KIDS MARATHON TRAINING GUIDE 2014 Presented By

MISSION & LAYOUT OF THE KIDS MARATHON PROGRAM Mission Statement: To increase the amount of family time, play and healthy eating of participants by offering fun training sessions, training logs, and information that inspires these healthy lifestyle choices. Key focuses of the Kids Marathon Program: Family Time

Play Every Day

Eat Healthy

 Family time is important because it allows you to connect and support each other in your wellness goals.  Putting play in your day is essential because exercising helps keep your body healthy.  Eating healthy fuels your body with energy by offering key nutrients your body needs.

Date

Lesson Number

8/9

1

8/16

Family Time Warm- Up Focus

Play Every Day Activity Focus

Riverside Park

Planning together

Goal Setting

2

North YMCA

Preparing together

8/23

3

Hixon Forest

Laughing together

8/30

NO Training(Labor Day)

No Training

Listening

Plyometrics

Stay Hydrated

9/6

5

UWL Track

Eating together

Speed and Agility Training

Super Snacks

9/13

6

The great outdoors

Pacing

Whole Grains

9/20

7

Exploring together

Cross Training

Eat a Rainbow

Giving thanks

Race preparation

Review

9/27

4

8 Maple Mile

Location

Copeland Park La Crosse YMCA Maple Mile

Proper Running Technique Resistance Training

Eat Healthy Cool Down Focus

Take a bite of Fruits & Veggies Healthy and Unhealthy Fats Be Sugar Smart

2

CHALLENGES For each challenge please use a scratch piece of paper, write your name on it and bring it to training sessions or mail it to: 1140 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601.

Challenge 1: Try Something New (Healthy Eating) Eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds and protein will provide your body with the proper nutrition (vitamins & minerals) it needs to stay healthy and give you enough energy to stay active. Varying foods you eat each week will challenge you to be creative in the kitchen but your body will appreciate all of the different vitamins it is taking in. The Challenge: For this challenge, try eating a new vegetable this week, something you have not ate before. Some unique vegetables could be: sweet potatoes (roasted or mashed), kale (steamed or sautéed), beets or turnips (roasted w/ olive oil). Write down the vegetable you ate and describe

how you prepared/ate it. Be creative!

Challenge 2: Walk or Bike Instead of Driving (Stay Active) Incorporating physical activity into our busy lives may seem difficult unless you make it a part of your daily routine or replace a simple errand with walking or biking. By using their bicycle instead of a car to accomplish an errand or task they are easily adding physical activity to their day. The Challenge: For this challenge, replace one trip you would normally take in a car with walking, biking, roller-blading or any other means of self-powered transportation. It can be a 1-mile trip to the store and back, getting books from the library or to a Kids Marathon Training Session. Draw a

map of the route you took when you replaced driving with walking or biking.

Challenge 3: Get Together! Family Activity (Family Time) Spending time with family will help build relationships and a support system that will help everyone live a healthy, happy life. Supporting one another to reach a wellness goal or being there after a long day is priceless. The Challenge: For this challenge, be proactive about spending time with your family. You could take a walk in the park, prepare dinner together or schedule a Friday game night. Do something everyone will enjoy. Write down your family activity and draw a picture of what you did. 3

MILE LOG Each foot equals ½ mile. Color in the feet as you run your miles. A marathon is twenty-six miles. We challenge you to run 26 miles in two months. (You can substitute 20 minutes of biking, swimming or other activities as ½ mile) 1

2

7

6

11

13

17

22

21

5

9

8

12

16

4

3

10

14

18

23

15

20

19

24

25

Did you know? A child is more likely to enjoy running and outdoor activities if they start when they are young. Children develop confidence when they practice and try new skills and types of exercise.

Check when completed: ___ Challenge 1 ___ Challenge 2 Mile 26 Maple Mile-Sept 28

___ Challenge 3 4

Week 1

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

Planning Together:

Planning activities with your family is a great way to spend time together. By planning together, your family can find out about each other’s interests and do things as a together. Ask three different families what their favorite activities are to plan together. Next, ask them how they are planning to train as a family for the Kids Marathon.

