Training Talk

Last week, I said I had intended to make a post outlining some training, but changed my mind because of a friend's status on Facebook.

This week, I'm talking about training.

Right now, my training consists of working towards two goals:

1.  The Dopey Challenge.  48.6 miles over 4 days at Disneyworld culminating in the Walt Disney World Marathon.  Plus an extra mile in the Mickey Mile with my daughter.

and..

2.  Build my swimming to a point where I can realistically start training for the Half-Ironman in New Orleans next April.

Tertiary non-goal:  Get a better base of cycling fitness as well.

What I'm doing is following a training plan laid out by another blogger, but changing some things up on the non-running days for cross training and for working towards goal #2.  This past week, my schedule was as follows:

Monday:  Bike 30 minutes
Tuesday:  Run 2 miles
Wednesday:  Run 3 miles
Thursday:  Rest
Friday:  Bike 30 minutes
Saturday:  Run 6 miles
Sunday:  Core

What actually was done:

Monday:  Swim Smooth's Stroke Correction Workout (roughly 1200M of swimming and drills)
Tuesday:  2 mile treadmill run (followed by a St. Peter's Dad's Club meeting at the Abita Brewery to sample some Abita Strawator)
Wednesday:  3 mile treadmill run
Thursday:  Rest (in the form of cutting grass)
Friday:  Swim Smooth workout
Saturday:  6 mile run
Sunday (Today):  20 mile bike

The good:  Ran well all three days.  The runner compulsion to make training runs into race distances creeped in and my 3 mile run became 3.1, and my 6 mile became 6.2 (5K and 10K respectively).  I've got a touch of ITBS in my right knee and if I stretch a bit before I run and wear the knee band for ITBS it's not an issue (but wasn't the case last week since I neglected the band on a 5 mile run).

The bad:  It was still over 90 degrees when I started cutting grass on Thursday evening.  I probably burned more calories and did more work than if I had run 5 miles.  But my yard looked AWESOME!

The ugly:  The two swim workouts.  The swimming would be fine if it weren't for the need to breathe, but I can't ever find a comfortable rhythm to my breathing that would allow for me to swim continuously for more than about 100 meters.  I'm guessing at some point it'll get better, but as of now, it's not.  It's a humbling experience too, especially since I feel like I'm a decent runner and can run for hours.  I'm not as fast as I want to be on a bike, but I can ride for hours as well.  But swimming is a completely different animal.

I remember when I was doing martial arts, and would meet people who were interested in trying out a class.  One of their primary objections would always be "I'm not in shape for kickboxing/ju jitsu/tae kwon do/hapkido/Brazilian jiu jitsu/judo, so I want to get in shape first before I try a class so I don't get embarrassed."  My reply was always "the only way to get into fight shape is to fight".  The logic was that sport specific fitness would be more of a factor than general fitness.  I had seen a ton of guys come in who were in "good" shape and would be on the verge of puking halfway through a ju jitsu workout. Or in the case of my much younger than me cousin, actually puking in a Chik-Fil-A drive through after a ju jitsu workout.  He was in good shape, but not in ju jitsu shape.

Of course, knowing how to do whatever it was we were doing in a martial arts class made it easier as well, so it was easier to get by on skill rather than fitness.  I'm beginning to feel like swimming is a lot like that.  The first time I sparred in a kickboxing class I gassed a couple minutes into the first round because I didn't have the skills.  But as my skills developed, sparring became easier and it was less of an effort.  I'm just waiting for my swimming (especially the breathing part) to get to that point.  I think that once that happens, I'll be able to drastically increase my swim volume and get much better fairly quickly.

Next week looks to be a fairly low volume running week, so I'll get an extra pool workout in.  The week after also looks to be low volume.  However, the week of July 14th is the first "Dopey Drill Week" in my plan.  6 consecutive days of running, with an 8 mile run on Sunday the 21st.

CAN'T WAIT!

 - "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard...is what makes it great!"
-Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own

Of Bees And Horses

In some training article or book I read, I found a fable-esque story about a bumblebee.  According to the tale, some scientists and astrophysicists at NASA couldn't figure out how bees fly, as their wings were too small to generate lift.  But bees don't know they can't fly, so they just do.

Also in the same article, the mentality of a racehorse is discussed.  They blindly follow their trainer and only do what he wants them to do.  Nothing more, nothing less.  And on race day they go out and do their absolute best with no worries that they've lost fitness from their pre-race taper or concerns that they haven't done enough for their race.  

