Coach Jenny Hadfield is the co-author of the best selling Marathoning for Mortals and the newly released Running for Mortals. She is a nationally recognized speaker, writer and co-owner of Chicago Endurance Sports, Chicago’s largest multi-sport training company.
NOTE: The Running Doc has some advice for Jessica, too. Read on for Jenny's own reply...
I've always had a slight case of sports-induced asthma. I'm usually fine until I hit a hill. It doesn't happen in training, only when competing. And it has happened while running and also the bike leg of a triathlon. If I hit a decent-sized hill, I start wheezing and it feels like my windpipe is the size of a straw. Am I not breathing correctly, or is there anything I can do to prevent/alleviate this? - Jessica H.
Hi, Jessica. You are not alone, and I have a feeling your struggle is related more to how you tackle the hill and less about your asthma. Hills have a funny way of humbling you, but if you have the right strategy you will learn to love them without sucking air. The secret is to make friends with the hills. Here's how you do it.
Racing is all about energy management. Hills require more energy going up and less going down. Most people make the mistake of trying to conquer the hill and get so wiped out by the time they reach the top, they can't take advantage of the downhill (gravity is our friend).
The key is to run for economy and efficiency. Cyclists already do this very well. They anticipate the hill, then plan for it by changing gears. Once they reach the top, they change gears again and use the hill to gain speed.
Learn to get into the rhythm of the hill (this is where the friend part comes in). Instead of trying to maintain your speed or pace going up the hill (which will require a lot more energy), change gears and maintain your effort level instead (i.e., heart rate, breathing). This will mean slowing down a bit—but you will make it up on the other end and in the long run (pun intended).
Shorten your stride, focus on the top and work with the hill. Use your breathing as your guide. If you begin to breathe a lot harder you are conquering; if you are breathing at the same rate as before you hit the hill, you are making friends. Making friends is much more efficient and will leave you with plenty of gas for the rest of the race.
Patience is key. People will pass you. (Did I mention this is a strategy?) Let them. You will pass them with a smile on the downhill or later in the race.
When you reach the top of the hill, you'll be fresh enough to open up your stride and let the hill pull you down. With a slight lean from your ankles (not your hips), let go and focus on landing lightly and quickly with your feet landing just behind your hips (rather than directly under your hips like normal). This will help you go with the flow of the hill rather than fighting it, which can cause a lot more impact.
Practice this in training and start out gradually with a few hill repeats. Try to simulate the hills you'll race on. Trust me—in no time you'll see how much fun racing on hills can be when you have an effective strategy.
After all, the hills are there to make you stronger!
I am training for my fourth half-marathon this summer and I'm really struggling. I have ramped up my speed and mileage in training but my normal pace is much harder and I just finished a 10-K race slower than last year! I feel like I am going backward rather than improving. Help! - Greg P.
Hi, Greg. I'm glad you wrote, as you may be experiencing the classic signs of overtraining. This can happen for a number of reasons. For instance, you may be increasing your mileage and/or intensity too quickly. Or you may not be refueling with enough calories to optimally recover for the next training run. It could also be that you're not getting enough rest or sleep to allow adequate recovery. It could very well be a combination of all of these variables that is pulling you down rather than improving your performance.
If you're experiencing these symptoms, chances are you're overtraining:
You feel consistently tired all day long. You struggle to get motivated to run and feel tired at the end of your runs. Napping is at the top of your list of favorite hobbies.
Your normal training pace feels like you're running with 10-pound weights on your ankles and you can't seem to put together a "strong" training run.
Your resting pulse is higher than normal for more than a few days. (It helps to have an average resting heart rate in your log so you can compare. By taking it most days of the week at the most restful time of your day, you can establish an average from which you can compare.)
You have persistent aches, pains, and injuries. If you find yourself fending off aches and pains and nagging injuries more often than not, this is a red flag that you are on the edge of a major injury that will put a roadblock on your training!
You have gotten sick (cold, flu, etc.) or have had symptoms of an illness (elevated temperature, congestion, coughing) regularly and more than normal.
If any of these sound familiar, you need to modify your regimen to avoid crashing and burning. Here are a few ways to get back on track:
Make sure you are on a structured training plan that includes hard and easy days, rest, and a gradual progression.
