During all 5 years of my running career, I’ve been a stickler about my mileage. If I missed a day, I found a way to tack the miles on to another run or ran on an off day to make them up. During my training for the Fargo Marathon Weekend (I’m running the 5K and 1/2 Marathon), I’ve made some changes.

Coming of a series of injuries, I started this training cycle on the cautious side – afraid that another injury would pop up and I would end up with periods of recovery. So I haven’t been as anal about my mileage and started focusing on my pace. I never have been and never will be a fast runner. I can’t overcome my genetics and body type and I’m OK with that. What I wanted to see is if a 9:30 – 10:00/mile runner transform towards a 8:00 – 9:00/mile runner. The obvious answer is yes. The not so obvious answer is how.

There are thousands of opinions on the how so I thought I’d tell you how I did it.

First was changing my running stride – more for my own durability than anything else. I had experimented with a shorter stride a while back and increasing my stride rate (the amount of times your foot hits the ground in a set amount of time). A shorter stride forces you to land more on the balls of your feet and underneath your body providing you more support and keeping the stresses on your joints to a minimum. The quicker stride rate naturally increases your speed. One your speed increases we move to step two.

Practice running at goal pace for longer periods. Once I was able to bring my pace down to 8:30 and below, it’s just a matter of running that pace for longer periods. I started out at an easy pace and would target one mile at goal pace. The next time out I’d shoot for two. Soon, you’ll find that your easy pace will increase and your goal pace will naturally get lower. It’s all about pushing yourself a little more than you usually do if you want to improve. While I run alone, I don’t have others to help me push myself like I would if I was in a group. This means you really have to dedicate yourself to stick to your goals.

While I’m not setting PR goals for my next race (I have too much stress in my life to add any others), I am expecting better results. While my goal was to pace out at 8:30/miles, my natural easy running pace is now 8:30/mile and my goal paces are sub 8:00/mile. Proof positive that if you push yourself a little, you can produce results – even a big oaf like me!!!

RMFR

It’s 10:00 p.m. There isn’t hatred in my stare, it’s more like annoyance. It isn’t doing anything, my “big blue ball” just sits there…staring right back at me. It’s going to win since it doesn’t have eyes and I blink first. Time to work on my core.

I don’t hate much in life but working my core…I HATE!!! I’ve never like sit ups. OK, I hate doing sit ups. Just the mere thought of them will make me consult my “honeydo” list for something BETTER to do. I’m stuck between two rocks and a soft place. The faster my running has gotten, the more I realize that I need my core now more than ever.

So I consulted my friend Heidi for some help. I’d seen people working out with their “blue balls” but had no idea how or what to do with them (yes, the connotations are intentional – just for you Heids). Her reply was easy. Do crunches in all four directions and stretch your back. No problem.

First of all, I must have no balance because getting my fat arse on that ball and to stay in one place is a workout itself – never mind having to eventually workout on it. I quickly realized that this balancing act is what makes using the “blue ball” much more effective. My normal 25-50 crunch rep was immediately cut down to 15 the first week. After 3 sets, I could barely move. Working on the love handles is the biggest spectacle of the whole routine. It took nearly 2 minutes just to find a spot where I wasn’t going to end up on the floor but again, the workout was intense. The picture of a grown man rolling around on a ball even makes me laugh but my disdain for all things abs is lessening.

While a core workout still ranks behind doing the dishes and pulling weeds, I think with a little determination and consistency, I might get it above matching socks and making the bed.

RMFR

Having a wife that isn’t currently working is a great thing for a runner (leaving out obvious economic pitfalls that is). It means that no matter the time of day or day of week, I can head out for 30 minutes or 3 hours. We don’t have to determine who’s going to miss work for a doctor’s appointment or worry about who’s getting two boyz ready before work. I’m blessed with a wife that accepts and puts up with her husband who is obsessed with running. One of the main reasons I started this website was to talk to somebody…anybody about running. As much as my wife will put up with my collection of shoes, foul running gear and “running vacations,” she absolutely doesn’t want to talk about it.

A couple of months ago, a birthday party was planned for my wife’s sister and became a mini family reunion with a bunch of her family getting together. At the time I was all for it. She rarely gets to see her sisters and taking care of this family 24/7…she deserves every chance to get away that she can. That meant that this weekend was a boyz weekend. Where manners can be loosened and there’s a probably a little more freedom than when mom’s around…except for the running dad.

The boyz are seven and nine. While some may think that they can take care of themselves for at least 30 minutes, the ferocity of their fighting and consistency for mischief make this a leap of faith I’m not willing to take.

This means that a 3-mile easy run and a 8-mile long run will need to be scheduled. With a very stressful work schedule that consumes many hours, I’ve long been accustomed to being fluid with my training schedule. With any easy week scheduled for next week, I’ve decided to swap weeks and will make up the missed runs this week, next week.

