Last week on a local radio station, I heard an interview with former Braves pitching coach, Leo Mazzone. During the interview, he described his method for pitchers and keeping them healhy. Paraphrasing what he said, it basically went like this;throw a lot, but regulate the effort. I said that sounds a lot like the Hanson Method.
The Hanson Method calls for a lot of their runs to be what they call "easy" runs. The advanced program calls for runners to run six days a week and the mileage can look intimidating. It looks difficult for any runner who who has not run that much in a week ever. Now, the easy runs are supposed to be one-to-two minutes slower than marathon pace for a variety of reasons. My running has been pretty good this year and running slower than my typical pace did not sound ideal. Putting Leo Mazzone's pitching philosophy and the Hanson method would require patience.
It is easy to see why the program(I am doing the advanced version if I did not mention that) requires so many easy runs/patience. My last few runs have been ones where I have had to exercise that patience and stick to the training program. Saturday, I had a long run ( at 8:05 pace) that ended up with me getting soaked. There were moments where I went slower than I wanted to, but I told myself, "stick to the plan" and stay close to my pace. The rain on the second half of the 12-mile run sucked; there is no other way to say it. I could have sped up to get the run done, but what good would that have done for the long term goal? This is probably something I would have done while training last year. On Monday, my first my mile went horrible. I literally yelled out loud and got pretty upset. Telling myself to stick to the plan helped me keep it together.
Five and a half weeks of training have passed and the benefits are showing. I would love to run fast all the time, but there is a method to the madness. A couple of friends have asked me how I got faster; the answer is putting in the miles and being patient. A lot of people want to be fast, but they do not want to put in the work. For some people, it comes naturally; for most, work needs to be put in. I think that is the best part of the Hanson method program; it requires both.
The moral of the story is that marathon training and running in general requires patience no matter what program you are using. As runners, we all have to remember that patience, hard work and sticking to the plan is a huge part of reaching your goal. Not every run will be perfect. Marathons are a different beast and we need to respect the distance.
I hope training for everyone who reads this is going great! How do you stay patient during the training season?
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Mid-year Review
It is hard to imagine, but we are halfway through the year already. Somehow, despite that rough winter, time did not slow down. I thought it would be fun to take a quick look at some of my goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Here we go:
Run more races/beat my goal times from last year
This is a tough one because it all depends on how I am doing financially. I have lucky enough to participate in two Ragnars (Cape Cod and Chicago) and run the Original 5K. Hopefully things are good for me and I will be able to run the B1G 10k and Rock 'N' Roll Chicago. The B1G 10k looks like a fun race and RNR is one of my favorite half-marathons because of the course and the after party. Training plans also make it difficult to run races. I am keeping my eye on the prize; the Chicago Marathon in October.
The goal times coincides with having money to do races. Rock 'N' Roll and the Chicago Marathon are the only races that I have a chance to beat. Maybe there will be some new races on the calendar for me where I can set new goals to bet.
Run with people more
I would say this goal has been accomplished. The majority of my runs have been solo, but more than once, I have had friends accompany on a long run or a speed workout. It also helped that I worked out a lot with the track team that I helped coach. Running with others mixes things up and keeps you motivated. It also challenges you in ways that makes reaching your goals attainable. This is something that will I keep pursuing.
Staying healthy
So far, so good on this end. There have been minor issues, but nothing that has kept me out of training. Stretching, recovery runs and my addaday stick have been my best friends so far. I set a goal of running at least 1,000 miles and it looks like that will happen easily. Currently, I am at 740 miles! Marathon training will get me over that easily. I will keep doing the things necessary to get to 1,000 and above.
Sidenote: I forgot the six weeks I had to take off after the marathon with a bruised kneecap. My knee connected with something at work and walking hurt for eight weeks; it hurt to straighten my knee out! Thankfully, that is the worst thing that has happened to me so far.
Read more blogs
I am working on this! I am thankful that I can connect with others through outlets like #bibchat and #runchat. It is always fun to hear from others and hear how their training is going.
How are your goals looking so far?
Run more races/beat my goal times from last year
This is a tough one because it all depends on how I am doing financially. I have lucky enough to participate in two Ragnars (Cape Cod and Chicago) and run the Original 5K. Hopefully things are good for me and I will be able to run the B1G 10k and Rock 'N' Roll Chicago. The B1G 10k looks like a fun race and RNR is one of my favorite half-marathons because of the course and the after party. Training plans also make it difficult to run races. I am keeping my eye on the prize; the Chicago Marathon in October.
