Preparing for the Run for a Cure Africa: A Little Advice on the Shoes

For professional and seasoned runners, a lot goes into selecting a pair of running shoes. The 2 major areas of focus are: the foot arch and the stride pattern. But I'm not really going to go into these details today because they are a little technical. However, consider reading this post on selecting the right running shoes to talk a little more about the technical details. Today, I will just give you a few tips that you should implement on when to get your shoes, and how to cater to them.

Preparing for the Run for a Cure Lagos 2013: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

I say this a lot, but you guys know it is really humid in Lagos. And running in that humidity is not easy. As you prepare for the big race, you are probably seeing that it is important to factor the heat in. But one thing you have to remember is that the heat also creates an added layer of necessity: hydration.

Preparing for the Run for a Cure Africa Lagos Race: Strengthen your Legs

How do you train to run? Running of course! But did you know that to run better, you not only need to improve your endurance, but strengthen your legs to run further as well?

Runners tend to put a lot of pressure on their knees and ankles because of the constant pounding. This is especially true for women (something about the hips, I believe); we put a lot of pressure on our outer thigh muscles, which in turn puts pressure on our knees. 

To reduce the probability of injury, and to strengthen those legs to run further and endure more, it is important to do exercises that strengthen the inner thigh muscles. This video shows 5 great inner thigh exercises you can try:

Good luck as you prepare!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Preparing for the Run for a Cure Africa Lagos: How do you Track your Progress?

Because we live in the age of technology (Thank God!), we can incorporate technology in our race training as well. I find that I really like to be able to track my time with each run and upload my results to my computer so I can compare runs and see how well I am doing. This is especially helpful when training for races.

2013 Run for a Cure Africa Lagos Race Date Announced!

Remember we talked about the Twitter competition to guess the Run for a Cure Africa date in Lagos in November? Well, the competition is over and the date has been announced! It is going to be on Saturday, November 9th, 2013. 

"Run for a Cure Africa" Race Tips: Know Your Race Day Details

If you have been following Eights & Weights for the last couple of weeks, you probably know that I have been giving race tips for the big "Run for a Cure Africa" race in Lagos, Nigeria in November. Run for a Cure Africa is currently hosting a competition on Twitter to see who can guess the actual date of the race. The first ten people to guess right get free entry! So find @RFCA2000 on Twitter and throw in your guess. The date will be announced on September 16th, 2013.

“Run for a Cure Africa” Race Tips: You’ve Got to Dress Right

Unfortunately, I have come across some race pictures recently that shocked me. Folks were wearing jeans to run! At the risk of sounding like a running snob, if performance is your primary objective (and if you don’t want to be super uncomfortable), you need to dress the part.

So you’re like “Okay, Suzanne, please tell me what dressing the part means”. Of course I will!

The 3 most important things to think about with race attire are: comfort, temperature, and motion. For women, the additional factor to consider is support. These are probably the key to helping you perform at your best.

Preparing for the “Run for a Cure Africa” in November? Some Tips for First-Time Runners

Run for a Cure Africa started in 2009 with the vision of turning the Breast Cancer mortality rate in Africa into the Breast Cancer survival rate. In November 2013, the organization will be hosting another race in Lagos, Nigeria to garner awareness of breast cancer prevention and survival. Eights & Weights is partnering with Run for a Cure to bring you weekly tips on preparing for the big race!

Registration opens in a few days, and there will be more information about the race date and registration this week. Now on to your tips!