Posts in the Races Category at , Page 9

The Boston Marathon, Treadmill Marathons, and Gasp I Ran…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

Is there some kind of race going on in Boston this weekend? Just kidding, as this ~~Sunday~~ Monday (wow, sorry for the total brainfart there!) will be of course the Boston Marathon. This race is rich in history and has a running legacy all it’s own.

In the minds of many marathon runners it’s an epitome of sorts as they chase the entry times just to get to the line. From the mid-packers excited just to BE there to the elites, Boston also often promises fast times, which became quite the controversy last year with the fastest ever marathon times run but then not being counted as ‘official’ World Records. Not that there hasn’t been controversy with Boston times in the past; because Boston’s course, while noted for some epic uphills, overall has an elevation drop. You can get some awesome Boston Coverage HERE and HERE.
Michael Wardian en route to attempting treadmill marathon World Record
Source
But today in Boston Michael Wardian is attempting the World Record for the treadmill marathon, that record time is set at 2:21:40. As of now the results are staying tight lipped, but I’m going to venture to guess he beat it…the man’s a beast in all the best ways.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but for the last, oh, four or five months there hasn’t been much personal running talk from this Arty Runnerchick. Actually you could have started to dub the site The Cranky, Injured, Runner-Envious Arty Runnerchick if you really started reading between the lines…haha. I jest, and I’ve done all I could to stay positive but it’s been a loooooong time since I was able to get in a run. The memory of pain-free running was a distant, far off memory circa 2011; though I’ve been through this song and dance in the past with injuries and the ONLY way to get through them is to take it a day at a time, stay the course, laugh when it really stinks, and get on the blasted cross-training machine.

Miracle beyond all miracles I was able to give a little love to my treadmill this morning, albeit for a short run and I’m hardly out of the woods yet with this left foot debacle, but I have to say I feel like a better person. I’ve still got to stay a close to the ~~ball and chain~~ elliptical too, but there is NOTHING like running.

So let’s end this with a smile…

Call Hallmark, it's getting cheesy in here...

And a few vows that should apply to us all:

* I will not take any mile for granted, I will be thankful for each sweaty, hard fought one and know that I’m lucky to be able to run them.

* I will be SMART. I won’t make all the mistakes of newbie, excited, eager, and mile greedy runners and rush things. I will also be proactive to prevent injuries any way I can and I’ll listen to my body.

* I’ll remember that injuries will always be a part of running and remember that when the next one hits I’ll get through it just like I have before.

* I’ll pay it forward to other runners in the wee ways I can. I’ll sympathize with the injured, remind them to stay the course, and celebrate their victories in steps back to full running health.

Happy Saturday and hope you made it a little (or a lot) sweaty! 🙂

1) Are you racing this weekend?

2) Do you have aspirations to run Boston or any other particular race that stands out in your mind as the epitome of it all?

3) Would you, could you, run a treadmill marathon? Are you a treadmill running fan?

4) What’s one vow you have to make in regarding staying healthy, running, or fitness in general that applies to you?

5) How did you get your sweat on today?

Your First BIG Race: I remember mine, Arcadia 2000…Do you remember yours?

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Cait — 3 Comments ↓

When I read that the Arcadia Meet was happening this weekend, I admit to smiling.Yes, I’m 26 and FAR removed from high school competition (the way I act though sometimes may beg to question if that’s where I do belong though…hehe.) but for a quick minute indulge me in a little nostalgia.

Run with me...back in time for a bit...

When I was a freshman running track, The Arcadia Invite was the first really big meet I had ever been too. To me it felt HUGE, epic even…but not just because it was the first meet that was going to be run late enough that the whole place was dark minus the track illuminated by those big floodlights. Arcadia’s got two meets, the day meet and the night, the night meet is the invitational where you have to have a qualifying time to get in. Because it was pretty selective only one other girl from my school came down, Liza Negriff a triple jumper and still a friend I have today! That year was to be especially interesting because current high school senior Alan Webb was going to make an attempt to break 4 minutes for the mile.

Little side tangent here, little dorky high school Runnerchick was in awe of Alan and by chance we happened to be at the track the day before doing our shakeout runs at the same time and I felt all ‘special’ because I got to talk to him. Like one of those random people that somehow gets past the red rope and bumps into a celebrity…oh us runners and our running celebs. 😉 The even funnier part is that it turned out that Alan Webb and the rest of his relay team happened to be staying at the same hotel as us and was in fact only a few doors down…somewhere I have a picture of us all in the hotel…wow, and I think I still had braces. 😉

Back to Arcadia, this was my first big meet…okay, I said that. A few things stand out in my mind about the whole ordeal, like the reel skips and pauses in random spots. I tend to have a very photographic memory but also weird in that it’s random details I can recall exactly but maybe not the bigger things. The day passed and of course I was nervous…I hate any race that isn’t first thing in the morning because you wonder what in the heck you’re supposed to do with yourself all day! You just sit there and stew…and then you have to worry about planning out your food and what will sit okay in your stomach.

