Coming up Short

If there is anything that 18 miles on a treadmill will accomplish, it is to get you to reconsider your rules about running outdoors in winter weather. I knew it was going to be cold on Saturday morning. I knew it was going to be below 20 AND windy. I was pretty sure the wind chill would be in the single digits, and was really hoping it would stay above 0F. I guess even when you reconsider your rules, you still have your limits. Read more » Coming up Short

Say What?

I woke up Tuesday morning with a pain in my left shin. I can't say that I really recall having a pain in my shin like that before. It was on the inside of the shin bone, up toward the knee joint. So, I asked Diane if she had ever had shin splints. She made a face. And said something like they can be quite painful and hard to get rid of...

Never one to panic, I started to notice that if I didn't move around, it really didn't hurt. But it is the week before Christmas and I had some shopping to do. So off to Target, the pet store, then the local mall. All the while, noticing that my shin was a bit on the sore side. Read more » Say What?

Assessing FIRST - Part 2

Assessment
After four weeks on the FIRST marathon training program, here are my observations.

The Running Workouts
My general impression is that the paces are too fast for what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm not making this statement lightly, as I know that the FIRST program has much documented success. To test my general impression, I went back to my half marathon training. This the training that lead up to my running of the Denver Half Marathon in October of this year.

My training plan was based on Greg McMillan's Six Step Training System and the time I had available - about 12 weeks. Read more » Assessing FIRST - Part 2

18 Miles to Nowhere

Living at the foot of Pike's Peak and the Rocky Mountains has many perks. Natural beauty is all around, recreation activities are nearly limitless, and trails abound for running outdoors. Very few things in life are only positives. Almost all positives, have their counterbalancing "less than positives". In this case, living at the foot of Pike's Peak also comes with some pretty miserable winter conditions. I love the fact that Colorado has a real winter, and I love running in the snow. But as I have explained before (Below 20 and Windy), I don't run outside once the conditions deteriorate past a certain point. Unfortunately, Saturday was one of those days. Read more » 18 Miles to Nowhere

Assessing the FIRST Training Program - Part 1

After completing four weeks with the FIRST marathon training program from the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training, I'm ready to do an interim assessment. I am using the 16 week training plan found in Run Less Run Faster, the official book of the FIRST training program. There is also a first time marathoner's training plan available on the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training web site (link in Running Likes section to the left). In Part 1 of my assessment, I cover the background of the program and an overview of the program. In Part 2, I cover my experience using the program.

FIRST Background
The FIRST program emerged from the personal training experiences of Bill Pierce and Scott Murr after the pair noticed that training for a tri-athalon had improved their running performance, even though they were running less. They postulated that the key to their improvement was the fact that the running workouts were focused, each workout had a clear purpose, and running was supplemented with quality cross training. This realization that you could actually run faster by running less lead to the formation of the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training. The institute has since studied a number of runners of wide ranging ability. The product of that research is a detailed training plan that has successfully been used to improve performance.

The program is endorsed by a number of thought leaders. Bill Pierce, chairman of the Health and Exercise Science Department at Furman University and co-author of Run Less Run Faster, describes the program as making his workouts "more fun, more interesting, less stressful, and somehow, just as effective" when compared to a traditional running only program.

Amby Burfoot, executive editor of Runner's World magazine, notes that, "for many runners, especially those hard pressed to find time for their workouts, the Furman FIRST programs will also be the best."

Jack Daniels, noted coach and author of Daniel's Running Formula, comments, "The three quality days of training attend to a variety of runners' needs, and the nonrunning cross-training sessions continue to work the body in ways that will protect against injury. For anyone interested in optimizing limited training time, this is a good approach to better performance."

The FIRST program has been covered by RunnersWorld (see the link in the Running Links section to the left), and is fully explained in Run Less Run Faster by Bill Pierce, Scott Murr and Ray Moss.

The Program
The FIRST program takes a "3 plus 2" approach to training. There are 3 running workouts each week, combined with 2 aerobic cross training workouts. The running workouts fall into one of three categories:

• Key Workout #1 - Intervals
• Key Workout #2 - Tempo Run
• Key Workout #3 - Long Run

Each running workout has a clearly defined purpose, distance and pace. Intervals and tempo runs are sub-divided in to specific distance / pace segments. Workout pace is determined by a recent race performance. FISRT provides tables for converting race results to an equivalent performance for a 5K. In my case, I used my recent Denver Half Marathon time to determine an equivalent 5K performance. The resulting 5K pace was then used to determine the paces for each of the workouts.

