Recently in In Training Category

Last year was full of milestones for fitness and me. I trained for and ran my first marathon. I participated in the Ragnar Relay, where our team of 12 ran from Wisconsin to Minnesota over the course of 30 some hours.

And then I stopped. No running, no nothing.

I needed a break, so I took one. And then I got used to it, and, gosh, leisure was pretty awesome. But feeling loose in my skin is less awesome, as is the inevitable fatigue and general inertia that comes with an extended bout of laziness. So with the encouragement of my significant other, I've signed up for a May 2 half marathon and am back on the training bandwagon.

Holy cow. Starting from scratch is hard. It's also amazing how much energy I have after only a few weeks. Turns out that actually moving your body is a very effective way to inspire you to do it more. When I was on the bus this afternoon and saw a group of runners sprinting up an icy St. Paul hill, I actually felt envy.

Looking forward into 2010, I want to be very intentional about the sort of training I do. If 2009 was about proving to myself that I could do it, this year is going to be about balance. I want to respect my limits, incorporate more strength training, and figure out how to eat well and be active at the same time. Last year it was either nutrition or exercising regularly -- rarely both at the same time. (It's amazing the amount of Ben & Jerry's you can justify when you've just run 20 miles.)

Above is the half marathon training plan that I'm working with. In the name of balance, each week ends up looking a little different, but the core stays the same. An interval workout, hill repeats and the weekend long run are constants; strength training, yoga, easy runs and other cross training fill in around those three running workouts.

You can download the plan (Half Marathon Training Plan.pdf) if you're interested. It includes a glossary of the terms used, which I'll also list below.

Glossary

LSD: Long, slow distance. Run at an easy, conversational pace. Take a one-minute walk break for every 10 minutes of running (10-in-1s).

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): An intense form of interval training that involves running 30 second or 1 minute intervals at an almost all-out pace, with a recovery period in between each interval. Learn more in this great article. Because of the strenuous nature of this workout, do no more than once a week and take a rest or cross-training day afterward.

Other speed work: 400m or 800m repeats (also called Yassos) with equal recovery time in between. Pace yourself so that you can make it through all of your intervals. This means you're running fast, but not all-out like with HIIT.

Hill repeats: Start with four or five and build the number each week. Run at a 5k pace up the hill (not an all out sprint, but quickly) and jog down the hill. Rest at the bottom until heart rate falls, then do next repeat.

Fartlek ("speed play"): During regular training runs, mix it up by adding short periods where you run a bit faster (e.g., from light pole to light pole).

XT: Cross-training days are a good time to cycle, do yoga or other non-running fitness activities, and strength train. Easy run days (like Wednesday) can also include strength training, but don't over do it on the lower body work.

Tempo: Run at a faster pace than a normal training run, but not quite at race pace. Hold tempo for about a mile at a time, then take one minute walking as recovery.

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So that's what I'll be up to for the next few months. You can follow my training here and on DailyMile.

Are you training for anything? How do you come back strong after an extended off period?

(Photo by jvchuy.)

I run my first marathon in less than three days (Sunday, May 31, 7 a.m.).

Two years ago today, I had never run more than a mile. And the mile that I did run (as part of a P.E. class my senior year of college) took me about 14 minutes to finish, and left me wheezing and near tears.

I also started at Experience Life two years ago, a day after I graduated, and if you had asked me then if I would ever run a 5K (let alone a marathon), I would have thought you were crazy and laughed right at your crazy face.

A combination of self-loathing (or at least self-estrangement), positive peer pressure and slow-building momentum eventually changed that. The first time I ran a mile without stopping, I felt like I had conquered the world. My next goal was to run all the way around Lake of the Isles (about 2.8 miles on the bike path). When I made it around for the first time, in September 2007, I was smiling for the rest of the day.

It felt great to accomplish something and to see my body change and get stronger, so I kept setting goals for myself. I ran my first 5K in February 2008, my first 10K in July of the same year, then the TC 10 Mile and Monster Dash half marathon in October. Members of my running group then pointed out that a marathon training clinic was starting up, and hey, wouldn't that be fun?

I must've been drinking some strong Kool-Aid because I decided to sign up for the Minneapolis Marathon and a triathlon this summer. And while marathon training hasn't always been fun (exhaustion, weight gain, injury), I've learned just how far my body is capable of taking me -- and when I need to ease off and give myself a break.

Two years ago I was overweight, under-exercised and very unhappy. Today I'm healthier and happier than I've ever been, and I can run at least 20 miles. Consecutively. After Sunday I hope to say that I can run 26.2.

I've had lots of thoughts churning in the ol' brain box as marathon day approaches. In some ways, it's only a day, and only a race. It's a milestone, yes, but this is only the beginning of the healthy life I'm building. But, on the other hand, it represents a lot to me: the transformation that has occurred in the past two years, my ability to make lasting change in my life, and some things that I haven't even fully grasped yet. One of these things being that I must be crazy, because really. Who pays to run 26 miles?