The goal times coincides with having money to do races. Rock 'N' Roll and the Chicago Marathon are the only races that I have a chance to beat. Maybe there will be some new races on the calendar for me where I can set new goals to bet.
Run with people more
I would say this goal has been accomplished. The majority of my runs have been solo, but more than once, I have had friends accompany on a long run or a speed workout. It also helped that I worked out a lot with the track team that I helped coach. Running with others mixes things up and keeps you motivated. It also challenges you in ways that makes reaching your goals attainable. This is something that will I keep pursuing.
Staying healthy
So far, so good on this end. There have been minor issues, but nothing that has kept me out of training. Stretching, recovery runs and my addaday stick have been my best friends so far. I set a goal of running at least 1,000 miles and it looks like that will happen easily. Currently, I am at 740 miles! Marathon training will get me over that easily. I will keep doing the things necessary to get to 1,000 and above.
Sidenote: I forgot the six weeks I had to take off after the marathon with a bruised kneecap. My knee connected with something at work and walking hurt for eight weeks; it hurt to straighten my knee out! Thankfully, that is the worst thing that has happened to me so far.
Read more blogs
I am working on this! I am thankful that I can connect with others through outlets like #bibchat and #runchat. It is always fun to hear from others and hear how their training is going.
How are your goals looking so far?
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Marathon training
Hello! It has been an extremely busy month with traveling and work, so this has gotten neglected. An update on a few of things will be coming at some point, but the most recent thing that is going on is marathon training! Lets go back to May and run through some things that had been on my mind.
One of the first things that came to mind is what marathon training plan I would use?
A-
One of the first things that came to mind is what marathon training plan I would use?
A-
I really had no rhyme or reason for choosing this book. The only thing that I really knew about the plan is that the longest training run is 16 miles. A friend and I ended up at a book store one day and I decided to purchase it. This is not to say that the Hal Higdon plans have not worked, but trying new things is never a bad thing. The book taught me a lot and it has not left my side since it came into my hands. I even got a few friends to do the program with me!
Could I handle an increase in mileage and running six times a week?
A-We are finding that out right now! As I have gotten to know other runners, increased mileage is part of training, so I knew that it had to happen. Running six days a week also seemed challenging, but after reading the book, it is not as much hard mileage that it sounds like. A lot of the miles are spent are what the trio calls "easy miles (a minute or two less than goal marathon pace). That's another thing that is important about the Hanson Method;it really stresses proper pacing and hitting those numbers consistently. Commitment is also a huge part of the program because workouts are placed in order for a reason.
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| View from the Ann and Roy Butler Trail in Austin, TX |
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| What I looked like after my first run in Austin. That's commitment, right? |
The next question that had to be answered is what were some realistic goals for the marathon?
A- Reading the book and training with the team I coached allowed me to set some goals that are very reachable. Last year I had a time of 3:47:40 and definitely thought that could be improved up and came up with a goal of 3:20. There are charts in the book that help you determine what paces you should be hitting during your runs, speed workouts and strength workouts. Below are some of the numbers that I should be hitting on some of the runs:
Goal Time: 3:20
Easy runs-8:38
Tempo (marathon pace):7:38
Strength:7:28
Even though speed and strength workouts (i.e. mile repeats) are not listed above, I am and will be doing them. Speed work is new to my training plan and so far it has been a lot of fun doing them.
What shoe will take me across the finish line?
A- Probably the New Balance 870 or Brooks Ravenna 5. Both shoes have been good to my feet and will make a great choice. If I were forced to make a choice today, it would be the 870. It is definitely one of my favorite shoes that I run in right now.
How is training going so far?
A-My body is tired, but I am loving it. My first tempo run is tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how it goes. Wednesdays are my new favorite day of the week thanks to the scheduled days off.
That's all I have for now! How is marathon training going for you?
Monday, June 2, 2014
Ragnar Tips
How do you get over fear of missing out on the next upcoming Ragnar after doing your first one? Answer: Get convinced by one of your Cape Cod Ragnar teammates to do the Chicago Ragnar. I did not expect to be back in the saddle so soon, but here we go again.
Back in the day (a.k.a-three weeks ago), the thought of doing my first Ragnar scared me. I did not know what to bring, if I would get lost, how to dress and so on. The more tips I read, the more comfortable it made me feel. Here are some of my tips on how to handle your first Ragnar. These tips are in no order of importance.
