Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 5

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 5 Wrap-up (Does anyone watch the Pro Bowl? Edition):

Overview

Two 5 milers in the Vibrams this week. One on the treadmill and one on the road. The road run was euphoric, I’m never going back to heavy cushioned shoes…ever.
Since this was a recovery week, no scary workouts. I did see a few in the coming weeks though (gulp!).
55 miles total this week. Next three weeks the mileage will be in the high 60′s so I’ll need to watch that and maybe skip a recovery run or two if I’m getting too beat up.
Hawaii weather looks sweet…I need a vacation.

Wish I was there...for the weather.

Monday

Standard Lower body conditioning: Straight Leg Raise (1 set per leg, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Abduction (1 set per leg, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Adduction (1 set per leg, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Triple Extension Squats (2 sets, 10 each with knee band), Single leg Step-Up/Squat (1 set, 10 reps each leg), Forward Step-Up (1 set, 10 reps each leg), Unilateral Balance (3 sets each single leg, eyes closed, 30 secs), Hip Hikers (2 sets each leg, 10 reps).
100 Push-up program: End of week 5 test: 55 push-ups. Will repeat week 5 to build some more strength.

Tuesday

Aerobic Run (MP + ~1 min/mile), 8 miles on treadmill, averaging 8:17 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Wednesday

Med-Long run, 12 miles on treadmill averaging 8:09 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Thursday

Recovery Run (MP + 1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles in Vibrams on the treadmill averaging 8:37 pace.
100 Push-up program: Week 5 (take 4), Day 1, Level 3; 175 push-ups over 5 sets.

Friday

Aerobic Run (MP + ~1 min/mile), 10 miles averaging 8:06 pace, 3 mile cool-down in Vibrams.

Saturday

Recovery Run (MP +1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles in Vibrams averaging 8:03 pace. Little faster than planned but I was just having too much fun.

Sunday

Long Run 18 miles total with 10 miles at MP (6:52). Averaged 7:40 pace with the last 4 miles in the Vibrams.
100 Push-up program: Week 5 (take 4), Day 2, Level 3; 185 push-ups over 8 sets

Photo Credit

Goal Setting

The Art of Running: Goal Setting

The past few years as I’ve dug deeper in my training research I’ve noticed that the mental side of running is somewhat neglected, particularly in goal setting. While the running community is now buzzing with the pros and cons of form and footwear many of us are trying to figure out how to get from where we are to where we want to be. This can be daunting, especially if you’re just getting started and have little experience to fall back on. There are a number of things that need to be considered no matter what you are looking to achieve and without a smart approach, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment right from the start.

The purpose of this post is to layout a high-level approach to setting goals. As you go through it, it will probably sound like basic common sense. That might be true, but all too often I find a lot of runners are setting goals by just winging it and hoping for the best. An important reason for me keeping it general is that specific goals for specific individuals need to tailored to an athlete’s current fitness level and physiology. There’s really no one-size-fits-all goal setting formula and I make no attempt to present one. This is where a good coach earns their money, by developing a solid training plan tailored to a runner’s goals and current capabilities.

Emotions play a big part in how we set our goals. I’ve seen runners get fired up with enthusiasm and set an overly ambitious goal and on the other hand I’ve seen others short change themselves out of fear by setting a goal they can easily achieve. Since both enthusiasm and fear can derail even the most dedicated runner, how should we approach goal setting? Let’s look at how to avoid these two pitfalls.

Setting Goals Too Low

It might not occur to some that setting low, achievable goals can be a problem, but it ultimately results in a lot of lost time and frustration as progress is seen only after an inordinate amount of time. As an analogy think of goal setting as a staircase, you may have a distance goal at the top of the stairs (Half Marathon, Marathon or Ultra) or a time goal (26.2 in under 4 hours). Either way you need to go through the exercise of laying out the steps to get you to that ultimate goal. Make the steps too tiny and the journey will take longer. Make them too big and you might not be able to get there, or worse, suffer a setback in trying to overreach.