More than anything, I find myself monumentally grateful for the support and encouragement you all have provided as I stumbled my way through training. Without my friends, family, virtual and real-life running partners, and coworkers I would never have made it this far. So a big Internet high five and sincere thank you to all of you.

(Photo by opacity)

Marathon training is never without drama, I'll say that much.

With 11 days before my first marathon, I'm nursing an unpleasant calf injury. It had been bugging me a little bit, but it was our second 20-miler that pushed it over the edge. (Lower, inside left calf, the pain is deep in there and radiates down to the ankle.)

I've drastically reduced my running (as in, I ran twice last week, and haven't run since Sunday). My running friends assure me that I could do nothing between now and the marathon and I would still be absolutely ready for the race. And I'm trying my best to believe them.

So for now, I'm resting, icing and trying not to stress. I might try to see a PT this week or early next week. Here's hoping!

(I tried to find a picture of a leg injury to accompany this post, but searching Flickr for "injury" turned up only very disturbing things. Blech!)

I'm signed up to run the TC 1 Mile this Thursday. It's a short, crowded and fun race that starts and finishes in downtown Minneapolis.

This year's course goes straight down Nicollet Mall:

When I ran the race last year, I ran it hard. This year, I've done FAR less speed work (I've become the running equivalent of a pack mule) and the marathon is only three weeks away. Now would be a really silly time to pull a hamstring just because I wanted to see if I could improve on last year's time (which isn't likely in the first place, see: pack mule).

My plan is to take the first half at my normal interval speed (about 7:30 to 8 pace), and then see how I feel. I know, logically, that it's better to play it safe. But there's something about running as fast as your little legs will take you that provides a hefty boost in motivation and inspiration.

Have any of you had experience running shorter races with a long race in the not-so-distant future? Do you temper your speed or go all out?

I haven't always been the most positive poptart during marathon training, but there are a few things that are truly awesome about it. One of these is that on a Friday afternoon, you can decide you're going to run a half marathon the next morning -- no notice, no worries!

We had a 14 miler on the books for this past weekend, so I decided to swap the Get in Gear Inaugural Half Marathon for my long run. And I am SO glad I did.

The race started and finished in Minnehaha Park, which is walking distance from my place and made for a stress-free race morning. I got to the start in plenty of time to use the bathroom and warm up in the Pavilion for a bit, where racers were packed in like sardines. Get in Gear is the largest 10k race in Minnesota and with the other events (5k, 2k and half), it was cozy.

The line for the porta-potties was insane. I shot a quick photo with my phone:

Fortunately, I found a less-popular bathroom to duck into before the race started.

I resolved ahead of time that I was going to treat this like any other long, slow distance (LSD) run. Going in with that mindset helped quell any nerves, and I started the race feeling comfortable and mindful of my pace.

The first five miles were crowded, and a lot of people passed me right off the bat. I expected this because the 10K and half marathon course was the same for the first five and the 10Kers were naturally running much faster.

I held at my LSD pace of about 10:30 to 10:40 for the first six miles or so, but then I felt so great that I started picking up speed. I didn't even notice at first because it didn't feel like I was running much faster, but I looked down at my watch and I kept seeing 9:04 and 8:50. What?!

There's no way I can sustain this, I thought to myself. But then I figured, I feel good so I may as well keep running and if I bonk, so be it. I planned on taking it slow, anyway.

The miles ticked past in what felt like no time at all (perhaps a positive side effect of doing so many 18- and 20-mile runs?), and my pace stayed right around 9 until I reached the last mile. I walked through the last water stop and evaluated how I was feeling, and because I was still feeling strong, I decided to kick it to the end.

I passed a ton of people heading toward the finish and crossed the line smiling. In fact, I don't think I've ever finished a race feeling so happy! I grabbed water and a banana and then hung around the finish to cheer on the last of the runners.

It was a fantastic morning, and I feel like I recaptured a bit of my running mojo that had gone missing these past few weeks. It also made me think that after all this marathon business is over, my new goal could feasibly be to break two hours in the half marathon.

Thanks for your encouragement, everyone! It definitely made a difference. Now it's time to put my head down and focus because we're only four weeks out from the big race. Holy way-too-soon, Batman!

Tonight marks the beginning of my favorite least favorite part of training. It's a thin -- and steep -- line between love and hate when it comes to hill repeats. Why would someone torture herself by running up and down a hill, repeatedly, until she wants to collapse?

Let us count the ways:

• It builds strength in your major leg muscles in a way that normal endurance runs don't
• It increases aerobic capacity (like any interval workout)
• Hills will help make your stride more efficient and increase ankle flexion
• Runners who do hill training maintain fitness longer when taking time off
• And we should know by now to do as the Kenyans do.

It's the psychological warfare that makes these lumps of earth so intimidating. I get butterflies in anticipation of our hill workouts, yet it's never as bad as I think it's going to be. Sometimes it's even fun. It makes me feel stronger and victorious, a sort of "queen of the mountain" euphoria. And I feel the benefits in my subsequent runs almost immediately.

If you want tips on good form for hill training, this article offers a good overview. The main things to keep in mind: run light and upright, shorten your stride, slow down, and rest in between each hill repeat.

