Weekend Training Update

"All I want is to have my Peace of Mind" (Boston)

One of my favorite songs to run to is Peace of Mind by Boston. The lyrics speak loudly to me as the song talks about the struggle to get ahead in life when in reality it is Peace of Mind that we should all be striving for.

As I began my 30K run on Saturday that is exactly what I was striving for. I've become better at letting my run come to me instead of the other way around. What that means is focusing on the present and not the end of my run. I focused on my breathing and this allowed me to relax more. Before I knew it I was already at the 6 mile mark. After a brief water break I went out again and seemed to hit the 9 mile mark very quickly. I say "seemed" because I have not been running with a watch. I recently downloaded some AC/DC songs and so I'm blaming that for my speed :)

As I made my journey back home my legs were still feeling fresh and that is when my mind started to take over. I started to think about how there have been times in my life where I have wanted answers to certain questions about my personal life but they were never answered. I then wondered that maybe the point is that some questions will never be answered and that the time spent looking for those answers could be better spent on something more positive. I tend to do my best thinking during these long runs as it's just me and my music. Throughout this second half of my run I began to get that Peace of Mind that I've been searching for these past few months.

Peace of Mind isn't an absolute and it constantly needs to be rediscovered because there are issues that come up which challenge me either personally or professionally. Remaining calm and productive when tragedy strikes is something that I have had to deal with far too often. Running allows me to process my thoughts and helps me to channel my energy so that it is flowing forward instead of backwards.

As I finished my 30K run I realized that it was quite a bit faster than it should have been (2:45). I need to be careful not to push myself too much during these long runs as the goal is to get my body used to being on my feet for 3 to 4 hours.

On Sunday I did an 8 mile recovery run. This run was also faster than I thought it was going to be as I only had a few hours sleep the night before. It's amazing that some of the better runs I've had have come when I least expected it. I actually contemplated not running today as I seemed really tired. However, I'm glad that I pushed myself and did the run becuase it turned out to be one of the better runs that I've had since I started training for the Marathon.

Marathon Training Update August 26th

(a graph showing what a Fartlek Run looks like)



(how I feel after doing a Fartlek Training Session)





I have been on vacation since my last post but while I have taken a break from work during this time, my training has continued. In fact, I have been getting more rest which in turn has really helped with my training.
Since my last post I have completed a tempo run, a 27K run, another track workout, a 7 mile run and a floating fartlek workout.

Here's a brief recap of each of the workout with a grade from 1-10:
Tempo Run: I did a 45 minute tempo run which consisted of a 10 minute warm-up, 30 minutes where my speed increased to beyond race pace, and then a 10 minute cool down. During the actual tempo part of my workout, I really pushed myself hard. I tried to visualize the speed I had during my track workout. (Grade 7 out of 10)

27K Long Run: I actually did this run on only a few hours sleep as I had attended the Can Fit Pro conference the night before. I knew that this was going to be a tough run and though at times it was, I was surprised that I was able to push through. My hamstrings were a little tight towards the end but overall I was pretty happy with what I was able to do. After running for close to 3 hours, I headed over to the Can Fit Pro conference where I did a few classes. My body was sore and so I decided not to train on the following day. (Grade 7 out of 10)

Track Workout: After taking two days off from running, I headed to the track for my 2nd week of doing 800M repeats. Last week I was happy with my speed and wondered how I would fare this time. I did 5 X 800M repeats in an average time of 3:20 (Grade 9 out of 10).

7 Mile Run: The goal for this run was to do an easy 7 Mile run to recover from the track work the day before. I tried to slow myself down just a little bit but I was feeling really good so I just ran by "feel." This has been something that has defined my training and I'm getting more comfortable with running this way. Running by "feel" has allowed me to get into my mental zone quicker than ever before. I use specific words to allow my breathing to return to normal. Eventually it feels like I'm walking and not running. (Grade 8 out of 10)

Floating Fartlek: This is a workout I will alternate with my tempo runs. This workout consisted of a 7 minute warm-up and then I ran hard for 1:40 and then slowed down the pace for 1:40 and then repeated this sequence for as many sets as I could handle. Today I did 6 sets and then followed that up with a 10 minute cool down. The workout lasted about 40 minutes but it was very intense. I used 1:40 because that is approximately how long it would take me to do run 400M. I may decide to do this workout at the track but for now I'm using relatively flat areas around my house.

