A lot to talk about

I just ran the California International Marathon this morning. Looking back the day has had two highlights; the hot bath after the race and coming home to see my daughter. The race was one I would sooner forget.


Pre-race activities went well although I skipped a warmup for one last trip to the bathroom. I started the race very relaxed and felt smooth as I went through the first three miles in 19:20, the next three in 19:00 and soon thereafter (mile 7) everything unraveled. I was probably in shape to run 2:55 off a conservative first half of 1:28:00 but with a lingering cold/flu and an overly ambitious first 10K I spent the second half of the race struggling with cramps.

I am my own biggest enemy in the marathon. That said what did I learn?

1. If the race is over 13 miles wear training shoes, not racing flats. My legs were much more tired than they should have been due to racing flats. In addition my left hip was out of whack which might have been a previous strain but was exacerbated by the racing flats in the second half of the race.
2. Sickness takes its toll. The toll is levied on high performance. I had a cold five days before the marathon. While I wasn't feverish and felt reasonably good a few days before, congestion was still lingering. I should have started the race much more conservatively. 6:45 pace would have served me better than 6:25.
3. Racing well requires a master plan. Racing well requires a contingency plan in addition to the master plan. I usually set A, B and C goals for a race and these can be the basis for the master plan. But if something goes wrong what is the contingency plan? Give up? Hitch a ride home? Better to detail ahead of time how to approach the B or C goals than to give up.
4. I need to be objective in my assessement of race pace for the first half of the race. I started work on a quick tool using Jack Daniel's prediction table as a point of departure
   http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pftdNKV17KYvN-tx59z01JQ (WIP)

Tuesday's workout

I really struggled and ultimately failed to accomplish the purpose of the workout for Tuesday 9/4/07. 4:18 pace was beyond my reach on Tuesday. Any way you look at it, heart rate or pace, I wasn't anywhere near "I" pace. Well, live and learn!

Two things I could improve on: Sleep and Recovery. I didn't sleep much over the weekend while we were in San Diego and I believe that hindered my recovery from Sunday's workout. We were supposed to take 4:00 recovery between 1200 intervals but we instead took 2:00-3:00 (I probably should have recommended a 600 reovery jog rather than a 400).

It has taken me a while to wrap my head around "I" pace. I know I can run 4:18 1200's but I need very fresh legs to do it.

San Francisco Marathon

I wanted to run under 3:05 and I ran 3:03. I ran dead even for the first half and the second half. My final 10K was faster than the previous so overall I am very content with my performance.

Mom and Dad came up to watch me race and managed to see me four times along the course.

Race was hilly but runnable. The course doesn't have the jagged feeling of the Big Sur course but is certainly slower than other Bay Area marathons.

The Curse of Jack Daniels

I was happier living in ignorance. My blissfully ignorant running career is over and I owe my descent into reality to Coach and Author Jack Daniels. I used to have whimsical goals based on the occassional outstanding workout. Now I am presented with hard facts in the form of merciless pace tables.

These pace tables relate race history to workout pace. There are also predictive tables showing potential race times. The combination of these tables form walls on either side of me that provide a austere and unforgiving corridor down which I must travel to achieve certain goals. I'm sure with more experience working in the "T", "I", "E", "M", "R", "L" pace zones as prescribed will give me more perspective and make me a better runner. But for now it seems like that corridor is awfully dark and a little scary.

I estimated my VDOT value as 56 based on past race times. After the last three weeks of workouts I am wondering if I shouldn't drop down to the pace associated with a value of 55. Melissa S, my training partner, insists that I am really a "56" and gave me a littany of excuses as to why I should persist at the faster pace. I will honestly have to review the heart rate data from today's workout to determine if I was performing at or below the target zone.

Fatigue is defninitely a factor and as I've known for some time I'll have to monitor the amount of sleep I get more carefully. I need to monitor my training better in general. Automated recording of workout data and upload to computer is great for just that, recording, not for analysis. I'll see what I can come up with.

