If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another!

A couple of weeks ago, I strained my left calf. I should have known better. This has been a "regular" injury of mine and I know what it feels like as it is coming on. I should have pulled back and stopped running, but I didn't. Fortunately, I did stop before it was too bad. Now, over the last two weeks, I've babied the calf and things have gotten much better. The calf is at 90% right now. That's a huge improvement in just two weeks. Lots to give thanks for...until a new problem arose.

Now I'm sidelined by a rib injury! I was at the gym mid-week and felt a strain in my right side as I did some weights. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it got progressively more painful afterward and it's hurt every since. In fact, I have a hard time running without pain. Two very slow runs ended with me walking. Today's run was 90% walking. I thought after I warmed up, the rib would feel better. It didn't. It's hard to sleep since any time I roll around, it stresses the rib and wakes me up. Even sitting up or getting out of bed hurts...anything that engages my core also engages the rib cage! FYI, running engages your core. Hope this new injury heals up soon. I'm looking forward to some pain free running. I assume this injury is a strain of the intercostal muscles and should be fine without any special medical intervention.

If it ain't one thing, it's another. At least this new rib injury is a new one. I didn't think it would impact my running. Oh well, live and learn. Ribs are connected to running. And breathing. Hope ribs heal faster than calves. I knew weight-training would have it's risks!

New Training Plan: What Counts as Speed?

My new training plan (from last blog post) is going well. Sort of anyway. I have a slight left calf strain so I have not instituted the "hard" workouts yet. But the rhythm of the week suits me. Mon-Wed-Fri are gym days for cross training and/or weights. Maybe hill walking on a treadmill. Nothing running-related or too hard. No pounding on the body. Although, the weights are actually pretty hard. I probably need to adjust and do more repetitions with less weight. My intent is to develop a bit of strength and endurance through the various weight machines. Supposedly a good way to keep injuries at bay. We'll see. In addition to my left calf, I noticed my right knee is achy with the weights. It doesn't hurt when I run, but if I do leg extensions or try to balance on that one leg/knee, it hurts. I HOPE that strengthening the quads (especially the inner/outer ones) will help stabilize the knee and keep things under control. I've only been doing this for a week, so I should let my muscles adapt and not judge anything too soon. Extra bonus in all of this "free" time from running, but more time at the gym, is that my wife joins me for the gym workouts (she's not a runner). Fun having your spouse along for "training"--and she encourages me to try different equipment and activities (and isn't afraid to ask the gym owner/personal trainer for advise and guidance).

So, the new plan has lots of potential. Eventually, my calf will settle down and I'll start real speed sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My notion of "speed" work are a combination of the following:

• Steady tempo run at about 80-85% HRR for 20-30 minutes
• Tempo intervals of 5 minutes each at about 85% HRR, with 2 minute jog intervals
• Progression run starting at 9:00 pace and ending at 7:00 pace
• Fartlek run with "random" injections of speed in an otherwise easy paced run
• Track workout of 400m/800m repeats (might do this on treadmill too)
• Long hill repeats (trails or treadmill) with jogging rest periods 

Most of these speed days will be a total workout of 4-7 miles, maybe 50% of the run pushed "hard." Very doable. I'll still monitor the HR and keep it all under control (less than 170 max, about 86% HRR). If things are going well after a few weeks, I might push to 175 max (~89% HRR). Higher heart rates are pushing VO2max--useful, but risky too.

The Saturday (or Sunday) long run will range from 12-20 miles. Sometimes on hilly trails, other times on smooth bike paths. I can see occasionally pushing the long run into "tempoish" territory. The other weekend run will be short and easy. Total of 4 runs per week, three hard, one easy. Sounds too simple. Hope this works!  It should help me focus through the winter and also provide me with a nice mix of speed, stamina, and endurance heading into spring.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Go for a run and appreciate your health and fitness.

