The calm before the training storm

Training begins the week after next.  Right now my runs are typical and non-taxing.  I’ve already begun doing some intensive core work, and I’m starting to see the results.  Believe it or not, I dropped 11 seconds from my typical kilometre pace.  I ran an easy 6 minute pace and mostly depleted my glycogen stores (which weren’t very full given that I depleted them in 10k).  The fact that I attained this pace (and so consistently) while wearing spikes, and running on a mixture of pavement and snow suggests that a) my fueling strategy (banana) is working and that b) the core work is keeping me in good running form throughout.  Bottom line: I’m running more efficiently… and training really hasn’t “begun” yet.  I will say that it’s definitely a nice thing not to have to bundle up as much as I had been when I was running in -30.  Was I faster in lighter clothing? We’ll see.

I ran through Forest Grove to the Meewasin Trail (roughly 4-4.5k to the trail) and ran north along the trail for another 500 metres before turning back and heading home.  The weather was just too good (0 celsius).

I targeted my transverse abdominis muscle when I did my post run workout.  I did this because of two things: 1) I need to increase the stability of my pelvis so that my leg-length difference (3-4mm) doesn’t lead to any pelvic twisting. [Not sure I explained that right]. 2) I’ve heard (can’t remember where) that a stronger transverse abdominis muscle leads to greater speed.

That’s the news.  I’m on pace for 25-ish kilometres this week--that’s not much at all, but it ought to keep me in reasonable shape up until actual training begins.

Marathon Training planning

I’ve never actually trained with a plan for a race before and then implemented it and I've run (no pun intended) into real trouble because of this.  When I ran my sub-2 hour half marathon it was on grit and determination alone.  These two qualities got me through my subsequent two half marathons when I faced an assortment of maladies (iliotibial band syndrome among others).  The bottom line is that I had a steep learning curve and have emerged from my 2013 and 2014 racing experiences with a pretty good sense of where all the running landmines are located.

Today I'm posting my 18 week marathon training plan.  It is a variation of Hal Higdon's freely available intermediate Marathon Training plan. My variations are owing to the fact that I prefer to fit my long runs in during the week, and tend to run a bit less on the weekends.  Totally counter intuitive, I know.  Another variation is that my plan uses the metric system (kilometres, as opposed to miles) because it's a bit more precise--and let's face it, 10 kilometres sounds better than 6 miles.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I'm starting my training in Canadian winter, which is pretty cold.   There are a few rules that I'm adopting to ensure safety while maximizing progress: 

1. Unless the temperature drops below -40c (or if the wind chill drops below -40c) I will not be using a treadmill.
2. Slip-on running spikes will be worn at all times when not running on the Meewasin Trail.  Spikes will be worn on days during and after snowfall on the Meewasin Trail.
3. No speedwork in weather colder than -10c.  No tempo or pace runs when the windchill is colder than -15c.
4. No long runs in weather colder than -15c.
5. Replace running shoes every 600 - 800 kilometres.
6. Carry at least one air activated heat warmer + one hot water bottle.

So here is the first draft of my training program.  Note that the schedule actually starts on January 26th.

Missed Training

Viruses and such are a fact of life when you live with kids.  Although I tend to avoid nasty training-killing bugs, I've succumbed a few times because I have continued to train even after acquiring whatever virus happened to be around.  Thus, I intend to opt out of running on days when I'm obviously fighting something.   I'm going to be more than a little bit surprised if this schedule goes off as planned.  Remember the idea is to train up to the point that 42.2k can be successfully run without injury.

Racing while training

As you can see from the schedule I added a half marathon race in week 13--that is when the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon is schedule.  Given what happened last year when I ran the race (hint: it wasn't good) I'm eager to improve my time.  I'm not training for that race, per se, but I've added a rest day to the schedule in order to conserve glycogen, and may cut down the run for the preceding Friday (currently 8k) to 3k.

Pace

I've set my goal pace for the marathon at 5:32/km.  If I were to run at that pace now, I'd probably be exhausted by 12k, drop to 6-6:30/km and end up well over 4 hours. 

