Snow snow snow

Is it bad that I am looking forward to getting outside today for a run when there is blowing flurries? Well I am and I hope I can get in some good miles in today. Have to remember its not about speed when its this weather its just getting in the miles.

Merry xmas

Wow did Santa bring me lots of great running stuff for Xmas. Got the amazing Garmin 405 GPS watch!  Running socks, iPod nano, another safety light and running shorts. I also bought for myself 2 compression shirts at target yesterday to get rid of an issue I am having with bleeding on a sensitive area:(

Hill workout

I ran with the fleet feet warriors yesterday at the Brighton store and Let me tell you it was an amazing time and workout!  There was about 60 people there running the Cobb's hill workout. I ran about 6 mile's and I left there feeling like I got in an amazing run.

How to find the determination

When you get tired, sore, or just don't feel like continuing..how do you keep on going? what makes you want to continue and finish strong.

**CHANGE OF PLANS**

I went running this morning with the winter warrior team and met a guy named Bernie who after a good discussion of where I am with my training he said I should be running my Marathon sooner. I decided to run the Buffalo Marathon in may!!!!!

Flower city

I registered for my first race of 2012 at the Flower city half marathon at the end of April. I am planning on beating my previous time of 2:06, goal time of 1:50.
http://www.flowercitychallenge.com/flower-city-half-marathon

Long run..brr

Went on a nice long run on Sunday, got in 12 miles. I was an idiot and did some leg workout on Saturday and my quads after the workout and 12 miler feel like Mayweather was using them for punching practice. Today is a much needed day of rest.

Hill Workout- Treadmill

The great website runners world had a video for a hill workout on the treadmill that I tried last night. I have been reading a lot lately that doing hill workouts weekly will boost your endurance and strength so I wanted to start incorporating those. Here is the workout:

3min- Warmup, increasing speed to a steady run speed ( I did 6.5 since it was my first time trying this workout)
1 min- 2% incline
1 min- 4% incline
1 min- 0%
2 min- 4%
1 min- 0%
Repeat the 2min-4% with 1 min at 0% for as long as you can go3

I only did this for 3 miles but it was a great workout and I look forward to going further with this. Also the time flew by splitting it up into intervals so it didn't seem to take too long to get to 3 miles.

December with no snow

Its the beginning of December and we still don't have snow. I am loving that I can get out on the road in December and put in good miles still without the couple feet of snow around me...I should enjoy it now before it comes.

Salomon first run

Had my first run in the new Solomon shoes and I'll have to death I like them. They are definitely heavier than my saucony mirage but my feet didn't hurt at all.

New winter shoes

I had these shoes for winter and they hurt my feet:
So I went to Fleet Feet today and asked to do an exchange and got these instead:

Let's hope these are nicer to my feet and allow me to enjoy the snow and cold this winter while racking up the miles.

Reason why I run

"Why am I training for a marathon." I gave this question some thought today and I think I came up with a reason I believe in. 

My whole life I have been into sports. Started with baseball, football, basketball, track, soccer, volleyball, darts (Call it a sport because I competed), swimming, cycling and golf. All of these sports I was somewhat good at, or at least I could compete at a high level of competition and not look like the last guy to be picked at dodge-ball. Sure these sports took practice and training to be good at, but any of these sports you could easily just play and even if you weren't good, you could finish it. 

With running, and particularly training for a marathon, there is so much more training and dedication that you need to put in before you can even attempt a marathon. Sure, you could technically walk the marathon or just doing run/walk intervals and finish the race…but that’s not me. I am an athlete to the core, and a competitor. I don’t want to just complete a marathon; I want to do it at the best of my current ability. I will always be a runner where after the race I’ll be happy I finished it, but will look at my time and say, “I will beat that time.” This is what makes me want to run and race in a marathon. It’s the fact that not everyone can just run a marathon; it takes a certain person with dedication and hard training to run it. I am that kind of person, and that is why I am running a marathon.

Back on the saddle

After a good interval night yesterday, I am ready to hit the road. As long as the weather is decent, I am looking forward to a good 6 mile tempo after work.
I am doing some research on gels and like the sodium in Crank. Now I just need to buy a couple of each brand and test them out on a run. With so many flavors and differences its hard to decide what to choose. I am sure other runners new to this awesome sport have the same difficulty at first.
http://www.cranksports.com/products/eGel/comp/gu.asp
I am also looking at this product called http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html?navcat=fuels-energy-drinks
which puts back electrolytes into your system.
My issue is that I sweat a lot..like a lot on my runs. I have been dealing with hamstring tightness on longer runs and its starting to worry me. I think I need to replace my sodium and electrolytes. I am drinking fluid on my longer runs, but I don't think that is enough due to my excessive sweating.

