Brian's Blog

Training - Week 10

2009-03-08T20:53:00.003-04:00

The warm weather this week has been great and my runs have been feeling really good. This past week I ran three miles on Tuesday, and six on Wednesday. I was supposed to do three more on Thursday but my legs were a little tired and I had some pains in my knees. Knowing that I had a long run due yesterday and that I would be running an additional 5k today, I decided to use Thursday as a rest day and took a 1.5 mile walk instead. After resting Thursday and Friday my legs felt good on Saturday and I set out on the Hilliard Rails to Trails course to do 10.5 miles. As usual, the first three miles were somewhat uncomfortable but I was able to find my stride and ran a majority of the ten miles. My overall time was 1:48:38 which was a 10:20 pace. This is right in line with where I want to be for the full marathon. I also managed to run my first ever negative split at a distance over ten miles. My first half was 54:41 and the second was 53:57. While I still have work to do, my confidence is gaining and I am feeling better about my ability to finish the race.

Until last weekend all of my runs were short loops around my neighborhood which allowed me to circle by my house and pick up a water bottle as I passed by. Now that the mileage has started to pick up, I have located longer trails and paths but none of them have drinking fountains available. As a result, I will need to carry my fluids with me. Last week I tried to carry my water bottle in my hand the whole time and this didn't work so well for me. I found myself drinking faster just to avoid having to carry it any longer. This past week I did some research and talked to my local running store and decided to buy a hydration belt. I decided on a Nathan Triangle belt which comes with one 22oz. bottle and has a zippered pouch just big enough to store my keys and one gel pack. This is the model I chose - http://www.nathansports.com/our_products/hydration_nutrition/triangle.html I was nervous about how it would feel to have this bottle sitting on my spine for the length of the run and I was afraid the belt might start to rub and become uncomfortable. I was pleasantly surprised that neither became an issue. In fact, I hardly even noticed I had the belt on. I think this will come in handy as my runs get longer and longer.

Today I took part in the Arnold Classic 5k ( http://arnoldsportsfestival.com/pump-run/ ) which is a part of the Governator's annual sports festival that he puts on here in Columbus. It was a great time and there were over 1000 runners taking part in the three different run/walk events that were offered. I was planning to just go out and take it really easy and fully expected to walk at least part of the distance based on how my legs felt after yesterday. To my surprise, I felt really good and comfortably completed the run with a 9:08 pace which for me, is pretty good. My legs are definitely tired and a little sore this evening but I don't have any pain. I just feel like I have completed a good workout. The results from this week's runs are below:

Three mile - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2332931
Six mile - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2353074
Ten & a half mile - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2399891
Arnold 5k - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2433312

This coming week I will again continue to build on my miles and will add an additional 3.5 miles to my weekly total. On my schedule is a 3-7-4 with a rest on Friday and then 12 miles on Saturday. Hopefully I will continue to stay healthy and build on some more good miles.

-bgw

Training Weeks - 8 & 9

2009-03-01T20:49:00.005-05:00

I am a week behind on updating my training but with good reason. At this time last weekend I was enjoying 70 degree weather in sunny Sedona, Arizona. I had never been before and did not really know what to expect. What I found was amazing to me. Sedona is a town surrounded by beautiful Red Rocks that I can not adequately describe. This was just one example of the many rock formations we got to enjoy while we were there.

The week we went I ran Tues. through Thurs. (3-5-3) and I did manage to get a four mile run in on Saturday morning before we went hiking. This was shorter that the planned seven miles but we made up for it by hiking and climbing an additional seven miles that day. Sunday I got to see the Grand Canyon for the first time, drove on Route 66, and did more hiking on some Red Rock trails. We probably did between four and five miles of hiking that day and again, saw some amazing things. Monday we went to Red Rock National Park and hiked and climbed up to 4100 feet over a five mile trail. This was really fun, and the sites from the top were incredible. Then we went to Slide Rock National Park which is a river that forms a natural slide that is packed with swimming kids during the summer. Being that this is the melting season for mountain snow, the water was freezing and I decided that it might be best not to jump in. We opted to hike down the river banks and do some more rock climbing. This might have been my favorite part of the weekend. There was no one there but us and we were able to explore freely away from all of the other tourists. There really wasn't a dedicated path down the river bank so we got to climb over rocks and other debris for a few miles before heading back. I would love to go back!!

