Helpful Tidbits for Advanced Runners 18 November 2009
If you’ve been a runner all your life or have recently upped the ante by joining your first half- or full marathon, you may be searching for ways to further improve your running performance. Here are some useful information that might help you reach your current training and racing goals.
Pre- and post- sports nutrition gets a bit more scientific, especially for more serious runners. It is recommended to eat at light high-carbohydrate snack 1-2 hours before training or racing. It should have less protein, fat, simple sugars, and fiber to prevent an upset stomach during the workout or race. After training or racing, a runner should take advantage of the 30-minute glycogen window to replenish carbohydrate in the muscles for faster recovery. A light snack composed of 4 parts carbohydrate and 1 part protein should be taken as soon as possible. There are powdered recovery drinks available for hard-core athletes but a fruit smoothie or a peanut butter banana sandwich will do.
Investing on the proper shoe for your foot type and training needs also becomes a major issue. Running-specific sports shops such as Runnr are great places to find the right shoe for you. They have shoe specialists who can help you analyze your foot type and recommend a particular shoe that can best cater to your specific running needs. And now is the time to splurge on not one, but at least two running shoes – one more durable for training and another more lightweight for racing. For serious runners, one pair of running shoes may not be enough to keep up with the demands of your training frequency and specific needs for longer road runs and faster runs during a race. Not only will the correct shoe help you set a new personal record, but it can also protect you from injuries that may shorten your running career.
As you get more scientific with your training, you may be wondering if there’s a difference in training for a man and a woman. For every similarity between men and women runners, there is a significant difference. For example, although the principles for gaining speed and fitness remains the same for men and women, fluctuations in women’s hormone levels can mean that it is more complicated for women to peak for a certain event. The higher level of testosterone naturally found in males also leads to greater muscular strength compared to females. On the other hand, probably thanks to their hormones, women seem to be better cut out for endurance than men are, because their pain thresholds are generally higher. And though the principles of biomechanics are the same for both sexes, some women are more prone to knee and foot problems than men because they have wider hips. The female metabolism even seems to react differently to exercise, resulting in different nutritional needs, such as the need for higher iron consumption compared to males. The list goes on. So it might help to tweak your training program a bit to focus on your gender-specific weaknesses. Just make these minor adjustments on your diet, running gear, and training plan, and you’re well on your way to reap the benefits on your next A-priority race.
