As the year comes to a close...

As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what for many of us was a tough period in our lives. The economy put many of us out of work with no prospects for reemployment. Some of us dealt with the loss of loved ones. It is so easy to focus on the negative things in our life. But, when you really think about it, we should not ignore the negatives or challenges in our lives. We should embrace them and try to find the positive that can come from overcoming adversity. We grow when we are challenged and persevere.

Running is life. Each day we wake up and lace up our shoes, we are heading out for a physical challenge. When we get back home after our run, we bask in the glow of our accomplishment. Energy is flowing through our body and we feel so alive. As a runner, I have a hard time explaining these feelings to friends who are non-runners. In some ways it is an ethereal feeling that is indescribable. I do know that running is a big part of who I am and is not something that I take for granted or lightly.

I believe that each of us is a spiritual being having a human experience here on Earth. People wonder how I keep up my running, have a family, work full time, participate in Scouting, perform in Community Theater, design and build sets, be a board member at my synagogue, etc. It is never easy to juggle all these things. I find that I enjoy it all the more because it is difficult to manage a busy life. But, we are only on this planet once (as far as I know) and that my spiritual self is here to experience as much as I can while I am here. So I choose to laugh, love and be loved. I choose to volunteer myself and try to give to others as much as I can. In return, I get to experience life through the results of these efforts even when they are painful. Without some pain and hardship in our lives we cannot truly appreciate the love and happiness those around us bring to us every day.

You can choose to pull back from life. You can play it safe and not try and experience all that is out there. I cannot adhere to this philosophy as I believe it makes our life just existence in time and space. We are the proverbial bump on a log. I don’t want to miss out on the experience of that feeling of being alive. I have heard so many people say that life is an adventure to be experienced to the fullest degree. I agree. So, I hope that each of you will choose to be bold in 2010. Go out there and try something new. You may find that you feel more alive and energized than you ever have been in your life.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season and wish each of you abundance, happiness, and peace in a new year filled with hope.

“We're the bridge across forever, arching above the sea,
adventuring for our pleasure, living mysteries for the fun of it,
choosing disasters, triumphs, challenges, impossible odds,
testing ourselves over and again,
learning love and love and LOVE!”

~ Richard Bach (from "The Bridge Across Forever") ~

Here are my training totals:
Dec. 6 – 10.10 miles (1:29:42, 8:53 pace)
Dec. 9 – 6.10 miles (59:35, 9:36 pace) – Snowing
Dec. 10 – 6.20 miles (49:38, 8:00 pace) – Tempo run
Dec. 11 – 6.00 miles (54:05, 9:00 pace)
Dec. 12 – 10.00 miles (1:27:18, 8:44 pace)
Dec. 13 – 10.00 miles (1:29:14, 8:55 pace)
Dec. 14 – 6.20 miles (56:04, 9:05 pace)
Dec. 15 – 5.00 miles (40:13, 8:02 pace) – Mile Repeats @ 7:19 pace
Dec. 17 – 6.20 miles (49:45, 8:01 pace) – Tempo run
Dec. 18 – 6.00 miles (53:39, 8:56 pace) – 8o
Dec. 21 – 6.20 miles (57:50, 9:19 pace)
Dec. 22 – 5.00 miles (40:43, 8:04 pace) – Mile Repeats @ 7:19 pace
Dec. 24 – 7.10 miles (57:20, 8:04 pace) – Tempo run
Dec. 25 – 6.20 miles (51:45, 8:21 pace)
Dec. 26 – 10.10 miles (1:28:30, 8:45 pace)

Total Miles: 68.00 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,892.50 miles

Layering for Cold Weather

Strangely, we have not had really cold weather here in New England this winter. In fact, I ran in shorts and a light weight fleece on Friday this past week. By this time of year, I am usually bundled up pretty good just to survive the winter weather we deal with from late November to at least the end of March. Regardless, I had already started a draft of this post regarding what to wear in cold weather. Of course, the winter came in with a vengeance as I finished editing this post. My goal is always to remain comfortable while I am out there regardless of whether it is simply 32o or in the single digits.

Here are my tips to follow when venturing out into the cold:

Check the weather

The first thing I do when I get up is check the temperature outside. You can do this over the internet or with a simple thermometer hanging outside where you can see it. Once I know the temperature, I always take a look outside to see whether it is clear, snowing, raining, windy, etc. I dress slightly differently depending on the conditions. The key thing to remember if it is windy (no matter how slight), the wind will penetrate your clothes and remove the insulating layer of warmth quickly. Make sure you have a good base layer to keep as much warmth next to your skin as possible.

Protect your head, hands and feet

I learned through my association with the Boy Scouts that over 40% of your body heat escapes through the top of your head. We tell the scouts, “if your feet are cold cover your head.” Remember, “In the cold, our bodies strive to retain as much heat, or energy, as possible. In many parts of the body, blood vessels in our skin tissue constrict, or tighten up. This tightening helps keeps blood away from the cold outer layer of the body and helps circulate warmer blood to our core areas. This tightening is also why you may feel stiff after being in the cold for a long time. However, areas with large blood vessels, particularly around the head, neck, chest and groin, are more susceptible to heat loss because those blood vessels don't constrict as effectively as the smaller ones near the skin” (from “How to Avoid Hypothermia” by Cristen Conger).

Knowing this, you should have a good warm hat (fleece or wool) and if it is really cold a face mask or neck gaiter or scarf. This will help you warm the air you are breathing and protect the skin on your face and neck. I have a balaclava that covers my whole head, exposing only my face. It is made of fleece and is bright orange. I typically wear it when the temperature or wind chill is below 10 degrees F or it is snowing heavily. Yes, I still go out and run in those conditions.

You lose about 30% of your heat through your hands and feet. On mildly cold days, I simply put on running gloves. But, when the temperature is at freezing or below, I wear mittens with glove liners. I find that this keeps my hands much warmer than simple fleece gloves. Unless the temperature is below 32o, I run in my normal running socks. When it falls below freezing, I wear wicking sock liners and wool socks. The only issue is making sure that you have purchased running shoes with enough room for the thicker wool sock.

Layer for warmth and comfort

I always start with a layer of polypropylene (Under Armor), which wicks sweat from my body. The layer next to your skin needs to be able to wick the sweat away from your body, keeping you dry and warm. We always tell the scouts to stay away from cotton because it holds the moisture like a sponge and due to the dampness will actually make you colder. Next, I pull on a polypropylene long sleeve shirt. Then depending on the temperature I put on a running jacket (nylon) which cuts down on the affect of the wind and precipitation. It has a zipper which makes it easy to regulate my temperature while running by zipping it up or down. If it's really cold out, I add a middle layer of polar fleece to give me a good layer of insulation. I go with polar fleece because I want this layer to also wick moisture away from my skin.

As I have become acclimated to the winter weather, I have found that I do not need as much layering on my lower body as I did when I first moved here. So unless it is wet or very cold, I usually just wear a pair of tights (Under Armor) with a pair of shorts over them. When it falls to the teens, I add a second layer (wind proof track pants) over my moisture wicking tights. I have found that my legs generate enough heat from the run that they never get too cold.

Shoes

I never change my running shoes no matter what the weather. I always run in my Mizuno Wave Runners. But, because it can be slippery out there, I have used some slip on spikes. They have not done real well for me. So, this year I invested in YakTrax which slip over my shoes and will give me added traction in the snow. The main thing I do when I am out there is avoid the puddles and slush. The drier I can keep my feet the more comfortable I am out there.

A few last things to consider when deciding what to wear on the road. First, dress as if its 20 degrees warmer outside than it really is. I have actually started to become overheated while running because I had too much on. Your body will warm up quickly as you get going. I am always a little chilly at first. But, after 10-15 minutes of effort, I always feel fine and the chill goes away.

It is inevitable that you will get wet from rain, snow, and sweat when you are running in the winter. This places you at a very high risk of experiencing hypothermia. So, when I get home, I immediately change out of my wet clothes before stretching. Don’t stay in wet clothing even if you are inside. I throw on a pair of sweat pants and sweat shirt and then begin my stretching routine. I always feel comfortable and warm once I am out of my wet clothes.

Make sure you protect your lips with some form of lip balm. The cold air has a drying effect on your lips and cheeks. Sometimes when it is really cold, I will put some Vaseline on my nose and cheeks to help cut down the possibility of windburn. I also try to head into the wind on my way out. This way the wind is at my back on the way home. It helps to cut down on the chilling affect of the wind when I am sweaty and or wet from the rain or snow. I find that I am able to feel a little warmer when I run with the wind at my back in the last miles.

