RunRichmond!

An Epic Run with Two Things Missing....

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:23:00 -0500

It’s Christmas Eve, as the sun rises over RVA it’s a great day for a run. I bagged all the different group runs and decided to run solo and without a plan. The goal was about 12 miles and I had no route in mind. As I was leaving Shockoe Bottom heading west, it hit me. Let’s see how many “parts” of Richmond I could run in twelve miles. This would be great, while I wanted to see as much as possible, quantity was secondary. It had to make sense too. I also decided that crossing the three downtown bridges would be cool too. I started in Shiplock Park and picked up the Virginia Capital Trail (by the way - tell the City to get movin’ on this. How embarrassing) and caught the Mayo Bridge southbound to the Virginia Slavery Trail. At the top of the hill you can almost spit on I-95. Through the Citgo Tank Farm in Manchester and over to the Floodwall. Running on top of the floodwall with the river raging is quite the sight. The overlook at the top of the Mayan Steps is worth the climb.

Next was the Manchester Bridge as the sun was lifting over the east end. Seeing everything from Shockoe Bottom to Hollywood Cemetery as the light hits the city is very cool. Climbing 9th street to the Capital is not so cool but the big Christmas Tree and the Washington Statue are worth the climb.

Broad Street was quiet but then again it is Saturday, a couple of turns and I’m in Jackson Ward. Lots of revival is good to see in this historic area of Richmond. Heading south to Monument Avenue and Stuart Circle and following Lombardy to Cary to run in the Fan for a bit. Cary to Laurel to Oregon Hill Parkway. A nice jog through Oregon Hill and a beautiful view of the river from the top of Oregon Hill.

Down the Parkway to hit the Lee Bridge southbound. Okay, so I am not technically running on Belle Isle but at least I am directly over it. Over the bridge and down Semmes to 7th Street and Legends Brewery. Followed by Hull Street and another pass through the flood wall. A quick trip on the Canal Walk to Brown’s Island and another great view of the river.

Looping Brown’s Island and heading back to the east along the canal. Cutting through the Canal Club parking area to East Main and the Main Street Station. Back in my ‘hood. Past the 17th Street Farmer’s market and Poe Museum and up the hill to Lucky Strike. A truly great run “around Richmond.”

So at the end of the day I crossed three bridges, ran in numerous neighborhoods, saw too many things to list. I ran on Broad Street and Lombardy, Monument and Cary among many others. I said hello and Merry Christmas to more people than I can count. I waved at cars and buses to spread some Christmas cheer.

Oh, the two things missing? One was a Santa Hat, the other? It’s a secret that only one other person knows….

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Richmond Marathon - Part 4

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:33:44 -0500

What was that? My calf? my hammie? Why are leg muscles named after barnyard animals? Okay not all of them, but 2. Back to the problem, that pain started in my hamstring and shot down to my calf. It is gone but it, ouch, there’s another one. What the snot? This isn’t good. That’s 2 spasms in a short period. Try to breathe, keep running normally everything feels fine right now but what happens if? hey Coach Ellie. I’m fine except, never mind. No really it’s not a big deal. I had a couple of muscle spasms in my left leg. They started in my hamstring and went into my calf. It felt like someone poked me with a knife. It hasn’t happened in awhile so maybe it’s gone. Yes, I’ve been walking through waterstops and getting lots of fluids. I’ve gu’d on schedule, is that really a verb? today it is? Okay. I am a bit hungry though. What’s this on tongue depressors? Is it some kind of gu? I’ll try…why did you knock it out of my hand? Vaseline? I almost ate vaseline? That would have ruined the day. thanks. Yeah, I think I’m okay. It’s been a mile since the last spasm. So I’m keepin’ on. Thanks, see you in the funny papers!

Here’s the Holiday Inn. I got over the hill and past the Diamond and didn’t even realize it, here’s mile 20. Thanks Ellie whereever you ran off to….

So this isn’t as much fun running by yourself and I still have six miles to go. I could be out here another XX minutes. I don’t think I can make it. I was just feeling fine, now I’m not sure I can even finish. My legs hurt, I’m hungry, my feet hurt, my legs hurt, my arms hurt, my legs hurt, my shoulders hurt, my legs hurt. Maybe I can just walk for a bit and feel better. I’ll walk to the next corner and then start running. Walk, walk, walk, walk, okay start running. Run, run, run that hurts more now than it did. No more walking, the sooner I am done, the sooner the pain will go away. Keep running - Let’s catch that guy in the blue shirt. Focus on his shirt, focus, focus, focus. Bring him back, keep moving forward. Caught him. Who is next - white shirt up there. Keep it going. Keep it going, keep it going. Hey there’s the arch. That’s some progress. Look at all the cars backed up on Bellevue - that’s not fun. Those folks are going to be there awhile. Look at all the residents along Pope that are outside. Great waterstop by the St. Gertrude High School Ladies! This is some serious energy. Use the energy, keep moving. Great job - thanks for being out here. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.

Great sign - “My Girlfriend is easier than this Marathon”, Love that sign!! Less than 4 miles to go. Let’s think about what’s left - Brook Road, Lombardy, Grace, 3rd and Cary. there’s only about 5 turns left in this Marathon and then I’m downhill to the finish. I can do that, I can do that. I need one more gu. I’ll get it ready for the waterstop. Where is it? It was pinned to my shorts? Where is my last gu? Oh no, I don’t have it. I need my last gu. I still have XX minutes left to run, I won’t make it without a gu. There is no way, I’m running on empty already. I am about to die right here on Brook Road. I need another gu. This is not good, I can’t believe that 25 weeks of training is going to fall apart in the last 4 miles because I lost my last gu. This is so typical. How did this get so screwed up? Hey. No it’s not okay. I lost my last gu. I know I am less than 5 miles from the finish but I need one last GU. Yes I am sure I had it but it’s gone. What, pinned to my shorts where? On the left? it was supposed to be on the right! I can’t believe it was there the whole time. Did you put it there? Are you sure? Right on Lombardy at VUU. Here we go down the hill to the overpass, Mile 24 - walk through the waterstop, get some water eat some gu and ready to go. Run, power up the hill to Broad. It’s easy from here. Let’s see how many people I can pass in the final 2 miles?

Left turn on Grace and……

YOUR MARATHON SUCCESS IS DEFINED BY YOU! HOW WILL YOU RUN THE LAST TWO MILES OF THE RICHMOND MARATHON - RUN THEM NOW IN YOUR HEAD. FINISH YOUR PERSONAL MARATHON BUT FINISH IT IN TRUE SNOTTY STYLE!

Always be ready for Success - it knocks whenever the hell it pleases and you have to be ready!

This is gonna be so awesome!

Relax. Be Calm. Be Confident. You are so Ready.

Trust your training

Trust your coaches

But most of all - TRUST YOURSELF! YOU CAN DO THIS AND DO IT WELL!

Richmond Marathon - Part 3

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:03:31 -0500

Wow, glad they moved the course to Maple, there were a ton of people at Libbie and Grove. What did that sign say? “My husband loves my runner’s butt” Why do I want to know that? Oh wait, another sign - “So does my boyfriend” Yikes, there’s some advertising. Look someone wrote on the road - “Don’t poop your pants!” That could only be one person - where is that stupid coach? Hey Bob, how ya feelin’? Ya, it’s early it will come around. How was training this year? Navy Team? Oh I ran with the Navy team a few times, great group of coaches. I was a Sunday runner. We had a good group though. Here’s the big downhill. We need to control our pace here. It will be a bit faster but I don’t want to get caught sprinting. Wow, I didn’t realize how long this hill is. Free speed is nice but gotta stay in control.