Nutrition

One of the goals of my training (particularly in the second half--which is where I'll be doing the longest runs) will be to find the right mix of sports drinks, gels and various fuels to accommodate my energy needs.  I already know, for example, that Gu Brew works extremely well for me, as do Smarties (deliciously enough) and Glucose tablets.  But I also know that running faster than 5:40/km will probably require a Gu gel or two.

Diabetics, listen up. As for fueling up, I've found that a banana usually does the trick, but so does Gatorade.  But Gatorade packs in a lot of processed sugar and calories.  Bananas, though high on the glycemic index, pack roughly 30 grams of carbs, natural sugars and only 100-ish calories.

Marathon Training with Diabetes

Diabetics have one odd advantage over non-diabetics.  Because we do not break down sugar quite as efficiently, excess sugar will quite literally end up in our blood stream (sometimes exiting through the skin).  This sugar can, and is, used for... wait for it... running energy.  My experience has been that I'm often able to run 10-12k without fueling either before or during the run if I haven't taken my medicine.  Your results may vary.

Bear in mind that I am in terrific physical shape and my blood sugar is under complete control.  If you're a diabetic thinking about running a marathon, you need to honestly assess your health before you start training.  Above all, make sure your blood sugar is under control.

Lastly

I'll be posting more frequently throughout marathon training, and intend to do an extended post-race recap as well. I didn't expect this post to be an epic one when I began writing it.  But it happens.

2014, by the numbers

In 2014 I had my best year of running.

Kilometres run: 1,021.4
Duration run: 4 days, 12 hours and 7 minutes
Calories burned: 86,317
Pounds "burned": 24.6  (please note, I ate accordingly in order to avoid being emaciated).

21+k runs (Half Marathon distance): 6
Races (5k, 4 mile, 10k and half marathon): 13
Provinces/States raced in: 5 (Alberta, Manitoba, New York, Ontario and Saskatchewan)

Best 5K race: 24:02 in Calgary
Best 10k race: 55:23 in New York
Best Half Marathon: 1:57:38 in Burlington, Ontario

Total "DNF's": 0.
The numbers contained here were provided by Runtastic, Athlinks, New York Road Runners and Results Canada.

2015 New Years Resolutions

As everyone knows, it's always a good idea to make your New Year's resolutions public.  So here are mine.

1. Train for, and compete in, a triathlon.
2. Run the Saskatchewan Marathon (my first ever) in May.
3. Run a sub-20 minute 5k.

What the elites do

Chances are, if you can maximize the output your body produces during a race, you can probably translate the underlying thinking and commitment into other areas of your personal and professional life.  My opinion is that success comes not from a recipe (or predetermined series of steps) but from a frame of mind. 

I say this because about five years ago a really gifted (but unproven) salesman joined my real estate company.  Within a short period of time it became clear that this guy was a terrific salesman who had everything figured out.  People asked themselves and they asked others What is his secret?  How can I do what he’s doing?  But these aren’t the right questions, because ultimately the answers are either obvious or fairly easy to intuit.  For them to replicate his actions and methods in recipe form, would be equivalent to me eating and training like Meb Keflezighi and then expecting to have his results on race day.  If I want to get anywhere near to Meb's level of efficiency, I need to discover my own "secrets" and determine what works best for me.  This requires us to use reason deductively, not inductively.

The right question wasn't: What is his secret? But what is my own secret?  

If I want to know anything about a successful person, it is not what they had for breakfast, but how does this person think?  

Let's take a look at two questions that were posed to Shalene Flanagan by an interviewer who basically asks her what her secret (this is a fine question since it's an interview piece).

From Women’s Running:Women’s Running: What’s an average day like for you?
Shalene Flanagan: When I’m in serious marathon training, I run twice a day. I start at the Nike campus for my first run of the day, followed by a core workout with my team. Then I have lunch and take a nap. Later I might get physical therapy or get a massage. Then I do my second run, followed by dinner and bed.


Women’s Running: How did you begin running? 
Shalane Flanagan: I started running because my parents were both runners and they were my role models. I just wanted to be like them because they ran everyday. Also, when I was in grade school in Boulder, CO we had a physical fitness test and I beat all the boys in my grade and I thought, “You know, I really like beating all the boys.” 

