Hey all,
Supposed to be an easy week this week. I say supposed because on Tuesday a freind of mine at work talked me into going with him on a "run" up Mt. Elden. He is training to do a grand canyon hike where he'll go from the south rim to the north rim and back again in one day (totally insane, almost 30 miles with a mile in elevation change each way). Anyway, Tuesday was a four mile "run" with two miles going up about 2,000 ft. and then two back down. I keep using the term "run" very loosely because after about a half mile on the way up I don't think what I was doing could qualify as running, we'll call it a "power hike" from that point. The way down was fun, but resulted in my calves being sore for like 5 days.
Thursday was a blast. I went out from work at lunchtime and starting running down woody mtn road again (this time no trucks). I peeled off on another road that I haven't been down before and found that it had a good 200 ft of elevation change in it, so it was a good trainer for Robie. I did 4.5 miles. It was fun because I felt so good on the run and turned it into an impormptu tempo run (finished in 39 min).
This morning was not so fun. It was really windy out and I just didn't feel very good. I did four miles and couldn't wait for it to be over.
So while the miles may have been lower then usual, the runs were certainly not "easy".
Paige had a big week. She ran her first 5k! It was awesome to see her get out there and enjoy it. Congradulations Paige!
-Justin
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Fight or Flight
Ok first off I want to share this story before I forget it. So I've been going to the gym lately to lift some weights, swim, spin etc. There are always some really interesting characters at they gym. There is a guy who wears a tight white shirt with a sweater tied around his waist and doesn't do anything but talk to everybody. There is a guy who busts sweet gymnastics moves on the pull up bars for about 3 min then hits the showers. Then the other day I saw this dude that I'll never forget. He and what I'm presuming was his wife were doing squats. They caught my eye because of their appearance. The best I can describe him is like a really skinny Dennis Eckersley. And she was even skinnier. 
They looked like 1975 just dropped them off. He had tight sweatpants and a cut off belly shirt. Anyway, the part that killed me was how pumped up he got for his sets. He was lifting a respectable amount, 225 if I remember correctly. But he was yelling, before and after each set like he was competing in the world strongman. Then before one set he yells, "spot my A**". I was in the middle of a set myself but had to stop because I was about to bust out laughing. Anyway, moving on.
This weeks runs were pretty good overall. Tuesday I ran on the treadmill at the gym. I was so sick of running outside and dealing with the mud and weather after last Saturdays run so I went for the gym. I did uphill speedwork and felt really good afterwards. Then Thursday I ran outside on Woody Mtn.(dirt) road. It wasn't so fun because every other minute huge trucks were passing me and blowing dust all over me (mmmmm dirt).
Today was great. Long run day! I did about 10 miles on the frontage road. Sometimes its just great to run on relatively flat pavement because it's fast. I know that people like to listen to Pink Floyd for a lot of different activities, today I discovered that it's great for long runs. When you run for more than about an hour, music that is too heavy gets really old and even annoying.
Now I'm going to reveal something about myself that may change the way you think about me. I really don't like dogs (there I said it). They're loud, they make me itch, they stink, they're loud, sometimes they bite, they chase me when I run, they're loud. On today's route I passed by some houses that have dogs that chase me about 50% of the time. The first time they chased me they were nipping at my heels and I had to turn around early. This time I was prepared. I brought a folding knife with me so in case I got jumped by a dog I could fight it off with the knife. Then as I got close to the dog house I picked up a rock so I could chuck it at any mutts that got too close. So there I was with my IPOD off (so they could't sneak up on me) a rock in one hand, and knife ready in the other and I realized I was a HUGE wuss. I didn't end up seeing any dogs, but my pace quickened by about 1 min per mile through that section.
Keep it real
-Justin
They looked like 1975 just dropped them off. He had tight sweatpants and a cut off belly shirt. Anyway, the part that killed me was how pumped up he got for his sets. He was lifting a respectable amount, 225 if I remember correctly. But he was yelling, before and after each set like he was competing in the world strongman. Then before one set he yells, "spot my A**". I was in the middle of a set myself but had to stop because I was about to bust out laughing. Anyway, moving on.
