4/28-29 Race Reports

Grrrrrrrrreat weekend for Team RRO/FASTcoaching:

• We had a big group down at the Pickle Festival for the Cuke Patch 5k in Mt. Olive. In total, 9 of the top 13 (and 6 of the top 7) people to cross the line were wearing orange singlets. Keith F. was 1st overall, and Meghan H. was 1st female. Mark N. (3rd OA), Bill C. (10th OA), and Sara S. (3rd female) were 1st in the age group. Sean K. (4th OA) and Greg S. (5th OA) went 2-3 in their "age group" (they had 4 age brackets- under 18, 18-34, 35-49, 50+), Matt C. (6th OA) was 3rd in his age group, and Dave M. (1st race back since the Watermelon Festival; 12th OA) probably placed in his as well! Lauren S., in her first 5k ever, placed 2nd in her age group (behind her sister!).
• And speaking of first races back, Bri G. was 1st female in the Riverwood Tri! (results)
• Kelcey C. was 1st female and Erica L. was 2nd in her age group at the Run for Our Heroes. Erica's mother also ran and was 4th in her age group! (results)  
• Laura F., in her first marathon ever, ran a 3:02 at the Eugene Marathon, placing her in the top 10 females overall and 2nd in her age group! (results)
• Andrea S. was 1st in her age group at the Fitness Festival 5k while pushing both of her sons in a stroller! (results)
• Lots of team members walked away with cake at the Race of Grace, with Cody C. and Jerry H. going 2-3 overall, and Jerry B. was 3rd Master's (1st AG). (results)

AWESOME RUNNING everyone... time to celebrate at Big Boss tomorrow... remember to wear your RRO gear!

Boston 2013

I'm calling it now... registering next year is going to be *darn* near impossible! Between the harder qualification standards going into effect and the deferred entries from this year, there's going to be about two spots available for any guy under the age of 35. As for the rest of us, well I sure hope we "banked" some time so that we can sneak in before registration opens to everyone who "just" qualified. Ok, I might be exaggerating just a bit, but...


It just doesn't seem fair. While you may agree or disagree with my opinion on the qualifying time standards, I don't think many people can find fault with the premise that if you qualify, you should at least have the option of registering! I mean, last year they had shirts that specifically said "Boston Qualifier" on them! However, I didn't see a single shirt that said "Celebrity Runner" on it, which brings me to the point of this week's "theme"...

Are there some races that you should have to qualify for to run?

Weekend Outlook

5k's and Triathlons galore this weekend:

• Cuke Patch 5k (Mt. Olive, Sat. 8AM)
• Run for Our Heroes (Raleigh, Sat. 9AM)
• Inside-Out Olympic Tri at Beaverdam (Wake Forest, Sat. 9:30AM)
• Triangle Orthopaedic Sprint Tri (Raleigh, Sun 8:00AM)
• Race of Grace 5k (Raleigh, Sun 4:00PM... this is an RRO-sponsored race)

More Running... More Running... More Running

Ok, why isn't the half marathon an Olympic event? Why do we go from track to the marathon with nothing in between 6.2 and 26.2? I'm being serious... there are a lot of good distance runners... three from some countries isn't enough! So what if they added another distance event? They used to have XC, but haven't since 1924, so that would be another possibility...

I kind of get what they're saying from a "marketing" perspective... but there are five Badminton events, and I'm not sure that the Badmiton World Federation was really concerned about filling out a TV schedule when it became an Olympic event in 1992. And I didn't even know that men played field hockey, but apparently they have since 2000!

Any thoughts? In case you hadn't heard, they announced the Kenyan Olympic Marathon Team yesterday and Makau and Mutai didn't make the cut.

... and yes, I did interrupt a "theme series". It was a difficult decision, as something normally has to be 8mm huge for me to do this, but I thought such "breaking news" warranted moving the IT Band post to a later date! Guess after almost two years, I'm getting spontaneous :-)

Q: What's the best bandages for blisters?