The moral of both stories is fairly obvious... Always believe you can do whatever you set out to do (the bee), and trust in your training (the horse).

One reason why I was never attracted to running is I never could figure out what to do.  Obviously, run for a little while, then run further the next time, ad infinitum.  But I'd try it and within 2 weeks I couldn't walk because I'd overdo it, then think "this running stuff kills my legs" and quit.  It didn't make sense to me since in my experience with cycling I could ride however far I wanted whenever I wanted and never really dealt with soreness or injury.  

Every January, the (Some)Times-Picayune would publish a training plan in advance of the Crescent City Classic.  3 plans actually, aimed at walkers, joggers, and runners.  I didn't understand the logic behind the plans, as one wouldn't cover the distance, another would go way over the distance, the mileages seemed haphazard, etc.  But I'd set out to follow the plan, do so for maybe two weeks, and then fall off sometime in late January on a particularly nasty day when it was 40 degrees and raining.  Then a week before the Classic I'd try to cram 3 months of training in 4 days, and go do the CCC and not be able to walk the week after.  

Finally a couple years ago I got smart when I found the MiCoach site and app.  I saw that you could build a training plan based on goals and distance, set your training days, your long run day, etc.  Since I didn't know any better, I took the mentality of the racehorse and just followed the training plan, and lo and behold, completed a half-marathon.  I actually did it twice, as the day of my last long run I covered 13 miles and change.  Based on that experience, and that of a couple races after, I figured out that a good plan was critical to success in endurance sport.  

Since that first race, I've used a couple other MiCoach plans with great success, as well has Hal Higdon's Marathon Novice 2 plan for the one marathon I've run.  I even built my own plan for the Big Easy Sprint Tri as an exercise in plan building, since the distances weren't daunting and I already had built a decent endurance base.  

The unique circumstances of the Dopey Challenge, however, led me back to searching for a plan.  I don't trust my novice skills at building a training plan for something like the Dopey.  I also don't think that a standard marathon plan is sufficient because of the 4 consecutive days of running in the challenge, so I was hoping to come across something similar.  Jeff Galloway is the "official" running coach for Disney Running, but his training plan seems to be aimed at run-walkers and is focused on just finishing the races.  I looked at his plan and felt the volume was way too light for someone with my level of fitness and endurance (or lack of common sense), so I had to find something else.

Some Googling led me to Brian Johnson's blog, where he's laid out a plan for both novice and intermediate runners.  Brian studied exercise science at Purdue and reading some of his blog posts leads me to believe he knows what he's doing... And he's giving away his knowledge for free!  He's also a Disney running fan and has done a Goofy Challenge, so he's familiar with what this event will entail.  His plans make sense to me, since he's taken into account the volume of the races, the unique challenge of running 4 days in a row, doubling mileage each day, and the necessity of cross training in preparation for something like this.  

I felt his intermediate plan fits me to a 'T', but when I backed it up on a calendar, I found it starts in mid July.  His novice plan started in June.  My last race was at the end of May, so what I'm doing is following the novice plan for now to maintain fitness, and when the intermediate plan starts I'll go to that.  I'm also swimming in place of core training, since swimming is good for the core, and I need the practice because my swimming is so mediocre.  I also plan to sprinkle in some long bike rides where I can simply because I enjoy long bike rides when I have the opportunity.  

I'm still surprised to see such a comprehensive plan laid out and given away for free.  Brian has done a great job putting his plans together.  They're well thought out in building mileage, accounting for the unique challenge of running 4 days in succession doubling the distance each day, and for recovery.  Maybe I'll get to meet Brian in Disney before the marathon to say thanks.

The past couple weeks of training have been mostly non-eventful.  Running distances have been fairly short (2-5 miles) and I've gotten a couple swim workouts in each week.  Swimming isn't nearly as gratifying as running, especially in this age of GPS tracking.  If you go do a 5 mile run and use a GPS app or device to track your run, you can look at a map of the run on a computer and see how far you went.  But the pool is just that... a pool.  And the distances don't even sound impressive.  "I swam 1500M this morning".  Whoopee... I ran 7 miles.  Look at my map of my run.

In the "cheap bike aficionado" department, I scored a bike off Craigslist this week.  Both of my bikes, the Bianchi (aka The Sexy Italian Bitch©) and the Quintana Roo (which is still nameless as of now) both have Look pedals, which means special shoes when I want to ride them.  They're also quite comfortable at a faster pace, so that means the wife on her hybrid isn't keeping up.  So I'd been on the lookout for a mountain or trail bike to ride with the family, but I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on it.  That pretty much left me looking at used bikes on Craigslist or eBay.  

