Half-Marathon Race Plan

 

This may be my last day to get a significant post on my blog before I depart for the ING Ottawa half-marathon. I've been asking a lot of people about their goal times and race strategy, so I guess it's only fair that I outline my game plan. I've been stressing for the last 10 weeks about how I'm going to run the race and whether I'm fit enough to keep up my pace. So first my goal times, my overall goal is to PB which is sub-1:34:17. Unless the heat completely kills me, I think that is doable. From there, my goal is sub-1:30:00 and my dream goal is sub-1:28:00. I think the 1:30:00 is doable if, and this is a big if, I can maintain my race strategy.

My goal strategy is to maintain 4:15 min/k splits, which if you do the math that brings me to 1:30:00. I have no false allusions, this is going to be tough. I've done more tempo and interval work than ever so I don't think speed will be a problem. However, I just don't feel that I've done enough distance in the last 10 weeks. I felt I could have maintained the 4:00 min/k pace for another couple of kilometres after the Fredericton 10K race and when I did my 15K race three weeks ago I felt I could have maintained 4:08 min/k for another couple of kilometres. But I always seem to fall apart when it comes close to 21K. In this 10-week training period, I've only done one 20K, one 18K and several 15-18K. And if heat is a factor as the long-range forecast suggests that could also impact on my ability to maintain that pace. If you put any stock in those race time predictors then I should be able to hit 1:30:00, but I am growing a bit anxious.

Obviously I hoping 4:15 min/k pace will sustain me for the first half of the race and once I pass 17K I'll try to start picking up the pace for a negative split. The only negative split I've ever achieved in a race was the Fredericton 10K, so I'm hoping I've started a new trend.

My hydration strategy is pretty simple, I'm going to make sure I get liquids at every stop and perhaps try for a second cup if the mercury does surpass 25 degrees. The sunscreen will be applied like it is going out of style, I have no intention to subjecting myself to any undue sunburns.

So anyway, that is the plan so far. We'll see how that goes.

Second to last run before ING Ottawa Half Marathon

I missed my run last night as my wife and I went out for our anniversary dinner. It was a fantastic night out by ourselves, so I'm not at all worried about pushing my run by a few hours.

Undaunted I got up this morning for my first morning run in months. It was really quite nice outside, it was light out, there were tons of walkers and a few runners, not to mention a couple newspaper delivery people. I did my 4x400 intervals with a 10 minute warm-up and five-minute cool down. Splits went something like 79 seconds, 72 seconds, 76 seconds, 79 seconds. The last one fooled me because I thought I was really giving it but that's what Mr. Garmin said, so who am I to argue at 6:10 a.m.? The run felt quite good actually. The only downside is I've developed this bizarre shoulder/back/neck problem over the weekend -- perhaps a combo of too much lawn mowing, weed pulling, daughter carrying, etc -- and it's really causing me problems. For one it's not allowing me to sleep comfortably and it is throwing off my rhythm as I run because it's hindering my arm movement. Bizarre.

 

Watch out for 13280

I just got my bib number for the ING Ottawa Half-Marathon. Keep an eye out for 13280 next Sunday!

Rainy Rest Day

Monday's are typically my rest day and it just so happens to coincide with my taper and a massive rain storm. So today, I'm going to hang out with the family and perhaps go for a nice long walk if the rain ever subsides. I've never really considered myself the type to go stir crazy during taper time, but I just can't wait to line up in Ottawa on Sunday morning because all I'm thinking about in my spare time right now is running this race.

Sunday morning run

Easy 6K this morning with my RR group. It was a beautiful morning for a run. We just went out along the trail, across the train bridge and right at the patrol office until just about 200 metres past the bridge. We kept the pace relaxed and we had a good chat about last week's Fredericton 10K race.

This is the last run I think we will all be doing together because Wednesday is our final clinic and I can't run before the group because of work and we're starting 30 minutes later for the actual clinic. It has been such a neat experience to see all the progress of a group over such a short period of time.

Eight days to NCM half-marathon

A busy day in the New Brunswick capital, well, if busy is relative I guess. My wife and I took turns napping while the other took care of the baby. We hit the local garden centre and picked up some plants and continued painting the downstairs playroom. I took Elle and Belle for a 5K walk around the neighbourhood in our jogger stroller. I'm still getting used to walking with it, but I did a few short running sessions. It is a great ride though, she is a huge fan (and so is her papa).

After everyone went to bed, I went out for a 13K run at 4:19 min/k. I was supposed to do 10K today but I've been feeling guilty about my lack of mileage so I upped it a tad. My Garmin was not helping tonight, I had about five or six periods where it had weak signal.  My splits were totally unhelpful, which was unfortunate considering I wanted to run even splits. I had a few sub 3-min/K and trust me, they were not that fast, as well I had a few splits over 4:30 min/k and they weren't that slow. When I finished the run, I knew I had plenty in the tank. That boosted the ego a bit.
So the long-range forecast has Ottawa at 25 degrees for Sunday. Hmm. I'm typically not a great hot-weather runner, so the only three words that come to mind are: Bring it on

Officially registered

It was only a formality but I finally pulled out the Visa card and registered for the NCM half-marathon this morning. I didn't really have a chance to back out but now it is feeling even more real.

My legs are a bit sore from last night's tempo run but they're feeling better as I walk around. The nerves are really starting to set in.

Fredericton 10K Photos

The Fredericton 10K was a blast and here are some photos to prove it.
This first shot was taken by the Fredericton Daily Gleaner and ran A1, above the fold on Monday's paper. Can you spot the fearless blogger?

This is almost the exact same shot but taken off the Run NB website. This time I'm taking a good hard look at my Garmin. I'm trying to figure out whether the GPS is telling me to keep up with the guy in yellow or do so at your own peril. I decided to let him finish in under 34 minutes without me. Good call me on that one.

Here is the customary finish line photo where I look like I'm ready to die. Although I wasn't feeling as bad as this photo suggests. What hurt the most was that I missed the 40-minute mark by seven seconds even though my Garmin told me that I beat it by more than 20 seconds.

These next two shots were taken by my friends over at Running Mania. This shot is when Dani slapped a RM Nation tattoo on my arm. Very cool little thing and it sticks, five days later and it is still there, although a shadow of its former self. This is also a good shot of one of my new racing shirts that I picked up from the Running Room. This is the shirt that when my wonderful wife saw it for the first time she said, "But it's a muscle shirt and you don't have any muscles."

Thursday night tempo

I just got back from my second to last tempo run before the Ottawa half marathon. I was a bit ambitious and tried to hold a 3:55 min/k pace. I started way too fast, Veep's real-time pace function spooked me and I laid it all out there in the first kilometre. The rest of the run I was just trying to keep on target. I finished my 5K in 19:41 with splits of 3:46, 3:56, 3:57, 3:58 and 4:02. My average split was 3:57. After reflecting on my times I wish the splits were in reverse order, I would have been happy with that. The run did mark the first occasion where I got to run some new gear. My inlaws gave me a gift certificate to the RR and I took full advantage.  

The advantage of running the season's first two races

While I think looking at statistics only two weeks into a season is totally silly, I do find this rather amusing. I assume this placing will disappear about as quickly as it appeared. I think I can run six Running Room Super Series races this year and I've already done two of them. Last year, the guy who won the age group competed in 13 races, that will be completely unrealistic with Baby 2 on the way. There are some super fast runners in this age group, so it is just an honour to be listed among them.

