Distance Run

Today was definitely one of those days.  The temperature when I was getting ready for my run was 31 degrees, but with winds gusting to 30 miles per hour, the wind chill felt like 19.

Brr.  But what’s a runner to do?  The run must go on, but how should I dress?

For those of you who have followed this blog, you know I’m a big fan of Jeff Galloway.  On page 39 of the second edition of “Galloway’s Book on Running” Jeff gives sage advice for what to wear for just about any temperature.  Generally, I live and die (or at least my wardrobe does) by the table he presents.

But high-wind situations require special care.

I absolutely hate to bring anything if I might have to take it off and carry it.  I think it’s noobish.  I can hardly bear carrying my tee-shirt on warm days…

But I also hate freezing my butt off.

I scoff at the runner out in 19 degree weather wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, but I also chuckle at the poor guy our there running in thick sweat pants and top, with a jacket on to boot!

So, here’s how I chose.

Compression shorts and thick tights on the bottom half.  Above the waist I wore a dark colored, tight-fitting polypro long-sleeved shirt with a looser fitting, long sleeved, and long-cut charcoal gray shirt.  This shirt was somewhat thick, but not really a jacket.   Both shirts were performance wear with excellent wicking and quick drying.  I topped it off with gloves and a skull cap to cover my ears.

I debated with myself over adding a high-ventilation fleece, a vest, or a high-vent wind jacket.

But I decided on none of them.  My concern was sweat build up.  I’d rather “feel” a little cold but dry, rather than be wet and cold!

The colors of the gear were designed to help capture some sun.  It was mostly sunny this morning, you see.

So, how did it go?  Flawlessly.  The black tights and charcoal top did perfectly for capturing the   heat from the sun.  The also did well at letting just enough wind through to keep me dry.

There was only 1 particularly cold point during the run, lasting for only a few seconds, and the final walk (about 1/4 mile) back to my house was a bit nippy.  All said and done, though, I had a most enjoyable, fulfilling run during less than optimal conditions.

I love running.

Bill

DEF: Noob – someone who really doesn’t know what the heck is going on in a given situation.  Generally the person sporting the deer-in-the-headlights look :)

2006 was a light year for me with respect to running.

I logged only 1147 miles. That’s way down from the 1818 I ran last year.

Early in the year, I was finishing the last semester of my master’s degree. That coupled with not having a spring race planned lead to many slow months of running.

Then later, while training for Richmond, I developed knee issues that kept me from training to the level I had hoped for.

But time off can be a good thing. Taking a “break” gave me time to fall in love with running again. By mid year I was no longer running with a watch, and had begun to crave and enjoy the runs again.

I also started doing some trail running, which has really propelled my attitude. I love it!

Now I’m training for Bighorn (a trail run!!!) and my mileage is going way up. According to my current training plan for Bighorn, I’ll log almost 1100 miles this year by race day in May.

2007 is looking like it will be a great year for me running. In all likelihood, I’ll run more ultras this year than I’ve run marathons. Sweet.

I’ve got my eye on doing the 39 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer as a 1-day ultra event to help prep myself for Bighorn. I wanted to try that in 2006, but I think 2007 is the year.

Rock on,
Bill Gross

Woot.

Jeff Galloway’s books emphasized the need to have another goal in place by the time your next race arrives.

I’ve taken that to heart, and it has me back on a training program soon after Richmond.

My goal, the 5th annual Bighorn Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, June 15, 2007.

For those of you who followed my first Ultra in the Great Bear Wilderness of northwest Montana, you know I love the big scenery of the West, and am willing to pay for the experience in sweat, tears, and a few toe nails.

Here’s the race overview.

BIGHORN TRAIL 100 MILE ENDURANCE RUN 2007 RUNNER INFORMATION

The 5th annual Bighorn Trail 100 Mile Run is an arduous trail run that will take place in the Little Bighorn – Tongue River areas of the Bighorn National Forest. Starting time for the event will be 11 AM, Friday June 15, 2007, with a 34 hour (average pace of 2.94 mph) time limit to finish the event. Runners must be prepared for potential extreme temperature variation and weather conditions during the event with possible temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the day in the canyons and being well below freezing at night in the mountains. The course is wild and scenic traversing territory inhabited by elk, deer, moose, bears, cougars, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes with the potential for wildlife encounters with runners. Crew access points on parts of the course are limited and the runner should be prepared to participate with a fanny pack and other necessary equipment to ensure their ability to safely traverse difficult remote mountainous trails in potentially unpredictable weather conditions. The course is an out-and-back consisting of 76 miles of single track trail, 16 miles of rugged double track jeep trail, and 8 miles of gravel road with approximately 17,500 feet of climb and 18,000 feet of descent.