I’m pretty good at managing my nerves; I say that meaning I do get nervous as heck but I’m able to channel them to help me rather than lead to an implosion. Tip for race nerves: come up with your solid race plans (yes that’s plural because you may have to adjust mid-way through) days before, then stuff the race out of your mind two days leading up. Then only get into race game mode when you start your warm-up. As you go about your race day warm-up routine it helps calms your nerves; going through the same, exact motions brings a normalcy to the day and run and gives you something concrete to focus on.

So I get to the line, and for the first time I’m lined up next to girls I had only read about or seen on high school websites. These girls were legit, they were my high school idols, and there I was looking at them…but I didn’t wet my little bunhuggers, I toed the line for the 3200 meters and off we went.

I don’t remember much from the race, I tend to zone out during them, and because the field was so fast I didn’t have to worry about doing any thinking really…plan: latch onto some pack and try to hold on. Time was irrelevant, I didn’t even look at the clock once. I will admit, embarrassingly, that for some odd reason the whole darkness and spotlights sort of threw me for a loop and for a couple laps I wasn’t sure if I was at the 200m mark or the start/finish point! Hey, I WAS only a dumb frosh. 😉

Anyways, the whole way I did just what I set out to do, I latched onto some faster girls, not the fastest pack but another pack behind them, and dug down to stay with them. Crossing the line I was still in awe of the girls around me, but they felt closer in a way than they did prior to the start. I did after all earn my spot to race against them, even though they spanked me I was at least fast enough to line up with them, I guess I belonged on some level.

I had no clue what my time was until I saw my coach and mom jumping up and down yelling at me. I PR’ed by about 30 seconds I think…I was ecstatic.

Back to random clear and day details, we refueled that night at Claim Jumper (if you ever go there you MUST ask them for a slab, not a slice this thing is a full on slab, of their chocolate mother-lode cake.) and Liza, my mom, and I all had the loaded, stuffed baked potato. I joked that this potato literally had to be on steroids, if you’ve never been to Claim Jumper I think pretty much everything they serve is the ‘roided up sized version. 😉

So the Arcadia Invite certainly brings back some awesome and funny memories. Good luck to all those high schoolers racing, and if you’re in the position of lining up next to some of your high school idols…don’t wet yourself, instead remember that you earned the spot to line up next to them. You belong there…go out and race. And that goes for anyone, there will always be times when you feel like you’re in over your head, but chances are you did something to get there.

HERE are some race tips if you’re interested. HERE is a piece of visualization and how to use it to improve your performance. And HERE are some tips on battle pre-race nerves.

1) Do you remember one of your first races or one of the first big races you ran?

2) Do you get nervous before races or hard workouts?

3) What time do you prefer to race or run at?
Morning all the way!

4) Tip for a newbie racer?
Don’t go out too fast. 🙂

5) Do you have a running idol? Have you ever met them?

Gawking at Fast Runners: We all have doubts, but you can choose whether to let them stand in your way or not

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

“Those who can’t do, teach,” they say and I’ll add, “Those who can’t run can obsess.”I jest, but if I’m not going to be able to get my fix of miles for now (thank you, right foot, if I could I’d just lop you off, steal someone else’s foot and reattach!) I’ll have to vicariously get them from others. I’ll start a donation pile, feel free to leave a few of your’s in the can as you leave. 😉

Ahh, I can dream of some sunset runs. 😉

Back on track, if you’re a running ~~geek~~ fan we’ve got some pretty fun weeks coming up. This Sunday will is the Carlsbad 5000 in California, April then ushers in both the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon.

The Carlsbad 5000 has quite the history as time and time again its fast coarse has berthed many 5k road World Records, they don’t call it ‘The World’s Fastest 5k’ for nothing. The current Women’s 5k record is from Carlsbad in 2006, 14:46 by Meseret Defar. This year Tirunesh Dibaba who, with a 14:51 at the 2005 Carlsbad once held the joint 5k World Record with Paula Radcliffe, will be going back for a visit and a race. You can read some more about her HERE from Competitor and HERE from Running Times, but for those who don’t know Dibaba launched herself into the distance running spotlight while still in her teens…girl is crazy fast, in her first Carlsbad appearance in 2002 she was 16 and ran a 15:19. Not too shabby, just a 4:55 mile average. 😉 She’s been laying a bit low these past years and dealing with ongoing injuries, I think we can all relate to that.

