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How to Gain Strength and Why It Helps You

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Endurance circuits that’ll help runners gain strength

As runners we always want to see improvement. Especially if we started training for the first time! We want to crush our goals. We want to run further and faster. Gaining strength when training for a marathon or half marathon isn’t easy. In order to run longer distances, you must properly prepare your body to run longer distances. Runners need to gain strength, not build muscle mass. That’s why an endurance circuit is beneficial. We break down how it’ll help you gain strength and explain “the why.” Follow the two workouts below to gain strength during your Austin Marathon training! BONUS: gym and weights aren’t needed.

Gain strength and take your fitness to the next level

Image of runner jumping while crossing the 2020 Austin Half Marathon finish line. She's in mid-air making the Longhorn sign with both hands. Read this blog and learn how to gain strength so you can cross the finish line like this!Combine anaerobic and aerobic during your next workout and take your fitness to the next level. This type of workout is different from strength circuit training and requires less time. Strength circuit training is completing a number of different exercises one after the other in quick succession. These types of workouts are good for general health and muscle strength. However, most distance runners aren’t looking to gain muscle mass. They want to gain strength, make running longer distances easier, and improve race performance. 

You can accomplish this by splitting the number of exercises in a normal strength circuit into sets. Try two sets of four (eight total) or two sets of five (10 total) movements. At the start, middle, and end of each set, run at a pace that will get your heart rate to your desired performance (BPM – beats per minute). Use the pace of your shortest distance race (ex. marathoners – run your goal 10K pace, 5Kers run your goal mile pace). Start at a distance that will get your heart rate to the desired BPM and progress from there.  

Intro Endurance Circuit Workout

Warmup: 800m + stretch

200-400m at goal pace for shortest race (70-80% – max BPM)

  • 5 – burpees 
  • 10 – backward lunges (each leg)
  • 5 – pushups
  • 10 – sit-ups 
  • 1-minute plank
  • 30-second break

200-400m at goal pace for shortest race (70-80% – max BPM)

  • 10 – tricep dips “bench dips”
  • 15 – calf raises
  • 10 – squats
  • 10 – bicycle crunch
  • 1-minute plank
  • 30-second break

200-400m at goal pace for shortest race (70-80% – max BPM)

Once you’re comfortable with this workout, increase the distance and number of reps for each movement.  As you progress, you can add second and third sets using the last run in the previous set as the first run of the next set. Mixing up the circuit movements can help you gain strength and improve overall fitness and endurance. Add dumbbell or kettlebell movements to the circuits as needed for an additional challenge.

Advanced Endurance Circuit Workout

Warmup: 800m + stretch

800m at goal pace for shortest race (75-85% – max BPM)

  • 8 – burpees 
  • 10 – backward lunges (each leg)
  • 10 – pushups
  • 20 – sit-ups 
  • 1-minute plank
  • 30-second break

800m at goal pace for shortest race (75-85% – max BPM)

  • 25 – calf raises
  • 15 – tricep dips “bench dips”
  • 15 – squats
  • 20 – bicycle crunch
  • 1-minute plank
  • 30-second break

800m at goal pace for shortest race (75-85% – max BPM)

Preparing your body for marathon or half marathon training is imperative. Take care of your body and it will take care of you. These endurance circuits will help you gain strength over time. Just like your training plan will increase your mileage over time! Are there other ways you’ve learned to gain strength during your training? Let us know in the Austin Marathon Facebook Group or Twitter!

Binge-Worthy Show Recommendations from the High Five Events Staff

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This list of binge-worthy show recommendations has everyone covered

Image of Schitt's Creek promotional material. Schitt's Creek is on the High Five Events binge-worthy show recommendation list.

Emily’s favorite: Schitt’s Creek.

