Peak Season and Race Selection

 

Fall is peak season.  Fall is race season.  Race as much as you want.  There are a few exceptions to this rule, but for the most part it's time to push yourself more frequently, as done in racing.  There needs to be a consistent mental approach to your race selection, based primarily on how you've structured your training and what you've selected as your peak race.  From September through November I usually say "go for it" 9 times out of 10.  All of your Rocky IV training runs through the snow back in February were motivated by peak race season, so it's time to soak it up.

One key element to your fall race selection (and race selection in general) is to not use a race as a "training run".  Treat races as more meaningful and push harder, like you're supposed to, or scratch the race and train on your own that day or with your regular group.  Make the habit of race day having special meaning and a time to test your limits.  For example, a Half marathon leading into your peak/planned marathon is an awesome race to boost fitness if you race it, and I'd expect you to race/run hard that day.  When runners say they're "just going to run it as a training run," it rarely happens…race mode kicks in and because the mental approach and preparation was lacking in the preceding days and/or on race morning, a non-focused race is completed and it gets reported to me as an "unsuccessful training run".  So if you're considering a race as a training run, try again.  Race it hard or do a regular weekend run. This does not mean you have to PR every race, but the specific intensity of that particular race distance should not be lacking.

The closer we get to peak season, the fitter we are and the harder we can race, in turn, the more fit we become from racing hard.  It's a vicious cycle that ideally/ theoretically leads to confidence.  I agree with Mark Allen in that races should be a special day and the whole idea of race day is to race ("Go Like Hell")!  A true peak performance only comes at the end of a full training cycle.  Allen once told Chris McCormack, whom he helped coach to his first Ironman World Championship, "Chris, the reason you're not winning that race is because you're trying to be in peak shape 52 weeks a year, and that just can't happen."  Allen said, "In short, it is just not possible to have high race frequency and peak racing performances." This is why tapering is important in addition to embracing off-season goals and a phase of de-conditioning.  Does this contradict the fact I promote fall as race season and want everyone to race as much as possible in October?  No.  The difference is in the length of these races, how we define "frequent," the length of your peak race, and how fit you are.  So, there is such a thing as racing too much if it conflicts with training (usually in the true summer months).

So, fall is around the corner.  Make sure your race schedule makes sense to you, or at least make sure you are signed up for enough races.  Talk to your run coach and ask which races are right for you.

Train (and race) hard!

Mike

My Life as an Athlete (or part of it)

 
I've played every sport under the sun (except skiing, fencing, and jai alai) and I've been fortunate to reach at least a fairly competitive level at all of them, whether a team-sport or individual-sport.  I've had a full athletic career no matter how you cut it, so I don't feel compelled to have to keep testing my limits or reveling in pain, but it's a tough routine to break.  

Let me explain:

Today was the first time in my 9 years of multi-sport that I didn't race the Lums Pond triathlon/duathlon in my hometown of Bear, DE.  It was a bit of a struggle to resist registration, as I wasn't quite sure exactly when the streak would end, although I knew it would end some day.  I rationalized the many reasons I should register, mainly that I'd be the top seed on paper in the duathlon and it's always been my goal to finally win on my home turf instead of finishing 2nd/3rd.  But I stuck to my guns and "retired" once again from multi-sport racing following my finish at Ironman St. George in early May.  That race in itself is worth 2 blogs, I'll spare you the details.  I can honestly say, I don't really miss it, although missing the Lums Pond race this weekend stung a little...it looks like the course was cut short today due to rain, so I take solace in knowing I didn't miss the "real thing".

I remember years ago asking a former pro-athlete and colleague, "What do you miss the most?"  His answer, "That feeling of being really…really fit and strong, you know?"  I do know, now.  So what am I doing now with my training and athletic goals?  I'm simply practicing what I preach and enjoying the process of getting fitter again, without registering in advance for any races, nor holding myself to any time-goals when I do race.  I was in the best shape of my life on May 7th (objectively and subjectively).  I've lost a great deal of swim- and bike fitness since then, especially given the long layoff after the Ironman, having sprained my ankle for the first time of my life 10 days before the race on a leisurely jog around the block (like I said, a brutal race experience, with the ankle hardly being the worst part of the trip).  

Although I am not a professional athlete by any stretch of the imagination, people do think I've achieved a high level of success in running and triathlon, and I can agree for the most part.  What some people assume, however, is that things "always came easily/ naturally" for me or that I "never had to overcome beginner's obstacles".  That isn't true.  I remember joining the track team my first year in college to get faster (the football coach said I was too slow; he was right) and the sprint coach looked at me on the first day and said as he walked away, "okay, how about 3 miles on the track?"  I was left to run 3 miles alone and I cramped everywhere, needed walk breaks, the whole nine yards.  I couldn't imagine how people finished marathons, since 3 miles was the farthest I had run at that time. 

