During my 8th week of marathon training, building up for the 2007 Hartford Marathon, I ran a 6:52/mile 5K. I was shocked, given that my previous 5K PR was just shy of 8:00/mile, and that I hadn't ever done any speedwork. I was just logging plain, old miles, all of which were about 10:00/mile. I wanted to know how this could be, so I posted, back in August 2007, the following on one of Runners World's forums and received a thorough and helpful analysis by Jim2, which can be seen HERE.
Jim2 recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. See article here.
4.13.2010
4.10.2010
Marathon training -- week 3
Jessica and I are training for the Missoula Marathon, which is on July 11th in Missoula, Montana. We are following different marathon training plans, but we do our long runs on the same day. Jessica's long runs have been longer than mine thus far, and to ensure that she's hitting her splits, I've paced her through the first miles of her long runs (my long runs). Ha! It's very rare that I'm not running 30 to 50 yards back of Jessica. Even in that position, I'm pushing it.
I did nine today; Jessica did 14 and change, her longest run ever to date. She ran it at an 8:03 pace, and she said that she felt great, maybe her best since beginning training. I went out too hard today and, therefore, had little left in the tank for the hills in the later miles. I ran negative splits last weekend over a truncated version of today's long-run route and felt much stronger on the hills than I did on the hills today. Controlling the pace in the early miles is key.
I knew that Jessica was feeling good today, because she looked strong on the hills, cruising right up them. She had some doubts going into today's long run, as this week will be a tough week--48 miles--the most she's done in three or four years, but she wound up having a solid run.
Thirteen more weeks to go.
I did nine today; Jessica did 14 and change, her longest run ever to date. She ran it at an 8:03 pace, and she said that she felt great, maybe her best since beginning training. I went out too hard today and, therefore, had little left in the tank for the hills in the later miles. I ran negative splits last weekend over a truncated version of today's long-run route and felt much stronger on the hills than I did on the hills today. Controlling the pace in the early miles is key.
I knew that Jessica was feeling good today, because she looked strong on the hills, cruising right up them. She had some doubts going into today's long run, as this week will be a tough week--48 miles--the most she's done in three or four years, but she wound up having a solid run.
Thirteen more weeks to go.
3.05.2010
Missoula Marathon training
I plan to start training for the Missoula Marathon on March 22nd, 16 weeks out from the marathon. I didn't want to post on this until after my appointment with Dr. Reach (my foot and ankle surgeon) yesterday. I saw Dr. Reach yesterday for the first time since my only post-op appointment following my surgery to remove a titanium implant from my left foot. He was surprised to see me. He said, "you're not here for my foot, are you?" He considers my left foot his foot. I wasn't. I was there for my other foot. I thought I had injured it in the same way I had injured my left foot, and I wanted to confirm with him that I hadn't injured my left foot, so that I could start training for this marathon. He did an ultrasound on my foot and was able to say with 95% certainty that I do not have a similiar ligament tear in my left foot, just some attenuation of the ligament. Something has been off with this foot for several months now. I didn't know this before yesterday, but the head of the talus (the top part of the foot) slipped out due to the weakening of the ligament and posterior tib tendon. It causes excessive pronation and a feeling as if I'm not "on top of my foot," as I like to put it. The remedy, he thinks, is to do posterior tib tendon strengthening exercises, so that's what I'm going to do.
2.04.2010
Excerpt from "Born to Run"
"Humans are among the most communal and cooperative of all primates; our sole defense in a fang-filled world was our solidarity, and there's no reason to think we suddenly disbanded during our most crucial challenge, the hunt for food...
"'But there's a problem,' Dr. Bramble said. He tapped his forehead. 'And it's right up here.' Our greatest talent, he explained, also created the monster that could destroy us. 'Unlike any other organism in history, humans have a mind-body conflict: we have a body built for performance, but a brain that's always looking for efficiency.' We live or die by our endurance, but remember: endurance is all about conserving energy, and that's the brain's department. 'The reason some people use their genetic gift for running and others don't is because the brain is a bargain shopper.'"
"For millions of years, we lived in a world without cops, cabs, or Domino's Pizza; we relied on our legs for safety, food, and transportation, and it wasn't as if you could count on one job ending before the next one began. Look at []Nate's wild hunt with Louis; []Nate sure wasn't planning on a fast 10k immediately after a half-day hike and a high-speed hunt, but he still found the reserve energy to save Louis's life. Nor could his ancestors ever be sure that they wouldn't become food right after catching some; the antelope they'd chased since dawn could attract fiercer animals, forcing the hunters to drop lunch and run for their lives. The only way to survive was to leave something in the tank--and that's where the brain comes in."
