We’re starting a new fad and now offering running tips via our Twitter account (@logthatrun). We’ll be posting tips about running each week on our Twitter account to make sure you sign up and follow us on Twitter.
Check out our running tips on Twitter, search for #runningtip on Twitter.
Don’t know what Twitter is? Twitter is a micro blogging service. AKA, you can write a sentence or two and most it to your account page and people can subscribe to you (called “following” you) where they can view your updates in real time.
Each Friday we are going to be twittering highlighted shared runs. We will post a link and title to the staff picks that week for maps you’ve shared with our community. We will also include the tag #sharedrunfriday at the end of our twitter on Fridays that way you can easily search for past highlighted shared runs.
We also welcome you to be part of the discussion and post the runs you like each Friday on Twitter. Just be sure to include the tag #sharedrunfriday at the end of our tweet.
We’re are proud to announce a new feature to LogThatRun.com! You can now track the mileage on your shoes and get notified when they reach a max allotted mileage. This will greatly assist you in making sure you’re shoes are safe, not too worn and let you know when you need to change them out.
With the shoe tracker feature you have the ability to add a shoe on the Your Shoes page, then from there you can go to your running log and when you log a run that shoe will appear in the shoe choice’s drop down box while editing that running log entry. To view the total mileage on your shoes just visit Your Shoes page and you can view each shoe’s details. Also to make things easier, we have added a Shoe Mileage Tool that allows you to quickly add and remove logged running mileage from and to your shoes.
The Shoe Mileage Tool also has select all and deselect all tool buttons that allow you to select/deselect all running entries for a given month that you’re viewing.
When you reach your max allotted mileage for a shoe the shoe tracker feature also will automatically notify you by a popup on your running log page. In addition it conventionally provides you with a link and details about purchasing new shoes. You can change your allotted mileage settings for a shoe on the Your Shoes page. This can be set to any amount of mileage you would like. By default it is set to 300 miles. It’s been suggested that around 300 miles most shoes will need to be changed out. Also if you prefer not to receive popups about shoe mileage you can set it to no popups on the Your Shoes page.
Yes, it’s spring time again and with that brings in the new season for marathons and for collegiate sports, track & field. In fact some of the bigger marathons are just around the corner, including the Boston Marathon. So lets focus in on some tips that can help you make your race safer, easier and faster!
Eat Something During Race - For most of us running 26.2 miles can be pretty taxing on our body and will use up a significant amount of energy. Replacing that energy and doing it appropriately is a key step to a successful marathon. Many races will even give out food supplements such as the seemingly popular Gu. But an important thing to remember is that some of these food supplements might not be the best thing for your body. Make sure to check out what is actually in these supplements before ingesting them. Some contain a lot of caffeine which could do more harm than good, depending on what’s best for your body. The best thing to do is test these out on a long run during your training prior to running a marathon.
Wear Non Rubbing Clothing - An unfortunately and sometimes very painful side to running is that some clothing can contribute to rubbing that can cause rope type burns on your body. Make sure you’re clothing does not have excessive seams as they can lead to this type of problem. As well running in clothing specially made for long distance running should be safer.
Get Plenty of Rest - A key step to a good race is always a good nights rest. Running a race with out proper rest can really wear down your body. One thing I’ve found very successful is giving yourself more time to sleep than you usually do that way you’ll make sure you get a good night’s rest (in case you get butter flies the night before).
Stay Focused - Keeping focused on the race can sometimes be rather difficult especially if your running for hours. But staying alert, noticing those around you and paying attention to the race time can all help keep you focused which can lead to a faster race time.
Drink Water - Although there has been a bit of controversy on what is best for a runner, drinking a lot of water or drinking only a small amount of water during long races such as marathons, I still feel it’s important to get needed fluids into your system. Myself I usually will drink water at ever station, although it might only be a small swish in my mouth. I try not to over do it but certainly not under do it. Understanding when you need to drink more water or drink less can really effect your race. I’d also suggest to practice drinking water during your training so that you know what is appropriate for your body.
