How to run faster, now

There is no secret to running faster.

However, there are little tricks you can implement on race day to get you through the distance sooner.

Here are a few methods of finishing anything from a 5k to a 100 mile ultra marathon faster. And the best thing is they have absolutely nothing to do with your fitness level or training.

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Kyle's Position Paper

My Position on...

Heel vs midfoot striking
Heel and midfoot striking is of secondary importance compared to where your foot makes initial contact with the ground in relation to your center of gravity. There is a very strong difference between landing heel first with a straight leg, relaxed musculature, and very dorsiflexed foot out in front of your body than with a bent knee under your center of gravity.
Landing Pattern is a result of many factors:
Current speed compared to habitual speed
Slope of road
Footwear
Cadence
Footwear actually has little to do with landing pattern. Look at the elites for example. Most of them are in cushioned footwear with raised heels, yet many land with a midfoot strike.
I like the term “wholefoot” as it is more vague and well rounded. While running at habitual speed, landing should generally be made not too far forward and not too far back on the foot, almost flat/whole footed. If you speed up, you land farther forward. If you slow down, you land farther back towards the heel.

Overstriding
While the scientific (and non scientific) communities cannot agree on a foot strike pattern that is optimal (as there is not one) there is a strong consensus that overstriding is a negative characteristic of running form.
An overstrided heel strike is very different than a slight heel strike under the center of gravity. Under the COG, even a heel strike will be quite minimal, and even difficult to see with the naked eye.

On form vs footwear
Running gait is more related to the current speed of the runner in relation to their habitual pace as well as terrain than footwear. That being said, different shoes do of course make a slight difference. SKORA aims to design footwear that interferes as little as possible with the natural movement and position of the foot and entire body.

On Cushioning
It does indeed have a purpose. It has been shown that cushioning does increase running economy. This is due to less muscle activation being required to dampen soft tissue vibration from impact with the ground.

On injuries
Footwear does not inherently cause injuries. Poor biomechanics, muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, lack of fitness for current training level - These cause injuries.
Injuries are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. The best remedy is first to look at the above injury causes and determining what is lacking from you.

On pronation/supination/orthotics
Shoes should allow for natural foot movement and offer protection against elements and conditions.
Some people may have certain foot conditions that do require orthotics however.

On shoes and injuries
Multiple studies have shown that regardless of your foot shape and movement (high arch, low arch, overpronator, supinator, neutral, etc) a Neutral shoe may be the best choice and lead to less injury incidence. That is even compared to “over pronators” being placed in shoes meant to remedy this.
As stated above, shoes are not as much a source of injury as weaknesses and inadequacies. Thick, supportive, and stiff shoes may however, mask these weaknesses and inadequacies.
There is nothing to say that a midfoot/forefoot landing results in less injury. Research is extremely inconclusive on this subject.

On fastest/best shoe
The fastest bike for a person is the one that fits them the best. That is our philosophy behind shoes as well. The fastest shoe will be the one that makes the person feel the best and is the most comfortable for that person.

Strength
Research has repeatedly shown that footwear with less cushion is less economic than footwear with more cushion. This makes sense since the cushion literally takes some of the “beating” away from the muscles, so the muscles have to do less work to absorb impact and stabilize the body. While this may make a body less economic while running, it serves its purpose of strengthening the body.
Emery et al 2005 found that “wobble-board training strengthened the small and large muscles and provided more all-around development, especially for muscles crossing the ankle joint, where many small muscles may be involved in motion and motion control.” in a similar way that barefoot /  very minimal shoes may.

On Efficiency
Running barefoot/ultra minimalist does indeed lower efficiency for a period of time. This is simply due to this type of running requiring more recruitment of more musculature. This does cause the lower leg muscles and Achilles tendon to strengthen over time. However, as with all new stimuli, the body will adapt back to its set point.

What is proper running form?
Landing under your body.
Not overstriding
Small amount of vertical oscillation
Small amount of rotation

Your 5 new favorite speed workouts

Speed sessions serve a multitude of benefits. These include physically preparing the body for the stresses and effort that it will encounter during a race. Mentally, they show the athlete that they can run at speed and train the mind to deal with the discomfort that comes with it.

The following speed workouts can all have their respective distances and/or paces modified to suit your goals and fitness level. And do not forget to always begin and end every speed session with a proper warm up and cool down!

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Best Natural Workout Supplements

I'm a fan of more natural forms of pre/during/post workout supplementation.

Here are a few of the option that I have used this year that I've really enjoyed. I feel they are far superior than the traditional powders and "protein bars".

Also, anything purchased through the Amazon.com links give back a little to this blog, and any purchases through this website are much appreciated!

Thunderbird Energetica

These basically rock my socks off. The tastes are quite good, probably the best among the raw bars that I've had. They are a bit smaller than my other bar option below. These are also less calories and a bit softer.

Bearded Brothers

This bodacious blueberry is so.good. Pretty spectacular. These are a bit more dry than the Thunderbird bars, but not nearly so much as LaraBars. These are a little more calories per bar, but feel much more filling than the Thunderbird or Lara bars.

PocketFuels Naturals

These are interesting as they are blends of nut butter. I actually made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of my first one. They are great post workout, and some have even used them during workouts. You can eat them as is or dilute them a bit to make something that resembles a gel.

What is super cool is that you can buy a large 20oz bag and that can be used to refill the smaller ones! The 20oz bag is very reasonably priced for regular almond butter, and this is a bit extra ordinary to say the least.

Is static stretching the best for flexibility?

Many things that you may have been told in grade school gym class have been proven to be not only wrong, but dangerous. One of those is the issue of stretching. This is not an article on why some forms of stretching are more desirable than others, but an article on one method of healthy and effective stretching.

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Father's Day Card

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Just made dad a fathers day card on Shutterfly :)

Everyone chases after happiness, not noticing that happiness is right at their heels.