"'The brain is always scheming to reduce costs, get more for less, store energy and have it ready for an emergency,' Bramble explained. 'You've got this fancy machine, and it's controlled by a pilot who's thinking, "Okay, how can I run this baby without using any fuel?" You and I know how good running feels because we've made a habit of it.' But lose the habit, and the loudest voice in your ear is your ancient survival instinct urging you to relax. And there's the bitter irony: our fantastic endurance gave our brain the food it needed to grow, and now our brain is undermining our endurance."
"'We live in a culture that sees extreme exercise as crazy,' Dr. Bramble says, 'because that's what our brain tells us: why fire up the machine if you don't' have to?'"
"To be fair, our brain knew what it was talking about for 99 percent of our history; sitting around was a luxury, so when you had the chance to rest and recover, you grabbed it. Only recently have we come up with the technology to turn lazing around into a way of life; we've taken our sinewy, durable, hunter-gatherer bodies and plunked them into an artificial world of leisure. And what happens when you drop a life-form into an alien environment? NASA scientists wondered the same thing before the first space flights. The human body had been built to thrive under the pressure of gravity, so maybe taking away that pressure would act as an escape-trajectory Fountain of Youth, leaving the astronauts feeling stronger, smarter, and healthier. After all, every calorie they ate would now go toward feeding their brains and bodies, instead of pushing up against that relentless downward pull--right?"
"Not by a long shot; by the time the astronauts returned to earth, they'd aged decades in a matter of days. Their bones were weaker and their muscles had atrophied; they had insomnia, depression, acute fatigue, and listlessness. Even their taste buds had decayed. If you've ever spent a long weekend watching TV on the sofa, you know the feeling, because down here on earth, we've created our own zero-gravity bubble; we've taken away the jobs our bodies were meant to do, and we're paying for it. Nearly every top killer in the Western world--heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, hypertension, and a dozen forms of cancer--was unknown to our ancestors. They didn't have medicine, but they did have a magic bullet--or maybe two, judging by the number of digits Dr. Bramble was holding up."
"'You could literally halt epidemics in their tracks with this one remedy' he said. He flashed two fingers up in a peace sign, then slowly rotated them downward till they were scissoring through space. The Running Man."
"'So simple,' he said. 'Just move your legs. Because if you don't think you were born to run, you're not only denying history. You're denying who you are.'"
"'But there's a problem,' Dr. Bramble said. He tapped his forehead. 'And it's right up here.' Our greatest talent, he explained, also created the monster that could destroy us. 'Unlike any other organism in history, humans have a mind-body conflict: we have a body built for performance, but a brain that's always looking for efficiency.' We live or die by our endurance, but remember: endurance is all about conserving energy, and that's the brain's department. 'The reason some people use their genetic gift for running and others don't is because the brain is a bargain shopper.'"
"For millions of years, we lived in a world without cops, cabs, or Domino's Pizza; we relied on our legs for safety, food, and transportation, and it wasn't as if you could count on one job ending before the next one began. Look at []Nate's wild hunt with Louis; []Nate sure wasn't planning on a fast 10k immediately after a half-day hike and a high-speed hunt, but he still found the reserve energy to save Louis's life. Nor could his ancestors ever be sure that they wouldn't become food right after catching some; the antelope they'd chased since dawn could attract fiercer animals, forcing the hunters to drop lunch and run for their lives. The only way to survive was to leave something in the tank--and that's where the brain comes in."
"'The brain is always scheming to reduce costs, get more for less, store energy and have it ready for an emergency,' Bramble explained. 'You've got this fancy machine, and it's controlled by a pilot who's thinking, "Okay, how can I run this baby without using any fuel?" You and I know how good running feels because we've made a habit of it.' But lose the habit, and the loudest voice in your ear is your ancient survival instinct urging you to relax. And there's the bitter irony: our fantastic endurance gave our brain the food it needed to grow, and now our brain is undermining our endurance."
"'We live in a culture that sees extreme exercise as crazy,' Dr. Bramble says, 'because that's what our brain tells us: why fire up the machine if you don't' have to?'"
"To be fair, our brain knew what it was talking about for 99 percent of our history; sitting around was a luxury, so when you had the chance to rest and recover, you grabbed it. Only recently have we come up with the technology to turn lazing around into a way of life; we've taken our sinewy, durable, hunter-gatherer bodies and plunked them into an artificial world of leisure. And what happens when you drop a life-form into an alien environment? NASA scientists wondered the same thing before the first space flights. The human body had been built to thrive under the pressure of gravity, so maybe taking away that pressure would act as an escape-trajectory Fountain of Youth, leaving the astronauts feeling stronger, smarter, and healthier. After all, every calorie they ate would now go toward feeding their brains and bodies, instead of pushing up against that relentless downward pull--right?"
