Back when I was still posting things regularly, (sorry, a 4 week lapse here) I posted about some goals I am currently working on, one of which was a totally random idea to run 4 consecutive weeks of at least 50 miles. I really don't remember how this came to me or why I became intrigued by it, but it was during a lunch with my buddy Cliff so I blame him. Anyhow, I did it.
I decided June was perfect for this because- 4 weeks long. (not counting June 1 and 2, which ushered the last week of May out for the year.) So it began on June 4, since my running calendar runs Mon-Sun. I had been averaging at least 38 to 40 since the first of the year, with many weeks into the mid-40's and a couple 50+ weeks in April while ramping up for the Carmel Marathon. Also I had one stray week right smack dab in the middle of May where I hit 70 frickin' miles, also for no particular reason other than it seemed like fun at the time. And it was. So 50 a week seemed realistic, and a 200 mile month sounded pretty neat too.
I like simplicity most of the time, so figuring the how of this was not hard. I run 5 days most weeks, so 5X10 is the ticket. None of the weeks went like that of course, though I did keep that reference in mind on each run and had the idea that I needed to average 10 as the week went along. Still, nice big round numbers to work with and I was not burdened by ciphering.
Week one- 51.2- weekday runs were around downtown from where I work, Sat. from home, Sun. at McCormick Creek trails. Three 10's, a 12 and a 9.
Week two- 50.2- more of a mix of trails and road, also of distance, with two 8's, two 12's and a 10.
Week three- 52- Ran on Monday, a usual off day, so had miles in the bank. 9.3, 6, 8, 13.3, 4.5, 11.
Week four- 50.9- Ran on Friday, playing catch-up- 10.3, 6, 13.3, 4.5, 8.6, 8.3.
And done. The first week i was surprised that only a few more miles made enough difference to tire me a little. The middle two weeks were both great, I felt fine and ready. The last week was a bit of a struggle, mentally and physically. I'm a very intuitive guy and tend to follow ideas as they sprout up, and at some point I had switched from wanting to go run whatever, to an obligation to hit the minimum at least or do make-up duty. Also it got hot during that last week. But I was into it and these were only minor problems at most.
Writing this I realize that 50 a week is nothing for a lot of runners and major props to them, but it's new ground for me. I'm happy that everything held up well and no problems/injuries/worrisome pains popped up. I love trail running but did intentionally do more road miles than usual because they seem easier to me, though I did finish the last three weeks with the Sunday trail gang, and each of those with Steph running out a couple extra to get 50. In all, 80 of the 200 miles were on trails. I'm more than making up for that ratio now.
June is also the halfway point of the year and I have 1,129 miles logged, so I'm a little ahead of my goal of 2012 for the year. I had also set a goal of losing 10 pounds by end of July and am a little more than halfway there and am planning on a nutrition oriented post soon. Yoga goal, not so much but I'm trying. And the goal of a BQ is ongoing, with the best shot being the third of my three Fall marathons, the Monumental in Indy. Or as I like to call it, the MonuMENTAL.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Tennis lessons
Yesterday I parked near some local tennis courts while getting ready to start my run. I pulled into the only shaded spot, which faced the courts. As I put on my shoes and limbered up I watched two players whacking balls back and forth.
At first, all I saw was two dudes hitting tennis balls. They weren't keeping score, or even finishing each volley, though they were both obviously very good. Warming up? Then I realized it was a teacher and a student. The teacher was feeding volleys across the net, the student was hitting them back, and back and forth until the ball went out of bounds. And when it did go out of bounds it was from the student. In fact, while I was watching the teacher never once hit it out. He seemed to have total control of his swing and the ball. The teacher's form was really great, he moved very easily and relaxed with a well-grooved measured swing that sent the ball smoothly yet smartly over the net, no doubt right where he wanted it. It was also apparent he had a lot more power in reserve. The student also got the ball back across smartly, but his swing was much faster, almost a little wild and definitely not relaxed. Less control, more effort, with nearly the same result.
