Words to live by.
Quote of the day: "Next time I'll just run the whole final stretch and celebrate in the victory lap." Words to live by.
1 Comment
who coaches or claims some other type of expertise and experience giving them credibility. A small handful are ordinary Joes (or Josephines) who discuss balancing REAL WORLD CHALLENGES with the seemingly superhuman commitment required to achieve the goal. It's humbling, but inspiring.
This past week I stumbled across a video on YouTube by Scott Partenheimer (as the first "guest" of the blog, I'd like to thank Scott for his efforts) - a regular dude who needed to run 26.2 miles in a superhuman time of 3 hours and 10 minutes in order to qualify for Boston. Then I poked around and saw HE has a blog documenting his efforts. He qualified running the Philadelphia Marathon and will be running Boston a week from today on Monday, April 20th. His message is about hard work and heart, and learning from his own experience. He doesn't employ the assistance of others or use tricky technology. As I was read about his path, I was inspired. Then I thought, "YOU might be able to inspire." And that is one of the reasons I'm doing this, even if the only people I inspire are my wife and kids. And myself. To that end I made an adjustment to the site over the weekend. I added a couple pages, and decided it won't be "anonymous" any longer. So, here it is. A blog by a father, a husband, a guy who at times works 60-90 hours a week in a leadership position with a technology company, and who works in the community as a board member with a non-profit serving disadvantaged kids. I added a page to document my races and personal bests to show how far I've come, and how far I need to go. I added another page to highlight my influences along the way. And I'll add another "About Me" page at some point over the next couple days or weeks. You'll see actual pictures of ME along the way (the photo above is from BattleFrog a few weeks ago). I'll also see what I can do to add maps and activity here (anyone with advice on how to link Garmin Connect data directly to a blog, I welcome your suggestions). Stay tuned for more! I'll post pictures of my experience and lessons I learned along the way. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them about my journey and my opinion, understanding I'm just a regular dude. I'm NOT a runner. I may be training for a 5K later this month and the Space Coast Marathon in November, and ultimately for the Boston Marathon. I may have finished third in my age group in the BattleFrog 5K Obstacle Race and the Wounded Warrior / Lone Sailor 5K last week. But I'm NOT a runner. I'm just a former athlete trying to find my old athletic self in an effort to inspire those closest to me - my wife and kids - and to show crazy things are possible with consistent effort. Most importantly, I'm doing this so I can bring my best energy to every moment of my life. April has been a success already. Yesterday I completed the Wounded Warrior / Lone Sailor 5K finishing 19th overall out of around 550 runners and 3rd in my age group. Most importantly, I beat my goal of running 8:00 per mile by running a 7:33 per mile pace. I started at the very front and was passed by only a few. It was a strong start, finishing the first mile in 7:01 - the opposite of what my coach recommended. I had confidence that didn't exist previously, without questions that popped up before (Am I ready? If I push too hard will I re-injure my Achilles or aggravate my hip?) The one question I did have was whether I'd be able to maintain the pace I started, knowing I started fast. Obviously I didn't, but I did far better than I thought I'd do. I can attribute that to (a) my strength training over the past few months; and (b) having my wife waiting for me at the finish line. Having a second straight third place finish in my age group blew me away. The next race is April 25th, The Run for the Trees 5K in Winter Park, Florida. I ran this race in 2008 with my son when he was seven years old, so there's some history here. It's a point-to-point with a slight downhill angle. Given my lack of sleep the week before the Wounded Warrior / Lone Sailor 5K (averaging 4 hours of sleep a night thanks to end of quarter activities at work), I'll be looking for some aggressive improvement with an average per mile pace of 6:55/mi. If I accomplish that feat, we'll be approaching OVERALL PR territory (PR for 3 miles was a 6:18/mi. pace in high school for football). The month of April will see a focus on getting a better feel for pace while also continuing strength and mobility work for my hips. The key to reaching my goal will also be consistency. I cannot miss workouts - whether strength workouts or runs. To achieve my goal, the plan will include: (a) lower body workouts at home to compliment what I'm doing with my trainers; (b) getting my 6-pack, which means a focus on core strength and nutrition; (c) 20 pull ups; (d) 100 push ups; and (e) not missing a single workout (if a planned workout needs to be missed in the morning, it MUST be made up later the same day). That should get me to 6:55 per mile by end of April. BOSTON OR BUST!! Yesterday saw an "Old Man Record" for a mile, based on the results tracked by my trusty Garmin. I ran an 8:14 mile pace during a 4 x 4:00 tempo run, with the goal of running an 8:00 mile. When running, I averaged less than 8:00 during the running portion of the workout, but the 4:00 segments were broken up by 2:00 walking breaks. The average for the workout was 8:48 per mile. The big question . . . can I keep up an 8:00 per mile pace for 3.1 miles? I was pushing it pretty hard yesterday with my heart rate hitting 175bpm. This'll be a challenge, and I guess that's what it's all about.
