It's amazing how many excuses I come up with to explain why I can't go running. Today it was, "Nah man, we can't go running at noon...it's too hot out." The day before I was tired from standing on my feet all day at work. Earlier that morning I was groggy. The day before that I begrudgingly made it out for two miles, but the day before that I skipped out for a road trip to Los Angeles (couldn't turn down luxury box seats for a Galaxy match). Earlier that week I had a sore throat that sat me down for three days -- I probably could have run on the third day, but my legs were stiff from sitting at the computer all day...and I ate too much for breakfast...then ate a tasty, but greasy lunch...and capped the day off with a heaping helping of spaghetti marinara and pizookie (no room to run with that fantastic food lineup).
I've still got time for a run tonight, but I'm weighing my options. I should bite the bullet and get out before the sun goes down (check that, I just glanced outside and that is no longer an option...add writing blog entries to my list of excuses). I decided to wait until the end of the day, but then I ate a late dinner and Jason called me up and told me that we're bowling at 9 p.m. Bowling! I can't miss bowling! So, the run may be postponed for a later date.
The last two weeks haven't been a total waste. Although I've spent very little time physically preparing for a marathon, I've fine-tuned my diet to include the proper caloric intake for a runner putting in high mileage (note to self: better add miles to my workout plan or I'm going to get fat).
I also came to a troubling realization: running a marathon is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I put in a 6-miler last week along with a 4-miler and a 2-miler. That gave me a weekly workload of 12 miles. Added to my week one total, my mileage is at 20 total over 14 days. A marathon is 26.2 miles over about 4 hours (at my anticipated pace) and I could only muster 20 miles in 14 days. Uh oh. What have I gotten myself into? You mean I might actually have to push myself for this thing? Damn.
Week 2 Summary
Day 8: 4.6 miles, 35:19, heartrate of 132-138 bpm approx. 2 min after the run
Day 9: Off / Sick
Day 10: Off / Sick
Day 11: Off / "Sick" slash I'm a lazy bum
Day 12: 6 miles, 48:08, heartrate of 132 bpm approx. 2 min after the run
Day 13: Off
Day 14: 2.2 miles, 16:48
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Week 1
The goal this week was just to reintroduce my body to running. I've gone on maybe one-two dozen runs over the last two years (and most of those came during the summer immediately following the end of my track career as I trained with my buddy, Sky Taylor, who was trying to get a spot on the UC Davis track team).
Needless to say, with that sporadic training regimen, my body isn't exactly primed to start laying down 30-plus mile weeks. Overall, I tried to toss in some cross-training and just get my feet some use -- plantar fasciatis was a huge problem for me during my running career so I want to be sure I don't derail my marathon hopes by overtraining out of the gate.
I'm also planning to avoid weightlifting during the next few months while focusing more on bodyweight resistance exercises (push ups, pull ups, dips, etc.). Because I've never been a huge fan of weights, I'm perfectly fine making this "sacrifice."
In all, I put in 8 miles of jogging and 8 miles on the stationary bike during the week. My goal over the next seven days is to up my mileage to 15. That's closer to what I was putting in as a quarter-miler for Cal Poly during summer training (only those miles were accumulated in shorter bursts at a significantly quicker pace).
Here's a rundown of the week's events:
Day 1: 2 miles on the track, no time / 40 push ups using dome yoga ball (4x10 with narrow grip, wide grip, medium grip and 10 with the dome side on the ground using a wide grip)
Day 2: 6 miles stationary bike
Day 3: 2 miles easy jog, 19:30 / 100 push ups (4x25)
Day 4: 1 hour of racquetball / 2 miles on stationary bike / 30 pull ups (3x10), 30 trunk lifts (2x15 with 35 lb. plate), 30 shoulder press (2x15 with 55 lb. bar), burnout chin ups: 15
Day 5: No running / 2 sets of tennis / 100 push ups in 4:00
Day 6: 2 miles easy jog, no time at 10:30 a.m. / 2 miles on the treadmill at 4:30 p.m. / 30 pull ups (2 sets, 18 & 12), 20 dips (2x10), 200 abs (50 crunches, 25 side crunches right & left, 50 windshield wipers w/ 12 lb. med ball, 50 knees-to-chest)
Day 7: Off
Day 8 (today): 4.6 miles, 35:19, heartrate of 132-138 bpm approx. 2 min after the run
Needless to say, with that sporadic training regimen, my body isn't exactly primed to start laying down 30-plus mile weeks. Overall, I tried to toss in some cross-training and just get my feet some use -- plantar fasciatis was a huge problem for me during my running career so I want to be sure I don't derail my marathon hopes by overtraining out of the gate.