Well, I hope that helps you run a successful marathon!
Usain Bolt, world record holder and three-time Olympic Gold medalist, is expected to be a rabbit in the Boston Marathon on April 20th. Surprisingly I learned from Runner’s World today that he has been hired to run as a “rabbit,” pacing the leaders through mile 15.
It will be interesting to see how he will fair as a pace runner. Honestly though, I’m actually wondering if he will be able to pace the leaders for 15 miles being that he is primarily a sprinter. To me it sounds like a odd choice for a pace runner. And of course he is known for his show boating so I’m not sure what we can expect from him. Will he try to keep running the whole race? But from what Runner’s World has been told it sounds like there won’t be to many surprises. “We fully expect he’ll do the right thing: Run at the front for 15 miles, then step aside and give some of the slower guys a shot at winning.”
… This just in, April fools!
Well no matter I’m sure the Boston Marathon will be a spectacular race this year. Check out the interactive race course posted in our race directory to see where the course goes.
I thought it would be nice to write about some of the new features that we’re planning to release here at LogThatRun.com. We’ve received a lot of great feedback from many members. We love the ideas we guys have come up with, thank you guys!
First we have a feature currently under development, a shoe millage tracker that will allow you to keep track of the millage you put on your shoes - so that you’ll know when it’s time to get a new pair. Next we’ll be working on adding an option for you to switch back and forth between the calendar view for your running log and a grid or table view displaying your logged runs that week. We are also looking in to a way to save multiple runs for one day.
Also some of your feedback we’ve already put in place. One of those things is, once you’ve logged in and go to map a run the map will now start by displaying the location you have in your profile instead of starting at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Do you have any new feature requests or ideas? Let us know we’d love the hear them!
As a runner I’m sure at one point or another you’ve heard one or more myths pertaining to running, racing, training or just exercise in general. The sad truth is that most of these myths are still unknown as myths to many athletes today. So below I’ve put together a quick list of 5 random running myths I’ve found quite common. Feel free to post your thought or comments on them.
Running Mechanical Aren’t Important - Many runners don’t necessarily say that this is not important but what I find is that they lack in putting in the time to improve their running mechanics and form. As a distance runner especially, one should know that any extra movements you do will add up over time and slow your time down. Doing exercises like kick-butt, high-knees and other form running activities can help train your body to be a more efficient runner. The more efficient you are the more the less energy you’ll be wasting.
Any Shoe Will Do - Now this is one that tops the list as one of the leading causes of running related injuries. The shoe you use to run in actually is very important. Most shoes sold at common shoe stores are manufactured for one foot type (a neutral foot or in other words a perfect foot). But the truth is that each of us has a different foot structure and no one’s foot is the perfect shape (unfortunate, I know :). There is more to our feet than length and width, which is what generally gives us our shoe size. Knowing what foot type you are and then getting a shoe that fits that type is half the battle to beating injury. Also we must realize that gate (the movement/motion of your our legs and body when running) can be as important as our foot structure or type.
Higher Mileage is Always Better - This is not technically a full myth, more like a half myth. Higher mileage can be good if done correctly, although higher mileage is not always the best thing. Many runners think that putting in as much mileage as possible will make them the best runner. This is only true up to a certain point. And the sad truth is that the type of running you put in is more important than the mileage. How fast did you run it… what was your pace? Are all important questions you should be asking. It’s also been suggested that 70 miles a week is usually the max most runners will ever need to do. Now of course if you’re training at a higher level than the average runner you’re mileage might be higher.
Long Slow Distance Runs Are Best - This is one of those half myths that if you don’t get it could cost you valuable training time. Running distance is great and is necessary fortraining for certain types of races. Although the downfall is the “slow” in long slow distance (LSD). Most slow paced running is not giving the body the workout needed to generate muscle strength and endurance. The reason is that you’re not working the body hard enough. A better approach is to run at a specific pace that is in some ratio or percent of your actual race pace. For example if my race pace is a 5:00 mile then Imight want to train on my distance runs at 70% of that pace which would be about 6:30 mile pace. Of course that is all relative to your race pace and distance you’re running.
