Like Running in Heaven!

What an amazing day to run.  It was like 78 degrees but almost no humidity.  I could have run for hours if I didn't have somewhere to be.  This is a vast difference between the high humidity days we've been having, especially in terms of hydration needs.

When I ran earlier in the week, I consumed something close to 5 oz per hour, so when I ran 4 miles, I needed 20 oz of water.  Today, I took a 16 oz bottle and ran 8 miles, which was about 2 oz per mile. I could have probably run without water.

Weather has a lot to do with how well you run, how much water you need, and how hard you run.  I get comments from time to time, generally people surprised that I run in such miserable heat and humidity.  I'll run in just about anything, the only thing the weather really affects is how I run, how much I enjoy the run, and how much hydration I need.

In addition, heat training is really good for you, if you do it right.  In fact, if you train in heat for an event that is run in cooler weather, you are more likely to do better.  Click here for the study.

In any case, after running in the miserable heat of the past week, it was like running in heaven today.

Whole Wheat, Mango, Chia Muffins

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 evaporated cane juice (sugar)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup peanut oil or apple sauce
1 Ripe Mango, cut into small cubes
1 TBS Chia seeds

Lightly grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and chia seeds in a large bowl, then mix in the mango.  In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil (or apple sauce).  Combine the wet and dry ingredients until well combined.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full, then place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Check with a wooden toothpick by sticking the toothpick in the center of one of the muffins, if it comes out clean it's done.  Set the pan on a wire rack to cool, then enjoy!

** Note, this recipe is an adaptation from a recipe for muffins from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (1996).  I changed some of the ratios and ingredients and added the mango and chia seeds, but the base of this recipe is from the recipe on page 119 for basic muffins.

Homemade corn tortillas with mango and spinach quinoa, topped off with a layer of melted smoked gouda cheese and Creamy Guacamole Salad.

I'm working through some new culinary techniques, namely the use of mango in dishes and making my own, homemade corn tortillas.

I googled a recipe for homemade corn tortillas, thinking that all I would need is some corn meal and water, instead, I learned something completely different than what I thought.  Corn tortillas, as well as corn chips and tamales, use a special type of grain called Masa Harina.  Masa Harina is a special type of corn flour made with corn that has soaked in lime water.  Its texture and smell, right out of the bag, will remind you of the smell of freshly made corn chips.  I'm still waiting for my tortilla press, but have been experimenting with making homemade tortillas by rolling them between two pieces of wax paper and a roller... the experience has been interesting.

The neat thing about authentic corn tortillas is that it only requires 3 ingredients... masa harina, water, and salt.  The recipe I used had 2 cups of masa harina to 1 1/2 cups hot water to 1/2 tsp sea salt.  You basically mix it together until it's moist and firm (not sticky), then let it sit for an hour.  Then make them into approx 12 balls and press them between wax paper then place them on a hot griddle and flipping them after a few minutes.

Seems simple enough, but there's a learning curve involved.  After pressed out this stuff sticks to the wax paper and you have to carefully peal it off before placing it on the griddle... I'll learn more when I finally get the tortilla press.

Tonight's meal came to me after riding bike for about 30 miles, and, in the process, cheating a thunderstorm.

Homemade corn tortillas with mango and spinach quinoa, topped off with a layer of melted smoked gouda cheese and Creamy Guacamole Salad.

1.)  In one pot, combine 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups chicken stock/broth, 1 ripe mango diced, 1 big handful of spinach shredded, season with salt.  Boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

2.)  Make the Creamy Guacamole Salad

3.)  make the tortillas

4.)  Shred the smoked gouda cheese

On a plate, place 1-2 tortillas, spoon a serving of the quinoa mixture on top of the tortillas then put another 1-2 tortillas on top.  Layer with smoked gouda, melt the cheese and finish with a serving of the creamy guacamole salad on top.

Then eat it.  It is very filling and the sweetness of the mango mixed with the flavor of the tortilla and guacamole... it's a sweet and savory plate of goodness.

Enjoy!

Math, Running, Hydration, and Relaxation... Class is in session.

It's only 1:51 PM and already my day has been all about math... follow along class for a mathematical lesson of epic proportions.

The temperature at the time of my run was 84 degrees according to weather.com.  The dew point was 71 degrees and humidity was at 64%.  I learned last summer that the closer the dew point to the actual temperature, the worse the run will feel because the dew point is the temperature at which the moisture is evaporated into the air, which effects the humidity and the general feel of the conditions.  According to weather.com the real feel was 89 degrees.  The bank sign said it was 94 degrees, which is 5 degrees off which makes me doubt weather.com, but is fairly accurate to say that the conditions for running today were not ideal... heat training is good for you if you do it right, and today, I did it right.

