Monday, November 29, 2010

Cold Weather Running

Don't you just love the first few runs of winter...NOT!  Eventually, I get used to the idea of running when it's well below freezing, dark, and windy.  I haven't gotten to that point this season.  When winter arrives each year, I always forget what to wear when it's cold.  I put on too much or too little for the conditions.  I came across this excellent YouTube video called "How to Dress for Cold Weather Running."  It was created by a very good runner in Vermont (Tim VanOrden from "Running Raw").



Hope you find the video informative and motivating.  ALMOST makes me wish for super cold weather so I can layer-up and get out there in the snow.  Not sure where he gets his inexpensive "department store" running clothes, but I've found some pretty good gear at Target (Champion C9 brand).

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Test Run on 11-26-10

My new baseline data is reported in my November 16, 2010 post.  Here are my stats from yesterday's test run on the treadmill (parentheses has change from previous test run):

3 miles @ 8:00 pace
Weight: 169  (0 change)
Resting HR: 53  (0 change)
Average HR: 146  (+10 beats)
Peak HR: 155  (+8 beats)
Recovery HR (2 minute heart rate drop): 36  (+4 beats)
Beats/Mile: 1168  (+80 beats)

I'm not happy with this new test run.  Maybe my baseline is too good?  My only improvement was my recovery HR--it dropped an extra 4 beats--but that's mostly an artifact of the higher ending heart rate from the run itself. Oh well.  Maybe it's the extra food I ate for Thanksgiving?  At least I didn't gain any weight.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Don't Buy Running Shoes

Don't buy running shoes...or anything else today.

Today is the day after Thanksgiving...often referred to as "Black Friday" due to the preponderance of retail sales that bring stores back "into the black" on their yearly budgets.  I prefer to celebrate "Buy Nothing Day" and refuse to purchase any items today.  A small gesture against the capitalist machine.  Of course, if you run barefoot, you don't need to buy any stinking shoes!  So, instead of scrambling around crowded stores, scramble up the slope of your favorite trail.  You'll save money and do something good for your health...both your body and mind.  Thanksgiving might be over, but you can still give thanks for all the great non-monetary things you have in your life.  Running is something you can be proud of--a real accomplishment that costs you nothing.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanks for Running

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  As you enjoy the day with family and friends, give thanks for your ability to run.  Not everyone can run...nor do most people have the discipline to try.  It's a gift to have both the physical health and the mental drive to get out there and run.  Have a great meal, give thanks for all the blessings in your life, then go for a run, or walk, or hike, or bike, or whatever.  Just get out there!

My wife and I will be enjoying our Celebration Field Roast this afternoon.  It's made by the Field Roast Grain Meat Co in Seattle.  Nice vegetarian alternative to turkey...we've had it before and liked it quite a bit.  For the holidays, we rotate the Tofurky and Celebration Roast (several varieties).  If you feel guilty about eating those kind-hearted turkeys, feel free to adopt one to assuage your guilty conscience.  Farm Sanctuary has an "adopt a turkey" program.  I adopted one already.  Now it's your turn.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Vermont Death Race

This past summer I ran the Canadian Death Race...sort of...if you count an unfair DNF...but that's another story.

There's another "death race" in Pittsfield, Vermont.  This race is harder, and fairer, than the Canadian version.  It challenges you in every way possible.  Just go to their web site YouMayDie.com to find out more details.  Yes, that really is the correct URL!  Andy Weinberg, the co-race director, was the director of the McNaughton Park trail ultras in Pekin, IL.  He's taken those races up to Vermont too.  Andy is a great guy.  And he enjoys serious challenges...and challenging serious athletes. 

Outside Magazine recently had a nice story on the Vermont Death Race (November 2010 issue).  Check it out if you want to be motivated.  I have NO INTENTION OF EVER RUNNING THIS DEATH RACE...but it is pretty cool THINKING about it.  Mike Siltman, local ultra runner extraordinaire and RD of the McNotAgain 30 miler, is signed up for the 2011 event.  Good luck to Mike and all the other true death racers.  You think any of them will run barefoot?

Monday, November 22, 2010

My Running Shoes Suck!

