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A Forty Minute Mile

Posted in training, tagged Elliptical, logging, pool running, running, running log, training on May 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Last week I ran a forty minute mile.

No, that is not a typo.

Yes, I know I was not supposed to be running last week; part of a self-imposed rehab stint to get my knee better.

But I have a race coming up on the 30th and I had to do something. The elliptical has been surprisingly satisfying, but it’s still not running. I wanted to get the motion and bio-mechanical feel of running back into the muscles. So on Wednesday I went to the local gym, put on my swimsuit and ran the pool. I focused on form and effort, keeping count of my laps as I ran through 4 1/2 feet of water.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

A lot of the swimmers looked at me as if I were crazy, but it did the trick. There was essentially no impact and I got to feel like I was running. After 38:40, I had done 52 laps, 1 mile. I laughed at the absurdity of inputting the data into my running log, but you know what? I ran that mile dammit and I was taking credit for it.

All of this, the elliptical, the heavy bag, the swimming and the water running left me with a bit of a quandary. How do I incorporate all of this into my running log? Up until two weeks ago I had been guilty of NOT cross-training once in 2010, so I never considered what I would write in the log if I had to get my cardio by means other than running.

The workouts have been good. 8 3-minute rounds on a heavy bag is a hard workout. 8.5 miles on the elliptical left me more sweaty than an hour-long run. My 40-minute mile in the pool was not only a test of physical but mental endurance as well. I feel like they have all helped maintain my cardio fitness level.

But I still am not sure how to incorporate them into my weekly, monthly or yearly mile totals. Numbers, particularly miles, can be very important to runners. We take pride in crossing certain mileage milestones (50 miles in a week, 1000 miles for the year, etc.), so I want to be able to use these numbers. In the last 2 weeks I put in nearly 70 miles on the elliptical, but only 5 (okay, 6 if you count the pool running) miles running. I was tempted to add the elliptical miles to my totals but decided against it.

When I posed this question on dailymile, I received more questions than answers, most wanting to know what others did. One person said that when they are forced to do something other than running, they go with logging the time and perceived effort. That was the best, and quite frankly the only answer I received.

So, what do you do? What is a mile on the elliptical worth? or in the pool? Is there an exchange rate?

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Spectator

Posted in health, motivation, racing, training, tagged Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon, Rehab, Run to Remember, running, spectator on May 20, 2010| 6 Comments »

Don’t be a spectator. Don’t let life pass you by.

-Lou Holtz

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In every race that I have run, I have always been grateful for the people who come to cheer the runners on. Whether coming for a friend or family member, these people end up cheering everybody on. It is a great energy booster for me as a runner when random strangers cheer me on and even a bigger one when it’s from my family and friends.

Last Sunday was the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon. I had no plans of running it, but I had two friends who were. Had I not been nursing this knee, I probably would have shown up last-minute to run, however, I did the right thing and staked out a spot late in the race to cheer on my buddies (Josh – @bostoncardiovet and Alett – @petfxr…I’d find out later that Alett had suffered a minor injury and was not running). I got to my spot maybe 20 -30 minutes early. I asked a cop what mile marker we were at (just shy of 11) and then asked the spectators already there how many people had already gone by (maybe 10 at most). I looked at my watch. 90 minutes, shy of mile 11, 10 runners. I did the math. Damn! I wish I was running this. Given healthy conditions, I could have had a shot at being one of those top 10. As the runners began to trickle by, I cheered each and every one of them on. Some said thank you, others were in a zone and kept on running. I envied each and every one of them.

This was the first race I had been to where I wasn’t a participant, and I’ve got to tell you, it was hard. I’m not talking “oh geez, I wish I were running too” hard. No, I’m talking “pang in my heart, itch in my legs, must resist the urge” kind of hard! I was never a huge racing fan before I started running, and even after I started running, I didn’t get into races until I ran my first one. As great as it was to cheer on complete strangers, all I wanted to do was run.

