Lets do this

It is so important to stay hydrated. Water regulates the core temperature of your body. As you run, your working muscles produce large amounts of heat that must be released in order to prevent core temperature from rising to dangerous levels. To get rid of this heat, your body perspires causing water loss and potential dehydration. As a runner, you should consistently hydrate yourself during both warm and cold weather. By the time you are thirsty, your body is already suffering. So drink water even if you are not thirsty.You are drinking enough water if you urinate about once an hour and it is clear. To make sure you are drinking enough water, drink several glasses of water first thing in the morning.

Drink 8-16 ounce fluids of water 30 minutes before you run. Drink 6-8 ounces of fluid for each 15 minutes of exercise. The rule of thumb is to drink 75% in ounces of your body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you will want to drink about 113 ounces of water a day. That’s 14, 8 oz glasses per day.

How to plan what you eat

 

1. Devise a sensible eating plan that you can stick to, which will suit your lifestyle.
2. Eat throughout the day. Very hungry people tend to make poor food choices like fast food and vending machine foods. Stick with fruits, vegetables, salads, lean protein, organic nuts, and soy products instead. Stay away from sugary snacks, soda’s, and desserts!! They will only weaken your system.

3. Try to eat as close to your Metabolic Type with every main meal.

4. Always eat breakfast. You body burns energy while you are sleeping, so when you wake up you will want to refuel your body for the long day ahead.

5. Making a food diary will be helpful to get you started. Write down what you eat, the time, and how you felt afterwards. This way, you will be able to tell which foods help your body performs best.

 

 

From where

What are relays?

Relays are split into four sections called legs, with one runner covering each, then passing a baton to the next runner. The last leg is called the anchor. The baton pass must be completed within a 20-m long exchange zone, or the team is disqualified.
Girl relay teams have the 4×100, 4×200, and the 4×400. The boys have the 4×100, and 4×400. The 100 is meaning 100m, the 200 meaning 200m, and the 400 meaning 400m.

When people think of track and field it is usually meaning individual events, but with the relays teamwork is everything. It is as if you must be one when you are in a relay, and have a good connection with your teammates. One person in the team can change the whole atmosphere of the race. When one teammate is down or not excited that brings the whole team down, you must always be on the same page with your team and always be optimistic about your races.

Where did it all start? And what has it turned into?

 

 

The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in Olympia, a rural sanctuary site in the western Peloponnesos.
The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long.

According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals or until 724 BC. From 776 BC, the Games were held in Olympia every four years for almost 12 centuries.
Although the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894. His original thought was to unveil the modern Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host.
The Olympic flame has no history background, it started in 1928 at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The Olympic Oath started in 1920.

 

Who said that?

“Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, “I’ve never seen anyone run like that before.” It’s more then just a race, it’s a style. It’s doing something better then anyone else. It’s being creative.”
Steve Prefontaine

In the running world there are “experts” such as Jeff Galloway, Matt Fitzgerald, Jenny Hadfield, Martin Dugard and way too many to name.  Yes they write books about running, and famous about what they write, but who are the real experts in the running world?  I believe that you can take their advice, and learn from what you’ve read, but the real expert is you.  If you know how to run and you know that you can do it well, aren’t you an expert?  Maybe I could be an expert and write 17 books on how to run, but why tell people how to run.  Every single human being is different on this beautiful planet, and everyone can run different. If they want to PR then yes you need the advice, books and all the tips on how to do better, but if you are running for yourself then you are enough of an expert for me.

Almost every expert in the field of running says that running is a wonderful exercise, and can do good for anyone.  The true nature of running is to stay fit, stay healthy, live longer, and more than any reason to run is for yourself. 

Almost there

The first thought when looking at the image was “almost there, don’t give up!”  One of the hardest races in track and field would be the 400.  In other words that’s running a lap around the track full out without any rest.  It might not seem hard when watching the race, but if you have all of your heart into finishing that race in first place, it’s the most exhausting and painful thing you can do.  There are many different theories on how to run the 400 and WikiAnswers.com has a couple of tips to get your best results for a Pr in the 400 m race.

