It was time for the week 4 exhaustion test. I almost forgot about it as I was getting ready for bed later than normal. Despite wanting to simply crawl into bed, I knew I better stick to my plan. Yes, I was very tired, but it was test time.
I was able to do 44 good form pushups. I skipped count on 2 pushups that I felt shouldn't count. I was also losing form at the end, so while I thought i could eek out a few more, I wasn't sure I would be able to judge if I stayed in good form.
Week 5 begins tonight.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
100 pushups Week 4
Week 4 is in the books. I completed the week and am ready to do the exhaustion test and move on to week 5. I really struggled with the last set. Before I started day 3, I was thinking of moving to column 3, day one and doing day one and 2 before attempting day 3 of the second column. However, I finally decided to try each day, and if I cannot complete a day, I'll simply do it over again until I can get it.
Week 4
18-22-16-16-28
20-25-20-20-30
23-28-23-23-33
That is 100,115, and 130 pushups totaling 345 pushups for the week.
Week 4
18-22-16-16-28
20-25-20-20-30
23-28-23-23-33
That is 100,115, and 130 pushups totaling 345 pushups for the week.
Monday, November 29, 2010
100 Pushups Week 3
Week 3 is complete. Mostly, I am happy I stuck with it and completed the week. I'm also very happy with the progress. I'm still in Column 2 on their plan, which is fine with me.
Day 1: 12-17-13-13-22
Day 2: 14-19-14-14-25
Day 3: 16-21-15-15-25
Not a bad overall total when I simply count the pushups.
77-86-92 = 255 for the week
Day 1: 12-17-13-13-22
Day 2: 14-19-14-14-25
Day 3: 16-21-15-15-25
Not a bad overall total when I simply count the pushups.
77-86-92 = 255 for the week
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Alternative Workouts
One thing I'm finding with various training plans is the inclusion of cross training. Find something to do on a day or two during the week that you don't run and rest your legs. I've been focusing on weight lifting. However, I'm back into ramping up my base mileage, and I've found that my weight time is becoming limited on the lunch time runs.
I decided to go back to an old workout routine that I started a couple years ago. It is one of those gimmick workout routines, but it is simple and doesn't take up much time. Plus it works out one area I'd like to strengthen. This 100 pushup plan covers a number of weeks and will get you on your way to doing 100 pushups continuously. Last night, I just finished up week 2 day 3 and I am doing the middle column. I do my workouts every other day before bed.
Here are the week 2 results:
Day 1 - 9-11-8-8-14
Day 2 - 10-12-9-9-19
Day 3 - 12-13-10-10-20
It really only takes 5-7 minutes each night, so I'm trying to convince myself to stick to the plan. That's a total of 50-59-65 pushups for the week and a grand total of 174 pushups. These do not in any way replace any exercise I do for the week. I am doing this in addition to the running and weights I'm already doing. Tonight I will do the Week 2 Exhaustion test where I simply do as many pushups as I can in one set.
I decided to go back to an old workout routine that I started a couple years ago. It is one of those gimmick workout routines, but it is simple and doesn't take up much time. Plus it works out one area I'd like to strengthen. This 100 pushup plan covers a number of weeks and will get you on your way to doing 100 pushups continuously. Last night, I just finished up week 2 day 3 and I am doing the middle column. I do my workouts every other day before bed.
Here are the week 2 results:
Day 1 - 9-11-8-8-14
Day 2 - 10-12-9-9-19
Day 3 - 12-13-10-10-20
It really only takes 5-7 minutes each night, so I'm trying to convince myself to stick to the plan. That's a total of 50-59-65 pushups for the week and a grand total of 174 pushups. These do not in any way replace any exercise I do for the week. I am doing this in addition to the running and weights I'm already doing. Tonight I will do the Week 2 Exhaustion test where I simply do as many pushups as I can in one set.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Cold Weather Running
We just enjoyed a nice week of weather for mid November. Temps were in the high 50's to low 60's and was basically perfect for running. However, the weather is bound to turn cold here over the next week or so, and I think we are in for a long winter. Some of the shorter days of running, I may just turn to my treadmill at home or at work.
If I want to get outside like I did this past Monday for one of my longer runs, I'm going to need to start picking up some cold weather gear. Last year, I stuck to the treadmill and the indoor track. Only 2 or 3 times did I even bother to venture outside, and those were unseasonably warm days anyways.
I depend on Runners World for a lot of my initial advice before I hit their forums and figure things out for myself. One problem I have with a lot of the advice for any gear is Runners World and the more seasoned runners almost spare no expense when it comes to the items they choose. Cold Weather gear guide from Runners World.
If you follow through the content of that link, there are not a lot of options to start shopping for, but they cover the bases as to what type of clothing to look for.
The key to the winter clothes is choosing the right options to layer.
They start with a Long sleeve tech fabric shirt from Asics, retailed at 65 bucks.
Next, they mention a pair of light wool boxers for $45 bucks.
A waterproof lightweight zip jacket at 140 bucks from New Balance.
RW offers two hat options from Nike, a baseball style cap or a thermal beanie. each around $30.
They do suggest another, cheaper windbreaker option around 85 bucks from Brooks as well as a North Face Vest option.
I prefer a looser fitting pant since I don't think people want to see me sporting the spandex leggings, but there are a loose and a tight option for around 65 bucks.
Saucony's UltiMitt is recommended as a running glove that has a flip Mitten part to it. These actually look reasonable for 30 bucks.
So, now I need to look at what it is I need. I have one of those goofy looking fleece headbands for covering your ears. I also have a knitted, fleece lined hat that I've felt comfortable wearing on cold runs. This hat was meant for skiing but is a nice comfortable running hat.
At the end of last winter/early Spring, I picked up a long sleeve tech fabric shirt similar to the Asics one mentioned above. It is a Reebok Option that I picked up at Marshall's for 8 bucks. I also have a couple tech fabric long sleeve shirts that aren't as tight that I got for each marathon I ran. I figure those two shirts or my regular short sleeved shirt are good to layer over that Reebok shirt.
I see at Target, for less than 20 bucks I can get a pair or two of running pants from Champion's C9 brand. I love the C9 stuff, so I'll check those out this week. I'd still like to pick out a wind breaker/running jacket, but for now, if i need another layer, I do have a fleece jacket that I got real cheap last winter.
I tend to avoid running in the real wet stuff. So, I think I can stay clear of the rain gear. Mostly, I think I'll play it by ear as I need stuff. Aside from a pair of pants, I think I'm set for the early weeks of winter ahead.
If I want to get outside like I did this past Monday for one of my longer runs, I'm going to need to start picking up some cold weather gear. Last year, I stuck to the treadmill and the indoor track. Only 2 or 3 times did I even bother to venture outside, and those were unseasonably warm days anyways.
