Jason Karp

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-27-2016

To be the best you can at running a marathon, you need to start by making sure you’re running with proper form. When you have your technique down, you can start thinking about training for the marathon, including the important concept of alternating your pace during workouts. As race day draws near, you’ll want to practice tapering — a reduction in your training to help you recover and stay fresh. And when marathon morning arrives, make sure you remember everything by marking off items on your checklist.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When you train for a marathon, every workout you do has a specific pace associated with it so you gain the most value from it. Use these pacing guidelines for your workouts. Recreational runners should follow these guidelines for tempo runs and intervals: Tempo runs (runs at your tempo pace, which corresponds to your fastest sustainable aerobic pace) About 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than the pace you run for a 5K race Equal or very close to the pace you run for a 10K race (if you’re slower than about 53:00 for 10K, your tempo pace will be slightly faster than 10K race pace) 80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can determine your max heart rate by running a mile on a track (usually four laps on an outdoor track) while wearing a heart rate monitor and running each lap faster than the one before it so that you’re running all-out over the last lap. Intervals (periods of hard running interspersed with recovery periods) Between mile and 2-mile (3K) race pace About 20 to 25 seconds per mile faster than 5K race pace About 40 to 45 seconds per mile faster than 10K race pace 95 to 100 percent of max heart rate Competitive and highly trained runners should follow these guidelines for tempo runs and intervals: Tempo runs About 25 to 30 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace About 15 to 20 seconds per mile slower than 10K race pace 85 to 90 percent of max heart rate Intervals Equal or very close to 2-mile (3K) race pace About 10 to 15 seconds per mile faster than 5K race pace About 25 to 30 seconds per mile faster than 10K race pace 95 to 100 percent of max heart rate

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Tapering, which is a reduction in your marathon training, enables you to recover from the training you’ve completed so that you’re fresh and ready to go on race day. Follow these tapering guidelines before your marathon: Reduce your running volume but maintain the intensity with tempo runs and interval workouts. Don’t try any new workouts. Increase how much carbohydrate you eat to at least 70 percent of your calories over the final week before your marathon. Stay hydrated by drinking enough water and sports drinks that your urine is a pale yellow color. For a 3-week taper, reduce your peak weekly mileage by 30 percent the first week 50 percent the second week 65 percent the week of the marathon (not counting the marathon itself)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Having a good form is critical if you run marathons, or you risk injury. Whether you run marathons or just run for fun or fitness, these tips can improve your running form. Land with your feet directly under your hips. Don’t overstride by landing sharply with your heel and your leg out in front of your body. This causes you to decelerate. Make a conscious effort to run as lightly as possible, springing off the ground with each step. Place your foot on the ground directly underneath your hips so that you “roll” into the next stride. Your foot should already be moving backward relative to the ground as it lands so that you have a smooth transition into the next step. Run tall, with your hips directly over your legs. Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees or slightly less. When your arms flare open, you lengthen your levers, which makes swinging your arms more difficult. Don’t allow your arms to cross over the midline of your chest. Direct all your effort into moving your body forward; when your arms cross your chest, your torso starts twisting and you add undesirable sideways movement. Keep the palms of your hands facing your body and cup your hands like you’re gently holding a potato chip. Relax your hands and arms so you don’t create tension in your upper body. Swing your arms with quick, compact movements. Your legs do what your arms do, so quick arms means quick legs. To run faster, increase the cadence of your arms, but keep the movements controlled and compact.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As one coach used to say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Plan for running a successful marathon with this checklist of things you don’t want to forget on marathon race day: Eat a small breakfast containing 300 to 400 calories of carbohydrate and protein 1.5 to 2 hours before the start. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink 16 ounces of water or a sports drink 2 hours before the start and keep sipping until about 15 minutes before the start. Check your gear at the start. Go to the bathroom. Warm up only a little to get rid of pre-race jitters. Walk or jog for about a half-mile and do some dynamic stretching exercises, moving your legs through their range of motion. Apply BodyGlide to inner thighs, nipples, and below armpits to prevent chafing. Pin your race number to your shirt. Stick a couple of energy gels in your shorts pocket. Attach your timing chip to your shoe. Double knot your shoes. Find your pace group at the start. Remind yourself to have fun.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