Setting Goals

As you go through the exercise of breaking down your ultimate goal into smaller goals you’ll start seeing some details come to the surface that will give you feedback on whether your ultimate goal is too easy or too hard. For example say you have a goal to take 3 minutes off your Half Marathon PR of 1:42:55 to get under 1:40 by Nov 2012. Is that a good goal? Lets break it down:

3 minutes = 180 secs. Over 13.1 miles that’s a little under 14 sec per mile faster.
You’ve got 10 months to hit your goal.
Think about setting some appropriate time goals for shorter races (5k, 10k) to measure your progress shooting for 5-10 sec per mile faster than your current PR at those distances by the end of May 2012 (Goals 1 and 2 for the 5k and 10k respectively)
If you ran a Half marathon in late June (about halfway to Nov 2012), could you take about 8 secs per mile off your time (1:41:10 for Goal 3)?
Find a 5k or 10k in October to measure your progress, are you in that 14 sec/mile faster range? (Goal 4)
Half Marathon in Nov 2012 under 1:40 (Ultimate Goal)

To avoid setting your goals too low each one should stretch you a little. The runner in the above example needs to have some feel for their current abilities and by breaking the big goal down into smaller ones it should be clear if they are shooting too low. Giving yourself about 2-3 months in between your smaller goals leaves you enough time to see improvements but also allows you to make adjustments if needed.

Many new runners are a little skittish about pushing themselves too hard because if you listen to the media and a lot of traditional medical practitioners, you get the impression that our bodies are frail. This is simply not true. You were designed to run, move and be active. Don’t let unreasonable fear dictate your actions. That being said you should be getting yearly checkups to spot any potential health issues, but barring a major problem there should be nothing stopping you from pushing yourself a little harder.

Setting Goals Too High

I tend to see this the most when I read blogs and twitter posts. All competitive runners, myself included, have been guilty of this at least once. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

Trying to qualify for Boston without a solid training plan.
Ignoring serious injury caused by increasing mileage too quickly.
Signing up for an Ultra when you’ve never run more that 25 miles in a week.

Often a stretch goal isn’t thought through in enough detail. The emotional determination might be there, but you can’t get around injury or poor planning by sheer force of will. You body has physical limitations and requires time and training for adaptation, we can’t change the laws of physics to suit our egos.

"I CAN"T CHANGE THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!!!"

You’ll need to go through the same exercise as before to check your goal but this time you’ll be breaking it down for the purpose of determining if it’s reachable. Especially for stretch goals, you’ll also need to continually monitor your progress and make any adjustments as necessary. If we look at the previous example and it turns out we haven’t hit goal 2 by late September, then the ultimate goal will need to be changed or abandoned. It’s way too common for us runners to ignore training setbacks such as missed workouts, injury, and illness and then not make adjustments to our goal. We need to realize that short-term thinking can lead to further setbacks and frustration.

Summary

To set goals that are both achievable and will test your limits:

Break the ultimate goal into smaller, reachable goals that are about 2 or 3 months part. This gives you opportunities to monitor your progress to see if you are on track.
Once the smaller goals are established develop a training plan (or have one developed for you) that allows you to reach the smaller goals while keeping you focused on the ultimate goal.
Continually monitor your progress. Setbacks happen so allow yourself to adjust your training plan and goals so that you are continuing to improve.
Have fun with it! Because if you’re making yourself miserable, what’s the point really?

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 4

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 4 Wrap-up (NFC Champion Edition):

Overview

Two nice milestones this week starting with my first start-to-finish run in my Vibrams. It was a 5 mile run on Thursday and although I can tell my body is still adjusting it felt good. Secondly I finally got to my 50 push up minimum on Week 5 day 3 for my last set (Woo Hoo!).
Scary workout was on Sunday. 18 miles on the treadmill due to road conditions with 10 miles at MP (6:50-ish) looked daunting on paper. Got through it thanks to the NFL Network pregame show.
Going to keep my end-of-run Vibram mileage at 3 with one 5 miler for next week. Basically just a repeat of this week to work on form and strength.
62 miles total this week. Next week is a recovery week so I’ll be dialing back on the mileage and intensity a bit. Legs are in good shape but the combination of mileage and speed workouts have been at a personal high so it’s a good time to heal some before the next training phase.

Monday

Lower body conditioning: Straight Leg Raise (1 set per leg, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Abduction (1 set per leg, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Adduction (1 set per leg, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Triple Extension Squats (2 sets, 10 each with knee band), Single leg Step-Up/Squat (1 set, 10 reps each leg), Forward Step-Up (1 set, 10 reps each leg), Unilateral Balance (3 sets each single leg, eyes closed, 30 secs), Hip Hikers (2 sets each leg, 10 reps).
100 Push-up program: Week 5 (take 3), Day 1, Level 3. 170 Push-up over 5 sets.

