Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Winter Running
Well, there's no denying it now. The leaves have almost fully turned & the weather is definitely getting much colder. The dog days of summer are long gone. Just yesterday the first snow flakes of the season begin to fall during my long run. Winter is coming!
One of the the best things about living in upstate NY are the seasons. But they're also one of the worst things too. But that entirely depends on your perspective. Before I started my 1st running streak as soon as the first snowfall of the season came down I took all of my running indoors to my local gym and the treadmill. I was a firm believer that winter running was much too dangerous because of ice. Besides, who wants to run when it's that freaking cold out? For many winters I was content to log hundreds of miles while watching CNN or the occasional attractive female runner in front of me. The girls always take the front row of treadmills, the men always the back row. It's nice to have a little extra incentive!
After I started streak running though, I made a concerted effort to get outside more during wintertime. I made some mistakes & had some brutally cold experiences. I never knew that part of my body could get frostbite! The realization of what happened began to dawn on me as I started to thaw out in a hot shower. Several nervous minutes later I was in the clear. But it was a close enough call that from that moment on I decided that I'd always wear underwear underneath my running tights. Whew!
Along with those cold first few lessons I discovered that wintertime running wasn't as bad as it seems. Unlike the summertime, during winter there's hardly anyone's outside & there's a peacefulness to the neighborhood. There's less traffic to deal with too. Although you need to be extra vigilant because the drivers on the road have even more challenges seeing you during snowstorms. After running all summer the landscape can get a little monotonous. But during winter the landscape changes completely & everything just looks cleaner.
One of my favorite winter runs was during a late day blizzard. Nobody had any right to be out there, visibility was at an all time zero. But I wanted to be out there. So to make sure a snow plow didn't run me over I took my run to the trails that afternoon. Even though it was a short three miles, I earned each step because the snow was about 5 inches deep. There I was huffing & puffing along when I happened to look up as I broke through a clearing on the trail. The scene was like something out of a picture book. Not a soul out there. Pristine white everywhere & the peacefulness of the silence was something that I'll never forget!
As I continue on with my 2nd running streak I'm planning on getting some wintertime running in the books again. Here's a little list of helpful tips if you're considering giving it a try:
1. Wear layers that can be peeled off. Learning how to dress for winter running can be tricky. Throw in some moderate winds & that one confuses the situation. You don't want to sweat too much because that can freeze & make you even colder. Extra layers trap heat. Mittens are warmer than gloves. It's always a good idea to wear a cap because you can loose almost half of your body heat through your head..
2. Wear highly visible clothing & lights. Drivers are usually distracted nowadays. Reduced visibility & an earlier sunset increase the danger when out there. By wearing both you can greatly increase your safety.
3. Consider wearing a trail shoe, store bought shoe traction aids or even installing screws into the soles of your running shoes. If you check out my YouTube page I have a video that I posted years ago on how to do this. The screws work very well on ice, don't damage the shoe & can even be removed in the summer. There's some shoes out there that are waterproof & have Gor-Tex lining. I have a pair of them that I strictly use during winter. I keep the screws in them all year.
4. More important than the summertime, tell someone where you're going running & when you'll be back. Carry a cellphone! I know some runners don't like carrying them. But I've been on some winter runs where the weather turned quickly from "What a beautiful winter day." to "Oh shit, I can't see or feel my fingers!" I've had to be rescued about three times. You know if I call for a pick up, that it's cold out there!
5. This should be a no brainier, use some common sense. Winter running may seem nonsensical to most people. But it's quite doable. Just be careful about the temperature. You can run in below zero conditions. I have many times. Just ensure that you cover every piece of exposed skin. Facemasks work really well.
6. On a final note, try to remember that a speed workout probably won't be possible on ice and that your paces may have to be adjusted too. Any ice is dangerous. but black ice doesn't even give you a fighting chance because you can't see it.
Give winter running a try. It's beautiful and the looks that you'll get from stunned motorists are priceless. Every now & then I get a thumbs up. You just gotta love some people's determination!
