A theme song was required to get me out for speed work this morning

Officially Grinding my way through

The intensity of marathon training comes to a peak with increased fatigue and limited patience for life pressures.   The training novelty wears off and you find yourself in the hardest part of the training cycle, I call this period The Grind.   This is a period when you are committed and so deep into the training process that you have no option but grind out workouts and deal with life.

The Grind sneaks up on you even though you can forecast it like clock work in your training plan 6 weeks from race day.   Your friends are tired of hearing about the long runs, fueling preferences and new running gear.  Your family is struggling with the need for training runs to consume family time.  Although you are excited about the upcoming event, you have less patience for small things, frustrated when things just don't line up right, and for some reason always hungry.

I am no expert at effectively managing The Grind, but I do have a strategy that I am working on:

• Accept it - You know that this is the part of the training plan that this tests your commitment, dedication and support system.  The long runs and speed work are pushing your physically which then makes everything else harder.    Ideally your family, friends and co-workers understand the situation and provide you a little bit of grace and space.  You also need to be aware and accept that things may take more effort or seem a bit more rough than usual.  Try to be flexible and aware of your mood.
• Get sleep - The best thing to help recovery is sleep.  This helps the body and the mind prepare for the next workout and next day at the office.   Get as much sleep while in the Grind as possible to help the recovery and coping process.
• This too will end -  The Grind wont last forever and is the precursor to the Taper. The Taper enables your body to recover for the final event with reduced training volume.   Use the Taper as a prize at the end of the Grind and look forward to the rest and free time.

I am in the second week of The Grind for this training cycle.  I am relieved to say that things seem to be headed in the right direction.   I have one more long run remaining before I start the Taper.   I feel strong and confident in my training and looking forward to race day.

Happy National Running Day!

A fellow runner told me that today was National Running Day. I was happy to get a run in this morning to celebrate, I hope you did too.

Check out the National Running Day Website here.

Prop Betting Comes To Endurance Running

Poker player Ashton Griffin won $300,000 bucks for running 70Miles in 24hrs. The ESPN article provides good details on the odds and structure of the prop bet, but the interesting thing I see is how he did it. Aside from having to be on a treadmill which allowed him to manage the pace, elevation and climate he broke down the run into seven 10mile runs. Seems logical, but this is a prime example of long run strategy - break it into smaller more manageable pieces. 70miles in 24hrs is still a long run, especially on a treadmill.

New Blog Description Required?

How much running experience do you need to be called a runner? I started this blog to track my running and training efforts as I stared my attempt to become a runner almost two years ago.  A dedicated reader suggested to me that I need to update the summary of my blog, since I am no longer attempting to become a runner, but that I am actually a runner.  I agree that in the last two years I have become a dedicated to running and learned a considerable amount.

I know that I am not a jogger,  but am I a runner?  Runner is a subjective label.  I figure there has to be a checklist I can complete to validate the subjective label.   Something that goes like, you know you are a runner when:

1. Your weeks consist of a good mix of tempo, speedwork and long runs.
   
2. You know how many miles you have put on each pair of shoes.
3. Your spend more money on running gear than your daily wear.
4. You think it is OK for men to wear tights in public.... while running.

Subjective or not,  I agree that with my commitment to running, the distances I run, my time investment, and excitement I get from running makes me a runner.  It is time to update my blog description to be something more reflective of the subjective runner label.

Training Plan Defined

I have been stressing about not having a training plan for the National Marathon in March.   Even though I  have been running with a decent base,  I feel that I am a few weeks behind on long runs and training.  With the race 12 weeks away I have been looking for a plan that will work with my work schedule, provide some variety in workouts and help me target a sub 4Hr race.    I looked around at some different plans but finally settled on a Runner's World Smart Coach plan that I can tweak a bit as I go.   The plan has me running 4 times a week with optional cross training or rest days.   There are a couple of back to back 20 Mile weekly long runs, some good speed and tempo workouts.    The paces are slower than I expected in the default plan.  I will struggle maintaining these slow paces on the  mid distance runs.  I guess I will target negative splits so that I won't get to bored.   So here it is, a new year with a new training plan.  I am committed and excited to start training again. 

2010 Running Year In Review

With the new year starting I thought it would be a good time to look back at 2010 to see how I am progressing with my quest to become a runner.   This past year  was full of hard training, first times, personal records, weight loss and new equipment.   In training for spring and fall marathons, I ran more than 1200 Miles set personal records in 10K, 10Mile, 1/2 Marathon and Marathon.   I ran 194 days this year averaging more than 3 runs a week with an average distance of ~10K.  With the increased distance training,  my average speed also increased as the year progressed.

I was committed to training and ran good races.   I was given an unbelievable opportunity to run the 2010 Boston Marathon as my first marathon.   I enjoyed the training, the race and the opportunity to raise money for the Michael Carter Lisnow Center in Hopkington, MA.  The race experience gave me the bug to qualify so I can return again.   I trained with the Charlottesville Track Club to prepare for the 2010 Richmond Marathon and although I am far from a BQ; I did improve my marathon time by ~15mins.  

The commitment to training and running is considerable for me and my family.  I am surprised that we are able to fit it into our busy life and work schedule.   I realize that my wife is a huge enabler of my running and without her understanding and support I would not be able to train as much as I did this year.  The race day support from my family and friends this year was spectacular.  There really is nothing like seeing your family in the middle or end of a race when you need a bit of inspiration.   I will never forget seeing my daughter with a sign cheering me on in C-Ville 10 Miler, or my wife at mile 26 in Boston or my Dad and others in Richmond.  