Goal Setting: Setting goals is a great way to stay motivated. Achieving goals creates a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Athletes set goals to help motivate them when they are training. There are two different types of goals; short or long term. An example of a short-term goal would be how often you want to run in your first week of training. An example of a long-term goal would be how fast you can run in the Maple Mile. Short-term goals help you monitor your progress and reward yourself for your accomplishments on a regular basis. Long-term goals help give you perspective of a bigger picture of what you want to accomplish. A great way to create goals is by using the S.M.A.R.T. method, by establishing goals that are…. S-Specific: Goals should be as detailed as possible; specify exactly what you want to do. M-Measurable: Establish goals that can be measured in some way (distance, time, etc). A-Attainable: Set goals that are challenging but possible for you to achieve. R-Realistic: Always believe in yourself, but remember to make your goals realistic. T-Time Oriented: Goals should be set within a time frame for completion to keep you motivated.

Take a Bite of Fruits and Veggies:

Eating fruits and vegetables everyday is important because they provide you with necessary nutrients. They also prevent you from getting sick. “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” Look at the food pyramid (pg 14) to find how many servings of vegetables you should have every day. How many servings of fruit should you eat everyday?

Reflection My short-term goals are:

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ _________ My long-term goal(s) are:

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ __________ 5

Week 2

YMCA Kid’s Marathon Training Guide

Preparing Together:

Preparing together as a family is another great way to spend time together. It is important to prepare for an event or activity so you are ready for any situation. Going on a camping trip is a great example of something families prepare to do together. Tell two different families what your family prepares to do together.

Proper Running Technique: Proper running technique or form is very important to an athlete’s running performance. Running with good form and technique helps a runner conserve their energy and become a more efficient runner. Using proper technique helps you run faster and for a longer period of time. The list below describes several basic techniques to better running form: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Upright Posture: Avoid leaning forward, backward, or to the side. Arms: Keep your arms at close to a 90 degree angle and close to your body. Hands: Keep your hands relaxed, making a fist wastes energy. Foot Position: Step directly underneath your body, not too far backward or too far forward. 5. Knee Drive: Driving your knees forward when you become fatigued helps you maintain your speed. 6. Head Up: Keep your head up and facing forward.

Healthy and Unhealthy Fats: When people hear the word fats they think it means unhealthy. Although this is true in some cases, fats can also be healthy. For instance, increasing your omega-3 fatty acid intake would have a positive result in your health. You want to avoid foods that have a high amount of saturated fats and transfats. These two fats raise your cholesterol levels and increase your chance of getting heart disease. Read the labels of your favorite foods and see if they are high in saturated and trans-fats. Then, your family can pick out healthier alternatives the next time you go to the grocery store.

Reflection Why is it important to have proper running technique?

_________________________________________________________________________ ___________________ ______________________________ ___________________ ______________________________ What was your favorite part of today’s training?

_________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ___________________ ______________________________ 6

Week 3

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

Laughing Together:

Laughing not only improves your mood, but helps reduce stress and even helps fight infection. Did you know laughing 100 times is the equivalent of riding a bicycle for 15 minutes? Laughing can help improve your health while you’re having fun at the same time. Some physical benefits from laughing include a boost in your immune system, lower stress, relaxed muscles, decreased pain, and lowers your risk of heart disease. Tell three different families an appropriate funny joke. If you can’t think of a good joke, share a funny story that has happened to you.

Resistance Training: This type of exercise is categorized by any activity in which your body works against an external force. There are many ways to resistance train; the most popular is lifting weights. However, resistance training involves many other activities. By using your bodyweight as an external force, you can do such exercises as push-ups and pull-ups. You can also participate in resistance training by using such things as resistance bands, stability balls, and in some cases a training partner. Safety is very important when doing resistance training. You should always use proper form when completing resistance exercises and should be under the guidance of a trained individual if you are new to the activity. You also want to be sure that the weight or force is an appropriate amount. If you are not careful you could get hurt. When used correctly in addition to your other forms of training (e.g. distance running), resistance training can be extremely beneficial to your athletic performance.

Be Sugar Smart:

Sugar is “empty calories.” Besides giving you energy sugar doesn’t do anything for your body. Almost everybody consumes too much sugar each day. In 2009, the average adult ate 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, and the average teenager ate 34 teaspoons of sugar a day. The recommended amount is no more than 6 teaspoons for woman and 9 teaspoons for men. The easiest way to cut back on your sugar consumption is to not drink as much soda and drink more water everyday. What are some other ways you can lower your sugar intake?

Reflection What are some of your favorite meals to make with your family?

_________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ _________________ What resistance exercises can you do at home?

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ ________________________

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Week 4

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

Listening: Part of maintaining good relationships with one another is listening to each other. By listening you show that you care about the person talking and what they have to say. Did you know the average person can listen at a rate of 450 words per minute? That’s more than 7 words per second! A good time to listen to each other is at the dinner table. Shut off the TV, sit down and enjoy a nice relaxing meal with your family members. Tell a friend a story and see how much of it they remember once you are done telling it.

