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Nutrients pre-run - Barb
I am 69 yrs old and have just started running. I plan to do a half marathon in October 2025..(it's on my bucket list) My question is, that I do my runs early morning 5:45 am. I don't have time for a breakfast, what can eat as a quick energy snack as I'm getting ready to go out the door.,
reply - coach janet
Barb - congratulations on setting a goal for a half marathon. You've wisely given yourself ample time to train and that sets the stage for your success. For most of your shorter mid-week runs you may not need to take in any fuel before running but if you feel you need it - something simple like a chocolate milk or even a couple of fig newton cookies might work OK. For the longer workout - a quick snack will likely help, along with carrying fuel with you to take in during the run. Pre-run you could experiment with something light like a piece of toast with a little peanut butter or even something lighter like a banana. You need to experiment with different foods to find something that doesn't upset your stomach or leave you burping as you run. Timing is also important. If you're setting out on a longer workout, you'll want to either take in the fuel at least an hour before you run or in the last 5 minutes before you go out the door. The window in between is likely to stimulate insulin release - which will cause the body to pull the sugar out of the blood and carry it into storage... which is not what you want. You want that sugar in circulation where you can access it. During the run you'll want to replace fuel with something that's quickly digested - a simple carbohydrate. Many athletes use commercial fuels like gels or Gu or Honey Stingers or even simple candies like Skittles, Starburst, Jelly beans, Gummy bears, etc. Many do well to take in about 100 calories every 45 min or so. All of this is based on personal preference for flavors and what your gut will tolerate and process quickly. Good luck in your training! Coach Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USATF-level 1, RRCA-certified coach
How to determine split goals
Hi Running Strong, Derek here! I've been running on and off for 8ish years, I've ran a few marathons and a few halfies but never with a time oriented goal in mind. Now I think I'm ready to race :) My question is regarding splits and time goals. Right now I run 3 times a week: 1) 7-9 km race pace 2) 5-7 km fartlek, or intervals 3) 15+ km long run How do I determine what my split goals should be during these runs based on a desired half marathon time of 1:40 (4:40/km)? Is it important to have splits in mind during all my training runs or only at certain times and at certain distances? I don't currently have a race scheduled so I'll be starting from 'scratch' for my next race. Let me know what you think. Thx for reading! Derek. Halifax, NS, Canada
reply - coach janet
Hi Derek, Training should be based on several factors – your goal race distance, your current fitness level, any injury history or current injuries you’re battling, the number of days per week you are available to train, your previous race paces and goal race pace (just to name a few factors). For any race you choose, the first and most important aspect is to build enough of a weekly distance base to support the speedwork needed to race the given distance. For a 5k – most people can get away with a lower weekly distance base than for a half marathon. A good half marathon base would be on the order of at least 35 miles a week (50-55km per week at a minimum). You report that you’re running about 30K a week (roughly 19 miles) so I’d think perhaps your first step would be to get your weekly distance a bit more robust. After you’ve built a solid foundation of distance at easy effort – then it’s time to add in some spice in the form of hill work and/or speedwork. Even then you have to respect that you’re adding in a small volume of this higher intensity stuff and the majority of your runs are still at easy effort. If you do all your training at/near race pace – you’re setting yourself up for an overuse injury. A good rule of thumb is to do no more than about 7% of total weekly mileage at high intensity (think 5k race pace) – so at your current base you’d only be able to do about 2k of speedwork at that pace. That’s a pretty small dose. If you built your foundation up to 50k a week – you could get away with 3.5km (a bit over 2 miles) of 5k speedwork. As your speedwork target paces slow to 10k or half marathon race pace you can estimate safely tolerating perhaps 10% of total weekly mileage at those efforts. It’s all about that base… build it up – this increases the likelihood that your muscles, tendons and bones will tolerate the speedwork you need to do to improve your race time. I can certainly help with this if you’re interested. Feel free to reach out or check out the services page for more information. Best regards, Coach Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USATF-level 1, RRCA-certified coach
Our Athletes Share their stories
"We are undefeated coach! We prepared for 5 marathons together and we set a PR every time!" Paul S (NY)
"Janet's education, experience in patient care & as an educator give her a credible resume for advising runners. More importantly to me, she is able to reach out and see where I need a boost - nutrition, race day preparation, etc. She is intuitive in reading my running log and tweaks my training accordingly. I have worked with Janet for several years and I have been injury-free while snagging half marathon PRs." Cheryl (KS)
Over the years my running goals have evolved, and, thanks to Janet, I’ve achieved them all! Janet’s background in physical therapy and biomechanics was invaluable to get me back on my feet after a bad hamstring injury. Janet uses her knowledge of the latest scientific evidence to optimize performance. With Janet’s help, I’ve reached the podium for races from the 5K to the marathon and qualified for Boston. Most importantly, Janet has a positive, supportive coaching style, and is a pleasure to work with! Kathrine T (GA)