Unbelievable! Look at all the people at River Road Shopping Center! it’s one of the NBC12 partyzones but I never thought there would be so many people. This is insane. It’s channel 12, maybe we’ll be on the wrap-up show. We’re on camera - wave and cheer! Running on the Hugenot Bridge with no cars. This is great. What does that sign say? “Try Not To Suck” - who does that sound like? Almost to the River. Wow, time is flying, I feel great. Are you feeling better, Bob? Bob? Where are you? Hey wait up! I’m not sprinting to catch him, I’ll stay at my pace and catch him later. Hey, how are you? Coach Faith from the Red team, nice to meet you. Yeah, I’m doing fine. I was running with Bob but he took off. I’m good right now, go help someone else.

I’m passing too many people. I need to slow this down, one of the hard parts is just around the corner. Here’s a group of green shirts, I’ll tuck in and run with them for awhile. Hey - My name is *(&^ from the Green Team, what’s up? Yeah, Snot rockets if you must. It isn’t that funny. So what are you all planning to run? Hey, me too. This will be good, a group of about 6 people all trying to run the same time. I’ll just tuck in and enjoy the company for awhile. Did you all follow the schedule? me? Probably about 80%, I did pretty good. I missed some of the mid-week short runs but got all the long runs in. Are we to Pony Pasture already? Some of the hills are sneakin’ up on us.

Crap, I can’t believe I have run all the way to mile 10 and haven’t thanked a single volunteer yet - not good. Bad Karma. Start thanking the volunteers, Law Enforcement and spectators! That will definitely keep me moving. Big hill, this is hard. What’s the secret? Oh yeah, lean forward a bit, lift the knees and pull yourself up with your arms. Keep it going, keep it going. Whew, made it. That sucked. So did anyone go to the Pasta Dinner? It was good. I was ready to run after dinner. The skit? it was lame as always but did you hear about the….

Forest Hill Avenue - we’re gettin’ close to half way. I need to hold it together. What? No, I’m fine. Just focusing. Stay focused and keep running. This is a good group. Change up the cadence a little to add some variety. Stay in the game. There’s the CVS and another Party Zone - tons of noise that’s great adrenaline. Okay, back to it. No I didn’t hear that story. What happened? Really, almost hit by a car? Yikes that would have been bad. When is everyone doing the gu? Next Waterstop? Sounds good, that’s right on my schedule too. I’m going to walk through this waterstop to be sure I get enough water for the gu. The 14 mile waterstop on Semmes is right up here. That will be a good boost for the Bridge.

Thanks volunteers, great waterstop. Thanks! Um, yeah, no, we’re not almost there but we’re keepin it together…

So now I’ll have to catch that group. They shouldn’t be too far up the road. Just nice and steady. Find a comfortable cadence, find that rhythm. I hope I don’t get stuck on the bridge by myself. There’s no one around. This is not good. Keep it up, keep it up, keep it up. Don’t worry about the bridge, just keep moving forward. it’s fine, the bridge isn’t that long. Hey Coach Greg - what’s up? I would love you to block the wind on the bridge - thanks. Down the hill to the bridge, it’s getting a bit warm out here. I need to drop this long-sleeved shirt. I’ll throw it to the side. I’m keeping my gloves just in case, some of the shadier spots may get chilly.

Here’s the bridge. Hey a green shirt walking, let’s see what’s up. Hey, you okay, come on run with us, Coach Greg is blocking the wind. You can do it, just over the bridge then you can walk. My name is *(&^ from the Green Team, you? From Indigo. Yeah, there’s a porta-john by the next waterstop. Hope you feel better, see ya later. Yikes. Well that kept my mind off the bridge, success, now up the hill to Main Street, thanks Greg. These miles are starting to click away now.

I caught ya. What’s up? I walked in the waterstop to get plenty of water and lost y’all. Coach Greg paced me over the bridge It’s fine, I ran with some guy from Indigo - they had a huge party last night? Not sure whose idea that was. Great waterstop at 16 - Midlo High School - Go TROJANS!!!

I forgot how long this hill to Main Street is. That’s tiring, keep it together. Pretty close to target pace and overall feeling pretty good. keep it up, keep it up. Hey Coach Jake - how are you? Good job in the skit on Wednesday. Here’s VCU approaching mile 17 - less than 10 to go. Gotta Stay in the game.

Oh crap, what the hell just happened?

It’s Wednesday. Do you know where your head’s at? You should be getting extra sleep, running just a little and staying calm. You should know what clothes you will wear downtown, what you will use as throw-aways, what you will wear for the Marathon and what you’ll wear post-Marathon. You should have an idea of what time you’ll be leaving the house for Downtown, you should know what you are eating on Saturday morning, you should know how to drive downtown. Get the arrangements out of the way today so that you are not dealing with them later this week.

First, Second, Fifth, Tenth, Twentieth or Bazillionth Marathon - it’s still amazing but you have to get to the Starting Line first.

All is well, Remain Calm!

Snot it if you got it!

Accept the greatness that is you!

Richmond Marathon - Part 2

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:47:47 -0500

Parking, parking, parking, where the hell can I park. Come on, I need a parking place. Why are there no parking places? Why are the streets closed already? Guess I should have paid more attention to street closures and suggesting parking spots. Wait, there’s one. Cool, grab my bag, my gatorade. Got everything? Check. Let’s go get snotty!

Wow, look at all the green shirts. Too bad it’s raining or Too bad it’s cloudy or Too bad it’s Sunny or Too bad it’s snowing or Too bad it’s a hurricane or whatever. Where are my navy, orange, green, silver, neon, indigo, purple, yellow, red, teal, blue, pink or black peeps. How cool. So should we head up to the starting line? Not yet, no hurry, we’ll be there in plenty of time to drop bags, hit the potties and get in the Corrals before the gun goes off. Why does Ed keep saying - be calm? He doesn’t look calm at all. Look at all the nervous smiles - everyone feels the same way. Calm and Confident! This is gonna be a great day….

LET’S GO! You mean we have to walk up the hill to the start? That sucks, what about my energy, what about my legs, what about my shoes, what about my breathing? Hey, why’d you smack me? Okay, I’ll calm down. Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing. Where are the UPS trucks? Oh, never mind. Which one do I go to? Bib number, I see, I’m glad Wade told us to put our bib numbers on the drop bags. That saved time. Porta-john time? Where are we meeting - by the _________ sign, okay. No problem. wow, this line isn’t moving. There are more porta-johns up by the National and no one is in line there. Still lots of time, not a problem. It’s time for the Half to start - “woo, clap, clap, clap - good luck!” “No the second half is easier than the first half, it’s just that you’re tired - that’s what the Coaches told me. You’re welcome. First time? Me too. This is gonna be great - what’s your goal? Wow, that’s a fast first Marathon, I just want to finish” Good Luck!

Yikes, what the hell happened in that porta-john? Oh well. find the sign, find the sign, find the sign. Here we go. I don’t see J(*)* yet. Where is she? I hope she doesn’t miss the start. National Anthem. Drop the extra clothes OUTSIDE the corrals. Who is that talking? - what did he say? Oh well, couldn’t have been too important for today… Time to start - let’s go!!!!!!!!

