Category Archives: Training

Half Training: Week One

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If you follow this blog then you know what I ran each day since it is posted at the bottom of each blog post. But here I want to compare the training plan with what I actually did! I am training for the Earth Day Half-Marathon.

Monday: A 45-minute fartlek run with 1 minute hard and 5 minutes steady, after a warm-up. I warmed up for 10 minutes and then did 4 1 minute surges with 5 minutes steady/recovery running. My total workout was only42 minutes, I didn’t feel like tacking on another 3 minutes by circling the block endlessly! I ran 5.3 miles along the Midtown Greenway.

Tuesday: 6 miles easy with 5 accelerations. I only did 3 miles at the YWCA Indoor Track (6 laps per mile) in 22:44 with my 5 accelerations. I was going to hit the bike for awhile to make up the difference, but none were available. I have been having some leg pains and have been doing lots of walking. I’m adjusting my casual shoes around and hopefully that will help.

Wednesday: 6×800 5 seconds faster than 5K pace. I did this workout at the YWCA Indoor Track again. I warmed up for 10 minutes, stretched and then started the intervals. I completed all 6 and their 4oo meter recoveries for an overall workout mileage of 6.33 miles and total time of 48:34. My 5K Pace is 6:16, so my 800 needed to be around 3:10. (I think my math is a little off, so I’ll adjust next week!) Here are my splits: 2:54, 3:11,3:09,3:12,3:03,3:01. I was happy with the workout, except the track is a little rough on my knees – due to the tight turns.

Thursday:5 easy 4 accelerations. I took a cross-training day today and did 16.5 miles easy on the bike for an hour workout. Everything felt fine until I went and did my 5 accelerations on the indoor track.

Friday: 4 miles easy, 5 accelerations. I took advantage of the heat wave and ran outdoors in 26 degree temps for 4.5 miles in a time of 36:40. I ran along the Midtown Greenway and it felt pretty good. I did 4 accelerations (since I accidentally did 5 Thursday) towards the end of the run.

Saturday: 8 miles – 6 easy 2 at goal pace. The six was pretty easy! I ran out for 4 miles on the Midtown Greenway which took me to the East end of the Greenway and then up one mile alongside the Mississippi River (very pretty). I caught myself looking down at the river and almost falling on ice or snow at the edge of the sidewalk. I turned around at 4 miles and came back. I went through 6 at 47:35 (7:56) a nice easy pace. I hit my watch wanting to be able to see what the splits were for the last 2 – well I don’t know my Garmin well enough yet and hit the start/stop button instead of the lap. I didn’t realize my mistake until I had gone almost a mile. I had looked at the pace function a few times to make sure I was on pace, but didn’t notice that the time wasn’t moving. Luckily, I was doing an out and back so I knew it was an 8 mile course. I knew that the Garmin actually calculates time from when you hit the start button until you reset it. So as soon as I finished I hit stop and reset the stopwatch. When I got home I synched the Garmin for the weeks data I was able to pull over the overall run time which is 1:01:34. Using my excellent math skills I deduced that my 2 mile time was 13:59 (7:00). This was 16 total seconds off my goal pace of 6:52 miles. It was a pretty good run, most of the 4 miles home were into the wind. Hopefully I learned my mistake about the watch buttons!

Sunday: Rest. Yup I did that!!

Total Miles: Ran 27.1 miles Biked 16 miles.

[tags] Half-Marathon, Training, [/tags]

5 Facts About Base Training

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I believe that most runners are enjoying the doldrums of winter by slogging away at miles, on the treadmill or braving the cold. I know some are fortunate enough to be racing as many completed the Disney World races and the Rock ‘N Roll Marathon.

For those of us training for a spring race, most are in the midst of Base Training. What is Base Training? Base training is essentially the time when you are creating a base that your eventual race and season will be based off. If you think of something like a pyramid, then the base is… you guess it the bottom! Generally speaking the broader your base the more stable the rest of the pyramid will be. According to Running Planet base training is “designed to refocus and strengthen the base that has already been built over years of consistent running.”

