A Second Chance

Gettin' Back The Guns

2009-05-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I completed a workout that seems to be a staple for many 400m & "sprinter type" 800m runners in my club, a fast and furious 2 sets of 2X200m, with 1 min between runs and 8 mins between sets. I did this workout once before during the indoor season, at a time when my running was completely lacking any sign of the animalistic aggression that I remember bringing to the table when I ran as a teenager. My times in the winter session had averaged out to 31.4. per 200m. This is loosely indicative of me being able to at that time, run a 400m in around 62.8 (maybe minus one second or a few tenths in an actual race). This time, the workout was different. I averaged 28.5 after a blazing first one in 26.9. Going out hard like that, I know that I'm definitely getting back some of the beserker rage, that is, the confidence to run aggressively in the face of inevitable pain to come. It also has to do with being properly in tune physically with the goals in your mind. My goal being pretty simple when put into words: "run faster than you ever have before".

There are a few reasons why I've been able to turn a corner lately. One is that I'm lighter now. If you've been checking out my blog you may have noticed the theme of weight loss reverberating throughout my journey. I started running at 210, I was probably down 190 during the indoor season, and am now down to 180. I think I could still lose another 10-15 pounds, but I'm going at that slow and steady. I never like to rush things with regard to my development as an athlete. A little extra adjustment time goes a long way towards keeping me healthy & happy & injury free. I mean, I did lose 30 pounds over a period of only 13 months, that's actually quite a lot, considering I wasn't a human blimp or anything to start out with. And I'm proud to say that I've achieved that much without ever dieting, only eating healthier and training consistently.

Something else that has helped me hit new highs is racing. I raced my first 800m a few weeks back and although the result was a little disappointing (I split somewhat fast for me, 66, and finished in 2:21), it helped get me hungrier. I've been anxious to better that performance ever since, because I know I can'tbe too far off a 2:12 at least. At my second meet last weekend I ran what felt like a really solid 400m, in 56.9. Now, that's nothing to write home about, but it sure as hell is a long way from where I was a year ago, and proves to me that I got the guns back.

I'm Lucky To Have Good Coaching

2009-05-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a really great confidence building workout. My first race was a couple weeks ago and it didn't go all that great, at the finish line I may have lost a touch of confidence when I saw that my time was slower than I thought it could be. I tried to remind myself that I've lost almost 30 pounds in the past year, and gone from a downright out of shape, casual smoker, couch potato, to being an up and coming runner already able to run a 2:20 800m. Still, I want to run faster because I know I can.

I guess that in track, especially when you are new and improving drastically each month, you want to do everything right away. I like to visualize myself achieving long term goals and dream goals, like breaking the 2:00 barrier in the 800, or running a 49 sec 400m, or even hitting national standard in the 800(1:53-ish, a really tall order for me). And when you get the reality check (like say, after a mediocre race or workout) it can be trying to realize suddenly that which you already knew inside: that real results and success take time to achieve.

Anyways, sometimes you get in a great workout that lets you really feel where you are at, how much you've progressed lately and where you are going. Often I find I have these types of great workouts because I have a coach there watching what I'm doing and telling me specifically what workouts to do. Yesterday my coach Jason once again came at me with a unique workout tailored to me and my situation. It was a fairly simple one: 3 sets of 4X200m with a 100m jog between 200s and a 400m jog between sets. But he told me to run the first set mellow, 50%, the second set a little harder but still relaxed at 75%, and then to throw the spikes on and rip the last set. I might have come up with a similar workout on my own, but this was 'exactly' what I needed last night. Chances are if I was coaching myself I'd have given myself more rest or tried to do the 200s at a more even pace.

I asked coach what 50% and 75% effort meant exactly, hoping that he'd give me a time guideline. There was no time guideline, he said just go by feel, the important thing is that each set is faster and that you have enough left for the last set. So, 50% effort for me proved to be around 42 secs, the last one in 40. 75% was 35-36secs. And by that time I felt really good, so on the last set I was flying (by my standards) going 32,31,30.5 & 30.1. So that's what 2:00 800m pace feels like, ahhhh... I see... it's really fast. I gotta be really aggressive and tough mentally to get there, and I have to get way better in tune with my natural stride, which is actually more bouncy and long than most people I may have been subconsciously emulating. I hadn't yet run a 30sec 200m in training, this was the first time I got under 31 in a workout. It feels friggin' great, bring on the 29s.

First Race in 10 years

2009-05-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got the chance to race an 800m. This was my first race in 10 years. Back then, in high school I was pretty competitive in the local scene, getting close to the 2:00 barrier. Now, I was just anxious to see if I could break 2:20, and I didn't do it, ha! but I came really close.

I went out perfect and settled in near the back of the pack. I was second to last and I actually had some body contact with the guy in last as he tried to pass me with 600m to go. I let him go cause I could sense the pace was quick for me. Two packs had formed, the leaders split in around 60, my pack in 63, me in 66. I've run a 66 400m only twice in training building up to this race. I've never gotten done with an effort of a quarter in 66 and had to run another whole 400m. That was hard psychologically going into the next turn.

As real serious fatigue started to set in, the kind I haven't yet experience too much of in my interval training, I must admit I felt a little beaten. My next 200m was really slow, a bit of a joke really, I might have run it 40 secs or so, way off the 2:12 pace I was on. Plus, I let my pack slip away from only a few meters to around 15.

With 200m to go I started to feel numb, I felt like maybe I could catch that kid from Lethbridge who had built up a comfortable lead on me. I started to muster a finishing kick and with 100m to go I was less than 10m back, and with 30m to go, it was less than 5m. Alas, I never really got much acceleration going because my body was too toasted, I couldn't quite catch him. He finished in 2:20, my time was 2:21.

I think I learned a few key things about racing. You have to prepare yourself for the hard part. For me, after splitting in 66, it was hard to buckle down and run aggressively. I felt like I had nothing left and I let the pack slip away. Now I know that when I split in 65 or 67 that I have to get aggressive. I know what that split feels like and it should be a queue to really get psyched up, and to run hard into the next turn, and not to give in to the pain so early in the race. If I keep training well like I have been lately, and race a few more 800s this season, I'm confident I will shave at least a few seconds and maybe as many as 10 or more seconds off my opening time. It sucks to finish last in a race and to run slower than you know you can, but at least now I have a benchmark, a starting point. I can start focusing on whittling away all those extra seconds and getting aggressive at the right times in my race.

