Another Great Speed Workout

Yesterday I ran my second speed workout at the Tufts Gym. The DFMC group meets there Tuesdays at 8:00. This week we ran 20 x 400m intervals. We executed these in 5 sets of 4. Between each set we ran a 400m easy. Between each other 400m we ran 200m easy. In total, with warmup and cool down I ran almost exactly 10 miles. For those of you counting, thats 30 miles in 3 days! The day in between, Reef and I did a craptastic swim workout at the Y. Luckily for me, all I needed was something to flush out some lactic acid in my legs from the day before, which I think I got. For Reef, however, he had to cut his workout short due to a very crowded pool (6 people per lane?!) and some ridiculously slow swimmers. But I digress.

So our 200m laps were averaging 0:53 which is about a 7:04 pace. We managed to keep that pace incredibly consistent through the entire set of 20. Now, here's something I learned at last week's speed workout, regarding how to gauge your marathon pace and preparedness. For some reason or another, it works out very well that your mm:ss pace on an 800m interval workout tends to correlate very well to your hh:mm pace for a marathon. This assumes you can sustain that 800m pace for 10 or more intervals with perhaps no more than 200m rests in between. But let me break down an example:

We were running 55sec laps for our 800m strides last week. So that correlates to a 03:40 (mm:ss) 800m (i.e. a 7:20 mile) Now, assuming you can sustain that pace for an extended 800m workout with little rest between sets, that implies you are prepared to run a 03:40 (hh:mm) marathon (an 8:23 pace). So this in other words, this is a fantastic way to gauge your goal. Now, we (Eric and I) were able to run that pace consistently but we did 8x800m with 400m rests (not 200m). So I don't think we're there yet. But Jack seems to think with enough speed work, we can get there by race day.

Now, I'm going to do a similar thing to translate our 400m workout yesterday to a half marathon:
We averaged a 53.5 sec 200m yesterday, or a 01:47 (mm:ss) 400m. This is a 7:08 min/mile btw. So tht 01:47 400m correlates to a 01:47 (hh:mm) half marathon (an 8:09/mi pace). So this is fascinating because the last half marathon I ran, with Jenn in October, was at an 8:10 pace. Now, I'd like to believe I've improved a bit since then, but perhaps more in endurance and less in speed, so I would believe those numbers. So as I am to improve these speeds, I can expect to see some corresponding improvement in my longer races.

At any rate, these workouts are a lot of fun, because they add variety, and a new challenge. Eric and I alternated taking the lead every other 400m and we kept each other motivated to keep up the speed. So it works out great.

Unfortunately today, I'm feeling some real tightness in my right calf, up high, just about behind my knee. I'm continuing to stretch it throughout the day. But I'm EXTREMELY grateful to be keeping my shin and ankle problems at bay. I'm continuing to take Advil before each run, and increasing the amount of icing I'm doing after tough runs.

Tonight is Runner's Meeting in Boston. And tomorrow I hope to make my first Crossroads run and get an 8-10 miler in (which will include heartbreak hill).

Here are the splits from yesterday, there are many of them:

400m Splits

53 days and counting down...

A Big Start to the Week

First and foremost, I ran my first 20-miler on Sunday. It was an out-and-back run starting at the Mount Auburn health club which put us out right at the top of heartbreak hill after running two miles to get to the course. So from the top of heartbreak hill, we ran down Commonwealth Ave and followed the course (in the reverse direction) down Rt 16 towards Wellesley. The turn-around point was at approximately the Wellesley tennis courts. The ones I used to spend time at before committing my legs to running. I plan to use them again soon by the way (Reef??).

Anyway, it was a couple miles before the turn-around point where I started feeling tired. In the reverse direction of the course, Rt 16 has a pretty nasty uphill. That was the start of some heaviness in my legs. I should also mention that Gill and I skiied a half day at Loon Mountain the day before, and the day before that I logged a decent bike workout at the Y. So my legs were certainly not fresh to start the run. And by the time I eventually hit heartbreak hill area, I was REALLY feeling my quads. Every single step was an immense effort up those hills. While I was cursing the previous day of skiing at the time, I'm grateful for the difficulty it added. I hope that it more accurately mimics what my legs will feel like on April 19th when I hit those hills. I also want to mention that the wind on the last mile of the run was so cruel. I looked at my watched an observed that I was clocking a 10:40 pace at one point giving it all I had into the wind.