  1. Base Training builds endurance – this training is designed to be easy runs while increasing your mileage. You can do some Fartleks for a little speed, but most should be run at conversational pace.
  2. Base Training is great for drills and skills – this is a good time to work on your overall running form and overall efficiency. It is also a great time to begin weight lifting which will help improve the aforementioned form and efficiency.
  3. Focus and Plan – You may have already selected a goal race, how about a goal pace? If you haven’t selected a race yet, this is a good time to do so. You might not currently feel very fit, but in a few short weeks you will be. This is also a good time to plan ahead for your overall training schedule and make sure that you plan for your long runs later in the year.
  4. Base Training aka Pre-Season Training – Running Planet actually calls their base phase: “Pre-Season Training.” I like their thoughts that for most of us we already have a base, we just need to get back in shape. They say, ” I do not like the term “base building” because it suggests that something must be built from the ground up. As I said earlier, competitive runners are never far from their base and never far from race shape.” I would agree that for most competitive runners that is definitely the case. I’m not sure how many age-groupers would fall into that category, so base training might still be the best term, if not the most common!
  5. Quantity over Quality – it is worth mentioning again that Base Training is about running miles, not speed. Focus on conversational pace (there is a really in-depth scientific reason for this, I promise) runs and increasing your miles. Note: For this point Quality is referring to speed not things like form. You should be running at 60-75% of your maximum heart rate and should easily be able to converse with training partners. This is hard for me because I don’t like seeing slow paces show up in my log. But it is important. If you want to add “quality” or speed work, keep it simple, things like longer tempo runs or fartleks are perfect.

Keep running and logging the miles. They have revised our forecasts and we aren’t getting single digit high temperatures as previously expected.

Sources include: Runner’s World, Running Planet, and Tri-fuel.

Yesterday’s Workout

Even though it was warmer than expected I hit the treadmill today. I did a lousy 2.5 miles in 21:05 and then the bike for 15 minutes or 4.25 miles. It was really really hot in the gym and I hate being stuck inside!

[tags] Base Training, Training [/tags]

9 Winter Weather Tips

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Since I haven’t been outside running I’m a little late giving out winter running tips!  But here are nine tips every runner should know:

  1. Be Careful! Running in any extreme can be dangerous.  Make sure you are properly dressed for the weather and distance of your run.  For longer runs consider carrying extra supplies (dry socks, extra gloves, extra gel packets).
  2. Cross-Train Winter is the perfect time to step back and re-focus your energies, it is also a great time to add strength training and/or cross training to your schedule.  Unless you are planning an early spring race, this can be a great way to maintain your cardio fitness while letting your legs heal and get ready for next year.  My cross-training includes the elliptical machine and cycling, I’ve also started swimming, rowing, and stair climbing.  Cross-country skiing is also an excellent cross-training method if you have that much snow!
  3. Cover-up If you are running outside and the wind-chill drops make sure that you don’t have any exposed skin, you can also use vaseline to cover your face if you need to.  Make sure you wear chapstick and sunglasses.  If it is really sunny you may need sunscreen!
  4. Stay Hydrated Hydration is still important in the winter, even if you think your sweat rate decreases.  You may be wearing a wicking layer and that may trick you.  Also during colder weather your mind may not want as much water, even if your body needs it.  If your skin is dry and chapped, think about the inside of your body and drink more!
  5. Fall Gracefully With winter comes ice and slippery conditions, be careful.  I’ve never worn spikes or claws over my shoes, but even those aren’t 100% guaranteed to keep you standing! We are all bound to fall at some point so try to protect your head and face by tucking in your chin. Try to land on your butt or the side of your body if possible.  Try not to make any one part of your body absorb most of the impact, you could break a wrist or damage your knees.
  6. Stay Motivated It can be hard to keep motivated during these depressing months.  Plan ahead for next year, setting goals, and enjoy the freedom of not following a structured plan or make a structured plan depending on your needs. Explore new routes or run with different groups of people.
  7. Snuggle Up Take some extra time to read a running-related book or do some research on the Internet. Winter is a good time to grab a book off the shelf and read or spend some extra time on the Internet checking out running sites.
  8. Watch Out Be aware of the conditions you are running in and watch out for traffic! Remember that it will not be as easy for cars to stop or move around you.  You may also need to be aware of sliding cars coming at you.  You also need to watch out if you are indoors, be aware of others around you and your running form.
  9. Eat Healthy I know this is the worst time of year to try and eat healthy! But as you switch to cross-training and take more time off, the calories really begin to add up! I’ve talked to a lot of people who have gained weight already.  Runner’s World has provided a good list of ways to stay fit and trim and actually lose weight during the holiday season. It mostly comes down to being disciplined in your eating habits and not gorging yourself!

