Focus

When I sat down at the end of my 2014 race season, I wrote down some specific goals I wanted to achieve this year. For 2014, it was about getting through the season and building my fitness. This year, it's about getting faster and competing more in my races.

Danielle and I sat down and talked things over last fall. She said she had a good plan for implementing my training to take my performance up a notch or two. She went to work hatching a plan for me.  She said the winter season would include some weeks of swim, bike, or run focus which would allow me to work on certain weaknesses and allow me to improve.  It means taking a step back from one discipline and ramping up another. 

Prior to my Disney races, I had a run focus week.  This past week I had a swim focus week. I swam quite a bit and worked on a few things that we felt were holding me back. It also allowed me to do some more volume as well. The week turned out better than I thought.  I was faced with some challenging swims and they really took me out of my comfort zone.  I completed each workout and feel that it's something I can draw on in races when the going gets tough.

This coming week is a bike focus week. I've been working on improving my power output the last few months and I performed a benchmark workout last week. My power output showed that the numbers are going up. This week should really test my legs and help build some more power.

I also had the opportunity to view my training metrics that she maintains for me in WKO+. This software allows her to monitor how my body is responding to all the workouts she assigns.  Without going into too much boring detail, she can see how I recover from workouts, how deep into a hole I am digging with my workouts, when I need a rest, when I'm ready to handle more volume/intensity, etc. We looked back over the last year and I was able to see how I went up/down throughout my heavy training loads. I have complete trust in her that she is looking at the big picture for me so I can just focus on my day to day without worry................

Taking a giant leap........

My trip to Disney is already a week old. I survived running back to back races. I turned myself inside out for the 10k PR. The next day was the half marathon. I knew walking to the starting line that another hard effort or PR was not in play. My legs felt some serious fatigue, especially from running down the overpasses.

When the gun went off, I took it easy and decided to use the first 3 miles to warm up and get a rhythm going. I opted to not look at my watch for splits. I used the clocks at every mile to do some quick math and get a rough idea what my pace was. By the time mile 4 rolled around, I felt a little more comfortable running. I was zipping along until mile 10. Then my legs started getting tighter from the effort the day before. I had to walk a couple of times so I could stretch my legs.  Starting to run after a break was excruciating. Each time I swore I would stop taking the stretch breaks.

By the time mile 12 rolled around, I told myself that this was it. The last mile of running and all I had to do was to keep one foot moving in front of the other.  I could see the finish in the distance. When I finally crossed the line, I was so happy that the running was done. My quads were like rocks. I collected my medals and put on some warmer clothes.  I walked back to my hotel to shower and change. It was nice to achieve this task of a back to back run and pull off a hard 10k the day before.

On my flight home, I realized something had changed. I was now able to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yes, that sounds weird. But if I wanted to achieve bigger goals, I needed to race on that edge. I had to be uncomfortable when racing and not let up.  I was texting back and forth with Sinead after my races and she commented:

"Getting stronger every time you dig deep"

I gave those words some serious thought on my flight home. I have to continue embracing being uncomfortable if I want to get better, faster, stronger..........

I had two bike workouts scheduled after my short recovery from the races. For my workout Saturday, Danielle gave me a choice of two bike workouts based on how I felt. I felt a little cocky and opted for the harder one. I looked up my power numbers from the last time I attempted it and decided to try and put out higher numbers. The workout was called "9 Hammers" and that's exactly how you feel during and after the workout. I turned myself inside-out and outside-in while riding. I worked so hard during the VO2 sections that the Threshold seemed 'easy'.  When the workout was done, I was in a sweaty, crumpled heap sitting next to the bike trying to take my shoes off.  When I stood up, my legs felt like jell-o and my arms were rubbery too. The workout was a success. Or was it? I uploaded my power numbers from the workout and compared them to the prior workout.  All 9 Hammers were higher than the previous 9. Yes, it was a success!!  The fatigue in my legs was totally worth the effort.  Once again, I was able to stay in the 'uncomfortable' zone and not back off.  These are definitely things to build on!