Training Article: 1-mile

Excellent article on mile training

 

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0114.htm

 

 

 

 

What just happened?

May couldn't have been a better month for training. I ran 50, and then 60-65 miles per week for four weeks. Not only did I run very consistent mileage but I added a track workout Tuesday mornings to good effect. It just so happens that a group of West Valley Joggers and Striders workout at the same time and I've joined some of their track workouts. The added competion really boosted the pace. Even the never-ending story of my orthotics seemed to be winding up into a pleasant resolution. Sprinkle on that sucess 200 sit-ups and 100 pushups every other night (trying for every night) and a more confident, relaxed approach to my training and I'm headed in the right direction, right?

But now my legs are fatigued to the point that I cut my long run on Saturday in half and cut out my Sunday run completely. I'm spinning on the bike at lunch today in the hope of removing some of the soreness so I can get back on the track tomorrow. My knees and quads are aching and I'm just plain tired.

Am I already overtrained or is this just the exclamation mark that I need to follow three weeks on one week off? I'll know by the end of the week as I'm running the SF Marathon course Saturday morning.

Big Sur Marathon 2007 3:11:43

-Seeing is believing-

Let that be a lesson to me. Donna Troyna, Grizzled Vet of 22 Big Sur marathons, told me exactly how to race the course. "Go out slow and save it for the Carmel Highlands", she said. Her advice only reiterated the advice in the Monterey Herald. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way and this is one of those lessons.

Big Sur is a hilly course. There is little or no flat terrain in the race. I had read this prior to the start but I didn't internalize it until I was experiencing it.

I went out much too fast. 6:10-6:40 for the first six miles. I somehow developed an inflated view of my fitness in the last month. I didn't understand the correlation between my long tempo & progression runs and marathon race pace. I ran 7:05 pace for 24 miles at Crystal Springs which was very close to a race effort. With hindsight I should have tried to run 7:00-7:05 pace at Big Sur. The effect of added competition on race day is consumed by the difficulty of the course.

By Hurricane point (the highest point of the race) I had stomach cramps and was having difficulty taking food. The gatorade I drank probably contributed to this. I've gotten really bad at drinking from cups. I poured more water over me than in my mouth. I found drinking water helped to alleviate the stomach cramps but when I took another GU I cramped again. This was the same feeling I had years ago in the Boston Marathon when I went out too fast and suffered through cramps and shortness of breath for the second half. I basically struggled to the finish with stomach cramps coming and going.

Gaps:
*Drinking from cups - I need to practice this (how sad is that?) or carry water with me.
*Race strategy - Need to correlate key workouts like 24 mile tempo at Crystal Springs or half marathon race to a negative split marathon strategy. I need to develop the discipline to negative split so that I can finish strong. I can always speed up in the last 10K if I feel I've left too much in reserve.
*Mileage - I averaged less than 50 miles a week from February through April with a max of 90 miles. Need to average 90 miles a week although it will take a long time to build to this level.
*Course Specific knowledge - if I want to run fast on the course I need to run it (at least half).

What's working:
*Orthotics - no problems during the race and only minor blisters under the arch by the finish. This is a huge victory because I've dealt with everything from shin splints to IT band problems during the buildup to Big Sur. I am wearing the orthotics full time now. I made changes to the orthotics, adding EVA slices and duct tape, up until the day before the race and it paid off with a pain free run.
*Yoga/stretching - I was loose and 'even' for the whole race. I didn't have any particular muscle problems.

Text of Ryan Hall's training for London Marathon 2007 pasted below:
------------------------------------------------------------
By Brom Hoban
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT
Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Americans have not had a reputation as great marathoners since the heyday of the 1970s and '80s. Back then, runners like Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar racked up multiple wins at both the Boston and New York Marathons. And let's not forget Frank Shorter or Joan Samuelson, who picked up gold medals in the Olympic marathon.

