I have decided to start a base training phase of running this winter. For me, this pretty much consists of running at a medium pace for 60 minutes, 6 days a week. As I add more mileage, I may increase the amount of time on some of those days. It works well in the MN winter because speed running is just hard to do in the cold and snow. Yet, you can just keep trucking along merrily at an easier pace as long as you are dressed warm enough.
I've recently been capable of running fast, but never had that great endurance that gets built into your legs from running a lot of lower intensity miles. I had previously scoffed at such training, but decided to give it a try since it seems to be the one aspect I am lacking.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Twin Cities Marathon 2009 Race Report
I was extremely excited when I arrived at the Metrodome to run the Twin Cities Marathon. I got there very early since I was so anxious and barely slept the night before anyhow. As I walked around in the dome, I talked to some co-workers I knew who were running in the 10 mile race. After they headed out for their start, which was hour earlier than the marathon, I decided to lay around an listen to my mp3 player while trying to relax.
On my way to the starting line, I bumped into some guys I knew from high school that are good friends with my brother, so we went to the starting line together. I was trying to find a good place to start where I wouldn't get stuck behind slower people, but the starting corral was already so packed with people, that it was impossible to move up. The lines for the outdoor toilets had taken way longer than I expected, which was part of the reason I didn't get to the front of the corral. People were spending about 5 minutes in those toilets while there was a line of 40 people waiting at each one.
From the moment the race started, I was exhilarated. Running through downtown Minneapolis was amazing, and the crowds of spectators were huge. I really started taking it all in at this point. I was waving at people cheering me on, laughing at funny signs they were holding, like "toenails are overrated", and just in awe that I was actually running a marathon. I saw a line of about 50 school kids with their hands out for high 5's and I ran the gamut, tapping each one. Suddenly, "oops", I almost ran into someone, then "ooof", close call again. As the initial adrenaline period started wearing off, the massive, unending sea of runners I was engulfed in started slowing way down.
When we hit the residential streets at mile two, it was a complete mixture of extreme excitement and extreme frustration. The people all around me were running at a 9:30/mile pace or slower and I wanted to be running at least a minute per mile faster, and we were packed in like sardines. I felt stuck and spent a lot of the next 4-5 miles trying to find little openings between people where I could squeak through and get a little further ahead in the pack. I did a ton of bobbing and weaving while trying to be polite -- though at one point, it was all I could do to keep from shouting, "come on people, move!". Looking back, it probably would have been better if I had just accepted it, and ran at the slower pace.
Meanwhile, the scenery was just gorgeous around the lakes, during miles 3-7. It was still somewhat sunny and the glistening water and cool shore breeze really added to the experience. I kind of wish I would have taken more time to just enjoy that stuff and been in less of a racing mode during this point, but I guess that's part of learning how to run a marathon.
Around mile 8, the runners started to thin out a little bit, so I started speeding up more. My thought was to try to make up some some of the time I had lost from being stuck for so long earlier. This was probably my biggest mistake of the marathon. I started doing 7:30 miles, and while it felt easy and effortless at the time, I'm pretty sure it really hurt me in the end. It would have been better to only speed up to planned pace (8:15) and keep it there.
From mile 9-11 I was feeling very strong and light on my feet. I kept looking at my watch to see how I was doing and how far along I was. I knew my wife and daughters were going to try to be at the 13 mile spot, so I was looking forward to seeing them. When I hit mile 11, I heard my wife's voice. I looked over and was shocked to see her, my mother-in-law, and my daughters cheering. I waved and smiled and thought about stopping to say hi for a moment, but I was already past them and decided I'd better keep going. I made a mental note to make sure to let them know how much it means to just see them on the side of the course.
I was still feeling strong at 13, but had slowed my pace down to 8:15. At one point, around mile 14, I noticed my shoe lace was untied. When I got to the next water station, I went to the curb and tied my shoe. When I got up, I noticed my legs didn't want to get moving again. I realized I was probably more fatigued than I thought. I walked over to the table, got a Powerade, pinched the rim of the cup together like I had been shown, and started running and sipping it.