The running workouts are designed to be intense. Meaning, it will generally take focus and commitment to complete the workouts. Amby Burfoot comments on the intensity of the program in his foreword to Run Less Run Faster commented, "...I don't want you to think that their training program is easy. It's not."

Cross training workouts take the place of what would typically be considered 'junk miles' in a traditional training plan. The idea is to engage in aerobic activity that does not tax the weight bearing muscles of the body, thereby contributing to endurance without additional stress on the legs. The use of cross training results in a fairly low mileage training plan for the marathon distance and provides protection against injury. For example, my training plan peaks at 34 miles per week.

Preferred cross training activities are swimming, cycling and rowing. The two cross training workouts will generally last between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the intensity of the activity. Cross training intensity is based on perceived effort, rather than heart rate. Specific workouts are detailed in the book.

Overall, the plan is very complete and very straightforward to follow. The authors have done an outstanding job of explaining the program and providing the tools needed to put it into practice. And probably the best part about it is that the program has been demonstrated to work. Based on the runners that have been studied using the FIRST training program, if you can do the workouts in your training plan, then there is a very high probability that you will be able to meet or exceed your target pace in your race.

What doesn't kill you...

You know the cliche - "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger". I'm not so sure. I was pretty excited this morning checking on the temps to decide when to go run my first 20 mile run. Ever. I have been doing well on long runs, including last week's 17 mile run at sea level (well, at 275 ft above sea level). I was a little concerned about the distance, so I planned to consume 2 Clif Bars before this run. Also, I was out of Clif Shot gel, but I wanted to change over to straight sports drink anyway. At least I wanted to try it out - all you have to do is drink, leaving one less thing to worry about during the run.

Morning temps were a little on the low side when I rolled out of bed at 6am. 27 degrees F, 17 degrees with the wind chill. Sun rise not until 7:09. I decided to wait for the sun to come up, but I was already eating my Clif Bars, and sipping a cup coffee. I usually have half a cup before my long runs. Then switch to water to make sure I start off hydrated. For some reason, I drank a cup and a half of coffee this morning. I think it was going well with my Clif Bars. The consequence was I only drank a few ounces of water. Usually, I would probably drink 8 to 10 ounces with my one Clif Bar.

I loaded up my Northface E-Race Boa hydration pack with gatorade, and headed out the door. I made it out to the trail about 7:30am; perfect timing really. Temp had increased in to the low 30's, and down to the mid-20's with the wind chill. I started off and noticed that the trail had quite of a bit of loose snow on it. Also, some of that hard pack that's a little like running on river rock. But I felt pretty good. Getting close to the first mile mark, I started to notice some stomach cramping. It wasn't too bad, but after reflecting a bit on my preparation, I began to wish I had consumed more water.

When drinking water, I usually take two draws through the bite-valve after every mile. That seems to keep me well hydrated and my post run weight pretty close to my pre run weight. I started in on the gatorade. It tasted good but seemed heavy. I noticed I was struggle more and more with the loose snow on the trail, particularly on the uphill stretches. My legs were getting sore also. And the cramping kept getting worse, as well as moving lower. Even though I kept thinking about slowing down, I was still 20 seconds a mile ahead of my pace.

By 6 miles I was heading up a hill and breathing like I was running intervals. I began to really focus on the turn around point. My trail run has an elevation gain on the way out (about 550 feet over ten miles), which makes for a nice run back. Of course, the hills are rolling, so there is more climbing to do than 550 ft. At about 8.5 miles there was a gradual downhill which caused me some concern. I knew I was going to have to run back up it shortly. Another downhill from 9.0 to 9.5 miles. Then some up hill. Each time I took in some gatorade, I noticed my cramping was getting worse.

I have had bad runs before. We all have. My general rule is to persevere, then when you're having another bad day, you can take encouragement and strength from past runs you were able complete when feeling bad. I was trying focused on this training truth. Then there was some up hill leading in to the turn around, but I was very happy to get going back the other way. I began to notice that I was thirsty. And it began to occur to me that the carbs I had taken in weren't getting digested - that's why I was cramping. I wasn't if I was processing any of the fluids, but I was thirsty and started visualizing asking other runners for a drink of water.

There weren't a lot of runners out on the trail today, so there really wasn't the opportunity. I also had forgotten to bring my phone. I think I might have called my wife if I had. But I kept persevering. At 13.5 miles I noticed I was thinking the mile markers were coming early than they actually were - meaning I would think I had hit the 13.5 mile mark, but still had a few hundred yards to go. I just kept moving and starting thinking that as soon as I could get to the car, I could have some water.