 

 

Men 20-29
               
Position Name Region # Races Points

1 Dan McHardie Fredericton 2 65

2 Adam Stacey Moncton 1 50

2 Chris Gairns Fredericton 1 50

4 Réjean Chiasson Tilley-Road 1 45

4 Jason Bond Fredericton 1 45

6 Paul Gallant Moncton 1 40

6 Jonathan Crossland Fredericton 1 40

8 Marcel LeBlanc Grande Digue 1 35

9 Marc Doucette Rogersville-East 1 30

10 Bruno Richard Unknown 1 29

10 James MacGreggor Fredericton 1 29

12 Luc Comeau Grande Digue 1 28

12 Pat Corkum Fredericton 1 28

14 Scott Davis Fredericton 1 27

15 John-Paul Cyr Fredericton 1 26

The clock is ticking on the Ottawa half-marathon

In eight days I will be boarding the bus to Ottawa. I'm starting to get nervous, which is uncharateristic for me. I haven't updated the blog lately because I've been really busy at home. I'm starting to get a tad concerned about my training or lack thereof. My 10K was fine, but I'm worried about keeping my pace for 21K. What I found with both the 15K and 10K race is my feet really start feeling sore around 8K, which isn't a problem when you are racing 10K but for 21K that could get very annoying. I don't think it is a problem with my Asics, my fear is that I just haven't logged enough distance so far. I've been sticking to this "tabloid training" schedule pretty closely and I'm just a bit concerned that I didn't put in enough aerobic runs early on. I've done one 20K, and three 16K or longer runs, but I wish I had a few more under my belt.

Fredericton 10K Race Report

This report doesn't start on May 14, 2006, and it doesn't even really start on May 12 or 13, 2006. No, the origins of this report date back to May 8, 2005. It was a cold, windy, rainy day. It was one of those days that have few if any redeeming qualities. The only significance to that day is that is when the Fredericton 10K made me want to turtle and cry like a wee child. I crossed the line in 44:01, which is the slowest I've completed a 10K, well, I'm not sure if I've done one slower since I started keeping track.

As I trained the last few months, I circled May 14 on my calendar, not just because it is my birthday but because I had revenge on my brain. I kept telling myself that my goal race is really the Ottawa half-marathon but in the back of my mind it is really this race. This is the one where I was to seek atonement. On Monday, I was silly and attempted to do a hard speed workout after three hard and/or long runs and I ended up feeling my hamstrings tug. So I decided against running all week, which felt like a prison sentence. My thinking, rightly or wrongly, was that if I pushed during the week I could hurt myself more and put in jeopardy this race and, even worse, Ottawa.

I also had the added bonus this year of having many of my RR clinic friends participate. There were two of the members from my first clinic in January-March and I had a great showing from my current clinic. These people were truly inspirational. Each one was motivated for their own reason and they each demonstrated the heart of a lion as they motored through their first race. I stood at the entry to the finish chute clapping and cheering as each one crossed the line and remembered the first 3K we did together back in March. Ahh the memories. I won't use names because they didn't give me permission to do it, but I was really impressed with both those who were from my first group, one broke an hour, beating her time by almost five minutes and the other muscled her way through the race with a huge knot in her calve muscle. I had three people from my current group break an hour, which is outstanding, but each of them, I believe, shattered the expectations they set for themselves 10 weeks ago. I use exclamation points sparingly but they deserve every "!" imaginable.

Anyway, back to my race report, sorry for the diversion. I have to admit when I arrived at the course this morning I did get myself a little worried. I already knew a guy who wants to compete at the world duathlon championships was going to be racing and then I saw a guy from the local RR who I know routinely breaks 34 minutes. I kept telling myself, forget them, run your own race. But it's hard when you know you will want to try and keep up but you also know trying to keep that pace will ruin you.

It was great seeing so many Running Mania people. I saw some for the first time and others for the second. I wish I had more time to chat but I was starting to get in my zone. I opted to hit a porta-potty before the race, which took 15 minutes out of my warm-up.

Like any runner I came in with a few goals. Obviously, my number one priority was to ease the pain from last year. As for my times, I wanted to beat my 41:05 best time from last year, my overall 10K PB 40:50, but really I wanted to crack 40 minutes. I set my Garmin to beat 40 minutes.

Once I toed the line, everything else didn't matter, who cares about the short warm-up, it's time to see what I'm made of. The little siren went off and it was time for revenge. I did my absolute best to contain myself. There were several people though propelled themselves out front and were clogging up the turning lanes in the early going, which was frustrating.

Each year I bolt out like I'm contending to actually win and then I end up hurting on the way home. This time I tried to hold back and let the others sprint out. I was watching my real-time pace on my Garmin and was doing my best to stick to my 4 min/k pace. There were people sprinting past me and I had to assure myself that I'd catch them later. So I hunkered into my pace and started turning out 4-minute splits. I felt really strong in the early part of the run and wanted to speed up a bit at times. But I kept relaxed and restrained myself.

According to my Garmin, I hit 5K at 19:54 and thought life was good. It wasn't long before I saw the leaders and eventually made the turn for home. I did my best to wave to everyone that I could spot. I was waving to those I spotted from afar and shouted when I could, but I was also trying to stay focused on my own race.

There was never a part of the race where I wanted to slow down or where I felt I couldn't keep up the pace. As I made it to the train bridge I knew I had 40 minutes in my sights but I didn't want to pull anything and ruin my chance in Ottawa. My Garmin told me I was about 70 meters ahead of my desired pace so I didn't want to push much harder. As I looked for the 8K and 9K markers I noticed they were a bit off where they should have been, which was odd considering they were right on for the early part of the race.

As I rounded the corner and had the finish line in my sights I thought I had my first sub-40. But my Garmin went off early and it turns out either the course was off or my Garmin was off … or some other reason that I don't know. The clock said I finished in 40:10, my chip said 40:07, but my Garmin says 39:37. I wasn't the only person who noticed a distance problem, the winner said he was off by an additional 200 meters, mine said it was off by 160 meters. Odd.

I'm happy that I scored a new PB in my first 10K of the racing season. I have to admit, I'm miffed that I didn't break 40 minutes. I had a lot of energy to spare and could have knocked off those final seven seconds if I knew what was hanging in the balance. I felt that I had my goal in the bag and I didn't want to risk injury for Ottawa. Now if this caused me not to BQ, I'd be livid but that wasn't the case, so such is life.

My splits were: 3:50, 4:02 , 4:01, 4:04, 3:57, 3:52, 3:55, 3:55, 4:09, 3:53.

An interesting footnote, last year when I finished in 44:01, I ranked 14^th overall. This year at 40:07, I ranked 13 ^th overall. Had I finished in the same time this year, last year, I would have ranked fourth overall.

Race day

I haven't posted all week. I've had a really tight hamstring (on both sides) and haven't run since Monday night when I did a 3K and a 4x1 mile speed. I'm starting to hydrate and get myself mentally prepared for the race today. It is absolutely gorgeous in Fredericton right now.

Speed clinic

As promised here are some of my notes from tonight's speed clinic.

 

Speed Training session

 

Speed Training is the "roof" of the "training house". Keep this part to about 15 per cent. When designing your schedule, keep speed to the end.

It hones your progress to date.

This is the last phase of the training program but don't be deceived by the "short" workouts.

Like hills, you'll only be running hard for short periods of time, the intensity will add up.

 

A few key things to keep in mind for speed training:

1. Always run a light warm-up and cool-down.

2. Don't increase the distance or intensity of a speed workout too quickly.

3. Listen to any warning signs from your body - your goal race is fast approaching and you don't want to be nursing an injury.

 

Speed training not for everyone. It is a big help but don't push it.

The goal of speed training is to teach your body to go faster. It simulates race conditions.

 

Lactate acid: Lactic acid is a by-product of anaerobic glycolysis. If enough oxygen is not available, lactic acid is produced and begins to accumulate in the muscles. Lactic acid causes the "burning" sensation felt in muscles during high intensity exercise and also prevents muscles from working their best. This burning sensation is the result of a change in muscular acidity.