That was a generation ago.



Ryan Hall, left, ran the fastest time for an American and finished seventh in his first London Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds.



But now it looks like we are staging something of a comeback.

Deena Kastor, who set an American record last year with her 2:19:36 win at London and won the bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, is one of the top female marathoners in the world. Meb Keflezighi earned marathon silver in 2004 — the first American man to medal since Shorter took silver in his second Olympic marathon 30 years earlier.

And on Sunday morning, running in warm conditions at the prestigious London Marathon, Ryan Hall ran the fastest debut marathon ever by an American. His 2:08:24 (seventh place overall) eclipsed the 2:09:41 debut record shared by Salazar and Alan Culpepper.

Kenya's Martin Lel won the race in 2:07:41, while China's Zhou Chunxiu won the women's race in 2:20:37.

Hall, who popped an amazing 59:43 to set an American record at the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon in January, trained specifically for the London Marathon after his Houston win, which was also his debut for that distance. And unlike Dathan Ritzenhein, another great up-and-coming young American marathoner, who had a disappointing debut at New York this past fall (2:14:01), Hall got it right the first time.

What's interesting about Hall, a 24-year old Stanford graduate, is that he trains with Kastor out at Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Obviously, they've figured out a successful approach to the 26.2-mile monster that has stymied so many young American hopefuls.

Coached by Terrence Mahon, who also coaches Kastor, Hall set about preparing for London about a month after his impressive run in Houston. Highlights of Hall's 12-week buildup for London included five tempo runs of 12 miles or longer, five runs of two hours and 15 minutes or longer and four marathon simulations running eight to 10 miles at a moderate pace and then putting in eight to 10 miles at marathon pace.

For Hall, a "marathon simulation" run means a 23-mile run as follows: 10 miles at 5:45 pace, 10 miles at marathon effort (4:55 pace) and then a three-mile cooldown. His 15-mile tempo runs were also done at 4:55 pace.

And here's a nice touch. Many marathoners consider 20 miles plenty of distance for their furthest long run, but three weeks before London, Hall ran a full 26 miles at a moderate pace — a practice recommended by Jeff Galloway, who has coached thousands of marathoners.

"It gave me a lot more confidence that miles 20-26 aren't something to be scared of, just respected," Hall wrote on his blog.

But beyond the sheer talent and smart training, maybe it's Hall's positive attitude that serves him best.

A few days before London, he said, "I will step to the line knowing that I have done everything I could do to be ready for this, and then the fun part begins. 26.2 miles testing my body and celebrating all the hard work that has gone into this one moment, and it all happens on two hours one Sunday morning."

Orthotic Saga -Continued

What about the saga of the orthotics? Still working on closing that chapter of my running career. I met with Dr Chuck Starrett again to tune my orthotics and his expertise truly shone. He made all the adjustments necessary and the orthotics went from a nice idea to near perfect.

What did he do? He added cork resin as a foundation around the heel of the right foot as well as EVA support in the midfoot. This makes the orthotic much more stable and really fills up the arch. The left orthotic he rounded to let it move more in the shoe so it wasn't quite so overwhelming. I ran six miles right after my appt with him and felt pretty good. I found that I needed remove the shoe insert so the right orthotic could sit as low as possible in the shoe. It also took a few runs to realize that the shoe insert needed to be cut down so the insert and the orthotic were flush. With some (can you guess?) duct tape I fit the two together and the tempo run today was flawless. My IT band was bothering me before but not after I made that adjustment. The left orthotic is just a little too unstable so I propped it up with a long narrow strip of EVA from another shoe insert and it is working perfectly.

I have run the last ~ 50 miles with these orthotics and the next big test will be the marathon (Big Sur). I haven't felt any more than a slight twinge in my shins since starting with them which is a great sign.

