Four Weeks to A Better Trained Body and Brain

Central Park Runner, May 2009

I have a 1oK race coming up in the next couple of months. My goal, therefore, is to become very efficient at running those 6.2 miles. To do that, I need to condition myself to run at least that distance if not farther.

To run farther distances runners must run LSDs (long slow distances) to increase their mileage slowly without injury. I have a problem doing that.  Last year, as I trained to run my first half marathon I ran too fast and my long slow distances were long fast runs. While I performed well in the race, I burned out and injured my hamstring.

Mentally, it seems impossible to run slowly because I have a mental problem with running slowly.  To train my mind to adjust to the time it takes to run seven miles slowly, I have developed a four week program to allow my body to acclimate to running 7 miles as slowly as I can.  By doing this I will condition my body to run my race distance without injury. So here I introduce  4-week 7 miler program.

You obviously cannot do this with repetitive marathon distances but for 10Ks or shorter, or even up to a half marathon, doing this can provide many benefits. First of all, you condition your body to the longer distance while conditioning your brain to allow yourself to run slower. Since 7 miles is over my race length, I can take four weeks out of my training to condition my brain all myself to run slower and more efficiently. The idea is that I will get better at running the 7 miles slower – either through a more consistent pace or with less soreness and fatigue the next day.

I recommend this if you are runnnig two fast normally and are conditioned to run the distance of your race. If not, you still need to continue to build your base up to your race distance.

Last evening I ran my second of the four 7-mile runs. I ran those miles slowly to and when I say slowly, I mean slowly – between 11-12 minute miles and no faster.

What I am finding when I do this is that first of all, it takes forever to run these miles (like an hour and 20 minutes) but this week my mental issue with running the distance slower was better than last week. Meaning, I planned to run for an hour and twenty mintues.

Now why on earth would I practice running slower? I mean, isn’t the goal to run fast? Well, ultimately, yes, you do want to run fast but you cannot run fast all the time. It takes a lot of time and patience to run slowly and the best way to condition my body to “accept” running seven miles is to become proficient at merely jogging these miles. When I do this, my body will adapt through a series of biological changes which will effectively improve my VO2 max, muscle conditioning, and use of resources (sugar) in my body.

This concept is not new and when I took my coach certification course, that was the message of the day. You see, we cannot merely run ourselves into the ground. Optimal conditioning comes from merely going the distance. It does not come from running the distance as fast as possible because if you do that, I will guarantee, you will end up injured.

By slowing down, I am giving my body a “rest” while I condition it to go further. So for me with a nagging hamstring, my hamstrings don’t need to work so hard if I am jogging instead of running full throddle, and while I am jogging, I am conditioning my muscles instead of straining them.

I am also conditioning the hardest “muscle,” my brain.  The mental difficulties of slogging along are major for me. I figure if I am running this slowly I might as well stop. I try to run 2 miles in 18 minutes or less, but when I look at the clock and my first two miles are completed in 23 to 24 minutes, my mind starts to go nuts. Suddenly, it seems impossible to fathom that I need to run for another hour to acheive my seven miles. In my crazy days, I’d be trying to run these miles in about an 1:07 or less.

So yesterday I ran my seven miles in about 1:22. In fact, I only ran about 6 and 3/4 miles before  Icouldn’t take it anymore and just walked the last quarter mile.  The week before, I had petered out at 6 and 1/4 miles so I went a 1/2 mile further this week before I mentally burned out.

Two weeks from now, I will complete my long, slow distance of seven miles I hope at a long slow average pace of 11:30 per mile.  Because I do this mileage on a treadmill I often get bored and speed up to a 10 minute mile for a little bit just to make me feel like I am getting ahead (which I am not I am merely loosing the mental battle). Ultimately, I hope this exercise will help me train through the mental anquish of running so slowly. In the end, I just want to be injury free.

That, my friends, is my running goal.

Cross Training RX

Today, instead of running 6 miles I did 5 miles on the eliptical. I must admit, while I hate most machines at the gym, the workout did the trick; I was able to accomplish three things -

1. cover long distance doing an activity that was lower impact than running.

2. maintain a high heartrate.

3. use a machine to accomplish both a high heart rate and use of my calfs, thights, butt, and hamstrings.

The reason why cross training is important is that you get an opportunity to strenghten other muscles you would not normally work while running. You may not be aware of this but doing the same work out over and over or even just running to achieve fitness is not ideal. Your body’s muscle memory can simply rewind and create your workouts and while you might get faster – you run the risk of injury from reusing the same muscles over and over. Hence my hamstring tear and now Plantar Fasciatis – both of which are painful and long-term issue s I have to deal with on a daily basis.

This is not to say that with these injuries I cannot train but I really cannot train week after week with fast-paced runs or long slow distances on weekends. The cross training enables me to work my body with out the same old pattern of exercise which is actually a break. New muscles get to work while ones that are used time and time again for running get to take a breather – at least they are not being used the same way they would if I were running.