The point at which lactic acid begins to quickly accumulate in the blood is known as the anaerobic threshold or Lactic Threshold

 

Studies indicate that the best predictor of distance-running performance is your lactate threshold, which is the speed you are able to run before lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood. By regularly including tempo runs in your training schedule, you will increase the speed that you can run before lactic acid begins to slow you down. To use a car analogy, tempo runs will allow your engine to rev faster without red-lining. Before tempo training, you may have red-lined at a 5:30-minute-per-KM pace. After a few months of tempo runs, you won't red-line until you reach a 5 min-per-KM pace.

 

Not only will running at LT pace push your body to increase how fast it can remove lactate acid from your muscles and blood, it also will help you overcome that huge mental block of hitting the wall in a race.

 

What is a tempo run?

Short but intense run.

For those with HRs, 80 to 90 per cent of Max HR.

Essentially a pace you could hold for one hour consistently. For those without HRs, think of a 10K race pace. You want to be hard but not totally uncomfortable. So you can utter words but not sentences.

Start at lower end and move up.

 

Tempo runs:

15- to 25-minute; 10-15 seconds faster than LT

25- to 40-minute; at LT

 

How to do tempo runs:

Don't need to go to track. Track workouts are for later.

Tracks are great for short intervals but for road running they are rather pointless because it does not mirror your race terrain.

Beware of the surface: I do my tempo largely on trails but I don't do at night for fear of rolling an ankle at faster pace

 

The Top Seven reasons for speed injuries:

1. Inadequate warmup or warm down.

2. Running Too Hard on Easy Days.

3. Sprinting.

4. Too Many Weeks of Speed.

5. Too Many Hard Days.

6. Inadequate Transition.

7. On A Bad Day.

Grande-Digue: Update

The final results were just posted for the Grande-Digue 15K. I placed 20th overall and fifth in my age group in a time of 1:02:08.4.

First race of the season

The last three weeks leading up to today's race have been unbearable because I've had my eyes focused squarely on April 30 and Grande-Digue. I've felt my training has me light years ahead of where I was this time last year but I had no way to prove it. Driving to Bouctouche on Saturday morning, I kept flip-flopping on my race strategy. I ran a hard 7K tempo on Friday that came in at an average 3:59 min/kilometre pace and that got me thinking that during a race perhaps I could hold a 4:00 min/k pace. Seconds later, the other side of my brain would remind its crazy counterpart that its strategy would likely land me in the hospital around 13K. But there I was driving with this inner war raging in my head, while my wife, daughter and dog were all sound asleep. I wish I could say I came to a conclusion, but as I warmed up this morning I still had no idea what I was going to do when the gun fired.

The race was supposed to start at 10:15 this morning, which is about two hours later than my latest normal morning run, so I was trying to hold off eating breakfast long enough that I wouldn't need to eat twice. My right knee was bothering me when I got up, likely from running with the dog in the backyard of my in-laws. As I arrived in Grande-Digue, I had to find the registration centre and they had us parked so closely together that I didn't have time or the ability to sign up and then go and drive the course. So I was running blind. But the website bragged about a flat course (foreshadowing alert), so I figured what the heck and I started some light easy jogging, hoping to get that bothersome right knee to loosen up.

As I looked around I knew it was going to be a tough race because all of New Brunswick 's fastest distance runners were stretching on cars or nonchalantly discussing their recent Boston experience (not that I was eavesdropping or anything!) And what else did I notice, but the stunning array of Garmins. It was out of this world how many people had Forerunners strapped to their forearms.

So now the race, considering this is a race report. The race started a few minutes late but no big deal. Once the gun fired, I had tried to keep myself restrained. I had decided on running 4:05s for the first 10K and then we would see how that was feeling. Keeping myself from blasting forward was so hard, I just wanted to bolt with the frontrunners as I normally do, but I knew that would cause premature pain. I did my best to keep calm and I finished my first kilometre in 4:00, a bit fast but not bad under the circumstances. It was here that the crowd started to spread out and I noticed the wind. Of course, the wind would come, it is my natural nemesis. The wind was gusting head on for longer than I care to remember and there was no way to avoid it. I just lowered my head and tried to keep my pace strong. The scenery was breathtaking when I had a chance to notice. My sole goal was to try and keep my pace on target, which was not easy with those gusty conditions. I never really had a chance to get locked into my pace and it was all over the map.

So remember how I thought it was flat? The website said there was some inclines but never really called them hills. Well from 7.4K to 9.5K there was a brutal hill that never, ever stopped, or so I thought. It should be noted that this isn't Heartbreak Hill and I can't imagine it is anything that the Around The Bay runners experienced but it was tough, especially as I have skipped hill training so far to focus mainly on speed. But that wasn't even the cruel part. After a much needed decline, another hill started and this one was from 11K to almost 14.5K. This is when I really wanted to die. At 12K was the final of the three water stops and I was so thirsty that I grabbed the first cup I saw, gulped it all and then took another cup. Well behind me I heard a loud expletive that cannot be printed here. I didn't realize the guy behind me had his sights on that cup as well, turns out he got another but we both felt bad, me for taking the cup and he for his, um, outburst.

I should mention right about here that for the first running of this race the volunteers were awesome and the locals who cheered us on where great. Too bad I was too tired to thank them all properly. Now back to the hill…

Although my splits were bouncing from 4:01 to 4:11, they spiked at 9K (4:18) and 13K (4:46, this might be a GPS error because the previous split is 3:57), which were right smack dab in the middle of the two biggest hills.

Thankfully, the final hill ended. I had been passed by three runners however I was on the heels of one of them as we raced for the finish line. This guy must have been in his 50s maybe 60s. A wonderful French guy, who kept talking to me en francais and I kept trying to respond in my own broken French, but it is hard enough to concentrate in English let alone a second language after 14K. But he was the happiest guy ever. As we barrelled to the finish line, he kept yelling at me to push. And about 300 metres behind me I could see another shirt gaining on me.

Perhaps I should take a quick step back right now to illustrate my pain. After those two monster hills, my lungs honestly wanted to explode and they almost did, my average HR for the last 2K were 191 and 194 respectively. My quads were screaming at me for skipping hill repeats for tempo runs and intervals. And the sun was beating down on me and I could tell I was dehydrating quickly. But I could see the church as we rounded for home so I couldn't slow down now, plus I had my crazy buddy on my right egging me on. So there I am plummeting down this hill with him screaming or I think he was screaming, it was all a blur. The only thing louder than my French friend was my heart wanting to leap out of my chest and my legs literally ready to come flying off. Inside my underused brain, I kept repeating, "Faster …. Faster … vite… vite… wait, you can only push yourself in one language… but I really want to slow down… are we there yet … faster, faster" My arms were pumping, my darn HRM strap was falling around my stomach and my face was contorting itself into ways that I just pray there were no cameras around to capture. At this point, the PA announcer was saying something that I could not hear and the crowds were cheering us on. I had no idea where my buddy was or the person that was stalking me. All I know is I crossed the line and thought I was about to crash. But I did it and that's what counts. It was a great race.

They have not posted the official results but my Garmin tells me I finished in 1:02:08, about 53 seconds off my goal pace but a PB … considering this is my first ever 15K race. My average HR was: 185 and average pace was 4:08.

My splits were: 4:00, 4:08, 4:09, 4:01, 4:10, 4:10, 4:10, 4:11, 4:18, 4:06, 4:08, 3:57, 4:46, 4:09, 3:39.

First race of the season

Finished Grande Digue 15k. Don't have final results yet. My Garmin tells me I finished in about 1:02:00. Tough run. Lots of wind and hills. Will post full report later.