Tip 1: Don't over pack
This is an important tip because it is important to remember because, there are other people who bringing their things and there will not be a lot of space in the vehicle. I felt like I packed pretty light for my Ragnar, but I ended up not using a lot of things.
List of things I suggest bringing:
Dri-fit gear or gear that is anti-microbial
Shoes (your running shoes and comfortable shoes like flip flops or sandles)- If there is a strong
chance of it raining, you could bring two pairs of running shoes.
Baby wipes (may be most important item)
Nutrition items like Gu or Cliff Bars
Big sandwich bags to put wet or smelly clothes in.
Comfortable clothing to wear when you are not running
Something that can help with over packing is communicating with your teammates on who is bringing what. My Madison to Chicago team met recently and we ironed out some important details on what to bring and who will bring it. If everyone brought a lot of the same things, there would too much of it and it would go to waste.
Tip 2: Don't expect too sleep much
Sleep is something that really, just will not happen a lot. Any sleep that you get during a Ragnar is a bonus. I am not someone who can fall asleep anywhere, so this is something I expected and handled pretty well. There are a lot of people out there who really like their sleep and I do not blame them for that. They will just have to prepare to catch up on that after the weekend. Personally, it probably took two to three days to get back on a normal sleeping schedule.
Tip 3: Get out of the van as much as you can
It is exteremely important to stay loose to keep your body ready for the next leg. I had a little routine I did before every run to try and keep myself loose. If you are a runner who has a routine like this, do it before each run. Ragnar is not a normal running event and it is important to try and keep it as normal as possible. I am not saying that doing these things will completely eliminate soreness, but they definitely will help. With that being said, bring a stick (I suggest the Type A or C roller from Addaday) or foam roller to use before or after runs.
Tip 4: Now is not the time to be anti-social and have fun
This is not the event for anyone who is anti-social. Or I should say, someone who is not ready to break out of their shell. There is a lot of time in the van with your teammates and sometimes, it will be with people who we may not know very well. Get to know your teammates and have a good time. It really is a great event and one that is meant to bring people closer and learn more about them. On the last Ragnar (Cape Cod) and on this Ragnar (Madison to Chcago), I did not really know many of the people on my team. They were not complete strangers, but over the course of the weekend, I got to know them a little more.
There are a ton of other things that could be said, but these are the most important to me. If you are reading this and doing Madison to Chicago, have fun!
What are your Ragnar tips?
Back in the day (a.k.a-three weeks ago), the thought of doing my first Ragnar scared me. I did not know what to bring, if I would get lost, how to dress and so on. The more tips I read, the more comfortable it made me feel. Here are some of my tips on how to handle your first Ragnar. These tips are in no order of importance.
Tip 1: Don't over pack
This is an important tip because it is important to remember because, there are other people who bringing their things and there will not be a lot of space in the vehicle. I felt like I packed pretty light for my Ragnar, but I ended up not using a lot of things.
List of things I suggest bringing:
Dri-fit gear or gear that is anti-microbial
Shoes (your running shoes and comfortable shoes like flip flops or sandles)- If there is a strong
chance of it raining, you could bring two pairs of running shoes.
Baby wipes (may be most important item)
Nutrition items like Gu or Cliff Bars
Big sandwich bags to put wet or smelly clothes in.
Comfortable clothing to wear when you are not running
Something that can help with over packing is communicating with your teammates on who is bringing what. My Madison to Chicago team met recently and we ironed out some important details on what to bring and who will bring it. If everyone brought a lot of the same things, there would too much of it and it would go to waste.
Tip 2: Don't expect too sleep much
Sleep is something that really, just will not happen a lot. Any sleep that you get during a Ragnar is a bonus. I am not someone who can fall asleep anywhere, so this is something I expected and handled pretty well. There are a lot of people out there who really like their sleep and I do not blame them for that. They will just have to prepare to catch up on that after the weekend. Personally, it probably took two to three days to get back on a normal sleeping schedule.
Tip 3: Get out of the van as much as you can
It is exteremely important to stay loose to keep your body ready for the next leg. I had a little routine I did before every run to try and keep myself loose. If you are a runner who has a routine like this, do it before each run. Ragnar is not a normal running event and it is important to try and keep it as normal as possible. I am not saying that doing these things will completely eliminate soreness, but they definitely will help. With that being said, bring a stick (I suggest the Type A or C roller from Addaday) or foam roller to use before or after runs.