My weekend workouts will consist of doing a 30K run and then a 16K run on Saturday and Sunday and then it's back to work on Monday. My Marathon is 7 weeks away which means that the training is going to intensify for the next 5 weeks and then I will be tapering for the last two.

Hitting the track for speed work

Speed! It's the one thing that separates the joggers from the runners. There is nothing wrong with not having a speed goal with regards to entering a race. Many people are just happy to finish the race and that was probably my mindset when I first started running 6 years ago. However, as I finished more and more races I wanted to improve on my finishing time. The only way to do that is to get faster and the best way that I know to get faster is by doing speed work.

After completing 6 weeks of hill training it was time to work on my speed. Those 6 weeks were meant to get my base mileage up and also increase strength and stamina. The next 7 weeks I will focus on shorter runs during the week but they will be faster than I have been running. Tuesdays will be track work, Wednesdays will be a recovery run of 5 miles and Thursdays will be either a Tempo run or a Pace run. I have also decided to cut back on my lower body weight training during the week. My legs have been taking a pounding lately and I know that the speed work will tax them even more. Now is the time to be smart with my training and that means doing less not more.

I'm lucky because there are plenty of 400 Metre tracks close to where I live. However,the one that I like the best is about 5 KM's away at a local High School in Pickering. As I drove there this morning I tried to visualize how I wanted the training session to look like. My goal was to run 4 sets of 800 M at an average speed of 3:35 per set. I wanted to "float" from stride to stride staying upright as much as possible and using my hands to move my feet faster. I hadn't done track work in about 2 years so I knew that it was going to be interesting to see just what I had set myself up for.

It was about 6:20 AM when I got there and I did a warm up lap and then some light stretching. I started off strong for my first set and when I finished I noticed that my time was 3:18. I'm sure that adrenaline played a big part in that. I also knew that the key to doing speed work is being as consistent as possible so I tried to use the first lap as a "1st gear" and then tried to hit my peak speed during the 2nd lap. I walked one lap (400 M) and then started off on the next set. The 2nd and 3rd sets were 3:24 and 3:26 respectively. With one more set remaining I really wanted to push myself and I was happy with the 3:18 last lap. That put my average at 3:21 for the 4 sets. This, just as it is with other good training sessions, will be bookmarked in my memory bank.

Eventually my speed work will top out at 10 sets of 800 Metres and that's when I'll know for sure where I'm at. For now, though, it was a good start and gives me something to build on.

Goal Setting

Some people have asked me what my goal time is for this race. I actually haven't thought too much about it because I want to see how my speed training goes over the next 4-6 weeks as this will give me a better idea of what I'm capable of. I typically will enter a race having 3 goals:
1. This will happen goal
2. Most realistic goal
3. Pie in the sky goal

The first goal is to finish the race. There has been only 1 race where I haven't finished and that was a 100 mile race when an injury forced me to retire after 78 miles. There have been a few races where I had to limp to the finish line but I still managed to finish.

My most realistic goal is the goal that should be accomplished barring an injury. It's usually a range that I set for myself. I know my body and what I can achieve so this goal is very much in reach. I will be disappointed if I don't reach this goal.

The "pie in the sky" goal is a little more difficult to set. This goal will only be accomplished if everything comes together perfectly on that day. There are so many things that go into having a perfect race including my health, the weather, sleep etc. This goal is within reach and I have accomplished it several times but each time I was fortunate to have everything working in my favor on that day.

During my long run on Saturday I actually started thinking about goals and how important they are. For some reason, the letter "V" kept creeping into my head. The more I kept thinking about it the more it started to make sense.
V stands for Visualization, Verbalize, Validate and Victory!

