Weekend Outlook

Aghhh... forgot to "bank" my weekend outlook post! There's a whole bunch of races this weekend:

• Hinson Lake 24hr Run (Rockingham, Sat. @ 8AM)
• Salem Lake 30k and 7-mile Trail Run (Winston-Salem, Sat. @ 8AM) 
• APC 5k Run (Raleigh, Sat. @ 8AM)
• Scrub Run 10k/5k (Raleigh, Sat. @ 8:30AM)
• Fitness World 5k (Durham, Sat. @ 9AM)
• Duke DPT 5k (Durham, Sat. 10AM)
• Pink Shamrock 5k (Raleigh, Sat. @ 4PM)
• Urban Wetland 5k (Raleigh, Sat. @ 2PM)

Directionally Challenged

So, as some of you who run with me on a regular basis know, I am a *bit* directionally challenged. So, I am anxiously awaiting Dominic Wilocox's v2.0 of his No Place Like Home GPS shoes! These shoes are brilliant... you upload your desired destination, and the shoe communicates with your "ring of power", which points you in the correct direction. And, as if that's not awesome enough, the right shoe has a progress bar to let you know how close you are to home!

Secret to Running Success

Figured I'd follow up yesterday's post with something a little lighter.

140%

The marathon is 50% physical and 90% mental.

- Amby Burfoot

Ok, the math doesn't work out so nicely, but the take-away message is that a lot of racing is in your head. If you don't think you can do something, you definitely won't. If you trust in your training and don't doubt yourself, you just might (within reason... I can believe that I'm going to break 2hrs in a marathon by training in a weight vest all I want, but reality dictates otherwise). However, if I put in the training to BQ (like actually put in the training and have some race results to back it up), I shouldn't doubt that I will 1-mile in shoot myself in the foot by trying to "bank" time for when I die. Sound familiar? I know that I personally have run a few (ok, many) races like this. I mean, that anecdote looks good on paper, and Amby Burfoot's words sounds reasonable, but he's an elite athlete!

This is where I always run into trouble when reading advice from the "top". It's easy for them to say trust in your training... be more concerned with health vs. mileage and pace... they've run more miles in one week than I might hit in double that time... and at a pace that I might be able to hang at for a 1/4-mile! So yes, I've "listened" and "read" for a few years, and then completely ignored their advice because I am not them. However, after doing the same thing over and over with the same results, I decided to maybe try something different (because it's silly to do the same thing and expect different results). And, ya know, what they say kind of works for just "normal" runners too:

1. Starting with the second point, I finally decided to trust that I wouldn't forget the 3.5+ months of training that I put in when I got to the start line of my last marathon. I followed my plan, and actually managed to PR. This was in contrast to my previous two attempts, where I got nervous that my legs would suddenly turn to jello, and banked 3-5min in the first half only to crash and burn in the second. So, trusting in your training apparently works.

2. Speaking to the first point, I ran the exact same marathon two years in a row. One year, I really only got in 2.5-months of training (and one 20-miler) because my IT Band was "bugging me" early on. The next year, I easily ran 100 more miles in preparation, at a faster pace, with more long runs (I was definitely in better shape). I ran ~3.5min slower the second year (and no, it was not the weather, in fact, this race marks the fastest marathon ever run). The difference- I was exhausted the 2nd year. I was so concerned with making sure I stuck to my training plan that I ignored the fact that I was dead ~3 weeks out. Guess what, no one races well when they're not healthy!

So, take this for what you will. Reading this article "reminded" me of some of my new training/racing "philosophies" (haha... I don't philosophize... I've just run out of other things to try), so I figured I'd let y'all ignore a "normal" runner for a bit!

How to run a marathon

Weekend Outlook

There are a plethora of 5k's to choose from on Saturday:

• Amberly Search for a Cure (8:00, Cary)
• The Patrol Stroll (8:30, Raleigh) 
• Women's Distance Festival (8:30, Raleigh)
• Save a Life 5k (9:00, Cary)
• Compelled by Love 5k (10:30, Raleigh)

Run at Work Day

 Is apparently tomorrow... so do it! This "holiday" was started by the Road Runners Club of America to encourage adults to exercise for at least 30-min each day.

Energy Gel

So I haven't done a "product comparison" in a while, and I figured I might as well because they'll have 2nd Surge available on the City of Oaks course and I pretty much know nothing about that gel. So, we'll take the "chocolate" flavor from 2nd Surge, GU, PowerGel, Hammer, and Clif Shot.

• Calories: PowerGel-120; Clif Shot- 110; Gu- 100; 2nd Surge, Hammer- 90
• Carbs: PowerGel- 28g; Hammer, Clif Shot- 22g; GU- 20g; 2nd Surge- 18g
• Sodium: PowerGel- 200mg; 2nd Surge- 115mg; Clif Shot- 60mg; GU- 40mg; Hammer- 35mg
• Potassium: Clif Shot- 80mg; GU, PowerGel- 40mg; PowerGel- 20mg; 2nd Surge- 15mg

2nd Surge has 3g of protein, whereas the other gels have no protein. The Hammer Gel also contains an amino acid blend.

