This started as a comment in response to Joan’s post below. it became so long (too long?) that i thought it would be better as a post (and help get that 0 posts in ‘08 monkey off of my back)…
i would consider owen anderson an expert. i used to enjoy thoroughly his “the fast lane” column in RW when i was a young tike trying to learn how to train myself. one of the things i have been struggling with about the 100s is that it becomes too taxing after the first or second 100 of each set to reach top speed. when you do, say, 10x 200 with full recovery, you can hit every one of them at top speed. it seems like the latter might be the more specific way to increase top speed, while the 100s focus on ability to maintain form and speed (though not “top”) while quite fatigued. I would argue that they accomplish subtlely different neurological and physiological tasks.
for instance, if we take this weeks 5X (5×100) and make it 25 100s with 30-60 sec rest, then i certainly will spend more time running at a top speed, say 13.5 sec per 100 avg (maybe that time is a little generous, but it sounds good) . That probably is far faster than i will ever run in a race, even while trying to sprint at the end. But of course this would have obvious benefits of “practicing” those neurological pathways, leading to improved economy, strength, leg turnover, etc.
(optional neurophysiology lesson-Simply put, neurons work by 1)stimulation and 2)”memory”. This “memory” is called long-term potentiation (LTP), which sounds intimidating, but is really a simple concept. The initial stimulus comes from our deciding to do X. Each successive stimulation strengthens the cellular communication (by ways yet to be understood) between two neurons, one presynaptic (message sender), one post-synaptic (message receiver). Basically, a nerve cell passes a stimulus to the next neuron stronger and faster each time it is used until you reach a physiological limit. Because neurons are not simply wires conducting electricity, physiological limits that relate to cellular metabolism and availability of energy, among others, impose some limits on how fast and strong synaptic impulses can be. The opposite also occurs, called long-term depression (LDP), which results in weakening of unused neuronal “circuits”. Running is a complex neural activity, so suffice it to say that the more running-related motor pathways we can recruit and the more often we can recruit them, the “better” we will be at running. sorry to nerd it up on the blog.)
Now, I will probably never be terribly out of breath, light-headed, or feel like my heart is going to beat right out of my chest doing 25 x100 with full recovery. I experienced all of these during the 100s this week. This leads me to believe that what we are doing is different than what the experts Joan cites are describing. We are practicing the different, but very important, task of late race simulation - what one might call “simulation without taxation”. Indeed, that is what any training is meant to be. While my eyes almost popped out monday during the workout, I recovered quickly and did not have that post-race fatigue afterwards, hence little “taxation”.
To conclude, I see two implications for our training from all of this. 1)There still may be room for “all-out” repeats in our training regimen. How much and how often is probably related to our events of choice and our natural strengths. 2) The more we train the better we will be. An inflammatory statement to some, no doubt, but less so with this caveat - the most training that one can endure and still be excited, hungry, focused, healthy, race-ready and not over-trained is what it will take to be the best we can be. It would be foolish to say everyone run 60 or 80 or 100 or 120 miles a week with 2 or 3 or 4 workouts. We all have different limits, but can use the same principles to govern our training. (Thanks to Joan for putting these principles to work for each member of CAC.)
In the years before my husband and I moved to Chapel Hill, I had run on trails when they presented themselves to me and when my work/life schedule allowed me to indulge in tracking down trails for an afternoon or morning run. Otherwise, we were busy with school, work, travel, living overseas, etc. and my choice of running terrain was often secondary to all the other busy events and changes in our lives. Although I enjoyed cross country running in college, I didn’t necessarily seek out trail running during my initial years after collegiate running.
Moving to Chapel Hill, however, has brought about many changes in my life - not the least of which is a metamorphosis within my perceptions about running terrains. I used to only think about when I would fit a run into my day; the where was an afterthought. But after three years of joyous running in this trail friendly locale, not a day goes by when I don’t also think about which trail loops will provide the physical space for my daily run. As a result, no matter how busy and/or stressful a full day of teaching is for me, trail running most afternoons has now become a necessary and meditative act.
Trails also bring out the childlike adventurer in me. These leafy pathways are both places to run alone, and also avenues to new friendships and experiences. I now have new friends who I share this love with, as well as an ever increasingly athletic golden retriever who enjoys going for an 8 mile trail run (almost) as much as I do!
This past Saturday I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at The Little River Trail Run. This 9 mile jaunt alongside a river and through the golden woods was both peaceful and energizing all at once. There is a calmness within a trail run, and even in a race, that can leave me more sure of myself than when I started. Yes, it can hurt in places (particular on the uphills!) but overall these experiences leave me feeling more in touch with the natural world and more certain of my love for this genre (for lack of a better word!) of running.
