Guaranteed Entrance into the St. George Marathon

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor in Marathon,tips,training

During the bus ride to the starting line for the Big Cottonwood Half, I was talking to the person sitting next to me about future races we wanted to run. I told him that I wanted to run the St. George Marathon, but did not get so lucky with the lottery. He then told me about the St. George Running series, and explained that once signed up for the series, one will have to run in at least two events. Once the running participated in the events, they have a guaranteed entry for the St. George Marathon.



Thinking that this was the best news about running I've heard in a long time, I have looked up the site for the registration, and purchased my slot. It is only for the first 900 runners that sign up, and its for non-Washington County residents. Registration opened earlier today. So if you are looking to run the most famous marathon in Utah, and you don't want to bother with the lottery, sign up for the St. George Running Series, and run at least two of the qualifying races.

And HURRY! I imagine these 900 slots will go fast.

Here is the link for the page with more information and the registration link:

http://www.sgcity.org/departments/recreation/running/runnerseries.php

Here are the Qualifying races for the St. George Marathon:

* Designates a St. George City race
* Trick or Tri 
October 18, 2014
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* Save-A-Sister 10K, 5K & 1-Mile Walk Benefiting the Utah Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure 
October 25, 2014
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* Snow Canyon Half Marathon, 5K & Tuff Kids Run Sponsored by the St. George Running Center
November 1, 2014
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* Gobbler
November 27, 2014
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* St. George Half Marathon, 5K & Tuff Kids Run
January 17, 2015
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* Lake to Lake Team Relay
March 7, 2015
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* Shamrock 10K
March 21, 2015
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* SHAC Tri
April 11, 2015
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* Southern Utah Half Marathon
April 25, 2015
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Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 3

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor in advice,Half marathon,tips,training

To finish off this series of mental preparation, this article will focus on the actual race itself. So you have done all the mental prep before the race and the prep at the start line. Then, you hear the gun sound off.

First three miles:

*Start off slow. One of the most common mistakes made by runners is going off too fast. At the very beginning, you feel that you could go strong for a very long time, your very upbeat, rested, and confident. But remember to hold yourself back, the first three miles should be very easy. There will be a lot of people passing you, and that's okay, let them, you'll catch them later. But you don't want to be starting off at a gusty pace, because this will drain your energy for the duration of the race.

*Run your pace. Run at the pace that you have been training at. Going along with the common mistakes that runners make, is that they try to match the fast pace of other runners. For example, if you have been training at a 8:30 pace, and then run the first three miles of the race at 7:15. Even through you may feel great for the first mile or two, this will drain your energy very quickly.

Miles 2-5

*Don't let your emotions get the best of you. This usually happens when people are passing you. This can make many loose their focus. This comes back to doing those visualization exercises I mentioned in Part 1. Visualize your mindset when people are passing you, and rehearse your mind keeping focus when person after person are passing you. This really helps train the mind to handle these race situations.

Miles 6-10

*Break up the rest of the race in sections. This can be done in mile sections, two miles sections, or whatever works for you. I have heard of some that would run, and then take a break at each water station, then continue running. Others I have heard of doing a mile countdown. There are many different variations that runners do, find the one that works for you, and them apply it to the race.

*Trust your training. If you have trained for the race, and have trained well, trust that the training will carry you to the finish line. Once you start getting to miles 8-10, tiredness is setting in, your joints might start feeling pain at this time. and probably breathing heavy. These are normal for any runner at this distance. But this is why you go through training programs to help combat these things. And as you enter miles 8-10, your training will help prepare you physically for this section of the race.

Last 5k

*Boredom. This can be a tricky one to beat, especially when you're getting tired and achy. If you can, carry music with you, sing along with the song, talk to other runners, enjoy the scenery, or play games. Such as, count how many runners have a red tank.

*Visualize. I think that this may be one of the most important things that you can do for all aspects of the race. This point of the race, the miles may be the toughest. You're going to be very tired, muscles and joints may be very sore. You're dying to have 'actually' food, gelspaks and Gatorade is no longer cutting it. This is where you're going to have to do a lot of digging. And I mean digging deep mentally. You can try distract yourself, and at this point, you're are going to start seeing people, because you're getting close to the finish line. The cheering from the crowds are going to be a great help to you getting to the finish line.

*Start talking to yourself. Whether this is in your mind or vocally, talking your way to the finish line can help greatly to get you across the finish line. It will also help you dig deep, to reach for inner motivation to finish. Remind yourself that you have trained hard for this. Remind yourself that you are going to feel great once you get to the finish line. Think of the people that are waiting for you at the finish line.

These are tips and advice that has helped me throughout each race that I have ran in. Work with these tips in your training workouts, you will get better at the with time. If there are tips that you have done that has helped you in a race, post them in the comments below.

