Injury Reinvents Training

My right knee is injured. Probably happened last weekend when I did a tempo run on the treadmill. It was a great tempo pace...held about 80% heart rate reserve and ran 6:30 miles! Unfortunately, the heart and lungs were ready, but my legs didn't like that speed on the moving belt. I must have over been over-striding and put extra pressure on my knees. The right one folded. Even three straight days off didn't help. Two short runs have not helped, or hurt. I'm stuck.

I lost my bet to Joe. I paid the fee to get out of the bet due to injury. We are still on for the race portion for the bet (half marathon on October 19). I need to run 1:35, he runs 1:50. Now that the "process" aspect of the bet is over, and I'm injured, I have a chance to reinvent my training. "Chance" might be the wrong word. I am forced to reinvent my training. And I have a simple solution...I'll run as a I feel. I've read over a 100 books on training. I know what needs to be done. I know what makes a runner faster. And I know what typically gets me injured. For ALL RUNNERS, if you stay uninjured, you'll improve. It may be slow improvement, but you'll get better if you stay injury-free and run consistently. If I incorporate smart and selective fast running, I'll improve faster. For now, it's time to heal...while still running. I'm going to run each day, short and slow, until the knee feels better. Then, I'll slowly go farther and faster. Slowly faster. That's the mantra!

I only have 41 days until my next race--the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour. I'll be ready. I simply need to run simple. Nothing crazy. No rules to follow. Just run as I feel. Some days that'll be fast, others slow, sometimes long, many short. I may hit the track. Definitely trails. Run simple. Run as I feel.

Oh yeah, I'll try to avoid the treadmill too. Those things suck.

Training for Howl at the Moon 8-Hour

Me at a previous Howl at the Moon race.

My favorite race of the year, the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour race (Danville, IL) is only 48 days away (August 9). Basically, I have 7 weeks to race day. That equates to approximately 6 weeks of training and one good week of taper. How am I going to spend that time?

First, a tiny bit of history regarding this Howl race. I've done twelve Howls to date. Here are my statistics for those 12 events:

Total Races: 12
Low: 33.9 miles (2010)
High: 47.06 miles (2006, 2008)
Total Miles: 510.83
Average Miles: 42.57
Best Placing: 12th (2005)
Worst Placing: 99th (2010) 

I finally broke 500+ lifetime Howl miles! That felt good. Last year I finished with 40.98 miles. Fairly low for me. I want many more this year. I need to at least get my "average" 42.57 miles. I'd be much happier with a new personal best (more than 47.06 miles). If I hit 50 miles, I'd be ecstatic. That 50-mile goal has been on my mind for about 10 years. My usual goal is to be in the top 10% (about top 30 runners). I feel that's possible this year.

So, how am I going to train for this beast of a race? Simple answer is "more miles, some speed." I plan on continuing my two running bets (basically I need to run 40 miles/week with one tempo run each week). For Howl, I should ramp the miles even more, maybe toward 50 miles by the first week of August. My weekly tempo run (3 miles at 80%+ heart rate reserve) will continue, but I'll move it to earlier in the week (from Thursday to Tuesday). I'll probably do it inside on a treadmill to truly build speed and not wear me out with heat exhaustion. Thursday will return to a friendly group trail run in the evening--easy, social miles in the heat. Other runs will be aerobic and fat-burning, with walking if needed. My plan is to simulate race conditions in everyday training. Run easy, walk the hills. The weekly tempo run will keep some speed in my legs and also make the "easy" pace feel truly easy...but it may also make that easy pace a bit quicker. If I can run 9-minute miles in the heat, with a low heart rate, then I have a good chance of accumulating massive miles at the 8-hour race.  A 9:36 pace for 8 hours would get me 50 miles. Sounds easy. It's not.

Here's a typical week in my new training plan:

MON: 3 miles, very easy, roads
TUES: 6 miles, 3 at tempo pace, on treadmill
WED: 7 miles, easy, trails
THUR: 7 miles, moderate, group trail run
FRI: off, rest day
SAT: 15 miles, easy, trails
SUN: 5 miles, easy 

TOTAL: 43 miles

Does this seem reasonable? 

Update on 2 Running Bets

About time for an update on my 2 running bets I have going concurrently with two different people. The first is with Jeff ("40 for 40"), second with Joe ("Joe vs Chris: The Bet").

I won't go into details on the bets themselves (you can read about them in the links above), but here's the summary for each. I'm optimistic about achieving both of my goals.

Chris vs Jeff: I'm winning (for now)! Jeff has not lost 40 pounds and I've reached 40 miles/week a few times. I'm certainly more consistent with my mileage than he has been with his weight loss. We are both improving, but I've made more progress so far. I wish us both well in our continued attempt to be successful with our respective goals (mileage for me, weight for Jeff). We both agreed to be "on-track" by Howl at the Moon race on August 9. If so, we should each race well for those 8 hours.