Km: Not getting them in the first place. Seriously, I hate blisters. They're such a seemingly benign injury. In fact, I'm not even sure that they can be classified as one, but they hurt like heck and last forever! Ok ok, so the best way to treat a blister is to protect it. Unfortunately, conventional bandages often times don't "work" well because they are the wrong size, don't stick to a sweaty foot, and don't provide enough padding. So, even though they cost a bit more than normal Band-aids, one of these products is probably the way to go. Personally speaking, I have tried the Band-Aid Activ Flex bandages, and would highly recommend them.

How To Race a Mile

With Brad's Mile Challenge coming up on Memorial Day, I decided to look up how to run "the perfect mile" because I haven't run one in a good bit of time. There is a good bit of strategy involved too (aka the race is too long to run all-out, but too short to have a lot of time to recover from a "mistake"):

• The Start (up to 200m): go out hard to establish position (near the front of the pack in the second lane is optimal)... this helps to avoid getting boxed-in, as well as some of the jostling that goes on mid-pack (note: I don't recommend being the "leader" of whatever pack you're in as you will be doing a lot of extra work in terms of fighting the wind, etc.)
• Mid-Race (200m - 1200m): run steady and respond to surges as needed (as the race goes on, it's more important to surge to stay with the group... early on, there might be some people who try and "win it" from the start... often times, these individuals will fade as the race goes on, but that's not a hard and fast rule)
• Last Lap (1200-1450m): gradually begin to accelerate... and really begin to accelerate once you're on the back straight-away (you want to be nearly at or at your top speed with 200m to go)
• The Finish (1450-1600m): as you come off the last bend, you should be at your top speed. Gradually move to the outside of whatever lane you're in (this forces anyone who wants to pass you to run further)

I disagree that you want to be in Lane 3 in the final 200m of the race... that's a lot of extra running at top speed! I would recommend surging to the front of whatever pack your in (before you enter the final turn) and getting to the inside (you won't get boxed-in if you're in front!).

So, with the legit strategy discussion out of the way, lets take a peek at the 12-step WikiHow Program. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a race plan discussion in my life. Who the heck writes these things?! Step #4- learn how to run properly... would have thought that would have been first. Step #6- take Sundays off except for some stretching or cross training... dang, there are a lot of runners who might be in trouble then because Sunday is a pretty popular "long run" day. Steps 7 and 9 lay out some pretty solid training plans:

• Speed Workout #1: 10min easy... 10min at race pace... 10min easy [wow, that's a long time to run at mile race pace!]
• Speed Workout #2: 20-30min easy... 4 x 2000m @ by the last rep you should feel like quitting, that's how tired you should be; are we training for a marathon or a mile (especially since the article goes on to say how 6x1000m, 10x400m, and 12x300m are "really long")?
• Speed Workout #3: ok, it totally matters what the length the interval is!

So, I'm reading along, and I get to "keep at it", and realize that's only Step 11. Weird, that's usually what they conclude with... and then I read Step 12... thank you WikiHow!

Eat This Now: Pickle Doritos

Ok, I honestly forget what I Googled to find these, but what?! And, there was a contest for El Pickle Presidente (that Priya M. won) held in Canada?! Apparently they're good, but they don't have a whole lot to offer nutritionally...

Ok, I got nothing... the Pickle Festival is this weekend and I was trying to find "new content" from last year!

4/21-22 Race Reports

Another good showing for Team RRO/FASTcoaching (another good showing for Team RRO/FASTcoaching... another good showing for Team RRO/FASTcoaching... WAHOOO):

• Sean K. was 2nd in the Greater Goldsboro 5k. (results)
• Rita B. was 3rd in her age group at the Tar Heel 10-Miler. Mark N., Mike C., Matt C. (PR'd in the 5k, 10k, and 10-mile all in the same race), and Meghan H. ran great as well. (results)
• Bill C. was 2nd in his age group in the Flying Pirate 5k (results)... still waiting to hear how the half marathon went!

