A Passion for Running

It was a teensy cheat but I won’t do it again.

Today, after reading Coach’s comment on my last post, I opted to push my “easy” run home by just a smidge. Here’s the result:

Distance: 9.12 miles
Time: 1:27 (This is where I cheated – I’m technically supposed to run 90 minutes. Hey! That’s about 1/3 of a mile I cheated myself out of!)
Pace: 9:32 min/mile (a decent “easy” pace)
Average Heart Rate: 148 (wow, nice and low)

I am at a point in my training where I can make some comparisons between now, and 2004 – the year of my last marathon.

Similarity: Then and now, I was able to run my long slow runs at a 9:30 min/mile pace, and my one hour marathon pace/hard runs at 8:00 minutes per mile.

Difference: Then, my average heart rate was much higher at both paces. If memory serves, my average heart rate for the 8:00 min/mile pace was about 175 (today it’s about 160 to 163), and for the 9:30 pace it was 165 (today it’s 145-ish). Wow.

To be fair, back then I was pretty good at running faster paces. For instance, my tempo pace (30 or so minutes) was 7:09 with a 90-95% heart rate. But, as Andrew has pointed out, my short distance running had no relationship to longer distance racing. According to most measures, my 1/2 marathon PR of 1:40 should have translated into a 3:30 marathon. It didn’t. In 2004 I was never able to establish a connection between those racing distances – the best I achieved was a 3:42 with my last marathon (Oct. 2004) being a disappointing 4:01.

And that’s what the Andrew/Lydiard program is all about – building the proper cardio base that will connect those dots and, hopefully improve times all along the spectrum (the “hopefully” part is long-term).

I would point out I’m only 10 weeks into this program. I’ve got four and a half months to train for (“test”) Red Deer Marathon and nine-ish months till my September marathon.

Lots of improvement to come…as long as I can stick to my “don’t make any stupid mistakes” mantra, that is.

I was tired all day. Tired and creaky. The barometric pressure has been dropping and I always “feel it” when that happens.

It was warm today. Hallelujah for that but it made for a lot of melting snow. Ten minutes into the run, my feet were cold and soaked and the footing got worse and worse and worse.

Every step of that 90 minute run was five times more difficult than it should have been. Imagine running in six inches of sand – only you never know which way the sand will collapse under you. Right, left, front, back or a combination of directions. My calves hurt, my achilles were screaming and even my knees complained a bit.

Awful.

Winter has certainly decided to test my stick-to-it-ness. Even though I swore outloud for a good 60 out of those 90 minutes today, winter is not going to win.

Our domain was with iPowerweb for the first two years of its existence. Then, without notice, that host pulled the rug from under us so we moved to Dreamhost where I already had two other domains. We spent three months there but, as time went on, wonky things began happening, and it became apparent that completerunning was not going to be happy there so we upgraded from shared hosting to a Virtual Private Server – a wonderful mid-point between shared hosting and having a dedicated server.

The move went exceptionally well. It took several days of planning and about two very long nights of work, but it went almost without a hitch. The hitch was over at Dawn’s place where one pesky folder – a folder containing about one month’s worth of images went AWOL. I still have no idea how that happened but, luckily, Dawn had a backup of those files and is hastily putting things right. Thanks for not ripping me a new…Dawn.

And thanks to you completerunning bloggers for hanging in there this past few months. Let me assure you that Aaron and I have no desire to move again!

And to everyone else out there – I am hoping you will see vastly improved page loading times and that you’ll stick around for upcoming additions to completerunning that we think you’ll love. Stay tuned for completerunning.com beta 3.0.
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P.S. Even though they didn’t work out for us, I actually still recommend Dreamhost. Drop me a line at mark at completerunning dot com if you want to know why.

I think I know how this dog feels. How about you?

And “no”, the fun is not in carrying the stick…I think?

I was honored to see my blog make it on the Top Ten Sources for Running website but I can’t help but feel (at this moment) rather undeserving. A runner who isn’t running? Hmmm…

Perhaps, it is the battle I’m engaged in to return to running and become a better, injury-free runner that is important?

If there’s one stat I know very well, it’s that 1/3 of runners are injured every year, so I hope that my not giving up (I will not give up) and eventually winning this battle (I will win) will inspire others to forge on also.

Are you sticking with me during these lean running days for that purpose? Are you rooting for the underdog? Are you relating to this battle and, in doing so, rooting for yourself?

We all have our struggles and I strongly believe they are put in our lives to help us grow so I am wondering about the challenges you are facing.

What’s your battle and how are you doing with it? I want to hear from you.

I missed the interview because it aired on a different radio station! What happened was that at the time of the interview, the reporter was on strike and freelancing, and I understood it would air on a different station than the one he usually worked at. But, by the time the interview was ready for air, the reporter was back at work at CBC Radio Edmonton.

So, here’s a copy of the barefoot running interview in mp3 format (thanks a TON Tim!).

There was a lot that got left on the cutting room floor and I feel compelled to point out one interview inaccuracy. I did not say I stick to sidewalks. I said I love grass but that you can’t see what’s in there so I mostly stick to sidewalks and paved trails.