When Josh came running by about 20 minutes later I kicked off my flip-flops, put my coffee down and began running with him. Yes, I know. I’m rehabbing and I’m not supposed to be running! But I promise I was forced to run lightly since I was completely barefoot. It felt great. Just being out there with the other runners felt absolutely awesome. After taking Josh up a particularly steep hill, I bid him good luck and jogged back to my spot, cheering each runner I passed.

So, what did I learn?

I learned that running a mile barefoot isn’t so bad. It actually got me thinking that maybe one of these days I’ll try a 10K or half-marathon completely bare.

But the biggest thing I learned on Sunday was that I don’t like being a spectator. I will continue to support friends who run local races, but I have a feeling that if I’m healthy, I’m a lot more likely to be joining them at the starting line instead of cheering them on. I think that I can apply this to other parts of my life as well. How many of us have spent a good chunk of our adult years as a spectators or watchers? While I try to figure out what that means, I’ll just have to start with a half marathon next week (anybody else running the Boston Run to Remember?) and some 5K’s over the summer.

I can’t wait to get back on the road.

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Get Some

Posted in health, Odd Ball, training, tagged Coregasm, exercise, Women's Health on May 18, 2010| 5 Comments »

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So, since the beginning of this blog, I have been a huge proponent of physical exercise. True, I definitely skew toward the power of running, but quite honestly, as long as you get sweaty and breathe hard, I don’t care how you get your daily burn. I still feel that running was the best way to achieve this…

…that is, until today.

Today I read this article from Women’s Health Magazine. Yes, I know, it’s Women’s Health. It was on a friend’s Facebook page, okay? So anyway, go ahead. Click on the link and read the article and then come back. I’ll wait. Oh, if you are the type that is easily offended, don’t bother.

Are you back? Did you just run to the gym to do some core exercises? Maybe some hanging leg raises?

The sad part is that this article really isn’t directed towards me, though I guess that would present problems of its own. Seriously though, for all the women out there looking for a good reason to hit the gym, I can’t really think of a better selling point. I mean, really, I’m surprised that there aren’t groups of women coming out of the middle of a Pilates class for a cigarette! Talk about a feel good workout! It puts the Runner’s High to shame. AND you don’t need anybody or anything else with you. I mean seriously, if I were a woman I think I’d be a core-exercise nut!

I’ll tell ya, going to the gym from now on is going to be a whole new experience!

Here is the actual workout recommended by Women’s Health Magazine.

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The Sirens

Posted in health, rest, training, Vibram Five Fingers, tagged bikila, Odysseus, Rehab, running, Sirens, Vibram on May 17, 2010| 5 Comments »

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In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island [wikipedia]. This past week I have been dealing with my own version of the Sirens. The weather has been generally delightful, my knee has felt fine, and my new Vibram Bikila Shoes, though wonderful on the elliptical, have been whispering run, run over and over again. Yes, as I work to make sure that my knee is healthy, the Sirens have been calling me to the road, tempting me to run.

For once, I am trying to be smart about it. I want to run. I need to run. But like Odysseus, I am strapping myself to the mast (the elliptical) and having my men (the DVR) row me through temptation. Though I have to admit I did run one mile (ONLY ONE!) with my buddy Josh (@bostoncardiovet) as he made his way through an uphill mile 11 of the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon on Sunday.

So far so good. The knee is on the mend, I’m maintaining cardio health and I can see the road just a week away. But as that day approaches, the Sirens’ song gets louder and more beautiful. The temptation to go back just a day, maybe two, early is very strong. Would it really hurt to go back to running just a day early? Probably not, but why take the chance? Right?

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Plan B

Posted in health, training, Uncategorized, Vibram Five Fingers, tagged Elliptical, Injury, Rehab, running on May 13, 2010| 7 Comments »

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I am a runner.

I run.

A lot.

You know this.

So does just about everybody else.

“Hey, do you know Luau?”

“Who?”

“The running dad.”

“Oh yeah! I know him. The guy with the funny shoes, right?”

Yes, anybody who knows me, even tangentially, knows me as a runner.

***

So what happens to a runner when he or she can’t run, or as is more my current situation, shouldn’t run.