We traveled home on Tuesday so I was not able to get in a run but I did get six miles on Wednesday and three on Thursday. Friday was a rest day and I did nine miles Yesterday. Today I rode the bike inside for just under an hour. Here are my results for the week:

Six Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2260218

Three Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2293004

Nine Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2293002

The nine miles was my longest run since the half marathon back in October and it was somewhat difficult for me. I am still having some pain in my shins initially and they tend to loosen up after the first few miles. By 6.5 miles I had really found my rhythm and felt like I could have gone longer than the nine miles but knew I had to make smaller gains. My legs are tired today but pain free. This coming week I will be doing 3-6-3, rest on Friday and then 10.5 miles on Saturday. I will be doing progressively longer runs from now until the marathon and my mid week run will also be getting longer. Ten weeks and counting....I will be in Cleveland before I know it.

-bgw

Training Week - 7

2009-02-17T20:13:00.005-05:00

Another week has flown by and we had some interesting weather in the past several days. It has gone from 20 degrees up to sixty five and back. We have had sunshine, rain, and snow flurries as well as some really impressive winds. I really wanted to stay outside this week and I ran in all of it. Tuesday morning I was watching the weather and new that Wednesday had the potential to get pretty ugly so I decided to move my five miler up one day to ensure that I could do it outside. I am glad I did because Wednesday I was supposed to do three miles and the temps ended up dropping into the 30's and there were winds gusting up to 65 miles per hour. This was an interesting (and exhausting) run and I decided to call it a day after just two miles. There was debris flying everywhere and I felt like I was running up a steep hill the entire time. The five miles felt pretty good although the shins were still bothering me a little bit. Thursday was pretty warm and it was nice to finally be able to run in shorts and a t-shirt again. The variety was great but I ended up with a nice little sinus infections as a result. This happens to me every year about this time when the weather fluctuates so wildly. I started to feel it on Thursday night and by Friday afternoon it was pretty well set in. After climbing on my roof to hang plastic over the missing siding (thanks to the winds) I put on some warm clothes and went to bed. I didn't do much of anything but sleep on Saturday and by Sunday I felt well enough to go out and get a light run in. Going into the week, I was supposed to do ten miles according to my training log but knew that I would probably do closer to 8 based on how my legs felt. I started off pretty good but got tired after about four miles and called it quits at six. I am trying to get healthy quickly and knew I should get some rest without overdoing it. I also did not get any cross training in.

Five Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2074784
Two Miles (in 50 mph winds!!) http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2157686
Three Miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2157685

This week I am doing another 3-5-3 and then will get as many miles as I can in on Saturday and Sunday. Katie and I are heading to Sedona, Arizona for a long weekend with some friends and I have been scouting out some trails to run on while I am there. My goal will be to get eight miles in Saturday morning and then a shorter run of two to four miles on Sunday instead of doing any cross training. We are planning to hike in the Grand Canyon that day so I may even go a little easier. I am looking forward to getting a way for the weekend for a little R&R. I hope to include some pics from my run in my post next week.

-bgw

Training Week - 6

2009-02-08T20:23:00.003-05:00

This has been another pretty good week of training. Tuesday I did three miles but had some slight soreness in my shins. This didn't stop me from completing the mileage but I knew I had to listen to my legs before getting myself hurt again. After speaking with my brother-in-law, Brian, about his pre-workout routine, I decided to add some shin specific stretches to my warm up and this seems to have helped. I found these stretches in a Runner's World article at http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-290-291-529-0,00.html Wednesday and Thursday I was still a little sore but the stretching helped and I was able to complete the required mileage. Saturday was once again my long day and the weather turned in my favor. I was actually able to get outside for both my seven mile run and my cross training and I was equally excited to be able to use my Garmin 405 again. (This time I remembered to have it charged and ready). You can see my results below:

Seven & a half mile run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2036056
Eighteen mile ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2050720

