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Week 3 - Hyannis half marathon preparation

12/30/2013

Our friend Mary had some significant health issues this past week. Accordingly, we've made this week's schedule very gentle so that she can recover and also make sure that everything is working OK so that she can resume normal training. Everything on this schedule is meant to be restorative.

Here's what I suggested:

Mon - Yoga

Tue - Walk 5mins, jog 5mins, walk 5mins

Wed - Treadmill run, 30-45mins, 1% incline, keep heart rate between 130-150bpm. Take walking breaks if heart rate goes over 150bpm.

- Spin class - wear heart monitor, anything below 145bpm is fine, but nothing over 145bpm!

Thu - Same as Tue

- Swim workout - try your best to go easy - avoid breathlessness

Fri - Active recovery…walk…light exercises if you feel like it.

Sat - 45-60mins very easy…take little walk breaks here and there so that you never get overly fatigued. Wear monitor and don't go over 140bpm, if you can hack wearing the monitor again. Otherwise, go by feel.

Sun - My first recommendation is that you do not race and instead run for an hour. However, if you are dead set on racing, go with the usual plan of a long warm-up and a slow start. Maybe see how you are feeling before deciding whether to do the race or not.

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Week 2 - Hyannis half marathon preparation

12/23/2013

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Here is Mary's (edited) report for her first week of training:

Mon - participated in a little spin and light legs with my students, 20 min

Tues - slightly sore from the previous day. Ran 25 minutes slow 2.75 miles

Wed - 40 minutes on treadmill, easy warm-up increased to 1.5%, 25 minutes trying to stay below 150 bpm. I had to fiddle frequently with the speed and go from 1.5 to 1 to keep my heart rate down. It was really warm in the gym. I ranged from a speed of 6.3 to 6.6. Then a little spin.

Thurs - repeat of Tuesday.

Friday-Off

Sat - ~50 minutes trying to maintain my 140-150. It was so hot out. I was overheating and it was hard with the wind and the hills to keep my heart rate under 150. I would look down at my watch and see 160s. Yikes. Strides on the track felt pretty good and strong.

Sun- 20 minute warm-up. Then the course was on trails and hilly power lines. It was very challenging. First two miles were 17.14 and mile 3 was 8:35. I got stuck in a pack at the beginning once the race started and we had to run single file. So, it got me upset and once the space opened up I took off. The course was so challenging Then we cooled down for another 20 minutes.

How'd I do? I feel pretty good. My question is "how do you take the competitor out of the competition?" I know it's heart rate, but I can't slow down.

Do you think it is possible to train for an ultra and a 5k and 10k?

Here is Mary's schedule for next week along with my response to her question. Note, she has Tuesday and Thursday off from work this work...so we're a bit less restricted by scheduling.

Here's the schedule:
Mon - 20mins active recovery - choice of brisk walking, spinning, easy jogging, incline walking on treadmill, light circuit training

Tue - 30-40mins easy outdoor run - wear heart monitor - keep things under 150bpm - walk 1 minute every 10mins

Wed -45-50mins outdoor run - 30mins easy, 10mins of 20secs @3K-5K effort/40 secs easy jog, 5-10mins easy jog

Thu - AM - repeat Tuesday if no swimming Thursday night. If you are swimming Thursday night, do ~75-80% of Tuesday's workout
- PM - swim workout?

Fri - Repeat Monday - if you absolutely need a full day off, this is the day to do it.

Sat - 5mins moderate run - let pulse gently climb to 140-150bpm and then keep it there, after run do 6x20sec strides at 1mi-3K race pace w/~2min walk/very slow jog recovery

Sun - CCAC Grand Prix - 30mins easy before race, then…hopefully without too long a break…run race with very conservative start…a little faster than training pace…let pace build as run goes on…run last mile or two approaching race effort. Do at least 10min easy jog shortly after finishing.

Here's my response:

You did great. Although, we'll know better in a few days if you overdid it a bit today at the race.

