The Road to Ultra

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A new philosophy on night workouts

Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 36:29 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 845.9 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

These past few weeks have really changed my perspective on evening workouts.

I've traditionally - and that's for the past decade - focused on training in the morning. The morning seems logical. It takes great discipline to wake up in the morning and form that new habit, but then you get down there, do your thing, and you're done with it for the day.

Only with an abundant schedule like mine, I've found my view has flipped. It's ... struggle in the morning after getting possibly not enough sleep, labor to get a workout done, then stress throughout the day that you'll wrap it up in time to get to bed at a decent hour so you can catch up on sleep and wake up in time to train.

Doesn't sound like fun, does it? It isn't, and it left me with a very inconsistent schedule.

So, banking on the premise that when I have had a full day behind me, despite possibly feeling tired or worn out, that I probably have MORE willpower to do what's necessary, I decided to train in the evenings.

The result?

I love it.

First, the typical evening workouts always had an escape clause for me to roll to the next day. Now that I know it's my plan, I don't give myself time to think or talk myself out of it. I come home with the expectation I will train, and then just do it. My willpower is there and I get it done and I always end up feeling great.

Second, it is AWESOME for sleep. Training in the evening (with a few hours afterward) has me falling asleep instantly ... I used to keep a bottle of melatoninhandy to help fall asleep ... not any more! And waking up is a PLEASURE because I wake up to get ready, have a nice breakfast, and head into the office, not to do some grueling training on a half empty stomach.

So, my philosophy is changing ... we'll see how it continues to go ... ever onward!

Warmly,

Labels: evening workouts, melatonin, running, treadmill

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:31 PM | 0 comments

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Beautiful, Cool Day

Today's Run: 2.0 miles
Run Time: 22:08 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 838.9 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

What a beautiful day!

I woke up and headed out to pick up bagels for the family. The ladies are having a girls' day out, so I stayed home and spent some time with our Eclectus parrot. I decided not to procrastinate, and headed out for my short, easy 2-mile run.

It was nice and cool as I headed out ... of course it wasn't long until the wind whipped up, dark clouds rolled in, and the temperature dropped. I ran home in a cool drizzle, but honestly the beautiful color of the trees and the fresh, crisp feel of the air made it all worth it. Now it's off to shoot some pool before I take my daughter to our dance.

Labels: eclectus, jog, parrot, running

posted by Jeremy Likness | 11:14 AM | 0 comments

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

What Barack Obama and I Have in Common

Today's Run: 2.9 miles
Run Time: 35:00
Total Miles to Date: 833.9

Thoughts on the Run:

Obama ran for president, and won over half of the popular vote. I run for health. While I don't need a vote, if my platform were a campaign, I'd certain be on the losing side ... 2/3 are overweight, and health issues are on the rise.

We also share a freedom that is precious to me. It pains me to think so many of us abuse that freedom. Lest you think I'm on a soapbox, let me be clear: the pain comes from seeing my own failure sometimes to exercise that freedom in a powerful way.

A radio talk show host was talking about "giving people a break" the other day, and shared how he believes we as humans are meant to overcome great obstacles - that in overcoming, we become who we were meant to be and serve a greater purpose.

I teach in my classes the "big circle, little circle" ... draw a circle ("me") and put a smaller circle inside of it ("motivation") and while that can sometimes fill you, it ebbs and flows. Inspiration is something greater - draw a bigger circle around you and you are "in spirit" and have something greater than the obstacles you face.

While I was running last night I came across the numbers 33:3 and while I'm no numerologist, it did lead me to look at John 3:33 and read, "He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true."

What a powerful thought in this day and age when people are trying to ask us to forget Christ on Christmas and run campaigns to "be good, not godly."

Look, I'm not here to judge. God's greatest gift was free fill and if you choose to be atheist, it's definitely not my place to judge. I love you as I love all of our brothers on this planet, but get your own holiday and don't try to take mine.

Anyway, I came home after a prayer meeting and lovely dinner with my family. It was 8:00pm and my workout clearly had not been done. Already the little excuses were seeping in.

