1. Shirts – Dress in layers.  Typically I would wear a wicking long sleeve to wick away the moisture from my skin.  If it is really cold outside ie -10c I would add a light fleece on top to insulate my body from the cold weather, and then top it off with a light windbreaker jacket.   Depending on the temperature I would add or remove a fleece layer.   Usually runners should dress for weather that is slightly warmer than it is.  You should feel slightly cold when you walk outside.  If you are warm when you walk outside, then you need to remove a layer.   You don’t need to worry about getting sick, you will generate a lot of heat and sweat when you run and your body will get warmer.
2. Pants – Usually I wear running pants that have a thermal interior and a dense outer shell for wind, snow or rain protection.
3. Head and hand accessories – I always wear my running cap to keep the snow out of my eyes and to block the wind.  I found that if I ran without my cap I usually get a headache afterwards.   If it’s really cold outside or snowing I wear my bellaclava to protect my face.   For my hands, I usually have really warm hands so I hardly use gloves.  But on the extremely cold days I turn to my Nike running gloves.
4. Accessories – If you run in the evenings, make sure you remain visible.  It’s hard for drivers/cyclists to see you at night and hard for you to see the road.  One advice is to stay off the roads although it’s tempting when you see the are roads clear.  The roads might be icy or snow on the ground and makes it hard for vehicles to stop.    You can buy a light to attach to your running belt or jacket so drivers/cyclists can see you.   You can buy or attach reflective strips on your clothes.
5. Finishing your run – If you run don’t stop and if you do stop don’t start again.  You’re clothes will be wet from your sweat and you will be sweating so if you stop in cold weather you will definitely get sick.  Make sure you keep moving.
6. Slow down – The sidewalks and roads are slippery.  Keep your strides short and low.  Don’t try to race down a hill.  Run with your feet lower to the ground to reduce the risk of slipping, falling or straining muscles.

In the end, have fun and enjoy the beautiful scenery.   When fresh snow falls it really feels like you are running in a winter wonderland.

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Get to the race start early.  Bring lots of old clothes, hats, blankets, towels or anything to keep yourself warm until the race starts.  On the Staten Island side, they put up tents, you stand/sit on the floor but the wind still gets in.   It gets chilly if you have a long wait.

Runners, be ready for the 18 mile bridge.  It’s a slow and steady climb, but such a killer. Have fun and enjoy the city.

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Now you must be having problems going up and down stairs, walking fast, whole body is aching and feels really beat up.  Here are some tips to help you with a speedy recovery because I know you want to get back out there running your heart out.  On average it will take 2-3 weeks after the marathon to fully recover.

5 Recovery Tips The Minute You Cross The Finish Line

1. Start walking.  Walk 10-15 minutes to get your legs and breathing back to normal.  It will be painful, but continue to walk throughout the day for 15 minutes.
2. Refuel muscles with meals that include carbs, protein and sodium.  For example, you can eat peanut butter sandwich, banana and gatorade.   If you cannot eat after a race, you can opt for recovery drinks such as Hammer RECOVERITE, CLIF SHOT Recovery, PowerBar Recovery, V8, chocolate milk; most available at your local grocery store.  Check out other Recovery drinks available.
3. Drink lots of water.
4. To reduce the inflammation soak your legs in tub of cold ice water or shower your legs with cold water.  Another option to reduce inflammation in your legs is to go for a soothing salt bath.
5. Sleep and get lots of rest.
   

Recovery Tips for Day After Your Marathon

1. Go for a massage or see the chiropractor.
2. There are products such as The Marathon Stick and Foam Rollers that allow you to do deep tissue massages for hamstrings, calves, thighs and hips yourself.
3. Do light hamstring and calve stretches to loosen your muscles.  Wear comfortable shoes, your feet will be sore.
4. Eat enough for recovery but try not to eat too much to gain unnecessary weight.

Recovery Tips Days After Running Your Marathon

1. The worse thing you can do for marathon recovery is to stop exercising.  A few days after your marathon should be an active resting period, but there should be no running.
2. Consider doing low impact exercises such as yoga, biking, walking or swimming which are great to keep your legs an body moving.
3. After week of active resting, you can start to reverse taper your marathon regime.
4. Start off slow and short and gradually get your legs, lungs and brain ready for another season of running.  If you start to feel pain in your legs or knees, stop and rest.  Keep your running intensity low for at least three weeks.

Giving your body adequate time to heal is best way for recovery and prevent long term injuries in the future.  Remember to always have fun and enjoy your downtime.

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To the Toronto Half and Full Marathoners, it’s going to pretty cold that day.  Bring an old long sleeve shirt / pants to keep you warm while you wait for the race to start.  Once it starts, you can throw it aside after you get warmed up.   I have a water belt but I don’t use it when I run.  There is plenty of water and gatorade stations along the course and reduces the weight that I carry when I run.  I do recommend to bring some gels to keep your energy levels up.

Best tip for beginner marathoners is start off slow.  You want a good finish time but running too fast in the first mile will severely impact your endurance and pace for the remaining duration of the marathon.   The worst part would be to slow down in the second half of the marathon.  Run slower in the beginning and gradually increase your pace til you reach a good comfortable and constant pace you can run for about 3 hours.  When you hit the last 3 miles or 5km, you should be going at full speed.

Map of the Toronto Marathon:

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/canada/on/-toronto/101125491807174616

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The purpose for runners to strengthen their body is to prevent injuries.  Therefore, the most important muscles to train are in the lower body since they bear the most weight and stress during running.  Upper body strengthening is to keep your body balanced.  Core strength is important as abs keep runners well-aligned and less prone to back injury.

