very sick feeling!

I just got a very unpleasant feeling. I have looked at the results from the Derby Marathon a few times, but not recently. I mainly looked at them when I was setting up my 2006 schedule back in October of '05. But I just went to do some looking at the course elevation chart, results from last year, etc.

The results made me sick to my stomach. A sub 3:00 race would put me around the 10/11 spot. (Light Headed). My first thought is that I'm not that good. And I'm really not a top 10 runner, not by any means... now I have a mental hurdle to get over.

There could be two reasons for such slow times in the marathon. (3 hours isn't fast by most standards... all things being relative though because it is very fast for my ability.) 1. The course is difficult, limiting the number of people running a quality marathon time. 2. There are not a lot of solid runners that run the marathon.

I don't know which it is, but the winner did run a 2:17. That is a very solid time. And the top 5 runners all are very good times. But from the 6th place to the 7th place seems to drop off quite a bit?

I also know that many of the local runners here do the half-marathon and it has a larger participation. (There were only 562 runners that did the marathon in '05, versus 5,909 that did the half)

Nothing like a little self doubt creeping in to change the perspective. Note to self:

"I have a plan and I believe I can achieve my dreams" repeat.... repeat. "If my body can do the training, if my mind can be set free... the race will take care of itself" repeat.... repeat. breath.

corrections. cold water & cowabunga.

corrections

McGee's = Magee's (never bothered to actually look at the store)
Soari = Saori (had it right for a while.. ?)
Julie & Tammie/Connie = Julie & Kellie (still = good runners)

cold water

I don't know how many runners take ice water baths after they get done running, but I do sometimes. It was something that a friend of mine (and coach) in Nebraska did when training for an ultra. During our runs, he would talk about how he had already prepared the ice water bath so he could hop right in when he finished.

The benefit of an ice water bath is that it stops the blood in the legs from pooling, by constricting the blood vessels and capillaries. This will help speed up recovery time. In the most recent Runner's World, Scott Jurek mentioned that he walks through some cold water streams when he is finished with a run. Since I almost never have a cold water stream at the finish of my runs, I'll have to stick to the bathtub. (Even though I call it "ice water" I don't really use ice. Just really freakin' cold water.)

By the way, the ice water bath was the most painful part of my Saturday run!

cowabunga (see meaning here or here)

Saturday's run was my longest single run so far in this training cycle. Which means I do one thing on this run.... run. Seems pretty simplistic and obvious, but let me explain a little. My long runs are based on time not distance. This weekend I was scheduled to run 2:10. I don't use a heart rate monitor and I don't use a measured course. If I do run on a course that I know the distance (like at Todd's Road) then I try to be conscious about not looking at my watch.

The goal is to run based on RPE. (def: rating of perceived exersion) The goal of a long run is to develop physiologically several components of fitness (not discussed here), but I also try and use them to gain a complete feel for my body's responses. I guess you could say that I try and develop a more complete biofeedback system of my own.

So saturday I started running and felt really sluggish. I backed off to see if the intensity was too much. What I discovered is that it is just taking me a little longer to get completely warmed up now, which is a good sign. Once I felt warmed up I focused on a few things:

1. leg turnover (cadence)
2. breath rate and breath depth
3. body lean (trying to keep chest and hips up over feet)
4. how all three influenced my perceived exersion (rpe)

At 2:10, I stopped running. I was about a half mile from home, so I did some walking and used that time to cool down better. After a good stretch, I used mapmyrun.com to see how far I had run. It said 17.04 miles. This is completely wrong, I thought. I jumped in my truck and drove the course I had just run. My trip meter said, 17.2 miles. COWAGUNGA! That comes out to approximately a 7:39 pace.

I was thinking that 8:10 to 8:20 would have been a good result. There could be many factors for the run and one of them was the weather. Saturday was by far the nicest day we've had to run for quite some time.

Anyway I feel great about the run. This is week #4 of the training cycle and that means it is a down week. This means no threshold running (no Tuesday run at Magee's) and an overall decrease in volume.

Just what Nikki and I need to come back strong and ready to move on into phase 3 (re: Daniel's training phase equivalent.) Some extra sleep sounds great too!!

Predicting Running Performance.

At McGee's the other morning, there was some mention of 10km races and times. That got me thinking about this.....