Friday Night Tempo

The past five days have been one of the toughest weeks of my career in terms of absolute chaos. I was yearning for a run all day and I almost missed it. We are heading to visit the inlaws tomorrow so I can run my first race on Sunday, so I had to make an evening Wal-Mart run for diapers, wipes, summer baby PJs et al. By the time I got back home, it was well past 8 p.m. and getting dark. I immediately ditched all my stuff and jumped into my running gear. I was supposed to do a 13K tempo, but considering it was so late and Sunday I'm racing 15K, I thought I could get away with less. So I went for a 7K tempo, but I made sure I kept a strong clip. My goal was to run at 4:00 min/K pace and that is exactly what I did. I paid much closer attention to my real-time pace than normal and that helped me slow down when I wanted to pick it up early on and it kept me strong as the run drew to a close.
With my first run of the season less than 36 hours away, I didn't want to go all out so I made sure I brought it in on pace. I finished my 7K in 27:56 or 3:59 min/K. My splits were 4:01, 4:00, 4:00, 3:57, 4:02, 3:56, 3:57.
I'm feeling good now. Just watching the Habs-Hurricanes game and about to read an article in the new Running Times.

Wednesday night speed session

I had a really odd day at work. Yet another alleged privacy breach meaning my relatively normal day turned into chaos ... don't even ask about Tanker and Frank Branch. Argh. Anyway, I didn't finish until about 8 p.m. or so and then took the dog for a 3K warm up run at 5:25 min/k pace. (She is far more consistent than I am, so she keeps me from going too fast during warm ups.) I dropped off Belle and did my speed session. It was 4x800m tonight. And of course I had an absolutely brutal head wind for the first 50m and last 150m of each lap. My splits were: 2:46, 2:42, 2:48, 2:50. The last time I did 800s, I have a few splits faster than tonight but a few slower than my slowest splits. So I'm happy with the run.

Building the confidence

Monday night turned into a very good running night for me. Derrick gave, what I thought was, a very informative shoe lecture at our clinic. I've bought a gazillion pairs of shoes but I always learn something new at these clinics. We went out for a 3k recovery run and everyone looked really strong. I can see the confidence levels of all the runners rising, perfect timing for May 14.
I had a great 9k run home after the clinic. I finished in 36:41. The best part of the run was how strong I felt from beginning to end. The pace was strong but I only really pushed for the last 600m or so. Adding another kilometre at that pace would have brought me under my 2005 PB. Who knows what would happen in a race but I feel so far my training is getting me to where I want to be for the start of race season. My first race is Sunday in Grande-Digue ... The nerves are building.

Sunny Sunday

I admit when I walked out the door this morning to drive to the Running Room I was questioning my decision to weat shorts and a t-shirt. Undaunted I made the trek without a wardrobe change. This week was our first 11K and I think some were nervous. As we ran, the nerves dissipated. The pace was slow to start and eventually picked up. We went out toward Marysville and turned right at the soccer fields. We were all impressed by the countless birds and different things to look at. Running on the trail is a daydreamer's paradise. We ended up finishing around 1:12 or so (don't have Garmin with me).

Saturday

Supposed to do 16k today but had a tough 3x1 mile yesterday and an even tougher 7k tempo run on Thursday. Legs are sore. My tempo was in 28:33, it was a tough run in the wind. Also had a side stitch near the end that slowed me a lot. My speed session was fairly consistent: 5:55, 5:54 and 6:06. A bit slower than last time but more even.
Heading for 11k tomorrow with my RR group. This will be the longest distance yet. Very exciting.

Tips

I've been a bad blogger of late but a sick kid and a busy work schedule have really cramped my free time this week. Anyway, I just saw this posted on Runningmania.com and I thought it was interesting. I will be updating the clinic running schedule this weekend. Sorry for the delay.

 

 

Warm Up & Cool Down

Benefits Of A Warm-Up

The role of the warm-up is to prepare your body to run at higher intensities. When you accelerate to race pace after the starting pistol sounds, the physiological and psychological demands on your body increase suddenly and dramatically.
Muscle stiffness is directly related to muscle injury and therefore the warm-up should be aimed at reducing muscle stiffness before workouts, as well as races. Performance may be improved, as an appropriate warm-up will: 1) increase speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles 2) improve economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles 3) increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscles temperatures 3) facilitated oxygen utilization by warmed muscles because hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures and 4) utilize the warm-up as a time to mentally prepare for the task at hand.

Warm-Up Tips

1 Run for 5 to 20 minutes, beginning slowly and gradually increasing the pace so you run the last one to two minutes at close to your perceived race pace. The shorter the race, the longer this warm-up run should be.
2 Stretch and attend to other needs. Stretching will help prepare your muscles for the longer stride length you use when running fast. This is also an opportunity to take a washroom break and change into your competition attire.
3 Run for another five minutes, followed by a few of 50 to 100 metre sprints at race pace.
4 You should time your warm-up so that you are prepared to race about 5 minutes before the start. Keep moving during those last few minutes, and if the weather is cold try to keep warm clothes on, up until the start of the race. Give yourself enough time to warm up completely but avoid the common error of warming up too early.
5 Your entire warm-up should take 20 to 35 minutes.

What About Longer Races?

Before a marathon, the need to warm up is counterbalanced by the need to conserve your carbohydrate reserves, which are a limiting factor in marathon performance. Fortunately, your warm-up only needs to prepare you to run at marathon pace, and that can be accomplished by running easily for about 5 minutes, gradually increasing your speed up to marathon pace, followed by some gentle stretching. Finish by performing 1 to 3 sprints at race pace.

The Cool-Down

Before starting your cool-down, you should have a drink containing carbohydrates. Hard running and carbohydrate depletion have both been shown to depress your immune system. By taking in a carbohydrate drink soon after your workout or race, you will maintain your blood sugar level and may help reduce this temporary immune system suppression.
Your cool-down should start with easy running for 10 to 20 minute (if you're too tired to run, then walk for an equivalent amount of time). The optimal clearance of lactate, adrenaline, etc. occurs if you start your cool-down run at 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate and slow down to a slow jog or walk for the last 5 minutes.

Benefits Of A Cool-Down

1 When you run, the contraction of your muscles pumps blood back up to your heart, which prevents blood pooling in your legs. When you finish a race or a hard workout and just stand around, blood pools in your legs so less blood is able to return to your heart. This can lead to reduced blood pressure and dizziness. Cooling down by running slowly or walking activates the "muscle pump" to keep blood circulating back to your heart.
2 An important role of the cool-down is to remove the lactate that has accumulated in your muscles and blood. Let's say that at the end of a workout your blood lactate increased to 11 mmol. After 20 minutes of cooling down by easy running, your blood lactate would likely be back down to about 3 mmol, whereas if he just sat around for 20 minutes his blood lactate would still be about 7 mmol. Blood lactate decreases much more quickly when you do a cool-down run because blood flow is maintained at a higher level, which increases both movement of lactate out of your muscles and the rate at which your muscles utilize lactate.
3 Adrenaline and noradrenaline are hormones released by your adrenal glands that increase the rate and force at which your heart contracts, increase blood pressure, increase your rate and depth of breathing, increase the rate at which your muscles break down glycogen, etc. Adrenaline and noradrenaline levels in your blood increase rapidly when you run at greater than 85% of your maximum heart rate. The harder you run, the more of these hormones that gets dumped into your bloodstream. Adrenaline levels typically decrease to resting levels in less than an hour, but noradrenaline levels can take several hours to return to resting levels. An active cool-down helps get these hormones out of your system, which helps your body recover more quickly.
 

Re: Course record?

He did it by one second!

Course record?

Cheruiyot is on pace for a course record! That guy is blazing. That is $25k for the record and $100k for the win.
The record is 2:07:15.

Rita Jeptoo wins!

What a race...
Trying to get a time...

Women

The women are about to finish. What a race! A half a block to go...

Just look at the faces

In between calls, I've had a chance to sneek a peak at the TV. Check out the face of the men's leader, Ben Maiyo. He is absolutely flying, yet he appears as if he's out for a Sunday LSD. Meb is about 10 or 20 metres behind him and you can see the strain of the pace written all over his face.
Oh and just to be clear, if I ever attempted to run that pace I'd be in full cardiac arrest right now! They are on pace for 2:05:45.