See, this is what I mean. Freedom. Freedom to choose to live healthy when so many others don't have a choice. And here I am, blessed, with more than so many, trying to talk myself out of 30 minutes. 30 minutes to be consistent and healthy, 0.2% of my week and I'm fretting over it!

Something has lit a fire. I'm in the bigger circle. I didn't like it. I didn't think I wanted it. But I sucked it up, changed clothes, ran my 3 miles and ended up loving it.

How precious freedom is!

God bless,

Labels: barack obama, freedom, running, treadmill

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:56 PM | 0 comments

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Running from Death

So last week I actually caught a bug. I'm fairly certain it happened while I spent a day at an amusement park with my daughter. I listen to my body and it was screaming, "No more 5am sprints" so while I tracked good nutrition all week long, I didn't exercise.

Jumping back into it proved a little more difficult than I imagined. I was going to start this weekend ... but then, wasn't it better just to have a nice swim at the pool? Then Monday morning came ... and wouldn't just a little more sleep be nice?

So last night I made The Decision. I was actually laying in bed, watching T.V., when I thought, "Do I REALLY want to be in bed, watching T.V.?" NO! I wanted to be focused on falling asleep, gettling plenty of rest, and waking up early to start my routine again.

The remote went "click." The box turned off. The room grew dark and quiet. Then, I simply visualized my next morning: having a nice, full night of sleep then waking up promptly to go down and get fit.

It worked! I'm up this morning, having my pre-workout cup of coffee and ready to jump back into my routine of exercising. Sometimes it's only as tough as we make it: it's HARD to get back in the routine if we make that choice, but with the right decision, we can choose to make it easy, which is just what I did!

Better Fat and Fit than Skinny and Unfit

I've covered this before: that it is actually better to be overweight and in shape (i.e. consuming proper nutrition and exercising on a regular basis) than to be thin and unfit (eating bad foods and/or not exercising). It's one of the reasons I don't lose sleep over not maintaining low body fat year round: once the novelty of looking good on the beach wears off, the bottom line is that I still maintain a healthy lifestyle and reap the many benefits. The New York Times just published a great article that can be summed up with this sentence: "Despite concerns about an obesity epidemic, there is growing evidence that our obsession about weight as a primary measure of health may be misguided."

You're a Peach ... No, A Pear

Then ABC News followed up with this little gem that points out while the scale may not be as large a factor as we thought, our body shape IS important to consider, especially the waist-to-hip ratio.

Nutrition? Exercise? How About ... Both!

Another research study confirmed what we've been saying for years now. You can't JUST DIET ... first, diets always fail because you always end up OFF of the diet, right? And second, most people who only diet tend to lose muscle along with fat. But exercising alone isn't necessarily best, either, especially when it's tough to get into a regular routine or when you're starting out and are not sure what to do. According to this article about losing weight, diet and exercise together prove the best combination. The study found people who only diet DO lose muscle mass ... while ones who only go to the gym have a high drop out rate and don't stick with the plan. While studies like this are interesting, I think they miss a main, fundamental point ... regardless of nutrition or exercise or even BOTH, nothing will work until you've made the right choice and committed yourself to transforming your lifestyle.

Gastrict Bypass Surgery: 40% failure rate?

Eileen Wells was excited ... at 38, she was about to get "a new lease on life." She was 290 pounds, and about to have weight loss surgery. The surgery worked: she lost weight. She went down to 130 pounds. How did she feel? Besides the agonizing ulcer that required a second surgery, an intestinal hernia, and a fourth procedure to easy the pain of abdominal scarring, just fine. Some studies suggest 4 out of 10 people who undergo weight loss surgery have complications. You can read the rest here. My question is: is 290 pounds really heavy enough to justify surgery? We've heard success stories from people who have LOST 300 pounds without surgery. One thing that concerns me is people tend to focus on the fact that the risk of surgery is higher, and forget something more important: the benefits of NON-surgical weight loss are so much higher. That's right, I'm not focused here on how risky the surgery is, but on how doing what it takes to lose it naturally is so much MORE beneficial due to the positive habits and and positive impact on health it creates.