Back from vaca

Back from vacation in Boston where I couldn't run and feel like crap today due to it. This certainly shows that I love running and hate being away from it for even 2 days. Look forward to a good interval run later after work. Need to get back into the swing of things before January 1st and my 16 week half-marathon program begins.

Maintenance Month

A month before my official half marathon training starts for the Flower city and I am working on just getting in runs when I can and trying to maintain fitness. I want to be fit when the program starts but with a lot of energy. I feel like I was pushing myself too much since Septembers half and I need to relax some before my 16 week program starts. I am trying to incorporate some cross training and core workouts so help improve overall strength and shed some much needed pounds.

Winter Training

I have this urge to keep on training hard, but I need to remember that my next race isnt until the end of April and I don't need to start a program yet. I will start the program Jan. 1st. Until then I will work in runs but work on a lot of cross training and muscle toning and not get worked up if I cant get in the miles each week.  I will still try to get in around 30 miles a week if I can but wont get upset if I am under a little.

Same run..different journey

On Saturday I went out on a 15 mile run that I have done before. Wow was this a new journey. 2 runs on the same course are never the same, and I learned that first hand. The whole run was a struggle. But I didn't know the term struggle until mile 13. I felt like the "wall" that people always talk about. This is where you dig deep and learn what you are made of.

Mindset

Something happened to me mentally at the 10K on thanksgiving. I went from being a runner where I just went out to run and finish, to where I was picking out people in front of me and trying to beat them. The competitive side of me that has always been there in sports is finally starting to come out. I think its because I am able to run with speed now that I feel comfortable trying to race and not just be a part of the event.

First official 10K

Wow was that fun. Didn't get into my stride until after mile 1 which I clocked in at 8mins perfect. Rest of the race was at a steady pace while still pushing my limits when I could. Finished at 50:50 and ended the last mile in a sprint. Can't wait to keep on racing!

PR Last night

I decided to run a 10K warm-up race for the 10K tomorrow. I started at a 7.0 speed and ended up finishing it up around 8mph. Ended with a 51:40 time which is a PR for me! So exciting to get a great time, now all I need to do is mimic that for the race tomorrow on Turkey day. I also hope I dont regret running a 10K 2 days before the race. I didnt run as fast as I could have but at a fast comfortable pace. My legs feel great today and dont feel sore. I did some weight lifting this morning to give my legs rest. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Turkey Day

I am looking forward to running in a 10K with my friend Greg. This will be a good test to how well my speed work has helped my running. I am hoping to finish in around 50 mins which would be quick for me and def faster than a marathon race pace. But, this is also a good way for me to not feel so guilty about the turkey day food ill be consuming haha.

Remember, running is a sport where you are in full control of how well you do and what you are capable of.

Long runs quote

The long runs on the weekend are a genuine adventure for me—a physical challenge in an otherwise mostly cerebral, abstract sort of daily life. And you don't have to go to a mountain or anything. It starts right out the front door of your home.

John Walter, runner and journalist

Every time I go on a long run, its literally an adventure for me. Not knowing what is in store for me and what I will encounter. Every long run is different. The distance and time change, but so does the experience. I look forward to each new experience every weekend. You truly do not know what your capable of until you take that first step and finish a distance that you never knew you could accomplish. The body and mind can do amazing things when you push it to the limits.

No music

I love listening to music while running. But last night I decided to go without. There is something about running under the stars and hearing your breath as your feet lightly hit the road. It's like meditation.

First snow in face and under feet

Had my first experience with snow blowing in my eyes and the sound of my feet hitting the wet pavement from the snow. What an eye opening experience that was. The first 2 miles the snow came down hard and was hard to see and get out of my eyes. But after pushing through it, the snow wasn't that big of an issue. The best part was seeing the people coming home from work and staring at me as I flew by on the street with my shorts on, bright orange jacket, Their faces were priceless, cause I knew they had a lot of questions and maybe even helped them make better eating choices that evening after watching myself running through the snow.

Goal

My long-term goal is to be around to run long-term.