You know I’m looking forward to this one!

The training schedule I’ve set out is arduous, but conservative, increasing my distance in a manner consistent with two key goals:

1. Not getting injured
2. Being fully prepared for the race

I’ll be posting more about the training schedule soon, and I intend to start posting my full training log on the blog.

Wish me luck.

Bill Gross

Hello;

Just a note to warn you that I am migrating to a new blogging platform sometime this weekend.

The new home URL for my distance running blog will be: http://www.wrgross.com/blogs/distancerun/
the URL’s for each post will change and links to all articles will be broken.

As well, the url of the ATOM feed will change to:
http://www.wrgross.com/blogs/distancerun/feed/
Please take a moment to update your news aggregator subscription!

Thank you,
Bill Gross

This past Saturday after my club’s Long Run, a newer runner began asking questions about proper running form and appropriate shoes.

I tend not to dispense advice as I know I have still much to learn. But I can recommend a few things.

Form

Form can play a significant factor in overall health, performance, and enjoyment of running. For casual runners logging only a few miles here and there, improper form may not be a big deal. But for long distance running, form is second only to good shoes.

Though humans have been locomoting on foot for millions of years, proper long distance running form is rarely innate, and must be learned…

My firm belief is that the primary focus of long-distance running form is to reduce the effect of gravity. Unlike sprinters, where the focus is purely on speed, we endurance runners must worry about the effects imposed by hours of foot hitting ground.

The best resource I have found regarding proper form for long distance is contained with in the pages of “Galloway’s Book on Running” Second Edition, by Jeff Galloway.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936070277

Chapter 13 is twelve pages of compressed wisdom. Memorize it, and practice proper form on every run.

After running 3 to 5 days per week for the last 3 years, how often do I think about form? Every single run. Every single run I analyze my posture, how I’m holding my arms, how efficiently they are swinging, my tilt (or lack thereof), my bounce, how my feet are hitting the ground… Early in the run, mid run, and late in the run (particularly) I check my form, ensure I’m doing it right.

This constant attention to form has led me to a running style that is so natural for me now, that I’ve had bikers pass me when I was 20 miles into a run and tell me, “You barely look like you are working!” That is a compliment for me!

Perfect your form and speed will follow.

Shoes

I can’t offer much here, beyond emphasizing the importance of proper running gear. The Galloway text goes into some details, recommending a good running store that can analyze your stride, arch, gate, etc and help you make a choice. This is good advice. So is, “never take running shoe advice from someone who’s 50lbs overweight!”

If you are new to running, don’t assume that the same shoe make or model will be the end-all be-all for you. Your stride will change, and the way your feet hit the ground will change as you perfect your form, and as your body develops the endurance muscles. So after some time, perhaps once a year, don’t be afraid to go back to the running store and have them re-evaluate your shoe.

I’ve gone through several makes by the same manufacturer (Saucony) and I constantly try to ensure I have the best gear on my feet. NOTE, do not equate price with quality. Get the best shoe for you, but don’t be afraid to spend the money if it’s the proper shoe.

Lastly, remember that your shoes can take between 300 and 500 miles before needing to be replaced. I start warming up a new pair when my current pair have about 200 to 250 miles on them. Each run I rotate and use the other pair, and alternate them on long runs. This way I aways have a pair I’m breaking in, and are ready to wear. The day off for the other pair gives them time to dry, and get back their resiliency.

Rock,
Bill

Last year I must have logged over 500 miles on the C&0 Canal while training for Charlottesville, Richmond, and Le Grizz.

This morning my running club’s long run took us on an out and back to the 9 mile marker from Iwo Jima (logging about 16 miles on the canal).