Eggs Over Bagels

I knew I was on to something. No, I mean eggs "win" over bagels, not SERVED over bagels! If you've followed my program for any length of time, you know I eat a lot of eggs. Now I just found out that overweight people who ate two eggs for breakfast lose more weight (and had more energy) than those who ate the same calories but had a bagel instead. Oh, and still worried about cholesterol? The 152 obese people in this study didn't see any change in their cholesterol levels despite the daily dose of eggs.

Running from Death

Looking for the fountain of youth? Researchers say to find it, you gotta keep running. After tracking more than 500 runners for 20 years, Standford University found elderly runners have fewer disabilities and are half as likely as agining non-runners to die early death. If that's not motivation to lace up your shoes, I'm not sure what is!

More Fatal Side Effects

The drug may help with diabetes, but the side effect is pancreatis and possible death. The $200 a month drug manufactured that mimics lizard saliva is being monitored by Australian health authorities.

Until next time,

Labels: body shape, fit versus fat, gastric bypass surgery, healthy eggs, nutrition or exercise, running

posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:25 AM | 0 comments

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

To the Wire, To the Limit

This morning, I woke up at 4am to perform a major software upgrade for the wireless software company that I am a partner in. Fueled by nothing more than a few cups of coffee and water, I finished the upgrade at 5:30am and then stuck around for awhile to ensure nothing was amiss.

After that, I tied on my shoes and descended into the basement.

The workout is simple, based on the Body-for-LIFE principles of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Instead of the 20 minutes, however, I extend by 4 minutes early in the week, then another 4 minutes later in the week, so the main workout is 24 and 28 minutes respectively. I then increase 0.1 mph the next week and repeat (on the weekend I do a long run in the neighborhood for a third cardio session). I also put the treadmill at a 3.0 incline, although that is more to save it from the friction of my 200-pound plus foot falls than to add any extra challenge.

I was coming into minute 20. I had covered 2.25 miles and was running at 6.6 mph. It was time to increase the clip to 7.6. I was feeling tired (after all, I had been up two hours with no food prior) and little excuses started popping up in my mind. "Take it easy," and "You didn't get a full night's rest last night," and "You're starving, so just wind it down now."

Those are the little dream-killers that keep us from achieving greatness. I believe our measure is in part how well we listen to, or laugh at, those little voices that want to keep us mediocre.

I reflected upon WHY I was doing the workouts the way I had them scheduled. It is simple: in September 2006, I set a mission to run an ultramarathon, a race of 50 miles or more. It seemed impossible, which is why it was the perfect goal, because it is the Big Hairy Goals that test our limits and teach us who we really are. I started with a local 5K to benefit a girl suffering from a rare disease. I ran it in 28 minutes flat. In September 2007, I ran the race again and finished in 26:10. This year, I have a goal to run it better than 24 minutes and continue shaving time.

There is a local man in the neighborhood that I don't know personally, but who runs a lot and won the race last year. I like to think of him as my "competitor" because I know if I keep up with him, I'll be well on my way to my record as he is quite fast.

So, at 20 minutes, I shifted to 7.6 mph and imagined the last leg of the race. I'm running around the loop, and slowly gaining on him. This is how I push hard and reach my goal.

The image is strong and as 21 minutes approach, he notices me and picks up his pace. So I kick up to 8.6 miles per hour. Now we're running neck to neck, and pushing forward but conserving that last little bit we know we need to break out for the finish line.

Before I know it, the end is in sight. At 22 minutes, I kick into 9.6 miles per hour and go all out. We are pushing to the finish line and finally all of my energy is directed to just moving my body, breathing, and staying upright on the treadmill.

I hit my goal.

I modify the cool down a bit: Body-for-LIFE suggests going to a minute at a "level 5" but I kick it down to a level 6 and jog a bit to cool down. I find this is easier on my body and helps me increase my fitness level faster as well. My rule is simple: drop 1 mph every minute while you are still jogging. Once you are walking, drop 1 mph ever 30 seconds. When you hit 2.0 mph, walk another 30 seconds and you're done. For me, that meant 5.6, then 4.6, then 3.6, then 2.6, then 2.0.

Isn't it amazing how visualization can help us achieve our goals? Remember the future and wait for it to come.

