Now that you are headed into the final weeks of training, you may be interested in mixing up your training. This Thanksgiving, why not incorporate fitness into your Thanksgiving feast and check out the Las Vegas Turkey Trot: Six Tunnels to Hoover Dam. Below are the details if you are interested in registering. Act fast, because registration ends today!
When: Thursday, November 25th@ 8:00 am
Where: Lake Mead Nt’l Recreation Area
Lakeshore Drive & Hwy 93
Welcome to week 13! We are but two weeks and one group training away from our ultimate goal – the 13.1 mile Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon! While many of us have already started to envision ourselves triumphantly crossing the finish line on race day, has anyone started thinking about their after race celebration? After putting so much physical and emotional effort towards this goal, be sure to setup a few individual rewards to acknowledge your training journey as well as your success!
Physical & Mental Recovery
Immediately following the half marathon, consider treating yourself to a little rest and relaxation. Plan time for a lukewarm bath or shower after the race. Add Epson Salts to your bath to help relax any sore muscles you may have. Schedule to have a foot or body massage later on in the day. (Remember that your muscles will already be stretched out and possibly sore so the massage will need to be gentle.) Take time to reflect upon your weeks of training and even nap once you are home.
Celebrate!
Remember that after achieving a goal such as a half marathon, you are entitled to a celebration as well as bragging rights! You might start out by displaying your race medal around your neck for the remainder of the day. Consider wearing it to work on Monday as well in order to share your success with your coworkers! Think about treating yourself to a race day souvenir (marathon shirt, keychain, etc.) or plan to celebrate with a new pair of training shoes or even a new outfit. Plan a marathon after party with friends and family (consider hosting the event the week after the marathon to allow yourself time to recover).
Continue to Stay Active
Finally, reward all of your hard work and dedication by continuing to stay healthy and physically active! While the intensity of your walks or other trainings may taper down, try to maintain a consistent workout schedule. Plan to meet up with other team members or your training partner to stay motivated. You may also consider signing up for future marathons or runs down the road!
How will you celebrate and reward yourself after crossing the finish line on December 5th? Share your plans by commenting below!
This week we are nearing our second to last Sunday group training. As our training is tapering down and race day is nearing, we challenge you to look back at how far you’ve come and be inspired by your progress and dedication.
Recognizing the countless miles already behind you can give you that extra push as you lace up your sneakers and head towards the starting line on December 5th!
Check out how far you’ve come by viewing some of this year’s marathon videos we’ve created.
August 26, 2010
Watch our introductory team meeting video as a refresher on your clothing, shoes and what to expect on race day!
October 6, 2010
Check out our “Behind-the-Scenes” commercial shoot with your very own Becky and Jason as they become TV stars in our Marathon inspired TV spot.
October 26, 2010
View Mitzi’s story about why she decided to join this year’s GBI Marathon Team!
November 7, 2010
Check out Sazzy as she participates in a 10 mile long practice run in preparation for the Marathon. See how she get’s inspiration through the support of her friends and family!
Do you remember how you felt at the initial team meeting? How about at halfway point of the training schedule? Now, after weeks of successful training, how do you feel? More excited? Stronger? Motivated?
Please share your training memories, tips and or inspirational messages with the team by commenting below!
Congratulations on your training thus far! There are three more weeks until race day, so we wanted to share with you some tips to help you have a great experience during your road race. While most avid marathon runners like to see new runners participating in the experience, they have their own set of pet peeves when it comes to the behavior of other beginner runners. So, to avoid any mishaps here are a few tips to consider!
Be Sure to Line Up Properly
When registering to run, the website prompted you to estimate your pace which then determines what coral you will ultimately be placed in. Since you’ve been training for months you may notice that you are pacing faster or slower than you originally anticipated. When you attend the Expo and receive your informational packet and running number you will be able to change your estimated completion time which in turn will reassign your coral. Typically faster runners start up at the front of the starting line, while more moderately paced runners start farther back. The Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon uses timing chips that you place on your shoes so the time doesn’t start until you reach the starting line.
Try Not to Jingle
When participating in the actual ½ marathon try not to carry loose change or keys in your pockets. They may provide additional noise and distractions for other runners on the road.
Be Mindful of your Running Space
If you’re running with a group, try not to run more than two people across so that other people can pass your team.
Remember to Give Appreciation to the Volunteers and Sideline Supporters
Be mindful to say “Thanks” to the race volunteers who provide water, assist at the sidelines and ultimately provide you with your metal. They help make sure this huge event can accommodate so many participants! Also, give a shout out to all the sideline supporters who are cheering for you as you walk or run by. They are often the encouragement that’s needed to get to the finish line!
Use Caution at the Water Stations and Restrooms
The water stations and restrooms tend to be crowded as everyone is in a hurry to finish the race. Try to make sure you don’t cut off other runners. TIP: Don’t go to the first table at the water stop, it’s going to be congested. Keep running and stop at one of the tables down the line. Also, try (if they have them) a table on the left hand side of the track. Most runners are right handed and use the tables on the right.