CONGRATS everyone!!!

Weekend Outlook

No rest for the weary (there are seriously over two pages of races on RunningInTheUSA):

• Tar Heel 10-Miler (Chapel Hill, Sat. @ 7:30... USATF NC 10-Mile Championship)
• Bengal Booster 5k (Fuquay-Varina, Sat. @ 8:30... RRO-Sponsored Race) 
• St. Timothy's Spring Sprint (Raleigh, Sat. @ 9:30... Second Empire Series)
• NCVAN 5k (Raleigh, Sat. @ 8:00)
• Duke Forest Pine Cone Pacer 5k (Durham, Sat. @ 8:00)
• Briar Chapel's Earth Day 5k (Chapel Hill, Sat. @ 9:00)
• Carrie Shoemaker Memorial 5k (Durham, Sat. @ 9:00)
• Walk/Run/Bike for Umstead (Umstead Park, Sat. @ 9:30)
• Flying Pirate Half Marathon (Kitty Hawk, Sun. @ 7:00)

Shin Splints

What is it?
Shin splints are formally referred to (in the medical community) as tibial stress syndrome. Most people complain of soreness/tenderness along the inner portion of their lower leg. Sometimes, mild swelling or lumps/bumps on the inside of the shinbone can be present. The pain is often worse when you first start exercising, and lessens as you continue (however, when you stop, the pain often comes back).


What causes it?
Shin splints can be caused from any activity that puts excessive force on your shinbone, as well as the connective tissue that attaches your calf muscle to your tibia. Running downhill or on a slanted/tilted surface can also be the culprit, as can over-training. Additionally, working out on a hard surface or participating in sports that require you to change direction quickly puts you at an increased risk.


What can I do to prevent it?

• Get a good warm-up in
• Strengthen the muscles in your lower leg

What can I do if I already have it?

• RICE
• Anti-inflammatories
• Stretch (lower leg muscles and ankle)
• Massage / foam roller
• Compression socks (both for compression and to support the calf muscle)
• Contact a doctor if the pain is the result of recent trauma, your shin is hot/inflamed, the swelling is getting worse, and/or if the pain persists even during rest

What are the best shoes for it?
Over-pronation can lead to shin splints, so wear stability shoes if you need them. Those with high arches may also want to consider arch support. Running in worn-out shoes, however, is probably the biggest contributing factor... SO REPLACE YOUR SHOES WHEN THEY NEED REPLACING!

Blood, Sweat, and Topical Pain Relievers

Because there is no crying in running...

I might have used Icy Hot once or twice to get through a run... and by might have I mean I definitely have... and by once or twice I'm referring to a week. Yes, Icy Hot helps, and last summer I confirmed that it wasn't necessarily in my head. However, is Icy Hot the best? Probably not, but it is among the most convenient. Nonetheless, here's a Runner's World review on the topic!

Running for Time vs. Distance

Each has its place in training (interesting thread on the topic). I was thinking about this concept the other week when we were doing sets of 2-, 1-, 0.5-min "hard" with 1/2 time recovery in place of our normal track workout. In my head, I converted this to approximate distances, and tried to think about which seemed less intimidating. At the end of 5 sets, I still hadn't reached a conclusion. The 0.5-min interval seemed a lot longer than the 150m that I mapped it to, while the 2-min seemed a lot less awful than the 500-600m that I would normally cover in that time. In all honesty, I have no idea why, but I'll hazard a guess for the sake of this post.

For most distance runners (I'm considering myself one since most of my training is focused on distances 10k or greater), 60-sec worth of running seems like nothing. So, we run hard, much harder than we probably should (especially since we don't often run that pace). After about 20sec, our legs begin to burn because we are (1) tapping into a vastly different energy system and (2) using a greater range of motion then we are used to. However, most of us can see 150m, so we internally calibrate our speed to much more closely approximate what it should be.