One of my favorite winter runs was during a late day blizzard. Nobody had any right to be out there, visibility was at an all time zero. But I wanted to be out there. So to make sure a snow plow didn't run me over I took my run to the trails that afternoon. Even though it was a short three miles, I earned each step because the snow was about 5 inches deep. There I was huffing & puffing along when I happened to look up as I broke through a clearing on the trail. The scene was like something out of a picture book. Not a soul out there. Pristine white everywhere & the peacefulness of the silence was something that I'll never forget!
As I continue on with my 2nd running streak I'm planning on getting some wintertime running in the books again. Here's a little list of helpful tips if you're considering giving it a try:
1. Wear layers that can be peeled off. Learning how to dress for winter running can be tricky. Throw in some moderate winds & that one confuses the situation. You don't want to sweat too much because that can freeze & make you even colder. Extra layers trap heat. Mittens are warmer than gloves. It's always a good idea to wear a cap because you can loose almost half of your body heat through your head..
2. Wear highly visible clothing & lights. Drivers are usually distracted nowadays. Reduced visibility & an earlier sunset increase the danger when out there. By wearing both you can greatly increase your safety.
3. Consider wearing a trail shoe, store bought shoe traction aids or even installing screws into the soles of your running shoes. If you check out my YouTube page I have a video that I posted years ago on how to do this. The screws work very well on ice, don't damage the shoe & can even be removed in the summer. There's some shoes out there that are waterproof & have Gor-Tex lining. I have a pair of them that I strictly use during winter. I keep the screws in them all year.
4. More important than the summertime, tell someone where you're going running & when you'll be back. Carry a cellphone! I know some runners don't like carrying them. But I've been on some winter runs where the weather turned quickly from "What a beautiful winter day." to "Oh shit, I can't see or feel my fingers!" I've had to be rescued about three times. You know if I call for a pick up, that it's cold out there!
5. This should be a no brainier, use some common sense. Winter running may seem nonsensical to most people. But it's quite doable. Just be careful about the temperature. You can run in below zero conditions. I have many times. Just ensure that you cover every piece of exposed skin. Facemasks work really well.
6. On a final note, try to remember that a speed workout probably won't be possible on ice and that your paces may have to be adjusted too. Any ice is dangerous. but black ice doesn't even give you a fighting chance because you can't see it.
Give winter running a try. It's beautiful and the looks that you'll get from stunned motorists are priceless. Every now & then I get a thumbs up. You just gotta love some people's determination!
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Read A Book, Just Not While Running
I've always been an avid reader since I was a little boy. I loved reading science fiction back then and still do today. Used to get some funny looks from my classmates reading things like Battlefield Earth, 2001 and I, Robot when I was still in grade school. Kids my age didn't read stuff like that, it was for grownups. But I didn't care. Those books were classics man, classics!
As I grew into an adult I discovered things like The Complete Sherlock Holmes collection, Tom Clancy, Frankenstein and Dracula. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and there's several hundred books telling the story of what happened after Return of the Jedi. Awesome stuff and too bad that the new movies aren't going to follow them at all.
I wasn't really into reading anything else, unless it was for college. But I gave in a little in when I started running in 2002. I got subscriptions to Runner's World and Running Times. I was new to the sport and through both of those great magazines I learned a lot of great information. I found out how to treat my shinsplints, discovered what a running podcast was and read about some talented runners all over the world. I eventually stopped getting both of those though. I think they're very good sources of information. But over time I think that they've gotten a little too general with their training approach. Besides, you can research everything to death online now.
About three years ago I decided that I wanted to change up some of the cross-training that I was doing at the time. I wanted something new and different. I asked some of my running and triathlete friends if they had any ideas and someone suggested picking up Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald. I did and I was really happy that I did. I lost a large amount of weight, trained my ass off using some of Matt's cross-training guides and broke four hours for the first time in a marathon! It was a magical year. I remember easing way back after the race, not following his advice as much and started eating like the little fat kid that's inside of me. I started to get nervous around Christmas because I was continuing to loose weight. Even with the more relaxed diet and decrease in mileage. It was a physical testament to how good I trained under someone who knew their stuff!