I started with a hand held 20 oz bottle of water and ran an out and back loop of 4 miles to test the feel and hydration effort (I left my camelbak with the 50 oz bladder and 10 oz homemade sports drink on the porch awaiting my results).  I decided to drink liberally and run conservatively to make sure I didn't dehydrate.  By the time I got home, I had drained the 20 oz of water, which is a rate of ... anyone... anyone... 5 oz per mile.  That meant that my camelbak with 50 oz of water could sustain a run of... anyone... anyone... 10 miles total- with the emergency 10 oz of homemade sports drink just in case (I TBS chia seed, 1 TBS of maple syrup, a pinch of sea salt, and 10 oz water).

I grabbed the camelbak and continued the run, deciding not to make a distance decision until later.  At about mile 6, I decided that each mile felt more like an additional half mile rather than the regular mile, so at mile 6 it felt like I had run... anyone... anyone... 9 miles.  I made the conservative decision to not push it today and run for a total of 10 miles, keeping in mind I had run 4 miles, plus 2, so I only needed to run... anyone... anyone... 4 more miles.  I have premeasured routes that I follow so mapping out the route was already done.

Keeping in mind that I was consuming at a rate of 5 oz per mile, and I put my 50 oz pack after 4 miles, needing only to run an additional 6 miles with the 50 oz... how much water would I need to sustain the 6 additional miles AND how much would I have left over at the end of the run (ignore the emergency 10 oz homemade sports drink)... anyone... anyone... I would need 30 oz and would have 20 oz left over- plenty to sustain a conservative run while drinking liberally (this is why I don't affiliate with any political parties).

If I ran 10 miles and each mile felt like an additional 1/2 mile, how long was my effort?  Anyone... anyone... 15 miles.

Upon returning home, I had more math to do for my cool down.  I had just filled my son's new wading pool and he was having a jolly good time playing in it and wanted me to join in the fun... sounded good to me, so I got in.

The diameter of the pool is 48 inches and the fill line is 10 in.  So, the area of the pool is... anyone... anyone... well, let's do a quick lesson on the area of a circle.

To calculate the area of a circle you multiply pi (roughly 3.14, pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter and the decimal goes on forever, so we round it to 3.14) multiplied by the radius squared (to the second power)... pi r squared is how we learn this is school.  To find the radius, you simply need to divide the diameter by 2... so the radius of the pool is... anyone... anyone... 24 inches.  24 squared is the same as (24 x 24) or 576.  So, pi x 576... I'll wait... anyone... anyone... 1808.64 squared inches.  The question- can a pool with the area of 1808.64 inches squared hold a grown man who is 5' 11" with a little boy jumping in and splashing him?  The answer... yes.

What's the volume of that pool, you ask?  Take the area and multiply it by its height.  its height is 10 in, so the volume is 1808.64 x 10 = 18086.4 cubic inches... I include this because of the scientific concept of water displacement of a grown man and a little boy in this pool.  But mostly because of his next request.  Now, he wanted to play pass the ball (with a beachball) in this pool with daddy (me), mommy, and himself.

So the question.  Can a pool with an area of 1808.64 in. sq. and a volume of 18086.4 in. cu. hold a grown man who is 5' 11", a grown woman who is 5' 4" and a little boy who is 43" tall?  The answer, yes!

Now, you've done a good job today, class, perhaps later, I'll get into the physics of how to place a slip -n- slide on the yard so that all the water-spouts work correctly so that the little boy can have fun slipping AND sliding... that, my friends, was the real adventure of the day.

*just in case you're wondering... yes, this is what I think about when I am running

Enjoy!

Rest is Good

I was told once by a personal trainer that the key to good health is threefold:  Diet, Exercise, and Rest.  If good health results in better overall energy, then a lack of energy would mean that one of these things is out of whack.

Over the past week or so I have been feeling sluggish, yet I have continued to push my exercise regimen.  So, yesterday, I made the decision to do nothing.  Just rest.  Today, I did an easy 7 miler, which is scaling back for me... guess what?  It worked.

Today, I woke with more energy, felt better at work, and did my 7 miler with gusto!

My simple advice today- if something is feeling out of sync, you may need to change something in your diet, exercise or rest plan.  You may be under or over-nourished, you may be under or over- exercised, or you may be under or over- rested.  Just start looking at what you're doing and make adjustments where needed... a little rest for me, went a long way.


Enjoy this relaxing video :-)

Slinky on a Treadmill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=711bZ_pLusQ


Good night!