There were some watch glitches/mistakes during the run, which really ticked me off, but I averaged JUST below 3:00 even on the run, I think about 2:58. This translates to about an 8:55 pace. Factoring in my legs, the wind, and the distance, I was really happy with that effort. Here's the run overview. Again, the time and total distance is a little off due to my screwup with the watch:

20 Miles with Heartbreak Hill

After the run Gill, myself, and three DFMC teammates (Eric, Marci, and Maggie) went out for some lunch at a local diner. We had to wait (painfully standing in the cold) for about 30 mins before being seated. I got me some eggs, toast, etc with 2 tall glasses of Chocolate Milk (great recovery drink). Gill and I then proceeded home where we spent the rest of the day lounging watching a movie (500 Days of Summer... pretty good) and the Olympics. I think I was in bed by 8:30 where I continued to veg. In the end, it was an awesome day.

Discouraging and Painful

I don't know if I'm just starting to hit my first major hump in training or if I'm starting to actually accumulate some more serious injuries, but my last two runs have gone from bad to worse. On Sunday, I ran a half marathon that got off to a very tough start. As usual, my ankles were in just a little pain but I popped a few Advil before the run so they were kept in check. The more prominent pain (or maybe its more accurately described as tightness) was in my left shin. Its been quite a while since I've had shin splints, and I used to get them seriously in high school, but I'm pretty sure that's not what this is. This is more in the meaty part of my shin where there's a bit of muscle. That muscle has been real tight after the first half mile that I've had to stop and massage it and stretch it out. On Sunday's run, I had to do this at mile 3 and mile 4 as well. I was very seriously considering quitting on a run for the first time in training. The thought of running another 10 miles or so with that discomfort was incredibly daunting. Luckily, on Sunday the pain ended up subsiding around mile 5 or 6. I actually ended up feeling really good from that point onward. I ran into strong cold wins on the return trip back home, but I was feeling incredible. So I brushed Sunday's run off as a bad start but a solid overall run.

Today's run was a different story. The same thing happened with my left shin. I stopped at mile 1 and again at mile 3 to massage and stretch. From there it was just a matter of pressing onward through the discomfort. I couldn't get my pace up to its natural speed because my gate was affected by the tightness. So instead I ended up moving about 1 min/mile slower. I was determined just to finish my 6-milerm(which was supposed to be 7) and get back home. I could feel my left foot clomping on the ground with very little grace because my shin didn't seem to want to do any leg work. Consequently, my left knee starting feeling some pain because my stride was a bit F'd up.

Anyway, I was totally discouraged for the entire hour of the run. I think it's just starting to get to that point in the training where its not new and exciting anymore and my legs are getting both fatigued and tight. I'm hoping its just a hurdle but its made running a bit less fun. Getting excited for workouts has been difficult. On the other side, I had a great swim workout Monday and a good simulated 5-miler at the gym yesterday on the Arc Trainer. Admittedly, I've been a bit light on my cross-training workouts lately because they seem to be the first workouts to fall by the wayside when time doesn't permit a workout during a hectic week. I'll plan to change this in the coming weeks

The last thing I want to mention is that I have a 16-18 mile run scheduled this weekend. This will be my longest run yet by a couple miles. I'm desperately hoping that my ankles and shins improve a bit between now and then. I'll be singing a very different tune if that run goes well on Saturday so check back in then.

Taking things in stride... thanks for checking in.

Me vs. Chuck... 15 Miles on the Charles River

First and foremost: My Fundraising Page

I loved spending time there in college and miss it now, so I decided to execute my 15-miler along the Charles River. I parked my car on Mass Ave just before the bridge. Since the meter had a 2 hour limit and my run took about 2.5, including stretching, I got my first parking ticket in a long time. Compared to the toll my body paid, the $25 was in the noise.