Lastly, don’t forget to hydrate. Even in the coldest weather, your body is heating up and you are losing fluids through your sweat. And as I said above, cold air has a drying effect, which increases your level of dehydration. I always bring a water bottle with me on long runs. If it is a short run (under 5 miles) I will usually drink at least 8 ounces of water before heading out. I always grab a water bottle when I get back from my run.

If a guy from California can run all through the winter in New England using the above techniques, I am sure you can too. I hope to see you out there on the road bundled up and feeling great.

Here are my training totals:
Nov. 29 – 11.00 miles (1:33:22, 8:49 pace)
Nov. 30 – 6.00 miles (52:39, 8:38 pace)
Dec. 1 – 5.00 miles (41:20, 8:16 pace) – Mile Repeats @ 7:19 pace
Dec. 3 – 6.20 miles (48:59, 7:54 pace) – Tempo run
Dec. 4 – 6.10 miles (51:11, 8:42 pace)
Dec. 5 – 9.10 miles (1:18:08, 8:35 pace)

Total Miles: 43.40 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,824.50 miles

Maintaining the Base

I am currently in that period of time where I am not signed up for any distance running event. This usually causes me to have a tough time staying motivated to get out and run each day. Lack of motivation coupled with the changing weather patterns here in New England are a recipe for laying back down on the “couch of doom” and laying on the fat. Last year was no issue because I had the Boston Marathon on my calendar. So, what can I do to remain focused and maintain my fitness level to allow me to begin training seriously for a half or full marathon. The simple answer is to maintain the base that I have established.

I have a well established base level of fitness. What I need to do this winter is to build on that base. Before I explain my plan to maintain and increase my base, I should explain what most runners call base miles. Base miles are the miles you log to build a strong aerobic foundation to your fitness level. Typically you will run these miles slightly faster than recovery pace but slower than lactate-threshold pace. They are called base miles because the are the base from which you build your conditioning from up to race readiness.

What I have found, since moving to Westborough, is that the winter time is a great time to build my base mileage. There are almost no races to sign up for with the exception of a Turkey Trot or Jingle Bells run. So, I spend the time logging some extra base miles as the alternative to prepping for a race. Plus the winter mix of snow, sleet, and generally miserable conditions actually limit your ability to train intensively unless you have access to an indoor track or don’t mind logging tempo runs on a treadmill.

I have found after many years of running and training that I had to find a base weekly work out that would allow me to maintain my fitness level. This meant that I had to find a comfortable schedule that would work with my travel and family schedules. After many attempts to come up with a good work out routine, I found that I could take a week out of my Brooks-Hanson marathon training program and use it to keep me in shape to race in the spring at any distance from 5K up to and including a marathon. Other than one speed session and one tempo run during the week, I run slower than tempo speed. This allows me to avoid building up lactic acid in my running muscles. I repeat the mantra that it's all about running easy and at a pace at which I could have a conversation. I want to be running at an aerobic level for most of the runs.

Here is my base running schedule each week:

Sunday - Long Slow Run
I run anywhere from 8 – 13 miles on Sunday depending on the weather and how I have been feeling on the rest of my runs the previous week. I keep the pace between 30-90 seconds per mile slower than my marathon pace. I also try to run a negative split on this run – meaning that I run the second half marginally faster than the first. This is not critical in the run.

Monday and Friday – Recovery Running
I usually run 5-6 miles on these two days. These runs are coming off of a hard workout the previous day and my legs are tired. Running these slightly shorter distances helps to reduce muscle soreness. I am always running these at a pace that feels comfortable. I typically don’t look at my Garmin until I finish the run and have begun my stretching routine.

Tuesday – Speed Work
On Tuesday, I do one of two speed work outs – 5K at 5K pace or Mile Repeats. When doing a 5K speed session, I am typically trying to run around a 7:30 per mile pace. This can be challenging in the winter months. So, if it is a particularly ugly day on the roads, I will head to the YMCA and run repeats on the treadmill. I will do a ½ mile warm-up and then do three 1 mile repeats at a 7:30 per mile pace with ½ mile recovery in between repeats at a 9:30 per mile pace. After finishing the last repeat, I do a ½ mile cool down.

Thursday – Tempo Run
This is the run that builds up lactic acid in my running muscles. I usually try to run a 10K course that has several hills in it. This allows me to build up my ability to hold a steady pace for a long distance plus builds up my strength for racing in the spring. I have found that tempo running has been crucial to my improved racing times because it has trained my body to sustain speed over distance. I have been told by many smarter runners and in running articles that tempo training is more important than speed work. If you are diligent in your tempo runs, you will see steady improvements. I cut almost ½ hour off my PR in the marathon using weekly tempo runs.

Saturday – Middle Distance Long Run
On Saturdays, I run between 8-10 miles. I don’t worry about negative splits. I simply try to run faster than a slow jog, but not fast enough where I am entering an anaerobic state. Basically, I am running at a pace where I don’t feel fatigued and my breathing does not increase as the run goes on. I want to finish the run feeling like I could have gone another couple of miles with no problem.

If I am able to get all of these runs in during the week, I will be logging between 35 and 45 miles per week. This level of mileage allows me to keep in good shape for any future half or full marathon. Once I do decide on a race, I stick to the rule of thumb to never increase my weekly mileage more than 10% per week. I hope this explanation of my base work out is helpful to you.

Here are my training totals:
Nov. 15 – 10.05 miles (1:28:05, 8:46 pace)
Nov. 16 – 6.00 miles (52:03, 8:40 pace)
Nov. 17 – 3.60 miles (28:12, 7:50 pace) – Speedwork
Nov. 19 – 5.40 miles (42:44, 7:55 pace) – Tempo run
Nov. 20 – 6.20 miles (52:59, 8:32 pace)
Nov. 21 – 8.00 miles (1:08:43, 8:35 pace)
Nov. 22 – 10.00 miles (1:27:10, 8:43 pace)
Nov. 23 – 6.20 miles (51:51, 8:21 pace)
Nov. 24 – 5.60 miles (45:17, 8:05 pace) – Tempo run
Nov. 26 – 3.10 miles (21:19, 6:52 pace) – Gobble Wobble 5K, PR!
Nov. 27 – 6.20 miles (53:12, 8:34 pace)
Nov. 28 – 9.00 miles (1:19:23, 8:49 pace)

Total Miles: 79.35 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,781.10 miles

The photo below is the 2009 Westborough Rangers Cross Country District Champions. First time they have ever won the District Championship in school history.

Back after a lay off

As you will see below, I have had a bit of an off time from my running. Don’t get me wrong, I miss running when I take time off. But, the community theater production of “Godspell” that I was performing in really took a lot out of me. I was simply too tired to get up early in the morning to go out for a run. Instead, I slept in. As I took the days off, I began to wonder just what effect the lay off would have on my endurance.

I know so many runners who really freak out when they miss a run. Or if they sustain an injury and have to take a lot of time off from their running, they believe that their training will all evaporate and they will have to start all over again. I sometimes find myself with that same mindset. I will run on days when I really should be resting. This can lead to further injury if I am not careful. I have learned to listen to my body and if I don’t feel right or feel an ache or pain that is abnormal, I simply stop running and walk back to the start. I want to avoid any prolonged periods of no running.

I only had logged two short runs in a 2 week period. When I set out for my 5 mile run on Friday, I wondered how it would go. Would I be able to run at the same pace I had been prior to my rest period. I have to say that the lay off was actually a bit rejuvenating. My legs felt fresh. I felt light on my feet and the run seemed easy and comfortable. Today’s 8 miler was equally as easy. I must not have lost any of my fitness level in my two week break. I will keep this in mind should I ever really need to take some time off.

I still wondered what can happen if a runner is forced to lay off for a more extended period of time. According to Running & Fitness News:

“Stop running for just a week and your maximal aerobic capacity (max VO2), one of the indicators of performance potential, begins to decrease. Take two to three weeks off, and you'll add a minute or more to your 5K time. Stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped by the heart per beat) also wanes by 10% or more in just three weeks. Even your muscles' aerobic enzymes (key chemicals that help produce the energy you need to run) fall by 25% or more in 21 days. Muscle atrophy (decreased strength, flexibility and endurance) begins immediately. The psychological impact on a runner can be formidable.”