Recap: My First Year Running

2009-04-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been running for one whole year. I like to think the date that I started was April 3rd, the one year anniversary of my father's death. The truth is that I'm not sure what day it was last April when I went for my first 1km jog. But I can remember the feeling of struggling to get through my first 20 or 30 miles. I mean, I wasn't in shape at all. I hadn't ran in many years and hadn't done significant training of any kind since I moved away from Montreal and quit the gym 3 years prior. And I was 210 pounds! No wonder it hurt, I mean today, I couldn't imagine trying to run with a 25 pound weight vest on, but essentially that was how it was. No wonder my first serious 5km run last June was a pedestrian 25:04, I know I could do a lot better than that now, and it's not only because I'm 185 pounds.

I think it would be smart to go through and list some of the changes running has had on my life over the past year, some of my goals, some of the things I've been through, and then discuss what it feels like to have gotten through one year of solid training.

I've lost 25 pounds
My resting heart rate is so much lower. Frequently, I get readings in the mid 40s to low 50s, when I'm just hanging around the house. That's at least 10 beats slower than a year ago.
I have more energy all of the time, with the exception of when my training peaks and I kind of bonk in life for 12-36 hours.
I have better muscle tone, and am much more athletic in general. Running never made me as one-dimensional an athlete as I thought it might.
I am close to achieving the speed (sprinting type speed, low 50s 400m) I had 10 years ago in high school, and I believe I can get much faster still over the next couple years.
I went from being one of the very slowest people in my track club last fall, in all of the workouts, (teenage girls included) to being much faster than some people, some of the time, and middle of the pack generally speaking. Just enough to soothe my ego a little bit. I mean, it's nice to imagine that if and when you do race, that you won't be last, that you can beat 'somebody' out there.
My workouts have been suggesting to me that my potential 800m race time progression (although I haven't raced or done time trials) is something like: 3:10 last April, 2:45 in July, 2:30 by October, down to 2:20-2:16ish over the indoor season, and now I feel I could run a 2:12 or so. But I'm not sure how that pace is gonna feel with 200-300m to go. Regardless, I know I have a ton of room for improvement, and it's nice to be zeroing in on a 2:00 800m so quickly. I believe I will get there next season (14 or so months from now), maybe 1:58 or quicker, and maybe a 50. or 51. 400m.
I have dreams now, I believe that I can handle the training, I'm in good spirits more often. Many emotional issues I had prior to commencing this training have gradually been slipping away, and I feel now that through working to achieve my physical goals, I am experiencing a spiritual journey as well, that will never leave me feeling regretful.

Goals for this next year:

This outdoor season I just want to stay injury free and race a few times. No time goals.
I want to get more involved in the track community and possibly start coaching, or start a website, or something.
Take a nice long break in late July early August (I'm getting married) and come back strong for cross-country, race a few times, and get lean and mean. No performance goals.
Next indoor season, I want to race at least a couple times, just to see how my 400m-800m progression is going, and hopefully still feel like I'm on pace to break 2:00 in the 2010 outdoor season.
By mid April of 2010, I want to be healthy and feel like I'm fit enough already to run an 800m in 2:00 (and a few seconds faster come June/July). Also, I want to feel like I'm still a candidate to run at the Canadian Nationals in 2011, and to run a 1:53 or so 800m by June of 2011.

Here are some of the troubles I've had:

Early in the indoor season, as I started to lose more weight and increase the intensity of my running, I went through a tough back/sacroiliac joint issue. I had to spend time and money working through it with the chiropractor, doing exercises on my own and learning about posture etc... I feel stronger because of it, but it did challenge my motivation and my generally cool disposition at the time. I got better gradually in Jan and early Feb.
My shins are a constant bother. If I would just run easy like most runners do, I could probably bang out a 10-15km run everyday without issue. But I'm always pushing to increase the intensity of my running and doing sprint workouts and intervals in spikes etc... This tends to blast my shins back into a 'pain' state. It's a bit of a vicious cycle, but I'm gradually getting stronger, learning how to deal better with the acute soreness, and I need less time to recover in general as I get fitter. So, my form doesn't break down as bad in workouts, and I save my shins a little more each week. Also, we are on softer surfaces now (those indoor tracks can be a real bitch), that should help.
Running costs money, money I don't have. I've spend $720 paying club fees, maybe $500 on gear including shoes, $150 on special nutritional things, $400 at the chiropractor, and now I'm being recommend to go to a physio to help with my foot and shins which keep acting up. Also, a massage once in a while would be nice, but I can't afford it. My mom says I should just win the lotto, hahaha, I wish. I think some of the hardships are just making me tougher in the long run (no pun intended). Plus, because I can't really afford special medical/physio/massage/etc... I take better care of myself intrinsically. Think about the greatest runners in the world, they didn't need fancy gear and medical support, or a fancy diet to get fit in the first place. They got there, for the most part, on sheer will power and natural talent. I don't know how much talent I have, especially being 28 years old and having a training age of only 1 year, but I do have will power. I have the desire to do everything I can do and I believe that will be enough to leave me feeling satisfied with my efforts for the rest of my life, whether or not I ever run at Nationals.

Only The Lonely

2009-03-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the end of the indoor season and I survived. I'm in the middle of a long week off, followed by an easy week of building back up. I didn't race at all indoors, as I'm mostly just concerned with building fitness and strength at this point. I did get in two time trials, which weren't great but led me to believe in myself even more, and that I still had 'it'.

My heart is slowly kindling the desire to compete, but it's not important for me to see exactly what kind of shape I'm in right now. I don't have any motivational issues, I'm training solid doing everything I can and it'll take time for me to reach my potential, I accept that.

So, what has the long, claustrophobic indoor season taught me. Well, for starters, I miss running outside and I miss running alone. In an effort to learn as much as I can from my coaches, and to get as much accomplished in as short a period as possible, I've been attending club training sessions 4 days a week. Because of sore shins, I can't do hard workouts everyday. But my ability to recover is improving and I've managed to avoid any serious issues in my shins and feet, which have been perpetually sore.