That mastery of form is what I'm reaching for also with running. Comparing those two players was interesting, one smooth and relaxed with the confidence of experience with an ingrained pattern of proper motion, and one working much harder to get the same result, yet still less consistent.
It's like learning music or a language- you learn the rules, start with the basics, ingrain them with mindful practice until it becomes a natural part of you that you can perform with little or no thought of it, the state known as 'flow'.
Form is the key to masterful results. Awareness and study of practice over time is the way to good form. The learning and refining is likely endless. And fun.
Let's run!
At first, all I saw was two dudes hitting tennis balls. They weren't keeping score, or even finishing each volley, though they were both obviously very good. Warming up? Then I realized it was a teacher and a student. The teacher was feeding volleys across the net, the student was hitting them back, and back and forth until the ball went out of bounds. And when it did go out of bounds it was from the student. In fact, while I was watching the teacher never once hit it out. He seemed to have total control of his swing and the ball. The teacher's form was really great, he moved very easily and relaxed with a well-grooved measured swing that sent the ball smoothly yet smartly over the net, no doubt right where he wanted it. It was also apparent he had a lot more power in reserve. The student also got the ball back across smartly, but his swing was much faster, almost a little wild and definitely not relaxed. Less control, more effort, with nearly the same result.
That mastery of form is what I'm reaching for also with running. Comparing those two players was interesting, one smooth and relaxed with the confidence of experience with an ingrained pattern of proper motion, and one working much harder to get the same result, yet still less consistent.
It's like learning music or a language- you learn the rules, start with the basics, ingrain them with mindful practice until it becomes a natural part of you that you can perform with little or no thought of it, the state known as 'flow'.
Form is the key to masterful results. Awareness and study of practice over time is the way to good form. The learning and refining is likely endless. And fun.
Let's run!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Got goals?
Been thinking about some goal ideas lately, and just on today's run they firmed up. You're the first to know.
Here they are:
Run a BQ.
50 miles/week for a month.
Learn some beginner yoga.
Drop 10 pounds.
Run a Boston Qualifying time- This idea has bubbled around for a few years really, before I was even running marathons and just thinking about it. Running Boston would be a huge lifetime thrill for me, but the idea always seemed out of reach and I didn't seriously consider it. And, the BAA has tightened up the age bracket times even more since then. My BQ is 3:40. I did the Carmel marathon this Spring in 3:56 with a moderate training schedule and ran it with no real sense of urgency. On that day 3:56 is about what I had, but with a more focused training effort with a BQ in mind I have to believe I have a shot. I feel the new system of getting in to Boston is pretty crazy in that those who qualify faster than their BQ have first shot at registration (so in effect they are qualifying the qualifiers), but I realize they have limits to the field they can handle and overwhelming numbers wanting to run. So a BQ is in no way a guarantee you can get in.
But, all that aside- I'm going for it and we'll see what happens!
50 miles a week for a month- This came to me awhile ago in a conversation with my buddy Cliff, so I blame him. Running-wise things have gelled fairly well lately and I feel reasonably durable and ready to try some consistent longer weeks. I'm averaging 42.1/week now for the year, with several 50's, a 60 and even a recent 70 mile week, so 50/week is definitely in range. A potential clash here is that I'm returning to the trails after a Spring of mostly road miles, and for me trail miles are tougher, so it might be a little tricky to work it out. Plus, with my always over-riding Prime Directive Main Goal Numero Uno- Stay Healthy, this would be the first goal to go. But I'm going for it with June.
Learn some beginner yoga- I was talking with a friend after a trail race recently about how my hips seem to limit my effective race pace range in that they tire and tighten and shorten my stride before I'm really otherwise physically tired, and I voiced that I'd like to figure out some way to keep them looser. "Try some yoga", was the suggestion. Now, I have tried yoga before, a little, and it went fairly poorly. In fact, it was pretty ugly. In fact, I completely and totally sucked. But I've heard from way too many good runners who swear by it as a wonderful cross training compliment to running to not give it a real try. I have dug up two easy-ish routines geared toward opening hips and have started learning them, one move at a time. It's still nasty to imagine how I must look, but I'm going to stick with it and see what happens because the worst case here is getting a little more limber.