Tuesday

Aerobic Run (MP + ~1 min/mile), 9 miles treadmill, averaging 8:02 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Wednesday

Med-Long run, 14 miles treadmill averaging 8:03 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Thursday

Recovery Run (MP + 1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles treadmill averaging 8:35 pace. First start-to-finish run in the Vibrams.
100 Push-up program: Week 5 redux, Day 2, Level 3. 185 Pushups over 8 sets.

Friday

Aerobic Run (MP + ~1 min/mile), 11 miles averaging 8:04 pace, 3 mile cool-down in Vibrams.

Saturday

Recovery Run (MP +1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles averaging 8:33 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.
Week 5 redux, Day 3, Level 3. 200 push-ups over 8 sets

Sunday

Long Run 18 miles total with 10 miles at MP (6:52). Averaged 7:40 pace with the last 4 miles in the Vibrams.

Lastly, the obligatory NFC Championship photo:

ELIte!!!!

photo credit

Eight Seconds: Dathan Ritzenhein

Eight Seconds.

If you’re running at about a 5 min/mi pace that’s about 141 ft or 47 yards. From that distance you can clearly read a stop sign or recognize a friend walking toward you. This past Saturday, eight seconds from the finish, Dathan Ritzenhein could clearly see the finish line for the US Men’s Olympic Marathon trials. From that distance he was watching from behind as Abdi Abdirahman took the third and final spot for the US Men’s Olympic Marathon team. From that distance he knew he wasn’t going to London for the games.

Dathan, Kalin and Addison Ritzenhein

Dathan has had a rough year for an athlete at any level, but it had to be particularly excruciating for a professional. In March of 2011 Ritzenhein had a sheath removed from his achilles and a neuroma removed from his right foot. His achilles became infected as a result of the surgery and he was still dealing with it in August. He ran a 5k in October which was his first race in almost a year, then a month later he got the stomach flu. Imagine having that kind of year knowing that the Olympic trials were coming up in January. Knowing that 2011 had been a breakout year at the marathon distance where world records were set both internationally and in the US. Knowing that the competition at the trials would be the toughest ever.

For the year he had, I thought Ritzenhein ran a great race. At Mile 17 he was right there with Ryan, Meb and Abdi, but then he started to fall back. He was 32 seconds behind Abdi at mile 24, to catch him he would need to run 16 secs/mi faster than Abdi just to close the gap. It would seem like a herculean task for someone clocking 5 minute miles to run 16 secs/mile faster at that point in the race, and yet he closed the gap to 8 seconds at the finish. If Dathan would have had another mile, he probably would have caught Abdi and made the team.

Dathan Ritzenhein Reflects On Fourth-Place Showing

Dathan finished in 2:09:55 but Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall and Abdi all finished with faster times. This was the first time all three qualifiers finished under 2:10. In any other year Dathan’s time would have earned him a spot on the Olympic team.

I look at Dathan and I ask myself is “Do I have his strength of character?” Could I spend four years in preparation, deal with the trials and obstacles and in the final moments see everything I worked so hard for just brush past my fingertips as it exceeds my grasp? I think many of us live quiet unassuming lives because we are afraid of what that would feel like. To put it all out there, to pour ourselves out until we are empty and still fall short. To experience that sharp pain of disappointment and experience the self-doubt that comes in the aftermath of a failed effort.

I think most of us subconsciously don’t want to try too hard at anything because it’s easier dealing with the dull pain of regret than the sharp pain of failure. It’s easier to stand on the sidelines and cheer others than risk what self-esteem we have left on an endeavor with no guaranteed outcome. We think it’s tolerable to hide in the shadows and deal with the voices of fear in our heads than hear the voices of the masses if we crash and burn.

The time we’ve been given is a limited commodity and the clock’s running. Take the next eight seconds and decide if you’re willing to put it all on the line and risk failing at something you care about deeply. If it takes longer than eight seconds to decide, if you’re taking the time weighting outcomes and risks, odds are you’ll probably be making the wrong decision. Let’s all stop thinking and start doing, the clock’s running…

Photo credit Photo credit

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 3

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 3 Wrap-up:

Monday

Lower body conditioning: Straight Leg Raise (1 set, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Abduction (1 set, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Adduction (1 set, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Triple Extension Squats (2 sets, 10 each with knee band), Single leg Step-Up/Squat (2 sets, 10 each), Forward Step-Up (1 sets, 10 reps each leg), Unilateral Balance (3 sets each single leg, eyes closed, 30 secs), Hip Hikers (2 sets each leg, 10 reps).

