Run Resolutions

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I closed out 2011 with a few easy weeks…as far as running is concerned. The holiday weeks have been plenty busy to keep Robin and I feeling worn out. That’s ok with me. Just a few more days and I (along with thousands of other runners) will ring in the new running year at the 2012 Mississippi Blues Marathon.

I’ve started a fresh running log for 2012 and closed out last year’s log. I’ve entered a training plan that will take me through the next few months, building both base and long run miles in preparation for my first 50K ultra-marathon in March. I’ve even set a goal for total mileage in 2012. Before getting into the new year’s running resolutions, I want to take one last look back at 2011.

At the beginning of 2011, I set a goal of 600 miles for the year. At the time, it seemed like overreaching. It was, afterall, my first full year of running. It turned out to be quite an underestimation as my total mileage for the year was 804! This year, I’ll set another overreaching goal and do my best to blow it away.

2012 Resolutions

1. 1000 miles
2. Run at least one more marathon than last year
3. Complete an ultra-marathon
4. Complete marathon in less than 4.5 hours
5. Work in some barefoot or near-barefoot training runs throughout the year
6. Stay healthy and excited about running

There are a few other things I’d like to make happen but they don’t really work as resolutions. For example, I’d like to get all of the kids involved in physical activities – not necessarily running although that would be awesome! I’d also like to inspire others to take up running. I’ll do what I can to progress with both of those goals but the outcome is out of my control.

Now, I’m headed out the door to start logging some 2012 miles. Nature abhors a void and that blank running log is begging to be filled.

Happy New Year!

Score!

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I stopped by the supplement store the other day, looking for Beta-Alanine (I hope to explain this in a future post). I wasn’t expecting to find the store was closing and everything in the store was half off. At the register counter, I noticed several boxes of Gu. Imagining what a great deal it would be if I could score several Gu for a dollar a piece, I asked the lady at the counter, “Are the Gu’s half off too?”

She replied in a strong cajun accent, “Mmmm, how ’bout two fa dollah?”
Head spinning over the awesome deal, I push my luck. “Even the Roctanes?”
“Shor, honey. I don’ eatem.”

SCORE! I left with an almost full box of Orange-Vanilla Roctane Gu that cost me a grand total of…8 dollars. WOOOO!

Measurable progress

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“What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.” – Samuel Johnson

Today is just a few weeks past the one year anniversary of my first 5K, Fit 2 Lead on Oct. 30, 2010. To prepare for this event, the company I work for sponsored a 12 week “On the Move” training program designed to introduce the proverbial “couch potato” to a fitter lifestyle with a specific goal of completing a 5K running or walking event.

As I tend do with most things that I find interesting, I approached this new fit lifestyle with a consuming zeal.  I’ve come a long way since then and a yearly anniversary seems like the perfect time to look back and reflect on progress made.  Fortunately, one of the first good habits I adopted was to log everything. I have almost a thousand miles worth of running logs with lots of details like average heart rate, elevation change, split times, daily weight changes…I can even tell you which pair of shoes I was wearing on any particular run!

In spite of all of these tools available to measure progress, the most important one to me is how I feel now. When I started the “Couch to 5K” program, I actually thought I was in shape. Maybe I wasn’t in terrible shape, but I quickly found out that I couldn’t run a mile without stopping 4-5 times (not slowing down, I mean a complete stop) to catch my breath before I passed out and died. I wondered if I could actually run three miles. I wondered if I could even beat the racewalkers. Now I look forward to an easy 11.5 mile run around the bay, or three to four hour long runs on the weekend. A year ago, I would get winded running up a single flight of stairs. Today, I don’t even think about it. My legs are stronger. My lungs are stronger. I’m more confident, competent and successful. I feel better.

I know, it sounds like an infomercial for “Acai Berry” or “ShamWoW” but it’s true…running is my miracle pill. It’s not available in stores so act now! Try it free for 30 days. If you’re not satisfied, the next year is on me.

What about the data?

I expect the data to support the idea that running makes a person fitter. In terms of the metrics that I am tracking, I define “fitter” in the following ways:
weight – trending toward ideal weight
pace – trending toward faster pace
heart rate – trending toward lower heart rate for similar exertion level or greater exertion level for similar heart rate.
race times – trending toward faster race times

Weight

When I started running with “On the Move”, I wasn’t overweight but I carried a few more pounds than I needed and I was gaining. My ideal weight according to my height, age and medium frame is in the range of 154-166. I logged my first daily weight entry at 180. Today, my weight is quite stable in the 162-163 range. Words don’t do this justice. To really appreciate the effect running has had on my weight, just look at the chart!