This being my first run outside in nearly six weeks I had almost forgotten how nice it is to be able to run in the fresh air. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy running in place on a moving belt while starring at the walls and listening to all of the random conversations taking place at the gym but I think I still prefer getting outside. I tend to go blank on the treadmill and I find that I am not even concentrating on my running. I just move my legs back and forth and wait for the time to be over. Outside is completely different and you never seem the exact same things twice. This time out was still a little more icy and snow covered than I expected but I welcomed the change of scenery. The first three miles were a little rough as I stopped at the end of each mile to stretch but by the end of the fourth mile I was feeling great and virtually pain free and was able to enjoy the rest of the run. Today I woke up feeling good and then looked at the weather and was happy to see the the forecasted rain had missed us and I knew I was going to head out on the bike. It was pretty windy and a little chilly but I was loving it! If you look at the Garmin mapping above you can see that I had a nice head wind for the first five miles but had that same wind to my back for several miles after that. I had a 5-7 mph difference between the two. Overall it was a pretty casual ride but again, it was great to get outside for a change.

This coming week I am looking forward to a rest day tomorrow and then will be doing a 3-5-3 Tuesday thru Thursday, rest on Friday and I will finish the week with a nine or ten mile long run depending on how my legs are feeling on Saturday. As long as the weather stays in the mid to upper twenties I will continue to run outside. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for spring in the mean time.

-bgw

Training Week - 5

2009-02-02T19:52:00.002-05:00

February is here, the days seem to be moving faster, and May 17th is going to be here before I know it. This week I have continued to run somewhat easy but have picked up te pace a bit. I have continued to feel better and seem to be getting a little stronger. I completed a total of seventeen miles including a "long" run of seven miles. It took me about an hour and twenty minutes but it was great to get the miles done. I think it felt even better to wake up the next morning and head down the stairs to get my morning coffee without having pain in my legs with every step. Yesterday was a busy day and between church, my grandmother's 80th birthday party and the Superbowl I didn't get any time to do my cross training so I turned it into my rest day. I will be jumping on the bike for a bit tonight and then will be running the next three days. Just like last week, I will be doing 3-4-3 Tuesday through Thursday. Friday will be a rest day and Saturday I will be shooting for nine miles. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the snow stays away and I can get outside for that. I am not looking forward to running in place for that long.

On another note, we did get our hotel booked this week so I officially have a place to sleep. It is a big relief to have most of the logistics out of the way. I did find it interesting that the organizers of the Cleveland Marathon chose to block off rooms at the hotels that were the furthest away from the start/finish line. They bypassed at least three hotels that were closer including one right next to the convention center which is where the race packets are to be picked up. I am sure they have their reasons...I am just not sure what they are.

-bgw

Training - Week 4

2009-01-25T21:42:00.003-05:00

After finishing my third official week of training I am feeling much better than I have the previous two weeks. I have not been able to run outside due to the weather with temperatures in the low twenties and snow and ice covering the ground including the three inches of new snow that we got today. Instead I did my weekly miles on the treadmill. Tuesday through Thursday were three miles each. They were all slow but steady and I was happy to be able to run pain free again. I didn't want to go too fast and re-injure myself. Yesterday I was able to do my six mile long run for the week.

I also spent about two hours at the running store taking my new Asics Nimbus back. I am happy to report that Road Runner Sports stood by there word and took the shoes back with no questions asked and were very patient and helpful as I tried on multiple pairs of shoes. I am not trying to turn this into an advertisement, but I do recommend them to anyone. After trying on and running in about seven pair of shoes I decided to buy another pair of the Nike Structure Triax. They seem to be the most comfortable for me and I guess there is something to be said for familiarity as this is my third pair.

This coming week will be very similar to last week. I will be running a total of seventeen miles and have one day of cross training. As long as my legs continue to feel good, I will start to build back up to my running pace. Now that my legs are feeling better, I am becoming more confident that I will be able to complete the necessary base miles to run in Cleveland. Regardless of how fast or slow I go that day, it will be a great experience. One which I will use to help understand how my body reacts to completing that kind of miles, and understand how certain clothing and nutrition choices effect my performance. The idea will be to use this experience and improve on them for Columbus in October. I would love to make it to Boston someday!!

-bgw

Training - Week 3

2009-01-18T19:49:00.002-05:00

First let me say that I am feeling much better this week. I have continued to take it a little easy but have been able to start running again. For the previous two weeks I was barely able to jog for five minutes even though I had given my legs plenty of rest which has not happened to me before. I have had my share of aches and pains but none of them seemed to last this long without getting better. After looking back at any changes that I have made to understand what the difference might be, the only thing that comes to mind is the fact that I just picked up a new pair of shoes.