Here is a little video that The Trailheads forwarded my way. Enjoy!
I ran the Little Rive 5K as my “opener” for the track season. Last year I was signed up, but bailed for a variety of reasons, one of which was being nervous about not running fast enough (whatever that means). This year I signed up and showed up, and I am so glad I did.
It started out a bit cold for my taste, but warmed up to be a beautiful crisp January day. The Trailheads are fun, the atmosphere was inviting and laid-back, and the location is gorgeous. (Too bad the Open Eye coffee ran out before I was ready!)
This was a nice opener for me because I quickly discovered that you can only run so fast in a trail race. Although the trails were not what I would considered extremely technical, in the first mile or so I had picked up speed on a nice section and then had to slam on the breaks as I tried to make a tight turn (the guy behind me sort of chuckled and warned me to be careful). There was no pressure to make a certain time (besides the trails it’s more like a 5K+), and I ran alone for the last mile or so, so there was no anxiety about beating the person in front of me or getting caught from behind. But it was a great opportunity to practice racing (pulling in and passing, sticking with), savor the outdoors, and feel the endurance rather than the speed (the last 400 meters or so is uphill), which will certainly come soon enough since it’s track season. Low pressure, low key = fun and a great first race of the season.
I loved it and can’t wait to do it again next year!
Okay, folks, it’s GO time on this blog. I know everyone is tired of reading posts from the same few runners, so here is an opportunity for all CAC members … and FOC’s (Friends of CAC) to chime in. I came across this article on speed work … as I was looking for “justification” for why I do all-out 100’s in the middle of January. I know they work, but I wanted to find an expert to corroborate my theories. Some might scoff at the notion of Runner’s World being an “expert” publication, but I do think this article is worth reading: Speed Thrills.
and commenting on!!!!
These are the paragraphs that I found especially provocative:
According to Harvard researcher Peter Weyand, Ph.D., short-but-fast workouts help maintain the function of your spinal cord’s “motor nerve” cells, the ones that control fast running. Without high-quality speedwork, these cells deteriorate as you get older, slowing you down. And researchers at the Institute for Olympic Sports in Finland recently found that for average runners, “there is much to be gained from running sprint intervals of 50 meters to 200 meters once a week.”
What’s that? Worried this will get you injured? You think it’s only a matter of time until you hear a loud, odious “Boiiinnnng!”–the sound of a snapped hamstring rolling up like a window blind? Not true. “In fact,” writes training expert Owen Anderson, Ph.D., editor of Running Research News, “the best predictors of injury are high mileage, a previous history of injury, and a failure to include enough rest in your training.” Not speed training.
Which brings us to our program of very speedy (but doable) workouts. Do only one session per week, which will dramatically increase leg turnover, and increase your speed in all race distances. Just be careful, says Ft. Collins-based coach Jon Sinclair. “The important thing is progression,” he says.
Makes for pretty nice weather conditions for a race. It was in the low to mid 40s this morning for the start of the half marathon championships here in Houston. This race was a pretty classy one: well organized, good treatment for us “elite” athletes and a general good feeling towards running from a city that I have not visited before. Driving into the city from Bush International Airport, it does seem like a strange place to have a large road race, with the endless large strip malls, large streets, and large cars. Indeed, everything is LARGE here.
I did not really know what to expect from this race, coming off of only a few good weeks of training after getting demolished in New York in November. I told myself I should go out hard enough to have a chance at a PR, but that I should not be too crazy. All in all, it went well enough…as I was pulled along at sub 5-minute pace by the leaders in the marathon, through 9 miles (44:52 or so). A few other half marathon runners were in that mix too. Unfortunately, at the 180 turn on the course, I suddenly found myself running alone, as the marathoners plowed on ahead, and the half guys slowed considerably. I slowed too, and pulled through with a 1:06:08 (5:03 pace), close to my time from Philly (1:05:50; 5:02) I caught a couple of guys after the turn, but generally did not see much of anyone over those last 4 miles. I did feel one guy I passed clipping away at my heels though, which was pretty annoying…if you are ever hanging on for dear life in a race, do try to follow someone who’s running past you, but don’t clip at his/her heels PLEASE!
The course here is pretty nice, with small inclines here and there, though I am not a fan of the 180 turn. If anyone wants to run a low key marathon that’s reasonably fast, this would probably be a good place to do it. There’s no U-turn in that one.