Two marathons in two weeks beat me up far worse than I initially thought. The pain I am in gives me an even greater appreciation for what guys of Operation Jack and MarathonQuest250 are doing. My right knee just is not a happy puppy right now. The right thing to do after my Providence and Boston combo was NOT to run. But purchasing the new Bikilas was too much of a temptation to resist, so I ran. And then I ran again.

And as awesome as running in the Bikilas were, an injured knee is an injured knee. What’s a runner to do? Running has come to define me. It is who I am. It is my therapy to deal with the craptastic issues I’m dealing with in everyday life. It is my medicine. My escape. My release.

What am I to do when I can’t run?

I go to Plan B.

I love running, but one of my favorite parts of running is the sweating.

When I break a real sweat, I feel cleansed. When I am exhausted, I feel energized. When my muscles ache, I feel great.

It the paradox of running, but running isn’t the only way to achieve those feelings.

I have been inspired by my friend Jersey, who gets up every morning at 4:00 to hop on to her elliptical for an hour. She uses her hour of redlining it much in the same way I use my runs. She is just about as crazy as I am when it comes to needing that rush, that escape. So at least for now, while I know I shouldn’t be running, I am going to go with Plan B. I’m taking it easy on the knees and hopping on the elliptical for hour every day. Thank God my DVR is overflowing.

And you know I’ll still be wearing the Bikilas!

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Inertia

Posted in motivation, Odd Ball, training, Vibram Five Fingers, tagged Inertia, running, taper on May 10, 2010| 4 Comments »

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Definition –

Physics.
a.
the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force.

It’s been a week since Providence, 3 since Boston and 6 since the Eastern States 20. Despite, or rather because of the 3 races, I have essentially been in a state of constant tapering for about a month and a half.

I miss running.

Yes, I’ve run the races, enjoyed the crowds and had a lot of fun. But I miss the miles. I ran only 82 miles in April. I know that’s nearly 20 miles a week and for many people that’s a lot, BUT compare that to the 160 I ran in January and 210 I ran in March, and you can see how it might feel a little light. It’s all a matter of perspective, I know. So now that the big races are over, it’s time to ramp it up again, right?

Well, it should be, but there’s a problem. There’s this thing I’m fighting. A universal law that is very, very powerful. It’s called inertia, and I’ll tell you right now, it’s very hard to fight.

Now I know I just put up a post about downsizing, but that was more about the races I chose to run rather than the monthly miles.

I WANT to run. I do. But I’m finding it hard to make the time. That’s really all it takes. I just need to make the time, but right now, I’m finding it very hard to do so. Don’t get me wrong. The time is there. I could get up early, I could stay up late, I could stop sitting in front of the computer typing away on Run Luau Run and make the time. It’s just that I haven’t. It’s almost as if that taper that started at the end of March doesn’t want to stop. And unfortunately, the Taper has the universe on it’s side. Inertia is a real pain in the ass.

So this week I will fight the universal laws and I will drag my butt outside and just do it. The amazing thing about inertia is that it works both ways. That’s why tapering is so hard to begin with, right? So I’ve just got to build up a little momentum and inertia should take care of the rest. There’s gotta be a few other things in my life that I could apply this science to. Maybe I could finally start writing that book. Force myself to write for two weeks and inertia can take care of the rest.

It’s time to run. Here I go…right now…see me going?…what’s that? Celtics highlights are on Sportscenter? Maybe I’ll go afterward…

Full Disclosure So I actually wrote this post about an hour before I picked up my new Vibram Bikila’s. They should definitely help me motivate!

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Downsizing

Posted in training, Uncategorized, tagged 5K, downsizing, running, summer on May 6, 2010| 8 Comments »

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So March was a monster mileage month for me (210 miles) and April was a huge racing month for me (okay, technically the ES20 was at the end of March and Providence was the beginning of May, but over the course of about 5 week I raced 2 marathons and a 20-miler). My legs are feeling it.

I’m a little tired.

It’s time to downsize. I have a half-marathon scheduled at the end of the month, and then nothing on the calender until October, when I plan to make another run at qualifying for Boston.