Mahi-Mahi with Spinach and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

Mahi-Mahi with Spinach and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

Shiitake Mushrooms
Diced Tomatoes
Spinach
Salt, pepper, cilantro, and garlic powder
1-2 TBS flour
1 TBS butter
Peanut or olive oil
Mahi-Mahi fillets
Shredded Parmesan Cheese


1.  Boil a pot of water, put shiitake mushrooms in the pot and remove from heat and cover allowing them to soak for at least 10 minutes.
2.  Season Mahi-Mahi fillets with salt, pepper, cilantro and garlic powder, lightly oil a pan and pan fry both sides of the fish until done (approx. 5 minutes a side)- remove from heat and cover and set aside
3.  Melt butter and combine with flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in the pan stirring together.
4.  With a ladle, take some of the water from the shiitake mushroom soak and pour it into the pan- the amount of water, like the amount of flour will be based on your desired thickness and how many fillets you are cooking.
5.  Stir the water/flour mixture until it starts to thicken, add more water if necessary.  Once the sauce starts to take shape, add the shiitake mushrooms and spinach to the sauce and continue to stir.  When the spinach leaves start to wilt, add the tomatoes and stir- then turn off the heat.
6.  Serve the Mahi-Mahi on top of rice, then pour sauce on top.  Finish with shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

*Oh, and no comments on the place settings, my 4 year old set the table :-)

A Little Organization Goes a Long Way

Today was a full day.  I knew it was going to be full in advance, so I was ready to tackle the challenge ahead.  I needed to get my 4 year old to his preschool by 6:45 for his 7 PM preschool graduation, I needed to get dinner ready to eat by 5:15 to accommodate dinner guests for the purpose of a church meeting for my wife and our guests that would precede the graduation.  AND, I wanted to go for a run after work, from which I get home at around 3:50ish every day (I generally want my runs to be at least 6 miles).

Whatever did I do?  I got organized, planned ahead and got it all in, relatively smoothly.

The night before, I thawed out a whole chicken, seasoned it and placed it in a slow cooker with some water at the bottom and put it in the refrigerator.  I measured out brown rice, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder and I placed it in a sealed container and left it out on the counter.  I measured the water and put it and some olive oil in a pot and put the lid on t for the rice (every step taken now will save time later).  I then prepared the frozen peas by opening the freezer and touching the bag... yep, still frozen... then closed the freezer door.  I even got out all the serving utensils, plates, napkins, and silverware.

This morning I woke up, put the slow cooker out and set it to low (the low setting should cook the whole chicken in 6 hours), then I ate my breakfast and went to work.  Upon returning from work, I turned off the slow cooker (more than 6 hours later), then I dumped the premixed rice into the water, covered the pot and started the water to boil.  I got ready for my run.  Once the water started to boil, I turned it down to a simmer and bolted out the door.

When I finished my run and my stretching, I came inside, showered and changed and started to pull apart the chicken, placing bones and skin into my broth pot and the meat onto a serving plate.  I added water to the broth pot and started a simmer, pulled out the frozen peas and quickly steamed them and put the rice in a serving bowl, then put the peas in a serving bowl.  Prepped the table, ate with our guests (who were completely oblivious to everything I just wrote), enjoyed our time together, then parted company.  Went to and enjoyed the preschool graduation and, well, finished the broth, prepped for tomorrow's lunches, bathed, brushed, prayed, and bedded the boy, and wrote a blog entry.

Now, of course, I've got some dinner ready for another day, either Tuesday or Wednesday.  I've posted before about prepping meals days in advance and still believe that if you can get into a rhythm of doing this, it will make your life a lot easier when you are time crunched.  If you have room in your freezer or an extra freezer, you can prepare weeks in advance.  Just make sure you label what it is and put a date on it.  Homemade frozen dinners are great, but with no preservatives, they don't last forever.

Thanks for reading and God bless!

X Training

Cross training is probably one of the most overlooked activity for runners.  In large part, I think, it's because once you've caught the running bug, that's pretty much all you want to do.  The problem with only running is that you only work out one muscle group and you become a one-dimensional athlete.

I have begun to wonder if my lack of cross-training is the reason why I have such cramping difficulties in marathons.  For my last marathon, I only trained by running 6 days a week, with varying intensities and workouts.  I logged the appropriate number of miles and yet still had to fight intense cramps in my quads for the last 4 miles.

I never really have taken cross-training as seriously as I think I should have.  Don't get me wrong, I've done some cross-training, but it never really excited me as much as running.  After the marathon in March, I started to focus on strengthening my quads with weight training, but really felt as though I needed something else after a while.  So, finally, after 20 years, I decided it was time for a new bike.