Don’t be frightened by the above. If you have been a runner for most of your life (like I have) your body can bounce back to its former level. You will just need to take it slow and easy once you can get back out on the road. Do not immediately go back to your normal running routine. Ease back into it. Take a step back and start almost like a beginner. This will allow your body to remember where you have been and make your runs easier. With patience and an acute sense of your body, you will get back to your former form.

I am going to post this short message as it has been a while since my last post. I do want to thank my fellow cast members from “Godspell” for making the entire experience a great one and one that I will have lasting memories from for many years. It is amazing how close you can become to people you never knew prior to putting together a theatrical production. I also want to thank my Mom and Dad for coming all the way from San Diego to see the show. It had been 31 years since they saw me on the stage. I hope it was worth it.

Here are my training totals:
Oct. 25 – 10.10 miles (1:25:29, 8:27 pace)
Oct. 26 – 6.20 miles (52:18, 8:26 pace)
Oct. 27 – 3.10 miles (23:40, 7:37 pace) – Speedwork
Oct. 29 – 6.10 miles (52:15, 8:34 pace)
Nov. 3 – 5.00 miles (43:05, 8:37 pace)
Nov. 4 – 4.10 miles (35:56, 8:45 pace)
Nov. 13 – 5.00 miles (41:50, 8:22 pace)
Nov. 14 – 8.00 miles (1:07:26, 8:26 pace)

Total Miles: 47.60 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,701.75 miles

Be Safe Out There

This past Thursday, I was out for my usual morning run when I had a run in with a car. I was running down a busy street facing the traffic as you are supposed to do to be safe. I was wearing my reflective vest and gloves. Plus, I am always at a heightened sense of awareness when it comes to running around my area because there are no sidewalks for the most part to run on. I need to be constantly looking ahead and to the sides to make sure I know where all the cars are at all times. But, even with this vigilance, I was almost struck less than ½ mile from my home.

As I approached the “T” intersection, I always look to my right because cars coming down that street are typically traveling too fast and tend to roll the stop sign. This particular morning, there was quite a bit of traffic heading towards me which I also needed to pay attention to. Well, this driver slows down and stops as I am approaching the intersection. As I watch him, he starts to inch forward. But, there was a rather large truck coming towards him and I figured there is no way he is going to chance it. I decided to keep running and believed he obviously saw me. I was wrong!

As I crossed the passenger side bumper, he started to go to try and beat the truck. I leaped out of the way just barely clearing the driver’s side bumper. The driver then noticed the truck as too close and slammed his brakes on almost sliding into the truck. The truck passed and he peeled out to go his merry way. I don’t think he ever saw me. It was the closest call I have had since moving here to New England.

You see in Southern California most residential areas have sidewalks. As a runner, this is really nice as it allows you more flexibility in choosing your runs and you don’t have to worry as much about the crazy drivers you may encounter. Here in New England (at least out where I live), it is the rare occasion that there are sidewalks to run on. Therefore, you are always taking a great chance of bodily harm when you run here. Especially in the winter when the roads are narrower due to snow build up on the sides of the road.

This made me think about my own safety precautions when I run. Was I really doing all the things I needed to do to remain safe from the drivers out there who obviously are multi-tasking and not paying attention to their surroundings? I decided to do a little research this week and found the following tips that seem to show up in any discussion about runner safety when running on the road.

Run against the flow of traffic. -- That's the left hand side of the road here in the United States. Running against traffic allows you to see what is coming toward you. Drivers do some really crazy and unpredictable things. Therefore, you have to assume that the driver doesn't see you. You need to protect yourself and err on the side of caution.

Run defensively. – A safe driver always drives defensively. So, as a runner you should do the same. Always yield the right of way at any intersection to the cars. As I found out, drivers don’t always obey traffic signals or signs. Therefore, you need to protect yourself first. Never expect a driver to change his path to avoid you. Don’t forget to take into account any weather or other conditions that affect a driver’s visibility such as glaring sun, rain, snow, or fog.

Beware of vehicles turning right. The most common near collisions occur when runners approach the right side of a vehicle that is turning right. This is due to the fact that a driver is always looking left for oncoming traffic to ensure they can safely turn onto the road. Most driver’s never look to the right as they pull out into traffic after see if it is safe to make the turn. If you cannot make eye contact with the driver, it is best to stop running and wait for them to turn.

Watch out for the second vehicle. When you are running along the side of a road (facing on-coming traffic) and you see a line of cars approaching, you need to be aware of the fact that the first car in the line blocks the view of any car following behind. Most of the other close calls I have had were in this situation. The cars following the first car probably don’t see you and when they finally do, it is sometimes too late to avoid colliding with you. Always have an escape plan should a car not be able to avoid you. Know your surroundings and make sure you can get off the side of the road onto a shoulder or into a ditch if you feel you are in danger.

Be visible and alert at all times. Since most of us run alone and sometimes in the dark, we need to use our eyes and ears to be aware of our surroundings. Most people recommend not running with earphones. I do run with my IPOD. But, my earphones don’t cover my ear. I can still hear all of the ambient noise around me. Always wear reflective clothing at dawn, dusk or night time and bright visible clothing any other time. Look for running shirts, shorts and tights that have reflective stripes or simply wear bright colors (i.e. white, yellow, orange, etc.). You can buy inexpensive, highly effective traffic vests to help increase your visibility. They may not look cool. But, they will keep you safe. Sometimes in the winter, I have worn my camping headlamp. Friends of mine and runners in the Reach the Beach Relay wear flashing lights attached to their vest. These are very practical on dark winter nights.

As I looked back over the list of safety precautions, I realized that I am diligent in following these safety rules. But, I still was almost struck by a car. So, if you are not doing any of these things or only a few, you are at risk for injury or worse. If you are like me, you cannot imagine not being able to run. Why take the chance of losing this very important part of your life? Take care out there and run safe.

Here are my training totals:
Oct. 18 – 10.00 miles (1:24:21, 8:26 pace)
Oct. 19 – 6.10 miles (51:45, 8:29 pace)
Oct. 20 – 3.10 miles (23:25, 7:32 pace) – Speedwork
Oct. 22 – 6.00 miles (49:39, 8:08 pace) – Tempo run
Oct. 24 – 10.00 miles (1:26:35, 8:39 pace)

Total Miles: 35.20 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,654.15 miles

The 4th Annual World Wide Festival of Races

I know I have been remiss in posting to my blog the past couple of weeks. I do have a legitimate excuse. I have been rehearsing for the Nashoba Players production of “Godspell” which opens on October 30th. I have rehearsals 3 nights a week and the last couple of weeks we have been adding weekends as well. So, I have had trouble enough getting my runs in let alone composing some rambling rant to post here for your enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy writing my posts. It has just been difficult.

Last Sunday I participated in a unique race that any of you could have run with me. In fact, you could have run with me without even being here in Westborough, MA. No I am not talking about some sort of strange science fiction mind meld. I am talking about the World Wide Festival of Races who’s slogan is “Think Global, Run Local”. This year was the 4th year that this race has been put on. Let me explain by using their website’s description of the race:

“This race is a free, non-commercial event for runners of all abilities, where everyone is invited to register, train and run with us in the spirit of friendship. The only requirement is that you sign-up to run an official road race or a route of your choosing on the weekend of 10-11 October 2009, and report the results on this website (http://www.worldwidefestivalofraces.com/cgi-bin/home). Participation in the race will also include a 'virtual' race bib, goody bag and completion certificate as well as a community forum and final results listing.”

There were three different distances you could have run – The Kick the Couch 5K or The Zen Run 10K or The Worldwide Half Marathon. I chose to run the half marathon. Why not? I had been doing some serious training for my Reach the Beach Relay. I knew I could knock out a half marathon with no problems. My plan then was to get up early on Sunday morning the 11th and run a 13.1 mile route I had mapped out. It was going to be a challenging course as it had several long hills along the route. I wanted to see whether or not I could PR on a difficult course.

I got a good nights rest on Saturday night. I woke up to one of the first real cold snaps of the fall. It was only 39 degrees when I headed out. For the first time this fall, it actually felt a little like winter to me. I dressed in shorts, a tech t-shirt and threw on a light weight fleece. I had my running gloves and running skull cap. I was hoping it would be enough to keep me warm once I got going. The first couple of miles I doubted my preparedness for the cold. It was a bit breezy and I was somewhat chilled. But, I ran on hoping the blood pumping through my veins would warm me up.