I depend on Runners World for a lot of my initial advice before I hit their forums and figure things out for myself. One problem I have with a lot of the advice for any gear is Runners World and the more seasoned runners almost spare no expense when it comes to the items they choose. Cold Weather gear guide from Runners World.
If you follow through the content of that link, there are not a lot of options to start shopping for, but they cover the bases as to what type of clothing to look for.
The key to the winter clothes is choosing the right options to layer.
They start with a Long sleeve tech fabric shirt from Asics, retailed at 65 bucks.
Next, they mention a pair of light wool boxers for $45 bucks.
A waterproof lightweight zip jacket at 140 bucks from New Balance.
RW offers two hat options from Nike, a baseball style cap or a thermal beanie. each around $30.
They do suggest another, cheaper windbreaker option around 85 bucks from Brooks as well as a North Face Vest option.
I prefer a looser fitting pant since I don't think people want to see me sporting the spandex leggings, but there are a loose and a tight option for around 65 bucks.
Saucony's UltiMitt is recommended as a running glove that has a flip Mitten part to it. These actually look reasonable for 30 bucks.
So, now I need to look at what it is I need. I have one of those goofy looking fleece headbands for covering your ears. I also have a knitted, fleece lined hat that I've felt comfortable wearing on cold runs. This hat was meant for skiing but is a nice comfortable running hat.
At the end of last winter/early Spring, I picked up a long sleeve tech fabric shirt similar to the Asics one mentioned above. It is a Reebok Option that I picked up at Marshall's for 8 bucks. I also have a couple tech fabric long sleeve shirts that aren't as tight that I got for each marathon I ran. I figure those two shirts or my regular short sleeved shirt are good to layer over that Reebok shirt.
I see at Target, for less than 20 bucks I can get a pair or two of running pants from Champion's C9 brand. I love the C9 stuff, so I'll check those out this week. I'd still like to pick out a wind breaker/running jacket, but for now, if i need another layer, I do have a fleece jacket that I got real cheap last winter.
I tend to avoid running in the real wet stuff. So, I think I can stay clear of the rain gear. Mostly, I think I'll play it by ear as I need stuff. Aside from a pair of pants, I think I'm set for the early weeks of winter ahead.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Training Preparation
I'm officially a running geek. Well even more so than I already was. I ordered Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning book last night. I'm still sort of figuring out what I want to do until the new year now that my official 2010 marathon is over. However, I'm starting to think more and more that I want to do 2 marathons next year. This would be in early May, the inaugural Kalamazoo Marathon. And depending on how that went, I'd still look at doing Grand Rapids in October.
So, if I want to run the Kalamazoo Marathon on May 8th, my official first week of training would start January 2nd. That means I'm in a 9 week period of no official training agenda. Well, I suppose that is not completely true. I need to work on my base mileage and do some strength training, so maybe it would be worthwhile to create a pre-training training plan.
I think it is important to still run on the weekend, but primarily my workouts will happen during the week since I have a full hour of lunch to utilize. I'd really like to hit a 3-5 mile run each day and occasionally get out for a longer run in the 7-8 mile range. Every other weekend I'd like to push that to at least 10. This doesn't mean I won't run on other weekends, but I'll probably do shorter treadmill runs.
Any workdays that I do shorter 3-4 mile runs, I think I'll spend 10-15 minutes with various weight workouts. I'd still like to strengthen my core, but also would like to start toning and firming up other areas that I don't work out from running such as the shoulders, chest, and arms. I am also looking at starting a quick evening workout routine like the 200 Situp Challenge or the 100 pushup challenge.
My weight goal for the next 9 weeks would be to get comfortably under 190 lbs. I'm still between 193 and 196 on any weigh in day. Time to shed those lazy 5lbs off.
I'm going to work on a base building running plan next.
So, if I want to run the Kalamazoo Marathon on May 8th, my official first week of training would start January 2nd. That means I'm in a 9 week period of no official training agenda. Well, I suppose that is not completely true. I need to work on my base mileage and do some strength training, so maybe it would be worthwhile to create a pre-training training plan.
I think it is important to still run on the weekend, but primarily my workouts will happen during the week since I have a full hour of lunch to utilize. I'd really like to hit a 3-5 mile run each day and occasionally get out for a longer run in the 7-8 mile range. Every other weekend I'd like to push that to at least 10. This doesn't mean I won't run on other weekends, but I'll probably do shorter treadmill runs.
Any workdays that I do shorter 3-4 mile runs, I think I'll spend 10-15 minutes with various weight workouts. I'd still like to strengthen my core, but also would like to start toning and firming up other areas that I don't work out from running such as the shoulders, chest, and arms. I am also looking at starting a quick evening workout routine like the 200 Situp Challenge or the 100 pushup challenge.
My weight goal for the next 9 weeks would be to get comfortably under 190 lbs. I'm still between 193 and 196 on any weigh in day. Time to shed those lazy 5lbs off.
I'm going to work on a base building running plan next.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Grand Rapids Marathon Race Report
I debated on even writing this as the actual race blew up in my face and I considered bagging it even before the 20 mile mark. The long and short of it is that I got sick about 3 weeks before the event. It was a stomach infection that lasted close to two weeks. I was eating solid foods about 7 days before the race, and normal foods about 3-4 days before the race. I convinced myself to trust my training and run as I originally planned, which was a sub 4 hour pace.
The weather was perfect to start. Probably around 50 degrees.
I was able to line up at the start with the 3:56 pace group. This is a solid 9:00 minute mile group that my training led me to prepare for. When I would run MP runs in training, I could run a 9:00 pace for about ten miles with a heart rate around 156-158. My concern is always that my HR starts to steadily climb around that 9-10 mile mark and I'll often times start hitting 164-166 around mile 16-18. I should have realized right away at the marathon that I needed to slow down and just forget about going sub 4 and enjoy the run. But I was stubborn.
Anyways, the sub 4 group for some reason took off way too fast out of the gate. I ran a 9:09 mile and they got way ahead of me. I finally caught up to them between mile 6 and 7. I knew I was going to fast, but I thought the group would be my lifeline for any chance at sub 4.
Mile 1 - 9:06 - 167
Mile 2 - 8:42 - 165
Mile 3 - 8:30 - 169
Mile 4 - 8:22 - 172
Mile 5 - 8:32 - 173
Mile 6 - 8:53 - 172
Mile 7 - 8:50 - 172
You can see there that my HR was over 170 the whole time. Even when I ran a 10 mile race in August and pushed 8:00 miles, I was not topping 166. It was this point I realized I probably should slow down, but I am just stubborn.
