Cross training for runners...

Cross training, to me, is an important component to my overall fitness and actually helps with my running even though I may not be working my "running muscles".  For cross training right now I am trying to mix in a little stretching, core/ab work, and strength training.  I am a big fan of the P90X program developed by fitness guru Tony Horton.  Surely you have seen the infomercials on late night TV.  Well, truth be told, the program kicks my butt.  In my opinion, the pure P90X approach is too much for someone seriously training for endurance races like marathons and ultra marathons.  It is 6 days of brutal exercise and 1 day of stretching.  I do however use the strength training, abs, and sometime yoga to compliment my running approximately 2 days per week.  So I run for 5 days, cross train on one of my running days and then have a day where all I do is cross train....finally, I take Sunday completely off from any exercise at all.  That is my recovery day.

Side note, as a follow up to my post yesterday about Food, Inc., I have ordered the book The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is by one of the developers of the documentary.  I am going to start incorporating some changes in my diet to hopefully eat better.

Mileage this week = 5 miles

Good food for running....

I watched an interesting documentary this week....Food, Inc.  If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it.  It basically explores the food industry and uncovers how corporate america has changed (and not necessarily for the better) what we are eating and how it gets to our table.  First of all let me state that I am normally not one to get caught up in the "Corporate America is bad" debate.  I work in Corporate America and while I can admit it is not perfect, it is not a bad system.  I also have to say that I have been against the "Organic craze" since inception.  I mostly felt (notice past tense) it was a marketing ploy.  This movie did open my eyes though.....I have to admit.  I am not going to go into excruciating detail about it, but a few things stick out.  First of all the corporate farms are giving the chickens so many growth hormones that they grow to double the weight of a normal chicken in 1/3 of the amount of time.  They grow so big that they cannot even walk more than a couple of steps without falling down.  Tomatoes we can now get year 'round...this is because they are picked in Mexico or South America when green and ripened with a chemical.  This is not natural.  Oh, also, they fatten up cattle with corn (which are natural grass eaters) because it gets them bigger, but one of the side effects is it helps with the development of deadly ecoli.  You really should watch this movie.  I am not completely sold just yet, but plan to research this all a little more.

My wife and I do like to support local farmers and enjoy strolling through a farmer's market to purchase produce.  I am giving serious consideration to joining a CSA or trying a company Orlando Organics to get produce.  My brother-in-law and sister have been quite pleased with their CSA in Wisconsin.  It has forced them (willingly) to branch-out foodwise.  Not to mention the support of local farmers and having freshest food around.  Anyway now I will get off of my soapbox.

My long run on Saturday went off without a hitch.  Did 14 miles and averaged 10:15 pace according to my Garmin.  Actually a little faster than I should have gone for a long run (want to be 1:30-2:00 slower than marathon race pace), but wasn't too bad off.  I did not get to try my compression leggings due to me not realizing that when I ordered they were not sold in pairs, but as single items.  I ordered the matching one and should have them both to try for this week.

This week is a recovery week as I have been building mileage for 3 weeks.  I do a cycle, right now, where I build mileage for three weeks and then scale back to recover.  I will do this until I get into weeks where I have long runs over 20 miles.  Then I will do every other.

Today only a 2 mile easy run (recovery) and I will lift and do core work tonight.

Last week's mileage = 26 miles

Mileage today = 2 miles
Total mileage this week = 2 miles

So far so good as far as my running is concerned.....

Don't want to jinx the week, but thus far has been textbook.  Monday a 3 mile easy run (@10:00 pace), Tuesday tempo run (@marathon race pace), Wed lifted weights, Thursday speedwork (800 meter intervals), and this morning another easy run to prep for my long run (14 miles) tomorrow.  Next week is a recovery week so my legs will thank me.  Need to start stretching more.....my flexibility is horrible.  Oh well, off to work for now.

Running free.....in Nike Free's...

Got my Nike Free’s in the mail yesterday, compliments of Roadrunnersports.com.  First of all, they are pretty cool looking, if I do say so myself.  My initial impression after taking them out of the box was how light they are.  They feel like you are holding nothing.  They are also incredibly flexible.  You can rotate, twist, turn, torque in every direction.  I was looking forward to taking them out for a spin.  I put the shoes on and wore them for a bit last night and was impressed.  They really do feel somewhat like walking around barefoot, aside from the obvious fact that there is limited protection with the sole of the shoe.  However, it is easy to “feel” in these shoes unlike my traditional stability shoes.  They actually almost feel like putting on socks as they have no detached tongue and are very form fitting (not tight, but comfortably snug).  The laces are offset as well adding to the high level of comfort.  Now to run in them…..