Tuesday

100 Pushup program: Week 5 redux, Day 1, Level 3. 170 Pushups over 5 sets. Got to my exhaustion minimum on set 5.
Aerobic Run (approx MP + 1 min/mile), 11 miles treadmill, averaging 8:16 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Wednesday

100 Pushup program: Week 5 redux, Day 2, Level 3. 179 Pushups over 8 sets
Med-Long run, 13 miles treadmill averaging 8:16 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Thursday

Recovery Run (MP +1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles treadmill averaging 8:37 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams.

Friday

Tempo Run with 4 miles at HM pace (6:36/mi), 9 miles treadmill total averaging 7:50 pace. 2 mile warm up, 2 miles @6:36, 1 mile recovery, 2 miles @6:36, 2 mile cool-down in Vibrams.

Saturday

Recovery Run (MP +1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles averaging 7:57 pace. Last 3 miles in Vibrams. The pace was a little higher than it should be but it was just two much fun running outdoors again.
100 Push-ups program: Week 5 redux, Day 3, Level 3. 190 push-ups over 8 sets

Sunday

Long Run (MP + 45 secs to 1:20 per mile slower) 15 miles total averaging 7:45 pace with the last 3 miles in the Vibrams.

Comments

Week 3 of 16 in the books. Little twinges here and there but nothing I haven’t felt before. Weather got seasonably cold and that can contribute to joint and muscle stiffness. Need to stay alert to that to avoid injury.
Scary workout was on Friday. Cranking up the treadmill to a 6:36 pace makes me a little jittery as I have visions of taking a misstep and flying off the back.
Will continue wearing the Vibrams for the last 3 miles next week and perhaps pick one of my 5 miles to wear them from start to finish. Will probably pick Thursday’s workout since that will be indoors on the treadmill. It will be warmer, have a more forgiving surface and give me an easier opportunity to bail and switch footwear if things don’t go well.
Repeating Week 5 of 100 Push-ups program again. Still not getting to some minimums on my exhaustion sets.
58 miles total this week with 62 on tap for next.

Faith, Conformity and the Art of Running

Baltimore Marathon 2009 finishers chute. Thanking God for the opportunity and strength he just gave me to BQ.

Me after the Baltimore Marathon 2009. He stole my move?!?!

It’s NFL playoffs time and it seems everyone is talking this week about the same thing…the same guy…I don’t even have to mention his name, you know who he is. He’s a young kid in his early twenties and he already has scores of detractors and legions of followers. You can argue about his skill and if he should even be on the field. His demeanor is unassuming except for one thing, something he humbly doesn’t compromise on or back down from and as a result everyone is talking about him. His behavior is unabashedly outside the norm and because of it he’s driving some folks nuts (one reason I love this guy!)

Taking a step back:

Lets think about that for a minute in some broader terms. Since we started moving from an agricultural society to urban cities and industrial jobs there has been an increasing pressure to conform. Start putting folks together in bigger and bigger groups and watch what happens. Peer pressure and societal expectations start to take hold until those influences start to erode everyone’s individuality. Add in advertising and an expanding media presence and it’s no wonder so many people have lost their sense of self. How often do we mute our opinion for fear of offending someone? We even police our thinking on certain subjects else we accuse ourselves of a thought crime. If someone asked you in the next 30 seconds to describe who you are, could you do it without bumbling through it?…neither could I.

Stevens Tech Cross Country 1985

I used to find comfort in conformity. During my school years I thought it would protect me from ridicule by my peers. During college and my early adult years I thought it would secure a foundation for my future. During middle age I though it would bring me success and happiness. Wrong on all counts. I was so busy comparing myself to everyone else I never took a hard look at who I was. How did this happen? I have no doubt that what compels us to conform is fear (fear of rejection, fear of failure). Get rid of the fear and the need to ‘blend in’ begins to fade.

Experiments and risk taking:

My experiment with non-conformity

So what does this have to do with running? For me…everything. I thought I’d be the last guy on the planet to be prancing out on the road in five-toed hippy shoes. I’m Mr. old fashion, tried and true. ‘Stick to what works’, ‘Don’t take risks’, ‘Stay the course’, ‘Play it safe.’. Sound familiar? In my search for answers to my knee problems I fell in love with running again and stumbled into a confrontation with my conformity. For the first time I went to the periphery looking for answers to getting healthy, strong and fast. I found a lot of those answers… and something else.

