Running Around The Bay? Consider these 3 things!
What’s up guys name is Dalton I am a physiotherapist and a runner who has helped many runners overcome injury and run strong. I have also been on a mission to qualify for the Boston marathon and have dedicated much of my own training to that over the last 4 years. Last year I ran the 34k around the bay for the first time and I had a blast. That is why today I am here to tell you that if you are a local runner who is looking to take on the 30k around the bay this year I have 3 things you are going to want to consider to make it the best time.
Give Yourself Time
I know 30k is not quite a marathon but it is still really far. One of the biggest mistakes I find people make Is they don’t give themselves enough time to actually prepare themselves to run the race effectively. They end up waiting too long to start and end up panic training and ramping up weekly mileage way too quick.
When it comes to preparing for this distance I would recommend giving yourself at least 12-16 weeks depending on your training history as a runner. This will give you ample amount of time to not only improve your cardiovascular fitness but to adapt your muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to the demands of running. This is often a part of the puzzle that is forgotten about and ends up leading people to the common overuse injuries that we see in runners.
Find a community
When it comes to running finding a community is paramount. Even more so for the Around the bay training as most of it gets done in the dead of winter! It is much easier to bundle up for your long run in the middle of February when you know you have a group of friends waiting to warm your soul. Accountability is a huge part of success when it comes to accomplishing any running related goal so it is important to find your people!
Hamiltons running community is one of the best around. I would put our run groups up against any in Ontario. If you are looking to find a group here are a few I would recommend.
Runners Den - They run a ATB run clinic that I highly recommend.
The Movement Run Club - a bit biased ;)
The beautiful part about this many run clubs is that they all offer a little bit of a different flavour on running. You can find a group that fits you best or spread the love and visit them all.
Keep Strength Training
I know I said it! The dreaded “strength training’’ that most runners don’t enjoy. If you know us then you know that we think strength training and running go together like Peanut butter and Jam! Check out our video on that here! As I mentioned early a big part of running is adapting your tissues such as muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments to the demands of running. Strength training is a great way to do this.
I think a big reason people get turned off when they hear that you need to be strength training is that fact that they don’t have time. Which I can understand when you are running 4 to maybe 6x a week. BUT you don’t ned to be spending 2 hours in the gym 5x a week to get the benefits you are looking for. Typically I have my runners do at minimum 2x per week of strength training with each session being around 30-45 minutes max.
The key with this is having exercises in your program that are intentional and geared directly towards improving you strength and resilience as a runner. You won’t be spending 20 minutes doing bicep curls…unless you want too!
In summary
As we start to inch ourselves closer to the oldest long distance race in North America! Yes you heard that right I think if you are running the race for the first time it is important to consider starting early and giving yourself time to prepare for the race, finding a community that can keep you accountable, and make sure that you keep in your strength training because running & strength training go together like PB&J.
If you are unsure how to incorporate strength training into your running program we can help you! It’s our pride and joy here at The Movement. We created a Free 8 week strength program that you can download and use right now to guide your training. It is linked with videos and strength tips that will help you keep strength training in your around the bay race preparation. Grab your copy below for Free!
We hope you all have a great few months of winter training and don’t forget to practice running heart break hill.
Run strong!