Sometimes that day of rest is all you need, feeling strong! #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Sticking to my 'Just Run' mantra, instead of worrying about the type of workout. Who cares if the plan calls for some speed work? Because I ran a route with a couple of decent hills on it today, and never stopped and walked, not until I was nearly home, after the 3 mile mark.

To me running up and down those hills is the equivalent of those speed workouts. They more than did the job that I think the speed work would have accomplished.

Bottom line: I ran over 3 miles non stop with some steep hills at the beginning of the route, and I choose to use that as my measuring stick.

Diet

Yeah, I have pretty much sacrificed consistent eating habits this summer. Between Kim's new schedule (which results in her being beat and nearly ready for bed by 6), the kids irregular summer eating habits, and the heat I just haven't really eaten the way I should. That being said, I haven't gained any weight, just haven't lost anything like I would like.

But I am not overly concerned, because I haven't really wanted to focus on eating right now. When I do get that focus back I will worry I get stuck in a stubborn plateau. But for now, this is what I am, this is my life, and the best thing I can do is be aware of what I am doing, and not let things get away from me.

The change in training has made me stronger, not the expected result #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

When I decided to stop adhering to the training schedule letter for letter, and basically throw out the tempo training I didn't expect to get stronger. Instead I expected that I might lose a little strength, especially on my long runs. And while it may be too early to definitively tell, it certainly appears that the opposite is true.

Long Run

This last Sunday was a good example of what I mean. Ordinarily on my long runs I was forced to take my pacing breaks about every mile. Even on this one I only had 3 such breaks over nearly 8 miles of distance.

Now it is possible that I mentally just flipped a switch and stopped letting meyslef slack once I stopped trying to push for those really long distances. But I prefer to think that giving myself a break from the pounding of the tempo runs is what has made the difference.

And that is clear even on the shorter runs, even today, on Day 3 in a row, after nearly 15 miles in 3 days I only felt a need for one short break. And I feel stronger when I do call it a day.

So, call it mental, call it physical, call it whatever, anyway you slice it I have somehow become a more durable runner recently, able to go longer distances with fewer rest breaks. And I am content with that.

No training program today, just ran, and it felt great! #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Who needs a fancy training program? Today I just chose the 'Free Workout' setting instead of one of my planned training sessions. Instead I focused on one thing: just keep running. No walking breaks, slowed down in a couple of places, but no walking until I passed the 3 mile mark. And damn that felt good!

I ran a good pace (I was just under 10 minute miles at the 3 mile mark.) After a couple of years of this I have begun to realize/accept that is my pace. And rather than get all tied up in special programs to try and shave a few seconds off that pace I decided to just enjoy myself at my natural pace. I feel better just running a whole route at that pace than trying to speed up and slow down, which leads to walking breaks, which becomes a habit. 

I feel better about myself when I run without walking breaks to be honest. Sure, on a long run those are almost necessary, but on a 3 mile run? No, shouldn't be necessary. And since those are the bulk of my runs, I think it is better to just focus on just maintaining the running pace instead.

Which means that from here on out that is my new focus: I know what the 3-4 mile routes are that I like. And I will just alternate those 4 days a week, and one day a week go long. No intervals or tempos. I will let my routes determine things like that. Some routes have hills, others are flatter so I can use that to accomplish what the intervals etc should be accomplishing. Which also gives me a sense of change and variety so I don't stagnate too much.

Had a good race, but still cutting back in general #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Race

I had a good race, kept up a good pace, except for my walking breaks. I felt real good to come in with that time of 60 minutes. And it was also nice to start with Dad & Jimmy, and have them there when I finished. It was an interesting course since it was almost purely road, which does take a toll, even when I am used to it like I am.

But, after talking about what my next race is at a family gathering the next day I decided that while I had harbored thoughts about running a Half on the 4th, I decided against it yesterday. I just think that is too much too soon right now. I really want to get back to running for fun, less focus on distance, time and races.

I will do the Grand Prix races that I have already signed up for. And still plan to run the ADT Half on Labor Day. But I think that is enough for this year. Enough running to train, when I really just want to run for the sake of running.

Monday's Run

This one was what really got me thinking. It was a good run, but I get tired of trying to adhere to a schedule, and voice prompts to run a certain speed etc. I would rather just run, and let the route that I take dictate my pace.

So that is my focus for now, I can and will follow the general guidelines of the program so I am sure I can complete the marathon. But have fun with it, enjoy the idea of running every day (or almost every day.)

I also think that if I ease off on the interval and tempo runs I might get better at holding a pace without the walking breaks. Just focus on nonstop running for whatever time I set. We'll see how it goes.

Rest day today, thinking about all the work involved in races #running #races #BlackForestfire

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today is my Rest day from running on my new training schedule. Which is good as the air is smoky from the Black Forest fire.

Yesterday I went and picked up packets for myself and Jimmy. And asked the folks if they had a plan for Saturday. The immediate concern was air quality, would it be too hard to breathe on race day because of all the smoke. And I pondered telling Dad and Jimmy to forego the race for that reason (last thing they need is lung damage.)