Packs starting to thin

Meb and two others are starting to put some distance between them and the rest of the pack.
Meb just gave the camera a thumbs up.
On related news, the bostonmarathon.org website is finally working again. I can track live those who I know. Very cool feature.

Men!

The top guys are on pace for 2:08. They just cranked out a 4:38 mile. That is a killer fast pace for Boston.

Women

The elite women just passed 10 miles. They are on pace for 2:24. Wow.

Meb and Culpepper

Two Americans are in the lead pack. The last mile was done in 4:42. Holy moley! The lead male runner is supposed to be a pace bunny for a couple Kenyans, that is a heck of a pace.

Seven minutes

More than one mile done and the elite men are flying. How do they maintain that pace for 26.2 miles!?

Marathon Monday

I'm not running the Boston Marathon today ... maybe 2008 (fingers crossed). But channel 15 and OLN have live coverage, as well the Boston Marathon website has it live.
Will try and live blog the marathon, In between calls. :-)

New running partner

We had a major milestone in our family this week. Elle started walking. I'm talking about real walking and not just a step here and there. She is consistently putting 10 or more steps together. I'm one proud papa. Perhaps I may have a new running partner soon!
Now onto some current running thoughts.
I had some terrible timing with my medical insurance provider. After running pain-free for a few months, I've noticed a small tug in my hamstring, similar to the feeling that eventually led to my pre-RVM injury. But I just got a bill from Dennis's office and apparently the BNI HR person didn't understand my policy and advised me that increasing my monthly payment would mean my physio would be totally covered. Turns out I need to fork out $175 and I've reached my annual cap for that therapist. I can only hope that upon seeing my original referral from a orthopedic surgeon that they will waive the fee. Grrrr. I'm not impressed.
Anyway, I just got back from a speed session. I did 3x1 mile. Sadly I was terribly inconsistent. This is the first time I've ever done such a session, I've done mile repeats before but it was on a road with hills, this was on a flat trail. My first repeat was 5:53. I totally slacked off on my second mile, which registered in 6:10. My final split came in at 5:32, I was adament I wasn't going to make the same mistake as the previous mile.
What always bugs me about speed sessions is in the middle of the repeat I can't push any harder and within a few seconds on my recovery lap, I'm feeling like a slacker.

Notes from Hill Training session

Why do hills?

Strength training

House analogy, 35 per cent

Acquired skill, takes practice

Builds confidence

Benefits running on flat surfaces because of added leg strength

Strengthens muscles in knees

                Watch for injuries, especially in Achilles tendon, before commencing hill training

Hill training can be as effective in building aerobic power as speed intervals

Strengthens: hamstrings, calves, glutes, hip flexors and Achilles tendons

Avoids injury: lessens impact of foot fall.  Impact force is major contributor to injury

 

How to do hills

The perfect hill

                250 metres to 600 metres

                Incline of eight to 10 per cent

 

Always warm up for 10 minutes

Run to hop of hill first, jog down and then start repeats

Try and maintain the same stride frequency as you would on flat ground and shorten it as you adjust to the grade.
Use your arms, when your leg turnover starts to slow near the top, pump your arms a little faster and your legs will be sure to follow.
Keep your posture erect, rather than leaning too far forward. Try and look parallel to the surface of the hill. In doing this the hill appears to flatten and is not visually as tough as if you looked up with your eyes while keeping your head down.
Concentrate on good form and increase the rhythm of your arms slightly as you near the crest of the hill. Push over the crest.
Keep your chest up and out. Keep your breathing relaxed.
Pay attention to any signs of stiffening up, keep jaw, shoulders, arms, fists relaxed

Maintain the same effort as you go up the hill. Your speed will slow slightly and increase again as you reach the crest of the hill. Keep the same effort at the crest and run past the top before turning around.
Never stop once you have reached the top. Continue a slow jog or a walk. This hill training is pretty intense. By continuing to keep moving, you will enhance your recovery and be ready sooner for your next repeat.
For those using their target heart rate, intensity is 70-80% of maximum heart rate. Always rest for at least as long as it takes to run up the hill or until your heart rate is below 120 BPM. Rest is part of your training.
Remember, hill training is not a race but a quality individual workout. Run to the hill and do the warm-up with the group, but the hill is yours alone to conquer and at your own speed.
Hills build your confidence level and increase your self esteem as well as prepare you mentally to be a better athlete.

 

Problems and possible causes

Uphill

Breathing too rapidly: Overstriding

Tight leg muscles: Overstriding

Tight lower back: Leaning too far forward

Shoulders/arms tired: Too much arm swing

 

Downhill

Tight hamstrings: Overstriding, "too much air"

Arms flailing/loss of rhythm: Going too fast

Sore lower back: Leaning too far forward

Sore quads: Overstriding

 

Running rats

I had this fascinating article forwarded over to me. I'll post the entire article for now and then snip it and post the link a few days so not to clutter up the blog too much. I knew I was getting smarter as I ran with a group and now I have a scientific journal to act as proof!

 

 

Running Alone May Offer Diminished Rewards

Many runners contend that jogging alone offers the opportunity to enjoy nature or appreciate an urban landscape, while giving the brain and the body a beneficial workout.

But new research with rats suggests that running solo might not offer the perceived benefits and, in fact, may actually be bad for runners when combined with social isolation.

The scientists behind the study report that mice forced to live and run by themselves have less brain cell growth than those that get to run with other rats.

The implications for humans aren't clear.

But the study does show "that the social environment plays an important role in determining how a basic function like physical activity affects the brain and body," said Bruce S. McEwen, a professor of neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University in New York City, who's familiar with the study findings.

The study researchers launched their project because they wanted to understand how a stressful activity -- running -- turns out to be beneficial from a health perspective.

"Stress hormones go up in runners and yet, under certain circumstances, these hormones don't affect the brain in a negative way," said study co-author Elizabeth Gould, a professor of psychology at Princeton University.

Gould and her colleagues studied the effects of stress by housing rats either in solitary confinement or in groups. They also made the rats run on running wheels, either alone or with other rats, and studied how the exercise affected "neurogenesis" -- the creation of new neurons in the brain.

The rats who ran in groups did a better job of generating new neurons than those that ran in isolation. The researchers also found that the isolated rats had higher levels of corticosterone, a hormone related to stress.

The findings appear in the March 12 online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Why would social isolation matter?

"For most species, social interaction is very natural," Gould said. "This makes a lot of sense for species which thrive with cooperative activities, like sharing food and cooperative breeding. The stressful component of isolation may be adaptive because it seems to be aversive -- if given a chance, most rats would seek out social situations, especially positive ones -- and so animals are unlikely to stay in an isolated setting if given a chance."

In other words, social isolation may be stressful because it's a sign to rats that they should find company.

Does this mean anything for humans who live alone? It's hard to say it does, Gould said.

For one thing, "rats are highly motivated to run. If you give them access to a running wheel, they will run without fail. This is a universally motivating behavior. This is not true for humans -- many humans are not motivated to exercise."

And second, the rats in solitary confinement weren't exposed to any other rats at all. "Humans living alone typically have lots of other social contact -- at work, shopping, on the phone, social outings," Gould said.

Still, the findings do provide more evidence that social interaction can be healthy and "buffer the negative effects of stress," she said.

Thursday is tempo time

Ok, it's official, I've really got to figure out the art of the evening run. Our sitter was sick today, so I stayed home with Elle in the morning. We went for a nice 3K walk, it was a wonderful morning. I admit staying at home messed up my entire routine, when it came to eating, coffee, etc. At noon I got pulled away from hanging out with Elle and went to work. When I finally got home and was about to go for my run tonight, I remembered how little I had actually eaten. Undaunted, I went out for my 7K tempo. Overall I'm happy with the run, although it was a bit too dark along the trail for the last 3K, so I was watching my footing more than my pace.
I warmed up with a 5:17 and then finished my run with: 3:53, 4:01, 3:59, 4:01, 4:01, 4:09, 4:08 and 4:03.