Being in tight with the runners and coaches in the club has many benefits, and it took me awhile to finally see that there may be drawbacks as well. When you are alone, you find out what running really means to you. You have time to think and really feel how the body is handling the training. I personally believe that serious runners who train alone are less likely to injure themselves, because of an absence of the pressures that teammates and coaches can bring. You run hard when you feel good and lay off when you need to, and it just happens naturally. Really, I'm just supposing here, as I haven't had the feeling of hitting the trails in solitude for awhile. But I really think it's the one missing element in my training. Hopefully as the weather improves I'll be able to get in a good long lonesome run every now and again.

Growing Pains

2009-02-28T18:39:00.000-08:00

Lately I feel like I'm having growing pains, or like I'm fifteen going through puberty again. I've gotten past my nasty lower back/hip issue and have basically ended my treatments with the chiropractor. This is a good thing, it's allowed me to run more and increase the intensity quite a bit over the past few weeks. I feel like I'm really learning how to run hard again, but some of the sensations are not all that fun.

For one, I can't sleep at night sometimes after a hard workout. At night, it feels like all of the muscles in my body, especially lower body, are just screaming at me. This week my best workout was 3 sets of 4X200m with 60secs rest and 8 minute set break. I was able to run these at an average pace of 32-33 secs, and it felt really good to rip a couple in 31. I won't be breaking 2 minutes in the 800m anytime soon, but I kind of have a sense of what it might feel like to get close. After a hard workout like that you'd think it would be really easy for me to just crash out at night, but that wasn't the case. I need to find a solution to this problem, but I'm hoping for now, that it's just a 'growing pains' kind of issue.

Another tough part about my recent training has been dealing with shin pain. We have a very tough surface here in Calgary at the Olympic Oval indoor track. The weather is chilly and there's often ice on the ground outside, so doing hard workouts outdoors doesn't work too well. The 450m track encircling the full size speed skating oval is our home, we do everything there. And when my shins are being uncooperative, I jump on a stationary bike and do some fartlek workouts. Coach says the shin thing will sort itself out in due time, once I get a little stronger and drop another 10-15 pounds. I believe it. For now, it's a battle.

1-8-7

2009-01-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

I know that the title of this blog may right now be summoning up thoughts of inner city gunfights and bodies dropping, but that's not my intention. The number, 187, is a reference to my weight. Well, actually I weigh around 188 after a workout, but next week it'll be 187. I'm gonna keep losing weight until I get down low enough that my body can more easily glide through my stride, and the blasting impact of 2.5-6 times my weight that running incurs (depending on intensity) is lessened. Coach says I could and should likely get down to 170-2, and I agree. It's gonna be really important for me to cut down on the cupcakes and beer over the course of the next year if I want to be able to endure the sort of training in store.

According to Havard's Professor Daniel Lieberman, the human body was designed for endurance running. In his lecture, “Why Humans Run: The Biology and Evolution of Marathon Running”, delivered at Havard's Geological Lecture Hall, Lieberman points out that there are over 25 physiological adaptations unique to humans, adaptations unshared by any of our primate brethren, that have no other purpose but to facilitate strong running over distance. It appears that 2 million years ago, we humans got tired of being scavengers somewhere in the middle of the food chain and learned how to run fast over long distances. Some of these adaptions include, stabilizing cervical vertebrae, stabilized sacroiliac joints and skin with unique aptitudes towards heat dissipation through sweating. These adaptations may be part of the reason we ascended to the top of the food chain. Apparently it wasn't that we had developed our superior human intelligence yet, big brains it would seem wouldn't evolve until much later. Yet, at this critical juncture in our history, it's believed we could outrun virtually every species on the planet over distance.

So, the previous paragraph introduces my first of two reasons for needing to lose weight: to get back to my most efficient body shape and maximize my training efforts, while minimizing the risk of injury and burnout. We may have been built to run, but our modern sedentary lives leave us with significant muscle and strength imbalances that can make the task painstaking and awkward. I hope to achieve a kind of animal suppleness (yes, I'm breaking out the yoga-speak) simply by returning to my optimal running weight.

The second reason , simply put is speed. If I eat right and train consistently I won't lose any muscle mass, and I'm too young and active to lose bones mass or nerve mass or any other kind of mass, aside from the lumpy of masses of stored energy on my belly and butt cheeks. What I'm getting at is that all things being equal, but being 10 or 20 pounds lighter, I'm not only going to be running more smoothly and injury-free, I'm going to be racing faster. After all, the goal for almost all serious runners is to try to win races and set personal bests, and you can't do that if you're carrying around even the slightest bit of junk in the trunk in your patonkatonk.

Beating Adversity Down With A Stick

2009-01-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

My inspiration level for writing has been knocked down some as of late. I've been struggling with some injuries, and I'm not usually a fan of sharing negative vibes. And there really were some negative vibes mixed in with the overall sense of hopefulness I've been experiencing lately.

Last week, I tried to do an interval workout, I think it was 3 sets of 600-400-200, I did one awkward feeling set, and when I started the next 600 I was in so much pain that I had to stop running, and I actually I started swearing out loud. Now, for those of you who know me, you know I am generally quite composed and that I don't sweat the small stuff. But I guess maintaining a solid amount of running in my life has become really important to me over the past 8 months. Also, seeing my progression has become a focus of my life, so I guess it's not small stuff.

So, what really went wrong? Well, I sat on my ass for 9 years and got really out of shape. I suppose that's the first part. What happens when you aren't active is that you will develop lazy habits and your muscle function will degenerate. I'm really learning a new meaning of 'in shape' lately, because I am literally changing the shape and function of my core and leg muscles. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a total lazybutt, I did kung fu for 6 months once, but all in all, it's fair to say I let myself slide.

My specific problem seems to be that I have been recruiting the core muscles on my right side more than the left during day to day activities. After while the tightness of these muscles, coupled with inevitable muscle weaknesses on the other side, leads to improper alignment of the low back, pelvis and hips. In my case, being a little bit overweight certainly exacerbated the problems. There ended up being a few acute problems that left me irate and unable to complete my workouts.