We all have our schedules and kinks that get thrown into them. Remember though, you need to be fluid in your training. Just because you missed a run, the sun will rise again and there will be a chance to run another day. As long as you stay focused on the prize at the end, you’ll be fine.

RMFR

It’s tough being a dad. I never put much thought into it until I had kids. Looking back on it, I don’t think I’ve very good at it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids and try to raise them the best I know how (my wife is the pro and keeps this ship from sinking). I’m not the wise elder and consider myself the cool, fun dad – it’s my personality. I’m not a great philosopher (in fact I hated philosphy – Descartes was simply insane) and I’m more of an irrational thinker. I have to work hard at keeping myself out of trouble by not thinking through my answers. Where conventional wisdom has failed me, running education has stepped in to bail me out.

On Sondays, when my son and I share some quality one-on-one time, I’ve tried to weave in some parental advice without lecturing. The easiest way of doing this is applying it to what we’ve doing – exercise. From what I’ve learned through running, I can know apply to my newly found wisdom.

Goals
Every young adult needs to know they can accomplish any goal if they set their mind to it. We live in a pretty hilly area. The downhills were no problem for my son on his bike. It was the uphills I would lose him on. While encouragement could coax him for a period of time, it was applied wisdom that seemed to do the trick. Instead of looking at the goal as this long distance we needed to travel, I broke it up into a bunch of much smaller goals that looked attainable without much effort. This is the same trick I think we all use in our running. Instead of looking at a marathon as the full 26.2 miles – you break it up into miles, 5Ks or halves. This tricks your mind into attaining smaller goals while whittling away the longer goal.

Fortitude
When your younger or under duress, the path of least resistance is a natural instinct. It’s not until you test yourself and battle through adversity until you can see what you’re really able to do. We’re back at the Home Hill and he’s almost to the 2nd to last goal. I try and remind him that if he can just keep pushing through to the next goal that it will get flat (that and the fact that I’m going to keep going). He struggles to the top and with a bead of sweat making it’s way down his cheek, he smiles. “That wasn’t too bad, dad.” “It never is,” I remind him. We all have mental walls we need to break down and until you take out the hammer and give it a couple of whacks, you’ll never know what’s on the other side.

While I may not be a scholarly individual, there still are some life lessons to be taught. It’s just the medium that needed to be tweaked. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with others. It just might make the difference in somebody’s life.

RMFR

I don’t cross train. I did swim for awhile but it didn’t stick. I don’t really like going to they gym and even if I do go, I find a way to run there anyway…so what’s the use? I’ve used an elliptical machine once and didn’t feel it gave me the workout I was looking for. I’ve got a reason to give it another try now.

After reading Dean Karnazes’ blog about the ElliptiGo outdoor bicycle, to say I’m intrigued is the understatement of the century. It’s like when you were a kid and had to have the latest new toy that was advertised during your favorite afternoon cartoon (yes kids, cartoons used to only be on after school and on Saturdays). In fact, it has that “wow” factor that even has my cyclist boss daydreaming about lunch workouts on this gym machine on wheels.

The first ElliptiGO’s where shipped out in February and the next batch comes out and pre orders are now available for April delivery. While a little spendy ($2,199 with a $750 deposit required when ordered), as a runner looking for a cross training alternative, I’m dying to get my hands on one. I’m also thinking this could be the crossover I’ve been looking for to bridge that gap between cyclists and runners out on the roads. If not, it will just give them something else for their arsenal.

Anybody out there had the chance to try out the ElliptiGO? Would you spend $2,199 for one? If I could, I would!!!

RMFR

Once you’ve been running for awhile, you get it. You know what you need to do to prepare for a race. From past experiences, you know your body and what it can handle. For this reason, I’ve started to make my own training regimens. Depending on what I want to accomplish, these training programs will change.

The one invaluable piece of advice I can give anyone and their training schedule (whether you make your own or not) is to write it down. Print it out. Put in on the refrigerator, mirror, wall or anywhere you will constantly see it. Not only will you be reminded of what you’ve got to do next, it’s a great motivator when everybody else can see it. Did a day go past without you crossing a day off? Did anybody else see it? You’d be amazed at what a little encouragement can do.

RMFR

There are some runs when you just don’t know what to expect. You could run into somebody and share interesting stories, encounter a bizarre event or see something unexpected. It’s something totally different when you get throw a curveball from you kids.

In the middle of an easy 5 miles with my iPod on shuffle, who should come blaring thru my headphones but Alvin and the Chipmunks and their Witch Doctor anthem. After my initial shock, I couldn’t keep from smiling. Obviously, they must have been messing with my iTunes playlists and added this cult classic into my hard rock playlist.

They didn’t know they did it but it definitely added a little something extra into an ordinary run.

RMFR

This year I’m trying something new. I’m calling them Speed Hills (for lack of a better name). I’ve never done speed or interval workouts before but thought I’d add them into my running routine. My running schedule had always included some tempo runs where in the middle of a longer run, I would pick up the pace for 3-4 miles. Trying to push myself to get a little faster (I consider myself slow and I am).