Something that all runners want/like/try to do is predict how they will run in an upcoming race. (I'm thinking about marathons right now.) By predicting the expected performance, they can plan accordingly when creating their race plan.

Race plan: nutritional intake, fluid (could be nutritional) intake, pace, heart rates, other intensity values - RPE!!, even where and when family members should position themselves to get the "RUN - MOMMY - RUN" signs out.

It can also help in setting appropriate training intensities and program layouts (see: Jack Daniels' Running Formula).

Reading through chapter 2 (oxygen transport and running economy) in "Lore of Running", Noakes evaluates several predictive charts/equations. He also says,

"But the best predictor of performance at any longer distance, even up to 90km, was the 10-km running time (Noakes, Myburgh, et al. 1990a)."

This assumes that the training is appropriate for the distance that your goal race covers. For example, if you train for a 10km race and run a good 10km time, you shouldn't expect to run a good marathon. Even though the chart may say so. Why? Because your training was geared towards the 10km.

This seems pretty obvious, so I wanted to give two examples from my own marathon history. In 1999, I ran a 10mile and 10km race prior to the marathon I was training for. It was the first 10k I had ever run and the first 10 mile race I have ever done. And the first marathon I had completed.

I thought I was training appropriately. (I was training by myself and didn't know too many other runners to share secrets with!) One long run, one medium run ..... basic advice taken from a Runners' World magazine.

Here's a photo of my data:


So what does it say. I underperformed.... Big Time! at my first marathon. Surprise. No. The first race always teaches us a lot. Did I get better at my next marathon? No. I ran Chicago later that year even slower... (4:01). Underperformed again, according to the predictive tables.

In 2001, I changed my approach to training (thanks to Jan Callahan at UNL)... improvement. 3:27:58. I do not have a 10k time close to the 2001 marathon to see if it was predictive though.

In 2003, I changed some more things. Primarily, I ran my long runs slower. My long runs were approximately 1 minute slower than my marathon pace (even slower if completed at Todd's Road). And I cut out my track work and added in more "steady" runs. (Steady = just below to just above threshold). Volume also went up using the "long weekend" approach instead of a 1 long run per week approach (again: thanks to Jan).

You can see the data for this period too. In this case, I only have 10km times after the marathon. Bolder Boulder and Bluegrass 10k, so it is harder to say they were "predictive".

But they do show that I was getting closer to performing in a marathon at POTENTIAL. But still... underperforming a little. I always felt that low 2:50's were about the limit of my God Given Talent.

I have set up the 10km and 10mile race this spring to test my training and fitness before the marathon. Hoping that I'm on track to reach my dream goal. (And likely the genetically limiting goal). It will also be good to have a better comparison to the 1999 spring season.

At this point it is pretty hard to compare apples to apples. I had just started running then, now.... even when I'm just starting a training program like a few weeks ago -- I assume that there is some residual fitness that I've maintained?

Maybe I can collect some data from some other runners and see how the predictive tables work for other individuals and as a group. And then see what their interpretations are in regards to overperforming / underperforming and what possible impacts their training program had.

It seems that many endurance athletes view overperformances / underperformances in relation to the acute circumstances. For instance, hot and humid weather, too cold or didn't eat properly. I do it with most races too. (re: just ask me about my Buffalo Lake Springs Triathlon experience. I've got lots of reasons for my poor performance. Including the hitchhiker I picked up in Oklahoma... it has to be his fault!) So, it is good to hear about how training programs could have changed for the better from other endurance athletes.

I'm a running GEEK! (I've already been told by non-running friends that my blog doesn't not make sense.)

Thursday's McGee Equation.

Today there were only a few runners. And here is how it broke down.

Todd = very fast. John = likes to be a little late, run to catch up, get Gary to catch Tom & Carol. We catch Tom & Carol, with Soari running along side. John asks about running faster. Gary sighs. Carol contemplates. Tom & John run faster, both looking ahead at Todd. Did I mention that Todd = very fast.

Soari and Gary run "steady" with Larry just behind. Todd, Tom and John = don't know, couldn't see. Have I said fast? Carol = just behind fast.

Gary goes off on a tangent about "Lore of Running" with Soari. Soari probably = can't wait until run is over and/or Gary shuts up. Gary also realizes he really loves exercise physiology and does something he said he wouldn't do in 2006, contemplates a journey towards a Ph.D. (I've already forgot about that though).