Those things aside, I thought the piece was well done. Obviously Tim (the interviewer) was trying to present a balanced piece even though I could argue a couple of points made by the orthodics guy and the U of A coach.

Oh well, it was fun and hopefully will create some awareness for barefoot running.

Today, I decided to do another little speed test – this time with my shoes on. I headed down to Victoria Road where there are 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 meter sections, in addition to a 1 mile marker a few feet further. The goal was simple: To see how fast I could run a mile.

The results were pleasing. I ran the 1600 in 6:32 – three seconds faster than my previous best which I ran pre-ankle injury and prior to switching to the pose method of running. I got the mile done in 6:34 and I did it all with a fair head-wind. Dagnabbit, I wish I’d have known where the markers were cuz if I had, I’d have pushed like hell to come in at/under 6:30. Oh well, gotta leave something for next time right?

Based on my current lack of conditioning and the fact I felt like crap, I doubted I could do another speedy mile, so I resolved to shoot for 2×800s. Turns out I’m in worse shape than I care to admit and pretty much fell apart by the first 400 meter marker so I decided to just stick with those. I did three 400s in total with times of 1:30, 1:32 and 1:24 (I’m happy about that last one). That’s not bad for a plodder like me who’s done virtually no speed training in the past year and it felt good – really good to push myself. With the race coming up September 11th, I figure once a week interval sessions is a good goal.

Here’s my two-bits on a running survey Dawn tagged me on, and created by Brent.

1. What is your favorite long run pace?
What’s a long run? It’s been so long since I ran long, and so much has changed since then I think I’ve forgotten! That said, when I was running long, I quite enjoyed a 9:00 minute-mile pace.

2. What is your favorite (or typical) pre-run meal?
A couple tablespoons of Nutella! Mmmm. Yummy and filled with energy (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). Seriously though, besides Nutella I tend to go for a granola bar and banana before long runs and races. For runs under 15k, I don’t pay too much attention unless I am doing speedwork. There’s nothing worse than bonking in the middle of an intense workout.

3. What was the distance of your first ever, official race?
I believe the first race I ever did would have been the 1992 8km Beat Beethoven Race.

4. Do you typically run in groups or run alone?
Both. Probably 50/50 unless I get a tag-along on my lunch runs. I like them both. Running alone can be a very spiritual thing for me. It is also easier for me to focus on proper form while running alone. But running with others is also a joy. Some of the most memorable moments of my life have happened while running a partner.

5. Name one or two NEW running experiences (occurring within the past year), that you have grown the most from. (poorly worded and I?m too tired to edit, but you get the idea. feel free to change the wording.)

I’m listing three because the last two are a result of the first one. The first was getting injured. I know it sounds weird but getting injured released me from a world of routine and bad habits. Even though it kept me off my feet for a time (and I quite truthfully went insane), it made me appreciate running even more than I had before and led me to the greener pastures of barefoot running and the Pose Method. Halleluja!

hmmm…who to tag next?

Richard and a new addition to the RBF – A Maria. I think I’ll also tag Adeel since I like hearing what he has to say when he’s cranky and I just know this will make him so.

Marie threw this to me a few weeks ago and I’m finally doing something with it. Crap, this exercise sure did bring home the realization I do far too little reading. Actually, that’s not quite accurate. I do lots and lots of reading. Lots of business reading at work and lots of web reading at home. What I don’t do much of is book/novel reading! Garsh, I remember a time when you couldn’t tear my eyes away from a novel – even during dinner. Things sure have changed. Anyhoo…

You are stuck inside Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by 19th century german philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. That guy was really bent but in a way that makes my mind like being bent. I read this book a LONG time ago while in University and found Nietzsche to be fascinating. Plus, I think his stuff would not go over well in the world of Fahrenheit 451. Philosopher’s never do well in police states.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Fictional means “not-real” right? So, does that mean Pamela Anderson counts? No? Well, then the answer is “no”. Sheesh. Tough room.

The last book you bought is?
Sorry Marie, The Pose Method of Running by Dr. Nicholas Romanov. What can I say? It’s changing my life.

The last book you read was?
Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle. It is sort of a non-bookish book. Kind of a collection of thoughts or meditations. It’s a very tiny little book with lots of deep thoughts. I really liked it and often go back to it just to get my mind onto a new track.

What are you currently reading?
It’s Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong. Powerful, raw, inspiring stuff. Honestly.

Five books you would take to a deserted island?
1. The Bible (I’m copying Marie on this one). I’m not what you’d call a really strong Christian, but I do think the Bible has some great teachings. Plus, opening it is like opening a box of chocolate – you never know what yer gonna git.
2. This stick thing started with Ray Bradbury – an author I love so I’m thinking about his Martain Chronicles. Classic sci-fi.
3. Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution because I’d need something to start a fire with.
4. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Because I love that movie and I wonder if the rumour is true that the book is inferior.
5. Either of Stephen Hawking’s Universe: The Cosmos Explained or A Brief History of Time because with all that time on my hands, I might actually be able to concentrate long enough to understand physics for the first time in my life!

