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to have Hiruni on your support team to help you achieve your goals.

Learn more about how to contact Hiruni here!