That said, I am hooked on this racing thing.

Love it.

Love!

It!

But I can’t keep doing half’s and full’s every month – my legs at some point will protest or simply fall off.

So I’m thinking that along with training toward an October marathon, this is going to be the summer of the 5K. I haven’t run a 5K race yet. Ever. I have no idea what to expect from them, but I do know that they are the most commonly run road race out there. That being the case, you may see a, um, ahem, run of 5K race reports over the summer.

The 5K though is a little scary to me.

Scary?

Well, yeah.

My biggest fear of the 5K is the distance.

The Distance?

Yup, the distance. I am a relatively slow starter. Whether it’s age or simply just how I’m built, in the races I have run, it usually takes me a two or three miles to get into a groove. The problem with that, of course, is if it takes me 3 miles to get in a groove in a 5K, I’ll only have 0.1 miles left in the race.

I know I can cover the distance. After running several marathons and half’s, the race may be over before it even feels like it’s started. The question is can I kick it into 5th gear from the very start?

Part of the reason I’m trying my hand at 5K’s this summer is the same reason why, in the end, I did 2 marathons in 2 weeks – to see if I can do it.

Very often, that’s what these races, whether they be 5K’s or marathons, are all about. Very few of us have any hopes of winning a race outright. But that is not why we run. We are not running against our competitors. No, we are running against ourselves – to see what we are indeed capable of.

I’m looking forward to finding out.

***In the meantime, if any of you have suggestions for 5K’s that you really enjoyed in the Boston or New York City areas, please let me know.

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Taper

Posted in boston marathon, rest, training, tagged boston marathon, running, taper on April 5, 2010| 6 Comments »

I kind of make it up as I go

– @britishbulldog (winner of the ’09 Cayman Marathon) on how he approaches his marathon training

And so it begins…the part of the training cycle many of us dread – the Taper.

Two weeks before race day and we’re supposed to drop our mileage by 20 – 40%. Since I haven’t been following a particular training program – encouraged to make it up as I go – see above – I’m not exactly sure what to do for the next 2 weeks.

My training program has essentially been “run a lot” – and I have. With 250 miles in five weeks, a little over 600 in the 16 weeks leading up to this point, I know that I need to lighten the mileage, but I also know that I need to keep using the engine to stay sharp. Maybe the plan should just be “run less”.

What to do, what to do.

Last Friday I went out for what was supposed to be an easy four miler. I came back with a non-race PR of 26:30, a hopping 6:38 pace. The weather, the rest day before, my first run of April all combined to tempt me into flying. It was a fantastic run, but I know that it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. You start running at top speed and you raise the risk for injury. I don’t want to do that right before my race.

The running gods smiled on me a couple of weeks ago. I need to respect that and be smart in these next two weeks leading up to Boston. The problem for me is, I’m not sure what that means. Right up to Eastern States I was piling on the weekly mileage, and my legs felt pretty fresh. Do I continue that approach this week? Put in 40 – 50 like I want to? or would taking it easy these two weeks make my legs feel even fresher? I just don’t know. Unfortunately, experience lies on the other side of this race.

Why do we hate the taper so much? Is it habit? Addiction? Shouldn’t our bodies welcome the reduced pounding that is marathon training? Whatever the reason, I know, KNOW, that these next two weeks are going to be the most difficult part of the training for me.

And of course, if I fail in my attempt to qualify for Boston at Boston, how do I approach the next 13 days before Providence? It’s going to be an interesting month. With 2 marathons in less than 2 weeks, I don’t anticipate April’s mileage approaching March’s. Is there such a thing as a month-long taper?

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Swoosh

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, training, tagged commit, Just do it, running on March 18, 2010| 12 Comments »

Just do it.

That’s the phrase that has made Nike millions of dollars, and though I am not a particular fan of their products, I am a believer in the phrase.

Just do it.

I hear the complaints, the excuses, the reasoning. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve done that.

The first five pounds? The middle five pounds? The last five pounds? 13.1 miles? 26.2 miles? They’re not as hard to tackle as many think. The biggest, highest hurdle is between the ears.

