LEE McCARRON
on community
“I’m a big proponent of group running because I believe that we’re stronger together. That likely comes from my background as a CIS runner, but now as a coach, I see how that group atmosphere helps to keep the pressure down and the excitement high when we travel to marathons. There’s nothing better than standing on a start line with a group of people that you’ve worked hard with.”
on prehab
“Rest is a really important part of injury prevention. In our program (the Halifax Road Hammers), everyone has a minimum of one day off a week. Foam rolling is great for home maintenance and I encourage my runners, if they have coverage, to take advantage of that and use if for preventative massage therapy and physio. Another thing I would say that people overlook is shoes – I encourage runners to start a marathon build with a new set of shoes and not to go too long between replacements.”
on the wall
“During my first marathon, I definitely hit the wall, at about the 37k mark. It was probably the most painful experience of my life if I’m being honest. It was like someone was stabbing me in the quads. But, you learn from that experience and it teaches you the importance of a realistic race plan. I tell the runners that I coach to put the reigns on, to trust their training and know what their race effort feels like (which is why race pace workouts are important). You can look at your watch, but rather than relying solely on it, I encourage runners to understand the ‘feel’ of their race pace.”