The first big hill was a struggle for me. It is approximately 1 mile long and is about a 4% grade very similar to Heartbreak Hill. I have run this hill numerous times in my past training runs. I knew I could conquer the hill. I just wasn’t sure how it would ultimately affect my ability to PR. I simply shortened my stride and keep trudging upward. Before I knew it, I had crested the longest of the hills I would have to tackle. I was also greeted with a long stretch of very slight rolling hills and a nice easy downhill run. By the time I had hit the halfway point, I was really in a good rhythm.

As I said, I wanted to set a PR on this run. I knew what my past ½ marathon times were all hovering around 1:55:00 to 2:10:00. I really wanted to run under 1:47:00 if possible. This would mean I would have to clock between an 8:00 and 8:10 per mile pace. I had been doing my tempo runs at this pace and knew what it felt like. I didn’t look at my watch at all during the first 10 miles. When I finally did check it as I passed what I knew would be the 10 mile point, I was just over 1 hour and 22 minutes. This meant I would have to run the last 5K in 25 minutes to hit my goal. I wanted to dig deep and pick up the pace. While I did pick it up slightly, it didn’t feel like it was going to be enough. The first hill on my course had taken its toll.

I decided not to look at my watch until I reached the “finish line”, this way I could concentrate on my pace and breathing. I was feeling good overall. I just had very little left in the tank at this point. But, knew I would finish. I just didn’t know if I would hit my goal for this race. I pushed on looking for the last marker where I knew I had only 1/10 of a mile to go. Before I knew it, I passed by the marker and did my best to push hard to the finish line. When I crossed it, I started to walk and looked at my watch. I had finished the 4th Annual World Wide Half Marathon in an impressive 1:48:52 (8:21 per mile pace).

While I didn’t hit my goal, I was still extremely satisfied with my time. When I reviewed my race times for the 8 half marathons I have run, I found my best time up to this run was 2:02:08 which was a 9:18 pace. I had trimmed almost a full minute off of my best time. How could I complain or feel bad about that. Besides I had run with over 1,100 friends from all over the planet. It the one time each year when I am on a training run that a truly feel a part of the greater running community. The Phedippidations podcast has greetings from fellow runners all over the world you can listen to while you run this race making it truly seem as if you are running with people all over the world.

This was my 3rd running of the World Wide Half Marathon. I intend to run it again next year. Why don’t you join me?

P.S. My name Vaca Coon comes from a little creature that live in the Florida Keys. It is a raccoon that we met when we went to the BSA's Florida Sea Base. He is a tough little animal and an excellent name for a tough runner.

Here are my training totals:

Oct. 5 – 3.10 miles (28:26, 9:10 pace)

Oct. 6 – 6.20 miles (52:49, 8:31 pace)

Oct. 8 – 6.20 miles (52:07, 8:24 pace)

Oct. 9 – 6.00 miles (50:37, 8:26 pace)

Oct. 10 – 3.25 miles (26:58, 8:18 pace)
Oct. 11 – 13.10 miles (1:48:52, 8:18 pace)
Oct. 12 – 6.00 miles (53:31, 8:55 pace)
Oct. 13 – 3.50 miles (29.49, 8:31 pace) – ½ mile warm-up, 2 mile repeats at 7:19 pace
Oct. 15 – 6.00 miles (50:08, 8:21 pace)
Oct. 16 – 6.20 miles (50:06, 8:05 pace) – Tempo run
Oct. 17 – 7.64 miles (1:04:32, 8:26 pace)

Total Miles: 67.19 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,618.95 miles

Reach the Beach -- Part 3

Sorry for the suspense. But, the report was a lot longer than I thought as I wrote it down. So, we met Van #1 at the Sanborn Town Hall a little after noon. We had actually got a little rest at Bear Brook State Park. We were having a lot of laughs in the van. For a group of people who really didn’t know on another, we had really become a team quickly. As strange as it may seem, we were actually having great fun on this crazy journey to Hampton Beach.

Dan took the handoff from John for the longest of our last six legs. He had a 6.69 mile course that had a steep uphill climb before a long downhill portion. We headed out to meet him about 3 miles into the run to give him some water. The weather had really become beautiful with clear skies and sunshine. After giving Dan his water, we headed to the transition area where I would take my last handoff for my short run through downtown Exeter.

I waited in the transition area for Dan to appear. I was tired and hungry. But, I was really pumped up for my last leg. It was going to be a short 2.2 miles on a fairly flat course. I wanted to just blow it out and run across the transition line with absolutely nothing left in the tank. I felt like I needed to make up for the less than stellar performance on my second leg.

Dan came through the transition area strong and handed it off to me. I put the pedal to the metal and headed off. I am not really sure where the energy came from but it was there deep inside of me. My turnover was quick and I wasn’t having any trouble with my breathing. I did feel stiff and my legs did feel heavy. However, it didn’t seem to be slowing me down. I was flying through town and feeling really good despite the sleep depravation and lack of real recovery between runs.

In what seemed like a minute, I was on the final downhill portion of the leg to the transition area. I picked my pace up even more wanting to finish strong. I could see Helene dancing and jumping at the transition point. I push it and ran to her handing off the wristband. I walked out of the transition area and knew I had nothing left. For a brief moment, I wasn’t sure I could make it back to the van. Of course, I made it fine and we headed out to meet Helene and finish the last 3 legs.

When we finally dropped Derek off to transition into the 36th and final leg of the race, we were ecstatic. We had persevered. We knew Derek would give it his all. So, we quickly headed down to the Town of Hampton and Hampton Beach State Park. The traffic was really thick. We wanted to get there before Derek as the team gets to run across the finish line together. We certainly didn’t want to miss that moment after all of these hours of effort.

Somehow, we finally reached the beach! We parked and hustled over to the finish line area. We didn’t have to wait long for Derek to come in. The 12 team members of Raging Waters gathered around him and slowly jogged across the finish line. After high fives, hugs and getting our medals, we headed over to van one to have a well earned beer and a toast to our success. We had done it. We had reached the beach.

We didn’t know our time when we left to head home. We knew we had beat our goal time. On Monday, I receive the following (edited down somewhat) from our team captain, John Heder:

Congratulations to all Running Waters & Raging Waters for successful completion of the 2009 Reach the Beach Relay. Both teams showed a significant improvement in both pace and overall time for this year’s race. The weather was great with the exception of the first 2 Ragers (John & Justin) who got soaked at the beginning but cleared the way for clearer (but cooler) skies for the rest of the teams.

All runners did well and completed each of their legs with great times with the exception of the two team captains who interestingly enough dropped out (first time in Waters RTB history) at the exact same point 5 miles into their third run (leg 25). Denise bravely ran on her broken foot (stress fracture) after completing 5 of her nine mile uphill run. The fact that she could hardly walk but still completed the toughest part of her third run definitely makes her a Raging Waters runner next year!

John (me) had karma intervene and force him to drop at the same 5 mile point due to sickness. My apologies for being such a zombie this year or for infecting any of my fellow Ragers. Denise and I were both fortunate to have to well trained (hopefully) ironman tri-athletes next in rotation who completed the rest of the captains leg and then continued on to run their assigned leg as well. Many thanks to Joe & Justin for helping their respective teams!

I would like to thank Denise for most of the organizing activities and logistics associated with this year’s race and for the generous use of the NH house used by 15 of the runners. Many thanks to Ted & Pete for the use of their vans and to Justin for his Redneck truck used by ½ the Ragers and the mighty Goliath! Many thanks and congratulations to all of the newbies who completed their first RTB! We’ve learned in the past that we should not ask about next year until this year’s sore and tired muscles (and broken bones) are fully recovered.

Raging Waters

Overall Place: 108

Division Place: 8/22 Men's Corporate Open

Total Time: 27:28:07

Pace per Mile: 7:56

Vs Goal: 1:09:19 ahead of schedule with 25 seconds/mile faster than estimate!!!

Running Waters

Overall Place: 236

Division Place: 7/10 Corporate Mixed Open

Total Time: 29:11:50

Pace per Mile: 8:26

Vs Goal: 1:36:35 ahead of schedule with 28 seconds/mile faster than estimate!!!

What a race! I am already thinking about how I can be part of the Waters team again next year. If for some reason they don’t need runners, I will need to find another team to run with. It was a unique experience. I am reminded of the quote, “The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.” That is how I prefer to think about it. I am never going to break the tape in any race. But, I am going to keep on running.