With the benefit of hindsight, I believe I was dehydrated at this point. I was very thirsty, my midsection was quite crampy from stomach through intestines. And I think I had lost the judgement required to make good decisions. I kept thinking about needing to finish the workout and the water in the car. With just under 4 miles to go I came upon a couple headed the same direction I was. I startled them. I think because I was breathing pretty heavy, but I'm not sure. We chatted a bit. They were doing 10 miles. I told them I was trying to do 20, but "I am struggling". I don't remember if they said anything after that.

Somewhere after that I remember somebody asked me if I was doing alright, but I don't know what I answered. I hit some ruts and almost lost my balance because my legs were complete rubber. At that point I had just over 2 miles to go and I knew I was going to finish. I just needed to focus on form. I staggered up the three remaining hills over the last 1.5 miles and hit the stop button on my watch. I was expecting to feel better, but I didn't. I walked for a bit, then started up the hill to the parking area. I almost couldn't make it. I got the water from the car and started wishing that I had my phone so I could have my wife come get me.

It never occurred to me that I could have asked the other people in the parking lot to make a phone call for me. I realize now how easy that would have been. I couldn't stretch. I was too out of breath, and maybe a little disoriented. I decided I needed to get home. So I got in my 4Runner and started the drive home. I don't really remember much about driving home. I do remember starting to pull in to the wrong side of the drive way. I think I was confused as to which car I was driving.

I came in the house and Diane asked how my run was. I dropped my running bag and said "bad". She was in another room, so I started down stairs to stretch. But I couldn't. It took more energy than I had. I also noticed I was shivering uncontrollably. I was convinced I needed a hot shower. So I started back up stairs. By the time I got to the top, I was breathing like I was running my 10th 400m interval. Diane noticed my breathing and shivering at that point and grabbed my arm. I had to get on all 4's to get up the next flight of stairs. She wouldn't let me get in the shower - she kept saying my body and hands felt hot. All I knew was I was shivering and fingers were numb. She pushed me in to bed, covered me up and got me started on water.

It has been about 5 hours since I stumbled in the door from my first ever 20 mile run. My legs are still quite sore. I have kept drinking water and have had some food once the cramping passed. I still do not have enough energy to stretch my legs, which I'm sure is part of the reason my legs are so sore. I know that I had a narrow escape today.

But what did I learn?

1) Once I was in trouble I didn't have the judgement to realize it and do something about it.

2) ALWAYS carry a cell phone on a long run.

3) NEVER change your eating habits or hydration plan on a 20 mile run. Test these changes on shorter distances.

4) If anyone ever asks you "are you doing okay?" on a run, stop and ask them why they are asking.

5) If you start fantasizing about asking other runners for water, you are in trouble.

6) And finally, stupid is as stupid does.

I thank God that I have come through today as well as I have.

Lower Expectations

Arrived safely in California on Thursday. I had moved my long run for the week to Friday, because of the family get together on Saturday. Something about these long runs (> 13 miles) that makes me sleepy for the rest of the day. And so I decided it would be better to be sleepy on Friday, rather than when everybody is together. We are celebrating Christmas a bit on the early side, so that we can be home (Colorado) for Christmas.

I wasn't really sure where to run, so I put out a question on the Running page on Facebook on Thursday night. Got a some good responses. In the process of trying to figure out how to make one of them work (Miner's Ravine Trail), I stumbled across the fact the American River Trail was a 15 minute drive. This took a bit of time on Friday morning, so I ended up starting out quite a bit later than planned and quite a bit later than typical for my long runs. I usually get started around 7am; Friday I was heading out at 10:15 to drive to the trail head.

Not really a problem, but my routine is to get up, have a 1/2 cup of coffee, consume a Clif Bar, and between 60 and 90 minutes after getting up, I'm generally running. As I was driving over to the trail, I decided I needed to eat another Clif Bar since I hadn't eaten any breakfast. That settled pretty well and I was anxious to get started. I parked at the fish hatchery off of Hazel (I believe this is in Folsom), and strapped on my Northface e-Race BOA hydration pack.

My target pace was 15 seconds faster than when running in Colorado and I was interested to see if running at a lower elevation made any difference at all. I learned the answer to that pretty quickly. I was cruising along about 10 seconds per mile ahead of my target pace and feeling like I was hardly working. I was nervous at first and kept trying to slow myself down. But the perceived effort was really pretty easy. After a while I decided not to worry about pace unless I was going more than 20 seconds ahead of target pace (that's 35 seconds faster than running in Colorado) and just focus on perceived effort.