I know I'm not the only one who has this love-'em-hate-'em relationship. Do hills make you tremble with fear, too? How do you get over the hump?

(Photo by kmonojo)

Happy Monday, everyone. In the spirit of the day (Mondays are for phoning it in, right?), I've thrown together a short update on the very exciting sorta noteworthy things that have happened recently.

Last week I bought a couple of much-needed running necessities.

This is my new running journal. It just needed one small addition. (I'm not sure how helpful a three-option emotional spectrum is, but the little faces are kind of hilarious.)

I finally got new shoes. I've put more than 30 miles on them and I still haven't decided if I like them. The ones I *really* wanted aren't made in my size (see: clown feet).

We've done our long runs in single-digit temps almost every week, which means mountains of gear. I planned it out ahead of time so I wouldn't forget something critical and end up losing an appendage to frostbite.

Fun link: After seeing my Twitter friends using it for months, I finally checked out Dailymile. It's a site that allows you to track workouts, connect with other runners/cyclists/triathletes/what-have-yous, find races in your area, and you can link your Dailymile posts with your Twitter feed. I'm still exploring, but so far I love it. Great design and practical features! You can add me as a friend here. 

Dear Marathon,

I've gained 10 pounds since I started training for you. Ten. Pounds. In less than a month of training!

Every non-runner I've mentioned this to cheerfully says, "Oh, it's just muscle weight!"

Wrong. NOT muscle weight. Muffin top weight. The kind of weight that makes your pants tight, your face bloated and your self image very depressed.

I'm not placing all the blame on you, Marathon. Sure, when you do long runs, your body naturally retains more water (that by itself that can mean a 5 pound gain). And with the mileage increase, my metabolism is roaring, which leads to insatiable hunger. But how I deal with that hunger is all on me.

There seems to be a disconnect between what I know I should eat and what I actually eat. Ideally, I would be fueling my body with an abundance of whole foods (veggies, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, berries, quinoa, brown rice, lean proteins, et al) and eliminating the processed crap that causes inflammation and imbalanced blood-sugar levels (flours, sugar, and basically anything that comes in a box or is endorsed by a cartoon character).

Now, my brain knows that if I fuel well, I will recover faster, I will build muscle more easily and my body will maintain its ideal weight. But then this crazy hunger takes over all conscious reasoning and all of the sudden -- with no warning at all! -- I am wrist deep in a quart of cookie-dough ice cream.

It's easy to justify these kinds of decisions because of you, Marathon.  "Well, I'm training for a marathon. Of COURSE I can eat anything I want!"

That's just the thing. I *could* use an increase in activity to vindicate every terrible food decision I make, but so far that has left me feeling listless, heavy and weak. I would rather make my training an opportunity to be even more aware of what I'm putting in my body and how it affects my energy, health and moods.

Before things spiral too much further out of control, I'm establishing some regulations. No more ice cream (a food I can't ever seem to eat in moderation) and no more eating after 9 p.m. I've never had trouble with this before, but now it's like I'm eating nonstop right up until I fall asleep, lonely spoon dangling from my mouth.

I'm going to keep junk "food" out of my house (if I don't buy it, I won't eat it), and I hope that in time, Marathon, if I combine my training with wise nutrition, I may actually start loving you.

Tentatively yours,

Kaeti

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Have you dealt with this pesky marathon weight gain? What did you do?

(Photo by strausser of a muffin top. Get it? Muffin top? Like my tummy but more delicious!)

As I did with the half marathon and the TC 10 Mile, I am following a training plan to get ready for the Minneapolis Marathon. I base my weekly rewards and reminders around the clipart I find on my computer.

Here's what I'm doing (more or less):

OK, my marathon training technically started yesterday.* So I only have a day's worth of perspective to offer. BUT, I have much to share after only one day!

It's hard.

No really, the phrase "run a marathon" may feel breezy and fun to say, but the actual practice of marathon running is rather unpleasant. And I've only done 15 percent of the distance at a time this week.

It's a strange phenomena to run for 30 minutes and then realize, when I'm running a marathon I will still have four. more. hours. (Insert involuntary whimper here.)

Despite the crippling fear that this inspires, I'm excited about this challenge. I'm cross-training, stretching, eating food that's actually made out of food and sleeping a decent amount. I thought I should record this particular moment in time for posterity's sake. In two months (or, heck, two days), I might be singing a very different tune.

*Stay tuned for my clip-art enhanced training program, which I will be posting in the next few days. I'm confident it will be as effective as these were.

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In the vein of goal setting and getting things done, I've decided to start my own 101 in 1001 project. You can read more about it here, but it is basically a list of concrete tasks that you want to accomplish in 1001 days (about 2.75 years).  I don't expect to finish all or even most of these, but just writing this list gives me a good idea of my vision and goals for the coming years.

Here are a few other great resources for setting attainable, realistic goals (and actually following through):

All Over It: How To Eliminate Goal-Blocking Obstacles for Good 

Envision This

Live Dynamite
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The Skillful Life
An action plan for assessing and building the skill sets that matter most to you right now.

(Photo by wallyg)