Labels: body-for-life, hiit, race, running, visualization

posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:57 AM | 0 comments

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Blame it on the Rain

Today's Run: 6.49m
Run Time: 1:11:52 (11:04 minutes per mile)
Total Miles to Date: 517.8

Thoughts on the Run:

You can blame the rain for me not going to the mountain. I had no desire to trudge through sludge in the cold.

You cannot blame the rain, however, for me not working out. Because I did! I set out to do at least 12 in my neighborhood. I was toying with the idea of doing more just because the hills aren't quite as severe (although I do have my fair share).

I woke up feeling sore and stiff and like I did not want to run. After some breakfast and waking up, I still felt a little "under the weather" but had the energy to run. I was determined to make an effort. The weather was nasty: overcast, in the 40s but closer to 30s with wind chill, slight drizzle and plenty of gusts.

I loaded up and started running. I think my first mistake was assuming that because it was so cold, I wouldn't need as much fluid. I brought plenty, but just wasn't drinking as much. Hydration is such a science ... too much and your stomach sloshes and you have stomach pain, too little and you get dehydrated and lose performance.

The run actually felt phenomenal. After warming up over the first mile our so, I was in a nice rhythm. While it was cold, it wasn't freezing, and I was dressed perfect for the weather. I warmed up but did not get too hot and actually welcomed some of the gusts, when they weren't trying to blow me off the sidewalk into traffic.

I tackled the hills with a steady pace and managed to conquer even the longer ones without compromising my average pace of about 11 minutes for every mile. I like the run near my home because in my mind I can divide it into neighborhoods. I pick up a few miles in my neighborhood, another few in the next neighborhood, then another three, etc. There is a main road and then each subdivision has two entrances so I go into the south entrance, loop through the subdivision, and come out in the north entrance and continue on the main road.

I had just completed about six miles and felt confident I'd end up doing more like 13 or 14. I turned by a library near my house and headed down another road. Here, I'd veer off into the hilliest neighborhood of them all. I was actually looking forward to it, having missed tackling the 800 foot climb at the beginning of my Kennesaw run.

Suddenly I noticed my right calf muscle was aching. I decided I didn't have time for this and that it would go away. I focused on having a nice, consistent stride and form, and pressed on. The ache stayed there, however, and while it wasn't a sharp pain and wasn't getting worse, it wasn't going away. Ironically, it seemed to disappear for a few moments, and then suddenly came back and this time a shooting pain radiated from my calf down to both sides of the ankle of my foot. The pain subsided, but there was still some discomfort..

I didn't press it this time. I know when my body is tapping me on the shoulder saying, "Hey, enough!" The last time I "ran through" some pain, I ended up out of commission for a few weeks. So I stopped and began walking. It was rapidly becoming more stiff, so I called my wife and asked her to pick me up.

She was there in a few minutes. Running in the cold is a catch-22. If you keep running, great. The instant you stop, however, look out. I was drenched in sweat and no longer running, so I began to slowly freeze. Fortunately, my rescue crew arrived and had my seat pre-heated!

We rode home and just that short ride caused my leg to become completely stiff. I could barely walk on it. The pain is by my ankle and in my lower calf. I'm sure it's an issue from me adding so much volume of training ... but I'm also confident I stopped soon enough and didn't push it too hard, so if I rest, I should be able to recover fine.

The reason I feel it's probably a classic case of overtraining is because after cleaning up and having a meal, I felt nauseous. My heart rate hadn't slowed much and it almost felt like I had a fever (we checked it, and I didn't). So, I took about a three hour nap.

Now I feel much better and recovered. My leg is still sore - it's interesting that it is a combination of what feels like simply a strained/sore muscle (my lower calf or soleus) and a stiff/twisted ankle. We'll ice it and see where we go from here. I probably have pushed it a little hard this week and just needed to take a break and catch some rest.

So that's exactly what I'll be doing right now!

Jeremy

Labels: injury, running

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:17 PM | 1 comments

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Five Fast Ones

Today's Run: 5.09m
Run Time: 50:23 (9:53 minute mile)
Total Miles to Date: 466.9

Thoughts on the Run:

This morning's run was perfect.