At 8.5 miles, the turn-around point, I was really wondering if I had been running downhill the entire way. I felt very strong and was regularly having to slow down my pace. After making the turn, I didn't notice any sense of running uphill and was still needing to manage my pace. I was beginning to wonder if I wasn't ready to run my Boston qualifying time already - three weeks into my training.

Not too long after wondering about that, I hit the 13 mile mark. What happened next was interesting. I never was out of breathe or felt winded in any way. But my legs started wanting to slow down. Like they had a mind of their own. I found myself needing to focus on leg turnover and my pace problem seemed to bounce between running about 5 seconds a mile to slow, to 20 seconds to fast. Then I would settle down to about 10 seconds ahead of target pace. That pattern kept repeating. A couple of times, my pace was 40 seconds ahead of target pace. I never felt it in my lungs, but my legs were 'tired'.

I finished the run at 11 seconds per mile ahead of my target pace, 26 seconds faster than I would have done the same run in Colorado. After looking at my 1/2 mile splits, they were fairly consistent, even though my Forerunner was showing some big variations as I was running.

Having never run this far before, I really don't know what it feels like to get tired on a 17 mile run. Maybe this is what happens. Or maybe my lungs were ready for the challenge, but not my legs since I this was quite a bit faster turnover than they are used to. I'm not sure, but after I get my two other runs in at this elevation, I think I will drop an email off to the FIRST guys and get their thoughts.

I have been looking at this week as a test of the assumptions behind my training plan. I am assuming that my marathon pace at 500 ft elevation is about 12 - 15 seconds faster than at 6200 ft. I think that was confirmed on Friday. But frankly, I'm not sure. I may have just run at a higher effort level than I should have. I hope to know more after my interval workout and tempo run.

Below 20 and Windy

Today was a busy day. We are leaving for our early holiday trip to California tomorrow, so there was a lot of packing and preparation going on. It was also a cold day. When I checked the weather this morning, the temperature was 17F, and with the wind chill, it was a frosty 2F. I don't know about you but I have rules about temperatures.

I will run in pretty much any cold temperature, as long as the wind isn't blowing. I think the coldest I have run in is 0F. When there is no wind, it's actually pretty easy to be comfortable. I generally layer. At 35F and below, I wear a long sleeve shirt under a shell, gloves, ear band, and wind pants. At around 28F, I usually add a second shirt - short sleeve, that goes over the long sleeve. Everything else is the same. At 20F, I switch from an ear band to a hat. At around 15F, the second shirt either becomes long sleeve, or I add a third shirt. I may also add a pair of gloves under my Sugoi wind mits. If it is wet and below 30F (freezing rain), I may add a pair of tights under my wind pants.

Any colder and it becomes a custom deal. It doesn't happen often enough to have rules for it. But the last rule I have is if it is 20F or below and the wind is blowing, I stay inside. I just haven't found a way to protect the exposed skin of my face. And when the temperature with wind chill is 2F, it feels much colder than that on exposed skin. Really there's no comparison to 17F with a 2F wind chill, and 2F with no wind.

Today's scheduled workout, was Key Work #2 - tempo run. 1 mile at easy tempo pace, 5 miles at long tempo pace, and 1 mile at easy tempo pace. Since my long tempo pace is the same as I ran in October for the Denver Half Marathon, I figured, how hard can this be? I'm beginning to hate it when I think that. Given the temperature, there was no way I was running outside today. So that meant it was a tempo workout on the treadmill.

I think there is something wrong with my treadmill. It's 10 years old, but in really good shape. I recently replaced both the deck and the belt. It's a PaceMaster Pro Plus and was around $2k new. The issue I have is that treadmill workouts are supposed to be easier than running outside. At least that's what 'they' say. Whoever 'they' are. But I consistently find that my perceived effort is higher when running the same pace on my treadmill versus running outside. Maybe it's mental. Maybe I get bored on the treadmill and all there is to think about is "when am I going to be done".

The other thing that occurred to me, is that I may need to check to make sure it's level. Maybe when it thinks it is flat, it is actually sloping up hill a degree or so. Probably wishful thinking on my part. In any case, I finished the workout. It was considerably tougher than I would have thought, but I wasn't ever in danger of not finishing.

Tomorrow I'm up early (~5am) to get my strength training and aerobic crossing training in before packing up and heading to the airport. Then on Friday I will need to find a 17 mile route in California for my long run. That should be fun. And like I mentioned on Monday, it will give me a chance to test my pace at sea level as compared to my pace at 6200 feet here in Colorado Springs. I'm counting on about a 12 - 15 second per mile reduction in pace to be able to comfortably qualify for Boston.