If you read my blog and or watch my video podcast then you know that along with my other favorites, I now include books about running in my rotation. I love the non-fiction running books because I'm a detail oriented type of guy and I can get lost in all training plans and details. There's some amazingly well written books out there by some of our nation's best runners too that'll take your breath away. I like the fiction running books because I think that as runners we have a unique talent to get lost in ourselves out there on the roads and trails that nobody else has. That ability allows those of us who write well to pen some incredibly inspiring stories. All of us have struggles, triumphs and dreams. It's nice to read that we're not alone in this really long ass race called our life.
Next time your in a bookstore or browsing online take a peek at the many books out there that are running related. You'll be surprised at what you can find and there's something out there for everybody. So nowadays my nightstand has a stack of books as tall as my lamp! I've got enough books to read to keep me occupied until next year. And I even bought another damn one today. Matt's new one in fact about mind over matter as it applies to running. We're definitely aiming for the stars now my friends. So getting my head wrapped around those goals would be a really, really good thing! Lots of running, lots of training! Now if I could just find some time to read...
As I grew into an adult I discovered things like The Complete Sherlock Holmes collection, Tom Clancy, Frankenstein and Dracula. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and there's several hundred books telling the story of what happened after Return of the Jedi. Awesome stuff and too bad that the new movies aren't going to follow them at all.
I wasn't really into reading anything else, unless it was for college. But I gave in a little in when I started running in 2002. I got subscriptions to Runner's World and Running Times. I was new to the sport and through both of those great magazines I learned a lot of great information. I found out how to treat my shinsplints, discovered what a running podcast was and read about some talented runners all over the world. I eventually stopped getting both of those though. I think they're very good sources of information. But over time I think that they've gotten a little too general with their training approach. Besides, you can research everything to death online now.
About three years ago I decided that I wanted to change up some of the cross-training that I was doing at the time. I wanted something new and different. I asked some of my running and triathlete friends if they had any ideas and someone suggested picking up Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald. I did and I was really happy that I did. I lost a large amount of weight, trained my ass off using some of Matt's cross-training guides and broke four hours for the first time in a marathon! It was a magical year. I remember easing way back after the race, not following his advice as much and started eating like the little fat kid that's inside of me. I started to get nervous around Christmas because I was continuing to loose weight. Even with the more relaxed diet and decrease in mileage. It was a physical testament to how good I trained under someone who knew their stuff!
If you read my blog and or watch my video podcast then you know that along with my other favorites, I now include books about running in my rotation. I love the non-fiction running books because I'm a detail oriented type of guy and I can get lost in all training plans and details. There's some amazingly well written books out there by some of our nation's best runners too that'll take your breath away. I like the fiction running books because I think that as runners we have a unique talent to get lost in ourselves out there on the roads and trails that nobody else has. That ability allows those of us who write well to pen some incredibly inspiring stories. All of us have struggles, triumphs and dreams. It's nice to read that we're not alone in this really long ass race called our life.
Next time your in a bookstore or browsing online take a peek at the many books out there that are running related. You'll be surprised at what you can find and there's something out there for everybody. So nowadays my nightstand has a stack of books as tall as my lamp! I've got enough books to read to keep me occupied until next year. And I even bought another damn one today. Matt's new one in fact about mind over matter as it applies to running. We're definitely aiming for the stars now my friends. So getting my head wrapped around those goals would be a really, really good thing! Lots of running, lots of training! Now if I could just find some time to read...
Saturday, October 3, 2015
The Challenge Of Being Uncomfortable
I'm not exactly sure where it comes from? But I remember that it started way back when I was a little boy. I just didn't wake up one day with this restlessness inside me. It grew over time and thankfully I discovered running along the way somewhere in there. Running is an excellent outlet for this particular brand of crazy. You can go running anywhere there's a road or trail and that satisfies my wandering. You can obsess about your speed, your cadence, your mile splits, your distance along with many other numbers and stats, that satisfies my restlessness.