The Runner I Am

I'm a runner. In fact, I prefer to be called an ultrarunner. Sounds nice, eh? I'm closing in on my 100th ultra/marathon so I feel I deserve that moniker. Still, as an ultra guy, I don't just feel pride in running long distances. I am proud of my 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon times (those are all "short" races according to me). Definitely proud of my 50K, 50 mile, 100K, and 100 mile accomplishments too. Lately, I haven't really figured out my niche. I want to set new personal records in short and long races. This year I set new PRs at 50 miles and 100 miles. Thought I would also tackle a couple of short PRs too. Didn't happen. After the 100 miler in April, my training never gelled. It was inconsistent and had no focus. Was I training for another 50K, or was it a possible 5K? The training for those distances isn't the same. I kept telling myself that I should put in "consistent, aerobic, miles" and that would satisfy my needs for all race distances. Lot of aerobic miles would lead to faster runs and plenty of endurance. Maybe, maybe not. Never got to test that theory since I rarely had several weeks of solid training. If I had week after week with lots of slow and steady miles, maybe my wishes would have been realized. I should have known better. That's not the kind of runner I am. I'm a low-mileage, faster pace, kind of runner. One or two easy runs per week are fine, but I need one or two faster ones too. And my total mileage rarely exceeds 40 miles. I typically settle into 25-35 miles per week...and that's with 3-4 runs/week. That's who I am. That's the runner I am. It's OK. I've managed to break the golden 24-hour barrier for a 100-mile trail race on only 30 miles/week. I've done well on that minimal training.

Well, it's time to embrace who I am as a runner. I don't do lots of miles. I don't run every day. I don't like super-slow runs. Still, I'm competitive. Why ignore that? It's time to maximize my training with a minimum number of runs and mileage. Heck, that sounds good! So, I am starting a new phase in my training. (Yeah, you loyal readers have heard this before.) I'm basing my new schedule on the "Run Less, Run Faster" book. They focus on 3 quality runs per week (long, tempo, speed), plus some cross training. My plan is similar, but based on what I like.  Here we go...

4 runs per week (1 long, 2 speed, 1 easy)
3 gym workouts (weights, hill walking, elliptical, stretching, etc)

Here is the basic structure:

Mon: Gym or OFF
Tues: Speed (tempo, fartlek, or track)
Wed: Gym or OFF
Thur: Speed (tempo, fartlek, or track)
Fri: Gym or OFF
Sat: Long run
Sun: Easy, short run

Pretty easy. Lots of variety, but only three "real" runs per week, plus that extra easy run. The rest is off (or a variety of gym work). The "gym days" will hopefully keep me fit and strong and likely reduce injuries. Still, I'll be able to recover from my hard running efforts. The runs will be hard, but controlled, and will incorporate a variety of stimuli for improvement. If this winter schedule goes as planned, I will be ready for 5Ks or a marathon. Probably not ideal for ultras, but still OK (I've succeeded on less).

I've dreamed of being one of those super-mileage runners. I would love to run every single day, sometimes twice. I'd love to have 100-mile weeks. I'd enjoy being an aerobic monster. That's not me...and that's OK. I did once run 303 miles in one week. Yep, over 300 miles in just 7 days. That was one of my all-time greatest achievements. It's not going to happen again. Now, I need to have intelligent, well-planned training, that builds upon who I am as a runner. That means only 3-4 runs per week, maybe 30-40 miles. This all starts next week. Thanksgiving week is a great time to give thanks for your running...and make a commitment to being a better runner. That's what I'm doing. I am giving thanks for being the runner I am...and still improving, but remaining true to myself.

Care to join me? What kind of runner are you? Are you embracing your inner-runner? Maximizing who you truly are as a runner?

