It's all relative

I won't try and convince you I know everything about Einstein's Theory of Relatively but I once heard it described as this: if you spend an hour with a pretty girl, it passes in what seems to be minutes; if you burn your hand on the stove, minutes feel like hours.

This makes a lot of sense in running and distance training. The more you don't focus on running, or whatever you're doing, the more you're relaxed and the quicker, relatively speaking, the time passes. My most recent example of this was last Sunday. I had the opportunity to run with a friend. We met up at my mile 1.5, he had already done a couple miles, so we were looking to do about 6 together. Those 6 miles breezed by. Then we broke off and I finished up my run alone. As well as with so many other sports I've done, the more I get caught up in thinking about everything I have to do, it seems to make it so much harder. Basketball; if I keep missing shots I start analyzing and trying to figure out if my elbows out of place or I'm not using my legs enough. I have to realize that if I've spent the hours training at the activity my body knows what to do a whole lot better than I do; so let it do it.

To piggy-back on that last thought; my body is way smarter than me. In fact, my body is never wrong. My body is reactive; if I start running fast and check my heart rate monitor, my heart rate doesn't go up immediately in conjunction with my speed, it slowly ticks up and at the time I look and see my heart rate is getting too high, I slow down, but my heart rate hasn't peaked yet, it's still rising. That's when I know I could be in trouble, especially if I'm at mile 15 of a marathon.

Closing thought: heart rate monitors, gps watches; they are all fantastic training tools and reference tools when in a race. But there is a lot to be said for 'knowing' what different speeds and heart rates 'feel' like. Usually when people are checking their watch towards the end of the race, it's almost a panic; the legs are mush, every step is a struggle, yet they keep looking at the heart rate monitor expecting it to show something that's not there. For the last 3 miles of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon my heart rate was dropping. That sounds great, but it was because I was going slower and as hard as I tried my body wasn't letting me go any faster; but I kept checking that watch thinking that it was going to offer something meaningful to help push me to the end. . . but it didn't, the last three miles were purely me telling myself a great quote a friend said while running the last mile of his first half marathon "I didn't pay $50 to walk!"

Training in the cold

Cold tends not to be the issue, wind can make a difference. Before I go to bed I check the weather and specifically take note of the wind. I don't have running gear to cover my face, so if the wind is blowing, I opt for the bike in the basement and avoid the harsher conditions.

This last week I had aspirations of putting in a few good long runs, but it's tough with it being pitch black at 5 am, it takes that little extra ambition to get out of bed, put all the gear on and get out there, but those are necessary runs to prepare for the real organized training. Here's a link to a great article about the benefits of running in the cold; as you'll read most benefits are mental, but I would say 80% of running success is between the ears and any way to build that edge, the better.

Things to avoid in the winter when running (besides snow plows): slush, ice or even snow on running surface; when you run on these 'variable' surfaces you tend to slip with each stride and this increases the likelihood of pulling a muscle or using muscles in ways you normally don't need to. This slipping increases greatly when that variable surface is on a hill. It takes more effort to run on these surfaces also because some of the force you're trying to use to push yourself forward, slips, making you less efficient. I spend most of my running in the winter on the road because that's usually the driest surface. I enjoy the winter runs, but have learned to not run for time or try to push things because winter running, for me, is really only used to log miles and keep running and not to push my training limits. This is something to keep in mind when selecting races; those spring races sound like a good idea because the weather is great come race day, but keep in mind the weather you'll be training in.

Training 2011 - a mixed bag

My official training for the marathon and triathlon don't start until the end of January, but the needed training will be pretty heavy right out of the gate, so I need to increase my activity. So far for 2011 I've managed to do something every day. Here's 2011 so far:

Jan 1 - 47 minute bike on trainer, average 140 beats per minute, did 18 miles
Jan 2 - played basketball for 80 minutes
Jan 3 - weighed in at 153.5 lbs, played first City League Basketball game of 2011, played entire game of 2 - 20 minutes halves.
Jan 4 - ab workout; 5 different ab exercises, 20 reps each, 4 sets with 1/4 run between sets
Jan 5 - core body workout, 6 different exercises to increase core running muscles
Jan 6 - ran on small track at work, didn't have heart rate monitor, but ran 45 minutes so approximate it to be 5 miles around 150-160 beats per minute
Jan 7 - played basketball on small court at work; basically think NBA JAM on a 40 foot court.