Photo Credit: Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

Source

Speaking of some more crazy fast women here is an article on Shalane Flanagan about her recent win in the Lisban Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:52. I think the two best parts are 1) that she is wearing a Kara shirt and 2) this quote upon finding out that at the press conference she was placed head of the table and declared a clear favorite going in, “I thought they were on crack.” Flanagan goes on, “When I saw the start list, I was wondering if I should have entered the race. I was wondering what I’d gotten myself into. A lot of the women on the start list had PRs (personal records) that were a minute to a minute and a half faster than mine.”

I like this quote because it shows that we ALL have doubts no matter how fantastic we are, what are previous accomplishments may be, and despite the podiums others may place us on. Yes, the possibility still remains we may come up short of our goals, or be beat on a given day but that is a good thing as it motivates us to keep going, keep pushing ourselves, and never settle.

Obviously later going on to victory in Flanagan’s case proves that she doesn’t let the voices of doubts psyche her out. We ALL have race day nerves,but it’s a matter of channeling those jitters into a positive direction and using them to our own advance. Use the excitement to give you the ability to raise the bar on race day, give you that extra kick, where you area able to really dig down deep and bring it. How bad do you want to achieve that goal?

You'll win some, you'll lose some...keep trying.

In running, racing, and in life, we all have the doubts…the moments where we may be thinking that whoever thinks we can do something must “be on crack” but that’s okay. Let them snort the white stuff, but perhaps take a shot yourself and go for it…at least try. Even if you fail you’ll have learned something and you could end up winning after all. **Disclaimer, I am obviously joking on the snorting crack here, folks…my drug of choice is exercise…mmk! 😉

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Quick reminder that my Road ID giveaway ends tomorrow! Don’t forget to enter. 🙂
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1) Are you racing this weekend? If so, let’s hear it! If you’re not, what do you have planned?

2) Is there a time you didn’t think you belonged somewhere or where you were in over your head? How did you deal with that?
I often say that the saying, “Fake it ’til you make it” applies in these cases…just roll with it and pretend like you belong even if you don’t think you do!

3) How do you handle pre-race nerves or anxiety? How do you handle the same kind of nerves or doubts in other areas of your life? (ie: interviews, meeting people, etc)

4) When you were 16 what were you doing, did you take part in sports? If you were a runner what do you think your 5k times were like?
I ran, but I had yet to even run ONE mile in 4:55…I don’t recall exactly my 5k PR at the time, probably around 17:30-ish??

Approaching a Race: Depending on your goal going in how you run could be markedly different

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Cait — 2 Comments ↓

Who are you up against on race day, the clock or the runner next to you? Everyone goes into a race with a different goal, be it just to finish, to be a scoring member of their team, set a PR, or go for the win. The funny thing with racing is that, contrary to what some may think, it’s NOT always a test of who is the fasted on the given day. There is a strategy behind all this running in circles. (okay, or running on the roads or cross country courses…hehe.)

There’s a good read up on Running Times: “Chasing Vs. Racing” that highlights just this fact. Depending on what your GOAL is for the race the way you approach it is going to be very different.

* The clock. If you’re jut going out there and chasing a PR, you may not necessarily be concentrating on who else is in the field, you’re thinking more about yourself. Sure you can use the other harriers to your advantage and let them pull you along; there is no better way to zone out than to latch on and let others do the pacing work for you.

Zone out and daydream about the beach...don't think about the burning in your legs. 🙂

* The competition. Vying for the win could mean that time really doesn’t matter; prize money and titles on the line could mean you’re crawling at the beginning, each runner sizing the others up, playing a game of chicken, and waiting to see who makes a move. Here is the strategy we talked about. In the article Diego Estrada running for Northern Arizona said it nicely, “The stress and anxiety kick in during championship season, and you’re second-guessing yourself because you know it’s going to be tactical.”

What are those tactics? Sure there’s waiting until the last lap and finding out who has the best kick, but there are also surging techniques, and in a Prefontaine type style there are the lone soldiers who refuse to sit behind a dawdling pace and press it from the gun. The question is then if they will pay the price at the end and be out-kicked by a runner who was more conservative or sat behind them and let them do all the pacing work. There is something to be said for having patience and being confident enough to not go out guns blazing from the start…we do know negative splits work well for the body.

Sure, you may not be up front and in the position for a win but there could be plenty of other stakes on the line; you’re on a team and want to be a scoring member this time, it’s your first attempt at a new distance and you’re not exactly certain how you’ll be feeling or how you should best approach the race. That’s why going into a race with a couple strategies is important; find out what each race means to you, what your own personal goal (or multi-goals) are, and then plan for what could happen based on the variables:

* The conditions
* The competitors and the moves they may make
* How your legs are feeling on that day

There are no sure things in running, racing, and life. Be prepared for what ‘could be’ and then be ready to roll with the punches.