Well I was particularly nervous about this run. I guess that's because I've had some rough runs lately. And 15 miles is nothing for me to shrug at. I've attached a little clip I took before I left the condo. And here's a pic I took of all my gear strewn out on the bed before I packed up and left.



So how'd the run go you ask? I'd say pretty well. Aside from some mild-to-severe blisters on my right foot (its always the right because its smaller) and some mild-to-severe chafing (I should've put body glide on my legs even though I had spandex on) the run went extremely well. As a matter of fact, I shaved about 10 seconds off my pace as compared to my 14-miler 2 weeks ago. So that's an average of an 8:20 mile! That puts me 11 miles away from the marathon but 10 seconds UNDER my goal pace. So I'm feeling pretty darn happy about it with almost 3 months of training still ahead.

My legs started getting very heavy around mile 11. But thanks to my miserable 12-miler last weekend, I was used to heavy legs and was able to shake it off. I expected a sense of nostalgia running along the Charles since I really haven't done so since college. But it felt somewhat foreign. I think the reason here is that I never spent much time there in the dead of winter. There's a bit of snow still in Boston and parts of the river were even frozen over.

Please checkout the run data, I worked hard for it:

Splits
Graph

Good, Bad, and Ugly

Well a few things have happened since my last post. Mostly, the last week and a half has been very tough for me. I think the most difficult thing for me has been recovering from some of these longer weekend runs. Following the 14-miler a couple weeks ago my legs were pretty sore. This contributed to a very difficult 12-miler a week later. From the start of the group run last Saturday, my quads felt pretty heavy and tight. To add insult to injury, the pathway along the Minuteman trail was mostly iced over. Especially on the return trip, which is slightly uphill the whole way back, my legs were really starting to burn as I lost traction. So anyway, the bad news is that the runs have been getting a little tougher as my body adjusts to the recovery period for the longer runs.

The good news is that I logged a 5-miler at a respectable clip, averaging a 7:48/mi before my 100m strides. This is a bit of a milestone for me as I've been dying to log a medium distance run at a sub-8 pace.

The Ugly is the running conditions outside. I already alluded to the icy path on my Group Run last weekend. Well, I was restricted to a treadmill run on Monday. And yesterday, I completed a 7-miler outside in the slush, snow, and rain. My feet were completely drenched by mile 1. The sidewalks were half covered by slush which made running especially challenging too. So I'm starting to get a bit worn out between juggling the time and finding decent conditions. But this is exactly what i expected when signed up for this race to begin with. So there's nothing wrong with par for the course.

Some of you have been asking for more data, on a summary level. Below is some stats from my runs. Note: this doesn't include any workouts on the stationary bike, pool, or Cybex Arc Trainer/Elliptical.

Since training started on December 14:

17 Runs
Distance Run - 114.36 Miles
Avg Run Distance (6.7 Miles)
Time Spent Running - 17:46:43 (h:m:s)
Avg Speed - 6.5mph (9:14 min/mile which includes walking between 100m strides at end of workouts)
Calories Burned: 12,733

Longest Yet

For those reading, my apologies for waiting so long in between posts. My work schedule has been insane since Christmas break. I've been in Columbus, GA working at Ft Benning. I managed to get time off from work this weekend which allowed for me to pick up the pieces of the lost training opportunities during the week. The only workout I logged this past week was a slow 5-miler on the hotel treadmill on Tuesday. With yesterday off, I spent an hour on the stationary bike. My intent was just to get a decent workout in without wearing myself out. Because I knew today would be the longest run of my life.

In addition to my longest run, this was also one of my favorite runs in a long time. This is because I got to run completely along a river for the first time since I ran the Mississippi in Iowa for my first half marathon. This time, the river separated Alabama and Georgia. I ran a 14 mile out-and-back route of 7 miles. And whats more is that I exceded my expectations for speed. I beat my goal of an 8:30 pace and squeezed out an 8:29 average. And per Jack Fultz's instructions, I ran the second half a good clip faster than my first.

