Week 5 Training:

This week we have a rest week for those of you following the runHers Basic Full Marathon Training program. Recommended mileage is 6 to 8 miles. Runners following the Basic Half Marathon Training program will run 7 miles. We will meet at Louie’s on the Lake at 7:00 a.m. for both runs and run out and back from the fire station in Nichols Hills. As always, water is provided!

Upcoming Informaiton:

The next runHers meeting is Monday, February 8th at 6:30 p.m. at the OK Runner Store on South Broadway in Edmond. A bra-ologist will be on hand to help you learn correct fit for your running bras. The OK Runner is giving away prizes to runners who RSVP to this event either via the Facebook Event page or by email. Don’t lose out on a chance to win! Other door prizes include Memorial Marathon full and half marathon entry fees. Drinks and appetizers start at 6:30 with the official business starting at 7:00. We hope to see you there, and don’t forget to RSVP for your special chance at a door prize!

Letter from runHers Member, Christina Eckert:

Welcome to week 5 of our training season! Let’s hope for some warm weather to melt the snow and ice this week! I know ten miles on the treadmill was a LONG run this past weekend This is a step back week for those training for the full marathon at OKC. The long run is between 6-8 miles. Those training for the half will be running 7 miles. We are all meeting at Louie’s at Lake Hefner at 7 am Saturday morning and running out to the fire station on Western and back!

The one great thing about running is that you only need one piece of equipment… good shoes. That being said, this is not the time to go to any sporting good store and pick out any pair of shoes. You will probably want to go to a “running” store and have one of the experts help you find shoes. There are many good running stores in the OKC area who can assist you with finding the right shoes for you. Many of these stores also offer discounts to runHers members. These experts can help you determine if you overpronate or underpronate, if you are flat footed or have a high arch, and why your knee always seems to hurt around mile 5. I had to switch running shoes two years ago while training for Whiterock because of a case of plantar fasciitis that seemed to last forever! Since I’ve changed shoes, the problem is gone! Here are some other tips from Runners World for finding the right shoes for you. Shop late in the afternoon when your feet are their largest. Wear the socks you run in. Make sure the salesperson measures both of your feet since one is probably slightly larger. And the salesperson should talk to you about your running to help you find the right shoe. Most specialty stores also let you take the shoes out for a test run around the block or down the street so you can see the shoes in action! And remember, shoes last about 300-400 miles. So if you know you will need to replace your shoes, you might want to plan on doing that several weeks before the big race. One last tip from runHers founder Wendi Weaver… once you replace your shoes, use your running shoes just for running. Use your old shoes for other workouts or yardwork. That way it will be easy to keep track of how many miles are on your shoes and you’ll know when to replace them!

Even though this isn’t January 1, many of us still have resolutions and goals to run this year. So here’s one final note from one of my new favorite books, The Runner’s Book of Daily Inspiration. “This is the time of year for resolutions, so let today be the start of something grand Set your sights this year on a far target, such as running a marathon…. Or perhaps you like to run only for the sake of running, to feel fit and healthy and to hold a good opinion of yourself. Well, then, let this be the year for that. Running is a thing worth doing not because of the future rewards it bestows, but because of how it feeds our bodies and minds and souls in the present. Go out for a run today, and let it be the start of something grand.”

Have fun this training season and remember runHers is for life!

Christina Eckert

A look back at runHers Events in 2009. What a great first year!

Week 4 Training Run:

This week the full marathon group will run 9-10 miles. The half-marathon group will run or walk 6 miles. We will meet at Louie’s on the Lake at 7:oo a.m., weather pending.

Upcoming Events:

The next runHers meeting is Monday, February 8th at 6:30 p.m. at  the OK Runner Store on South Broadway in Edmond.

Letter from runHers Member, Christina Eckert:

We’ve made it to week 4 of our training season…. and unfortunately we may have more winter weather.  Right now, we have our long run planned for Saturday morning at Louie’s at Lake Hefner.  Everyone training for the full and half marathon (along with those involved in the relays, 5K, and anyone just looking for a fun weekend run) will meet at 7 am. The full marathon group will be running 9-10 miles this weekend, while the half marathon group will be walking/running 6 miles.  This is also the weekend we kick off our season with Team in Training.  Please give them a warm welcome when you see them out at the lake.  Because of the possibility of winter weather, check back here or on our facebook page for possible changes and the latest information on our training runs.  All official runHers events will go on unless there are extreme temperatures (below zero degrees), ice on the ground or lightning… so be sure to check the website!

With this cold weather, its easy to forget about hydration.  Runners World Magazine says “surprisingly, one of the more common maladies in cold-weather marathons is dehydration. “Because runners don’t see their sweat losses in the winter, they’re not attentive to their drinking,” says Lawrence Armstrong, Ph.D., professor of environmental and exercise physiology at the University of Connecticut. But it’s possible to sweat just as much as you do on a warm day–especially if you’re layered up.” So I asked our runHers expert Jenny Graef.  ”Hydration is such an important part of training,” says Graef.  ”Just a slight reduction in your hydration status from sweat loss can make a run not very much fun. I can always tell when I’m a little bit dehydrated, because my body feels heavy and I feel the burn very quickly, even if I’m not running very hard.”  Jenny says it’s hard in the winter to remember to stay hydrated, because you may not feel thirsty even if you are dehydrated. The best way to monitor hydration is to watch your urine color–it should be clear to light yellow.
Another way to monitor hydration is to weigh yourself before you run and again afterwards.  The American College of Sports Medicine’s exercise and fluid replacement guidelines recommend you weigh yourself naked before and after a hard one-hour run. Convert the amount of weight lost to ounces to figure out your sweat rate per hour… so a loss of one pound means you sweated about 16 ounces of fluid. In this case, going forward, you would try to replenish fluids at a rate of about 16 ounces per hour.  If you don’t want to figure out your sweat rate… the ACSM suggests drinking about 14 to 27 ounces per hour… and when you’re out for more than 30 minutes, consider sports drinks over water, since the carbs and electrolytes they contain help you stay energized and better hydrated during longer runs.

Our next runHers meeting will be Monday, February 8th.  OK Runner at 3209 South Broadway (on the Broadway Extension at 33rd) is hosting our group and providing us dinner and drinks at 6:30 pm.  Also on hand will be a bra-ologist to help you find the best sports bra.  All the bras in the store will be marked down for runHers and be sure to check the website for details on how to win free bras and marathon entries!

And one last note from former Runners World Editor, Amby Burfoot.  ”… a positve attitude is the most important attribute any runner can have. You’ll need it often. Every runner has bad days, every runner has occassional injuries, and every runner eventually slows down.  But as long as you maintain a positve attitude, you’ll find ways to overcome the obstacles and continue running.  After all, running offers countless rewards.  Its simply up to you to find the ones that have the most meaning to you.”

Enjoy this training season and remember runHers is for life!

Christina Eckert