1) What are some of the main reasons you race or goals you have going in? (ie: time, place, etc.)

2) How do you approach the race given your goal, do you come up with a strategy beforehand or do you just ‘run’?

3) Readjusting your goal or plan during a race can be difficult but necessary at times; was there a time you had to do that and how did you make the call?
Those days that you take off and the legs feel like lead, you know it’s not going to be pleasant; in those times it’s easiest to find a person and hold on…try not to lose contact and take your mind elsewhere…just don’t let a gap between you and them occur. You may not get the PR you set out for but you can still salvage the race.

4) What kinds of races do you prefer, the tactical ones or the ones where you are going after fast times?
I hate tactical races, but mostly because any time I race I’m the person with NO kick. 😉

5) Even if you just race to run and have fun it’s nice to have some goals too! If this is you, why are you excited to be there at the starting line and then finish?

The Pain Drain: Keeping Your Brain in Check When the Pain Sets In

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

“Being a distance runner is about handling pain. If you can’t manage pain, you probably won’t end up as a distance runner.” I love this quote from Kara Goucher featured in an excellent read from Running Times, ‘Pain: Deal With it.’

Okay, you had me at the title on that last one. But it’s true, pain and distance running trot hand in hand; as runners we often lie to ourselves about that, it’s a bit of a coping mechanism I suppose. If we didn’t to a degree deny how much it will hurt those last few miles or at the end of that race we may be hard pressed to actually start!

Certainly there are varying degrees of pain; full on grueling the last lap of the 10k, digging deep on that last 800 meter repeat, and the discomfort of training day in and day out. Discomfort, even ‘easy’ runs aren’t a walk in the park, you still are working out there and getting your heart rate up, the lungs working, the legs pounding the pavement so to speak.

If we wanted to be loafers then we could coin the term, but we’re not, we are runners and being as such we learn to deal with the pain.The pain that in a twisted sort of way we run towards. The way we feel afterwards is worth it.

Punch pain in the face.

I did a long post on the art of visualization HERE and also how lying to yourself works wonders HERE. The Running Times article has tips from multiple top distance runners. Some general themes:

* Zoning out. Distraction from the pain is key, by zoning out you really try to limit thoughts. Pinpoint a spot on the back of the person in front of you, look dead ahead and don’t lose contact with that fixed point. Mantras can also help with this, pick a single phrase and repeat it until it’s in sync with your breathing or footsteps and repeat it like a robot…zooooone out.

* Control what you can. Think of your form; Kara Goucher, “I try to think about positive things — how great my form is, how my arms are swinging, my breathing, how loud people are cheering. My sports psychologist taught me there are a million things telling you you can’t keep going, but if you find the things that say you can, you’re golden.” Keep your torso tall, don’t hunch over, keep your arms swinging and your legs will follow.

* Callousing through training. Training and workouts are all race simulations, not just physically, but chances to callous the mind just as you do the body. Here are prime opportunities to test out different ‘mental tricks’ and find what works for you. The more often you push yourself and get cozy with the feeling of being uncomfortable the more you’ll ‘get used to it’ and know how to deal with it.

* Break it down. Take the run/workout/race and break it down into easier to digest segments; whether that be lap by lap, mile by mile, or five minutes at a time. Tell yourself you can easily go through one more mile…get there and then tell yourself the same thing again. 😉

* Confidence. This sounds a little odd, but take confidence in the workouts and hard work you’ve done in the past. Remembering that you’ve faced this pain and come out the victor plenty of times in the past should give you the confidence that you can handle it this time and achieve the times/goals you set.

And some people daydream of food as distraction...guilty! 🙂

Breaking down your own mental barriers is an ongoing process; it’s interesting how you’ll be met with challenging points in workouts, races, or runs that when you finish you think to yourself, “Okay, I definitely just pushed though to a whole new level.”

1) How do you deal with the pain of hard workouts, races, long runs, or runs where you certainly aren’t feeling it? What is your favorite distraction trick?
Zoning out or breaking it down is usually my go-to.

2) Easy runs and general training comes with a level of discomfort, if it were a cake walk everyone would be setting World Records and running a million miles a week! How do you gauge your training to make sure you keep the intended workout at the proper level of exertion? (ie: use a heart rate monitor, chuck the watch on easy runs, go off of feel, etc.)

3) Did anyone race this weekend? If so do tell, if not, what did you do?

There Aren’t Any Ref’s for Running: Rules of the track and running etiquette

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

There aren’t any ref’s in track or cross country, or road races for that matter, but should there be?