Mile 8 - 9:09 - 170
Mile 9 - 9:24 - 169
Mile 10 -8:54 - 171
What was interesting after that 10th mile, I realized that the sub 4 pacing group had left me. I thought I could keep my current pace and hit the half sub 2:00 and grab one small victory for the race, then i would slow down and try to enjoy the rest of the race.
Mile 11 -9:28 - 171
Mile 12 -9:26 - 172
Mile 13 -9:48 - 171
Half - 1:58:11
The half split was great, but I was now in total panic. Not only was I slowing down, My heart rate was still high but was all over the place. And I was experiencing stomach pain that was just like I was sick all over again. I had a water belt on with gatorade. I figured if I needed water I'd hit the water stations. The problem was as I drank gatorade, my stomach would convulse and I'd wretch the drink up. Water went down just fine. But gatorade felt like it hurt my stomach. The cramping was all over my stomach. My mindset is now in protect my body mode and just thinking of how I could even finish this thing.
Mile 14 -10:02 - 170
Mile 15 -10:17 - 167
Those last two miles were really the last miles I remember thinking "weren't bad". I was hoping to get in a rhythm of knocking out miles at a 10:20ish pace, but the darn heart rate was still up and I was hurting.
Mile 16 -10:37 - 165
Mile 17 -11:24 - 162
Mile 18 -11:24 - 162
Cramping was still bad. My chest was starting to hurt, but what was strange was the way my muscles were locking up. I was worried it was a result of dehydration, but I couldn't get htem to loosen up at all. I even hurt to the touch. Was quite strange. I started looking for a cart, cause I was thinking of calling it quits. Figure I'd give it to mile 20 and if I didn't feel better, I was done. I even stopped and pulled my cell phone to call my wife to warn her I was going to be real late at the finish line. She made me carry it because she was worried after my sickness I was going to have problems.
Mile 19 -11:57 - 156
Mile 20 - 11:56 -158
Mile 21 - 12:22 -155
It was at this point I wasn't even looking at my watch. I was hurting where I just wanted to be done with everything. I stopped for a second to offer a hand to someone who fell. Another runner who was a doctor had everything under control.
Mile 22 - 12:30 -155
Mile 23 - 12:24 -152
Mile 24 - 12:25 -153
Still plodding away, I was convinced not to start walking. I was worried I would not finish at all if I stopped. I also realized at this point I had stopped sweating. I was bone dry. Salt all over my face and hair, but I was not really wet anywhere.
Mile 25 - 12:58 -161
Mile 26 - 13:04 -160
My watch was all screwy from mile 23 on really. It didn't register some of my slow paces when I dipped, so I think it said I was going faster than I really was.
I was very happy to finish. My wife, in-laws, and kids were there to cheer me to the finish. I finished in 4:39, which was still a PR.
So, in the end, I'm not sure if I should have even run the race. If I could go back, I'd just tell myself to run a slow pace similar to my long training runs. Shoot, a slow 10:00 pace would have gotten me in at 4:22. I would have at least enjoyed the run.
The weather was perfect to start. Probably around 50 degrees.
I was able to line up at the start with the 3:56 pace group. This is a solid 9:00 minute mile group that my training led me to prepare for. When I would run MP runs in training, I could run a 9:00 pace for about ten miles with a heart rate around 156-158. My concern is always that my HR starts to steadily climb around that 9-10 mile mark and I'll often times start hitting 164-166 around mile 16-18. I should have realized right away at the marathon that I needed to slow down and just forget about going sub 4 and enjoy the run. But I was stubborn.
Anyways, the sub 4 group for some reason took off way too fast out of the gate. I ran a 9:09 mile and they got way ahead of me. I finally caught up to them between mile 6 and 7. I knew I was going to fast, but I thought the group would be my lifeline for any chance at sub 4.
Mile 1 - 9:06 - 167
Mile 2 - 8:42 - 165
Mile 3 - 8:30 - 169
Mile 4 - 8:22 - 172
Mile 5 - 8:32 - 173
Mile 6 - 8:53 - 172
Mile 7 - 8:50 - 172
You can see there that my HR was over 170 the whole time. Even when I ran a 10 mile race in August and pushed 8:00 miles, I was not topping 166. It was this point I realized I probably should slow down, but I am just stubborn.
Mile 8 - 9:09 - 170
Mile 9 - 9:24 - 169
Mile 10 -8:54 - 171
What was interesting after that 10th mile, I realized that the sub 4 pacing group had left me. I thought I could keep my current pace and hit the half sub 2:00 and grab one small victory for the race, then i would slow down and try to enjoy the rest of the race.
Mile 11 -9:28 - 171
Mile 12 -9:26 - 172
Mile 13 -9:48 - 171
Half - 1:58:11
The half split was great, but I was now in total panic. Not only was I slowing down, My heart rate was still high but was all over the place. And I was experiencing stomach pain that was just like I was sick all over again. I had a water belt on with gatorade. I figured if I needed water I'd hit the water stations. The problem was as I drank gatorade, my stomach would convulse and I'd wretch the drink up. Water went down just fine. But gatorade felt like it hurt my stomach. The cramping was all over my stomach. My mindset is now in protect my body mode and just thinking of how I could even finish this thing.
Mile 14 -10:02 - 170
Mile 15 -10:17 - 167
Those last two miles were really the last miles I remember thinking "weren't bad". I was hoping to get in a rhythm of knocking out miles at a 10:20ish pace, but the darn heart rate was still up and I was hurting.
Mile 16 -10:37 - 165
Mile 17 -11:24 - 162
Mile 18 -11:24 - 162
Cramping was still bad. My chest was starting to hurt, but what was strange was the way my muscles were locking up. I was worried it was a result of dehydration, but I couldn't get htem to loosen up at all. I even hurt to the touch. Was quite strange. I started looking for a cart, cause I was thinking of calling it quits. Figure I'd give it to mile 20 and if I didn't feel better, I was done. I even stopped and pulled my cell phone to call my wife to warn her I was going to be real late at the finish line. She made me carry it because she was worried after my sickness I was going to have problems.
Mile 19 -11:57 - 156
Mile 20 - 11:56 -158
Mile 21 - 12:22 -155
It was at this point I wasn't even looking at my watch. I was hurting where I just wanted to be done with everything. I stopped for a second to offer a hand to someone who fell. Another runner who was a doctor had everything under control.
Mile 22 - 12:30 -155
Mile 23 - 12:24 -152
Mile 24 - 12:25 -153
Still plodding away, I was convinced not to start walking. I was worried I would not finish at all if I stopped. I also realized at this point I had stopped sweating. I was bone dry. Salt all over my face and hair, but I was not really wet anywhere.
Mile 25 - 12:58 -161
Mile 26 - 13:04 -160
My watch was all screwy from mile 23 on really. It didn't register some of my slow paces when I dipped, so I think it said I was going faster than I really was.