 –Bertolt Brecht

-----
One day a fisherman was lying on a beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. “You aren’t going to catch many fish that way,” said the businessman. “You should be working rather than lying on the beach!”

The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”

“Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!” was the businessman’s answer.

“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman, still smiling.

The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!”

“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman again.

The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions. “You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!” he said.

“And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.

The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!”

Once again the fisherman asked, “And then what will my reward be?”

The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”
-----

Recently I read this and it very heavily applies to my current life situation.

I am, for the most part, doing exactly what I would do if I had enough money that I did not have to work. I spend my days running, reading, researching, and writing.

Of course I'd like to have a little extra spending money to not live off of primarily oatmeal, rice and soaked beans. To have some cash to be able to travel. And it would be great if Desi and I did not have many thousand of dollars in school loans. But these are just little impermanent things that will pass in time.

If anything, being forced to live a rather simple life has really helped me to, as Socrates said, find the secret of happiness by developing the capacity to enjoy less, instead of by seeking more.

For the most part, my life right now is pretty much exactly what it would be like if I won a 20 million dollar lottery. I would still buy all my furniture at garage sales. Shop the sale racks at Target. Pick up coins that I find on the sidewalk during runs. And buy extras of my favorite food products when they are on sale.

As the businessman from the above story suggests, I could work harder and hard and harder....more and more and more...But what would that accomplish? I would literally end up exactly where I am right now. Running, reading, researching, and writing. Of course I want to become better at my craft, but there is a difference between being busy and being productive, I think. Many people confuse the two! My goal is to become more efficient. Be able to do more, over less time, while doing a better job! Loving what I do, of course helps greatly :)

It was difficult in the beginning to be happy with less, but I'm finally "getting it". I'm enjoying spending time, instead of spending money. At the same time, I am also becoming better and better every day, to really appreciate the time spent!

What I'm trying to say, is that I am quite happy.

10 Reasons You Are Not Improving

"To improve upon an athlete's personal best, we should not look at the training that he has already done; rather, we should look at the training that he has not already done." -Renato Canova

As Mr. Canova has said, to seek improvement, examine your past training and see if anything is missing. Do not perform more of what you have been. Perhaps in the list below, you will see something that you have not already done. As we know, the most common way to get out of a training plateau is to try something new!

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Can't quit cold turkey

I've abstained from alcohol for a number of months now. There are a couple of reasons for this, but that is not the topic of this post. Through not consuming alcohol, recently I've noticed something about my battle with food.

This same thing applies to vegetarianism and avoiding meat. One can survive without meat. Not eating it will not kill a person. The same goes for people who wish to avoid gluten, or something they are allergic to. Stopping cold turkey is no problem.

Going a lifetime without putting a bottle of beer or a wine glass to your lips is, obviously, possible. You can live without alcohol. On the other hand, you simply cannot live without food. 

I'm not saying food issues are more difficult than alcohol. They are just difficult in different ways. If one is trying to quit drinking or attempting to stop smoking, quitting cold turkey is not going to negatively affect your health. However, if one wishes to stop binge eating, to stop consuming added junk food, or to avoid excessive snacking, one cannot simply stop eating food. 

To quit smoking, a person can avoid all interaction with cigarettes. Never touch one again. But a person battling food addiction must still eat! 

It's difficult to explain. Many meals are almost like teasing, or tempting. Each meal is a test of my strength. I have to practice mindful eating - and often I fail. 

Stop eating when satisfied, not when full or stuffed.

Don't eat that candy bar, it will result in regret.

This is not hunger, it's boredom. 

Sometimes I wish I could just not eat. I've literally said that before. Laying on the couch after a food binge...half asleep...feeling like my stomach is going to explode and my body is shutting down...I've said I am never going to eat again, ever. 

But, of course I must.

Plan meals like training?

So last night I binged for the first time in, well I can't even remember. Probably at least a month. I can't believe how much food I ate!

Within a 3 hour period, I ate:
2 packages of Ramen
2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches
1 bowl of rice and beans with some peanut sauce
A tiny cupcake
Pretzels and hummus

I felt like pure crap after that. I was incredibly low on energy and lethargic. Even took a nap! I'm grateful I did not consider purging, I was probably too tired to even do it!

So, something I have thought about doing for a long time...planning meals like I plan training. Maybe at the beginning of the week, or possibly the morning of, plan out what and how much I am going to eat during the day.

There are many potential benefits to this
1) I can better look at how my nutrition affects my running and mood.
2) Potentially reduce binges
3) Make certain I consume not too much, and not too few, calories
etc

We'll see, today is the first day of this!

Has anyone else planned meals like they plan training?

Week 40 Day 6

Prescribed: 5k PR
Executed: 7 second PR!
This was a solo time trial at the local track. There was actually a race going on at the same time I was running, but due to the course I did not think I could PR. Thus I decided to tackle this solo. 
Mile Splits: 5:48 5:42 5:53 :37
This TT was no where near as easy as the 18:22 one a couple weeks ago! I suppose that's to be expected since the first 2 miles during this run averaged 11sec faster per mile. I actually did not plan on going out that fast today, but I simply did not pace very well for some reason.

Mile 1 was fairly relaxed. However, doubt starting creeping into my head during mile 2. I was really struggling! I came so close to just calling it quits, maybe try again tomorrow. I took the next lap a bit easier and picked up the pace to bring it home. I did not look at my watch at all for the last 1.1 mile. Once I reached the end and hit STOP on my SUUNTO, I actually did not think I made my goal of going under 18:07. But, lo and behold, 18:00.0!

During the write-up of the 18:22 time trial, I said I felt relaxed and comfortable for most of the distance. However, during this 3.1 miles I definitely hit "I feel like I'm going to poop and/or throw up" effort ;)

Big thanks goes out to my coach Peyton Hoyal! I'm now the fastest I have ever been in my running career!!