Looking for some new shows to watch? You’re in luck! The staff at High Five Events compiled their list of favorite binge-worthy show recommendations. You’re covered if you like drama, comedy, fantasy, or history. Fire up the next episode, settle in on the couch (after your run of course!), grab your favorite snack, and enjoy. Pro tip: these shows will also help pass the time if you’re following our long training run recovery timeline!

Laura

Grey’s Anatomy. It is particularly good to binge-watch because there are SO MANY SEASONS AND EPISODES! I also love it because of all the drama.

Emily

Schitt’s Creek. I haven’t watched a show that made me laugh as much as this one in a long time. The dysfunctional family members are all my spirit animals!  The costumes are fantastic. David’s sweaters, hello! The actors have so much chemistry with each other. The writing is so clever. It’s hard to turn it off. 

John

Image of Parks and Recreation promotional material. Parks and Recreation is on the High Five Events binge-worthy show recommendation list.

Joey’s favorite: Parks and Rec.

Top Gear. I like knowing how things work and this show is right up my alley. They travel the world testing whether or not cars actually do what their manufacturers claim. This show has been around since 2002, time to catch up!

Stacy

Image of The Office promotional material. The Office is on the High Five Events binge-worthy show recommendation list.

Caroline’s favorite: The Office.

Turn: Washington’s Spies. It’s about a farmer during the Revolutionary War who helps defeat the British by becoming a spy for General Washington. I tend to like period pieces and this one is only four seasons long so you can’t get too carried away. Add it to your Netflix watch list!

Joey

Parks and Recreation. I like seeing how the characters evolved over the seasons and how the inside jokes never got old. 

Dan

Brooklyn 99. This comedy follows around New York’s funniest police precinct. I like how light-hearted everything is and the unexpected chuckles when I least expect it. Brooklyn 99 won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series!

Jack

You. A local bookstore manager falls in love with a female writer. He does everything possible, including killing people, to get closer to her. The twists and turns of this show will keep you watching.

Scott’s favorite: Peaky Blinders.

Scott

Peaky Blinders. A gangster family epic set in Birmingham, England, in 1919, several months after the end of the First World War in November 1918. The story centers on the Peaky Blinders gang and their ambitious and highly cunning boss, Tommy Shelby. I like how good the wardrobe and settings are to the time period.

Megan

Dead to Me. The humor is dark, but it is funny. Also, it has a few plot twists that really get you. I am currently waiting for the second season to come out. 

Tina

Forensic Files. There are so many reasons to watch this documentary-style TV show. The main reason: every episode is thrilling and re-watchable! Experts gather and utilize every piece of evidence to prove that there is no “perfect crime.”

Image of Game of Thrones promotional material. Game of Thrones is on the High Five Events binge-worthy show recommendation list.

William’s favorite: Game of Thrones.

Caroline

The Office. I just started (re)binge-watching The Office. It’s good and easy to watch, so I can always count on it for a good laugh. One of my favorite parts of re-watching The Office is noticing similarities between characters in the show and the High Five Events team!

William

Game of Thrones. I held out for 4 seasons before I watched the first episode. Thought I’d be cool and “not watch that show.” Welp, watched Episode 1 and was immediately hooked. I also highly recommend reading the books!

As you can see, this list of binge-worthy show recommendations has it all! And there are enough of them to keep you busy for awhile. The hard part is figuring out where to start. Did your favorite not make our list? Let us know what your favorite binge-worthy show is on Facebook or Twitter.

Run Austin Before Race Day with the RunBetter App

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Participants can run Austin before race day on any treadmill

Image of the RunBetter app showing the Austin Half Marathon course. Participants can run Austin before race day with the RunBetter app.The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon’s partnership with the RunBetter app will allow every participant to run the courses virtually from anywhere in the world. Anyone with the app can run Austin before race day on any treadmill. Participants can run the entire course or specific segments. Courses include the Austin Marathon, Austin Half Marathon, or KXAN Simple Health 5K. The KXAN Simple Health 5K will be the first 5K featured on the training app. The 29th annual Austin Marathon, owned and produced by High Five Events, will take place on February 16, 2020.