There’s the gun. Start running, wow dead stop. No hurry, haven’t crossed the start line yet. here comes the starting line……We are on the Road!! Woo hoo„, look at all the people. Stay calm, why is someone grabbing my…. Oh, Perry, what are you doing? Slow down? Why, I feel great. Today is the day. This is going to be amazing, I’m definitely crushing my goals. What, you mean I can’t guarantee Marathon times in the first 800 meters? I feel great though. Okay, I’ll slow down and let it come to me.

There’s the gun. Start running, wow dead stop. No hurry, haven’t crossed the start line yet. here’s come the starting line……We are on the Road!! Woo hoo„, look at all the people. I feel like crap. This is not going to be a good day. Maybe I should just jump out here and wait for another race in December. I’ll feel better in December, I’m sure. Hey Suzanne, I’m gonna jump out and wait for a December Marathon. What? Why not? It will be way better. I feel like crap at the half mile. What am I gonna do? This is gonna be the longest day ever, I will fail and then what will the last 24 weeks mean? What, run with you for a bit? Okay but only up to the Boulevard, then I’m walking back. Yeah, training has been good. The weekend runs have been fun. I did speed work and hills. I ran with the Wednesday night Fan Run group too. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been good. The first water stop? already. Hey that was easy. Here’s the Boulevard, no way, I’m on the way. I feel great!

Either way - we are moving forward

First two turns on the course, remember to hold my line. Run the tangent but don’t cut anyone off. Left turn followed by a quick right. Monument Avenue - what a great site. Hey, who knew this was uphill? Look at all the people on their front patios. I’ll have one of those mimosas, that looks reallly good, just kidding. I’ll come back next Saturday, save one for me! High-five the little kids standing on the side of the road. it’s like instant energy. I’ll have to remember that for later.

It’s still a ton of people around, Lots of green jerseys. There’s Uncle Reggie and Aunt Louise - HEY!! Thanks for coming out! Thanks for the Sign - “GO ______, We love you!” That just makes me want to run faster, but I need to control my pace. Only 4 miles in, stay calm and confident.

Another turn and a waterstop. Gotta get some fluids here. Grab two cups, run to the end, now walk and drink, walk and drink, back to running. Great job. XX minutes in and just moving along. Arms and shoulders are relaxed, breathing is under control. Remember my plan, the first half is about getting ready for the second half. “Who is from out of town?” Where you from? Minnesota? That’s a long trip. What brings you to Richmond? Welcome - have a great race! What’s all that noise? There’s a turn coming up - it’s the turn onto Grove. Look at all the green shirts! It’s the Coaches….almost all of them - it’s so loud. This is energy I need to store for later. We’re comin’ up on the new section of the course……

Stay tuned more to come……..

Richmond Marathon - Part 1

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:18:00 -0500

For the next 4 days, RunRichmond will provide a glimpse of one person’s visualization of a Marathon Experience. You will most certainly experience something different, but hopefully this will provide you some insight into what you can expect -

Arthur Ashe Center? Where is the Arthur Ashe Center? Why can’t packet pick-up be someplace familiar? I don’t even know where this place is, traffic will probably be crazy and there won’t be any parking. What a day to have all this stress. I need to chill-out. I’m running a Marathon tomorrow - it will be fine, just breathe. Let’s see - Arthur Ashe Center, 3001 N Boulevard. N Boulevard? Why does that sound familiar? I know where that street is, but I can’t place it. Oh well, punch it into the GPS. On my way to packet pick-up, maybe I’ll see some fellow Snotties there. Got my water bottle and ID, I’m golden. That’s funny this is the way to the Diamond. Good, I shouldn’t get too lost. Well, this place must be close to the Diamond, oh, you’re kidding, that’s the Arthur Ashe Center. The building right next to the Diamond. How did I not know that?

Not too crowded, glad I came early. Race number - 2545, got my chip, got my packet, got my shirt - time to shop. New shoes, new socks, new shorts, and new flavor of GU. I am totally ready for this Marathon. I will be stylin’ and profilin’ tomorrow. CUT. LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN. Race number - 2545, got my chip, got my packet, got my shirt. Nice shirt this year, so glad that the Marathon shirts are different than the other races. Excellent. Maybe there’s some bargains on some running wear, not for tomorrow - for the recovery runs next week. Hey Don, yes I’m ready for tomorrow. I’ve been drinking gatorade and water and snacking on bagels. Weather? Who cares about the weather? We’re running a Marathon tomorrow. I haven’t looked at the forecast all week - coaches said they would hunt us down and beat us if we looked at the weather.

There are MTT people everywhere. Here is a group of Neon runners. Hey Kristen, Denise, Heather, John and Brad - what’s goin’ on? Yeah, we’re ready no doubt about it. Just gonna start easy and let the race come to me. Oh well, good to see everyone. Time to roll, gonna go get some dinner with the fam and then kick back for the evening. See you around 6:30 downtown. Sleep well, ha ha

Hey, I’m home. Yeah we can go to dinner now. Ethiopian? Not what I was thinkin’, yeah, the Ethiopians are fast but we need something familiar. How ‘bout some pasta. It would be good to go to Nonna’s. We eat there all the time and I know it doesn’t bother my stomach. I know we’ve eaten pasta every night this week but this is the last night, I promise. Tomorrow night is whatever you want (as long as they serve beer)….

That was a good dinner. Little extra salt, a moderate amount of pasta and bread. Not stuffed but full. Time to put the chip on the shoe, number on the shirt and one last check of the gear. I would rather take too much than wish I had something with me. The UPS trucks are big enough to hold my backpack. Fast forward a couple of hours. The movie’s over, I’m heading to bed. I’ve got to get up and get fed and get downtown for the big day - g’night.

x:30AM - alarm is sounding. Darn I forgot to turn that off when I got up an hour ago. Wish I could have slept a bit more last night. Oh well, too late now. Time for my (insert pre-run food items here). Race number is on the beautiful GREEN shirt, d-chip is on my shoe and I am ready. One last stop in the indoor bathroom, grab my bottle of gatorade and head downtown……

Remain Calm. All is Well. You are trained and ready to go!

Trust the Training, Trust the Program, Trust your Coaches - but most of all - TRUST YOURSELF

Detroit Rock City!

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:47:46 -0400

Surgery on February 11, Detroit Marathon on October 16. The road was a long one with lots of sweat and lots of pain but it was so freakin’ worth it. Thanks to Hanson Coaching Services, some very, very special people in my life and the abject fear of failure in front of hundreds of people - I ran a PR Marathon eight months post foot surgery.

I ended up in Motown the weekend of October 16 thanks to a friend who really wanted to BQ. He asked me where I would suggest, I said, “Go where I went. Detroit. No question and if you go, I’ll go with you and pace you.” Oops, did I say that out loud. His response of, “That’s great, let’s do that.” Confirming that I had indeed said it out loud. I’m in, I guess.

Thankfully, our BQ requirements are the same, so his will be fun. We trained all summer. He trained on a modified MTT schedule with lots of fast miles and long runs. I trained on the schedule developed by Luke Humphrey of Hanson’s Coaching Services. He customized their standard schedule to factor in my lack of base mileage. I told him my goal was 3:15. That’s a 3 minute PR over a time I ran in Detroit in 2006. Five years older, one less nerve in my left foot but I was focused.

