Enter to win a free entry in the Race For Grief event
WINNER!!
Enter to win a free entry in the 2012 Race For Grief event.
Visit Blonde Runner Health on Facebook to learn more. http://www.facebook.com/BlondeRunnerHealth
(contest ends Friday May 11, 2012 at noon)
Product Review: Lock Laces (elastic shoe laces)
May 4, 2012 by Lora
Filed under News, Product Reviews, Races
Elastic laces are one of those things I wish I had known about at my first triathlon. These little gems make transitions super quick. Literally they can shave a minute or more off your transition times! With elastic laces you can just slip on your shoes without having to tie them and there is no risk of them untying during your event. Besides if your hands are cold from the open water it’s really hard to get your hands working enough to tie your shoes anyway. When ever I lecture at a triathlon clinic I like to tell everyone about these great laces and they are really inexpensive. You can even order them on-line and they have a lot of colors to choose from. They are also easy to put in. Click here to purchase some
Run the HOMM: Herriman Oquirrh Mountain Marathon – May 19, 2012
Herriman Oquirrh Mountain Marathon (HOMM)
5 Amazing Races
May 19, 2012
Run the “HOMM”. Blonde Runner is a proud sponsor of The Herriman Oquirrh Mountian Marathon (HOMM). It’s coming up soon so join in the fun of this inaugural event on May 19, 2012. They have 5 Amazing Races to choose from.
5K Fun Run
Half Marathon
Full Marathon
Trail Half on Friday
Oquirrhman Challenge
Check out the Oquirrhman Challenge – it’s like the Goofy Challenge. You run the trial half on Friday and the Full on Saturday (40.5 miles). The race starts at the top of the Oquirrh Mountains running down the Butterfield Canyon and could soon become the fastest marathon course in Utah. To learn more visit http://www.thehomm.com/
Volunteers Needed
Help!? We are still looking for more dependable volunteers for the Rec Center Triathlon on May 12th? If you can help out or you know someone that would please message me at lora@blonderunner.com with your contact info and shirt size. Without volunteers, races could not happen. http://blonderunner.com/2012/03/splash-%E2%80%98n-sprint-triathlon-at-the-south-davis-recreation-center/
American Lung Association: Fight for Air 5K Run/Walk, Sugar House Park, Utah
American Lung Association:
Fight for Air 5K Run/Walk, Sugar House Park, Utah
June 2, 2012
Sugar House Park
Blonde Runner and the American Heart Association are teaming up to help fight lung disease. Did you know that more people die from air pollution than car accidents? Each year, too many lives are lost to lung disease and this is your chance to walk, raise money and make an impact in their honor. By joining the Fight for Walk/Run you are making the commitment to fight lung disease so everyone can breathe easier- including you!
Join us to help raise awareness and funding for the American Lung Association at the Fight for Air Run/Walk event on June 2, 2012 at Sugar House Park.
Event Overview
Families, individuals and teams join together in a walk to raise awareness for the 35 million Americans who suffer from asthma. Participants work together to fund raise.
Please join the thousands of individuals across the nation who believe in the cause and will walk in their communities as well.
You can get involved by:
- Registering as a Team Captain
- Joining an existing Team as a new registrant
- Signing up as an individual registrant
- Sponsoring the event
- Joining the event planning committee
- Making a contribution supporting a registrant
To learn more visit: http://www.lung.org/pledge-events/ut/salt-lake-city-walk-fy12/ or www.fightforairwalk.org
Free comp team: River Run Relay (a $280 value)!
On Hill Events is doing a comp give away for a 4 person team for the River Rail Relay (a $280 value!). All you need to do to be entered is to like their page http://www.facebook.com/pages/On-Hill-Events/89591825487 and like the promo comment and you will be entered. If you have friends or someone interested in this giveaway have them like the On Hill Events page and like this post on their page to increase your chances to win. Remember if you have a team of 4 runners they can all like this post to increase your chances to win a spot by 4.
On Hill Events is giving those that have liked Blonde Runner Page a second entry into the Lottery! So like the Blonde Runner page here http://www.facebook.com/BlondeRunnerHealth. The way a person gets a second entry into this lottery for the River Rail Relay comp is once they like the promo post on the On Hill page they need to put a comment under it stating “Blonde Runner sent me” so they can track of the extra entry. River Rail Relay is going to be awesome. This lottery ends and is announced May 2, 2012 at 12:00Noon. Good luck!