I must visualize what my goal is and be able to describe it in detail. This will include the steps I need to take to reach this goal or goals in my case. I need to be able to tell people exactly what that goal looks like as if I'm describing a great movie or book in detail. If I can't visualize my goals then how will I know if I have reached them?

Verbalizing my goal is something that I've always done. This makes it more "real." Some people are afraid of telling people their goals because they may feel embarrased if they can't reach them. To me, there is no room for negative thougts when it comes to goals. Be proud of your goals and let people know them. This will not only keep you on track but it may motivate others at the same time.

Validation comes in accepting and appreciating all the steps that are needed to take in order to reach that goal. With each training session I complete, I know that I am taking one step closer to achieving my goal. If all I do is focus on the the end of the Marathon I will lose sight of all the great things that are happening during my journey.

Victory will be achieved because I will make it happen! Regardless of what happens at the Marathon, the training that I have put myself through has improved my mental, physical and emotional well being. I feel stronger now than I was when I started and that's something that cannot be taken away from me.

Every run is special but some are better than others

(sometimes I feel like I can run forever!)

One of the best things I love about running is that I truly never know what kind of run I'm going to have. I've mentioned before that I've only had a few "bad" runs and those were the result of me running with someone else. Even though I have suffered through some minor ailments while racing (lost toenails, dehydration and cramping) I still considered those runs as positive ones because I learned something valuable from them.

Then there are those days where everything seems to come together perfectly and that's what happened yesterday. My goal was to run 13 miles (21K's) as this was my down week of training. After running 27, 30 and 31.5 K's in the previous three weeks (for my long slow run) it was nice to run "only" a half marathon distance. I know that I have to train my body to embrace the half marathon distance and treat it as if I'm running a 10K race. As my body gets stronger and stronger, the distances are becoming a little easier to run. However, the last thing I ever want to do is not respect the distance that I'm running. When I first got into running I remember doing a 10K race in Guelph called the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. At the time I was running 25K trail races and didn't think much of the 10K race. I soon realized that a 10K race can be just as gruelling especially if you are not mentally prepared for it. That was one of the toughest races I've done and it's something that I have never forgotten.

Armed with my music and two bottles (one filled with water and the other with an electrolyte/maltodextrin combination)I started off on my journey. I have become very good at letting the run come to me. What that means is that I start out relatively slow and actually repeat this phrase in my head over and over "run slow, breathe deeply, relax shoulders and enjoy."

I'm not sure if it was the fact that I knew I was running a shorter distance than I normally have run, the weather or the fact that I'm getting stronger but this run was one of the best ones I have had in a long time. Everything seemed perfect and I was so relaxed throughout. It was one of those runs where I really felt like I could run forever. I kept wishing that the Marathon was that day instead of 2 months from now. I couldn't believe that I had reached the 1/2 way point of the run so quickly and was worried that maybe I was running too fast. However, I have become better at running for "feel" so I decided to stick to the pace that I was on for as long as possible.

With about 2 miles left in the run, I felt like pushing myself a little more as I was feeling great. I envisioned myself at the Marathon with the finish line in my sights. Those last 2 miles were the fastest that I've run in quite some time but even after pushing myself that much I still felt incredible. When I got to my house I was shocked that I felt that good especially after running a 1/2 marathon distance. When I went into the house to see how long it had taken me I was amazed at the fact that I had finished the run in 1 hour and 55 minutes. This will be yet another bookmarked run that I will use on race day!

Marathon Training Update August 10th

It's nice being on vacation and that's probably why I haven't posted in a few days. Of course my training hasn't taken a vacation, I'm just running a little later than usual. Since my last post I have completed a 31.5 K long run, a 12 K recovery run, a 10 mile run and today I completed my last hill training workout.

My long run was done in pretty hot conditions but I still was pretty happy with the results. The most memorable moment came just as I started to run in a cemetary. I purposely set my mp3 player to "random" so I never know what song is coming on next. When "Knocking on Heavens Door by Guns and Roses" started playing as I ran through the cemetary I found that a little creepy to say the least. I wonder if that was a sign? In any event I made sure I stayed away from black cats for the rest of that day.