The tempo run yesterday was focused primarily on speed, with secondary attention to form. The run this afternoon - 4 x 9:00 at 60% heart rate - was focused primarily on form, and secondarily on keeping my heart rate down. I'm not very efficient at this point, but it's not about where you are. It's about where you're going. This past week was good. The first part of the week was a family trip to West Palm Beach to spend time with my in-laws. On the return we spent a night on the other side of the sandbar in Naples to meet with my coach. The time in Naples was VERY well spent with discussions on form and drills to drive the right use of muscles. When running, you spend a lot of time between your ears. My time is often spent listening to podcasts about running and other ways to improve efficiency. I then try to apply what I hear, or read, throughout my week. But it takes SEEING YOURSELF in action to know whether you're actually doing it correctly combined with the insight of someone who can point to areas where you're not as efficient as you should be. That was my experience Wednesday in Naples. I learned when I LEAN into the stride, I was bending too much at the waist which results in my hips being too far behind me. One other tidbit is when I lift my knees, it isn't for the sake of lifting my legs, but to drive my feet into the ground under your hip. She threw a lot of concepts at me, and while nobody can focus on more than a one or two things at a time, I've been able to call on pieces and parts throughout my runs. The morning ritual exercise didn't go well. It's a challenge to create a ritual when you're not in your "natural environment." This week will be an equally challenging time since I'll be out of town starting tomorrow. I'll need to keep up with my training AND get that morning ritual going. It'll be a brand new week! We're at the end of the first quarter of 2015. One week left, but we're pretty much there. A lot has happened in that time, starting with completing the rehab on the Achilles and making great progress on my strength and mobility program at the gym. The three "not recommended" events were building blocks for the next steps in the program, starting with the 5K Color Run (really just a Fun Run) in January which was completed without pain, moving up a level with the Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon in Tampa averaging a little over 11:00 per mile, and winding up with the BattleFrog 5K where I fininished third in my age group. Overall, I'm proud of my results to this point. The next three months will be focused on speed, with a 5K on April 4 and another at the end of the month. My goal is to finish under 8:00/mile. And then I had this hairbrained idea . . . is it possible to qualify for Boston in the fall marathon I'll be running? I'll be meeting my coach on Wednesday this week and this'll be a topic of discussion.