I had pretty much taken Powerade at almost every station for the first 14 miles. I think this was another mistake. I had been really worried about calories and electrolytes, especially because the Clif Shot gels were suddenly unappetizing to me. I only used about half of a gel the whole time. I think because I wasn't washing it down with water, it was just too much sweetness. Next time, I will either have to be sure to wash them down with water, or try something more solid, like shot bloks. I know coach Jack had mentioned that you need to take water with the gels, but in the heat of the moment, these things sometimes get muddled: lack of experience. I am pretty sure next time I will either make sure I take in just as much water as sports drink (no matter how much I'm sweating), or even go entirely with water and electrolyte pills, avoiding the sports drink all together.
At mile 15, I started to feel tired but could still keep my pace without too much effort. I saw my co-worker, Janene, and she had some gels and Heed to offer me. I was very grateful for this, but realized I didn't feel like eating or drinking anything but water. I told her "not yet", thinking maybe I would feel differently about it later.
Around mile 17, my stomach started feeling nauseous and I was really noticing the fatigue. I saw a former co-worker, Tim Altman (experienced marathoner/ultra runner) cheering me on. I waved to him, but pulled the corner of my mouth to the side to signal that it was starting to look bad. He nodded and smiled.
By mile 18, I could not look at the people holding Powerade anymore. The sight of those blue cups made my stomach turn, so I just started sipping water. My mind started telling me to stop running.
Mile 19-21 are kind of a blur. I just kept running forward, no longer caring about pace anymore. I was in survival mode. The nausea was getting really bad. It came to a point where I made my last semi-lucid decision. I thought, "Jeremy, you are sick and completely bonked, through and through. There is nothing you can do about that. But do not drop out of this race, no matter what. Even if you have to crawl to the finish line and everyone has gone home when you get there, you are going to finish this race". Many times I fought the temptation to go over to a tree or garbage can and wretch. I kept eying spots that might work without being too embarrassing: that garbage can over there, that tree -- no, that's in somebody's yard, they might get mad.
At mile 22 I saw co-worker Janene cheering me on again. She had fuel to offer but I pointed to my stomach and shook my head. I was very dazed and thought she said, "you are totally bonked, keep going!". After talking to her later, apparently she had actually asked if I was OK, and I was the one that said I was bonked.
I found that it helped a little bit to carry a cup of cold water while I ran and let it splash onto my hand. The shock of the cold water hitting my hand distracted me from my stomach a little bit. I could now barely bring myself to sip it, but I liked carrying it.
At this point I would run until I was on the verge of heaving, and then I would stop and walk until I got it more under control, then I would run again. I did the next 4 miles like this. I was wearing a Medtronic singlet, and sometimes when I was walking people would shout, "come on Medtronic!". I would respond by hitching my bodyweight forward and riding the momentum into a little trot until I couldn't take the nausea anymore and I would walk.
The crowds were amazing the whole way through, and packed the entire route. I loved that they were there and they made the experience so unbelievably exhilarating. However, at this point, my mind was swimming. I saw people hobbling along, limping, or hopping on one leg. It was very cloudy by now and the road looked like a never ending, dreary path to the Abyss. At that moment, it all felt like some sort of sick Roman death march with loud, jeering crowds ready to signal thumbs up or down. I think my brain intentionally decided not to encode some parts of this stretch, because it was better to not remember it. This was my lowest point.
After what seemed like an eternity, I crested the hill that overlooked the finish line. The site was breathtaking. So many people, so much cheering, the huge American flag hanging over the track. I had a moment of clarity. I knew my wife and daughters were down there and I was not going to let them see me like this -- looking so pitiful. My wife - maybe, my kids - never. I started lightly running down the hill to the finish, thinking I would keep it as smooth as possible and not jostle my stomach. I saw my family 100 yards from the finish and raised a fist of triumph to them while fighting back tears.
