A New Track Workout

Tonight, I just finished a really good track workout (outside!!!!) with the Cambridge Running Club.  After warming up for 2 miles, we ran 4X2000 (4 intervals of 2000 meters or 5 laps around an outdoor track).  Normally, the track workouts I’ve run mostly consist of distances between 800 - 1200 meters, with rare instances of running mile repeats.  Anything longer than this seems to take the fun out of the speed workouts because the intervals last more than 5 minutes.  And if your intervals are longer than 5 minutes, you might as well get out on the road or trails.

 

Our track coach came up with a way to solve this problem.  Instead of running the 2000s at half marathon pace, we broke up the 2000s and ran the first 800 at a 10k pace, the next 400 at our goal marathon pace, and the last 800 back at the 10k pace.  Even though it was still a 2000, we got a little bit a little bit of a break in between the 800s and also got some time in running at our goal marathon pace which is important.  I’ve always been fond (relatively speaking) of doing 800s during our track workouts, so maybe this is the reason I’m such a fan.  In between each interval, you can jog either a 400 or 800.  If you’re training for a marathon and have done track workouts in the past, I highly recommend this workout.  And for those of you that have run with me in the past, I kept the 800s between 3:00 and 3:10.  

 

Now that I think about it, the other part of this workout that made it more enjoyable was the fact that we actually ran the intervals at our 10k or half marathon paces (when prescribed).  You see, when I ran with the Washington Running Club, I feel as though we had a habit of racing every tempo run and track workout we did together.   I feel as though we always raced every interval, and I was spent after every workout with them.  I guess that’s the effort that was required I were to keep pace with the likes of Fast Will, Dan, Naoko and Lance.  They all should be looking to, and probably will, break 3 hours this year in Boston.

 

On another note, I’ve scheduled sometime next week to go out to the Respite Center to meet some of the people there.  I’ll be going around lunch time next Wednesday, and am looking forward to the stories I’ll have to report.  I can’t wait!

The Quabbin

Since I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning in Amherst, MA, Lauren and I left a day early to hang out with her parents.  Besides their great company and great food (every meal they serve deserves a blog of its own), one of the good things about going out to western mass is running around Quabbin.  The Quabbin Reservoir is one of the largest man-made public water supplies in the United States, and it’s right in Lauren’s backyard.  It has plenty of service roads and hiking trails and the scenery is exhilarating.  For running purposes, it great for training because of the steep rolling hills and clean air.

 

My thought after yesterday’s run was to just get a few miles in to recover from yesterday’s long run. However, the Quabbin and Mother Nature both had different plans.  As I had decided to get ready for my run, it started snowing (again...) pretty hard.  Undeterred, I laced up the running shoes and left for the Quabbin.

 

My run started out over flat stretch overlooking the reservoir from on both sides of the service road.  If it was a nice day, you would be able to see nothing but water for at least a half mile both directions before your gaze moved upwards to consume the panoramic view of the mountains.  Today, it was completely overcast and everything seemed drab.  After the first 3/4’s of a mile, the path turned to a 2 mile climb that seems as steep as Heartbreak Hill (we’ll be discussing this as we get closer to race day).  I don’t know exactly how steep it is, but if I’m working hard to keep a 9 1/2 minute/mile pace within the first 10 minutes of my run, well, it is definitely not flat.  After close to 3 miles and 25 tough minutes, the next 2.5 miles were steep rolling hills.  By now, the snow had already accumulated more than an inch, and had provided a challenge of not slipping or sliding on a slick patch of the road.  After completing the next 2.5 miles, I decided this was far enough and turned around to run back to my car.

 

The run back was much easier, especially the last 2.5 miles where I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor and run downhill  A lot of experienced runners will say to take it easy running downhill because it’s tough on your legs and it’s an easy way to get injured.  I happen to think that it’s always better to finish a workout sooner rather than later, so the faster I can go, the better.  Plus, it’s a good way to work on your turnover and get a little speed work in.  But that’s just me.  On my way down the hill, I had an audience of deer watch me run by.  They, as probably most other people, wonder why the hell I was running in 25 degree weather while it was snowing.   Sometimes, I wonder that myself.  But until someone convinces me otherwise, I think I’ll continue to do it.

 

I finished my run in 1 hour and 23 minutes, and covered 10 miles.  The Quabbin didn’t exactly prove to be an easy recovery run, but it was fun.   Now I’m looking forward to a good dinner, a beer, and maybe even making some catty comments while watching the Oscars....

Long Runs and Michael Carter Lisnow

SO, I just finished my third 20 + miler, and my first one on the Boston marathon course.  I’m pretty lucky to be able to leave one great running club in DC (the Washington Running Club) and happen to join another great running club here in Boston.  The Cambridge Running Club had volunteers out on the course today to give club members drinks and goos (think food in the form of toothpaste) at three different points on the course.  All I can say is giddy up!  Not having to worry about putting our own gatorade/water out on the stop, or wearing a running belt to carry your drinks is always a plus (which was known by my old roommates as wearing my “bat belt”).   There’s also about 30 people training for the Boston marathon, which is good because, as they say, misery loves company.

