Escape to the city

This weekend I fled the punishing heat of Austin to have a vacation in New York. As well as the obvious pleasures of being in the heart of one of the worlds great cities-the fall temperatures of the east coast were ideal for some quality workouts. Central Park has long been seen as a Mecca of American running, indeed the trend setting inhabitants of NY were amongst the first to adopt the 'jogging' boom of the 70s and 80s. Central Parks own website even calls it a running paradise and having run it twice now, I can see how it has got such a reputation.

Central Park offers a sensory tonic to the perpetually busy and sometimes manic streets of New York-offering the benefits of an uninterrupted, winding and undulating running course that tests runners of all abilities. The main loop of the park itself ends up at about 7 miles so a straightforward run can end up as a solid workout for even seasoned athletes. There are also endless distractions to keep your mind busy as you run, you can spot pensioners practicing Tai Chi,  couples enjoying a romantic stroll through the woodlands and teams playing all manner of pick up sports in the inner fields of the park.

I enjoyed a good workout on Friday-completing a half marathon at quicker than race place-around 1:40 which was pleasing given that there are some sturdy hills on the route (Something that you don't appreciate from the classic aerial shots of the park like in the image above). I also don't think the alcoholic intake from the night before represented ideal preparation for a pb either! Nevertheless it's funny to consider that a distance that kicked my ass this spring is now just another workout-definitely a great sign of the progress I have made!

I plan to enjoy the weekend and maybe fit another run around the park before I catch a flight home to Texas. Good luck to all those preparing for Chicago-not long to go now!

The dreaded long run

Read through any marathon training program and the one thing that is constantly reiterated is the need for  'The Long Run'. Generally speaking, for an amateur athlete this refers to a long, steady run at the weekend (to allow for suitable recuperation without the demands of the working day) that ultimately seeks to mimic the marathon itself in pace and duration. Novice runners are encouraged to gradually build up to a distance approaching the 26.2 mile race in months before the race. Inform any marathon veteran that you are planning to run your first attempt at the distance and they will immediately ask about your 'long run' schedule.

In the pre internet years of the 80s and 90s, where marathon running underwent a boom in popularity would-be marathoners often made the mistake of over training and actually running too much too close to the race itself. The result would be muscles and bodies that were fatigued on the race day and a crushing disappointment of a performance that was actually worse than their training endeavours.
With the proliferation of training manuals freely available online, there is no excuse for any runner to repeat such brave but misguided training. Indeed, the marathon taper is now one of the most stressed elements of any marathon training program.

Tapering basically means cutting back on weekly volume and intensity for the final 3-4 weeks of your training schedule. Studies have shown that the physiological benefits of very long run (20 miles +) take around 3-4 weeks to actually manifest themselves in the body.  As the Chicago Marathon is now a month away, I find myself on the cusp of that taper. I have run 15 miles at near race pace and felt good doing so, so the final step is replicate a similar effort for 20 miles. Much debate exists over when to begin tapering down and how hard to train that final month. I think ultimately its about listening to your body and being honest about how you feel and what your body needs in order to enter race week feeling fresh. For me I plan to train pretty hard and consistently throughout September-with my long run of 20 miles coming about 3 weeks before race day. From that day on my goals will be as follows:

1. Stay injury and illness free
2. Increase flexibility and range of motion-thus increasing running economy
3. Reduce body fat through shorter pace runs at lactate threshold

Long runs are like a trailer for the main event, a preview of how your body might feel on race day and a snap shot of the mental fortitude required to push through the 'deep water' of miles 20-26.

Mind Games

Long distance running is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. A few years back I would have written this off as an empty cliche that disregards the immense physiological demands that running for hours on end exerts on the human body. Increasingly though I am starting to see the truth in these sort of statements. There are frequent examples of incredible displays of human willpower in the face of seemingly impossible physical challenges-a recent example was British Comedian Eddie Izzards run across the UK. How could an out of shape 47 year old possibly complete an 1000 mile trek across the roads and trails of Great Britain and accomplish something that medical experts and advisors thought was near impossible at the outset? It was apparent that his incredibly mental toughness and sheer stubbornness had alot to do with it. At many stages in his epic run he was given perfectly good reasons to discontinue but he powered through immense physical discomfort to complete the route many weeks later.

The one thing that is apparent from all this training is that your mind is an amazing tool for both accomplishing feats and also holding you back, if you let it. A positive and determined mindset can take you a long way, quite literally in my case!

Finding a balance

One thing that I have learned in this training journey is the need for consistency. Adapting the body to run far and fast requires dedication to diet, ample rest as well as the obvious necessity of appropriate training. Most people who embark on marathon training are aware of those requirements, the real challenge is trying to incorporate those needs with the routines and pressures of a normal life. Should you go out when you have to run at 6am the next morning? Will you forgo dessert on a night out with friends or family?
It's not uncommon to find amateur athletes who take their commitment too far. Indeed, the incidence of this obsessive behaviour is certainly on the increase with the recent explosion in the popularity of triathlons around the world. There is even a new term entering popular lexicon, the 'Ironman widow', a partner who sees less and less of their spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend due to the time commitments of endurance training. This is no trivial matter and can certainly put real stress on a relationship as this Wall Street Journal article reveals.
My personal take is that whilst it is important to try your best at your selected activity or sport, it's important not to set unrealistic goals and acknowledge that you an amateur athlete whose ultimate motive for participation should be because it is fun.