Now on to the 2-min interval. I don't know about y'all, but I consider any interval greater than 400m to be something that is going to be *slightly* unpleasant (because I feel that the speed does not decrease proportionately with the added distance). However, I think that the majority of my problem with the 401-1600m interval distance is the fact that it means that I have to start a new lap (wonder what a 500m track would be like?). When running for time, there's nothing to serve as a reminder of how long you've been running. Plus, I have a pretty good idea of the pace I can maintain (reasonably) for two minutes, and tend to moderate my effort level accordingly (versus starting/ending fast and dropping off in the middle, like I do at the track). Also, 2-min isn't so excessively long that I begin checking my watch non-stop (5-min is the cutoff for me).

Other thoughts I have... I find running for time to be more mentally challenging than running for distance because there is no visual reminder of the finish. Also, there is no easy way to make sure you're on pace (i.e., you can't look at your watch every 100m), so it's a good lesson on the topic. Running a "straight" distance (like the Lake Johnson chip trail or the ATT) also has a similar effect. Anyways, that's a lot of words without a lot of links (aka these are my thoughts on the subject and not someone (with more experience) else's), so take this post for what it is. Anyone else want to share their opinion?

Boston Marathon Report

It was wicked hot... wicked wicked hot... like so hot that the guy who has run the fastest marathon every had to drop out at mile 18. Wesley Korir won the men's race, and the women's race was once again decided by a sprint down Boylston Street, with Sharon Cherop emerging as the winner.

Some local NC runners ran AWESOME... Tim Meigs was 3rd in his age group (2:46) and Kimberlie Fowler was the 31st female to cross the line (3:01). Jarett P. went under 3hrs, and David M., Brad B., David K., Dwayne P., Jerry B., Kelcey C., and Susan P. all ran great as well! The Carolina Godiva Men's Master's team placed 9th in the team competition.

CONGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO EVEN LINED UP TODAY... 

AND WAHOOO FOR EVERYONE THAT MADE IT TO BOSTON!

Boston Marathon

Good luck to all the Boston Marathon runnahs.

Run wicked fast and strong.

Speaking of running strong, the Kinvara 3's made an appearance at the expo. I haven't had a chance to speak to our team of super secret running ninja spies, but I did find a video explaining some of the updates:



Oh, and in case you aren't wearing the Kinvara 2's, here's a review by my new favorite running gear reviewer hero:

4/14-15 Race Reports

Another solid weekend of racing for Team RRO / FASTcoaching:

• A team including Brian F., Tim G., and Rusty F. (driven by Matt) was 1st overall in the Palmetto 200 relay, breaking the old course record 2+ hours!
• Rita B. was 1st female at the Cary Road Race 10k. Jonathan W. was 3rd overall, James L. was 1st AG (5th overall), and Mark N. was 3rd Master's. Bill C. was 2nd Grand-Master's in the 5k! (10k results, 5k results)
• Nick M. was 2nd overall in the RunRaleigh Half this morning, and Barbie D.(5th overall) and Natalie T. went 1-2 on the Master's side. Dan H., Jacci P., Donna C., and our friend Amelia ran strong as well! (Half Marathon results, 5k results)

CONGRATS EVERYONE WHO RACED THIS WEEKEND!!! 

GOOD LUCK IF YOU'RE (still) RUNNING BOSTON!!!

Weekend Outlook

Lots going on in the next few days:

• Fri - Sat: Palmetto 200
• Sat: Cary Road Race 5k/10k (Cary, 8:30/9:45AM); Kay Brewer Memorial 5k (Cary, 9AM)
• Sun: RunRaleigh Half Marathon and 5k (Raleigh, 7AM)
• Mon: Boston Marathon

Marathon Injuries

And to conclude "Boston-prep" week, the most common "marathon injuries" are (note: I don't consider some of these to be injuries, but they were classified as such by about.com):

1. Blisters (put Vaseline / Body Glide on your feet and wear moisture-wicking socks) and Black Toenails (make sure you have between a 1/2 and full thumb-width between your toes and the top of your shoes)

2. Chafing (apply Vaseline / Body Glide wherever there is a seam, or even where there's not, and wear moisture-wicking clothing)

 3. Sunburn / Windburn (apply sunblock with an SPF of at least 30)

 4. Muscle Cramps (make sure you're taking in enough fluids and electrolytes; compression gear *may* also help) and Sprains, Strains, and Stress Fractures (avoid literally hitting a wall, as pictured below...)