Plyometrics: Plyometrics is a long word for training that improves something called power. Power is the relationship between strength and speed. Athletes that utilize jumping, lifting, and throwing movements in their given sports benefit from plyometric training. It has also been shown that plyometrics can benefit the endurance athlete as well. Sometimes continuous endurance training can result in overtraining, fatigue, and risk of injury. By using plyometrics within your training program, you can prevent some of these undesirable side effects. Forms of plyometric exercises include jumping, bouncing, skipping, and throwing. It is very important to remember when participating in plyometrics, proper form and ability-appropriate exercises are very important. A coach trained in plyometrics should always supervise, and athletes new to this form of training should progress slowly. When plyometrics are used correctly with other trainings an athlete can expect an increase in the overall performance.

Stay Hydrated:

Did you know that 60% of your body is water? Staying hydrated when you are exercising is very important because every system in your body depends on water and water delivers oxygen to your muscles. Being dehydrated can lower your performance tremendously, so make sure you always carry a water bottle with you. Remember the “8 by 8” rule. You should drink eight 8oz glasses of water each day; although this does vary depending on size, physical activity level, and other factors. How many ounces of water do you usually consume in a day?

Reflection What was your favorite plyometric drill today?

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ________________ ___________________ ______________________________ How could you do some plyometrics at home?

_________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ __________________________ 8

Week 5

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

Eating Together: Eating together is the simplest way to interact with your family. Studies show that children with families that eat together do better academically. Although going out to eat is nice because it less work, it can be fun to cook the meal as a family too. Then when you sit down to enjoy the meal you can be proud that everyone helped make it. Try to eat together as a family for at least one meal a day. Eating with someone is comforting; sit together and talk about how your day was.

Speed and Agility Training: Speed and agility are two essential athletic characteristics when playing team sports. Most of all team or organized sports require speed and agility in some way shape or form. Long distance runners typically do not do this type of training, but would benefit from cross-training for speed and agility. By using speed and agility training this way, a long-distance runner can finish their race with a sprint or speed burst. Training to build speed and agility can help runners become a well-rounded athlete. The better-rounded an athlete is, the better they will be at a variety of sports and activities. Speed and agility training can take many forms and use a variety of equipment. For example, a great way to train for increasing speed is uphill or downhill running. Sprinting up bleachers is also a great way to do this. Agility training can take even more forms, by using footwork ladders, cones, and sometimes even a partner. By constantly having to increase and decrease speed along with changing directions can help increase an athlete’s speed and agility.

Super Snacks: It is good to eat snacks in-between meals because it gives you energy and keeps you from over-eating during meals. The trick is finding snacks that are healthy to eat. You should try to avoid snacks that are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. It is okay to eat these snacks once in a while, but you should try to replace them with healthier alternatives. Apples, bananas, strawberries, and yogurt are good examples of healthy alternatives. What are some snacks that you normally eat that you can replace for a healthier option?

Reflection How can speed and agility be beneficial to a long distance runner?

_________________________________________________________________________ What sports do you play or like that use speed or agility?

_________________________________________________________________________

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Week 6

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

The Great Outdoors: There are many things to do outside as a family, especially in the summer. When the sun is out get outside and enjoy the weather. Go camping, fishing, take a trip to the beach, play golf, the possibilities are endless. Share with two other families some activities that your family likes to do for fun. Did you try any new outdoor activities this summer that you never did before? Are there any outdoor activities that you want to try soon? If so, what are they? Remember that if you are going to be outside for a long period of time to protect your skin by wearing hats or sunscreen!

Pacing: Pacing is one of the most important factors for success in long-distance running. Pacing is the rate of speed a person can run at compared to their top speed. The quicker your rate of speed, the faster you will become tired. If you are running for a long time you want to “pace” yourself. So when you are running a race it is important to run fast enough to get a good time, but not so fast that you burnout before the end of the race. The best way to find out what a good pace is for you is by practicing. Timing yourself on your runs and monitoring how you feel on those runs is a great way to practice pacing. Try to use the same running course or a metered track when you are practicing pacing, so you can keep track of your improvement. When you become better at pacing and find what your optimal pace is, you will perform better!

