Training Update, With Some Motivation!

My hip injury has fully subsided and I was able to put in 40 miles last week. I was able to catch the injury quick and get back to running slowly after only 2 days off. I started off the recovery with stretching and light strength training for the legs. I was doing 10 single leg squats, followed by 25 dips with no weight. I did this just 3 times last week and felt great after the third. After the first day my legs were pretty sore from not incorporating any type of strength training in my training regimen. I also ran my first 3 days on the rails to trails out near Tybee, I felt that the softer impact from the trail would feel better than the asphalt on the road. I started Tuesday with 4 miles, Wednesday with 5, and Thursday with 8 miles. I felt really great on each run, especially since my average pace for each run was between 9:45-10:05 per mile( Ultra-marathon pace). The feeling of just being able to get out and run last week was great, I wasn't going to let that injury stand in my way, again. I ended up taking Friday off running as usual, so I would be well rested for my long tempo on Saturday and Short tempo on Sunday. When Saturday came I was more than ready to go out and get a run in that was faster than my pace during the week. I love running slow and controlled, but I've always loved my tempo days more. I ran 10 miles Saturday morning at an 8:15 pace, I also ran another 6 miles that afternoon for a recovery, which was a really nice way to end the day. I ended my week on Sunday with 6.5 mile run around Wilmington Island.

After being injured just 10 days ago, I'm glad to be back at it. I feel like by having confidence in a strong recovery and not throwing in the towel when you're down is the only way to get stronger, physically and mentally. With the help and confidence I was given by fellow readers and friends to guide me through my recovery was very appreciated. To know that you are not alone when you're out there running or even when you're put on the sidelines from an injury is a wonderful thought. We as runners have this positive vibe of energy that surrounds each one of us. We will always give advice to one that is in need of assistance. We will slow down our pace and fall back to stick by your side and motivate you to the finish when you're feeling that urge to stop.  We will be your pacer and support team in a 50 mi, 100mi, or whatever distance you decide to challenge, and never think once about quitting. We will always push ourselves closer to the edge of our own limitations, because once you've crossed that line you set yourself up for new limits to reach. Always run with confidence in yourself, and remember that you are only what you set yourself up to be. Become fluent in what you want to achieve, not only in running, but in life. Always go for the gold, and become a better "You" tomorrow.

Until my next blog...   "Stay Strong...Never Stop Moving Forward!"

(Two and a half weeks left of training until the taper week before the Bad Marsh 50K..)

Stupid @%$# Hip....

Training for the Bad Marsh 50K coming up in June has been a real treat. I decided to sign up for the race 8 weeks out and now with only 5 weeks left I've developed hip bursitis, once again, in my left hip. This past Saturday I went to for my normal long run with my local running group (Savannah Striders). When I first started my warm up lap around Lake Mayer I noticed my hip popped and felt awkward, It was literally only 20ft until I felt it. I walked to the sideline and held on to a sign and did some side and front leg swings trying to loosen up my hip. It felt fine afterwards, So I decided to keep going. During the entire run I felt great, No pains at all. I completed 13.11 miles in 1:53 and made a PR in a training run for my half marathon. I was pumped and beaten at the same time. It wasn't until later that afternoon I had even felt any pain in my hip. I went home after the run, showered and refueled, then took a well deserved nap. After waking and walking around my apartment I started feeling a "pop" in my hip. I had felt that before about a year ago from over training for the Rock N Roll Savannah Marathon. I instantly took some glucosamine, fish oil(anti-inflammatory) and aleve, before telling myself I may have hurt it again. I'm not sure if it is hip bursitis or torn cartilage, whichever it is, it has become more painful through the day and about the same today (Sunday). I didn't participate in the group run this morning, even though it is my favorite run of all, The Savannah Bridge run, I need to take some time off. Not the best time at all, especially since the 50K is not far around the corner. I'm going to be on the bike this week doing cross training and also a lot of stretching and icing. Hope the healing goes well and I'm going to keep training smart and try to beat this thing without getting to down about not running, Because as a runner you know the most depressing thing for you is when you "Can't" run.

                                                ~Stay Strong...Never Stop Moving Forward~

Because It's Hard...(Running The Edge)

I picked up a new book recently called "Running The Edge" by Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano. I'm only 6 chapters in, but this book is highly recommended for runners, especially for those who want more out of running. The book is non fiction more like a "self-help" (in a way). It states facts through Tim a Psychology teacher and running coach and Adam who ran 13 years professionally. They talk about how to become a better runner through living a better life. We have 5 stories in our lives and these are our education, career, family, friendships, and passions. Each one of us is living with all these stories at one time, It's just a matter of being successful or unsuccessful in each of them. Adam and Tim call it your "Distance Maven". Finding your edge, your tipping point and going past it to not only open a door to a new success, but to overcome a challenge you've placed upon yourself. It's about not giving up no matter how hard it is, We do the things we do in life because they "ARE" hard! Running a marathon isn't by any means easy nor is a Half marathon. Many of us will pursue running a marathon someday, they are enchanted by the idea because they know it provide an extreme test of their strength and determination. If running were easy tens of thousands of people wouldn't pay money to register for local 10K races or commit to the huge amount of time to train their bodies to withstand the beating of an ultra-marathon. So running is hard, Yes, and that's exactly what makes it irresistible to those who understand.

