Most recreational runners run because they want to lose weight. Men want to get rid of their beer bellies and women want to drop down a dress size or two. Few runners ever do it for fitness or entertainment. If you run, be very clear on why you run and then proceed to optimize your running for the outcome that you want.

In a previous blog post I clearly state why I run, but this was a belated revelation. I started running to lose excess weight. In the beginning the weight melted right off but after some time I plateaued. No matter how far or how hard I ran I just couldn't drop any more weight. I was frustrated, tired and constantly hungry due to various crash diets I decided to adopt in a desperate attempt to lose weight. There's many other runners like me that are persisting to run but not improving their situation. I want to help end your frustration.

This is what I recommend when you're chasing weight loss through running:

• Optimize your nutrition and avoid crash diets. Don't get yourself entangled with things such as low-carb diets, juicing diets, water fasts etc. While you may experience some weight loss with them, this effect is temporary and as soon you stop following the diet that weight is coming right back with a vengeance. I encourage a high protein, moderate carbohydrate, low fat intake approach for any runner trying to lose weight. For protein think white meat (chicken, fish, turkey, rabbit), eggs and protein supplements if you can afford them. High protein increases caloric expenditure through a higher thermic effect, it increases food satiety and aids with appetite suppression while also minimizing lean muscle mass loss. For carbohydrates think fruits, vegetables and wholegrain, fibrous options such as brown rice, roller meal, wholegrain pasta & bread. This will support your training, immunity and improve your fiber intake for better health and digestion. For fat think dairy products, nut butters and olive oil. This will ensure that your sex hormone profile is healthy.
• Run first thing in the morning to ramp up your metabolism and stimulate bowel movement. Consume one cup of black coffee before you head out for a run to further support the desired outcome of a faster metabolism and a trip to the bathroom post-run. This process of running first thing in the morning becomes smooth once you learn how to stay motivated to run in the morning
• Run for time, not distance. Don't concern yourself with the distance that you cover with your runs, be more concerned with how much time you spend running. Many runners pride themselves on distance covered as they wait for applause - "I run 10 kilometers every day." *clap for me* If your primary interest is weight loss such discussions revolving around distance shouldn't interest you. As a baseline, look to run for at least 30 minutes everyday and build up to 60 - 90 minutes of running daily as fitness increases and time permits. This approach is possible due to the majority of runs being low intensity in nature. You can avoid injury, fatigue and run more frequently when you slow things down and prioritize time on your feet
• Incorporate interval training sessions in your program
• Lost? Work with someone that can help you. A solo act isn't everyone's portion so be sure to get help when you need it.

Run. Shed. Look & feel better.

I spent roughly 3 months training for my first marathon outing. I was mentored but I also learnt a great deal from personal experience and this is what I want to share with others. You don’t have to make my mistakes in your training and suffer unnecessarily on race day.

This is what my training looked like:
My peak week mileage was 60 kilometers, and the average weekly mileage was 30 - 40kms which mostly comprised of 10 - 12 kilometer runs. The vast majority of these runs were steady state runs of moderate intensity and a few hard runs where I really pushed the pace when I felt good. My training was mostly intuitive based, which meant that my intensity was determined by how I felt on a given day. Overall, it was a pretty plain vanilla training plan.

These are the mistakes I made:
The biggest mistake I made was a one sided training program primarily consisting of steady state runs at moderate intensity on the same route, day in and day out. After belatedly reading Matt Fitzgerald’s 80/20 running book I’m now an advocate of running 80% of my runs at low intensity, and 20% at high intensity in a modified, polarized approach to training. I discuss the principles and benefits of this approach in a training article here.

I didn’t prioritize the inclusion of quality workouts and higher weekly mileage. I ran a few long runs, with the longest being 26 kilometers but I did so sparingly. 30+ kilometers into my marathon race and I quickly started to regret this decision. Long runs in particular build endurance and fatigue resistance like no other. The more of them you do, and the longer the distance/time spent on your feet, the better off you’ll be. Higher weekly mileage is required to ensure adequate volume and higher fitness levels in a training block. The more you run, the better you'll get.