I crossed the finish line. They put a huge medal around my neck. I grabbed a reflective blanket, walked over to a shrubbery and thrust my head inside it. A medic standing by heard me gagging and asked if I was ok. I told him I didn't know. He brought me into the medic tent and handed me a bucket. They asked me a lot of questions and tried to get me to drink Powerade or eat a banana. I told them both were unthinkable but if they could find a Sprite somewhere, I would be eternally grateful. I started shivering and was a little worried. I'd never run 26 miles or felt like that before and hoped something wasn't wrong with me.
After spending some time trying to sip fluids down, and unsuccessfully holding them down, I seemed well enough that the medics let me go meet up with my family. I met them on the Capitol lawn and smiled for pictures. Then, I walked over to a tree and began heaving. I had my wife drive me home while I stuck my head out the window the whole time so the cold air would keep the nausea away. I held a plastic bag in my lap, just in case.
I felt sick the rest of the day but slowly got better. I knew it was not the time to think about the question people always ask, "Will you do another one?" The next morning I woke up thinking, "absolutely!". I would do it differently, much more carefully, but I would definitely do it again. For my next marathon, I will figure out where I made the mistakes that lead to my downfall and avoid them.
My chip time ended up being 4:09:09. My time at the half was 1:51:09. My first 5K was 27:56. At the 20 mile mark, my time was 2:53:44. It took me an hour and sixteen minutes to run the last 6 miles -- which is about a 12:40 min/mile pace.
From mile 9-11 I was feeling very strong and light on my feet. I kept looking at my watch to see how I was doing and how far along I was. I knew my wife and daughters were going to try to be at the 13 mile spot, so I was looking forward to seeing them. When I hit mile 11, I heard my wife's voice. I looked over and was shocked to see her, my mother-in-law, and my daughters cheering. I waved and smiled and thought about stopping to say hi for a moment, but I was already past them and decided I'd better keep going. I made a mental note to make sure to let them know how much it means to just see them on the side of the course.
I was still feeling strong at 13, but had slowed my pace down to 8:15. At one point, around mile 14, I noticed my shoe lace was untied. When I got to the next water station, I went to the curb and tied my shoe. When I got up, I noticed my legs didn't want to get moving again. I realized I was probably more fatigued than I thought. I walked over to the table, got a Powerade, pinched the rim of the cup together like I had been shown, and started running and sipping it.
I had pretty much taken Powerade at almost every station for the first 14 miles. I think this was another mistake. I had been really worried about calories and electrolytes, especially because the Clif Shot gels were suddenly unappetizing to me. I only used about half of a gel the whole time. I think because I wasn't washing it down with water, it was just too much sweetness. Next time, I will either have to be sure to wash them down with water, or try something more solid, like shot bloks. I know coach Jack had mentioned that you need to take water with the gels, but in the heat of the moment, these things sometimes get muddled: lack of experience. I am pretty sure next time I will either make sure I take in just as much water as sports drink (no matter how much I'm sweating), or even go entirely with water and electrolyte pills, avoiding the sports drink all together.
At mile 15, I started to feel tired but could still keep my pace without too much effort. I saw my co-worker, Janene, and she had some gels and Heed to offer me. I was very grateful for this, but realized I didn't feel like eating or drinking anything but water. I told her "not yet", thinking maybe I would feel differently about it later.
Around mile 17, my stomach started feeling nauseous and I was really noticing the fatigue. I saw a former co-worker, Tim Altman (experienced marathoner/ultra runner) cheering me on. I waved to him, but pulled the corner of my mouth to the side to signal that it was starting to look bad. He nodded and smiled.
By mile 18, I could not look at the people holding Powerade anymore. The sight of those blue cups made my stomach turn, so I just started sipping water. My mind started telling me to stop running.
Mile 19-21 are kind of a blur. I just kept running forward, no longer caring about pace anymore. I was in survival mode. The nausea was getting really bad. It came to a point where I made my last semi-lucid decision. I thought, "Jeremy, you are sick and completely bonked, through and through. There is nothing you can do about that. But do not drop out of this race, no matter what. Even if you have to crawl to the finish line and everyone has gone home when you get there, you are going to finish this race". Many times I fought the temptation to go over to a tree or garbage can and wretch. I kept eying spots that might work without being too embarrassing: that garbage can over there, that tree -- no, that's in somebody's yard, they might get mad.
