Running Blog

Boston Marathon Versus COVID-19, Part I

Starting line of Boston Marathon Photo — Are we going to see the Boston Marathon start line in 5 weeks?

Will the Boston Marathon be affected by the Coronavirus? I have thirteen athletes preparing for the Boston Marathon and wondering the same thing. With six weeks left, we are in our final push before the taper. The current COVID-19 situation is on everyone’s mind – understandably so. The Tokyo Marathon, like the Boston Marathon, is one of the World Majors Marathons, and on March 1, it was cancelled for non-elite runners. World Athletics announced the postponement of the World Half Marathon Championships in Poland. The Paris Half Marathon was also recently rescheduled. Hong Kong, Rome, and Barcelona marathons were also either cancelled or postponed.

Will Boston Marathon be added to this ill-fated list? Will Boston cancel or postpone? There is no way of predicting that. I’m encouraged that the Los Angeles Marathon was held this past weekend despite coronavirus concerns. Here is what I do know: The BAA is monitoring the situation and they will do everything they can to hold the event. If they decide to cancel or postpone, I am guessing it will be done at the last minute.

What can you do?

Uncertainty creates anxiety. What can you do? Control what you can, and let go of what you cannot.

Continue to prepare for the marathon. It is easy for me to say don’t worry about it until you have to, but what is the alternative? Skipping workouts because it MIGHT be cancelled? Follow your training plan.
Focus on recovery. This means improving your diet and getting adequate sleep. Your immunity will be the strongest if you get adequate sleep.
Get the most up to date and accurate information. This means visiting the Center for Disease Contol, PA Department of Health (or your state’s health department), and the World Health Organization. Do not use Facebook or blogs as your primary source of information. Fact check!
Practice good hygiene. Wash hands, stay home if you’re sick, and avoid sick people.
Most importantly, stay calm. Stay informed, but if you find yourself overloading on the Coronavirus news, unplug for a day or two.
One of my athletes has made a Plan B. If Boston is cancelled, she has plans to run a different marathon. Need to find options? Here is a list of marathons in the RUN717 area: Local Marathons. This can help put your mind at ease. No one wants their training to go to waste!

Good luck in your final weeks of training and I hope to see all of you here in five weeks!

Welcome to my running blog! Are you a beginning runner looking for some ideas on how to get started? You have found the right place. There are hundreds of cookie-cutter training plans on the internet and it can be overwhelming. Explore my blog for some great training tips and answers to some common running questions. Whether your goal is to run your first 5k, marathon, or maybe your first ultra, read on for help. Do you have a question that I haven’t addressed? Fill out the form below or ask on the RUN717 Facebook page.

Experienced runners also have questions! If you’re like me, you love to learn new things, especially when it comes to running. I’ve been running seriously for about seven years and I’ve coached for four, but I still love to learn about the latest gear, training philosophies, and new advances in training. Are you not improving despite running consistently? Are you looking to complete your first marathon or qualify for Boston? I have included some of my favorite marathon specific workouts that can help you reach that goal. Have you have been running for a few years but have never tried speed workouts? Doing intervals, fartleks, and repeats might be what is missing from your training. Explore my blog to find training tips, marathon tips, specific workouts, recipes and nutrition, and more!

It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner because all of us struggle with being consistent. Since the best predictor of success AND being injury-free is running consistently, I hope my running blog helps you. I love running, I love runners, and I love talking about running. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing others reach their goals. Visit here to see how I can help you. Have a question or suggestion for the blog? Get in touch today! I look forward to hearing from you.

Protein

WHAT is protein? Protein is one of the three macronutrients (along with fat and carbohydrates). If amino acids are the building blocks of protein, then proteins are the building blocks for our muscles. Because we can’t store amino acids, our bodies need to either make them from scratch or modify others. The amino acids our bodies can’t make are referred to as the essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine) and these must be eaten daily.

WHY do we need it? Most athletes know that protein aids recovery. Protein is also needed for regulation, blood clotting, fluid balance, hormone and enzyme production, and cell repair. Runners need a greater amount because the act of running breaks down muscle proteins and damages muscle fibers.

Granola Recipe

I love this recipe because of its flexibility. Basically, there are two parts of preparing the mixture: the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. There is a lot of room for experimentation! I will describe how I usually make it, but also some variations.