Thursday, I found an ad for a Trek "Series 3" located near Tulane University in Uptown New Orleans. I sent the guy a text and he still had it, so I made plans to stop by to take a look at it on my way home.  In doing some research (looking at BikePedia and comparing pictures to the picture on Craigslist), I figured out the bike is a couple year old Trek 3500.  Basically, an entry level bike with entry level components.  And a retail price of $379.  Pretty much what I was looking for.  I offered the guy a few bucks less than his asking price because the bike was in fairly rough condition (and he said his price was negotiable), and came home with a cheapie beater mountain bike to putt around on with the family.  

Took all of about 12 minutes for a picture of it on Facebook to lure in the obvious "was it cheap because it's a kids' sized frame?" joke as well.  Obvious joke was obvious.

Finally, I want to send some congratulations to my cousins Danielle and Tabitha for running a 5K today.  Between the emails and Facebook messages, I've felt just a little like a coach or a trainer for them in this adventure.  Both have thanked me for my help and cited me as an inspiration, but in reality they're inspiring me.  Having family take note of what I'm doing and feeling like I can help them chase new goals just makes me want to go further/faster so I can learn more about this sport and hopefully get others to take on some of the same challenges.  I got involved in running just as a way to stay active and fit for myself, and it's pretty neat that I'm inspiring others to do the same thing.  That said, I probably ought to send some thanks to my friend Alan (Hackker) because it was his posting about his running that got me curious enough about running to actually consider trying it, and also my wife's boss Denis who urged me just enough after the last CCC I ran with him to try a longer race, and to also run a marathon.

It's also Denis's fault that I'm doing the Dopey Challenge.  He called me after the two beer threshold had been reached where I stop considering the implications of committing myself to something that could result in injury or bodily harm.  So, to Denis, thanks bro!

Always pass on what you have learned - Master Yoda

Winning. What Does It Really Mean?

This post was going to be a "I ran XX miles this week and did XX yards in the pool", but something changed my mind.

I've got an e-friend that I met through an MMA forum probably 5-6 years ago.  At the time we were both into mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but since then have gotten away from that and moved in very different directions in sport.  He went from being a gym rat to getting serious about bodybuilding and recently competed in his first show.

Making that leap is HUGE.  (Pun intended) It's changing from lifting for fitness and eating "clean" to every aspect of his training being scrutinized in preparation for the day he took the stage wearing next to nothing to have his physique evaluated by judges.  And as a testament to his dedication and his training, he took third place in his first show as a heavyweight.  Impressive by any standards, and something anyone should be proud of.  Yet this week on Facebook, he made a post about how he wasn't satisfied with third, and wants to win one of these shows.

Immediately, my first reaction was "geez, you took third in your first show, enjoy it".  But it got me thinking.  Just what exactly is 'winning'?  And how is it quantified in sport?  Sure, in team sports, it's easy to point out who won and who lost.... Just look at the scoreboard.  But in an individual sport, against a very large field, doesn't winning mean different things to different competitors?

Sure, my friend didn't "win" the show, but he made a very impressive showing in his first bodybuilding contest, and has no doubt laid the groundwork for even further gains and future success in his chosen sport.  I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him taking first in an amateur show in the near future.

But how does this apply to running?  That's what I've been thinking about the past couple days.

Unless someone is a world class elite runner, (s)he knows that their chance of "winning" a race on race day is probably next to zero.  Mo Farah ran a race I was in recently, and there's no way I can keep up with Mo in a race unless it involves beer and/or crawfish.  But without the possibility of winning, why compete?  Sure, someone could conceivably run every little race they can find and one day luck upon a combination of a small field of not-so-fast runners on a day they're feeling good and get a 'win', but what does that really mean?  They're the fastest guy that showed up at the first annual Enon 5K?

Personally, I don't like doing the little races mainly because I'm too lazy to get up early enough to do them unless they're VERY local to me and for a cause I support (which usually means my kid's school).

But a 2500 person field in a half-marathon, or a 20,000 person marathon?  IN!!

In my opinion, I think the answer is in the pre-game prayer huddle you'll see on a sideline at a football game.  Nobody (should) ask God to "help us win the game".  But they will ask God to help them perform to the best of their abilities and avoid injury.