I needed to take a real recovery week after the Reach the Beach relay. Until I went out for my first run after the race, I did not know how sore I was after the effort. Here are my training totals:

Sept. 27 – 10.10 miles (1:30:05, 8:55 pace)
Sept. 29 – 6.10 miles (52:35, 8:37 pace)
Sept. 30 – 3.10 miles (25:55, 8:21 pace) – Speed work
Oct. 1 – 6.20 miles (50:54, 8:12 pace)
Oct. 2 – 8.00 miles (1:08:39, 8:35 pace)

Total Miles: 33.50 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,551.76 miles

Enjoy this video of our running across the finish line!!

Reach the Beach 2009 -- Part 2

Getting out of a van in the pitch black darkness of a New Hampshire night to run 9.2 miles is not something a normal runner would do. But, as most of you know, I am no normal runner. As I started off, I knew I had one of the most difficult legs of the race in front of me. The description of the leg warned me that there was very little shoulder to the road and that the road surface was rough. Not only that but there would be a 910 foot elevation gain over the first 5 miles of the leg.

The first ½ mile wasn’t too bad except for the stiffness in my legs after having sat in a van for several hours before my run. I was tired from a lack of sleep and I hadn’t really had anything to eat. I can’t run after eating anything. So, I did not eat before I headed out for my second leg. I was lulled into a false sense of security in the first ½ mile because it is a slight down hill before heading up. When I got to the point that the elevation was starting to steepen, I thought, “I conquered Heartbreak Hill. How bad could this be?” Little did I know.

My goal was to run a consistent 8:30 pace on the uphill portion of the leg and then pick it up the last 3.5 miles to allow me to come in around 1 hour and 10-15 minutes. Although the actual grade was not as steep as the Newton Hills of the Boston Marathon, the hill seemed to never end. Whenever I would reach what I thought was the top of the long hill, I would look up and see another hill in front of me. All I could see in front of me were the flashing red lights of the other runner’s safety vests. They looked like they were ascending into the sky. I couldn’t let my team down and pushed on.

After about the 4th mile, I looked at my watch to see where I was on my pace. I felt like I was running in quicksand. I knew I was behind pace. The look at my watch confirmed it. I was running at a 9:00 minute pace. If I stayed at this pace, I would lose a chunk of the time we had gained so far. I also realized that I would not be able to hit the original team goal for this leg of 1 hour and 20 minutes. The problem was I simply couldn’t go any faster on this long hill. I tried to pick up the pace. It just wasn’t happening. I decided to push as hard as I could and see what I had left in the tank when I hit the last 3.7 miles (downhill) to the next transition area at the Gilmanton School.

About this time, my teammates were parked along the road and had a fresh water bottle for me. They encouraged me. They said I was looking good and they couldn’t believe how well I was doing on this tough leg. I think they too were delirious from lack of sleep. I thanked them and told them to meet me another 2 miles up the way so I could get one more sip of water before I would need to pick up the pace to the finish. They agreed and left me there in the dark to trudge on. And trudge on I did.

Miraculously, I reached the apex of the hill finally and it started to level off. I began to increase my turnover and didn’t feel any ill affects from the long slog up the hill. I actually was starting to feel pretty good. My pace quickened nicely. I actually started to pass other runners. In fact, as I passed one runner who seemed to be struggling a bit, I said, “Looking good! Keep it up!” His response was, “It’s too early to be running that fast.”

Up ahead, I could see the van and my water break before I would finish what I thought would be the last 1.5 miles. I drank my water, thanked my teammates and headed off. What surprised me was that as I crested the little hill, I could see the transition area and the end of my run. The adrenaline kicked in and I hoofed it to the transition area where I handed it off to Helene for her next leg. I had finished one of the hardest runs I have ever attempted. I felt great despite the fact that it was cold and dark.

As I walked back to where the van was waiting for me, I dreaded looking at my watch. I knew I had missed the goal time and felt bad about it. I hit the light on my watch and was shocked at what I saw – 1:20:36. Somehow I had managed to pick up the pace enough on the downhill portion to come in only 36 seconds behind the team’s goal for this leg. I didn’t hit my personal goal. But, I was ecstatic that I didn’t give back any of our lead.

I changed out of my wet clothes. We all piled back into the van to head off to the next transition area to meet Helene. I slipped into my sleeping bag in the far back seat and tried to take a little nap. I did doze off a little as we travelled along the last three legs of our second set of runs. We finished around 8:15 am at the Vehicle Transition Area (VTA) #2 – Bear Brook State Park. We had a hot breakfast provided by the Allentown Fire Department for a mere $5. Then we grabbed some much needed rest on the field before we had to head down to VTA #3 at the Sanborn Town Hall.

When we met Van #1 at the Sanborn Town Hall, we had 6 more legs to go to the finish line at Hampton Beach. We were still well ahead of our goal. The key now was to be able to hold onto it. We all felt good about it and were really excited to get in our last runs.

I needed to take a real recovery week after the Reach the Beach relay. Until I went out for my first run after the race, I did not know how sore I was after the effort. Here are my training totals:

Sept. 14 – 6.10 miles (52:51, 8:39 pace)

Sept. 15 – 6.50 miles (55:56, 8:36 pace)

Sept. 16 – 3.10 miles (27:00, 8:41 pace)

Sept. 18 – 6.61 miles (52:25, 7:55 pace) – Leg 1 of Reach the Beach

Sept. 19 – 9.25 miles (1:20:36, 8:43 pace) – Leg 2 of Reach the Beach

Sept. 19 – 2.20 miles (15:59, 7:16 pace) – Leg 3 of Reach the Beach

Sept. 22 – 6.00 miles (53:27, 8:54 pace)
Sept. 23 – 4.00 miles (34:35, 8:38 pace)
Sept. 26 – 8.00 miles (1:08:22, 8:32 pace)

Total Miles: 51.76 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,518.26 miles

Reach the Beach 2009 -- Part 1

When I told my friends and family that I was going to run as part of a 12 member relay team in the Reach the Beach Relay race, they asked me if I was crazy. Who would want to run and rotate through 36 transition areas covering 206 miles all within a 24 hour period? I responded that it may be crazy but it sure sounds like fun.

After getting home at about 8:00 pm on Saturday night, I realized that it was a bit crazy. But, the Urban Dictionary defines crazy in such a way you can begin to understand a runner’s mind. It also happened to be very good description of the people on my team.

Crazy (from urbandictionary.com)

1. Often misinterpreted as a bad characteristic, crazy is used to describe people that are random, hyper, creative, and flat out fun to hang with. (adj.);

2. Often used by people to describe what they do not understand or think is not how something or someone should be and or act.

What is the Reach the Beach relay? It is advertised as a Running Relay Adventure Race. This could not be a better description of this race. “The Reach the Beach (RTB) Relay is the longest distance running relay race in the United States. The RTB Relay will take place in picturesque New Hampshire during the start of the New England foliage season” (from rtbrelay.com). The course this year started at Cannon Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire and the finish line was 206 miles away at Hampton Beach State Park in Hampton, New Hampshire.

I was runner #8 on the Raging Waters team. We had entered as a Men’s Corporate Open team because we only had 2 women of our 12 runners. To run as a Corporate Mixed Open team you have to have 6 men and 6 women. But, I have to say our 2 women runners were awesome. Plus they enjoyed the fact that they were able to be in a van with 5 smelly men all to themselves for a little over 27 hours. What woman doesn’t fantasize about that?

Based on our team’s estimated pace times, we had a plan to finish the race in 28 hours, 37 minutes and 26 seconds. This would mean we would be averaging 8:21 per mile. It sounded like a fairly solid goal to me and something that if we had it in us we could potentially beat. What I didn’t know at the time was how difficult the 2nd leg of this race is for all of the runners. Not to mention the 3rd leg after being sleep deprived for 24 hours. We were given our starting time of 1:40 pm on Friday which meant we would get into Hampton Beach around 6:00 pm on Saturday.

I picked up a few of our runners early Friday morning (5:30 am) because they were on the Running Waters team and had a 10:40 am start. This meant John Heden (our captain), Charles Lewis and I would be up at Cannon Mountain for several hours before our start. I thought it would be fine as it would give me time to nap before our start. Well, who knew that 399 teams and over 4,500 runners would create such a scene that you wouldn’t be able to get any shut eye. I did enjoy hanging out at the start seeing all the teams. Some had costumes and some were just having a great time before they had to start. I never got my nap in. I didn’t think too much about it. We had our team picture right before it started to rain and then headed over to watch our first runner leave the starting line on leg #1.