(1) Concentrate on building your speed…AND…strength.
(2) Lifting weights at a moderate poundage with numerious repititions (20 to 40) is a good way to build up your strength for the 400 meter race. Work all areas of your body, including the legs.
(3) In practice, run short sprints at the desired target speed. For example, if your goal is to run 400 meters in 56 seconds, trying running 50 meters at 7 seconds…and…doing multiple sets of 10. Take a small rest break inbetween each sprint but push yourself thru each set of 10. This will get you accustomed to running at the desired pace, help increase your speed and gradually build up your endurance. This can be extended to 100 meters at 14 seconds, 200 meters at 28 seconds, etc. Use your heart rate as a gauge to determine if you need to push yourself harder or to back off while training.
(4) Completely rest the day before a race.
(5) Have plenty of food energy in your body before a race (i.e., drink a Mountain Dew 30 minutes before you run)
(6) most importantly, be psyched up to give it your best shot when the gun goes off.

 

Picture from: google image, running track

Helping Who?

The word help could have a different meaning to many people.  Dictionary.com’s  definition is

to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist.

How could running, sprinting, jogging be associated with help.  With the people that have a passion for running, or want something useful out of running a mile or a lap around the track, it does satisfy a need.  Knowing you did that on your own and you achieved your goal or task makes you feel good about yourself.

Running is not only good for your body but also for your mind.  Research shows exercise can help people with depression because it releases feel-good brain chemicals such as endorphins.  Maybe they are depressed because of their body image and them knowing they are taking a step by step process to a new and better life makes them feel that much better.  It can also relieve your stress, channeling it out in running rather than channeling it out on what you are stressed out about.  While on the run, it can help you clear your mind and maybe even help you think a little more straighter than if you were in your busy office or classroom. 

Especially in track, one thing that helps you get to where you want to be is being mentally ready.  Whether it is a helping hand telling you some advice on how to start or how to change your form or yourself mentally preparing for the race, help is always wanted and needed.  Music is one way that some runners get ready for a race.  Having their Ipod always there, with their favorite music in their ears calms down the nerves and puts their mind into their own world.

The second definition on Dictionary.com of help was to save; rescue; succor.

Running isn’t something that can save your life if you do it once, but running continually can save and rescue your body.  When running it builds up every muscle in your body.  It mostly helps your lower body, but it also helps your upper body too.  Using your arms to pump and your legs to do all the running, its using all the muscles.  Running helps your breathe faster and easier, strenthens the hearts, begins to build muscle tissue, increases your metabolism, burns a lot of calories at one time, and makes you feel good.

Running helps you live a longer, healthier life. 
Why wouldn’t you want to run?

The Main Idea

My blog will be about running. 

For me, and most people you need to have a passion for running.  A lot of people just can’t go out running for fun.  This blog will be about being physically ready to go out running, being mentally ready for what you are going to run for and why you should go running.

In track, during the season you are always pushing yourself to the limit. Whether its a practice, little track meet, or invitational, you always want to do your best and even PR (personal record).  I intend to tell you how to get physically ready for the race(s) that you are in. 

Many people think it’s running, how hard can it be?  But if your mind isn’t ready for the task at hand, then you aren’t ready for what is going on.  Before races I am always listening to what I call my ‘pump up music’  or if I am nervous my ‘relaxing music’.  You must picture yourself running the event, and most of all winning that event.  You can’t just be good at what you do, but you must have inspiration, motivation, and most of all heart for what you do. 

In the running world, an inspirational person is Steve Prefontaine, or known as Pre.  He succeeded in his running career, being a long distance runner from high school, to Oregon State College, and then to the Olympics.  “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” Pre knew give it all or nothing, and that is what I’m here to talk about.