I've often wondered how those ultramarathon runners do it. Where do they find the time to put in that kind of mileage each week? I've often assumed that they were either very rich and didn't have to work for a living, very poor and didn't worry about working for a living, or had no life.
While those scenarios may be true for some, many marathon and ultramarathon runners are like you and me...busy people with busy lives. As a result, they break up some of the mileage into smaller chunks by running more than once a day. Let me repeat they do it by "running more than once a day."
As I train for an upcoming marathon (and I'm seriously behind in my training), I find that I often don't have time for a decent long run each day. Either I'm working, dropping kids off at school, picking them up from aftercare, coaching their teams, spending time with my wife, teaching Sunday School, you name it. In order to keep up my mileage without giving up some other activity, I run 4-6 miles at lunch and a few miles either in the morning or at night. It sounds hard, but it's just a matter of adjusting your body to it.
Along with "2 a days", I usually structure my workouts so that Friday is a non running day. I try to run a long run on Saturday (10-15 miles). I let my family know in advance that I'm planning a long run and work it around their schedules.
I'm not sure if this is the best way to train for long distance races, but for me at least, it solves the problem of finding enough time to run.
For more information on marathon/ultra training see the Runner's World website.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
What Kind of Workout?
A common question I hear from novice runners is "How do I know what kind of workout to do?" Excellent question. The answer is usually something like "It depends on your goals." Actually, for the middle-aged runner and above, the answer should be "Get a physical first and talked with your doctor."
Once you've gotten that physical, a stress test might be in order too, then you need to think about your goals. Are you a casual runner that wants to get some exercise and shed a few pounds (running alone won't help much...it also takes the "D" word...diet)? Are you training for a 5k or 10k middle distance race? Maybe a half or full marathon? Longer? Whatever you're training for, the good news is that there are tons of resources available. The first thing to do is visit your local running shoe store and talk with some of the staff. This is an excellent way for the novice runner to get introduced to the sport.
Running websites and magazines can also provide great information. The current issue of TrailRunner has an excellent article on heart-rate training: Have a Heart. While you may not be interested in spending $150+ for a heart-rate monitor, there are some good tidbits on how to tailor the intensity of your workout to your goals.
For me, that means lots of LSD (long slow distance) running as I'm training for an unofficial marathon event called the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. While the course is 26.2 miles, it is not your father's marathon. This course is very hilly and feature's some nice long uphill mile runs...10-12% grade. Running this course you'll experience a change in elevation of about 1500 feet. The good thing is that it happens to be my home course...although in the 30 years I've been running it, I've never attempted to run it twice. Should be interesting.
Once you've gotten that physical, a stress test might be in order too, then you need to think about your goals. Are you a casual runner that wants to get some exercise and shed a few pounds (running alone won't help much...it also takes the "D" word...diet)? Are you training for a 5k or 10k middle distance race? Maybe a half or full marathon? Longer? Whatever you're training for, the good news is that there are tons of resources available. The first thing to do is visit your local running shoe store and talk with some of the staff. This is an excellent way for the novice runner to get introduced to the sport.
Running websites and magazines can also provide great information. The current issue of TrailRunner has an excellent article on heart-rate training: Have a Heart. While you may not be interested in spending $150+ for a heart-rate monitor, there are some good tidbits on how to tailor the intensity of your workout to your goals.
For me, that means lots of LSD (long slow distance) running as I'm training for an unofficial marathon event called the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. While the course is 26.2 miles, it is not your father's marathon. This course is very hilly and feature's some nice long uphill mile runs...10-12% grade. Running this course you'll experience a change in elevation of about 1500 feet. The good thing is that it happens to be my home course...although in the 30 years I've been running it, I've never attempted to run it twice. Should be interesting.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Running in Foul Weather: Rain
What to do when you get up in the morning, put on your shorts, lace up your shoes, and open the door to a downpour? Do you go back to bed? Do you hit the treadmill? Or, Do you just go for it? I don't know about you, but unless it's thundering or I see flashes of lightning, or the temp falls below about 40, I go for it.
There's nothing quite like running in a steady downpour. It can be refreshing. But, wet clothes can make you feel like you just gained 10 pounds...especially on a long run. And, your shoes...forget about it. The wetter your shoes get, the heavier they feel. Still, there's nothing quite like the feeling of running in the rain.
When you run in foul weather, be sure you dress for it. In the rain, a nylon jacket with a hood...or you could wear a running hat like I do...are essential. If you're going for a long run, you should probably consider some protection against chaffing. You'd be surprised how quickly those lightweight shirts and shorts can chaff when their wet.
There's nothing quite like running in a steady downpour. It can be refreshing. But, wet clothes can make you feel like you just gained 10 pounds...especially on a long run. And, your shoes...forget about it. The wetter your shoes get, the heavier they feel. Still, there's nothing quite like the feeling of running in the rain.
When you run in foul weather, be sure you dress for it. In the rain, a nylon jacket with a hood...or you could wear a running hat like I do...are essential. If you're going for a long run, you should probably consider some protection against chaffing. You'd be surprised how quickly those lightweight shirts and shorts can chaff when their wet.
Friday, August 8, 2008
My Favorite Local Running Store
If you're going to do some serious running, I recommend you find a local authority on shoes, apparel, and all things running. In the Nashville area, we have some excellent stores dedicated to running. In my opinion, the best is Fleet Feet Sports. They have a great staff who will spend time with you, analyzing your feet, gait, running style, etc. They will help you find the right shoe.
True, there are cheaper alternatives. But these guys are tops. One of the things I like most about them is that they keep a database of your equipment purchases. This came in handy last winter when someone broke into my car and stole (of all things) my gym bag. The funny thing: all they got were some sweaty running clothes, a toiletry bag, and my running shoes. I was pretty sore about the running shoes as they were still in good condition.
Now I needed new shoes. I remembered the brand, but not the model. So, I called up Fleet Feet and asked them the model of the last shoe I bought. They gave me the model number and held a pair for me. Needless to say I drove to the store and picked them up. The irony is about a week later, my son found my running shoes and some of the other stuff in my bag. They had been thrown into some woods not too far from the house.
True, there are cheaper alternatives. But these guys are tops. One of the things I like most about them is that they keep a database of your equipment purchases. This came in handy last winter when someone broke into my car and stole (of all things) my gym bag. The funny thing: all they got were some sweaty running clothes, a toiletry bag, and my running shoes. I was pretty sore about the running shoes as they were still in good condition.
Now I needed new shoes. I remembered the brand, but not the model. So, I called up Fleet Feet and asked them the model of the last shoe I bought. They gave me the model number and held a pair for me. Needless to say I drove to the store and picked them up. The irony is about a week later, my son found my running shoes and some of the other stuff in my bag. They had been thrown into some woods not too far from the house.
This is Not Runner's World
If you're one of those runners that looks like he or she belongs on the cover of Runner's World, this blog is not for you. If, one the other hand, you're a middle aged, over weight, not so fast runner, welcome!
I'm going to share with you some of my own experiences as an average runner. The first item I want to share is a picture that a friend from high school sent. It's a picture from my track team (that's me being held up by some of the other guys). The others in the picture are (L-R): Ken Rhea, Todd Jones, Tom Parrish, Tim Trotter, and seated is Chuck Hargrove.
Now, what you need to know is that I was about 16 when this picture was taken and about 50 pounds lighter. I won't scare you with an updated picture of me in running shorts.
Don't expect much sage advice from a long time runner. I will tell you what equipment I'm using (not those ugly LDV Nikes I wore in that picture), the kind of training I'm doing, what I'm eating, where I'm running, and other running tidbits I find.
Enjoy.
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