First “completed” 20 mile training run

Last Saturday I finally ran a complete 20 miles. I also did it in less than 4 hours which I thought was fantastic considering I was alone and didn’t have anyone to pace me. The temperature was in the 60′s and it was overcast so it was great. My nutrition was dead on I think. I had five peices of Honey Stinger Chews (Pomegranate) every thirty minutes with about a half to one cup of water and then at the ten mile mark I had a Clif Shot espresso gel with double caffeine (100mg) and I think that helped carry me through the last ten miles. I did continue with the Honey Stinger chews and water for the last ten miles also at 30 minute increments.

Before the run I had a Trader Joe’s Multi-grain English Muffin with raw almond butter and some organic blueberry jam with my usual 2-3 cups cold French pressed Dunkin’ Donuts coffee(2 tbl half and half). I finished all of this almost two hours before the run. Post run I had my post workout shake modified from the recipe in book Paleo Diet for Athletes.

Steve’s Recovery Drink

  • 18 oz orange Juice
  • 6 oz Pom juice
  • 5 tbl Glucose (Corn Sugar from CL Health Foods)
  • 3 1/2 scoops Protein powder (any powder with 20g-25g protein per scoop)
  • 1 tbl Ground Flax seed
  • 1 tbl Chia Seeds
  • 1/2 cup Mixed Frozen Berries (Costco)

Mix all the ingredients in a blender. Our blender isn’t able to hold it all at once so I usually break it down into 1/2 servings and mix it that way. I have two Shaker cups that can hold it all and I throw those in a cooler with some ice packs in a cooler.

The ice packs are useful for post run pains also. I usually put them on my thighs while I am driving home. Once I got home I took an ice bath for recovery of my legs. Just fill up the bathtub with the coldest water you can, hop in, and then dump a couple bags of ice in the water once you have acclimated to it. Fifteen minutes is the maximum amount of time that you can gain any therapeutic value from it so I hop out well before then. This really lowers your core temp also so you feel a bit of a chill afterwards. These are also great during hot summer days when you just want to stop sweating for a while.

I used both my Garmin 305xt and MapMyRun on my HTC Android phone to track the run. I trusted the Garmin for the mileage and heart-rate, and the phone for the time reminders for nutrition. MapMyRun was very off on the mileage tracking. Anywhere from 5-8 miles off. I listened to the Dick Dale station on Pandora for music. Kind of calm but some good beats to follow too. I ran the whole time at Moraine Hills State Park in McHenry, IL. They have three big loops where you can run each one twice and not go the same direction while getting in the distance you need. They are partially paved with crushed limestone where they aren’t. Beautiful scenery also and very little foot and bike traffic. Not to mention zero cars! No pollution! Now starts the taper and low mileage runs. I will try to post again pre-race to keep everyone up to date.

 

Written on May 11th, 2011 , Nutrition, Recovery, Running, Training
Yesterdays 13 miler

Yesterday was a makeup day for the 13 mile run I missed on Saturday due to the inclement weather. As I was getting ready I noticed that my Garmin GPS watch was dead. NICE! So I grabbed my wife’s HR monitor and quickly re-installed iMapMyRun onto my Android phone. I was pleasantly surprised by the new features on the software, especially when I was done and it showed me my splits. I was amazed by my mile averages and even a sub nine minute mile(8:45) on the tenth mile. WOW! Finished the whole thing in a PR of 2:19:55. I am a happy camper. The only issue post-run is a slight pain in my left hip that I am guessing is a sciatic nerve pinch(found out later it was a psoas muscle inactivation) . Time to stretch and relax. I am going to go for a little swim today. Try to at least get in 1k.

Here is a flyover of the run:
(you have to have the Google Earth Plugin installed to view it)
<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/31955602″ _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/31955602″>iMapMyRun: Apr 17, 2011 11:41 AM</a> and more runs in McHenry, IL on MapMyRUN. <a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com”>Find run</a>

Written on April 18th, 2011 , Running
First Half

Yesterday I completed my first 14 mile training run for the Bayshore Marathon on Memorial Day weekend. One word can describe it. OUCH! The 11.5 mile trail run was much kinder to my body than this run was. Sure the trail run showed me the instability in my ankles by tweaking my medial ligaments in my right foot but the slower pace and longer breaks allowed for a lot less Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). My big sister(in-law) Bridget paced me the entire way which was truly a Godsend because I would have quit at multiple points after hitting nine. The DOMS is mostly in my hamstrings and adductors. Now I know what I need to strengthen in my workouts. I also know what I need to massage for the next few days.  Lots of time to be spent with my roller and The Stick. On the good side is the fact that I completed the run with little to no problems with my right ankle and I finished my half marathon split with a respectable 2:20:20. Not friggin’ bad for the first time I ever ran that far and also considering that one year ago I could not complete 1 mile without a break. Its nice to be at a point a where I can look back and see truly large improvements in my physical capabilities. Its incredible how simple it is to decide to just work through the pain and boredom once you can convince your mind that it is for the greater good. Then once you have busted through that wall it is much easier to do again because you have done it once already.

It is kind of sad when I think back to how painless it was to let myself go into that would of sloth and laziness. All of the fast food restaurants and large agri-businesses make it so easy to sidestep good nutritious eating and it is so convenient to stop exercising it is ridiculous. We just don’t look at the pain that we pay at the end of the day with living our lives like that. The two things in my life that I have treated with disdain are my body and my money. There would always be time to save for my retirement later on because I was going to be making millions by the time I was thirty. Then thirty five. Then forty. Well, here we are at forty one and I don’t see the millions anywhere. And look at where I let my body go to. “My genes are fantastic so I know I can turn my body around in no time and be like the ‘after’ pictures in all those magazines.” Yeah right shithead. I have been busting my ass for months to get back into even slightly decent shape and I am still a mess. But I am on my way in the right direction. Eating better(lost 15lbs this year so far. Thanks Paleo!). Exercising better. Educating my family and my clients better.