First, I tore my left quad and hip flexor. Although it wasn't too severe, it was reoccurring, because I was left two massive knots in my quad muscle, which was/is perpetually tight. That's when I started to see the chiropractor. Since then I've been getting better gradually and attacking the root of these problems, but I've had to battle some pretty intense soreness, and off and on pain in my left SI joint (left low back/hip area). I'm on the right track now though, I've lost just over 20 pounds since last April. I've been training consistently, so I know I have a solid base atop which I can now build real running strength, and I just came back from a real running workout that left me feeling energized and hopeful. Those are the vibes I've been waiting to share.

My 2008

2008-12-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

Joining my track club this past September was one of the best things I've ever done. If you're not familiar with my story, I was totally out of shape last spring, 27, 30-ish pounds overweight and I started running. Fueled by my memories of being a decent 400/800m runner in high school and the fading shock and anguish of losing my father to cancer a year prior, I dropped some weight and raced a Father's Day 5km in June, finishing in 25:04. Then I started setting new goals, because I felt like everyday was a mission, a mission to build myself up strong and into the fastest runner I could be.

In September, I struggled so hard through every workout. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after track, I would sit at home in front of the t.v. for hours and stew in the euphoria and the pain of having pushed myself to a new limit. And every training day I would feel raunchy during the warm up and inevitably wonder how much of the workout my body was going to be able to handle before I keel over or get injured. But dedication pays off. I always took enough rest, never missed a scheduled workout and now I can handle a far more brutal training load. Also, my workouts are suggesting to me that my potential race times are dropping fast.

Just last week, I finally got around to seeing a chiropractor about some issues I have in my hips and lower back that seem to be preventing me from being smooth when sprinting. I can easily pull my left quad for some reason. He told me that I have a very tight, even locked up SI joint on the left side, he also said that it's quite common and that in as little as one month of treatments and targeted exercises I should see some big changes. I felt better after my first adjustment and the whole experience got me to thinking that maybe I can do this, I can become a good athlete. I have natural speed, I've taken to the lifestyle, I eat well, I train hard and consistently and now I'm taking care of some of the weaknesses in body with the help of a professional. More or less, I think that's all it takes to reach your potential, right? Regardless of all that though, I have no expectations, I just like to reassure myself that I'm o.k. It's all about the journey, it's all about feeling pain and pushing on, but also being smart. It's all so that one day as I'm crossing the finish line, I will know that I did everything I could while I was here.

A Confidence Boost: my Thursday workout

2008-12-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

It has been one week since I lightly pulled my left quad doing either back squats, a 300m time trial or an all out 150m (actually I would say it was the combo that ended up bringing the pain) . Trying to do the time trial the day after weights was probably my first serious training mistake this fall and I've paid a small price. Earlier this week I totally eased off the intensity and did a lot of R.I.C.Eing. All I did was some easy running, plus around 8km total in tempo running intervals (with short jog recoveries every 200-400m) Monday and Tuesday at approx. 6:40/mile pace.

Last night, after a full warmup my left quad felt pretty decent, almost 100%. My coach gave me the o.k. to start a real workout and see how it felt. The same workout he had planned for a few of us, 2 sets of 5X200m with 90 secs rest, and full recovery between sets.

I was chasing this 18yr old kid Mike the whole time. He has run close to 2:00 for the 800m and wants to go 1:58/1:56 next outdoor season. Obviously, he is much further along than I am in terms of fitness, but I hammered out the same workout as him, only that I was 4 or 5 secs back for each interval. So I was going between 33 and 35 secs (minus the one 38 I recorded after having to pull a wicked spin move in order to deke out a mob of teenage girls who were monopolizing the track real estate).

That might not seem like much to an elite runner, but I'm proud of this workout because I know how far I've come in only a few short months. Four months ago I was nowhere, and I probably couldn't even have ran one 33 sec 200m. Now, I'm close to owning that pace and making it my baseline 800m race pace, which would equate to a time of 2:12. All I have to do is drop around 18 secs (lol) off of that kind of time over the next 18 months and we're goin' to Nationals baby! Hmm, I just noticed that that equates to one second per month on average, sounds reasonable, but is it?

300m Time Trial

2008-11-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

I had my first 300m time trial on Thursday of this week and for several reasons it didn't go as well as it could have. For one, I didn't know about it advance and I had done weights for the first time the day before (my left quadriceps hasn't forgiven me yet). Second, I got a poor start. Last, I ran the first 100-150m too slow, not properly gauging the pace I am capable of maintaining. I forgot that a 300m should basically feel like an all out sprint for someone who wants to race the 800m. I saved a little over the first 150m, but man I really busted out over the last 150m, it felt great.

My time was 44.2, which equates directly to a 58.9 400m. My time trial suggests to me that I am fit to run at least a 60 sec 400m, because I took the first part of my run too easy. If I could run a 400m that fast, the McMillan's Running Calculator suggests I could also run an 800m in 2:11. That's much faster than I thought I would be able to run right now, and I'm not sure if I believe the calculator, but it's positive stuff so I'll keep it in the back of my mind.

At first I was let down a bit by my slow-ish time, some of the elite 400-800m runners I train with ran times in the 36-37 range, and I was hoping to get a time closer to what they are doing. But I gotta remind myself that it takes time and that I'm not in shape yet. I'm way overweight and haven't done very much speedwork. I suppose you have to run a 44 first, if you ever want to run a 34.

Training Mantras

2008-11-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the process of becoming and being a serious runner. When I ran in high school I had this attitude that was all or nothing, run for the moment, balls to the wall. Consequentially, I had no respect for the training process and the entire lifestyle of a serious athlete. I thought running was something you just got up and did, as opposed to something that you lived.

A wannabe athlete who lacks a holistic perception of the lifestyle of an athlete will be a weak athlete. They will be prone to injury, erratic inconsistent training and will never learn the true potential of their bodies and minds. Once you put your training process under the microscope, take the right amount of time to rest, and gauge how you are adjusting to increased training loads, you begin to live the holistic lifestyle of an athlete. That's when you can then start the mission of becoming strong.

Personally, I think I am ready to begin that mission, and starting Monday, I'll be adding weight training to my regime. This means that I'll be training much harder and more regularly than I'm used to (or than I've ever done before, by a mile), but with the help of my new holistic athletic lifestyle and my great coaches, I think I'll be able to wax more than wane in the face of an increased workload. Also, I think these guidelines I'm working on for myself will help:

- Actively resting is the most important component to training. An extra day off or an easy day can be way more beneficial in the long run than any hard workout.