To guide you in your endeavor to run a successful marathon, here are ten of the most common training errors that runners make. Avoid all these errors and not only will you drastically reduce your chance of getting an injury but you also may cross the finish line of the marathon feeling like you want to do it all over again (no, that never happens). Avoiding a plan Whether you’re preparing for your first marathon or trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, how you train has a dramatic effect on your performance. Although running just to run may make you fitter, training gives you the plan for success. Running versus training is like the difference between building a house by placing bricks here and there and having a blueprint laid out beforehand. For a lot of things in life, you can just wing it. Running a marathon isn’t one of them. You need to plan for it. Doing too much too soon Whether it’s making a big jump in weekly mileage, lengthening long runs too quickly, or adding too much intensity with interval workouts, nearly all runners are guilty at some point of adding stress too quickly for the body to adapt (especially as they get older and wrongfully think they can handle the same amount or intensity of work that they used to do). And what happens when you do that? You guessed it — you get hurt. A muscle gets strained, a tendon gets inflamed, or a bone develops a hairline crack. In fact, doing too much too soon is the main reason runners get injured. Doing workouts too fast or too slow Runners often do workouts too fast or too slow, which precludes them from maximizing their effort and time and obtaining the desired result. The problem is that they don’t know what the desired result is. To determine the correct speed, you must know the purpose of each workout. For example, running too fast on your easy days adds unnecessary stress to your legs without any extra benefit. Because many of the physiological adaptations associated with aerobic training — like increases in muscle mitochondria and capillaries and an improvement in running economy — depend on the volume of running you do each week rather than on the intensity of running, the speed of your easy runs isn’t as important as the amount of time you spend running. Running faster isn’t always better. You want to obtain the greatest benefit while incurring the least amount of stress, so run as slow as you can while still achieving the desired result. On the other hand, if you run too slow, you’ll just become a slow runner and never learn how to run at a faster pace. Interval workouts are supposed to be hard; easy runs are supposed to be easy. Running at specific paces for your easy runs, long runs, tempo runs, and intervals enables you to specifically target the physiological factors that influence marathon performance. Neglecting long tempo runs Long tempo runs (and their sister workout, marathon pace runs) are among the most important workouts of your marathon preparation. Too many runners, especially beginners training for their first marathon, focus too much on just the long run. If nothing else, complementing your long run each week with a long tempo run at a little slower than your tempo pace or at marathon race pace goes a long way (pun intended) toward preparing you for the marathon, both physically and mentally. Don’t neglect the power of the long tempo, which trains you for sustained, faster-paced aerobic running and hardens you mentally to hold a solid aerobic pace for a long time. Doing interval training without enough aerobic running Many runners, especially faster ones, like to jump right in to interval training because it can be fun and it makes you fit fast. However, when training for a marathon, you need to do a lot of aerobic running first. Aerobic running causes many physiological and biochemical changes that you need to go the distance, like increases in mitochondria, capillaries, and enzymes, and the storage of more fuel. Running an inadequate amount during the week Many novice runners don’t run enough miles during the week to support the long run on the weekend. You don’t want to run 4 or 5 miles for two or three days during the week and then shock your legs with a 15-mile run on Sunday. You may be able to get away with that once or twice, but do that week after week after week and you’re setting yourself up to get hurt. Blaming your shoes for injuries Although shoes influence the dispersion of forces and control the position of your feet when they land on the ground, and thus play a role in injury prevention, they’re not usually the real reason why you get injured. Blaming your shoes for injuries only takes the attention off of where it needs to be — your training, which is typically the true culprit. Running too much on soft surfaces Running on trails some of the time is fine to preserve your legs, but you need to accustom your muscles and tendons to the pounding on pavement, because most marathons are on pavement. Running on trails or grass to prepare for a marathon is like practicing tennis on a grass court to prepare for a tournament on a hard court. If you do most of your running on soft surfaces, the marathon will be a long day at the office because your muscles will experience a stress to which they haven’t been accustomed. Ignoring the conditions of the marathon Because of its length, the marathon requires practice. The longer the race, the more opportunity there is for things to go wrong. So the more you can simulate the marathon during your training, the more you’ll reduce the likelihood that anything will go wrong and the better off you’ll be. Skipping your post-workout meal Not refueling after your run is possibly the single worst thing you can do to thwart your recovery, which makes tomorrow’s run that much harder. Make sure you refuel after your workouts with carbohydrates to replenish your fuel store and with protein to repair your muscles.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

