Training smart isn't always easy

This has been an upsetting week in more ways then one. After taking Monday off from running I was all set to start up again on Tuesday morning. However, my stomach had other ideas. I was up for most of the night on Monday with stomach cramps. I tried to step outside for my run but my body was not going to have any part of that.
I went to work but only stayed for 1/2 the day as things got progressively worse. Wednesday and Thursday was much of the same.

Missing out on training has been tough because I've been on a such a great roll as of late. However, I know that by pushing myself too much I could actually create more problems. Despite knowing the right thing, I decided that I was well enough to try and run on Thursday morning. The run was actually better than I expected but I paid for it later that day.

I'm typing this on Friday morning and have a long run scheduled for tomorrow morning. I haven't settled on my mileage as of yet but I suspect it will be between 25-30 K's once again. I will make sure to take it easy though and have some detours planned just in case I need to cut the run short. My biggest concern is my hydration as I've lost quite a bit of electrolytes this past week and haven't been eating too much. I think I dropped about 5 pounds (not the way I was hoping for)during this week. My diet consisted of bananas, applesauce, rice and toast. I was fine with most of that but I've been gluten free for such a long time that eating toast was foreign to me. However, when I've had stomach issues before, this is the diet that has worked for me so I don't have much of a choice.

I was really hoping to build off the success of last week's long run so I want to make sure that I don't fall too far behind in my training. Things could have been worse, though, so I have to keep reminding myself that the Marathon is still many weeks away. One mini setback isn't going to put that in jeopardy.

Marathon Training Update July 18th to July 24th

The Long Road Ahead






It's been quite some time since I ran more than 25K's. I've been running mostly for fun and fitness since my last race in June 2010. The race was called the Self-Transcendence 6-Hour Race. It took place in Kingston at the Royal Military College. There is an 800 Metre circle that encloses the College and the goal is to run as many laps as possible in 6 hours and then the mileage is calculated. I managed to complete 58.6 K's on that day. Although my goal was 60 K's, I was still happy with what I had accomplished.
Even now when I look back at some of the races that I have competed in, including attempting a 100 mile race and finishing several 50 Mile and 50 K races, it really makes me proud. I only discovered running 6 years ago and it really has catapulted me into a whole new way of life.

So why, despite the fact that I have finished so many long distant events, was I especially nervous the night before my long run (27K) on Saturday? I suppose it could be my mind trying to convince me that all those long runs were done when I was training more seriously. Maybe it was mind telling me that I bit off more than I could chew and that perhaps I should run the 1/2 Marathon in the fall instead of the full?

In any case, I woke up on Saturday morning at 5:30 prepared to run 27K no matter what. Before I stepped out the door I had my usual tea with 1/2 banana and packed my 2, 10 Oz. water bottles. One was filled with water while the other was filled with a Vega Sport drink I've been using. I brought along a small amount of E-Load FLY which is a carbohydrate power (Maltodextrin) and also a sports gel. Finally I brought $1.25just in case I needed to purchase more water along the way.

The reason why I only brought along 2 water bottles was because I was going to run from my house to the Ajax waterfront trail,run to the end and then turn around and come back. Not only is the route picturesque, it also has 2 places where I can refill my water bottle.

At 6:30 AM I started my journey. The weather was 27 degrees so I knew I was in for a hot run. As has been my custom, I didn't bring a watch with me and I have really enjoyed just running by "feel." This has been something that I've really enjoyed but it has taken me years to get comfortable doing. I pay close attention to my breathing and I also focus on my foot strike during the time I'm running. Every time I thought that I was running too fast, I reminded myself that this was my long slow run. I kept repeating that over and over in my mind and it helped me to relax. The first water break came at 6 miles and I was actually surprised at how quickly that came. I didn't feel like stopping but I made the right choice to stop and fill up. It was another 3 miles to the next water break and as I ran to that spot my legs became even stronger so I decided to run a little longer than I had planned.

I ran a little bit past the water stop, stopped and then turned around and started my journey back home. After ingesting my gel, it was time to head back to finish my run. My legs were still feeling pretty good although my hamstrings were starting to get a little tight. I slowed down the pace just a little bit and eventually the pain went away. I made it to the last water stop feeling pretty good. I filled up one of my bottles with the E-Load FLY powder and off I went.