Check out my little bro on the left, yo! 😉

I know there are plenty of elbows being jabbed in some of those tight, jostling packs of harriers. Sure there is a general code of conduct but truth be told some of those European and high stakes track races can get downright cagey. Runners fighting for their personal space, positioning, afraid of getting boxed in and a part of racing is being tactical and making sure that you ARE in the position to make a move if you need to be.

How far is too far though, and when is being an assertive or ‘defensive’ runner crossing the line into being just a downright boxer or ‘sketchy’ runner?We’ve seen runners go down during a race, of course there are the accidents, but sometimes there can be a few brow raises and fingers pointed.

Man down!! 😛

Elbows and runners right up on your heels isn’t only relegated to world record paced runs and it’s something anyone at any age can deal with. The first time I got a swift elbow to the side on a high school cross country course I was a little shocked, then mad, but later realized that it wasn’t necessarily personal and that if you’re all in it to win it you need to be prepared to fight for your positioning.

There is a difference between being a running bully and carving yourself out a good position…you don’t want to be all set to dig for the extra gear but be stuck right up by the rail with no way to pass your competition!

* Defensive runner: the gun goes off and you get out fast enough so as not to get stuck at the back, naturally there is a bigger group at the onset so be prepared for a little hustle and bustle. The longer the race usually it’s not as crucial to establish a spot at the onset for fear of the ‘box in’, but here are times where you might have to have those arms swinging just a little wider and be extra aware of the people around you and how much space there is between you guys.

* Running bully: it’s down to a two person race, both runners are making a drive for the homestretch, and if an arm goes out to obviously stop from being passed…that’s not cool. The same might be said for the lead runner purposefully running extra wide to make it even harder to be passed. It’s not illegal, but not exactly something to be proud of.

Running and racing doesn’t really come with a manual and I’m sure we’ve all seen some things where we wish a ref could be called to order. Blow a whistle, toss a flag, or if nothing else point a finger to call the offender a poor sport. 😉

Own your space but don't kick someone down to get it...hehe. 😛

There are sometimes race short cutters who think they can pull a fast one…too bad these guys actually wound up in jail! hehe. Being a female I’ve had road races where macho guys refuse to get ‘chicked’ (I love this term, thank you Britt for teaching it to me!) and weave around so I have a doubly tough time passing them.

No, there aren’t ref’s for running and I’d say that’s generally fine for us genial runners but every now and again I think we all should be able to shout out FOUL on a particularly annoying offender…if for no other reason than to alert them that we know they stepped out of line and if they do end up winning maybe we can call it a ‘tainted’ win…hehe.

Okay, now is my little moment for being a proud sister…the referees there are at the top are my littlest brother and his date to the Sadie Hawkins dance. So that’s how this little sportsmanship tangent my brain went on came to be.

In running and in life there are often written down rules and the unsaid codes of conduct. Sometimes don’t you wish we could have a whistle and a flag in our back pockets so we could whip them out? How about an ear-splitting *toot toot* at the random runner you come up to on the sidewalk, you’re obviously going at a faster clip, but then they huff and puff trying to ‘race your easy run’…you could then let them know they are being annoying and it’s totally fine for everyone to run their own pace and just let you pass them! Then we could also toss the red flag up at the guy who obviously has 24 items in the Express Line at the supermarket. 😉

1) Have you ever had an encounter of a ‘mean racer’ or race bully? What’s the oddest or most unsportsmanlike behavior you’ve ever seen? And you don’t have to limit it to races, maybe something that’s happened on just one of your runs.
A woman in a baby jogger short cut a race to come out the winner. I mean, power to women pushing jogging strollers, but it’s a co-ed race and did she really think she’d get away with that one? Hehe.

2) Is there a tip you have for being an assertive racer and getting a good position in a race?
I guess a tip I have is to try and pass on a straight-away; that way if you have to just run extra wide to make a pass or a move you won’t need to be tacking on even more extra distance by going wider over a the curve or a turn.

3) What would you blow a whistle on in a recent ‘life’ situation?

4) Did you ever go to a themed dance and what did you dress up as?

The Art of Visualization to Improve Your Performance: Guided Imagery 101

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

Take a second to close your eyes, force out any noise clutter, and picture yourself achieving one of your goals. Pick a goal, for the purposes of this post make it something tied to running or working out, and envision yourself working towards it and then accomplishing it. How do you feel after you’ve done it? What were you picturing?

I just finished an article that you can read on Competitor, ‘Foresee it, Believe it, Achieve it: The Power of Visualization for Runners,’ all about the power of visualization and how it can improve your performance. But visualization isn’t a great tool for the sole purposes of acing a race and if you’re not exactly looking to PR or hit a time/race goal you can use it to be more productive and achieve more than you think is possible.