I woke up and felt extremely sore from the weekend run on the mountains. However, I also knew getting out and running again would help a bit with recovery. I was planning on taking it fairly easy and doing an 11-minute pace, but actually ended up a bit stronger.

As I was about to head out the door, my friend text-messaged me a question and then I mentioned I was going to run. He offered to meet me on the course. So, I slapped on my GPS and shoes and hit the road. It was overcast, but this left it feeling cool. A thick mist hung low but it wasn't stifling humid, but in fact felt quite cool.

I pounded up the hill close to the house and my legs were on fire ... I wasn't sure how I'd fare. I met my friend running downhill and he turned around and we continued on. After cresting the first hill I was warmed up and my legs felt fine. We looped down and up, down and up. He had to get going so he turned around to head back.

My first warm-up mile was a 10:22. I honestly wasn't trying to go fast, but I always tend to have faster speeds with my friend because he is a strong runner, so the next two miles clocked in at 9:33 and 9:14 respectively.

The fourth mile was a good test. This would be the section I'll be doing my hill repeats on. It is the "Goliath" hill I refer to, and it typically drains me. This time I dug in and focused on a keeping a strong pace all of the way to the top. My resolution paid off, as I was able to finish that mile in 10:45 despite the hill.

The last section was an easy downhill (9:38) and a small spur before coming home.

I felt great and marveled at how a 5-mile run could feel so quick and easy. I still remember where I came from (struggling to even run 2 miles) so I still have an appreciation of these shorter runs. It was actually almost an hour out there but it went by in a flash. The fact that I'm shedding some pounds seems to make the runs go a bit easier as well.

This weekend I managed to get some extra work done on my site. I reworked the articles section to include ratings and most viewed. In case you didn't notice, I also changed the theme of my main blog to match the articles section. This makes it more consistent but also easier to print off blog entries if you like. Note that I put some Digg tags as well in case I happen to write a post that strikes a chord.

I also added a few articles: How to Set Goals (an older article of mine) and Vacuum Your Midsection, a more recent article that covers the stomach vacuum.

Have a great day!

Jeremy

Labels: goals, running, stomach vacuum

posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:28 PM | 2 comments

Sunday, February 18, 2007

An Illustrated Guide to the Silver Comet Trail

Today's Run: 20.73m
Run Time: 4:16:18
Total Miles to Date: 371.4

Thoughts on the Run:

First, it's interesting to note that despite all of the pain and effort in my training, I've only been on my feet a grand total of 2 days and 20 hours. Before you say, "Wow, that's a lot" keep in mind many ultra runners can spend that much time in a single race ... and often more!

Today's run wasn't really a run at all ... I think it was more a seminar on not quitting. I really set out to have a nice, long, fun run. I even loaded up my MP3 player with an interesting mix of music: Santana (oh, what's the name, the recent one with the funky cover) ... Enigma ... an old Mtv dance compilation from the early 90s that had songs like "Strike it Up" and "Let's Talk About Sex" (hey, now my blog might get picked up on search engines), and a funky techno-style CD from a group called Tibet. I stuck a fresh battery in it. I decided I'd give myself permission to take pictures. And then I set out on my way.

Only thing different about this run was three miles (going for 20 instead of 17 like the last) and Ultra instead of Amino (my drink for the first half would be pure carbohydrate instead of the carbohydrate plus amino acid mix I had been trying).

I have done this enough to know to bring a dry shirt, dry socks, and a fresh pair of shoes to change into after the run, as well as stick a Gatorade bottle to drink from after the run was done.

Breakfast was a mixed berry bowl of cereal with soy milk from Trader Joe's and some organic french roast coffee. I also had a slice of whole wheat toast with Nutella before the run (I'm a chocolate nut). I headed out earlier because I saw the temperature would "peak" at 40 degrees around 2 so I wanted to be well into my run for that and not end up coming back in twilight as I have in the past.

The run started out great. My strategy was simple ... I would park 8.6 miles out from the trailhead, run away from the trailhead for 1.5 miles, come back, then head to the trailhead and back ... that's 1.5 x 2 + 8.6 x 2 = 20.2, but GPS error and me meandering a bit made it a nice round 20.7.