Too many chicken wings

So I decided to have fun with friends and my wife last night and have a friendly contest of who can eat the most chicken wings at Quakerstate. Well I was the winner, and at the same time the loser. Felt so bad afterwards I literally gutted out a 2 miler and 45 mins on an elliptical due to guilt of all the calories and food. Then I was up this morning and did 3 miles to get rid of more guilt. I love how running makes you aware of what you put in your body and you can feel just how bad unhealthy food is once you put it in there. Makes me rethink the things I eat and to make healthier choices. Now if I could only say that during this holiday season that will be the test haha.

Quote that hits heart

At first I was running just to lose weight, and then after about six months when I was increasing the distance of my long runs, I was intrigued and fascinated how the human body can go from barely able to run a mile to being able to run eight miles. It was the day before this eight-mile run that I had this weird feeling—I could not wait to get up in the morning to do that eight-mile run.

Watch this movie if you havent already

“If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.”

Rest Day....Nah

So Sunday was supposed to be a rest day for me after that 15 miler I had on Saturday. Well I went home around 930 PM and it was warm and I had energy, so I went out on a short tempo run. I got in a good 4.28 mile run at sub 8 min/mile and it felt great. Couldnt pass up that weather!

Long run PR!

Today was a beautiful day for a long run. The weather was perfect, sunny and cool. I beat my half marathon time by 24 minutes! All the hard training during the week has finally paid off. There is no telling what will happen after a winter of running. I took my first ice bath after and I hope it helps with recovery.
15.10 miles in 2:00:30

Resting

Yesterday I decided to take a day off. This is the hardest thing to do when you love running but its one of the best things to do. Letting your legs get the much needed day off will only be beneficial to your training. The whole day I wanted to go running but it paid off. This morning I did a 3 mile run at an easy pace and the legs felt great. Looking forward to tomorrows long run.

Intervals Last night 11/9/11

So I decided to do a new interval workout last night and wow was it great.
Here was my workout at VO2 pace with 200m RI:
1200m
1000m
800m
600m
400m
200m

This is def an awesome workout and I think after doing it another time I will step it up and start at 1600m and work my way down.

Winter running

Since I am the CEO and CFO of myself, I have made the executive decision to run outside this winter in Upstate NY. Of course if its a blizzard out or awful conditions then treadmill it is. If the weather is decent out I go. My wife might try to have me put in a mental institute haha.

Long run/Training debate

I have a question I am pondering. I am training for my first marathon which is next September, a long time from now. But before that race, I will be doing 2 half marathons in preparation. Should my training be focused on my marathon and getting up to 20+ miles on my long run, or should I be doing a half marathon training and then increasing my long runs a certain time before the full marathon in September? Currently, I am doing around 25-35 miles a week, and my long run has increased to 15.68 miles. Advice?

11/7 Tempo Run----PR Night!

Came into this run thinking it would be an easy 3-6 mile run just to get back into the swing of things after running my longest run ever on the previous Saturday. But after a couple miles my legs felt great and I picked up the tempo. After 3 miles I really picked it up and kept pushing myself. Ending up running a PR on the 6 mile! Really gives you a confidence boost when you push yourself to limits you didn't think you could achieve.

Races 2012

I did some research today and picked out some races I want to do next year. I will do the Flower City Half marathon April 28th, Chase Corporate Challenge 5k May 24th, Shoreline Half marathon July and then the Rochester Marathon September. Having all these races planned out just gives me more motivation to continue the hard work and to stay focuses. The toughest part is getting through the holidays with family get togethers and indoor training. 

Post Long Run Monday Morning

Somehow I feel great after running my long run on Saturday. I remember in September not too long ago after running the half and my body was hurting for days after. Now 2 days after running almost 16 miles I am eager to get back on the road. This is what it is about, this is why I trained so hard.

Just not looking forward to the winter here in Upstate NY. Idk what I will be doing for my long runs when its a blizzard outside. I want to be able to run outside when I can this winter, but if I have to do a 20 miler indoors, I hope I can find an indoors track. Staring at the wall for over 3 hours will not happen.

Long run 11/8

15.86 miles. Epic run.. Good thing I had my best friend Greg with me on this run. Took myself to the longest run to date. There is something about pushing yourself to the limits and digging deeper than you ever had. Got 15 miles down and the last quarter mile was great running as fast as we could. I always push the end of each run as fast as I can.
If I was alone on this run it would have been a lot tougher mentally to finish, so thank you Greg for going further than you ever had so that I could do the same.