Pace

As I began training for my first 5K, i very clearly remember struggling in my training runs to push the pace fast enough to finish 3 miles in 30 minutes. That was my goal and just a few weeks before the race I seriously wondered if it was possible.
Take a look at the first couple months of training runs. Average pace is around 11:30m/mi.

My last two months of training aren’t exactly fair comparisons because I have been focusing on long slow distance runs preparing for an upcoming marathon and ultra-marathon. Still, the pace is definitely quicker despite the runs being so much longer. Even my intentionally slow pace is faster than my best effort a year ago.

Heart Rate

As a Christmas gift last year, I received a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch with heart rate monitor. I wore the HRM on just about every run for many months straight and then stopped for many months more. A few weeks ago, I decided to wear it out on a 6 mile training run just to see if I could identify any improvements. Actually, that was the genesis of this post.

A person’s heart rate rises as the need for oxygen increases until it reaches an upper limit that is largely determined by genetics. Because heart rate rises with increasing physical effort, it is a very good objective indicator of actual effort. As we train, our bodies adapt to the conditions by getting stronger and more efficient. Eventually our lungs process more oxygen with each breath and our hearts move a greater volume of blood with each beat. This means a well conditioned runner requires less work from the heart to achieve a similar performance as a poorly conditioned runner. A sign of improved fitness is thus indicated by a lower heart rate for similar performance, or greater performance for similar heart rate.

Look at my most recent heart rate data:

That’s six miles at 9:19 m/mi and 160 BPM heart rate. If my conditioning has improved as I think it has, my earlier runs should show either a higher heart rate for the same pace, or a slower pace for the same heart rate.

Here’s the data from running the same route eleven months ago: The pace is slower by 1:12 m/mi and heart rate is just a little higher.

Here’s another run from 11 months ago, this time on a flatter route but a similar pace. Heart rate is 13 BPM higher.

This is very clear and encouraging evidence that all my training is paying off with a more efficient cardiopulmonary system.

Race Times

Lots of unexpected things can happen in a race and the course conditions are rarely the same so there may be variation in performance from race to race. One thing that has been consistent with each race so far, I have run each one with 100% effort. Here’s my entire race record which covers exactly one year.

With a few exceptions, I have beaten my previous PR for a given distance every time I’ve lined up. It’s getting harder to beat them though. I haven’t run a 5K in quite a while now and I’m anxious to see if I can break an 8:00 pace.

Measurable progress

I don’t need to see the data to know that I’m a better runner today than I was when I started a year ago. I feel better, I look better (I know, how is that even possible?) and my mood is much improved. Still, I’ll keep logging my runs and studying the details because I really enjoy seeing measurable progress.

50K Ultra Marathon

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I can do this. It’s just a six hour run through the woods.

After finishing my first 5K about this time last year, I started extending my 2-3 mile training runs each week until I was able to complete a half-marathon in January. Along the way, I realized that I actually enjoyed the long runs. It’s nice to feel like you’ve actually been somewhere after a run instead of just running down the road for 15 minutes then turning around and running back. Interesting things happen when you’re out for a long run that you miss on the short “out and backs”. ( See My Latest Long Run )

Strategy becomes important when you’re racing beyond 5K. As Sports Nutritionist Sunny Blende puts it, “Ultra races are really an eating and drinking contest with exercise and scenery included.” ( Ultra Endurance Fueling ) Not saying I’m an expert at this. I bonked in the marathon but I think I know why and I’ll have it worked out before the next big race. I’m learning as I go but I think I’m a quick study.

The Carl Touchstone Memorial Mississippi 50 Trail Run has three divisions. 20K (12.5 miles), 50K (31.1 miles), and 50 miles. I’m signed up and looking forward to completing the 50K.

2012 Mississippi Blues Marathon

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Mississippi Blues Marathon
My next big race will be another marathon. I’m officially signed up for the 2012 Mississippi Blues Marathon and I’m looking forward to it. This is a great race with thousands of runners and lots of things going on throughout the entire course. My first half-marathon was at this race last year. I’m more experienced and in a lot better shape today!

Run for Life Marathon Recap

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marathon finishAccording to my mom, my horoscope for the day of the marathon read: …

“Aries: Your chances of achieving one of your ambitions before the month is over are quite good. Much depends on the work you do today and your ability to repeat this work.”

Things that went well:
I finished. I am extremely proud of the 26.2 decal on my car. (Yeah, I am THAT guy.) I felt great and completely enjoyed the first 20 miles. Absolutely no injuries. No IT band pain, no patellar tendonitis, no strained hip flexors…all issues I have previously experienced when pushing the distance. The Kinvara 2s rocked. I didn’t even have a blister! I was stiff the day after and only a little sore the next but I ran three miles after work – no problem. I’m ready to sign up for another marathon. Soon.