I have been told by a few different running stores that my ankles role out when I run so for the last year I have run in Nike Structure Triax which are somewhat stiff and more supportive to prevent pronation. This time around I went through the inspection by the salesman which included having me stand on a sensored mat to analyze my arch as well as a short jog on a treadmill which was recorded and my strides were then played back and reviewed. The results were that I didn't pronate but I was actually a farely neutral runner. (I did learn that I am apparently bowlegged which gives the "illusion" that I am pronating) After seeing it with my own eyes, I followed the salesman's advice and went with a pair of Asics Nimbus which is a neutral shoe with much more cushion. They felt comfortable on my feet but after about 20 miles in them I started having the troubles with my legs. I have already admitted that I over trained and the soreness was unavoidable because of that but I couldn't understand why they were not feeling better even after rest. So this past week I went back to the old shoe just to see what would happen. I don't know if it is all mental or not, but as I said earlier, I am feeling much better. I was able to run for twenty minutes on Thursday pain free and I ran three miles yesterday. Today I got on the bike for 45 minutes and did some spinning to get my heart rate up and keep my legs loose. The great news is that the Asics had a 60 day money back guarantee so I can exchange them for a more supportive pair if my legs continue to improve in my old shoes.

So this coming week as I work my way back up to speed I have a rest day tomorrow. Tuesday through Thursday are 3 miles each, Friday is a rest day, Saturday is 7 miles and Sunday will be a cross training day. I am excited to get back at it but know I need to be careful so that I don't over do it again. Now if I could just do something about the five degree temperature and the ice on the ground so that I can go outside and use my new Garmin 405 I will be all set. The treadmill gets a little old but I am happy to be running again!!

-bgw

Training - Week 2

2009-01-11T19:19:00.003-05:00

Well if I can say one thing about this past week of training, I have learned that when everything you read and hear says to increase your mileage gradually, LISTEN to them!! I was definitely overly confident in my own personal fitness levels and had initially decided on a training program that was above my current abilities. I ran fourteen miles between Sunday and Monday and then an additional three on Wednesday. This third run was very uncomfortable and I was not able to run for even five minutes on Thursday. Friday was a scheduled rest day and I was forced to walk for thirty minutes again on Saturday. Today I walked for about forty five minutes. I have had severe pain my in my knees, shins and calves (only when attempting to run). After each exercise I have been applying ice to my legs for thirty minutes and taking ibuprofen to deal with some of the pain and swelling. I am not mentioning any of this to get pitty or make excuses for not training. I want any other beginners like me who read this blog to learn from my mistake and take it easy. The key is to build the miles slowly.

This is not the end of my training!! I still have nearly eighteen weeks until Cleveland which is plenty of time to complete enough base miles to finish the 26 miles 385 yards. If anything, this has acted as an eye opener for me and has taught me to listen to my body and to choose more appropriate training plans. This coming week I will continue to take it easy and begin to do some light jogging on Tuesday based on how my legs feel. I will also get on the bike and do my best to maintain my cardio without the impact on my legs. My new plan will consist of much fewer miles in the beginning with gradual increases and a fall back period every third week to rest my legs before the increase the following week. The key will be to get back to running and making conservative but consistent increases in mileage. Hopefully the legs are feeling better soon and I can get back to normal.

-bgw

Training - Week 1

2009-01-04T19:32:00.004-05:00

About this time last year my brother-in-law Brian asked me if I would be interested in running a marathon with him in the fall. Most sensible people would have said thanks, but no thanks and would not even attempt it. I reluctantly agreed to give it a shot and this past October I completed the Columbus half marathon.( http://www.columbusmarathon.com/ ) While I did not run a full marathon, I was definitely bit by a bug and have now set a goal to complete my first full marathon in Cleveland this May. I have created this blog to help me track my training progress and to share my experience with other runners, novice to experienced, in order to get their feedback and share their experiences as well.

This is the first week of my nineteen week program and today I had to complete an eight mile run. This was the longest run I have done since the half and it felt like it. While it wasn't a fast run by any stretch, it was great to get out and put in some real miles. Here are the details from my effort. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1703904 I will keep you posted on my progress. Hope everyone has a happy and safe 2009!!

-bgw