Drop 10 pounds- A realistic expectation. Right now, one of the best things I can do for my running is to lighten the load. Goal time frame here is the end of July, very doable. 'Nuff said.
So, goals. Long, short and medium term. Stated right here in 'public'.
Ready- Go!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
"You've got to have heart, miles and miles and miles of heart"...
One of my stated goals for the year is to run 2012 miles, after coming pretty close last year without really tracking it. 2012 divided by 12 = 167.6 , and times 5 = 838.3, so my current year total of 800 with two weeks left in May is slightly ahead of schedule. Hmmm....2,100 miles? 2,500? A million? We'll see.
I took last week off of work for my annual Spring Staycation and, as always, really enjoyed that. I got caught up on house and yardwork, read a couple of books, enjoyed the first season of Game of Thrones, and had my first 70 mile week. Off Monday, 8 on Tue and Wed, both productive form-specific runs on the flat gravel of Moon road, 20 on Thurs with Cliff as he readied for his 5/20 marathon in Germany, easy 4.5 on Fri, Dances With Dirt trail half on Sat, and 15 on Sun. Counting the previous weekend of the Indy Mini and 12 the following day I recorded 95 miles in the last 9 days, certainly an all time high for me.
And I'm happy to say that for the most part all is well, knock on wood. Other than the races it was all moderate pacing at best, and other than the usual complaints from my corporeal chorus, no real problems. Yes! I'm encouraged by all of this and excited for the rest of the year. In a fit of glee I signed up for two additional marathons in the Fall, the Air Force in Dayton, and the Monumental in Indy, so I now have a full in Sept, Oct and Nov to look forward to and plan for.
Still experimenting with the heart rate zone training and am watching the results, but don't really have enough yet to measure any effects. I do believe in the science behind it and expect to see continued improvement. One thing I have noticed is how little fuel I need, even on long runs. During the Carmel marathon I used one gel and only drank water. That gel was more preventative than need, and looking back I don't think it was really necessary. During these last 9 days I also only used one gel at the end of the 20 miler to try a new brand, which I didn't like. Part of the reasoning behind heart rate training is that it 'trains' your body to use more fat than carbs for fuel, and that sure seems to be the case, though of course a slower pace also consumes less fuel. This is great news for me though, because I've never really liked using gels and so far have yet to find one that doesn't leave me feeling bloated and gross.
Not sure how to summarize this rambling post. Take time, run long, listen to your heart.
Up next- Run With the Foxes trail race!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Race Report- Carmel Marathon
It was a dark and stormy early morning. Suddenly, a shot rang out! Hundreds of people ran away from the scene. This is their story. Or, mine at least.
I stood in a crowd of a little over 1,800 people gathered for the Carmel, Indiana full and half marathon, 'listening' to the mostly unhearable pre-race announcements. "Blah blah blah, wonderful Carmel, wokka-wokka-watermelon, Carmel office holders, blahdeblahdeblah, Ready...GO!" And ready or not, my third marathon was underway. I like to start further back in the slower corrals and work my way up during the race as this gives me a helpful sense of forward momentum, and assures a reasonable starting pace also, but I was itching to run. I felt, as they say, full of running.
Training had gone well, and while I could have and probably should have done more long runs I felt ready, excited, and eager. I had a reasonably challenging goal of 4 hours, the experience of a previous marathon for reference, and red shoes. The weather had improved some from the predicted rain and cold to at least partly sunny and chilly, but it had been puzzling to figure what to wear. I settled on singlet with a thin jacket I was prepared to toss away at some point. I had used this jacket for years and never really liked it. The collar lining material rubbed my neck, the zipper pull had broken and offered only a little nub to pull on, and the wrist elastic had long ago given up the ghost so the sleeves would ride up and flop around annoyingly. So yeah, I'd wear it until the temp warmed and then leave it at a water station trash can, and good riddance.