Finish Strong, Keep Building

I finished the year strong last weekend with a 5:52 time at the McNotAgain 30-Mile trail race (12th out of 51 starters). In five finishes, it was my best effort at that race. Feels good to finish strong. Now, I need to build through the winter and develop an aerobic foundation that I can race from in the spring. Yet, I feel so good, I want to race again...soon. I've been trolling around looking for December ultras. Heck, I've even been looking at local short races: road 5Ks, 10Ks, and a nice cross country 8K. I need to control my impulses and simply do base-building. When I get excited, I get injured. I should be happy with a strong finish, be thankful that I am healthy and uninjured, and go forward in a  cautious manner. Why push? If I need to concentrate on something, it should be steady-state aerobic runs. If I get in consistent runs over the next few weeks, my paces will slowly improve. By the end of winter, I'll be rocking a solid "easy" pace. I'd love to run my local trails at an easy 8:00 pace!

For now, the mantra needs to be...take it easy...keep building. Slow and steady wins the race...especially when it's an ultramarathon! Be the turtle.

McNotAgain 30-Mile Race Report

Yesterday I finished my 5th McNotAgain 30-Mile Trail Race. It was also my 89th ultra/marathon. The last three ultras hadn't gone well, but I had a feeling this one would be different. I felt more prepared, rested, and relaxed. It seemed that training was under control too. And I had a new sports drink: Osmo Nutrition. Things were coming together...this might just be my day.

Since I run this race every year, I have "regular" yearly race goals:

1. Finish uninjured
2. Break 6:00
3. Beat whatever friends are running (Kevin, Paul, Eddie, Gregg, Jeff, Letitia)

I managed to easily achieve the first two goals, but couldn't quite pull off all of the third one: Fast Eddie beat me by about 7 minutes. Still, I took down the rest!



We started at 8am. Sun was up and the weather was pretty nice: about mid-40s and windy. The high for the day was around 65. It remained sunny most of the day, but the consistent wind helped keep things cool. Even with rain in the middle of the week, the course was in great shape. No mud. No standing water. Even the streams were passable without getting wet--you just had to be fairly dexterous and hop rocks and logs to avoid the water. It was a nice change for this course--usually my feet are wet for the entire 30 miles.

As we headed out on the first 10-mile loop, I tried to stay in the middle of the pack (10 milers and 30 milers went out together). When we funneled on to the single track trail, things got congested. For about a minute, it was a crawl. Soon we managed a slow, but steady, jog. Within a mile, everyone was basically settled into their regular paces. I stayed with my running buddy Gregg. He typically sets a smooth and steady pace. That was perfect for me. For the first 20 miles, I always had Gregg within sight. He'd pull away slightly at each hill (he jogs them, I walk them), but I'd catch back up on the flats. We finished the first 10 miles in 1:50 and hit the 20 mile mark at 3:50. Perfect. I could tell Gregg was getting tired at the end of the second loop. He even walked the last couple of hills. When we left the start/finish aid station together, I knew I would be on my own for this last loop. Never saw Gregg again until the finish (he ended up about 10 minutes behind me).

I was dreading the third loop. This is where I fell apart in my last races. I do fine until 22-25 miles, then die. That's not good if you still have 5-8 miles to go! In my past races, I slowed to a miserable 18 minute/mile walk. It was brutal. I hoped this would be different. I felt strong starting the loop and was cautiously optimistic. My new sports drink seemed to be keeping me hydrated, and I snacked at each aid station. As I hit each mile (Garmin watch would vibrate), I could tell I was getting a bit slower and feeling more tired. Felt warmer and slightly dehydrated too. But I was hanging in there. Mile 22, 23, 24, 25. Tired, but still OK. The mid-point aid station was where I decided to push. I was tired, but everything else was good--no pains, no stomach issues, and only 5 miles to the finish. I knew the course well and figured if I could get through the next 2-mile hilly section, I would be able to cruise the last 3 "less hilly" miles. As I left the aid station at mile 25, the "pink panda" woman was right behind me (she wore a fuzzy pink panda hat and bright running  tights). I was fairly confident I was beating all my friends, but I really didn't want the pink panda to pass me! I pushed a little harder on the hills.