Speed night

I just got back from my speedwork out, oh, how I loathe my speedworkouts. This week was my foray into 4x800s. I had a late lunch/early dinner at the office and I was hoping it was far enough away from my run so it would be properly digested. (This is what we writer types refer to as foreshadowing.)
Like last week, it was getting too dark to head to a track so instead I went to the trail near my place. Running on a trail was fine, except there was one house that decided to burn some branches, so I had to run through a thick plume of smoke four times. That didn't do a lot for my lungs.
I digress. Anyway, I was hoping to finish all my splits in 2:57. I warmed up for about 2K and then knocked off both of the first two repeats in 2:38. The third repeat was when the rice and chickpeas started to resurface, it was gutted out in three minutes. I really struggled on that split. I tried to pull everything together on the last split and finished the final 800 in 2:53. I had an easy jog back to my house, you know it was a tough workout when even your heart rate monitor strap feels about eight sizes too small.
Well at least it's done now. Tomorrow it's a tempo run.

100th post

I've hit the century mark in terms of posts on my running blog. Wow, that clearly illustrates how much I need a life. Alas I shouldn't digress too far into how much time I spend updating for my faithful blog readers ... I see the site tracker, you all should post more!
This is actually a make-up post. I didn't have time to post about my Saturday run. It was my first run with my new Asics 2110s and wow are they amazing. Not just, "Hey these kicks are pretty cool." But, they reminded me of how great running can be when you have the right equipment. My shins and lower leg muscles were still pretty sore from all my running with the old shoes, but my feet felt like I had them strapped to pillows.
I did a 10K "LSD". I'm having a tough time getting my head around the shorter training distances for half-marathons considering I'm generally training for marathons. That probably sounds really silly to complain about "short" training runs, but it has been quite an adjustment. Although my wife loves the fact I'm not leaving for three hours at a time anymore.
I set Veep to keep me to a 4:20 min/km pace but I cheated a bit. I brought it in at an ave. 4:15. The satellites were wonky on Saturday; I did a 4:10 and a 4:31 back-to-back splits and I swear my pace didn't change. The trail was great, nice and firm, not too muddy. When I was heading down the back stretch on the way home, I passed a girl with a UNB Cross Country uniform on. I was feeling pretty good, but then I saw the 4:31 split. I was gobsmacked. The only answer has to be faulty GPS or else, I was enjoying the new sneakers a bit too much.
In the end, I was happy every K was on target or under, except for the bizarre one. Brought the last K home in 3:58, just to see how the shoes finished a run. My K splits were: 4:16, 4:18, 4:19, 4:06, 4:16, 4:09, 4:21, 4:10, 4:31 and 3:58.

Sunday run with the group

(Click on the map to enlarge)
Just got back from my Sunday run with the RR. Don't have a lot of time to post right now, but overall it was a great run. Everyone is looking stronger by the day. We all finished between 51 and 55 minutes, which is amazing considering some have never run 8K before. The best part of Sunday runs is how I get to run with everyone.
Anyway, have a cat and a dog sleeping on me, baby upstairs sleeping and have to get ready for Elle's swimming lessons.

Tempo Training

Tonight is my traditional tempo night, according to my nifty new half-marathon training program. I didn't attack it like most tempo runs, for a variety of reasons: my speedwork last night took a toll on my legs, I got out late and my eating schedule was messed up. The excuses aside, I got out for a 5K tempo run, which included a 1K warmup, 0.5k cooldown and 5K tempo. I understand hills can build character, but I really think I have enough character right now and I wish I could have some flat surfaces to do my tempo runs on. I could care less about hills on my steady runs, but hills in tempos really hurt. My splits were 4:44, 3:59, 3:59, 4:11 (hill), 3:59, 4:04 and 2:53.

Speedy Wednesday

I like running long. I have no problem running hills. I can do trails, road or just about any surface. I'll run a 5K, 10K, half-marathon or marathon. I can do all of that without much pressure. So why does speedwork still intimidate me?
I just got back from my first speed workout in a long time. My half-marathon training schedule officially starts this week, thus today was 4x400m with a warm-up and cooldown. Those regular visitors to my blog may remember it was during my speed sessions before Royal Victoria that ended up aggravating my hamstring. To say I'm a little tentative this time around, well, that would be an understatement.
My half-marathon training program is supposed to be three days of intense training a week, with two alternate days. It was supposed to begin yesterday but I badly needed a rest day after four straight days of running. By the time I was able to get out of the house tonight, it was too dark and too late to get to a trail or track, so I did it on a fairly flat part of my subdivision. I also didn't realize it started raining. Argh.
I finished the workout, but it was not pretty. I really struggled. The training program called for a two-minute rest between intervals, but I thought that was way too easy, so cut it to one minute. Perhaps that was a mistake. A few times I felt like my stomach was doing flip-flops. And my form was disastrous near the end.
Anyway, my 400m splits were where I needed them for the first speed workout: 80 seconds, 77 seconds, 82 seconds and 80 seconds. I'm sure this will get easier in the next 10 weeks.

Back to Monday

A day late, but I figure, heck it’s my blog, who is going to criticize me for posting a Monday run report on Tuesday?
Monday was incredibly hectic. I had to race down to Saint John to cover the PUB hearings and then turn around and file before the RR clinic. To put my time constraints in proper context, I was transcribing interviews in the car as CAG drove. I finished just in time to make it to the clinic on time. I thought the session went well, I always enjoy talking about training programs and goal setting. We had several new members show up, I’m really excited about this clinic.
We went out on a 4K run, which took us from City Hall across the train bridge and back. The wind was picking up as we ran to the bridge, but it really started to gust as we trekked back. I’m really impressed by the progress several of the participants are showing and it is only week two. Very cool. We finished in 25 minutes and change.
As per my new Monday night ritual, once I was finished at the clinic I ran home. My legs were pretty tired considering all the running I had done in the last four days. I started the run slowly, leaving the downtown core, stopping at my office to pick up my keys and then home. Running on Monday nights means I have to run on the road because the trails are too dark along the river. I don’t mind that, however, some parts of the Lincoln Road are dicey. As I made my way home, I found myself picking up the pace a bit, perhaps to get home faster I’m not sure. I finished the 9K in 39:16 with splits of 5:12, 4:26, 4:23, 4:13, 4:20, 4:16, 4:21, 4:21 and 3:42.

10K Clinic schedule update

Along the left column of the blog, I've posted the 10K clinic training schedule for the next month. I've tried to juggle our Monday night clinic, which is supposed to be a rest day. The other challenge I had was when the hill repeats start. The RR does hill repeats on Wednesdays, so I kept with that. What had to be worked around is on normal programs, there is a steady run on Tuesday (a rest day in this new schedule), hills on Wednesday and a steady run on Thursday. Now we will do hills, steady run and steady run. This shouldn't be a big deal.
I hope this is a solid compromise.

You know you're a runner when...

This is a funny little yarn I tracked down on the web.