The first several miles were pretty slow, from working my way through the crowd and (literally) warming up. I loosened up and settled in for some miles, taking in the scenery, conversations around me, and as always, monitoring and adjusting my form and stride. Around mile 8 I started running pretty well and was happy to see sub 9 minute pace on the Garmin. My goal time required a 9 minute pace, so anything under that would both make up for the slow first miles and put a little time in the bank for later. My perceived level of exertion was fine, I felt steady and relaxed and was running easy.
In fact, other than for a super quick pit stop at mile 16 to, er, unhydrate, I was under my 9 minute pace right up until mile 23, when I stopped to wrestle with the stupid jacket that had by now become my nemesis. I had taken it off somewhere along the way, then realized I might want it later since it wasn't really warm and at several places the gusty wind was downright cold, so had reluctantly tied the thing around my waist. It flopped around, nipped at my arms, the sleeves came loose and flapped against my legs 9,457 times, and eventually the whole soggy burden it had become unravelled and started sinking lower from my waist, threatening to leave me hog-tied in the ditch. So I stopped during mile 23 and walked as I redid the knot and explored the depths of the bluer portion of my vocabulary. At this point I realized I'd need it after the finish, so this combative remora had gained a free ride. Note to self: use gear check next time, duh.
At Chicago I had started slowing steadily after mile 18 and was in trouble after about 22, but I continued to feel mostly fine pretty much the whole way this time. No 'Wall', no great crash, no wheels coming off. I was over 9/min after mile 23, and the last couple of miles were a challenge as I was starting to lose it then, but I was far too determined to lose sight of my goal and I actually picked it up as the finish neared. I had run by how I felt and had settled into my most natural speed just as I had trained for, running by perceived level of exertion, nudging but not pushing past going just a little too fast. I only used one gel at mile 10 and only took water at a few stops since I don't like Powerade, the house special that day. Overall I'm very happy with nearly every aspect of this race and encouraged for more marathoning. Time now to learn what I can from this and plan training for Summer and Fall races. More miles and less weight and maybe I can hope for a 3:45 some day?
My official time was 3:57:52, but my Garmin had measured 26.45, and at 26.2 my time was 3:56:15. But official is official, so 3:57 it is. A 20 minute PR from Chicago and a green light for more progress, I say.
It was great to have friends there also, and it's hard to explain how much those high 5s and cheers meant to me at mile 24. Thank you so much for that.
Other more random memories: getting to ride to the start in the empty "Elites Van" because a few of us were in the right place at the right time, calling out "High 5 to the runner you don't know!" (a la Jon L.) to a string of local runners going the other way and getting very enthusiastic response, a short convo with a woman about shoes ("I have 11 pair of Newtons!") that made me happily realize my own shoe problem pales to a broader comparison, and as always, seeing and high 5ing little kids along the way.
I've read the percentage of the general population that runs is only about 1% or so, (I think?) but it is one that is richly steeped in humanity and while we all run alone, nothing seems to pull us together like a race, where the shared effort and enthusiasm turns a crowd into a sort of family, if only for a few hours.
And the jacket? I was glad to have it after the finish, where I got chilled pretty fast again. The stupid sweat soaked smelly nasty heavy necessary parasite got the last laugh too- as I write my neck is still healing from where the flopping zipper rubbed a raw spot. It's washed and hanging in its lair, and one happy day I will rid myself of it. Probably.
I stood in a crowd of a little over 1,800 people gathered for the Carmel, Indiana full and half marathon, 'listening' to the mostly unhearable pre-race announcements. "Blah blah blah, wonderful Carmel, wokka-wokka-watermelon, Carmel office holders, blahdeblahdeblah, Ready...GO!" And ready or not, my third marathon was underway. I like to start further back in the slower corrals and work my way up during the race as this gives me a helpful sense of forward momentum, and assures a reasonable starting pace also, but I was itching to run. I felt, as they say, full of running.