I ran the repeats and the tempo runs. I did the 8 consecutive 16 milers over 8 weeks. I did the recovery miles. I lost about 25 pounds. I was defintely ready.

The Detroit Marathon is on Sunday, we ran the final mile or so of the Marathon course on Saturday late morning - dead into a 25 mph headwind. Yikes, that could be a problem. Saturday was very windy but there was hope for Sunday weather-wise.

Sunday morning was about perfect weather-wise, high 40’s at the start, lots of clouds, wind was moderate to light depending upon where you were. The first half saw a little bit of light rain and lots of darkness as we finally got some light around mile 6. It was a bit fast at 1:36 but not totally off the wall crazy.

The second half became more of a test. Two/thirds of the runners took the right hand turn at mile 12.5 and headed to a 13.1 mile finish. This left far fewer people on course and almost eliminated the crowd support. We also faced a few miles into the wind on the way back to the city and the finish line. It was all a game to keep your pace and get to the finish, there were no crowds of college students lining the road, no thousands of spectators cheering and encouraging you. It was me and a few runners trying to find a way to finish. It was funny, the biggest group of non-runners I saw in the last half (not at a waterstop) were 4 people as I hit the Riverwalk section of the course. I had to actually run around them as they were walking and talking along the Riverwalk oblivious that there was a Marathon in progress (reminded me of Shamrock).

So, I made it. Second half was 2.5 minutes slower than the first. There are a few reasons for that but none of them really relate to my training. I knew I was prepared for this race but was apprehensive about not running “20 milers.” I may have felt better at 23 than I did anywhere else other than the finish line and FishBones Bar after the race. I met my goal with 41 seconds to spare. About five minutes after finishing I was trying to figure out what Marathon to run in the Spring so that I could break 3:10. We’ll see about that…

The part about fear of failure in front of hundreds of people, yeah, it’s a coaching thing.

The four guys that flew to Detroit to run a Marathon all qualified for Detroit. Mission accomplished and we had a blast doing it.

June

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:48:16 -0400

Wow, that was close. June almost expired without a RunRichmond post. What would you have done? I could see the jumpers already. June has been really busy. Adjusting to the return of Daughter #1 from college, kicking off the 10th year of MTT and attending my high school reunion made for an interesting month in a lot of unrelated ways.
I had totally forgotten that people in their late teens tend to stay up until almost the time I get up to run. Then they sleep until about the time that people my age hit Denny’s for the blue plate special. We tend to pass each other in the hall in very different stages of our day. Thankfully a certain burrito chain has prompted a schedule change. So now we see each other far more often; and that’s still a good thing.
Yep, the tenth year of MTT is the biggest yet. I have received the crash course welcome back to Saturday. Saturday is way different than Sunday! Not better, just different. Think about it, trips to NYC and Steamboat Springs are both fun, just very different. That’s kind of the difference between Saturday and Sunday. It’s been great running with all the different teams over the first few weeks. Every year I am amazed at the great coaches in this program and how much time they volunteer to make it a success. Another thing amazes me each year, the team dance. No, we don’t have some competition with a British guy and a bunch of choreographers. Our dance is much less organized and more like extemporaneous speaking. In other words, it makes little sense to the casual observer and appears totally unrehearsed. My goal time is X, should I be on Teal or Indigo? I really don’t like running early, can I be on Navy? I ran with White last year but had a really bad Marathon, I think I need to change teams. Oh, that’s the “slow” intermediate team, I think I would be better off on the faster team. This is a sample of what we hear during the first month of MTT. We also hear, that’s the team I wanted, I love that coach. All my friends are on this team, perfect choice. The biggest thing we are trying to avoid is the thought process that team assignments have a huge impact on Marathon success. They don’t. Obviously, running the novice schedule will typically not lead to a 3 hour Marathon but running on any of the intermediate teams could yield the same result on Marathon day. Someday I will figure out the magic words to make people understand…..
I have never attended a high school reunion until last weekend. Honestly, I have had no contact with 595 of the 600 members of my high school class since about eight weeks post-graduation until I “got on facebook.” Seeing all the “news” about the reunion on FB made me decide to attend the festivities. It’s interesting how the mind works. You go to a reunion and see people that you have not seen in almost thirty years and in your head you kind of expect them to look the same. Guess what? Very few of them do. There were about ten people that I would have recognized if I had seen them on the street walking around, the rest could have been wearing random nametags and I wouldn’t know the difference. Oh yeah, if you get a chance to go to your 30th high school reunion – go.
Oh yeah, the 5 people that I had seen since graduation? We attended a college graduation for one of them at JMU. It started with beers (pre-game) and proceeded to dinner with her family. Apparently I was a big hit with grandma at dinner. The denouement included pulling over on the side of I-81 and falling down some hill (for the record, I was not driving)….Those were the days………………..
Run Well.

Up, up and away

Fri, 27 May 2011 15:30:48 -0400

Fifteen weeks post-surgery and great news this morning, I will never be able to start my day again without…….wait for it…..wait for it……be patient……….a Starbucks Trenta Green Tea Lemonade sweetened, holy Mother of God. Ever had one? Do yourself a favor and stay as far away from them as possible. It is seriously like sharing crack cocaine with Lindsey Lohan (I’ll deny it if you tell anyone), I just finished the first one and I’m considering running back to SB (Starbucks, not Sports Backers) for a second dose this morning. If everyone starts drinking them, there won’t be enough green tea to satisfy my habit and that is not acceptable, so forget what you just read. You know what’s really good, triple grande extra hot 2 pump mocha – you drink those and leave the green tea lemonade to me.

Roll up, roll up for the magical mystery tour, step right this way.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up (AND) THAT’S AN INVITATION, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up TO MAKE A RESERVATION, roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is waiting to take you away,
Waiting to take you away.

Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is hoping to take you away,
Hoping to take you away.
-The Beatles

It’s finally almost time to start. One week until we start for the tenth time. Actually I am starting for the ninth time but there are a bunch of coaches and a handful of participants that will be starting for the tenth time. Take about 1,100 runners, have them meet each weekend for 24 weeks and run the streets, roads, lanes, boulevards and avenues of Richmond. Add some very dedicated volunteer coaches, some great SAG staff and see what you get. What you get is a magical mystery tour. This is not a recruiting pitch or an advertisement. It’s a tribute, a testimony to the Marathon Training Team, the close to 100 coaches, volunteers and SAG staff, thousands of participants and everyone else that makes MTT magical in so many ways.

Every year when we put close to 1,000 fannies in the bleachers at Sports Backers Stadium, it’s like the first day of high school. The reunions of the many “veterans” and the uneasy looks on the faces of the newbies. The strength and confidence of the “upper classmen” and the fear and trepidation of the “Freshman”. The shock and dismay of this year’s color “scheme”, the enthusiasm and expectations, the goals and fears, the bleachers are full of emotion and we haven’t even run one step.

My first year in the program, we ran from the downtown Y on Franklin Street. Outdoor bleachers in a soccer stadium were not needed, we could all sit on the floor in the old gym and not come close to filling it. If we tried that this year, we would never get parking for everyone.