This weeks runs were pretty good overall. Tuesday I ran on the treadmill at the gym. I was so sick of running outside and dealing with the mud and weather after last Saturdays run so I went for the gym. I did uphill speedwork and felt really good afterwards. Then Thursday I ran outside on Woody Mtn.(dirt) road. It wasn't so fun because every other minute huge trucks were passing me and blowing dust all over me (mmmmm dirt).
Today was great. Long run day! I did about 10 miles on the frontage road. Sometimes its just great to run on relatively flat pavement because it's fast. I know that people like to listen to Pink Floyd for a lot of different activities, today I discovered that it's great for long runs. When you run for more than about an hour, music that is too heavy gets really old and even annoying.
Now I'm going to reveal something about myself that may change the way you think about me. I really don't like dogs (there I said it). They're loud, they make me itch, they stink, they're loud, sometimes they bite, they chase me when I run, they're loud. On today's route I passed by some houses that have dogs that chase me about 50% of the time. The first time they chased me they were nipping at my heels and I had to turn around early. This time I was prepared. I brought a folding knife with me so in case I got jumped by a dog I could fight it off with the knife. Then as I got close to the dog house I picked up a rock so I could chuck it at any mutts that got too close. So there I was with my IPOD off (so they could't sneak up on me) a rock in one hand, and knife ready in the other and I realized I was a HUGE wuss. I didn't end up seeing any dogs, but my pace quickened by about 1 min per mile through that section.
Keep it real
-Justin
Monday, March 17, 2008
Beginners only
In response to Tobe's comment, I'll give my two cents on how a complete beginner should go about becoming a distance runner.
-Disclaimer-
I am not a trainer/coach. My recommendations are based on my personal experience and on things I have read/heard from other runners/coaches. Bottom line, listen to your body.
Success in starting to run, depends mainly on two things. 1) Get the right shoes and 2) Start slow.
First the shoes. These are crucial no matter what level runner you are. For me, getting decent shoes was a night and day difference. The part that makes this so difficult is that everybody's feet are different. My best advice is to go to a specialty running store and have them help you find the right shoe for you. You need to go somewhere that will take the time for you to try on multiple pairs of shoes and where the staff is very knowledgable (you can usually tell if they're just bs'ing answers to your questions). Simply having a treadmill and fancy cameras to analyze your running isn't enough. A computer can model which shoe should be best for you, but until you actually try some on and jog a few steps in them, you won't know if they're any good. In fact, I only trust one store in Orem (The Runners Corner) to fit me properly. Expect to pay around $100 for a good pair of shoes.
The next step is to start running, but to start slowly. My big mistake was thinking I could run with guys that had been running for at least a couple of years. While I may have been fit enough cardiovascularly, my body was not ready for the amount of pounding that level of running presented. I am a big fan of the run/walk program. This is where you take walks at predetermined intervals during your run. If you are really starting running fresh your first week may look like this:
Mon- Run 1 min, walk 1 min repeat 15x
Wed - same
Thurs - same
Sat - Run 2min, walk 2 min repeat 10x
Then the next week make the runs go from 2 to 4 mins keeping the 1 min walks consistent and keeping the total time to 30 mins.
Then just keep building from there making each run 1 min longer then the last, but don't let the runs get over 10-15 mins long. After 6-8 weeks you will get to running 30 mins with only one or two "walk breaks". After that you have built a good enough base to start talking miles. Again, when you start building your weekly miles take it slow. Don't add more than 10-15% of milage week over week i.e. 10 miles this week, don't do more than 11 next week. Also, even when you are building up it's a good idea to have some "easy weeks" built in every 3-4 weeks where you esentially cut your mileage by about 50% to allow your body time to repair itself and avoid "overtraining". Keep with the run/walk as long as you feel like it. Many really good marathon runners use this strategy by taking 1 min walks every 1-3 miles. In fact one prominent running coach named Jeff Galloway strongly promotes this type of training.