I was very happy to finish. My wife, in-laws, and kids were there to cheer me to the finish. I finished in 4:39, which was still a PR.
So, in the end, I'm not sure if I should have even run the race. If I could go back, I'd just tell myself to run a slow pace similar to my long training runs. Shoot, a slow 10:00 pace would have gotten me in at 4:22. I would have at least enjoyed the run.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Post sick, pre marathon run
Even though I'm in the tapering period of my training, I wanted to maintain some good mileage before resting the week of the marathon. Since my recent illness didn't allow that, I was able to finally run yesterday with only 4 days left until the big day. I am very disappointed with how sore I feel today. I am still considering running again today, only running an even slower pace. Getting sick right before the marathon has almost destroyed my psyche going into this run.
I'm really trying to take a step back and look at the big picture. Two years ago, I ran my first marathon. Last year, I suffered a knee injury and had to cancel my run less then one month away from the race. This year my illness has jeopardized my goal time of 4 hours. BUT - I am still running. Kalamazoo has their inaugural marathon run next May. If it isn't the same day, 5/3rd has the River Bank run, and after both of those races, Traverse City has the Bayshore Marathon end of may. I could run one of those events and hopefully get myself back on track for a 3:45 or even a 3:30 run at Grand Rapids in October.
I have started asking myself the question of just how many people simply train for a marathon, then look for an event to run when they feel ready? I think I now understand why so many people travel all over looking for races.
I'm really trying to take a step back and look at the big picture. Two years ago, I ran my first marathon. Last year, I suffered a knee injury and had to cancel my run less then one month away from the race. This year my illness has jeopardized my goal time of 4 hours. BUT - I am still running. Kalamazoo has their inaugural marathon run next May. If it isn't the same day, 5/3rd has the River Bank run, and after both of those races, Traverse City has the Bayshore Marathon end of may. I could run one of those events and hopefully get myself back on track for a 3:45 or even a 3:30 run at Grand Rapids in October.
I have started asking myself the question of just how many people simply train for a marathon, then look for an event to run when they feel ready? I think I now understand why so many people travel all over looking for races.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sickness during my taper
The original plan after completing my 20 mile training run left me 3 weeks to taper.
Which meant the following schedule.
Week 1
M - rest
T - rest
W - 3 miles
R - 4 miles
F - 3 miles
S - 8 - 10 miles
S - rest
Week 2
M - 3 miles
T - 4 miles
W - 3 miles
R - rest
F - 3 miles
S - 8 miles
S - rest
Week 3 - Marathon week
M - 3 miles
T - 2 miles
W - rest
R - rest
F - 2 miles
S - 2 miles
S - Marathon!
Well, I got sick. I ran the training run sick but that wasn't as bad as what was to come. First, the head cold/chest stuff got super bad, so I figured I'd rest right through to Thursday of that week 1 schedule, and start running again on Friday. I knew full well that those extra couple day off and meant no harm to my training. But Thursday night I started what I found out to be a stomach infection. The rest of Week 1 and until Saturday of week 2 was fighting that infection. It is now Wednesday of Marathon week, and I'll be doing a short run at lunch to work at getting my feet back under me. I'm not letting this setback change my goals, but I will be more aware of my "vitals" throughout Sunday, and if I have to slow down or even take a break I will to get through it. My hope is that I did enough training to get me to that finish line in under four hours, but the realist in my is thinking a fallback of 4:15-4:30 may happen as well.
Which meant the following schedule.
Week 1
M - rest
T - rest
W - 3 miles
R - 4 miles
F - 3 miles
S - 8 - 10 miles
S - rest
Week 2
M - 3 miles
T - 4 miles
W - 3 miles
R - rest
F - 3 miles
S - 8 miles
S - rest
Week 3 - Marathon week
M - 3 miles
T - 2 miles
W - rest
R - rest
F - 2 miles
S - 2 miles
S - Marathon!
Well, I got sick. I ran the training run sick but that wasn't as bad as what was to come. First, the head cold/chest stuff got super bad, so I figured I'd rest right through to Thursday of that week 1 schedule, and start running again on Friday. I knew full well that those extra couple day off and meant no harm to my training. But Thursday night I started what I found out to be a stomach infection. The rest of Week 1 and until Saturday of week 2 was fighting that infection. It is now Wednesday of Marathon week, and I'll be doing a short run at lunch to work at getting my feet back under me. I'm not letting this setback change my goals, but I will be more aware of my "vitals" throughout Sunday, and if I have to slow down or even take a break I will to get through it. My hope is that I did enough training to get me to that finish line in under four hours, but the realist in my is thinking a fallback of 4:15-4:30 may happen as well.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
20 mile training run done
Well, the 20 mile training run did go as planned. I woke up sick and for a minute considered skipping it. However, I knew I had to go and run it or risk jeopardizing all my training.
I averaged a very consistent 9:40 pace throughout. Even as I started to tire around mile 17-20, i was very consistent around 9:40. I did push a couple early miles to get my legs under me. I think I had a couple miles that were around 9:20.
The tapering has begun!
I averaged a very consistent 9:40 pace throughout. Even as I started to tire around mile 17-20, i was very consistent around 9:40. I did push a couple early miles to get my legs under me. I think I had a couple miles that were around 9:20.
The tapering has begun!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
20 Mile training run
I just signed up for the Grand Rapids Marathon Training run. It is planned for 20 miles and it is along the actual marathon route. This will be my last long run before the marathon, so I'm anxious for the weekend to get here. Currently the weather is looking like it will cooperate and be in the low 60's and partly sunny.
My initial thoughts are to run a fairly relaxed start to the run, maybe even in the 10 minute arena. If I feel good, I can slowly speed my pace up and start pushing towards 9:30's. Ideally I'd like to run some 9 - 9:10 miles after 15 miles. Mostly, I'm just interested in covering the distance. It will be my 3rd run over 18 miles this training cycle.
My initial thoughts are to run a fairly relaxed start to the run, maybe even in the 10 minute arena. If I feel good, I can slowly speed my pace up and start pushing towards 9:30's. Ideally I'd like to run some 9 - 9:10 miles after 15 miles. Mostly, I'm just interested in covering the distance. It will be my 3rd run over 18 miles this training cycle.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cutback Week
Training has gone fairly well, with a very good 10 mile race to give me some confidence going into the fall marathon.
So, I decided to take some time this week and rest and make sure I'm in good physical shape for the final stretch before October 17th. My 20 miler last week turned into a 18 mile run with a labored end. I figured some rest was needed.
M - Rest
T - Rest
W - 4 Miles
R - 5 Miles
F - 7 Miles
S - Rest
S - Rest
Feeling pretty good now as I will I'm two weeks away from my 20 mile training run. This week I'll approach 40 miles again.
