I am currently twenty miles shy of running 800 miles for the year with only ten days remaining in calendar year 2010. I would like to complete four more training session at an average of five miles per session this year. I have recently completed runs of seven and eight miles, but have been extremely sore after the runs. I have been sore to the extent I needed to rest two days to recover fully.
I have learned if you run on a day you haven't recovered enough, the run is a very labored one and not very enjoyable. The joy is not there. When you have recovered sufficiently, you attack your run with a certain zeal.
How many hours of running have I completed to log 780 miles? Would you believe slightly over 112 hours? This is only eight hours short of running for a full five days in 2010. That's a fair amount of exercise for my heart.
120 hours over twelve months averages to about 10 hours per month of running. I don't anticipate I will have more free time to run in 2011 because I will be spending more time playing with my sons as they get older.
This annual goal was not something I had aspired to accomplish last January 1st. It's more of a reflection of my current training level. I imagine I will run more miles next year because my pace will quicken - even if I don't get in as many hours of training.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K Race Preview
I decided to see if I could find any You Tube videos relating to this race. Much to my delight, I found a couple of video postings which documented the race.
I was a little apprehensive about having over 30,000 runners on a six mile stretch of road for a race. However, in both videos it appears the corral system used by the race organizers has successfully alleviated congestion. One of the videos had a race representative walking through the crowd at the starting area checking runner's bibs to make sure they were in the proper corral.
The course appeared pancake flat with a mid-run turnaround point. In between the out road and the back road was a grassy area where band after band was set up playing music. Adorning each side of the street are houses with very interesting and unique architecture.
The time I would like to hit for this race is 45 minutes and 30 seconds. My current PR is a pedestrian 46:56. I have 107 days of training until race day to get in shape. To date my winter training has been proceeding very well.
I am in phase one of a four phased program using the Daniels' Running Formula. Phase one consists of building my endurance via easy runs. The weather has been very cold during my last several runs - the wind chill temperatures have been in the teens. Fortunately i have not had to push myself very hard while running in this weather.
I was a little apprehensive about having over 30,000 runners on a six mile stretch of road for a race. However, in both videos it appears the corral system used by the race organizers has successfully alleviated congestion. One of the videos had a race representative walking through the crowd at the starting area checking runner's bibs to make sure they were in the proper corral.
The course appeared pancake flat with a mid-run turnaround point. In between the out road and the back road was a grassy area where band after band was set up playing music. Adorning each side of the street are houses with very interesting and unique architecture.
The time I would like to hit for this race is 45 minutes and 30 seconds. My current PR is a pedestrian 46:56. I have 107 days of training until race day to get in shape. To date my winter training has been proceeding very well.
I am in phase one of a four phased program using the Daniels' Running Formula. Phase one consists of building my endurance via easy runs. The weather has been very cold during my last several runs - the wind chill temperatures have been in the teens. Fortunately i have not had to push myself very hard while running in this weather.
Friday, December 10, 2010
What is a Lactate Threshold ?
Why can't you simply run as fast as you can from the start of a five kilometer run and keep going until the finish ? If you are sufficiently strong willed, can you mentally overcome the physical anguish to accomplish a start to finish sprint ?
The Jack Daniel's training book I purchased recently 'Daniels' Running Formula' mentions a lactate threshold. This is defined as the point during exercise of increasing intensity at which blood lactate begins to accumulate above resting levels, where lactate clearance is no longer able to keep up with lactate production.
I ran a race in August of last year, the Lebanon Area Fair 5K, where inexplicably I was so exhausted I had to stop not once, but twice before the race's finish. After the race I was extremely dejected because I thought my conditioning had deteriorated to the extent I could not complete a 5K race without stopping. I had successfully completed several 5K races prior to this race.
What I believe happened was I exceed my lactate threshold to a degree where I had to stop. My body was not clearing the lactate as quickly as I was producing it. For every run or race there is a pace for which you can maintain that speed for a prolonged period without a lactate buildup. If you stay under this pace you can run relatively effortlessly. Exceed this pace and you will crash and burn.
This lactate buildup manifests itself in the form of a sensation that both your arms and legs suddenly collectively weigh fifty pounds more and every step is a labored one. All gracefulness exits your stride. It's been my experience you have to slow down in hope you can reclaim enough energy to finish the race. I believe what's happening is you're giving your body a chance to help process the lactate buildup.