Written on March 13th, 2011 , Running
Trail Running

I went to meet some of my Men’s Group friends and their running partners for a run over at Stern’s Woods in Crystal Lake yesterday and tried something new that I thought I would really dislike. Trail Running. Mostly single track through the forest with a ton of elevation changes and lots and lots of snow and ice. I don’t have the ice cleats that most of the trail runners have and I wasn’t wearing thermal socks at all. Just my Asics and Balega running socks(Thank you Runner’s High ‘n Tri for turning me onto these “clouds” on my feat). My feat were not cold at all after almost 12 miles. They were definitely wet from sweating and a little snow but not cold. The first flashback I had when we went off road was going skiing up in Boyne, MI and downhill skiing through single track trails and the thrill I got from that. It was the same experience but significantly slower. The snow was falling so dramatically and there was zero wind. The only sounds were occasional chatting between my friends and I and the soft clomping of our feet on the snow. I have been bitching about the weather and snow for weeks but I let it pass for this time spent on the trails. It was NICE. My ankle is tweaked a little from the inconsistent ground levels and my glutes are sore from the hills and from the 12 miles in general. It took almost 3 hours to complete all the miles but it gave my body the workout it needed and my mind and soul the lift it needed too. Looks like I have a new way to beat the boredom of road running when I need it. Maybe once I am stronger on my bike I can hit the MTB trails too.

Written on February 27th, 2011 , Motivation, Recreation, Running, Training
Running Pace

My marathon training plan officially started a couple weeks ago and I am starting to see some great results. My average mile pace before I started training was around 11:00-12:00 per mile. Now I am pacing 9:30-10:00 for my 3-5 mile runs. I have to admit that I was quite worried that my speed would not improve before the marathon and that I would be at the back of the pack but it looks like I should be just fine. If I could only get outside more it would be fantastic.

I did start running on Saturdays for my long runs with the Alpine Runners out of Lake Zurich. They start off at the high school at 7am and there are lots of people running different paces and different distances too. There were three people nice enough to let me run along side them and they pulled me along quite well. That in itself helped bring my speed up. Not too many big hills on the run and luckily my forays outside in the neighborhood prepared me for them. Our neighborhood has a 200+ft elevation change that can really kick your ass on a bad day.

Last week I started on the Paleo Diet to get past this plateau I had reached in my weight loss. For the life of me I couldn’t budge lower than 205. I am seeing some good signs from it now as the scale is starting to edge downward. I will wait until I see some major changes before I really start advocating it. I do notice quite an energy change from when I tried to go vegan and then vegetarian. That just didn’t work for me. Tried it for over a month and I didn’t lose a pound and I felt drained all the time. Ate plenty of vegetables and took plenty of vitamin supplements but it just was never enough. Something about this anti-grain/gluten thing has me optimistic that I may have finally found the right direction for myself.

I do need to get a shout out to Scott Iott for the great advice he has given me over the last few months. He turned me on to the Paleo Diet for Athletes book and that has really helped educate me on some things I was missing. He also kept me from over training myself as I was looking at trying to add speed to my runs by doing drills along with my normal distance runs but he assured me that I need to concentrate on just getting the miles in. The speed has taken care of itself.

As for my swim and bike training, well that has definitely dropped off. Especially the bike. I can’t make my normal spin class on Sat mornings with Multisport Madness now that I have to get my long runs in on Sat. I am going to see if I can’t get into a spin class earlier in the week that isn’t packed with people. The one drawback now that I work at Health Bridge is that I can’t attend a class that is full. I need to give up my spot to a member. Which is fine but leaves me looking for more opportunities to get on the bike. Again, being able to ride outside would be fantastic but today it dropped to -12. No fricking way I am getting on a bike today let alone run out in this.

Written on February 10th, 2011 , Nutrition, Running, Training
First Turkey Trot & Community Harvest

Yesterday was a fantastic Thanksgiving! Started the day off with a Turkey Trot here in Crystal Lake at Lippold Park. Ran as fast as I could out of the box and regretted it later. Initial pace was way too fast(7:30 mi.). Finally started to back off once I realized my heart rate was up around the 175 bpm area. Averaged that the rest of the way and finished with a personal best time of 29:13. I know it won’t show that in the records as the result because of the huge backup in the chute at the finish but my Garmin Forerunner 305 has the proof I need. You can check out the stats on my TrainingPeaks page(see link below). Figured out that that was a reaffirmation that I don’t want to do the short course in Triathlons as a habit. I definitely prefer the slower pace and lower heart rate. I know I will have to endure a lot of that in speed training but I don’t think my body really likes it at all.

After the race I headed to the gym to shower and change before taking off to do my part to pay forward some of what has been given to me. The Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce, Crystal Lake Food Pantry and the Crystal Lake Jaycees hold the Community Harvest every year on Thanksgiving morning. We take all of the food donated to the pantry for the holidays from local food drives at the schools and local business and with at least a few hundred local volunteers the food gets sorted and boxed for distribution. A large chunk of the food is taken by the Jaycees to distribute to families that have been chosen for the Share a Christmas project(of which I am a past Chairman – True honor).  The pantry collected over 68,000 lbs of food that will help them feed the needy throughout the winter and into early spring. It was also great seeing old friends that I don’t get to see so often.

And of course I did spend a wonderful evening with my family chowing on a fantastic meal. I even made a little money at the game table later! All in all it was a great day.

Written on November 26th, 2010 , Charity, Motivation, Races, Running

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