I didn’t optimize my daily nutrition for performance and body re-composition. I was running what I felt was a fair amount of mileage so I decided to eat as I wished. I did lose quite a bit of weight training for the marathon but my unplanned eating choices led to me showing up to my race at a less than optimal weight. This started to burden me 2+ hours into the race. It’s simple: the lighter you are, the easier your race is going to be. When it comes to body composition, the less fat you have the better. High protein, moderate carbohydrates and low fat works well for a runner seeking body re-composition in the building phase of your marathon training prep. As you progress towards higher mileage and peak week, a high carbohydrate, moderate protein and low fat approach can then be adopted to support the training load, sustain performance output and maintain the physique you’ve built up.

The training period of 3 months was inadequate and intuitive based training is unwise when you’re building up to race fitness. As a running coach I now recommend that all my clients wishing to run a marathon must train for a minimum period of 16 weeks and an optimal period of 20 - 24 weeks. With regards to intuitive based training, this approach is ideal only if you’re not actively preparing for a marathon. If you are preparing for a marathon, then you need a plan and you better stick to it. If it’s the right plan for you then it will help you improve, you just need to stay consistent.

Unless you like to learn things the hard way, this is what you should do for a smoother marathon race experience:

• Have a balanced approach to your training. Don’t make the rookie mistakes of pushing the pace on a daily basis or even persisting to run at moderate intensity for the majority of runs. You’ll soon run into a brick wall. Adopt an intelligent, objective approach to training that's sustainable and provides longevity. One such training approach is the 80/20 training approach. It’s simple: spend 80% of all your training at low intensity and 20% at moderate to high intensity. I’m an advocate 80/20 running to be a better runner and Matt Fitzgerald's 80/20 running book is a best selling, highly acclaimed running book for a reason
• Incorporate quality workouts in your training program
• Optimize your daily nutrition, supplementation and hydration. When it comes to nutrition, you must learn how and what to eat in order to improve your running performance and body composition. Educate yourself or work with a professional that can tell you what to eat, how much and when for the body and performance output that you want. Runner-focused supplements are non-essential nutritional add-ons that can be useful if you have the budget and need for it. You just need some carefully selected supplements that can offer a small boost in terms of running performance. Optimal hydration guidelines for an active runner are to consume 30 - 40mls of fluid per kilogram of bodyweight daily
• Manage your stress levels and prioritize sleep. Techniques such as meditation have been proven to be helpful in managing stress while sleeping for at least 7 hours (more is preferable) is the minimum amount of sleep required by most people for optimal physical and mental performance. You should also look to make use of naps every day around midday for 20-30 minutes. They serve as a quick recharge of your batteries and when consistently applied the benefits are plenty
• Spend at least 4 months training for a marathon and target an average weekly mileage of at least 40kms as a bare minimum and a peak week of at least 60 kilometers
• Work with someone that’s been there before so that your steps can be guided 
  

Run smart. Don't make your marathon race experience a miserable one. 

The team woke up at 3 am and promptly began to get ready (shower, eat etc.) for our races scheduled to start between 5:00 and 6:30 am. We were on the road 45 minutes later and on our way to the FNB Stadium where the race would start but we didn’t anticipate what we would find on the road…TRAFFIC! It was so bad my dad & I had to abandon the vehicle with my wife & mother in it to start running towards the start of the race. It was 2+ kilometers but we made it on time. This served as a forced warm-up!

The race begins:
I started off feeling good, feeling strong and decided to pay attention to my environment because I mean, WE WERE RUNNING THROUGH SOWETO! It was so exciting to be running the ‘people’s race’! Barely 5kms into the race we had our first encounter with the people – they were holding out beer and ciders and offering it to runners! They were bizarrely marketing them as energy drinks! LOL! Some runners grabbed the alcoholic beverages and consumed them, while others laughed and ran past but all in all it was an entertaining introduction to the race. These offerings were a constant feature throughout the race.

10+ kilometers into the race and the unforgiving sun started to dish out some serious punishment on all runners. We endured the heat with the help of residents who were outside with hose pipes ready to help you cool down from the brutal temperatures. Others had potato chips and plain old salt to help you hydrate and replenish sodium, while the rest offered various fruit and foods from their personal homes. It all culminated into amazing support that was freely provided out of the goodness of people’s hearts.