Before I knew it, I was through the tough section and crossing the last stream. No one had passed me, but the pink panda was still within sight behind me. I pushed hard up the sandy hill section from the stream and headed toward the totem pole (about 2.25 miles from the finish). At the totem pole, I caught a guy. That gave me extra motivation to push hard in the last rolling hills. Unfortunately, on one of the last hills, the guy passed me back and a woman also passed me (not pink panda, but another lady--the eventual female champion). As she passed, she asked if I was OK. Damn, I thought I was doing fine! Told her I was "just tired" and she said, "That's because you've run 29 miles." Yeah, that does explain it.

I decided I would hang with them until the big meadow loop, then push like hell to the finish. I kept them just within sight as we descended into the meadow, and started the 3/4 mile meadow loop. The guy was about 100 feet ahead of me, the woman 100 yards. Would it be possible to pass them both?  I remembered the conversation Jeff, Gregg, and I had in the car on the way to the race--it was about Steve Prefontaine and his ballsy race style. He always said he'd turn every race into a gut check, and if you were going to beat him, you'd have to suffer. I cranked my iPod and dedicated myself to making these last two runners suffer. "Welcome to the Jungle" (Guns n Roses) started to play...I increased the volume and picked up the pace!  Passed both runners. I was running hard. Really hard. With about 1/2 mile to go, "Jailbreak" (Thin Lizzy) began to play. I cranked the volume again and held my pace, while also jumping up and down to the music. I was freaking flying! When I reached the end of the meadow and started up the final hill to the finish, both runners were far behind me. I broke them. I jogged half-way up that final race hill, then walked fast to the finish. I was spent. Finished in 5:52. This was good enough to be 12th out of 51 starters. A full half-hour faster than my last 30-miler. Nice. I was happy. Even when I saw "Fast Eddie" already at the finish line (he finished in 5:45), I was still happy. It was a great day.

NOTE: On my Friday blog post, I predicted splits of 1:55-2:00-2:03. I ended up with splits of: 1:50-2:00-2:02. Not bad.

Big "thank you" to Mike and all of his race volunteers. It was another fantastic event. I'll be back, yet again, to McNotAgain. Welcome to the jungle, baby!

"Final Exam" for the Running Year

Tomorrow, at 8am, will be my final exam for this year's running. I'll be toeing the line at the McNotAgain 30-Mile Trail Race in Pekin, IL. I think I've prepared well. I've completed 5 ultramarathons and one trail marathon this year. Set two personal records too (50 and 100 mile distances)! Unfortunately, my latest "test results" have not gone well--August's Howl at the Moon 8-Hour was disappointing (only 41 miles). Evergreen Lake 32 miler in September also beat me up. And last month's Farmdale 30 miler was not as smooth, or as fast, as I planned. I have been dying at the end of each of these latest ultras--the "end" being the last 10-12 miles! That's a slow death. My plan for tomorrow is to take it easy the first two 10-mile loops and then go for it on the final 10-mile loop. If I had to predict loop splits: 1:55, 2:00, 2:03 for a finish time of...5:58.

Race day weather is supposed to be clear and sunny with a low of 36 and high of 60. Not too bad. We had rain earlier in the week, but the trail (and creeks) should be passable. I'm trying a new sports drink--Osmo Nutrition. Maybe that will help? I've maintained a steady series of training runs since the last ultra, but not pushed anything too hard. Maybe those 3 previous ultras are now absorbed by my body and I'm ready to roll? Guess we'll see.

I have no other ultras for the rest of this year. Feels weird not to have a race coming up. Next one will likely be a 28-mile fat ass in late January. Might toss in a road 5K or trail 8K, but nothing long for the rest of this year. So, tomorrow's 30-miler is my final exam for this year. Wish me well. I still have 15 hours to cram for the test...maybe a midnight tune-up run? I think I'll eat an early carb-rich dinner, maybe have an evening snack, then off to bed. I'll get up early and have a full breakfast around 5am. Time to charge my Garmin and iPod, set out racing clothes, and rest up. I'll let my loyal blog readers know how it goes...expect a race report Sunday.