Sports Beans Review

Sport Beans are exactly what you think they would be. Jelly beans. The "sport" part comes from extra fluff like electrolytes and some vitamins. I've never been entirely accepting of the benefit from such additives to sugar and calling it "sports nutrition".

Once I paced a lady for 52 miles off of nothing but dried cherries (carbs, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants), gummy worms (sugar and fun to eat), and green tea (antioxidants). Literally, nothing else entered my mouth for 52 miles, and it was an amazingly successful run.

The first thing I noticed was the resealable top, this was a pleasant surprise. Next was that some flavors were really great, and some were very bad. I would definitely not use a variety pack during a run, but before/after it's no problem. The last thing I noticed was that these beans made me extremely thirsty. Worse than a GU. I suppose if you have water, this would not be a bad thing, but if you take these and you're maybe not near an aid station or with a bottle, it would be uncomfortable.

PROS
Most of them taste great
Electrolytes (for those that want that)
Resealable package

CONS
Makes you SUPER thirsty
Price compared to bulk jelly beans

Frankly, I have used gummy worms and gummy bears during races, with zero adverse side effects. I would be more likely to use the resealable bag to put regular Jelly Beans back into it.

Week 40 Day 2 - EZ/MOD 60

Made some tea!

Prescribed: EZ-MOD 60 minutes
Executed: 9.18 miles in 1:09:45
The temperature was abut 85F and it was quite windy. Like, wind you have to lean into. This was really the first time I've ran all year where I probably ran slower due to the heat. A train was crossing the road a mile away from my apartment, so I did a couple laps around a few blocks before heading on towards home. 

• 9am - breakfast
• Oatmeal
• 9am - General Strength & Mobility
• AIS, rolling, and strength
• 12:45 - Pre run
• Peanut Butter GU
• 12:50 - RUN
• 2:00 - Post Workout
• Thunderbird Energetica Bar - Almond Cookie Pow Wow
• .5 cup pinto beans
• 3:30 Lunch
• Oats, natural syrup, banana
• 6:30 Dinner
• Scallop potatoes & veggies

GU Peanut Butter Review

Before yesterday's run I took down this GU Energy Peanut Butter flavor.

Let me tell you, this stuff is great! I do not like the packaging quite as much as the Clif Shots for the sole reason that the little tab does not stay connected. However, it may be a bit easier to get the gel out of the GU packaging than Clif's, and far far easier than the Vi Endurance that I tried.

PROS
May be the easiest packaging to squeeze gel out
Tastes fantastic
Small amount of amino acids

CONS
Top does not stay attached
Slightly more expensive than Clif

If you wish to purchase some, I'd love it if you would use this link. A small % of the sale will come back to this blog. 

Thank you!

Week 40 Day 1

Prescribed: Rest

• 8am - 60 minutes General Strength & Mobility
• Strength, AIS, rolling
• 10am - Breakfast
• Oats, banana, blackberry syrup
• 1pm - Lunch
• Oats, couple cut up strawberries
• 3pm - Snack
• PB&J
• 5:30 - Dinner
• 2 packets of ramen
• 7:00 - 50 minutes GSM
• Drills, strength, AIS
• 9:00 - Dinner again
• Ravioli

Have my cake but won't eat it

My mother's birthday coincides with Mother's Day. A friend she works with made her a cake earlier in the week and on Saturday she brought 2/3 of it over to Desi and my apartment since she was done eating it.

Honestly, most of the treats she brings over to us, just get thrown away. We've never told her this, of course. It makes her feel good. Last time it happened her and dad made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and brought the leftovers to us later in the day. I think Desi and I shared one, and threw the rest away.

Anyway, back to the birthday cake.

It was only the cake and me in the apartment during the afternoon. Eventually I put a wash towel over it so I could not see it every time I walked into the kitchen.

When Desi returned from her school's graduation, she said she ate a cupcake at one of the parties and did not need any cake. So I dumped it into the garbage, without even touching it. I even had to take the saran off of it, before putting it into the garbage. In the past, I've literally thrown away a half box of oreos after bingeing on the other half, but taken the box out of the garbage later in the evening to finish it off. None of the oreos actually touched other garbage since they were in the box, but it's disturbing none the less.

But I knew the cake would never be truly, not an option, until it was literally garbage. So, the wrapper had to come off. Only then, would I 100% not be tempted by it.

And it worked! Even while it was on the counter, I stuck by my guns and never even touched it :)

I just kept thinking, "For the Race". That's my motto when it comes to food amounts and types now. I've even written it on the back of my hand. A cake will not benefit any of my future races, so I'm not going to eat it.

And I feel better and stronger because of it!

Week 39 Day 7

Watertown doesn't have much going for it, but it does have great bike paths!

Prescribed: EZ 80 min

Executed: 10.38 miles in 1:19:35

This was a really great bike-run for Desi and I. The temperature was a perfect 55-60 degrees with a very slight NW wind. I started the run with thin gloves and a shirt, and was perfectly comfortable. I've been running without having my iPhone alert me to my pace, the only feedback it was giving me was the time. I simply ran at an easy conversational pace, always able to talk very comfortable to Desi. Looking at the splits below, I can't help but be incredibly pleased by the great pacing. My effort level reflects the numbers exactly. I started off quite easy and very gradually picked it up as the run went along, but it still always remained at a comfortable level. 

Splits: 8:37 7:28 7:45 7:37 7:43 7:35 7:29 7:29 7:39 7:25 3:09

• Breakfast
• Pancakes, peanut butter, sugar free syrup
• RUN
• 2 sips of water
• Post Run
• few spoonfuls of pinto/black/garbonzo beans
• Perfect Fit protein powder
• Lunch
• Veggie pizza at an Italia restaurant at a birthday dinner for my mother
• Snack
• Mexican Hot Chocolate in soy milk

Perfect Fit Protein Review

This was actually the first brown rice protein powder I've ever had. I remember drinking Vanilla flavored protein back in high school. Since than I've really only used hemp protein, which was generally not pleasant tasting. I would actually drink it quickly and try not to taste any of it.