So, I'm feeling humbled again in training as I go through obstacles and barriers just like everyone else.  I've had a few nagging running injuries in the past when I jumped full-throttle into running and triathlon during grad school.  Then I had a nice stretch of about 5 years without any real pains or injuries, never needing to miss a workout or a race, and never DNF'ed.  Then, in January, I found out I had a herniated disc (stemming of a few years working for Coca-Cola during college), which started a downward spiral of premature cramping in all kinds of places during my bike workouts.  Then the sprained ankle came and sabotaged the run fitness and PR's I had built pre-Ironman.  Despite all this, 2011 has been another eye-opening year.  I've learned more about myself, more about training principles I can apply as a coach, and done more soul searching to determine exactly what in the heck I want to do for the rest of this year and beyond.  

Here's my answer so far...

As I back out of triathlon on the personal level, I will also no longer be coaching triathlon after this year, so DC Running Coach will only focus on running (go figure).  I'll be teaching racquetball this year for the first time since grad school, so that is a welcome blast from the past.  I'll be ready to launch the 2nd year of the National Road Racing League in a few months, and I'm still teaching the college sport psychology course in the fall.  I have plenty of variety to keep me occupied and entertained.  But what about training and racing?  Minus a Kona spot (and the Lums victory), I've crossed off every major goal I set out to do with running and multi-sport, but I've never really focused just on running, my best event.  

October is the heart of running season, but it will always smell like football-weather to me.  The last few rugby games I played post-college were fun, but I've hung up my hooligan-ry.  Pick-up basketball was always my first love and I definitely see that happening this winter.  On the other hand, I'm curious to know how fast I can go in a 5k or marathon if I take my own best coaching advice and really train like a runner.  No more high-speed collisions on the field, no more 5-hour bike rides, no more sharing lanes at the pool.  Sounds like a plan.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

To recovery run, or not to recovery run?

I think recovery jogs can be a great tool; however, I don’t think every runner should do extra “recovery mileage” because it’s not always necessary, especially if the runner has improper running form.  The goal of recovery jogs and “maintenance runs” is to promote greater adaptations in the body so that fuel will be processed more efficiently and so that the muscular-skeletal system becomes stronger.  However, this is not the only event occurring in the body on these runs; we wish it were that simple. 

Recovery runs assume the body can handle the additional stress of said runs.  Why can many pros run more than 100 miles in a given week?  One major difference between them and mortal runners is running form.  The reason pros can run all these additional miles, regardless of pace, has much to do with the fact that few of their runs cause extra stress on the body.  Assuming they stick to good data points spelled out in their program, they can run as much as they want without destroying themselves.  Sure, it helps that the pro runners have usually been running many years and typically carry a low body weight, but it also helps that they hit the ground with zero additional stress (out of the ordinary) with each foot strike.  If you don’t have proper foot strike, there is nothing recovery-like about a recovery run.  Rather, you’re still putting more stress on the body.  That is the difference running form makes in building a training program.  How many miles per week can you run?  It depends on your running form.  Better runners can run more miles.  It has nothing to do with motivation; rather, it has everything to do with posture and foot strike.  As it relates to proper foot strike, running too slowly on a recovery run will do more harm than good because form breaks down when the pace is too slow.  For that reason, I don’t put much stock on pace during midweek runs, as long as it’s not slower than a regular jog pace and the foot strike is kept ideal. 

Additionally, most runners are not doing enough weekly miles to have to incorporate recovery runs/miles.  When someone runs 80 or more miles per week, then yes, it’s a no-brainer that many of those miles will be done at a very relaxed pace.  That is where recovery runs would enter the picture.  However, if a runner only (I use that term loosely) runs 30 - 40 miles per week (or three to five times per week), then how slow does he/she really want to go?  It’s better to run a bit faster (or at least at one’s “normal” jogging pace) to gain some fitness/benefits from each run.  Let’s be honest, for most runners, there is nothing recovery-like about a 5-mile run if it comes the day after an 18-miler.  I’d rather see an athlete stay off his/her feet in that instance to let the body recover for an extra day. 