Today's run = steady & consistent, except for the few minutes of running (see: John). Pace for the 6 miles: 7:38 = better than I could/should expect right now.

Gary's feelings today = <3:00 at Derby Marathon seems a lot closer today than it did 3 weeks ago. But Derby Marathon = ways off!

Correction from last post: The two ladies ahead of me were, Julie and Kellie. Julie + Kellie = inspiration to get faster!

McGee's run.

Today's run was another quick run. My workoutlog says that my overall pace for the 7 miles was 7:23mins per mile. Quick. It is kind of nice to have given myself permission to push a little bit on the Tuesday run. This allows me to enjoy the faster run and not worry about if I'm going to blow myself up. The deal that I made was that as long as I recover well, during the run and after the run, I can let it go.

The approach I used for today's run was similar to last week, except at the back end. My goal was to see how well I recover from the periods that require a greater effort. I try to use the natural fartlek of the hills. Push on the hill at about 80 - 85%, then cruise at 70% or below once the effort is over in order to recover. I felt pretty good on the recoveries today, which is a good sign.

What I didn't feel really comfortable doing was pushing the "cruise interval" when we were out of the hills. Pushing the pace in the flats is still uncomforable. Primarily due to the speed. Running around the 7:00 pace I feel incredibly out of control and my form breaks down. So that's something I need to work on. That's what Wednesday night's run is for.

This group is SOLID!

I tried to think of a time that I've ran with so many quality runners. I haven't. Running through the hills was incredible. Duane appeared to be costing through the hills, but then again he was so far ahead I couldn't see him. But Duane isn't the only guy or gal out there just motoring along. It is really hard to say that there was anyone that doesn't get through the hills fast.

As we finished the hills today, Rick was apologizing for being behind. Which is kind of funny because he wasn't very far behind at all and everyone else is generally sucking wind and can use the recovery. As we started running again at Henry Clay, guess who leads the pack. Rick. No one gives me a reason to stop running... I know my mind is still at a point that it searches for an excuse during every run.

What is the most impressive thing about McGee's so far?

It has to be the quality of the female runners. As I was running the hills I couldn't help but think about this, as I was comfortably behind two of them. (Julie and Tammy/Connie?, I think... I'm so bad with names... sorry.) I also knew that Carol and Saori were right behind me too.

I believe that all four of them are also training for the Boston Marathon. That says something about a group, when 100% are training for a race like Boston. I have run with Soari these last two Tuesdays and I enjoy her approach. She always apologizes and smiles, saying that her only hope is to keep the group in sight. This is coming from someone that would outwork and out-run me 3 out of every 4 workouts right now. I've got a lot to learn about humility.

note: anyone reading this from the McGee's group, remind me Thursday that I want to run steady and consistent. I think it is the humility thing, but I can't run like I did today everyday. I feel good right now and want to continue to feel good.

Lexington's endurance culture.

Last week, I mentioned that what I loved about Tuesday's run were the people. I have to say the same thing this week too, but from another perspective. When I moved to Colorado I was pretty excited. First of all, I was excited to move back west and this time into the mountains, but I also believed that I would have people to train with all the time. During my time living in Divide, I never trained with anyone.

I still believe that Divide is a great place to live. Waking up every morning and having an undeveloped view of Pikes Peak does an awful lot for one's soul. But training, running, cycling, swimming and doing all those things with a group of like-minded people means a lot to me at this point in my life. And even though Colorado Springs was just down the mountain, it still wasn't close enough that training in "The Springs" everyday was possible.

Why Lexington is great.

One thing I forgot or took forgranted when I was here in Lexington for graduate school was how great this community is for endurance athletes. This morning there were quite a few runners ready to go. There was even a group that started at 5:30am that Nikki felt comfortable running with, so she made it out too. And along our run, there were at least 3 other groups that were independant of the McGee's folks.

And the great thing is that McGee's is not the only place a runner can go to find people to train with. I have always tried to be a regular at Todd's Road. And hopefully will finally push through and join the 500 mile club (I'm pretty close)!

If you are into swimming, then Susan Bradley-Cox is definately a great person to get ahold of. She runs a great program at the university that is open to all. She also trains the Team-in-Training triathlon group along with Eric Atnip (who actually helps manage the aquatic center at the university).