Finish Line Frenzy
Many people are tempted to make a quick stop at the finish line. Remember that other runners may be behind you. If you can, keep going until its safe to stop and receive your metal!
If you’ve participated in a ½ marathon before, feel free to share your race day tips here on our blog!
As many of you may know, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon has a four hour time limit. This limit is set in order to make sure participants are safely through the course and off the road once traffic resumes. In the coming weeks, let’s be sure to keep this timeframe in mind but also not let it result in any unnecessary pressure. Consider working on your individual goal pace now in order to have it set by race day.
Minutes Per Mile One of the most common ways to pace a course is by setting a per mile goal. If this is your chosen strategy, consider giving yourself a little more time for the last few miles. For example, you may challenge yourself to start out with a 15 minute per mile pace for the first six miles and then finish up the course with a 20 minute per mile pace. Note this pace may not be a fit for you – be sure to break up the course and per mile time goal according to your individual level.
Map Your Course Mentally dividing the course into sections can assist you in keeping your pace and add boosts of motivation. Review the course map and note the mile markers, water stations, band/entertainment booths and landmarks that can be utilized to help monitor your pace. For example, you might pick the 3rd water station as a goal marker for 30 minutes and the 4th Street band location as your goal marker for two hours. You may also work with your race day support team to strategically spread out over the 13.1 mile course. Plan for your friends and family to be waiting at a mile marker that you anticipate you’ll pass after a certain amount of time.
No matter how you choose to break it down, calculating your goal pace for our half marathon is a fundamental step in your training. Whether you plan to complete each mile in a predetermined amount of time, track your pace with passing Strip landmarks or utilize a different technique, we encourage you to prepare yourself mentally by planning ahead!
What is your goal pace and how do you plan to track it? Share your strategy by commenting below!
Three more weeks to go before the big race on December 5th! During these last few weeks it’s time to start recruiting your friends and family to help support you on race day. Their presence on the sidelines cheering you on will be extremely helpful as you make your way down the Las Vegas strip. Here are a few tips to help your friends and family to have the most successful sideline party!
Friends and Family Spectator Prepration:
1. Signage – Have a pre-race day party to help your friends and family prepare some fun inspirational signage that they can hold up along the sidelines. Use colorful sayings and words of inspiration that are meaningful to you.
2. Sign up for the electronic tracking – Be sure to have friends and family tack your progress start to finish on their mobile phones and receive text message results. Just log on to www.compeitiorwireless.com to get started. If your friends and family are tracking more than one person, follow the instructions to sign up as many people as you like.
3. Sign up for live results – Have your friends and family follow your progresses even if they are not physically able to be on the sidelines on race day. LiveResults provides exclusive coverage of every runner’s progress with times recorded at the 5K, 10K and 10-mile marks for all runners. They will also have times recorded at the 13.1. Updates are sent to LiveResults every 60 seconds. Just click on the LiveResults bug on the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll website http://las-vegas.competitor.com. For more information about LiveResults click here: http://las-vegas.competitor.com/event-info/details/#runnertracking#ixzz14iKluO29.
4. Dress up – Create friends and family t-shirts to wear on the sidelines. Be creative, and have them include your weight loss success!
5. Finish line gift – At the finish line, runners will receive a nice hefty metal when they complete the marathon, but a nice bouquet of flowers is always appreciated!
6. Family Reunion - A friends and family reunion will be located within the Finish Line Festival, and labeled with tall alphabet signs (A – Z). Plan to meet your family and friends at a pre-determined letter.
7. Lastly, be sure to share the Spectator Information from the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon website so they can be prepared the morning of the big race. Please use the link below: http://las-vegas.competitor.com/promo/spectator-information/.
Feel free to share any successful sideline support tips of your own in the comments section below!
Congratulations on making it to the tenth week of training! Over the next few weeks we’ll start to taper our training as we get closer to race day. Many people training for a marathon for the first time do not realize the importance of tapering your training as race day approaches. By reducing your long run during the file two weeks prior to training is very important so that your body will feel recovered from previous workouts and be rested for the main event – the Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll half marathon!
Below please find some physical and psychological tools to prepare yourself for race day and help your tapering process.
Physical Preparation
Keep in mind these tips to physically prepare your body for race day during the tapering phase of training:
- Reduce distance and the intensity of your long runs during the last two weeks of training.
- A couple weeks prior to the race begin more frequent stretching.
- Clip long toenails in preparation for race day.
Psychological Preparation
Your mental state is just as important as your physical state of mind when training for a marathon. Consider implementing these tips during the tapering phase of training:
- Read books, magazine articles or other materials that will provide you with the motivation and inspiration your mind is requiring at the time.
- Try to eliminate stress before the race. Remember it’s normal to feel nervous before the race; however, you want to control the stress level before it gets overbearing.