Woke up this fine morning with Speedwork on my mind.  Plan for the day was to run a half mile warm up, 4 x 800 meter intervals at 3:45 (with 2:00 rest/walking in between) and a half mile cooldown jog.  Got ready and laced up my new Nike Frees and hit the ground running (literally).  I absolutely love the shoes….I have to say.  They feel like nothing is on your feet since they are so light.  I did notice that my stride and gait were different though.  I ran more on the forefoot, which is the purpose, I know, but I could feel my feet getting more fatigued by the end of the run.  Trust me, this is a good thing.  I think if I start incorporating the shoes in on my runs with increasing frequency that my feet and leg muscles will improve and hopefully I will one day not need the stability shoes.  My plan is to use them always for speed work and then gradually add them to other runs through the week.  Not going to use them on long runs just yet.  Not until I develop a tolerance for the workout it is putting on the new muscles.  Very impressed though overall with my first time out.  Only about 3 miles total, but very nice.

Today I am getting (also from Roadrunnersports.com) compression sleeves for my calves that I plan to try on this weekend’s long run (14 miles).  I have read so much hype and review over these products mostly pointing to the quick recovery and lack of soreness.  I will report back this weekend how they work.

Mileage today = 3 miles (.5 WU; 4 x 800; .5 CD)

Mileage this week = 9 miles

Best way to knock out a long run.....

Think about the reward at the end.  Today my reward was a bowl of steel cut oats with brown sugar, golden raisins, craisins, and toasted pecans.  Boring, I know, but it satisfied my need for something sweet after knocking out my 12 mile run.  What a beautiful morning it was with temps at the start of the run in upper 50's.  Anyway, pretty much a uneventful run.  No issues to speak of and I even tried out some new nutrition.  I tried the Clif Bloks (Orange Flavor).  Not bad.  I like the fact that you can eat them gradually instead of all at once like with gels.  I do really still prefer Gu gels though.

Doing long runs on Saturday leaves the afternoon for one thing this time of year.....football.  The bad thing about that is that my wife and I went to a watch party at a local watering hole where I preceded to eat a bunch of junk.  I had a 4 sliders, fries and 4 beers....not exactly a runners diet.  I need to start watching my food intake a bit more.  Hopefully I can share my quest to eat right at well.  I want to get my weight down to about 180 by race time....currently I am at 193.  I have time, but need to stay away from the burgers.  Tomorrow is a new day and I will rest knowing that I burned 1700+ calories today.  That makes my food sins a little more tolerable.

On another note, I got prescriptions to knock out a reoccurring upper respiratory infection.  Hopefully this ends the cycle of cough and hacking that seems to rear its ugly head about every 6 weeks.  Running actually makes it feel better, so that is good at least.

Daily mileage = 12 miles
Weekly mileage = 21 miles

A little under the weather….

Moved my day off from running that was supposed to be today to yesterday. I have been a little under the weather as of late, but I will grind out my speedwork tonight and then an easy 3 milers tomorrow AM and ending the week of running with a 12 miler on Saturday. Needed to cross train on my off day this week, but just not feeling it with the cold.

Congrats to everyone that raced and finished Chicago Marathon last weekend. I ran that race last year and it is truly a joy. Awesome crowd support and amazing scenery make the race go by quickly. By far the best expo I have ever seen at a race as well. Now if only I can get into the NY Marathon. I have only one year under my belt in the lottery, so I likely have a while to go.

Here is my list of “must do” races:

• New York City Marathon (TBD)
• Boston Marathon (TBD-either have to get faster, older, or get in with a charity)
• Big Sur Marathon (TBD)
• LA Marathon (TBD)
• ING Miami Marathon (Jan 30, 2011)
• 26.2 For Donna Breast Cancer Marathon (February 13, 2011)
• The Ice Age Trail 50 mile ultra marathon (May 14, 2011)
• Pikes Peak Half Marathon (TBD)

There are many more that I will probably do, but these are definite. I usually will do one big destination race per year. By big I mean requiring a flight to get to/from. I have already booked my hotel for Miami and am just hoping to remain injury free until then.

Well, update….knocked out my speedwork and surprisingly felt okay despite hacking up my lungs during the first few repeats. I did a warm-up, 6 x 400 meter repeats at 1:40 pace, followed by a cool down. Total was about 3 miles.

Mileage today = 3 miles
Mileage for the week = 9 miles

What is with the barefoot running craze….

I recently read the book Born To Run by Chris McDougal (wonderful read, by-the-way, if you haven’t read it) about a tribe of Indians (Tarahumara) in the Copper Canyon area of Mexico that have a seemingly natural ability to run for incredible distances.  These people can knock out 100 mile runs without even preparing or training.  Most incredibly is the fact that they wear thin sandals made of old tires and cord.  That’s right, they do not worry about getting the “Stability” shoes as of a result of their “overpronation”.  They embrace a childlike joy of running that few of us experience in our “let me fit this run in before I go to work” lives.  The book spends a portion of its time going into the biomechanics of the human body and the foot and how running barefoot can cause you to run with better form and limit injuries.  According the to the research illustrated in the book, the human foot was not designed to strike heel-first as most of us run with our $100+ super supportive shoes.  On another interesting note, they have research that shows a direct correlation with the price of the shoes and the number of injuries.  Surprisingly, the more expensive the shoes, the more often the runners are injured.