As useful as it is to know her routine, what interests me are the statements "I just wanted to be like them" (her parents) and "I really like beating all the boys."  These are such strong and positive statements of what motivates her.  If Shalene Flanagan trained differently, her results probably wouldn't be all that different; but if she didn't want to be "just like" her parents or didn't "really like" competing, then she wouldn't be the elite athlete that she currently is.

I am not an elite athlete.  I'm a 38 year old diabetic whose dream is to run a sub 20-minute 5k.  My most credible effort occurred last March in Calgary when I ran a 24:02 5k.  This is a hopeful result because I did well despite running in an elevation I wasn't used to, on a somewhat icy path, while still dealing with a back issue... and perhaps most damning, no specific training of any sort and no cross training either.  Take away the ice and I probably break under 24 minutes.  Put the race at sea level, and I can probably break under 23 minutes.  Take away the back issue and we're talking another few seconds.  The bottom line is that in order to achieve my goal, I need to get into better shape (underway) and find more ideal conditions on race day.  These are remedies specific to me.

So I'll leave you with an article that I devoured this morning from Runner’s World where Meb spills his "secrets".  I don't think doing what he does will give you his results, but you can certainly intuit his thought process from what he says (just as we did in the example above).  Enjoy.

This is an entertaining read: http://www.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/how-meb-keflezighi-trained-to-win-the-boston-marathon?page=single

The latest

So this has been an interesting month.  Originally I had planned to run more than ever before (150k+), instead I got a touch of the flu and a swollen gland and have had a fairly pedestrian month (80k so far).  The funny thing about taking time off from running to either handle an illness or avoid making one worse is that it's really hard to know exactly how much fitness you lose when you're not running.
For example, if you would have told me that taking off a mere seven days would result in my hips and hamstrings being sore the morning after I did a 5k return run I would have been surprised.  Granted, I could probably still handle a 21k run right now if I chose, but there's that word "probably."  In running your confidence needs to be better than "probably" or else you risk running misery or... injury.  And is there anything worse than sitting out a month?

Still, let's look on the bright side folks, after months of pretty good running it's probably a good thing to pull back a bit.  I wouldn't describe my running as particularly hard running (my range of pace is between 5:20/k to 6:40/k), though I've been running an average of 16-21k per run.

And so, that's that.

News + 2015 Saskatchewan Marathon + 2015 Saskatoon Police Half Marathon

On Monday registration begins for the Saskatchewan Marathon.  At the most recent marathon, I ran the 5k event, but this time, I'm running the full 42.2k... and this will be my first attempt.  Although I'm not aiming for a specific time,  finishing in under 4:30:00 would be nice, and under 4:00:00 would be ideal.  So that's that.

As for recent news.  As hard as it is to believe, I've only run three times this month (and it's already December 13th).  And yet, despite this, I've logged just a tad under 60 kilometres (for an average of 20k per run).  I'd be at 80-100k right now if both kids hadn't gotten sick and, well, if I hadn't gotten sick either.  As nice as it would be to have logged more running this month, it's also good to step back sometimes and let you body rest.  Although I'm a bit tired from fighting off the bug, I could definitely do 5 or 10k today.  But why?  The marathon isn't until May 31st, and I'm not running any races in the immediate future.

And this brings me to my next bit, the 2015 Saskatoon Police Half Marathon.  Anyone who knows the inside scoop about the 2014 race knows that I ran it in a lot of physical discomfort and ended up finishing in just under 2:20:00--which is about the time I spend running a casual training run of the same distance.  So I have some unfinished business to attend to here.  My goal is to finish in less than 2:00:00 like I did in Ontario at the Chilly Half Marathon.

The key to everything, when it comes to races, is to be physically ready for the pounding your legs are going to take when you race.  Simply being able to go the distance in training isn't enough, you have to be able to perform at a higher level (otherwise you're not really racing).  At any rate, I still want to participate in the Hypothermic Half Marathon as well, but I feel more inclined to do the 10k event than the 21k given that the race happens in February (which is right about the corner).

So that's it for now!