11 Days left to Big Sur Marathon

Almost time to start the taper for Big Sur International Marathon. My training hasn't quite acheived the mileage I intended but the quality workouts seem to be paying off. Here are a few of the highlights:

- One 90 mile week (followed by a thirty mile recovery week)
- 2 long tempo runs of 24 miles; first at 7:12 pace, second at 7:06 pace
- 1 long fartlek run with 13x1 mile run w/ 1/2mile recovery, pace averaged about 6:40
- 2-3 hard workouts a week including tempo runs during the week including loops of 1/2 mile hill
- Getting very close to racing weight - been at ~142 for last few weeks (need to get to 139 for next Sunday)

Where does this leave me for the race 4/29? Itching to race and hopeful I can break 3 hrs! I've felt strong throughout the long tempo runs and was able to drop the pace down over the last six miles. I certainly am not underestimating the hills on the Big Sur course but I'm hopeful the hills on the Crystal Springs/Sawyer Camp trail where I did my tempo runs were a good approximation. I'm confident I can run at least 3:06 if conditions are favorable but I believe I can run a little faster with competition.

I'll publish my race plan next week.

Balancing speed & distance

I've already mentioned that a week or so after the Woodside 50k I went to the track and couldn't run faster than 6:27/mile. This was a wakeup call that my mix of training needs to change and focus more on speed. But a few weeks  after this I ran 37 miles and pretty much beat any fast twitch fibers out of my legs.

This last saturday we were visiting Laguna Beach and I ran 10 hilly miles in 1:20:00 in the morning. Then I ran 8 hilly miles in the same time with a fast finish in the afternoon with Scott White.  I'm not advocating dropping long runs  over 20 miles but limiting the slogfest 5+ hour runs and alternating tempo 20+ mile runs one weekend with a double day of the same mileage would make for better recovery and not limit fast twitch muscle recruitment.

Saga of the Orthotic Search

It all started with overtraining for a marathon whose start line I never
crossed. I was training for the Silicon Valley Marathon when I took four
days off from training and everything else to vacation in Vermont and
attend a friend's wedding. I returned to what was eventually diagnosed
as achilles tendinosis in my right leg.

What to do? It was October and too close to the marathon to heal and
have any sort of race so I embarked on physical therapy. I did?lt run
for about five weeks. Then it became clear that PT wasn't helping.
Soreness was gone but still couldn't run in Nike Air Structure Triax or
Supernova Control without pain. I finally took control of my own
recovery and started experimenting with superfeet.

I bought a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire's and ran with a combination of
blue and black superfeet. I finally found that blue SF on the right and
plain factory insoles in the left worked great. It took about 5 runs to
work through the combinations but it paid off. I ran pain free (knock on
wood) from November through to a successful 50K in February 07.

Running with only one orthotic was troubling. My right leg felt great on
long runs and my left was just a degree or two from perfect. It bears
noting that I ran my long trail runs and the race in the Wave Ascend
which is best described as a torsionally rigid neutral trail shoe. My
left leg went numb for about a mile during the 50K but without loss of
power. In December I went to see a podiatrist recommended by a friend
and got fitted for orthotics. I didn't receive the orthotics until mid
January so I decided not to train with them until after the race.

Race completed successfuly and now the same combination of Wave Inspire
and blue superfeet (right foot only) is causing shin and knee pain.
Different model for the Inspire and this could be part of the problem. I
also have more than just casual pain in my left leg running in the Wave
Ascend without an orthotic.

Soooo... Back to the test matrix. Thursday 3/1 I ran with a waist pack
full of orthotics and ran successfully in the Adidas Supernova Trail, a
moderate stability shoe, with black superfeet in each shoe. This is
probably the right combination finally, moderate stability and moderate
support in the black SF.

Last week I ran some tempo with the Wave Rider and my custom orthotics.
Wave Rider has even less stability than it used to so I was fooled by
history. But it is such a comfy shoe I couldn't resist. The run was
moderately successful. There was too much wind to run consistent tempo
but my legs felt well aligned and smooth. My knees were sore after the
run which could be the orthotics or the lack of stability in the shoes.