As I write, I was thinking it'd be good to add some of the points that have colored my path along the way. Everyone knows the importance of habits. Good ones propel you forward. Bad ones hold you back. Since we are not creatures of discipline, routines and rituals are keys to success in every part of life. There's a lot written about the importance of morning routines, and I'm a firm believer that morning routines are the most important. The Boston or Bust mission is built around morning workouts. To say I have been religious about my morning routine would be a lie. I've struggled. If I don't have to THINK it's much easier. That means planning and commitment. My background about routines and rituals come from three sources: (1) The Corporate Athlete Program by The Human Performance Institute which I attended in Orlando, Florida in 2012; (2) Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Workweek; and (3) the book The Power of Habit. The Corporate Athlete Program focuses on "Rituals" to establish throughout the day. If you establish rituals consistent with your mission and goals, you don't have to THINK about what to do. You just do it. This is particularly important when life gets chaotic and throws you curveballs (life is a curveball pitcher, people, so expect the curveball). The first step is defining your mission, then establishing rituals that move you toward that mission (and replacing the bad habits that move you AWAY from your mission). There are two times where these rituals are most important - at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. The Power of Habit addresses the concept of a Keystone Habit; the idea that certain habits can have a waterfall effect and have a positive (or negative) effect in many other areas of your life. A Keystone Habit is a habit on steroids. As I've said before, momentum is magic. When you have it, there's a positive energy with all that happens. There's confidence. When you don't have it, it's like being stuck in mud. To get anything to happen takes immense amounts of energy. Keystone Habits have a way of creating momentum in other areas of your life. Tim Ferris is a productivity hack. He tries to find ways to realize success by thinking outside the box and asking questions other people don't ask. He (like me) uses himself as a guinea pig for many of these theories, and has realized great success. He has a podcast (I regularly listen during runs) and recently interviewed Tony Robbins where Tony shared his morning routine. It was inspiring and a bit annoying because I THOUGHT about one hack that I haven't consistently deployed, and which he does every morning. Once the alarm gets up, he puts his feet on the floor. No snooze button. The snooze button is the greatest momentum killer around, and one of my worst habits. With all that said, I'll be committing this week, this month and this quarter to creating a morning routine that will be planned every evening before bed. The routine will consist of the following:
This has been done in pieces over the past several months, but I've never focused on pulling it all together at once. The time is now! The past few weeks have seen a few ups and downs. I've been pleased with my progress, but at the same time have also been frustrated. I've been disciplined, sticking with my "heart rate" program, where I'm not exceeding my 60% heart rate target. Strength training has also been a primary focus, with three trips a week to the gym. The gym routine involves high intensity interval training, so there's a cardio focus on those workouts also. Fitness has improved, but I hadn't really pushed myself aside from the HIIT workouts and the Gasparilla Half Marathon a few weeks ago. Until BattleFrog and today's workout . . .
Heading to south Winter Garden, I didn't know what to expect. A 5K and some obstacles, but I wasn't sure if my plan prepared me enough. BattleFrog went far better than I expected. Running was strong, and I overcame each obstacle during the 5K, finishing just under 45:00. I wasn't focused so much on time, but wish I was now that I know the results. I learned today I finished third in my age group, and 45th overall. Not bad for an old man who was nervous coming in and who still isn't in the best shape, coming off the Achilles rehab. Today also marked a test with my workouts, where I ran 1.5 miles at 80% of my max heart rate. I finished a mile in 8:14 and the overall distance in 14:05. My goal of running the 5K under 8:00 per mile is an achievable goal. I have two weeks between now and the first 5K of the month, and six weeks before my last 5K before marathon training begins. Progress is being made, and I couldn't be happier. I'm still a bit unsure about Boston in 2017 since I'd have to run 26.2 miles at a faster clip than what I ran this morning, but I'll keep pushing. What I'm doing is working! Now let's see what the coaches have planned to get me there. Last fall when my son was excited about being part of the Navy Sea Cadet program he came home with a postcard on the BattleFrog event scheduled for March 14-15. The Sea Cadets will be expected to work the event, and I commented, "Wow. That looks cool," with