How to Run 26.2 Miles

2011-05-20T17:08:00.001-04:00

You can find my new blog HERE.

It's time...

2011-05-20T00:49:00.002-04:00

Today ran another short 20 minutes. Surprisingly, it felt much easier already than two days ago. The problem wasn't so much with my lungs today as with my legs (part of this had to do with the fact that I was running some pretty steep inclines.)

I think it's about time I say goodbye to this particular blog. For one, I'm not a huge fan of Blogger—WordPress is much more pleasant. But also, I realize now that I'm so far from where I once was as a runner that I feel like I'm dragging along a lot of baggage. I don't want to be living in the shadow of my old ambitions (although I do intend to get back into competitive racing).

I know this is all a bunch of navel-gazing that no one is interested in, so I'll just put up a link when I set up the new blog, in the off chance someone is interested.

2011-05-17T23:58:00.000-04:00

20 min. run. Felt like shit. But I feel better now than I have felt in ages.

Goals

2011-05-17T20:01:00.003-04:00

Goals:

Lose 30 lbs. (I'm 6' 0'' and weigh 177, a gain of 30 lbs from my running peak.) Wow, it feels awful to say this explicitly. So, weigh in at 145 by the end of September.
Run a marathon.I'll be back in Berlin, Germany, and the Dresden Marathon on October 23 looks promising, time- and location-wise.
PR at any distance OR run the marathon in under 3:30:00.

2011-04-26T13:46:00.003-04:00

An inspiring article by Patti Catalano Dillon (legendary American marathon runner, first American woman under 2:30 in the marathon). She describes he first marathon and the process leading up to it. I find Patti's story one of the most inspiring and motivating I've come across. At the age of 23, 50-lbs. overweight and smoking two packs of cigarettes per day, she decides to start running...the rest is history.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, October 24, 1976-My most unforgettable marathon has to have been my first one. It was the inaugural Ocean State Marathon in Providence, Rhode Island, in the fall of 1976. But ironically, what I remember most are the events that led up to the race, not the race itself.
I had started running barely 11 months before this first marathon because I wanted to lose weight. I never ran in high school or college. As I recall, I weighed 107 when I graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Weymouth, Massachusetts, but in the five years since then, I had gained 45 pounds.
I had attended Quincy Junior College, where I majored in kiddy whist and beer. I had worked as a nurse's aide all through high school and was still doing that job many years later. I loved it. But I was getting kind of tired of my life. I just really got tired. I knew there was more to life. I was very unhappy with the way things were going for me.

2011-01-16T23:36:00.001-05:00

I'm out with a cold right now and it's the middle of winter, so I'll be back with a report (and maybe some plans) as spring gets closer.

The boy who cried wolf

2011-01-06T17:50:00.002-05:00

I keep coming back to running. I know I have made a number of starts, and even more stops, and a couple of posts promising my return, all leading to this.

It was pretty foolish to expect to maintain a serious training regimen during a period of huge personal upheaval: moving to Berlin, then two months later moving to another city in Germany, traveling the world, living life. I unfortunately took smoking back up upon arrival at the Amsterdam airport.

I don't regret any of it. I am back in America now, but still deeply in love with a German woman to whom I hope to return this spring or early summer.

But I can't stop thinking about running. The embers of that old fire are still simmering.

I'm stepping back for a day or two to think about it, but I want to get back to training. There's nothing like it.

2010-06-08T04:45:00.000-04:00

Still alive. Still in Germany.

Sun. - 30 min. run
Mon. - off, sore as hell.

Still Alive

2009-07-12T13:31:00.003-04:00

So, I'm in Berlin. Things have been super-hectic, and I haven't run in over a week and a half. I have been walking like a madman, though, so hopefully I haven't totally lost the fitness I gained. I'm going to start back up tomorrow, and may need to reassess and recalibrate my goals a bit, considering all of this time off.

In any case, I just need to get back on the boat. Berlin is a wonderful city, and would be great to explore with running.

Days 45 & 46 - I'm a-leavin' on a jet plane!

2009-07-02T00:12:00.002-04:00

Tues. - Off.
Weds. - 40 min. Slightly sore knees, tight something in buttocks down inner thigh.

I've basically accepted that this week is not going to go according to plan (running-wise). I'm leaving for Berlin tomorrow morning, early, and will be on a plane or in an airport until 9:30 a.m. Berlin time on Friday. So, no run tomorrow. And maybe none on Friday--we'll see. I'll also probably not update for a few days.

Right now, I'm strongly considering extending my base-building phase a couple of weeks, and then compressing hill work and anaerobic work into six weeks total. At my level of fitness, as someone coming back from a long layoff, I don't think it's incorrect to believe that building my base some more would do more good than hill work or anaerobic work.

See you in Berlin!

Days 43 & 44 - Semi-Beat

2009-06-30T00:37:00.002-04:00

Sun. - ~25 min. Ran without the watch, pulled it in easy because I was feeling pretty awful.
Mon. - 52 min. Late, cold, rainy, cloudy. Not a bad ran, though. Floated. However, I can feel a few uneasy twinges in the knees and feet.

Long run tomorrow? I may post-pone it. My legs are sore for the first time in quite awhile. I don't want to push a long run if I am not going to get the best workout from it.

Days 41 & 42

2009-06-28T11:27:00.002-04:00

Fri. - Day off, recovering from long run.
Sat. - 1:11:44 - Out and back course. Out almost all downhill, and, yes, the way back uphill. A little soreness on the inside of my knee.

Week Six Total - 364 minutes (6 hrs., 4 min.) in 6 sessions - not bad!

On Thursday, I will be leaving for Berlin. This, of course, is going to make everything a bit more uncertain for the next several weeks. I doubt I'll be able to run every day this coming week, nor should I. But, because it keeps me sane and motivated, I'll give a very tentative plan:

Week Seven Plan: 45/60/120/40/30/30/75 - 400 minutes

Day 40 - It's Been a Long, Long, Long Time

2009-06-26T07:44:00.002-04:00

Thurs. - 2:03:48!