Last night

There is something about the sound of your feet hitting the road, the smell of fresh air, seeing deer playing frogger in front of you with college kids speeding around RIT, leaves falling, hearing your breath inhaling and exhaling and becoming one with the road. Running is no longer a chore, but an experience for me. For so long, I would run and not enjoy it. It would literally be a chore, where I wouldn't look forward to it, didn't like it while I was doing it, then hated the soreness afterwards. Now, I get eager to put on the shoes and headphones and take that first step. Its a challenge everyday to overcome cramps, soreness, stiffness and aches. Once you overcome those, and know you can run through them, you learn a lot about yourself. You never truly know how strong your willpower is until your on a 15 mile run, and over the course of the run, you overcome mini hurdles and challenges and in the end, you finished, you did it.
Last night was an easy 6 mile tempo run, that turned out to be a negative split day where in the end, I just wanted to run as fast as I could. Those are the training days you love. When your legs respond and you don't want to end. If I could have kept going I would have. Those are the days you want to hold on to and remember in your mind the next time you have the day you want to stop.

Post Method

For those of you new to running, this may seem weird. There is a good way and a bad way of running long distance. My wife asked me, "don't you just have to run?" Answer is yes, but you also want to have a form where you conserve the most amount of energy and also dont over use your muscles. I have been trying to learn the Pose method. Instead of me trying to describe it myself, here is a quick explanation..This has really been helping me add miles and not feel as tired.

Pose running technique principles in summary

1. Raise your ankle straight up under your hip, using the hamstrings
2. Keep your support time short

3. Your support is always on the balls of your feet
4. Do not touch the ground with your heels
5. Avoid shifting weight over your toes: raise your ankle when the weight is on the ball of your foot
6. Keep your ankle fixed at the same angle
7. Keep knees bent at all times
8. Feet remain behind the vertical line going through your knees
9. Keep stride length short
10. Keep knees and thighs down, close together, and relaxed
11. Always focus on pulling the foot from the ground, not on landing
12. Do not point or land on the toes (see Fig 3: Toe running)

13. Gravity, not muscle action, controls the landing of the legs
14. Keep shoulder, hip and ankle in vertical alignment
15. Arm movement is for balance, not for force production

Morning 11/3

Just went on the rochester marathon website and saw they posted the date for next year. Couldn't help but get very excited. To have a solid date just puts you in a focused mode. As of today, there is 178 days until the Flower city Half marathon which ill be doing for a good warmup to the full. I am hoping to get a better time than my first one this year. For all that dont know, my first half marathon I completed in 2:06:14...weird I know that number by heart.

Workout 11/2

Well just finished my workout. Started out with a 3 mile warmup which was great. Ended up with 26 minutes which was great. Then I did 8x 400 meters on the track averaging 1:45 a lap. Felt great at the end. Wish every run felt this way at the end. 

11/2/11 First Blog ever

I am hoping that my journey to my first marathon takes me somewhere I have never been. First some background info on me. First of all, I have never been a runner or enjoyed running. I have been an athlete of many sports my whole life. One of my passions is refereeing soccer. That gave me the opportunity to be around soccer still and not get injured from playing goalie. The more advanced of a referee I became, the more I had to run. I started to train on the treadmill and a little bit outside. Suddenly, I got this pain in the inside of my shins after a lot of running. Did not want to run again..until I found fleet feet on Monroe Ave and bought a pair of their insoles. Lifesaver. Running all of a sudden was pain free. To referee at the high levels, I needed to train and run a lot. Doing this made me start to push myself to run further and quicker than I have ever done before. And here starts my journey to becoming a "runner".
I set a goal last year to run a half-marathon in September of 2011 at the Rochester Marathon. I started training 6 months prior and felt like I was in good shape for the half. I was sadly mistaken. The furthest I ran before my first half-marathon was 9 miles..not a smart move. I thought to myself..whats 4 more miles? well it was hell after mile 10. I am being smarter now.
Since the half marathon, I have logged 89 miles in the month of October, a month after the half. I bought the book " Run less, run faster" from runners world and this has put a new perspective on my training. I went from trying to get a much running of the same speed to doing 3 days a week, one track day, one tempo day and one long run day. The other days I will put in some kind of cross training. I am going to be using this approach all winter, even though doing the long runs on the treadmill will be a pain in the a%$.
Today I will be doing a 3 mile warmup around RIT, and then doing some track workout. Most likely I will be doing 8 x 400 meter runs at sub 2 min lap with 30 second breaks between.