Randy and Tia Accetta are longtime runners and the parents of two young children. Tia is a Road Runners Club of America certified coach. She coaches individuals, the Sam Hughes Elementary School team, the Tucson Tri-Girls and the Workout Group, the longest-running training group in Tucson. Her marathon best is 2:48:05. As the director of coaching education for the RRCA, Randy certifies running coaches around the country. He is the producer of a number of running events, including TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K.
Walk and run schedules
RUN SCHEDULE
If you can run one mile easily, your goal will be to run the full 3.1 miles. Once again, we’re going to bump up the time you spent jogging. This week, we’ll keep the walk to a mere 30 seconds but we'll extend the minutes that you run. Remember: Your goal is to run the whole TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K Night Run!
· Friday, Monday and Wednesday: Jog 7 minutes, brisk walk for 30 seconds. Do this six times for a total of 45:30 minutes of moving.
· Saturday: Do what you did last week: run for 7 minutes, walk for 1 minute. Do this four times for a total of 32 minutes of moving.
· Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday: Rest Days. If you want to go for an easy walk, that’s fine but don’t do anything that is demanding on your body.
WALK SCHEDULE
If you cannot run a mile, but can walk close to a mile, our goal is to be able to walk the whole 3.1 miles. We’ll add one minute to the walk and we'll shrink your rest, so get ready to keep moving!
Friday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday: Walk briskly for 10 minutes, rest for just 15 seconds. Do this four to five times for a total of 40 to 50 minutes of moving.
Tuesday and Saturday: Rest days.
Thursday: If you want to rest, take it off. But if you want to get outside, just go for a short stroll of about 30 minutes.
Strategies
While exercising in extremely hot weather is dangerous, there are a number of strategies to hope you get in shape during the hot days of Tucson's summer.
Get outside earlier. It doesn't get hot until 8 or 9 in the morning, so adjust your schedule so get up and out the door by 5 or 6 a.m. Bonus: Beautiful desert sunrise views.
Get outside later. The day's heat peaks at around 4 p.m., so instead of running or walking right after work, wait an extra couple of hours and get outside as the sun begins to set. Bonus: Beautiful desert sunset views.
Dress for the heat. Wear loose-fitting, light-colored, light-weight clothing. Wear a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
Go slower. Adjust your pace to account of a natural increase in your heart rate and decrease in your energy levels.
Stay hydrated. Being hydrated keeps your core temperature down and reduces your heat-related heart rate increase, so be sure to drink water and sports drinks with electrolytes. Some say to drink to thirst, while some use a formula of drinking .55 ounces for every pound you weigh. Tip: Instead of buying drinks like Gatorade, try making your own sports drink with water, lemon juice, salt, and sugar.
Exercise in the shade. For example, the Sabino Canyon road is in the shade more often than the Santa Cruz or Rillito River Paths
Exercise indoors. Consider joining a sports club, like the race sponsor Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club, that has a pool, treadmills, stair-steppers, elliptical machines, and indoor bicycling.