- Keep your hard workouts in mind, plan for them and give them everything you have.

- Take all balance and strength drills super seriously, they keep you healthy and work out imbalances.

- Ask yourself frequently: "Am I loose?", figure out what muscles are tight and stretch them out.

- After a hard workout, always R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) any trouble areas. Use this time to sit and think about your goals.

- Never do any sporadic training, cross-training or extra workouts. It's either a worthwhile workout that fits into your overall routine, or it's not worth doing.

- Learn about the sport and you will improve. Always continue being a fan and a student. (Athletics are the greatest sports in the world, it's worthwhile knowing a lot about it)

Fast Times At The Olympic Oval

2008-11-06T00:53:00.000-08:00

This week marks my first ever experience training on an indoor track. Throughout the winter my club uses the Olympic Oval facility, located on the University of Calgary campus here in Calgary. It's a world class speed skating rink that doubles as a track and field facility. Everyone seems excited to be heading indoors, but there's also a definite wistful feeling among many of us, because we will no longer be training together on the trails.

Monday, I scoped out the campus on my warmup and did skips and strides on the indoor track. That was an eye opener because the track surface is so much more responsive than the grass I've been doing most of my running on, gotta watch the shins. Right next to us there were all these speed skaters doing dry land training, which was kind of cool to see for the first time.

Next, we hit the soccer fields for a tempo workout. It was supposed to be 5 or 6 X 1000m for me, but my coach slyly stopped some of us after only 4 reps and asked us to pump out 5 X 100m at near full effort. I really felt like I was flying across that soccer field. I didn't think I would be able to tap into my true speed after only two serious months of training. But I was probably running those 100s in 13ish, which means I'm tapping into 400m in 52sec pace, and that's where I was when I left off in high school nine years ago.

The first part of our workout on Tuesday was some real speedwork. I hadn't done anything like this in a very, very long time, if I ever did. All out sprints, 3X10m,3X20m and 3X30m. I think I looked a little wobbly trying to burst into top speed on command, I certainly felt rather wrong. Once I got moving I felt strong on most of the reps. But on the start line, I became conscious of how stiff I really am. It's clear to me now that the next important task for me in my training is to work on getting looser so I can properly work on getting faster.

Dead Runners

2008-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Last Night, I stood at the top of Edworthy Park, staring into the coniferous canopy and breathing in the cool fall air. My thoughts felt like distant echoes, my cogency fragmented, it was like a meditation.

My recovery was perfectly timed, I almost collapsed and then instead, I stood up tall. I was placed in just the right spot to hear all the dead runners encouraging me to push on from beyond.

The figments of my imagination, my colorful sense of personal spirituality, Pre, Emilie, Terry Fox. I feel irradiated by the approval of ghosts before it's time to head back down the hill, to earth.

The Fall Plan

2008-10-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to write a blog encapsulating the training I've been doing so far this fall. The plan I'm following is pretty similar to the other 400m and 800m runners in the club, we are in the 'fast' sub-section of the club's robust distance group. Basically, we are building base for the indoor season (many of the runners in my club compete for UofC) and in my case just trying to get fit to handle more of a training load throughout the winter in preparation for the outdoor season.

I've been training with the group 3 days during the week and getting out for a run on my own once at the most. I would love to run everyday and get really lean and fit, running fast mile after fast mile, mentally I'm super motivated. But it's important to get enough time to recover properly and adjust to all the changes in your body. I'm not an accomplished runner, and taking the time to adjust to a solid training regime is crucial. My coaches and I are really seeing eye to eye, they are keeping me restrained and increasing the load at the right times.

So, what have we actually been doing? Before each workout we warm up with a 20 min run, some stretching, skips and strides. One workout each week is usually steady state/tempo running on grass. A few example workouts: 4X1000m w/ 2min max rest, OR 6X800m OR sometimes something longer like 4X10 minutes, followed by 10 mins jogging barefoot and either 10-15 mins of various running drills, 6-8 mins of hardcore abs or just 400 or 500 crunches before heading home. A second workout day my coach Jason Lindsay likes to call 'variety day'. It's a hill focused day with lots of trail running and it usually presents the biggest challenges of the week. There are always lots of grueling hills involved among other things like stepping up and over picnic tables or trying to get airborn sprinting through gulleys. The reason for the name variety day, I suppose, is that we never really know what to expect, and while it's the toughest training most of us will do all week, it's also the most satisfying and fun. My third day of training was, for a few weeks something called 'Brazilian'. I see it as a fartlek run (Swedish for speedplay) spinoff. We run really hard for 100-300m to a specific spot in the park that one runner has designated. Then we take turns calling out exercises and drills for the group, taking only a short rest in between each set. A few example exercises: pushups, rocket jumps, anything ab related, squats, chinups, mountain climbers etc... I've learned a ton of new exercises, some have some pretty silly names too, like penguins or alternating three limbed fishies, wait, is that what it's called? Anyways, once everyone has called an exercise someone new gets to call the next run. A workout like this will last roughly 45mins before an easy cool down run.

I can sense that our training is gonna continue to change as the fall season progresses, so it feels good to jot some of this stuff down before I forget. Later, we'll be going indoor to train over the winter, but not before we get a few more solid variety days under our belts.

A Forgotten Mission Strengthens My Motivation

2008-09-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

One interesting thing about getting back in touch with an adolescent dream, is that you may from time to time come across some forgotten reasons for your original motivation. Many secrets, laid buried under the busy years of more average efforts and pursuits, one by one unravel. I had forgotten until this past week how important my father's role was in motivating me to run track in high school. And how maybe his death last year has more to do with my motivation now than I really know.

When I was 17, I remember wanting to beat my father's times. He ran track for his high school and told me that in his senior year he ran a 52.5 in the 400m and 2:03.9 in the 800m. Not bad for a football player with little running specific training. Him and I were very similar, running track on the side of other pursuits, a side note to our colorful adolescent lives. Socializing, art, writing and dreaming were main pursuits we both shared in youth.