It is OK to take a week to cross train and not even run at all. I say this because if you are getting fatigued in your training or if you feel burnt out on running, cross training is a reprieve. You get the benefits of burning calories and while you might come home from a bike ride, swim, or other activity and feel that you gyped yourself because you didn’t run, trust me when I say that if you are exercising because you know you are burnt out in your running you just did yourself a huge favor.

Let me tell you from experience that nothing will ruing a running season more than an injury. A poor race finish, bad performance or even embarrassing fall (that would be yours truly who tripped over someone’s shoe at the start of the Sarasota 1/2 marathon last year – I was amazed at how fast I bounced off the pavement and kept running) can all be put in the past. An injury is always in your present and your future and it makes planning for your next even tricky.

This year, my races won’t be until the fall. I am using this first part of the year to train and nurse my injuries.  I am also using this time to remember that my ego is not what makes me a solid runner, but my desire to just get out there and do it. I am, like many of us, one of the unknown runners of the world, who run for the sheer thrill of it. No one’s gonna miss me at the Cherry Blossom 10-miler and I am sure no one said, gee, where’s that crazy blonde from DC at the beginning of the Grouper run (Sarasota 1/2 marathon) – unless of course, someone wanted to see me bounce on the pavement again.

Strongly consider cross training. I don’t care how you do it, but that you do it – even if it is twice a month just to shake things up a bit. Your body will thank you for it.

Happy Running.

Get Motivated!

How can one motivate themselves to run?

There are times when even I lose my desire to run (that may shock the people who know me).  Let’s face it, with a full-time job, two kids, and other side projects that I am involved in, time for exercise is limited.

Running is important enough for me, however, that I make time to get in a few miles every other day, but when the dead of winter hits, or I get depressed or worried, or if I have any other human-related issues that I cannot clear from my mind from running, or an injury, my natural inclination is to stop running and find something else to do.

For the last few weeks, I have had a very blasé attitude about running. My plantar fasciitis has been acting up and my famous left hamstring (hence the name of this blog, tighthams) is still a problem child.  Sometimes, I just want to chop off my left leg it feels so useless. Between dealing with my injuries and lack of motivation to sign up for race this spring, I’ve turned my attention to other activities to tide me over until I heal or I get jazzed about a race or both.

When not running, do something.

I have taken solace in the one thing that has been turning me on lately aside from my weekly tennis match and that has been using Wii Fit.   I am happy to report that my BMI is low and that I have become so much better at the strength, yoga, and balance exercises I don’t worry about losing too much fitness.

In case you did not know, it just takes only two months or so to lose what you’ve gained, exercise-wise. So in times where I am not jazzed about running I reduce my mileage significantly but I do not just stop running completely – even if it means I run once and only for a couple of miles, doing this is better than doing nothing (and all of us can run a couple of miles).

While running the low mileage, I add workouts on the elliptical or biking machines, Wii Fit, and other stretching and strength exercises to keep a certain level of fitness so that I don’t go backwards. I don’t feel it’s worth the pain building the typical running base of three miles after spending so much time getting to a point where a six mile jaunt is a piece of cake.

My advise? Keep your base mileage to three miles. If you get to the point where running three miles is difficult, you’ve let yourself slip too much.

If you are injured….accept it

I have accepted that I am injured, but not so much so that I cannot run at all.  I am very cognizant of my injuries – they hurt! As a result, I have decided that this year, I don’t need to run a 1/2 marathon to feel complete. If all I do are a couple of shorter races then so be it.

I’d rather race shorter races than not participate at all.

Signing up for a race does help with motivation

There is nothing better than committing to a race to motivate you.  In fact, what’s even better is when someone signs you up for a race. Today, my coworker signed me up for the Nation’s Triathlon.  My team, Team Editorial Experts, Inc., will be the team to watch! I am doing the running leg as you may have guessed.

Today, for the first time in a couple of months I packed my gym bag and rushed to the gym after work. While I was a good Samaritan and got off the running machine in 30 minutes so someone else could get their workout in, I ran, invigorated; my injuries in check as I clocked 3.3 easy miles.  I stretched, lifted some weights, and went home, happy as a clam, knowing that two other people are relying on me now. I need to keep up my end of the bargain.

While this race is 6 months away, I will train for my 10K with excitement.

Weight Loss, and other motivators

For those using running as a weight loss mechanism I say don’t do it. Sure it is great to run but running makes you hungry so unless you have the food and diet thing under control, run for fitness, not specifically for weight loss. If you do that, you will lose motivation – first of all, you should lose some weight but really you might actually gain weight in muscle mass as you get in better shape.

If you are trying to remain fit during pregnancy – you know where I stand on that – just do it! That’s if you are fit and have been a runner. Pregnancy is no time to pick up running as a sport because there are too many factors – injury due to tripping mostly, that can be hazardous to you and your baby(ies).