“The great Sufi poet and philosopher Rumi once advised his students to write down the three things they most wanted in life. If any item on the list clashes with any other item, Rumi warned, you are destined for unhappiness. Better to live a life of single-pointed focus, he taught. But what about the benefits of living harmoniously amid extremes? What if you could somehow create an expansive enough life that you could synchronize seemingly incongruous opposites into a world view that excludes nothing?” (from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Eat, Pray, Love)
I e-mailed this quote to Jason this week, who is in Dallas on business, but I could have sent it to any other CAC athlete. It harkens back to Marc’s post on “Who Are We?” Each CAC runner must fit his/her training into a full-time working life, and - in some cases - the unpredictable demands of family. It’s easy to live the life of a “running monk” when its just you, alone on the mountian-top, but try living a holy life (a “life of single-pointed focus”) when you’re finishing law school with a newly pregnant wife, or when your mom is sick and you have to visit her 2,000 miles away while you’re in med. school, or when your 4 year-old has a tummy-ache and is home from pre-school the same day your company’s power point presentation is due, or when you have 2nd and 3rd jobs while finishing a PhD dissertation, or when you must fly to Amsterdam for a conference and you’re stuck in an airport for two days. How can you get your morning run in? How can you make it to the weight room? How can you afford a massage (and I don’t just mean afford the $; how can you afford the time?). How can you fit it all in?
I look back on my own racing days, before children and jobs, and I wonder how I managed NOT to run fast when all I had to do was run, eat, rest, run, eat sleep. Isn’t that the sweet life runners dream of - being paid to run and race with no distractions? For many years, I had a New Balance contract that allowed me to just run, but I can honestly say - looking back now - that it was not an “expansive enough life” for me - nor do I think it would be expansive enough for any of our CAC athletes. I am proud to be associated with such a hard-working, full-life living group of achievers. Sure, the climb to the top of the mountain won’t be as easy as it is it is for full-time athletes (straight up the access road) but I imagine the gnarly, rocky scramble up the back side will be infinitely more satisfying for this Carrboro Athletics crew.
A week or so ago I was “commenting” on the cold. As much as I like warm weather, I’m a little creeped out by the current heat wave. I shouldn’t be comfortable wearing shorts and a light long-sleeve in mid-January (now, I just speak for myself as some people (ahem, Dave) wear shorts regardless of temperature of weather conditions and claim to be fine).
On the other hand, it’s much easier to run fast when it’s warmer out than colder.
Oh gosh. I have a hard time with this. I am 24 years old and recently moved to NC ( 1.5 years ago). I am originally from Southern California, Garden Grove (right near Disneyland) and went to college at Boston University. I love Jesus. But, i also love to do things outdoor and anything fun. I enjoy cooking and reading in my spare time or doing crafty things. I like being random, helping others, and doing anything that is considered “being a kid.” I don’t feel I really lived up to my child potential during my childhood, so I’m trying to squeeze it all in now.
When and how did you get started running?
In high school, I was a swimmer and attempted to swim for BU, but was not given the chance by the coach, so I went out for the rowing team. I walked on and rowed for two years, with my second year as a 4B Varsity boat. My Novice Crew coach was who got me into running and the city of Boston in general. I began running on my own my freshman year and connected with a Christian and middle distance athlete my Sophomore year. This is how I got connected to BU’s track and distance team. My Junior year after I hiatus-ed myself from Crew and then gave it up to pursue school and begin the Triathlon club with a friend, my track running buddy asked if I wanted to join the team. I turned her down at first, but she asked me again three months later and said she had spoken to the coach about me, so I prayed a bit about it and went to see the coach. The team would winter train for a week in CA every year, not too far from where I lived, so I met up with them on afternoon for what I thought would be a trail long run - it turned into a track trial workout and thus I began running for BU.
What types of races do you feel suit your strengths?
Long distance. The longer the better is what I always say. I could always hold out at a higher threshold for a longer period of time, so I figured in the end if the distance is long enough the other person would get tired and/or break and I would just sail on by. So…5K preferably 10K, but I think maybe the Half-Marathon would really be my forte - that is if I ever get around to running one.
What type of workout gives you the most confidence?
I think the long run also gives me a lot of confidence because once I really started doing them and challenging myself to run longer, I felt a huge jump in fitness or strength after each one and that is really confidence boosting. But, I still think the hills are the biggest confidence booster. Arg. bring it on!
What type of workout do you like the least, but that you know you get a lot of benefit from?