As the season progresses, we celebrate successes with PRs at local races and PRs for long run distances. We discuss things while running that many people wouldn’t discuss with their spouses, running 20 miles with people will quickly knock down any barrier that may exist. Hell, running 12 miles in July in Richmond can do that. We watch out for each other and make sure everyone gets back to where they started. We counsel on shoes, shorts, sports bras, compression shorts, gu, nip-guards, body glide, socks, singlets, strassburg socks, cho-pat straps, water belts, water bottles and where do I put my key while we run (not to mention bathroom habits and sex the night before a race). There are e-mails, some are stern (don’t run in the street 4 across please), some are funny (thanks for participating in the Richmond Wear-a-thong) and some are informational (eating a burrito for breakfast before the Marathon may not be a great idea) but all add to the totality of the experience.

Then one day, after hundreds of miles, it’s time. The gun goes off at 8:00AM on that Saturday in November and the next 7 hours are magical. Monumental highs and lows that rip the heart from your chest; pushing, cajoling, encouraging, threatening, demanding and counseling participants that are ready to lay it all out there to see what happens. Each year I try to find new ways to be everywhere on the course, I want to run with every participant and help them reach their self-defined goals. Unfortunately that’s not possible, thankfully there are 60 or more coaches on the course doing the exact same thing so no one goes without help.

People stay just a little bit longer
We want to play — just a little bit longer
Now the promoter don’t mind
And the union don’t mind
If we take a little time
And we leave it all behind and sing
One more song
Oh won’t you stay just a little bit longer
Please, please, please say you will
Say you will

Oh won’t you stay just a little bit longer
Oh please, please stay just a little bit more
-Jackson Browne

So at 3:00PM, the first beer at Sine’ always tastes great but it’s also bitter sweet. While I will see many of the same faces over the next thirty weeks, it’s not the same. Thankfully I know that we will be back at it the first weekend of June for another season of MTT and I would not have it any other way.

Run Well.

Mandatory Reading

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:42:44 -0400

http://karagoucher.competitor.com/2011/04/20/not-my-day-but-that%E2%80%99s-okay/

This should be mandatory reading when signing up for a Marathon and then again, at the line just before the gun.

If you don’t show up, you will never know what’s possible. You may not be happy with the result, but you can always be happy with the effort.

One of my faves

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:33:48 -0400

“Whatever. There are no tricks. Run because you have to. Run because you love it. Run because you want to be fast. Run because you want to be skinny. Run to find some quiet time. Run to sweat. Run to eat. Run to hear your heart pound in your ears. Run because you’re a runner. Run because you gotta keep the streak. Run because you don’t know why the hell you’re running. Run because you fought with your partner. Run because your job is shitty. Run because you got no money. Run for the sunrise. Run for a race. Run because it’s impossible. Run because it’s easy. Run instead of doing the laundry. Run instead of watching TV. Run because no one else understands. Run because the cool kids do it. Run because you’re tired of talking. Run for numbers. Run for feel. Run to prove something. Run because it f ing hurts. Or don’t run. If you got something better to do.” - Jeff Edmonds

This to me is the perfect description of my relationship with running. My total is up to 35. Not miles, minutes, but you know what, I can’t wait to lace up the shoes tomorrow and do another 12 or maybe sneak in a couple of extra - not one extra ‘cuz’ running 13 would be you know, bad luck. The thought of being able to run again monopolizes my day, I keep thinking about Thursday and that “full clearance” so that I can start counting miles again and not minutes.

Runners find reasons to run or they don’t. Sometimes we have to run because the schedule says so, but if that becomes the only reason you are running, try cycling.

I'm BAAAAAACK!

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:38:58 -0400

Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed steps that had been away
Haven’t changed, haven’t much to say
But man, I still think them strides are crazy

They were asking if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
Told them you were living at the Y
Driving the rower crazy…
-Thin Lizzy (kinda)

It’s true, guess what came back today? My Run is back. Quick as I developed a relationship with the rowing machine, I dropped it and embraced my true love. It was a quickie to be sure but at least I was running.

It’s April 14, tomorrow will be nine weeks post-surgery. My last appointment at six weeks post, I was told to start walking when my daily activities caused no pain and when I could walk for an hour without pain I could start adding in running. I followed directions exactly as stated. Today when I ran for my six 1 minute “intervals”, I had no pain in my foot at all. I had no pain all day in my normal activities. My foot actually feels better today than it has in about 2 years.

As runners, multi-sport athletes, fitness nuts (however you classify yourself), we are likely to get injured at some point in our “careers.” I hope that your injury does not require surgery or extended time away from your favorite activities; but if it does – be a Patient Patient. Find a medical professional that understands athletes and then follow their direction. It may take longer than you like but your chances of a full recovery and therefore a return to prior levels or even higher.

I have great confidence in my foot and the repair job by Dr. Jones. I also have confidence that by the time we welcome in the newbies and the welcome back the veterans the first weekend of June, I will be ready for another season of fun.

I learned some good lessons over the last nine weeks, I hope I don’t have to use these lessons again.

FISH!

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:49:34 -0400

I’ve been a coach and I’ve been coached. I have been a participant on training teams, I have paid for coaching, I have used online training schedules, I have been “self-coached” with the help of too many books to list here. I truly enjoy coaching. Working with the Marathon Training Team for two years as a participant and then the last seven years as a coach has definitely been the most rewarding thing I have done in athletics.

There is something that the coaches, reference materials, and I have not addressed, at least not in anything I have ever read or written. There is a mental side of training. I hear you now, “Seriously, you have never seen anything on mental side of training? Where are you an elementary school library? What alter universe are you living in? There are tons of books about mental toughness, visualization and many other mental topics, can you just not read?” Okay, that is correct, so maybe mental side is not the correct terminology. Let me try again.

I recently read a book called Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results. It was suggested to me by a friend of mine when I mentioned that I was taking on a culture project at work. This person is responsible for one of the great places to work in this country, so he knows more than just a little about culture. This is the context that most people find this book, through the workplace. We are working with the book and incorporating it into our internal Leadership Program as a way of improving our firm. I hope you will continue reading this piece because this is going to loop back to training in a few words, I promise. The book is written by Stephen C. Lundin, PhD., Harry Paul and John Christensen. It is a unique little story about a business and how it finds culture and therefore performance success at a Fish Market.

Back to training, many of the people I coach each year through Marathon Training Team are very dedicated, driven and passionate people (actually most of the people). They take the training schedule and study it (even though it’s basically the same each year). They track their mileage and their effort on spreadsheets or in online training tools or on good old paper. When they miss a workout (if they miss a workout), the stress really shows as the e-mail usually starts, “Coach, I overslept and missed the five mile recovery run today, do you think my Marathon is screwed? Should I do a double tomorrow? I only have 15 weeks until the Marathon.” I often joke with people at the beginning of the program, do not become a slave to the schedule. Do not be the person that tattoos the schedule to your significant other’s forehead so you can study it at dinner and appear attentive. I am not making fun, I am guilty of the same thing in my own training. We set a goal, a particular “A” race, we set a training plan and it becomes a job. It becomes an epic battle of time versus priorities. We work to maintain focus on training while still searching for balance in our lives.

