"What is the purpose of any workout? Enjoyment? Improvement? Coach said so? Whatever, the hour you run often is the best hour of the day.” – Hal Higdon
Thanks Swetha Amit for this interview for Mumbai Road Runners, with some vital inputs on training, race strategy and nutrition specifically for Tata Mumbai Marathon.
1.How did your coaching journey commence? How many years has it been?
I started coaching in 2010. It started as an interest to help a couple friends train for an Ironman event. Having had education in exercise science, cardiovascular physiology and certifications from American college of sports medicine I felt it was the right time to start coaching. After that there was no looking back.
I formally launched RadStrong Coaching in 2014. Since then we have been a leader in scientific coaching for running, triathlon and overall fitness in India. Now we are slowly expanding worldwide.
2. With TMM just around the corner what tips do you suggest with regards to race strategy, hydration, tapering and rest for a full and for a half?
We still have 10 weeks left. As you increase mileage, you can start narrowing down hydration & nutrition plan. The race strategy will get inked a few weeks before the race. Start practicing your nutrition and hydration. See what products work for you and what don’t. It’s a lot of trial and error process. Most importantly, it’s very individualistic.
3. A lot of people have migrated to doing a full marathon. In your opinion, how should the training differ as one goes from half to full marathon?
Well the distance is double, so naturally the time taken to train will double. The stress on body will increase. Migrating for the full needs not just a running plan, but solid nutrition & strength training plan as well.
I often ask trainees this: Do you want to finish a full marathon or do you want to finish with a time goal? The training pattern differs based on your answer.
4. With the increasing number of events, how many races do you suggest a person should focus on in a year and what is the ideal gap for recovery when attempting a full marathon?
Well I am more of a conservative coach, I believe less events leads to quality outcomes. I recommend 4-6 half marathons, max of 2-3 marathons a year. Again, you can’t have personal bests at each race so you need to decide which race will be the key one and plan race calendar around that one big event.
5. Lastly what are your tips for new runners as they attempt the first half or first full marathon?
The big thing is to train. Even if you haven’t take it seriously, you need to train hard during November and December. Those are the key weeks for a successful finish.
#Tip no 1 is to train hard. The training is the key between a finish and a DNF.
#Tip no 2 is to have a structured plan so that you know what to expect till race day.
#Tip no 3 is to enjoy the journey. The process should be such that its lifelong for you. RadStrong Coaching #letsdothis #relentless #berad #coaching