All posts tagged training

Ultracrazy

By On May 14, 2012 In Thoughts With No Comments Permanent Link to UltracrazyPermalink

It took all of seven days to go from “never again” to “maybe another one” and today it became “why not another ultra?” I signed up for the same 50km ultra I ran last year with Miguel.

We’ll run the Niagara Ultra 50km that is part of the Ontario Ultra Series. It’s a great little race day put on by the St. Catharines Roadrunners and Walkers.

The plan this year is to do some more ultra-training and try to keep the legs ready leading up to the big race. Last year was a last minute decision and it showed on race day. It hurt a lot.

I’ve got a few weeks now to maintain some longer distance training, then we’ll roll into a longer taper – probably three weeks instead of the two that the marathon calls for. I’m starting by running to work tomorrow – 16km!

There is even some talk of running a full marathon training run at some point before June 23, but i think 40km might make more sense.

Crazy? I think it’s time to admit that we’re all nuts – Miguel Dias, Chuck Lee, Ali Zimmerman and me. There’s a special category for Dave Emilio and Paul Nelson who are running the 100km.

I’ll be a two time ultra marathoner…what am I thinking?

Long Sundays, Lots of Hills

burrard
By On February 11, 2012 In Thoughts With No Comments Permanent Link to Long Sundays, Lots of HillsPermalink

Just 12 weeks to go until BMO Vancouver Marathon day. That means just 11 more Sunday runs, all of them 19km or more.

After tomorrow’s 19km LSD, it’s at least a half marathon every Sunday until race day, with the exception of one step back week in early March when I have a mere 19km run scheduled (and the taper the weekend before).

I’m also now done with the 10km tempo runs I’ve been doing on Thursdays. The transition to hill repeats is here and that means I’ll switch to 6km on Tuesday, then hills on Wednesday or Thursday (depending on what’s going on in my life).

Hill Repeats…Ughhh

I haven’t been that committed to hill training in past years. I really don’t like doing them and I always figured that they wouldn’t make much difference. But last year in Vancouver I could have used the extra strength – it was a hilly route from start to finish. That’s the Burrard Bridge picture above and it was a killer, coming at the 39km point in the race.

This year I’m going to do them all, every week. I’m hoping that pays off with an improved performance this May.

On the schedule this week is a mere four repeats, and then I add one a week until I’m at ten by the end of March. Weeks where I’m travelling and I can do it, I’ll add in the fifth day of running during the week and do Tempo Tuesday, hills on Wednesday, a steady run on Thursday and Saturday and the LSD on Sunday. If I’m lucky that will happen maybe three or four times.

I’m off to Orlando on business this week so I should be able to get in more running, although it’ll will all be treadmill at the hotel. I’ve been to this hotel before and there’s no good roads or sidewalks around to run outdoors. It really sucks.

A Good Time vs. A Good Time

By On February 5, 2012 In Thoughts With No Comments Permanent Link to A Good Time vs. A Good TimePermalink

I was talking with Ginny today about running, and about the focus that a lot of runners have on racing and achieving personal bests.

Eventually the conversation turned to running for fun – having a good time. The Running Room training programs always end with a goal race. That’s great in terms of motivation, but after a while, the focus on racing can often take away from the fun of running.

This year I’ve been really thinking about just enjoying each run and not worrying too much about times and personal bests. I’ve chosen one goal race – the BMO Vancouver Marathon – and that’s it for races for me in the first half of the year.

That means no Around the Bay 30k, and no Chilly Half Marathon for me. Instead it’s just some fun Sunday training runs with friends and a bunch of enjoyable runs during the week. That’s my approach in 2012.

We also came to the conclusion that focussing on having a good time running was a great way to end up with a good time on the results sheet. My best runs time-wise are often on the days where I’m just enjoying running a lot. The same goes for racing. When I’m having a blast out there on the course, it usually means I’ll come across the line with a nice result.

Personal Awesome

Personal bests are great. Personal awesomes are even better (my running buddy Nicole coined that term and I love it). Despite the fact that it was my slowest time by a few minutes, I still point to Vancouver in 2011 as my “best marathon” of the three I’ve run. A personal awesome every way you slice it.

You can’t run a PB every race…it’s just not realistic to think you’ll improve every time you race. But you can run a personal awesome if you remember that racing and running is fun and put having a great time at the top of your list of goals.

Negative Splits

By On February 4, 2012 In Thoughts With No Comments Permanent Link to Negative SplitsPermalink

I’ve been focussing more on consistent running these days. That means slowing down a bit off the start and trying to keep the pace and effort consistent throughout. Running the second half slightly faster than the first half – a negative split – is proof that I maintained that consistent pace throughout and I’ve done that a few times since training started in earnest.

I’ve never run a negative split on race day, although I’ve come close. I ran the second half of the Ottawa Half Marathon in 2011 within a couple of minutes of the first half and finished with a solid personal best that day.

The reason I never negative split on race day is that I usually start too fast, because I choose a goal time that is a bit on the optimistic side. Last year in Vancouver I started well with a 3:50 goal time in mind but faded in last few kilometers (thanks for nothing Burrard St. Bridge).

I’m determined to negative split a marathon at some point and maybe 2012 will be the year I do it. I’m definitely training differently this year and I’m hoping that pays off in Vancouver on May 6.

This week’s Sunday run is 16km and we’re doing a north-south route once again. That means an uphill start, with a downhill finish and it also means another opportunity for a somewhat easier negative split.

13 weeks to go until the BMO Vancouver Marathon.

Don’t Panic

By On February 1, 2012 In Thoughts With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Don’t PanicPermalink

I was chatting back and forth with another runner last night on Twitter and she said something that immediately made me think, “that’s a blog post.”

@ thank you. It's so hard not to go panic mode.
January 31, 2012 11:16 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@hopebombs
jess howard

She, like I am, is training for the BMO Vancouver Marathon in May. Like most runners aiming for that race, she’s in the midst of the mileage ramp up that comes at the beginning of almost all marathon programs.

That increase in mileage usually brings along with it some aches and pains as the body adapts to the new normal of running 35 kilometres a week (or more).

When those aches and pains come, it’s so easy to go into panic mode. What if these shin splints get worse? Will this IT band prevent me from doing my long run this weekend? My knees are angry but I can’t skip this tempo run.

I’ll put here what I told her on Twitter:

@ No need to panic. Goal #1 is to get to the start line in good shape. The race will take care of itself - it always does.
January 31, 2012 11:19 pm via Twitter for MacReplyRetweetFavorite
@JamesKoole
James Koole

As mentioned in the priorities post a few days back, missing a run or cutting back on the miles a little bit will not cause you to miss your race. On the other hand, left untreated, an injury very well could.

So if you are worried about your shins, or struggling with some sore hips or knees, the very best thing you can do is to slow down, and back off on the training for a bit.

This is your body telling you that you’ve gone too far, or too fast, or both. Listen to what it is telling you know so it doesn’t really start yelling at you later in your training program.

Most of all, don’t panic. You spring marathon is probably still 3 months away and that’s plenty of time to build up the strength and fitness that you’ll need to complete it. Job one right now is to get to the start line uninjured and ready to give it your best.

The race will worry about itself.

Thanks to Flickr user thisisbossi for the pic and for releasing it under Creative Commons.

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