- Remove yourself from spending time with participants who are extremely stressed out or are negative.
Remember to think about the goals you would like to accomplish! Deciding to train for the Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll ½ Marathon is a huge undertaking and you should feel very proud of yourself for the training you’ve already put forth.
We are excited to say that this week we are working towards our first peak of ten miles at our long walk/run! This is the first of two ten mile courses we’ll take on as a team before we begin tapering our trainings as we bound towards race day! As you prepare your body and mind this week, keep in mind these inspirational thoughts and additional training reminders:
- After Sunday’s training, we will have traveled approximately 68 miles by foot during our team walk/runs. (This is just about the distance between Las Vegas and Pahrump!) Great job!
- Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday. Clocks need to fall back one hour on November 7th. Prepare yourself Saturday for an early Sunday morning.
- Put extra thought into your training clothing for this weekend. The weather is currently expected to be sunny; however, our training may start as the sun is still rising.
- This weekend, consider ironing down the amount of water, fuel, band-aids, sunscreen and additional items you plan to carry with you during your trainings as well as race day. (Remember that some water will be available at various points during the half marathon.)
- We are very close to achieving our 13.1 mile goal as we are only about four weeks away from race day!
- Most of all enjoy your trainings! Focus on your physical/mental achievements as well your ability to take in the fresh air and spend time with fellow team members.
Remember to train smart and keep your eye on your individual goals. We look forward to seeing each of you this week!
Happy Halloween! We thought we’d share some tips and tools to help everyone stay motivated and healthy this Halloween weekend. Since the holiday season is fast approaching, these guidelines can help you all season long.
1. Instead of buying your favorite Halloween candy to hand out to the neighborhood kids, pick something that you don’t normally crave. This will help you steer clear of the candy bowl pre- and post-Halloween!
2. Hand out dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate can actually benefit your cardiovascular system, assist in lowering blood presser and cholesterol levels when eaten in moderation. Check out additional benefits of dark chocolate here.
3. Hand out pretzels instead of traditional candy filled with sugar. Pretzels can be helpful in losing weight because are low in calories and they are a tasty treat many children enjoy. Pretzels are also low in saturated and total fat.
4. Be creative and hand out stickers, tattoos, Halloween pencils, Playdough, mini-notepads and even fun spider rings instead of candy. Think outside the box this Halloween!
5. Try not to buy your Halloween candy too far in advance. Instead, buy candy as close to Halloween as possible so you don’t dip into the stash.
6. On Halloween evening, share a nourishing meal with your kids before heading out to trick-or-treat. This will help any late night candy temptations.
7. Clip on your pedometer before you go out with your kids to trick-or-treat. You’ll be surprised how long of a distance you travel on Halloween night in your neighborhood. Be proud when you return home and have incorporated exercise into your Halloween evening!
8. Try making some pumpkin seeds as a healthy treat for your family – they are a good source of zinc and unsaturated fatty acids.
We hope these simple, fun tips help keep you on track this Halloween. If you incorporate any of these tips be sure to share them with us on our blog post-Halloween. We’ll see everyone on Halloween Day for our long-run training!
Congratulations on making it to your ninth week! As the weather is changing you may feel your body is starting to adapt to the cooler weather. During this time, continue to listen to your body’s signals as cool weather takes more time for your body warm up to. This week we’re going to talk about muscle cramping. As many of you have experienced, muscle cramps can sneak up on you when you’re least expecting them. Today’s blog will explain what a muscle cramp is and on how you can try and prevent them.
What are muscle cramps?
A muscle cramp is an involuntary contracted muscle that cannot relax. Muscles that we have voluntary control over such as the arms and legs are most prone to cramping. The skeletal muscles in the calf, thigh and arch of the foot are some infamous sites of cramping. Muscle cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to 15 minutes and occasionally longer. It’s not uncommon for a cramp to take place multiple times before finally dissipating.
How can I avoid muscle cramps?
Below are six key prevention tips on how you can try and avoid muscle cramps:
1. Hydration is key – Dehydration is a big factor to running/walking cramps in muscles. Drinking enough water before, during and after your workout is essential.
2. Stop and stretch – When cramps begin, try doing gentle stretching. This can help prevent recurrence of the muscle spasm.
3. Sports massage – Try getting a sports massage by a certified therapist. This is a great way to treat the pain that can sometimes linger after long runs.
4. Stomach cramps – These are often related to diet. Remember to be careful of what you eat and drink prior to training.
5. Supplements – It’s widely believed that potassium, magnesium and calcium can assist in the prevention of running/walking cramps.
6. The side stitch – You may experience a sharp jap of pain right below the rib cage, this is known as the side stitch. To prevent this pain, it advised to take evenly spaced deep breaths.
Remember with proper planning and care muscle cramps can be prevented. Share any tips you have below in the comments section of how you prevent or treat muscle cramps.