Bonus: Joe over at Run with Perseverance has developed a Winter Weather Temperature Chart (Excel Spreadsheet) which describes which items of clothing you should wear at 2 degree increments in the winter. This is a great system which can be modified to meet your specific running needs. I found it may be a little overdressed for my personal tastes.

Some of my inspiration came from these sources:

Yesterday’s Workout

Today was a lifting day! This is the first I’ve lifted since early spring and I can definitely feel it! My thought has always been to cross train MWF and lift on TR. It was nice to actually get the chance to do it! Today was upper body workouts which included bench, curls, dips, hanging leg raises, and shoulder press.  No cardio!

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Training Analysis, Part 3

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In this final edition of looking back over my 2007 training, I will look at my training for the Mid-South Half-Marathon. This is part 3. See Part 1 and Part 2.

I was asked to travel to Arkansas to compete by friend Brian Rayl. After a little deliberation I decided to go ahead and make the trip. I made the final decision to compete at the beginning of September, shortly after completing the Bears of Blue River 10K and and subsequently 3 weeks into the new training plan I chose.

I chose the Half-Marathon Training Program for Advanced Competitive Runners from Running Planet. I wanted something different after having used the Cool Running program for several races. This program is different in several ways, it includes a lot more pacework, harder speed sessions, and in general is a tougher program. In short, I liked it! Some of the workouts were a little complex and I had to re-read them to make sure I understood what I was supposed to do. The site said, “this half marathon training program assumes that you are currently at a base of at least a 6 mile long run and at least 15 total miles per week.”

Even with my taper I was at that level so that was a good start! Being three weeks behind I had missed a few speed sessions, but nothing too much. Unfortunately, I was suffering with a little burnout. I had still been racing Thursday nights at Shadyside in addition to another speed session and possibly a weekend race.

The weekend before I decided for sure to do the Arkansas race I did a brick workout with a friend who is training for a half-Ironman distance triathlon next summer. It was a 25 mile bike and 3 mile run brick. (A brick is when you ride your bike and then try and run, it is hard because your legs feel like bricks!) That was a little grueling.

I licked my wounds and got right back into it. Not the best thing to do with burnout, but I managed okay and bounced back fairly well. We traveled several times in September (anniversary) and October (being in Chicago for the inferno of a marathon!) which resulted in missing some runs. It was fun to run on the Prairie Path in Wheaton, IL with a college buddy and his high school cross country team.

I missed several days of training after volunteering at the Chicago Marathon. I wasn’t feeling very well and it was hot. I missed a 16 miler and a couple of speed sessions. I tried to make up for it a little bit and raced the Indianapolis Half Marathon on October 20 which I completed in 1:37:31.

I missed a few more days of training at the end of October because of a trip to Boone, North Carolina for an interview, missing the last few hard workout before the race.

After traveling I raced a pretty good race finishing 1:36:19. I wasn’t completely happy with it and felt like I was in better shape. But after looking back through my training, I see a huge common theme: MISSING WORKOUTS.

How can I expect to perform at my best, breaking PRs, and meeting my goals if I don’t train consistently? I think that is something I struggled with all year and even right now as I take time off to relax and recover. Some of the time I missed workout could be directly tied to lacking motivation. A little ache may not have been anything serious, but a day off was easy to justify!

As I look to next year, I’ll need to be more consistent and stick to the schedules. I’ll plan ahead and make sure training schedules don’t overlap and that I’ll have “down time” between big events.

Graph It

Graph created by Running Ahead, my online running log. If you look closely you’ll notice that the dates from Part 3 and Part 2 overlap. This is because the training program was supposed to start before I raced the 10K.