Whole Grains: Did you know that only 4% of U.S. adults and children over 12 are consuming sufficient whole grains? You should eat at least 3 servings of whole grain every day! Whole grains contain all the essential parts and nutrients of the entire grain seed. Even if the grain has been processed (cracked, rolled, cooked, etc), the food product should deliver the same balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed. Some common examples of whole grains include: rice, wheat, corn, and oatmeal. There are numerous benefits of consuming whole grain foods, but the main ones include lowering the risk of type II diabetes and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Eating whole grain cereal in the morning is a great way to consume whole grains. What is your favorite cereal to eat? Check and see if it is whole grain.

Reflection Why is it important to pace yourself?

_________________________________________________________________________ ________ _________________________________________ What was your favorite part of today’s training?

_________________________________________________________________________ ________________________ _________________________ 10

Week 7

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

Exploring Together: You shouldn’t be afraid to try new things as a family. Sometimes you might feel nervous or scared to try something new, but you might end up loving it. It’s like riding a rollercoaster for the first time, you feel a little nervous at first, but once you try it you have a blast. If you try something new as a family, you get to share the experience together. What are some things that you want to try? Can you remember an experience where you were scared to try something at first? Describe that experience to friends or family.

Cross Training: Cross-Training refers to doing exercises and activities that are different from your usual routine. For example, a long-distance runner would be crosstraining if they participated in a game of football. Since football involves different athletic aspects than long-distance running, such as sprinting and coordination, it is considered a cross-training activity. When you participate in a certain activity for a long time without deviating from that activity, your body gets used to the given demands of your exercise and your performance can stop increasing, the risk of overtraining and injury increases, and the exercise can simply become boring. By using cross-training in your activity program from time to time, you can make yourself a better athlete and keep a fresh competitive attitude. Different activities work different muscles which can help keep you in better overall shape, because your body doesn’t get used to the same demands.

Eat a Rainbow: Mix it up when you eat your fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables come in all colors of the rainbow and they are all healthy and delicious. Each colored fruit or vegetable has different nutrients that help make your body healthy and strong. You should have at least five total servings of fruits and vegetables each day. A way to help you achieve this goal is to have one fruit or vegetable with every meal. What is your favorite fruit to eat? What is your favorite vegetable to eat? Have you eaten a fruit or vegetable for every color of the rainbow? If you haven’t, try eating a new kind of fruit or vegetable with your next meal!

Reflection Why is it important to cross train?

_________________________________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________ ___________________ ______________________________ List a new sport or activity that you could try to cross train?

_________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________ ___________

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Week 8

YMCA Kids Marathon Training Guide

Giving Thanks: You shouldn’t just give thanks on Thanksgiving. You should be thankful anytime that someone helps you out. Make sure to say “thank you” when someone helps you, it makes them feel appreciated and helps them know you were grateful for their help. You can never say “thank you” too much. Tell each of your family member’s thank you for something they helped you with.

Race Preparation: Preparing for your big race involves many different steps. The training you have done this summer and fall is one of the biggest steps towards preparing for the big race. However, there are other things to keep in mind so you can do your best at the Maple Leaf race. Some things to remember are….

1. Nutrition: Eating healthy the week of the race and especially the night and morning before the race is crucial. This involves eating such things as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains, while staying away from things like pizza, burgers, candy, and ice cream. Eating foods with carbohydrates in them like pasta the night before the race will give you more energy during the race. Staying hydrated by drinking water is also crucial. Remember, food is energy, and healthier food will give you more energy on Saturday! 2. Rest: The week prior to your big race should involve a taper which is easing up on your training. If you have been running a lot this summer and fall you have trained enough, and running less than normal this week will help you perform better on Saturday. Rest also involves a healthy amount of sleep. Make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before the race, so you can do your best.

Review: The three key focuses of Kids Marathon program are: family time, play every day, and eat healthy. In order to live a healthier lifestyle you must make good decisions when eating and exercising. This means eating the recommended amount of each food group everyday and cutting back on the foods that are unhealthy. It also means drinking enough water every day to stay hydrated. Staying active by exercising is the best way to stay in shape. Running is a great way to stay active. Remember to use good running form and pace yourself every time. Don’t forget your family is always there to help keep you motivated.

Reflection Remember your goals from week 1, how did you do?

_________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ ____ How are you going to prepare for the Maple Mile?

_________________________________________________________________________

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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SPECIAL CHALLENGE #4 Being Thankful Bronston Chiropractic is the Presenting Sponsor of the Kids Marathon Program. Let Mr. Bronston know how much you appreciate and enjoy this program by drawing your favorite part of the Kids Marathon and explain what you made. Make it fun and colorful! Send the letter to: Bronston Chiropractic Attn: Leo Bronston 1202 County Road PH Onalaska, WI 54650

THANK YOU!

for helping get you back in motion! 15