I mentioned previously that I purposely designed this route to train my mind for what the Marathon will have to offer. I wanted to challenge myself mentally by forcing myself to run an additional 2 miles past my house towards the end of the run. I knew that this was going to be the hardest part of the run and true enough that's just what it was. After running for more than 2.5 hours I approached my house and then made a detour to run another 2.2 miles. This is another trick that I've learned and it will pay off for me during my Marathon when my mind starts to tell my body to stop running.

My recovery run the next day started off slow but then I picked up the speed about 1/3 of the way in and did a nice tempo run to finish. I was surprised at how fresh my legs felt but I also think that it's a good sign that my body is responding to my training in a positive way.

After taking Monday off, I was back at it with a nice 6 mile run on Tuesday and then today I completed my last hill training workout. I started with 4 hills 6 weeks ago and today I finished with 11. Today was probably the hardest of my sessions mostly because I ran later than I typically do. I find that I am indeed a creature of habit and though I have enjoyed sleeping in a little later than usual, I know that my body responds better when I run at the same time each day (5:00 to 6:00 AM).

This is my "down" week of training. I've broken the training program into 4 week mini sessions. 3 out of the 4 weeks I increase the mileage on my long runs and the 4th week I take step back by running no more than 13 miles for my long run. This allows my body to get some rest (although it may not seem that way to some)
I will do a 7.5 mile run tomorrow, rest on Friday and then do 13 miles on Saturday and another 7 miles on Sunday. On Monday I return back to work after having a great week off!

Changes get you out of your comfort zone

It's been over a month since I left my last job at Franklin Templeton Investments (FTI)and took a similar position with Ontario Power Generations (OPG). I made so many great friends at FTI and the job allowed me to develop teaching skills that I normally would never have taken up (step aerobics, TRX and spinning). Leaving was not something that was easy for me to do. I had developed a familiarity with the job and the people there.

However, one of the main reasons why I decided to change jobs was because OPG was only minutes from my home in Ajax. However, I found the first few weeks a big change as I was suddenly not teaching as much as I was accustomed to. This was one of the main reasons why I decided to train for another Marathon. I felt like I needed to have a goal to work towards.

As I became more comfortable with my new job and specifically the members, I knew that I would eventually find my comfort zone again. Over the past few weeks I have introduced TRX suspension training and circuit classes to many of the members and I now have a group of about 6-8 dedicated members who look forward to this workout. It has helped me connect with them and also get a good workout in at the same time. I feel like one of my strengths is my positive attitude and that I'm a good motivator.

What I need to be careful about is not pushing myself too much during these workouts as I need to save my body for the rigors of training for a Marathon. I'm curious to see how my long run goes tomorrow as my legs are still sore from Thursdays' workout.

The Killers is one of my favorite groups and the song "smile like you mean it" is probably one of my favorite songs by this group. The reason why I like this song so much is because of the message that is conveyed. Everyone is capable of smiling but how many people have true energy behind that smile? I am someone who is attracted to positive energy and stay away from things or people that are negative. I have become good at sifting through the people who claim to be positive but in reality are not. Then there are the people who are constantly complaining about how bad things are but are not working at making things better. I call these people energy vampires because they will literally suck the life out of you if you let them!

In many ways running long distances really force me to become a more positive person. I've only had two bad runs since I started running and both times they were because of the people I was running with. When I finished both runs I felt more stressed than when I had started. This should never happen in my opinion and it's probably why I prefer to run alone. The last thing I want when I run is someone to invade my positive head space.

Tomorrow will be a true test as I'm running 30K and have designed a route that will test me both physically and mentally. I like to put together little challenges throughout my Marathon training so I don't get too comfortable and tomorrow will be the first of several. In fact, towards the end of my run tomorrow I will actually force myself to run past my house and run an extra few miles before I come back home. I know that this will make me even stronger as I'm sure I'll want to stop early but I also know that if I do I'll regret it for the rest of the day and that's something I'm not prepared to do.

1/2 full or 1/2 empty? YOU decide!