So, back in June 2005, I was at my thus-far peak lifetime mileage of around 55 mpw. (I was training for HS cross country at the time.) I ran my long run of about 2 hours that week, then ended up busting my knee up walking my dog, then getting an ITB injury, and then ended up taking a month off which culminated in my first cross country race of the season, which went miserably. I quit.

Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 6:05 p.m., I laced up for my redemption. I got it last night. Not only did I run my longest run in 4 years--I ran longer than I have ever, period.

I ran on a rough gravel trail that lead out into the otherwise untamed boreal forests of the far-north of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I had to outsprint a hungry black-fly or six, saw a fox that saw me and then scampered away, and saw more deer than I thought feasible. Every single one had a tendency to stand dumbfounded in the middle of the trail ("What the deuce is that hairless thing with those short-shorts running at me?!?" I imagine each one thinking) until galloping off. A couple of blackbears have been spotted hanging out in residential areas around here, so I was on the lookout for those, too. (Didn't see any, fortunately or unfortunately.)

The unevenness of the trail really beat up on my legs and ankles, though I imagine it was a fair trade-off with what asphalt/concrete would have done. I also like imagining that I'm building some good ankle strength and agility. There was a huge, steep hill smack-dab in the middle of my run--that's probably where a minute or two got added onto the eventual positive split. That, and I noticed on my way back that there was a very gradual slope leading out, which meant, obviously, that I was running up it on the way back.

I was exceptionally drained after the run. Not in the fast/hard run sense--it was throughout my body, as though each cell had been sucked dry. I went to bed really early. It's morning now, and I feel excellent--the run is almost entirely out of my legs. I was prepared to take a day off, but I almost want to head out the door right now.

Day 39

2009-06-24T21:23:00.002-04:00

Weds. - 41:30, steady. Felt pretty good. Another tinge in the plantar fascia which I am going to keep an eye on.

Day 38 - Yes, indeed.

2009-06-24T13:25:00.002-04:00

Tues. - 59:32, negative split, felt truly amazing. As I turned around at the half-way point, I suddenly realized I had been going downhill for quite sometime. As I slogged back up the gradual but weirdly long incline, I lost some spirit--but then it evened out, the weather had cooled, I took of my shirt and just glided. Great feeling.

A more negative note on diet: it really needs a shake-up. I have a body that sticks a chosen weight and aesthetic make-up and will stay there regardless of how many or few calories I eat and no matter how much or how little I exercise. Right now, at 5'11'', I weigh 155 lbs. I don't weigh myself often but, except for a miserable three month period, my body has been this weight essentially since I quit running. (During that three month period I rapidly ballooned to 170.) When I was training and racing seriously (how long ago that was...), I weighed in at 140-145.

Now, I'm not that concerned with my actual weight in terms of numbers--that can be composed in all sorts of ways, some healthy and some unhealthy. But I also know that 15 lbs. of weight can make a HUGE difference in weight times. And I know that my eating habits are miserable. Like last night: I ate a footlong roast beef sub from Quiznos and went on my run. I decided not to eat after, and was fine until right before bed. Suddenly, the old stomach roars and I end up eating a boal of Honey Nut Cheerios, a popsicle, and half a bag of Doritoes. That, and I have this strange addiction to/dependency on energy drinks and (diet) cola. This is as much of a goal for me, now, as upping my training volume: losing 10-15 lbs, and eating more nutritiously overall.

Days 36 & 37 - Hrmph.

2009-06-23T11:32:00.002-04:00

Sun. - 38 min. Felt really good so I went a bit long. May not have been a great idea. (The whole way back was alllllll uphill.)
Mon. - 31 min. I wanted to go an hour and said to myself "I'll run an hour if it kills me." However, my plantar fascia was bothering me, and then my hip acted up, too. Gof igure. Brought it in after one loop.

This morning I walked about 35 minutes to meet my grandfather for coffee. Sat around for an hour or so and then walked back. It's really humid and pretty hot for this part of the country. Was taxing enough to write down here. I think I'll try for an hour tonight and then move the long run to Thursday.

I'm leaving for Germany next Thursday, and god only knows how that will affect my training. I'm sure the next year--and especially the next month or so--will consist of a ton of finding oneself and whatnot. I'll also be pretty damn busy with five hours of language classes per day, five days per week. But I think running will lack any sort of boredom aspect for a good long while. What better and cheaper way is there to explore Berlin?

So, I'm going to get in next week's long run on Wednesday (morning, preferably), and so am trying to hit this week;s earlier as well. We'll see how I feel tonight. I need to stop getting out the door at 10 p.m. I'm beat by then. But it's also too damn hot and humid during the main daylight hours for a pleasant run.

Days 32 - 35: Ramblin' On

2009-06-21T14:18:00.003-04:00

So, this week ended up way off from where I wanted it to be. However, I supply as my excuse the fact that I was moving out of my apartment, out of Ann Arbor, and back to my northerly hometown for 10 days before heading out to Germany. (P.s., holy shit am I pumped.)

Weds. - 48:27, steady.
Thurs. - 30 min., steady/strong.
Fri. - Off - packing, saying tear-filled good-byes, and so on.
Sat. - 1:16:07 on poor nutrition and very little sleep after a 10 hour drive - felt like shit.

Week 5: 215 minutes (3 hrs., 35 min.)

Goal for Week 6: 30/60/40/60/30/40/90 - 330 min. (5 hrs., 50 min.)

It looks like a big jump, but I think I'll be able to handle it so long as I keep the 3 longer runs at an easy, manageable pace. Hell, most of this bump is just adding in running in the two days per week I've been missing it up to now. There are also a lot of trails around here, which will minimize the pounding. I've toyed around with a few long-range schedules here and there, but have mainly been using the "Beginner's Marathon" guide in Arthur Lydiard's Running to the Top.

