Happy New Year!

I finished 2013 with 3,288 miles, which is a new mileage PR for me.  I don't see myself running that many miles in a year again.  It paid off and I am glad I did it, but took its toll on me, both mentally and physically.  I avoided injury, but did discover some lower back issues, was tired and sore most of the time, and I experienced some burn out at the end of 2013. So what's the plan?  I am still planning on only one marathon this year and still think it is a great idea to be skipping a spring effort.  However, I can't seem to enjoy running as much without some sort of concrete goal down the road.  So, the plan is to get signed up for a late spring half-marathon, maybe New Prague, maybe something new, but definitely get signed up this week.  Definitely need a jump start.

Looking forward to 2014 and to Twin Cties Marathon, but also looking forward to working less, having more dates with my wife, fixing up our house, brewing more beer, smoking more briskets, reading more books, spending time with friends and family, cooking more, running with my daughter, hanging out with my son, writing more and anything else I can think of.  And of course, lots of running in between.

Happy Running and Happy New Year!

Rick

2013 Review and Goal Setting Time

It was another good running year for me.  I made most of my goals, finished the year healthy and with a continued desire to get stronger and faster.  I can tell I am nearing the point of diminishing returns, but I have a few more goals I would like to hit.  So what did I accomplish this year?

5k - I had set a goal of breaking 18 minutes and ran a 17:52 at the Brian Craft 5k in May.  I think I may have maxed out here and will be content just to run another under 18, maybe a PR by a second or two.

8k - PR'd by well over a minute here, running a 28:41.  This was early in the season and pretty proud of myself for this effort.

10k - definitely overachieved here.  I had set a goal of sub 37:30 and ran a 36:42 at the ALARC Legends race.  Not really sure how I did this and not so sure I can repeat.  To run a sub 37 again would be a real treat.

25k - finally ran a sub 1:40 at this distance.  Of course, just as I master the distance, they change it to a half marathon for 2014.

HM - came up way short here.  I was shooting for a 1:23 something, but it was super windy in New Prague that day and I came up well short.  I still have a soft PR here, so I am making a spring HM as my goal race for 2014 with a goal of 1:23.

Marathon - I had great conditions for both of my marathon attempts in 2013.  I cruised at Grandmas for a 2:56 and had a great day at Twin Cities with a 2:54:58.  I plan on running Twin Cities again in 2014 with a goal of a Moose Mug or 2 hours plus my age.

MDRA Grand Prix - I made my goal of winning my AG and had the added bonus if being 3rd overall.  I also have 9,045 points which is my highest total ever and ran all 13 races.

Minnesota Runner of the Year Rankings - I had a couple of qualifying races in 2012 and I hoped to move into the top 10 for 2013.  Looks like I will end up 6th overall with 24 points.  Way too many super speedy 50 years olds for me to think I can rank any higher.  I did run the 3rd fastest 2013 marathon for 50 year old Minnesotans.

Total Mileage - I thought I could hit 3,500 miles for the year, but I am going to come up about 200 miles short.  Not an important goal.  Just like the running streak, not a big deal.

So yeah, a good year.  Looking forward to what 2014 has in store.  With no spring marathon planned, I can focus on shorter distances and more racing in general.

Skinny Time

When I completed Twin Cities Marathon I weighed in at a whopping 155 pounds.  Pretty scrawny for my 6'1" frame.  That is a pretty typical weight for me in the middle of marathon training.  Jump ahead to Thanksgiving,  post-marathon and I weigh in at 166 pounds.  Also, not a surprise, as I have been eating and drinking like a pig and only running 30 miles per week.  Well, I think the lazy days are over.  Looking at the 2014 calendar, I see that there is a my mile race in January and also a half marathon on January 25th.  I'm in no shape to race a half marathon now,  and January 25th is only 7 weeks away.  Time to get back work.