I'm also planning to avoid weightlifting during the next few months while focusing more on bodyweight resistance exercises (push ups, pull ups, dips, etc.). Because I've never been a huge fan of weights, I'm perfectly fine making this "sacrifice."
In all, I put in 8 miles of jogging and 8 miles on the stationary bike during the week. My goal over the next seven days is to up my mileage to 15. That's closer to what I was putting in as a quarter-miler for Cal Poly during summer training (only those miles were accumulated in shorter bursts at a significantly quicker pace).
Here's a rundown of the week's events:
Day 1: 2 miles on the track, no time / 40 push ups using dome yoga ball (4x10 with narrow grip, wide grip, medium grip and 10 with the dome side on the ground using a wide grip)
Day 2: 6 miles stationary bike
Day 3: 2 miles easy jog, 19:30 / 100 push ups (4x25)
Day 4: 1 hour of racquetball / 2 miles on stationary bike / 30 pull ups (3x10), 30 trunk lifts (2x15 with 35 lb. plate), 30 shoulder press (2x15 with 55 lb. bar), burnout chin ups: 15
Day 5: No running / 2 sets of tennis / 100 push ups in 4:00
Day 6: 2 miles easy jog, no time at 10:30 a.m. / 2 miles on the treadmill at 4:30 p.m. / 30 pull ups (2 sets, 18 & 12), 20 dips (2x10), 200 abs (50 crunches, 25 side crunches right & left, 50 windshield wipers w/ 12 lb. med ball, 50 knees-to-chest)
Day 7: Off
Day 8 (today): 4.6 miles, 35:19, heartrate of 132-138 bpm approx. 2 min after the run
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I'm Going to Run a Marathon
DISCLAIMER: I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS!
I am going to run a marathon. Me, the guy who ran sprints throughout his unremarkable track career. The guy who has never run further than 7 miles in a single workout, never raced a course longer than 3.1. The same guy who believes eating dessert should be considered a sport and has gone on the record on multiple occasions claiming, "I hate running," is going to take on a marathon.
It was sometime near midnight on Thursday or Friday of last week when Joe Okafor's name flashed across the bottom of my Facebook toolbar. "Frank, you wanna run a marathon?" Joe and I ran track together at Cal Poly (it was a brief together...I was cut after a month or two and Joe didn't go out the next season when I resurrected my lackluster career). Still, we stayed in touch a bit and played on a few baller-status (loosely defined) intramural basketball teams. However, neither of us has maintained any sort of running routine since wrapping up on the track multiple years ago, so I assumed Joe's random midnight request was alcohol-induced.
A few days later, Joe was still serious about running a 26.2 miles. With my lack of employment leaving a hefty chunk of free time, I figured, why not? So, just like that, I've decided I'm going to run a marathon.
I don't have a training plan in place, a race picked out or a pace to aim for, but the rough draft version includes a marathon that takes place in about three months (ideally on flat ground) with a steadily increasing workload at a snail's pace. Joe is set on competing (urrrr, watching others compete while we trudge along at the pack of the pack) at Lake Tahoe or Big Bear in late September. I plan on trying to convince him otherwise. As beautiful as those runs might be, they're both at altitude.
Let me tell you about my one experience running at high altitude. It was a warm, midsummer day at Lake Tahoe. I was in the best shape of my life, getting ready for my senior year of track at Cal Poly. The first half mile went smoothly, but my condition rapidly approached late-night-at-the-bars status. I carried a moderate pace through a paved trail near our cabin and thought nothing of the shooting stars that kept flashing out the corner of my eye (probably not all that uncommon in the clear, unpolluted night skies of Lake Tahoe, but highly unlikely with the sun at high noon). Soon after, the pavement started to sway and a group of small forest critters openly began to mock my running form in a Southern twang akin to my former college coach, Terry Crawford. (The last statement might be slightly fictitious, but every Cal Poly track alum can at least appreciate the humor of a squirrel yelling, "Readyyyyyyyy!")
The rest of the run didn't go so well (especially the part where I stopped and walked back to the cabin with my head hung in shame for flaming out before the mile marker). Twenty-six-point-two miles at that altitude? Not gonna happen unless they have complimentary oxygen bars at checkpoints stationed 800 yards apart.