For the record, I have to admit that I am curious about all of this.  I have not completely bought into the whole barefoot running culture, but I am curious.  To be exact, I am so much so that I have purchased a pair of minimalist shoes.  Nike Free to be exact.  They are supposed to be a close approximation to running barefoot without having to worry about stepping on glass, or sharp objects which appear in the everyday street running that I do.  I haven’t received them yet, but should be in this week.  I ordered them from roadrunnersports.com which offers a 60 return guarantee.  That way, if I don’t like them then they go back.  I will probably just start off using them on my speedwork days (Wednesday).  I will keep you posted on the results of my “trial”.  I am not quite ready to branch out into the whole Vibrum Five Finger shoes….they look a little too wacky for me at this point.  I have seen a few people at races with them on though.

One of the interesting characters in the book Born To Run, is Barefoot Ted.  He apparently won the LA Marathon running barefoot (maybe just his age group, I don’t recall).  Interesting guy….you should check out his website for a lot of resources on barefoot running.  Also, this most recent issue of Runners World has an article about barefoot running.  I haven’t read it yet, but this whole thing has gone viral..

As for my training…..I will post my whole program soon, but so far this week I have logged two easy runs of 3 miles each.  Tomorrow will be speedwork……..fun!

Mileage today = 3 miles
Pace = 9:30
Weekly mileage = 6 miles

Nice fall running....

Knocked out a nice 10 miler this AM on the West Orange Trail here in Winter Garden, FL.  This weather has been so nice.  High 50's at night and low 80's during the day.....WITHOUT the humidity.  Loving it.  Anyway, the West Orange Trail is a Rails-to-Trails path that snakes its way 30-40 miles through central Florida.  It is nice because there is water stops along the way and things to see.  It was crowded today with all of the nice weather.

Anyway, my goal was simply to log the miles today at a nice easy pace.  I did it at around a 10:15 pace.  My nutritional regiment for a run of that length is as follows:  approximately 30 minutes prior to run I drink a cup of coffee and eat a piece of whole grain toast with almond butter; during the run I ate a Mint Chocolate Gu about at mile 5.5; after I had a mushroom omelet, 1/2 hash browns, and fruit cup.  During runs I usually use my first gel around 1 hour in and then every 45 minutes after.  This of course depends on how I am feeling.  In the past I have had problems with cramping in long mileage (i.e. over 20 miles) situations which I can usually get to subside with salt supplements.  Anyway, tomorrow is a rest day....can't wait..

Total mileage for the week = 22 miles

So why blog about running.....

I used to hate/despise running and anything to do with running for as long as I can remember.  I ran only when my baseball or football coach told me to.  The bad thing was, at the time, I was actually good at it.  I was a sprinter.  I could steal bases in baseball or run routes in football with the best of them, but an endurance athlete I was not.  In 2004 I found myself living without my now wife, away while I was working to start a new business venture.  Overcome with boredom I made the bold statement "I think I will run a marathon".  Little did I know that would be the turning point to take me down the road for one of biggest passions of my life.  

I now absolutely love to run.  I love the endorphins that make my body tingle with the good fatigue that comes from cranking out 26.2.  I love the burning lungs that come with a ferocious speed work session.  I love the people that running seems to attract.  I love the races and the atmosphere of the environment.  I love the solitude and personal challenge that running can present.  It is a great sport indeed.  I am no longer the speedster with short distances nor the great endurance athlete that I hope to be, but I love the sport.  I am 36 years old (almost 37), married with 2 cats.  I thought that I might blog a bit about running to hopefully share my races reports, training, trials and tribulations so that I might inspire or bring the enthusiasm that I feel for the sport to others.  I have completed 5 marathons (Chicago, The Palm Beaches Marathon, A1A Marathon, Disney Marathon, and the Green Bay Marathon), lots of half marathons, and more 10k/5k's that I could hope to count.  My PR (personal record) for the marathon is 4:23 (Green Bay marathon) and my PR for Half Marathon is 1:51 (Seaside Half Marathon).  I am just above average for my age group based on those time (approximately average).  My next race of any consequence is the OUC Half marathon which is in December and then the ING Miami Marathon in January.  After that I am not sure. I have great aspirations to start into triathlons and ultras, but we shall see what my mind is like.  

I run and have run with only ASICS shoes and I currently have 7 pairs (some are worn beyond belief) of the same shoes in my closet.  I do not listen to iPods or music typically in races, as I love to soak in the environment and listen to the cheers,chants, and the pulse of the surroundings.  I am not against them, I just think that you are missing out if you are not taking in the environment.  This is especially true at destination races.  I use Body Glide for chaffing, band-aids on my nipples to prevent the horrible bloody nipple syndrome, and change into Crocs immediately after each race or long run (like little clouds for your sore feet).

Anyway, that is about me, about my blog. I hope to post 4-5 times per week with various topics that I hope are of interest. Anyway, I had better run to bed here soon....got a 10 miler in the AM.

Weekly Mileage Thru today 12