With marathons all over the world, running a marathon has become a popular vacation activity. What better way to explore new places than to run through them, right? Why run through the streets of your hometown when you can run through stunning scenery in an exotic, faraway place, and then hang out and take in the sights? Walt Disney World Marathon The marathon course takes you through all four Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida. You start at Epcot before dawn and run through the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios before you finish back at Epcot. You’ll enjoy plenty of Disney entertainment during the race and can even get a picture taken with the many Disney characters who cheer for you along the course. The Walt Disney World Marathon is in January. Napa Valley Marathon The scenic course runs along the Silverado Trail on the east side of the valley and winds south from Calistoga to Napa alongside the many vineyards. Except for the last half-mile, the entire course is rural. Take in the views, but don’t drink and run (okay, maybe just a little). After the race, stay at one of the charming inns and spend the next day wine tasting and relaxing. The Napa Valley Marathon is in March. North Pole Marathon If you like adventure, the North Pole Marathon may just be the marathon for you. Held in one of the remotest parts of the planet, the North Pole Marathon takes you to a place few people ever experience. With just 35 male and 5 female finishers in 2012, completing this marathon puts you in very small company. Including the 2012 race, 215 people from 34 nationalities have completed the North Pole Marathon. The North Pole Marathon is in April. Paris Marathon The course starts on one of the most famous streets in the world, the Champs-Élysées, and runs a winding loop through the city, beside the banks of the River Seine, and past some of the city’s greatest sites, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Place de la Bastille before finishing near the Arc de Triomphe. Volunteers hand out red wine and cheese to runners at the Eiffel Tower, about three-quarters of the way through the race — just enough time to numb yourself before hitting the marathon wall. The Paris Marathon is in April. Virgin London Marathon Another of the world’s most popular marathons with over 36,000 runners, the Virgin London Marathon runs around one of the world’s most visited cities. London has something for everyone: history, culture, art, grand museums, dazzling architecture, royalty, and diversity. And don’t forget the tea and crumpets! The course is largely flat and is nearby the River Thames, finishing near Buckingham Palace. During mile 6, you literally run across both sides of the world as you cross the prime meridian, the line that divides the earth’s Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The Virgin London Marathon is in April. Great Wall Marathon No matter how well trained you are, you’ll literally hit the wall in this marathon. The Great Wall Marathon in China is the ideal way to combine an unusual running event with an exploration of one of the world’s most astonishing sights. The Great Wall Marathon is in May. Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon is one of Europe’s favorite marathons and is considered one of the fastest marathon courses in the world, with the most marathon world records being set there. Berlin is a culturally cool city, a hotspot for fashion, art, design, and music. Famous landmarks such as the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and what’s left of the Berlin Wall make up a virtual three-dimensional textbook in a city where you’ll find history staring you in the face every time you turn a corner. The Berlin Marathon is in September. Dublin Marathon This marathon is a popular destination spot, as over half of the runners travel to run it from overseas. Dublin is known almost as much for its people, who are lively even without the beer, as for its most famous export. The reaction of many thousands of Dubliners lining the city streets during the race has made the race known internationally as the “friendly marathon.” The Dublin Marathon is on the last Monday in October. ING New York City Marathon The largest marathon in the United States with over 40,000 runners, the ING New York City Marathon is the cream of the marathon crop. To paraphrase Frank Sinatra, if you can run there, you can run anywhere. The marathon is organized by the New York Road Runners, the largest running club in the United States. The ING New York City Marathon is on the first Sunday in November. Athens Classic Marathon The challenging course that’s more than 2,500 years old begins on an ancient battlefield in the town of — where else? — Marathon, near the Aegean Sea, and climbs up toward Athens, about 360 feet above sea level. You finish in historic Olympic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Athens Classic Marathon is in November. Honolulu Marathon With 20,000 to 25,000 thousand runners, the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii is the sixth largest marathon in the United States. To beat the heat, the race starts at 5 a.m. (yes, you read that right!) on Ala Moana Boulevard, which is Hawaiian for “path by the ocean.” Enjoy spectacular ocean views as you run alongside world-famous Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head and Koko Head volcanic craters before finishing at Waikiki’s Kapiolani Park. After the race, soak your tired legs in the ocean and lounge on the sand. If you get there early, don’t miss the concert and luau at the Waikiki Shell a couple days before the race. The Honolulu Marathon is in December.