Half Marathon World Record Attempt

Nichole Porath shattered the Guiness Book of World Records for pushing a double stroller in the half marathon. at the 2017 Get It Dunn Run. She is from Marshall, MN and currently lives in Northfield with her husband and two young girls. In 2017 Nichole pushed her two daughters to set her second world record. Nichole is a former world record holder in the indoor marathon (2:57) and raced in the 2012 Olympic trials. View Nichole's blog. Read more ▶

Rest or Rust

We are a little less than 2 weeks out and you have a few training runs left. So the question becomes, are they necessary if you are nursing an injury. In my opinion when dealing with an injury it is always better to err on the side of caution. The last couple training runs are not going to make you go from a 2:30 half to a 2:00 half but they may make you go to a DNF or worse a DNS. Did not finish and did not start are hard to take after months of training. So take it easy and do some alternat... Read more ▶

Transition time

Now that we may have some outside running weather it is time to transition from the treadmill. Just remember to slow down and reduce your mileage by about 10%. Even though running on a treadmill is similar your muscles are worked harder on the roads. The treadmill does a bulk of the work that your glutes would normally do. So just take it slow and listen to your body.Train hard, it is almost time! Read more ▶

Time to GET IT DUNN!

The work is done and it is time to have fun! Now is not the time to stress over whether or not you did enough training. Show up Saturday, run and trust in your training. Saturday you will find out the power of positive thinking. Your body will amaze you if you just keep a positive outlook and put one foot in front of the other.Good luck and remember to “run like you stole something”! Read more ▶

Prep for Race Day!

Are you ready to Get It Dunn?!? It’s about time to start prepping and make sure you’ve taken care of some details so that you finish the race and feel strong at the end.Lay out your clothes, socks, gear, belt, number, shoes the night before. You don’t want to be scrambling around looking for your favorite hat and then either be late or end up not having it.Have you been using gu or other fuel during your runs? Don’t be tempted to use what’s on the course, especially for your first run. Stick ... Read more ▶

Rock Your Run!

If you listen to music during your runs, what do you listen to? How do you find your music?For race days, I like to make a special playlist that I download so I’m not worried about my signal on my phone. Check out these websites:You can match your goal pace to the tempo of the music and it really does keep you moving at the right pace.rockmyrun.com – requires a log in and payment, but comes with an app and suggested playlists.jog.fm – this site takes a bit more work, but it’s free and you can... Read more ▶

Running With Balance

Have you ever seen someone running with an armband carrying their music? If so, you will probably have noticed how one arm does not swing as freely as the other. When running long distance this little arm swing imbalance can add up to a repetitive use injury by simply being out of balance.I am not suggesting you need to stop listening to music but you need to be in tune with your body. Pay attention to your arm swing and make sure you are close to even. Every now and then switch which arm you... Read more ▶

What Should I Wear?

Now that the weather is warming up again, I’ve been doing a bit more wavering about what to wear before I head out for a run. You want to be able to enjoy the workout and focus on other things besides you being the wrong temperature! There’s nothing like having to wear a pullover tied around your waist for 3/4 of your run! The alternative isn’t fun either where your hands are numb because you don’t have enough layers on.This website from Runner’s World really helps! Check it out! runnersworld... Read more ▶

Choose Your Pacer Wisely

The Get it Dunn Run and many other races have pacers every 5 minutes. The pacers will be holding a sign with their projected finish time and per mile pace. Most pacers have done multiple half marathon and marathons and know their pace well. Typically a pacer is doing a pace time well off their own race pace. For example I will be pacing the 2 hour group and my fastest ½ is 1:33. So if your pacer is not huffing and puffing do not be alarmed, you want someone that will not be struggling. Pacers... Read more ▶

Hit The Hills!

We are getting close to the race and it is time to do race specific training. Midway thru the Get It Dunn 1/2 marathon you will encounter three back to back challenging hills. To avoid bonking at this point, train and you will conquer it!Find the most difficult hill in you area and start doing repeats for 45-60 minutes. On the uphill lean forward and shorten your stride. Just like a bike you want to be in the lowest gear to power up it. By taking short fast strides and leaning forward you wil... Read more ▶

Spring Cleaning

Now that spring is here, it’s a great time to think about your fitness, nutrition, health habits and goals. Small changes can add up – improving your health, how you feel, even how much energy you have when you head out for a run!Where have you gotten off-track a little over the winter? Maybe a few too many pizza nights, missed workouts, shortened dog walks, extra beers that have snuck their way into your routine? I still remember the spring that my husband and I realized that our occasional ... Read more ▶

Phone a Friend!

In the modern era most people plug in and zone out while doing their long run. I personally hate running with any type of music playing. I find it much more rewarding and educating to run with a friend or running group. You do not need to have company with every run but the long ones are much easier with a friend. Do yourself a favor.Want to meet new fitness friends? Most every city has running group and they love new blood. Don’t worry about being to slow for the group. Good groups will have... Read more ▶

Need Fuel?

If your stomach can handle it, it’s great to have a small pre-workout snack before you head out for a run. Mix protein and carbs. A couple ideas: banana with peanut butter or maybe an egg on a piece of toast.A rule of thumb is that if you’ll be running for more than 45 minutes to an hour, you’ll want to consider fueling during your run. Why? Your body stores glycogen for quick-access energy, and those glycogen stores are usually used up after about 45 minutes.I’ve been a Gu fan for awhile. Es... Read more ▶

A Little Sore?