The way I approach my running is I need a goal before I can do anything else.  I'm not one of those guys that you read about who runs just because he "loves to run".  It's not that fun to me.  I need a goal to motivate me, and that goal is typically distance or time related.  Running a 10K just to run it.. meh.  Shooting for a sub 50 minute 10K?  Sign me up.  Sub 45 minutes?  Still a goal, just down the priority list right now.  So for me, and I'd guess a lot of other runners, "winning" means meeting a goal of either finishing a challenging distance, or hitting a time goal, or simply not drowning on the swim leg of a triathlon (yes, that's me.  Laugh now.)

Somewhere between the National Anthem and the starting gun, I'm usually muttering a very short prayer that is basically asking God to help me run to the best of my ability and avoid injury.  Beyond that, I have to rely on my training and preparation to get me to the finish line.  And if I go sub 1:40 in a half-mary, or finish a marathon, or come out of the water in a triathlon and make the sprint to T1, I've won, at least as far as I'm concerned.  And for all those other racers who are hitting goals and pushing themselves to new distances and setting new benchmarks for themselves on race day, well, they're winning as well.

Because at the end of the day, when we're enjoying our post-race beer and cheeseburgers, we think about the events of the day and realize we're only competing against ourselves.  There are no judges, no competition, no opponents... Just the road and the clock.  And that clock never, ever will give you a break.  It's more formidable than any opponent will ever be.  It never has a bad day.  It never sprains a knee.  It never gases.  It's the only benchmark that we are able to measure up against, and on the days we beat it... we win.

Recent Gear Acquisitions

Like most people in my career field, I'm a bit of gadget junky.  I like to tinker with things, play with various electronic devices, and find new ways to collect data to over-analyze and get obsessive about.  

When I started running, I was using the Nike+ app that was pre-installed on the iPhone 4 with the Nike+ pod in my shoe.  That gave way to a GPS based app (Adidas MiCoach) which uploaded to their website, and also had several training plans to follow.  My search for a training plan for the marathon I did earlier this year led me to Hal Higdon's Marathon App and Training Peaks.  I used Training Peaks in conjunction with CycleTracker and RunTracker when I started multisport training, but wasn't a fan of either of those apps.  I ended up going back to using MiCoach for my run training and either Strava, CycleTracker, or just my Cateye for cycling.  I continued to chronicle my workouts manually on Training Peaks, but that's a pain in the butt.

A couple weeks ago though, I saw that Garmin had reduced their price on the Forerunner 310XT.  I'd already set up my Tri-bike with a Garmin Speed/Cadence sensor and picked up their heart rate monitor to use with TrainerRoad for indoor cycling, so I didn't need any other accessories to make use of the advanced functionality of the 310.  I ordered one from Amazon and used it for the first time at the Big Easy Sprint Triathlon.  I love the accuracy of the device, the effortless uploads to Garmin Connect, and the multisport functionality.  I like the device so much that I ordered another Speed/Cadence sensor for the Sexy Italian Bitch© and a footpod for my shoes to track indoor running as well.  There's also a social aspect to Garmin Connect so I can follow friends and be completely discouraged by their effortless 20+ mile runs at a 7:30 pace.  

Also for running, I ordered a Lifeproof Armband for my iPhone (which lives in one of their cases).  I like to run with music, and it seems kind of dumb to go out for a long run with no connectivity in case something bad happens.  Plus every once in a while, I'll see something photo worthy on a run and try to grab a snapshot.  Unfortunately, it's usually wildlife and it's gone by the time I actually take the picture. I'm also trying some new running shoes, Nike Pegasus 29.  I'd run about 1200 miles in Nike Moto+8s, but they were discontinued.  I tried several other shoes, and didn't find any I liked nearly as much, but these were recommended by a guy at the Nike Outlet in Foley, AL.  We'll see...

Lastly, in an attempt to fix my awful swimming, I grabbed a copy of Swim Smooth for my Kindle (and read it), as well as some stuff from Finis (fins, paddles, pull bouy).  If my swim goes from awful to mediocre, I'll consider it a success.  I'm not trying to be Michael Phelps.  I just need to finish the swim leg of a triathlon and not feel like I'm gonna vomit on the first 3 miles of the bike leg.  

There's nothing quite as motivating as a bunch of new toys to kickstart your training.  Next week I'll start my training plan for the Dopey Challenge.  It'll be a fun 6 months.