The Running Mike

Paleo / Primal Coach, Runner, and Triathlete

Archive for the tag “training”

22 Mar 2012
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Moving up in Distance: 10k, Half or Full?

WP_000821The April issue of Runner’s World had an article about training for your first 10k.  I thought no time like the present to expand on this a little bit and talk about moving up in distance.

 

I get a lot of athletes that have finished their first 5k and feel ready to jump right to a full marathon.  I always admire enthusiasm Smile  but there is a lot of room between a 5k and a full.

 

I’ve said this before, but my hesitation with new runners and a full marathon is based around my love of running.  More than half of those that do a full in their first running season find it painful, hard, and unfortunately, vow to never run again.  It doesn’t help that most beginner plans are designed to get you across the line – which is great (after all, it’s a major accomplishment), but also make people so sore they can’t walk for 2 days afterward.

 

I like to help athletes develop a love for running.  With a gradual increase in distance –WP_000789 there is plenty of time to check off all the major accomplishments AND develop a loving relationship with running.  Trust me!  When you love running, there is ALWAYS time for a marathon or event.

 

If this is your first year, I tend to recommend planning a half marathon for late in the season.  Between now and then, find some distances that are more than the standard 5k.  Generally, you’ll find 8k, 10k, 7 or 8 mile, and 10 mile distances.  If you’re lucky Smile  you’ll even find a series leading up a half.  Locally, we have three races over 3 months as part of a series going from 5k, to 8 miles, to a half.  This is a great way to build up, participate in some events, and do something amazing!

 

So how do you get there?  Easy!  Here are some recommendations on building up for distance:

 

  • Get a Training Plan

    Avoid the mistake of “self training” and running when you feel like it.  Whether you get a free plan (on the Internet) or buy one from a coach like me – a structured plan will help you build up, go faster, and avoid injuries (especially from overuse!).  Bonus points if you find something that uses heart rate training – which will make every workout count!

  • Don’t ignore Speed Training

    There are many reasons for speed training – in addition to improving cardio, it helps new runners get more efficient with running form.  That’s right – go faster with less effort? Sign me up!  Once a week at least a couple days from your long run will really help!

  • Practice Fueling on Longer Runs

    I even see experienced runners make this mistake – try out different nutrition when you’re training.  For longer runs, you’ll need it!  Once you get to an hour of running at a time, try a Gu pack/honey stinger/pretzels/gummy bears/Gatorade and see how your body handles it.  If it makes you feel sick or like you need to run for a bathroom, try something different on your next long run.  The sooner you can figure out what works for you and what doesn’t, the sooner you’ll be able to handle longer distances.

  • Don’t Overdo It

    Curso de Instructor de Pilates

    Moves like this will help a ton with running!!!! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    When you’re starting out and everything is feeling good, you’ll want to run more Smile or if you’re coming from another sport where you workout every day (or a couple times a day) dropping to a few hours a week is pretty tough.  It takes a while for your body to adjust, so avoid the temptation of running too much.  If you must workout or want to do something else, swimming and biking are great cross training (and are great if you think you might do a triathlon some day) as are Pilates and yoga.

 

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Posted by The Running Mike in newbie, Training and tagged , , , ,
13 Jan 2012
3 Comments

Guest Post: 5 Newbie Runner Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Elyse Half MarathonToday’s guest post is by Elyse Andrews (www.elyseandmike.com and http://twitter.com/ElyseAndrews).  Elyse is a writer and editor living in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband. She loves running long distances, eating whole foods, snowboarding down big mountains and traveling the world. You can find her at www.elyseandmike.com.

It’s that time of year again when we set intentions and goals for the next 12 months. Many people resolve to lose weight or get in shape in the new year, meaning that you might be taking up running for the first time. If that’s the case, or if you’re a seasoned runner in need of a refresher, here are five common mistakes newbie runners make and how you can avoid them.

Mistake #1: Running too much.

When I first started running and improving a lot, I wanted to run all the time. So I did, but I quickly burned out both mentally and physically.

The Fix: Instead of running every day, especially right away, try to run three to four days a week. On the off days, you can cross-train by cycling, swimming, hiking, doing yoga, strength and resistance training or any other type of exercise you enjoy. This will help you become strong and fit all over and avoid injury and mental burnout. Also, don’t forget to take rest days, that’s when your body recovers from all the hard work you’ve done!

Mistake #2: Not using the right equipment.

It’s true that running doesn’t require a ton of gear to get started, but that doesn’t mean you can just strap on any old shoes and hit the pavement. When I first started, I bought shoes from a big box sports store, but within days I had a painful case of plantar fasciitis.

The Fix: Hit your local running store to get fitted properly for the right shoes. At my store, they have you try on several pairs and then watch you run down the sidewalk to see how the shoes affect your stride. Be sure to replace your shoes regularly (every 250-400 miles or when you feel them getting worn out). You might also want to invest in some moisture-wicking clothing and socks as well as Body Glide for chafing (laugh now, but it’s not funny when you can’t put a shirt on because your skin feels like it’s on fire).

