Let's talk hills!  If you run outside in Charlottesville, you can not get away from them....HILLS!  Therefore, it is important for you to know how to run them.  So many people fight the hills instead of using them to their advantage.  

Going up hills - 
* Keep your arms moving and your legs will follow
* lean SLIGHTLY forward
* keep a shorter stride with a rapid turnover (quick steps) 
* try not to push off the ground hard, think of lifting your knee
* keep your focus slightly up the hill, not necessarily at the top...look at the person's back that is in front of you

Going down hills - don't underestimate the impact of downhills, they can wreck your muscles
(Because your body absorbs a bigger impact with each downhill footstrike, you could be at risk for IT band syndrome and other injuries...be careful)
* Shorten your stride
* focus on quick steps (turnover)
* try to keep your shoulders, hips and feet in line (DON"T lean back) - allow gravity to work with you!
* should feel like controlled falling

When working on hills, if you decide to do hill repeats...start with just a couple and at gradual slopes.  This allows your body to get comfortable to the new demands you are placing on it.
If you have any questions, please contact me
trainwithnicolego@gmail.com

Happy Hills, Nicole

Good day everyone - Hope you are progressing well with your programs.  We are only a about 5 weeks away from the race.  

I wanted to chat with you about hydration!  It is so important to make sure you are drinking water everyday.  On a daily basis, you should be drinking at least half your body weight in ozs of water (for example...if you weight 200 lbs,  you should be drinking at least 100 ozs.).  When you are exercising or doing any other activity that causes you to sweat, you need to be drinking more water.  Also if you drink coffee, tea or soda, you will need to be drinking more water to counter those fluids.  

How do you know if you are hydrated?  An easy way, is to look at the color of your urine.  If your urine is a light lemonade color, you are doing well with hydrated.  If you are taking vitamins or some medications, your urine might be a little darker and that is ok...if you know you are taking in the appropriate amount of fluids for you.  
Can you drink too much water?  Yes!  It is called Hyponatremia.  It is caused by drinking too much fluid.  The extra fluid expands blood volume and dilutes blood salt levels.  This is normally not a issue for people exercising for only 1-2 hours.  So drink your water!  Don't wait until your thirsty, because you are already dehydrated at that point! Dehydration can lead to poor performance too.  Drink your water and enjoy your runs, Nicole   

Every day we have things that we have to do, things we should do and things we would like to do...Everyone has the same 24 hours to get all those things done.  We have choices of what is important and what gets priority.  Our health, should be one of those priorities. 
How do you make time for your health?  Control the things you can control!  You can choose what you eat and drink, how much sleep you are getting, how much exercise you are doing each and every day...I know what you are thinking...I am so busy, I just don't have time to do everything.  That is not true!  If you want to get or stay healthy, take small steps to get it done.  
1) make healthy food choices - easy out is to buy precut veggies or even a veggie tray, save time when packing snacks and lunches
2) drink water - lots of it!!   You should be drinking half your weight in ozs (ex 120 lb woman, need to drink at least 60 ozs)
3) take the stairs, park far away and walk... when possible take the extra steps...they add up
4) workout when it is your best time of day...if you know at the end of the work day, you just want to go home....then perhaps it would be better to do your workout first time in the morning or over lunch
5) watch over committing - we want to be the super parents and do everything...the best thing we can do for our kids is to take care of yourselves so we are around for them for years to come...you don't have to take part in every bake sale or volunteer at every work event...learn to say NO
6) get to sleep - rest is important for mental and physical health!!!  

Control the things you can control.  Plan your day, so you take care of you!  This does not have to mean hours in the gym or working out everyday...make a plan for exercise and stick with it.  The plan should be attainable!  Take the steps to make it happen

Hey everybody - I hope you are enjoying your training.  Please remember that it is important to lay out your training program and stick with it.  

What happens when life gets in the way?  Or you get sick?  

If you miss a day or even two, that is ok.  Just pick up with the program where you left off.  If you feel that you can not complete the distance for that day, no worries.  Listen to your body, try a walk/run workout.  You might have jumped back into your program a little premature.  Your body could still be recovering from being sick.  

Now if you missed a week or more, let's talk about how we can adjust the program to work for you.  It is important, that you do not jump ahead in the program unless your body is prepared...especially if you have not been doing any exercise.  This is how many people become injured.  They rush the workouts and add too much mileage.  Too much, too soon leads to problems.

LISTEN to your body!  If you are having pain with the run, go to a walk. Cross training might become your best friend for awhile and that is ok.  

If you start having pain, please contact me and we can work it out!  

Happy Training, Nicole (trainwithnicolego@gmail.com)