“RunBetter is excited to introduce all three courses to our treadmill training app, especially the KXAN Simple Health 5K, the first 5K to be featured on our app,” said Curt Mann, co-founder of RunBetter. “We love all things Austin Marathon and want every participant to prepare for their distance with our training app.”

Participants will have free access for one week to the courses they’ll complete on February 16th when they download the app. RunBetter enhances your training by providing access to top courses around the world with any treadmill. Next, they choose the course segment they’d like to run and their speed. They set their phone on the treadmill and start running. The RunBetter app will guide them through their specific course. It will alert them to adjust the incline on the treadmill to mimic the course elevation changes along the way.

Prepare for Feb. 16th with the RunBetter app

“Endurance athletes prepare for every detail possible leading up to Austin Marathon weekend: distance, hydration, nutrition, travel arrangements, post-race celebration, etc.,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Our partnership with RunBetter allows any participant to take that a step further and train for the course they’ll complete on February 16th.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 29th year running in the capital of Texas in 2020. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 30+ countries around the world. Having start and finish locations just a few blocks apart, being within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants, and finishing in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol makes the Austin Marathon the perfect running weekend destination. Registration is currently open.

Hydration: 5 Things You Should Know and How They’ll Help

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You know about hydration, now learn about how it helps your body

Nuun is the Official Hydration partner of the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. They know a thing or two about hydrating athletes. The experts at Nuun are constantly gathering information about how athletes can better fuel their bodies. This blog post was written by the Nuun experts to educate athletes and provide them with the information needed to be successful during training and racing.

Hydration is energy (for your muscles)

Most people think that the purpose of hydration is to prevent dehydration and replenish electrolyte stores that may be lost via sweat. Although both of those are true (recent studies have shown that electrolytes may play greater roles in fluids absorption than sweat replenishment), the fundamental goal of hydration is to deliver oxygen to working muscles. Try to think about hydration or the fluid you are consuming as a way of helping your muscles breathe, which in turn gives them the energy they need to perform.

Editor’s note: proper hydration, along with these 6 tips from this Austin Marathon blog will help you run your best!

Water does not hydrate you

Yes, you read that correctly! While water does fundamentally provide your body with fluid, it does not truly hydrate you. Water needs to be in a specific concentration (composing of carbohydrates and electrolytes) to exit the stomach and move into circulation where it can be used by the body. Our water needs to contain sodium to ensure proper fluid absorption. To make matters even more complicated, your “water” should contain different amounts of carbohydrates and electrolytes before/during/after your workout.

Mitigate gastric distress during exercise

To put it simply, when you are exercising, your body (stomach) is under stress. There are ways you can eat and drink to mitigate that stress or encourage it. When it comes to hydration, if the ratio of carbohydrates to fluid is too high or the electrolyte profile is too low, the delivery of fluid slows down. It sits in the stomach. That’s what causes sloshing and GI issues during racing. 

Help you fuel better

This builds on the previous point. With proper hydration, you can help eliminate the GI issues that can come with it. This allows for faster and more efficient fueling. This is achieved by not overloading your system and using multiple pathways to absorb fluids and carbohydrates.

Aids in recovery

One area that is critical to the recovery process is rehydrating. Rehydrating not only replenishes fluids lost during exercise, but it also aids in replenishing the electrolytes that were also lost. Keep in mind: drinking too much too fast can degrade the potential gains of the workout. Here’s why: over time your body has developed a strong immune system that helps repair itself when it is under the stresses of exercise. Therefore, naturally, your body begins repairing itself, slowly rehydrating, and continuing to hydrate throughout the day.

Editor’s note: recover faster when you follow this long training run recovery timeline from the Austin Marathon!

Nuun Hydration is our Official Hydration partner. Head over to www.nuunlife.com to stock up on your hydration supply and train with what will be on course. Save 25% with the code below!