However with this packet, I put simply mixed it in with some cold water and drank it while while doing some core work.

The flavor reminded me of a vanilla soy steamer, which is simply a vanilla latte without the espresso shot in it. If I had more than just a single sample packet, I would definitely mix this in with some milk. I imagine that would taste quite good.

PROS
Organic
Only 5 ingredients
Great packaging
Sugar free
Complete amino acid profile

CONS
Protein from only a single source (organic sprouted whole grain brown rice)
I've never been a big one for protein powder, but this does seem to be a really good option

If you would like to purchase some, using this link will provide a small % back to the blog with no charge from yourself.

Thank you!

Week 39 Day 6 - Moneghetti Fartleks

Today's workout

I consider the Brookings Marathon my hometown marathon, since my true hometown does not have one and I spent 5 years of my life going to the university in Brookings. It is the only marathon I have ever ran. Today is the 42nd running of the event. I was hoping to do the Scotty Roberts 5k, which is held during packet pickup the day before. However, due to not having any money I had to skip it.

Anyway, instead I did a workout called a Moneghetti Fartlek. I wrote the structure on my forearm so I would not forget while executing it ;)

During my warmup I did one mile very easily. This is followed by some drills and strength work. Next I run a slow half mile with a few strides, and go into the workout.

This practice is structured as so:

• 2x (90sec fast + 90sec moderate)
• 4x (60sec fast + 60sec moderate)
• 4x (30sec fast + 30sec moderate)
• 4x (15sec fast + 15sec moderate)

The fast segments were anywhere from 5:15 to 5:45 pace, while the slow ones were generally 6:30 to 7:00 per mile. I had hoped to come close to 18:30 at 3.1 miles, but due to the wind 19:20 would have to work. 

• Pre run
• Vi Endurance
• RUN - 6 miles in :45
• Post run
• Thunderbird Energetica bar
• Breakfast
• Pancakes
• Lunch
• Steamed rice and veggies with some beans and a bit of sauce
• Dinner
• Tostadas

Notice how the quarter of a birthday cake my mother brought over is not on the list. It's in the garbage instead. 

Vi Fuel - Review

I had never heard of this brand before trying this chocolate flavor out. Opening it was quite easy, however it does not have the little tab to save the top like Clif Shots have.

The taste was quite bad. It's hard to mess up chocolate, but these guys did. I cannot speak for their other flavors, but I would not recommend this particular variety to anyone.

PROS
It has sugar in it?

CONS
Tall packaging, makes it difficult to squeeze it all out with your teeth
No tab to keep the top on after you open it
Tasted horrible

Clif Shot RAZZ - Review

Clif has always been one of my favorite supplement brands. They are less sporty and more outdoorsy, which is kind of appealing to me. They also use many more natural and organic engredients than some other brands.

Their Razz flavor is the one I've used the most. In the past when I was doing more cycling and triathlon races, I would buy individual packets to use during these races, and it was almost always the Clif Shot RAZZ flavor. The taste is just like the name makes it sound, fruity but kind of zingy at the same time!

PROS
Thin but not liquid, comes out easily
Fantastic flavor
Tab keeps the top attached after you open it
Cheaper 24 pack than GU
90% organic
Easy to squeeze out

CONS
Compared to other brands, non that I can think of.

If you'd like to purchase some, I ask you to use this link, because a small percentage will come back to support this blog without costing you anything! 

Thoughts on Abercrombie, from an ex-obese

These are my thoughts, coming from an ex obese high school student who could not buy Abercrombie.

Some of the biggest news on the internet this last week was on Abercrombie's CEO Mike Jeffries saying he has no interest in his company producing clothing for plus size individuals.

"We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends," Jeffries said. "A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely."
Abercrombie does not sell jeans larger than a size 10, and there is no XL in women's sizes.

The way he said it was less than eloquent. However, I have no problem with them not making clothes for people at unhealthy weights.

Mr. Jeffries made the statement in a rather poor way. Something more so along the lines of Abercrombie going after the physical healthy sized kids with positive attitudes and good social lives would have been much more acceptable. 

"Since when is size 12 plus size, I thought it was...normal?"

In the last few years, some apparel marketing has started using plus size women for their advertisements. The average women in the US is a size 16. Unfortunately, in this case it is not ok to be average, since the average person in the US is overweight or obese! Overweight people look at these advertisements and think they are being done a good, because the brands are finally accepting them.

I weighed 80 pounds more in high school than now. I've grown to dislike the "it's fine, you're perfect just the way you are" marketing approach of some clothing lines. Because no, someone that is 250 pounds at 40% body fat is not ok and perfect. They are doing a disservice to themselves and their family by being OK with a higher risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Cancer, Sleep Apnea, ETC.

It is not OK to be at a higher risk for these conditions, and I am never going to say to someone, "You're perfect just the way you are, at a size 16." I firmly believe anyone that says they are ok being overweight, smoking 5 cigarettes a day, or living off of pizza is simply in denial. Looking back at my overweight self, I was completely ignorant. My goal in life is to now be the best version of myself, that I can.

Fit is sexy

I can't imagine someone losing 80 pounds, being at a healthy and physically fit weight, and thinking to themselves, "Wow, I was so much happier when I could not run and struggled getting up stairs, and my back hurt all of the time."

Social Issues

Now, I am well aware of the social issues with being overweight. I am of course not ok with putting people down for how they look. Yesterday, Desi was at her school's track meet to watch some of her students compete. She said that behind her, some people were laughing at a couple overweight students who were doing some events. I wish I would have been there! I would have turned right around and put those people in their places! Shame on them for not applauding people who are working towards a life change!