Training had gone well, and while I could have and probably should have done more long runs I felt ready, excited, and eager. I had a reasonably challenging goal of 4 hours, the experience of a previous marathon for reference, and red shoes. The weather had improved some from the predicted rain and cold to at least partly sunny and chilly, but it had been puzzling to figure what to wear. I settled on singlet with a thin jacket I was prepared to toss away at some point. I had used this jacket for years and never really liked it. The collar lining material rubbed my neck, the zipper pull had broken and offered only a little nub to pull on, and the wrist elastic had long ago given up the ghost so the sleeves would ride up and flop around annoyingly. So yeah, I'd wear it until the temp warmed and then leave it at a water station trash can, and good riddance.
 |
| We who are about to die salute you! |
The first several miles were pretty slow, from working my way through the crowd and (literally) warming up. I loosened up and settled in for some miles, taking in the scenery, conversations around me, and as always, monitoring and adjusting my form and stride. Around mile 8 I started running pretty well and was happy to see sub 9 minute pace on the Garmin. My goal time required a 9 minute pace, so anything under that would both make up for the slow first miles and put a little time in the bank for later. My perceived level of exertion was fine, I felt steady and relaxed and was running easy.
 |
| How's that for hitting my goal pace of 9:00! |
In fact, other than for a super quick pit stop at mile 16 to, er, unhydrate, I was under my 9 minute pace right up until mile 23, when I stopped to wrestle with the stupid jacket that had by now become my nemesis. I had taken it off somewhere along the way, then realized I might want it later since it wasn't really warm and at several places the gusty wind was downright cold, so had reluctantly tied the thing around my waist. It flopped around, nipped at my arms, the sleeves came loose and flapped against my legs 9,457 times, and eventually the whole soggy burden it had become unravelled and started sinking lower from my waist, threatening to leave me hog-tied in the ditch. So I stopped during mile 23 and walked as I redid the knot and explored the depths of the bluer portion of my vocabulary. At this point I realized I'd need it after the finish, so this combative remora had gained a free ride. Note to self: use gear check next time, duh.
At Chicago I had started slowing steadily after mile 18 and was in trouble after about 22, but I continued to feel mostly fine pretty much the whole way this time. No 'Wall', no great crash, no wheels coming off. I was over 9/min after mile 23, and the last couple of miles were a challenge as I was starting to lose it then, but I was far too determined to lose sight of my goal and I actually picked it up as the finish neared. I had run by how I felt and had settled into my most natural speed just as I had trained for, running by perceived level of exertion, nudging but not pushing past going just a little too fast. I only used one gel at mile 10 and only took water at a few stops since I don't like Powerade, the house special that day. Overall I'm very happy with nearly every aspect of this race and encouraged for more marathoning. Time now to learn what I can from this and plan training for Summer and Fall races. More miles and less weight and maybe I can hope for a 3:45 some day?
My official time was 3:57:52, but my Garmin had measured 26.45, and at 26.2 my time was 3:56:15. But official is official, so 3:57 it is. A 20 minute PR from Chicago and a green light for more progress, I say.
It was great to have friends there also, and it's hard to explain how much those high 5s and cheers meant to me at mile 24. Thank you so much for that.
Other more random memories: getting to ride to the start in the empty "Elites Van" because a few of us were in the right place at the right time, calling out "High 5 to the runner you don't know!" (a la Jon L.) to a string of local runners going the other way and getting very enthusiastic response, a short convo with a woman about shoes ("I have 11 pair of Newtons!") that made me happily realize my own shoe problem pales to a broader comparison, and as always, seeing and high 5ing little kids along the way.
I've read the percentage of the general population that runs is only about 1% or so, (I think?) but it is one that is richly steeped in humanity and while we all run alone, nothing seems to pull us together like a race, where the shared effort and enthusiasm turns a crowd into a sort of family, if only for a few hours.
And the jacket? I was glad to have it after the finish, where I got chilled pretty fast again. The stupid sweat soaked smelly nasty heavy necessary parasite got the last laugh too- as I write my neck is still healing from where the flopping zipper rubbed a raw spot. It's washed and hanging in its lair, and one happy day I will rid myself of it. Probably.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Carmel Marathon, 2 days out.