The race is really well run and John started off on time and headed out for his first leg of 7.95 miles (check out http://www.rtbrelay.com/course_legs.php for the legs descriptions). The first 6 legs were run by our runners in Van #1. Based on our goal time, they would be running 37.81 miles and finish in around 5 hours and 43 minutes. We had cell phones to allow Van #1 to call us and let us know if they were ahead of schedule. So, Van #2 which had Dan Lau (runner #7), me (runner #8), Helene Angley (runner #9), Bruce Metcalf (runner #10), Charles Lewis (runner #11) and Derek Clifford (runner #12) headed down to grab a decent meal before we had to meet Van #1 at the first Vehicle Transition Area (VTA) – Attitash Ski Area.

Van #1 was ahead of schedule and we finished our meal and headed up to the VTA to meet them for Dan’s and our van’s first leg of the race. They came in a good 30 minutes ahead of schedule which is a nice way to start this race. I figured we had it made and would definitely beat our time goal. Dan took the wrist band hand off and headed out for his leg which would cover 7.23 miles. We then jumped in the van to head out to transition area #7 where I would take the wrist band for my 1st leg. Our 6 runners would have to cover 31.59 miles and to hold the 30 minutes Van #1 had gained, we would have to finish in 4 hours and 23 minutes.

Dan came in strong and I was so pumped up to be running my first leg, I took off at a good clip. Unfortunately, the club sandwich and French fries I had eaten about 3 hours before were not cooperating. So, I burped my way down the road. I wanted to keep a strong pace and come in at around 8:00 per mile which I had been training for since running Boston in April. I won’t say it was easy. But, I pushed myself.

Leg #8 runs through the town of Conway. The traffic at this time of night (around 6:30 pm) was pretty thick. I had to be cautious even though I had a reflective vest with flashing red lights on it. I knew I was almost finished when I got to the center of town and the intersection of Rt. 16 and Rt. 153. I was in a groove at this point. As I crossed the road to head over to the Ham Arena and TA8, I saw our team captain John yelling for me to pick up the pace. I was filming the last ¼ mile with my flip camera and he grabbed it and told me he would film and I should focus on running. Up ahead I saw the lights of TA8 and picked up the pace to hand off to Helene. We had a smooth hand off and then I could look at my watch. I couldn’t believe what I saw…52:25! I had run the 6.61 miles at a 7:55 pace.

I didn’t have time to revel in my success as we had to get back in the van to get to TA9 and meet Helene. The balance of the transition areas went really smoothly and we finally reached VTA #2 to meet Derek as he finished his 3.87 miles through White Lake State Park. VTA #2 was crowded and crazy. But, we met Derek who handed off to John again who headed off for Van #1’s next 6 legs. We had head the pace and even picked up a few more minutes on our goal. We jumped into our van to head down to the next VTA so we could get some shut eye before we had to run our next 6 legs. Based on our current pace, we would have to be back up at 2:30 am to be ready for Dan’s next leg. It was 10:15 pm.

We headed down and found TA17 (Robbie Mills Sports Complex) where there was a large parking area and fields where some of our runners could sleep outside. It was clear and only 48 degrees. So, 3 of our guys (Bruce, Charles and Derek) slept on the ground. Helene, Dan and I slept in the van. I can’t say it was a restful sleep with the port-o-john doors slamming and vans coming in and out. But, I did catch a little shut eye before someone set off their car alarm which woke me up fully. I knew there would be no getting back to sleep at this point.

At 2:30 Derek came back to the van to get us all up and going. We had to drive down to VTA #3 at the New Hampshire Technical College. We made it in plenty of time. The weather was absolutely beautiful. The skies were clear and we could even see the Milky Way. Dan took the hand off for his 2nd leg a mere 4.33 miles. He is such a strong runner, that we had to get moving so we would have plenty of time for me to get ready at TA#19 (Belmont High School).

We made it in no time at all. Not much traffic other than vans from the race. I looked at my watch as I headed over to the hand off area – 3:50 am. This was going to be interesting. Dan came in at a good pace and handed off to me. I had one of the hardest legs ahead of me. I was going to have to run 9.23 miles with the first 5.5 miles going up hill and gaining 551 feet. Plus, I would be doing this with no food or sleep since 2:00 pm on Friday. This is what the race is all about. So, I turned on my headlamp and headed out.

I will tell you what happened in my next post. But, we had to complete 39.48 miles starting at 3:10 am. The good news is we heard there was a hot breakfast available at VTA #4 Bear Brook State Park which would have tents provided by New Balance and places to stretch out for some much needed rest. Stay tuned.

Trying to Make a Difference

It is not often that I discuss political or social issues with family or friends. I figure that my opinion is mine alone and it is not my place to foist my beliefs on others. Now and then, I do come across something that I believe is worth sharing with others. This week, Steve Runner on his Phedippidations Podcast brought up a topic and interviewed someone whose message I felt should be shared with as many people as possible. What better place than on a runner’s blog. If you are not interested in political diatribes, then stop reading this now and check back in a week when I report on my Reach the Beach Relay. But, if you want to learn something that might change your opinion about one of the running community’s biggest equipment suppliers… read on my friends.

As a Jew, I have learned the concept of Tikkun Olam (literally, "world repair"). Tikkun Olam is meant to teach us the need for social action and the pursuit of social justice in the world. It teaches us that we as human beings on this earth have a responsibility to fix what is wrong with the world around us. One way to instigate change and thus ultimately heal the world is through advocating for changes in our country’s public policy and seeking general societal change. As Jews, we believe that the world is profoundly broken and can be fixed only by human activity. Steve Runner through his Podcast introduced me to someone who is living this credo each and every day and sincerely trying to make a change in the lives of the disadvantaged. His name is Jim Keady.

“Jim Keady is the founder of Team Sweat. Team Sweat is an international coalition of consumers, investors and workers committed to ending the injustices in Nike’s sweatshops around the world. By marshalling the energy of a decade and a half of organizing on the Nike sweatshop issue, Team Sweat is striving to ensure that all workers who produce Nike products are paid a living wage. As a fellow runner, you have the power and responsibility to force Nike (and other companies who take advantage of the poor) to treat their workers with dignity and respect. Help Jim Keady and become a member of Team Sweat: to direct and encourage Nike to “just do it” and pay fair wages to their workers.” (From Steverunner.com).

Instead of me trying to describe what Jim and Team Sweat are all about, please visit his website http://www.teamsweat.org/ and/or listen to Steve’s interview with Jim at http://www.steverunner.com/ episode Fdip204. I am also including a link to a video that Jim produced that really moved me and I think will move you as well. You will find his video “Behind the Swoosh” here: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1818023932.

Steve included this quote from Sen. Robert F. Kennedy that I feel sums up why we need to care about injustices like those carried out by Nike.

"There is a discrimination in this world and slavery and slaughter and starvation. Governments repress their people; and millions are trapped in poverty while the nation grows rich; and wealth is lavished on armaments everywhere. These are differing evils, but they are common works of man. They reflect the imperfection of human justice, the inadequacy of human compassion, our lack of sensibility toward the sufferings of our fellows. But we can perhaps remember - even if only for a time - that those who live with us are our brothers; that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek - as we do - nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.”

To help repair the world means that Jews are not only responsible for creating a model society among ourselves but also are responsible for the welfare of society at large. Our responsibility to help repair our world can be understood as a religious mission. But it can also be viewed on both social and political terms. As a Jew, I try to live by the simple philosophy of social justice. This comes from the Jewish commandment to remember our experience as slaves and our Exodus from Egypt. Through this remembrance of our struggles back in Egypt we come to the realization that we as individuals are all harmed by oppression directed at any other group or individuals. Why not try to do something to correct these types of injustices.

For me, I have decided that I will try to get Team Sweat’s message out to as many people as possible through this blog and any other means I can think of. I will not purchase any Nike products until such time as they demonstrate that they have changed their practices. Maybe my one small voice will not make a difference. But, I have to at least try to make a difference no matter how small my individual voice may be.