So, I decided to take some time this week and rest and make sure I'm in good physical shape for the final stretch before October 17th. My 20 miler last week turned into a 18 mile run with a labored end. I figured some rest was needed.
M - Rest
T - Rest
W - 4 Miles
R - 5 Miles
F - 7 Miles
S - Rest
S - Rest
Feeling pretty good now as I will I'm two weeks away from my 20 mile training run. This week I'll approach 40 miles again.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Week whatever
I had an interesting week of training... I started out the week still feeling a little tired/sore from the 10 mile race I ran last Saturday. Tried to take things slow and easy this week as it was another week of extending my mileage. I also am very close to reaching my 190 lb goal. I'm starting to think I can get to 180-185 for marathon week.
This was to be my first of 2 20 milers this training cycle. The very hot week lead to a very cool weekend. Unfortunately due to family obligations, I still had to run when it was in the low 70's and in the mid-afternoon. I ended up cutting the run short at 18 miles. I was already starting to shuffle my feet and felt lousy as it was already 5pm and I was starving and feeling terrible. The first 13 or so miles felt just fine though. I started too fast for a training run as many of my first miles were 9:30 or less. I definitely am still feeling the race from the previous week.
On the bright side, another 40+ mile week, I think it's my 3rd of this training cycle.
M - 5 slow miles
T - 8 miles
W - 4 miles
R - 8 miles at 9:30 pace
F - Rest
S - Rest
S - 18 miles at 9:45 pace (terrible end)
Looking at those numbers, I realize now that the Thursday 8 mile run may have been too aggressive. It was in some humidity/warmth with some rain thrown in as well.
Oh well, that week is history, time to start a new week.
This was to be my first of 2 20 milers this training cycle. The very hot week lead to a very cool weekend. Unfortunately due to family obligations, I still had to run when it was in the low 70's and in the mid-afternoon. I ended up cutting the run short at 18 miles. I was already starting to shuffle my feet and felt lousy as it was already 5pm and I was starving and feeling terrible. The first 13 or so miles felt just fine though. I started too fast for a training run as many of my first miles were 9:30 or less. I definitely am still feeling the race from the previous week.
On the bright side, another 40+ mile week, I think it's my 3rd of this training cycle.
M - 5 slow miles
T - 8 miles
W - 4 miles
R - 8 miles at 9:30 pace
F - Rest
S - Rest
S - 18 miles at 9:45 pace (terrible end)
Looking at those numbers, I realize now that the Thursday 8 mile run may have been too aggressive. It was in some humidity/warmth with some rain thrown in as well.
Oh well, that week is history, time to start a new week.
Friday, September 3, 2010
196, 195, 194 ...
The weight is still coming off. I thought for sure that CRIM weekend was going to put a minor snag in the weight loss. I pigged out for 3 days and only logged the 10 mile race. When I came back to work on Monday, I was pleasantly surprised with my weight.
A short term goal has been to have a pre-run weight of 195, and I have flirted with breaking 194 after a run. I still weigh myself each monday post-run as my "official" weight for the week. That weight was 194.7 lbs even after a bloated weekend of food.
The real reward for the week was being able to get right back into watching my diet with no problem. Thursday was my last weekday run, and before the run I was 194.8 and post run, I was 193.1. The whole 8 mile run was in the rain, so when I got back I was soaking wet and water logged. I figure I would have broke 193 if I was dry :) But progress is progress!
A short term goal has been to have a pre-run weight of 195, and I have flirted with breaking 194 after a run. I still weigh myself each monday post-run as my "official" weight for the week. That weight was 194.7 lbs even after a bloated weekend of food.
The real reward for the week was being able to get right back into watching my diet with no problem. Thursday was my last weekday run, and before the run I was 194.8 and post run, I was 193.1. The whole 8 mile run was in the rain, so when I got back I was soaking wet and water logged. I figure I would have broke 193 if I was dry :) But progress is progress!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Crim 2010 results
This past Saturday was the CRIM Festival of races 10 Mile run in Flint, MI. It was my third consecutive year running the CRIM. I really do like this race. 10 miles is a great racing distance. My results so far are a 1:44:14 in a super hot 2008, and a 1:26:37 in a perfect weather 2009.
This year the weather was very nice. It did warm up towards the end of the race, but I'm pretty sure we started the race with the temps in the low to mid 60's. My final official time was 1:24:04. I was sort of going for a sub 1:25 time. Overall I wanted to just run well and injury free. I can certainly tell I'm a newb at the racing aspect of running. I backed off a few times because my heart rate was climbing fast and I didn't want to crash at the end. However, I still felt great at the end and probably could have knocked those last 4 seconds off to go sub 1:24. My hope next year is to run a sub 80 minute run, but I'll let my fitness level next year dictate that.
My splits for the race:
Mile Time Moving Time
1 0:08:08 0:08:06
2 0:07:58 0:07:56
3 0:08:19 0:08:16
4 0:08:21 0:08:22
5 0:08:20 0:08:16
6 0:08:42 0:08:40
7 0:08:21 0:08:19
8 0:08:30 0:08:27
9 0:08:21 0:08:15
10 0:08:16 0:08:13
That mile 6 is all uphill basically, and mile 8 picks up another hill not as bad.
I'm very happy with these results. This next week mileage approaches 45 miles, and I have a 20 mile training run on the marathon course this coming Saturday that I'm anxious to run.
This year the weather was very nice. It did warm up towards the end of the race, but I'm pretty sure we started the race with the temps in the low to mid 60's. My final official time was 1:24:04. I was sort of going for a sub 1:25 time. Overall I wanted to just run well and injury free. I can certainly tell I'm a newb at the racing aspect of running. I backed off a few times because my heart rate was climbing fast and I didn't want to crash at the end. However, I still felt great at the end and probably could have knocked those last 4 seconds off to go sub 1:24. My hope next year is to run a sub 80 minute run, but I'll let my fitness level next year dictate that.
My splits for the race:
Mile Time Moving Time
1 0:08:08 0:08:06
2 0:07:58 0:07:56
3 0:08:19 0:08:16
4 0:08:21 0:08:22
5 0:08:20 0:08:16
6 0:08:42 0:08:40
7 0:08:21 0:08:19
8 0:08:30 0:08:27
9 0:08:21 0:08:15
10 0:08:16 0:08:13
That mile 6 is all uphill basically, and mile 8 picks up another hill not as bad.
I'm very happy with these results. This next week mileage approaches 45 miles, and I have a 20 mile training run on the marathon course this coming Saturday that I'm anxious to run.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Week 10 of training
This has been my best week of training. I knew it would be a challenge to get my long run in on the weekend as we had family coming in for a visit. I planned on going out very early on Saturday morning. Set my alarm for 4:30 am, but we ended up getting thunderstorms basically all night. They finished around 8 in the morning. I considered the run lost until the family that was planning on staying the night decided to leave Saturday night. I was out the door by 5:45 am on a beautiful Sunday morning and had my best long run to date, maybe even my best overall run. It was 63 out and not humid at all, what great weather!