Steve Jobs With 128k Mac

My non-conformist approach to running leaked into other parts of my life. My epiphany really came on my birthday last year, Oct 5th, 2011. That date may not ring a bell but that was also the day Steve Jobs died. There a lot of Apple fans around today so to say that I was an admirer of Steve might not count for much, but I’m old enough to remember messing around with an Apple II, having a Mac SE on my desk in 1989 and seeing Apple’s stock trading at about $7 a share. I’ve followed Steve’s career since my teens so when he passed it caused me to reflect and remember a quote from his Stanford commencement address in 2005:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Bang!

It was like a switch was thrown. The more I’ve focused on my running form and getting back to a natural stride, of having the feeling of the road under my feet while clicking off of the miles, the more I’m starting to see running as form of self-expression.

Running as Art:

As individuals we express ourselves often through art. Writing, painting, music, these are all accepted forms of artful expression. In the spirit of non-conformity I’m now starting to see running as an art form because I enjoy expressing myself that way…and if you’re honest so do a lot of you. Some of you are adventure racers, relay racers, ultra distance runners, marathoners, trail runners or you just want to get out the door and get in a few miles because it makes you feel good. You’re an artist expressing yourself, welcome to the club.

Personally, PRs and finisher’s medals are great but there is something else out there and I need to find out what it is. I’m starting to exploring this art form and see what’s possible. It’s not so much like I’m being pushed in this direction. It’s more like I’m being pulled. I tried the conformity route and found out it’s a dead-end. It’s time to back track and find a different road. Since I share the same faith with the young athlete I discussed earlier, I know who’s doing the pulling. I don’t know the why yet, but that’s part of the fun. That’s part of faith and that’s why I’m planning on following that athlete’s lead and remaining unabashedly outside the norm.

NARF to the World!

Steve Jobs photo credit, Pinky photo credit.

My Road to Minimalist Running

I know many folks out there on the fence about whether to get on the road to minimalist/barefoot running or stick with traditional running shoes. What I’ll do here is give you a timeline of how I transitioned and the factors that lead me in this direction. It’s a bit long but I didn’t want to leave out any details as all of them affected my decisions along the way. If you have any questions or need clarification please leave a comment and I’ll be happy to reply.

In the beginning…

“Set the WABAC machine Sherman to 2009...”

My road starts back in May 2009 when I clocked a 1:35 at the Delaware Half Marathon and I knew I had a real shot at qualifying for Boston in the fall. That was a great race, but I knew I didn’t have the stamina yet for a marathon. Since I was turning 45 that year and needed a 3:30 to qualify, I looked on my calendar for a good fall marathon to qualify. The Philly marathon was 30 minutes away from home but it was in late November and I wasn’t really keen on running my first masters marathon in cold conditions. The Baltimore marathon though was on October 10th, it was within driving distance and seemed like a good fit (except for the hill profile, yikes!). So I got my training plan together and got started training about 18 weeks out for Baltimore.

From my marathon experiences in my 20’s I remembered that I really needed to get my weekly mileage in the high 40’s consistently. For my first marathon in 1985 I was running around 30 to 35 miles per week but I wound up hitting the wall during like Wile E. Coyote around mile 17. I didn’t want a repeat of that so I planned accordingly.

Nine miles to go...

The more mileage, the better. Right?

My monthly mileage totals went from about 140 in the spring to over 200 in July and August. Looking back that was a pretty big jump, I was bound to have some issues and in September I started to get some bizarre cramps in the back of my knee. About three or four times in September it would hit me right as I started running, as if I had a ligament or tendon that was saying “Nope, not today Rob”. It happened 5 days before Baltimore which scared the pants off me. I was able to run and barely squeak out a BQ. About six weeks later in November, after my recovery, I started doing some lunges and stair-steppers to strengthen my knees. I found out later that this just fed into the problem and now I had Patella Tendinitis. In March of 2010, the day after a hard 10 miler, I felt my left knee buckle a bit. With Boston coming in about a month I got really concerned. I always realized I was a bit of a heel striker but with all the additional mileage I was heel striking even more so during my easy runs and long runs (which were about 70% of my mileage). This was due to over-striding with a slow cadence.

Heel Striking...HEEL STRIKING!!!!

I decided to make some major changes to my running and training routine. During the next year I focused on getting my form right and landing on my mid-foot/forefoot area. I went from static stretching prior to my runs to doing dynamic warm-ups. I performed moderate flexibility stretches but only after my workouts. My chiropractor recommended a great supplement Runovia and starting with the first week of using it, my patella tendonitis was practically non-existent. Runovia contains hyaluronan which is present in our joint fluid and is necessary for healthy joint function. I highly recommend it to anyone having issues with their joints.