Setting goals, higher than you’re comfortable with, can be tricky…mostly it’s a matter of putting yourself out there…putting that goal out there. It makes you vulnerable; there is after all the possibility of failure. However if you want to DO better you have to aim higher and it’s also proven that goals are more likely to be achieved if they are 1) concrete and 2) written down and or stated.

By concrete I mean, something black and white, definite, there is no question of whether you’ve achieved it or not. Think a certain time, a certain placing in a race, finishing a particular distance. Not, “I want to get faster” or “I want to get in better shape.” The last two are ambiguous, see the difference?

Getting back to visualization, I had the great pleasure of talking with Dr. Jim Bauman, Ph.D Sports Psychology, who has worked with World Teams and Olympic athletes along with anyone who wants to propel themselves further in their given sport.

The article covers the three types of visualization: internal, external, and kinesthetic. Each are slightly different and may work better depending on the athlete and how they learn or are hard-wired. Internal is through the first person, external is through the third person perspective, and the last involves actual muscular movements. Dr. Bauman also advises the first few times you attempt visualization you do what is called guided imagery, where you have someone else lead you through the exercise. That way all you have to do is hone in on their voice and picture the scene that plays out.

The other point about visualization is that Dr. Bauman stresses you have to do it regularly. Practice it just like you workout. Also, try to include as many details and senses (ie: smell, feel, sound, etc.) into your imagery scenes.

So here’s a little exercise. Think of the next race or workout that you have; think of what you want to get out of that race or run and set a goal. Now close your eyes, try to find a quiet space and tune out where you physically are.

Think of your first few steps of the run…it’s probably your warm-up, think of your legs starting to loosen up as they slip into your familiar stride. After the first couple of minutes the kinks are starting to work out and by the end of your warm-up you’re feeling relaxed and strong.

You move to some stretches and then strides. The last stride you feel ready to roll, the engine’s burning hot and your legs are turning over efficiently. You’re now at the starting line, or about to start the first interval, you take off…fast but contained, you feel in control.

Your shoulders are dropped, your arms swing back to front, your hands and jaw are relaxed. You deeply inhale the cool air, feel it work down your throat and into your lungs before it is hotly exhaled and the process repeats. Feel the oxygen fill your lower lungs and leave in a rhythm.

Think of the rhythm of your feet, you can hear your steady footfalls like the beat of a drum. You feel the same crisp air prick at the hairs of your arms, you feel the rush of the air as you break against it. You are running smooth, relaxed, and with an even stride.

Now picture the part of the race or workout where you know it is starting to get tough. You know there is the burning sensation building in your legs, but instead of tightening up you stay relaxed. You keep your eyes locked ahead, if it’s a hill you’re climbing you stare only at the horizon. You remind yourself that this pain is only temporary and it’s a test…a test to see how bad you want this.

You focus on your steady breathing, the in and out, your footfalls beating like the steady drum. You’re now closing in on the last repeat, the last push to the finish. You see the people around you, you’re passing them. You can slightly feel the whoosh as you edge ahead of them and leave them behind.

You are running smooth, relaxed, strong, and now all the way through to the finish. You have done it. Think of that goal you set prior to starting, you’ve achieved it. Let that sense of accomplishment wash over you, remember that feeling so you can recall it later for motivation.

This mind-space you’ve created is yours alone, you can tap into it whenever and wherever, you just have to know how to get there.

(The above was an example of an internal guided imagery.)

1) Have you ever used visualization as a tool? If so, when and describe your experience.

2) How do you set concrete goals that push you but are attainable?

3) Do you think you’ll try using visualization if you haven’t before, and if you have do you plan to continue to practice it?

4) Is anyone racing this weekend? What are your weekend plans?

Racing Re-Cap: Things We Can All Learn From This Weekend

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

In case you’ve lived in a bit of a running cave, or don’t follow running all that much, there were some pretty big time races going on this weekend. We saw American Records being broken left and right, the family tradition of a running legacy continued, and even some late season cross country races.

Regardless of if you ever plan on chasing a record, have the desire to spike up (or racing flat up) ever again or not…here are some things we can all learn from this weekend in racing.

1) There is always someone better than you and someone working to be better than you. In a nice ironic twist, at the USATF Indoor Classic Galen Rupp broke the American Record for the indoor two mile event with 8:09.72; he took the record from Bernard Legat. The same day at the Millrose Games Bernard Legat reclaimed the indoor 5k record with 13:07.15…he took it back from Galen Rupp. Read more details and see video at Paul Merca’s site.

The lesson here is that no matter how good you are and continue to be, there is always, and will forever be, someone looking to beat you. This goes for anything; it’s a good thing as it inspires you to push harder and never settle. You’ve got to stay on your game and keep working hard if you want to stay in the game.
usatf women finish
Source: Photorun.net/Letsrun
2) ALWAYS run through the line. I think this picture says it all…from the USATF Cross Country Championships Molly Huddle (right) thought she had the win a hair too early. Sara Hall ran THROUGH the line, pushed it to the end, and ended up snagging the win.