If you really want to drive yourself even more crazy you can start running races too. All the non-runners don't see a point in running them even when we know that we probably won't win it, or even take first in our age group. But when I line up on that start line I could care less who's on either side of me. I'm more interested in beating that defeatist asshole that lives inside me whispering that I should give up even before I start. I've always been really hard on myself. I'm not really like that with my friends and family. So I don't know why I am with myself. More than one person has told me that they'd hate to be with such a slave driver behind the wheel.
But that narcissistic prick has gotten me to run some really fast races. It's those previous versions of myself that I'm interested in beating. Over 13 years I've run over 70 different races and broken tons of my own personal records along the way. Take that you inner asshole! But there were years when that didn't happen. As I look back now I realize that those mediocre years weren't due to decline. I think that the belief that after a certain number of years running runners stop setting PR's and begin to decline is absolute bullshit! But I do think that I got a little complacent and too comfortable. To those non-runners it sounds ridiculous that running a marathon can be comfortable. But if you run enough of them, you do get good at them. Good enough that you don't really have to put a lot of effort into your training. Some years I did the training, ran the race, got my medal and that was that. I was still calming that restlessness, but only barely.
The shift happened when I decided to do the 366 Project. That initial crazy goal to try to run a mile a day for 366 consecutive days was just crazy enough to scare the shit out of me. I'd never run that much and to make it even harder I still planned on doing my "comfortable" marathon at the end of the year too! I ran, I discovered, I endured. I knocked the initial Project out of the stinkin park! I even nailed another marathon PR that year! The end of that 366th day marked the discovery of an absolute truth for me, you can only do epic shit when your outside of your comfort zone.
The following year I ran even further outside that comfort zone and decided to train for two 50K's (a distance that I've never done before), continue the running streak and I had a deferment for the Rochester Marathon that I had to use or loose, so I planned on that too! Then the shitty back injury brought the whole shebang to a grinding halt. The streak ended at 609 days and I had to drop out of all my races. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. My injury wasn't due to running too much or setting unrealistic goals. It was just bad luck and my stubbornness to rip apart a 10 foot garden circle all by myself.
Now that my comeback race in Rochester has been run I feel like I'm back again. I didn't meet my personal goal. But I've never felt stronger, restarted my running streak, developed an incredible friendship with my Coach and learned that I need to be nicer to my back when pretending to be a one man landscape crew! Have a couple more shorter races on the books for the rest of the year and we're gonna make a damn good run at breaking some really old PR's.
But what about next year? What scary as shit goals can I dream up? I think that I'd really like to take another crack at kicking that hometown marathon's ass, that's for sure! No ultra-distance races, though. 50K, you and me have a big score to settle! But not right now. Since I'm feeling so good and being driven by a Coach who really knows me and her stuff instead of my inner asshole, I thought why not some more challenging racing? Hey, remember my sponsor G & G Fitness? They wanted to help me race next year and they've come through in a huge way! In a matter of minutes and a few mouse clicks I filled up next year's race calendar just like that! 2016's scariness will now include the following:
- Continue the 610 Project-Streaking has become part of who I am. It's not going anywhere and I'm not settling until I reach day 610!
- Four Season's Challenge-Three half-marathons, one in the Winter, Spring and Summer followed by the Rochester Marathon in the Fall. This will be the most number of 13.1's that I've ever run in a year followed by a 26.2! Lot's of training all year long and the best part is that I'll be running for G & G on their team, G & G-REV! They covered the ENTIRE race fee! They're just awesome and you'll definitely be hearing more about them!
So it's going to be scary. It's going to hurt a little and challenge me like I've never been before. There won't be any more "easy" things in my near future and that's OK. From where I'm standing, that comfort zone thingy looks way too boring!
- Run a Boston Qualifying Time-Now this one may take more than next year to complete. I may never complete this one. I'm going to have to get faster than I've ever been before and shed more than a half-hour off my marathon PR. But Coach Judy is my secret weapon!
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