Benefits of having a gym membership

For the end of March and during April I received a free gym membership at a SNAP Fitness. I've always been one to actually enjoy the "security and structure" of a treadmill run. During this time at SNAP I've noticed many benefits of training indoors at a gym. 

Safety

This was the main reason I tried the location out. Here in SD in March and April the roads are still icy at times. I've slipped on 4 occasions and each time felt worse than the previous. For any future winter with ice/snow, I will spend it running indoors. The cost of falling on ice is potentially much greater than a simple monthly gym fee.

Ancillary Work

The amount of extra strength, balance, stretching, etc that I do at the gym is easily 2 or 3 times greater than what I was doing prior. The reason is clear. If I end a run at home, the last thing I want to do is spend 10-20 minutes laying on the ground foam rolling, doing body weight work, etc. I want to get in the shower and eat! However, if I'm at the gym, ancillary work happens easily. During EZ runs, I'll often take a break from running every mile or 15 minutes (depending on length of run) and do lunges, squats, 

Being among people

You know, sometimes it is just nice to see other people. Outside of races, I've maybe ran with people 3-5 times in the last couple years. It's not like I'm chatting with the other gym goers, but it's just nice to see other people being active. 

Week 38 Day 6 - 5000m Time Trial

Check it out! Someone left a brownie for me at the track for my post workout calories!

This was the 3rd fastest 5k I have ever ran, and the fastest I have ran in 2 years and 6 days. 5 months ago during a race I only ran an 18:42. I feel if I had been able to do the race this morning I could have "easily" went under my PR of 18:07.

5000m time trial
I had to skip out on the actual race this morning, but still managed to get to the track & do a solo 5k. 
Mile 1: 5:56 - I went out feeling incredibly comfortable. There was very little effort involved in this first mile.
Mile 2: 5:57 - Mile two also felt quite good. I would not even go as far as to say there was any discomfort involved. It was only during the last half of this mile that I really had to put any effort into my running.
Mile 3: 5:51 - Even the first .75 of this mile was not terribly difficult. What I'm trying to say is... I never got to "I'm going to poop and/or throw up" effort. 

This 5k never really approached race effort. Even the last mile was probably only comparable to the 2nd mile of a true race.

Going into this, I was not sure what to expect. I have only been running outdoors for a couple weeks, and before that all of my hard efforts were done on a treadmill for the previous 6 weeks. And before that? The ground was covered in snow and ice. So, it has been a while since I've really tested myself outdoors on a clean path.

Needless to say, I am obviously pleased with how the training went over this last winter!

SKORA for Mother's Day

I admittedly run in Form and Phase most of the time, and have a bright pair of FLO Yellow Bases that I race in. But the Core is my casual shoe. Even if mom is not a runner, she'll love these :)

Transitioning to Minimalist Shoes

What to Expect, What You’ll Feel, How You’ll Respond
By Peyton Hoyal

In the past few years, there has been a paradigm shift in the design of running shoes to more minimal cushioning, lower heel heights, and greater flexibility to allow the foot to move in a more natural manner. Most major name brands in the industry seemingly halted all other pursuits once this trend went mainstream to create a minimal line of footwear to accommodate this change of philosophy. As a competitive runner who had often trained in racing flats before this trend came about, I was pleased to see whole lines of minimalist shoes on the market to choose from by early 2010. However, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think “Do these companies really believe in the merits of minimal footwear, or are they just trying to match their competition?”

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Week 38 Day Day 3

Post workout routine. 45min of strength, flexibility, mobility, and rolling while
watching Battlestar Galactica. 

• Breakfast
• Oatmeal - 330 cals
• Brunch
• Stir Fry - 200 cals
• 8 Clementines - 300 cals
• Ramen - 475 cals
• Run
• Post run banana - 90 cals
• Lunch
• 3 bean burritos - 630 cals
• Dinner
• Oatmeal + Banana - 330
• Bagel + Creme Cheese - 330 cals

Calories in: +2800

Calories out: -2600

PRO: 13% (90g)

CHO: 70%

FAT: 17%

For some reason this morning I just could not help but be hungry! I ate an early breakfast, because I was uncommonly hungry early on. Next a threw a bag of frozen veggie and some curry spices into the wok and cooked those. Next I had some noodles and a small amount of peanut sauce. Oh, and don't forget the 8 cuties! Even with all the grazing, I'm happy with how the day went. Calories were right in line what what I would like to hit. 

Add some spice to your life

Tea with some cinnamon & just enough soy milk to change the color

I've been trying to sneak some extra nutrition into my diet lately. Part of this is includes throwing some cinnamon into my tea. Most days I at least have 1 or 2 mugs of tea. The cinnamon does give the air around my cup a very pleasant odor, but only changes the taste slightly.

After some searching around, I found a nice article highlighting 10 health benefits of this spice.


Lower Cholesterol 
Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.

Blood Sugar Regulation 
Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Yeast Infection Help 
In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.

Cancer Prevention 
In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

Anti-Clotting 
It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

Arthritis Relief 
In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.

Anti-Bacterial 
When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.

Brain Health 
One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

E. Coli Fighter 
Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.

High in Nutrients 
It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Originally posted here

Week 38 Day 2

First track workout in this pair :)

Prescribed: EZ30 MOD30
Executed: 8.03 miles in 1:00:16
I was a little aprehensive going into this run, since I was fairly sore during yesterday's short 4 miles. However during the EZ30 I felt excelptional, and averaged 7:02 for the MOD30 (goal was 7:00!). So, no complaints today!