My fitness right now is pretty crappy so this is going to be a bit of a challenge. I'm not in the worst shape of my life (see: three months ago), but I'm hardly ready to run a marathon. I've put about four miles under my belt so far this week and my legs feel great (or at leas they would if I hadn't added 6-7 miles on the bike and multiple games of racquetball). Still, I'm going to put in another 3-4 tomorrow and aim for a longer run on Saturday or Sunday. I don't know my definition of "longer run" yet, but I guess we'll find out.
The way I see it, if I train for the next three months, I should be able to handle a marathon. It's a lot harder to compete in a marathon than it is to run in one. I'm not trying to throw down a ridiculous training regimen complete with 100-plus mile weeks and a perfect diet to compete for a quick time (there's no way I'm giving up my passion for chocolate chip cookies and all other things sweet just to run a marathon). I just want to say that I have run 26.2 miles and didn't quit. So, let's get this marathon thing rollin'!
I am going to run a marathon. Me, the guy who ran sprints throughout his unremarkable track career. The guy who has never run further than 7 miles in a single workout, never raced a course longer than 3.1. The same guy who believes eating dessert should be considered a sport and has gone on the record on multiple occasions claiming, "I hate running," is going to take on a marathon.
It was sometime near midnight on Thursday or Friday of last week when Joe Okafor's name flashed across the bottom of my Facebook toolbar. "Frank, you wanna run a marathon?" Joe and I ran track together at Cal Poly (it was a brief together...I was cut after a month or two and Joe didn't go out the next season when I resurrected my lackluster career). Still, we stayed in touch a bit and played on a few baller-status (loosely defined) intramural basketball teams. However, neither of us has maintained any sort of running routine since wrapping up on the track multiple years ago, so I assumed Joe's random midnight request was alcohol-induced.
A few days later, Joe was still serious about running a 26.2 miles. With my lack of employment leaving a hefty chunk of free time, I figured, why not? So, just like that, I've decided I'm going to run a marathon.
I don't have a training plan in place, a race picked out or a pace to aim for, but the rough draft version includes a marathon that takes place in about three months (ideally on flat ground) with a steadily increasing workload at a snail's pace. Joe is set on competing (urrrr, watching others compete while we trudge along at the pack of the pack) at Lake Tahoe or Big Bear in late September. I plan on trying to convince him otherwise. As beautiful as those runs might be, they're both at altitude.
Let me tell you about my one experience running at high altitude. It was a warm, midsummer day at Lake Tahoe. I was in the best shape of my life, getting ready for my senior year of track at Cal Poly. The first half mile went smoothly, but my condition rapidly approached late-night-at-the-bars status. I carried a moderate pace through a paved trail near our cabin and thought nothing of the shooting stars that kept flashing out the corner of my eye (probably not all that uncommon in the clear, unpolluted night skies of Lake Tahoe, but highly unlikely with the sun at high noon). Soon after, the pavement started to sway and a group of small forest critters openly began to mock my running form in a Southern twang akin to my former college coach, Terry Crawford. (The last statement might be slightly fictitious, but every Cal Poly track alum can at least appreciate the humor of a squirrel yelling, "Readyyyyyyyy!")
The rest of the run didn't go so well (especially the part where I stopped and walked back to the cabin with my head hung in shame for flaming out before the mile marker). Twenty-six-point-two miles at that altitude? Not gonna happen unless they have complimentary oxygen bars at checkpoints stationed 800 yards apart.
My fitness right now is pretty crappy so this is going to be a bit of a challenge. I'm not in the worst shape of my life (see: three months ago), but I'm hardly ready to run a marathon. I've put about four miles under my belt so far this week and my legs feel great (or at leas they would if I hadn't added 6-7 miles on the bike and multiple games of racquetball). Still, I'm going to put in another 3-4 tomorrow and aim for a longer run on Saturday or Sunday. I don't know my definition of "longer run" yet, but I guess we'll find out.
The way I see it, if I train for the next three months, I should be able to handle a marathon. It's a lot harder to compete in a marathon than it is to run in one. I'm not trying to throw down a ridiculous training regimen complete with 100-plus mile weeks and a perfect diet to compete for a quick time (there's no way I'm giving up my passion for chocolate chip cookies and all other things sweet just to run a marathon). I just want to say that I have run 26.2 miles and didn't quit. So, let's get this marathon thing rollin'!
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