no intention of running the race. My son reacted with a surprised look and said, "No, dad. I don't think you should do this. This is pretty tough. You can't even run a regular run without being injured. I don't want you getting hurt." This was during the early stages of my Achilles rehab program, so he had a point. That didn't lessen the stinging feeling left by the remark. Needless to say, I signed up to compete in the event. So I'm going from a proud showing at the Gasparilla Distance Classic (given my early stages of recovery from the Achilles injury) to looking with concern at a 5K race that's only two weeks away. I talked Akim into participating with me. Akim is an alumnus of the youth group where I sit on the Board of Directors. He's an incredible kid, and today serves as a leader and counselor to the 67 kids who participate in the youth group. I took him out yesterday to workout, and while he's in great shape, he had a tough time with distance running. After 1.25 miles, he pulled up with a sore Achilles, and we walked back. When we returned, we did a couple rounds of exercises, including working on the monkey bars on the playground. It was rainy and the grip was slick, but I was surprised at how difficult it was going across the bars. The lesson: between here and the BattleFrog, I'll be doing pull ups and crunches so I can NAIL the course in two weeks. I hope Akim will be doing the same with his running. Running feels real good, although speed has dropped a little since training a bit before the half marathon last weekend. That could be because I did a bit more than planned between yesterday and today. Consistency with my training between here and there will be key. In other words, I cannot miss days like I did over the past month. All should be good if taken one day at a time. Tomorrow, the alarm goes off at 4am and the new routine will start. First, cold shower to awaken the nerves. Second, spend some time contemplating (a) gratitude; (b) strength; and (c) three points of focus for the day. Third, throw something together to eat. Fourth, loosen up the body with the lacrosse ball before heading to the gym at 6am. Fifth, once back make sure there is time to focus on PULL UPS and CRUNCHES!! The core needs to be solid prior to BattleFrog. Here we go! With below zero weather in Boston, February is ending strong in Florida. The focus in February has been on strength and mobility with this past weekend spent in Tampa at the Gasparilla Distance Classic. Against the advice of many (I haven't put in enough miles during rehab for Project: Achilles), I registered to run the Gasparilla Half Marathon with two neighbors and a couple of their friends. We arrived Friday night and spent Saturday familiarizing ourselves with the area and picking up the race day materials. All were complaining about not logging enough miles, and I was an echo with an exclamation point. Two of the past four weeks I traveled for work and logged zero miles outside the state of Florida. That wasn't part of the original plan.
The past few weeks saw strong workouts in the gym and forced paces on the roads. Workouts were measured by heart rate and time, and it was difficult keeping the heart rate below 130bpm at a decent pace. In addition, tight-legged runs alternated between five minutes of running with one minute walking. Overall the training effort wasn't as consistent as it needed to be; a source of concern heading to the START line. We lined up at sunrise in the cool February morning, electing to start with the "Under 2:00:00" crew (knowing none of the five of us were going to make that time). Beginning in darkness, three of the guys in our group started fast leaving us behind, which was fine with me since this was only supposed to be a "workout run". My greatest challenge was getting my head in the right place to view this as a workout and not a competition to show everyone how fit I am. After all, prior to the race it became known I am training to run the Boston Marathon and which involves a qualifying time of 3:25:00 equating to a 7:49/mi. Fortunately, all understand the challenges I've had with my Achilles - so I get a hall pass for this race. While I may not be strong enough to run with the bulls in my group, I AM strong enough to not try. As a result, I stayed with my neighbor running her first half marathon. The course consists of one loop around a small island for the first five miles before sunrise with inconsistent street lighting, then an out and back along the water on Bayshore Boulevard as the sun rises. The adrenaline of the beginning was balanced by my understanding of the need to start steady, and my heart rate hovered around 135bpm for that first loop at a pace around 10:30-10:50/mi. The heart rate rose with the sun and by the eighth mile it stuck around 150bpm. By that time, tightness pulled on the arch of my right foot and left calf, and I became a bit concerned, knowing we still had five miles to go. At that point, my friend needed to walk because of pain in her feet. A couple minutes at a walking pace solved the problem, and we continued on, finishing strongly with a few other walk breaks. In the end, I definitely