Onto my training. Running in the mornings has continued to be a necessity this week as the heat wave in Austin continues, the past month turned out to be the hottest July on record here in Austin. I am now managing my own expectations for a fast time in Chicago and realizing that entering a spring marathon (if I am mad enough to repeat this ordeal) would probably be a far more logical choice for training, given the excellent winter weather in central Texas.
That being said, I did lower my 5 mile loop time to under 35 minutes and I am starting to run 7 miles more consistently in the mornings. I am preparing for increased mileage and intensity from here until late September, at which point I will reduce quantity and go for quality tune up runs.

Minimalist Running

As we approach 2012 the minimalist running craze, as many have termed it, shows no signs of slowing down. Indeed, with design and production cycles for modern footwear often running into years, the wave of new running shoes that have appeared on the market this year are proof that the major manufacturers are finally responding in earnest into the demand that has been growing for 4-5 years now. I don't have time or space to document the reasons behind the popularity but it's clear that the excellent 'Born to Run' by Christopher McDougall published in 2009 was a spring board for this movement entering the conciousness of the mainstream running community.

The visible signs of this revolution are the new array of footwear that make an appearance in any 10k race, local training run or trail path across America and beyond. The running mecca for Austinites, the town lake trail, is brimming with participants in low rise, slim line shoes and even the occasional barefoot runner, as I saw this morning.

So should we all ditch our cushioned shoes and get running as nature intended? I suppose I consider myself on the more conservative side of the minimalist movement. For example is it worthwhile for a recreational runner to experiment with less cushioned, lightweight shoes....I would say yes, but only through a gradual and careful transition. I have seen far too many frankly out of shape people sporting Vibram five fingers probably expecting a transcendental transformation into a Kenyan cross country runner. The reality is, there is no 'magic bullet', and they could making greater advances in their running economy and form by losing 15 pounds, getting more flexible and increasing the strength of forgotten muscle groups. However I will say that my own experience tells me that the hugely cushioned shoes like the Nike Air and Asic Kayano lines that have been so popular over the last 20 years have serious drawbacks too-notably promoting a heel strike movement and making the user more susceptible to ankle sprains due to their large heel elevation.

Following a nasty high ankle sprain in April and the pain, money and time involved in a length recovery I decided that an improved focus on balance, flexibility along with a move to more slim line shoes would reduce the chances of a recurrence. I ditched my pricey Kayanos for a more lightweight Gel DS Trainer 16, with a view to moving to an even more minimal training shoe by September (Perhaps the Saucony Kinvara or New Balance Minimus). So far, so good, the new Asics are definitely an improvement and as I become a leaner, more efficient runner in my progression towards the Chicago Marathon I can see myself incorporating the lighter racing shoes in speed sessions or shorter runs.

The well received Saucony Kinvara, my next shoe?

Todays run was 7 miles. It was a particularly muggy morning so certainly no easy trot (I have been drinking water constantly for the rest of the day!) v but it sets me up for a week of more consistent workouts following last weeks cross training.

Modern training approaches to preparing for the marathon involve much more than just running. Strength training, flexibility work like yoga and aerobic cross training all feature heavily in the modern runners schedule. Over the last couple of days I have tried to condition my body in other ways other than pounding the pavement.

On tuesday night I went to a trampoline park in North Austin to bounce around for about half an hour. In all honesty it didn't feel like training, it just felt like fun but the soreness I felt the next day in my lower body indicated it did have clear strengthening effects too. I first saw these trampoline workouts in a UFC All Access show featuring a 'day in the life' of Randy Couture, the MMA legend. They have the benefit of mimicking movements commonly used in sports like running and jumping but without the constant harsh impacts. Hopefully I can sneak some photos in next time, it's quite a unique experience.

My next alternative conditioning session also featured no impact and was also fun (notice a trend). Swimming outdoors in the Texan heat is always a pleasure, especially in the spring fed waters of Deep Eddy near downtown Austin. This pool is simply fantastic, cool year round and no hint of chlorine-certainly the best public pool I have ever encountered in a large city.

So with my body reinvigorated from cross training, I will look to tackle a long run on Thursday evening, running around sunset to dodge higher temperatures.

Heating up....

Exercising consistently outdoors in Austin in the summer months means early starts. I'm talking 'get on the trail' by 7am starts. In years gone by I would have written off such a routine as obsessive and unsustainable. However I have come to realize that it is an absolute necessity if you expect to make any real progress in a Texan climate where, by July, the overnight low is 75-78F and temperatures soar into the 100s by the afternoon. You snooze, you lose ...copious amounts of sweat in a belated workout.
Its a massive misnomer that exerting oneself in the heat represents a better workout, your heart is pounding and you lost 2lbs in weight by the end of the session so it must be effective right? Wrong! There is a reason all major running world records beyond 800m have been attained in cool climates and marathon performers are especially at risk from temperatures above 70F. The body simply can't perform at its highest level for an extended period of time when it is losing fluids so quickly in an effort to try and regulate its core temperature. Running in excessive heat will ultimately achieve two things-a slower running speed and massive stress on your body-not great ingredients for consistent training.

My run this morning was the 5 mile loop at the trail around Lady Bird Lake near downtown Austin. The time upon completion was 35:24, including two brief water stops. Not especially happy about that but it was fair given I began my hamstring training last night and thus my lower body was a little sore from the new movements-I'll probably write about that in far too much detail in a future post :)

I am trying my best to stretch diligently after the workout, although it's easy to bypass this when time is short and the morning rush hour traffic is building up. However I did get some key stretches in today.