Plan for today - bike on trainer, tomorrow run in the AM.

I guess you can call this pre-training. I've been a little tired this week, but I will blame that on my guilty pleasure of playing video games a little later at night than I should. A little prioritizing should straighten that out.

Lesson learned: it's not always about specifically doing the activity you are training for, but staying active and keeping track of it. Little things here and there do make a difference, obviously I'm planning a more focused training approach of swimming, running and biking once January ends, but in the mean time building up my core strength through various exercises should help me be prepared for what's ahead.

2010 Recap - Fox Cities Marathon

I felt very mentally prepared for this race after having been through the Madison Marathon and it's heat and my poor race plan. However, my body wasn't simulating training like I was expecting. I had a goal time of 03:45, which I didn't quite get: my Community First Fox Cities Marathon Events 2010 - Community First Fox Cities Marathon results

It was cold in the morning, around 30 degrees. The race order was backwards compared to the Madison Marathon, where they sent out the half marathon runners first, then the half walkers, then about 45 minutes later the marathon runners. The course and race was very well put together, everything was in place for a good race.

Once the race started I couldn't get my heart rate where I wanted it to; it was mid 160's right out of the gate. In my long training runs I would come out nice and easy with my heart rate around 150-155 bpm for the first 5-6 miles. Then I would move up to 160 bpm for the bulk of the race or if that felt good ratchet up to 165 bpm near mile 20, then give it all I had the last couple miles. I was able to accomplish this a number of times in long runs and feel good during and after, but for whatever reason my heart rate wasn't cooperating. I kept slowing down and my heart rate would drop a little but never enough. So I made an executive decision, 165 beats was now 155 beats. I mostly made the decision because I was passed by the 04:20 pace group and I wasn't even to mile 5. So instead of falling back more I stayed behind the 10 minute mile group until around mile 10. That was a point of some frustration because I knew I was faster but for whatever reason I able to replicate my long training runs, and I wasn't going to finish a marathon in which I ran the whole time and only beat my Madison Marathon time by 20 minutes when I was forced to walk a portion of that race. So I passed that group on a hill and keep chugging along. I felt like I was picking up the pace, my heart rate wasn't moving much, every once in a while it would hit 170, then I'd back down.

Things went well until at mile 22 while I had a cramp in my thigh. I swore. . . stretched a little and it went away, so I continued. It was a 4 mile run where I felt I was on the borderline of cramping again so I had to be aware of keeping my legs feeling 'loose'. The last couple miles were very tough, I felt I was slowing, my heart rate was dropping but my body couldn't go any faster. It's a strange feeling. I told myself I wasn't going to walk and kept going. The last mile I gave it all I had, it felt like I was running 6 minute miles, but it was significantly slower than that.

Through all the ups and downs of that race and how different one mile could feel from the next or the previous; I ran just over 4 hours and averaged just over 9 minutes miles for the whole thing. If you look at my splits, I ran an even race despite how different things felt as time went on.

Lesson learned: you have to be ready to adjust on the fly, and don't wear a newer pair of shoes that differ greatly from your old pair. I can't blame the heart rate oddity on the shoes, but I can credit some of the cramping and how much my feet hurt.

2010 Recap - Madison Mini Marathon

This is the race that started me running a year and a half ago. In 2009 a co-worker asked me if I wanted to run the half-marathon at the end of August, I agreed, it was August 3rd and I had never run more than 3 miles in a row in my life.

One of the best things you can do when you start training is get others involved. Training sucks, but races are fun. Although your training plan is personal to your goals and abilities they include different types of runs and various speeds. I like to include friends on my long recovery runs. One friend, who signed up for the Madison Mini Marathon but got stuck working and couldn't make it, joined me on quite a few morning runs. We live near each other and the loop I would run went by his house. So I'd wake up and run a loop or two, pick him up, he'd join for what he wanted, then I'd continue. Those mornings were the ones that usually seemed to go the quickest.