This is where the book comes in. I realized when I was reviewing notes on the book that there is a very good application to our training. The first premise of Fish is very simple and it’s very important. It’s the basis on which everything is built. Without it, the rest is useless. When you get ready to train, CHOOSE to make today a great day! It is your choice. If you are an early morning trainer, then when you roll out and get ready, tell yourself it’s gonna be a great workout. If you workout in the evening, look forward to it with a great sense of anticipation. If you have 6x1 mile with 2 minute recoveries at 10K pace, know that it’s going to be a great workout. If you have hill repeats on the bike or some crazy swim (I have no idea what that would be so make something up), know that it’s going to be a great workout. We often forget that we are in total control of our attitude. You choose to be excited about a workout or to dread a workout. Isn’t it more enjoyable to start with a good attitude? Even if things don’t go as planned, keep the good attitude and work to improve the results. Don’t get all stressed out, stress does not lead to good training.

The next premise is find ways to PLAY. Chances are your workouts are hard. They should be, we don’t benefit from half-hearted attempts. The body gets stronger, faster, fitter through effort and recovery but that doesn’t mean that training must be boot camp and militaristic. Watch kids on a playground (if you can find any not glued to a video game). Not on athletic fields, but on a playground just running and playing for fun, you remember recess? Their strides are natural and fast, their faces have smiles, they are playing. We should do the same thing. For example, burst into song while running, skip for a minute, run backwards on the recovery during a workout, stop and pet a dog or whatever, just try to play. You can play while working hard.

While you have a good attitude and you are playing, it’s important to also to BE PRESENT. While I encourage you to have fun and lighten up the mood around your workouts, it is still critically important to be present during the effort. It’s critical that you are tuned in to the workout and the effort. We need to be focused on pace or form or whatever the goal of the workout. We can’t be daydreaming while trying to do repeats, we should not be thinking about dinner while trying to bust out the last few reps in the gym. We need to be “in the workout.” If you find yourself checking out, then stop, play and then resume the work phase. On a side note about be present, I often run for relaxation and to “get away” for a bit. That’s fine. We all have recovery runs on our schedules, those are perfect for creating a distraction for a period of time.

Wrapping this up is MAKE THEIR DAY. Quoting from the book, “Find someone who needs a helping hand, a word of support, or a good ear – and make their day.” It’s real. Think back to a run or ride or workout where along the way you helped someone. Maybe you held a door or maybe you helped someone that needed directions, maybe you helped someone change a tire or maybe you happened upon someone that was hurt and you helped them. How did that make you feel? Yeah, it’s a powerful emotion. Helping someone also helps you. I am one of the many crazy pre-dawn runners. It’s amazing how many there are, but you still don’t see too many people on the mean streets of twickory at 5:00AM. So sometimes when I feel like I am just dragging and can’t quite get it together, I’ll put people’s newspapers on their front porch. Three or four houses or a block or whatever, I’ll just toss the morning fishwrap from the sidewalk to their front porch. In my mind, I am helping people. Of course, the person that picks up the paper while driving out of their driveway, may not be happy, but I’m long gone by then. There are actually lots of opportunities to help people on a regular basis if we keep our eyes open and are present. There is one other option for MAKE THEIR DAY, how about your legs. Maybe you need to give your body a helping hand and a day off. That could work out very well for you.

The first day of Marathon Training Team I tell people, “in case you have forgotten, you paid to join this program and we are not paying you one dime. This is recreation, this should be fun. If you get to the point that you are not having fun, you need to rethink your priorities and choices.” Just because something is hard, and yes 20+ mile runs and hill repeats and track work is hard, does not mean it can’t be fun too. There are disappointments along the way in anything we do. We will miss goal times and come up short in races. These are disappointing for sure but they are not the end of the world. They are learning opportunities to be attacked with a good attitude the next day.

The reality is that FISH has often been used in the workplace to restore or create a more healthy organization, however, it applies to life in general. Think about how great your day would be if you chose to have a good attitude, played, were present in the moment and helped others. I would wager that when you hit the hay each evening, you would rest well for a day well spent.

Run Well.

Warning – this post will not make you want to go out and run. It may make you want to throw-up but...

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:53:38 -0500

Warning – this post will not make you want to go out and run. It may make you want to throw-up but read the whole thing – it finishes on a high note!

What a week in sports? One of the great weeks of the year, especially for college hoop fans (count me in), has been even more interesting than usual. A few folks should be ashamed of themselves, and one stood above the rest.

The head football coach at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY has obviously lost all sense of perspective. Of course THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY has supported this lack of perspective. We learned this week that the head football coach at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, a state employee and at some level an educator, knew that some of his players were violating NCAA regulations in March or April. He conveniently failed to tell anyone because he couldn’t figure out who to tell. Even in the fall as the NCAA suspended his players for 5 games of the 2011 season, there was no admission by the head football coach that he knew about the violations many months before. So now it becomes public knowledge when he knew about the violations. Somehow the head football coach only draws a two game suspension. By the way the two games are against very weak opponents. If you are going to coach college students, you should set the right example. So I have a couple of questions…..

Why did the players get suspended for five games but the head football coach only got two games?
Since the head football coach’s contract allows the school to terminate the contract if he violates NCAA regulations, why wasn’t he terminated?
How does the Athletic Director at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY regain his trust in a head football coach that could not figure out how to report a known rules violation?

On Friday evening, reports are that the NFLPA is decertifying and a class action suit on behalf of the NFL players is being filed against the owners. At the same time the owners of the NFL franchises are going to “lock-out” the players. I am a big football fan, I prefer college but I enjoy NFL football as well. Press reports are that they are arguing over a billion dollars or maybe two billion dollars. Honestly, I could not care less about the issue. I think it would be great if the NFL imploded and all these players had to find real jobs. Let’s see how easy it will be for them to find jobs for the league minimum, approximately $225,000 per year outside of football. Someone should remind them that they are entertainers and if there is no “stage”, there is no pay.

On March 9, the Rutgers men’s basketball team was playing St. John’s in the Big East Tournament. They battled tough and due to an error by the officials at the end of the game, they were denied one last chance to win the game. It was an obvious officiating error. In the post-game press conference, the Rutgers head coach Mike Rice did not rant and rave and criticize the officials and act like a child. He behaved as an adult that realizes this is a game. No one will live or die based on the results of one game. He set an example for all people about how to behave and accept that sometimes things don’t work out the way you want. This is the way we should expect, no demand, people act toward others.

So in a single week, we have seen incredibly different examples of how leaders act to difficult situations. The head football coach, athletic director and president of THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY should be ashamed of themselves. Not only have they embarrassed themselves, they also embarrassed the University. The NFLPA and the owners of the NFL franchises should figure out fast that the “fans” won’t take a side in this debacle. If there is any disruption of the NFL season, the “fans” will blame everyone involved the NFL and all will pay dearly.

Coach Rice of Rutgers University, THANK YOU. You have proven to me that someone involved with college or professional sports has maintained their perspective. I was beginning to wonder………

Something to be learned from barefooting

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:35:27 -0500

This blogging shit is hard. I have no chance of coming up with interesting words on a regular basis.

Since I am not running or cycling (but at least I am walking without the assistance of crutches, well, kind of walking, kind of hobbling) I find I don’t have much to say. This extra available time (ends up my sleep patterns are firmly controlled by my workout schedule, no workout, not much sleep) has given me the opportunity to catch-up on some significant reading and research. Some of it was business in nature, although it applies to life in many ways, I highly recommend the series of books by Patrick Lencioni. They are fable-based business/management books and are great. They are short and packed with strong messages that can apply to personal relationships as well as professional.