I knew this day would come pretty soon.  I suppose I was in denial.  Saturday, I went out for a moderately easy 10-mile trail run.  The temperature was in the high 40s, mostly overcast, with just a slight breeze.  It was a great day for a run.  I decided to put on my Pearl Izumi Streak racing shoes.  I hadn't worn them in a while, but they looked really nice sitting next to my Vibram FiveFinger KSOs.  The Streak's vibrant red color contrasted nicely with the dull black of my KSOs.  It seemed like a perfect day for a change in shoe.  Things aren't always what they seem...

I got about 1/2 mile down the trail and something just didn't seem right.  My feet felt odd.  It normally takes me 1-2 miles before I feel warmed up and "into" my run, so I waited for another mile...and I still felt awkward.  In fact, I felt bad running in these shoes.  At the 1.5 mile mark on the trail, I decided to shorten the loop and get back to my car at mile 2.  Things were not right.  I drove home, grabbed my Mizuno Wave Universe shoes, and headed back to the trail parking lot.  Within the first few steps on the trail, I felt great.  I was back to quick, short strides, soft forefoot landings, and simply glided down the trail.  IT WAS THE DARN SHOES holding me back!  The Pearl Izumi Streaks, even though designed as a "racing" shoe, are too much shoe for me. My running form is thrown off by their heel rise and cushioning.  I knew this day was coming...

Over the last year, maybe longer, I have been moving more and more toward minimalist shoes--even barefoot running at times.  Lately, my regular rotation of running shoes is: Mizuno Wave Universe 3, New Balance 790, and three models of FiveFingers (Bikila, TrekSport, and KSO).  I plan on using the Feelmax Osma more as we head into winter--they will substitute for the Vibrams (warmer, but still very minimalist--actually less sole than the VFFs). With this stable of lightweight, minimalist footwear, my older shoes haven't seen much use...and now they are actually a hindrance to my running.  I used to think the Streak was almost "too little" shoe...reserved for speed work and races.  Times change.  So do shoes.  Yesterday I placed the Pearl Izumis next to the garage door.  That means they are leaving the house--either to the trash, Goodwill, or a shoe recycling program. If I get inspired, I might bring them to my local cobbler and see if he can salvage them by removing most of the midsole and zero-dropping them.  They could work if they didn't have a big heel.

Anyway, the Streaks looked lonely next to the garage door, so I went through my collection of shoes and tried on a few "friends from the past" to see how they felt.  The Pearl Izumis now have company on their way out of the house.  See you later, Teva X-1 Racer.  Goodbye, Reebok Taikan IB.  So long, Brooks Axiom.  My Inov-8 Flyroc 310s are staying home...they pleaded to become my new "lightweight hikers." I swear I could see my New Balance 790s nervously shaking...they know the new Minimus Trail shoe is coming in the spring.

This minimalist running thing has ruined my old shoes.  My feet WANT to feel the ground.  My body and mind want to remain connected to the environment, not isolated from it. For now, my actual barefoot running is limited to shorter distances in warm weather.  I need some protection from the ground and inclement weather.  That's why I wear minimalist shoes.  I wonder if my Vibram FiveFingers will eventually seem "too bulky and protective."

What do you do with old running shoes?  Any advice for me?

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ultrarunning World Magazine

Who doesn't like free stuff?  Who doesn't like free ultrarunning stuff?  How about a free ultrarunning magazine?  Only crazy people wouldn't want free ultra stuff.  Don't be crazy.  Check out the new UK magazine called "Ultrarunning World."  They provide free access to their PDF version of the magazine!  The back issues are available, as well as the current November 2010 issue.  It covers "the world" which obviously is more than just the USA ultra scene, but it still has some North American races and articles.  I wish them success.

In addition to the periodical, the web site has useful links to events and resources.  It's a new site, so don't expect "the world" from them yet. Still, it's nice to have another ultra place to find information.  Of course, in the USA, there are two great magazine resources with tons of pictures, articles, race reports, etc:

UltraRunning
Marathon & Beyond

Happy reading!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Weekly Test Runs Start (Again)

Last winter I started doing weekly test runs in an effort to keep myself motivated and honest.  I stopped them in late February.  All of those test run blog posts are tagged with the label "test run."  I have started them again!  My original post back in December 11, 2009 told of my initial plan and goals.

