So Many Ideas!!!

Oh my goodness! As I surf the web, shop at the stores, talk to others I come to the realization that the number of ideas of how to run, what to run and what not to is just absurd. Barefoot running, Chi Running, Stretch, Don’t Stretch, what not to wear, the list goes on and on. Call me a pessimist but I think they are all liars.

Give that a moment…

I also happen to believe in every lie is buried a piece of great truth. That means, I keep an open mind to it all, read everything, and respect others opinions. I take the pieces that I learn and place them into my own puzzle of what I currently do and what I can do/use to improve myself.

Some over generalized examples of what I mean:

Chi Running- Keep my back straight but run like I am falling forward. (Got it, and like the idea)
Barefoot Running- Improves strength in foot and ankle tendons that are ordinarily never used due to shoe wear, also prevents injury. (I am not found of the idea of muddy, potentially cut feet, but I will walk around my home barefoot more often.)
Buy These Shoes- No! I don’t have enough money to invest in every new shoe that comes out. I will however recognize that running shoes can generally wear out at approximately 500 miles and I shall plan my savings accordingly.
Wear This- Again I have to say an emphatic, No. I will however recognize the benefit of sweat repelling microfibers vs. cotton.
I run intervals every other day- I would simply have to ask, Why? See if your goals and ambitions are similar to my own and determine if your training ideas work with or are better than my own.

My point of all of this rambling is just this. Someone else’s training schedule should probably not be copied and it should only be noted and adapted if it fits your own. Equipment is expensive and there are so many choices so be careful before wasting money on a regrettable mistake. People have been running years with just the basics. Take training slow, quick changes can lead to mistakes and serious injury.

Trail Running Tips

Those of you that may read this blog will know I have an affinity for trail running. It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing out like it is currently, raining or whatever I spend roughly 50% of my time running on trails. It can get a bit muddy and I feel like a kid again. Trails are fun, more scenic, usually more challenging, technical, and hills can pop up often after various more elevation grades. Here are few of my tips that I have had to learn the hard way.

1. The difference between Trail Running shoes and just track is significant. Treads are different for starters and allow for gripping, and usually that are built with firmer structure to give your feet some more support. The trail surface can be extremely varied and your feet will appreciate the extra support.

2. You need to be more visual when trail running. Really focus on the ground in front of you and upcoming rocks and hazards. Even though the scenery can be beautiful you need to really concentrate and look out for the unexpected.

3. Take some emergency supplies with you. This is one that usually gets the most neglected but is the most important. At the very least you should have a cell phone with you always. That half mile to your car or nearest home can take a lifetime on a rolled ankle. Some things I carry in addition to a cell phone are extra water, antiseptic wipes, ace bandage, a energy gel (I am not a big fan of these but they are lightest and most compact source of energy I can find), bug spray (depending on the time of the year), a light weight extra shirt (for an extra layer or to be changed into when I get wet or cold), whistle and a small key chain light and knife. Sure these things can be cumbersome to carry at first but they only add a few pounds and are well worth it. Getting into the habit of carrying these on your shorter runs is a great idea and you will not feel as burdened by them and be able to concentrate on your workout for the longer runs.

4. Downhill is trickier than you expect. It might be obvious to say this but when you approach a downhill be especially careful and plan your decent in a zigzag, slalom skier fashion sort of fashion. The hills are usually steeper than expected. I find that if I go too straight down them I can over extend my stride and descend way to fast. You will know when you do this when suddenly your hip joint or knee scream at you like they have just been hit by a hammer. Also you don’t want too much speed just for the fear of tripping.

5. Pay attention to your posture. If your carrying a back pack or and because of the unevenness of the trails you may have a tendency to let your back arch and get of good running form. Take notice of this you don’t want a great run to be spoiled by back pain.

6. Realize trail runs are different. If you can run 3 miles around on pavement comfortably don’t assume that you will be just as comfortable out on the trails. Everything will be different right down to your stride and you will need to allow yourself a bit of a learning curve.

7. Keep your bearings. Obvious I know but even at the local forest preserve after being “in the zone” for awhile I can find myself over extending my journey by missing a turn or getting off the path. Having your routes preplanned and mapped is also great to finding your ideal training routes and times.

8. Other dangers do exist. I’m not just talking about bears (although I have run into them when on a trail in northern California) and other wild animals. I am also talking about dogs. I am a dog lover and having owned a few in my time I am not particularly frightened by them. On my local trails I often run into owners walking their dogs off the leash. I’m not annoyed by this being a dog lover and everything; and usually the dogs are friendly. Every now and then though you run into the dog who wants to run with you or nip at you to stop. Just stay calm, and stop running, but continue to walk by and the dog will usually lose interest or the owner will hopefully grab hold. On that note keep in mind that trails are shared with all sorts, fast moving mountain bikers, cross country skiers and hikers and they aren’t always paying attention. One danger that freaks me out even as I write this are Ticks. Depending on the time of the year and where you decide to go for a trail run they can be a problem. It also maybe days before you realize that you have acquired one so be sure to use that bug spray if you know they are prone to your area.

9. Do I need to mention? Sunglasses, sunscreen, camera (hey there might be something worth grabbing a photo of). Gloves I highly recommend. Nothing fancy I just know and admittedly have fallen a few times and the most common injury I have is from protecting my fall with my hands, scratching and cutting them up.