M - 3 easy miles
T - 7 miles @ 9:25 pace
W - 4 miles
R - 8 easy miles @ 9:45 pace
F - Rest
S - Rest
S - 18.5 miles @ 9:38 pace
The thing about the long run is I know I'm supposed to slow down. I was very pleased with that long run at a 9:38 pace because I was very consistent over my run. Only 1 mile that was almost all uphill came close to 10:00, the rest were right around that average pace. The last two miles were 9:52 and 9:53, and the last half mile was at a 9:37 pace. I felt great when I was done, and quite honestly this was the first run I thought I could have extended out way past what I was doing. If I wasn't already pressed for time, I may have just turned it into a 20 mile training run, but I have a couple of those coming anyways.
And... it is race week. Time to rest and get ready for the Crim in Flint this week.
M - 3 easy miles
T - 7 miles @ 9:25 pace
W - 4 miles
R - 8 easy miles @ 9:45 pace
F - Rest
S - Rest
S - 18.5 miles @ 9:38 pace
The thing about the long run is I know I'm supposed to slow down. I was very pleased with that long run at a 9:38 pace because I was very consistent over my run. Only 1 mile that was almost all uphill came close to 10:00, the rest were right around that average pace. The last two miles were 9:52 and 9:53, and the last half mile was at a 9:37 pace. I felt great when I was done, and quite honestly this was the first run I thought I could have extended out way past what I was doing. If I wasn't already pressed for time, I may have just turned it into a 20 mile training run, but I have a couple of those coming anyways.
And... it is race week. Time to rest and get ready for the Crim in Flint this week.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Week 9 of Training
Forgot to post this weeks worth of training. You can tell I'm around peak training mileage since I'm hardly online the past few weeks.
M - easy 4 miles
T - easy 7 miles
W - Rest
R - 5 miles
F - 7 miles
S - Rest
S - 16.5 miles @ 9:57
The Sunday long run was not fun. I got up and out the door at 5:30 am and it was already 75 and very humid. I struggled much of the run. That pace was a moving pace. I think I stopped 3 or 4 times in the last mile or so.
I was very pleased with almost 40 miles of running for this week. The short weekday runs are now creeping up to 5 miles, and very soon the middle distance runs during the week will be 8 miles.
M - easy 4 miles
T - easy 7 miles
W - Rest
R - 5 miles
F - 7 miles
S - Rest
S - 16.5 miles @ 9:57
The Sunday long run was not fun. I got up and out the door at 5:30 am and it was already 75 and very humid. I struggled much of the run. That pace was a moving pace. I think I stopped 3 or 4 times in the last mile or so.
I was very pleased with almost 40 miles of running for this week. The short weekday runs are now creeping up to 5 miles, and very soon the middle distance runs during the week will be 8 miles.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Shoes
It seems like any somewhat serious long distance runner has some sort of inherent affliction with shoes. A simple google search on the lifespan of a pair of running shoes will bring up a wide variety of opinions. From reading through quite a few articles, I figure on getting 300 - 500 miles out of any one pair of shoes. Certain factors appear to play into the life of the shoe such as weight and frequency of runs. An article written by a runner here discusses rotating shoes. Basically, he says, rotating 2 pairs of shoes will last longer then 3 new pairs worn consecutively. Finally, some would encourage you to run barefooted or with minimalist shoes. I'll provide my take on barefoot running at the end of this article, so skip to the end if you don't care to read about my progression of shoes.
Being over (or around) the 200 lb threshold brings some other considerations to the table. I'm a neutral style runner. I have seen the term biomechanically efficient, and biomechanically correct. Basically, I have a normal gait. I also have a fairly normal arch and the width of my feet are standard. I tend to favor heavier cushion shoes that are geared towards the heavier runner. In 2008, I bought a pair of Asics Cumulus 10's for my marathon training and for the marathon itself. I bought a pair of Saucony Ride to replace those Asics. My thought at the time was a little lighter shoe. They were sold to me as cushion shoes for the neutral runner. However, after I bought them, I found a review that classified them as performance trainers. Despite that, they still were fine to wear on runs under 8-10 miles. At the time I was wearing them, I was in the 205-212 range for weight.
My next pair of shoes was the Mizuno Wave Rider 11's. I liked these shoes a lot, and they became my staple shoe for training for the 2009 marathon. I put around 200 miles in these shoes and they were the shoe I ran in for the CRIM in Flint. However, I started getting a pain in my knee that I attributed to a slight stumble in a training run. It got worse, and I ultimately had to stop training for a while and rest the knee, thus missing my 2009 marathon attempt. My shoes felt flat, and reading around on some running forums, I found some runners who wore the same shoe were also having the same type of knee problem. A friend who happened to be a runner and had the same size feet put my shoes on and said they felt very "flat" to him. No response, and no cushion. I had just picked up a pair of Nike Air Pegasus 25's for under 25 bucks, so I thought I'd give those a try. I do no like these shoes very much at all. They feel narrow and stiff with almost a plastic like feeling to them. I still wear them for short treadmill runs at home, but that is about all I'll wear them for in the future.
This past Spring, the 5/3rd River Bank run had a runner's expo before the race. I stopped in and found a pair of New Balance 1063 on clearance. The 1064's were out, so that is why they were getting rid of them. I bought them, and I have not been disappointed. The fit is great, and as silly as it sounds, I love the laces. I have just over 300 miles on those shoes and they are still in good shape. I've considered buying another pair of these as the clearance prices are still slowly dropping.
Around the 100 mile point of the New Balance 1063, I wanted to pick up another pair to start a rotation. Mileage is piling up fast, and I wanted to extend the life of them. It was at that point I watched a video on Barefoot running. That video can be seen here.
I have started to change my viewpoint on running in the bare foot. Personally, I am looking at minimalist shoes. I just can't bring myself to run in the bare. But one key takeaway from that video is that it takes time to switch over. The major step for me is changing my running style. And I figured I could do this with my super cushion shoes. I'm running less upright with shorter strides, making sure to strike on the forefoot. The cushion shoes make that a difficult task, so instead of buying another pair of 1063's, I started looking at lighter shoes to wear. I figure it will be important for me to continue to lose weight as well, so I should follow a natural progression in lighter shoes anyways. I decided to buy the New Balance 758 shoes. For the barefoot runners and minimalist people, these are still shoes that are way too built up in the heel. I know that. I'm not pretending to be part of their culture ... at least not yet ;)
The New Balance 758's are 4 oz lighter then my 1063. I've put 50 miles on those shoes and I do like them a lot. I do notice less cushion in them, but they feel better on a longer run than my Saucony Ride's did. I also do find it easier to strike the forefoot as well. I'm also still shopping around for true minimalist shoes. When I switch between the 1063 and the 758, I still find myself liking the 1063 model shoe. So, I'm at a crossroads with the minimal shoe decision. I haven't committed to it yet, and I want to get through this training cycle and race before I recommit myself to it. I may even buy one more pair of 1063's to finish this cycle out.