Mistake #3: Not knowing how to fuel.

When I first started running, I really had no idea how to fuel for a workout. I didn’t know when to eat or what to eat, which lead to some major stomach upset, both during and after running, as well as days where I didn’t eat enough or ate too much.

The Fix: If you’re running about 30 minutes or so at a time, you probably only need to add a small snack to your day. If you’re training hard for a long race, you’ll need to fuel more by eating bigger meals and larger snacks. A lot of newbies eat too much after running because exercising can make you ravenously hungry at first. The key is to fuel with the right foods so you don’t overeat (or undereat) and undo all your hard work. I love nuts and nut butters with apples or bananas as snack. Gentle on the stomach and gives you lots of great energy.

Mistake #4: Getting injured and not treating it properly.

As I mentioned above, when I started running, I wanted to go every day. And I did … until I got hurt. One day I woke up and my left leg was pretty sore. I checked it out and discovered that the tendon below my ankle bone was protruding and really tender. Instead of taking the day off, I went for a long bike ride, which made things much, much worse.

The Fix: I ended up having to go to the doctor to get an immobilization splint for my leg because it wasn’t healing and my wedding was a mere four weeks away! But if I had just rested, iced and elevated my leg, instead of continuing to work out, I probably would’ve been better in a few days. Instead, I missed weeks of running and almost had to limp down the aisle! Now I know better and take a few days off at the first sign of an injury. And don’t be worried about losing fitness, the general wisdom is that it takes two weeks for that to start to happen.

Mistake #5: Not setting a goal.

When I first started running I wanted to lose some weight and get in shape. Pretty basic, but it also left me feeling aimless after a while. I started getting better and better at running, but I didn’t have any races on the schedule to focus my training.

The Fix: This time of year is all about setting intentions for the next 12 months and determining your next race or even a full year of races is a great way to get focused. If you’re using the couch to 5-K program, sign up for an actual 5-K to run at the end. If you’ve run a 5-K, sign up for a 10-K. Or try to beat your PR in your favorite distance. Once I started signing up for races, I felt much more focused in my running and really started to enjoy the challenge of going farther and faster. Plus, who doesn’t love those shiny race medals?

I hope these tips help you avoid some of the mistakes I made when I first started running. Happy training in 2012!

Posted by The Running Mike in Guest Posts, newbie, Training and tagged , , , ,
23 May 2011

Mike’s Guide to Heart Rate Training Part 3: Putting the Heart Rate Zones into Practice

OK, so at this point, you should have a good idea what your HR is and what the zones are.  As a refresher, let’s take a look at the heart rate zone chart:

image

Believe it or not, you want to spend a good amount of time in zone 1 and 2.  You would think that going slower is easy. . .  However, THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.  When you first start doing this, people will pass you and you don’t even feel like you’re getting a great workout. Mentally, we know we could be passing those same people and push much harder.  It’s really important that you stick to this, trust me in that it will pay off! 

Although it will feel quite different physically, the key is that you are changing the way your body processes and consumes energy.  The human body has a very limited amount of blood glucose (sugar) but in comparison has an almost endless supply of fat.  Think hours/days of energy from fat versus minutes from glucose only.

Your body will burn a combination of fat and glucose – the key is to make it more efficient at converting fat into energy! In these lower heart rate zones you burn more fat than the blood glucose (sugar) in your muscles.  The more time you train at these levels, the more efficient the human body becomes at utilizing fat for fuel! 

Key weekly workout: Endurance Run 

This is usually the long, slow distance run you do every week.  Stay in the lower part of zone 2 (ideally in zone 1)and take your time running this one. Should feel super easy and like you’re just taking it easy.  This helps your body be more efficient at using fat for fuel.


Key weekly workout: Speed work

On the other end of the scale is the workout designed to increase your VO2 Max.  This is intentionally putting your heart rate into the higher zones to essentially improve growth of capillaries, strengthen the heart, and make our muscles more efficient at consuming oxygen. 

There are lots of great things that come out of speed work (improved form, etc.) but it is also the key workout for improving VO2 Max.  You’ll want to run 3 to 4 minutes in zone 4 and 5, slow jog for 2 to 3 minutes (try to get HR back to zone 1 if you can) and then repeat.  Now the Ifs:

  • If you do this at a track, aim for 800 (2 full laps) repeats.
  • If you’re new to speed work, repeat 3 to 5 times. 
  • If you’re an experienced runner, do the interval 6 to 8 times. 

You should be pretty wiped out after the speed workout.  This takes a lot out of you so unless you’re working on something specific, only do this once a week. 