HILLS! hahaha. Joan asked a similar question when joining the team and I said hills. I still don’t know if this is entirely true though after this past season. Now, I kind of look forward to grinding up them, however to answer two Q’s in one - I know I gain a lot of benefit and confidence from these because if I can survive Joan’s hills without sustaining a season ending injury - then I am an animal and anything thrown my way (including a hill in a race) will probably be cake compared to anything I’ve been challenged to, slopped through, and ran before.
What interests do you have outside of running?
Whew. My interests outside running are so many! Church and God are essential pieces - listening to KLOVE radio or worship, just walking in His beautiful creation of the world and sunshine. Also, as I mentioned before I like to cook and experiment within that. I love creating good, healthy food, but I am lactose intolerant, so much of my cooking is experimenting in how to make it healthier, low-fat, milk free, but still amazing to eat and see. I love to read! and I love to explore new places, cities, restaurants, activities, anything really. I love to shop (nowadays its more browsing than shopping), but I love fashion and art - the eye aesthetics really - however one of my other weird things is grocery shopping - I could seriously walk around a grocery store, especially if it’s a specialty store, for a few hours and be completely enthralled.
How does WorkoutLog make your life easier?
Oh it’s so much easier! First of all I don’t have to remember to bring a book somewhere with me. I am still a creature of habit and tend to write the workout down first, but then putting it up is so much easier and now I can track things like mileage and gear wear-out. I love the health and sleep aspects that I can also note in there - especially so Joan knows and can understand why some of my workouts may occur they way they do (due to life circumstances) - I think that will when looking back later really come in handy for noticing positive training patterns that connect with certain lifestyle patterns. Mostly though it gives me confidence that if I am somewhere for an extended period of time Joan and I can still be in contact concerning my training. Plus, it’s neat to go and see other athletes profiles. I filled mine out completely because shamelessly I do occasionally look for other hot, single male athletes in my area. (maybe, i shouldn’t really confess to that).
I have been struggling with running since the Olympic Trials. Not with the act of running, which I always find thoroughly enjoyable, but with the act of setting running goals. I had expected a much better outcome in the marathon in New York, and still think I should have been much better. And so I wonder what I should aim for next. My current penchant is for a run in Boston in April, even though that course is tough.
It’s probably good, therefore, that I will be going to Houston in a week to run in the USA half marathon championships, on a flat and forgiving course. I feel much less pressure about this race, and have no idea where my fitness really is, but I hope it has suffered much since the end of my fall training. In fact, in the last two weeks, after a tough early December, I have felt incredible while running. It was also great to be back with the CAC squad this past Wednesday, working off of the energy and talent of my teammates.
After Houston, I will go to Ethiopia for a month to work on my dissertation research and proposal. I hope to defend that later this spring, in late April or early May if my committee is willing. It will be interesting to train for a marathon while working in Addis Ababa. I have never run at altitude (Addis is at about 8000 feet), and I have often struggled to maintain a rigorous training program while working in Africa, due to health concerns, general busy-ness, and problems with finding good places to train. My goals will remain the same for now: to improve substantially on my 2:20 time from Chicago in 2006.
I don’t want to whine, but when I moved South from the Northeast, I moved with a huge sigh of relief that I would never have to do workouts in less than 38 degrees. Alas, this week has been frigidly cold. So cold, in fact, that Sarah and I have postponed our normal 6:30 AM runs. This is significant given that we will run through just about anything.
I did realize, however, that as I get older, I’m smarter about what I wear. I think that I’m now wearing far more than I ever did and am managing to stay (relatively) warm during my runs and workouts. Although I may not be wearing more than while I was at Amherst, I am certainly dressing smarter having purged my running clothes of all cotton, which I have found to make a huge difference in how warm I’m able to stay.
Isn’t it funny how as teenagers we (or at least I) protested wearing a coat/hat/socks/whatever? Now that I’m older I am so much more interested in being warm and toasty than anything else.
skink: a skink’s taleI was using a sharp, pointed shovel to really turn the earth and on one fierce downward thrust, I unintentionally chopped off the tail of a blue skink (lizard). The tail-less lizard skittered off, while - to my utter surprise and …
taxing after the first or second 100 of each set to reach top speed. when you do, say, 10x 200 with full recovery, you can hit every one of them at top speed. it seems like the latter might be the more specific way to increase top speed, while the 100s focus on ability to maintain form and speed (though not “top”) while quite fatigued. I would argue that they accomplish subtlely different neurological and physiological tasks.