At mile 22 I saw co-worker Janene cheering me on again. She had fuel to offer but I pointed to my stomach and shook my head. I was very dazed and thought she said, "you are totally bonked, keep going!". After talking to her later, apparently she had actually asked if I was OK, and I was the one that said I was bonked.
I found that it helped a little bit to carry a cup of cold water while I ran and let it splash onto my hand. The shock of the cold water hitting my hand distracted me from my stomach a little bit. I could now barely bring myself to sip it, but I liked carrying it.
At this point I would run until I was on the verge of heaving, and then I would stop and walk until I got it more under control, then I would run again. I did the next 4 miles like this. I was wearing a Medtronic singlet, and sometimes when I was walking people would shout, "come on Medtronic!". I would respond by hitching my bodyweight forward and riding the momentum into a little trot until I couldn't take the nausea anymore and I would walk.
The crowds were amazing the whole way through, and packed the entire route. I loved that they were there and they made the experience so unbelievably exhilarating. However, at this point, my mind was swimming. I saw people hobbling along, limping, or hopping on one leg. It was very cloudy by now and the road looked like a never ending, dreary path to the Abyss. At that moment, it all felt like some sort of sick Roman death march with loud, jeering crowds ready to signal thumbs up or down. I think my brain intentionally decided not to encode some parts of this stretch, because it was better to not remember it. This was my lowest point.
After what seemed like an eternity, I crested the hill that overlooked the finish line. The site was breathtaking. So many people, so much cheering, the huge American flag hanging over the track. I had a moment of clarity. I knew my wife and daughters were down there and I was not going to let them see me like this -- looking so pitiful. My wife - maybe, my kids - never. I started lightly running down the hill to the finish, thinking I would keep it as smooth as possible and not jostle my stomach. I saw my family 100 yards from the finish and raised a fist of triumph to them while fighting back tears.
I crossed the finish line. They put a huge medal around my neck. I grabbed a reflective blanket, walked over to a shrubbery and thrust my head inside it. A medic standing by heard me gagging and asked if I was ok. I told him I didn't know. He brought me into the medic tent and handed me a bucket. They asked me a lot of questions and tried to get me to drink Powerade or eat a banana. I told them both were unthinkable but if they could find a Sprite somewhere, I would be eternally grateful. I started shivering and was a little worried. I'd never run 26 miles or felt like that before and hoped something wasn't wrong with me.
After spending some time trying to sip fluids down, and unsuccessfully holding them down, I seemed well enough that the medics let me go meet up with my family. I met them on the Capitol lawn and smiled for pictures. Then, I walked over to a tree and began heaving. I had my wife drive me home while I stuck my head out the window the whole time so the cold air would keep the nausea away. I held a plastic bag in my lap, just in case.
I felt sick the rest of the day but slowly got better. I knew it was not the time to think about the question people always ask, "Will you do another one?" The next morning I woke up thinking, "absolutely!". I would do it differently, much more carefully, but I would definitely do it again. For my next marathon, I will figure out where I made the mistakes that lead to my downfall and avoid them.
My chip time ended up being 4:09:09. My time at the half was 1:51:09. My first 5K was 27:56. At the 20 mile mark, my time was 2:53:44. It took me an hour and sixteen minutes to run the last 6 miles -- which is about a 12:40 min/mile pace.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Twin Cities Marathon, WHAT!?!?
I have just signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon.
This seems to come to a surprise to a lot of people as I have usually been known to compete in fast 5K races, and train with mostly speed work.
Let's just say, sometimes a guy reaches a point in his life where he has to prove to himself that he can do what would normally seem impossible. With my hernia and subsequent surgery, I will have gone 6 weeks without running. I will have 8 weeks to train for this marathon.
Also, going 6 weeks without doing something you really love to do; something that has become a big part of who you are -- it has taught me that being able to run is not something to take for granted. So when I can do it, by golly, I'm going to do it!
