Race Report

Beside writing endless and maybe worthless notes for the readers here, I do run a race once in a while. On November 15th, I competed in the Stinson Beach 30K trail run. Running a trail race is very different than a road race. I'll address that in the future. There were 250 runners in my race, I placed 33rd overall and 1st in my age group (50 and over) with a time of 3:22.

Winter Running

It's winter. Dark in the morning when you leave for work or school, dark when you come back. What to do? First, BE FLEXIBLE! What do I mean by that? I mean that if you have to confine your daytime run to a half an hour during lunch, do that. If you have to use handiwipes or use the sink to clean up, do that. If you are traveling, run the stairs in the hotel if there is no treadmill. See what I mean? Let's say you have a Spring marathon and really need to build up milage. Try two workouts a day, 3 times during the work week. Get a headlamp and a reflecting vest and run around the neighborhood if you can before going to work. A half an hour to 45 minutes in the morning and in the evening can result in 5-10 miles depending on how fast you can go. Do the longer miles on the weekend. Ultrarunners often do two long runs a weekend. Those of you who have the ability to focus on the treadmill can run for an hour or more to get in some good milage. The point of all of this is that winter is not the end of your training. Fight the urge to hibernate and keep training.

Other things to be aware of during the winter. Your times will be slower! So, instead of focusing how fast you run, focus on how much time you spend, an hour versus finishing your regular run in an hour. Make sure your upper body is warm. Overdress even if it means you get all sweaty. The legs will get warm all by themselves for obvious reasons. Consider using trail shoes for better traction and to keep the feet dry (most trail shoes have gore tex uppers that keep you dry) and a hat to keep the head warm. Some people need to wear gloves, some don't, keep in mind your environment, running in the bay area is noticably warmer than New York,

Just as in the other three seasons, it is important to hydrate. Depending on the weather and your clothes, you might sweat even more than in the other seasons and need more water or replacement drinks than normal.

So, don't lose the fitness you've obtained by hibernation this winter! Keep running.

Training Schedules

Look at almost any book or magazine that deals with running and there will be an article or a chapter on training schedules. In fact, there are books that are nothing but training schedules. I believe that despite the claims, there is no one size fits all schedule. In addition, some very successful runners do not have a set schedule at all. They simply run as far and as fast as their body tells them too. One runner friend of mine, has run a marathon in 3:20 at the age of 46 by running 3-4 times a week with some weightlifting thrown in and she has not idea how fast she runs. But it works for her.



For those of you who are more anal retentive and like the idea of looking at charts or spreadsheets in preparing for a race. There are some things that I suggest you consider when putting together a schedule.



1) Make the running schedule fit your life schedule. It is silly to schedule a 10 mile run during the work week, when you get off work at 6 and will have to run in the dark. Instead, try doing two 5 mile runs, one in the am, one in the pm.



2) Be flexible. If you have to run at lunch time and there are no showers available, then use the sink or handiwipes. Yes, some co-workers may think you are strange, but is that enough to prevent you from reaching your goal, whatever that may be? Or, you need to go to the post office or another errand that is a few miles away on Saturday morning? Then run to and from that place and kill two birds with one stone. I have used this one in the past. You have to visit the in-laws. After the visit, you get dropped off by the significant other 5-10 miles from home and you run home. SO wants to go to the mall. Run laps around the megamall while they shop. Have a long layover at an airport? If you are smart enough to use a backpack as a carry on, do some laps around the airport. The computer is in the backpack? hmmmm, tough it out and call it weightlifting and running!!!



3) Don't tie yourself into running a schedule written by someone you have never met such as the author of a article or book. These schedules are typically generic and "guarantee" you that you will finish the race. If you think about it, short of a ultra run, anybody can finish a race, just walk! All you have to do is look at the Charity Walkers that are found in almost every race these days. They always finish. If you want to run and see how fast you can run, then you have to consider your own needs.



4) The generic training schedule for anything from a 5k to a half marathon, usually looks something like this:

Week Mon Tue Wed Thr Fri Sat Sun

1 off 4 3x1200 Off 4 6-8 10-12
2 off 4 4x1200 hills 4 6-8 10-12

3 off 5 7 Off 5 8 12-15

4 Off 5 Off 4x1200 Off Striders Race

This typical schedule makes assumptions that will not work for me. First, it assumes that I can spend both weekend days running for an hour to 2 hours. I have family obligations and other things that would make following this schedule a problem. Second, it assumes that sometime during the day on a weekday, I can go out to the track and run 1200 meter repeats. Also, as you can see, the bulk of the milage is on the weekends which I believe encourages the "weekend warrior" syndrome which I believe leads to injuries and burnout.