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Beginning with what time you get up to ensuring that you finish the race, there are many things you should definitely do on marathon race day. Following are just ten of the most important. Give yourself plenty of time before the marathon Even if you hate getting out of bed before the crack of dawn, you don’t want to wake up too close to the start time of a marathon. Even if you’re running the Turtle Marathon in Roswell, New Mexico (the smallest marathon in the United States, with just 47 finishers in 2011), you still need to give yourself plenty of time the morning of the race to do everything you need to do — eat, drink, get dressed, drive to the start, go to the bathroom, warm up, stretch, and mentally prepare yourself. So get up as early as you can, get food in you, and wake yourself up! Eat breakfast You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If that’s so, then breakfast the morning of the marathon is as important as it gets. Unlike shorter races, the marathon challenges your fuel reserves. When you wake up on race morning, your blood glucose is low because it’s been about 9 to 12 hours since you’ve eaten. Because carbohydrate is your muscles’ primary fuel when you run, you want to go to the starting line as full of carbohydrate as possible. Wear familiar shoes and gear Although you may be tempted to wear some fancy new kicks in the marathon, especially after all the miles you’ve put in on your old shoes, one of the biggest mistakes you can make on race day is to wear brand new shoes. Even if your new shoes are the same type of shoes you’ve been wearing, don’t wear them in the race. If you’ve been training for a few months in the same shoes, you can buy new ones in preparation for the marathon, but buy them at least three weeks before the race and do at least one long run in them. Although running shoes are your most important item, don’t wear anything new in the marathon. That goes for clothes — including your shirt or jersey, shorts, spandex, socks, underwear, and sports bra — as well as anything you plan to carry on you in the marathon, such as a fuel belt, water, and gels. Practice wearing your clothes and gear well before the race on your long runs so you get comfortable with everything. Avoid cotton clothes Cotton is one of the cheapest fabrics, but it’s also the least breathable. It holds your sweat rather than allowing it to evaporate. Don’t wear any cotton at all in the marathon. Wear lightweight fabrics that don’t stick to your skin. And listen to your mother and wear clean underwear; just make sure it’s not cotton. Stay off your feet before the start Twenty-six plus miles is long enough to run, don’t you think? The last thing you want to do before running the marathon is to run (or even walk) another couple miles. You only have so much carbohydrate fuel to go around. Save it for the race. Consume carbs during the race Most people have enough carbohydrate stored in their muscles and liver to last a little more than two hours of sustained activity. The best runners in the world can therefore run the entire marathon without consuming any carbs because they take just over two hours to complete the race. Everyone else needs to consume carbs during the race to maintain blood sugar levels and delay the depletion of carbohydrate. Hydrate frequently Hydration is very important because water is involved in the chemical reactions that enable your muscles to contract. Water also helps the flow of blood and oxygen to your muscles. If your body weight drops more than 2 to 3 percent during the race because of fluid loss, your pace slows down dramatically. Don’t let that happen. Start drinking early and often. Pace yourself properly Proper pacing is paramount for the marathon. If you start at a pace that’s too far over your head, it will come back to haunt you later in the race. The most physiologically efficient (read: the least taxing) way to run a marathon is to run the first and second halves in the same time (or run the second half slightly faster than the first), with as little fluctuation in pace as possible throughout the race. Finish the race An injury or illness is the only circumstance under which giving up is okay. Don’t keep running if you’re putting your health at risk. Every marathon has moments when the effort starts to feel uncomfortable. Backing off from physical discomfort for self-preservation is a natural human tendency, but one of the characteristics that makes runners unique is their penchant for seeking out discomfort. Hitting a rough patch in the race is when you learn about yourself and what you’re willing to do to meet your goal. You want to walk away from your race feeling like you gave it everything you had. You want to be proud of yourself. So don’t give up. See the race to the finish, which is at the finish line. Focus on your performance, not your time Whether they want to qualify for Boston or break five hours, most runners go into the marathon thinking about a certain time they want to run. And most run slower than they want to. Putting all your eggs in the time-means-everything basket is a great way to be disappointed if it doesn’t work out. Although it’s hard to run a marathon without some expectations, you’re much better off if you focus on your performance rather than the outcome. The time on the clock is an outcome. If you focus on your performance, you have a much better chance of getting the outcome you hope for.