Key weekly workout: Tempo Run

Every Week you should try to do a tempo run where you put your Heart Rate into Zone 4 and try to keep it there. If you’re just starting, run 2 to 3 miles in Zone 4 (and work up from there).  Experienced runners should run 3 miles in zone 4, then 3 to 5 minutes of an easy jog/walk (getting the HR back into Zone 1) and then 3 more miles in zone 4. 

The Tempo run is goaled at increasing your Lactate Threshold (LT).  I don’t think I’ve talked about LT very much.  There is a point during intense exercise when the human body is producing more lactic acid than it can consume and convert to energy.  Lactic Acid is actually a good thing, but when more is getting produced than can be utilized – muscles become fatigued. (Here is one of the better articles I’ve found on the process: http://www.runningplanet.com/training/lactic-acid.html) 

Strength Training

My forth key workout is actually strength training which I try to do on rolling hills or on a trail.  I currently live in a part of the country with few hills, so I tend to only do this once every couple weeks. It’s easy to turn this into a repeat of speed work heart rate zones – but my real aim is to build more strength in my legs and improve foot stability (uneven ground/trail). 

Yes, most weeks I actually run 5 to 6 times, so think of these additional runs as super easy recovery runs.  I try to keep them in zone 1 as much as I can.

That other heart rate zone:

Wait, what about zone 3? We have the workouts that improve efficiency of burning fat and improve VO2 Max. What about the zones in the middle? These zones will not make your body more efficient or faster! So… limit the training workouts in the middle zones. You can race in these zones though. Depending upon duration of the race, you can push faster than normal but avoid bonking. Just realize that this isn’t making the heart stronger or the body more efficient at burning fat for energy.
Posted by The Running Mike in Heart Rate Training, Training and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
05 Apr 2011
1 Comment

The Difference Between Training and Exercise

I am one of those guys that isn’t genetically cut out for endurance sports.  I have a very square body type with large shoulders.  Historically, I’d be the guy on the battlefield swinging a huge sword… probably not the skinny little guy running from one city to the next to take a message to the king. 

So here we are in modern day – why would a guy like me train for a marathon?  or a half ironman?  I’m not entirely sure :) but I know that I like the fact that it is a challenge.  If it were easy, everyone would do it. The other thing – I LIKE to train. I do not like to exercise.

WTF? Like to train but does not like to exercise?  The differentiator for me is the goal.  Run on a treadmill for an hour for exercise and you may or may not lose any weight… not motivational for me at all.  I could work really hard and go to the gym every day to exercise.  The scale and even my body fat percentage might not go anywhere.  Not very motivational and ultimately why exercise doesn’t work well for me.  Here’s how I suggest making it happen

STEP 1: Pick a Race. Training on the other hand has a more clear goal: Complete an event on a a specific day.  The goal should be a big one for you, but don’t be afraid to start small.  It could be as simple as “do a 5k on this date” or complete a sprint triathlon on this date.  The point is to get a goal out there.  I would encourage not only picking an event – but REGISTERING for it ahead of time.  Once you’re locked in you will have more motivation to complete the training to do it.

STEP 2: Get a training plan. Once you have your race and you’ve registered, figure out how to get there.  For running, I’m a big fan of www.HalHigdon.com, If you are just starting, check out the coach to 5k web site: www.c25k.com.  Get the plan and get started!

STEP 3: Start Training. You should find something different when you start this process.  It’s a feeling that if you don’t do the training, you will not be prepared for the event.  Keep your focus on the goal: completing your event.  Especially this first time around, it’s ok to try to eat healthy, but don’t make the goal to lose weight. 

Every person concerned with weight loss has been there: spend a bunch of hours in the gym and the scale won’t budge or worse gain weight.  In my opinion, it’s better to have gotten more fit and healthy overall.  At the end of any week, you can say “I’m on track and one week closer”

STEP 4: The Event. I’ll skip to the end.  There is a good chance you didn’t win the race.  There are likely lots of faster people out there, but that’s ok.  YOU WON THE WAR.  Look how far you’ve come.  Take a minute to reflect on your training.  Even if In just a couple months, you’ve become fitter!   Could you have ridden 50 miles on your bike before?  Could you have run a 5k, or half marathon?  Think about it in those terms and realize your success!

STEP 5: After the Event.  Plan your next event if you haven’t already.  If you finished your first 5k, maybe do a couple more over the next 4 weeks and get a half marathon on the calendar.  Pick one that builds on your progress and makes you go a little further.

I make a point to do events year round.  As soon as I stop and just “train on my own” I will almost immediately find excuses to not exercise.  For someone like me, the goal is very important and keeping the training up is very helpful.

STEP 6: At the end of the year – real reflection.  Odds are that you have run a half marathon or have done several events.  Think about the magnitude of how far you’ve come.  In addition to completing X events and adding up the training log of Y miles ran, biked, and swam, you’ll also find a number of interesting results.  You’ve definitely gotten fitter AND I would bet that you at least maintained your weight (which is awesome).  

Posted by The Running Mike in Training and tagged , , , , ,

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