With the introduction of combining speed work with hills, I’m hoping to build leg strength and speed at the same time.

There is a 1/3 mile stretch of road near myself that I have dubbed “The Road to Nowhere.” It actually is a paved road that really does lead to nowhere. It’s close to traffic and hasn’t been connected to any other streets until more housing developments are completed. The name also has another meaning. It’s a really steep climb – ascending over 100 ft. – over the stretch of the climb. At the bottom is starts out gradually and evens up into a steady ascent which attacks your legs unmercifully!!!

After a 1 mile warmup running to the street and down to it’s base, I planned on doing 5 intervals for my first time out. I’m going to have to work up to sprinting the entire .3 miles so I’ve decided to start with half that distance (.15 miles). Using lampposts as my guide, I would sprint up at a fast but sustainable pace and then do a recovery jog back down to the start.

To my surprise, I was extremely consistent on my intervals (without timing them) averaging 1:03 per interval (6:45/mi. or 8.9 mph). For me this is extremely fast and going uphill, an awesome workout!!! After finishing, I walked and recovered up the remaining part of the hill and then jogged it back to my house. The entire workout ended up being 3.2 miles total but it wasn’t the total mileage that I was concerned with.

The change in pace and workout type has actually spurred my need for this workout. There’s nothing better than the feeling of near exhaustion and recovering just as quick. I’ll keep you updated on these workouts as I increase repetitions and distance in preparation for the Red Rock 1/2 Marathon where the hills are long and steep.

RMFR

As 2009 comes to a close, I find myself in a unique situation – I’m in a running rut. It’s not a physical rut. I don’t think I’ve ever been running better or been in as good of shape as I am now. This is all mental. I’m just not “that into it” right now. For those of you who visit this site often you can probably tell by the lack of posts recently. I consider myself “Runningcentric”. All I ever do is think, talk and dream about running. Want to go on vacation? OK, let me check the running calendar. Need help with your homework? Let’s go for a run and talk about it. But lately….NOT.

It all started on my week off after the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon. I was overflowing with excitement for that race. Training had gone well and it was the inaugural event. Even though I didn’t finish like I had wanted, I wasn’t disappointed and spirits were high. I already had the Walt Disney World Marathon on my schedule to look forward to and the fact that I would be running with my sister (her first marathon) is even better. 10 days of vacation, a cruise, Walt Disney World AND a race thrown in? I should be on cloud nine…but I’m not.

I can’t explain it. I know we all go thru let downs after races but this is the first time I’ve hit a wall in my head. Maybe it’s the Holidays, maybe it’s work or it just may be the culmination of a series of events that are out of my control. The fact of the matter is, when we hit these low points we need to keep on keeping on. Lace up the shoes and get out the door. It wall all come back eventually.

So that’s what I’ve been trying to do this last week before the race. All my training runs have no goals. I’m heading out the door with no anticipation. I don’t know which route I’m taking. Don’t know how far I’m going to go. The only thing I do know for sure is that I’m running for the pure enjoyment of it. Taking in the scenery. Taking in other runners I meet on the way and running for the moment only. It may not happen overnight and it might even take weeks but I know if I bring things into perspective, it will all come back.

Happy New Year and RMFR!!!

First off, this post in no way is meant to be bragging. I know there are plenty of runners that do much more than this and by much more, I mean WAY MORE (i.e. 50 in 50). This actually happened by accident – well O.K. not an accident but more so by circumstance.

A year ago this Christmas, I talked my sister into running her first marathon at the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. I’ve been running now for 4 years but I’d only run one marathon and that was at the end of 2006. Worried that I would fail supporting her thru 26.2 miles, I decided on running the full Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon (more so for confidence than anything else). After a great year of training and racing, it didn’t even dawn on me that the races were merely 36 days apart.

The biggest hurdle in this whole thing has been the training. The shortest training program I’d done preceding a race was 12 weeks. After a week off following the Las Vegas Marathon, that left me with only 4 weeks of training. With over 750+ miles and 3 races under my belt this year, I know I have the strength for a 4 week schedule but it still doesn’t seem like enough. Using the trusted Runner’s World SmartCoach, it whipped out this maintenance schedule:

Week     Mon.     Tues.     Wed.     Thur.     Fri.     Sat.     Sun.
1             6 mi.                   5 mi.                            10 mi.
2             6 mi.                   5 mi.                            12 mi.
3             5 mi.                   5 mi.                            14 mi.
4                          3 mi.                    5 mi.     3 mi.              RACE

The absence of a 20-miler kind of freaks me out but the last thing I want to do is be overly fatigued or worse yet get an injury before my sister’s race. This is definitely one race I wouldn’t miss for the world!!!

Have you done a short training session for a race? If so please share what you did.

RMFR