• Breakfast
• Oatmeal - 330 cals
• RUN
• Pre: Sushi - 240 cals
• Post: grapes & banana - 130 cals
• Post workout
• Smoothie - 375 cals
• chia, yeast, flax
• kale, spinach
• bananas, berries
• Lunch
• Mushroom Ravioli - 820 cals
• Dinner
• Avocado & Hummus Sandwiches - 620

Calories Utilized: 2800-3000

Calories Consumed: 2500

PRO: 12%

CHO: 68%

FAT: 20%

Nutrition was pretty good. I'd have preferred to hit 70% CHO, but the avocado & hummus sandwiches put the fat over the top a bit ;) I was just barely under my calories for the day, so I feel good about that. I actually ate a little extra in the evening to get enough food in for the day!

Fighting the Urge

I've been doing incredibly well with my diet lately. I've always been stuck on labels and rules. Raw vegan, vegan, paleo, vegetarian, etc. I have also been focused on my weight, and maybe cutting a bit to speed up my running pace. But for the last month or so, all that has disappeared, and it has been almost liberating. I'm still not eating animals, for ethical reasons. Other than that, I simply try to focus on not over-eating and eating real whole food.

I have done some research on how the east Africans eat, and have almost started to mimic their habits. Fueling to run is the goal. I also cannot remember the last time I have binged, not in March or April, I think. Yes, I have over-eaten a few times, but these were not even approaching a binge.

Since I've not binged, I've not been tempted to purge, until last Friday. I had slightly over-eaten at lunch. As I was working, I had a documentary playing in the background. The subject was a British man who was documenting his training from average joe runner to giving everything he can for a couple years and become the fastest marathoner he possible can. The subject of his weight came up, and about how it's been creeping down and definitely helping his speed. Well, that and my slightly full stomach had the toilet calling to me. I felt bad because I have my goals and I became unfocused during that last meal, and I ate a bit too much. But than I remembered that weight is not everything. Fueling is also important, and what I ate was too much of a whole food meal (I can't remember what it was).

Gladly, I stuck to my guns and did not lower my fingers into the back of my throat and purposefully throw up. I digested the food, and it went into my body to replenish my glycogen and rebuild my muscles.

Week 36 Day 7 - Aerobic Resistance

80lbs gone & have a bit of extra skin, may remove that some day

Prescribed: EZ15 MOD30 @ 7:00 MED30 @ 6:40 EZ15

Executed: 12 miles @ 7:30 / mile

This would be my first real outdoor test in a month, and I'm very pleased with how it went. I felt comfortable the entire duration of the run. I consumed about half a waterbottle and about 100 calories of maltodextrin. Ate a few hundred calories of oatmeal about 1.5 hours prior to the run. Temp was 70F. 10mph wind. 

Splits: 8:42 8:16 7:34 7:19 7:11 6:57 6:56 6:31 6:44 6:40 8:26 8:32

• 10AM - Breakfast
• Oatmeal - 300 cals
• Noon - RUN + 100cals Maltodextrin
• 1:45 - Lunch
• Tofu/veggie loaf & baked carrots/sweet potatos - 500 cals
• 4:00 - Dinner
• Homemade fajitas - 1000 cals
• 6:00 - Walked to gas station with Desi for a once weekly treat
• Mamba candy - 300 cals

Artificial Recovery

One of the key concepts of the Paleo diet is to eat as naturally as possible, like our ancestors. Barefoot and minimalist running is centered around using a natural running gait and wearing footwear that allows this. Athletes are beginning to realize that often, letting nature do the work instead of trying to compensate with man-made processing and technology may be a better choice for optimal health and performance. Yet this type of thinking has been largely ignored when it comes to recovery.

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Week 36 Day 3 - Specific Endurance

Prescribed: Specific Endurance

WU + 6x (800m @ 5k goal pace + 200m jog) + (EZ 800m) + (600m @ best daily effort) + CD 

Executed:

8 miles in 59:36

The 800m splits were at paces per mile of 6:00, 5:56, 5:53, 5:50, 5:46, & 5:43 with the last 600m being at a 5:27 pace. TM was at a 1% incline. 

The beauty of this workout is that I ended up running 5.4k at or faster than my 5k goal pace, just will short recoveries between speed reps.

Nutrition

• 11AM Run + :30 strength and foam rolling
• Post workout 210 cals
• 1 banana and .5c of beans post workout
• 1PM Brunch 350 cals
• 1c oatmeal
• 4PM Lunch 400 cals
• 2 bananas, spinach, kale, apple, berries, chia, nutritional yeast, pepitas, flax seeds
• 7PM Dinner 600 cals
• Stir fry with rice
• 8:30 Noodles 760 cals

Felt really good today. I stuck around the apartment from 7:30-10:30 and worked. By 11, I was running. I did a 60 minute workout and followed that with 15 minutes of strength work and 15 minutes of foam rolling. After arriving home, cleaned up and had a bowl of oats. Watched some Battlestar Galactica while working. Lunch was a really great smoothie, dinner was a giant stir fry, and I finished off the day with some Ramen ;)

Total Intake

2400

PRO 11%

CHO 71% 

FAT 18%
Total Expenditure
~2800

This too shall pass

The #1 method for getting out of tough mental or physical spots in runs or races is not managing your pace, has little to do with nutrition, and is definitely not quitting. While these do matter, the most important approach for getting out of a physical or mental funk is to carry on and simply keep running!

This too Shall Pass

An old Persian proverb is probably the last thing you want to be thinking about while suffering during a run. However, keeping it in mind will likely help get through those difficult times.

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Look at that "overpronation"!

Someone better get that sub 30 10k runner a pair of motion control shoes, ASAP! /sarcasm

http://www.runblogger.com/2012/09/why-term-overpronation-should-be.html

Form of no form

Shaolin Abbott: I see your talents have gone beyond the mere physical level. Your skills are now at the point of spiritual insight. What is the highest technique you hope to achieve ?
Lee: To have no technique.