Tip 4: Now is not the time to be anti-social and have fun
This is not the event for anyone who is anti-social. Or I should say, someone who is not ready to break out of their shell. There is a lot of time in the van with your teammates and sometimes, it will be with people who we may not know very well. Get to know your teammates and have a good time. It really is a great event and one that is meant to bring people closer and learn more about them. On the last Ragnar (Cape Cod) and on this Ragnar (Madison to Chcago), I did not really know many of the people on my team. They were not complete strangers, but over the course of the weekend, I got to know them a little more.
There are a ton of other things that could be said, but these are the most important to me. If you are reading this and doing Madison to Chicago, have fun!
What are your Ragnar tips?
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Ragnar short #3
What a weekend! Our team is currently heading back to drop off our vans right now. There are a lot of beat-up, determined runners in this van right now; most of which are sleeping while I am updating a short blog post.
Unofficially, the team finished in the neighborhood of 28 hours. We thought we were way behind our projected time, but it ended up being real close. It is real interesting to be on a team for once when running a race. Many think running can be is strictly an individual place; running a Ragnar is not one of those times. Each runner needs each of his teammates to get through the legs. There comes a time when those legs do not want to work and the words of twitter friends and your teammates keep you going. It has been a really fun experience.
I did not really know what to expect when going into this thing except a lot of running in a short time period. A lot of my friends tolde a lot of fun things and it really lived up to expectations. My. Friend friend Brittany is the only person I really knew going into this., but I feel like I made new group of running friends. Running this race made love the experience of running even more. It is hard to put into words, but I have an example.
During the first leg, which is one of the hardest things I have done in a long time, a lady nearly caught up to me. Kills(passing a runner) are really popular during relay races and sometime during the last three miles of my leg, I nearly got passed. I really tried not to let this runner change the way I raced this leg, but it definitely motivated me during a tough stretch. At one point we both stopped for water, wished each other good luck, and then continued running. She never caught me(whoo!), but we found each other after our leg and thanked each othe for motivating each other. I never saw her again and I will probably never meet her, but I probably will not forget that moment because of how cool it felt.
I will leave it at this for now. Once I am not tired and busy from the weekend, I will upload a recap or two and some pictures. Thank you to everyone who cheered me on from afar. I guess I can say I am a ragnarian now.
Unofficially, the team finished in the neighborhood of 28 hours. We thought we were way behind our projected time, but it ended up being real close. It is real interesting to be on a team for once when running a race. Many think running can be is strictly an individual place; running a Ragnar is not one of those times. Each runner needs each of his teammates to get through the legs. There comes a time when those legs do not want to work and the words of twitter friends and your teammates keep you going. It has been a really fun experience.
I did not really know what to expect when going into this thing except a lot of running in a short time period. A lot of my friends tolde a lot of fun things and it really lived up to expectations. My. Friend friend Brittany is the only person I really knew going into this., but I feel like I made new group of running friends. Running this race made love the experience of running even more. It is hard to put into words, but I have an example.
During the first leg, which is one of the hardest things I have done in a long time, a lady nearly caught up to me. Kills(passing a runner) are really popular during relay races and sometime during the last three miles of my leg, I nearly got passed. I really tried not to let this runner change the way I raced this leg, but it definitely motivated me during a tough stretch. At one point we both stopped for water, wished each other good luck, and then continued running. She never caught me(whoo!), but we found each other after our leg and thanked each othe for motivating each other. I never saw her again and I will probably never meet her, but I probably will not forget that moment because of how cool it felt.
I will leave it at this for now. Once I am not tired and busy from the weekend, I will upload a recap or two and some pictures. Thank you to everyone who cheered me on from afar. I guess I can say I am a ragnarian now.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Leg 10 playlist for Ragnar Cape Cod
Leg 10 is probably the hilliest run I have ever run in life. These songs and GU Peanut Butter got me through it.