Today, I did my second 24 mile ride.  What's nice about riding the bike as cross-training is that it is still a good aerobic workout and you get to do it outside.  It also works different parts of your leg muscles, which could be handy when your quads need to recruit them for added strength.  Also, the low impact aspect gives your joints a chance to recover from the pounding of running while still getting a great workout.

The only drawback is that if you want to get the same caloric burn from biking as running, you have to do it longer.  You have to bike about four times as long as you run to get the same workout.  For example, if I want the same workout as a 5 mile run, I would have to bike about 20 miles.  In fact, the biking equivalent of a marathon is a century (100 miles), to a marathon's 26.2 miles.  This fact I started thinking about on today's ride, which made me start thinking.

I think I'd like to try a century someday.  I already run marathons, so I'm in shape.  I have the ability and determination to train, and I have the roads on which I could train.  There would be timing logistics I'd have to work through and I would need a training plan, but it might be worth the effort.

I guess the other benefit of finding a cross-training workout that excites you as much as running does is that you might start wanting to join-in on the other side's fun.  So, I guess you can say that riding a century is a new goal of mine, I don't know when or where, but I know it will be done.

The final thing I will say about cross training is that I have always believed that changing your workout routine every six weeks is essential.  That might not mean finding something different to do, but to increase your intensity.  Finding a good variety of cross-training routines can help you either jump around or to change your workout goals and training plans seamlessly every six weeks. This only aids in weight loss and muscle growth as your body doesn't get the chance to find an equilibrium.  

I do enjoy biking and hope that this sticks for a good while.  And I hope to find a century in the near future that I can train for and complete.  Any suggestions would be nice.

Thanks for reading!

The Red Line

Today was quite a day for me.  I started by straightening up the house and vacuuming, then I went outside and mowed the lawn, then I went for a 14 mile run.   I am sore, I am tired, and I am trying to get off the couch so that I can punch down the rising dough... the timer's going off, I'll be right back... ok, I'm back- doughball punched down and reformed, now I have to wait 30 minutes before I shape them into loaves, then I will go to Family Game Night at the church.

I think I may have dehydrated myself today.  When I do long runs, I always wear a Camelbak that carries 50 oz of water.  More often than not, there is still a little water in it by the time I come home.  I will often, when my miles will exceed 12, pack two additional bottles of 10 oz each, especially when it is hot out.  Generally, when I get to the last two bottles, my emergency supply, I know it's time to head home.

Today was a very warm day to run, and you know I've preached hydration, but for some reason, even though I had planned to go 14 miles, it didn't occur to me to pack the extra water.   What's more, by the time I was at about 10 miles, I noticed the 50 oz were almost gone.  There's a point in this particular route I take where you can make a decision, turn here for 12 miles, here for 13, or here for 14... I don't know what it was that made me make the turn for 14- perhaps I wanted to prove how tough I was, or I was just thinking how great a training this is, to run near empty... but in all honesty, looking back, I knew I should have turned to go home.

Sometimes the drive to push ourselves beyond where we think our limitations are overrides common sense.  I was certainly tired and sore when that time to make the decision hit, but I didn't interpret that fatigue as something to be concerned about- I just pushed through... my pack went dry by mile 12, which meant that I had 2 more miles to run, in heat, without any way of hydrating myself (fortunately, if it got severe, I did have my cell phone- though the water that comes from the cell phone usually tastes like silicone).

It was hard, but I made it home.  It never got severe, but I also didn't pee for like 3 hours after I got home and it was a dark yellow, that's when it hit me that I was approaching a danger zone.

The weather is hotter now, and when we run in hotter weather, we need to remember to drink a lot of water and stay attuned to our bodies' needs.  We can make it through, pushing the red-line, possibly going over and surviving, but we might also be doing irreparable damage to our bodies in the process.

Alberto Salazar, in his book 14 Minutes, talks about this as it relates to his 14 minutes clinical death.  14 Minutes is his autobiography.  He details his career as an elite distance runner and highlights many races that were made famous, like the "Duel in the Sun" which was a famous duel between Salazar and Dick Beardsley in the 1982 Boston Marathon.  Salazar winning the marathon by a mere 2 seconds.

Alberto Salazar had a reputation of running past the "red-line" to exhaustion and nearly died because of this at least once.  Crossing finish lines and just collapsing.  However, though he was considered extremely healthy, he still collapsed almost 25 years later and died for 14 minutes as he had a massive heart attack.  No one knows for sure why, but many of the theories go back to these events where he had heat stroke, heat exhaustion, severe dehydration, etc.  These conditions most likely weakened his heart, creating plaque, and, over the years, it all caught up.

