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...

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! 

• 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!

    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!

  

Back To Square Run-Episode 34 "Goals That Growl"

Back To Square Run-Episode 33 "2015 Rochester, NY Marathon Race Review"

Hansons Marathon Method By Luke Humphrey

   I think that much of what we know today about distance running is as wide encompassing as it is confusing. Ever since the initial running boom of the 70's runners all over this country have been figuring out what works and what doesn't work over the course of thousands of miles. It's on this base of knowledge that many new runners build their running foundations. 

   Some of the information is really good. Like that if you don't take chaffing seriously, you will after trying to shower without screaming after both your nipples have been rubbed raw after a 20 mile long run. Or that yes, running shoes don't really last forever regardless of how good their flashy colors still look on your feet. Or that it's a really great idea to pay attention to the forecast before you head out on your long runs. Nothing's more terrifying than to be out on an open country road pushing the little love of your life who's going to carry on the family name in a metal running stroller and see thunder clouds quickly rolling in on either side of you. Speed work with lightning, indeed!

   Some of the information is really bad too. Like the 10% rule. Most runners believe that adding more than 10% in weekly mileage is a guaranteed recipe for disaster and injury. It isn't. There's absolutely no scientific proof whatsoever that you can't add more. Like that ice baths are one of the best ways to help you recover from having "dead" legs. I've done it and so have many of my friends. All it does is make you cold and miserable for like two straight days. Like that cross-training with weights, heavy weights especially, will make runners bulk up and therefore much slower. That one there actually is solid scientific proof that heavy weight lifting can benefit runners immensely without making them look like the Hulk.

   When I first started my journey down the road to run my first marathon I turned to one of the most trusted vaults of running related knowledge out there, Runner's World. I looked up training plans for the marathon distance and over the course of 16 weeks or so I ran every mile just like the plan told me to. I ran my first marathon, had an awful race and swore that I'd never run another. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Runner's World. It's an excellent resource! My race went badly, like most first marathons do, because I was inexperienced and had made some rookie mistakes. Not because I was under trained. 

   My main point is that the standard marathon training plan is just that, standard. The only problem with that is that there's no runner that I know who is "standard". What works for me, may or may not work for you. I think that standard plans like you can find in places like Runner's World are an excellent guide. But just that, a guide. 

   I didn't always think like this. Even though I said never again, I was a glutton for punishment and have run another 11 marathons since my first. A large majority of them I trained using the standard marathon training plans out there. Then in 2012 I became extremely interested in what the Hansons Brooks Distance Project was doing with regards to marathon training. And that's exactly what this book is about. It's written by Luke Humphrey who works as a Coach closely with Keith and Kevin Hanson who founded the Distance Project in the late 70's. Their work and methods have produced some of the finest American distance runners on the planet who've finished with the top elites at Boston and been sent to the Olympics to represent the red, white and blue. 

   The main philosophy of their version of the marathon training plan rests on the teaching of famed running coach Arthur Lydiard. The guy is credited with starting the running boom! The main approach of the plan is "cumulative fatigue" which occurs after repetitive training that doesn't allow for full recovery between training days. Along with this fatigue their plan highly emphasizes more moderate, more intense mid-week runs and a shorter long run for the weekend. They believe the 20 mile or longer long run of most standard plans isn't need. Mainly because by the time a runner using their plan gets to their maximum 16 mile long run it simulates the last 16 miles of a marathon race due to the more moderate mid-week workouts. 

   Now, it's of course a tad more complex than that, you'll have to read the book to get the entire philosophy. But I will tell you that I've used their plan to break four hours in two of my marathons. The training is challenging and by the end of the week your long runs do feels like the end stages of your race. It just kicks your ass all week long! We are sadists in our own special way! If you're interested I highly suggest you check out their website here to look at their plans: http://www.hansons-running.com. I took the information off the website when I used their plan. So the book isn't necessary. But it is more in-depth. 