Days 29 - 31 - Knocking on Wood is Recommended

2009-06-17T13:49:00.002-04:00

So, I seem to have been cursed by saying I would not be taking any days off this week. I started out the week, in fact, with two days off. Oh well. The 60 min. run I took yesterday felt great, and I held an 8:30-8:40 pace for about 7 miles. I feel like the rest may actually have contributed to a real step-up in fitness. (Super-compensation and whatnot.)

Sun. - Off, groin was in pain all day.
Mon. - Went to a barbecue that ended up lasting until about 11 at night, so passed on the run.
Tues. - 7.00 miles, 1:01:01 (8:43/mile) - really good-feeling run.

Days 26 - 28

2009-06-14T11:26:00.004-04:00

Thurs. - Ankle recovered remarkably fast. 30 min., easy.

Fri. - 50 min., lots of hills in the woods.

Sat. - 1:30:01, 10.11 miles (8:54/mi.). Several long, gradual hills that made the pace rather uneven. Felt great, although after I woke up from a nap, I almost decided not to go.

Week 4 - 0/30/60/0/30/50/90 = 260 min. (4 hrs., 20 min.)

The goal for next week is to avoid the accidental 2-days-off-per-week I've fallen into. This coming week is my last in Ann Arbor, and my second to last in America! I'm feeling a bit sad, but I want to explore as much of the city on foot as I can with the time I have left. I want to bring myself up to at least 5 to 6 hours of running this week, approaching my ultimate base goal of around 9 hours per week:

30/40/60/40/60/40/100 = 370 min. (6 hrs., 10 min.)

Days 22-25 - Dammit.

2009-06-10T21:36:00.003-04:00

Sun. - Off, traveling.
Mon. - 30 min., easy.
Tues. - 60:10, easy. (Followed by over an hour of walking)
Weds. - Off...walked another hour or so in the morning (friends visiting), which I think put me over the edge. The front of my ankle/shin (where the two come together) is swollen and in pain. Going to give it a day or two. I'm pretty depressed/pissed about this; but what can a person do?

The week is shaping up to be a loss, overall. Hopefully it's just one week, and not four or five or eight. Sigh.

Days 18-21 - Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

2009-06-06T21:12:00.002-04:00

Weds. - 70 min., steady. Felt great.
Thurs. - 30 min., easy.
Fri. - Off (travelling/family obligations)
Sat. - 10k race in 47:50 (7:43/mi.) + warmup

The race was on Mackinac Island, for the Lilac Festival. There were no lilacs in bloom, and the weather was pretty chilly--which was great for running. I didn't hammer it down, and basically felt an aerobic limit. My goal was to run the race in under 50 minutes, which I did, in a convincing fashion. I think it's a good place to be at at the end of my third week of training, and after four years of a sedentary pack-a-day lifestyle.

This time suggests a couple of things. First of all, my VDOT number falls right around 42 (down from a peak of 57 in 2005). This translates to a marathon time of about 3:40. I have faith in my ability to run a 3:10:59 or better by the end of October (which would qualify me for Boston).

Week 3: ~250 min. (4 hrs., 10 min.)

Day 17 - Awesome Run

2009-06-02T23:46:00.002-04:00

30:19, steady. Ran while my girlfriend biked next to me. Did the same route of my very first run since the lay off; went a decent bit farther in the same amount of time, though. I felt great the whole way. Long run tomorrow and no-pressure 10k race on Saturday.

Days 15 and 16

2009-06-02T02:30:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Off, felt worn-down.

Monday - Watch battery died after about a minute of running, so I went out and ran in the woods without paying attention to time. It felt pretty good. Really hilly course. I think I ran for between 40 and 50 minutes.

Day 14 - One Hour Closer

2009-05-31T12:07:00.002-04:00

60:01, steady. Hilly route. The weather was great. My thighs got a little chafed. My hip barely bothered me. Felt a twinge or two when I overextended my leg. Overall, the week was a bit disappointing, but I'm glad that I decided to take a couple days off to try to let my hip catch up. My time/distance goals won't be met, but I'm going to get right back into the plan this week.

This week, I will be running a 10k race, my first race in almost 4 years. I don't expect to perform particularly well, but I think it will be good to give me a general idea of where I'm starting at. A shorter race would probably be better for this kind of test, but a few family members are participating, and my entry fee has been paid as a gift, and so I'll do what I can.

Week 2 Total: 167 minutes (2 hrs., 47 min.)

Week 3 Goal: 260 min. + 10k race [~50 min] = 310 min. (5 hrs., 10 min.)

S-30, M-50, Tu-30, W-70, Th-30, F-30, Sa-10k race

Day 13 - Back, I Hope

2009-05-29T23:01:00.002-04:00

30:01, easy.

Felt rickety and stiff at first, but eventually found my groove and held it through. Still feeling stiff as hell and a bit sore, but I think I can manage.

Day 12 - Rest

2009-05-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

Rest day--let the hips catch up.

Day Ten - Ouch

2009-05-27T13:31:00.001-04:00

17 minutes or so. My hip was killing me and my watch died. So, yeah, taking tomorrow off.

Day Nine - Again With the Hips

2009-05-26T14:11:00.001-04:00

29:45, easy. My left hip did not improve, but didn't get substantially worse. Might pass on the next run if they're not improving.

Day Eight - The Hips Don't Lie

2009-05-24T22:12:00.004-04:00

30:01, very easy. My left hip was sore as hell today after a three hour car drive back home. I am still uncertain as to what the issue is. At times, I feel like a tendon is really tight inside of my leg (I can't feel it just by pressing on it). At other times, it just feels like a general soreness from underuse. It affects my stride, but in a neutral way it seems. The only time I feel it as a discomfort when I'm running is when I take a noticeably uneven or long stride. Otherwise, it's fine (even if noticeable).