Run your hard days by effort (heart rate or perceived effort) rather than pace/speed. That way you won't over-run your hard efforts and recover.
Run your easy days truly easy and by effort to avoid running at the same pace all the time and allow your body easy mileage that you can easily recover from.
Avoid increasing your mileage too quickly (no more than 10% per week). Ramping up mileage too quickly is the number one way to challenge an adequate recovery.
Make sure you include a cutback week every three to five weeks where you decrease your mileage by 30 to 40%. This allows your body to adapt and get stronger.
Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep has a dramatic effect on performance.
Track your daily fuel (calories) and make sure you get enough high-quality carbohydrates and lean protein. Restocking your muscles with glycogen (carbohydrates) will set you up for a strong run the following day. Running on empty is like trying to drive a car without gas. It just doesn't work.
If you still struggle after making these adjustments, take one to two weeks off any hard running, cut your mileage by 30 to 40%, and include low-intensity cross-training. Sometimes a micro-break can make all the difference.
Hi Coach Jenny! I am a beginner runner. I started off with 2 minutes running and 3 minutes of walking. Now I am up to 30 minutes straight with 5 minutes of walking warm-up and 5 minutes of walking cool-down. I followed a training schedule in Runnerworld.com's SmartCoach, but don't know what to do next—do I run now for 35 minutes and keep going to an hour, or what? I have been looking at various schedules to follow, but none of them appeal to me. I just want to lose weight, not run a marathon. (I started running this year on March 1 and have lost 15 pounds so far.) — Maria
Hi Maria! Welcome to Runner's World! It sounds as if you are really doing well in your new running career. Congratulations on your running and weight loss success! With a few tweaks of your training program, you'll be well on your way to progressing. Here are a few suggestions.
The key to long-term weight loss is to stick with an exercise regimen you enjoy. You are well on your way to defining what that is in noting you don't want to run a marathon, but you do want to continue to run. That is actually a smart plan as losing weight and marathon training are not necessarily in line with each other.
Since you now have a great base, start tweaking and adding variety to your running program. It is a fun way to keep things fresh and learn to train at different paces too. Plus, you'll burn more calories and push beyond your plateau.
It sounds as if you are running three or four times per week. I would suggest sticking with four runs per week and include the following:
Run #1 - Short & Quick: 30 minutes total of running plus warm-up and cool-down. Run the first 10 minutes easy, then increase your speed to a comfortably hard pace for 2 minutes, then easy for 3 minutes. Repeat running harder for 2 minutes and easy for 3 minutes a total of four times. This will build speed and stamina—and burn tons of calories, too.
Run #2 - Medium Long: Run 35-40 minutes plus warm-up and cool-down. Run at your normal, easy pace. This is a maintenance, easy-paced run. Enjoy it and slowly continue to build this to 40-45 minutes over the next eight weeks.
Run #3 - Long & Slow: Take this run easy, at what we call "conversational" pace. Build slowly each week by 5 minutes from 40 minutes to 60 minutes and hold it there. Running for an hour will boost your endurance and make the shorter runs much, much easier. Plus, it is a great way to burn calories and fat!
Run #4 - Learning to Pace: Warm up, then run 15-20 minutes at an easy pace out in one direction outdoors. Turn around and pick up the pace just a little, trying to run slightly faster on the way back. The goal is to learn to pace yourself at different gears (speeds) and run the second half about 1 minute faster than the first. Warm-up and cool-down are 5 minutes each; the run is 35-40 minutes.
Fill in the rest of the week with cross-training activities you enjoy. It is key to move and exercise most days of the week and you've got four days covered with running. Take the other two to three days and do yoga, strength, or any other activity you love.
Remember to keep tabs on your fuel and the energy "In vs. Out" inventory. Weight loss comes from a healthy and balanced diet and exercise. Eating right—and watching calories in and out—is the most effective and safe way of continuing to lose weight. There are many online fuel logs; Fitday.com is one of my favorites. You can log your foods and activity and keep track like a budget, keeping tabs on your balance day to day.
Also if you're looking for other programs, I have outlined Phase I-III Wt. Loss Running Programs in my latest book, Running for Mortals. You may find these programs interesting and there is plenty of other useful and fun information in there as well!
Please keep us posted on your progress and keep it up!