Speaking of skinny, I have always noticed that us skinny people are not given the same courtesy as our friends on the other side of the spectrum, the heavier folks.  Let me explain.  I was working at the running store, having a nice conversation with a female customer.  She asked me how long I had been running, to which I replied, "Oh, a long, long time."  Her response was, "yeah, I could tell, you long distance guys always look so skinny and emaciated."  Wow, could you imagine if this conversation took place between and overweight chef and a restaurant patron, for example?  "Yeah, I can tell you have been a chef for a long time, because you all look so fat and puffy."  Then a few weeks ago at a buffet lunch, someone slapped me on the back and said, "You better load up and get some meat on those bones?"  Would they tell a fat person, "You may want to put some of that food back, big fella."  

I did race this week, the Tonka Turkey Trot.  Finished in 18:54, which isn't bad considering what a fatty I am!  Always humbling to be beat by a runner in a turkey costume!

Happy Running,

Rick

Rocky's Run

Today was a fun day.  For the 5th straight year I raced Rockys Run CC 6k.  It's the one time every year that I get to don my cross country spikes and have at it on the hills and turns of Les Bolstad Gold Course.  It starts out as a drag race, with first quarter-mile being straight, flat and fast.  Once we get past the driving range fence, the real "fun" begins!  Up and down, twisty-turny, back and forth and up and down some more.  None of the hills are big, but they are relentless.  Even though I went out too fast, the first mile seemed to take forever.  It was a pretty zippy 6:03, but I wouldn't see even close to that pace for the remainder of the race.  I was feeling pretty gassed for mile 2, so I settled into a comfortable pace, going easy up the hills and coasting down the other side.  Mile 2 was a much slower 6:25.  I continued to pass people, so maintained the same pace, keeping my strategy on the hills.  I think they redesigned the course, because it seemed much hillier than I remember.  Mile 3 was another modest 6:30.  The last .7 miles were tough, but I was still passing a few people, then there the the much welcome 500 meter finish, which is straight and a little bit downhill.  Legs were pretty rubbery by the end, but was content with my 23:59 finish.  Good enough for a 2nd place AG place and securing a 1st place finish in my AG for the MDRA Grand Prix series of races.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful.  I only ran 30 miles all week, including this race and a Thursday  night track work out.  Meet of the Miles is mid January, so I will start traing for that this next week.  Probably ramp up to 40 or 50 MPW, with a couple of track workouts, a long run and some conditioning at the gym.

Happy Running!

Rick

State of Road Racing

I had a comp entry to a local race today and to be honest, it's not the kind of race I would normally run.  It falls into the category of run I call the "gimmick" run.  You know the ones I am talking about; Color runs, Laser Runs, Zombie runs, any kind of costume run, etc.  I guess if these races get people off their butts and outside for a run that's a good thing, but I think they have gone to the the opposite extreme from uber-competitive races.  For example, today's 5k had people finishing in 45 minutes and slower.  Not just 1 or 2, but over 500 people walking/jogging/staggering across the finish line in times ranging from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.  To reward such an effort all runners got a candy bar, a cup of melted chocolate from an enormous chocolate fountain and a stack of Vanilla Wafers and Oreos for dipping and potato chips. Oh, there were some token bananas and orange slices, but the chocolate was the draw. I am truly motivated by many runners, regardless of speed or ability, but it gets to the point when you have to say, "this is kind of a joke."  Oh, and I forgot to mention that they were serving chocolate cupcakes at the water stops at miles 1 and 2?!?

I ran a pretty good race, although the course was short.  I ran a 17:54 which was good enough for 3rd place overall and I won a prize of , you guessed it, a giant chocolate bar.  

Happy Running!

Nutrition Madness

With some time off from running, I got some spare time on my hands.  Since nutrition was on my "needs improvement" list, I spent Sunday evening at Barnes and Noble perusing some books on the subject. Excuse me, but what the hell?  Paleo, Primal, Superfoods,  Grain Brain,  Sugar Detox, Low Carb Living?   One of these books actually was so restricting that even water was "okay, in moderation."  You've got to be kidding!  Water, in moderation?  Nuts are no good, except for Macadamia nuts!  They are great.  Excuse me, but Macadamia nuts are $7.00 per pound and the lowly peanut is less than half that.

We've been hearing for some time that processed, simple carbs are bad, but whole grains are good.  Now, grains of any kind are evil.  We should be eating broccoli and MEAT 24/7.  What is a person to do about all this conflicting advice.  How is the simple vegetarian supposed to get buy if they can't eat nuts, legumes or dairy.   Really, can a person survive on vegetables only?  I know I couldn't do it, but I am not even sure if it is wise.