It may feel really weak at first, but there is a reason. It has to do with the fact that running puts a lot of strain on joints and tendons that haven't seen that kind of stress before (especially if you are starting out a little overweight). This slow buildup allows for those parts to get accustomed to the added stress without taking them past the breaking point. The other thing I like about this approach is that to a lot of people running for more than 10 mins at a time can be pretty daunting, let alone 30. This slow buildup gives you the mental edge because you are only running for one more minute then you did last time.
The only other thing I might suggest is to sign up for a 5k race. This gives you a goal to train for.
Hope this helps anybody looking to get into running, let me know if you have any questions.
-Justin
-Disclaimer-
I am not a trainer/coach. My recommendations are based on my personal experience and on things I have read/heard from other runners/coaches. Bottom line, listen to your body.
Success in starting to run, depends mainly on two things. 1) Get the right shoes and 2) Start slow.
First the shoes. These are crucial no matter what level runner you are. For me, getting decent shoes was a night and day difference. The part that makes this so difficult is that everybody's feet are different. My best advice is to go to a specialty running store and have them help you find the right shoe for you. You need to go somewhere that will take the time for you to try on multiple pairs of shoes and where the staff is very knowledgable (you can usually tell if they're just bs'ing answers to your questions). Simply having a treadmill and fancy cameras to analyze your running isn't enough. A computer can model which shoe should be best for you, but until you actually try some on and jog a few steps in them, you won't know if they're any good. In fact, I only trust one store in Orem (The Runners Corner) to fit me properly. Expect to pay around $100 for a good pair of shoes.
The next step is to start running, but to start slowly. My big mistake was thinking I could run with guys that had been running for at least a couple of years. While I may have been fit enough cardiovascularly, my body was not ready for the amount of pounding that level of running presented. I am a big fan of the run/walk program. This is where you take walks at predetermined intervals during your run. If you are really starting running fresh your first week may look like this:
Mon- Run 1 min, walk 1 min repeat 15x
Wed - same
Thurs - same
Sat - Run 2min, walk 2 min repeat 10x
Then the next week make the runs go from 2 to 4 mins keeping the 1 min walks consistent and keeping the total time to 30 mins.
Then just keep building from there making each run 1 min longer then the last, but don't let the runs get over 10-15 mins long. After 6-8 weeks you will get to running 30 mins with only one or two "walk breaks". After that you have built a good enough base to start talking miles. Again, when you start building your weekly miles take it slow. Don't add more than 10-15% of milage week over week i.e. 10 miles this week, don't do more than 11 next week. Also, even when you are building up it's a good idea to have some "easy weeks" built in every 3-4 weeks where you esentially cut your mileage by about 50% to allow your body time to repair itself and avoid "overtraining". Keep with the run/walk as long as you feel like it. Many really good marathon runners use this strategy by taking 1 min walks every 1-3 miles. In fact one prominent running coach named Jeff Galloway strongly promotes this type of training.
It may feel really weak at first, but there is a reason. It has to do with the fact that running puts a lot of strain on joints and tendons that haven't seen that kind of stress before (especially if you are starting out a little overweight). This slow buildup allows for those parts to get accustomed to the added stress without taking them past the breaking point. The other thing I like about this approach is that to a lot of people running for more than 10 mins at a time can be pretty daunting, let alone 30. This slow buildup gives you the mental edge because you are only running for one more minute then you did last time.
The only other thing I might suggest is to sign up for a 5k race. This gives you a goal to train for.
Hope this helps anybody looking to get into running, let me know if you have any questions.
-Justin
Saturday, March 15, 2008
On your mark.......
I was so inspired by my brother in law Tobe's training blog, that I decided to start one of my own. If you want a good read I would check out his blog because he is a pretty good writer plus he's training to be a cage fighter (sweet), I'm just a runner.