5. Hydration / Fueling Issues: Dehydration (make sure you're taking in enough fluids), Hyponatremia (make sure you're supplementing your fluids with electrolytes), GI Issues (be careful what you eat and make sure you're staying hydrated), and Hitting the Wall (take in calories)

The Boston Elites

Seriously... there are NO elite woman (age 18-39) and only TWO elite men (age 18-39) from the US?! I know it's an Olympic year and all, but still, that's kind of sad. I thought American distance running was on an upswing? So, I decided to look up the "all time" best running performances. There are USA runners in the top 5 in distances through the 400m (including hurdles) for the men (wow, total domination in the 400m and 400m hurdles) before they disappear from the leader boards. The women only held on through 200m, with one lone mark in the mile and a couple in the 400m hurdles (but the 100m sure looked good).


Oh well, at least both races at Boston should be "entertaining" (both of the '11 winners are back)... I think Universal Sports has live coverage.

Down, down, down

We all know that running uphill is hard, but running downhill can be just as hard. Even though it seems easy, running downhill requires the muscle to lengthen, resulting in more force generation and micro-tears in the fibers (putting you at risk for IT Band syndrome). Additionally, you move faster downhill, which increases the force at which you hit the ground. However, running downhill has been shown to increase speed and turnover, as well as build strength. So, how can you incorporate this into your training?

Start off on a more gradual downhill on a softer surface (like grass) to lessen some of the impact before progressing to more "realistic" scenarios. In order to avoid over-striding, increase your cadence and make sure that you're landing with your center of mass over your foot. The second page of the article contains a variety of workouts. Just remember, downhill sessions should be treated like an interval workout, taking 2-3 days of recovery. In order to avoid injuries (especially IT Band syndrome), back off downhill training at least 2 weeks before your race.

... have fun coming back down Heartbreak Hill!!!

Q: What's better than the Boston Marathon?

Km: Running 26.2 miles on a treadmill in Boston during the expo. Wait... no... that's not right... that sounds like an awful idea. Well, someone better tell that to Michael Wardian and Kim Duclos, because that's exactly what they're doing. Why? To break a world record (in Michael's case... someone "stole" it from him last year) and to bring one into existence / set one (in Kim's case).

Ok, what I found the most cool (because I think running a marathon on a treadmill is crazy)... they have software that can match a runner's pace to a virtual run?! At least, that's how I'm reading the last paragraph. This is totally awesome news to me because it solves my "treadmill on a spaceship" dilemma (aka you need to exercise during space travel to prevent bone and muscle loss... but it would be awful to run on a treadmill all the time... unless maybe you could pretend you were really running outside... or playing a video game like Paperboy). Also, they point out another use for the Garmin footpod.

4/7-8 Race Reports

Another strong showing for Team RRO / FASTcoaching:

• Jarett P., David M., and Jonathan W. swept the Java Jive Jog... try to say that one three times fast! (results)
• Kari M. was the 2nd female in the Cary Long Course Du (results), and Marty G. was 1st in his age group in the Cary Short Course Du (results)... WAHOOO!

Weekend Outlook

The Cary Long & Short Course Duathlon is this Sat. (9AM). Other than that, there are a few random 5k's (Java Jive Jog and Egg Stravaganza 5k), but not much else. In honor of Easter, triathlons, and marshmallow-awesomeness... I saw this on the RW Daily Blog last Friday:

And, for anyone who hasn't heard, Micah True's (Caballo Blanco) body was found in the Gila Wilderness on Saturday, March 31, after he'd been missing for days. The cause of death is still unknown. 