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1.  Strength Training Makes You Stronger

It will help you run longer, stronger and definitely help you push up those hills faster.  You will also be able to recover from longer runs faster because strength training makes your body more efficient.

2.  Reduces the Risk of Injury

If you are injury prone like myself, it’s very important to build up muscles around your knees and hips which are big problems areas for runners.  Strength training will stabilize those areas and reduce risk of repetitive stress injuries.

3.  Burn More Calories.

Yes, building muscle will help you burn more calories during the day and more beneficial to you than the amount of calories lost during a run.

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Trail Running is Great for Speed and Hill Training.

If you are a beginner runner, choose trails that are more flat.  For more intermediate runners, find a more challenging trail where you can run hills or speed train.

Buddy Up

Trails are very peaceful and quiet with lots of shade.  The air feels crisper with all the trees around which is why I love it so much.  There are no traffic lights or cars to worry about like when you’re running on the roads.  These are areas that don’t attract a lot of foot traffic unless out they are out for a morning stroll.  Most trails are very quiet and secluded which makes it wise to get a friend to run with you or at least tell someone which trail you are running and your estimated return time.   Be wise and don’t run trails at night.  I always carry my cell phone in case of emergency.

Be Aware Of Surroundings

Don’t keep your head down when you run.  Look ahead to foresee any obstacles in your path like branches, rocks, mud or patches of puddles.   Be alert when you run.  I know I tend to drift off in my mind when I start to run, but I will always remain alert when running through secluded paths.  Always look behind you to make sure no one is following you.  Don’t listen to music too loudly so you can hear any footsteps or if anyone is shouting.   Always keeps your eyes moving, looking at the trees or bushes.  Make sure you listen or see if any one is lurking in the shadows.   Turn around immediately if you sense any danger.

Careful On Downhills

If you run downhill don’t get too crazy running.  Some trails get slippery at night or early morning.

Know The Trail

Be familiar with the trail before running it and know it’s in a good location.   Do some research on the trails before running it and know where it starts and ends.  I do not recommend straying off the trail path because last thing you want is to get lost in a wooded forest with no idea where you are.

Be Prepared

There are many things to aware before you go trail running.  Be conscious of the trail distance and ensure you conserve enough energy to make it out of the trail.  There are no “water” stations along the trail so make sure you have enough fluids so you won’t get dehydrated.  Lastly, be prepared for weather conditions.  Dress appropriately for the run.  Wear high performance running clothes that are suitable for all potential weather conditions.

Trail running is great.  Don’t let the above tips scare you off.  Just be aware of your surroundings and run safely.

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Protein

A female vegetarian runner needs all the above essential vitamins plus 150% more protein than non-runners.  Protein is one of the 21 essential amino acids your body needs to function and is food for your muscles.  This means you and I cannot solely survive on bagels, potatoes and pasta.  You need some protein in your diet to help recover and repair small tears in the muscle fibers caused by endurance running. The protein recommendation for runners is .5 to .7 grams per pound of body weight (so a 110-pound female runner should consume about 55 to 77 grams a day).

Eating greens have a lower energy content and lower protein quality than meat proteins.   Meat and fish have all the essential amino acids and are high quality proteins.   If you restrict those foods from your diet, it is important to eat different plant proteins to get different amino acids to ensure your body has all its requirements.

Some good plant protein to eat are eggs, fish, legumes, peanut butter, milk, nuts, tofu, cheese, and yogurt.

Iron

Iron carries red blood cells to provide oxygen to your body.  Meat and fish products are high in iron and vegetarians don’t get the luxury of these products.  Therefore most vegetarians are iron deficient.  If you don’t get enough iron, there won’t be enough red blood cells carrying oxygen to your body and that’s why after running, vegetarians feel extremely exhausted.

To help female vegetarian runners get more iron, consume vitamin C rich drinks like orange juice with your meals.  Try not to drink tea or coffee with meals as they will interfere with iron absorption.  You can also take  iron supplements, but take as recommended as too much iron can be toxic.  Other iron rich foods are soybeans, lentils, spinach, and beans.

B12 – Dairy products and eggs provide you with sufficient amounts of vitamin B12.

Omega 3 – Lots of products like eggs and milk have omega 3.  Other foods that are high in omega 3 are fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and lake trout.

I can say that I have lost any weight after become vegetarian because I substitute the foods with others.  But the foods I eat are easier to digest, and have lower fat intake which makes my body feel better, cleaner and healthier.  Studies have shown that vegetarians have reduced risk of heart diseases, any type of cancer and outlive carnivores by 3 years.

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Doctors recommend that we consume at least 1,000 – 1,500 mg of calcium a day, a glass of skim milk contains about 300 mg (See below for other foods contain calcium).  For best absorption of calcium, it is recommended to consume 500 mg of calcium or less at one time.  Most women runners are calcium deficient and consume less than one-half the recommended daily intake putting themselves at risk for serious bone problems such as osteoporosis and muscle cramps.

Although unlikely to get the disease, the risk is slightly higher for female runners than males.  Women runners who are over 35 years old, small boned, of Asian or Caucasian decent, smoke, or are calcium deficient have a higher risk of osteoporosis.    I know for certain that I don’t get that much calcium in my diet through foods.  I take calcium supplements to help me get the recommended intake. There are the calcium chews or calcium pills you can take to supplement your diet.  Just be aware not to take more than the recommended daily intake of calcium because that will also lead to other problems.

Lots of calcium rich foods are fattening like cheese, and icecream but you can find lots of foods which are low in fat but also have high calcium content.  Consider the following foods which will help fortify your bone strength.

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