It finally happened! After weeks and weeks of training I finally got to run in the rain. I suppose that most people would think that is a little crazy. I mean, it's bad enough that I woke up at 4:00 AM and would be running 8 hills in the dark. The fact that it was raining just added to the craziness.

What some people call nuts, I call passion and dedication. I try to embrace each challenge instead of looking at it with a negative eye. As soon as I let my mind wander into a negative thought process it becomes harder to embrace the challenge. Once I accept what is about to happen AND focus on the actual training itself then things become easier. I've also noticed that I need to work in the present and not the future. What that means is that I try not to focus on the training being finished. This becomes harder when I'm doing a set of 8 hills. However, I try to concentrate on my foot placement for each hill instead of how I'm going to feel after the training is finished.

Nobody is there to talk me into running that early just as there is nobody there to talk me out of it. There are choices that are made everyday which take you down one road or another. It's up to you to decide whether you want the easy road or tough one. In many ways, training for a marathon really mimics the choices I've made in my life. Not all of them have been tough but I like to think that the majority of them have been. Each road has a lesson inherit in it. Sometimes you have to look harder to find those lessons while other lessons are learned more directly and painfully.

I'm happy to say that I completed my 8 hills this morning. My legs felt stronger with each climb. I think the rain had a calming and cooling effect on me at the same time. I have two more hill workouts remaining over the next two weeks and then it will be time to hit the track for some speed work.

Marathon Training Update July 25th to July 31

Without a doubt the key to Marathon training is the long run. Despite a stomach virus that took hold of me this past week, I knew that my long run was a necessary step in my marathon training.

While many of my running friends prefer to run in a group when doing their long runs, I actually prefer to run alone. The battle that takes place in my mind while I do this long run is truly remarkable. I go through so many different emotions during this time and at times I really need to remember that I'm running because I swear it feels like I'm in a different zone sometimes. It's probably why I've had so many close calls with oncoming traffic. During the long run I will think about everything from past relationships, my kids to what I'm going to eat after I finish. Nothing is off limits during this time. Running long distances allows me to process things that normally I may keep bottled up inside.

Music is something that motivates me during my long run and as I started out I made sure that my music player was fully charged and ready to go. The previous week I ran 30K and I wanted to stay relatively close to that mileage but without knowing how my stomach would hold up, I really had to just hope for the best.

The previous week I had run the Ajax/Pickering waterfront trail. I decided that I wanted to run this same route but instead of doing an out and back, I wanted to do a long square. This time I took more money with me just in case I needed to buy some water along the way.

It was 27 degrees when I left my house and I knew that things were only going to get worse. As was the case the previous week, the first 6 miles were fairly easy. In fact, with each training session I complete, I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger. At the 9 mile mark I had finished running the waterfront trail and started to make my way home. I decided to run on the roads for the remainder of my run. However, the weather was getting warmer and without the shade from the trail I knew that it was going to be a tough finish.

I had to stop at a convenience store to buy some water and that really seemed to help. I poured most of it on my head and then started off for the last part of the run. About 4K's from home I spotted three runners who I knew. They were obviously struggling to finish as the temperature must have been over 30 degrees by now. I stopped for a brief moment to say hello but then it was time for me to finish. It's amazing how the sight of a familiar face can really energize me and it's why that I hope to have many family and friends cheering me on at my Marathon in October.

As I climbed the first of two long hills to complete my run I really started to feel the heat. Even though I was so close to home, there was a small part of me that just wanted to stop and walk the rest of the way. However, that negative thinking just served to motivate me even more and I really pushed hard up that last hill and made it home.

I was happy to see that I completed 27K's despite being sick for most of the week. On Sunday I ran a nice 11K recovery run and picked up the pace a little bit more than usual.

With another week completed I can feel my body really starting to get more acclimated not only to the longer distances but also the heat. A few short weeks ago 10K's were a bit of a struggle but now they are becoming much easier. There is no substitute for putting in the training and I'm pleased that despite a minor setback in the week, I'm still ahead of schedule. One of my favorite sayings is, "pain is temporary but quitting lasts forever!"