My move away from traditional running shoes came in the fall of 2010 when Mizuno made some major changes to my go-to training shoe the Wave Rider. The shoe went from a neutral design to more of a stability/support shoe and I hated the feel. It felt heavy and stiff. By coincidence in the early spring of 2011 I started working with a Physical Therapist on some strengthening exercises while I was researching minimal running shoes. He was really a big help and being a runner and Boston finisher himself he was able to confirm a lot about what I read about the benefits of barefoot training and running in minimalist shoes.

Since I seem to be in continual training mode, I needed my transition to be gradual to avoid injury. I had to get in the hard workouts but not compromise my time goals in doing so. In my research I read about possible achilles issues if you move too quickly to shoes with a zero heel drop (i.e. no raised heel). I also read about some runners getting metatarsal fractures from doing too much too soon in Vibrams. In June 2011 I decided to start with the Saucony Kinvara for my first minimal shoe. Its pretty light weight (which I loved) and only has a 4mm heel raise compared to the traditional 12mm. I mixed those in my training with my old Wave Riders and I only did a few runs in the Kinvaras for the first week or two. I eventually went to about a 50/50 split between the Wave Riders and Kinvaras.

One small step for man…

Altra Instinct: Batman's got nothin' on this shoe, POW!

During those first weeks in the Kinvaras I did feel a little soreness in my achilles but it was manageable and nothing alarming. I kept the mileage mix at 50/50 until September of 2011 when I got my first pair of Altra Instincts. I can’t say enough about this shoe, it’s amazing. It’s a ZeroDrop shoe so your foot is parallel with the ground (as God intended). The toe box is huge, plenty of room for your toes to spread out. I feel primal when I’m wearing them. When I went for my first run in them I was struck by how much my feet were gripping the road, like my feet were clawing at the ground. I’ll caution you that they feel firmer that those squishy/cushioned shoes but you’ll have a better feel for the road, and that’s the point. A great review was done by Zak Branigan over at AverageGuyHitsTheRoad so check it out for more info.

I went 50/50 between the Kinvaras and the Instincts leading up to the Philly Marathon in 2011. I still had a some Achilles soreness but not much. I also bought a pair of Bikila LS Vibram Five Fingers for my Birthday in October but I only wore them around the house and out on a few errands. I wanted to start getting use to them before taking them out on the road and risk an injury before Philly.

I don’t want to work against my training by wearing heavy heeled shoes to work so once the marathon was over I went completely minimal in both my running and casual shoes. I bought a pair of Kigo Drives for the office which are really light. They have a very thin sole so you can get that surface feedback in your foot. I’m looking at also getting a pair of Vivo Barefoot Aquas or Merrill Barefoot Life Tough Gloves but right now they are a bit out of my price range. For running, the Instincts are my high mileage shoe so I wear those almost exclusively for training runs. I’m past my recovery phase from Philly so I’ve also been wearing the Vibrams for a mile or two during the cool down for each training run as well.

Since I’ve been adding miles in the Vibrams, I’m starting to feel a positive change to my gait and foot strike. This is even after working a good 18 months on my form. As a side note I’ve been practically injury free for well over a year. Your mileage may vary but going minimal has been one of my better training decisions.

Big Picture Timeline Summary:

July/Aug 2009: Increased mileage over 40% in 4 month time-span.
Sept 2009: First signs of knee problems.
Nov 2009: Self diagnosis and conditioning exacerbates the problem.
Spring 2010: Begin to focus on form and reducing heel striking. Started using Runovia.
Spring 2011: Physical Therapy accurately identifies the problem, confirms benefits of minimalist shoes and natural running form.
June 2011: Added Saucony Kinvara to training routine.
Sept 2011: Added Altra Instinct to training routine.
Nov 2011: Now wearing only minimalist shoes for training and casual wear. Integrating Vibrams into training program.

My form has improved but I’m still easily distracted...

To be continued…

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 2

Back to Boston: Boston Marathon Training Week 2 Wrap-up:

Monday: Week 5, Day 2, Level 3 of 100 Pushups program, 175 push ups over 8 sets. Lower body conditioning: Straight Leg Raise (1 set, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Abduction (1 set, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Hip Adduction (1 set, 30 reps w/2.5 lbs leg weights), Triple Extension Squats (2 sets, 10 each with knee band), Single leg Step-Up/Squat (2 sets, 10 each), Forward Step-Up (1 sets, 10 reps each leg), Unilateral Balance (3 sets each single leg, eyes closed, 30 secs), Hip Hikers (2 sets each leg, 10 reps).