I bring this up only to highlight that there is no need nor reason for those of us "Citizen Runners" especially, to push beyond that red-line.  It's OK to only go 10 miles instead of 14.  It's OK if we need an extra day off.  It's OK if we make a speed workout into an easy run.  We need to be careful when to push and when to hold back.  It's great to push ourselves, but we need to know when we're going too far.

We, the citizen runners, are the best advertisements for others to get outside and run.  We know the benefits and the joys and we want to share it with others.  But every time we get injured because we went too far, we feed into the lie that running is not good and give evidence for others to never try.  So please, fellow runner, heed this warning, hydrate well, rest well, eat well, don't push the red line too much, and be careful out there.

Well, it's time to shape the bread loaves, then get to game night.  God Bless you all!

Sometimes, I Like Running in the Rain

You know what?  I kind of like running in the rain.  We've had a lot of rain lately, and on Monday the rain was a gentle, steady rain.  At first I was hesitant to start the run, but after a few miles, I was reminded about the peaceful, quiet mood a rainy run can be.

For starters, no one else is outside, you are all alone... no lawnmowers, no one smoking outside, very few cars, and no outside dogs barking at you... the only thing you hear is the gentle patter of rain, your breath and your own footfalls.  There's something meditative about a run in the gentle rain.

There are times when I look outside and take note of the weather conditions and just wish that I could just stay inside, but the experience is never as enlightening or calming as a good run in the rain.  The only other similar experience is running in the snow.  These are often the weather conditions that many, including myself, have used to excuse themselves from getting outside and getting active.

I usually get a lot of thinking done when I'm running.  Entire lesson plans get completely rewritten for the next day or even the whole week on a run.  I solve social, political and economic problems on a run.  I have singlehandedly solved many, if not all, problems with educational policy and leadership on a run.  The societal ills that I make better on a run is directly related to the length and difficulty of the run.  The longer and easier the run the more complex the problem I can solve.  On a rainy or snowy run that is long and easy... you can't imagine what I can do with that.

What's surprising is that those of us who don't have enough sense to come in out of the rain, stay out there because we have learned the meditative qualities of these runs... and now I've blown our secret. It's not always nearly as unpleasant as it looks, in fact, I would say you don't really notice it all that much until the run is over and you come inside...  then you need a towel.

Or maybe we really don't have enough sense to come in out of the rain.

Obesity and Poverty- an interesting article

There is a reality to this article that I can just barely understand.  I've never known true poverty, but have certainly seen poverty.  One would think that those in poverty would be thin, too thin, but in America, those in poverty are often obese.

In Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It by Gary Taubes, the author describes a similar phenomenon with the poorest among us.  I've even blogged about it.  The fact is, fattening food is cheap and when it comes down to whole food and fruits and vegetables vs. boxed, prepared food- boxed, prepared, processed food is cheaper and easier to feed a family for many people... it also creates obesity and all the health problems associated with it.

I believe that this does not have to be so.  With proper training and support, I believe that even the poorest among us can live happy, healthy lives.  Please read this article and give me your take on it. It greatly disturbs me, but is very true for a large number of people in this country.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ann-bauer/poverty-weight_b_1500009.html?fb_ref=email_share_box&fb_source=message

Thanks!

Calling all Dietary Lifestyle Practitioners- you are invited to plead your case!

I was asked the other day if I had ever researched the Paleo movement, which I hadn't, so I looked it up.  What I found was that the Paleo movement is focused on changing a person's lifestyle to mimic that of a caveman in the paleolithic era.  The basic premise being that human beings are not living in the state in which we were designed to live.

We were not designed for agriculture, and an agrarian society is the cause of most of what ills us.  If we go back to our caveman roots, we will be healthier and full of energy.  I might add that there is a lot of exercise involved to mimic the effects of the taxing of our physical resources while hunting and gathering.  The gist is that you eat a lot of meat, berries, roots, etc- what you would eat if you were a caveman, and you would refrain from cultivated grains, etc- things you would not eat if you were in the Paleolithic era.  Of this type of diet I've always said that if you eat like a caveman, you should act like a caveman, so really, I don't have any problem with this idea in its concept.

It's coincidental that right around the time I looked into the Paleo movement that I had just read an article by Scott Jurek in Runner's World about how he lives as a vegan, but is also one of the premier elite ultra-distant (i.e. beyond the race distance of a marathon) champions in the world.  In the vegan world, you eat grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, etc- basically no animal products whatsoever.  No eggs, no cow/goat milk, no cow/goat cheese, no butter... if it had a face, you cannot eat anything that came from it.