In a similar vein, doing cool-down laps after a track workout isn’t necessary and is somewhat overrated.  Those who attend my track workouts know I rarely encourage such laps, and I’m yet to have a runner become injured as a result.  I emphasize this point more in the summer when there’s more heat and humidity.  In those instances, doing extra running really isn’t necessary; the body may already be overheated.  Therefore, depending on who the athlete is, there are times I’d rather not have the additional stress on the body.  The walk to the car/subway can be the cool-down.  Put the energy into the workout.  I wouldn’t want to have a runner tell me he didn’t do the full reps in the workout, yet did a mile cool-down.  There are many other activities that give the same benefits as cool-down laps, such as icing, massage, and leg swings.  In closing, under ideal conditions, I would encourage cool-down laps, but I’ve talked to enough elite athletes to sense that cool-down laps are an individualized choice, not a necessity. 

Train hard (and train right!)

Mike

Center of the Running Universe

"Happiness mainly comes from our attitude, rather than external factors." –Dalai Lama

Does the title Center of the Running Universe refer to the actual sun, as in that's how freakin' hot it can get in the summer in DC and it feels like we're running on the sun?  No.  The title has more to do with the fact that many runners always keep chuggin' along, seemingly unaffected by adverse weather.  Hence, the quote above applies to your training.  Here is how it works:

The track workouts for DC Running Coach runners go very well in the summer.  Remember there are a few ways to alter your workout in the hot summer weeks.  So, let's get the mundane advice out of the way.  Adapt, adapt, adapt.  Keep checking the weather in advance and swap your workouts to take advantage of days where it isn't as hot or humid.  Push your long run back as many days as you need to, or cut down the duration of the run.  You can also spend half the run on a treadmill in instances like this.  If the treadmill is at your gym with a shower, then you can cool off there as soon as you're done.  "We always make time and adapt for the things we really want to do." –Common Knowledge

Living in DC, I see many, many runners out running well after 10pm every night of the week, including the weekends.  Based on your schedule this may not be feasible, but I can only give them respect for staying dedicated.  Not everyone can run early in the morning due to their schedules, so when I encourage folks to try running in the evening, I'm usually talking about after 8pm.

Stay motivated.  The weather isn't always ideal, but stay motivated.  The runners working toward a goal that they value are finding ways to get around the winter/summer weather (see above).  Adjusting goals is also important, so remember that intensity is more important than pace (ahem, Garmin runners).

The last section of the Training Notes document I send to all my athletes is entitled Run Happy.  This is my attempt to give the secret to running-happiness and find the center of your running-universe.  The Dalai Lama was just in town, so the timing is appropriate.  Even with the hot conditions, you should never have a "bad" run.  Impossible.  What was your mental approach to the run that made it so horrible by the time you finished?  If world champions, whose competitive goals are loftier than ours, never have a bad workout, then why should we? 

Someone once asked me if I ever have days when I don't feel like running.  Yes.  As a matter of fact, the week I was asked contained one of those days.  It may have been one of my slower runs on paper, but a great run during its entirety.  How so?  I was outside, I like being outside.  I finished the run for the allotted time I wanted to hit; that was important.  I found a new street in DC I'd never been down before, that's always cool.  And it meant I could take the following day as a rest day.  So there were lots of reasons it was a good run despite the fact I really did not want to start the run and being that it was slow as molasses. 

And as they say, there are always greater tragedies in the world.  Stay positive.  Don't let your training program dictate your mood during the week, don't let running ever get you down.  There can be many turns in life that call for lots of mental energy and stress management, don't make physical activity one of those events.  Balancing your work, play, social life, and personal relationships is what it means to be human and I never lose sight of that.  That's why it's important we stay in touch and that's how a coach differs from online training programs.  There needs to be the capacity to sympathize or empathize (difference) with the circumstances surrounding your run training and/or the goals you want to hit.  Train, run, work out, exercise, etc because you want to, because you enjoy the activity for its own sake, and because you value being fit and healthy.  If you can do that and maintain whatever competitive edge you have and still strive toward goals, then more power to you.  I'm here to help no matter where you fall along that continuum.

Om,

Mike

Marathon Pace Calculators

 

What method will you use to predict your marathon time this fall?  Most runners have heard of the Yasso 800's workout.  Other runners use pace calculators that can be found online and these allow you to plug in a recent result of any race distance and get a correlated time for all other race distances.  Other runners (and I would argue most runners) just go out and run each week and use the pace of  their most recent weekend long runs as the benchmark for how they predict they'll do on the day of the big event.  Each have their merits, but I wanted to focus specifically on the pace calculators (charts).