I was also inspired by reading the book Born to Run, which greatly demonstrates the joys of running long distances. In honor of this, I also plan to train to run this marathon in huarache running sandals (though I'm not 100% certain if this will work out).
In addition I am confident that training for a marathon will greatly improve my overall running ability and have a positive effect on my shorter distance running as well. I hope to journal my training experience in this blog.
This seems to come to a surprise to a lot of people as I have usually been known to compete in fast 5K races, and train with mostly speed work.
Let's just say, sometimes a guy reaches a point in his life where he has to prove to himself that he can do what would normally seem impossible. With my hernia and subsequent surgery, I will have gone 6 weeks without running. I will have 8 weeks to train for this marathon.
Also, going 6 weeks without doing something you really love to do; something that has become a big part of who you are -- it has taught me that being able to run is not something to take for granted. So when I can do it, by golly, I'm going to do it!
I was also inspired by reading the book Born to Run, which greatly demonstrates the joys of running long distances. In honor of this, I also plan to train to run this marathon in huarache running sandals (though I'm not 100% certain if this will work out).
In addition I am confident that training for a marathon will greatly improve my overall running ability and have a positive effect on my shorter distance running as well. I hope to journal my training experience in this blog.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
AHEF 5K Race Report
I ran in the Bill Gallagher Memorial 5K this morning. I finished 4th overall and 2nd in my age group. I was hoping for a little faster time than the 19:18 my watch recorded (they just kept track of placings, not times), but I'm content.
At the starting line, there were a bunch of kids; which this race if famous for. I knew they would all start out like gangbusters, so I hung back a little bit from the starting line to let them have their fun. Sure enough, when the race started, those kids took off like they were running a 50 yard dash -- not a 3.1 mile run.
As the youngsters started dropping like flies in the first quarter mile, I found myself having to weave in and out of them. They would pretty much stop completely and start walking when they gave up their little sprint and I could hear their parents yelling to them to get out of the way. But, kids will be kids.
When all of the little ones were out of the way, I looked ahead and saw a couple of rather serious looking runners about 20 yards ahead of me. Knowing they were the leaders, I decided I would try to maintain my current distance behind them and hopefully have enough gas in the tank to make a move at the end.
The route consisted of old park bike paths which were quite crumbly and cracked. I noted that this surface was harder to run on than smooth, predictable streets. Your feet land at somewhat odd angles, which is a little harder on the muscles. Part of the route also looped around a small lake twice, so I did have to pass quite a few slower folks whom I was lapping. They usually didn't hear me coming and were not moving out of the way, so a little bit more bobbing and weaving there.
Coming around to the final mile, I noticed I was gaining a little bit on the leaders. The 2nd and 3rd place guys were only about 10 yards ahead of me. Suddenly, I turned a corner and the wind was very strong in our faces. It took a lot out of me, I'm not going to lie. I had a side ache soon after that, and at about the time I was planning to try to kick it down and try to pass the guys in front of me, I suddenly thought I was definitely going to throw up. So, I just held on as best I could and was very relieved to cross the finish line.
I was proud that I held back on the first mile, staying around 6:10 pace (in the past, I've gone much faster and crashed and burned in the middle of the race). Looking back, I'm not sure I would have done anything differently in that race. I ran the best I could with what I had that morning. I simply need to keep training and working at it. Not to mention, running a hard race like that is really the best training/workout you can get.
At the starting line, there were a bunch of kids; which this race if famous for. I knew they would all start out like gangbusters, so I hung back a little bit from the starting line to let them have their fun. Sure enough, when the race started, those kids took off like they were running a 50 yard dash -- not a 3.1 mile run.
As the youngsters started dropping like flies in the first quarter mile, I found myself having to weave in and out of them. They would pretty much stop completely and start walking when they gave up their little sprint and I could hear their parents yelling to them to get out of the way. But, kids will be kids.