I don't believe in coincidence.  I have literally just looked into the polar opposites in the spectrum of dietary lifestyles.  One requires a walk-in freezer/refrigerator for all the vast amounts of dead animal I might need to consume, the other requires a large root cellar and a lot of Beano to store all the plant-based product and to help reduce the gaseous emissions that will be sure to follow.

As I've stated in previous posts, I am not a fan of "movements" or "diets", but it has occurred to me that all I've really offered you is my opinion on these fads but have not offered you my experience.  I started wondering what would it be like for me to try out some of these dietary lifestyles for about a week at a time and then report on my experience.  Before I start, I will need to be careful to research each one so that I am following precisely the rules associated.

I would like to invite you to join along.  This could be a fun adventure into the unknown.  I have not decided when I will start this or which specific diets I would follow, but as a brainstorm, I think it would go a little something like this:

1 week as a vegetarian - no dead animals, but animal products are ok
1 week as a vegan- no dead animals or any animal products
1 week as a flexatarian- kind of what I do now, occasional meat, but not the central focus
1 week as a Paleo- meat, berries, roots, etc.

I am currently researching vegetarianism and trying to figure out when to start this adventure.  Any advice from anyone who knows someone or who is currently practicing these diets would be appreciated and helpful.  What's interesting is that for any of these dietary lifestyles there always seems to be research to back it up and practitioners will always plead their case- I know, because as a practitioner of minimalist running, people are always tolerating my pleas- but at this point, I invite practitioners to sell me on whatever they want to sell me on.  I'll do my own research and develop a plan, then report the results.  Anyone who wants to join in is invited.

As always, thanks for reading, and God bless!

Speed Work Works!

If you've been reading my posts on the Lynn Spittle Memorial 5K training plan I had been using, then you already know my new found commitment to short distance speed work.  For example, while training for my most recent marathon, my speed work consisted of 800-1600 meter repeats and 8-10 mile tempo runs.

Speed Work Vocabulary Development

Speed work- running specifically to develop faster speeds

Repeats- running hard for a specified time or distance, then recovering for a specific time or distance and repeating the routine

Tempo runs- training your body for the pace you would like for an upcoming race by running at that specific pace for a specified distance

Intervals- the segments of hard runs either measured in distance or time

200 meters - 1/8 of a mile (1/2 of a lap on a standard track)

400 meters - 1/4 of a mile (1 lap on a standard track)

800 meters- 1/2 a mile (2 laps on a standard track)

1600 meters- roughly a mile (4 laps on a standard track)

Fartleks- Swedish word for "speed play", intervals are varied and not necessarily consistent (there are way too many combinations to list them here)

*the test on this is tomorrow, so study if you want a good grade :-)

My goal time for this 5k was to break 22 minutes, roughly a 7:30ish pace.  I ran the course hard last week (as in 10 days ago) and finished in 22:14.  My finishing time today was 21:19 (good for 3rd place in my age group!), averaging slightly under a 7 minute mile pace.  My first mile was 6:24, at the halfway point (1.55 miles), I was at 10:15, then the hard part of the course started.  I think the speed work helped.

I did longer speed workouts for the marathon, but had never trained for a shorter distance.  I thought the shorter speed intervals would be easier than the longer ones, but I was wrong.  For each interval of time or distance there is a different challenge.  For 1600 meters, your body settles into a pace that's right for that distance, but for a 200 meter interval, your body has a world of different challenges.

Your 1600 meter pace will be much slower than your 200 meter pace, and, as I learned through this experience each distance and technique has a different challenge and a different speed.  When I did the 400 meter intervals, I was able to adjust to my lung capacity for the longer interval, likewise with the 800 and 1600 meters.  But with the 200 meter intervals, I was never able to make that adjustment, because by the time my body was putting on the breaks the interval was over and I was already in my short recovery.  It took about 100 meters before my lungs got the idea that I needed more oxygen, then all I had to do was to push through another 100 meters, then a short recovery then right back into it- after 10 times repeating this interval, my lungs and legs were burning and I was ready to collapse.  So, what I thought was a good way to "taper" the hard workouts the week of the race, turned out to be its own extremely hard effort.

I learned a lot through this experience that I will process through and try to apply to my next training for my next race- which I have not fully decided yet.  I will leave with you, however, my training plan- the first will be what I wanted to do, the next will be what I actually did.  Any thoughts, questions or suggestions are always welcome.