The run started off fine, other than I was FREEZING. I believe there was a 10 degree drop in temperature everytime I went into the shade. In fact, I've got the pictures to prove it - because water was staying frozen in those areas. It was cold, but the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.

I started the run in silence and just enjoyed the first leg. Coming back by my vehicle, I kicked on the tunes. I must have gotten a good 45 minutes before it inexplicably just cut out on me. Battery was fine, just wouldn't start. Oh well, I guess I was meant to enjoy the silence. Here are some of the pictures I snapped - click on any for the full-sized view (and then again for the real full-sized view.

First, the path going off into the distance ...

Then, looking down the bridge ... long ways down ...

Then looking around, and realizing it wasn't just in my head that the shade was COLD:

And finally, the cool bridge that I knew once I was across, it was Clif Bar time:

So I made good time running to the trailhead - most of my miles were less than 11-minute miles. You can see my splits by clicking here.

I got there and had my slowest mile - 19 minutes - but add using the restroom and mixing two bottles of shakes, then getting a call to the equation.

I hit the road again and started off strong with a sub 11-minute mile.

Then, things just got ugly. I boinked. My legs suddenly started aching. It wasn't like sharp pain, they were just sore all over from my thighs to my glutes and lower back. I started struggling to run and felt like I was wading through molasses. I was glad I had chosen an out-and-back because giving up wasn't an option ... I had keep going, it was a question of whether I was going to crawl, walk, or sort of stumble along in something that vaguely resembled a jog.

I decided to stumble, and stumble I did, averaging 14-minute miles. I'd make it a few miles, rest, rehydrate, and keep going.

I did this up until mile 18, and then it got VERY painful. Every step was a forced effort. I just wanted to give up and walk the last two miles, but I knew this was crucial for me to develop the stamina I need for the marathon. So, I plodded on. In fact, I literally counted every tenth mile. It was easy: "We're going to count backwards from 20." Okay ... 1.9 miles (19 ...) ... 1.8 miles ... (18 ...) ... I ignored the ridiculously slow pace I was going, smiled as best as I could as the little children biked past me, then kept shuffling (I wondered if they went, "Daddy, what's wrong with that man over there?") ... the last mile should have been the victory march, but that's when everything started to spasm. I was grimacing (and flashed back to my high school days ... that was my nickname on the cross country team, let's just say I was more of a track runner back then). My legs kept cramping. I could barely lift them so it was more of a shuffle. My glutes were sore, my lower back was sore. Then my stomach started this weird sensation ... I was about to celebrate having no stomach issues, when it just cramped and had a burning sensation ... it literally felt like the abdominal wall was being torn to shreds.

Okay, I know I sound like a drama queen but this was it, my last mile ... shuffle, grimace, squat at the side of the road to catch my breath ("You okay dude?" "Yeah, man, I'm good") ... (my replies didn't sound too convincing) ... man, what happened, who stretched that last mile out? Miles were a joke before today. Miles just flew by. I tried visualizing miles I had conquered - the mile from my doorstep, the mile on the track, the miles in my other races - but this mile just wanted to beat me.

But I beat it. I don't care that it was a slow 14:30 mile ... because guess what? Despite everything it had to throw at me, I managed to keep it under 15. And then I finished.

And it was proof that our mind really is in the driver's seat, because it was like I should be thankful for what I went through because the instant I crossed that "20 mile mark" (later figured out it was the 20.7 mile mark) every pain, spasm, ache, and cramp my body had it unleashed.

But, I had to laugh to myself. Dean Karnazes described projectile vomiting and almost passing out after his first 50 mile race. This was far from that.

Great, I thought. I'm not just training for mileage. I'm learning how whacked out the body gets, and this is like a 5K of pain, then there's a 10K and when I hit the 50 mile mark I'm going to look like a puppet and foam at the mouth. Fun!

Okay, just kidding, but I got it done, called my wife to let her know I was done ... she's such a supporter, she was so genuinely excited and happy for me, almost brought me to tears ... then it was on home to share this with you.