Running and martial arts are both the practice of repeating simple movements. A martial artist must practice basic technique over and over again until it becomes second nature. Take a movement and do it a million times and it becomes instinctual. The same can be done in running. Broken down into its simplest, running is a series of repeated one legged stands.

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Rise & Shine Wake-Up Alarm

As athletes, many of us wake up quite early in the morning to fit our training and workouts in around family, school, careers, etc. Just on twitter this morning, a runner SKORA follows, tweeted “Went into work for a couple hours, got a quick workout in, came home and everyone is still sleeping.”

Even if you are not waking up at 4am to run, but waking at 7am for work or school, there is a type of “alarm” that you should very seriously look at. Recently Verilux provided SKORA’s resident ultra marathoner with their Rise & Shine Natural Wake-Up Light, for use and review.

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Week 34 Day 5 - Moderate Run

Woke up with a really sore neck. I think this happens if I spend too much time (which is not very long) on my stomach while sleeping. However I think the main culprit is the 4 falls I've taken this winter on ice. I made Desi breakfast, prepared her lunch, and sent her on her way to school.

I had soaked a small amount of beans overnight, so put those on the stove to cook in water for a bit. I replied to some emails and got my gym gear and clothes all laid out for the day.

Around 8 I went to the gym for an EZ couple of miles, but my main goal was to loosen up my body with some AIS, strength work, and foam rolling. I ran 2 miles with the ancillary work between and after them.

AM 2 miles in 16:00 + AIS, Core, Foam Rolling

During the drive back home I ate an apple. Once at the apartment I made a smoothie with two handfuls of spinach, some tumeric, lemon juice, chia seeds, an apple, and a pear. I also munched on a bagel.

I next spent some time at the coffee shop & had a couple green teas with cinnamon while doing some SKORA work. Around 2 I ate 2 bananas on the drive to the gym.

Prescribed: EZ15 MOD45 EZ 10
PM Executed: 9.5 miles in 1:09:15
This was an excellent practice, I felt completely solid the entire time. To warm up I did about 20 minutes of lunges, squats, AIS, jump roping, and dynamic stretching. I started the tm at a 10:00 pace and every minute simply increased the speed .1 mph. Once I hit 6:43 per mile I left it there for a couple. The last mile I increased the speed by a few seconds per mile, but there was no sprint at the end.
Running on the tm has given me some time to work on my meditative running. I hope I can take this to the road once the weather clears up. I simply focus on my legs and my running form. You often read that you should relax your upper body while running, and that starts with your jaw. I disagree, and often find my eyelids half closing while running. I would not be surprised if people that I was falling asleep. My upper body is nearly motionless, arms tucked up and tight, but relaxed. My legs moving up and down under my body, tensing just before striking the ground and springing me back into the air. I have very little vertical oscillation while running at speed, and feel completely fluid. 
During the run I drank no water and ate no calories. Not a single time did I feel low on energy. I attribute this to even pacing and a good warm up. Muscular fatigue did not set in until the final mile during the cool down, and it was only slight. I attribute this more to the slowing of pace and changing of running form along with me no longer focusing on form, than the actual workout, as I feel I could have gone another few miles at that 6:43 pace without too much discomfort. 

Splits: 9:12

8:09 

7:25 

6:51 

6:43 

6:43 

6:37 

6:33 

7:00

Immediately after the run I drove home and consumed 3 fajitas with beans, veggies, shells, and salsa. I also tried a disgusting protein drink with almond milk that came in a StrideBox. I suppose as protein drinks go, it was not too bad. Tasted like chocolate milk. I'll never buy it, and the only reason I drank it was because it was there.

Later Desi and I went to the theatre and watched Olympus has Fallen. Good movie, I'd recommend it. After getting home I had half a cup of oat meal and chips+hummus with some green tea, while writing this post.

Purposes of the long run

Long training sessions are a defining characteristic of endurance training. All athletes know they need to be done, but many often do not consider why. Below is a list of many of the important benefits for performing such a workout.

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Confessions of an Over Pronator

For years I was told something was wrong with me. Not quite right. Not ideal. I visited experts and they made recommendations. I would walk around their office, barefoot, and they would suggest different types of support and fixes. Maybe go into a running store and jump on a treadmill to be video recorded. They would play it back to me in slow motion. Zoom in on my lower legs and show me my faults.

These experts told me I did something called “over pronation” They grabbed my ankles and pushed them inward and down, showing me an exaggerated example of what I do when I run. On the computer screen they pointed at my arch (or lack of) and said it needed some support to keep from collapsing.

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Action Wipes

In April I received a free month pass for the local SNAP fitness. We live on the western edge of town, I drive by this gym to visit most places. The only downside I've noticed in this gym is that it lacks a shower. Now, if I want to run and then go to Starbucks or the grocery store, driving back home and showering is not too appealing. I tried these Action Wipes out, and have to say, I'm fairly impressed. Here at Starbucks, I just went into the bathroom and smelled inside my shirt, totally fine. I sweated up a storm at SNAP this morning, and other than my hair, I feel pretty good. The wipes come out wet with some type of soapy material on them...similar to foaming hand soap. But it dried very quickly and it not sticky or smelly.

If you're in a position where you cannot shower and must go out into public, such as running before without access to a shower, cycling to work, or running at lunch, I would highly recommend investing in some of these :)

Should you decide to purchase some, going through this link on amazon will give back a little to the blog!

Secrets of the Uninjured Runner

We have all known the endurance athlete who never seems to become injured. There is also the athlete who has been running for three years and has spent more time injured than able to run. What does the healthy runner know that the other does not?