It is not ideal that you are doing the Grand Prix...for the very reason you are hinting at. It's hard for a competitive person to tone down their effort. If your focus is training, it's best not to put yourself in that situation. But since you want to participate, we're just making the best of it. An extra long warm-up can tire you out some...or you can arrange to run with someone slower. The extra slow start is the best technique I know of to prevent it from being an all-out race.

At this point in the process...all-out efforts make aerobic progress a little more difficult. That's why we're trying to minimize it.

Re combining 5k, 10k, ultra training...you can train in a way that you will be able to perform reasonably well at all distances...provided you emphasize aerobic development and work to develop fat adaptation. Many people set 5K/10K PR's while training for a marathon. And ultra training is not much different from marathon training. So while you may not be able to 100% optimize your performance at the 5K/10K distances...you can do quite well.

One year...I ran 5K in 16:32 and then two weeks later a 60K at 6:38 pace. The next year...over a course of 6 weeks...I ran 21:17 for 4 miles, 33:54 for a snowy 10K and 100miles in 14:11:37. I trained with very heavy emphasis on aerobic development...easy to moderate intensity and fairly high volume (9-9.5 hours per week). With this sort of training, I was pretty good in a very wide range of distances. You could do something similar. I feel like it could suit you. It doesn't suit everyone.

Read Zach Bitter's blog about diet and being fat adapted etc.. http://zachbitterrunning.blogspot.com/

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Hope this helps...Good Luck!

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Case study - Preparation for Hyannis half marathon

12/17/2013

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I'm coaching a young lady who would like to run the Hyannis half marathon in late February/early March this year. I'm going to post her training schedule here. Thought you might find it interesting to follow along.

The woman I am coaching...let's call her Mary Half...or Mary for short...is 32 years old. She has a fairly extensive background in swimming, triathlons and running. Her job is physically active and she does very little sitting. She's also a personal trainer so she knows how to exercise with correct form. She is naturally gifted with endurance but lacking in explosive speed. She is well suited to long duration events.

Her schedule is very restricted. She's at work by 6:30AM and out after 4:00PM...when it's dark. She prefers not to run in the dark and she has a fairly lengthy commute to work. She teaches spin class on Wednesday evenings and does a swim workout on Thursday night that she loves and wants to keep. She also has access to treadmills and gym equipment.

Mary is currently running a little over 10 miles a week...a couple of 2mi runs during the week and a couple of 3.5mi runs on the weekends. Most of her free time is on the weekends. She would like to participate in...but not necessarily race...the CCAC Grand Prix racing series that goes for another 5-6 weeks.

Mary suffered a serious stress fracture while training for an Ironman. She finished the Ironman on the stress fracture but it took its toll. Mary seems to be healthy now and is enthusiastic about beginning to train with more focus.

Even though we are severely limited by time constraints and commitments, we feel we can still make progress and that Mary can run the half marathon safely and with a satisfactory performance. As an aside, Mary expressed interest in running an ultramarathon in the not-to-distant future.

Our goal at this point is simply to increase her aerobic volume and improve her fat burning system....in a deliberate and step-by-step fashion.

Her training schedule for week 1 is shown below:

Mon - AM or PM - Circuit - 3 rounds of the following:

5min jog
5 (each side) SL deadlift w/dumbbells
5 burpees
10 walking lunges
30secs jump rope (quick, like on hot coals).

Keep moving but don't kill yourself - think 80% effort

Tues - AM (PM if necessary)- 20mins easy jog

Wed - PM - 45mins treadmill run as follows (wear heart monitor): 15mins with max pulse of 140bpm and incline at 1%, then 1min break, then 25mins with max pulse of 150bpm and incline of 1-2%, then 5min cool-down.
- PM - after run - Teach spin class (remember to hydrate)

Thurs - AM - 10-20mins easy jog
- PM - Swim workout ~1hr

Fri - Repeat Monday or Tuesday or rest

Sat - 45mins moderate run - let pulse gently climb to 140-150bpm and then keep it there, after run do 4x20sec strides at 3K -5K race pace w/40-60secs walk/jog recovery

Sun - CCAC Grand Prix - 30mins easy before race, then…hopefully without too long a break…run race with very conservative start…a little faster than training pace…let pace build as run goes on…run last mile or two approaching race effort. Do 10min easy jog shortly after finishing.