Achilles Tendonitis

What is it?

Achilles Tendonitis may account for up to 11% of all running-related injuries. Simply put, it's an inflammation of the Achilles tendon. People suffering from it often complain of pain along the tendon and/or back of the heel (especially early in the morning or after exercising). 

There are two forms-- Non-insertional (the fibers in the middle portion of the tendon break down, swell, and thicken; more common in younger, active people) and Insertional (this affects the fibers in the lower portion where the tendon attaches to the heel bone; can occur at any time, even in people who are not active). In either form, the damaged fibers can calcify, and bone spurs often develop in the Insertional form of the pathology.


What causes it?

• Sudden increase in activity without adequate time to recover
• A change in footwear or training surface
• Running uphill
• Wearing high heels consistently
• Tight calf muscles (puts excess stress on the tendon) 
• Bone spur (causes the tendon to track improperly)

What can I do to prevent it?

• Calf stretches and strengthening exercises
• Warm-up and cooldown properly

What can I do if I already have it?

• Rest and/or low-impact activities 
• Ice (fill a foam cup with water and tear off the rim or use a cold compression wrap)
• Heat (to stimulate blood flow to the area)
• Tape the back of the tendon to support it
• Anti-inflammatories
• Cortisone injections
• Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) or therapeutic ultrasound
• Surgery 

What are the best shoes for it?
Flexible (or just not overly stiff) sneakers... also, make sure you're in a stability shoe if you need one.

Listen to yourself

And not necessarily to technology. Yes, like Jeff Gaudette from competitor.com, I too agree that GPS watches, heart rate monitors, etc. can be very useful training aids. I analyze data from "workouts I care about" over my peanutbutter sandwich at lunch... how consistent was my pacing? how much did I slow down on that hill? how long did it take my pace to recover? did I improve from the last time I ran that route? And I don't even have a heart rate monitor! However, I want to point out something important, I do this AFTER the workout. Yes, I might glance down at my watch every once in a while during the workout, but I try and treat it as a "normal" watch and run mostly be feel. Why? First off, technology isn't perfect. Second, even if it is recording correctly, it IS normal for your pace and heart rate to change over time. Aside from terrain, navigating turns may cause your pace to slow slightly, and a tail wind cause you to speed up without any increase in effort. With respect to heart rate, there are many factors that affect it (sleep, weather, hydration, etc.), and it is not well-correlated with other training indicators (lactate threshold). Also, it is normal for your heart rate to drift over the course of a run, even if your pace and effort level doesn't increase. 

Beer = Hydrating?

 

I was looking for the point at which the dehydrating properties of beer outweighed its hydrating properties, and I came across all of these articles talking about how beer can help you hydrate better than water after exercise. Although I don't believe everything the Internet tells me, Flava Flav corroborated it, so it must be true. So, what gives? Apparently the carbonation helps to quench thirst, the sugar and salt helps the body to liquid better, and the carbohydrates serve to replenish some of the calories you burned. Interesting... see y'all at the Big Boss Run tonight!

April Fools (a day late)

I would like to point out something... the Umstead 100 spilled over into April Fools Day. Coincidence? Nah.

3/31 & 4/1 Race Reports

Another great weekend or racing:

• Keith F. defended his title from last year, coming in 1st overall at the Tarboro Community Outreack 5k!
• Jarett P. was 2nd overall at the 5K4CFF, and Jim M. was 3rd in his age group! (results)
• Win B. was 1st in his age group at the Kinston 8000, running a new PR! (results)

And CONGRATS to everyone who competed in the Umstead 100 (especially our friends Joey, Charles, Lauren, and Shannon)... I heard the winner broke the course record by line 12 minutes! I know a lot of people on the team (Rita, Crit, Oyler,..) helped pace as well. Seeing people out there this AM sure put our training run in perspective!