 

Travel
You Know You're A Runner...
when the drive to the race is longer than the race itself
when you say "There's only a half-marathon (10k, 5k, etc)
when you run to your gate at the airport even though you aren't late and you aren't wearing running shoes
when you pack a separate bag for your running clothes
when your idea of sightseeing involves visiting the local running store and finding the best place for hill repeats and long runs
when you get off an 18 hour flight and go for your long run because a) you need to stretch your legs, b) you want to see the city/country, and c) you have a scheduled run
when you realize that all the traveling you did in the last year revolved around races
you avoid travelling to places where you won't be able to run

Nutrition
You Know You're A Runner...
when all your friends think you eat too healthy
when you not only eat gels, but you know the best flavors for every brand
when you consider pasta to be a food group
when the sports drinks are in front of the soda, beer, and juice in your fridge
when you drink your least favorite kind of sports drink because you know it is what they will be handing out at waterstops for your next race and you want your body to be accustomed to it
when pasta is the only food you'll eat two nights before a race

Family and Friends
when you've run, showered, and eaten breakfast (twice) before your family/roommates even wake up
your friends no longer look at you like your nuts, because they know it for sure
when you forget birthdays and anniversaries, even major holidays, but never the date of your next race
when you have to make a real effort to remember to talk to your (non-running)family and friends about something other than running
when your boss tells you to go run because your having a bad day at work
when your family plans vacations based on where your next marathon will be
when people stop asking you if you are going to run today, but rather ask you when
when your friends by sports drinks for their party so you'll have something to drink, since they know you have a run/race the next day
when your friends know that if you don't answer your phone, you're probably running
when you pass on going out with your friends on Friday night because you have to get up early and run
when you no longer have to explain to your friends why cotton isn't the best choice for running attire
when you come back after a 1 hour run and your spouse says 'That was fast.
when your friends think they need to practice more before they can run with you
when your spouse begs you to go for a run because you are in a bad mood

Injuries
You know you're a runner...
when you have a favorite ice pack
when you brag about losing toenails
when you go through a box of Band-Aids without getting a single cut
when there are permanent blood stains on your T-shirts where your nipples were rubbed raw
when it hurts worse to take a shower than it does to keep running

Clothes
You know you're a runner...
when every T-shirt you own has a race name and sponsors listed on it
when your socks come in two categories: run! ning socks and others
when you have tons of race shirts but can't find a work shirt for the life of you
when you balk at the cost of everyday shoes and then spend $75 - $100 on a pair of running shoes that will only last 3 months and think you're getting a fabulous deal
when you think a black Timex Ironman watch goes with black tie dress
when you spend $12 on socks that help you avoid blisters
when you have to explain to everyone why you can't run in the T-shirts you get at races

Windy Weekend

Sometimes it's difficult to start summarizing a weekend full of running when the weather really transcends all possible descriptions. I accept the fact that neither Saturday not Sunday was like running on a sunny June afternoon, however, it was an amazing time on the trails.
Saturday was a comfortable 12K along the trail from my place. I wanted to get some kilometres into my base, but I'm still trying to keep my mileage down until I get my new shoes. I just couldn't turn down a run when it was so beautiful. It was likely five or six degrees, a stiff breeze and sun reflecting off the St. John River. The trail was still muddy in places, overall however it was just as it will be for the next four months. My only complaint was the darn breeze was strong and in only one direction: in my face. The overall time was 51:57. My splits: 4:12, 4:19, 4:21, 4:18, 4:26, 4:25, 4:20, 4:15, 4:23, 4:14, 4:22 and 4:20.

Sunday morning was a bit colder, but I took our RR clinic across the train bridge for the first time this season. It was our 6K LSD with 10:1s. Everyone looked great all through the run. We had probably 10 runners with us, including two from the last clinic. I didn't take Belle this weekend because I wasn't sure how the group would respond, I don't think it will be a problem next weekend. It was a fabulous run, we brought it in, in about 41 minutes and change.

It's about time

Finally. I finally got another run in this week. It has been a hectic week at the office, between the MacKay report, to an all-encompassing feature on the courts. Anyway, I hadn't got out since my 15K on Monday and I had been begging to get out. My schedule finally relented. I'm still waiting to get new shoes, so I'm trying not to log that many kilometres.
I went out for 6K with the intention of seeing how I felt. Legs were fresh but I just didn't want to push it too much. Splits: 4:35, 4:09, 4:06, 4:25, 4:05 and 3:50. My average HR was 178.

March Break Away 10K Race Report

6:15 a.m.: Papppaaa Paaappaaa

I'm resting comfortably in the nice warm bed, really wanting an extra 10 minutes of sleep. But I can hear in the nursery across the hall, my daughter goading me into an earlier than anticipated start to the day. Not like I really have a choice mind you, considering the race starts in three hours and 45 minutes.

6:17 a.m.: Bleary-eyed, I walk into Elle's room, look at her with her soother in her mouth, Heffalump in her hand and standing waiting for me to lift her up. I think, well, if this isn't motivation for today, I'm not sure what could be better.

I start my pre-race morning with the obligatory breakfast of a bagel and banana. However, I'm also frantically trying to clean-up the house because I'm having my RR 10K clinic participants over to my house for a post-race bagel-and-banana fest. As I pace the hallway and kitchen area, Elle and Belle (the dog) are watching me, the cats on the other hand can't wait for me to leave. Everywhere I go, I have my pace bunny ears. (That is what we call foreshadowing.)

8:25: Get back from my Sobey's run with strawberries, cherries and croissants. I'm now heading to [i]the farm[/i] to help set up the race. The whole concept of this race was hatched about eight weeks ago when the local RR manager and I realized Fredericton had no races in March and my clinic didn't have a goal race to work towards. The day prior over a coffee in our post Sunday run group, someone mentioned to me that she volunteered with the kids at Camp Rotary and they were always looking for donations. A day later this event was conceived as a fund-raiser for our friends at Camp Rotary.

9 a.m.: Looking for Derrick, he decides to move the start line 200 metres from where I thought it was. That problem is now solved, so we have to remark the course for the third time (rain and snow washed away all our previous markings).

9:45: Finally done marking the course, get my running gear on. Argh! No bunny ears. They are still on the counter at my house, which is five minutes away, but do I risk driving back now. You can just imagine, I'm standing by my car, keys in hand, stretching as I think, "Should I or Shouldn't I." Just as I decide to go, a friend arrives and said he wanted to register, so the decision was made, I would not wear the ears and get my friend registered.

So here is my thought as I walk to the starting line: Is a pace bunny with no ears, like an emperor with no clothes?

As I walk down to the registration van, I see three people chatting together with these unmistakeable orange shirts protruding their jackets. Maniacs. I met my first Running Maniacs! That was cool.

I had originally intended to pace my friends to a 55 minute 10K, but they decided 58 minutes was more realistic. So we went with that time. With about 40 people toeing the line, the timer started at 10:01 a.m. This was the first time I haven't surged to the lead pack, instead I was clapping and chatting with my crew. The wind was picking up off the St. John River, but the sun made up for any chills. As we turned onto the Lincoln Road the gaggle of runners stretched out as far as you could see in front and behind. We were setting a pretty good pace, three of my runners were with me right until about 5K, when I noticed a few falling behind a bit. I was starting to wrestle with the whole philosophy about being a pace bunny, do I stay true to the pace or fall back and try and motivate? Well, I told several others that I was doing a 58-minute pace so I figured I should keep going, though I still yelled out the 10:1s and on the long straight stretches, they could see my hand signals.

The second biggest dilemma I had was attire. I decided to with shorts and my running jacket, well, 5K into the run, I decided the jacket was too much so I had to unpin my bib from my jacket and re-attach to my shirt, while running. I have the pin pricks to prove the success (or lack thereof).

This was the first race that I was not trying to gun it the entire way, which was refreshing. Most times around 5K, I'm pushing my muscles as hard as I can and I'm begging for death. This time I had a chance to enjoy the race. The hills were "hilarious" after all and there were a lot of hills. The wind coming off the river was annoying at times, but gave a nice push at various other points along the way. The race course wasn't the fastest I've ever run on, but I think it gave a great challenge to all those who laced up for the run.

As 7K approached, I noticed a familiar set of running tights. It was the husband of one of my clinic members. He had planned for 55 minutes, but he started a bit quick. So I brought him in at 57ish. Once I crossed the line, I got my time and went out and retrieved three of my runners and brought them back in at 61, 61 and 63 minutes, this was their first 10K. I was so proud of them. I went out two more times to make sure everyone who started, finished.