So, there’s my answer. Hey Marie, thanks for helping me discover yet another of my inadequencies!

I guess I am supposed to pass on this stick, so I?m throwing it to: Jeff. I can’t wait to hear his picks. Should be some very positive stuff! I think I’ll also throw this to Bev because I know how much she loves lists. Knock yourself out Bev!

…ahh heck, I think I’ll throw this to one more person – Pam because I owe her one for calling me a “girl” the other day.

We bought the book and DVD, travelled to California and attended a weekend long POSE clinic. What’s next?

Learning the Method
This might seem like a strange heading huh? I mean, I just came back from a clinic where I learned the method so why am I still talking about learning the method? Well, here’s the thing. This is a new skill and, like any new skill, you have to do it over and over and over till it becomes engrained and you have to do it over and over and over to get to the elusive state of “perfection”. You hear that all the time in other skill sports such as swimming and karate don’t you?

The other thing is this: This new skill relies primarily on hamstrings – muscles I have not used very much. My hamstrings need to be worked and worked to gain the endurance I need for long running. That makes sense doesn’t it? I mean, if you think back to when you started running, you had to build your distance slowly didn’t you? As I said a week or so ago, I am considering myself a born-again runner and I think this is the attitude I MUST have in order to have the patience I need to redefine myself as a runner. There was a fella in our clinic who kept saying, “I don’t know if I can stick with this. I need to get my 10k runs in”. Eventually, he asked Dr. Romanov how to deal with (I’m about to invent a new phrase) distance deprivation (there’s another one for the blogfather glossary!). What our coach/teacher told him is SO very important. He told him not to worry about distance or speed. He told him that these things are OUTCOMES from learning the SKILL. In other words, work on the skill first and the other things will come. This takes patience.

Romanov was smart enough to know some of us will struggle with distance deprivation so he gave us some advice. First, he told us that instead of thinking about how far we could run, we should FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS on how long we could correctly perform the skill. Then he said, “If you must run 10 kilometers, then run 10 kilometers but do it in small enough pieces so that you do not lose the POSE”. For example, he suggested we run a couple hundred meters with total focus on the skill and when we tired – to stop, collect ourselves and then do it again and again and again until we had accumulated 10 kilometers. If you think about it, most beginner runner programs advocate a similar idea – they usually advocate alternating between running and walking and increasing the run time in a gradual progression over weeks of running. So, my view is that experienced runners finding themselves hampered by the short distances imposed at the beginning of learning the POSE method really need to think of themselves as new runners. Not easy but necessary!

That’s what I have to do. I have to think of myself as a new runner building up strength, coordination and endurance. Again, those are outcomes and the focus I must maintain to achieve those outcomes is on learning this new skill.

That said, I am thinking about a long-term distance goal which is not really a long distance at all! I’m thinking about kicking the ever-livin crap out of my one-mile and 5k PRs sometime late in the summer. Nothing really specific yet but the fire is definitely there and it’s growing.

We’re Canadian Ambassadors, Eh!
Before Aaron and I left for L.A., you might recall me saying that perhaps Aaron and I would become Canadian Ambassadors for the POSE method. Well, it appears we are on our way. We’ve been in frequent contact with Romanov’s wife Dr. Svetlana Romanov who also happens to be the business manager for POSETECH and there is definitely a great deal of good will between us. Svetlana is a very gracious and giving individual who we are enjoying getting to know.

Specifically, we have been talking about becoming certified POSE coaches. It will take time, but that is the goal. In addition, we are keen on inviting Dr. Romanov to do some clinics in Canada. That would be a very satisfying accomplishment. We are also planning on getting involved in a volunteer capacity helping with some stuff on their website. We have not finalized things in that regard, so out of respect to them I do not want to say anything more about that just yet.

It must be pretty clear by now that we feel passionate about spreading the POSE method message!

Something I feel compelled to mention is that we have affiliated with POSETECH. Meaning, if you get to their website via one of our links and end up purchasing something there, we get a cut of the action. This shouldn’t be too surprising. After all, lots of bloggers use amazon.com in a similar way to get in on the action for their favorite books, movies and music right?

Anyway, I just want to be up front because surely there are some people who will say Aaron and the Blogfather have sold out. For you people, that’s ok. You go ahead thinking that and I’ll continue on with the inner peace that comes from knowing I am involved with something amazing. Something I believe in.

Video!
Aaron and I have ordered all the “before” and “after” videotapes from POSETECH so we’ll soon be able to share something really visual to back up all the writing we’ve been doing! The bad news? The Canada Customs Border Agency will probably hold it up at the border for few weeks. That’s how long it took me to get my POSE book and DVD anyway.

Final Words
This is the official end of my report on this past weekend’s POSE experience. I know, I know. A lot of writing. Thanks for bearing with me!

I’m so amazed and grateful for the journey my passion for running is taking me on. So many blessings…

Please tell me about yours.