Might have to pick up some up and try it out. For more information on 2nd Surge, visit their website!

On Zero-Drop Shoes

To clarify this term, zero-drop means that there is no height difference between the heel and toe of the shoe. This does not necessarily mean that there is no cushioning (if there's an inch of cushioning at both the heel and the toe, it's still zero-drop). Zero-drop shoes mimic barefoot conditions because, when you walk without shoes, your heel and toe are at the same level.

So, obviously, we've been hearing about more "minimal" shoes for a while now... that 12mm (running shoes traditionally have a 12mm difference in height from the heel to the toe) are simply awful and cause all of these injuries blah blah blah. So, naturally, one would expect that everyone should be working to transition from 12mm down to 0mm and then no one would ever be injured again... right?

Nope.

Zero-drop shoes are not for everyone, just like neutral shoes aren't for everyone, or stability shoes, or super-cushioned shoes, or... you get the point.  If you're prone to calf-complex and achilles issues, plantar fasciitis... heck, any problem from your knee down, you might want to proceed transitioning with caution. While lower-drop shoes most definitely reduce the impact/torque forces on your joints (by promoting a more mid-foot strike pattern), they initially put more stress on your calf and achilles. So, running a few shorter runs in lower-drop shoes is also a good idea... really, it's the same advice I'd give for breaking in any new pair of shoes. Additionally, strengthening and stretching the muscles/tendons in your lower leg before and during a gradual move to a lower-drop shoe is a must.  

9/15-16 Race Report

Rita, Keith, and Dan represented team RRO/FASTcoaching well at the Mag Mile on Sunday. Rita ran a PR, finishing in the top 10 just behind a former olympian. Dan placed 4th in his age group, and Keith placed well in his too. If others ran, please let us know (they didn't organize the results so well). I know Frey's daughters both ran and PR'd as well... CONGRATS EVERYONE! (results)

Kick Plantar Fascitis

Weekend Outlook

Big race of the weekend is the Magnificent Mile on Sunday (Raleigh, 2PM). There are some local races to choose from as well: Heart's Haiti 5k/10k (ATT, Sat. @ 8AM) and Think Global Run Local 6k (Chapel Hill, Sun. @ 9AM).

And can I just say that I love fall! In fact, I think it would be the perfect season if the days got longer instead of shorter.

Meb... Meb...

Meb Keflezighi officially became my new running hero this year. I found this article on the Running Times website that is basically a "what he was thinking" from April through August 12th...

Apparently, when Brandon saw Meb on the greenway the day before the Tarheel 10-miler, he was nursing an injury. In fact, by the sound of it, his training was up-and-down through June (even though he raced well at Bay to Breakers and the San Diego Half Marathon)... it's hard to imagine that they guy who finished 4th at the Olympics was hoping to just make it to the starting line 2-months out!

His account of the race was really interesting. I'm glad even the elite athletes doubt themselves at some point and go through the:

• I quit. I'm done. I'm not running again.
• But I don't want a DNF, so maybe I'll just stick this out.
• Well, I feel a little better now, maybe I can start making up some ground.
• There's Mr. Basketball Shorts and Mrs. Running Skort... they're going down (ok, that cast of characters would never pass Meb, but yeah)
• Maybe the people in my age group placed in the top 3 and I can still get something (no one Lance-Armstrong's-it-up on the local level)
• I'm done I'm done I'm done... WAHOOO! So, when's the next race?

Anyways, read the article, it's interesting. And GO MEB!

Cross Training Personalities

I found this article interesting because it basically summed up my thoughts on cross-training. Basically, there are 4 types of cross-trainers:

• Emergency- you get injured and can't run, so you turn to other activities to maintain fitness (and not go completely insane)
• Supplemental- you do other things in addition to running... like swimming, cycling, yoga, etc.
• Seasonal- you maybe turn to other activities (like cross country skiing in the winter) more than running during one season
• Maximalist- you get injured a lot when you run too much, so you cross train regularly (basically as much as you run) 

So, while I want to be a "supplemental" cross-trainer because I really see the benefits in terms of core and upper body strength and injury-prevention in general. However, I tend to be more of an "emergency" cross-trainer (and usually vow to add it to my schedule after I tweak something). I have respect for the maximalist cross-trainers... in fact, I think these people actually wind up being strong runners (I'm thinking about some of the really good triathletes we train with). And seasonal cross-training seems interesting, a good way to get you re-focused on your running season after a good, mental break, but it's not that cold in NC!