But later on I started thinking about all the other things that go into a race. Volunteers and organizers, were any of them evacuated, would they be able to get there on Saturday? Would the police be available to block off the streets for the race if they were needed up north to help police the evacuated areas etc.? I kind of take all that for granted, but that's a lot of resources (I know I pay for it, so it's not like I am getting it all for free) to mobilize. And when there is such a huge emergency going on I wonder if those resources will be available or even if it makes sense to expend them on a race.

So my dream of a 3 generation race may be put on hold (maybe they can join me for the Half on the 4th? Just kidding). I'm not worried, you cant swing a dead cat on the weekends now without coming across at least a 5K fun run, so I will find a replacement if it comes to that.

If the race goes off I will run, but at this point I kind of doubt it will. Which is okay, because while I enjoy the races as a kind of bar setting they are not why I run. I run to run, not to race.

Admitting I have hit the wall, making and adjusting plans accordingly #Running #Training

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Sunday's Run

After yet another brutal, inconsistent long slow run I have come to a realization: the marathon just isn't in the cards this year. For Practical, Mental, and Physical reasons, fortunately I won't lose any money or anything. Here is how it breaks down by category:

Practical Reasons

• Training Schedule is too tough to maintain with my family life right now. With Kim working weekends I have to be full time weekend parent. Which is fine with me. But when I try to do a long run (2+ hours) it means that is time the kids are home unsupervised. 
• It also takes me away from doing things with the kids, because I am focused on these long runs.
• And it wipes me out, so if I do the long run, it is hard for me to do anything else the rest of the day, which makes it hard to get things done.
• I spent a lot of time trying to arrange the schedule to accommodate our vacation plans, and that is just plain crazy.
• I kept worrying about how to keep my iPhone battery going for those long runs, should I buy an extended battery? If so would I need new head phones?
• I was spending a lot of my time before and during my runs trying to figure out how to extend my routes to match my training plan.

Mental Reasons

• I think that 2-2.5 hours is just my limit right now.Everything was just about perfect yesterday: new hydration pack, basically flat course, well timed bio break. And I still lost focus and will when I got to that 2 hour mark (more or less).
• Given that that is my wall, and that I show no signs of really pushing past it, I just have to accept it.

Physical Reasons

• My legs hurt from these long runs, no matter how much hydration and stretching.
• Even with the great shoes my feet start to ache (not long term, I still love the shoes and hate to think how my feet would feel on my old minimalist shoes.)

Emotional Reasons

• This is the biggie: it just isn't fun. These long runs have become an emotional drag. I don't feel refreshed when I finish. And if the running isn't fun it just isn't worth the work.

For all of those reasons I have decided to stop the training plan for the marathon and focus on my Grand Prix races, and running Half Marathons. I want to run the ADT Half as usual. And I am pondering running the new one on the 4th of July. Maybe another one in August, we will see. 

Doubts erased by a little research, coupled with a good tempo run, feeling much better now #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I was worried on Tuesday. I was discouraged after a poor performance on my LSD. And after looking at my training schedule I realized that even at a good pace, my longest pre-marathon run would at most be 22 miles. Which had me worrying about my ability to make the 26.2, I mean how was I supposed to make that distance in a race if I never ran it?

My solution to those doubts? 

To the Internet!

Where I read a couple of different articles and discovered that this is actually a pretty standard program for first timers. That the only programs that will involve running the full distance would be ones set up for pro's who have run multiple marathons and are seeking to really improve their times. 

It also encouraged me to think about the training program as a whole, not just the long runs. That the long runs are just part of the overall program, and that it is the entire program that is getting me ready. 

As a result of this research I am feeling much better. Trust the program! 

The seeds of doubt are beginning to appear, not sure if I can crush them #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Monday's Run

I had to alter my schedule to match up with the family plans for the weekend. Which shouldn't have been an issue. In fact, having 2 days off before my long run should have made it easier. But that's not how it worked. Not at all. I was thrown off from the get go, just not motivated. Then my fanny pack that I have been using for my gatorades starting going off kilter, kept slowly spinning around my waist, which was just plain annoying and uncomfortable. Until I just said the hell with it and stopped trying to do the full distance. 

I still managed 8 miles, which is a worthy distance by most measurements. But not if I want to stay on my training course for the marathon at the end of the summer. This is what I mean by the seeds of doubt, will I be truly ready for that marathon? The family vacation schedule is starting to take a toll on my planning, as I juggle my schedule to get in those long runs. Not sure how I am going to handle this. I will do my best to stick to the schedule, and the nice thing is that while I have told people my plans, I have not actually signed up for anything, so if things go wrong I can adjust my commitments. 

Today's Run

After that problem with the fanny pack I knew that I needed to find a better hydration solution. Yesterday I was at a running store and looked at some of the belts for carrying water bottles, and then at some of the backpack options. And then later went to Big 5, and found a decent backpack. But I figured the smart thing is to wear the backpack for a couple of runs first, so I took it out today as a test run. It went very well, I barely noticed that it was there by the end of the run, which is the ideal. Now that was only 45 minutes, not 2 plus hours, but I think it is a viable solution for now. 

And running today, after the shortened run yesterday was a bit of a morale booster. To complete a solid 4 mile run the day after running 8 miles shows me how strong my legs really are. Which helps counteract some of the doubts that were creeping up after yesterdays run.