Original Plan

            Saturday   Sunday                Monday    Tuesday                   Wednesday          Thursday                                       Friday

Week 1    12 miles     Strength Train    8-10 mi    400meter sprint x 4   Strength Train   3 x 1 mile repeats (avg 7:45 pace)   Off

Week 2    14 miles     Strength Train   8-10 mi    400meter sprint x 6    Strength Train   3 x 1 mile repeat (avg 7:30 pace)     Off

Week 3    12 miles     Strength Train    8-10 mi    400meter sprint x 8   Strength Train   2 x 2 mile repeat (avg 7:45 pace)     Off

Week 4    16 miles     Strength Train    8-10 mi    400meter sprint x 10 Strength Train   2 x 2 mile repeat (avg 7:30 pace)     Off

Week 5    12 miles     Strength Train    8-10 mi    400meter sprint x 12 Strength Train   3 mile tempo (avg 7:30 pace)           Off

Week 6    14 miles     Strength Train    8-10 mi    400meter sprint x 4   Strength Train   3 x 1 mile repeat (avg 7:30 pace)     Off

Week 7    Lynn Spittle Memorial 5k Race

Actual

                Saturday   Sunday             Monday     Tuesday                    Wednesday       Thursday                                      Friday

Week 1    10 miles     Strength Train    10 mi      400meter sprint x 4     Strength Train   3 x 1 mile repeats (avg 6:55 pace)  Off

Week 2    10 miles     Strength Train    10 mi      400meter sprint x 6     Strength Train   3 x 1 mile repeat (avg 6:45 pace)    Off

Week 3    10 miles     Strength Train     8 mi       400meter sprint x 6     Strength Train   2 x 2 mile repeat (avg 7 pace)        Off

Week 4    14 miles     Strength Train     8 mi       400meter sprint x 8     Strength Train   2 x 2 mile repeat (avg 7 pace)        Off

Week 5    12 miles     Strength Train    10 mi      400meter sprint x 10   6 miles               3.1 mile tempo (avg 7:15 pace)      Off

Week 6     missed     12 miles                6.5 mi     200meter sprint x 10  xtrain                6.5 miles                                         Off

Week 7    5K (avg 6:55 pace)

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables

Here's an old standby meal that I threw together this evening after work, a run, and right before Thursday night worship.  I had a limited amount of time, but this meal really hit the spot- on nutrition and taste!

I boil water with a large helping of salt and whole wheat spaghetti.  The rest all happens in order in a cast iron skillet.

Saute finely diced sweet onion, after a few minutes of sauteing, put in a helping of portabella mushrooms and saute them until tender, then add black olives and toss around in the mixture for a few minutes, then add diced tomatoes and turn off the heat.  Leave the skillet on the burner and let everything cook in the residual heat.  Stir all ingredients together and then add salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and a little olive oil.  Just let it sit together while the spaghetti is cooking.

When the spaghetti is finished, drain the water, then return to pot.  Pour the mixture from the skillet into the pot with the spaghetti and stir together.  Serve in reasonable sized portions and top it off with Parmesan cheese.

This whole process takes maybe 30 minutes, but it tastes so good and is filled with nutritious goodness.

Enjoy!

Southwest Salmon Salad

Give this a try for something different!

1 5oz package of salmon
1 C plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sweet onion finely chopped
1/2 cup celery finely chopped

Seasonings to desired taste- start small and add for desired flavor
Kosher salt
Cracked pepper
Garlic powder
Cumin
Chili powder
Cayenne pepper
Cilantro
*optional- 2 TBS chia seed
*optional- craisins

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

This is my take on salmon salad.  I am not a fan of mayonnaise, so I generally shy away from these types of "salads", however, I decided to try one using Greek yogurt instead.  You could go nuts with this by adding nuts, you could add shredded cheese, you could add mustard!  Anything you want.  I served this on rye bread on a bed of spinach... yum!

The healthy part of this can't be fully appreciated.  You've got healthy proteins which are low in fat, you've got omega 3s coming out the wazoo, and there are even vegetables involved!

Give it a try and enjoy!

Accomplishments

It occurred to me today that I really like to hear people's accomplishments.  I know it sounds weird to say that, and I have felt it before, but it just hit home today.  My principal came into my classroom today to tell me about her first 10K over the weekend, just seeing the joy in her face, after having heard over time of her development as a runner, perked me up a little.

This, on the tail end of an exhausting weekend where my wife and I ended up running tandem 8 milers on Sunday after I got back from an exhausting trip to Chapel Hill to see a close friend who had just been paralyzed in a motorcycle wreck.  Just seeing his accomplishments in physical therapy in such a short time perked me up, too.

This was also the longest distance my wife had run in preparation for the upcoming Lynn Spittle Memorial 5K next Saturday.  What was cool is that my boss and my wife have the same goal to find a 10 mile race to start preparing for a half marathon in the future.