In the end, it comes down to one question: How badly do you want it?*

Yes, there are certain achievements I will never accomplish in running, no matter how badly I want them. I will not win a gold medal at the Olympics; I will not win Boston (not on this world anyway); and I will not become the pitchman for Brooks or Vibrams (probably).

However, there are running achievemenst, currently out of reach that I will someday accomplish.

I WILL qualify for Boston. I will run a half marathon with a 1:30 handle. I will run an ultra someday. I will push my body…hard. It’s a matter of commitment. I truly believe that. I HAVE to believe that. THAT is partly what gets me on the street or treadmill.

Those things that you believe are out of reach? You’re not in shape for? You’re not built for? Bullshit! You can.

You can.

Commit.

Just do it.

It’s your body. If you want it, commit and just do it. Once you do, the goal is yours.

How badly do you want it?

*And there’s nothing wrong with not wanting it…it’s not for everyone. But don’t complain about it if you don’t want to do something about it. It’s like complaining about who won your local election when you couldn’t care enough to vote.

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Exploring Captiva

Posted in motivation, training, tagged Captiva, exploring, running, vacation on February 18, 2010| 1 Comment »

The nice thing about running is that you can take it almost anywhere. All you need are some shorts, a shirt (sometimes) and some shoes (if you run with them). Okay, if you’re a woman you may need a sports bra too, but I digress. You can run in the sun, the rain or even through snow, and if the weather is simply unbearable you can hit the treadmill or do what the great Emil Zàtopek used to do. He would fill his tub with blankets and run in place for hours. The point is no matter where you are, if you have the time and are physically able, there is very little excuse for not running.

This past week my family and I spent our children’s school vacation on the island of Captiva, Florida. The weather did not exactly cooperate. The historical temperature for this past week has been in the mid-70’s. The past 7 days saw a high of 67° and averaged much closer 62°. Not exactly your “lounge by the pool/let’s jump in the ocean” type of weather. However, it was perfect for running.

Lucky for me, I am a runner! One of the things I love most about running is that you never have to take the same route twice if you don’t want to. From day one of our vacation, I looked forward to being able to explore the island of Captiva. I figured that over the course of a week, I would get to check out quite a bit of the island. The last time we were here (close to 3 years ago) I went out for a jog (I was not a runner then) and barely got out of the complex we were staying in. The resort is about 1.8 miles from end to end and that was about what I could run at the time. 3.6 and I was done. It was not the distance that made me a jogger, rather the frequency with which I ran (which was once in a while at best).

This time around I arrived as a runner. The idea of running 8, 10, 12 miles was not out of the question. Nor was running 4 or 5 of the 6 days we were there. I was going to explore every nook and cranny of Captiva. I was going to take every side street and loop and see everything there was to see. There was only one problem: after my first run of 8 miles, I had essentially seen the whole island outside of the resort. In fact, that particular run even took me to the neighboring island of Sanibel. The 10 miles the next day covered everything I had missed. Part of the issue is that the island is only a few hundred feet wide in some spots and not much wider in others. There is essentially one road that runs north and south with few side streets open to the public.

Despite that, it is a beautiful place to run and reminded me that running is not always about “per mile splits” and training. Sometimes running should just be about exploring and observing your world. Running up and down that 6 mile strip over the course of the week, I noticed different things with every run.

One day it was some of the over the top houses,

Is there enough room for your whole family dude? The owner's son built the same house 1/4 mile down the road

another day it was the beautiful surf

Notice nobody's in the ocean. Was a cool 62ºF.

Notice nobody was in the ocean? It was a cool 62ºF.

and yet another I got to see some majestic ospreys putting together a nest.

I guess my point is that when training for a marathon, half, 10k or what have you, it is easy to get lost in the numbers. Yes, you want to strive to hit the marks in your training to achieve your goal, and don’t get me wrong, I derive great pleasure from those training runs and hitting those marks. But it has been a joy this past week just running for the sake of running.

Feeling the ground, slicing the wind, seeing the sights.

Final stats:
Days Run – 4/6
Miles Run – 31.36