I'm going to just start keeping track of where I'm at now instead of trying to recount my entire journey, but I do feel some historical perspective is in order. I've always considered myself somewhat athletic. I always enjoyed playing sports like football, basketball, baseball, etc. I ran track in 7th and 8th grade mostly because my good friend Jeff Taylor was an amazing runner and it was pretty much just hanging out with my buddies. I wasn't an outstanding runner, but I wasn't embarrassing myself either. By the time high school rolled around, I was only playing organized basketball.
I think it was basketball that turned me off to running. Then, running was used as a punishment. Run ladders if you're late to practice, run if you miss free-throws, or just run if the coach was in a pissy mood. So after basketball, running just for the sake of running was not an idea I was willing to entertain.
Then came college and marriage and even a kid. Suddenly, I looked in the mirror and had to control my gag reflex. I was a bit overweight. I'm sure the daily trip to Wendy's for a super sized lunch and daily doses of 100+oz of mountain dew didn't help. In high school I weighed in at somewhere around 185-190 lbs. I was now tipping the scales at 240+. So, I figured running would be a good way to start dropping some pounds and getting healthy. I started running with a buddy from work, but came down with a bad case of shin splints due to starting too fast and wearing cheap foot locker shoes. I took some time off, got a decent pair of shoes and in June 2005 I was running my first 5k race. I think I finished in like 26 min or so. Nothing impressive, but I was officially hooked.
We then moved to Flagstaff. Paige says it is Flag that has gotten me into running and in a way she's probably right. The combination of awesome trails, a lot of amazing runners, and not much else to do, makes for a good running town. In fact you'd be hard pressed to find an elite distance runner who hasn't trained in Flagstaff at one time or another (due to the high altitude and other stuff I already mentioned). Since living here my runs have gotten longer and faster.
So, now I'm a few pounds lighter but that's not what keeps me running. It's funny, I started running to loose weight, now I loose weight to run better.
Not that they are impressive, but just to give you an idea of what kind of runner I am, my PR's are as follows:
5K - 24:15 (don't know that I trust this distance, I need to run another 5k)
10k - 49:01 (my most satisfying PR because I'd been trying to break 50min for what feels like forever)
1/2 marathon - 1:51:45
So as you can see I'm a solid middle of the pack runner, but better than average for guys my size.
I imagine this being a weekly thing unless something amazing happens that I just can't wait to write down. I'll record my weeks workouts and any thoughts worth writing down at the time.
Starting with this week:
I'm training for the Robie Creek half marathon. They tout it as the toughest half-marathon in the northwest. It could probably be the hardest in the nation if it weren't for the Pike's peak ascent (a really crazy half marathon, google it). The Robie Creek SOB climbs 2,100 ft. in the first 8.5 miles (with about 500 ft in the last .5 mile) and a 1,000 ft. or so drop over the rest of the 4.5 miles. I decided to do this race for a few reasons. 1: It's in Boise which is where a good portion of Paige's family lives. 2: I've done a couple of halfs and am ready to step it up. 3: I've heard it's as physically challenging as a full marathon and since I want to try one of those this fall (Hopefully St. George), I thought it would be a good way to get ready.
I'm starting to regret this choice. I've been running a lot of hills and am now remembering why I tried to avoid them in the first place. I'm a little nervous that I'm just going to bonk hard on this run and embarrass myself by having to be carried out in an ambulance. Tuesday's run was in Tucson at the gym. I felt pretty good. Then on Thursday, I did a hill workout where I ran 5x400m up a 8% incline plus about 6 miles it was hard but satisfying. Today, I tried running on some trails but it turned out to be a total quagmire because of all the melting snow. I should have known better because Ells ran some trails on Friday and said it was a mess. At first it was kind of fun because it was an adventure, then it got a little warmer and it was basically running through a river. My feet were soaked, I was muddy, cold and ready to be done. I cut the run a little short (wanted 9 but got 8.3), but felt that I put in the full effort. It was really good to get back into the forest. That's one of the best parts of running for me, just being out there on my own and enjoying the view.