When all of the little ones were out of the way, I looked ahead and saw a couple of rather serious looking runners about 20 yards ahead of me. Knowing they were the leaders, I decided I would try to maintain my current distance behind them and hopefully have enough gas in the tank to make a move at the end.
The route consisted of old park bike paths which were quite crumbly and cracked. I noted that this surface was harder to run on than smooth, predictable streets. Your feet land at somewhat odd angles, which is a little harder on the muscles. Part of the route also looped around a small lake twice, so I did have to pass quite a few slower folks whom I was lapping. They usually didn't hear me coming and were not moving out of the way, so a little bit more bobbing and weaving there.
Coming around to the final mile, I noticed I was gaining a little bit on the leaders. The 2nd and 3rd place guys were only about 10 yards ahead of me. Suddenly, I turned a corner and the wind was very strong in our faces. It took a lot out of me, I'm not going to lie. I had a side ache soon after that, and at about the time I was planning to try to kick it down and try to pass the guys in front of me, I suddenly thought I was definitely going to throw up. So, I just held on as best I could and was very relieved to cross the finish line.
I was proud that I held back on the first mile, staying around 6:10 pace (in the past, I've gone much faster and crashed and burned in the middle of the race). Looking back, I'm not sure I would have done anything differently in that race. I ran the best I could with what I had that morning. I simply need to keep training and working at it. Not to mention, running a hard race like that is really the best training/workout you can get.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Finally, Spring.
It's been a long time coming, but the weather is finally starting to get nice for running. In my book, anytime you can comfortably wear shorts, it's a pretty good day. It was almost 40 degrees and sunny when I started today. It's around this temperature where I sort of have this ritual of starting off in long sleeves, then, at the end of the warm up, stripping down to short sleeves and arm warmers. After the first mile of running harder, I'm down to just arm warmers and shirtless. Some people may think it's weird to wear arm warmers and no shirt, but in this weather, once your core is generating a ton of heat, it's really only my arms that get cold. And when they do, it is distracting.
So, anyhow, it is a very freeing feeling running shirtless in the cool, early spring air. Definitely makes you run faster.
I'm staying focused on an overall goal of just getting faster and better. I'm not worrying about race goals or anything like that. Just, am I getting better overall? The workouts and races are just meant to serve that purpose. There will be good days, and bad days, but am I getting better?
Here is the data from today's run:
So, anyhow, it is a very freeing feeling running shirtless in the cool, early spring air. Definitely makes you run faster.
I'm staying focused on an overall goal of just getting faster and better. I'm not worrying about race goals or anything like that. Just, am I getting better overall? The workouts and races are just meant to serve that purpose. There will be good days, and bad days, but am I getting better?
Here is the data from today's run:
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Longer Tempos
I've always been a strong proponent of speed work, as I really believe that getting your body used to running really fast will make less fast speeds seem easy. It has a lot to do with mental training.
In that same vein, I decided that my "3 mile tempo" workout (the standard workout I've always used) may not be serving the same idea. I decided if I run 5 mile tempos, then 3 mile 5Ks will seem like a short distance. Again, mental training. So I've been trying to increase the length of my tempo runs and have been very happy with it.
It also feel less mentally daunting to start out on a 4-5 mile tempo run because I know I can pace myself -- where with 3 miles, I really feel like I need to start running almost full tilt from the beginning.
Above all, I believe running often is the most effective. I think that is how the body best adapts itself to running more efficiently. In my mind, VO2Max (oxygen consumption) is nice, but if your body is slogging along with extra unnecessary movements and a momentum braking stride, you will wear out quickly no matter how good your lungs are.
In that same vein, I decided that my "3 mile tempo" workout (the standard workout I've always used) may not be serving the same idea. I decided if I run 5 mile tempos, then 3 mile 5Ks will seem like a short distance. Again, mental training. So I've been trying to increase the length of my tempo runs and have been very happy with it.
It also feel less mentally daunting to start out on a 4-5 mile tempo run because I know I can pace myself -- where with 3 miles, I really feel like I need to start running almost full tilt from the beginning.
