Coach Tammy

Your long runs don’t need to feel like 💩 all the time…so if you feel like you’re fighting for your life on pretty much all of them, you’re likely making 1 or more of these common mistakes 🗣️

I’ve made all of these mistakes at some point, especially 2-4, and I support my athletes to make fewer of these mistakes so their long runs actually feel good and they’re moving closer to their race goals. Because at the end of the day, long runs are rehearsals for the race, especially as you get closer to race day.

If you want a little extra support with number 4 - hydration - check out the free long run hydration guide linked in my profile 💦

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments and let’s get those long runs feeling better this summer! 🙌

Races to add to your bucket list, part 13 ✨These races are in the south(ish).

This series is designed to show you all the great races out there to consider that aren’t the Marathon Majors and to potentially add to your bucket list.

I’ve run a half or full in 37 States and 7 countries (and counting) so these are all races I’ve actually done and can share the good (and not so good) 🏅

Races mentioned in this video:
✨RnR New Orleans Half Marathon
✨Little Rock Half Marathon Little Rock Marathon
✨Nashville Half Marathon (organized by I run for the party; no longer happens)

Let me know what race in Tennessee I should add to my bucket list so I can get a medal from that state and follow along for part 14!

I see this all too often.

Training plans giving an exact pace to run for easy runs, often not that much slower than goal race pace.

Runners always running their easy runs on the fast end, without actually listening to their body.

And it very well could be what is holding you back from that next breakthrough.

Yes, I give my athletes a pace range for their easy runs but if they’re always at the fast end of that range, you can bet I’m going to say something. I also want to see them slower than it sometimes. And a lot of my most successful athletes - when it comes to hitting PRs race after race and not getting any big injuries - often run slower than their range. That’s what allows them to hit speed paces in big workouts and continue to see progress.

It’s exhausting mentally and physically to fight to hit a certain pace for ever.single.run. Stop making it so hard on yourself. Release the need to “hit a pace” on your easy runs and go at whatever pace feels easy on that day.

I’m going to talk more about this and how expectations like this can hinder your running progress in my Tuesday newsletter this coming week. Sign up to get my free bi-weekly newsletter through the link in my profile!

There are so many different electrolytes out there - you need to find what works for you…what you like, what’s convenient, and what settles well in your stomach.

I’m breaking down some products that I use regularly when I’m marathon training in the summer.

It’s really important that you tweak and practice on your long runs, so you have a plan going into your race. So if you plan to use the energy drink on course - for example, Gatorade - make sure you’re using that in training so you know if you can stomach it and if it meets your hydration needs.

You can also get sodium from some gels. And if you really want to keep costs low, you can pinch some salt into your water. I don’t recommend putting packets of salt in your pockets, though, because they will disintegrate (yes, I’ve done this 😅)

I created a free long run hydration guide that breaks this all down, complete with a chart of the popular electrolyte products + how much sodium they each contain, so you can better plan out what you need for your long runs this summer. Grab it through the link in my profile and happy hydrating!

Let’s talk more about electrolytes as a follow up to the video I posted last week about Salt chews vs capsules, as there were a lot of different questions 🙂

In this video, I clarify:
👉🏻what constitutes a long run (for needing to bring electrolytes with you)
👉🏻sweat rate, the range of what you may need, and why balance is important
👉🏻when to use chews vs capsules on the run

I also want to clarify that some symptoms you have or bonking on a long run can be from other things like under fueling, pacing being off, being under recovered, etc.

Cramping in a race, for example, can be from fatigue and under training, especially at the pace you’re trying to go. But dehydration and not replacing the electrolytes you’re losing can also play a role here. This is why you often see more runners cramping in warmer race conditions.

And saying this again - having a lot of white grit on your skin after a hot long run means you are a saltier, heavier sweater and you’re losing a lot…which means you have more to replace to keep things in balance.

If you really want to know your sweat rate, there are tests you can buy to figure this out. But it’s not necessary. You DO need to experiment on your long runs, though, so you can figure out the right balance for you. As I said in last week’s post, a lot of runners don’t take in enough sodium because they don’t realize they need it (I certainly didn’t when I began my training journey!)

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing other electrolyte sources that I like to use in my training - before, during, and after runs, and I’ll also be dropping a more in-depth free resource you can use to plan what you need for long runs, so make sure you’re following along and stay tuned for that! 👀

My fastest 5 marathons have come on 4 different race courses ✨

If you’re looking to run a fast race, put these at the top of your list!

Let me know in the comments if you’re run a PB/PR at any of these races or another course you’d recommend to run a fast time 💨