Friday, August 31, 2012
Weekend Outlook
If you haven't had a chance to race at WakeMed this summer, there's another 5k in store for this Saturday- Rockin & Running 5k (9AM). Or, if you'd rather wait until 3PM to run, the RunRaleigh 8k is on Sunday. That is all... have a fantastic weekend everyone!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Juicing
Juicing is fast become all the rage. It's as simple as it sounds... put produce in a blender and presto-chango done. While it appeals to my non-cooking side, I haven't tried it yet (I have a bad habit of eating stuff while I'm working on assembling... a bowl of fruit is one less step). However, if I were a bit more patient, I would be rewarded with a nutrient-packed beverage that not only aids in hydration, but speeds recovery and weight loss and boosts performance.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Cheap(er) GPS Watches
I love my Garmin 210. In fact, it has helped my training/racing immensely because it assures me I'm not dying and lets me know that I'm not losing my mind when something feels hard. And this is coming from someone who didn't really ever see the point of running with a GPS watch.
However, even though it's Garmin's "entry level" one, it's still expensive for a watch. Luckily, there are some other options out there for ~$100. The Timex Marathon GPS, Soleus GPS 1.0, and New Balance GPS Runner will all track time and distance (which they use to calculate pace). The hardware in all three watches is about the same, so satellite reception and battery life don't differ all that much. The main difference resides in the display and "features". The New Balance watch is apparently the easiest to read while running and allows you to customize the amount of time that the backlight stays on. Timex has been making watches for a while (so quality control might be a bit better), and it is actually rated in terms of water resistance to a depth of 30m (the others are not depth-rated). Additionally, Timex and New Balance have some "nicer" lap options.
The main disadvantage between these watches and the Garmin watches is the ability to upload and analyze your runs... Garmin has this, others don't. Personally, I use this feature a lot, but I know others don't. Also, the Garmin watches tend to "locate satellites" a bit quicker.
However, even though it's Garmin's "entry level" one, it's still expensive for a watch. Luckily, there are some other options out there for ~$100. The Timex Marathon GPS, Soleus GPS 1.0, and New Balance GPS Runner will all track time and distance (which they use to calculate pace). The hardware in all three watches is about the same, so satellite reception and battery life don't differ all that much. The main difference resides in the display and "features". The New Balance watch is apparently the easiest to read while running and allows you to customize the amount of time that the backlight stays on. Timex has been making watches for a while (so quality control might be a bit better), and it is actually rated in terms of water resistance to a depth of 30m (the others are not depth-rated). Additionally, Timex and New Balance have some "nicer" lap options.
The main disadvantage between these watches and the Garmin watches is the ability to upload and analyze your runs... Garmin has this, others don't. Personally, I use this feature a lot, but I know others don't. Also, the Garmin watches tend to "locate satellites" a bit quicker.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Scope
Note: once again, this post is me rambling about
my thoughts on running
So, I know I said last week how breaking longer efforts into small goals and focusing on meeting them helps. And I concluded by saying that the "rest of the workout/race will take care of itself", with a cautionary "maybe". The topic of this weeks rambling is going to be the "maybe".
Breaking things up and focusing on the small chunks helps only if you don't lose sight of the "big picture". For example, a mile is 4 x 400m (+9m), but breaking it down this way and running each quarter like the race ended there would just be dumb. Instead, figuring out what you want to run the mile in and dividing it among the quarters (and concentrating on running each in that time) is the logical strategy. This brings me to the single, most helpful piece of running advice that any coach has ever given me:
I know that sounds obvious, but the blatant statement is what finally clicked for me. While I seldom struggle with not running hard enough and having too much to give at the finish line, the opposite is usually true. I generally start off too fast, thinking that I'm going to fade so I need to "bank" time. Inevitably, I do fade, and then I die, and then I have to keep running. So, what I started doing is asking myself in the first half mile of every race or hard workout:
If the answer is no (I'm already huffing and puffing and approaching red lining within the first mile of a 40min tempo run), I slow down. If the answer is yes, I'll usually maintain the pace for at least a mile and re-evaluate. If I'm still feeling pretty good (especially if I'm halfway or more done), I might try and pick it up a bit. Or, if I'm starting to question my initial "yeah, I can do this", I try and settle down and maintain effort level (but not necessarily pace). I mean, the end of whatever should feel harder than the beginning because you don't want to have much of anything left over!