5) My personal schedule for the weeks leading to a trail race looks like this:

Week of Phase Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
10/13/2008 Build 2 Cross Easy LR TRL LR Cross Cross and easy pm
10/20/2008 Build 2 Tempo Cross LR Tempo LR Tail LR
10/27/2008 Build 2 Tempo LR Tempo Tempo LR Easy Trail
1 1/3/2008 Taper Tempo Easy LR Tempo Off Speed Cross or easy
11/10/2008 Race Tempo Trail Easy Easy Off Race 30K Rest

For me, this schedule works far better than the generic ones. First, I have the flexibility of doing different types of workouts on the weekends which keeps things interesting for me. Second, I never take off Monday because I want to get a good start on the week. I am lucky because I can run during the day on the roads. So, most of my speedwork is done on tempo runs, that is long sustained runs at 70-80% of my racing speed. Also, note that my race is on a Saturday contrary to the generic schedules assumption that all races are on Sunday.

The point of all of this is that as a runner, you will need to think about your lifestyle and your goals as a runner and make up your own priorities and schedule. But, whatever your schedule, if you plan on racing, I have a few more suggestions.

1) Have at least one and hopefully two of your workouts be quality workouts. By that, strive for either building speed, endurance or strength through running hills. The other workouts can be normal, routine milage or easy miles.

2) Every 4th week, should be for recovery. This is the week to take that vacation, do cross training. Do 2-4 workouts, but nothing tough.

3) Increase milage and intensity at different stages of your buildup to a race. Milage first and intensity as the race approaches. Do not increase milage and start doing interval workouts on the track at the same time. That can lead to injury or burnout. This is supposed to be fun, right?

4) When its an easy day, run slow. Don't let your ego get the best of you and race people. Remember that the best runners in the world will run 2-4 minutes a mile slower on their easy days. Revovery equals getting stronger.

One final note. in my schedule, I referred to phases. I will get into that later in more detail. It is a way of blocking certain types of training that will eventually lead to a peak, hopefully on the date of a scheduled race.

Breathing while running

Simple right? Well, not exactly. There are ways to breath while running that can make you a more efficient and faster runner. Also, it can make running a little less painful. Most people have no thoughts at all about breathing, until it becomes hard to breath and then that's a problem. There are two things that runners should consider about breathing. First, try to breath using your stomach. Look at it, watch it go in and out as you inhale and exhale. Why is this better than breathing with your chest? Aren't the lungs in the chest. Well yes, but the diaphragm is at the bottom center of your chest. Breathing using your stomach frees up the diaphragm, allowing more oxygen to get into your lungs which as you should know by now, make running easier and less painful. More oxygen gets into the bloodstream, muscles are fed and work better. Secondly, breathing in a rhythm is an excellent way to pace yourself, want to slow down, breath slower, faster, start breathing faster. One of the most common things new runners are advised to do is run at a pace where you can carry on a conversation. If you can talk and run, that means you are getting in enough oxygen. That is fine if you want to jog at an easy pace for a little exercise and enjoy the scenery. If you want to go faster, you need to skip the conversation. Breath in a rhythm that matches your arm swing and leg cadence. Think "steam engine" on a train, Try inhaling every other step. You should get less side stiches and feel more comfortable on your runs. Okay? Everybody exhale..................................................

Oh No!! It's raining!!!

Yes, the first rain of the season. What to do? The basic choice is whether to run on a treadmill if you belong in a gym or run in the rain. If you can focus for an hour or so, the treadmill can work. remember that the milage indicators and speed indicators are not likely to be accurate. So, run for a period of time at a pace that seems close to what you would do outside. Myself, I always run outside, I hate treadmills, too mind numbing for me.

So, you've decided to brave the elements? Good. Here are my suggestions. First, decide whether you want to be totally dry during your run or if you are willing to be wet. If you have to be totally dry, then you need to invest in a running suit made of goretex, a good hat and shoes that are either goretex or are sealed in a way that keeps the water out. Unfortunately, socks and most like shoes will get wet in a downpour. For myself, I wear what I normally wear based on the temperature. If its fairly warm and just raining, I add a hat to my shorts and shirt. If its cold, I add a long sleeve shirt. The point is to get in a good workout.

Running in the rain is not the time to be trying for a PR (personal record) and instead is the time to put in the miles and learn to run a steady pace in bad weather. Not all races are run in the sun or with no wind. Think of these kind of runs as training for those sort of races. You won't be intimidated like other runners. A personal example. In February 2008, I ran in the Kaiser Half Marathon in San Francisco. It was pouring rain as I drove to Golden Gate Park for the start. I knew two things. One I was unliklely to lower my best for the year of 1:29 and Second, everybody else had to deal with the rain too. I also knew that the finishing stretch on the Great Highway would be against the wind for the last 3 miles. Knowing what to expect calmed me down a lot. The race went as expected, cold, wet and windy. Things were pretty grim but I focused on a steady pace. Finishing at 1:32, I was not that happy about my time, but finishing 8th in my age group made me feel a whole lot better.

The point of my story is that you too can deal with bad conditions and come away from the experience with an appreciation of your abilty to fight through hard times.