Take your workout outside: Part III

I had intended for Part III to be the last of the "Take your workout outside" mini-series, but since it's devoted to tips for people who want to try their hand (well, feet) at long-distance workouts, which tend to affect all aspects of your life, it would be an extremely long post! So I've divided it into "on the road" and "off the road" tips - let's start with on. (N.B.: Running is the only activity I do at the long-distance level, so these tips are specific to runners, although I imagine a lot of the same things apply for cycling, swimming, etc.)

1. There's no penalty for trying. (This is more off-the-road, but I think it's an important place to start.) "Building your base" is the first step to training for a long-distance race. It's kind of like pre-training - you want to get your body comfortable with more mileage, both at one time and on a weekly basis, before you start the core of your training, where your mileage shoots up at a rate that an unprepared body wouldn't handle well. I started building mine in March 2008, when running October's Marine Corps Marathon was still just something I thought I might want to do. I set up a training plan all the way through to race day, but started out with the idea that I'd just see how it went, and if I hit a point where I didn't feel my body could handle any more, that would be okay - at least I'd have tried!
   
2. Fuel up. We've already talked about hydration, but if you're going to be out for longer periods on a regular basis, you'll need energy, i.e. something edible, in addition to water. There are tons of products made for this - energy gel shots are the most popular but they gross me out, so I use Jelly Belly Sport Beans. Always err on the side of taking too much with you until you're sure of your body's needs. Personally, I need to eat about half a pack of Sport Beans (~50 calories) every five to seven miles on any run 10 miles or longer. If I don't, the effects of my blood sugar hitting rock-bottom are unpleasant, as I learned last summer when I had run out of Sport Beans prior to my first 14-miler and thought a 90-calorie Special K bar would be sufficient. I could barely stand up when I got back, spent my shower shaking uncontrollably and sitting down every two minutes, and had to sip at watered-down apple juice for half an hour until I felt like I could successfully get some much-needed food into my system. Ever since then, I keep a supply of Sport Beans handy. (If you find yourself in a pinch, I have a friend who swears by chocolate chips as training fuel. I think it's gross, especially when they melt, but whatever works!)
   
3. Cheer yourself on! Long workouts can be as exhausting mentally as they are physically, and I can't begin to tell you the number of goofy things I've done to keep myself going on long runs. Last year, when I was running further than I ever had before just about every other week, being able to make myself laugh - usually at myself - or smile was key. After watching the women's marathon at the Beijing Olympics, I got into the habit of narrating my long runs in my head - pretending it was a professional race, and I was the sportscaster. Ridiculous, but it kept me going. Mostly because thinking of what to fill in and making up facts about my running "career" and my fake opponents kept me distracted, so that I didn't focus on the distance left to go. I don't generally need to resort to that sort of thing anymore, but keeping your brain busy during those first really long workouts can be the key to your success in completing them.
4. Pay attention to the weather. (This was a toss-up between on and off the road, but since it affects you most when you're on, it wound up here.) We work pretty hard to keep the weather from affecting us when we're indoors, but there's no climate control when your workout is outside. I regularly use weather.com's "Hour-by-Hour" feature to figure out when is going to be the best time of day for a run based on projected temperature, windspeed and chance of precipitation. You'll find your own comfort zone for outdoor workouts - I'm most comfortable in the 45-70 degrees Farenheit range. Stepping out of that zone isn't bad, but don't subject yourself to extreme temperatures if you can avoid it. In the fall and winter, I envy people who can run on their lunch hours in bright daylight and warmer temperatures, but in the summer I find myself suppressing the urge to dump a bottle of water over their heads and another down their throats. Sure, heat makes you sweat more and that's what some people want. But going out at noon when the sun is at its most intense and the temperature is starting to soar is not a particularly smart choice. Around noon, you're more likely to be sunburnt, you're more susceptible to heatstroke and dehydration, and you'll deplete more of your body's nutritional stores, particularly your electrolytes (basically, salt - potassium and sodium being the most common in the human body). Try to be flexible with your schedule, and don't put your overall health at risk for one workout.
5. Know where you are. MapMyRun.com is a (free!) lifesaver of a website that lets you plot out every step of your route on what's essentially a GoogleMap you can draw on. (MapMyRide - for cyclists - and MapMyFitness - for any type of workout - are basically the same thing, although you can track any type of workout in each of the versions.) Since distance matters when you're training for an event of a specific length, I map my routes before I run them whenever possible. This also means that if I want to know where certain miles (or every mile) hit on my route, all I have to do is check my map before I go. Then when I'm on the road, it's easy to track pace and distance, and - most importantly - to know when and where to turn/turn around. Getting lost or not being sure where you are when your feet are your only means of transportation and you're relatively far from home is not a fun experience, so it's always a good idea to have a firm grasp of your route before you take off. I also find that if I'm not sure of where at least a handful of miles hit, I get poky. When all my watch is telling me is how long I've been out, not what my pace is, I lose the competitive edge that keeps my speed up. (Although really, when you're training for a long-distance race, getting the mileage in is far more important than how quickly you do it.)
6. Experiment! This applies to any number of things, from what you eat before and after runs to how you pace yourself, but the first thing to experiment with is whether you feel most comfortable running with a group, a partner or solo. Most metro areas have running groups, and the best places to start looking for one are probably Meetup.com and your local outdoor equipment store. Groups are great motivators, and if you can't stand the thought of spending a couple of hours alone on a trail, it's definitely something to try. When training for a specific event, charity groups are extremely supportive (Team In Training for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is one of the widest-spread), but be aware that you'll be required to fundraise a significant amount of money. If groups strike you as intimidating, finding a running buddy or two can give you some company and motivation on your workouts without making you feel overwhelmed. Whether or not you think you'll enjoy it, try running alone at some point, just to see how it goes - you may be surprised. I started out training solo because the idea of people seeing me sweat and pant my way through a run was mortifying, but I assumed I'd team up with a group once I got into the longer, more demanding portion of my training. I quickly stopped caring who saw me pounding around D.C. red-faced and sweaty, but I never did team up with a group - I found that I really enjoy running alone, using the time to think or just to relax (mentally, anyway). I occasionally run with either my mom or one of a couple of friends and I enjoy the company and the chance to do two things I love at once (talking too much being the second), but I'm primarily a solo runner.
   

Those are the "on the road" high points when you're running - or thinking about running - long distances! Look for "off the road" long-distance tips (like what to expect from your body when you're logging 100+ miles per month!) in Part IV.