For a while, I was also pretty serious about running for my school. Coming back from injury I was able to run 52.2 in the 400m and beat my father's time. But really it was the 800m that mattered, that was the race that we were both more passionate about, that was the race that combined pure speed, endurance and strategy. In the 800m, although I did managed to duplicate his 3rd place finish in the Ottawa-Carleton city meet, I didn't beat his time. My personal best in the 800m stood a disappointing 2:04.0, just one tenth of a second shy of beating my Dad.

I think I can use that tenth of a second as motivation to get back in shape now, almost ten years later. Also, my father asked me once a few years back if I ever intended on getting back into running. But upon asking he kind of stopped himself mid-sentence, as if to imply that I was probably all washed up and that I had likely squandered whatever chance I may have had when I was younger. He mumbled something about being left in the dust by the tough competition.

At the very least I want to run a 2:02, so I can look to the heavens and catch a smile from my old man, who didn't think I could do it. Once I can run a 2:02, I can start to think about what it's going to take to shave ten seconds off my time and go to Nationals. I don't know what the odds are of me succeeding. I'm sure they are stacked against me. But I'm totally fearless now, I feel like a soldier, who after years in a camp has finally been given his mission.

Meet my father, Natale Delle Palme, on this page I created as a memorial for him, http://nataledellepalme.googlepages.com/

1 Tough Week Down,100 To Go

2008-09-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

I finally started training with a serious track club here in Calgary, it's called CALTAF, or the Calgary Track and Field Athletic Association. I had a few of worries before showing up to train with this group, starting with the age factor. I noticed from their posted results from last year that all of the serious athletes are at least 4 years younger than me, and many of them still in their teens. I don't know what I was hoping for, I mean track and field is a young person's sport, but it would be nice to have at least a few athletes around that were closer to 30 than 20.

After one week with the club, despite my minor concerns, I don't really feel out of place. I've adjusted to the social reality of the club and I think I can fit in a lot better with CALTAF than I would a road running club where many of the members would be way older than me and less competitive; essentially that is my only other option if I want to run with a group and get some coaching. I can take it really seriously (track club) or just join a road running club.

The bottom line is that if I'm not going to go all out with it, I'd rather do something else and just run minimal mileage on my own for fitness. When it comes to racing, I know I am build more for speed than distance, and if I have any shot at running some competitive times it'll likely be in the shorter races, like the 800m. I'm not going to be able to train better for that race with any other club than CALTAF, so in the end I guess I'm pretty stoked to have hooked up with my new coaches, Christine Laverty and Jason Lindsay.

As far as training we have been doing some solid aerobic running, strength training, drills and yesterday they had us venture into Edworthy park for some brutal hilly trail loops, that by the end of the workout left me feeling a confused mix of 'all-powerful superhuman' and being on the verge of death. I can't wait to do it again.

Running And Nostalgia

2008-09-07T22:50:00.001-07:00

Lately, I've come across the term 'runner's high' several times while reading articles on running. I used to think the term was a bit of an exaggeration, that while it did feel great to finish a hard run, it wasn't the sort of extreme high that one can expect from the consumption of narcotics. Lately, as I get back into running I'm starting to feel differently about it. I'm realizing that runner's high is real and that it's linked to all of the good things about sport.

The other day I finished my 3 mile tempo run in a new best time. For 30 seconds or so I felt the usual queasiness one can get after a hard effort. But after that, for a good 15 minutes I was genuinely high. I believe now that the high is part of the running lifestyle, that it creeps in as part of the appeal of training and that as runners we crave it. We crave the pain because we get a deep rush of a feeling after a hard effort. It's a nostalgic feeling, it's a confidence building feeling and I think it's fair to call it a high. Albeit, it's a lot different than the feeling one gets from consuming drugs.

I remember reading something once about teenage pot smokers and what it was that made them continue the habit into adulthood. The idea is that when we experience something novel, we get a very intense experience. Certain individuals have the psychological makeup that leaves them craving that same feeling over and over again. It becomes easy for them to sacrifice more natural applications of their mental energy in order to assure that the nostalgic sentiments invoked by the consumption of marijuana are very frequently a part of their lives. Sadly, the high becomes less and less intense as the individual gradually strays from adolescence, but I suppose the cravings stay more or less the same, and in many cases provide a major obstacle to achieving one's dreams in life.

While I believe runner's high may have some things in common with other highs, there are some major differences. The runner craves a high for holistic reasons, as they see all kinds of benefits from training. They have goals and an emotionality linked to the practice. Training is in essence a stepping stone that ascends towards ones dreams. So, it's only fitting that every time a new plateau is reached, there's a deep transcendent feeling.

Why Do I Run?

2008-08-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Because I want to one day feel about my running like Gary Reed feels about his running.

" I left it all out there, it's all on the track, no regrets... those guys ran tough, and that's that. "
- Gary Reed after finishing 4th in the men's 800m final in Beijing

In a moment like that, finishing just one spot off the podium at the Olympic Games, many atheletes in many sports would be visibly dissapointed. Many would second guess their decision making, their training, their coaches. Many would lack the grace and humility of Gary Reed. He has no sense of entitlement, he just tries hard and hopes. I really respect the guy for that, but there's more about his performance that is inspirational, something transcendent.

He put everything into that race, he worked as hard as he could work for as long as it took to prepare for the day that he would challenge for the title of Olympic Champion. And, he sure as hell challenged for it. Totally spent, having used every ounce of energy, having accessed the deepest level of his chi, or however you want to categorize such a herculean effort, he still fell just short of an Olympic medal. But does that really matter?

There are so many little things we can't control in life, so many intangibles. Gary got clipped a little when he tried to go inside on the last corner. A split second that may have jeopardized his chances, as it then took him a few extra meters to go wide, and when he got there, it was too late to try to go wide on Alfred Yego who eventually caught up to the leaders to snag a bronze medal.

Dissapointment?

How can a man be dissapointed when he knows he did everything he could, when he prepared as best he could and when he left it all out there? I want to feel like that one day at the end of a race. I want to feel what it's like to run that hard. If I can do that, win or lose, I know I'll be happy and that it was all worth it. If I do everything right, avoiding injury and really pushing hard, I might even get to have the race of my life against Gary Reed at the Canadian nationals. Now that's something to train for.