Things that didn’t go so well:

I’m happy that I finished but I’m kind of bummed about the 4:54:30 time. I was on track to break 4.5 hours at mile marker 22 but things really fell apart after that. It took over an hour to “run” the last four miles.
I severely underestimated the difficulty of the last 6 miles. Pretty much everything I had read about marathon training said “Don’t worry about the last 6 miles. The excitement of the race and the crowd of runners will encourage you.” Maybe so in Chicago or New York. There were 216 registered for this marathon and I finished behind 41 of them. Except for one water stop and a mobile medical crew, I saw two people the last 4 miles. There was NOBODY to rely on for motivation.

Looking back, I made some big but correctable mistakes. The biggest, I let myself get dehydrated. I’m very cautious of hyponatremia so I was taking endurolytes and drinking a little conservatively. Starting about mile 22, I had all the symptoms of dehydration…or hyponatremia…I wasn’t sure which so I erred on the side of not dying and tried to drink even less. I chose poorly. I weighed about 4 pounds less after the race and that was after rehydrating with 24 oz of water and even post-race pizza. That’s less than 2.5 percent of bodyweight. Not dangerously dehydrated, but enough to cause performance problems. It got up to the high 80s almost as soon as the sun came up but since it was so cool at the start, it didn’t really register with me that I should treat it as a summer run. I ditched my shirt at mile 13 but that was because I didn’t want pictures of bloody nips all over the Internet. Besides, I have abs like Jersey Shore’s “The Situation”.

Another mistake I won’t make again is using caffeinated gels. I know from past experience I can’t tolerate them on long runs but I was SURE I would need the boost so I brought three caffeinated and three regular. I finished the race badly needing carbs but I couldn’t stand the thought of taking the last caffeinated gel so it went unopened. As I think about it now, the severe nausea was probably from dehydration and not so much from caffeine but I know that at the time I could have taken a regular gel if I had one but wouldn’t touch the caffeinated one still in my belt.

No doubt about it, finishing a marathon is a major accomplishment. It is way tougher than I imagined. I can empathize with the people that give up with less than two miles to go…it crossed my mind. I have great respect for anyone that has gone the distance no matter how long it took.

Still, I can’t help thinking how much better I will do if I can figure out how to actually run the last six miles.

Custom Race Belt

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Custom RacebeltHow do you carry 6 gels, 12 Endurolyte capsules, an iPhone and a race number bib for 26.2 miles? You COULD push a shopping cart but the race director might frown on that. A better option is an elastic race belt with lots of extra gel loops sewn in. Might as well get one with a special loop sized just perfectly for the small pill bottle that you’ll also want to include. Oh yeah, you’ll also want a neoprene pocket that is perfectly sized for your iPhone.

If you’re having trouble finding something that will do all of that, welcome to my dilemma. If you’re amazed beyond belief at the awesome contraption in the photo here, welcome to my solution.

No one would accuse me of being a seamstress, even if I do own a sewing machine. Really, I do. It’s cheap. It’s purple. It’s called “Pixie” something or other. It’s really hard to thread the needle (THANK YOU Google!). It’s not meant to sew two pieces of neoprene but why should that stop me? See, I’m a GUY with a sewing machine. Guys can make stuff work. Even purple pixie sewing machines.

Anyway, here’s my improved custom race belt. It holds 6 gels, a small pill bottle for E-caps, an iPhone and a race number bib. I torture tested it fully loaded for a full three miles. I think I’m set.

What do YOU carry on a marathon and how?

Marathon Race Strategy

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26.2As I write this, it is about 15 days until the third annual Run For Life Marathon. I have been training for this race, my first marathon, for the past 6 months. I only have a few more good runs left in the next few days before tapering off and nervously resting my shin splints. This late in the game, there’s no point continuing to train hard since any performance gain wouldn’t be realized until after the race. So, now, it’s time to focus on nailing down a race strategy. Specifically, I want to set a few overall goals, finalize a fueling plan, and really think hard about pacing.

Putting Marathon Pace Calculators to the Test

How can I set a realistic goal without prior marathon experience to base it off of? I know how long it takes me to casually run 16 – 20 miles in mid-summer Mississippi heat but does that translate to a marathon race in October? Luckily, people smarter than me have figured out how to predict marathon race time based on previous times from shorter races. A Google search for “running pace predictor” and a previous half marathon time (or two) are all that’s needed to get started.

For this experiment, I’ll use my most recent half marathon times. These races were run two weeks apart in April and in very different conditions. The Pensacola Beach Half Marathon was flat but hot and very humid… 2:06:16 9:33/mi. The Renaissance Half Marathon was hilly but the weather was great. I also had the benefit of running the last 7 miles with a faster friend pacing me… 1:54:33 8:45/mi.

Plugging in my times, I get:   Continue reading →