First Race of 2015

And it was a doozy.  Last spring I signed up for the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon weekend and picking the 'Rebel Challenge' for my race.  The challenge consists of a 10k Saturday and a half marathon Sunday.  I spent the last two and half months getting ready for this race.  I had a goal in mind of a PR for the 10k race.  Realistically, I knew a half marathon PR would take too much out of me this early in the season. But the 10k is manageable this time of year.

I arrived in California Thursday and picked up all my race numbers/shirts. Last night we went to a hockey game in Anaheim to help pass the time. We left the game early (end of the 2nd period) as I had to get up pretty early this morning for my race.

My race clothes were already laid out. I just had to get dressed and walk out the door.  The Wingman accompanied me to the starting corrals, then he bid me good luck and farewell. I was fortunate enough that I was starting in the first wave, which meant I would have to deal with less traffic running in front of me. Disney did a nice job for the racers waiting around. There were clips from the Star Wars movies to watch. Before I knew it, it was time to run.

I knew I had to go out and run hard from the beginning. The hardest part was running in the dark. The course was lit by street lamps, but it was still fairly dark out. I really had a hard time perceiving my pace so I knew this was going to be a hard effort.

What today was all about

The first mile had 3 overpasses we had to climb up which means I get to use the downhills to make up time.  We were out on the streets for the 1st mile, then tucked back into the park. I am not that familiar with the Disneyland grounds so between the darkness and all the turns, I was quickly disoriented. I think it was around 1.25 miles in when I thought "Crap, I have a ways to go still." It was a hard effort and I knew I had to keep it up. Danielle and I reviewed my goals for the race and I knew I had to go for it, otherwise I would regret it.  Around the 5k mark, I just stopped thinking for a while. My brain just couldn't function while my legs were screaming.

 The Truth

I followed the course and was fortunate that there weren't too many runners ahead of me. That makes it easy to get through the aid stations. Only once did I give someone a light shove on his back when he crossed right in front of me without looking. I didn't want anyone getting in my way. I was on a PR mission.

I could feel my Garmin vibrating at every mile, but it was too dark to catch a look. I didn't want to mess with the backlight button. With my luck, I would probably stop the watch and mess up my run. 

I saw the marker for mile 5 and the race clock. I realized I was making great time and then said "If you go all in now, you can shave off more time that you originally thought." I knew I had 1.2 miles left to hang on, so I dug in deep and asked my legs for just a little bit more effort. Thank goodness they complied and didn't revolt. 

Before I knew it, I was coming around the final stretch. I could see the finish line and knew I had to make a run for it. I had 30 seconds to get to the line so I dug just a little deeper. I just had to hurt for another few seconds.  When I crossed the line, I knew I had a great race. I shaved almost 2 minutes off my previous 10k PR.

I laid it all out there this morning. Looking back, I can't imagine where I could have run any faster. Sure, maybe if it was light out and I could have seen the course better I might have shaved a couple more seconds, but it would not have been anything dramatic. I ran as hard as I could today.  Over the last few months I have gotten much better at being uncomfortable when running or biking hard. That's the key. If you want to get faster, you need to learn to not back off when the effort is hard. 

All those workouts Danielle wrote to build my speed worked. I pushed hard hoping for a good result and I got it today. My running has gotten better over the last few months. Early to Mid 2014 it was all about keeping me healthy. Then late 2014 was about getting faster. And the 'getting faster' part isn't over yet.

But for now, I am focusing on recovery for the rest of the day. I have a half marathon to run tomorrow.

First race of 2015, coming up!!

In less than two weeks, I will be toeing the line in California for the Star Wars race series.