I still plan on the same test run logistics.  I'll run once a week on the treadmill at 8:00 pace for 3 miles. I'll start with a 1/4 mile walk, followed by a 1/4 mile jog, then 3 miles at 7.5 mph (8:00 minutes per mile), then cool down with a 1/2 mile walk at 4mph (15:00 minutes per mile). In addition to last year's statistics, I'll add two more variables: beats/mile  (lower number is good--shows efficiency) and heart rate recovery (drop in HR after 2 minutes of walking--greater decrease in heart rate is positive). 

Here are the full variables I will track and my goals:

Morning Weight (<170)
Morning Resting Heart Rate (<50)
Heart Rate Average for the 3-mile Test Run (<135)
Peak Heart Rate during Test Run (<145)
Recovery/Decrease in HR after 2 Minutes (>30 beat drop)
Beats per Mile (<1100)

Here are my baseline statistics from this past weekend:

3 miles @ 8:00 pace
Weight: 169
Resting HR: 53
Average HR: 136
Peak HR: 147
Recovery HR (heart rate drop): 32
Beats/Mile: 1088

In the future, I'll share my run stats and compare them to the previous week and this baseline. My next test run should be this Friday morning. So far, I'm pleased with these baseline numbers.  They are better than last year's stats so I'm starting in a good position.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Heart Beats Per Mile Run

Most people have heard of tracking the average heart rate during a run.  Same with average pace of the run.  Distance is almost always tracked along with time.  How about a new statistic--average heart beats per mile run? I heard about this several years ago on the ULTRA listserv and tried it out for a few months.  It was interesting seeing what paces led to the most efficient heart rate (beats per mile).  Run fast and you'll cover a lot of ground in a given amount of time...but your heart rate will be very fast.  Run slow and you'll keep that heart rate low, but cover much less ground.  The key for efficient running is to find your sweet spot--what is your most efficient pace where you cover the miles and keep your heart rate under control.  In a car, you might think of your best miles per gallon speed.  What is your best "beats per mile" for running?

If you wear a heart rate monitor that provides average heart rate for your entire run, then simply take that number (for instance, 130 beats/minute) and multiply it by the total minutes run (let's use 45 minutes for this example) and then divide by miles run (5 miles for this example):

130 beats/minute x 45 minutes / 5 miles =  1170 beats/mile

Once you start tracking heart beats/mile, you'll focus on staying relaxed and efficient.  Maybe faster isn't better.  Slow might not be efficient either.  Find that middle ground that is your most efficient pace by tracking heart beats per mile.  Try and beat the system by walking?  Sure, you'll have a very low average heart rate, but it'll take a lot of minutes for each mile. Experiment and see for yourself.  And the speedsters out there won't beat the system by sprinting that mile or two...minutes will be reduced, but heart rate will be extremely elevated.  So go out and run with a group of friends, track your beats/mile, and see who can get the lowest result.  It's a statistic that can be used to compare the efficiency of runners even when one is running faster or slower, shorter or longer...pretty cool, eh?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Local Running Trails Are Often Underappreciated

This weekend I ran at Robert Allerton Park in Monticello, IL (that's a picture of the main house to the left).  It's owned and operated by the University of Illinois and has a series of trails throughout the park. Most locals know the "mansion" side of the park with the big house, fancy gardens, and many sculptures.  This north side is quite nice...and there are trails through much of the landscaped areas...plus a bit of more primitive single-track trail.  In fact, this side of the park hosts the local running club's Allerton Park Trail Run (held each October). It's a good race and these trails are worthy of a few runs.  This weekend, I skipped the north side "fancy trails" and ventured to the "south side" of the park and ran 12 miles on the Schroth Trail.