Eric is also the husband of Beth Atnip who was the brave soul that hired me to come in from Nebraska, without ever having met me in person. Beth, Eric, Jeff Buhr and Tyson (the formally known endurance minded Tyson) all helped to suck me into the endurance culture that exists here in Lexington.

The great thing about the groups that exist here are that they welcome all interested people. This is nice because a person doesn't have to feel extremely intimidated about trying something new or pushing themselves to new limits.

One of the most hurtful things I've endured since trying to become an endurance athlete wasn't the last couple miles of any race. It was when I was told,

"You should ride with x group, so that you can get some experience. They are probably more your speed."

This didn't happen in Lexington. I doubt that it ever would either, because from what I've seen, everyone wants to see all Lexingtonians succeed.

When I hear talk about what is the greatest place in the U.S. to live and train, I commonly hear places like Boulder, Austin, Bend (OR), a place or two in North Carolina..... I think Lexington is a great little secret. One I've just let out, so everyone can know.

black & white.

white - It decided to snow again, just in time for the weekend. I really don't mind snow. Last week I enjoyed it. But if it is snowing, wet and cold, then I would like to at least run with others. Today I had to run by myself because everyone I know was done running by the time I could get out.

During the run, I thought about how big of a wimp I've become. At McGee's on Tuesday, Carol was wondering how I could run with so many layers on. I hate being cold. Therefore, I almost always over dress and get pretty warm. Running through the half inch of snow that was on the ground reminded me of the year I ran the Motorola Marathon in Austin, Texas. The marathon was in February, which meant most of my long runs were done during December and January. I was living in Nebraska!

I pulled out my training journal from that marathon and laughed at some of my entries:

"This week felt off b/c of finals, weather and scooping for Dan. (Dan is a friend that had a snow ploughing biz. In fact, I talked to him the other night and he was ploughing! I was dumb enough to help him out.) My 18 miles was pretty impressive I thought b/c I had to jump over drifts, run on unscooped sidewalks, watch footing on ice and it was freezing cold, yet I only slowed down 10 minutes" (If I remember this snow, we had approximately 16 inches the night before this run) Written: 11/17/00

Most things are perception and interpretation.

Black - I caught the end of a biography on Johnny Cash as I was putting on my running clothes. Cash is one of my favorite musicians. My mp3 player commonly has Cash, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson and Donovan Frankenreiter loaded on it. What does Johnny Cash have to do with running?

His daughter said something similar to this in the show, "He always had his music to work things out." She was talking about how Cash had struggled through his battle with drugs. I may never have had to battle a drug addiction, but we all have our own ways to deal with problems. Johnny Cash had his music. I have running. Sure I enjoy cycling, swimming and other activities, but running is what I do when I need to get away. I guess you could say that I literally run away from my problems.

Here are a couple pictures that summarize my thoughts today. The first one is a picture I took on today's run. The second one is a picture my dad gave me when I was moving back to KY. I'm pretty sure he still has the boots, but I'm not sure where the hat is? You can see on the television that the hat must have been common attire? To bad I didn't wear all black.

changing a perspective of training and physiology.

In December of 2004, I had a meeting in Denver a day after Arthur Lydiard was giving a talk in Boulder. I had always been interested in Lydiard's methods, so I jumped at the chance to head out early and hear his talk.

The speech was difficult to understand, due to an accent and his recovery from a recent stroke (Lydiard passed on shortly after), but I clearly remember one thing he said.

"Americans train too fast."

I remember him saying it because he said it several times.

The debate about training at lactate thresholds vs. aerobic threshold (AeT) training to build endurance has always been a polarizing topic on Gordo Byrn's forum, but something I was (am) always willing to re-evaluate.

The reason that I'm back to this place right now is due to the book I just picked up, Lore of Running by Tim Noakes, MD. Even in the introduction of chapter one Noakes makes me anxious about the knowledge I've learned about exercise physiology by saying,

"Since the early 1920's, our understanding of exercise physiology has been dominated by a model that holds that the most important, perhaps the only, determinant of exercise ability is the capacity to transport oxygen to active muscles during exercise.... I have never been a devotee to that cause; now I am an active opponent"

What!? I've always learned that all things similar, he who has the largest VO2 Max wins. This is only on page 2 of the 930 page text, so I have lots of reading to do before I see where he is going, but it does allow me to rethink the theories I've always had and how I learned them (within the walls of a university).