Guess the old cliche is true ... if you REALLY want it and set your mind to it.

I had a vision of running an ultra months ago, and it all started with struggling through a 3 mile run. Now I'm almost halfway to my goal mark.

The marathon first. Crawl before we walk.

Isn't life wonderful?

Warmly,

Jeremy Likness

Labels: ING Georgia Marathon, running, Silver Comet Trail

posted by Jeremy Likness | 7:23 PM | 2 comments

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Best Training Run Yet

Today's Run: 5.03m
Run Time: 47:25
Total Miles to Date: 141.3

Thoughts on the Run:

Today was the best run yet, by far.

I woke up and stepped outside. It was COLD. It was in the low 30s. I decided to have breakfast and run after the sun was a bit higher so it would warm up.

Breakfast was two Kashi whole-grain (7 grains) waffles with blackberries and raspberries (no syrup). I also brewed some coffee in the French press. I took my multivitamin pack and then relaxed with my wife for about an hour.

For gear, I decided to try my shorts with the long running pants over them. I debated what to wear up top, and then decided just the long sleeve whick would be fine - nothing over it. I knew I would warm up and where I usually make my mistake is by overdressing and then trapping all of the sweat.

The only deviating from my standard routine was that I decided to take a Succeed! cap before the run. I sweat A LOT ... friends and family joke that just thinking about exercise causes me to sweat - so I figured even on the shorter run it would be a good test of electrolyte balance. Each cap has 341mg of sodium and 21mg of potassium.

I stepped out and started the run. It was COLD. My hands were freezing but I was out in the sun fairly quickly. I also chose and out-and-back route that would lead me up a rather long incline to warm-up quickly. I felt great and knocked that first mile out in 9:29 despite the uphill.

The second mile went faster due to more uphill. Ironically, this was a mile I stopped at. About 3/4 into the mile, I had a sharp pain in my knee - the right knee that I had complete reconstructive ACL on. I identified the pain immediately. It's what happens when I do what I call "lazy running." Basically my joint there is reconstructed and part of the problem is that the quad muscle helps cushion the fall - there is a "teardrop" muscle that wraps around the joint and can help stabilize and cushion the joint. "Lazy running" means running without engaging this muscle. I stopped and walked for about a block, focusing on contracting that muscle and engaging it. Then, I took a few tentative warm-up steps and finally broke back into a full run. The pain was completely gone and did not return. I knocked out that mile, even with the walking, in 9:06.

The third mile was half a mile downhill next to a park down the road, then turning around and coming back up. The uphill was a little daunting but I just focused on keeping a steady cadence and easily climbed it in 9:31. I was feeling great. It was at this point that I noticed two differences with the run. First, my uphill efforts almost always cause a little stomach distress and I felt none this time. Second, I was barely sweating! Here I was going up a hill and in direct sunlight and while I was sweating, it was a mild, light sweat and not the "totally drenched and dripping water" sweat I'm used to.

The fourth mile had me ascending Goliath. Again, I focused on a steady, consistent run. I knew I would slow down going up the long hill, but also felt I had enough energy to make up for it on the backside. It took me 10:31 to finish that mile. I then picked up the pace for a strong finish. As I anticipated, the last mile made up for it and was finished in an 8:36 pace - a negative split!

The end of the run was warm - it was in the fifties but felt like the seventies.

Finished the 5.03 of the run in 47:25 for an average pace of 9:26. That's my best training pace (short of paced runs on the treadmill).

Very excited about the results. I can't attribute it to any one thing yet, but needless to say I was pleased. Now we'll see how I fare on my first back-to-back run, knocking out 10 miles tomorrow.

After the run I cooled off far more quickly than I normally would have and stretched for 20 minutes with my yoga routine.

I'd say the caps may have had an impact. It also helps that I've overcome the upper respiratory problems I was having and seem to simply be improving overall in training. I'm sure the 5 pounds I've shed also helped lighten the load on the run.

Until tomorrow,

Jeremy Likness

Labels: exercise, running, supplementation, training

posted by Jeremy Likness | 12:18 PM | 0 comments

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