As I increased my commitment to running,  I have found that there is a significant amount of gear for such a simple sport.   As a gadget and number guy,  I was hooked on the the use of a GPS to collect data to help me analyze my progress and training.   I initially used my iPhone with Runkeeper but found that the phone was bulky to run with and I was constrained by the cell network coverage.   To overcome the short comings of my iPhone GPS I acquired a Garmin 405CX and found it to be reliable and have enjoyed having the heart-rate monitor and footpod data.   I do most of my training with early morning runs, during the winter a head lamp is key piece of equipment to get some visibility in the darkness.  The Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp is light weight, very bright and rechargeable.   I continue to stick with ASICS shoes, and wore through a few pairs of ASICS 2140 and ASICS 2150.  I find the ASICS to be comfortable and supportive while not being too clunky. 

I try to share my enthusiasm for the endurance running sport with everyone I can.  I enjoyed the opportunity this year to guide a few new runners in their first races and new distances.   I enjoy the excitement of talking with people about the races and experiences.  It is nice to hear that most runners share the same anxieties and quest to improve in running.  Looking back at this year I see a solid year of growth and accomplishment.  I know that I am stronger runner and I continuing to enjoy running and how it enhances my life.

Today's Run - 11/23

A nice 5K run this morning in prep for the Boar's Head Inn Turkey Trot. I am excited to run the turkey trot with Ella in the stroller. This means that I will be starting in the back of the pack, but we will work our way up. The goal will be to be under 27Mins.

I did the Darby Loop which is a small lollipop route with some good hills. I was not pushing to hard, but worked the negative splits from 8:20 down to 8:00min mile pace. It was warmer this morning that the last few days and I was comfortable in my long sleeve shirt and shorts. I am getting out early even though I only have a few miles to run. It is nice to get my run in and have time to enjoy the morning with the family.

My legs are feeling good, but I am amazed how hard it is to run fast. Switching from the longer slower runs to short fast distance really pushes my legs and heart rate differently. It is not that I like the longer run pace better, it is just different to be back working on speed. I did a little bit of speed work in my last marathon training and hope to add more as I prepare for the National Marathon in March 2011.

Great book on Running

I read "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall in Sept and could not put it down. A great story about running, human nature, running industry and ultra marathons. It is an easy read that will have you exploring the physical and mental challenges of running while learning about the origins of how and why we run.

New Mile Marker....

I passed a new mile marker last week, I had a private thought of happiness and forgot to mention it here. I passed 1,000 Miles running in 2010. In training for 2 Marathons this year I invested 16hrs of time and logged more than 100Miles a month of running. I track every run and can see the improvement in then numbers and the way I feel about my running.

Hitting the Wall

I have been thinking about my long distance runs and the concept of hitting the "Wall" at the later miles. The more I learn the more it reinforces the need for good hydration and nutrition before and during the race to ensure the body has enough fuel to make the entire race.

Asics blog had a interesting post on the Wall and how to avoid it here.

An interesting article on MarathonAndBeyond.com on science behind hitting the wall, here.

Pickle Juice!?! Really?.... Really?

To create my marathon training program, I provided my coach with problems or injuries encountered during training and races. The thing that stands out for me are the calf-cramps during Boston and towards the end of long runs. Scribbled on my training program was the suggestion to drink pickle juice. My first response to this was to think he was joking and remembering a dare I took from my dad in middle school to drink a jar of pickle juice. I won that bet, because my dad made me stop after big Gulp. I don't remembering getting sick after that and I still eat pickles regularly, but I can't say that I have ever asked for a tall glass of pickle juice on ice since that day.

The more I thought about the suggestion the more I started to wonder if pickle juice will really help prevent cramps. I turned to the Internet and found bunch of references showing scientific research on the topic. 

http://sweatscience.com/pickle-juice-stops-muscle-cramps/

I guess I will keep that jar of juice in the fridge after i eat the last pickle.  But I am still not sure I have the guts to put it in my fuel belt on my next run.

Richmond Training Plan Published

I entered my Richmond Marathon Training plan from Coach Mark (CTC and Ragged Mountain Running Shop) into my training calendar this morning. My initial thought was, "WOW! that is a lot of running!"

The plan is much more aggressive and advanced than my plan for the spring race. Rather than just concentrating on grinding out mileage, this plan has tempo work, track work and hill work incorporated. I will also run 5 days a week and the longest run will be 22miles.

With all this and I hopeful that I will break the 4Hr barrier.

Today's Run - 6/25

Today was a special day, that I was excited to start of with a run. I decided to do a quick little run of ~3miles from the house out to 250 and back. Last night a big rain and wind storm came through town and toppled multiple trees causing substantial damage in the neighborhood. I enjoyed seeing the impact of the storm on my run. It is sad to see big tree destroyed by storms but at the same time it amazing to see the swift power and impact of nature. I enjoyed pondering the effects the storm while thinking of what else the day would bring. After my run, Emily and I packed our bags and headed to the hospital for the birth of our second child! Not a bad day of activities after celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary.

Thinking about running....

I shared this quote from John Bingham, running writer and speaker, with a friend who recently started running.

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."

Her response was as powerful as the original quote about why running is great.

"I like it because I can do it alone, I have my music to drown out all of the thoughts in my head - and sometimes I'll even pop out one of the headphones so I can hear my feet on the dirt and know that I am moving forward. Sounds weird I guess, but for me, right now, it's good."
- A Runner

I got the orginal quote from Runner's World daily kick in the butt newsletter.