I am signed up for the "Rebel Challenge" which consists of a 10k on Saturday the 17th and a Half Marathon on Sunday the 18th.  It's been a few years since I've done a back-to-back race.  The distances aren't too long for me, but it's the effort level that I'll be putting out for the races that will be challenging.  I didn't sign up to 'coast' through these races.  I plan on hitting the 10k hard and then hoping to still have some good legs for the Sunday race.

Over the last month, I've been doing some back-to-back longer runs to see how my legs hold up.  So far, it looks promising that I can pull off two good races.  My only concern is the temperature difference.  I am used to running in 20-30 deg temps the last few weeks.  The temperature in Anaheim is lows in the upper 40s and highs of low 70s.  The highs don't bother me as the race starts at 5:30am.  It will be on the cooler side for the start, but slightly warmer than I am used to.

Words of wisdom for the race

Once this race is over, I am looking forward to some shorter runs for a few months before I ramp up for my races this summer. I've been working hard on the trainer for my bike workouts since the weather hasn't been too cooperative for outdoor riding.  I've gotten a huge boost from the Sufferfest videos.  Danielle has been assigning me some workouts based on the videos.  They really are a good tool to help break up the monotony of traditional trainer workouts.  

I'm not a fan of watching movies on the trainer (if you are watching movies on the trainer, chances are you are spending too much time on the trainer and not enough focusing on your workout).  My longest workout on the trainer to date is 1:40 and it was full of threshold and VO2 work. I love reviewing my data at the end to see if I hit my power goals for each segment. And of course if I repeat a video every week or two, I like to compare my numbers to see if I had a better outcome. It should be interesting to see my progression as we get closer to spring.

Recovery week

This week was my first recovery week since I started back up again with my training. I could feel some fatigue in my legs at the end of my last build phase, but I was still hitting my workout targets. It was weird to have such a light week, but I know to take advantage of the down time as they will be few and far between. I had two rest days and other than working, that is what I did!!

This week I met up with Danielle for some one on one swim lessons, specifically flip turns.  I understand the concept, but have trouble with the execution.  After some fine tuning and lots of practice I am on pace for nailing it shortly. She also coaches a weekly ass kicking, I mean, swim workout, that never fails to leave me in a trembling, cramping ball of exhaustion at the end. This week was no different. I am playing with a tempo trainer that helps me improve my swim stroke rate. I use it for short swim efforts and it certainly has made a little bit of a difference. My 100/yd times are coming down a little.  Obviously I cannot race with it, but I will train with it and try to improve my stroke turnover.  And after the holidays I will hopefully meet up with Danielle for one last swim stroke to master - the butterfly.

My running seems to be getting better as the weather gets cooler. I hate running in the heat of the summer and count the days for it to cool off so I can run. This week I had two short runs at an easy pace to do.  The paces are coming down and getting quicker, even at an easy effort.  Finally!! I'm not fast by any stretch, but I am not super slow anymore.

I only had two bike workouts this week and it threw me for a loop. I feel I don't ride well with only two rides per week (unless I am totally exhausted). For future weeks, there will be at least 3 rides at varying paces. Today I ventured out with Christa for a short ride. It was a bit chilly out at first, but it warmed up in no time. As usual, we had a blast riding today and I baked some chocolate chip cookie bars for Christa to enjoy post ride as a thank you for coming out to ride the last few weeks.

With the holidays coming up, Christa is traveling and I will be alone to get my swim and bike workouts in.  The Thursday night Iron Fit swims will be on hold after this week until the new year. But between now and then, I will keep my foot on the throttle with no letup. There's too much work to do before my first races of 2015.

My sweet new thermal beanie

Doing the Heavy Lifting

Last season I admit I wasn't very attentive to my strengthening routine.  While I had a long, PR-filled season, I know I left a lot on the table in terms of performance.  My leg strength was just not there.  Not even close.  I waited until my last big race was over at the end of September and set a target of early October to resume weight training.  I developed a basic routine based around equipment I had at home (kettlebells, jump rope, plyo boxes, TRX, medicine balls, etc) and got started.