This Saturday I'm running the Carmel Marathon. I did the half there last year and enjoyed it and was impressed with how well everything was organized, especially considering it was their first year and they had a lot going on- half, full, and 8K road race among other events. So back in early Winter I decided to do the full this year and started planning and training.
I'm really pretty new to marathoning, having only done two so far, Chicago waybacklongtimeago in 1986 and then again last Fall. So my lifetime average has been one every 25 years, but I have two scheduled this Summer. So far. If Carmel goes well we'll see about maybe doing others as I have fallen prey to the lure of the Marathon Succubus. I mean, if there is one.
I really don't remember much about training or running Chicago the first time, but while I finished and enjoyed it I guess it was enough for me at the time. Last year my goal there was to run easy, finish, and enjoy it as best as I could, all of which I did. I finished in 4:16.
My goal for Carmel is to break 4:00. This started as a casual early thought but has become a firm goal as it has neared, and now I'll damn well do it or know why. Goals are all subjective and subject to race day conditions. A 4 hr marathon is fairly modest, but this is a gateway goal for me. My longer term goal is to use a sub-4 hr Spring full to launch a good Summer of further retooling my form, drop more weight, learn more about heart rate training, and do much better in my Fall full in West Virginia, the Freedom's Run. That's the plan.
Training has gone pretty well. I adopted and adapted a Hal Higdon marathon plan, adding some ideas of my own and others. For Chicago last year I mostly trained on trails and got by with strength and endurance runs and very little speedwork. This Spring I have increasingly kept to the roads, have done Saturday long runs of 15, 17, and 19 with runs of 8-12 the next day, and have done some interval work the last several weeks as well. I have just over of 600 miles since Jan 1 and am averaging 40 per week and ramping up. I will likely always feel I can be better trained for a race, but I do think I'm better prepared now than for last Fall's Chicago. Sub 4:00!
The predicted weather has bounced around some and has yet to settle on a consistent forecast. How like Indiana is that? It started out looking great, then storms, colder temps and wind suddenly showed up. It's been slowly improving this week, currently looking like rain Friday night with a low of 41 and now at least partly sunny Saturday with a high of 59 and less wind. For me, a starting temp of about 50 with sun and a slow climb to mid to upper 60's at finish is perfect, so I hope this holds.
I haven't tapered very well in the past, generally doing too much, but this time I feel I got it about right. I've been pretty busy this week with life and stuff and haven't had a lot of time to worry about it. But between suddenly running less and eating a few more carbs than usual I started feeling GREAT today! One more day to store it up and I'm betting I'll be more than ready to go Saturday morning.
Marathon! Sub 4:00! Bring it!!
I'm really pretty new to marathoning, having only done two so far, Chicago waybacklongtimeago in 1986 and then again last Fall. So my lifetime average has been one every 25 years, but I have two scheduled this Summer. So far. If Carmel goes well we'll see about maybe doing others as I have fallen prey to the lure of the Marathon Succubus. I mean, if there is one.
 |
| 1986 Chicago Marathon finisher's medal. The "10th annual"! |
My goal for Carmel is to break 4:00. This started as a casual early thought but has become a firm goal as it has neared, and now I'll damn well do it or know why. Goals are all subjective and subject to race day conditions. A 4 hr marathon is fairly modest, but this is a gateway goal for me. My longer term goal is to use a sub-4 hr Spring full to launch a good Summer of further retooling my form, drop more weight, learn more about heart rate training, and do much better in my Fall full in West Virginia, the Freedom's Run. That's the plan.
Training has gone pretty well. I adopted and adapted a Hal Higdon marathon plan, adding some ideas of my own and others. For Chicago last year I mostly trained on trails and got by with strength and endurance runs and very little speedwork. This Spring I have increasingly kept to the roads, have done Saturday long runs of 15, 17, and 19 with runs of 8-12 the next day, and have done some interval work the last several weeks as well. I have just over of 600 miles since Jan 1 and am averaging 40 per week and ramping up. I will likely always feel I can be better trained for a race, but I do think I'm better prepared now than for last Fall's Chicago. Sub 4:00!