It wasn't the fanciest race. We pulled it together quickly and I believe the kids at Camp Rotary will be able to put our money to great use. The Rotary provided 10 volunteers, which helped make the event run "smoothly." I was also pleased to see all the big smiles on race morning. Those used to running bigger races could have complained about our no-frills show, but it was wonderful to see everyone having a great time. I've always been impressed with how concerned runners are in giving back to their communities. The vast majority of runs that I've participated in over the years have given back money to local organizations.

Anyway, this race was a big deal for me, not time-wise but seeing people from my first running clinic achieve their goal. That was more gratifying than any PB.

Once the race finished, we all headed back to our place, where wonderful wife had an amazing spread out for us. The table was lined with juice, bagels, fruit salad, fruit, yogurt, croissants and cheese. I wish I had that kind of post-race meal after every race. We had a great time chatting about the previous 10 weeks in the clinic and what was coming next for them running wise. Overall, it was a great start to the day.

The trails are open

Wahoo! I did it! I ran on the Fredericton trail for the first time this year. I'm not joking, I wouldn't joke about something this important. Normally this doesn't happen for at least another month ... last year I tried to run in early May and had to abort becausae of ice and snow. I typically prefer trail running because it is easier on my knees, legs, etc, but the gravel was frozen so hard that I'm not sure there was any more give than the road. All that is moot, I ran on the trail and it is only March 9. And I'd like to point out that I wasn't the only person, I passed another happy trail runner. Oh the joy. And to finish of my seasonal rant, guess what. I only stepped on snow for about five paces, the rest was pure trail alongside the St. John River. Oh I'm in heaven.
I decided to go out this morning, which is also the first morning run I've done in months. I'm supposed to be running a 10K on Saturday, so I didn't want to kill myself. I opted for an easy 8K. I finished in 35:45 with splits of 4:35, 4:30, 4:33, 4:30, 4:31, 4:18, 4:23, 4:19.
I felt strong the whole run, but I really need to buy new shoes. I've exceeded my 800K and I can feel the support is just not there anymore.

Tuesday Tempo

Words cannot describe how beautiful the weather was today. I kept checking my little calendar on my laptop making sure it is really March and not May. I lots several minutes throughout the day just gazing out the window gawking at the sun-soaked capital. Aside from a little wind coming down the St. John River, the day was perfect.
After a long day at work, I went out for a tempo run. I am experimenting with different routes around the neighbourhood to try and eliminate unnecessary hills on my tempo runs. I was unsuccessful, but I still had a decent run, 1K warm-up, 1K cooldown and a 6K tempo. Splits: 5:05, 4:01, 4:06, 4:25 (the darn hill), 4:18, 4:14, 4:01 and 5:00.
During my 4:25 split, I was heading up the hill by the farm, trying to stuff my gloves in my pocket and grab a drink of water. Those middle splits were terrible time-wise but overall I'm happy with the run.

Volunteers!

The countdown to the March Break Away 10K is down to five days. The registrations are coming in, but there is still a huge need for a few more volunteers. If anyone can volunteer or can volunteer a volunteer, that would be wonderful. Please call the Fredericton RR: 459-4440

Snippits from Saturday

Racing preparation and etiquette
How not to spoil 10 weeks of training with avoidable mistakes

DAY BEFORE
Logistics: Double-check directions to the start on a street map.

Read the entire entry form, which may contain crucial information about checking in, parking, or some other race detail that affects what time you need to arrive.

Finally, pack your race bag after checking the weather forecast.
Physical preparation: A walk, walk/jog, or easy run the day before a race will keep your muscles limber. Don't do too much, however, or you'll fatigue those muscles. Twenty or 30 minutes is plenty.
Mental preparation: Mentally "rehearsing" a race will ease your jitters.

Race Day
Mental preparation: "Before a race, the key is to think only positive thoughts,"
Food: Eating on race morning is a balancing act. For short races, you may want to pass entirely.

A small, easily-digestible, fiber-free meal at least 1 or 2 hours before the race. This mini-breakfast might be an energy bar, a bagel smeared with peanut butter, or white toast and a banana. Whatever it is, try it a couple times before a hard or long training run to see how your stomach handles it.
Drink: Consume plenty of water or a sports drink on race morning.

"Drink at least 12 ounces in the last 20 minutes before any long or warm race."

Pre-Race Preparation
Pick up your race package before Race Day – don't forget safety pins!
Experiment with nutrition products in the weeks leading up to the race.
Set out your race clothes and all equipment the night before the race.

An hour before gun time...
8:00: Arrive at the start area.
8:00 to 8:10: Visit the portajohn line if needed, before it gets too long.
8:10 to 8:15: Slather on a lubricant such as Vaseline or Body Glide to protect skin that's vulnerable to chafing and blisters: toes, feet, inner thighs, and nipples.
8:15 to 8:20: Walk at a moderate clip to begin your warmup.
8:20 to 8:30: Accelerate to a jog, or a brisk walk if it's a marathon.
8:30 to 8:40: Do some light stretches while chatting with friends or mentally reviewing your race plan.
8:40 to 8:50: Strip off your outerwear and leave it in your car or the "sweats area." If you choose to wear racing flats, change into them and double-tie the laces.
8:50 to 8:55: Intersperse slow jogging with some 20-second, speedy pickups to prepare your mind and body for the race.
8:55 to 9:00: Position yourself in the appropriate pace group if these are designated. If not, line up with the runners who look like they're your speed. Listen to the announcements. Jog in place, if possible
9:00: The gun fires. Or not. If the start is delayed, periodically shake your legs loose, jog in place, and stretch lightly while you wait. Once you're off and running, start at a comfortable speed.

Some race etiquette:
Stay to the right unless you are passing someone, as people will pass on your left
Move to the side if you are going to stop or slow down
Try not to stop in the middle of the water station
Watch where you spit :)
As for etiquette, thank all the volunteers and race organizers that you see, they put a lot of hours into making the run go as smoothly as possible.
Make sure you know where you plan to park.

Race Day Essentials
Runners
Favourite Socks
Water
Hat/Visor
Watch
Heart Rate Monitor
TorsoPack
Sunscreen
Body Glide
Pace Band
Race Number

Race Day
Relax
Arrive Early
Include a Warm up
Start Slowly
Drink Water

Stupid things I (or people I know) have done on race day:
Remember to go to the porta-john: Ok, too much information, I know. But this is crucial. I mistimed my need to use the toilet at RVM and with one minute to go, I bolted to the blue tower. If I missed that, it would have been 3:19:00 of holding it.
Put your chip on the night before: If the race uses chips, put it on the night before or the minute you receive it. Let's imagine you are at Marathon By The Sea and your friend we'll call him Gary (maybe not his real name) is standing beside you in the runner's corral. He all of a sudden realizes he has left his chip in his car. He has five minutes to get it and get back to the queue. Not fun.
Wear sunscreen: I forgot sunscreen at the 2001 Fredericton Marathon. Huge mistake. I had massive sunburns across my shoulders, oh, did I mention the blistering. I couldn't wear a suit (pain free) for two weeks.
Double-knot your shoes: Two kilometres into last year's 10K at the Fredericton Marathon and my self shoe lace came undone. Stupid move. Cost me 20 seconds. Argh.

Watch out Deena Kastor!

Elle and I were playing on Saturday afternoon and she was asking what this whole running craze was all about. I tried to explain the physicial benefits, such as being in better shape, the psychological benefits accruing from meeting and exceeding goals and the social benefits from participating in events that help our community. What sold her was the hat.

As is clearly show in this picture, my daughter is quite the fashion maven when it comes to running gear. If she continues to demonstrate such prowess when it comes to actually running as she does wearing running gear, Canadian women's distance running will hit all new heights.