I have felt the same sensation after sitting for extended periods of time, long before I started running. This makes me think that it's probably not a direct result of running, but rather something that's maybe been exacerbated by it. I almost passed on the run for today, but when evening came around it felt more like a developmental soreness than a dangerous pain; therefore, I decided to take an easy jog. It turned out fine. It's still a bit sore, but I think that this is most likely one of many aches that pop up after leaving the sedentary life behind. I'll keep an eye on it.

Besides the left hip, though, all feels good.

Days Five, Six, and Seven - Coming Along

2009-05-23T17:06:00.003-04:00

5/21 - 33:48, steady.

5/22 - 30:41, steady.

5/23 - 52:15, easy. Felt awesome, was able to kick it in a bit at the end and still feel great.

Well, Week No. 1 of training for the Frankfurt Marathon is going great. I've also totally kicked smoking, if there were any fear from my last post. (I still get some pretty good cravings and sometimes forget I'm a runner during them, but I have been able to push them away for now.) Overall, I feel great. Probably ran a good 20-23 miles this week, just to note for the records rather than caring at all about pace and whatnot.

For week two, I want to avoid the rest day (unless completely necessary), and creep up to:

Su-30, M-30, Tu-45, W-30, Th-45, F-30, Sa-60

Week 1 Total: 218 min. (3 hr., 38 min.)

Week 2 Goal: 270 min. (4 hr., 30 min.)

Build-up Goal: 540 min. (9 hr., 0 min.)

1 down, 22 to go!

p.s. - I ordered Running with Lydiard by Lydiard & Gilmour. I'm going to try to put together a more comprehensive training plan sometime late next week, after reading the book.

Day Four - Hot

2009-05-20T17:47:00.004-04:00

40 min., nice steady pace. This is the longest run I've done in ages, and it was tough, but in a very good, fulfilling way. The weather was really warm, even though I wasn't on the road until about 8:00 p.m. I should note that each run I've done so far has been exactly even split to within 5 seconds. I think that the steady, moderately-high-mileage training I did in the past ingrained in me a pretty steady pacing sense.

Day Three (Pt. 1)

2009-05-19T12:47:00.002-04:00

So, I don't think there is a point to keeping this training diary is I am not going to be honest. Last night, I broke down and smoked two cigarettes. The craving was intense, I was sitting around reading and my body seemed to go to autopilot. It was like an out-of-body experience: I felt like I was watching myself do something terrible and meaningless, and there was nothing I could do about it. The cigarettes tasted awful, and I felt extremely guilty.

I take full responsibility for this, and am putting it behind me again. I still consider this day three, and I still feel mostly proud of myself for nearly quitting. I am done for real this time.

Day Two - Let the Body Catch Up

2009-05-18T22:01:00.004-04:00

(Because my marathon training and quitting of tobacco took place on the same day, I'm going to label my posts from now on--until at least my first marathon--by day to remind myself how long I've been at it in both senses.)

Like I said, I'm listening to my body and my common sense. I'm feeling really tired today; it's my second day in a row without a cigarette, which is emotionally and physically taxing (I hear it's the worst day in the quitting process), and my muscles are still pretty sore. For all of these reasons, I am taking the night off. I also want to let my body catch up to my motivation--and not break down and get injured before things even really get rolling.

So I'm going to relax and read some poetry, and probably some bubble-gum motivational runner stuff, which always helps with my cravings.

30 min. (Day One)

2009-05-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was the first day in about three years in which I did not smoke a single cigarette. It was really, really tough--but just thinking about running a marathon made every craving less intense. Luckily I have a great girlfriend and a great roommate who are both on-board with my quitting and managed to survive my irritable onslaught, and increasingly crafty justifications for smoking "just one more."

The run was decent: 30 minutes at a nice comfortable pace. My right hamstring was pretty tight, but it ended up loosening up a good deal by the end. I feel much less sore today already than I have in the past week.

20 min. Easy

2009-05-16T21:30:00.003-04:00

Ran a nice, easy 20 minutes. Today is also my last day as a smoker. I have two Pall Malls left in my last pack. I'm going to smoke the last one before bed as a farewell, and then it's done with. It doesn't taste good anymore, it makes my throat hurt, and even my head sometimes. It costs an outrageous amount, especially in Ann Arbor, where a pack is a good $7.00 or so. There's no reason to smoke anymore, least of all because my marathon training officially commences tomorrow.

Here's the tentative plan for the week. I'm running by time rather than distance:

Su-30/M-30/T-40/W-30/Th-40/Fr-30/Sa-50

More important than following this exactly is listening to my body. I would probably be recommended against going from a sedentary pack-a-day smoker to running a schedule like this. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have always been skeptical and had a large degree of faith in myself. That's not to say I couldn't get injured--I definitely could, which is why I will definitely back off if things don't feel right.

That said, I also don't think your average sedentary pack-a-day smoker can get outside and run 30 minutes continuously. I'm not pushing the envelope here with regards to what I know I am capable of: all of my runs are close to 30 minutes, with slight bumps from there, up to 50 min. The goal for now is to be on my feet running easy miles until the soreness is gone.

In the Wind & Rain

2009-05-16T11:29:00.002-04:00

5/15 - 30 min., easy. Legs still sore but getting better.

So, one of the things I'd like to do with this blog is to make it more than just a record of my training. I'd also like to put it in a wider context of helping other both with their training and their own development as a runner. I've found that there is not much helpful training information for runners in my position out there. I am not an absolute novice who wants to run solely to lose weight or have fun jogging. And yet, I am not in peak form--not even in racing form. Most training information out there is geared towards these two general groups, I've found: novices and veterans. I've run in the past, made some poor decisions and got out of shape, but want to return to my former fitness and even exceed it.

So, the goal that I've set for myself is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. For my age group, this would require a time of 3:10:59 or faster. Using my previous PRs and a race-time equivalence calculator, my previous level of fitness would suggest that, if in the next five months I can regain that level of fitness, I would be well in range: my 10-mile time indicates a marathon equivalent time of 3:11:36, while my shorter-distance PRs all suggest a faster time (all the way down to my mile PR which would suggest a 2:54 marathon). (Needless to say, all such numbers should be taken with a grain of salt--it's good enough for me to take 3:11 at a +/- 5 min. level and see that I am at least within range.)