"Not by a long shot; by the time the astronauts returned to earth, they'd aged decades in a matter of days. Their bones were weaker and their muscles had atrophied; they had insomnia, depression, acute fatigue, and listlessness. Even their taste buds had decayed. If you've ever spent a long weekend watching TV on the sofa, you know the feeling, because down here on earth, we've created our own zero-gravity bubble; we've taken away the jobs our bodies were meant to do, and we're paying for it. Nearly every top killer in the Western world--heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, hypertension, and a dozen forms of cancer--was unknown to our ancestors. They didn't have medicine, but they did have a magic bullet--or maybe two, judging by the number of digits Dr. Bramble was holding up."
"'You could literally halt epidemics in their tracks with this one remedy' he said. He flashed two fingers up in a peace sign, then slowly rotated them downward till they were scissoring through space. The Running Man."
"'So simple,' he said. 'Just move your legs. Because if you don't think you were born to run, you're not only denying history. You're denying who you are.'"
2.02.2010
2.01.2010
Barefooting around an indoor track
It was wayyy too cold on Saturday morning to run, so Jessica and I went to an indoor track in North Haven. 1 lap = 1/13 of a mile. I ran a couple of miles in socks only. My feet and lower legs are still pretty sore, especially the bottoms of my feet from the friction. I never get this soreness running in Nike Frees. Hmmm. False advertisement?
1.29.2010
Damn, it's cold and windy out there
I went running in the dark, cold, windy night last night in Guilford. Tonight will be a repeat of last night, only the run will be in New Haven. The wind wasn't too bad around the green, but once I got to the fairgrounds, the wind was brutal. I still don't have any reflective running apparel/gear, even after a "train" friend told me that her husband told her to tell me that he almost hit me running up the yellow stripes on Whitfield.
1.28.2010
1.26.2010
More on the Missoula Marathon
On my way out to Seattle last summer, I stopped at a Starbucks in Missoula, MT, for breakfast and coffee. I ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was really there for only the coffee. It was early, and it was cold--really cold for July. Anyway, ironically, the marathon begins at Higgins and Front Streets, only a few blocks away from the aforementioned Starbucks. That downtown area is beautiful. Most striking about the city were the surrounding mountains and the preferred mode of transportation--bicycle! As I recall, it was a workday, and everyone--I mean everyone--was commuting by bike--like nothing you've ever seen before. I didn't want to leave, and that's why I'm going back!
1.25.2010
Black bean burgers and guacamole
Jessica and I took a road trip to South Salem, NY, to buy a bottle of wine yesterday. Success! We also stumbled upon a cool produce store that was sampling about a gazillion obscure fruits. We wound up buying some assorted olives, a ginger dressing, soap, and a candle.
After running a few miles in the rain last night, we made from scratch black bean burgers and guacamole. Both came out great. The black bean burger recipe called for eight patties, but we only made four. They turned out to be too thick, but they stayed between the bread nice nice.
I've been eating like a pig lately (quality food but a ton of it). Over the last few months of 2009, I lost about six pounds, as I was under a ton of stress, etc. My running really suffered. I'm now slowly but surely gaining back the weight. I hope to be back to an optimal weight soon so that I can begin ramping up my running.
After running a few miles in the rain last night, we made from scratch black bean burgers and guacamole. Both came out great. The black bean burger recipe called for eight patties, but we only made four. They turned out to be too thick, but they stayed between the bread nice nice.
I've been eating like a pig lately (quality food but a ton of it). Over the last few months of 2009, I lost about six pounds, as I was under a ton of stress, etc. My running really suffered. I'm now slowly but surely gaining back the weight. I hope to be back to an optimal weight soon so that I can begin ramping up my running.
1.22.2010
Missoula Marathon
The plan is to attempt a second marathon in Missoula, Montana, in July. Jessica is on board, too. After only three runnings of the Missoula Marathon, Runner's World ranked it the best marathon in the United States. And if you register on or before May 31st, the registration fee is only $60! Danny Britton, take note. The 4th running of the marathon will be held on July 11th, so I plan to begin marathon-specific training in late March. For the time being, though, I've got to get myself back into decent shape, running at least 20 miles per week. I took a few weeks off over the holidays and have over the past month or so slowly gotten back into it. I've been having some issues, but that's nothing a bit of non-running activity can't cure. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Jessica and I ran a few miles tonight in New Haven. I stepped in dog poop multiple times and didn't realize it until I had already done circles around Jessica's apartment. She noticed the "crap foot" and promptly removed my shoe. Damn dog owners. Pick up your dog's poop next time. (She also confessed that she thinks my favorite veggie burger in town is gross. Hard night.) I felt decent tonight. I've come to love running at night in the cold. I'm not one to take summer running for granted, so I remember dreading during that time the idea of winter running. I thought for sure that I would bite the bullet and join a gym. It didn't happen, though. Thank God.