Because I had added extra distance to the run I wasn't sure exactly how far I had gone. The heat, though, was starting to intensify as I left the coolness of the waterfront trail. I had enough water to probably get home but I also was starting to feel dehydrated so I made the smart move to stop at strip mall to get some water. Remembering that I only brought $1.25 with me I went to the dollar store to get some water. Unfortunately, much to my surprise, the dollar store was closed and I had to go to Mac's for my water. The cheapest water they had was over $2.00 but thankfully the manager must have noticed how much I needed the water so he generously gave me a bottle.

Armed with some much needed cold water, I now felt more confident about completing this run. I poured some of the water on my head and drank the rest. The last part of the run really tested my inner strength. Not only was the weather getting warmer, my mind was trying to convince me to walk, not run, home. I knew, though, that this run was going to be the run that I needed if I was actually serious about completing my fall marathon. I remembered the many times in previous races where I had to dig down deep to finish strong. I used my last few KM's as a rehearsal for how I want my Marathon finish to look like. There is nothing quite like the feeling of finish a race whether it's a 5K or 50K it all feels great to finish strong.

As I rounded out my run I picked up the pace and felt amazing. Not only did I finish my longest run in a year, I now had something that I could bookmark and use to motivate me as my training increases in intensity. When I got back into my house and checked my mileage I noticed that I had actually run 19 miles (30.4 KM's) in 2 hours and 55 minutes.

On Sunday I ran a 10 K tempo run and as I type this today (Monday July 25th) my legs still feel great and I am armed with a great experience from the weekend and ready to start another week of training. I learned two important lessons from this weekend:

1) Embrace the challenge and enjoy the journey! There were times during the run, just as there will be during my marathon, where my mind was focused on the finish of the run. If all my attention is focused on being done then I'm really not focused on the actual run itself. I never want to run with this type of attitude because then I won't appreciate the hard work that goes into the training. The Marathon will be a crowning achievement to all the hard work that I have been doing and I don't want to cheat myself from that.

2) Next time bring more than $1.25 when I go for a long run!

Developing Inner Strength

It's no secret that I believe in the power of the mnid. It's also no secret that I feel that running has allowed me to not only find my inner strength but also to improve it as well.

Today was week 4 of my hill training and my goal was to run 7 hills. Hill training, in the past, has strengthened my quads and has also helped me to focus on running technique. I'm constantly trying to use my hands like a sprinter would and getting my knees up as high as possible while landing on the midpoint, not just toes, of my foot. It is the shortest of my 5 weekly runs but it is the most taxing on my body. Getting up at 4:00 AM to prepare for a 35-40 minute run may seem like overkill to some but it's a necessary part of my training so I embrace it.

To develop my inner strength I need to be away from any distractions. I've become better at becoming more independent and that has built up my self-confidence. Whenever I feel that I can't go on, I can always bring myself back to a time and place where I felt the same way but was able to continue. I call this "Bookmarking."
Having run many Ultra Marathons I can honestly say that I am far from the fastest runner but what I lack in speed I make up for in mental toughness.

Many people surround themselves with too many distractions and by doing this they never truly develop that inner strength. They rely too much on outsiders to provide their motivation and then when those people aren't there, they are lost and have a difficult time carrying on without them. Unfortunately, I see too many of these people at the gym. Having mental toughness is something that anyone can have. It just takes practice, patience and above all else having a positive attitude. Our thoughts control our feelings and this will create either a positive or negative action.

Listening to music can be a good way to escape from reality and help to develop mental strength. When I run I simply must listen to music. There are some songs that really inspire confidence during a particularly tough run. I usually pay very close attention to the lyrics and have become very good at picking out a particular phrase which I can use as a metaphor for my running. Today, for example, I knew that I had one more hill to run. I typically will put my mp3 player on random so I never know what song will be coming next. As I began the last hill climb a great song came on (thanks Christopher) and the lyrics included the phrase "that's what they call intense!" As I finished this hill and looked at my watch I noticed that I had shaved 4 seconds off my fastest hill climb for the day. Music really can inspire you to achieve great things.

The stronger you can become mentally, the easier it will be for you to achieve the many goals you have for yourself. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility as long as you continue to believe that you can achieve anything and work hard at developing your inner strength.

Marathon Training Update July 11th to 17th

Once I made the decision to compete in the Scotiabank Marathon in October, the next step was to find a training program to follow. Some of the best road races I’ve had have come as a result of following a strict training program. Even though I consider myself an experienced runner I still rely on a program to guide me and “reel” me in a little bit at the same time. Sometimes the hardest part of the training program is actually doing less than what you would like to do.

