disclaimer: These are written by runners, for runners and are meant to be FUN and sometimes FUNNY. We are not liable for bad races, poor workouts, injuries, bad coaches, etc, but we will happily take credit for your good races:)
AUGUST: Mercury turns Retrograde from August 2-26 and almost every sign will be affected (Mercury Retrograde will be slowing everyone and everything down making it a difficult month for new world records…difficult but not impossible). Popular races in August: IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea begins Aug 27; Falmouth Road Race (Falmouth, MA) August 14
LEO July 24-August 23
You enter August on a roll, but when Mercury turns retrograde on August 2nd, you will need to slow things down. If you have been racing through the summer, now is a great time to take a break. If you have a big race coming up, you need to have confidence in the work you have put in, and start your taper a little earlier than what you normally would. If you are gearing up for a Fall marathon or for your Cross Country Season, make sure you give your body adequate rest. Lack of recovery has been the downfall of many great athletes. Give yourself more recovery time between intervals; give yourself an extra day between workouts; fuel yourself with adequate recovery foods. A day of rest now can prevent a month of rest if you get hurt or overtrain.
VIRGO August 24-September 23
Mercury is your ruling planet, so the retrograde will have an even larger impact on your training and racing this month. Physically, you may feel a little drained these first two weeks of August and this will be evident in your training. No major ailments in the foreseeable future, but it is best to slow things down until your energy levels start to rise again on August 18. Mercury may be slowing you down physically, but mentally, you are sharper than ever. The biggest downfall of Virgo runners is that they constantly self impose limitations on themselves; however, August will bring a new clarity to your training that will allow you to see beyond those limitations. Virgos are always much faster than they allow themselves to be. There will be a shift in your thinking that will allow you to determine what your true goals are, not what your self imposed limitations tell you your goals should be. A Virgo without their handmade shackles is a dangerous opponent.
LIBRA September 24-October 23
Saturn enters your house, and with that comes an increased urgency to accomplish that big goal you set for yourself long ago. But you must have patience this month because Mercury retrograde is slowing down everything in August, making some goals seem out of reach. This month, focus on the things you can control. Visualize yourself reaching that running goal, plan out the steps and training required to accomplish it. There will be new resources and associations opened up to you that will guide and educate you in both your training and racing. Since this will be a rather uneventful month for you, mix up your training (add biking, swimming, pilates, hiking, etc) to keep things interesting.
SCORPIO October 24-November 22
Scorpio you are finally seeing the light in what has been a challenging year. Your energy is up, your paces are quickening, and you are starting to feel like your old self again on your runs and in your workouts. A wise man once said to ‘respect the process’ and a big part of that is not rushing the process. In the past you have crammed in your training and made rash decisions about races when you had not adequately trained for them. Sure you still had some successes, but had you patiently approached your training and racing, you would have had many more successes. Have patience and keep the faith, your running is picking up and soon no one will be able to catch you. If you need to increase your endurance for a Fall race, focus on a gradual build-up (for example, if you’ve never run over 3 miles, you should not go for a 20 mile run; you need to build up to a 20 mile run). Steer clear of fancy running/racing gadgets this month. Mercury in retrograde has a tendency to make things go a little crazy, and you don’t want to be caught on one of those things when that happens. Keep it simple this month.
SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 22
Sagittarius you constantly have pressure to perform in your running/racing. A lot of this pressure is self imposed, but you also feel this pressure from family, friends, and coaches. Your family/friends get irritated because your running takes time away from them and they just do not understand why you are running in 100 degree heat; your coaches and running partners can at times seem too invested in your running. Mercury in retrograde makes all of this pressure come to light this month. It is how you respond to this pressure that will dictate what happens later in the year and into 2012 for your training and racing. Don’t give into temptation and break the rules. Taking a shortcut during a race or training run this month may lead to a victory, but the celebration will be short-lived and will ultimately have disastrous consequences. If you are a collegiate or high school runner, be honest with your coach about your summer mileage, this way they can plan out your training accordingly so you do not fall victim to overtraining or an injury. You are way too talented to fall into those traps. If the pressure gets to be too much this month, take a break from running. Once Mercury retrograde ends, the pressure will subside, and you can go back to enjoying the run.