In preparation for my return to running this spring, I have been researching shoes. I have three requirements for running shoes going forward. They must be light, very neutral (little to no support) and have very wide toe boxes. I am not risking another neuroma. It seems I am not alone in my quest. The light and very neutral specs are very popular these days as all manufacturers are creating shoes that simulate barefoot running, there’s a book about people in Mexico that run in sandals, oh, wait, never mind. Anyways, I happened upon the website http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/barefoot-expert/, there is a video by Lee Saxby on this site. The video is 10 minutes and takes a runner from running in traditional running shoes to running barefoot. I am not a proponent of running barefoot. While it is true that our ancestors ran barefoot at some point in history, generations of shoes have lessened our ability to do so. Anyways, this video is excellent. It’s 10 minutes long and is totally on the mark. Even though I don’t run barefoot, the techniques described by Mr. Saxby and his cool accent are perfect. It is clear and understandable without a bunch of science. The “victim” starts running on a treadmill and looks like the runners you see everyday in the Fan or Twickory or Salisbury or downtown. Lots of heel striking and poor posture. The heel striking is made possible by a pair of Saucony shoes with lots of cushion. The posture part is just “life.” Many of us sit at desks or in cars or on couches with lousy posture most of our days and then we’re surprised when we run with the same poor posture. It’s all connected but that’s a subject for another day. I highly recommend watching the video and working to run in this style but do it in shoes so you don’t cut your foot on the extra bottle caps around my house these days….

My Run

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:14:43 -0500

How excellent, no need to rush to work in the morning. I can set the alarm for normal time and get a few extra miles on the road. Weather looks positive…..oh, wait there’s a stupid post-op shoe on my left foot. Plus there is a pair of crutches laying on the ground next to the bed.

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never was. This has extra meaning in my particular situation right now. I set my Run free. I chose to have elective surgery so that I can enjoy time with my Run pain free in the future. So now, while I am on crutches and banned from running (under penalty of perpetual pain), my Run keeps coming back and mocking me. Yes, mocking me. A seventy degree day in February, a cool crisp morning with bright sunlight, a pair of running shoes by the back door, a blissful early morning under the amazing light of a full moon, my Garmin mysteriously on the kitchen table, the random dream, nee nightmare about a particularly good 5K, the sight of a group of runners pushing each other to greater efforts, and worst of all, my running clothes out of the dryer and folded to be put away rather than being worn again before ever hitting the drawer. Mocking me without mercy or maybe, my Run is trying to test me. My Run is tempting me like Rachel Uchitel tempted Tiger Woods. Okay, not really like that but you gotta love the reference. My run is tempting me like Marilyn Monroe tempted….well, everybody. Tempting me like Tony Horton seems to be tempting many females in the Richmond running community these days (admit it, you know who you are). My Run is testing my faith, my Run is testing my resolve. My Run is lookin’ for a beat down of ginormous proportions. I am faithful and resolute. I will follow the doctor’s orders regardless of the sneaky tricks my Run might try. I will not engage my Run until cleared by Doctor Jones. My Run is going it alone until the Doc says GO!

That’s it! I’ll pull a double-double-cross on my Run. Maybe I’ll trick it into taking a break. I’ll fool it by hiding my Garmin, by removing the MTT sticker from my car, by hiding all my running shoes. My Run is going as stir-crazy as I am. I know it. My Run is missing the effort. Maybe my Run doesn’t understand the price to be paid for not following the Doctor’s orders. Maybe my Run doesn’t understand that premature running could be a game-changer. It could cause a permanent separation between me and my Run. I totally understand that my Run misses the solitude of the road in the pre-dawn hours and; the heightened awareness of everything around you when running on a desolate country road before most people are out of bed. The soul-refreshing experience of running in the early hours of a snow storm or the peak of a summer thunderstorm. I miss the feeling of accomplishment gained by throwing down a nice set of intervals before the daily grind, I mean; my Run misses the feeling of accomplishment gained by throwing down a nice set of intervals before the daily grind. There is much to be missed when my Run and I can’t cover the common ground.

Maybe my Run should start preparing for the inevitable, my Ride is going to take its place for several weeks in April………..

Who, what, where, why, how is a Snot Rocket?

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:00:07 -0500

A snot rocket is the forceful expulsion of sinus matter by runners while running. It is also a member of the Sunday Intermediate Marathon Training Team of the Richmond Sports Backers!

Tempo Run or Snot Run?

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:26:49 -0500

So ask 100 runners to define Tempo Run and you’ll get 95.75 different responses. Why is that? Part of the reason is that Tempo Run has become the cool catchall term. Everybody is doing Tempo Runs when they are not sure what they are doing. Think about the term, Tempo Run, not very descriptive is it? You could just as easy say Pace Run or Rhythm Run. Some call it an anaerobic threshold or lactate threshold run (thanks to the Father of this training technique, Jack Daniels). These names are certainly more descriptive and provide some level of guidance. Evidently, Dr. Daniels thought these runs should be at or near a runner’s anaerobic threshold. A very unscientific description of anaerobic threshold, the pace where the body cannot adequately clear the lactic acid generated through exercise. As the acid accumulates in your muscles, things get very ugly in a hurry.

That’s all the fancy science stuff. I have my own thoughts on Tempo Run. First of all the goal is to force the body to handle greater speeds for longer distances. The longer distances are kind of key. We are not talking about 5K racing. We are talking about 15K to Marathon distance. Why? Because in a 5K, you run at a pace that generates lactic acid and at a rate that the body cannot possibly clear. You will finish a 5K before the lactic acid totally locks up your legs (theoretically). With a 15K, you have to run at a pace that allows the body to manage lactic acid levels and keep them below critical levels. So with my version of a Tempo Run, you want to run just below the threshold for the duration. Your body will get better at clearing acid through this training which will allow you to run faster over this distance. It’s a good bet that if your Tempo Run lasts more than 60 minutes, you are probably not running fast enough. At some point the body can no longer keep up with the acid production. As the acid accumulates, the effort becomes tougher. A 60 minute Tempo Run is a solid piece of work (not including warm-up and cool-down). Obviously, my Tempo Run is not done at Marathon pace or even Half-Marathon pace, it is faster.

So here are a couple of mental images that may help you understand the Snot Run; my new moniker for Tempo Run. If the name catches, I can see the t-shirts, “I’m okay, it’s a Snot Run”. Or, “you only get this fast with Snot Runs”, or “Watch out – It’s a Snot Run”. Enough about slogans, in the 60’s there was a television show called Mission: Impossible. Yes, there was actually television in the 60’s, no there wasn’t cable and no, Tom Cruise was not involved. Anyways, at the beginning of each episode they showed a fuse being lit and the fuse would be shown burning between scenes until it reached the explosive. I like to think of a Snot Run as a fuse. The goal is to burn that fuse as quickly as possible but never reach the explosive at the end. So you are running hard enough to be burning the fuse but not so fast that the explosion is imminent. Hopefully, you reach the end of your Snot Run and put the fuse out just before explosion. You want to finish a Snot Run with the knowledge that you were working hard but you are not gassed. You don’t fall over in the parking lot or on your front lawn. You take a short recovery walk and you are tired but you are not bombed. That fuse has to burn hot, but not explode.