Post any questions to "Comments"

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Marathoners...is your long run too long?

12/13/2013

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Hey marathoners...listen up. Unless your marathons...or ultramarathons...have been going without a hitch...you may want to consider a slightly different approach with your next marathon.

Here's the approach...more miles...shorter long runs. Let me explain.

I love running long. Always did. But many marathoners...particularly those who are running over 3:45 for the marathon distance...are making their long runs way too long...particularly as they go into the later stages of their marathon preparation.

I think it's because the popular marathon training schedules put great emphasis on increasing the weekly long run to the point where the prospective marathoner is covering 20-22 miles. The trouble with this system is that people end up doing "training" runs in excess of 3 hours. With many of these marathon schedules, the long run can approach 40-50% of your total weekly running volume. Crazy.

Training is about stress and adaptation. A run that is close to half of your weekly total is simply too much stress. Adaptation is too difficult. Recovery takes too long. We need to remind ourselves why we are even training in the first place. Granted...we need a bit of confidence before heading to the starting line. We want to know we can finish. But most people cannot realistically do dress rehearsals for marathons without paying an unnecessary price.

This article describes the problem better than I ever could. This guy knows what he is talking about.

It's my personal observation that most people who train for marathons do really well for about 2/3 of their program. But once their weekly long runs start getting over 2 1/2 hours, the progress stops. And just when everything should come together, the wheels start to come off. Niggling ailments start to appear. Excessive fatigue sets in. They start to backslide. Some do OK. Most survive and end up completing the marathon. But if you look back, you often see that people were in better shape 4-6 weeks before the marathon actually took place when the idea is to be in your best shape on the actual day of the race.

If you have run marathons ...think back. Did you feel better on some of your long training runs than you did on marathon day?

Here is an example of a basic weekly marathon training pattern...one that isn't too "top heavy." I've slanted it to to the 3:45-4:15 marathoner, but the basic pattern can be followed by any experienced runner:

Monday - light restorative movement 30-45mins (examples: brisk walking, walking on treadmill at an incline, indoor biking etc).
Tuesday - 30-45mins easy run
Wednesday - 60-100mins moderate progression run. First 30mins is always easy. Early in the preparation do ~60mins and gently build it on a week-to-week basis to where you eventually are over 90mins. On days you feel good...after 30-45mins, you can inject a little bit of pace. For example, you might run the last 15mins of a 90min run at half marathon effort.
Thursday - walk 5 mins, 20-40mins of 1min walk/1min jog or similar pattern, walk 5 mins
Friday - 45mins very easy run (can swap with Saturday)
Saturday - 45-90mins run (can swap with Friday) - early in the preparation...this run will be closer to 45mins and will increase as you get further into the program. Eventually it will decrease in length as you get into the last few weeks.
Sunday - 1:45-2:30 run...early in the preparation run more towards 1:45...and increase it as you go further in the program up to 2:30 (150mins)...not much more...2:40 is probably the max.

The taper period under this method would be relatively short. In fact, you wouldn't taper much except to pull back the longer runs slightly.

This is just a general example and obviously it should be tweaked for everyone's particular schedules and preferences...and made a bit more specific. But you can essentially build your own schedule using this general pattern.

If you have any questions...just leave it in "Comments".

All the best,
Paul

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Acceptance of Self

12/12/2013

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Acceptance of self is fundamental. It creates power. Interestingly...the strength of your fitness program rests on it...among other things.

Unfortunately, if there is one thing that nearly all of us seem to lack...it's self-acceptance. If you have any doubt...just observe the lengths we go to in order to win the acceptance of others. It doesn't take long to realize that most of our actions are driven out of insecurity...our need for acceptance.

We seek acceptance from others because we do not accept ourselves.

Making friends is so easy. All you have to do is look people in the eye...listen...for real...and genuinely accept them unconditionally. No scrutiny. No judgement. No liking or disliking. Just kind acceptance. Care for them for a minute or two. Try it and you see just how starved for acceptance we are. It costs nothing.