Later,
Justin
I'm going to just start keeping track of where I'm at now instead of trying to recount my entire journey, but I do feel some historical perspective is in order. I've always considered myself somewhat athletic. I always enjoyed playing sports like football, basketball, baseball, etc. I ran track in 7th and 8th grade mostly because my good friend Jeff Taylor was an amazing runner and it was pretty much just hanging out with my buddies. I wasn't an outstanding runner, but I wasn't embarrassing myself either. By the time high school rolled around, I was only playing organized basketball.
I think it was basketball that turned me off to running. Then, running was used as a punishment. Run ladders if you're late to practice, run if you miss free-throws, or just run if the coach was in a pissy mood. So after basketball, running just for the sake of running was not an idea I was willing to entertain.
Then came college and marriage and even a kid. Suddenly, I looked in the mirror and had to control my gag reflex. I was a bit overweight. I'm sure the daily trip to Wendy's for a super sized lunch and daily doses of 100+oz of mountain dew didn't help. In high school I weighed in at somewhere around 185-190 lbs. I was now tipping the scales at 240+. So, I figured running would be a good way to start dropping some pounds and getting healthy. I started running with a buddy from work, but came down with a bad case of shin splints due to starting too fast and wearing cheap foot locker shoes. I took some time off, got a decent pair of shoes and in June 2005 I was running my first 5k race. I think I finished in like 26 min or so. Nothing impressive, but I was officially hooked.
We then moved to Flagstaff. Paige says it is Flag that has gotten me into running and in a way she's probably right. The combination of awesome trails, a lot of amazing runners, and not much else to do, makes for a good running town. In fact you'd be hard pressed to find an elite distance runner who hasn't trained in Flagstaff at one time or another (due to the high altitude and other stuff I already mentioned). Since living here my runs have gotten longer and faster.
So, now I'm a few pounds lighter but that's not what keeps me running. It's funny, I started running to loose weight, now I loose weight to run better.
Not that they are impressive, but just to give you an idea of what kind of runner I am, my PR's are as follows:
5K - 24:15 (don't know that I trust this distance, I need to run another 5k)
10k - 49:01 (my most satisfying PR because I'd been trying to break 50min for what feels like forever)
1/2 marathon - 1:51:45
So as you can see I'm a solid middle of the pack runner, but better than average for guys my size.
I imagine this being a weekly thing unless something amazing happens that I just can't wait to write down. I'll record my weeks workouts and any thoughts worth writing down at the time.
Starting with this week:
I'm training for the Robie Creek half marathon. They tout it as the toughest half-marathon in the northwest. It could probably be the hardest in the nation if it weren't for the Pike's peak ascent (a really crazy half marathon, google it). The Robie Creek SOB climbs 2,100 ft. in the first 8.5 miles (with about 500 ft in the last .5 mile) and a 1,000 ft. or so drop over the rest of the 4.5 miles. I decided to do this race for a few reasons. 1: It's in Boise which is where a good portion of Paige's family lives. 2: I've done a couple of halfs and am ready to step it up. 3: I've heard it's as physically challenging as a full marathon and since I want to try one of those this fall (Hopefully St. George), I thought it would be a good way to get ready.
I'm starting to regret this choice. I've been running a lot of hills and am now remembering why I tried to avoid them in the first place. I'm a little nervous that I'm just going to bonk hard on this run and embarrass myself by having to be carried out in an ambulance. Tuesday's run was in Tucson at the gym. I felt pretty good. Then on Thursday, I did a hill workout where I ran 5x400m up a 8% incline plus about 6 miles it was hard but satisfying. Today, I tried running on some trails but it turned out to be a total quagmire because of all the melting snow. I should have known better because Ells ran some trails on Friday and said it was a mess. At first it was kind of fun because it was an adventure, then it got a little warmer and it was basically running through a river. My feet were soaked, I was muddy, cold and ready to be done. I cut the run a little short (wanted 9 but got 8.3), but felt that I put in the full effort. It was really good to get back into the forest. That's one of the best parts of running for me, just being out there on my own and enjoying the view.
Later,
Justin
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