More often than not, when at Allerton, I run the more secluded south side of the park that hosts the "Schroth Interpretive Trail."  The Schroth trail has three interlaced trails that when combined create a nice 6-mile "outside loop" or about 8 miles if done in a figure-eight pattern.  Less people venture to this side of the park, so you feel more alone and in touch with nature.  It's quiet. The terrain is mostly double-wide dirt trail with gentle rolling hills through forests, along a river, and across a couple of open prairie areas. Perfect for long runs or tempo-paced speed work.  None of the hills are long or steep so you can maintain a good pace for the entire run...but still get some variety.  A map with directions to the south entrance of the park--and the location of the Schroth trail parking lot, can be found here.  The park is free and open to the public.

I encourage you to find local trails and run them.  You may be surprised at the under appreciated resources that lie in your backyard.  Within an hour of my home, I have access to several state and county parks with wonderful trails.  Sometimes I get lazy and run the roads, bike paths, and trails in-town, but forget about the opportunities that are just a short drive away.  Why am I so eager and excited to drive 3-4 hours to do trail races when I can drive 30-45 minutes and have great local runs?  Except for lacking the extra race atmosphere, my regional trails are awesome and I don't have a reason to leave them for a far away race.  I'll be back to Allerton Park soon.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Winter Minimalist Running Shoes

Guess what?  Winter is around the corner!  I run through the whole season...with some limits.  I enjoy running barefoot, but it won't be long before winter has a firm hold on central Illinois.  It's already been in the 20s the last few mornings.  I haven't adapted to running barefoot in cold temperatures.  It can be done--even in the frigid Midwest winters.  Not me...yet.  I'll be relying on minimalist shoes for the next few months.  Fortunately, I already have several pairs of different minimalist footwear:

VFF KSO
VFF Bikila
VFF TrekSport
Feelmax Osma
Mizuno Wave Universe 3
New Balance 790 (not truly minimalist, but good for a trail shoe)

Looks like I am set for winter, right?  Well, those first three Vibrams don't work for me when the temperatures are below 25 or so--which happens a lot in Illinois! Still, that leaves three pairs in my existing stable of shoes.  Of course, that last one is really only for trails...so I have 2 pairs for roads.  I suppose that's enough.  With warm socks, I should be OK.  Plus, I hope to adapt over the next month to cooler and colder temperatures so I can endure the bitter cold that will come later.  I gave up on the VFFs quickly last winter.  The Wave Universe has very open mesh on top and winds rip right through and cool your feet--great in summer--not so much in winter.  The Osma is a nice shoe, but its VERY thin sole allows the ground cold to leak right through and chill your entire foot.  Hmmm...maybe I'm not so set for winter minimalist running!  If you are like me, you are always looking for the next "great shoe."  Any excuse gets me looking for a new purchase. I've recently found a very interesting blog that is focused on minimalist shoes.  You'll find pictures, reviews, manufacturer links, and lots of technical data (weight, heel to toe drop, sole thickness, tread, etc) on a variety of minimalist shoes.  In addition to the data on running shoes, there are a few resources on good running form.  Check them out here:

Minimalist Running Shoes

I've added them to my blog links on the right side bar.  Where did I find this great resource?  Where else, on the Google minimalist runner listservThat group is THE BEST!

Any of you barefoot or minimalist runners have this winter running thing figured out?

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Good Form Running

Is "good form running" the same as good running form?  Check out the Good Form Running web site and find out for yourself.  I stumbled across this concise web site via the Google minimalist runner listserv.  It nicely summarizes the basics of good running mechanics and has a few extra resources too.  Maybe you too can run faster, easier, and injury-free!  Not a bad place to send newbies.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Born to Run the Marathon?

Christopher McDougall, author of the awesome book Born to Run, had an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday.  With the NYC Marathon coming this weekend, this was a great featured article. I loved this part of the article that was an exchange between McDougall and Lieberman:

“I think mega-marathons pretty much epitomize everything that’s wrong with recreational running,” I recently e-mailed Dr. Lieberman, letting him know I’d decided to turn down an invitation to run this year’s New York City marathon with him.

His response was gentle and friendly, but boiled down to this: Get over yourself. What makes you so special that you can’t be part of “the world’s biggest peripatetic party,” as he put it. “Yeah, there is lots of commercialism, sponsors, hype — but to me these marathons are really more like festivals.”