The picture above is of 'Lou' and I. He, like me, is newly in to running and triathlons and we signed up to run the Madison Mini Marathon together as well as the Phillips Triathlon. We had a goal time of under 2 hours. We missed by ten minutes but were both very pleased with the result, official time here.

Training tends to be more independent, but it was great to run with someone in the race. It was interesting going from runner to 'motivator' during the race, but it was very satisfying helping my friend get to the finish line. For me it was a great break from the monotony of training and I always enjoy the race atmosphere, especially with a friend.

Lesson learned; getting yourself to the finish line is great, help getting someone else there is amazing.

2010 Recap - Ripon Medical Center Triathlon

My official time. I was pleased with how I did, especially after feeling like I was going to drown with the 500 meter swim. The course was very hilly and a challenge on the bike and the run. Over all it went a lot smoother after going through one previous triathlon.

The biggest lesson I learned; you have to stay calm during the swim. Once you let a little panic or discomfort enter your thoughts, the swim becomes a struggle. The last 100 meters I found myself continually pulling my head out of the water and looking up to find the beach. I even got to the point where I kept trying to see if I could reach the bottom of the lake so I could 'run' to the shore. When I got out of the water my heart rate was spiking, over 190 beats per minute. Once on the bike I was able to get my heart rate down as best as I could considering the first part of the bike was 1 mile straight up hill. I wish I would have had the opportunity to get more time swimming to have remained more calm during the swim. I was, however, pleased that my heart rate dropped and I was able to finish strong. I need swim lessons.

2010 Recap - Phillips Chain of Lakes Triathlon

My first triathlon, a sprint: 400 meter swim, 18 mile bike and 5k run. My result. Most important lesson learned: You may be a little woosey coming out of the water; jumping on to a bike and trying to grab a water bottle, could result in hitting a tree. The bike, a loaner from a friend, was fine, my chin. . . a little scratched.

I really enjoyed the training for the triathlon because it was a great way to break up all the running from the marathon training. Hopping on a bike and going 20 miles per hour felt incredible after months of pounding the pavement running.

Swimming is another story. My only "training" for the swim was doing laps at the end of the wave pool at Monte Carlo Casino and Resort in Las Vegas a few weeks before the race. I just did enough to be comfortable and confident I wasn't going to drown. Obviously, I have a much more structured plan for the swim training for the upcoming Half Iron distance. I am taking a Masters Swimming course. In the Madison area there are a number of classes put on at a number of places. My main consideration in choosing one, is the time of day; early morning I prefer, but also I don't want to take away from too many mornings because they have been great times for me to run. So I'm looking at a one day a week class that will run from 8-12 weeks.

Cycling; well there isn't much chance to bike in the winter, so I have a basic bike trainer on my tri bike. My intent is to couple that in with my marathon training. More to come on the tri training, especially since I'm officially registered for the Half Iron in July now.

2010 Recap - Madison Marathon

Above is me coming to the final corner on the Capitol Square downtown Madison. It was a struggle with the heat, humidity and poor race plan. I can't express how much I learned that day, but the cost sucked!

Official time:
I was happy to finish, but not too happy with the time. I learned a lot that day, most importantly about how to properly start a race and have a good race strategy. Had I found this web page prior to race day, I may have greatly improved, but then again it was hot hot hot.

Training so far in 2011.

6 pancakes, 4 pieces of bacon and 1 cup of coffee.

What's the plan?

June 5th, Minneapolis Marathon. Goal time: <3:10:00. href="http://www.doorcountytriathlon.com/">Door County Triathlon - Can't Bluff the Bluff, goal time: undecided maybe <6:00:00. Others that agreed to do this race - 2.

Races after July 17th, undecided. . . well I will probably do the Madison Mini-Marathon at the end of August since it was that race in 2009 that started this whole running ordeal.

I have made the statement that I am not running another marathon in Wisconsin for the immediate future; reason being that there are too many nice cities in the surrounding states so if you have suggestions or races you are running, let me know.

2011 the year of training harder

With the new year comes new goals. I've made the decision to take a more dedicated approach to training. I have high expectations of what I can accomplish and created this blog to help hold me accountable. As I create posts and share my experiences, struggles and accomplishments please help me by passing along your stories. Maybe I can inspire someone to start and finish something they never thought possible, and maybe you will help me go that extra mile in training.