We left at 6:30, the air was crisp, a little breeze, and fiery orange clouds dotted an otherwise mystical sky.

Only a few of us left on the early train (we usually start at 7:00 in the summer). I was by myself for the entire run, and I LOVED it!

So many memories came flooding back to me. Remembering the times of running in the dead of night to avoid the heat and wondering if I’d accidentally fall into the canal. Remembering the wildlife I’d seen. Remembering when so many stretches of the canal were completely foreign to me. Remembering how much running on the rough, pebbly surface hurt the bottoms of my feet :)

In any event, I love having the canal so close. There are an uncountable number of benefits for runners, bikers, walkers, fishers. It’s a great asset.

If you haven’t been on the canal at sunrise, I’d highly recommend you grab that grande and get out there!

Bill

Join dean as he accomplishes yet another feat of human endurance.

The Endurance 50 will push the envelope in the way that only Dean can.

The event is welcoming any runners to sign up to run with Dean on his historic trec.

Each marathon will run on the actual marathon course. Some of his runs will coincide with regular marathons, and you can meat up with him during the event.

For events not corresponding to marathon dates, a limited number of spots will be available to run the actual marathon course with road closings and the whole 9 yards.

The event will raise money for the Karno Kids foundation, a non-profit organization that supports, encourages, and motivates youth to get outside and become physically active.

For more information: http://www.endurance50.com/

I hope to join him in MD or VA when he comes thorough. It will be good training for Richmond!

Bill

Last year I bonked at the Richmond Marathon.

This year I get my revenge.

Coming off a great run in Montana, I thought I was invincible. I started running slow, but that only lasted for the first mile. By the end of mile 5, I was running well below 8 minutes per mile.

That’s murder for me. And I paid heavily. By mile 13 my legs didn’t feel like lead, they felt like someone was shooting them with a shotgun with each step.

A n00b mistake, and one I won’t make again.

My goal for 2006 Richmond is to focus 100% of my attention on training RIGHT. Last year I ran how I felt. This year I’m running to a schedule. I frequently schedule a run at a pace slower than normal. Typically the first run after after a long run. Last summer I’d just run as fast as I felt. Sure I was happy to be running fast, but recovery paid the price.

I will succeed at Richmond if I stick to my training and racing schedule, no matter what my final race time. Part of my training will include performing runs, mentally, as if they were the big day. Remembering the do’s and do not’s. Notably, “don’t start too fast”!

I think I’ll have that written in marker on my forearm right next to my watch face :)

Rock,
Bill

Yesterday’s temperature reached well over 98 degrees in the DC metro area.

I was a slacker and couldn’t drag my butt out of bed at 5:00am to avoid the heat, so I was left with no choice but to run in the heat.

My routine yesterday should have been truncated to compensate for the burden the heat placed on my body, but in training for Richmond, I don’t want to miss a running day.

So, here’s what I did:

1. I ran with a hand-carry water bottle with full-strength Gatorade - something I never do… Generally I run with 1 Gatorade and 1 water to vary my intake.
2. During the 2.5 mile warm-up, I ran a minimum of 1 minute per mile slower than my mid-week training pace, which is already slow.
3. When it came time to do my hill repeats, I walked down at a comfortable pace, taking a moment to ensure my heart rate returned to a comfortable level before heading up again.
4. During the 2.5 mile cool-down, I ran as slow as I could stand. Probably 2 minutes off my casual pace.

I still sweat like a dog on that run, so I was sure to drink plenty of water, about 24oz over the hour following the run, and eat a dinner that had a high water content.

If I have to run in heat like that again, I’ll certainly take walking breaks periodically. I noticed on this run that toward the end, even with my increased pace, my heart rate was climbing. That’s a sure sign of heat illness.

I’m not trying to die…

Bill

Man o-man.

I can’t believe the weather this morning.

I could barely drag my butt out of bed this morning. I hit the snooze button from 5:00 to 5:30.

But boy am I glad I did!

It was about 75, clear skies, light breeze…

I almost ran off the trail 3 times for staring up at the sky through the trees that gently streamed by.

Yep. That’s why I run. I’m on a high 3 hours later! Or is that the coffee :)

Get out there!
Bill