Ragnar leg 1 music in reverse order:
Foster the People-Houdini
Luke Bryan-rain is a good thing
Jack's Mannequin-people running
Cold War Kids-Saint John
The Mowgli's-San Francisco
Fall Out Boy-young volcanoes
Dr. Dre-bitches ain't shit
Timbalad-give it to me remix
Foster the people-pumped up kicks
Little Big Town-pontoon
Walk the Moon-drunk in the woods
Vampire Weekend-giving up the gun
Jack's Mannequin-Dark Blue
Walk the Moon-Anna Sun
Good Charlotte-like it's her birthday
The Mowgli's-hi, hey there, hello
B.o.B-I am the man
Punchline-I am the man
Tony! Toni! Tonè-feels good
Sleigh Bells-Rill Rill
Fitz & the Tantrums- 6 am
soulDecision-Ooh it's kind of crazy
Fall Out Boy-The Phoenix
A couple of Houndmourh songs I forgot about
Ragnar leg 1 music in reverse order:
Foster the People-Houdini
Luke Bryan-rain is a good thing
Jack's Mannequin-people running
Cold War Kids-Saint John
The Mowgli's-San Francisco
Fall Out Boy-young volcanoes
Dr. Dre-bitches ain't shit
Timbalad-give it to me remix
Foster the people-pumped up kicks
Little Big Town-pontoon
Walk the Moon-drunk in the woods
Vampire Weekend-giving up the gun
Jack's Mannequin-Dark Blue
Walk the Moon-Anna Sun
Good Charlotte-like it's her birthday
The Mowgli's-hi, hey there, hello
B.o.B-I am the man
Punchline-I am the man
Tony! Toni! Tonè-feels good
Sleigh Bells-Rill Rill
Fitz & the Tantrums- 6 am
soulDecision-Ooh it's kind of crazy
Fall Out Boy-The Phoenix
A couple of Houndmourh songs I forgot about
Ragnar shorts
*Pictures will come once I am back to my computer
I am up early for my race, so I figured I would update my blog with a short post from my phone.
Part of the Chi Squad team got up bright and early and headed to Midway for an early trip to Boston. It had been over 10 years since I last visited Boston. The flight went pretty smoothly, and we finally arrived in Boston for our highly anticipated trip to Boston for Ragnar Cape Cod. One of my teammates brothers picked us up and we headed into the city to find down breakfast.
We found a good little place to eat (Trident Booksellers & Cafe) and then walked around the area for a bit. I definitely enjoyed finding the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston. Hopefully someday that is a finish line that I will be crossing someday. The morning continued with a little more sightseeing as we headed towards the Bunker Hill Memorial. We climbed 294 steps to get to the top and see a great view of Boston from the top. My legs were sore and I felt like I did some hill training for my long run today. Harpoon Brewery would be the next stop on our mini your of Boston.
Part of the team hung out at Harpoon for a while and the rat of our team eventually met up with is. I had only met a couple of them, so I enjoyed meeting the majority of them. Eventually, the team left Harpoon and headed into Plymouth. The Ragnar finally felt like it would really be happening.
Thankfully some of the team members have done this before and have been a big help to is. We decorated the vans with a Chicago themed decor. Once that got finished, part of the team headed to dinner. We went to a Hibachi place and the chef put on a fun show. We headed back to our rooms and van 2 wished good luck to van 1; they had to be up early to get started!
I'll try to get up another post before or after my run!
I am up early for my race, so I figured I would update my blog with a short post from my phone.
Part of the Chi Squad team got up bright and early and headed to Midway for an early trip to Boston. It had been over 10 years since I last visited Boston. The flight went pretty smoothly, and we finally arrived in Boston for our highly anticipated trip to Boston for Ragnar Cape Cod. One of my teammates brothers picked us up and we headed into the city to find down breakfast.
We found a good little place to eat (Trident Booksellers & Cafe) and then walked around the area for a bit. I definitely enjoyed finding the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston. Hopefully someday that is a finish line that I will be crossing someday. The morning continued with a little more sightseeing as we headed towards the Bunker Hill Memorial. We climbed 294 steps to get to the top and see a great view of Boston from the top. My legs were sore and I felt like I did some hill training for my long run today. Harpoon Brewery would be the next stop on our mini your of Boston.
Part of the team hung out at Harpoon for a while and the rat of our team eventually met up with is. I had only met a couple of them, so I enjoyed meeting the majority of them. Eventually, the team left Harpoon and headed into Plymouth. The Ragnar finally felt like it would really be happening.
Thankfully some of the team members have done this before and have been a big help to is. We decorated the vans with a Chicago themed decor. Once that got finished, part of the team headed to dinner. We went to a Hibachi place and the chef put on a fun show. We headed back to our rooms and van 2 wished good luck to van 1; they had to be up early to get started!
I'll try to get up another post before or after my run!
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