Chris vs Joe: It's a draw (for now). Neither one of us has lost a week of the bet. We still have 18 weeks to go, but it's looking good for both of us. I think I have the lead on speed (on target for half-marathon goal time), but we each are struggling a bit with keeping mileage, speed, and our bodies intact. We've utilized our "free passes" well so far, but those will run out. Recovery is vital for both of us to make it through this bet unscathed. I have too many races so it's hard to prioritize and achieve all my goals. For now, the bets (with Joe and Jeff) have motivated me to run more than I would have on my own. We can all use a little extrinsic motivation. I am on track to break 1:35 for my October 19 half-marathon race...not sure Joe is ready for a sub 1:50. We'll see.

Thanks guys for keeping me on-target and motivated. We still have a long way to go. Stay strong.

Run Under the Stars 10-Hour Race Report

This past weekend, I drove down to Paducah, KY and ran around a 1/2 mile dirt horse track for 10 hours. Interesting way to spend an entire night. It was the "Run Under the Stars" (RUTS) 10-Hour race that began at 8pm Saturday and ended at 6am Sunday. So, how did it go?

Let's start my adventure with the drive down to Paducah from central Illinois. It was uneventful, but a bit tiring, to drive almost 4 hours solo to a race where I knew I'd be tired even at the start. Oh well. Time to recruit friends for next year so we can carpool. I arrived at the Luther Carson Park just before 7pm. One hour to the race start! Plenty of time to set up my personal aid station and chair next to the horse track. My stuff was just a few feet from the actual track. My car was a bit further away, but still within 50 feet if I needed extra supplies from my trunk. The race logistics were sweet. Chip timing on each 1/2 mile loop, one big aid station, and room to have your own supplies right on the course. Easy access to everything you'd need...and easy access to "wasting time" and sitting in a chair or messing with your own gear. Imagine if you spent one minute each loop grabbing supplies--that would be almost 100 minutes of wasted time over 10 hours! I tried to avoid any pit stops (rest room, aid station, lap counter, etc). My goal was 50 miles (100 loops). I'd be happy with 40+ miles and no injuries. This was a training run, nothing more, nothing less. Still, I wanted to test my self in an all-night run in case I did the Tunnel Hill 100 miler in November (also directed by Steve Durbin).

Just before 8pm, the race director had us line up at the start, gave us a few directions, and sent us off right at 8pm. Some young guys really took off fast. I figured they'd "come back to me" later in then race. I was mostly right. The weather was OK, humid, but no rain, with a slight breeze. The sun was setting, but with the overcast day, it was hard to tell when it actually was dark. We had bright lights all around the horse track (until about midnight when they shut half of them off so we could "run under the stars"). I began jogging and planned on running 2 loops (1 mile) and partially walking the third loop. Repeat until tired. I did pretty well until I ate pizza around 11pm. It didn't sit well in my stomach. Pizza and sports drink is not ideal when running. I prefer pizza/beer. I walked for about an hour to let the food settle.

By the halfway point (5 hours) I had about 27 miles completed. I was also ready to quit. I started a more frequent walk/jog pattern, but still felt really tired. If this kept up, I would definitely not reach my goal...and I'd certainly consider dropping out...maybe 31 miles would be enough? In a desperate attempt to recover, I tossed back a big cup of coffee and a Hammer gel. Within 15 minutes, I was feeling alive again. Carbs and coffee...a good combination. The loops kept going by one by one. I fell into cycles of alertness/fatigue/desperation, but kept chugging along. No blisters, no real pain, just lots of soreness and fatigue. When I hit 8 hours, I had 40 miles completed. If I could maintain 5 miles/hour (12 minutes/mile), I'd have my goal of 50 miles after 10 hours. Seems easy, but after 8 hours of running, nothing is easy. I knew I couldn't walk much so I started an "ultra shuffle" and kept that going for almost the entire 2 hours that remained. Once or twice I really picked up the pace, but then calmed down again. At 9 hours I had my 45 miles done. One hour and 5 miles to go! Shuffled more and more and more. I knocked out 50 miles and still had 15 minutes to go. I walked the last loop with Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell, Barkley 100 race director). It was nice knowing I could walk an entire loop and still be fine. We finished that loop at 9:54. I had 50.5 miles after 101 loops. Six more minutes to go! Could I do one more loop? Probably, but I didn't. I was pooped. I had exceeded my goal and was done. Final results showed me as 13th out of 191 runners. Not too shabby.

After the race, I washed up, changed clothes, packed my gear, and drove back to Illinois. It was a LOOOOONG drive home. I was extremely tired and drowsy. Stopped 4 times for "breakfast" and gas to keep myself awake. Borderline dangerous. Another reason to carpool. Driving 4 hours, racing 10 hours, and driving back 4 hours makes for a very long day/night. But no hotel needed! I'm recovering well and feeling optimistic about future ultras. Not sure if I'm going to do the Tunnel Hill 100 or 50 mile event in November. But first, it's Howl at the Moon 8-Hour. My absolute favorite race of the year!