In general is feels like the right custom orthotic is a great fit but
that the arch in the left is too high. It would be worth trying the
Supernova Trail and the Wave Inspire with the custom orthotics now that
i'm recovered from the last two long outings.

Lessons learned:

A moderate stability shoe with a smooth heelstrike and good cushioning
would provide the best foundation for orthotics.

If I can get the custom orthotics dialed in I should be set. I just need
to test them out again.

Mizuno is good but Wave Inspire might have too much stability. Nike
Structure Triax is soft but has a poor heel to toe transition. Might
try Brooks or Saucony. Asics just feels blah. Until Adidas improves the
Supernova Control itls off my list.

Thomas Clarke, PMP
IT Program Manager
Network Appliance
408-822-3372

36 miles and counting

I'm not sure what possessed me to run from Los Altos to Saratoga and back, all on trails. I've had the idea in the back of my head for some time to run from Rancho San Antonio in Los Altos/Cupertino to the Pacific. This run on Saturday was an exploration of the first ~18 miles of this route. From Saratoga Gap the route follows the Skyline to the Sea trail exclusively but prior to that the route runs through complex of trails leading up to Saratoga. I looked through the relevant maps online and pieced together the route.

Rancho to Black Mtn. Indian Creek Trail to Canyon Trail. Canyon Trail to Table Mountain trail. Table Mtn trail to Saratoga Gap trail (north). Cross Skyline Blvd to Achistaca trail. How did they come up with a name like Achistaca? I thought I'd ascended to Peru.

As this was an exploration of a future point to point route I headed back whence I came and completed just over 36 miles in a leisurely 7 hours. I'm guessing the climbing totalled around 6000 ft. The route is pleasant even though the weather was cool and fog was blowing a light drizzle. The Canyon trail and parts of the Table Mountain trail are beat to hell by mountain bikes which gives the path the feel of a thoroughfare and takes away the illusion of remoteness. I have to say, in the defense of my two-wheeled brethren, the terrain is ideal for riding.

I didn't feel that strong during the run but I kept going which is good enough.

Running Drills

 

Here is a good source for running drills. I need to verify these with a few other sources but these are similar to what I did way back when (college days).

 

http://www.momentumsports.co.uk/TtDrills.asp

Gaps

I thought it would be useful if before delving into my hard copy files for my coach's training plans from 1998-2001 I identified specific gaps in my current fitness.

Endurance: Definitely by strongest asset at this point. 50K results at Woodside 2/3 are ample evidence.

Strength
Lower Body: Reasonably strong from running and yoga but could benefit a lot from consistent (2x weekly) squats and toe raises
-Upper Body: Need to get to another level with my upper body strength. This is historically a weak area for me and it will take a lot of focus and consistency to change that for good. Move forward with pull-ups, push-ups, bench press, inclined bench, dumbbell curls, two arm curls, dips, tricep extensions - high reps two sets.
-Core: Inconsistent training in this area. Should move forward with planks, sculler situps and raised-leg twists (Trevor's e-mail)

Threshold
Based on 1/26/07 10K time-trial my threshold looks to be about 164 BPM. But based on lap HR averages during the 1-1.5 hr of my 50K it looks like 167 was my threshold. This is probably a fair bet.

Speed
This is currently my weakness. I ran 3x1600 this last Wed. and couldn't go any faster than 6:24 pace. Results were 6:27, 6:24, 6:27 w/ about 3:00 recovery. I ran my 10K time trial at 6:48 pace so clearly I have stamina but no speed! What else could be interfering? I ran the intervals on Wed. at 5:50 AM after only a 17 min warmup. I should probably either move my intervals to the afternoon or evening or modify the morning session tinclude a longer warmup such as 40:00 progressing from 8:30/M to 7:00/M.