Here are my training totals:

Sept. 6 – 3.60 miles (27:47, 7:43 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Sept. 7 – 10.10 miles (1:20:58, 8:01 pace) – Tempo
Sept. 8 – 7.10 miles (1:00:10, 8:28 pace)
Sept. 9 – 8.10 miles (1:10:11, 8:39 pace)
Sept. 10 – 8.10 miles (1:10:06, 8:39 pace)
Sept. 11 – 6.10 miles (54:21, 8:54 pace)
Sept. 12 – 5.10 miles (43:54, 8:33 pace)

Total Miles: 48.20 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,466.50 miles

The Art of Tapering

It is less than two weeks away from my first big relay race. That means it is time for me to start thinking about tapering back my training to allow my body to recover sufficiently to allow me to perform at my peak in the Reach the Beach Relay with my Raging Waters teammates. I want to make sure I don’t let them down by being too tired and not fully recovered when I run my three legs.

What does it mean to taper? It is really very simple. As Bob Cooper put it in an article entitled “It’s Taper Time” in Runner’s World magazine, "The primary aim of the taper should be to minimize accumulated fatigue, rather than to attain additional physiological adaptations or fitness gains. In other words, it's time to chill.” It is a difficult concept to wrap your head around. Many runners don’t take the tapering phase seriously. If you don’t taper properly, it can lead to a poor performance in your race. Resting is as much a part of your training regimen as the actual workouts.

Most tapers start two weeks before the race. During this two week period you will be able to become fully recovered from your previous workouts and be completely rested for the big event. This is the time to get extra sleep. I usually try to go to bed about ½ hour earlier than normal every night during my two week tapering phase. I do this because I know I can never really get a good night’s sleep before the race. I am so keyed up thinking about the next day’s race that I toss and turn all night. The extra sleep I get during the taper is one of the most important recovery mechanisms for me. I do tend to sleep better during the taper than normally and I believe it optimizes my recovery and ultimately my performance in the race.

Other than some extra sleep, I mainly focus on my nutrition. Since I will be reducing my mileage during my tapering phase, I know that I will not be burning as many calories as I have during my peak training weeks. So, to avoid gaining any weight that I would have to lug along the route, I start to cut back on the quantity of my servings. Weight Watchers really helped me to understand portion control and it definitely helped me during my tapering phase leading up to the Boston Marathon in April. I try to avoid snack foods or high fat foods. Instead, I eat more salads and low fat meals. This way I get to the starting line feeling rested and at my ideal weight.
I have been working on a post regarding hydration that I will be posting soon. But, the final thing I do during this two week period is hydrate. There are studies that have proven that carbohydrates convert to glycogen more effectively when accompanied with the consumption of water. I am typically carrying a 32 oz Nalgene bottle with me every day and sip on it constantly. This way I stay well hydrated leading up to race day. I don’t weigh myself during this period because I know there will be extra water weight. I know that the extra water will help me be better hydrated on race day, when it will be released as my glycogen stores are burned.

Now as the three people that actually read my blog know, I train using the Brooks-Hanson Moderate Consistent Plan. This means that during the tapering phase I am still running six days a week. The only difference is that the mileage is reduced. I still do a speed session and a tempo run during the first week of the taper phase. The second week I run shorter distances and at a comfortable pace. Here is what my taper for the Reach the Beach will be:

The taper is something you should not avoid. Any extra miles you put in really are not going to enhance your performance. During the first week of the taper you will start to feel good as your mileage is reduced. Your system that enables you to complete your peak workouts is still working but you are starting to build up the energy reserves you will need on race day due to your reduced training regimen. At the end of the first week you will feel energized and want to go out and race. Remember no matter how great you feel this is not the time to test yourself.

The second week leading up to your race you will start to really feel the benefits of the rest and reduced mileage. Any nagging aches and pains will be gone. You will feel like you could run forever. Your energy will start to increase each day and you will start to feel the need to get out there and run. Follow your schedule and do not add any additional work outs because you are feeling so strong. Keep in mind the race is where you want to put it all on the line not some 6 or 8 mile training run.

Tapering is not easy for any runner. As your body starts to recover, the system that responds to the stress of your workouts starts to shut down. But to properly rest and recover you need to let the system shut down and reboot. Sometimes during my taper phase, I feel a little sluggish and that my fitness level is suffering. From what I have read, this is a normal reaction to the system recovering. I just remind myself that this feeling is nothing more than my body repairing itself and getting ready for my big effort two weeks out.

I can only recommend that during this period take naps, reduce your overall workload (both at work and home). Don’t fill your free time from your reduced training with something else. Rest means rest. As you get closer to your race, get more and more sleep, eat good meals and just put your feet up and do nothing. If you can do all of these things you will arrive at the starting line charged up and ready to kick some serious asphalt.

Here are my training totals:

Aug. 16 – 10.10 miles (1:26:30, 8:33 pace)
Aug. 17 – 6.10 miles (51:04, 8:22 pace)
Aug. 18 – 3.60 miles (27:40, 7:37 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Aug. 20 – 7.10 miles (57:21, 8:05 pace) – Tempo
Aug. 22 – 10.00 miles (1:33:00, 9:18 pace)
Aug. 24 – 6.10 miles (52:25, 8:35 pace)
Aug. 25 – 3.60 miles (29:10, 8:06 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Aug. 27 – 7.10 miles (57:09, 8:03 pace) – Tempo
Aug. 28 – 6.20 miles (53:28, 8:37 pace)
Aug. 29 – 10.00 miles (1:25:25, 8:32 pace)
Aug. 31 – 6.20 miles (51:37, 8:19 pace)
Sep. 1 – 3.60 miles (28:24, 7:53 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Sep. 3 – 7.10 miles (57:13, 8:03 pace) – Tempo
Sept. 4 – 6.20 miles (50:26, 8:08 pace)
Sept. 5 – 8.10 miles (1:05:28, 8:04 pace)

Total Miles: 101.10 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,418.30 miles

Reach the Beach Relay

Since I am only a 32 day away from my first Reach the Beach Relay race, I though I would let the two or three people that follow this blog know a little more about the race. I have been intrigued by running a very long distance relay race since I heard about the Hood to Coast Relay which is a 197 mile relay from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, OR.

There are actually two races like this in New England and a third starting this year. There is the Green Mountain Relay which runs from Jeffersonville to Bennington, VT (36 Legs, 200 Miles, 7 Covered Bridges). The second is the Reach the Beach Relay which I will tell you a little more about below. Then the new Ragnar New Haven to Boston Relay Race (36 legs, 180 miles). Don't you think they could have figured out a route that got the mileage up to 200 miles. It seems that this type of racing is bigger than I thought.

So what is the Reach the Beach relay race? Well, here is how they describe it on their website:

“The Reach The Beach (RTB) Relay is the longest distance running relay race in the United States. The RTB Relay will take place in picturesque New Hampshire during the start of the New England foliage season. The relay will consist of (a maximum of ) 12 person teams that will rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the approximate 200 mile distance of the race. This means that each relay team member will run 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16.6 miles. There will also be an Ultra Distance division that will have a team limit of 6 members. In this case, the average distance covered per Ultra Distance Team runner would be ~ 33 miles. The runners will rotate in a set order once the race begins and will be obligated to follow this rotation until the final runner Reaches the Beach!”

(If you click on the title to this post, it will take you to the race's website.)

I have found a team through a friend from my Scout Troop. They are a team from Waters, Inc. Waters is headquartered in Milford, MA. They “design, manufactures, sell and service ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), chromatography columns and chemistry products, mass spectrometry (MS) systems, thermal analysis and rheometry instruments”. Whatever that means. I should have studied science in school instead of art. But they have welcomed me onto their team. For which I am grateful.

There are 12 runners on our team. So, each of us will run 3 legs. I will be running legs 8, 20 and 32 for our team. That will mean in a 24 hour period, I will have to run a total of 18.04 miles. It is much less than a marathon. But, the challenge will be running a leg, then cooling down and having to jump out of the van at some point and run another leg. I have spoken with some friends who have done these types of relays and they all tell me they are a lot of fun. But, on the other hand, they are not easy by any stretch of the imagination.

So, here are the descriptions of my legs:

Leg 8: 6.61 miles: moderate
The Town of Conway awaits the runners of Leg 8 so be cautious of the increasing traffic as you approach the center of town. You will arrive at the intersection of Rt. 16 and Rt. 153, turn right and cross over the road by the local police. From there it will be just a short jog over to the Ham Arena and TA8.