Recovery

Ibuprofen... ice bath... compression... foam roller... the stick... icy hot... heat... ok, I can get up off the couch now, whew! Ok ok, I might be exaggerating my recovery routine just a bit, but we've all done stuff to make the aftermath of a hard run less painful so that we can do it all again tomorrow. Turns out, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot. What? Isn't the whole point to train longer, harder, faster? How can we do that if we can barely move?!  

Starting with the first of those, Ibuprofen inhibits protein synthesis after exercise, so even though your legs might not feel as sore, the micro-tears created aren't being repaired. Not only does this delay recovery, but prevents your muscles from becoming stronger because there's nothing there to build with!  Moving on to ice baths, athletes who skipped them had greater strength gains, better circulation, more endurance, and better VO2-max scores. This lead scientists to conclude that ice baths actually retarded strength and endurance gains.

So, what gives? Well, as it turns out, we've failed to recognize the role that inflammation plays in our body's signaling pathways. Physiologists have long recognized that intense exercise produce micro-damage to muscles. The body naturally wants to repair itself, so it does, leaving the muscles stronger than they were before. What hadn't been recognized until recently was that inflammation is the body's way of signaling what needs to be repaired. If you reduce inflammation, your body doesn't recognize the severity of the damage, and therefore the need for repairing and rebuilding is reduced. Basically, if you trick yourself into believing your fine for long enough, your body will never learn to naturally adapt. Furthermore, muscle fibers require a finite amount of time to repair and adjust.

That doesn't mean that you should never use some type of "recovery aid". I mean, if your plantar fascia is inflamed, by all means take some ibuprofen and ice your foot! Or, after a marathon, which is basically like sudden trauma... or if you need to recovery really quickly between races. Just use recovery aids sparingly if you want to see the most gains... so probably not after an easy Monday run! 

BQing

Your odds of BQing are getting better, at least according to this post! Why? I have no idea the true cause of the drop in the number of people qualifying, but here are a few of my guesses:

• People needed a new challenge... enter obstacle course runs!
• After qualifying once, people lose motivation to qualify again. Plus, marathons are expensive!
• People considered the new standards unattainable and stopped trying.
• All of the super speedy runners got hurt. (just kidding)

Weekend Outlook

Blue Ridge Relay is this weekend! However, if you don't feel like jumping in a van and running for 208-miles over the course of a day(ish) in the mountains, there are some other local options:

• Tunnels to Towers Run (Wake Forest, 8AM Sat.)
• North Hills 5k (Raleigh, 9AM Sat.)
• Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Cancer Walk and 5k Run (Raleigh, 8AM Sat.)
• Cleft Palate Gallop (Chapel Hill, 9AM Sat.)
• Zombie Escape Run (Youngsville, Sat.)

Matt is really upset we're missing that last run... I mean, I have no idea what it would be like to be chased by zombies through a muddy obstacle course, and now I might never know!

10% Rule

You should NEVER increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent over the previous week.

Show of hands, who has blatantly ignored this rule? Both of my hands are in the air... I mean, that would take forever! Say you're coming off of injury and are maybe up to 10-miles a week (and that would actually be pretty good). So next week you run 11, and then 12.1, and then its 2 months before you get to 20-miles and 4 months before you're back to a 40-mile week?! Jeesh...

Turns out, I'm not really a risk-taker, or completely crazy. In fact, recent studies have debunked the 10% rule. Depending upon your experience, propensity for injury, etc. you can deviate from this hard and fast rule. Initially, starting off conservative is probably a good idea if you're coming off of injury... but you may be able to add more than a mile a week! Additionally, if you've been holding steady at a certain weekly mileage for a while (say low 40's), you might be able to jump by 15-20% (say to upper 40's) and be fine. However, when increasing mileage, you also have to keep intensity in mind. For example, making up the miles in an easy run will do a lot less damage than trying to add it in an extra interval workout.

This brings up my question... is there are rule for increasing intensity? Turns out, the 10% rule is meant to apply to more than just miles... the intensity at which you do them also needs to be considered. Now the rule makes a bit more sense to me. I don't know about y'all, but when I put in too many "quality" workouts in a row, I wind up exhausted and hurting. However, if I add the same, if not more miles in easy runs, I can actually feel better on harder workouts. So, in conclusion, I think the rule needs to be re-written (or the original form re-emphasized). So running friends, I offer you this suggestion:

Increasing the intensity of your weekly workout regimen by more than 10% might not be so much of a good idea.

Paralympics

So, the Paralympics are almost over, and although they received more press than usual, I still have yet to see any of the events on TV. I kind of wanted to see them. I mean, I really want to see sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball because that's crazy amazing! There were even some sports that I hadn't heard of before, like boccia and goalball. Anyways, I wish they were on TV!

B Double E Doube R U N

Labor Day

Laborday Comments - Glitter Graphics