The first race that I tried this on worked out well, and I've had more success with tempo runs when I've done it. This is not to say I run every hard workout this way (or even race, although I am more hesitant to deter from this strategy because my PR's are generally evenly run races). Every once in a while, you need to push yourself out of what you "know you can do" or you'll never know what you can... maybe that will be the topic of next week's post!
So, I know I said last week how breaking longer efforts into small goals and focusing on meeting them helps. And I concluded by saying that the "rest of the workout/race will take care of itself", with a cautionary "maybe". The topic of this weeks rambling is going to be the "maybe".
Breaking things up and focusing on the small chunks helps only if you don't lose sight of the "big picture". For example, a mile is 4 x 400m (+9m), but breaking it down this way and running each quarter like the race ended there would just be dumb. Instead, figuring out what you want to run the mile in and dividing it among the quarters (and concentrating on running each in that time) is the logical strategy. This brings me to the single, most helpful piece of running advice that any coach has ever given me:
Figure out how fast you can run a given distance in and run that pace.
I know that sounds obvious, but the blatant statement is what finally clicked for me. While I seldom struggle with not running hard enough and having too much to give at the finish line, the opposite is usually true. I generally start off too fast, thinking that I'm going to fade so I need to "bank" time. Inevitably, I do fade, and then I die, and then I have to keep running. So, what I started doing is asking myself in the first half mile of every race or hard workout:
Can I maintain this pace/effort for X distance?
If the answer is no (I'm already huffing and puffing and approaching red lining within the first mile of a 40min tempo run), I slow down. If the answer is yes, I'll usually maintain the pace for at least a mile and re-evaluate. If I'm still feeling pretty good (especially if I'm halfway or more done), I might try and pick it up a bit. Or, if I'm starting to question my initial "yeah, I can do this", I try and settle down and maintain effort level (but not necessarily pace). I mean, the end of whatever should feel harder than the beginning because you don't want to have much of anything left over!
The first race that I tried this on worked out well, and I've had more success with tempo runs when I've done it. This is not to say I run every hard workout this way (or even race, although I am more hesitant to deter from this strategy because my PR's are generally evenly run races). Every once in a while, you need to push yourself out of what you "know you can do" or you'll never know what you can... maybe that will be the topic of next week's post!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Another one bites the dust...
Lance Armstrong NEVER won the Tour de France 7 times.
Lance Armstrong did NOT win a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics.
In fact, he has NOT competed since August 1, 1998.
Wow. Go ahead Peter La Fleur, I guess it's ok to quit.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
8/25-26 Race Results
Wahooo... I finally have some results to post! Team RRO/FASTcoaching had a great showing at the Raleigh 8000. Jim M. was 3rd master's, Matt C. (10th overall with a new PR) and Jonathan W. were 1st in their age groups, and Chris G. and Bill C. were 3rd in theirs. Linda W. was 1st in her age group and Laura B. and Meghan H. went 2-3 in theirs. Our friends also did well- Tim M. was 3rd overall, Michelle H. was 2nd female, and Lisa G. was 2nd in her age group! I saw more RRO singlets out there, so let us know how you did, and thank you to everyone who volunteered (saw Donna C. out there!). results
Let the fall racing season begin!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Weekend Outlook
The weather is getting a little cooler (wahooo... mid-80's... cold front!), so racing is starting to pick back up again:
- Raleigh 8000 (Sat. @ 7:30AM, Raleigh... this is a RRO-sponsored race!)
- MacNair Farm 5k/10k (Sat. @ 8AM, Raleigh)
- Run For Life 5k (Sat. @ 8:30AM, Cary)
- Continental Divide Trail Race (Sat. @ 9AM, Laurel Springs)
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