Fresh off of her first marathon in two years, Coach Sarah tells us all about the Clarence Demar Marathon (https://clarencedemar.com/) and #yurtlife with Shara Alpern and Liz Kinsella...who were in town to see Ros's braids and read her 19 stories. It's a big job!

We also discuss the Runner, Interrupted beta and announce that we will be returning to Three Days at the Fair in May 2020. Coach MK told Susan she would need one really good reason to go back...and Susan DELIVERED. When Coach MK is wrong she owns it, and man she was wrong on this one. Apologies Susan, you are getting your race!!

Click here to let us know if you are coming, too! We will take a poll about training plans once we get RI launched and take a MUCH deserved nap!  https://www.fitnessprotection.com/events/Three-Days-at-the-FAIR

Maintain!

1. Not a question- just a request: Tell us all about your race, Coach Sarah! (and staying in a yurt- how cool was that?)

2. Hi Coach MK and Sarah! This is Emma. First of all I can't wait to hear all about Sarah's marathon! Second, I have a question about the charge workout. I'm about to start the 10 week build-up to CIM on Monday and I live in flatlandia now. There is an overpass not far away that is only about a 20 feet rise. Should I run up and over that for 20 minutes or is this one better to try to simulate rolling hills on the treadmill? If treadmill, what grade elevation do you suggest. Thank you!

3. Hello Coaches (and guests!!) Its race week for me whoo!!!! I have 2 questions. The first, thoughts on getting a flu shot during race week? Ideally I would do it after, but I go to Disney 10 days post race so Im weighing my options of how this might impact my race. My 2nd question is in relation to my heart rate strap. I have used it for 2.5 years without any problems but in the last few weeks have been chaffing and I now have a blister from rubbing. I have been using body glide but clearly its not cutting it. Any suggestions? A few side notes if this is important: I have a polar M400 so I don't even have an option for wrist based right now. Thank you all for your time!!!!!

4. Could you please give us some data points in Training Peaks premium that might be helpful to us and explain what they are measuring either in isolation or with each other? There are so many variables I find it overwhelming. At the same time if there are variables that are not helpful, I would appreciate knowing that as well. While I understand concerns about using data in a way that leads to discouraging feelings, I would appreciate being able to chart improvement or seeing if the data correlate with my experience. Plus it’s fun to play with data. I watched the TP video you made and while it gave me an idea of how a coach could use the data, there were not a lot of specifics about the variables per se.

5. I just finished week 2 of tenacious af. I’m still doing the strength circuits per the maintain plan. At what point should I stop doing the strength to rest my muscles for the race?

6. Hello, coaches and guest coaches!  First of all, congrats to Coach Sarah on your marathon today! I can't wait to hear all about it.  My question is... when we have a target time on our run, whether it's a 46 minute short stride sandwich or a 2:15 long run, how imperative is it that we hit AT LEAST that target time? I find that I often misjudge my route and stop short of the designated time.  When I see it's going to happen, I slow down to try to fill out the time but I still find I finish a few minutes early for many runs. Am I doing myself a disservice? Should I trot back and forth past my house to finish up and get the full number of minutes in? Is it better to misjudge on the other end and go long?  THANKS!

ReBuild!

1. I am new to this group - hello!!! - and I struggle with fueling myself before runs. - timing for eating before a run, what to eat/drink and how long before a run - particularly for an early morning run. I usually wake up and get dressed while having an espresso, stretch for about 10 min, warm up for 5, and then head off, once I've used the bathroom (TMI?!). Often I don't eat before the morning run....and this seems fine as long as it's a short run - maybe half an hour. When I run later in the day or longer, I really struggle to find the right timing for running after eating (how long does one need to wait?). I'd love to hear your advice on this!

Coach MK and Coach Sarah livestream question and answer sessions each week on the Fitness Protection Program Facebook Page, The Fitness Protection Program YouTube Channel, and Twitch, simultaneously. Join us! They are a lot of fun and super informative, and anyone may ask follow-up questions during the live broadcast.