When it comes to giving my athletes predicted- or goal-times for any given race, there are a myriad of factors to consider.  Above all, I use the detailed chart found in the book Daniel's Running Formula and it remains the foundation of how I give predicted times, paired with a dash of the art of coaching.  The Daniel's Formula is perhaps the most trusted source, so why try to reinvent the wheel?  The man certainly did more than his share of homework in putting it all together for the rest of the running world.  However, the art of coaching that I sometimes (not always) insert is based on other factors the chart does not consider, most importantly the specificity of the training.  This principle leads to the marathon distance.  With any other race distance, we can usually assume the chart to be accurate because the general distance of your training runs will bring you to the start line in good shape from 5k through half marathon.  However, because marathons require the greatest specificity of training (along with racing 1-mile or shorter), they usually have the greatest fluctuation in predicted times (as you might predict).

There are many more variables to consider at the marathon distance that don't show up on the radar at shorter distances, such as a breakdown in running form, whether it be a shorter stride and/or poor posture at the end of the race.  When considering muscular endurance, how much strength training have you done?  Fueling and/or stomach distress also become variables at the marathon distance and not at the shorter distances.  Additionally, weather becomes more of a factor as distance increases.  In sum, be careful when extrapolating data from short-distance races into the marathon.  Even a Half-Marathon can mislead a runner.  For instance, if you ran 1:40:00 in a half marathon, then your predicted marathon time would be ~3:28:00; however, this assumes you are marathon-ready.  If your longest training run has only been 10 miles and you don't do any strength training for your glutes, hips, and hamstrings, then I wouldn't predict you to finish near 3:28:00 at your upcoming marathon, regardless of your recent half marathon performance.

There are several factors I consider in giving any goal time, which are often intangible factors, including the personality of the runner.  In any case, pace calculators can be slippery.  As mentioned above, consider the weather.  It is difficult for the experienced/ advanced runners to hit a PR in the summer months due to the adverse effects of heat and the window for improvement being relatively small for these runners.  Most world records (or even local course records) are typically set in conditions of overcast, no wind, and mid-50's/ low 60's temperatures.  This is the weather most conducive to limiting sweat, yet not so cold that it restricts blood flow to the muscles.  So, if you have been racing and training consistently for almost 10 years, I would expect your PRs to occur in the spring or fall (fall is known as "running season" for this reason).  On the other hand, the average runner, by definition, has limited race experience, has not tapped his/her full potential, and is still learning the tricks of the trade.  So yes, I could expect some runners to set a PR in non-ideal race conditions. 

Having the correct goal laid out in front of you is all part of our positive mental approach to running in which we need to recognize what is challenging, yet realistic.  We become mature and wise athletes in knowing how to account for variables such as course terrain, weather, fueling, and running form (and many more).  To overlook these variables in calculating your predicted marathon time would cause a coach to pull you back onto the learning curve.  Make sure you don't get caught up thinking every race should be a PR, or that you should be getting faster and faster every week, it's not always possible given conditions that are outside of your control.  If the conditions are under your control then do everything you can to maximize that potential! 

Each of the methods mentioned in the first paragraph has its merits when attempting to predict a marathon finish time, but they also have their limitations.  Specificity of training must be very high for these predictions to actually work, which means doing long runs at the goal pace and high volume training at specific points in the year.  Lo and behold, the beauty of having a coach to help guide you in these directions.  

Good luck at your next race, whatever the distance may be.

Train hard!

Mike

Core Training, Pilates & Yoga

The Six-Pack

As a coach and personal trainer, I am asked too often about “how to get a ripped 6-pack.”  I’m more inclined to help an athlete achieve a stronger core than get “ripped abs.”  Having a strong core has nothing to do the appearance of your mid-section.  Your core refers to the your abdominals, back, glutes, hips, and every muscle surrounding your thigh.  These are the muscles that help control posture and stride length.  Posture and stride length are strongly associated with running performance among sprinters and distance runners alike, but a strong core is also important for power athletes, as a body in poor alignment would not generate as much force for a given movement.  Many of the world class athletes in track and field’s throwing events could be considered overweight, but their core strength and power are ten-fold compared to athletes in other sports.  Therefore, in order to generate higher forces, the biomechanics of the movement must be ideal.  Biomechanics is aided by proper body positioning via a stronger mid-section.  If a ST routine is kept dynamic and functional, then virtually every exercise performed could be considered core training, namely for the same reason that running is a great core workout.  When performed with proper form, both dynamic ST and running generate high forces, which leads to a great core workout.

Yoga & Pilates

Pilates and yoga are both great for core strength and posture.  They both emphasize body awareness as it relates to the principles of proper running posture and rhythmic breathing.  Another benefit of these two modes of training is that they teach one how to focus on pain and discomfort, which is vital in learning positive self-talk, a skill I discuss in other chapters of this book.  I am a strong proponent of Pilates and yoga, but if push came to shove in terms of building strength, then I would choose Pilates over yoga.  Both are challenging, both require coordination, but Pilates is more specific to running, as it incorporates more true strength work for the leg muscles, even though this exists to a degree in yoga.  Furthermore, doing more yoga “to gain flexibility” isn’t necessary unless a physical therapist or trainer has diagnosed you with a range of motion limitation.  If a person is already flexible enough to establish proper running mechanics, then improving flexibility does not further enhance run performance.  To reiterate, I prefer Pilates because there’s more emphasis on strength work rather than on isometric contractions and range of motion.