One of the books I read was so specific in its do's and dont's that I think he was just listing all his personal likes, so that he would never be caught in a contradiction.  Wine okay, but only red wine.  He probably hates white wine.  Nuts, but only Macadamia nuts.  (See above).   Work outs are good, but rarely should you break 65% of your max heart rate.  You can't eat beans of any kind and grains are poison.

So, I now consider my nutrition research done and have come to the conclusion that nutritionists are crazy or snake oil salesmen or both.  Since I don't plan on living on beef and Macadamia nuts for the rest of my life, I think I will go with some common sense and follow the old-fashioned food pyramid.

Another week of easy running, getting out 5 times for a total of 30 miles.  My left hip is still a bit sore, so no sense in rushing back into things.  Also made it to the gym for a couple of easy work outs.    I have to admit I am really enjoying sleeping it, but I also know that I will be getting antsy soon enough.

Happy Running and Happy Eating!

Rick

Recovery and Reflection

The week post-marathon for me is rather like January 1.  The work is done, the goal has been achieved and the slate is clean.  If things went well, it is a week of enjoying the buzz of a well run race or new PR.  If things didn't go quite like you expected, then its a review of the training plan, trying to figure out where things went wrong.  This has been a week of some buzz, but more a week of looking ahead.  Like January 1, I felt myself setting resolutions, not just about my running, but about my lifestyle in general.  I was making notes about improving my diet, how to increase my energy levels, both mental and physical, how can I increase my productivity at work and improving and building on relationships.  Lots to accomplish, not just in the running world, but professionally and personally.  I can honestly say that running and attempting to run competitively improves all aspects of my life and as long as running doesn't become simply an escape, it remains a healthy release and a fantastic hobby.  So, with all that being said, what are my New Year's resolutions?  Here is a recap:

 

Nutrition - I say this after training cycle, but it is certainly an area where I could use the most improvement.  I am not a total garbage disposal, but pretty darn close.  I manage to get my fruits and vegetables in the menu, but beyond that I am fairly undisciplined.  Way too many chips, burgers, pizza and the all the usual culprits.  My plan for the next year is to do a better job of menu planning, making sure I eat better.  Again, I am positive even a minor improvement will help in all aspects of my life.

 

Strength Training - the back injury I suffered in July was an eye-opener.  Like nutrition, I vow to do a better job of working in core strengthening into my routine, but with poor follow through.  Since I came so close to jeopardizing my chance at a running Twin cities, I have a renewed zeal to maintain and build upon my current regimen.

 

Training Plan - I am very happy with the Pfitzinger plan I have followed for the past few cycles and plan on sticking with it.  The only thing I can do differently is work harder at the fast stuff.  I finally have my endurance where I want it, but in many races I just couldn't go any faster.  So, strength and speed are the name of the game for the next year. 

 

Rest and Recovery - I worked pretty hard over the past 18 months or so, with not a lot of time off.  I rand a 2:58:57 in Des Moines, a 2:56:42 at Grandmas,  and 3 and half months later a 2:54:58 at Twin Cities.  I am happy with this string of races, but to continue like this for another cycle would surely end in a bad way.  So, the plan is to take some time off, race a bunch of shorter distance stuff and focus my attention on one marathon in 2014, most likely Twin Cities again.  Probably a 16 week plan aiming for finish in the low 2:50's.  I didn't get enough sleep over the past training cycle and often found myself sleep deprived, getting caught up on the week ends.  Not the way to train or to live for that matter.  I need my 7 to 8 hours per night and plan on doing better in that department.

 

Lastly, I plan on running more with groups.  I have done a ton more of this over the past year or so and been a huge benefit for me.  It has kept things more interesting and is fun to share the running experience with others.  I may even sign up to coach another marathon clinic at my local running store.  My work load has moderated and am feeling ready to jump back in with both feet.

 

So, here is to restful, healthy, energized and positive running year.  I am so thankful that I come out another training cycle feeling this way; running is a wonderful hobby and I feel blessed to be part of the running world.

 

Happy Running

Rick