A few insights from this 10-hour night running experience on a 1/2 mile horse track in KY:

• Wear trail gaitors. I used them all night and never had dirt/rocks get into my shoes or socks. They worked well. Others seemed to have problems with track shit getting into their shoes. 

• Start walking from the beginning. It's a long haul and you can't bank miles. Devise, and stick to, a walk-run strategy from start to finish. I should have walked even a little more during the first 4 hours. 

• Caffeine is a life-saver on night runs. Practice drinking tea, coffee, or soda. Utilize gels with caffeine. Calories alone are not enough. You need extra stimulation!

• Be careful of pizza! Or any significant food. Better to nibble all night than gorge once or twice. I should have eaten 1/2 slice pizza three or four times (rather than 2 huge pieces at once). 

• Drink when you are thirsty. Take an electrolyte pill occasionally. You'll sweat a lot during these events, especially in the summer in KY. No need to push extra fluids, just have access to water/sports drink and consume when thirsty. 

• Hug the inside of the track the best you can (without getting in faster people's way). Remember the formula for circumference of a circle (ovalish track)? C=2Πr (big radius = big number). When you stay farther outside on turns, you are covering more ground then needed. Stay tight inside! Why run farther than you will get credit for?

• Kentucky is humid! Fortunately we ran at night, so no sun, but it was moist. My race bib pins were rusting by the time 10 hours was up. That's a lot of humidity and sweat. 

• Young runners just might maintain a fast pace. The 24-year old guy that took off at the start finished with 72 miles! Damn, that's a lot of miles...and a lot of loops. Not this old dude. I was happy with 101 loops. Maybe 104 loops next time. 

• And the biggest lesson learned? Running for 10 hours straight is tiring. Especially running all night. You already believe this, but you don't KNOW IT until you've actually tried it. Perfect training for a 100 miler. It'll help you set realistic expectations for future ultra events. 

I'd love to come back and do this event again. It would be a very fun race to do with friends. They have the 10-hour solo run, plus team categories (2-5 team members). Hopefully some of my buffalo running friends will join me next year. A big THANK YOU to Steve Durbin and all of his RUTS volunteers. It was a wonderful race.

Perceived Effort vs "Real" Effort

I run quite a bit and almost always have my heart rate monitor and GPS watch. So, I tend to have lots of data about route, distance, time, pace, heart rate, weather, elevation, etc. Most of my runs are classified as "easy" (less than 70% heart rate reserve) and they do feel easy. I'm not breathing hard, I feel fine, and the miles roll by at a leisurely pace. Those easy runs are meant to be easy, they feel easy, and my heart rate monitor confirms they are run at an easy effort. Perceived effort equates to real effort (as measure by HR monitor).

Once a week, I run harder--that's my tempo run. It's intended to be a moderate-hard effort at about 80-85% HRR. Tempo runs are great for increasing your lactate threshold. You do enough of these tempo runs, at the right pace/effort, and you'll see improvement in your running and racing. In addition to pushing your lactate threshold, these targeted runs will build running economy, speed, and "harden you" to race efforts. They build character and discipline without the higher risk that other types of speed work entail. I closely monitor my heart rate during these tempo efforts. I warm-up before and cool-down afterward. Lately I've been running the same 2-3-2 pattern: 2 miles easy (but building in speed), 3 miles at tempo effort (usually right at 80-81% HRR), and 2 miles easy recovery jog. My HR-based effort is very consistent, but my "perceived effort" varies from week to week. Even on the same course. What's up with that?

I always figured if it was hot and sunny, then my heart rate would be elevated, so I'd run the same effort, but at a slower pace. This does seem to be true. Same with being stressed out or tired. Elevated HR, slower pace. So, if I run the same HR, shouldn't my perceived effort be the same? Not for my tempo runs! If the conditions are good (cool, dry air) I run much faster with the same heart rate, but I also feel more comfortable and my perceived effort, while moderate, is definitely not hard. Yet when I run in warmer and humid conditions, at the same heart rate, I run slower, but feel like I'm working very hard. The efforts in those tough conditions seem much harder. My perceived effort does not match the "real" effort measured by the HR monitor. On the better days, at the same 80-81% HRR, I feel like I'm working at about a 7/10 effort. Bad days feel like 9/10 at the same heart rate reserve!

I can't explain it. I suppose I am less comfortable on those warmer days, but that should figure into the actual heart rate. On easy days, my perceived effort matches my heart rate. Sure I may run slower or faster on easy days, but it's still about the same heart rate and perceived effort. Not so on tempo efforts. My breathing and heart rate are almost identical on each tempo run, but the perceived effort varies week to week mostly based on weather. Even considering cardiac drift, dehydration, and fatigue, my HR should go up, my pace should slow, but my perceived effort should be about the same. Doesn't seem to be the case. I'm sure there is an extra mental thing going on in the poor weather.

Oh well, I'm going to continue the tempo runs and see where they bring me. I'm convinced they are making me a stronger runner at all distances and paces. And my easy runs are becoming faster. I'll keep an eye on other variables to see how my "perceived effort" correlates with my "actual effort" based on heart rate. I love data.