And out through your mouth. Learning to breathe when running is important. Breathing with intention can help you become a better runner. Try the following when practicing your breathing: Lie down: Start by sitting or lying down on your bed, a couch or the floor. Prepare your body: Place one hand over your heart and one hand on your stomach. Breathe in: Close your mouth and breathe in slowly through your nose. Think about engaging your diaphragm, the large muscle beneath your lungs that helps with breathing. Gently push your hand against your stomach and feel your diaphragm tighten as you brea ..read more

Just as important as hydrating on your run is the fuel you take in. As a runner, you have many options to take in calories during your run. Most runners choose to use gels. The gels come in a variety of flavors. You can get anything from a fruity flavored gel to a chocolate flavor and some salt too. Some gels also contain caffeine. If you find yourself bonking on your long runs, consider taking a gel with caffeine. Usually when you have a gel, you should have some water too. Beyond gels, there are chews or gummies. They also come in variety of flavors. It might take some time to get used to ch ..read more

Once you’ve registered for the race, you’ll need to make plans to get to Negril. Unless you live in Jamaica, you’ll likely fly into the Montego Bay airport. Start your search now. Put the dates that you want to travel into a travel search engine and look for the best deal. If you are unsure about the dates, get insurance with your flight. Each year I travel to Jamaica, the airport in Montego Bay gets better and better. They continue to make improvements in restaurants and stores. So while you won’t spend a lot of time in the airport when you arrive, when you leave Negril, you’ll likely have a ..read more

As runners, we use the Earth more than the average person. It is our responsibility to take care of the Earth so we can continue to use it. Recycle your plastic water bottles, don’t leave your gel packets on the ground, throw them in a trash can when you’re done with them, and finally donate your old running shoes. Many running stores or races will take your old running shoes and donate them. It’s a win win ..read more

All finishers of the half marathon, 10k, and 5k will receive a commemorative finishers medal. The winners of the half marathon will receive a Bob or Rita Marley statue. You can read more about the sculpture Basil Wilson in the link below. Collectively winners will receive over $10,000 US ($1,000,000 JMD) in prize money. All participants will receive an official Reggae Marathon T-shirt too! Can’t wait to see everyone wearing their shirt in the days after the marathon and at the airport! Trophies, Prizes, and Goodies ..read more

With less than eight months to go, you should start looking into your lodging options for the Reggae Marathon. In Negril, you will have several options to choose from. You have all-inclusive hotels, hotels on the beach, hotels on the cliffs and Airbnb’s. The all-inclusive hotels are located on Seven Mile Beach. At an all-inclusive, you get everything that you might need for your trip- food, entertainment, and drinks all included with your stay. If you don’t want to have to worry about going off the property to eat, this might be the option for you. There are some hotels that are for adults/cou ..read more

Are you going away for spring break to see a new country and explore new territory or are you going to go back home and visit family and friends. If you are training for a race, then your training does not stop even if you are on vacation. Here are a few tips to remember if you are traveling and training at the same time. It’s important to know what the weather will be like where you will be vacationing. If you are going to a tropical destination (like Jamaica) make sure you have the appropriate clothing for the climate you will be in. Get an idea of the terrain. Are you going to be in the mo ..read more

I’ll admit it, when I first started running, my breathing was all over the place. (My pace was too, but that’s a whole other blog.) When I ran the San Francisco half marathon with my friend Adam, he reminded me to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. It’s easy to breathe like that when you have someone there to remind you of every few minutes. But for those times that you don’t have someone by your side, learning how to breathe properly and efficiently it takes some practice. Remember, it’s most important to make sure that you are getting enough oxygen while you are running ..read more

For many who live in the United States, it’s almost spring time. With that comes warmer weather and longer days of sunshine. It makes those days when you have to go out for a run a lot easier when you don’t have to wear multiple layers of clothing. So what are the benefits of spring training? You can build up your base for fall marathons. Getting out for four to five runs a week and for about 20 miles, you will be in good shape when you start training for your marathons. And as you get closer to reaching your marathon training, you not only increase your mileage, but you’ll also want to increa ..read more

I have shared my running journey in various aspects in the Reggae Marathon blogs over the last few years. And at the Reggae Marathon, we like to recognize and highlight the runners who come to Negril every year. So, if you have come to the Reggae Marathon and have a special story to share, we want to hear it. Are you a Reggae Marathon streaker? Did you meet someone while at the Reggae Marathon who you keep in regular contact with and consider a close friend? Did you come to Negril to vacation not knowing there was a Reggae Marathon and decide to run the marathon? And if it was the last one, ho ..read more