Many of you already know this.

When it comes to fitness...most knowledgeable folks will tell you it's best to have some sort of a plan. However...before you can set out on your path...it's very helpful to know where you are...now. More than knowing where you are going...you need to know where you are starting. A fitness program only makes sense if it takes you from where you are now.

Self-acceptance also requires that you understand yourself. Bobby Scott is doing a three part series of "Finding Your Essence" as it relates to fitness, because he recognizes how vital it is that we understand exactly who we are...and proceed accordingly. All good fitness programming is based on an accurate assessment of not only WHERE you are...but WHO you are. What are your natural strengths and weaknesses? What type of movement agrees with your body, mind and spirit? What ignites your spirit? Running is not for everyone by any means.

"Know thyself."

I know it may sound a bit strange...but it's my observation that lack of self-acceptance defeats more would-be athletes than anything else. You see it all the time. A person is going fine...improving, developing, making real progress. Then something happens; they end up working out with someone more advanced...or maybe they enter a competition...or maybe they just see something on TV...or read about it...or a friend says something. Suddenly, they feel bad about themselves. They become disheartened...lose faith...lose energy...quit...overreach...or do some other stupid thing...all because of their insecurity. It's this very sort of thing which makes Facebook hazardous to your health.

We need to strengthen ourselves. Strive to improve. But do so from a place of total acceptance of where you are and who you are.

Here are some simple things we can do that will help us with acceptance of self:

Avoid self-criticism and negative self-talk. Use words that reflect an acceptance of self. Avoid trashing your energy with words that degrade you. They take a physical as well as a psychological toll.
Strongly resist the urge to criticize others. Avoid it like the plague. Make it a discipline. I can't emphasize this enough. Every criticism that you utter is another brick you end up carrying around all day...day after day. This is for your benefit. The only one that actually hears all your criticisms is you...and your subconscious doesn't miss nothin'. Trust me.
Don't react to defeats or so-called failures. No big deal. Take it in stride.
Just as important...don't react to victories or so-called successes. Take satisfaction in your achievements but still treat them like they are no big deal. Stay on an even keel.
Practice non-judgement. Avoid labeling things as good or bad or better or worse etc.. Things just are.
Try to view yourself from an infinite perspective.

You may want to try this beautiful affirmation from Stuart Wilde:
"I am what I am: Eternal, immortal, universal & infinite."

Please let me re-emphasize that words have extraordinary power. Never underestimate that. I'm certain there will come a time...if it's not here already...where it will be possible to scientifically measure the affect of words on your physical strength.

In the meantime, remember this; In fitness and in life...you need stability before you can develop strength, speed, flexibility or much of anything lasting. Stability comes first. Self-acceptance provides stability of mind, body & spirit.

Let's cultivate it. Maybe we should make it a holiday resolution.

All the best!!

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Two of the best exercises you will ever learn & can do anywhere

12/4/2013

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Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a fellow by the name of Sean Schniederjan that contained a video. In the video are two very simple exercises...each taking 10-20 seconds. The purpose of these two exercises is to correct anterior pelvic tilt. Anterior pelvic tilt is a condition that often results from too much sitting. And since the vast majority of us are guilty of too much sitting, this is something we desperately need to be able to correct.

When we sit too much, our hips get tight. Simultaneously, our glutes get loose. We get what's often referred to as "glute amnesia"...our glutes forget how to get tight or contract. This de-powers us and actually causes the anterior pelvic tilt...not a good thing for athletes...or anyone.

Sean's video contains two very simple exercises that quickly correct this problem. Please do not be fooled by the "home-made" nature of the video. This guy absolutely knows what he is talking about. I've tried out his suggestions before and they almost always work...immediately.

Here is the video:

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Week 3 - Hyannis half marathon preparation

Week 2 - Hyannis half marathon preparation

Case study - Preparation for Hyannis half marathon

Marathoners...is your long run too long?

Acceptance of Self

Two of the best exercises you will ever learn & can do anywhere

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