At this point, my reading is for enjoyment and education. My training plan for the Derby marathon is in place and will remain consistent, based on passed experience training for this distance.

But I'm willing to keep an open mind for the future....

"American's train too fast"

-- That seems to describe a lot of aspects about our culture, not just training. Do you agree?

I'm tired. My legs, my mind and my mood.

I wrote last month about how exercise generally improves my quality of sleep, therefore my general health and happiness also improves.

Today I'm tired primarily because I couldn't sleep last night. I actually think I woke up in the middle of the night and started stretching my hamstrings and calves. But when I woke up this morning, I couldn't remember if it actually happened or I was just dreaming about it.

This inability to get a good nights rest is generally one of the first signs that I'm approaching a breaking point. But it is partly due to the fact that I stayed up too late (10:00pm) watching the episode of American Idol that I had saved on my dvr.

A few lessons that I've learned in the past that I'm going to have to apply now, to this observation:

1. Some pleasures are going to have to be sacrificed to proceed, such as tv and movies. This isn't a big sacrifice, I generally don't get much out of it anyway. And with dvr, what little I do watch can be something I'm interested in and not a result of channel surfing.

2. Nutrition is a must! When I get tired I like to drink more caffine and take in more sugar. Both will lead closer to a crash if I'm not careful and mindful.

3. Alcohol is completely gone. It always seems to destroy my ability to recover and rest. Unfortunatley, any amount seems to do this to me. On Valentines day, Nikki and I drank some sparkling grape juice... a fairly cute way she came up with to keep the alcohol off the table.

Today is a well placed rest day and tonight Nikki and I are going in for a massage. It will be my first professional massage (unless you count the hundred or so my high school track coach gave me), but hopefully the first in a series leading up to the marathon.

Train. Rest. Recover. Repeat! Race.

McGee's Bakery and my lactate threshold!

I got up to run this morning at 4:45am and made it to McGee's. That is accomplishment number one for the day. But before I discuss the run, let me share the best part of the morning. The people.

My plan is to run with the group on Tuesday's and Thursday's until the marathon, hopefully I'll have plenty of lessons learned to share with you. Lessons learned by the mistakes I'll make running with such a solid group or by the conversations we have and the tips they are willing to share.

This morning the group included some runners that I've run with before such as: Jim, Carol and Saori. I've also swam with Todd at the swamp a couple times (well, we were in the swamp at the same time... I can't really swim with him.) There was also a whole group of people that I didn't know... and unfortunately I'm terrible with names. But I'll introduce them (and hopefully their running stories) over the next 11 weeks.

The Run: Tuesday's run is a seven mile loop that includes a 3 mile section of hill running. Running through the hills today gave me some confidence moving forward. This is good considering my fears that developed during Saturday's long run.

Even though I felt confident with my run through the hills, the group still ran me into the ground. The pace was very quick (my log says 7:20 something pace). In fact, I have not run that quick in training since I trained for the Flying Pig in 2003. So today, I'm sure I found my lactate threshold!

If you know me and my philosophy of training, then this might be a surprise. But I'm willing to continue running these runs, as long as I can remain logical. (These are always famous last words for the runner, before they sit out 3 months with injuries.) Running with the group seems to out-weigh my fears about training so intensly, at the moment.

Reminder: nutrition, yoga sessions, core strength and stretching for runners program. All as important as threshold sessions for a successful marathon!

Ironically, yesterday I mentioned having faith in your plan. Today I'm changing the plan so that my threshold runs are Tuesday's (today) and my strides/technique work are my Wednesday's evening run. This makes since physiologically too, so I'm willing to make the change. Having the LT run on Tuesday's gives me 24 hours of recovery before my next run. If the LT run is on Wednesday, then I'd have approximately 10 - 12 hours. Which isn't enough to recover from a session like I had this morning.

Well that was day one with the McGee's group. Only 1 workout and 10 weeks of getting run over to go.

diabetes and sports performance

Adam Morrison - Saturday morning on my way to go personal train, I listened in on a talk radio program. The topic that they were discussing was related to Adam Morrison and diabetes. The conversation was basically raising the question, will Morrison's NBA draft status be influenced by the fact that he is diabetic?

