Running 101 : From the couch to my first marathon (6)

Modern diet is crap.
Processed food.
Commodity food.
Compensatory food.
Take out food.
Take in food.
Crap food.

Remember, You are what you eat. If you want to run, you need to eat.
You want to run well, you need to eat well, that's as simple as that.

Lucky enough, my lovely wife is cooking healthy.
Sometimes on the light side though :)

There is no secrets about the good food and bad food. Avoid quick carbs, they are rich and not fulfilling. Except if you are actually in the middle of a run, it is likely you are just gonna store them as fat.
Fat is good, but watch the quantities. Calories multiply by 2 compare to proteins and carbs.
Alcohol is very rich as well, and won't help for this long run tomorrow.
Keep it light, keep it simple, keep it raw when possible.
And remember, except if you are vegetarian, you are eating too much meat. Modern diet is all about meat, unfortunately. Proteins are good, but not **that** good.

That was short... When people are writing dozen of books about the proper perfect diet. And the diet industry is certainly the most important one in the world.
All that is a giant fad.

'Keep it light, keep it simple, keep it raw when possible".

Marks my words, one day they might be the title of next trendy book around.

But most likely, they won't.

Running 101 : From the couch to my first marathon (5)

Running is simple and natural.
However, there is an actual technique, and it starts to show if you are accumulating miles.
More important, this is fundamental in trying to stay injury free.
Running is a dangerous sport.
We never heard of a runner who was not injured at one point or another.
There is one rule, to rule them all.

DO NOT HEEL STRIKE (*)

Learn from the best(s).

Seems easy ?
Add 90 minutes into it.
Look at yourself.
You are not that tall anymore.
You are not leaning forward anymore.
And you are heel striking.
As always, the devil is in the details. And 90 minutes into it, details do not matters anymore.

Pure magic. Two hours of pure magic.

Specially in this case, do what I say - or what they say - and not like I do.
Because I am like you: "Keeping a proper running form for 4 hours sounds impossible".
It is way easier to keep it only for 2 hours, isn't it ?
Just. Run. Faster.




(*) Obviously, there are some "subtleties" with the upper body that are as important. But I like to make a point, wrong or not.

Running 101 : From the couch to my first marathon (4)

Be Humble.

There is nothing more annoying than people self-centered. Running long distance is a great achievement, than few can claim.

Still.

One of the multiple jokes.

I was in the line-up for the start of my second marathon, when this guy, out of nowhere, started to tell me he ran an Iron Man - and he had a Tattoo of it, like a proof, on the calf.
Awkward.
I was running for myself, and still, it felt good when I passed him.
I payed the price later, but that's another story.

Now, I am humble. Not that young anymore.
Keep it simple, keep it slow, keep it fun.
You are there for the long run.

Running 101 : From the couch to my first marathon (3)

Why do you run ?

Do not run to lose weight.
It does not work.

Actually, there is more chance you will gain weight : Muscles are heavier than fat, and exercising will stimulate your appetite.

Why do you run ?

Because it is fun, and fun is fun.
Because it is painful, and you like it hard.
Because you like to buy sneakers, and you have to use them to justify it.
Because you can meditate without being zen.
Because , just because.
Because it is a fad, but a cool fad.
Because you are on diet, and it helps to burn calories.
Because it is faster than walking.
Because it is cool to be a runner, even cooler to be a marathoner.

Nothing she can do about it...
She still love to run.

There is plenty of good and bad reasons to run.
You only need one.

Running 101 : From the couch to my first marathon (2)

Run. But don't just run.

In any program I have seen there is at least one day reserved for Xfit, or any cross training, and one day of rest.
Personally, I usually target 3 days of running, sometime 4.
Add a 2-3 days of swimming, sometime even a rest day.

The key point for Cross Training is to pick an activity that is low impact, core focused and overall complete your running activity.

Zumba will work as well, specially if you looking for to have fun with plenty of girls.
Because there ain't plenty of girls on the road.
At least not where I run ;)

Yoga and Pilates works for the Rest days.