This suggests a couple of things to me. First, my biggest weakness (outside of maintaining commitment to training) in the past was a lack of aerobic endurance. This is improved in a rather straightforward manner: a larger volume of aerobic work, i.e., base miles. Second, I believe that it is, in fact, possible for me to return to my fitness level at the time of that 10-mile race (the last race I ran before going into hibernation) in the next five months. This race was also run without any speedwork, and in fact after lower mileage/intensity than earlier in the year. (My motivation began dissolving before this final race.)

In short, I have faith in my ability to resume substantial training quickly, although I will certainly listen to my body.

The What & the How

2009-05-15T13:14:00.002-04:00

5/14 - Rest. Insanely sore. Purging the inertia from my lazy bones.

What am I training for? I am getting back into training because of an intangible intrinsic urge. But I know this urge will disappear if I don't lock my gaze on something tangible. I will be living in Germany from July 2009 to August 2010 (14 months), and so will (obviously) need to find a goal race there.

I found one that may fit my requirements: it is the Frankfurt Marathon in (yes) Frankfurt. This race has two practical bonuses: it is in a major city that has direct, on-the-hour-every-hour train access to my future home city, and it takes place in late fall, about five or so months from now (October 25).

That gives me, starting next week, 23 weeks of training time. I believe this is an ideal amount of training for my first marathon. It is long enough that I will have the time to build a very good base, and yet short enough that I won't lose motivation in the final stretch.

It's also timed perfectly: the race is the weekend after my first week of classes at the University of Freiburg (taper, anyone?). My training will also span vast stretches of time and space: from Ann Arbor, MI to the Upper Peninsula of MI to Berlin to Freiburg, with side trips to god knows how many other places. Talk about great environment. The downside to this, naturally, is that maintaining a training regimen is more difficult when one is moving around a lot, and experiencing radical life changes all around.

And now for the "how." One thing that I am very passionate about, at least concerning athletic training, is the methodology and training philosophy of Arthur Lydiard and his disciples. So far, this has been largely an arm-chair passion. But I would like to transform this desire into action into results. Lydiard's methods can be researched in detail online; I'd suggest googling it. I'll try to put up some super-useful links in the near future, but for now take a look at this. It's the most comprehensive guide to his methodology I've found online.

Now, I'm not going to fall into my old trap of drawing up intricate and exact training schedules, as I have in the past. It becomes very useless when just thinking about training so much leads to its own kind of burnout. Right now, I want to focus on running and running regularly. I'm going to train by time rather than distance. (For two reasons: first, I don't have a great way of measuring distance; and second, even if I did, it's way too early to pay attention to the times I'm running--it would only discourage me probably anyways.)

Right now, I'll just stick with the skeleton of a training plan:

-10 weeks of base aerobic mileage

-4 wks of hill-training

-4 wks of anaerobic training

-3 wks of coördination training

-2 wks of taper

To be elaborated upon as I go, and as I feel.

One More Time.

2009-05-14T02:50:00.004-04:00

5/13 - 30 min...

So, I could very easily delete or hide all of my previous entries. After all, years have passed since I last trained seriously. (Years have even passed since I proclaimed my "comeback.") Now I am here again. I know I must remain aware of my background. It is this background that flutters my heart when I think of running.

I'm going to humiliatingly confess the ills that destroyed my running life, ills that have stuck with me. First, I started smoking. A lot. I got up to about two packs per day not long ago. This is a relic of a bad time in my life, a time when I was unhappy and uncertain, and hung with the wrong people. Second, I survived a very long "blue period" of melancholy and confusion about my reality and purposes in life. I fell into and returned from mental illness. Third, I moved away from my hometown and I am now in college.

In July, I am moving to Germany. There, I will be as far away from that old life as I have ever been, and may ever be.

I am committed to running again. I am committed to quitting smoking. I am committed to being healthy again. I am committed to never being overcome by obsession again.

I am committed to running a marathon. I am committed to leaving behind the darkness that destroyed my old life, while simultaneously sparking a new light.

Twenty pounds later; over ten thousand cigarettes later; so many prescription drugs later; hundreds of miles away; on the verge of a new world (as thunder actually cracks outside my window): I begin again.

Training Log

2009-05-03T11:50:00.013-04:00

--Training for Frankfurt Marathon - 25 Oct. 2009 --

Week Seven

1-Jul: 40 min.

30-Jun: Off.

29-Jun: 52 min.

28-Jun: ~25 min.

Week Six - 364 min.

27-Jun: 1:11:44
26-Jun: Off.
25-Jun: 2:03:48. Great success!
24-Jun: 41:30. Nice. Plantar fascia twinge.

23-Jun: 59:32. Great run.
22-Jun: 31 min. Felt like crap. Plantar fascia sore.

21-Jun: 38 min. Felt great. 2nd half almost all uphill.

Week Five - 215 min.

20-Jun: 1:16:07. After 10 hr drive, eating road crap, and sleeping 4 hours the night before.
19-Jun: Off. Packing/dinner out/saying good-bye.
18-Jun: 30 min., steady/strong.
17-Jun: 48:27, easy.
16-Jun: 1:01:01, 7 mi. - Felt strong. Warm.
15-Jun: Off, no good excuse (well, the barbecue was nice...)
14-Jun: Off, groin.

Week Four - 260 min.

13-Jun: 1:30:01 (10.11 mi.)

12-Jun: 50 min.
11-Jun: 40 min.
10-Jun: Off (ankle)
9-Jun: 60:10, easy.
8-Jun: 30 min., easy.
7-Jun: Off

Week Three ~ 225 min.

6-Jun: 10k Race, 47:50 (7:43/mi.)
5-Jun: Off, traveling.
4-Jun: 30 min., easy.
3-Jun: 70 min., steady. Felt great.
2-Jun: 30:19, steady. Great run.