The Snot Run is at a pace/effort that makes you hold back just a bit but at the same time you want to go faster. You want to reach the conclusion as quickly as possible but at the same time you don’t want it to end. The Snot Run requires effort. You have to push yourself a bit but the secret is finding the rhythm that allows you to hold on. This is not a sprint to the finish; avoid the natural inclination to speed to the finish. Understand that the prize is the effort and time at the effort level not a quick finish. You want it to last as long as possible. If you really find the right pace, you should feel strong and energized. It is a rhythm thing. Find that magic rhythm and the good times will roll. This pace is hard, so after several miles at this pace, you will start to fade. Work on maintaining the rhythm and finishing the run. You want to finish with a feeling of success and accomplishment and a desire to do it all over again.

Think about the Snot Run in another context. Think about it this way, things that burn super hot cannot last, eventually they burn out. Things that barely smolder are not very interesting. The controlled burn, the flame that burns at a rate that can be maintained and controlled are the best. This middle-ground contains the pay-off. Sure the incredible, scorching hot experience is great but it cannot be maintained long enough. We want a snot run (or other things in our lives) to burn hot and last.

Get outside, warm-up and start the snot run. Find the magic rhythm and embrace it. Hold onto it with both hands and rock it out. Feel the strength and power that comes from running just below threshold.

Nothing feels quite like a Snot Run.

Be Progressive!

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:00:12 -0500

What’s your favorite workout? Intervals, time-on-feet, hills, fartleks, tempo (define that one), plyometrics, track, 5K, 10K, 15K, Half, Marathon, Ultra?

Yes, races are workouts too. What is a workout? A structured period of work designed to improve a specific facet of your running ability. So, when racing are you not learning? If you don’t learn something when you are racing, you are wasting a great opportunity to make great strides in your running.

Anyways, my favorite workout? Give me progressives. A solid progressive run will test your turnover, lactate threshold, breathing, pacing and mental strength. A good progressive run will allow you to further test your mental strength as things get tougher.

Here’s how I do a progressive, I’m sure there are other options and other ideas but I like mine best (convenient). Right out of the driveway and into a nice lazy warm-up pace. I admit it, I use a Garmin 305, I set it to record a lap each mile. At the end of one mile, I pick up the pace. How much do you pick up the pace? It depends. How far is the run? That will determine how much the speed increases. If you’re doing 3 or 4 miles, then the second mile needs to be significantly faster than the first mile. If the run is 8 or 9 miles, then the speed increase should be much smaller. Each mile should be faster than the last mile. Remember, the next mile must be faster than the current mile so be sure that you have enough “top-end” room to finish the run.

Here are some of the keys to keep in mind, you don’t want to spend this run staring at your watch. The idea is to use these runs to improve your pacing. You want to learn how to gauge your pace based on effort. In order to do this, you have to get internal. You should feel the effort, feel the work being done so that you start associating effort with pace. Look at your watch when each mile ends so that you can gauge your effort and your time. This feedback will help you build this knowledge base.

Another key is to run each mile as consistently as possible. In other words the pace at the beginning of the mile should be the same as the end. Do not rest at the beginning of the mile and then sprint at that end to bring your time in. You want to “shift gears” at the end of each mile and pick up the pace for the next mile.

It’s hard to fight the instinct toward the middle of a progressive, my instinct is to start running too hard too early. This will make it impossible to complete the scheduled distance at the right paces, at some point you will no longer be able to make the next mile faster than the last. A progressive run can be successful or unsuccessful. Here is how I judge it – I have a planned distance, if I run the planned distance and each mile is faster than the previous mile and the last mile is close to 5K pace, then the run has been successful. If my pacing is off or at some point I can’t run the required pace or I can’t finish the mileage, then the run has been unsuccessful.

Progressives will help your running and hit upon many different aspects of your running at the same time. Try a progressive and let me know what you think.

Hello Neuroma....

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:46:56 -0500

Hello Neuroma, I said with contempt.

Hello Sean, it said in a mocking way.

Anyways, today’s run wasn’t about tempo, pace, intervals, endurance, fartleks or form. It was about remembering. Remembering why I run, what it will be like when I get to run again and how peaceful even twickory can be at 5:45AM. I had to run this morning. It didn’t matter whether it was snowing, raining, sleeting, hailing, firebombing, or blazing sun (that would have felt nice), I was running. I won’t be running again for awhile and I needed that last memory. I’ve been looking for the mental strength to get through the endorphin deprived time that will be most of February and March. Hopefully, by April I will be at least riding hard enough to get some buzz, but I won’t be running. At all. I decided that the same thing that I tell each year’s crop of Snot Rockets – fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life applied to this situation. Oh wait, I meant – mental preparation and mental imagery will get you through the toughest parts. So I would use today’s run to build a mental picture of a run that I could replay in my head.

It’s amazing what can happen when you go out to run with no plan, no route, no expectations and no goals. The miles just clicked away. The first mile started with a shining light that quickly passed and faded. After that the rhythm was easy to find and hold. I never looked at the Garmin, I just ran. I ran pieces and parts of routes that we run all the time. I ran comfortably. I looked around and observed. I soaked in how I felt and the deafening silence that would be shattered by a passing car or dog barking. I didn’t think about the inclines or goal paces. I was relaxed and just striding along through 3 miles. In the distance I saw what appeared to be three lightning bugs flying around a few hundred meters away. Of course it was 24 degrees in February; not likely to see any lightning bugs. As I got closer, they got brighter and brighter. It was the same light I saw starting my run but brighter and greater than before. Maybe I’ll see that light again in the spring. Finally it was time to start heading back, after all, work was calling and as my Father always said, “employment matters.” So as I finished my hour run and turned the final corner back into the ‘hood, I knew that tomorrow was going to be a great day and that I would run again soon, if only through the memory of this morning.

If you run, you totally get the preceding 450 words. If you don’t run, I hope that you have something in your life that fills the same void that we fill with running.

Be well.

Preparing for Recovery

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:09:16 -0500

At the end of this week, Dr. Mark Jones of West End Ortho Group will be cutting my foot open, with my permission. Hard to believe, even for me. The neuroma that developed about 18 months ago has successfully lived through orthotics, multiple injections and rest periods. In fact it has thrived. Growing from something that would create some numbness at times to an angry alien that resides between my second and third left metatarsal. It regularly reminds me of it’s presence but I will have the last laugh, eventually…

So on February 11, in the morning, I’ll go into Johnston-Willis outpatient surgery center and leave a few hours later minus one nerve. Dr. Jones has predicted 3 weeks on crutches and 3 months with no running. I can cycle as soon as the sutures are removed but finding a shoe that will fit on my left foot may make that difficult for awhile. I will do exactly as he directs, I want this thing to heal like a brand new foot and will give it whatever time it needs. So, if you see me running in March or April, feel free to tell me to go home.

So the longest period of time that I have gone without running since I started running, is four weeks. It was about five months ago after fracturing my elbow playing basketball. This “break” will be a bit sterner test. My eye doctor suggested serious medications for both me and my wife. She doesn’t even know me that well (my eye doctor not my wife). I hate not running, I hate not “being able to run” even more.

So I have had a couple of weeks to prepare for this and develop a mental approach to deal with the recovery period. So far I have been unsuccessful. I have about 4 days to work it out or I go into this period of “troubles” unprepared.

I’ve got a nook full of books and will have a fridge full of beer but I think there will be some other tools needed in my mental toolbox. 4 days to figure what they are……