Lesson here is the obvious don’t ever ease up or count your victory until you’re past the line; but going deeper, don’t ever assume anything. You know the old saying there…but it’s true. From both perspectives here: 1) There are no sure things in racing…now, obviously if you’re 100 meters ahead and going to the line the odds are highly stacked in your favor and a little celebrating would be a safer bet. But still…even if you’re the World Record holder, when you get to the line there are no guarantees that you will come out the winner. To an extent we’re all equals once the gun is fired. 2) From Sara Hall: Don’t ever give up until it’s over. Racing should spur in you the urge to dig a little deeper and rise to the occasion…when it comes crunch time, search for that other gear, lock on to the competitor ahead of you and work to close the gap. Charge to that line and run all the way through it.

3) Onward and upward…things are always moving forward. In case you’re unaware, in recent years the times of top harriers have dropped remarkably in distance events. For the first time in decades Americans are also a part of the surge and mixing it up with the Africans. This applies from to the pro’s, the collegians, high-schoolers and road runners alike.

In Friday’s Husky Classic, Sally Kipyego won the women’s 5k race in 15:15.41. In doing so she ran the world’s fastest indoor 5k this year but behind her a whopping eight collegiate women ducked under the NCAA automatic qualifying time of 16:04.50…that’s quite a field. Read a much better and inclusive recap of those races at Paul Merca’s blog as he recounts.

Lesson here is that competition and surrounding yourself by people who are BETTER than you or at least on par is not only the best thing for you but the best thing for the sport. (Or whatever it is you are working towards.) If you want to get the best out of yourself, for whatever goal that is, you have to push yourself…push yourself harder and then some more, past what you think you are capable of. To do that, having someone ahead of you and also right on your butt is a sure fire way to make you dig for that extra gear you might not think you have.

That’s it for me, and I hope you’re all having a great weekend!

1) Were you following the big meets this weekend? Do you follow the sport of running; what sports do you follow?

2) Do you agree with or see any other lessons to be pulled from this weekend?

3) What did you do this weekend? Any races yourself?

Running Hard: Outward Appearances Can Be Misleading When You Give it Your All

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Now, it’s interesting how different people act after finishing races, or hard workouts too. Outside observers then tend to assess just how hard the athlete ran depending on the looks of anguish, falling to a heap, or tossing their cookies.

Cross the finish line and drop to the track...

Though I sort of think that can be really misleading…

* Sometimes the fastest or best races of one’s lives come in the form of those rare, freak, awesome beyond awesome races where they feel ‘easy’ or at least eas-ier. Everything lines up and even during the race you sort of think you’re having an outer body experience like, “Am I really running these splits…are these really my legs doing this?!” You just roll with it and after you cross the line you’re ecstatic with the results…you no doubt KNOW that you’re tired, it’s just you felt amazing and so you might smile and it might ‘look’ then that what you did was easy.

* Sometimes you see arms thrown up, crossing the line with fists pumping…here it’s the adrenaline and excitement that temporarily masks the pain. I’m sorry, you win a Gold Medal, I think you gather the reserves to let that excitement burst through.

* Yes, dropping to the ground surely shows that you’re tired and left a heck of a lot our there. I have the highest admiration for mental grit and getting the most from yourself. BUT, just because you don’t drop to the ground that doesn’t mean you didn’t punish yourself enough…in the end YOU know if you did or not.

* Tossing your cookies…here is one where I think it depends a lot on the runner. Lots of people play up the, “Wow, you barfed…THAT means you’re the toughest runner around…THAT really shows you pushed it,” but really, throwing doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re macho tough, there are other factors involved. Yes, it surely could be that you just put it ALL out there, or it could mean that you shouldn’t have had three hot dogs 20 minutes ago. Finally, sometimes people do throw up if they ran outside their fitness level…props for pushing it, but maybe it means they should have built a little more base or not taken that whole summer off.

I think what it really comes down to is the particular athlete and how you tend to respond to the excruciating pain we willing put ourselves through at times. 🙂 No bagging either which way; some people are barfers but just because you’re not a puker that doesn’t mean you’re not running hard. Similarly, different races and workouts certainly feel a lot different…having one of those magic days will no doubt leave you finishing looking a lot different from one of those races where from the gun you feel like you’re running with legs of lead.

Outward appearances are misleading…some of the fastest harriers make it look effortless as they click off lap after lap. They look like machines, their form is pristine, no wasted movements, their faces stoic. They are running relaxed…but for darn sure you know that behind that mask of effortless they are working their tails off and it’s hard for everyone.