Basically the training program consists of the following:
Monday: TRX upper body workout
Tuesday: 6 to 7 mile run
Wednesday: 7 weeks of Hill Training, 7 weeks of tempo runs
Thursday: 4 to 6 mile run
Friday: TRX upper body workout
Saturday: Long run (up to 22.5 miles)
Sunday: Recovery run – 6-8 mile recovery run

Mondays and Fridays are reserved for cross training on the TRX suspension trainer. My goal is to increase my core strength while resting my legs at the same time.

The hill training is starting to get harder as each week I add one more hill. I will be doing 7 hills on Wednesday. The workout starts with a 2 K warm-up run followed by the hills and then a 2 K cool down. Each hill is 350 Meters long and takes me about 1:30 to run. I then will walk down the hill for 1 minute and do a light jog until I get to the bottom and then it’s back up again. I’m working on improving my technique by pumping my arms and trying to bring my knees up high while landing on the midpoint of my foot as opposed to my toes. My quads are burning after this tough workout.

I just completed week 4 of my 17 week training program. This was a down week so I reduced the mileage on my long runs. The previous week I completed a 16 mile run Saturday and then followed that up with a 6 mile recovery run Sunday.

This past weekend I ran 11.5 miles on Saturday and 7.5 miles on Sunday. The weather this weekend was very hot so I left early on Saturday to beat the heat. Unfortunately I left later than I would have liked on Sunday and the heat really started to affect me. Running truly challenges my mind but I love the battle that takes place internally throughout a long run, especially when it’s not ideal outside.

I prefer to run early in the morning (5:00 AM) as it really gets my day started off on the right foot and the weather is perfect. I start in darkness but am lucky that I get to see the sun rise in the morning. Along the way I know that I’ll see some rabbits and have also been lucky enough to see some foxes. I get up at 4:00 AM to prepare for each run as I really love to get into a mental zone before I step outside. Runners are very ritualistic and I am no different. Some people tell me that I am sacrificing so much because I’m so disciplined with my training but to me it’s not a sacrifice, it’s a choice. I know that I need my sleep so that means I typically I am in bed by no later than 10:00 PM (usually 9:00 PM). I try not to eat anything past 7:00 PM as I would like to drop another 10 lbs by the time the race happens in October. My typical running weight is 165 lbs. I have to watch that I don’t lose strength just to get to a certain weight and I usually can feel when I’m lighter because the running becomes easier.

I used to run with a GPS which would track my speed and distance. Lately, though, I have been running without a watch and I really love the feeling. I use gmapspedometer.com to track my distance before I leave my house. The reality is that I know the streets of Ajax/Pickering pretty well but I like to know the distance that I am running so I’ll map out my route before I venture outside.

The next 4 weeks will challenge me both mentally and physically as my long runs will approach 19 miles by the end of the 3rd week. Each week I will continue to update my progress and I hope that this can help you stay focused for whatever goals you are trying to reach. I understand that some of you are also running the Scotiabank ½ or full Marathon. Good luck and keep running!

I'm back baby!

For some reason I have been in hibernation but it's time to go back to what I love to do.
So much has happened since my last post but I'm all about living in the present so let me just be brief in my synopsis.
I'm still working for Health Systems Group but managing a gym closer to my home in Ajax. The company is Ontario Power Generations. Living and working in virtually the same city has been an amazing transformation for me. I don't have to deal with sitting in traffic for up to an hour and I don't have to pay $40/week in parking.

Leaving Franklin Templeton Investments (FTI) wasn't easy because I made so many great friendships with some amazing people. I also learned my trade there and was able to teach so many different classes such as step aerobics, spinning and TRX suspension training.

My job at OPG doesn't provide me the opportunity to teach as much as they don't have an aerobics room. They do have spinning bikes though and that was becoming my favorite class to teach at FTI.

Because I was teaching so many classes at FTI I wasn't running nearly as much as when I was racing. I was able to run 2-3 times at FTI and it fed my passion but also teased me at the same time because I wanted more. However, I just didn't have the energy to run on the weekends as I needed to rest my body for the next week of teaching.

Now I suddenly have all this time and my body isn't being pounded through the teaching and I have decided to train for another Marathon! I have picked the Scotiabank Marathon on October 18th as my coming out party :)
This is my 4th week of 17 and so far the old legs are coming along nicely. I have even started running at 5:00 AM again (my favorite time to run).
I will update this blog with my training.