Tuesday: Aerobic Run (approx MP + 1 min/mile), 8 miles treadmill, averaging 8:06 pace. First 6 in Instincts with last 2 in Vibrams.

Wednesday: Med-Long run, 12 miles treadmill averaging 8:06 pace. First 10 in Instincts with last 2 in Vibrams. Week 5, Day 3, Level 3 of 100 Pushups program, 189 push ups over 8 sets. Felt pretty good on all sets but that last set. I just can’t seem to get the that exhaustion minimum. The minimum was 50 and I got to 39

Thursday: Recovery Run (MP +1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles treadmill averaging 8:20 pace. First 3 in Instincts with last 2 in Vibrams.

Friday: Aerobic Run (approx MP + 1 min/mile), 9 miles treadmill, averaging 8:06 pace. First 7 in Instincts with last 2 in Vibrams.

Saturday: Recovery Run (MP +1:20 per mile or slower), 5 miles averaging 8:20 pace. First 3 in Instincts with last 2 in Vibrams. Did the post-Week 5 exhaustion test, needed to get to 45 to progress to week 6 and I just got there…barely…with a few pauses. I need some more strength before hitting the final week so I’ll repeat Week 5 this week and see how much better I do at the end of next week.

Sunday: This was the workout I was thinking about all week. 16 miles total with 8 miles at about a 6:50 pace… I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Did a 3.5 w/up and then hit the gas. Splits: 6:50, 6:40, 6:49, 6:49, 6:51, 6:52, 6:55, 6:51. Hill profile in the second half wasn’t helping me but I finished up with 4.5 cool-down with the last 2 in the VFF.

Comments:

Week 2 of my 16 week training cycle for Boston wraps up with no major issues. My legs are sore in places but that’s to be expected with the ramp up in mileage and slightly abbreviated recovery from Philly. Runovia continues to work it’s magic on my knees, they are no more sore than the rest of me
Note: You should have one workout each week that scares you a little. 55 miles total for the week, I’ll take it.
Will start wearing the Vibrams for the last 3 miles starting next week and continue to evaluate. So far my slow integration of the Vibrams into my training has had a positive effect on my gait and footfalls. I’ve got a better feel for the ground and my form that I’m carrying into the rest of my runs.
Repeating Week 5 of 100Pushups program to get more strength before progressing to week 6.
Week three will be at least 58 miles, I may modify a run or two to get in a few miles more. I’ll see how the week progresses and see whether or not to add the mileage.

2012: Pivot Year

Pivot (n): a person, thing, or factor having a major or central role, function, or effect.

2012 will be a pivot year for me. I recognize it as such because I’ve had one before. In 1999 I was getting ready to separate from the Air Force and all I had been up to that point in my adult life was a pilot. I flew airplanes for a living and I never saw myself as anything else. As I sent out applications to the major airlines something just didn’t feel right, I honestly wasn’t interested in ‘driving a bus’ for the next 30 years. No matter how glamorous some folks made it sound, I just wasn’t that excited about being away from home 2-3 weeks a month and getting up for work at 3AM.

Almost on a lark I decided to see what my value might be as an Engineer. My major was Electrical Engineering but I had done nothing with it and my knowledge in that field was well over 10 years old. Who in their right mind would hire me? Since the airlines weren’t calling me I didn’t just test the waters, I went all in. I sent out resumes, contacted head hunters and went on a bunch of interviews. To my shock I was offered positions at two different companies, near what I was currently making as an Air Force Captain on flying status. Twelve years, multiple certifications and a graduate degree later I’ve caught up with my peers and I’m well established in my current career field.

Now 2012 is beginning…and something doesn’t feel right. A year ago I would have been content to continue qualifying for Boston and be happy if my legs kept holding up. Now I want more. This year I’ve read everything I could get my hands on regarding training, injury prevention and performance. I’ve PR’d at every distance I’ve run in 2011 and I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near plateauing. It’s absolutely crazy to think that at 47 I could do something meaningful with my running, but I can’t accept not trying.