Empty Paces

I don't put paces in my posts. I think I may have in my first post, when I was in the final stages of considering pursuing Boston Marathon qualification. But I haven't since, and that is by design. Well, at least subconsciously by design. I don't think my training paces or racing paces are relevant to any one; except me. Not that I feel I need to hide them, but comparing running times is a little like comparing salaries: somebody is going to end up being disappointed. Too much focus on pace just gets in the way of enjoying running.

I started thinking about this back in September. I was training for the Denver Half Marathon and was out on a Saturday trail run. It was a beautiful day and there were a lot of people out on the trail. One of those people was a mom whose 10 year old daughter (an educated guess from a father of four daughters) was following her on a bike. I was running out-and-back and I passed her on my way out. I probably mumbled "morning" in passing, as I usually do. But I'm generally pretty unobservant when I'm running. I'm usually in my own world.

I noticed this pair because I thought it was pretty cool that a mom would take her daughter out with her on a morning trail run. That would involve getting the daughter up early, packing the bike in the car, unpacking the bike, doing the run, packing the bike, unpacking the bike back home. It seemed like it would have taken a lot of work. I thought it was special that in spite of the work to get there, they seemed to be enjoying the time together.

I'm sure I had forgotten them, until on my way back in I noticed the bicycle flag of the daughter up ahead. She was weaving around the trail a bit. I was smiling as pulled around them to pass, when the mom asked, "How far are going today?"

I responded, "11 miles."

"That's great", she said, "Your fast. I'll never be fast like that."

I think I said, "Thanks." Or something equally lame. And then I was on my way.

But for the rest of the run, I kept thinking I missed an opportunity. It took me a while to put my finger on it, but she sounded discouraged. At that point I thought, should it matter if I was running faster than she was? There were plenty of people who passed me that day. And there's a nearly endless list of people I'll never be as fast as (e.g. Paula Radcliffe, Meb Keflezighi, etc). For me, these truths were and are okay. But for her, the fact that she didn't think she could run as fast as I was running was discouraging. And I felt I had missed an opportunity to say something. Maybe to get her thinking about her running in a different way that would allow her take joy in her running accomplishments.

What could I have said to be encouraging? I'm not sure. The reality is we all have a God given ability to process oxygen. Through training, we can improve upon that ability, but that will only take you so far. Elite runners are born with a superior capacity to process oxygen compared to the typical recreational runner. I know I will never be an elite runner. No matter how much or how hard I train. I wasn't born with the basic physical abilities to be an elite runner.

There will always be people who finish in front of me in a road race. So why do I run? First and foremost, I love it. Second, I want to see how good of a runner I can be. It is a personal challenge. The only relevant measure for my progress is my own running times. Or how close to my theoretical maximum race pace can I run. And as I get older, I age adjust my times to compare to times when I was younger. The joy comes from challenging myself, setting realistic goals, and working to achieve them. Those realistic goals are based on my physiology and training history, which are unique to me. And so are my paces.

One thing that has helped me to feel okay about being passed while out on my runs, is to clearly know the purpose of the run, and what pace I should be running to accomplish that purpose. On that Saturday, I knew that my long run was intended to build my endurance, and that to accomplish that goal, my pace needed to be in a specific range. Running outside that range, either too fast or too slow, meant I would not accomplish building endurance. And if I ran the wrong pace, you could say that the run was actually time wasted.

That knowledge allows me to let people go by without picking up my pace, or to see people up ahead and not feel the need to see if I can catch them. I want to preserve the training value of my run. And it makes it easier not to compare myself to others. When I go out for a run I have a specific workout to accomplish - a specific distance at a specific pace range based on my current running ability. Presumably, the other runners have their specific workouts too. But it is their workout. I have my own.

I don't think I could have explained this on the trail that Saturday morning. I'm not sure I have explained it well here. Maybe I'm making this harder than it needs to be.

I remember being on a Saturday morning run this fall, when a high school cross country team passed me going the other direction. One of the runners said, "good job, sir", as they went by. That simple comment gave me real boost. And not just a burst of energy. It felt good to be acknowledge by a runner that was undoubtably a faster runner than I.

Maybe encouraging other runners is as simple as acknowledging the training that they are doing. To let them know that I see and appreciate the work they are putting in on their workout. A simple "good job", or "you're doing great", or even "I'm impressed that you're out here with your daughter this morning". It may mean I can't get quite as comfortable in that world off by myself. But that seems a small price to pay to be able to speak a word of encouragement to a fellow runner.

The mom on the trail that morning was doing great. She was running her pace. She was enjoying the morning with her daughter. And, she was giving encouragement to the runners passing her. Next time, I'll return the favor, and maybe beat her to the punch.