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You’d be surprised how often the same questions about running marathons come up (that must be why they’re referred to as “frequently asked”). Here are eleven of those FAQs along with some answers. Should I join a training group? Many runners like training by themselves, especially if they’re introverts or if they have busy jobs with constraints on their time. Unless you like running alone, are self-motivated and disciplined, and know what you’re doing, joining a marathon training group is a good idea. You’ll have people to run with, a coach to give you a program to follow, and nutritional support on long runs. You’ll feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. Do I need to run 26 miles in training? One major trait of the marathon that differentiates it from other races is that, unless you’re a speedy runner, you won’t cover the distance in training. That makes the last few miles of the marathon unexplored territory. But, hey, that also makes it exciting, right? During training, time spent on your feet matters more than the number of miles you run. Obviously, the longer you run, the more prepared you’ll be. But there’s always a trade-off. The trick is to run as long as you possibly can without getting injured and without tiring yourself out so much that you can’t run for the next week. Is running bad for my knees? People assume that, because running requires you to pound the ground with your legs, it must be damaging to your knees. But this is completely false. If you run correctly, you shouldn’t be pounding the ground. The research simply doesn’t support that running is bad for your knees. People who run have no greater incidence of joint problems or osteoarthritis than people who don’t run. On the contrary, running can be beneficial for your joints because it strengthens the surrounding musculature and increases bone density. What is this pain in my knee? Training for a marathon is not without its fair share of aches and pains. The key is to be able to differentiate what’s just an ache that will go away on its own and what’s a real injury. If you feel something in your knee, don’t freak out right away. It could just be sore after a long run and will be fine tomorrow. The most common source of knee pain is patellofemoral pain syndrome, with pain behind, below, or around your patella. It can be caused by a number of factors and can be treated a number of ways, depending on the pain’s cause. If you feel pain below your kneecap, it could be patellar tendonitis, an inflammation of the patellar tendon (the tendon that your doctor hits with a rubber mallet to check your knee jerk reflex). What do I do if I get a cramp? Despite the common occurrence of muscle cramps, why they happen is still something of a mystery. A common misconception is that cramps are caused by dehydration or an imbalance in electrolytes. Drinking a sports drink on your long runs, although important to maintain hydration, won’t prevent you from cramping. Muscle cramps are more likely caused by an increase in your running pace and premature muscle fatigue, which affects your nervous system’s ability to relax a muscle after it contracts. Cramping is also associated with a family history of muscle cramps and a personal history of cramping and tendon or ligament injuries. Should I run if I have a cold? Exercise and your immune system have an interesting relationship. Moderate amounts of exercise on a regular basis strengthen your immune system and give you resistance against colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. However, this is one case in which more is definitely not better. Long and intense training can actually weaken your immune system and increase the chance of getting sick. Catching a cold or getting the flu immediately after finishing the marathon is very common because your immune system takes a big hit. What should I wear in the marathon? On race day, wear comfortable shoes and clothes that you’ve already worn for your long runs. Don’t wear anything new that you haven’t already tried out or anything that can cause friction. Most people get by with shorts or spandex, a T-shirt or singlet, socks, and shoes. What should I consume during the marathon? Exactly what you should consume in the marathon depends on what your stomach can handle, but you definitely want to make sure you consume enough carbohydrate to delay glycogen depletion and hypoglycemia and enough fluid to delay dehydration. Both conditions cause you to slow your pace. Taking carbs and fluid at regular intervals throughout the race can make a huge difference in how you feel and perform. Is stopping to walk okay? If you’re a purist, the answer is no. If you’re a realist and your goal is to finish the race no matter how long it takes, then the answer is yes — walking is okay if that’s what enables you to get to the finish line. Some runners walk as they go through the aid stations to make sure they grab a drink and are able to ingest it. Walking is also okay under certain conditions that would make running dangerous, such as hot and humid weather or if you’re injured (or about to become injured if you keep running). Some people in the sport, who shall remain nameless, advocate walking breaks within each mile. What is the marathon wall? The marathon wall is the point in the marathon when your muscles have run out of glycogen, your stored form of carbohydrate, and you’ve become hypoglycemic because you’ve used up all the glucose in your blood. Because carbohydrate is muscles’ preferred fuel, when you run out, you start to feel very fatigued and your pace slows down. How do I meet my family after the race? Of course you want to share the accomplishment of your marathon with your family and friends. But how do you find them at the finish? Big marathons usually have a designated area beyond the finish line with lettered signs for families to meet you. When you cross the finish line, you walk through a chute specifically made for the race to the designated open area, where you can also pick up your gear bag. Check the marathon’s website for specific instructions on where to meet your family after the race.