   On a side note, if you would've asked me if the Hansons method was the only way to marathon train three years ago I would've vigorously nodded yes until my head fell off my shoulders. But after the injury of last summer and being trained this season by Coach Judy Mick, I'm not so sure. We didn't do anything resembling this method and while I didn't crack four hours like I wanted to, I did run my fourth fastest marathon. Sigh, the woman is insane and I still hate 20 mile or longer training runs like I did way back when! I think that the important thing I took away from this book in addition to my experience is that one running shoe doesn't fit every runner. Try different training approaches, get a coach to give you personally tailored training according to your running goals and if you're a guy streak running outside in the North-East part of the country during wintertime, wear some extra padding in the nether region. Believe me, you can get frostbite down there!    

Spectacular Streakers & Their Amazing Stories Compiled By Judy Mick

   So it's been a little while since I've blogged here. Part of it was because of ZENVEDA where I was trying to put out a daily video podcast. I did it and I now have a much bigger appreciation for all of those hardcore video bloggers out there. You guys and gals put out some amazing work. I managed to streamline my own production process down to about 20 minutes. But it was still really challenging to get something out daily. 

   

   Part of it was that certain aspects of my personal life are going to "hell in a hand basket" right now. I'm not going to go into any details here. But I've never been one to sugar coat my blog or video podcast. It's just not what life is or who I am. I've got issues and challenges like everyone else and they are a bit overwhelming right now. Some of you have picked up on what's going on and I can't tell you how much I appreciate those of you who've reached out to offer support! Truly a great running community.

   Part of it also was that my marathon training was ramping up for the final big push and then down for the dreaded taper. I'm going to write a race review in the near future. I managed to finish the race. But fell well short of my time goal. Just happy to finish this one.

   When I first started streaking about three years ago I met fellow streaker Judy Mick. She's known as the Streaking Runner and for good reason. She's been running at least a mile a day for 30 years! Just incredible. As we got to know each other and talked running shop I discovered she's not only a running coach and streaker, but a writer as well. At the time she was asking for submissions from her fellow streakers to tell their stories about how they got into streaking for an upcoming book she was writing. I was too self-conscious to submit my own streaking story by myself. But after some prodding from the Coach I agreed. 

   I finally got around to reading the book and it's more of an awe inspiring collection of greatness than a story. And I'm not just saying that because my streaking story is on pages 9-19. Living a busy life means sometimes seeing things only from your perspective. From that view point you can assume that everyone else running out there is having sunny, 60 degree, wind at their back days where they easily knock off 10 miles without breaking a sweat. Sometimes you forget that everyone has their own uniquely challenging story and incredibly powerful reasons why they run. This book tells 18 of those stories. I came away from reading the last one, where Judy tells her own story, with a greater appreciation of the various struggles all runners go through to get where they're going. It's challenging enough to be a runner, add to that trying to run a mile non-stop everyday to be a streaker as well, and you have what defines us as the incredible human beings that we are! It also reminded me of how terribly I wrote those first few days of blogging and how special my own story is. 

   That first streak has come and gone due to that dreaded back injury. I vividly remember how hard it was to let that go. I was on the verge of passing out that final time I tried to limp through a mile on my treadmill. But 609 days was well beyond my original 366 day goal. So, I'll take it as a win. Sitting here a year later 243 days into my second streak I'm reminded how fickle life and running can be. Last year I thought I would never walk, run or work again. But here I am doing all those things and living my life like I used to. Sometimes all it takes is a little reminder that each of us have hills to overcome. Some are bigger than others, but they're still hard to run up regardless their size. Check out the book if you're interested in running and streaking. The stories are motivational, inspiring and like the title implies, spectacular.

   If you're interested in hiring a gifted coach, learning more about Coach Judy and buying this and some of her other books check her out here: Run Happy Coaching!   

As I wade through this current mess that is my life, I'm reminded that I'm still here and I'm not done yet! Thanks Coach for including me in your book and for keeping me afloat. 

Back To Square Run-Episode 32 "Running & Being Book Review"