1-Jun: ~45:00. (Watch died.)

31-May: Off, worn-down.

Week Two - 167 min.

30-May: 60:01, easy.

29-May: 30:01, easy.

28-May: Off. Hips.

27-May: 17 min. Forced to stop, hips terrible.

26-May: Off. Hips killing.

25-May: 30 min., easy. Hips tight and sore.

24-May: 30 min., easy. Left hip sore.

Week One - 218 min.

23-May: 52:15, easy.

22-May: 30:41, steady.

21-May: 33:48, steady.

20-May: 31 min., steady.

19-May: 40 min., steady.

18-May: Off (felt shitty)

17-May: 30 min., comfortable.

Pre-Training Plan Jogs

16-May-2009: 20 min., easy.

15-May-2009: 30 min., sore.

14-May-2009: Off

13-May-2009: 30 min.

Coming Soon to a Trail Near You

2006-06-07T21:40:00.000-04:00

August 26. 5 kilometer trail race. Ran 3 miles today. Felt good.

I'm back.

Update

2005-08-06T21:06:00.000-04:00

Sorry. My motivation has hit an all-time low and I'm not even really certain if I want to be a competitive runner any more. I know for sure that I want to run forever, because it feels good and it makes things a lot easier. But recently, I've shown myself that I can't keep focus on it. And there is no point in being completely focused on competition if I don't have the brain power to back it up. It will only make me frustrated (as it has in the past.)

I know for certain that this winter I am not going to run solely straightly through. I am going to be training for a Korteloppet, a 26 kilometer nordic ski race. I want to be happy, and recently I was frightened by the fact that I was really happy simply not running. I had more time for other things that I love, like writing. But the act of running itself is not what I am afraid of doing. It is the accompanying mental addiction to running that detracts from every other area of my life that I am afraid of. When I spend all of my free time simply thinking about how I am going to win a race or be a great marathoner, at the detriment of every other interest of mine, I need to pause and reflect.

And I have reflected in the best possible way this past week and a half. I have lived the life that I would have if I were no obsessed with and addicted to running. I have written more this week than I have written the entire rest of the year combined. And it feels so good, deep inside. Because it is something that I have been afraid of losing, always wondering if it is still there. And it is, which is a relief. And my imagination has grown back to where it once was! This is the one thing that makes my heart leap with joy. I am able to escape to the worlds in my mind like I was once--before I began competitively running.

But, there is part of me that will simply never stop being a competitor. Today I went to watch a triathlon, and I was simply angry that I was not doing what these men were doing... devoting myself to becoming fast. But, what was that again? Why do I want to become fast? I have always told myself (and still believe) that I ran to push the limits and become the best I could be. I can do that in other areas, though. Why did I choose running? Now I wonder why I don't apply my extreme focus into something that I love equally, if not more than running: writing. I know I have something to say, and I know I know how to say it. And I want to say it. And what about school? I could have been valedictorian of my graduating class. And that is something I would love just as much as being regional 2 mile champion. Probably more. And something I am genetically superior in as well.

Which brings me to another issue of mine. Talent. I HAVE NO TALENT FOR RUNNING. And yet I still go all out at it, thinking that my hard work will somehow destroy the talent of those who constantly beat be while doing so much less work than me. It's exhausting. So downed exhausting. And I don't know the answer, though I intend to think about it a lot more.

sigh

2005-07-27T08:27:00.000-04:00

Ended up not running on Monday night, which I regret, but I guess it's not too bad to take a break here and there. Then, I ran an easy 8 miles last night at 8:28 pace. My legs were all funky. I don't know if it is from the new shoes, the days off, or both, but I hope it's temporary. Motivation still ebbing and flowing, feeling kind of crappy right now...

Cross Country Goals

2005-07-25T11:48:00.000-04:00

I want to avoid seeing Cross Country as a "secondary" season, because I love cross country training, but I also need to realize my real race is in June. Times are very secondary, especially where I live since 90% of races are on trails, and not a single one on a golf course. So, my 3 main goals are as follows, with the time goal the least important:

2nd Man on Team
Medal at Finals (top 15.)
18:20 (based on my recent 10 mile performance, and my mile time on the track, the best I can reasonably hope for is just under 18, but considering courses and weather and unknown occurances, 18:20 is what I will shoot for.)

Finally set in stone!

Update!

2005-07-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

Been away for a few days, struggling with my typical "late off-season blues." Motivation has been really low the past few days, and I even questioned whether I am meant to be a runner, which is scary, because I know it's what I love. Here's what's new:

Thursday: This is when it began to really hit. I took an extremely easy 7 miler on trails, which wasn't all that bad physically, but left me completely drained.

Friday: A 3 mile really, really easy jog. Just trying to recover from whatever mental issue is bringing me down.
Saturday: Ran a 10 mile road race (1:07:39), which was a mixed bag. My time was pretty slow, BUT there were two bonuses. First, it was the best race I've had since my final track meet, which is a good sign. Plus, I managed to beat one (perhaps two...) of my main local competitors in the final 200 meters of the race, which is an EXCELLENT sign, because it shows that I at least have matched his endurance, and only need to bring my speed up to par. But, my time indicates only a 19:20 to 19:40 5k equivalence time, which is right around a PR, but I would hope to be in much better shape. Oh well, I'll let the season come to me.

Sunday: Motivation hit the lowest of lows, and I finally realized I needed to take an intentional day off (my first since March.) So I did, and I hung out with friends and biked around for a few hours, which felt great.

Now: Haven't yet run today, but I am going to. I'm going camping with a couple friends tonight, but I WILL make time for my run no matter what. Maybe 7-8 miles, easy. I'm gonna try to hit 50 this week, but anything over 45 will be acceptable. Next week, the big six-oh, hopefully.

Rough Day

2005-07-20T21:46:00.000-04:00

My recent lack of sleep has caught up with me. I was unable (unwilling) to complete my run yesterday, and took it in for 4 1/2 miles. I think my pacing was also too ambitious.