Read the full article here:

"Born to Run the Marathon?"
by Christopher McDougall
NYT, Nov 4, 2010

Good luck to all the New York City Marathon participants!  And more locally, good luck to the Ozark Trail 100 mile runners this weekend.

Monday, November 1, 2010

McNotAgain 30 Mile Race Report

This past weekend, I finished the McNotAgain 30 Mile Trail Race in a time of 5:59.  I wanted to break 6 hours and I did...barely!  I was running really hard the last 5 miles to get that sub-6 finish.  Too bad there wasn't a video of the finish area--it would have caught me sprinting the last 100 meters across the open field to the finish chute.  I had only seconds to spare when I crossed the finish line.  It would have been an awesome video.  Still waiting on race results to be posted.  I'm curious where I fell in the overall results. UPDATE:  Results now posted.  I came in 8th place out of 38 finishers. My race splits were 1:59, 2:03, 1:57.  I was the ONLY RUNNER to have the last loop be their fastest.  Sweet.  I'm happy.  Next year I'll break 5:30 and catch that Kevin guy!

While I did run hard for the last 5 miles, I took it fairly easy on the full first 10-mile loop.  I ran in my Vibram FiveFinger shoes.  With all of the acorns and leaves on the trail, I had to focus pretty hard on the trail and each foot fall.  My feet were a bit sore after that 10 miles.  I switched to New Balance 790s for the remaining 20 miles.  The NB 790s worked well.  I could feel a few rocks and acorns through the soles, but nothing hurt. I did a fair amount of heel striking on the last 10-mile loop.  I was pushing the pace and the NB 790s, like most shoes, have that raised and cushioned heel that allows (almost encourages) a heel strike.  They may be a "trail racing flat" but they still have quite a bit of cushioning. One day I'll be able to run a full ultra in my FiveFinger shoes.

The weather was almost perfect as the day started in the high 30s and ended in the high 50s--we had partly sunny skies with a slight breeze all day.  It was a bit cold at the start, bit you quickly warmed up and after one loop I was tossing my gloves and hat into my car.  On the last loop, I actually felt rather warm and was splashing water on my face to cool off.  To accompany the good weather, we also had perfect trail conditions.  We haven't had much rain in central Illinois lately and the trail was in EXCELLENT shape.  Probably the best I've ever seen it for a race on this course--and I've run the McNaughton Park (April) race many times.  Even the creek crossings were dry--you could hop on rocks and barely get your feet wet.  Last year at this same event, the first creek was almost up to my waist and flowing fast!  Dry feet were a blessing.  Not slipping up and down hills was fantastic...and a welcome change.  Considering how great the racing conditions were, I really should have run much faster.  Pushing from the start, I think I could have notched a 5:30 finish time.  Maybe next year.  I ran faster than last year at this race and I ran faster than the Farmdale 30 Mile race just 3 weeks ago.  That's progress.  No need to beat myself up.  I'm pretty darn happy.

For those considering a fall ultra marathon next year, I encourage you to check out this little race.  It's a great time of year to run a trail ultra in Illinois and Mike the race director does a fine job of organizing and cheering on the runners. It would be an awesome first ultra venue: generous cut-off time (11 hours), small crowds, easy access to your car, good aid stations, challenging (but reasonable) course, and fairly inexpensive.  If you live within driving distance of Pekin, IL (near Peoria), give this race a chance next year.

As you might notice on the right side of this blog under the "My 2010 Races" listing, McNotAgain was my last race of the year.  I'm feeling so good today, I'm thinking about adding another race or two to my 2010 schedule.  Here are a few possibilities:

Owen-Putnam 50K (Nov 6)
Run for the Library 5K (Nov 13)
Tecumseh Trail Marathon (Dec 4)
Deer Run 8K (Dec 11)
Huff 50K (Dec 18)

While I feel good today, I also feel good knowing I don't have any races planned.  I can just run. I probably should skip all of these possible races and just train the rest of the year.  There will be plenty of races in 2011.  Of course, there is a difference between what I PROBABLY should do and what I ACTUALLY end up doing.  I hope I can hold back.