Cross-training and Peak Fitness

There is a potential drawback of runners doing too much yoga during the week.  I can easily equate this to doing too much of any form of cross-training (XT).  The answer lies in Specificity of Training.  When do we place the priority on yoga, ST and other forms of XT?  Answer: the off-season, when specificity of training is at its lowest.  During this time you can go crazy with ST, I encourage it, and we should plan a period of reduced run training anyway.  However, for those that hit a peak race in the Spring, you are entitled to another off-season period following that race, as in a Boston marathoner taking the entire month of May to recover and do more XT (for example).  

The point is that there may come a time when doing too much stretching and ST conflicts with your run training and leaves you even more fatigued during the week.  Imagine that: A relaxing yoga class contributing to stress on the body (and therefore the mind via the feedback loop).  When XT conflicts with your run training, either in terms of scheduling or energy levels, remember the principle of specificity of training and keep running the priority.  So yes, it is possible to overtrain with XT.  This is also the reason XT eventually doesn't make it through the funnel we call "tapering".  If you cut down your run volume to taper for your big fall race, but then make up for it all with poor XT choices then you've defeated the purpose of the taper.  

Train hard (and choose your cross-training wisely)!

Mike

Breakthrough Performances

This blog is a good follow-up to the last entry about the hilly, rolling terrain in the DC area.

What is a Breakthrough Performance, and why the capital letters?  In a nutshell, a breakthrough performance is a workout or race that exceeds an athlete’s own expectations and is usually an invigorating experience that changes the mental approach to training/racing.  These only happen every once in a while, hence the term.  However, it’s possible to increase the likelihood of a breakthrough performance depending on how the program is planned.  Every now and then I encourage a runner to find a flat course so that he/she can really put the pedal to the metal without hills becoming a factor.  For instance, when was the last time you did an entire long run on totally flat terrain?  Long, flat paths allow a runner to feel fitter after several weeks on rolling courses.  In turn, that may be the breakthrough performance being sought.  Similarly, after racing a flat 5k, a runner might think, “Wow, I had no idea I could run that fast!”   

After returning from a trip to Boulder, CO (high altitude) one year, I would have been a fool not to race that next weekend.  I had a great race, a huge 8k PR on a flat course and I rode that Rocky Mountain high the entire race season.  There’s no substitute for that kind of confidence boost.  To repeat, if you haven’t done so in a while, then go long on a flat course and maybe you’ll exceed your own expectations.  In the end, you know you've had one of these performances when you can reach your arms to the sky above and think, "YES!" like Rod Dixon in the image above after winning the 1983 NYC Marathon in dramatic fashion.  This is my favorite picture associated with running because I think it embodies the idea of the Breakthrough Performance.

On a related note, when was the last time you trained somewhere new?  Have you memorized every crack in the road on your routes?  Have you ever run your favorite route in reverse?  Are you using different options for hill repeats?  Tried running on a different track or driving to a new course/trail?  Changing paths or taking a new side street is something I encourage in order to help break out of a mental training rut and/or a physical plateau.  If we are not overly concerned with the exact pace or exact miles for most of our distance runs, then we can break up the monotony and explore new grounds.  Sometimes it will lead to a hillier route, which we shouldn’t fear.  This could also mean running at a different time of day, which might stimulate a breakthrough or sorts.

Having a route or track that consistently produces good results is a good idea when seeking a breakthrough performance.  Everyone should have a go-to place for when they want to have a stellar workout.  Call it a haven.  Some people have a race they do every year for this reason because they always seem to race well there.  Others only visit such grounds every now and then as to not abuse the privilege.  I try to schedule my hardest track workout of the year for a weekend I know I can swing by my alma mater, and once per year I have my best workout on a track where I love to run.  Some of you may now be thinking, “Shouldn’t the goal be to replicate that feeling all the time…at every workout?”  Correct!  You’re on to something.  However, I will only point out that by definition, not every workout can achieve the status of “breakthrough.”  It’s similar to the old adage, “If everything is special, then nothing is special.”   

Although it can be a subjective experience, the take home message is that even as we have great workouts on a frequent basis, only a few can, by definition, be considered breakthrough performances.

Train hard!

Mike