Also, my calves are still really sore. I am going to wait until Friday to do another run in my waffles.

Good day

2005-07-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

3:45 p.m.- 4 mile run in XC waffles. Felt AWESOME! My calves are sore, but it is a good sore, and I felt better on my feet than I have in ages.

9:15 p.m.- 6 miles moderate, in trainers, with dad. Still felt quite good. We talked about the upcoming cross country season, it was cool.

Finally a (somewhat) cool night!

2005-07-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

Ran a 7 mile progression run. Legs felt a little funky, and a bit off. (Hamstring and calves twinging slightly.) Have decided I cannot handle the before work 6 a.m. runs unless I start getting to bed a lot earlier. They just leave me dead.

Hot, hot, hot!

2005-07-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

Took a 6 miler in the steamy evening. It was around 85-90 degrees at 9:30 at night. Very slow pace, though I think the heat made the internal effort a lot higher than it would seem.

Intend to do a 3 miler tomorrow morning.

The Week

2005-07-16T23:02:00.000-04:00

Sunday: 6 mi. Easy (+Core and Weights)
Monday: 6 mi. + HILLS
Tuesday: 8 mi. Steady
Wednesday: a.m. 3 mi. p.m. 6 mi. (+Core)
Thursday: 8 mi. Easy
Friday: a.m. 3 mi. Steady
Saturday: 14.2 miles Steady

So, 54.2 miles total plus 2 Core sessions and one weight session. Less supplementary work than intended, but sufficient. I don't have enough time/desire to do thinks that won't directly make me a faster runner. Have learned that doubling is hard on my brain. I either need to go to sleep earlier or wake up later. The latter is not possible (work.) I will work on a solution to the first. 10 mile race next weekend (maybe.)

Goals for next week:

60 miles
EITHER 1 Hill Session (longer hills) or 10 mile race.
2 a.m. workouts.
No fast food. AT ALL. PERIOD.

Excellent Long Run

2005-07-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

14.2 miles in 119 minutes. (8:22 pace.) Felt great, 6:27 closing mile. Hopefully, this is a good sign.

Relaxed day

2005-07-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

Took an easy 3 miler in the cool morning, and passed on an evening run. (Sometimes you need to pay attention to other parts of life than running!) Plus, I already have 40 miles done this week, so with my long run of at least 10 miles tomorrow, I will have my goal of 50 miles reached. Things are going pretty good, but it's been a hot week, which makes things hard.

8 miles.

2005-07-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Nice, steady 8 miles. Felt good. 6 ran with dad. I NEED new shoes! These Nike Air Pegasuses are killing me!

First Steps Towards Minimalism

2005-07-14T13:57:00.000-04:00

I've decided that it is time for me to reassess how I run. Since I've started, I've been a pretty horrible heel-striker, and it is obvious in how I look when I run and in what has become of my body. The injuries that I have had that have basically screwed me over (luckily for short periods of time, so far) I am beginning to realize are a result of my horrible running form. The first was amazingly painful damage to the very bottom of my shin, which spilled over into the front side of my ankle. I can pinpoint the exact moment when this happened, and it was a direct result of landing too hard with my feet. Later, my iliotibial band syndrome caused me a lot more grief (but, again, "only" lasted 5-6 weeks and hasn't recurred.) I have been doing some research, and I have discovered that when heelstriking in high-heel trainers, my feet are searching for feedback from the ground, which completely alters my natural stride and can cause injury to many body parts, not the least of which is my IT Band.

So, I am going to make the jump and transition to training in flats. Emphasis on transition. I am going to place my order for my shoes for Cross Country season within the next couple of days, and I am going to be ordering two pairs. The first (the flats) ate Puma H. Streets. They are marketed as street shoes but are based on racing flats and I have read some very positive reviews. The second pair are Saucony Grid Tangents. These are a "lightweight trainer" that I am going to purchase because I have enjoyed Sauconys that I have had in the past.

The plan is to start out with only one mile per day in the H. Streets the first week, two miles per day the second, three miles per day the third, and then I will assess how they are working for me and whether I want them to become my primary training shoe. The other miles I am going to do in the Grid Tangents. I am also going to try to incorporate some barefoot running into my schedule, but a bit slower and more gently than with the H. Streets. I'll probably a mile or 2 or 3 times a week, until I feel like I can incorporate some more.

A Bit Worn Out

2005-07-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

A.M.- Ran a steady (actually probably too quick) 3 miles.
P.M.- Essentially jogged an easy 6 miles. Legs were tired.

I planned on doing a threshold run tomorrow, but I think I might have to pass this week, depending on how I'm feeling.

Nice run with biker

2005-07-12T22:40:00.000-04:00

Ran 8 miles at 8:07 pace on trails with a friend, who biked alongside me. Felt nice.

Hills

2005-07-11T22:24:00.000-04:00

Did my first hill workout of the summer last night. Ran 1.5 miles out to the hill (about 100m long,) did 12 reps on it, and then ran another 3 miles for a total of about 6 miles. It felt pretty good to finally be doing some harder work. Didn't get very fatigued, though. Wonder what that means...

Easy Run with Dad

2005-07-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

6 miles. Nice, steady pace. I felt really strong, especially towards the end which is a good sign.

Last Week and This

2005-07-10T22:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, I have completed half of my summer training. Week 6 is done. Here is how it went:
Sunday: 5 miles, 40:00
Monday: 7 miles, fun run 10k w/ aunt + warm-up, 55:00
Tuesday: 8 miles, 1:07:04
Wednesday: 5 miles, 45:00 (really easy on technical trails, prep for Saturday race)
Thursday: 7 miles, 56:00
Friday: 5 miles, 40:00
Saturday: warmup, 10k "race" ~41:00
Total: 43.5 miles, 344 minutes

Goals for next week:

50 miles
Core x 3
Weights x 3
One double workout

Trail Race

2005-07-09T12:53:00.000-04:00

I ran a "10k" trail race today, and it was probably the worst race experience of my life. The course was short to begin with, and then one of the directors misdirected us to a course we had already run. It went along the Lake Superior shoreline, which was AWFUL! It was all loose cobblestone, and by the time I got to the end of it, I was completely shot. At the point when the race leaders came running down the path, telling us all that we were going the wrong way, I knew that I couldn't make it. I totally dropped off the pace, to maybe 8 minute miles, because I had no real purpose for continuing (and had no idea how much further I had to run.) I ended up finishing in around 41 minutes, which must have been short. I still ended up second in my age group, which was okay, I guess. Very disappointed.