Being over (or around) the 200 lb threshold brings some other considerations to the table. I'm a neutral style runner. I have seen the term biomechanically efficient, and biomechanically correct. Basically, I have a normal gait. I also have a fairly normal arch and the width of my feet are standard. I tend to favor heavier cushion shoes that are geared towards the heavier runner. In 2008, I bought a pair of Asics Cumulus 10's for my marathon training and for the marathon itself. I bought a pair of Saucony Ride to replace those Asics. My thought at the time was a little lighter shoe. They were sold to me as cushion shoes for the neutral runner. However, after I bought them, I found a review that classified them as performance trainers. Despite that, they still were fine to wear on runs under 8-10 miles. At the time I was wearing them, I was in the 205-212 range for weight.
My next pair of shoes was the Mizuno Wave Rider 11's. I liked these shoes a lot, and they became my staple shoe for training for the 2009 marathon. I put around 200 miles in these shoes and they were the shoe I ran in for the CRIM in Flint. However, I started getting a pain in my knee that I attributed to a slight stumble in a training run. It got worse, and I ultimately had to stop training for a while and rest the knee, thus missing my 2009 marathon attempt. My shoes felt flat, and reading around on some running forums, I found some runners who wore the same shoe were also having the same type of knee problem. A friend who happened to be a runner and had the same size feet put my shoes on and said they felt very "flat" to him. No response, and no cushion. I had just picked up a pair of Nike Air Pegasus 25's for under 25 bucks, so I thought I'd give those a try. I do no like these shoes very much at all. They feel narrow and stiff with almost a plastic like feeling to them. I still wear them for short treadmill runs at home, but that is about all I'll wear them for in the future.
This past Spring, the 5/3rd River Bank run had a runner's expo before the race. I stopped in and found a pair of New Balance 1063 on clearance. The 1064's were out, so that is why they were getting rid of them. I bought them, and I have not been disappointed. The fit is great, and as silly as it sounds, I love the laces. I have just over 300 miles on those shoes and they are still in good shape. I've considered buying another pair of these as the clearance prices are still slowly dropping.
Around the 100 mile point of the New Balance 1063, I wanted to pick up another pair to start a rotation. Mileage is piling up fast, and I wanted to extend the life of them. It was at that point I watched a video on Barefoot running. That video can be seen here.
I have started to change my viewpoint on running in the bare foot. Personally, I am looking at minimalist shoes. I just can't bring myself to run in the bare. But one key takeaway from that video is that it takes time to switch over. The major step for me is changing my running style. And I figured I could do this with my super cushion shoes. I'm running less upright with shorter strides, making sure to strike on the forefoot. The cushion shoes make that a difficult task, so instead of buying another pair of 1063's, I started looking at lighter shoes to wear. I figure it will be important for me to continue to lose weight as well, so I should follow a natural progression in lighter shoes anyways. I decided to buy the New Balance 758 shoes. For the barefoot runners and minimalist people, these are still shoes that are way too built up in the heel. I know that. I'm not pretending to be part of their culture ... at least not yet ;)
The New Balance 758's are 4 oz lighter then my 1063. I've put 50 miles on those shoes and I do like them a lot. I do notice less cushion in them, but they feel better on a longer run than my Saucony Ride's did. I also do find it easier to strike the forefoot as well. I'm also still shopping around for true minimalist shoes. When I switch between the 1063 and the 758, I still find myself liking the 1063 model shoe. So, I'm at a crossroads with the minimal shoe decision. I haven't committed to it yet, and I want to get through this training cycle and race before I recommit myself to it. I may even buy one more pair of 1063's to finish this cycle out.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
199, 198, 197...
The weight is still coming off. I normally weigh myself before and after each run. The "official" weight I try to record each Monday is the post workout run. It usually comes after an easy 3-5 mile run. I wrote about my sub 200 weigh-in a bit ago, and I'm very pleased with my progress. I have stepped on the scale under 200 lbs before most of my runs lately. My lowest post-run weight has reached 196.8 last week. I seem to have steadied around the 198 plateau. I'm still hoping to hit 190 by the end of this month.
While it is not easy balancing a diet with running longer distances, I really expect this effort to pay off down the road. I'm still battling mentally with a sub 4 hour marathon time; however, I expect to improve my fitness and training over the winter where the current struggle over a 9:09 minute mile will seem like a distant memory.
While it is not easy balancing a diet with running longer distances, I really expect this effort to pay off down the road. I'm still battling mentally with a sub 4 hour marathon time; however, I expect to improve my fitness and training over the winter where the current struggle over a 9:09 minute mile will seem like a distant memory.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Week 8 of Training
Weather can be a killer in Michigan. This week was no exception. I ran three of my runs in temps over 85, with one of them being in 90+ temps, all with humidity. Then, after taking off for my long run of 15 miles, a thunderstorm came in and cut it short at the 6 mile mark. I spent most of Sunday depressed about missing my long run. Today, I figured I'd post my update of week 8's training, and then I'll sit down with my schedule and figure out how to work my mileage back to where it needs to be.
M - Rest
T - 4 miles
W - 7 easy miles (93 degrees)
R - 3 easy miles
F - 7 miles @ 9:11 pace
S - Rest
S - 6 miles run
I was feeling good for that Sunday run too. I expected to go out a little slow, approximately 10:00 miles. I figured I would slowly work my way up to a 9:30-9:45 pace, and I had it in my mind I would finish the last two or three miles around 9:15 depending on how I felt. I know I am pushing my limits with a 4 hour marathon goal, so any missed training run, especially the long run, feels like a major disappointment.
M - Rest
T - 4 miles
W - 7 easy miles (93 degrees)
R - 3 easy miles
F - 7 miles @ 9:11 pace
S - Rest
S - 6 miles run
I was feeling good for that Sunday run too. I expected to go out a little slow, approximately 10:00 miles. I figured I would slowly work my way up to a 9:30-9:45 pace, and I had it in my mind I would finish the last two or three miles around 9:15 depending on how I felt. I know I am pushing my limits with a 4 hour marathon goal, so any missed training run, especially the long run, feels like a major disappointment.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Week 7 of Training
Since I started this blog with a few weeks of training under my belt, I'll pick up with the results of week 7's training from Hal Higdon's Novice I plan.
Hit all my runs this week.