I drank only 2 fuel-belt bottles and ate one Gu pack along the way. The temperature was about 32 deg (better than Massachusetts' 5 deg today). But I faced a pretty good head wind on the return path. Cardiovascularly, I felt spectacular. My legs felt a bit heavy into the wind from 8 or 9 miles on. But all and all I was quite pleasantly surprised. I believe the next long wind is actually a shorter distance, at 12 miles.

I know this next week will be another very long one on base. My hopes are to just get 2 decent medium runs in.

I have no data to share this week because I don't have my Garmin dock to upload the run. When I get home, I'll try to compile some more intersting stats, including total milage to date etc. Reef, that's for you.

Thanks for reading!

Yaktrax

Well it snowed today, pretty good for a couple of hours. Total snow accumulation was about 3 inches. By the time I wanted to get my run in, none of the sidewalks had been plowed or shoveled. It sounded like the perfect opportunity for me to try out my Yaktrax. I got them for Christmas, courtesy of my sister, Jenn.

I gotta say, these things worked like a charm. I have zero-slippage to report on what would have otherwise been an impossible 6-mile run. I won't say that it was ideal running conditions, but it was certainly doable. A 9:30 pace in the snow was enough to get me VERY wiped out, as compared to a normal 6-mile run. But it was actually a good bit of fun. For the few bursts of cleared pavement, it was actually less pleasant than the snowy part, when wearing the Yaks. The way my feet land with them on was just the slightest bit different and caused some aggravation over time.

Also, I forgot to pop a few Advil before I left so my old Post-tib injury got a bit inflamed over the run. Anyway, here are a couple of pics of the yaks. And please checkout the Run Data too.

Yaktrax Splits
Yaktrax Chart

Mmmmm... More Data

Alas, I have added an exciting piece of technology to my running arsenal, the Garmin Forerunner 305. All of my previous running data has been courtesy of my Garmin Forerunner 50. The 305 adds more accuracy, no more need for calibration, elevation data, and a map for my runs. It still works with my old foot pod (for run cadence) and my heart rate monitor. The end result is a slightly bulkier watch but much more data, which I just love. So please check out the data from this morning's run and see for yourself.

In other news, I ran a nice 10-miler on Saturday up in New Hampshire while staying with Gill's parents. During this run, my old watch decided to crap-out and reboot twice, thus losing all my run data up to those points. I was able to manually add the run data (estimated) into my online training notebook (garmin connect).

So I did take off Christmas day from my training, but all I lost was a cross-training day at the gym, so all and all, that's not too bad.

Below, is a picture of the new watch, and for your viewing pleasure, a picture of me on my way out the door this morning. As always, thanks for checking in. And don't forget to checkout today's run.



My running chart (and map!)
My Splits

Running after a snow storm

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well this journey is full of firsts for me. Monday's run was my first time running shortly after a snow storm. Finding clear paths on the sidewalks and the streets around my condo was very difficult. For the most part I had to make due with running in light powder that was strewn in my path. This was most comparable to running on the beach in loose sand. By the end of the 5 mile run I had sore muscles in places that aren't generally sore, like my hamstrings namely. As each day since then has passed, the sidewalks have become slightly more cleared, but slightly more icy. By this morning, Christmas Eve morning, the temperature was above freezing and most of the ice had turned to slush or water. I was able to more closely monitor my pace rather than focusing on staying on my feet.

This also marks the first week where I've put in so many miles in a long long time, perhaps ever. Yesterday was a cross-training day. Reef and I went to the gym and did the stationary bike for 25 minutes, followed by some light lifting, some abs, and then a half hour swim. By this morning's run, my leg's were feeling more heavy than normal. This was the first run where I accurately implemented the 100 meter strides as indicated in the training plan. Look at today's run chart to see the results.