On a final note, if you haven't read "Born to Run" yet, you should. It's by far the most fascinating and well-written book about running I've read to date. The author makes a strong case for our predisposition to run long distances at a slow pace--in little if any footwear at that. Take a look. You won't be sorry.
Till next time.
Jessica and I ran a few miles tonight in New Haven. I stepped in dog poop multiple times and didn't realize it until I had already done circles around Jessica's apartment. She noticed the "crap foot" and promptly removed my shoe. Damn dog owners. Pick up your dog's poop next time. (She also confessed that she thinks my favorite veggie burger in town is gross. Hard night.) I felt decent tonight. I've come to love running at night in the cold. I'm not one to take summer running for granted, so I remember dreading during that time the idea of winter running. I thought for sure that I would bite the bullet and join a gym. It didn't happen, though. Thank God.
On a final note, if you haven't read "Born to Run" yet, you should. It's by far the most fascinating and well-written book about running I've read to date. The author makes a strong case for our predisposition to run long distances at a slow pace--in little if any footwear at that. Take a look. You won't be sorry.
Till next time.
12.02.2009
Treadmill running: a post from another runner
Since there are 11 of us that are authors on this blog, you would think that we could manage to have a daily post, right? That would be only 3 posts/month each. Sadly, Ryan is the only one it seems who is posting 3 times per month (sometimes). I thought I would give him a little back-up. :-)
(And on a side note, anyone interested in maybe taking 3 days/month, so we can up the activity on this blog?)
I do most of my runs outside. I will avoid running on treadmill even in freezing temperatures and blinding snow. I typically just can't get over the monotony of running "in place." It drives me insane! GAH! Well, recently, I did two runs on the treadmill. The first was one of our first cold days after some really nice mild weather, and it was dark outside, and I just wasn't feeling running in the cold and dark. So I thought I would give the ol' 'mill a try. The second was during some really steady, freezing-cold rain. Blah. My least favorite running condition (well, in the same category with hail or sleet, probably). It is just so miserable to run in cold rain. I'd rather it be 10 degrees colder and snowing.
Both times, I managed 6 miles on the treadmill, but I think that I've determined that's my limit (or very near to it) before I die of boredom! Okay, yes, I'm being a little dramatic here, and I suppose if I had no other choice, I could probably run further on the treadmill, but I wouldn't like it. (Then there's my friend, Krit, who does almost all her running on the treadmill, including a 21-miler. Yikes!) Anyway, a few things I've learned:
1. If someone is running on the treadmill next to me, I find it easier to keep running. Must be something about the other person's running chi or something. It motivates me.
2. Good music helps tremendously. I tried listening to my ipod, but I got too sweaty and the earbuds slipping out (gross, right?). I need to get some of those headphones that hook over the ear if I want to do treadmill running.
3. Body Glide!
4. The best way for me to make it through multiple miles on the treadmill is to keep changing things: speed up, slow down, change the incline. It's much easier to say, "I'm going to run for 5 minutes at this pace" than to think of 45 minutes of "blah" ahead of me.
(And on a side note, anyone interested in maybe taking 3 days/month, so we can up the activity on this blog?)
I do most of my runs outside. I will avoid running on treadmill even in freezing temperatures and blinding snow. I typically just can't get over the monotony of running "in place." It drives me insane! GAH! Well, recently, I did two runs on the treadmill. The first was one of our first cold days after some really nice mild weather, and it was dark outside, and I just wasn't feeling running in the cold and dark. So I thought I would give the ol' 'mill a try. The second was during some really steady, freezing-cold rain. Blah. My least favorite running condition (well, in the same category with hail or sleet, probably). It is just so miserable to run in cold rain. I'd rather it be 10 degrees colder and snowing.
Both times, I managed 6 miles on the treadmill, but I think that I've determined that's my limit (or very near to it) before I die of boredom! Okay, yes, I'm being a little dramatic here, and I suppose if I had no other choice, I could probably run further on the treadmill, but I wouldn't like it. (Then there's my friend, Krit, who does almost all her running on the treadmill, including a 21-miler. Yikes!) Anyway, a few things I've learned:
1. If someone is running on the treadmill next to me, I find it easier to keep running. Must be something about the other person's running chi or something. It motivates me.
2. Good music helps tremendously. I tried listening to my ipod, but I got too sweaty and the earbuds slipping out (gross, right?). I need to get some of those headphones that hook over the ear if I want to do treadmill running.
3. Body Glide!
4. The best way for me to make it through multiple miles on the treadmill is to keep changing things: speed up, slow down, change the incline. It's much easier to say, "I'm going to run for 5 minutes at this pace" than to think of 45 minutes of "blah" ahead of me.
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