could have pushed harder, but definitely glad I didn't. With the strong finish was some leg pain, and soreness that remains three days after the race. While I'm not proud of the time, I'm proud of the effort; particularly considering the steps taken to get there. A weekend with friends and family is a weekend well spent, especially in the context of achievement. My core strength carried me through, and it is just the beginning. Garmin Connect says I set a PR for a half marathon (obviously - it was my first - 2:25:43, which is under my unwritten goal of finishing under 2:30:00), and for a 10K time (1:06:15). Now what? I hit the gym Monday and today, and walked 30 minutes yesterday. I entered the lottery for the NYC Marathon with the drawing on 3/3. If that doesn't come through, I'll enter the drawing for the Marine Corps Marathon. And since both of those are extremely tough to draw, my last two choices are either the Philadelphia Marathon or Space Coast Marathon here in Central Florida. My next two events are the BattleFrog obstacle race on 3/14 and the Central Florida Navy League 5K on 4/4. My coach sent me the beginning of the next training plan which begins tomorrow. The goal for BattleFrog is to finish with pride, and the goal for CFNL 5K is to get an "old man" PR for that distance. It won't be an all-time PR since I ran that distance far faster than I can today when I was younger, but I'll look to finish at a pace closer to 8:00 per mile (last year, I finished at 9:00 per mile). With that said, the Achilles Recovery chapter is complete and we now begin training for Boston - with several steps between here and there. One step at a time . . . When the month started, it was also the beginning of the new year. The goal for January was to run five miles pain free with a half marathon in March or April. As February begins, I was able to run ten miles last weekend keeping my heart rate below 130bpm (or around 130bpm). I've gained significant mobility and strength, but there's a long way to go. I now understand the imbalances I have between my left and right leg, and the role those imbalances have played in my dysfunctional running life over the past several years. The foundations are also in place to address running form to maximize my ability to run long distances as efficiently as possible. Physical therapy was completed, and for the next few months I'll continue focusing primarily on strength and mobility while building my aerobic base. I've focused on nutrition, building muscle while losing fat - however my weight has flat-lined around 165 lbs. Progress. Another milestone was reached the day before yesterday. Around 7:30 at night it was dark and once again I was the last patient in the office. As I wrapped up my PT session, Matt told me he thinks he's done all he can do for me. My Achilles is good and everything I'm doing is getting it stronger. He wished me luck.
As I walked down the stairs and into the cool night in my shorts and long sleeved shirt with my money clip and cell phone and keys in my hands, I realized it was the end of a chapter. Every week since September I visited Matt and his staff to fix this issue that bothered me longer than I knew; an issue caused first by injury (sprained ankles) and reinforced by strength imbalances (my right leg is much weaker than my left, especially with hips and glutes). Matt fixed the injury, and now I need to fix the imbalances. I can now focus on things other than spending a couple hours doing work on my right leg in physical therapy every few days. With all the attention on my right leg, I envisioned the possibility that my right leg would get to be so much stronger over time that I'd start running in circles. The primary focus over the next couple months will be to work on form and to address the strength imbalances I have while I slowly build my base running under 130bpm. Clayton put me through a lower body circuit yesterday that hit the calves and for the first time since taking the anti-inflammatories I don't have tightness in my Achilles. I tested it even more by running 5K last night. While my muscles are tightening a bit (including the calves), the Achilles felt great and I ran strongly. I did have a wake up call on my fitness level. My 10:00/mile pace jacked my heart rate up to 170bpm. If you push yourself to the brink of a heart attack, you should have an awesome story about it. Right now, it's just pathetic. But for now, I'm happy with the progress. The best sign of that improvement...when I rolled out of bed this morning I didn't have to do the "Little Old Man Shuffle" while it warmed up for a few steps. My run this morning may look like that, but my first few steps out of bed didn't, and that's a big deal. One. Step. At. A. Time. Literally. |
AuthorRun On, Sentences follows the path of the author as he evolves from a lackluster inaugural marathon time to pursue a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. Along the way, he'll deal with the challenges of a short attention span, growing older and the chaotic calendar of a husband, father, corporate executive, and active member of the community. Archives
September 2016
Categories
All
|