Challenging ourselves to events and races that involve physical and mental pain is something only runners can understand. It's mental game we all play and the only way to win is to never give up and never tell yourself it's too hard. It is human desire that infiltrates almost every population. Video gamers want to be at the top of the charts in Call of Duty or blast through Halo on Legendary mode. Why? Because it is Hard! People like to do things just to see if they can. The harder the challenge or more difficult the obstacle, the smaller the number of people who have what it takes to succeed, the greater the feeling of satisfaction gained from doing it. Running is hard enough all by itself. The drive by taunters screaming "Run, Forrest!" as you measure the road one stride at a time do not have what it takes. The millions who know they should run or at least exercise a little to take care of their bodies don't have what it takes. they cannot get off their couches or out the door for more than three consecutive weeks following a New Year's resolution. They cannot ascend to the top.

Just by being a runner you have already succeeded in doing something many cannot. But to become a distance maven, you will need to demand even more from yourself. you will need to dedicate yourself to a higher set of standards in a quest to become a better runner and better human being.You will continue to challenge yourself by completing interval sessions with an all-time best personal average, getting that elusive PR in a 5K and running further and faster than your previous self could.

Bad Marsh 50K and Training update

I recently singed up for Bad Marsh 50K night ultra hosted by LowCountry Ultras. This will be a very interesting run. The race will begin at 6pm June 23rd and will run on a 4.5mi trail loop with a single aid station at the start/finish. My favorite part is going to be that the race is being run at night, so I will be able to use my Brooks Nightlife gear and running headlamp. This will be my first 50K and also a point to see how well my training has been going for the 50mile endurance challenge in Oct. I will be accompanied by some great runners that are in the Savannah Striders running club that I am a part of. Most of them have run previous ultra marathons, so it will be a great chance to train with these guys (and girls). My dad will be joining me on the run as well, making this his first 50K just like mine. I can't wait to start putting in more long runs and start hitting the trails more.

a little on my training update.....

I have definitely been seeing an improvement in my training after joining a running group (Savannah Striders) it has now been 3 months since joining. The Savannah Bridge run alone every Sunday has been not only strengthening my legs and run, but my heart rate and breathing are more in sync. When I first started running the bridge I was averaging a 8:55-9:30 pace ascending the bridge and my heart rate was averaged 180bpm for the run and maxed at 198bpm. I would finish the 7.6 mile run in 1hour and 20minutes. The past 3 bridge runs I ran were very strong runs, I was maintaining a great pace heart rate was steady and I finished all 3 in under 1hr. This past Sunday was my best to date, I ran the 7.6 mile at avg 7:42 pace ascending the bridge at 7:55-8:10 and heart rate averaged 173 and maxed at 191. There has been much improvement in just a short time while adding hill work as the Savannah Bridge to my training. Also every Saturday we (Savannah Striders) run at Lake Mayer and I usually get in 10-13 miles, This is our long run day and we are joined by 10-20 other runners every time to make it a nice group run. If I hadn't joined this or any running club at that, I don't think I would be as far in to my training as I should be. The motivation is one of the greatest parts and you couldn't find any better friends anywhere, Especially since they're all runners!

Hope you enjoyed the update and post. I will update soon on more training as I am getting further into it, and also on some new products I am trying out. ( CW-X Perform Compression calf sleeves and Brooks Cascadia 6 trail running shoe)
                 
                                            ~Stay Strong...Never Stop Moving Forward~
                               

50 Mile Training Plan (Base Building)

Training plan for my first 50 mile Trail race in Pine Moutain, Ga  at The North Face Endurance Challenge on October 13, 2012.

This is my base building phase for 16 weeks with a 4 week cycle.1st & 2nd weeks are building mileage, 3rd week is increased mileage, and 4th week is recovery week with decreased mileage.

Week 1-2       Mileage range 37-49 miles
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Tempo Run 5-7 miles @10K pace
Wednesday- Long Easy Run 9-12 miles
Thursday- Trail Run 6-8 miles
Friday- Rest
Saturday- Long Run 9-12 miles
Sunday- Bridge Run/ Hill work 8-10 miles

Week 3 (Mileage increase)  Mileage range 45-59 miles
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Tempo Run 5-7 miles
Wednesday- Long Easy Run 11-14 miles
Thursday- Trail Run 8-10 miles
Friday- Rest
Saturday- Long Run 11-15 miles
Sunday- Bridge Run/ Hill work 10-12 miles

Week 4 (Recovery Week)  Mileage range 32-43 miles
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Tempo Run 3-5 miles
Wednesday- Long Easy Run 8-10 miles
Thursday- Trail Run 4-6 miles
Friday- Rest
Saturday- Long Run 9-12 miles
Sunday- Bridge Run/ Hill work 8-10 miles

I'm currently on week 9 and am more at the mid to higher range for mileage each week. If you want to use this plan as your schedule start with the lower range for 4-6 weeks building up to the higher range by week 9 and so on.