I started writing this post with a totally different topic in mind but this just came out on its own. I need to either succeed in this or fail spectacularly. Risk is relative and failure doesn’t scare me anymore. It feels like its time to go all in…

2011: Year in Review

In looking back, 2011 was a great year. I got in a lot of good training, made some major paradigm shifts and ran some great races. Without further ado…

2011 Training:

Mileage hit a new high this year with 2245.8 miles compared to 1900.7 last year, an increase of 345.1 miles. The additional mileage came mostly in the second half of the year and my legs handled it well. Monthly breakdown is below:

Jan: 157 miles
Feb: 160 miles
Mar: 185 miles
Apr: 212 miles
May: 131 miles
Jun: 177 miles
Jul: 190 miles
Aug: 218 miles
Sep: 244 miles
Oct: 246 miles
Nov: 150 miles
Dec: 176 miles

You can see in the months of May and November my mileage dipped. This was due to the taper and recovery of the two marathons I ran in 2011.

Gait Changes:

In 2010 I started my transition to a more natural stride by focusing more on a mid-foot to forefoot strike. I was a pretty consistent heel striker prior to this, particularly during my slower runs and this contributed to some knee issues. My journey gained some momentum when Mizuno decided to change the design of my go-to training shoe, their ‘Wave Riders’.

I started wearing the Wave Riders with version 8 and faithfully wore them for the next five years. The design hardly changed over the years and I loved the feel and responsiveness of the shoe. Then in late 2010 the 14s came out and the shoe felt completely different. At first I though it was my imagination, that the shoe just needed to be broken in a little or that since I was running in midwinter that the cold made the shoe feel stiffer. I was rotating these in with the older 13s and after a month or so of runs and some online research my worse fears were confirmed…my favorite shoe was no more. I haven’t purchased a pair of Mizunos since, not out of spite but because it gave me the opportunity to look at other options (are you listening shoe companies? There’s a lesson here).

My shoe search, along with reading ‘Born to Run’, lead me to fully embrace the minimalist shoe movement. My plan was to first work to get to a zero drop shoe and then move to some barefoot training. Most running shoes have a 12 millimeter (mm) raised heel which according to some experts can lead to injury. In June of 2011 I started with the Saucony Kinvara which has only a 4 mm heel. I worked those in with the Wave Riders I still had until September when I also started running in zero drop Altra Instincts. From that point on I was exclusively training in the Instincts and Kinvaras in preparation for the Philly Marathon in November. I also purchased a pair of Bikila Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs) in October and initially wore those around the house and while walking around town. I didn’t want to make any radical changes in my training prior to the marathon so I held off on using those for training runs. About three weeks after Philly I started wearing the VFFs on the last mile of my runs. I’m going to go slow with the VFFs and see how my legs respond but so far it’s been really positive. More on this in future posts.

2011 Races:

I had a solid number of PRs this year and my times continue to come down:

Polar Bear Run Walk for Autism 5k, 2/20/11, time: 19:11 (PR), 18th overall, 3rd in age group
Citizens Bank Caesar Rodney Half Marathon, 3/27/11, time: 1:33:44 (PR)
Unite Half Marathon (flood shortened to 9.6 miles), 4/17/11, time: 1:03:31 (PR), 67th overall, 2nd in age group.
Delaware Marathon, 5/15/11, time: 3:17:41 (PR, Boston Qualifier), 36th overall, 5th in age group
USATF Mid Atlantic Masters Championship 5k, 6/11/11, time: 19:31, 3rd overall, 1st in age group (Gold).
Annual Westside Health 10k, 6/18/11, time: 41:26, 3rd overall, 2nd in age group
His and Hers 10k, 9/18/11, time: 40:29 (PR), 3rd overall, 1st in age group.
Hershey Half Marathon, 10/16/11, 1:26:36 (PR), 40th overall, 7th in age group
Run the Bridge 10K, 11/6/11, 39:00 (PR), 42nd overall, 7th in age group
Philadelphia Marathon, 11/20/11, 3:09:20 (PR, Boston Qualifier)

Looking forward into 2012:

Getting under 3 hours in Boston is my first goal of 2012 and to be honest I’m not looking past that goal wise. I planning my races and training to continue to improve in the marathon and shorter distances. With Boston being my ‘A’ race for the spring I’m also planning on running the Haddonfield Adrenilin 5k and Caesar Rodney Half Marathon in March. My fall ‘A’ race is the NYC marathon in November. I ran NYC back in 1987 so it will be special to go back and experience that race again.

In 2012 I’m also racing for the Moorestown Distance Running Project so I’ll be competing in as many USATF Grand Prix Circuit races as my training and racing schedule will tolerate. I’m really excited to see what 2012 brings.