See also: Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 1

See also: Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 2

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Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 2

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor in advice,Half marathon,tips,training

Just recently, I made a post for tips and advice to mentally prepare for a half marathon, it was focused on pre-race preparation. This article will focus the actual running and start line, because this is where nerves came really become unhinged.

-At the starting line
Between the time the shuttles drop you off, and the actually start of the race, this can sometimes be a long time. And usually if you just stand there and wait, this can cause for anxiety because you want to get started with the race. So here are some things to keep in mind and to do at the start line

*Prepare for a lot of people at the starting line. This is something that runners don't really expect. But at some races, there could be thousands of runners at the start, and a lot of commotion. If a lot of people are bothersome, then I suggest hanging out away from the crowd, but be close enough to here the announcer for the race start.

*Some races has things to do at the start. This sometimes include several fire pits, for colder races. Some will have a live band playing, or music will be playing over a speaker, Others will have a few vendor booths showing merchandise. These are great to check, it'll help get your mind off the running.

*If you brought your breakfast with you, the wait time before the race is a good time to eat it. Some like eating a couple of hours before running, others, right before running. It all depends on the runner.

*There are places to use the restroom. At every race that I have been a part of, there has always been port-a-johns. These are good to use to take care of the 'nervous pee' before the race. Even if you feel like you don't have to go....go anyway. This can be a big help in lowering anxiety.

*Talk to other runners. This is one of my favorite things to do before a race. Talk to the other people that are running with you. I find it fascinating hearing their journey that led them up to the race. This will help greatly to calm your nerves, and it'll help calm theirs. Virtually, everybody will be willing to talk, and you'll have fun learning about each other. And for you single runners....you could potentially find Mr/Mrs future spouse.

*Sizing up the other runners. Whether you are a competitive runner, or one just hoping to finish. Its always a little nerve racking seeing the other runners, with some of them looking to fly down the course. The best suggestion that I can think of, is visualize the very start. Imagine seeing other runners, imagine them looking like Olympians. Then imagine how your mind is going to respond to it. This will help you prepare for the actual start.


These are suggestion to keep your nerves in check from the time you get off the shuttle, to the sound of the starting gun. If there are any other suggestions that you have, post them in the comments below. Later, I will post Part 3, mental tips for running the race.

See also: Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 3

See also: Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 1

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Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 1

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor in advice,Half marathon,tips,training

The half marathon distance has to be my favorite race, I love that the distance is long enough to be challenging, yet short enough to run at a strong pace. I think that it is becoming one of the more popular distances to run, just due to that its still long enough to have bragging rights over your friends and family.

The distance tests your physical and mental strength, and each time there seems to be a new challenge. I have ran several half marathons, and I find a new physical or mental challenge that I have to overcome. There are many that say that the full marathon distance has more challenges as far the physical and mental, which I don't disagree with at all, but 13.1 miles is no walk in the park. I think it has its own set of obstacles to overcome.

From running several 13.1 miles races, here are some tips that I have learned to help come out on top mentally and have a successful race. These are not all the tips, I'm sure that I will have more later on.

There are different mental battles.

-Pre-race
All the training that you have done in the weeks and months prior, has come down to this: race day. Its normal to be nervous, especially if it is your first half marathon. Even for seasoned runners, it can be nerve racking. This usually comes from the pressure that runners put on themselves to perform their best. The thought of spending as much time as runners do to train for this race, and then have a terrible run, is just downright awful. I know...I was there. Things like this can tear down confidence for continued training and future races.

So here are a few tips that will help you best mentally prepare for a half marathon.

-Know that unexpected things happen.
Preparing to know that unexpected things that can happen before or even during a race can bring down your anxiety to a manageable level. Unexpected things that can happen: can't find the gear that you want to run in. Can't find your car keys. Not enough time for breakfast. Need to put gas in your car. Traffic and road closures. And then of course, the weather. This can be the biggest part of a race the is unexpected, mostly because runners envision warm weather, blue skies and slight breeze. But Mother Nature is no respecter or persons, and there could be cold temperatures, pouring rain, gusty winds and in some cases; snow.

A great way to prepare for weather, is to run in all kinds of weather as much as you can. If you see that it is raining outside, crazy winds and even colder weather, go for a run. This helps so that you would know how to mentally respond to weather like this. And this will help if you would have to run a race in these conditions.

-Be prepared
Aside from the training that runners do to prepare for a race, there are other things that they can do to be more prepared to lower race anxiety.

*For starters, runners would often study the course map, this map is usually provided by most races. This helps so that runners would know where they are going and also know the elevation changes. Races may also provide a parking map, this is great to study, because it does not help if runners get lost trying to park to board buses.

*Have a gear checklist. This is great to have to make sure that have you have your favorite running attire and shoes, music player and headphones, GPS watch, race bib, sunglasses and everything else you want to have. I have seen runners place everything they need on a chair right before they go to bed. So when they wake up, they grab their stuff and take off.