After this 16 week training plan I will start a 12 week Strength  building where I will be running hills twice a week and adding more miles on the longer runs. I will be ending this plan on June 10 and start the Strength June 12. I will add this schedule closer to the date. Thanks for reading!
                       
                                                ~Stay Strong...Never Stop Moving Forward~

Brooks Glycerin 9- Personal Review

I went shoe shopping yesterday and I have been looking for a new shoe to do more of my distance running in. I have been using the Brooks Pure Cadence to get me used to running in a neutral shoe and fell in love with that shoe. Unfortunately I have already put 437mi on the Brooks and I was starting to have foot aches and ITB issues. I wasn't sure if it was the shoe or over training, but I looked back at my training schedule and I have been adding miles slowly so I knew it wasn't over training and it had to have been the shoes.  The average life in pair of training/racing shoes is about 350 miles, and I was definitely over that. I found a pair of Brooks Glycerin 9 that caught my eye with the stunning green/black color and intriguing, slick design. I read more about the shoe on Brooks website and it is a long distance running shoe for high mileage, I was sold. I tried a pair on and they felt amazing. I'm used to running in minimalist or almost minimal shoes so the cushioning was great. They use this material in the insole called DNA and this stuff is amazing. I could push the bottom of the shoe in with my thumb and it felt so soft, but if hit it with force it turns hard and doesn't go in. The DNA is suppose to change on different surfaces that you run on and provide different levels of cushioning and comfort. I swear by these shoes, It's absolutely true. We all know when you try a shoe on in the store it ALWAYS feels great, It's a new shoe, they're suppose to. I went for a run this morning with my running group Savannah Striders, I ran a 1.5 mile warm up before we started the training run and the shoes started to amaze from the first stride. It really felt like my foot was being projected forward, as soon as my foot landed it had a rebound to it, with an awesome cushion. I ran my warm up at a 7:52 pace. I knew this was going to be a good run. I started out in the front of the pack with the faster guys leading (and Sarah). We were maintaining a 7:35 pace for a good while and I was just following behind feeling great. Maybe it was mental, maybe the shoes really do make for a better run. I believe the shoes helped me perform a lot better by giving me the extra support and just being a damn good design. They have many features on them that supposedly make the running improve. I ended up stick with the lead pack all the way until mile 8, They were going into 6:30 pace and I wasn't going for that yet. I did end up maintaining 7:10-7:30 for the next 2 miles ending my run with 10 miles at 1:16:01 with an avg pace of 7:36. Today in training alone I made a PR on my 10K by 37secs and 10mile by 4mins. I love my new Brooks Glycerin and for anyone out there looking for a good shoe to train and do long distance to even shorter runs this shoe is Highly Recommended!
                                              ~Stay Strong...Never Stop Moving Forward!~
   

Week 8 of Training, 50mi Training Plan Completed

     I'm in my 8th week of training for my first 50 mile Ultra Marathon. I have 8wks left on my base building phase. On June 10th I will be done with the base phase and will be moving up to the Strength building phase for 12 weeks, followed by a 6 week recovery period that will end 5 days before the big race. I finalized my training plan this afternoon, It took some time to get the details and mileage for each week. I really should've started developing the plan about 6 weeks ago, But it kind of helped having already put in 8 weeks of training runs and seeing how I felt, that way I know the plan will work. That is, In completing the 50 miles without falling out due to bonking or injury. I am doing the training plan with a 4-week cycle, meaning I will run 3 weeks with a gradual increase in mileage and on week 4 I will recover by dropping the mileage down by 10-15%. Then it will be a repetition process for 28 weeks, followed by the 6 weeks of recovery and tapering before the race. I've been doing a lot of research on ultra marathon training and have found that this schedule has kept many other runners injury free, due to over-training, and also many have suggested 6-8 months of proper training will give you a successful ultra marathon race by being able to at least finish.

       I was going to be running a 50 mile run to celebrate my 2 years of running on May 5th at the Relay for Life. I planned this 2-3 months ago with hope that I would be about ready to run 50 miles in 12 hours. I am not ready for this run, I will be running a marathon on that day at the event rather than 50 miles. I cannot risk putting myself at a point for injury by running 200 laps around a 400m track. As long as I am able to stick with my training plan and stay focused with every run and (fingers crossed) Stay injury free through all of this I have confidence in finishing the ultra. I do not have a time frame in which I'm trying to set a goal for, however I know I want to do it in under 10hrs, That's a 12min pace so that can include walking and running. I have 6 months left and so far I'm running 2 long runs a week that average a pace between 8:10-9:40, In 6 months of more runs and increasing my mileage, adding 2 hill workouts, and never giving in to defeat I will be ready!

Thanks for reading and I will try to keep posting atleast once a week to keep updates on my training.
                                               ~Stay Strong...Never Stop Moving Forward!~