I was encouraged to hear that they felt it wouldn't be. Since diabetes is a fairly known disease, it would leave little speculation for the NBA teams to worry about. Another key point is that Morrison has proven in college that he can manage his diabetes and play well on back to back nights. The early season tournament in Hawaii this year is testament to that. This is especially impressive because he manages his diabetes now by himself. If he is a top draft pick in the NBA, he could easily hire the medical support staff and assistants he would need to take that stress off of him.

I was able to watch the Gonzaga vs. Stanford game that night and once again Morrison was impressive. He is fearless. I also heard Dick Vitale say this morning on the Mike and Mike show that Morisson deserves at least one player of the year awards. (Vitale also thought that Reddick from Duke was as deserving.)

Bobby McMullen - yesterday afternoon, Nikki and I sat down and watched the Xterra World Champtionships that I had saved on our dvr. One of the personal stories that they had was about Bobby McMullen. Watching the story and seeing him race the Xterra course, I was inspired. But after going to google and seeing all that he has really accomplished.... there are no words.

Having seen several family members lives influenced by diabetes, I am always interested in success stories of diabetic athletes. Adam and Bobby are inspirations. If I ever feel sorry for myself or tell myself that I can't do something. I hope that I remember Bobby McMullen's name.

rest, recover and fearing the mileage kings

Week one ended with my body feeling strong, my joints in no pain, but my mind a little concerned. The old saying is that endurance sports are primarily a mental challenge. I agree, especially when you are in the early training phases.

In the early training phases, it can be so difficult to train because you are not able to perform like you could the last time you remember "training." The irony is that the last time you were training was likely the last race you completed. It makes complete sense that you can't train the way you did when you were in peak condition!

This is why a training program is so important. A training plan is not written in concrete and should be flexible when situations arise, but the training should not change because of fear. If you have confidence in knowing how to train and have a program, trust the program. If you are unsure if you are training properly, seek advice from another runner/triathlete/cyclist, find a mentor to help you along or hire a coach. (Shameless self-promotion, I understand)

Saturday's long run - My long run went pretty well, until I entered the info into my workout log. It snowed here in Lexington (KY) for really the first time this year. It wasn't much snow and it really wasn't that cold, so it was pretty fun. I was playing with snow balls and catching snow on my tongue. I imagine that people that saw me thought I was a little odd, but that's ok. I thought it was funny to watch a town get stir-crazy over a couple inches of snow. Some schools are still closed today. I couldn't imagine how many days of school would be missed if the Teller County, Colorado (where I was living last year at this time) school districts adopted the policies they have here.

Around 1:30 into the run, my legs started getting a little tired and at 1:45 I decided to walk for a minute. I walked until 1:46 and ran until 2:00. I felt fairly sluggish towards the end of the run and decided to find out how far I ran. I mapped out the run at mapmyrun.com and saw that I ran 13.5 miles. Which means I ran an 8:54 pace. I'd really like my long runs to get to be 7:45 pace comfortably. (I don't beleive in running long runs at race pace. I just can't recover well enough)

Feeling concerned, I decided to run on Sunday. Which was a scheduled day off. I fell into the "mileage kings" trap. You know the type, the people that like to talk about the total number of miles they run. I do this from time to time. It's the biggest mistake that I make. And why I train by time, not mileage.

Cool heads prevailed and I didn't run on Sunday. Today I have another day off, but will get in a good yoga session today. Tomorrow.... I'll try to get up and run with the group from McGee's. 4:45 is just so early!

initial testing and focuses.

Well today is day number four into the training, but monday is always a day off.. so it is only the third day of running.

Tuesday I completed an initial "test of fitness." The testing protocol is not anything that I learned in my exercise physiology or testing courses, but I've found these methods to be more practical from an applied perspective when analyzing changes in my fitness throughout the training period.

The key incredient to testing is that the method is repeatable and the environment is similar time to time. Therefore, I used a treadmill (Cybex Pro+) and a heart rate monitor. (Scientifically there are a lot of issues that could be raised, but I'm just trying to get estimations of improvement... so I'll leave it at that). The following is what I did:

- 5 min warm up @ 6.0mph
- 40 mins with heart rate @ 140 bpm
- cool down

The 140 bpm is a number that I've established in past training periods as my Aerobic Threshold (another very long scientific debate could be had here) so the goal of this test is to see how far I can run in 40min at 140bpm.