Above all, I believe running often is the most effective. I think that is how the body best adapts itself to running more efficiently. In my mind, VO2Max (oxygen consumption) is nice, but if your body is slogging along with extra unnecessary movements and a momentum braking stride, you will wear out quickly no matter how good your lungs are.
Monday, February 16, 2009
One Way Run
I did a 7 mile run into town over the weekend and it went pretty well. One thing that was really nice is that my wife was going to be driving by and picked me up. There is something refreshing about running and knowing you won't have to run back to where you started. I managed to keep my pace around 7:00-7:30 for the first part, and let it slow down to around 8:00-8:30 for the last half.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Trying to ramp up
With the notable weather improvement, I tried to start doing some faster training runs. I feel like I was able to maintain regular workouts often enough during the cold winter to sustain and hopefully build up overall fitness.
I ran a 3 mile tempo run yesterday, averaging a 6:30 pace (19:33 time). I think that's the fastest 3 miles I've run, not counting actual races. We also ramped up the millage today and went 6 miles. I'd like to eventually fit in an 8-10 mile run each week just to build up more endurance.
I ran a 3 mile tempo run yesterday, averaging a 6:30 pace (19:33 time). I think that's the fastest 3 miles I've run, not counting actual races. We also ramped up the millage today and went 6 miles. I'd like to eventually fit in an 8-10 mile run each week just to build up more endurance.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Short weather.
Wow! It got in the upper 30 degrees here and I decided to celebrate by running in shorts. It felt really nice to have this little taste of leg freedom so I went 6 miles. I got some really funny looks as I barreled down the road, bare legs contrasting (or maybe not so contrasting) against the white snow. A few guys on snowmobiles in full snow gear drove by me and also seemed very startled by my appearance. I feel I should point out that I live in a relatively rural area. So, for most of these good folks, seeing a grown man running for the sake of exercise (let alone at a fast racing speed) seems very frivolous. A few of them might even think the word "cardio" means the radio that sits in the dashboard of your Chevy. Ba Boom *ching* (I just made that one up).
Anyhow, it's back down to single digit temps and I'm back in all my cold weather clothes. I'm extremely grateful for the low temp gear, but can't wait until I can pack it away for 6 or 7 months.
Anyhow, it's back down to single digit temps and I'm back in all my cold weather clothes. I'm extremely grateful for the low temp gear, but can't wait until I can pack it away for 6 or 7 months.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Better Running
We had some warmer weather this week and I actually got to run on some open tar. What a huge difference that makes compared to running on snow. My 1 mile split times were at least a minute faster. I ran six days in a row this past week, so I feel like I'm really getting into racing shape.
I also tried a new style of workout to help increase lactate threshold, or as I like to think of it, improve the speed your body considers "normal running". This workout consisted of 20 second sprints with 1 minute of jogging between each. To me, it like telling your body, "no, THIS, is running fast, so unless I'm running THIS fast, don't you panic".
I also got a new pair of shoes: Mizuno Wave Universe 2. They are extremely light shoes (4 oz.) and very minimal. I want to keep them nice for a while, so I'll probably only wear them when I'm not going to be on snow. I am pretty excited about trying them out though -- they are definitely the most comfortable running shoes I've had.
Keep running...
I also tried a new style of workout to help increase lactate threshold, or as I like to think of it, improve the speed your body considers "normal running". This workout consisted of 20 second sprints with 1 minute of jogging between each. To me, it like telling your body, "no, THIS, is running fast, so unless I'm running THIS fast, don't you panic".
I also got a new pair of shoes: Mizuno Wave Universe 2. They are extremely light shoes (4 oz.) and very minimal. I want to keep them nice for a while, so I'll probably only wear them when I'm not going to be on snow. I am pretty excited about trying them out though -- they are definitely the most comfortable running shoes I've had.