It didn't take long (1 workout) to see just how weak my right leg was. I had a lot of work to do. I focused on single and double leg strengthening.  I worked on making myself symmetrical (right vs left equality) for both upper and lower body. My left side has always been the weaker side overall, but I want to change that this offseason.

Once I felt like I was making gains/muscle hypertrophy (~2 months) I headed into the gym for the heavy weights.  Now, you won't find me on a smith machine or any machines at the gym. I strictly use free weights, (barbells loaded with plate weights and dumbbells).  I perform compound movements (multiple joints at once) that target muscle groups instead of working out a single muscle.  Machines serve me no purpose and limit/force you to move a certain way.

I have a few influences that I follow from material that I've read over the years. It's nice to finally put it all together.  My program is basically 3 days a week of focused work (2 at home, 1 at the gym).  I also squeeze in some smaller workouts during the day at work (a set of squats or dead lifts here and there with a patient). I keep my 3 sessions short, less than 45 minutes. 

I can finally see my workouts paying off. On my long run yesterday, I felt my right glute muscle engaging every time I wanted to push off. I can maintain good running form longer into a run before I start breaking down.  When I have been racing, I am able to maintain my pacing over the distance of the race - there is no pace drop off.  I am much less sore and fatigued at the end of a run. I am getting the leg and core strength back to support myself when I run. On the bike, I am finding it a little easier to maintain a higher power output during my workouts.

I am on a recovery week this week, so after that I will ease into plyometrics to help build power/speed to go with my strength. This week I'll write up a basic program for myself and implement it soon.

It's exciting to see what changes this will bring to my training and racing next season, but I can see results already. My plan is to keep up with the strengthening throughout the season.

Thanksgiving Trot

Last Thanksgiving I was unable to participate in a turkey trot for the 1st time in quite a few years.  I was 3 days post-PRP injection in my right patella tendon.  Fast forward one year (and multiple races) later and I am back on the starting line of the Mattituck 5k Turkey Trot.  I met up with some friends down there and was looking forward to going all out.  I hadn't run a 5k in over a year.  It was funny to think that of all the races I did this year, a 5k wasn't one of them.

Bruce, Kristine, Vickie, Me (Scott was MIA for the photo)

I've been trying my best to put small goals into each workout or race. A few weeks ago I ran a 4 miler out in Lynbrook and set another PR. My focus for that race was to not letup for the last mile.  My first mile was the fastest and the last mile was my 2nd fastest.  I was pleased with how I held up (especially since I've done no real speed work in ages).

 Quite awkward looking as I'm going all out to the finish line

(photo courtesy of Jennifer C. - Lynbrook 4 Miler)

 Since I didn't win any hardware, I was trying to steal it ;-)

(photo courtesy of Jennifer C. - Lynbrook 4 Miler)

For the Turkey Trot, I wanted to go all out over the 3 miles and not letup again for the last mile.  I had my garmin GPS watch on, but I wasn't going to look at it.  Once again I was just going to race by feel and worry about the data later.

When the gun went off, I could feel my knee was stiff from standing around in the cold.  It took about 1/4 mile to loosen up and not be cranky. I could also feel I was running a hard pace, but one I figured I could maintain. One thing I forgot is that the Mattituck course is not flat - it's rolling.  I knew I was going to have to work a little harder than usual to maintain my pace.

I got through the 1st two miles feeling good and when I passed through the 2nd mile marker, I knew this was my chance to "go big or go home".  

This is all I thought about over the last mile

I kept a steady pace and knew the last 1/4 mile would be trouble so I had to make up some time in advance for the time I was going to lose going up a short, steep hill near the finish. Most people were running on the shoulder but I opted to run slightly out in the street to save time and my energy and not have to pass people or weave in and out. A straight line is the fastest line.