The predicted weather has bounced around some and has yet to settle on a consistent forecast. How like Indiana is that? It started out looking great, then storms, colder temps and wind suddenly showed up. It's been slowly improving this week, currently looking like rain Friday night with a low of 41 and now at least partly sunny Saturday with a high of 59 and less wind. For me, a starting temp of about 50 with sun and a slow climb to mid to upper 60's at finish is perfect, so I hope this holds.
I haven't tapered very well in the past, generally doing too much, but this time I feel I got it about right. I've been pretty busy this week with life and stuff and haven't had a lot of time to worry about it. But between suddenly running less and eating a few more carbs than usual I started feeling GREAT today! One more day to store it up and I'm betting I'll be more than ready to go Saturday morning.
Marathon! Sub 4:00! Bring it!!
 |
Monday, April 9, 2012
Step right up!
We got Progress, right here in River City! Progress with a capital P and that rhymes with C and that stands for Cadence! Had a nice Ah-ha! moment kind of deal today on a Sunday longish run. It was very sweet indeed. It all started with a heart rate monitor...
I've been re-reading about training with a heart rate monitor, mostly from this site, (another take on it here) and have decided to try this training right after the quickly approaching Carmel marathon. So I got a heart monitor strap for my Garmin and finally curiously tried it out today. I use the contraption sparingly, usually when I'm on an unfamiliar course or want to measure a specific distance, and generally turn it on and ignore it until the run ends. I'd rather pay attention to whatever I'm running past than data on my wrist. But watching the beats of my heart was pretty fascinating to see and I was checking it a lot. In a nutshell, the formula has my training HR limit right at 130, and, at least at first, the challenge is supposed to be in running slow enough to keep under your limit. But, after racing up to 145 right off, mine settled in at 120-125 at my normal training pace. Either I have a turbo-charged super efficient pumper, a defective Garmin, or my formula interpretation is whack. I like the former.
Anyhow, checking the watch so often got me thinking about numbers, and 180 came to mind, which is widely accepted as a model for running cadence. I was not far into the run and still not quite up to speed, and still a little tired from 19 miles yesterday, and counted 30 strikes for my right foot in 30 seconds- times 2 for a minute and times 2 for both feet = 120, pretty low. Pick it up here, dude. I shifted up to what felt about like my normal pace and did some math, realizing that 45 single foot strikes equals the magical 180 and checked again, still low at 140. Dang. One more bump up and- hey wait, what's this?- I felt smooth, light, and easy, and my HR was still in the low 120's.
I've been making a sustained effort to change my form for the last few years, with some good progress, and am mindful of this as I run, usually. I was your classic heel striking over strider and running faster meant running harder. Two knee surgeries later I started learning as much as I could about better running form and feel I've made some good progress, still with room for improvement. On-line videos, books and articles, DVDs, an all-day Chi Running session, and a few local form clinics have all helped a lot and left me with a string of cues to keep in mind. I know I run with my head down and still, frustratingly heel strike, though much less. Like cooking a good meal, working on form is a work in progress, hard to do right all the time, and steady progress leads to more possibility of improvement. I now firmly believe that proper form is the key to long-term healthy running, and at some point I'll go into more detail in a future post.
By picking up my running cadence, my stride shortened slightly, which put my feet in a better landing pattern, which made me feel lighter and smoother, and the swirl of form cues all seemed to fall into place at once. Ha! Hey- this is great! Look at me! Or maybe the endorphins had just kicked in, but something happened. I continued and finished the run trying to lock in this change and I do feel like this was the easiest I have run the hilly 8.5 mile course I know well. Also, my HR never did get much higher and I finished with a 123 average, including some spikes on uphills. I need to explore the HR training formula further and do some testing to find my best range, and that will be interesting.
So, pretty exciting and I sure do hope I can make this my new norm and not just a one run thing. If running form is the key to running well and well into your lifespan and potential, is cadence then the key to that form? I was still a little under 180, but am very curious to see what happens with this week's training.
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