Over the weekend, I was talking to one of my friends who came with me to Chapel Hill about running and why I do so much of it.  I told him the brief version of my story and that, in the past, I, too, hated running.  I told him that I learned to love running after I got in shape and that to really understand the joy in running, you have to go a little farther than just a couple of miles.  In fact, I usually hate my run until after I've crossed over 5-7 miles, then I get into my groove and the rhythm takes over.

What I love is to hear from others who have found this same joy in the sport that I love.  I know that at the beginning, it was very hard for them and the idea that they would ever strive to run more than 5 miles, much less a 13.1 mile race was ridiculous, but after a while, they started to go longer- then, the ludicrous seemed possible, then it became a goal.

This is what I love.  This is why I teach.  I take great joy from watching others go beyond themselves and accomplish things they never knew were possible, because I know what it takes to do it.  I know the wall, I know the mountains that need to be moved and I know the seemingly incomprehensible odds at the starting line of the race, but they start anyway.  I know the elation of the finish line and feel connected to those who have crossed it- so I feel their joy as they celebrate.

We may not be able to see the finish from the starting line, but we know it's there... anyone who has crossed the finish line knows that it's just the beginning.  There are more races to run, mountains to move, and strength to be gained.  We know it's worth pushing ourselves beyond our perceived limitations because the more we do it, the wider the boundaries become.  Our accomplishments are only as big as we allow them to be.  Through the strength of God and our willingness to accept the challenge, we can push through anything and create our own new normal.

I believe this can happen with my principal, with my wife, with myself, with you and with my friend, and that's why I enjoy hearing of other's accomplishments.  These accomplishments just prove it.  Thanks for sharing and God bless!

Fastest 5K to Date

I've never really kept track of my 5K times, but I do know one thing, I'm more likely to bonk in a 5k than in any other race.  It's so much shorter than my preferred distance that I generally start off really fast (for me) at about 6:40ish mile pace, then somewhere in the second mile my lungs give out and I start to slow down.  By the time I reach the finish, I'm stumbling through the finish line gasping for air, generally around 23-24ish minutes.

For the Lynn Spittle Memorial 5k (May 12), I decided to try something different... train for it!  So these last 6 weeks, I've been working on my speed.  Turns out that if you want to go faster, you have to train to go faster.  So, I used my Tuesday runs to be speed work outs and Thursday to be tempo runs.

For those who don't know the lingo- Speed workouts - you run hard for short distances to develop lung strength and quick snap muscles in the legs; Tempo runs - you run for a set distance at race pace in order to train your body to run at that pace.

For my speed workouts, I build up to 10 x 400 meter sprints with a 400 meter recovery.  This means I ran hard for roughly a 1/4 mile then jogged for 1/4 mile.  I repeated this sequence 10 times.  For tempo runs, I started by running 1 mile repeats trying to keep relatively close to the fastest I can go that distance.  I did 1 mile x 3 for a couple weeks, then 2 miles x 2 for a couple weeks then there was today when I ran a 3 mile x 1 repeat on the 5K course.  I called this my race simulation day.  It's also about 10 days from the race, which gives my muscles and lungs both time to absorb the workout and to recover from it.  This was my most intense week.

Well, it turns out that training to go faster works.  Because on a humid, sunny day, in non-ideal running conditions, I ran the 5k course in 22:13 minutes, which is good for a PR... of course, now I got myself thinking that I might be able to break 22 next Saturday.  Wish me luck!

Rice and Beans

I always recommend dry, raw ingredients over canned.  There is more flavor and more nutrients when you cook from scratch, plus you get to decide the ingredients.  Sometimes, however, life just gets too compact to make everything this way, so more often than not, we get into a routine of canned or pre-fab food.  However, with a little forethought and organization and just good old fashioned food knowledge, you can prep a day or several days in advance to create a meal that's healthy, tasty, and quick to prepare.

Tonight's dinner was a simple rice and beans.

I started this meal last night right before I went to bed.

1/2 cup brown rice (usually takes an hour to cook)

1/2 cup dry red beans (usually takes an hour to cook)

2 cups homemade chicken stock

*Optional vegetables- celery, tomatoes, spinach

Mix all together in a container the day or a few days before you plan to cook it.

Come home from work and pour all ingredients into a medium size pot with a lid.  Bring to boil, then let simmer for about an hour.  Add salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin to taste.  

Now, I know what you're thinking- but I need to go before an hour... well, maybe this isn't the meal for you this night.  There are a lot of meals you can prep the night before, I've got a lot in former posts and will continue to post little hints, ideas, recipes, etc from time to time.  Just remember, experiment with different ideas and plans and find what works for you.

Enjoy!