Leg 20: 9.23 miles: hard
Quiet Zone! Leg 20 leaves the Belmont High School and winds its way through the town before crossing Rt. 106. The runners will continue down Rt. 140 the entire way until reaching TA20 – the Gilmanton School. Use caution on this road as there is little to no shoulder and the road surface is pretty rough.


Leg 32 (New): 2.2 miles: easy
Leg 32 continues on Linden Street and quickly intersects with Route 111 where the runners will turn right and follow through downtown Exeter. Use caution as there are a lot of pedestrians and cars in town. The runners will stay on Route 111 for a short while and will transition on the right side at the Brooks Properties Building #1.

I am really looking forward to the challenge and making some new running friends. I am not certain if you will be able to follow our team on line like when I ran the Boston Marathon. But, you will be able to see our results when we are finished. My team is "Raging Waters" and my teammates are John Heden (team leader), Derrick Clifford, Bruce Ryan, Bruce Metcalf, Justin Deary, Dan Lau, Charles Lewis, Helene Angley, Mary, David Deary and Jeff Farise.

Here are my training totals:

Aug. 9 – 10.00 miles (1:24:47, 8:28 pace)
Aug. 10 – 6.00 miles (52:57, 8:49 pace)
Aug. 11 – 3.60 miles (28:13, 7:46 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Aug. 13 – 7.10 miles (57:15, 8:04 pace) – Tempo
Aug. 14 – 6.20 miles (52:37, 8:28 pace)
Aug. 15 – 10.10 miles (1:27:05, 8:37 pace)

Total Miles: 43.00 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,317.20 miles

Goal Setting the S.M.A.R.T. Way

Since I started running, I have found that the main thing that keeps me getting up and out the door at the God awful early hour of 5:00 am is the goals I have set for myself. It is always easy to be motivated to run when you have a marathon or half marathon on your calendar. The distance can not be taken lightly. So, you tend to be focused and get your work outs in no matter what. But, it made me look back on my past goals and how I set them.

I have found throughout my life that any goal worth attaining needs to be mapped out ahead of time. This means looking at the how, why, when and where aspects of the goal. In some cases, you also need to look at the goal from a time perspective to ensure that you have the time to meet the objective. This is especially true when it comes to the longer distance races. Finally, you need to be realistic in setting your goal. You cannot lift yourself off the “couch of doom” (thanks Steve Runner) and expect to go out and run a marathon in six weeks.

There are several things I do at the beginning of each year to help me meet my running goals. I look over the calendar and decide what big running event I am planning to participate in and add it to my calendar. This year is was the Boston Marathon and a secondary goal of participating in the Reach the Beach Relay. Once I have my races set, I then proceed to mapping out my plan for the year.

First, I look back at my past training logs to see what workouts seemed to fit my work and personal life schedules. Then I remind myself that everything in the past has shown me that to obtain these goals takes a long time and a lot of work and dedication. Regardless, I put my workouts on my calendar working backward from the race date to the latest date I can start training and be ready to race. The act of writing them into my calendar makes them real and important.

Next I decide where I am going to do each of my workouts. I write in whether or not it will be on the road outdoors or on a treadmill. In addition, I note which days I will double up my core workouts with my run. Because of the severe weather changes here in New England, I make sure I have contingency plans for really foul weather. It may mean running on the indoor track at the YMCA instead of outdoors if the weather is too bad. In any case, I make sure there is no excuse for missing a run.

Finally, I tell myself that no matter what, I will stick to my plan. It is inevitable that things will come up and interfere with my plan. So as I said, I plan for events to happen that will derail me. I also know that missing one workout during the course of a long training plan will not affect the ultimate results. And, I never double up workouts to make sure I have logged every mile the plan calls for. That can only lead to injury.

I was in a business training class some years ago and they used the acronym S.M.A.R.T. to help us set our goals. This is a simple way to remember the methods I outlined above. I use this method as part of my planning. S.M.A.R.T. stands for:

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Timetable

So when you sit down to plan your running goals for the year or for a specific race, try using the methods I have outlined and I am sure you will find that it helps you not only meet your goals but exceed them.

Here are my training totals:

Aug. 2 – 10.10 miles (1:29:062, 8:49 pace)
Aug. 3 – 6.00 miles (49:48, 8:18 pace)
Aug. 4 – 3.60 miles (27:55, 7:46 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Aug. 6 – 7.10 miles (57:47, 8:08 pace) – Tempo
Aug. 7 – 6.20 miles (54:05, 8:43 pace)
Aug. 8 – 10.10 miles (1:25:19, 8:26 pace)

Total Miles: 43.10 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 1,274.20 miles

30 years of memories...

My running has become such a huge part of my life now that it is really hard to think back to that point in time when I did not run at all. It wasn’t until 1985 when I moved back to Texas for a new job that I took up “jogging” to stay in shape. Back then just getting in three runs a week was good enough for me. I never thought back then I would ever run more than 6 miles and certainly couldn’t imagine finishing a marathon. Now twenty-four years later, I cannot imagine not running.

More importantly the last few weeks I have begun to think back to that summer thirty years ago when I was in the midst of making the transition from living at home with my parents and siblings to living on my own at a college some 1,500 miles away from San Diego. I was 17. I had recently graduated from Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Academy in Wichita. My family had moved back to San Diego from Wichita because of a change in my father’s career. And I had registered for classes in the fall of 1979 at Texas Christian University.

It is said that there are several life changing events that can cause stress in your life. Things that may cause stress include being laid off from your job, your child leaving or returning home, the death of your spouse, divorce or marriage, an illness, an injury, a job promotion, money problems, moving, or having a baby. In the summer of ’79, I was experiencing several life changing events in my life all at one time. I had graduated, moved, lived on my own for six weeks in Pittsburg, KS, and was leaving home to head off to college. But, looking back on that summer, I don’t really recall any stress at all. I seem to only remember the feeling of excitement at the prospect of starting on life’s journey alone where I could and had to make choices without the help of my parents.

Thinking back to that summer made me think about those friends I left behind so many years ago when I moved back to San Diego. As I slogged through my training miles memories of each and every friend I had made in High School and College kept creeping into my consciousness. I realized that although I kept up with some of my closer friends over the past 30 years or so, I had lost touch with so many. People who were so important to me. Perhaps the fact that my 30th High School reunion was this year brought all of those memories flooding back. What I am sad to say is that I have not spoken to most of my closest friends from back then in many years. As I like to say, “Life got in the way.” It is not an excuse. Just a truism.

I admit that I thought of them often over the years. A song, movie, play or something I saw would remind me of them. I have regaled my children with stories from my days at Kapaun-Mt. Carmel. We really did have some wonderful times together. I never really knew how to reconnect or even find those long lost friends. Finally, I have been able to reconnect with many of these long lost friends through Facebook. Some people think Facebook is a big waste of time. It can be. But, I am thankful for it because it has allowed me the chance to hear from those people who influenced my life back when I was 15-17. The friends who in many ways helped me become the man I am today.

What is so interesting about reconnecting with an old friend is that time just melts away. The friends I have spoken with all seemed to be pleasantly surprised to hear from me after all of the intervening years. I was a little worried about not having anything in common anymore or nothing to talk about. What I found was that the shared history we had was the beginning conversation piece. The chance to update each other and what we’ve missed seems to have us talking nonstop. It was silly to be nervous about it.

I am grateful to be able to reconnect with my old friends. It is amazing that when I finally get a chance to talk with them whether or not on-line or in person that it likes yesterday. Our friendship bond is still there. I have found that my friends have been busy living life just like me. The best part is that they all seem to be the same person I knew just a bit older, wiser and having had more life experiences. I intend to be a better friend to them and stay in closer touch. I didn’t realize how much I missed them until we reconnected.

I will close with a great quote about friends from Albert Schweitzer, “In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” For all of my friends new and old who read this blog, I want you to know I am thankful for you and you ability to rekindle my inner spirit.

Here are my training totals:

July 26 – 10.10 miles (1:26:52, 8:36 pace)
July 27 – 6.20 miles (51:21, 8:36 pace)
July 28 – 3.60 miles (27:35, 7:40 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
July 30 – 7.10 miles (57:07, 8:03 pace) – Tempo
July 31 – 6.10 miles (51:53, 8:30 pace)
Aug. 1 – 10.00 miles (1:24:29, 8:27 pace)

Total Miles: 43.10 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,231.10 miles