Weight
Currently 142 (4/30/07) down from 154 in January. My ideal race weight is probably closer to 135-138 but I need to rely on high mileage to take this weight down. Restricting my calory consumption too much causes me to lose muscle and become very irritable.

Flexibility
Good due to yoga. I sometimes neglect to stretch after training and that causes me to regress.

Last Marathon

I somehow thought my last marathon was in 2003 the year I broke my ankle. I was wrong. I last ran CIM in 2001.

http://www.runcim.org/data/results/Results2001all.html

PR: 2:56:38

Running Blog Community

I came across Donald's excellent blog through his column in the Monterey Herald. He lists a number of other blogs I'm looking forward to reading through.

 

http://runningandrambling.blogspot.com/

 

Workout Menu

Workout Menu

Running
Track workouts - Speedwork
-For examples see Jim Tracy's hardcopy workouts
Progression Runs
-Advantage is race simulation and speedwork with less fatigue
Fartlek
-Same as above
Tempo Runs
-Time trial, consistent pace work
Diagonals
-See Run like the Kenyans article
Hill Repeats
-See Run like the Kenyans article
Drills
-Need more examples
Long Runs
-Can include Tempo, Fartlek, Progression
Maintenance/Recovery runs

Bikram Yoga

Cycling

Swimming

Recovery

The PCTR Woodside 50K took a lot out of me but I am back running much sooner than usual. In the past (pre-2003) I took off at least three weeks after a big race. This proved to be a big hindrance to running year-round as I put on weight and found it hard to get back into any rhythm. I raced 2/3 and was running again 2/6. Just 4.8 miles at 8:30 pace but I didn't feel hobbled as in earlier years. I ran the same loop Tuesday-Thursday. Bikram Yoga was part of the recovery plan but between fatigue and Itir travelling on business I haven't been able to make it. Cycling and/or swimming might speed up recovery in future.

PCTR Woodside 50K Trail Run

Result: 4:13:34 for 50K/30.8 Miles 4500 ft of climbing. 8:08 average pace 4:58 fastest pace (downhill). Finished 4th out of 84. Beaten by Richard Blanco 38 of Redwood City @ 4:09, Tom Flavahan 39 (Officer) @ 4:06 and Michael Buchanan 33 of San Carlos @ 3:57.

Race Strategy: Strategy was to run conservatively on the first climb up to Skyline and stay smooth and relaxed to the base of the climb out of Wunderlich. After that I planned to open up on the Skyline trail and accelerate through the downhill in Huddart to the finish. My A-Goal was 4:16/8:20 pace, B-Goal was 4:37/9:00 pace, C-Goal was 4:52/10:00 pace.

Race Day Events: Weather was perfect ~40 degrees at the start. 5 guys bolted at the gun to make the gate and I decided to try to stay with the leaders. Running down the first trail to Richards road we were at 6:00 pace and my heart rate was up at 170 when it should have been 150-155. I felt good and chalked this up to too much caffeine (drank a Monster energy drink 50 min before the start). I passed two guys on Richards road and then Todd Flavahan caught me on the climb up the Crystal Springs trail. He looked to be running relaxed and was chatting up a storm. It was clear he could take off if he wanted to but we ran together all the way to the bottom of Wunderlich park. The miles just ticked by running with him. I was pounding ultima sports drink from the nathan two bottle carrier and eating strawberry Cliff shot blocks every 20 minutes. Despite good fuelling I couldn't hang with Tom F. when he made his move climbing out of Wunderlich. I struggled a bit on this climb but pulled it together for the traverse on Skyline trail. The Chinquapin section through to the finish was a continuous acceleration and the last 1.7 miles on the Fire Road was a sprint. Last 40 yd was a full sprint. Dad was at the finish which was great.