For each race the key is to find the maximum sustainable pace for the duration of the race. The problem is their is no scientific, completely accurate method to determine this pace prior to a race. I believe the more formal training regimen I have adopted (Daniels' Running Formula) for the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K race will prove to be very beneficial in aligning my training (as prescribed by the book) with my racing goals.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Running in the Pennsylvania winter
I have never been fond of the cold and winds of winter. I enjoy warm weather much more. Training over the winter in Pennsylvania is very difficult and tests your resolve for running. I was able to train a fair amount last December, thirteen training runs totaling about fifty five miles. We had a very mild winter last year.
Running has increased my ability to withstand cold weather. In and of itself, I can tolerate the cold. What makes running extremely difficult in the winter is windy conditions. Not only is it very difficult to run into the wind but gauging how much to wear is difficult. Wearing too much clothing results may feel great initially as you embark on a run but as you lay the miles down you perspire excessively. Couple the perspiration with the wind and it's not long until you will be adorning ice crystals.
I have found I need to wear both a jacket and pants which are made of a material (polyester) which not only deflects the winds but does not absorb perspiration. I always wear a hat and gloves. My concern with the gloves are the fingered variety do not protect as well as mittens when the temperatures reach the low 20's. Wearing two long-sleeved technical shirts and a cotton t-shirt over them has proved to be sufficient for running with the temperatures in the low 30's this winter.
Because I have chosen to adopt a regimen of easy runs this December in an effort to build a solid aerobic base, I have not had to concern myself with the cold air burning my lungs while running at an aggressive pace.
Running has increased my ability to withstand cold weather. In and of itself, I can tolerate the cold. What makes running extremely difficult in the winter is windy conditions. Not only is it very difficult to run into the wind but gauging how much to wear is difficult. Wearing too much clothing results may feel great initially as you embark on a run but as you lay the miles down you perspire excessively. Couple the perspiration with the wind and it's not long until you will be adorning ice crystals.
I have found I need to wear both a jacket and pants which are made of a material (polyester) which not only deflects the winds but does not absorb perspiration. I always wear a hat and gloves. My concern with the gloves are the fingered variety do not protect as well as mittens when the temperatures reach the low 20's. Wearing two long-sleeved technical shirts and a cotton t-shirt over them has proved to be sufficient for running with the temperatures in the low 30's this winter.
Because I have chosen to adopt a regimen of easy runs this December in an effort to build a solid aerobic base, I have not had to concern myself with the cold air burning my lungs while running at an aggressive pace.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K Race training
I signed up for this race on the first day registration was opened on Wednesday December 1st. I also ordered a training book titled Daniels' Running Formula. The book is written by a well respected coach named Jack Daniels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Daniels_(coach). I have aspirations of using the principles outlined in this book as the basis for my training for the Ukrops 10K in April 2011.
The book provides several regimens for persons training from anything from an 800 meter race to a marathon. After reading the entire book over two a two day period I was convinced I had skipped an essential element in my training to date.
Every program outlined in the book began with a six to eight week interval of easy running to build a solid foundation. I have incorporated so many different types of training such as hill climbs, intervals and technique drills that I had neglected the fundamentals.
When you enter in the realm of advanced training techniques you are working with lactate thresholds and Vo2 max centric issues. The lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which lactate starts to accumulate in the blood stream. VO2 max (aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual.
In short, the training route I chose was pushing the upper bounds of my fitness level at too great a frequency. I was neglecting the baseline easy runs which help the body learn to adapt to running. As a result I am going to dedicate all of December 2010 to easy runs of about four miles each. I want to pay particular attention to maintaining good form throughout the runs. When you run too aggressively, your form has a tendency to deteriorate as you tire.
The book provides several regimens for persons training from anything from an 800 meter race to a marathon. After reading the entire book over two a two day period I was convinced I had skipped an essential element in my training to date.
Every program outlined in the book began with a six to eight week interval of easy running to build a solid foundation. I have incorporated so many different types of training such as hill climbs, intervals and technique drills that I had neglected the fundamentals.
When you enter in the realm of advanced training techniques you are working with lactate thresholds and Vo2 max centric issues. The lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which lactate starts to accumulate in the blood stream. VO2 max (aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual.
In short, the training route I chose was pushing the upper bounds of my fitness level at too great a frequency. I was neglecting the baseline easy runs which help the body learn to adapt to running. As a result I am going to dedicate all of December 2010 to easy runs of about four miles each. I want to pay particular attention to maintaining good form throughout the runs. When you run too aggressively, your form has a tendency to deteriorate as you tire.
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