Below is my week's summary and links to the run workouts:

Total mileage: 25 miles
Time on the bike: 30 minutes
Time in the pool: 30 minutes
Stretching: a lot
abs, pushups, pullups: Some

Monday's Run
The Graph
The Splits

Tuesday's Run
The Graph
The Splits

Today's Run:
The Graph
The Splits

My First Group Run

If you're looking to donate:
My Fundraising Page

Yesterday morning the DFMC team met at The Greater Boston Running Company in Lexington at 8am; it was my first-ever group run. The temperature was about 15deg. It was the kind of day where I would have been hard-pressed to get myself outside for a long run. So I was very appreciative for the organized group run to get me out there. The run went from 8-10 miles (I ran about 9) and was an out-and-back run along a bike trail in Lexington towards Arlington. I ran mostly on my own, not quite finding somebody to run exactly my pace. I did join with a few different individuals I met along the way as I progressed through the trail, but eventually, I decided to push onward at my own pace. For those keeping track, this is my new longest run since the Oct 4th Half Marathon. Every week that passes, you should notice that I'll have logged a new longest.

After the run, I purchased a few things at the store because the owner offered all runners 20% off all merchandise. I got myself a fancy little device for stretching your calf/achilles. This is my problem area so thought it would be helpful and convenient. I also bought some nice running gloves and a nice orange Saucony long sleeve shirt with a built-in flashing LED in the sleeve for night runs (see photo). For free, I also picked up a nice Adidas running cap, courtesy of The Greater Boston Running Co.

All and all it was a very feel-good and important run. The week preceding, I spent at Ft Benning, GA for work, working 15 hour days which didn't leave any time at all for training. Luckily I squeaked in the Mon and Tues runs on the previous Sat and Mon so that my first training week wasn't a complete wash.

So anyway, here's my run data. I keep telling myself I'll wear the heart-strap for more data. But then I forget. I'm hoping for a Garmin 305 watch for Christmas that will also provide maps and elevation data (on top of more accurate distance and time data).

My Splits
My Chart

Training Schedule Released

http://www.runDFMC.org/2010/jasonb

Basically, starting next Monday, 12/14, its on. The training schedule has been posted online by Dana Farber and it indicates a start date of 12/14. This ambition to run the Marathon officially turns into a concrete goal to work towards once I begin. There are two schedules that are offered; one for beginners and one for intermediate/advanced. The intermediate/advanced is intended for runners who have run at least one marathon before. Unfortunately, the beginners schedule, I think, won't be aggressive enough for me to achieve my time goal of 3:42 (a sub 8:30 mile). My hope is to overshoot rather than undershoot, so I plan to utilize the intermediate/advanced. There is the option to customize my own hybrid version of the two, but I'm up for the challenge of trying to keep up with the second one.

In other news, I ran my longest run since the half marathon yesterday. It was a 7.5-mile loop starting and ending at my condo. This was just the kind of run I needed after a business trip to Atlanta that didn't allow for any runs. Additionally, that run gave me a taste of the Winter training to come. The weather was cold (just above freezing) and raining. For days like that, I'm particularly grateful for decent running gear, particularly a good running hat. From what most literature states, the week's longer runs usually are concerned with distance more than time, but I always want to at least push past my comfort zone a bit. For me, that's around an 8:30 mile. So that's what I hit. See the data below. I think I'll start wearing the heart rate monitor for my longer runs at least just so I can track how I'm doing, from a cardiovascular standpoint, over the next 4 months.

Thanks for checking in!

My Splits
My Running Chart

Running In The Dark

First and foremost:
http://www.runDFMC.org/2010/jasonb

Well, this is the first time I'm training for something through the Winter. As a result, I have already done more night running than I've ever done before. Its a lot harder to be vigilant of everything around me when I'm trying hard to focus on watching the pavement 10 feet ahead of me, to avoid puddles or road debris. But its fun, because its different. For safety sake, I went out and bought a reflective vest. I also have a new reflective running hat. Coupled with my new man-tights for running, you have Winter Runner Jay (see picture)... ridiculously dorky, I know.

Anyway, last night I ran one of my longer runs lately, a solid 6.2 miler (10K incidentally). Keeping in mind that the Garmin underestimates my pace just a little bit (see data below) I actually am very happy with my running clip. Looking back, last night's casual run was actually comparable in pace to my Falmouth Road Race pace that I ran back in August. That tells me that my time off after the half marathon in October hasn't taken that much off my previous efforts. I'll constantly be gauging my speed to see how my expectations will change regarding my Boston Marathon goal pace (which is an 8:30/mile).