Analysis:

Race Performance: I ran a lot faster than I thought I could. I'm really proud of 8:08 pace and happy to have broken the course record by 10 min. The new course record is 3:57 which is lot more appropriate for this fast and gorgeous race. I owe Tom F. a lot for his encouragement and the great pace he set through the middle of the race. My decision to go out with the race leaders payed off. Lesson is to run smart & aggressive. Fuelling was great at every 20 min drinking and eating. Water pack needs improvement as it was sometimes too tight and too lose. I also had to switch bottles around which was a hassle. Refills were pretty easy however. Food could have been more conveniently placed on the nathan pack. Race kit was great. No chaffing due to the seamless underwear (Target), running shorts, shirt. HRM didn't bother me much. Taper was good and hot bath with stretching helped the night before.

Training: Based on my performance my endurance is pretty solid but my calves and hamstrings are pretty sore which makes sense because I didn't do any speedwork, just tempo prior to the race. The long runs over 23 helped a lot and running most of the course plus a few miles to make a 33 mile run was great. Running long runs with some tempo thrown in was a big factor as well. Lifting weights and Bikram Yoga all contributed as well.

I believe I would benefit from greater variety in my running. I focussed only on mileage which is important for me but not at the exclusion of everything else. I plan to follow the recommendations laid out in the Run Like the Kenyans blog I copied. This will mean focusing on form, drills, speedwork, hills. I would like to be able to run 80 miles consistently and do some quality workouts.

Next Steps:

1. Plan next race
2. Create training plan for next race
3. Develop workout kit with examples/options
4. Plan races for the year
5. Plan next three years with contingency plans
6. Set A, B, C goals for next three years.

Run Like the Kenyans

Just read Scott Douglas' article (written around December 2004) on his trip to Iten, Kenya.

Salient points below:

Start Slow Finish Fast - like a pot heating to a boil, start at a crawl and finish fast
Vary Very Much - even fastest runners run easy runs very slowly so hard efforts produce great results
Tread Softly - stay off the pavement
Get with a Group - training with a group or partner is always easier
Hit the Hills - 30-60 sec hill repeat, jog the descent, repeat
Run Diagonally - 15-60 min of soccer field corner to corner fast and relaxed, jog straight
Do Drills - examples are high knees, quick feet, butt kicks and skipping. In just five minutes, you can do two sets of each, 30 to 50 meters at a time

Week Ending January 14, 2007

Ran 77.5 miles with a long run on the Sat and Sun. Overall a fantastic week of training in prep for the Woodside 50K. This will be my first serious race after 3+ years of "recovery" from a broken ankle.

Lessons Learned:

1. Nutrition: I love Clif Shot Blocks. Lemon-Lime, Strawberry are excellent. Cola doesn't taste as great but does the job. Easy to eat (even when very cold), easy to digest and eaten every 20-30 min in conjunction with Ultima Replenisher (banana berry) they are a great energy source and take little space.
2. Hydration: I need ~ 20oz of sport drink per hour at colder temperatures during medium intensity long runs. This worked great during the 33 mile run where I drank 112 oz over 5.5 hrs. During the 24 mile run I drank 48 oz over 3:38:00 and was pretty dehydrated by the finish.
3. Clothing: Agonized like a prom date over what to wear for the long run 1/13/07. Finally decided on Adidas pants, Pearl Izumi ultrasensor vest, PI multisport top and Patagonia Capilene 2 top over all. Hat was a problem. Wore PI skullcap but this moved around a lot during the run. Headband w/ baseball type hat might be better.
4. Footwear: Mizuno Wave Ascend on both long runs worked great. Blue superfeet is perfect control for my right foot. Soreness in left calf indicates better support needed than just the stock shoe insert. Waiting on orthitics from Doctor Starrett (cast created 12/22/06).

Introduction

Might seem somewhat strange to provide an intro after a few posts but it took a while for the purpose of this blog to gel. I'm now inputting the details of my training through Polar Web interface, saving a lot of typing and I'm reserving this forum for the lessons learned from Sport. This way I have an automated training log and a searchable body of training knowledge.

Let's see if it works!