07/12/2021
What I love!
Coach Tracy Meyerson ran another 30k (and some extra miles from taking a wrong turn) Trail race over the weekend! Read more about her passion for trail running and racing!
The Joy of Trail Running
What do I love most? I love being at one with nature. I feel like a kid running in the woods with no cares in the world.
Difficulties of Trail Running
The hardest part of trail running is training for hills while living at sea level. I run parking decks, stairs and do leg exercise. Whenever possible, I escape to hilly terrain.
Getting Started
Trail running takes a little time to get use to uneven footing. It is a full body workout and much more gentle on your body than road running because of the soft surface. To get started, find some local places to get off the road. Maybe you run on the beach, in a field, or local park.
December 30k Race
This weekend, I was running a 30k. I am a little competitive (ok don’t laugh, maybe a lot). I missed a turn and ended up with some extra miles. I thought about backtracking earlier, but realized that I blew my shot at 3rd place. Since I was not going to place, I figured I would get some extra training miles. It was beautiful!
Training Miles
Most of my runs are marathon to 50k – About 30 miles. I am training for my first 100 miler in April, so the miles will increase.
My training has been about 50 miles a week of running. I do longer runs on weekends and speedwork once a week. I also add in fat tire biking, yoga, swimming and body pump/bootcamp. I probably crosstrain about 4 hours.
Fuel and Good Habits
I normally get up at 5:30 to meet my run group at 6 am, so I am in bed by 9 pm. When you are putting lots of work in, you need to get rest. I also practice good nutrition. I don’t eat fried or processed foods. I try to eat foods that come from the earth, not a factory.
Before a race, I eat a good breakfast. Distance race fueling is different from a 5k-10k fueling. A 50k can be from 5 hours to 12 hours depending on terrain. Your body can store enough energy for 1.5-2 hours of exercise. When you are going to be doing an endurance sport, you need to fuel from the beginning. I burn about 500 calories an hour, but my body can only metabolize about 150 calories an hour. You are always running at a deficit, so it is critical to fuel with what you can metabolize. If you over fuel, it can make you sick. You can also get sick from too much of one thing. For a 50k, I typically use a sports drink like Gu Rocktane, water, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas, pickles, protein muffins or energy balls and whatever they have on the course.
Favorite recent aid station snack- avocado bacon wraps.
Trail Love
I never run with headphones. I like to hear the deer and make friends. The most interesting people like to run trails.
Tracy Meyerson- Health Coach and Trailblazer Youth Running Coach
www.goodhabits.guru