I made my last slight downhill and then came face to face with my nemesis - The Hill.  Now mind you, this was not a long, grinding hill.  It was very short and steep, but it's location made it difficult. I powered my way up it as best I could, but typical me, I stalled at the top instead of pushing harder (note to self - do some hill training this coming season). Once I got my bearings again, I bolted for the finish line.  I knew I was going to make my goal time, but I started to think about my 5k PR time.  For the life of me, I could not remember it.  Turns out I came up 3 seconds short of my PR.  Had this been a flatter course, or I pushed harder when cresting the hill, I would have broken it. That's what disappointed me the most.  My last mile was my fastest mile, but my happiness was dampened by being so close to a PR. I was searching for another flat 5k to do over the next week or two, but realized I need to keep my eye on the prize.  Specifically, this prize:

Photo Courtesy of Susie R-K.

I am doing the Star Wars Rebel Challenge in January in Disneyland.  It's a 10k on Saturday, then a Half Marathon on Sunday.  It'll be an interesting challenge to run back to back races, but I think it's very doable for me. The finishers medals alone will be worth it!

 

The basics behind running

 Mirinda Carfrae making it look easy

Running is a simple activity.  You don't need much, except a pair of running shoes.  One foot in front of the other at a faster pace than walking. But yet such a simple activity brings many people to my office for treatment. I see many injuries that can easily be avoided by following some basic guidelines.

"Too Much Too Soon"
Right out of the gate many people take on too much mileage when they start running.  You need to give your muscles, tendons, bones, etc time to adapt to the stress of running. When you run, you sustain over 3x your body weight with each foot strike.  Each minute you run you can take up to 180 steps and for an hour run, that's over 10,800 steps.  It takes time to build up to this kind of stress.  Start out with low mileage, 3x week.  When building your mileage, don't add more than 10% each week.  This is to allow your body to adapt to the stresses of running.

Many of the injuries I see are runners that are inconsistent with their training and don't allow for a gradual buildup.  You can't run 12 miles a week, then jump to 18.  Same with the long run.  If you are at 8 miles, don't run 14 the next week.  You can't cram training.  All it will do is lead to overuse injuries.

"The Hot New Shoes"                                                                                                         
 Many runners are attracted to what others are wearing on their feet.  One person has success with a shoe, so they think they will do well wearing it as well. Or the shoe company has a great marketing campaign.  There are many different styles of running shoes out there for many runners.  It can take time to find what's appropriate for you.  But the same methodology applies to switching running shoes.  You need to slowly adapt to the new shoe.  You can't be running 15+ miles a week and just switch over to a different shoe.  You need to look at the heel drop (drop from heel to toe measured in millimeters).  If you are in a shoe with a big heel (8mm drop), it's a bad idea to just switch over to a 4mm drop or less.  Your foot strike can change dramatically.  Perhaps you were a heel striker and the new shoe makes you more of a midfoot striker.  Now you are placing stress on different structures of your lower extremities that now have to be adapted to the stresses of running.  Slowly work in the new shoes into your rotation.  Start with 10 min of each run wearing the new shoe, then go back to your older shoe.  Take things slowly as it can take 3-6 months to adapt to the new shoes, depending upon the drop.  And don't make a big jump in your drop.  If you are wearing a big, chunky heel and want to go 'minimal' or wear a shoe with a very low drop, be patient.  Make the transition in stages and take your time.

"Rest, It Does a Body Good"
A basic building period in training comes with a rest week built in.  It usually involves a reduction in weekly miles and time.  It is during this week where your body rests and adapts to all of the training you did the prior weeks.  When you are fatigued from the buildups, your strength goes down and your running form breaks down.  This will make you susceptible to injury.  Listen to your coach or training plan and take advantage of the down time.  You will come out after that week recharged and stronger than before.  Don't skimp on the rest.
 
"Running form"
Heel strike vs midfoot strike vs forefoot - everyone has an opinion.  In reality, there is no right way.  There are many top runners that heel strike.  We look at other things for running efficiency that don't include what part of your foot strikes the ground first.  