A New Home

2008-08-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm in Calgary now and I'm loving it so far. The city is situated right where the Elbow river splits off from the mighty Bow river. They've done a great job of creating miles and miles of pathways and trails on either side of both rivers. I think the pathways will really help keep my training consistent because I'm gonna be living just under half a mile from the river.

The other day I went for a long run that ended up providing me a new and interesting challenge. They were repaving a section of the pathway near Edworthy park, so I had to either turn back or brave an unknown trail system through the park. I hate turning back, besides, how tough could a short jaunt through some trails be, right? Man o man, I was really given'r 110% to keep pace through the Edworthy trails. There are hundreds of sketchy wood stairs and all kinds of climbs and dips, I didn't think I would climb so much. I checked my heart rate after a tough climb (thanks to a $30 heart rate monitor/watch I picked up recently at Winners), and it was 180 (I don't really know what to make of the numbers, but it felt too high for me in the middle of a 14km run), I had to walk a few meters at that point before attacking the rest of the workout.

Things should work out well, I'm getting fitter everyday and looking foward to starting out with the CALTAF track club in a few weeks. The coach told me to keep doing what I'm doing and try to increase the mileage in preparation for the off-season training that we're gonna start off with in September. Also, I'm thinking of racing a 5km road race on October 5th for breast cancer, and I'll be looking to drop my PR, and maybe flirt with 20:00.

Slowly Getting Leaner

2008-07-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Well, training has been going well even if the rest of my life is kind of all over the place. I should be in Calgary soon, and I'll be able to start getting into a normal off-season training routine. I've been reading a lot about training lately and trying to piece together a program for myself for the off-season. But, I might just join a club (CALTAF) when I get settled in Calgary and do whatever it is they do. I think some coaching would really help me at this point. I noticed that they had several guys running well under 2:00 for the 800m at the Alberta meets this year, so I'm kinda stoked to meet some of these guys. My loose goal for next season is to run a 2:00 800m (I at least want to break my H.S. PR of 2:04.0).

As for my training, I've been focusing on trying to get leaner, upping the mileage. Last night I finished my 5th 6 mile run over the past 10 days, in 55:02 (my previous times in order were 62:20, 60:15,57:51,57:21, so I'm getting faster each time). I'm gaining confidence slowly, it's still a long distance for me so I tend to go out real slow (11:00/mile pace), and I keep kicking harder over the last 2 miles. I'm considering trying to run 8 miles at around the same pace next time, and then seeing if I can adopt a faster pace for my 6 miler.

I also got in one interval workout on the track where I'm closing in on 90sec 400s w/3 min rest. I feel really good overall, I'm running more efficiently and smoothly than I have in years. I'm trying to teach my body to run 6 minute miles comfortably. In a year, I want a long run to be 8 miles in 48:00, give or take. As for right now, well it's nice to be close to running a comfortable 6 mile in 48:00, I think I'll be there soon enough. If I was to race a 10km right now I bet I could run a sub 48:00, but that's not on my schedule. I'm waiting until the fall to race for a PR in the 5km.

The Desert Heat

2008-07-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

The day before yesterday I went for a grueling, 4 mile midday run in the Las Vegas heat. I thought because it was humid outside and the temperature had dropped off a little bit that the weather would be bearable, but I was wrong. It was really rough. I'm not sure I would do it again with the intention of running that hard. Extreme conditions are not the best spots to try and run your best times, but they can build character.

I went out too hard, I was trying to run as close to 8 minute mile splits as possible, and I was close to that pace after 2 miles. But I had to slow down some during mile 3 because I was really hurting and majorly overheating. I guess I'm not that tough yet, but I'm getting stronger. Some people honked as they drove by, just when I was really hurting and that helped me get through the 3rd mile. I chose to interpret it as encouragement instead of heckling, but who knows what these Las Vegas people are thinking. Actually, they were probably be thinking "who the heck is that maniac running outside in the middle of day, let's honk and see if he falls over".

I came in in 34:26, so that averages out to 5:20/km or 8:36/mile. Not bad for me, considering on June 16th I ran as hard as I could in a 5km race and averaged 5:01/km. I know that when I race another 5km I will shatter my best from ealier this season, but I'm not in a rush to race again. The next time I run 4 miles hard, I'll do it in good weather and I'll finish it in under 33:00.

During my recovery from that run, I've been reading about the different aspects of breathing that affect running and health. Several authors have mentioned yogic breathing techniques as a route to better recovery and even better performance. Trying out the technique described below, I feel like I've helped recover better. I feel strong today, like an athlete. So, I guess it's time to do some intervals and teach myself what running at 4:00/km really feels like, but I'm waiting until the sun goes down first.

Here is an explanation of the breathing technique:

courtesy of 'holistic-online.com'

The Four Stages of Breathing in Yoga

Puraka (Inhalation)

Abhyantara Kumbhaka (Pause After Inhaling) Full Pause

Rechaka (Exhalation)

Bahya Kumbhaka (Pause After Exhaling) Empty Pause

My Ultimate Running Warmup Project

2008-07-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

What is the ultimate warmup for running? Who knows, right? Through experimenting in my own workouts with information available online and in books, I'm developed my own personal 'ultimate' warmup project. I call it a project because it is still a work in progress. Different types of running optimally will require different warmup routines.

I still have a whole load of considerations with regard to the optimal warmup, but at least I have created a workable system to benefit runners training for middle and long distance races. This routine is designed to warmup the important muscles (soleus, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors and IT band), as well as help avoid injuries by developing strength and flexibility.

Doing the entire routine might take away from your workout as it requires a fair amount of energy. If I'm just going for a long run at an easy pace or something, I don't do it. But, I believe it's worth doing at least a solid assortment of the elements listed below, before you run hard intervals. I think it's best to do the warmups on grass. This kind of routine keeps you healthy and will improve both form and performance.

A– Run at an easy pace for long enough to get all your muscles warm. Currently, I like to run 2 miles or so at 9 or 10 min/mile pace.

B- Light dynamic stretching

1- Arm Swings: stand still, pump the arms as if running hard

2- Reaches: stand still, reach your arms toward the sky continuously

C- Dynamic walks (over 15m with walk back recovery)

1- Heel Walking: 3X15m, with heels pointed straight,out and in each rep.