That'll do it for now. Thanks for checking in. If you're curious, remember to checkout last night's run data below.

Last Night's Splits
Last Night's Graphs

Acknowledging the weak content of this blog so far

For those of you still checking in on me, thanks! I just wanted to say that I realize the blog has been lacking lately. This is mainly for two reasons. Firstly, training hasn't really kicked off for me yet so I haven't really had a chance to get in the swing of things. Once I start running more, I'll be sure to be more involved with the blog as well. Secondly, I've been traveling to New Jersey a lot which has kept me busy with other things.

My running right now is only 2 or 3 times a week. The runs have been varying from easy 4 mile runs to middle range 6 mile runs as well as some hill and interval workouts. Note, that 90% of my runs have been on the hotel treadmill lately, as I've been way too busy on the weekends when I've been back from New Jersey (NJ just doesn't have any good convenience running areas nearby). This is a shame since the weather has been beautiful the last two and I haven't been able to capitalize.

I encourage you to send me an email or provide other feedback when you feel this blog is lacking to keep me honest. Reef, I appreciate you doing so. And Jen Stonehouse, you too have given me some grief. So special shout outs to those who have been checking in. Thanks!

Running on Treadmills - A lesson in mental endurance

I've had a few indoor runs lately on the treadmill. Daylight savings time has made daytime runs almost impossible. Additionally, I've been on travel to NJ a lot lately, in a not-so-nice running area. This has given me the treadmill option as the only viable option.

I think this is something that I'll grow accustomed to. I knew getting into training for Boston that running indoors was just going to be part of the game. Here is where music is particularly crucial. Without the site of trees and pavement moving by me, my brain begins to revolt long before my body does. Someone told me that her trick for this is to take off her glasses/contacts so that everything is blurry, thereby blurring the fact that she's on a treadmill. I guess this is one case where 20/20 vision doesn't help me out. Anyway, I thought that was funny enough to add it here.

Also, I don't understand how people say running on treadmills is easier than running outside. I understand the physics of wind resistance etc but I feel like something else must be going on here. An 8:00/mi feels much more difficult to sustain even on an ever-so-slight incline than an outside 8:00.

Lastly, I'm finding that the trick to keeping the inflamation in my posterior tibialus at bay is a mix between laborious stretching and muscle-mashing with The Stick (tm). Many prefer foam rollers, but for me, the ability to maneuver The Stick with my hands allows me to get the spot where the tendon connects to the calf muscle.

My milage has remained pretty low still, I haven't ran more than 5 miles at all since the half-marathon. I'm planning to start inching up the longer runs to 6/7 miles in the next couple weeks. But there's still plenty of time to build milage. I'm just trying to temper the mileage increase for now.

Lastly, thanks (so much!) to everyone who has donated on my fundraising page so far. I'm offer to a better start than expected, so your help is very appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

I'm part of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge!

Last week, I was formerly accepted to the Dana Farber Marathon team. I have a set myself a goal of $7,000 to raise by race time next year, which is April 19, 2010. I am so excited to be a part of this team, and to dedicate the next 5 months to my greatest physical achievement.

A little background on The Dana Farber Marathon Challenge:
All money raised through this program will fund the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer research. My Fiance, Gillian used to work for this program at Dana Farber up until a couple years ago. She loved the work there and got so much satisfaction in playing a part of the successful fundraising and results that came with it. In the past, I volunteered at a handful of DFMC events, like the pasta dinner, or social events throughout the training season, so this year I'm really excited to be part of the training team.

Much of my motivation to run stems from my Nana's recent fight with cancer that lasted for several years until it took her life on September 6, 2009. She was incredibly brave and strong and I think about her all the time, and make a point of doing so during my runs. She is incredibly missed and loved.

I couldn't be more excited to start my training. I plan to post my training runs and results on this site throughout the following months. I'll be using my Garmin Forerunner 50 to provide data to my runs.

Here are the splits to the 5-mile run I did yesterday.
And here is the graph of the run.

Most importantly, if anyone is interested in donating to this cause please click the link below:
My Fundraising Page