What I've Got So Far

2005-07-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

(I was bored at work the other day, so I formulated a plan for after the Cross Country season ends.)

Track Training 2005-6 October 2005 to June 3, 2006 (32 weeks)

Phase One (October 23-December 3)
Goal: Recovery and building to peak mileage.
Plan: Week off after XC season. (3 mi runs every other day.) Then start immediately with 60-90-60-60-90-60-120 schedule. No distances/ paces recorded.

Phase Two (December 4-January 14)
Goal: Maintain peak mileage, add skiing to plan if necessary.
Plan: Start recording mileage on timed runs. Add extra morning runs as often as possible. Ski when necessary. (A few missed runs will not hurt, ski for time if motivation is low.) Strides once per week.

Phase Three (January 15- February 25)
Goal: Continue Base Training, prepare for hard work ahead.
Plan: Start replacing any skiing with running. Morning runs 3-6 days a week. Strides twice per week.

Phase Four, Hill Resistance Training (February 26-March 25)
Goal: Build muscular strength and speed for hard track work to come.
Plan: Use a circuit approach: Warm-up, sprint up the hill, jog at top for about 3 minutes, descend, do a short wind-sprint, repeat for one hour. Effort should be within you. 3 days per week. Also add leg-speed work 3 times per week. Keep up the weekend long run.

Phase 5, Anaerobic Development (March 26-April 22)
Goal: Develop anaerobic speed to the maximum.
Plan: Hard anaerobic track training 3 days per week. Distances/times not as important as general feeling of fatigue. 3 days of sprint training (fartlek, 1-15 min. sprint sessions.) 2 hr. Long run on weekends.

Phase 6, Coordination Training (April 23-June 4)
Goal: Coordinate race performances to fastest speed possible.
Plan: Do coordination races, recording all lap times. Do short but intense speed work (50m sprint, 50m float.) Base training on racing weaknesses. (Over- and under-distance races/time trials.) Include sprint work, leg speed work, and morning easy runs. No more long runs (90 min. maximum). Peaking for Regional and Final 3200m run.

Summer Thus Far

2005-07-08T12:48:00.000-04:00

Now, as for my training thus far this summer:

I started on May 29th, on the tail end of my track season. Mileage numbers are as follows:
Week One- 32 miles, Week Two- 35 miles, Week Three- 40 miles, Week Four- 44 miles, and then Week 5- 25 miles (due to uncontrollable circumstances.) All of this mileage has been at either an easy pace, or a nice moderate aerobic pace. I have thrown in a progression run or two, as well, but no speedwork.

I am currently preparing for the upcoming cross country season, which will be my launching board into track. I hope to max out at about 60 miles per week this summer, with a goal of 500 miles total for the summer (which I consider as ended when school starts.) The short-term cross country goal is to break 18 minutes on a flat course (with a reserve goal of 18:30, since CC is so unpredictable.) The Final meet is on October 22nd.
This means that I will have a HUGE amount of time to build a base and go through a full cycle of training for my regional competition. I will have to time to do the Lydiard method of training effectively.

http://www.fitnesssports.com/lyd_clinic_guide/Arthur%20Lydiard.pdf (This is a guide to a speaking tour he was doing. It's a complete overview of his system, in his own words.)

There is also a very large issue, though. I live in the northern midwest, and the winter here is horrible. Motivation will be an issue, I am sure of it. I know that if I can survive the winter, doing the training i planned to do, that I will be in a very good position to win regionals. If I do not train as I intended, I might as well forget about it. I'll post the plan that I crafted a week or so ago for winter training.

7 miles

2005-07-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

Just ran 7 miles. Out the door, a mile and a half on the road, to the trails, plod about in there, and then run back. Great run. Nice and peaceful, and my final mile was under 7 minutes. (6:58 or somesuch.)

Tomorrow I will post the training I have done so far this summer, to put it all in perspective.

The Dream

2005-07-07T20:57:00.000-04:00

Everyone has a dream. It is different for everyone. A businessman may dream of his first million, a golfer his first pro win, or an Olympic runner his first gold medal. I am a runner, and I, too, dream of gold--regional gold. That's right, I want to win a regional Finals track title--in the two mile to be exact.

This dream means a lot to me because, well, I have no natural talent for running. In the spring of my 8th grade year, I ran a 7:58 mile. I have bettered this to a 5:11 mile and 11:35 two mile after my recent sophomore track season. This is mostly on some misguided, low-mileage training, with a lot of effort on speedwork and little emphasis on base-building. (My coaches are a topic for another post.)

Now, as for my Region. It is very uncompetitive, compared to the rest of the nation. But it is perfect for me and my goal, and winning the Finals will be a great step towards my running future. Let's take a look at the top 5 in the recent Finals meet (in a slow year) :

1. 10:19
2. 10:32
3. 10:36
4. 10:43
5. 10:45

Now, please don't laugh. For a 5:11-11:35 guy, winning this meet would be huge. Oh, and the deadline. June 3rd, 2006. My goal is to be regional two mile champ by the end of my junior year--a great launchboard to some good things my senior year (and beyond.) Reading about goal-setting, it is often said that a goal must be specific. Specifically, I want to drop my two mile time by a minute and a half to 10:05. Wow. I've said it. That means 45 seconds per mile, 22 and a half seconds per 800, and over 11 seconds per lap. In 11 months.

God help me.