2- Toe Walking: no heels

3- Heel to toe walk: left heel touches the ground directly in front of the lifting right forefoot, immediately hop up on the left forefoot and continue the walk.

4- Front Grabs: lift forward moving leg up to your chest and hold for a split second

5- Twist Grabs: same as above, with knee rotated outward instead

6- Hurtle Steps: with each step swing leg up and out as if over a hurdle

7- Lunges: easy full extension, keep knee off the ground.

8- Twisting Lunges: reach elbow all the way down to the opposing shin.

D- Full impact dynamic action (over 15-50m with walk back recovery)

1- Strides 3 X 50m @ mile race pace

2- Skipping X 2

3- Carioca X 2 , one easy, one with high knees

4- High Knees X 4, front, back, each side

5- Butt Kicks X 4, front, back, each side

6- Strides 3 X 50m @ mile race pace

E- Mental Preparation

1- Get 100% clear on what your workout is.

2- Remind yourself of the benefits you are hoping to acrue from the workout.
(i.e. comfort with a new pace, speed, tempo endurance, aerobic/anaerobic etc...)

3- Visualize yourself running, completing your workout perfectly and smoothly, and run like hell.

8 Weeks of Learning to Run Again

2008-07-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

This article is a summary of my progression from late April to late June:

It was only 7 or 8 weeks ago that I started training for running. My first workout consisted of 10 minutes of very easy running. By the end of the run my heart rate was sky high, and I was sweating buckets. But I didn't get that 'runner's high' I remember from when I was 17. Actually, I felt awkward and weak. I used to be so much stronger and comfortable running. Oh well, I told myself, at least I could still run. I just had to relearn how to do it properly.

Fast forward to late May and I'm knocking off a 45 min run comfortably at that same pace. I guess you could say I learned to own 7:00/km pace. I started a training log, cross-training and lifting at the gym. I felt fit, but far,far from elite. And, I can tell where I'm at by gauging the awkwardness level I feel when running. I was still getting the same uncomfortable feeling that I had felt on my first 10 min run, only now I felt it strictly when pushing the pace to under 6:00/km. By this point I was learning to run again, but I couldn't yet run hard.

On June 16th I raced the 'Alterna Do IT For Dad 5km'. My goal was loosely to run around 25mins. I finished 95th in a time of 25:04. Not bad, I really had balls to run at that pace because I had hardly touched it in training. When I crossed the line I was totally spent. It felt awkward still and the race hurt me a little (I get shin pain), so I took a few days off. But, it felt good to know that in just 6 weeks, I was closing in on the kind of pace I used to run at 17 (37:56, PR for 10km).

Next, I made it my goal to teach my body to run 5:00/km comfortably in training. Since then I've been running as much as possible at that pace. The workout I decided on last night was 3km easy, dynamic warmup, 1km hard (4:48), 4:30 recovery, 1km hard(4:23), 1.5 km easy. And you know what, I only felt the awkwardness when I dipped below 4:30 on the second interval. Also, a few days back I knocked off my neighbourhood 5km run in under 27:00. Maybe I'm closer than I thought to a sub 20:00 5km, we'll see in the fall. One thing is for sure, I'm not gonna feel awkward running at 5:00/km over 5km anymore.

A Second Chance – My Running Bio

2008-06-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

I was a bit of a chunky kid, and even though I played every sport in the book, I never really thought of myself as a talented athlete. I tried all the sports, but there was only one I truly excelled at, baseball. Every year I played in the most competitive league in my home city of Ottawa. And when I was 13 something happened that I will always remember. We lucked out that year because we had a great coach, the rumor among us boys was that he had played semi-pro ball. According to our new coach, one of the key skills in baseball was speed. During spring training he took all of us down to the track for some sprint training and time trials. I loved it right away. I listened and learned his techniques while realizing that I had more innate speed than I ever knew. I was the second fastest on the team, and the kid who beat me ended up a competitive sprinter in high school. That season I stole a ton of bases and was the starting center fielder. I had finally found a true athletic talent in myself, I could run fast.

The next few years of my life I think of as my delinquent years. I quit all sports with the exception of my high school soccer team. I smoked cigarettes and hung out with all the hipsters, and cared a lot more about where the next party was going to be than my physical fitness. I had forgotten that I had a talent. Until, one summer night coming home late, I got tired of walking and started running. Maybe I was influenced by the stories my father had told me about how he had ran some good 800m races in high school and taken 3^rd place in the city meet. It took me about ten minutes to run home from the mall that night, but it wouldn't be long until I was knocking off runs from the mall home in under six. Soon enough, I was having thoughts of racing. This was the first moment in my life I ever felt a true athletic desire.

My high school had no track and field coach, just a gym teacher willing to take us to the city meets. A handful of us competed, and I trained myself to run a 400m in 57secs. I finished around 12^th in the city, and failed to qualify for the eastern Ontario regionals. But I knew at 16 that I had finally found something I was passionate about, and I vowed I would train harder next time. The next season I trained way too hard. I had joined a track club, I was serious, and I was really, really naive. In the early spring I started to feel some pain in my shin, but I didn't slow down the training. I was running every day, whenever I could, as hard as I could. I was going to go to the provincials, I was going to win meets, I was going to be great. I ended up with stress fractures in my left shin, and never even got to race once to see how fast I was. My season was completely ruined.

The following season I changed schools, because I wanted to run track in a more reputable program for my senior year. I eventually managed to get healthy enough to train, and made the 4X400m relay team. We were the fastest in the city, and finished 13^th at the provincials with a time of 3:33. I consistently ran my splits in 52 seconds. I also came third in the city meet in the 800m, running a 2:04.0. But it wasn't like the previous season. I didn't feel as fast, because I hadn't managed to train properly due to fear of injury. The fear inside of me was choking my true athletic desire.

The only reason I ever wanted to run track was to run as fast as I possibly can. I never got the job done in high school, and I later buried my dream. But my passion for the sport has found its way back. I'm 27 now, and if I don't give it all I have, I may never know how fast I could have ran. Earlier today, I ran 5km with really fast splits for the third and fourth kilometer, and with 400m to go I started accelerating. I ignored the pain and just focused on my breath and on my stride, as my heart rate climbed higher than it has in 9 years. Then the world stopped dead, and in my runner's high, I knew I had a second chance.