10. Please be courteous. Clean up after yourself. Don’t run off the trails and create new ones. Don’t widen that single track by running around the puddles. Notice and respect others on the trails. Share smile they are just as hard at it was you are.

Run, Running, Ran!!!

I have broken through my miserable streak of feeling lousy and finally got back on track. I don’t know if it’s the bad weather, overtraining or what but admittedly sometimes there is just a great feeling of “bla” that comes over me. Today I broke through it. Sometimes you just need a change in your routine to wake yourself back up. It could be maybe not wearing a stop watch, a new location, a new playlist or a running partner. For me today it was a silly rubber racquetball that I bounced the entire 3 mile route. I don’t know why this worked and I only did so because I found it next to the door and for some reason decided to bring it with. It was kid like fun and I highly recommend it.

On The Fence (Product Review)

It’s still winter, there’s still snow on the ground making my runs slippery and long. About half way through the winter season I gave in and purchased a product that I have heard so many great things about, YakTrax. I thought I would share my little review of these. I purchased them for my Frozen Otter Ultra Trek. Since it was a last minute purchase though and I hadn’t trained with them so I didn’t immediately put them on. Half way through the race I decided I needed all the help I could get on the frozen tundra of a trail and placed them on. In the days that have passed since then I have continually worn them on a majority of my trail runs. To be honest I am still a little up in the air as to their benefit. On flat snowy trail surfaces I do not notice any significant benefit to wearing them more so than an ordinary pair of trail running shoes. I feel a bit more confident when I hit that patch of ice on the trail but at the same time without spikes it’s still a bit slippery. Where I expected to feel the best improvement was running up hills. This was absolutely not the case. I found no benefit or significant improvement in traction in wearing them compared to just my trail running shoes. Surprisingly though and what I did not expect was a significant improvement in going downhill. I didn’t even consider this beforehand but while wearing the YakTrax I found going downhill to be not just a little bit but hugely improved. I didn’t slip or over extend my strides and maintained good form while running down the snow/ice covered hills on the trail runs. All of that being said, after about a dozen runs on the same 8 mile trail my times haven’t changed one way or another. No improvement but no hindrance in wearing them. Bottom line: For the $30 (approximate) cost of this device it’s a take it or leave it scenario. If you have the extra cash I would say go ahead and buy them just because they do help with your stability, just don’t expect any explicit gains from wearing these. The last thing I would like to add is that in other reviews I have read of these is that people swear by them with the only complaint that they don’t typically last more than one season. I have put just about a little more than 100 miles on mine thus far and they still are holding up well so we will still have to see about that one.

Just a quicky

Today’s Run:
Time: 0:27:42:10
Distance: 3.3 Miles
Weather: Cloudy, 27 degrees, threats or rain/snow
Condition: A little soar. First mile was rough but felt great by the second.
I am still mapping out my runs for the upcoming weeks (Yikes! I should be done by now). I have an idea of the schedule/routine but I am trying to plan out the next 12 weeks routes so I can stay on task with hills, distance and etc… I am using mapmyrun for this. The pop up adds are annoying and I get tons of emails trying to get me to sign up for their premium membership but it’s easy to use and has lots of great additional features to it.

Weight Training and Running

As I may have stated in a previous post, I do along my running a vigorous weight training regimen. Keeping a healthy balance between the two programs and integrating them together has been a long, difficult process. You learn to be a bit selfish. What I mean by that is that reading and following another’s routine doesn’t usually work. You have to learn to listen to your own body’s cues and continuously negotiate with it for just a little bit more. Weight training for me is an opportunity to increase my efficiency with my running. I don’t worry about bulking up, well because I have never seen the problem with that. Also if I am running enough and performing enough cardio that problem will tend to itself. Strength training is not an efficient calorie burning routine that will cause you to lose weight. It is however a tool that I use to build and make my calorie burning sessions such as running even better. A couple of essentials that I always include for improving my running performance are Lunges, Squats, Lying Leg Curls, Leg Raises for my Hip Flexors and a wide range of exercises for my core and lower back. There are a millions of variations of these exercises and probably even a greater number of machines used to perform them.
The biggest trick, in my own opinion, is getting the timing right between your weight workouts and running workouts. It’s still difficult for me to balance to this day. Since I run every day, I have to allow myself proper recovery from both workouts. This is probably why, on an intensity level, I tend to favor a 4 to 1 ratio. In other words on rest days I work out only with a quarter of intensity I do on my hard days, sometimes only 1/5. Once you get into the rhythm of it you learn to recognize the cues from your body and feel the wave of intensity required on a daily basis to excel.

Strength of Character

Today's run was a chilly 8 mile trail run through the frozen snow. I enjoy trail running because it's usually less crowded so am I alone to my thoughts, I see some nature from time to time, and the scenery changes with plenty of twists, turns and hills. For these reasons it is usually home to my longest runs. A snow and ice covered surface however and changes these runs to tests of will. The surface is more uneven than usual, it makes my strides shorter, hills feel longer and it adds about 28 seconds to my per mile pace. Going downhill is also especially difficult on my joints because the hard uneven surface. I appreciate the challenge. Doing this makes my other runs easier. I know when I reach mile 8 on my next pavement run I will say "What? Already?!?"