 

For me, there are a number of things that I’ve done to make these long runs a little bit easier.  Focusing on my running form during all of my runs helps me conserve energy.  Keeping my wrists loose, not leaning over or looking down while running, and not over-striding (which used to be a big problem for me) are all ways to save energy and putting off “hitting the wall” during long runs.  Second, having completed 3 20+ mile runs and a few more runs over 16 miles, my body is starting to adapt to running 2 + hours (which is a good thing). The more you do something, the better you get. This definitely rings true for these types of runs.  Finally, finding ways to stay motivated during the run helps you concentrate on your end goal.  For a lot of marathoners, typical goals are to finish the marathon, set a new personal record, and/or to achieve a specific finishing time.  However, this year, my motivation comes from a charity I’ve decided to raise money for by running the 2009 Boston marathon.

 

I learned about the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center through the Boston Athletic Association as I was signing up for this year’s marathon.  The Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center provides a “home away from home” for children and adults with disabilities, as well as offering parents a break from the emotional and physical demands needed by their children.  The home away from home includes day and after school care as well as overnight stays and community outreach programs.  After learning more about it, the Respite Center really serves all parties.  They have create a warm and fun atmosphere for the children and adults with disabilities and let the parents relax knowing that their children will be taken care of appropriately.

 

All of the proceeds from the charity will go to a scholarship fund that provide money to families who would not normally be able to afford these types of services.  For example, a $75 donation to the Respite Center scholarship fund would cover the cost of an overnight visit.  It’s easy to get excited about the Respite Center because a relatively small amount of money can really go a really far way.  

 

Please take a moment to check out the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center website.  It will be well worth your time.  After I decided that I wanted to help this charity, my motivation to train just went through the roof.  I’ve found it easy to add a few extra miles to my runs, as well as runs to my week, when you think about the time, patience, and diligence necessary to take care of children and adults with disabilities.  And if I can raise awareness (AND MONEY!!!) for this charity by sharing my experiences (er, pain and soreness) of training for the Boston Marathon, then so be it.  And if I can also squeeze in the opportunity to motivate others to train for marathon or other athletic event, than that would be just as fantastic.

 

THANKS FOR VISITING!!!

On the Surface of Things

Last night, I ran my first medium long run of the week, and it may also be my last one of the week.  Beginning from my hotel in Astoria, I ran to Northern Boulevard then down to the 59th Street bridge, which goes into Manhattan.  I stopped just short of crossing the bridge, took a moment to let the NY skyline sink in, then turned around to head back to the hotel.

The run itself went well, however, I feel very sore today.  Most people wouldn’t think it is a big deal, but there is a noticeable difference between running on asphalt (the street) and running on concrete (the sidewalk).  Running on concrete taxes the body much more than running on asphalt because it is harder.  The best surfaces to run on (10 being the best and 1 being the worst) are:

• Grass 9.5
• Wood chips 9
• Dirt 8
• Cinder track 7.5
• Track 7
• Treadmill 6.5
• Asphalt 6
• Sand 4
• Snow 2.5
• Concrete 1

At home, I’m used to running on streets or bike paths (also made of asphalt).  1.5 hours of pounding the concrete has led to a great deal of soreness in my hip today.  Since I am trying to build up my mileage from week to week, I'll be taking today off to recover.

I completed last night's run in 1 hour and 32 minutes, and covered just over 12 miles.

New York, New York

I am working in New York this week, so I am tasked with finding/creating new running routes for myself.  I'll also have to get used to not running on bike baths or empty roads, which are few and far between in New York.  Tonight I ran mostly up and down the blocks of Northern Boulevard.  For those of you not familiar with Northern Blvd., it's easy to describe - full of chinese food restaurants, laundromats, and car dealerships.  That was good for me because the route was pretty well lit.

I finished my run at 7 miles in about 55 minutes.  Tonight's run was just to get out and get some easy mileage in, and that's exactly what it was, easy.  After the run, I did a little ab work at the hotel, some stretching, and called it a night.

Long Week

I've just completed a long week of running.  Two 12 mile runs at the beginning of the week, followed by a track workout on Thursday, and a long run on Saturday.  Saturday's long run was, well, long.  But I finished up strong, and it gave me some confidence that I'll continue to ride until race day.

 

My goal for this week is to keep similar numbers as last week and to run at least 5 days.  I'll plan on doing this by building off last week's training schedule, and to fill in some smaller low mileage runs to keep the number of miles I run increasing from week to week.  This will include running 45-60 minutes on the "off" days, which will cover from 5-8 miles.  So, if all goes as planned, I should wind up somewhere around 60 miles this week.  At least that's the plan.

 

Now I'm off for a run!

Welcome

Hi, and thanks for visiting my Boston Marathon training blog.  This year, I'm running the Marathon on behalf of the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.  The Center provides relief for the caregivers of developmentally disabled children and adults by offering day, evening, overnight, and weekend care, as well as work training and educational outreach.


I’ll be posting the final ten weeks of my training here, so check back as often as you’d like.  And if you’d want to help donate to my cause, that would be great and much appreciated.  Take care!