In order to improve your fitness and change your body, you need to challenge yourself physically. Those challenges mean changes to your workout routine, and those changes often mean muscle soreness. Especially after a hard workout, you may notice DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) about 18 hours after your workout.There are many ways to help alleviate that pain… here’s a few ideas:Stretching: the research I’ve read shares that while stretching doesn’t improve performance, it CAN help with s... Read more ▶

Speed Up Outside

Now that the weather is beautiful it is time to get outside and work on your speed. Head to your local track and give this workout a try…Start by walking then slowly jogging for a lap or 2 to get everything loosened and warmed up. If you normally stretch, do it after your warm up laps.Do the following progression (1 lap = 400 meters)200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1600, 1200, 800, 400, 200 meters.Your pace for the first time doing this should be 20-30 seconds/mile slower than your 1/2 marathon goa... Read more ▶

Who’s Your Accountability Partner?

Do you ever struggle with motivation for your workouts? Having someone else to be accountable to can be a great way to keep you on track. Here’s a few ideas:Find a friend or neighbor that can meet you to do workouts together. Is there someone that has mentioned they want to start working out more? Invite them! It keeps both of you accountable.Make a FaceTime or Skype date with a friend that lives across town or even in another state. Even if it’s just to make sure you’re up, dressed, and read... Read more ▶

Read, Then Run!

Hi All!I never thought running was something I needed to research, but when it comes to distance, there is a ton to learn. When I started running I read everything I could find at the book store. Some were great stories and some were just dull journals but all had some nuggets of information that could improve my running. The first book I read was Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner By Dean Karnazes. Dean did a great job of glamorizing his adventures of running and racing – ... Read more ▶

Training Plan Time!

It’s time to plan out your training! As of this past weekend, we’ve got 12 weeks before our Get It Dunn race. That means it’s time to scope out training plans.Why does a training plan matter? Following an established training plan builds up your body’s endurance and strength gradually. You’ll enjoy the race, reduce your chances of injury, and will feel great the day after the race (because you were trained up!)If you are starting out, the 5k is a perfect distance for you. There are great Couc... Read more ▶

Make Finishing Your First Priority

The key to completing your first half marathon is making it to the starting line. Many new runners scour the internet looking for training programs until they find something that sounds doable. While this way works for most, don’t be afraid to modify the program. If you are constantly sore, lacking energy or just plain sick of running consider reducing speed and distance by 10%. Repetitive motion injuries are very common in runners so don’t keep overdoing it just because a random program tell... Read more ▶

Don’t Let the Treadmill Ruin Your Running Career

This time or year, it is easy to give into the many valid reasons not to run outside. While treadmills are good alternatives, use them only as cross training like biking or using an elliptical. If you try to do all your training on a treadmill you are not using your hamstrings or glutes as you would running outside. By doing this you can cause muscle imbalances which can lead to injuries. If you must do a majority of your runs indoors set the incline to 1 or 2 which will compensate a little. ... Read more ▶

Time to rest

It is almost race day so take it easy, you have earned it. Starting Wednesday it is time to carb load. Don’t pig out, but rather increase your clean carbs so your glycogen stores are topped off for Saturday. Also back off on wheat or fiber, sometimes running fast on race day can cause runner’s trots and that is no fun.Click here for more information on clean carb loading.Good luck and have fun! Read more ▶

Rain train

We’ve had a tough winter with plenty of rain. While we hope for a perfect race day, we never know. That’s why, next time it rains, put on the gear you plan to wear race day and get outside. It is better to find out what gears works best on training day rather than race day. Plus, it’s actually pretty fun to run in the rain!Hope training is going well! Read more ▶

Heat train

Heat train even though we have cooler spring temps. In May the weather can be unpredictable. As you transition to outdoor running try running your long runs with winter gear on. It will be uncomfortable but your body needs to get used to hot weather. Also practice hydrating with the fluids that will be available on race day. It is important in hot weather to know how your body reacts to fluid intake.Good luck and let’s hope for perfect weather! Read more ▶

Don’t let a wardrobe malfunction ruin your race!

Many runners are tempted to get new shoes and clothes for the big race which can be a huge mistake. Even if you get the same style and brand as you always get there could be a minor change that will cause problems over 13.1 miles. I recommend getting your race outfit now and do a couple of training runs before the big day. I have tried many different styles of shoes and have tested them on short runs before going to the race. I hate spending money on shoes only to find out I hate them on the ... Read more ▶

Train your brain

Well we are getting down to the last couple long runs before the race. If you haven’t done so yet consider going beyond 13.1 miles on your last longest run you have coming up. By doing this it will teach your mind that you are not going to die if you go that far. Your brain does everything it can to make sure you do not run out of glycogen and other essential nutrients to keep you alive. While your body is good at this, it keeps many more calories in reserve than you could possibly use in 13 ... Read more ▶

Finish strong, with a smile!

I trust training is going well even though the weather is not cooperating. This week and throughout the remaining weeks it is time to practice your finishing kick. A well-timed finishing kick can help make your personal record, but poor timing can make the end miserable. I recommend picking up the pace towards the end of your long run. On your first attempt try making the last mile the fastest with the final 100 yards a sprint. If that goes well trying picking up the pace sooner, if not wait ... Read more ▶

Getting cardio without running

Less than two months to go and I hope training is going well! The most frequent question I get is: “what is the best way to do cardio on the days I can’t run”? The answer is stairs. We have stair climbing machines but any old stairs will do. On average using the Stepmill at 1 mile per hour is equivalent to running at 6 miles per hour. Climbing stairs will focus your training on your quads, glutes and calves. By doing stairs you are giving your joints a rest from the impact but still improvin... Read more ▶