Keep running...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Snow Ninja
We've had a very cold week in Minnesota. Yesterday we had a -40 degree wind chill. My running buddies decided to stay inside, and I don't blame them. However, I simply refuse to let weather get in the way of my training. I'm resolute in my belief that with proper running gear, you can run in anything. So, I've decided to call myself the "snow ninja". The picture bellow explains why:
While my body felt very comfortable without sacrificing much freedom of movement, I have to admit, breathing heavy in these conditions can be a challenge. While the Under Armour hood is a life saver for keeping everything in the head and neck area protected, the material becomes hard to breath through once you really get running. My solution was to pull the face part down just bellow my mouth and put a headband over my nose and mouth area. This served to keep a pocket of moisture and warmth in front of my mouth; making the air much easier to breath. Breathing through my nose was a no-no -- froze and hurt my nose instantly.
My eye lids also seemed to get frosted from my breathing, so I had to wipe that away every once in a while so I could see. I tried to wear sunglasses, but they would fog up from my breathing.
So, obviously, it isn't possible to do all out sprinting in this weather, but I was still able to get a respectable workout in, as shown in the graph captured by my Forerunner 405 -- which I am also very thankful still works in arctic temperatures.
While my body felt very comfortable without sacrificing much freedom of movement, I have to admit, breathing heavy in these conditions can be a challenge. While the Under Armour hood is a life saver for keeping everything in the head and neck area protected, the material becomes hard to breath through once you really get running. My solution was to pull the face part down just bellow my mouth and put a headband over my nose and mouth area. This served to keep a pocket of moisture and warmth in front of my mouth; making the air much easier to breath. Breathing through my nose was a no-no -- froze and hurt my nose instantly.
My eye lids also seemed to get frosted from my breathing, so I had to wipe that away every once in a while so I could see. I tried to wear sunglasses, but they would fog up from my breathing.
So, obviously, it isn't possible to do all out sprinting in this weather, but I was still able to get a respectable workout in, as shown in the graph captured by my Forerunner 405 -- which I am also very thankful still works in arctic temperatures.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Racing Psychology
When I first started entering races, I would often get too worked up about them. I'd set expectations, get nervous, etc. However, after reading Matt Fitzgerald's book, "Brain Training for Runners", I've taken a different approach:
As with most things, it's important to look at the big picture. The overall goal is to become a faster and better runner. Races are simply an extremely useful tool for achieving this. A race is your most intense workout -- where you break through your normal effort and see how far you can push yourself. Time goals are fine, but you should never hinge a lot of importance on one specific event. You never know what is going to happen on one specific day, but you certainly have control over what your are consistently working towards over time.
As with most things, it's important to look at the big picture. The overall goal is to become a faster and better runner. Races are simply an extremely useful tool for achieving this. A race is your most intense workout -- where you break through your normal effort and see how far you can push yourself. Time goals are fine, but you should never hinge a lot of importance on one specific event. You never know what is going to happen on one specific day, but you certainly have control over what your are consistently working towards over time.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Keeping the momentum
I managed to somehow maintain a decent training routine over my two week Christmas break. It was pretty tough going, with a lot of cold days and a lot of icy roads. It's hard to really get good fast runs in with slippery running surfaces. For the cold temperatures, having the right gear seems to mostly eliminate the problem -- though breathing hard can be an issue. I refuse to acknowledge a day where weather would prevent me from running.
By the way, the Under Armour full hood is definitely the most underrated piece of cold weather gear for running. That thing is a life saver in the extreme cold; even though it looks like a ninja mask.
Some of my running buddies have been getting injured, or trying to recover from old injuries, which is a bummer.
I was down for the count with a pretty nasty cold for a few days earlier in the week, but started running again when I felt I was on the tail end of the illness.
I really do look forward to some 40 degree days where I can feel the air on my legs while tearing down the street.
By the way, the Under Armour full hood is definitely the most underrated piece of cold weather gear for running. That thing is a life saver in the extreme cold; even though it looks like a ninja mask.
Some of my running buddies have been getting injured, or trying to recover from old injuries, which is a bummer.
I was down for the count with a pretty nasty cold for a few days earlier in the week, but started running again when I felt I was on the tail end of the illness.
I really do look forward to some 40 degree days where I can feel the air on my legs while tearing down the street.
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