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Daily & Weekly Goals

“It is good to dream big, but you also need to have middle and short term goals to fuel the fire.”
- Renato Canova

Whether you run just to stay fit, beat a personal record for a 5K, or tackle the longer distances of the half-marathon and beyond, you need to set goals. As simple as it sounds, goals are the key to success, and these goals need to be incorporated into each and every run in order to achieve said success. Unfortunately, without goals we flounder and plateau. We hit a wall where we are stuck, often leaving us looking for answers. This happens with everything we do—running, typing, driving, etc.

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Week 34 Day 6 - Strength Endurance

Can't show you the shoes I'm testing ;) But I busted out an old singlet

Desi and I slept in this morning and woke up at our leisure. The sun is out today, which is very pleasing to see. I had a horrible half cup of coffee and 4 small waffles with some blueberry syrup (yum!) for breakfast.

At the gym I executed this: Strength Endurance. WU + 2x (200m @ 100% 6:00 + 400m jog) + 1x (1200m @ 5:50 w 4:00 jog) + 1 x (1k @ 5:40 w 3:00 jog) + 1x (800m @ 5:30 w 2:00 jog) + 1x (400m @ 5:20 w EZ10) 
Splits: 9:00 8:00 6;53 7:13 6:40  6:40  8:00
Another great workout! The legs and lungs felt perfect, I started with about 15 min of lunges, strength, ais, etc before moving into the run. I consumed nothing during the run, and had an apple afterwards. I also finished up with a few squats, deadlifts, and dumbbell presses. 

Once I got home I had a green smoothie, a couple veggie wraps, and a little bit of pasta and alfredo sauce.

Later on I ate more food, but the best was more waffles for dinner :)

Key Workout - Week 33 Day 3

Maybe the perfect endurance runner's food?\

Wed, April 3

AM 4 miles EZ
Prescribed: Lactic Test
Warm up
2 x (200m @ 5k pace + 400m recovery)
1 mile @ best daily effort
EZ 10 min
4 x (200 @ 5k pace + 200 recovery)
PM Executed: 1 mile in 5:24
I was hoping for 5:20, but I suppose a 5:24 is only a single second slower per lap than my goal pace, so I'm splitting hairs (is that the saying?). I'm pleased with the time, considered I was nearly napping an hour before the run and was fairly unmotivated for the TT during the afternoon. The wind was a bit excessive, I considered doing it on the road with a sidewind but opted for the track so I could better watch my splits.

Week 32

Distance: 60.1
Time: 8:26
Key work: 15% of miles

Monday

Prescribed: EZ 60

Executed: 3.4 miles in 29:00

Was not feeling great today, so cut the run in half.

Tuesday

Prescribed: Specific Aerobic Support 

3200m @ 90% 5k pace + EZ3:00 

2400m @ 94% 5k pace + EZ3:00 

1600m @ 96% 5k pace + EZ3:00 

800m @ 100% 5k pace 

Executed: wu + 6 miles in 42:00 + cd 

3200m @ 6:36/mile + 3:00EZ

2400m @ 6:20/mile + 3:00EZ

1600m @ 6:12/mile + 3:00EZ

800m @ 6:00/mile + 3:00EZ

This was a tough workout. I got a free month at a 24 hour gym for the rest of March & April since w/o a track it's more difficult to do runs like this that require a specific speed for a short amount of time. I do regret waiting so long. The cold has never been an issue, I can dress for that. But after falling 4 times this winter on ice, it was definitely not worth it. I don't like wearing spikes on my shoes since I hate running on pavement with them, where I do most of the running.The treadmill is also helping speed my heat adaptation, as it's fricken warm in there next to the giant windows! 

As for this workout, all the intervals felt "comfortable" for the majority of them. The last but fastest one was the easiest, and I would say the 2400m rep was the most difficult. 

I may have found a trick during this run. Instead of focusing so much on my chest and the pain there, I started to focus on my legs. Their movements and how GOOD they felt. I really feel that helped a great deal to get through these hard efforts. Instead of thinking about how much my chest and stomach are hurting, focus on how good my legs feel :) Got through each fast rep without stopping. I did do about 30 sec of walking after each rep before starting the EZ 3:00 however.

PM Executed 2.6 miles in 24:30

Regeneration run in the PM. Ran to a frozen yogurt place and met Desi there. I was wearing short shorts, had my huge beard, and pony tail up. As soon as I walked in, every young child simultaneously asked their parents if I was a girl or boy. 

Oh, and I went to a concert at The school were Desi teaches, with her last night. Apparently my beard was the talk of the students on twitter last night and at school today.

Wednesday

Prescribed: EZ day

Executed: 9.2 miles in 1:19:00
I ran 3 short and very easy runs today.

Thursday

Prescribed: Ez day
Executed: 7.5 miles in 1:05

Friday

Prescribed: EZ30 + MOD30 w strides + EZ10
Executed: 9 miles in 1:11 (7:53)
Really great workout, felt smooth and relaxed. 

Saturday

Prescribed: Strength Endurance
4x (90sec fast on 5% incline + 90 sec jog)
4x (60sec fast on 6% incline + 60sec jog)
4x (30sec fast on 7% incline + 30 sec jog)
Executed: 3.14 miles in 25 minutes + wu/cd
For the fast reps I averaged 6:18 per mile. the longer ones were a bit slower and the shorter ones were a bit faster. Super comfortable workout, and I found the best treadmill I've ever used.

Sunday

AM EZ 4 miles
PM EZ 4 miles

Passive Activism

Activism is engaging in an activity to inspire change. Passively doing so implies you are not purposefully acting to inspire this change, yet still stimulating it. This is something you likely do every single day.

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Never Taper Again

Taper. The word even sounds negative. It brings to mind images of dinner plates overloaded with pasta and athletes anxious because they are worried about how much they are not running. Yet, athletes also tend to use a taper as an excuse to slack off and not train.

“oh, I’m tapering”

On the contrary, the two weeks prior to the big race is the last time you want to start over eating and under training.

Instead, do not taper, but peak!

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