CAPRICORN December 23-January 20
August will be a fairly low-key month for your training and racing as long as you do not over exert yourself. This is not the month to push yourself to the edge. Mercury in retrograde is affecting your sign and will introduce some fatigue and tiredness after August 15. Runs that usually feel easy, may seem a little harder between August 15-August 26. Listen to your body. This is a great month to rid yourself of bad habits. Ice that nagging injury that you have been ignoring; stop eating junk food all the time and introduce some fruits and veggies into your diet; get a good night’s rest; drink electrolyte drinks instead of soda before your run; drink a recovery drink at the end of your workout. Evaluate and eliminate anything that has been holding you back from reaching your running goals. You need to nurture body, mind and soul. A well-balanced runner is a force to be reckoned with.
AQUARIUS January 21-February 19
Keep your training simple this month, this is not the time for big changes. If you are wanting to try a new distance, or change coaches, or throw in some workouts or cross training you’ve never done before, DON’T DO IT! Mercury in retrograde can throw anyone off course, especially if you are doing something unfamiliar. The best way to avoid injuries and illness this month is to plan out each training day accordingly, and to space out races and workouts so that your body has plenty of time to recover. On the up side, you are feeling good and for those that are racing, you are making big strides towards your ultimate goals. If you are in training phase, hold tight to your dreams, because your hardwork and dedication to your training will help you reach those goals later in the year. Both your competitors and training partners are recognizing your hardwork.
PISCES February 20-March 20
Mercury in retrograde will kick off August with high speeds, but things will begin to slow down by August 14. The good: You have lots of energy this month and this will lead to victories in both your training and racing. August is a perfect month for hard workouts and challenging races, especially during the first half. The bad news: There will be lots of distractions that could ultimately derail your training or racing schedule. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes, so if you want to have a successful Fall racing season, you need to commit yourself to your training and find balance in your life so that these distractions do not become overwhelming. Tip of the month: Drop the past; drop the memories of bad races, poor performances, drop any negative emotions you have towards them. The past is no longer useful to your training. You’ve learned from your mistakes, now move on. If you are a student heading back to college this month, commit to the last few weeks of your Fall buildup. The buildup is essential for a successful racing season. A good Summer buildup equals an easy transition into your cross country racing season.
ARIES March 21-April 20
These past few months have been hectic, and last month was no exception. Your high energy levels last month combined with Mercury in retrograde, have left you feeling a little fatigued this month. This slow down is exactly what the body and mind needs and it is temporary, so don’t worry. By the end of August your energy levels will be back up. If someone you know asks you to join them for a run, workout or race between August 11-17, do it! This will prove to be one of the most fun runs you’ve had in a long time. If you have a nagging injury, now is the time to see a specialist. Take care of the problem now, and you can still have a great Fall racing season. August 18 is your best ‘running day’ this month, so plan your workouts so that you can take advantage of it.
TAURUS April 21-May 21
Mercury in Retrograde will leave you feeling a little stale through August 26. During the retrograde, you need to focus on simplicity in your training and racing. August is not the month to buy that expensive running watch you have been eyeing, it will only add frustration to your training. Do the research now, and make the purchase after August 26. Now is a great time to revisit an old running friendship. Join an old teammate, running partner or friend for a run, August is the time to rekindle these relationships. If you are heading back to school in a few weeks, start meeting up with some of your teammates for runs. This will help keep you motivated and will prevent you from falling prey to outside distractions. If you are gearing up for a Fall marathon, start planning the details and logistics now. You will start feeling 100% at the end of the month, so spend your energy planning now, and you can focus on the run at the end of the month.
GEMINI May 21-June 22
Change is on the horizon, and Mercury in Retrograde will bring changes to your racing and training goals. August is the month to Plan, not to Act. Plan out how you are going to reach these goals; plan out your workouts and diet; research new training methods; and digest all of this information. When August 26 comes around, be prepared to implement. Tip: Rest is very important this month. You need to follow your own schedule for your training between August 3-August 26. Following another person’s schedule can be disastrous during the retrograde and can lead to injury or overtraining.
CANCER June 22-July 23
Do you feel like you are always falling just short of your goals? Do you feel like something is just not right in your training? You will have an epiphany in August, and you will finally be prepared to make the necessary changes that will set you up to reach those goals later in the year or early 2012. Once you commit to the changes, you will start to feel energized and excited about your future running/racing plans. Change can come in many forms, so look at all areas of your well-being (physical, mental and spiritual) and determine which areas are holding you back. Someone or something will motivate your running in a big way this month, but you must be present of mind to recognize it.