Runners Don’t Need Strength Training - Many coaches and runners today are holding on to the belief that strength training provides no benefits to runners. Although researchers, runners and coaches have proven this one wrong. In fact I knew this was a key to training as a college runner. So I started lifting regularly. I got looks from people all the time, wondering why a cross country runner was lifting so much. Later on that season I ended up running my fastest times! So strength training can improve your muscle elasticity and allow you to be more economic when running. As well as helping to keep you injury free.
With the cold and winter season fully upon us - hopefully ending soon - this week I’m going to provide you with some quick tips on running in cold weather. I’ve compiled a small list of tips from my years of training, running and coaching.
Stay hydrated - Many runners don’t realize that in the cold weather it’s just as important as with hot weather to stay hydrated. In fact cold weather can actually increase your risk of dehydration, according to a study conducted by Robert Kenefick of the University of New Hampshire. Something I’ve done and seen work well for other runners is to carry some water with them through out the day and drink from that, whether it be to school or work during the summer or winter months.
Stay Warm - Wearing the proper amount of clothing is also important in cold weather runs. Usually 2 layers, a hat and gloves works well in cold or frigid weather. Also make sure you keep you’re self dry during your runs. Share your thought in our forum on What winter Running clothing do you use?
Warm Up, Cool Down, Stretch - Recently there has been a lot of debate between athletes, coaches and doctors as whether you should and how you should do a warm up, cool down or stretching. What I’ve found that’s work for me is doing a warm up, stretching very light and doing a cool down after the workout until I feel somewhat re-generated (when I feel like that it helps to indicate to me that the lactic acid build up in my muscles has been reduced). That is then followed with a more extensive stretching routine.
Don’t push it if your injured - I’ve always found having a day off or tapered down due to an injury or when you’re starting to develop one is 10 times better then having an injury that lasts a month or more. This is specially true in the colder weather as it’s much easier to get injured. Staying injury free is one of the key steps to running competitively and staying fit. This starts with making sure you listen to your body.
Plan your workouts for the week - I’ve found it’s much easier to stick with it when you have a schedule or plan for what your going to do for that week. Specially if you have a specific goal your reaching for, you should plan out how you’re going to get there. Use our running log as a tool, with our running log you can record a preset schedule of your workouts for the week or longer.
Well those are some quick tips for running in the cold and winter weather. If you have any suggestions or things you’ve found that worked well for you, let us know by posting your comments.
Now that the site is picking up and gaining a wider interest from runners across the globe, I decided it would be nice to send out a weekly eNewsletter that includes running tips, information about upcoming races and updates on the newest features we’re adding.
So it’s official, this is the first weekly eNewsletter! Every week we are going to be sending out 1 newsletter (usually at the beginning of the week). Each newsletter will feature running tips or info on things that are happening on the website then a section on up coming races.
The running tips and info in each newsletter will also be posted on our running blog so that you can post your comments about what we said. We also may add some discussions from the forum area to the newsletter occasionally as well.
For the up coming races, we’ll be added each of those to our race directory. In the newsletter we will include a few of those details and a link back to the race’s page in our directory. Also each race’s page in our directory includes an interactive course map with the full details about the race. Also you can add a comment on each of the races in our directory. So feel free to check those out and post your comments.
If you have any ideas, comments or things you’d like to hear in our newsletter let us know.
You might have noticed the pick shoe option when saving a run recently. Soon you’ll be able to add your running shoes to your account and keep track of the millage you run on each of your shoes. We hope to also add a feature that will alert you know once it’s time to get a new pair of shoes based on the amount of millage you’ve run in them. And possible display some shoe similar to yours that you can purchase from shoe companies online.
We’ll send out another newsletter once we get this finished but I think it will make using our running log more effective and make training and running even easier. Plus we hope to help prevent injuries by having the shoe alert feature, because commonly most injuries are from improper or worn out shoes.
Let us know what you think, I know a quite a few of you had suggested we add this feature to our site. So we hope to have it up and running for you soon!
