San Antonio Roadrunners mentoring

My 5K trainees showed up for week two today! I was so happy to see Lisa and Jennifer again. I may be doing something right! Today's pre run talk was about gear. Three of the mentors shared their thoughts about running gear. Waist belts, attire, shoes, etc. One person had so much of her personal gear it was funny. She admitted she may have too much but learned what works and what doesn't (for her) and why. Her presentation was a good one for new runners. Teaching them to be selective and don't buy on impulse. The guy who talked about shoes sounded like a shoe salesman. He was knowledgeable but I think he lost some folks with too much detail. My advice to my trainees, go with a shoe that is comfortable, light, and not too cushiony, and go see my good buddy Paul at Fleet Feet, he knows feet, running, and shoes.

Today's run was a 1.75 miler which consisted of alternating 1:30 run, 1:30 walk, 3:00 run, 3:00 walk to completion. With a tenth of a mile to the finish we were at a walking point and both of my trainees kept running! Great to see that.

I loved all the questions my trainees have  for me. 

Why do I have more energy near the end of a run? We see and feel the finish line. We are about to accomplish what we set out to do and this fuels our desire to finish strong

What should I eat before a run? Experiment. Clif bar and a banana. Eggs ( my favorite), nothing if it's a short run. But always two and preferably three hours prior to the start.

Why do I feel lethargic at the beginning of a run? It's normal. It takes our bodies time to warm up after being idle or moving slowly most of the day.

There were and will be more. I'm having a good time with my trainees.
I got in a good short quality run before the training too. A 4 miler with 5 hill repeats up stadium drive which is only one tenth of a mile but steep and on grass!. I ran them at a good clip too. I should have taken my shoes off. That's another thing I suggested to my trainees. Barefoot running on grass. It builds strength in our feet and helps us get back to a more natural running form. But start slow and only for 10 minutes and build up from there.