Marathon Training Tips with Blonde Runner
April 30, 2012 by Lora
Filed under News, Races, Weight Loss
By Lora Erickson, B.S, CES, USATF certified running coach www.BlondeRunner.com For many runners the marathon is the ultimate test of endurance and achievement. You know if you complete a marathon you will be recognized in the running community as a real runner, right? So you go for it – you signed up for your first marathon and now what? It’s time to start training, but where do you begin? A marathon is no small undertaking and over the 26 years that I have run and coached I have found that there are some important principles to keep in mind when you are training for a marathon. Here they are:
1. Take time to train. It is not wise to enter a race out of shape, and let’s face it, you can really hurt yourself. Unfortunately running injuries can also last a long time and running a race unprepared is rarely enjoyable. Matter-o-fact it might prove to be a downright horrible experience souring your feelings towards ever doing one again. To avoid this take the time to get in shape so it can be a great experience that you will want to repeat again. Training correctly for a marathon usually takes many months; so you can properly build your mileage gradually over time to prevent injury. You’ll find that the average program takes 6 to 9 months to complete even when starting it in pretty good shape. Follow the standard rule increasing 10% of your mileage each week and taking an easy week every three weeks. Weekly long runs are essential and allow enough weeks to run one or two long runs consisting of 20 or 22 miles each. This way you will go into the race confident that you have covered most you of the race distance. Make sure to incorporate speed work, cross training and strengthening exercises into your routine to keep you strong and injury free.
2. Get good running shoes. When I talk about running shoes I am not simply talking about a shoe that is labeled “running shoe” in a local all-in-one department store. I am talking about shoes you buy at a specialty shop. The shoes found at these shops are built to withstand more pounding than the shoes found at other generic “sporting good” stores. Specialty stores carry different model numbers and they are designed to get 300-500 miles. I know that the price can scare people away, however in the long run it’s less expensive to buy a quality product that last longer. Also, I suggest tracking the miles on your shoes and replacing them when needed. Running on “dead” shoes can lead to injury. If you’d like to learn more about shoes, read the post My First Pair of Running Shoes.
3. Find a local running group. Those long miles can get pretty lonely if you are doing them all by yourself, so join a local running group and find people to run with. This will help give you some accountability as well as motivation in your training. If you live in the Davis County, Utah area join the South Davis Road Runners. To learn more click on the link at the top of this page.
4. Train for the race route terrain. Nearly all races have the race route available in advance for you to review and adapt your training. Are there some considerable hills? If so, you will want to add hill repeats into your training plan. Will you be running on loose gravel, a trail, sand, grass or mostly pavement? Most likely there will be a variety of terrain; so practice on various surfaces. This may also effect what shoes you race and train with (ie. trail vs road shoes). You may need to consider altitude differences and add in some high altitude training sessions as well.
5. Create a race plan or strategy (practice your nutrition plan). Too often runners go into races with no plan in place; no race strategy. Even if you are not out to win it, you should still have a plan. The plan should include, pace variables, and a re-hydration/glucose strategy. Plan out how much water and electrolyte fluid you need to consume at each water stop. Study the map and learn where the water stops will be and what type of carbohydrate sources may be offered (gels, blocks, fluid). Then practice with the same brand at the same intervals to see how your body tolerates it. Nothing is worse than having to stop and go to the restroom in the middle of a race. Having a plan can also help prevent you from having “runners trots,”or “running out of gas” or “hitting the wall.”
6. Run your own race. In college, my coaches would often tell me to run my own race, which means to go the pace that I have trained for and not get caught up in the “race,” starting out too fast. It’s important to know your pace and stick to it, follow a plan. “Know your pace and run YOUR race” is what I often say to my athletes. Get your long runs in. There are many important training runs that will make your marathon a better experience, but your weekly long run will be the most important workout for you to get in. Be sure and get it in every week. Consistency makes the difference between a good runner and a great runner.
Happy Training,
Coach Lora
Coach Lora Erickson is a competitive runner and nationally ranked triathlete with over 26 years of athletic experience. As one of Colorado’s top distance runners, she was heavily recruited by various colleges throughout the U.S. She graduated from Utah State University where she was honored as an all-conference runner. She is the owner of Blonde Runner Health LLC in Bountiful, Utah where she currently resides with her husband and four children and is a USATF certified running coach. She also trains triathletes. For more information on coaching and community classes available, contact Coach Lora aka “Blonde Runner” directly at lora@blonderunner.com or visit www.BlondeRunner.com
Join us for the 2nd Annual Race for Grief 10K run & 2 mile walk
Registration is now open. Join us.
To learn more visit RaceForGrief10k.com
Cache Gran Fondo Cycling Ride
Cache Gran Fondo
July 14, 2012
Wow an Gran Fondo in northern Utah! I am loving it! And it’s in Cache Valley – were I graduated from college from (go Aggies!). If you are not familiar with a Gran Fondo it’s an Italian word that basically means “Big Ride” and is a mix between an long recreational ride and a competitive event. It’s really a great opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Cache Valley area at your own pace. Come join us! To learn more visit www.cachegranfondo.com.
You can also visit them on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cachegranfondo
Ogden Valley Amazing Raise Half Marathon for Charity
Ogden Valley Amazing Raise Half Marathon for Charity
September 8, 2012
Here’s another great race occurring in northern Utah. Check out the Ogden Valley Amazing Raise Half Marathon for Charity. The race route takes you through the beautiful rural area with green fields, streams and horse pastures and begins at the Wolf Mountain Resort in Eden, Utah. Not only does it promise to be a beautiful route but it’s for a great cause. Join the efforts to help non-profits in the Ogden Valley. They will also be offering a 10K, 5K and possible biathlon. To learn more and register for the race visit http://www.amazingraise.com/
Thank you for your support!