Monday - 4 easy miles
Tuesday - 7 pace Miles - 9:04 pace
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 4 easy Miles
Friday - 7 easy Miles 9:39 pace
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 14 Mile Long Run - 10:02 pace
One thing I wanted to accomplish with my long run was to keep my heart rate down. The weird thing is, I woke up last night not feelin well. I still got up at 5:15 to run the planned run and felt "Ok". started running, and felt ok the first 5 or so miles. Around mile 7, I picked up my second water bottle and started to not feel well again. By mile ten or so, I felt pukey. I was still running ok, around a 10:10 to 10:19 pace, but felt miserable in my stomach. For mile 12 and 13, since I felt sick, but was still running ok, I kept a 10:10 and 10:11 pace. My stomach was tearing me up on that last mile, as I felt horrible. Finshed the last mile with a 10:23 pace.
So, I probably should have had something more substantial to eat when I first woke up. Around that mile 6-7 mark, I was screaming mad hungry. I also didn't have a Gatorade that I usually do my long runs wiht. I happened to have run out and didn't realize it. Today, I picked up some more Gatorades to have on hand, as well as my gummy treats to snack on during my runs. I consider today's run a "gut check" run. A 36 mile week feels good, looking back on it.
Hit all my runs this week.
Monday - 4 easy miles
Tuesday - 7 pace Miles - 9:04 pace
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 4 easy Miles
Friday - 7 easy Miles 9:39 pace
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 14 Mile Long Run - 10:02 pace
One thing I wanted to accomplish with my long run was to keep my heart rate down. The weird thing is, I woke up last night not feelin well. I still got up at 5:15 to run the planned run and felt "Ok". started running, and felt ok the first 5 or so miles. Around mile 7, I picked up my second water bottle and started to not feel well again. By mile ten or so, I felt pukey. I was still running ok, around a 10:10 to 10:19 pace, but felt miserable in my stomach. For mile 12 and 13, since I felt sick, but was still running ok, I kept a 10:10 and 10:11 pace. My stomach was tearing me up on that last mile, as I felt horrible. Finshed the last mile with a 10:23 pace.
So, I probably should have had something more substantial to eat when I first woke up. Around that mile 6-7 mark, I was screaming mad hungry. I also didn't have a Gatorade that I usually do my long runs wiht. I happened to have run out and didn't realize it. Today, I picked up some more Gatorades to have on hand, as well as my gummy treats to snack on during my runs. I consider today's run a "gut check" run. A 36 mile week feels good, looking back on it.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Dietary Fiber
I'm not going to even begin to pretend to have the right knowledge to preach about the need for dietary fiber in your diet. I'll let this article from the Mayo clinic do that.
I have always known it was an important part of a healthy diet. I usually have a bowl of cereal for breakfast on the weekend. Since I'm dieting, I decided to peek at the labels to see what was my healthiest option. All were within spitting distance of each other in things like calories as I expected. But I settled on frosted mini-wheats because of the dietary fiber content. It was 6g per serving. The closest to it was 3g from the Special K yogurt and oatmeal cluster option.
Every little bit helps.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
200 lbs
Today was an easy scheduled 4 mile run. I've also started to see some positive results from changing my diet. I'm happy to say that I broke the 200 lb mark. I weighed in at 199.6 lbs today. My "official" weigh ins are every Monday, post run. But I was thrilled to break the 200 mark anyways.
Diet Soda and Weight Gain
In my attempt to lose weight, I have decided to give up pop. I've heard more then once now people ask, "Why not just switch to diet?" My answer is usually a fuzzy, "Well I remember reading something on the ill effects of diet pop or any pop for that matter." Then a friend shared this video on facebook. It offers so much in just a few minutes of viewing.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
5 Hours to 3:10
I'm in the midst of training for my 2nd marathon in 3 years. I ran a 4:46 marathon time in 2008, and I had my eyes set on breaking 4 hours last year before a knee injury derailed me 4 weeks before the race.
I found myself more motivated here in 2010 to run that sub-4 hour marathon. However, as I sat down to set my training goals for this year, I found myself asking the question, "What would it take to qualify for Boston?" I turn 31 this August. I have 4 years to run a sub 3:10 marathon before my age puts me in the 3:15 target.
Here are the goals I have set for myself:
1. Lose weight - I am still carrying extra pounds that need to come off. I figure 180 lbs is a safe target, but that's just a number. As the pounds come off, I'll reassess periodically against my running times.
2. Run that sub 4:00 marathon - I'm running the Grand Rapids Marathon on October 17th. I'm in the midst of a 18 week training program preparing me for that day right now. It is the Hal Higdon Intermediate I training program found here!
3. Increase my miles - my base for this training cycle was a 20-25 miles per week average. I will take a short rest after this fall marathon, then I fully plan on increasing the duration of my runs, adding a 5th training day, and pushing 35-40 MPW averages.
My hope is to get 6-10 weeks of increased mileage training after the marathon, and I will reassess my goals to get me to that Boston Qualifying time.
If you have read this far, you may wonder how I could even think about 3:10 if I haven't even ran better than 4:00. I realize this is not going to happen overnight. My hope is to see a steady improvement in my times of each marathon I run before I turn 35. I also have the luxury of having a convenient Spring and Fall marathon very close to where I live. I will run in Grand Rapids this fall, and if all goes well, I may push 3:50 as a goal for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse city next May.
I found myself more motivated here in 2010 to run that sub-4 hour marathon. However, as I sat down to set my training goals for this year, I found myself asking the question, "What would it take to qualify for Boston?" I turn 31 this August. I have 4 years to run a sub 3:10 marathon before my age puts me in the 3:15 target.
Here are the goals I have set for myself:
1. Lose weight - I am still carrying extra pounds that need to come off. I figure 180 lbs is a safe target, but that's just a number. As the pounds come off, I'll reassess periodically against my running times.
2. Run that sub 4:00 marathon - I'm running the Grand Rapids Marathon on October 17th. I'm in the midst of a 18 week training program preparing me for that day right now. It is the Hal Higdon Intermediate I training program found here!
3. Increase my miles - my base for this training cycle was a 20-25 miles per week average. I will take a short rest after this fall marathon, then I fully plan on increasing the duration of my runs, adding a 5th training day, and pushing 35-40 MPW averages.
My hope is to get 6-10 weeks of increased mileage training after the marathon, and I will reassess my goals to get me to that Boston Qualifying time.
If you have read this far, you may wonder how I could even think about 3:10 if I haven't even ran better than 4:00. I realize this is not going to happen overnight. My hope is to see a steady improvement in my times of each marathon I run before I turn 35. I also have the luxury of having a convenient Spring and Fall marathon very close to where I live. I will run in Grand Rapids this fall, and if all goes well, I may push 3:50 as a goal for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse city next May.
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