Yesterday’s Workout

At the gym again… this time I did the bike. I rode for 30 minutes passing 9.53 boring miles staring out the window! I was listening to my trusty mp3 player. Today I rode a strength workout on the bike which included several hills, maintaining my pace throughout. It was a sold workout and my legs hurt a little afterwards! On a more personal note, I really don’t like the seats they have. They use the wide seats which are supposed to be better I guess, but I prefer the seat on my road bike!

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Training Analysis, Part 2

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As I continue to review my training throughout 2007 here is the second installment of my attempt to provide thoughts, insights, and other information from it for you. I trained for 3 major events this year, the Indy 500 Mini Marathon, Bears of the Blue River 10K, and Midsouth Half Marathon. Read part 1.

After the Mini Marathon, I took it easy for a few weeks training wise and ran a couple of races. (I started this blog on May 28th). I wasn’t training for anything specifically until about mid-June. I raced each Thursday night with the Anderson Road Runner’s Thursday Night Point Series. This was a 2.64 mile race that was run every week around Shadyside park in Anderson. They provided good opportunities for speedwork but didn’t always fit well into the training schedule. My overall mileage was still pretty low and not running very many 5 day weeks. This was all just base-building workouts with a couple of races thrown in for speed!

I didn’t actually begin the Cool Running 10K Advanced Workout until the end of June. The advanced program is for runners averaging 40-60 miles a week and who expect to run between 34 and 40 minutes. It includes more speedwork and pace work. This was the same program I have used in previous years with good success.

I missed the first 3 weeks because of my lack of planning ahead. I decided to begin training for the Bears of Blue River 10K because I had enjoyed it both times I’d previously run it and also because it was a money race! I always enjoy getting money!!

I hadn’t missed a lot of training and my mileage wasn’t too far off what was required up to that point, so I jumped right in. Throughout the program I was able to train a lot more consistently than during the Mini training. I ran 5-6 days a week and maintained about 30 miles a week training. My mileage peeked at 44.

Even with the improved consistency I still missed a lot of the speed work and some of the longer runs or changed the schedule around. This plan mostly did speed work on Mondays and Thursdays with a long run on Saturday. This fit pretty well with my schedule, except for the Thursday races. I mixed and matched my speedwork. For example, one week I was supposed to do a 14 mile run on Saturday with 8×800 on Monday with 6-7 hills on Thursday and race a 5K on Saturday. There was a group running 15 on Sunday so I did that, and ran 6×1000 meter repeats on a set of hills called Spaghetti Bowl at Mounds on Weds. We missed the Thursday night run because of vacation! My thought was to combine the speed workout and the hill workout into 1 day and not need to run two different workouts. This wasn’t brilliant! Each workout has a specific purpose and benefits. Mixing the two doesn’t necessarily reap the benefits of both. I also missed a couple of long runs, one weekend I was in KY for a wedding and didn’t have the energy and time for the 12 miler. Another weekend was a 5K race in the points series, so I rode my bike the 11 miles there, raced the 5K, and rode my bike 11 miles home. It was a good cross-training day.

Most of my “bad” pain was gone and everything was looking good for me, I thought. I felt like most of my runs were solid, turning in decent interval splits based on my goal pace, even though some of my actual race performances weren’t especially exciting. I wasn’t coming close to my PR at any distance, but did run some of the same races as before at the same or better times. Most noticeably an almost 2 minute PR at the Buzzards Roost 10K and and only being off my Chesterfield 10K time by 20 seconds from last year. Both without any real rest time.

Everything felt great going into the race. I took it easy during the Thursday night race, but early in the week I had been having some stomach concerns. Nothing major but my stomach felt a little queasy before, during, and after running. It had pretty much gone away by Thursday.

However, on race morning we made 2-3 bathrooms stops during the hour drive to the race. This wasn’t normal pre-race jitters but was diarrhea. Not good before a race of any distance! I’m guessing by race time I didn’t really have any nutrients left in my body! This pretty much negated much of my training. But I think we all know that we can’t always plan for everything and that sometime extraneous issues affect our running.

You can read my full race report, but my time was 43:02 with these splits 6:37, 6:22, 6:59, 6:44, 7:20, 7:30, 1:27

Don’t get me wrong, I was very frustrated with my performance. I was glad that my legs felt fine during most of the training and that my body was able to handle the stress of summer training and competition.

Graph it!

This is a graph from my online training log.

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