I ended up running 4.7 miles or it could be stated, I ran for 40 mins at 8:30pace, maintaining a heart rate of 140. So in the future when I do this test, my hope is to see more distance covered at the same heart rate and time. Considering that I need to run approximately 6:55 miles to meet my marathon goal... I can only hope future tests will be better.

I have scheduled a 10k race on March 25th and a 10 mile race on April 15th. These races will ultimately be the tests I use to determine how realistic a sub 3:00 marathon is, but these "easy to steady" effort tests will be good points to review along the way.

Today, I have 45mins of running at this "steady" pace. I am already excited about adding more speedwork, but that will not be for another few weeks. Right now its all focused on:

1. running frequency (5x to 6x per week)
2. running form and technique (strides, pick-ups, turnover, body position)
3. injury prevention (yoga, stretching, nutrition)
4. run with groups (as many times as I can get up at 4:45am and make it to McGee's!)

Marathon training in T minus ....

2 days and counting....

Jeff and I went for a run last night in the rain. It was cold. I got completely soaked. But I loved every second of it. When we started, I said

If we go under 30 minutes, I'll be mad I got wet. If we go over 45 minutes, I might die.

We ran for 55 minutes and I felt great.

At the start of a training program like this, there are always the fears that you won't be able to do "it"... "It" can be:

1. get ready for the race
2. train as much as you should (due to time)
3. train as much as you should (due to recovery)
4. train as much as you should (without getting injured)
5. complete the race and meet your goals

During our run we talked about a lot of things, but we briefly talked about our goal of going under 3 hours this time. I mentioned in a previous blog that this goal can be dangerous if I let it get to me. So I reminded myself that I run marathons (and do other endurance events) because I love to do it. The process of training by myself and training with the running groups I do, is always more satisfying than the eventual outcome.

The other aspect of this goal, is that we are capable of doing it. Sure we have a little trepidation by telling others about the goal, but we can do it if things all fall into place. If they don't. We will have a hella-lot-a-fun trying.

a picture worth a thousand words...

In the health promotion world there are some topics that seem to draw the most attention. One of the biggest issues currently is the increasing problems related to obesity among American youth. Having family members that are diabetic, I have a lot of empathy for young kids that are diagnosed with diabetes. Especially when they are diagnosed with Type II diabetes that is related to their obesity.

I always wonder how much support they have in managing their diabetes. And how much support do they have in making lifestyle changes that would benefit their disease?

Do they have support from their family? Do they have support at school?

Unfortunately, many schools do not offer the support many students need to live healthy lives.

Sometimes a picture is worth more than words... so I'll just end by posting this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11148063/

An ounce of prevention....

How many dollars is "an ounce of prevention" worth? What is the value of living a healthy lifestyle and taking care of your body, your mind and your spirit?

Tom Peters made the suggestion on his blog that we would be better off if we started thinking in terms of "health" instead of "health care". I have to agree. Unfortunately, this shift in thinking is one that will not happen overnight. Health is one of those things that people take for granted, until it is gone.

I feel that a good analogy is personal finance. When we have money, there are two things that we can do with it: 1 - spend it, 2 - save it / invest it. For those that have excess money, spending some is a fun thing to do. For those that don't have any spare cash, spending it may be fun, but there are often consequences. Like running out of funds to pay the bills. Those people that are diligent about saving some of their income, may be rewarded at a later date.

Healthy choices. Healthy livestyles. They may not seem that appealing or fun. But individuals need to think about things they might enjoy doing when they are still healthy, instead of hoping that their health can be restored once it is gone.

Maintaining a healthy body is much easier (and cheaper) than restoring a person's body back to health.

The other night I saw that the number one concern on American's minds is affordable health care. For the concerned ... I might propose investing in your health now.

$50 a month for gym fees, $300 grocery bills or $50 for personal training services (or massage, etc..) may seem expensive up front. But the proposed return on the investment may be huge.

Employers may also do well investing in their employees health (such as educational programs or subsidized gym fees), opposed to searching for ways to better handle the cost of medical care your employees rack up.

The prevention message has definatly lacked innovation since I've been involved, but hopefully some of the more innovating minds will continue to get involved and bring it to the forefront. I think that when people realize that an once of prevention is worth more than gold.... more people will take a longer look.