It’s never easy…I mean even in those awesome beyond awesome moments it might have felt eas-ier, but it was hardly easy to get to the moment. It took months, years, zillions of miles and way too many hard workouts you’d care to remember.

It’s never easy…and so that’s why we need a little extra motivation now and then, to keep reminding ourselves WHY we keep doing this. But then we remember we really it. Yes, we love when the stars align and we get one of those awesome beyond awesome days, but also we just love the thrill of kicking our own butts.

1) How do you usually look after races, or hard workouts? Do you tend to do the hunch over, the drop to the ground, the hands over head?

2) Have you thrown up after a race of hard workout, do you tend to just do that regardless of pre-run food choice or fitness level?
I’ve never thrown up, but I can really close once…it was my first race and had run maybe one or two times before that. 😛

3) How do you try and stay relaxed when you’re running hard?
I try to focus on keeping my form, keeping my shoulders down, and then staring straight ahead at a specific point (like the back of the person ahead of me) to try and zone out.

4) Those awesome beyond awesome days, have you had one, how many, and do you remember it clearly?
I think I’ve had one or two…and I remember clearly thinking there was something wrong with the clock. 😛

Farleks Aren’t Just For Workouts – Surging in Races to Break Your Competition

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Fartleking. The term probably calls to mind particular workouts, but fartleking isn’t something you do just in workouts. If you watched the US Olympic Marathon Trials and took a look at the splits the women were running (or watched any of the post-race interviews) you’d see that their miles were kind of all over the place. They opened up over 6 for the first mile, then ping-ponged around the mid-5’s throughout; they were farleking.

Why is there farleking in a race? Well, a race can be run for two reasons: to get a fast time or go for the win. The latter is a strategic race and typically seen in the big time races where titles and top three finishing slots are more important than the eventual time. Fartleking, or throwing surges in, is one tactic to break your competition.

Getting back to last weekend’s marathon, Amy Hastings surged to the lead after mile 18 because she knew that it was down to four runners and if she dropped the pace she could potentially drop one of the women, or at least develop a gap. Mentally, getting a gap on your competition can sometimes be enough to beat them before the finish line. Getting gapped or being stuck in ‘no man’s land’ is difficult and can sometimes be the nail in the coffin for a racer.

Hastings wasn’t able to gap the other women because they responded and were just stronger on that day; but that doesn’t mean that throwing surges in late in the race isn’t a smart strategy. Another reason is because fartleking a race is not the ‘easy’ way to get a fast time and it’s tough on the body. Your body runs best (and your PR’s will usually come from) running even paces; when you drastically swing from a fast pace to a markedly slower one your body never is able to get into a real rhythm. If a runner isn’t used to fartleking, it’s even harder for them to keep pace or hang on; the advantage goes to the one putting in the surges.

The lesson? If you’re able to train your body to fartlek, or surge, in a race and hold it together you can use it to your advantage to try and break your competition.

How? Do it in practice; get yourself used to varied paces. There are TONS of different ways to fartlek outside of the traditional one minute hard/one minute easy formula.

Try this – Finish Fast 800’s Workout:

* Warm-up
* 6-8 x 800 meters – Run the intervals comfortably hard through 600 meters but then for the last 200 REALLY pick it up and hammer to the end
* 400 meter easy recovery jog between each one and finish with a cool-down

Another Variation – Slow/Fast 800’s:

* Warm-up
* 6-8 x 800 meters – But alternate the pace of each 400 – The first 400 done at what you’d do a tempo run at or just slightly slower, the second one done at about 3k pace
* 400 meter recovery between and cool-down

*** To make this one more advanced do the 800’s continuous for 4 miles, starting with the ‘slow’ 400; the focus is to really pop those hard 400’s but still keep the’slow’ 400’s faster than an easy/medium effort…even the ‘slow’ 400’s start to get tough by the end!

Finally, Greg McMillan did a great artlcie for Running Times on the ‘Move and Match’ kind of fartlek workout. Here is an example of having a team or training partner to help add unpredictability to a workout, simulating what would happen in a race.

The bottom line is breaking your competition is all a part of racing, one way to do that is to throw in a surge, or multiple surges. You do it right and you could put a gap on them, break them mentally, or at least tire them out. If you’re used to surging you’ll be better able to handle it and keep the race in your control.

1) Do you do farlek workouts?

2) Do you do farleks or surging in races?

3) Have you tried varying the pace of standard interval workouts like in the examples above? Getting used to finishing an interval even faster is a good habit to keep in mind.

4) What do you tend to think about during your hard workouts?
I try to remember to stay relaxed, drop my arms, and stay smooth. If I’m running with someone I like to be right behind them and I just stare right at their back and try not to let any distance get between us.