• cadence
• contact time with the ground
• vertical displacement
• impact force on landing

These 4 items have a greater impact on your running economy over what part of your foot comes down first.  The higher your cadence (170-190 steps per minute), you will improve where you strike the ground (with your foot under the hip).  It leads to less soft tissue absorbing landing forces (achilles, plantar fascia, tibialis posterior, patella tendon, etc) and more absorbing through joint motions of the knee and hip.  Higher cadence also leads to less contact with the ground.  The less contact time you have, the less vertical displacement (how high you bounce up and down when you run).  The less vertical displacement, the less impact force on landing you have. All of this makes you more efficient.  But again, you just can't jack up your cadence to 180 and expect a transformation.  It comes back to Too Much Too Soon - you need time to adapt. 

"Running Gait Analysis"
If you have been dealing with running injuries or will be doing a lot of running to prepare for a race, a gait analysis might not be a bad idea.  A good analysis would include a complete biomechanical and strength assessment as well.  A great strength training program is important to go along with regular swim/bike/run training.  

"Don't Run Through an Injury"
If you are injured, get it checked out.  There is a difference between being sore and being injured. Sometimes you can run through an injury, but it might require a decrease in mileage or frequency. And at times it requires complete rest while you rehab it.  It pays to get it checked out early so you minimize the loss of training time.  Find a good PT to help you find out whats wrong, why you got injured (was it Too Much Too Soon??), and how to get you back on track!!
 

Setting Goals

I wrote briefly yesterday about thinking ahead to next season and that I had a new set of goals.  My 2014 season was successful and I owe that to being consistent with my training and trusting my plan.  Now that I have laid a good foundation, it's time to build on that and improve.  When planning things out, I looked at my performances from this year to see what I want to improve on.  After some soul searching, I wrote up some goals.

Goal writing is nothing new for me.  I do this on a daily basis for my job as a PT, but it's for other people.  When a patient comes into my office for an evaluation, I have to diagnose the problem, identify impairments, create a 'problem list', and then write goals.  The goals I write need to be measurable and specific for that patient.  We follow a format of "ABCDE":

• Audience - who is expected to change
• Behavior - what behavior changes or results are expected
• Condition - under what circumstance will the result be accomplished
• Degree - how much change will occur
• Evidence - how will the change be measured (outcome measures)

Insurance companies look for these when I submit my evaluations.  I need to be realistic when I write these up.  Insurance companies have a general idea how long the rehab process takes for certain injuries.  If a patient takes longer, they will question my effectiveness as a therapist. As you can see, goals need to be very specific.  Generalizations just won't work.

When it comes to my training, I try to be specific as well.  Very basic goals just won't work.  There's another pneumonic used to help with this goal writing: "SMART"

• S - specific/significant
• M - measurable/meaningful
• A - attainable
• R - relevant/rewarding
• T - time bound/trackable 

I set short, medium and long term goals.  A short term goal might be on a week by week basis.  I review my workouts for the week and set a goal based on that.  I use a medium term goal that might be based on a month-long training cycle.  Long term might be a goal that I am working towards over a season or a long training cycle leading into a 'A' race.

I also need to be mindful about what is realistic.  I won't set a goal like "Finish an Ironman in 10 hours" when my last one was over 14 hours.  I look at my previous times and if I am racing a similar course (or an easier course), then I figure for maybe a 5-8% change. I have to look at my previous times when figuring all this out.

My goals for this year are based on racing times and power goals (cycling).  I also get an objective opinion on my goals as well.  It's important to have a detailed conversation with my coach to get her input on what I hope to achieve.  She will come up with the details to help me achieve my goals.  With each workout, we analyze the data and see if I am on target to making my goals. 

It's important to write your goals down.  I keep a copy on my nightstand or on my phone so I see it every day and am reminded about what I want to accomplish.  What are your goals for next year?