*Fuel up car the night before. As I mentioned above, making sure there is gas in the car the night before will help a lot. There is already enough on your mind the morning of race day, and fueling up your car should not be one of them. Seems kinda silly and obvious, but it is often overlooked.

*EAT BREAKFAST - This is very important. Especially since right before the race, your nerves are causing you not to have an appetite. Even though you don't feel like eating, I strongly suggest not to skip breakfast. It does not have to be a big breakfast, just make sure that you have food in your system, you'll burn a lot of calories during the race.

*Make a pre-race ritual. Many runners use pre-race rituals to help manage their anxiety. This can be from listening to music or a particular song, doing a specific warm up, meditate or pray. There are many others that runners will do. Think of something, be creative and keep it simple, because you would do it before you run, even at the start line.

*Visualize your race. This is a technique that is used by many top runners. A few weeks before the race, especially the day before, visualize the race, pre-race, and post race. See in your minds eye the starting line, running in the race, the people that your running with, the sounds of thousands of feet hitting the pavement, and the cheers of the crowd. Imagine what you'll be wearing, the people that will be waiting at the finish line, and the feeling that you're going to have when coming across the finish line. Many wonder shy this helps with race anxiety. It helps because it helps runners prepare for the unknown, such as, visualizing your race in a downpour, runners will get themselves familiar with the situation and rehearse how they will react to it.

*Manage expectations. It is always great and recommended that runners have goals, but some make them so high, that it causes anxiety if they are not met. Such as, if a runner has a goal to be at the shuttle pickup by 5:00AM, and gets there by 5:05AM, this may cause anxiety if this goal is not met. Instead, have the goal; be at the shuttle pick up, before they leave.

So there you have some tips for mentally preparing for a half marathon, and these can really be used for any distance. And there are more tips that are out there, these are the ones that I feel are the most important. If you have other tips and suggestions that you do, put them in the the comments below. And I'll have Part 2 for mental preparation, which is tips and advice for during the race.

See also: Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 2

See also: Mental tips for running a half marathon: Part 3

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Tips for running in hot weather

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor in heat,Summer,training

Training in the summer months can be tricky. This is the time of year where racing events really start to gain momentum, and people up their training to participate in them. But when the temperature rises, it can make it difficult to train for your distance and remain safe and healthy. But that does not mean that one should stop running altogether, there are many ways runners can still train while beating the heat.

*Stay Hydrated
The easiest way to avoid heat disorders is to keep your body hydrated, this be done by simply carrying water with you. This can be from a standard water bottle, hydration belt or vest, or camel bak. It is recommended that runners pay close attention when their bodies are wanting water. Especially when a run last longer than 30 minutes. Be sure to drink water before running, during, and after. Its also works for runner that do not like carrying water, to run a course that has places to get water along the way. Public places that has water fountains work great, or restaurants that offer free water.

*Run during the coolest part of the day
People usually find it the best time to run after work, which is around 3-5pm. This time in a lot of places is the hottest time of day. If you can work it in your schedule to either run early in the morning before work, or later in the evening when the sun is close to going down. Temperatures are much cooler making your run more comfortable.

*Wear sunscreen
This may sound obvious, but its something that runners often overlook. Protect your skin with a waterproof sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 15 and offers broad spectrum protection, which means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Stick formulations are good for runners' faces because the sunscreen won't run into your eyes.

*Run near water
This option will not be avail for everybody, but if you live near a lake or ocean, running near here, you'll feel the cool breeze coming off the water. And then there is always the option of taking a dip after running!

*Run where there is shade
Again, an option that is not avail for everyone, but running trails in the forest or parks that has many mature trees is incredible. Not just for the benefits for shade, but the scenery is amazing. This also includes running on trails along foothill in the mountains.

*Dress lightly
Again, seems obvious, but another thing that runners may overlook. Choose clothing that is light colors, this helps reflect the sun from your skin. And choose clothing that is light weight and breathable, such as dri-fit material. This helps the body cool itself naturally. This is much better than running in a cotton t-shirt. Tight clothing usually restricts this process, and may cause the body to overheat.

*Don't push it
Brutal heat and humidity mean you should scale back your training. Don't try to beat the heat. Hot and humid conditions are not the time to try to push your pace. Slow down, take walking breaks, and even cut you training workout in half if needed.

Run on an inside track
*At some local gyms and recreational complexes, they may offer an inside track to run on. These tracks are usually small and may require many laps to complete your workout. Nonetheless, a great way to track at your goal pace, without have to worry about the heat getting to you(and you'll always a drinking fountain near by)!

So there you have some tips on how to stay cool during your training. There may be more tips out there, and if you have found some that works for you, share it in the comments below!

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