20+ kilometers into the race they had speakers blasting South African music with people merrily dancing along at various checkpoints. It was fun to witness and the music (and dance off) gave runners a bit of a push; some boostele! It reminded me of times when I’d be on a training run with my favorite earphones plugged in and the activity started to feel challenging but enjoyable and bearable because of the music. Music keeps you in motion.

30+ kilometers into the race and things started to get real. All marathon runners had name tags pinned on the front of their jersey and when my struggles became apparent bystanders began to encourage me by name – “C’mon Nicholas! You can do it. The finish line is just around the corner.” The part about the finish line being close was mostly a lie but it gave me hope of eventually making it there if I just kept moving forward. I really appreciated the support and the well-meaning lies. I can’t really explain how grateful I felt towards the people and now I know what it feels like to be cheered on and encouraged by strangers when you need it the most.

42.2 kilometers later I was at the finish line exhausted and proud. The Roadrunner Zambia concept was conceived at that very moment and now we’re here.

This is what I learnt from this experience:

• Show people desire and they’ll offer you encouragement. Everyone respects ambition and you will be supported if you stay determined to finish your mission. It doesn’t what your mission is, you just have to have one and get after it. People will cheer you on when they witness your courage to keep moving forward, to keep fighting especially when things are difficult. Who knows, they might just pop out some ‘energy drinks’ to keep you going! 
• A marathon race is a beautiful social experience if you give it a chance. Run one and interact with whoever’s running next to you and anyone else around the race including the race organizers at checkpoints and drink stations. You’ll likely appreciate the conversation with like-minded individuals and those installed to make your race more comfortable. Osa meka.
• Encourage and support others when you see them going after something especially when they’re struggling. Develop a spirit of optimism and look to provide much needed positivity to yourself and those around you. At the end of the day you have to feel some kind of way – choose positivity.
• International race advice: Wake up early and be on the road at least 3 hours before the start of your event if you don’t want stress. If you’re there super early you can always park, set an alarm and sleep in the car till it’s time for your race.

Beautiful people of Soweto, I hope to see you again soon.

On this day, last year, I ran my very first full marathon; The Soweto Marathon. I didn't realize it at the time but in retrospect it turned out to be perfect timing and one of the best decisions I ever made. I can't take all the credit though, because I was given more than a little nudge before I got there. After running a handful of shorter distances my father convinced me to go all the way this time around and honestly, I was intimidated by the distance but he encouraged me and convinced me that it was possible. I signed up, trained for it and completed the distance in conditions akin to hell's kitchen! That accomplishment, to this day, remains my proudest moment.

This is my tribute:
Dad, you're a role model, marathon veteran and running legend with OG status in my eyes. I want to keep pushing the pace with my running and life like you do. To be better than yesterday. To run harder, run farther than yesterday. You taught me that the marathon was simply a metaphor for life. If you can overcome the hardships presented in a marathon and endure the pain & suffering, then you can overcome anything life throws at you. You're conditioned to keep moving forward no matter how hard it gets because running develops perseverance and character.

Thank you for running with me. Now I strive to become to others what you are to me through Roadrunner Zambia. I'm a different beast today because of you...I'm built to endure.

Here's how you can learn from those that came before you and help those that will come after you:

• Pay attention. Individuals like my father manifest themselves in different ways. My father just happens to be a runner. Yours might not be. But there are fathers and father-figures out there that also embody the marathon concept. Keep them close. Learn from them and evolve. No matter what life throws at you, the ups and downs, take it. Endure. Stay focused and keep putting one foot in front of the other...keep moving forward
• Set big goals and prepare for them accordingly. Train for the distances that you want to run, study for the exams that you want to pass, make an effort to learn not only your current job role but learn what's required for your desired/dream job -- stay ready. It doesn't matter what your goal is, just set very high targets and rise to meet them. God has plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11) and you have absolutely no limits on what's possible (Philippians 4:13). You can do it
• Always encourage family, friends and anyone else that you can see or sense is plagued by fear. doubt and insecurities. Believe in them and appoint yourself as their cheerleader. Be the positive voice to others that you would appreciate for yourself
• Keep striving to be better than yesterday in everything that you do, you never know who's watching and who you might inspire by simply keeping the pressure up on everything and showing up everyday

Go the distance.