Another 3 Miles in the Books!

This morning Mark and I headed to the Monon Trail for a run. In the end I ran, Mark walked. He was tired and his allergies were bothering him. My run went well. I had negative splits which made me happy. I ran in 36:22. I was pleased with that time.

Now that August is coming upon us, I have to run longer runs. This will be my goal over the next week. Philly is not that far away. On the run I thought about that race, and how best to tackle it. I think I need to develop a more even pace. I have slowed my pace this year, and I most likely will not PR in Philly, but I will still like to finish in under 3:00. So in addition to adding miles, I need a bit of speed work. If I can get my pace to sub 12 minutes, then I can do sub 3 hours.

The Monon Trail was lovely early this morning. Plenty of folks were out. Many "good mornings" were spoken.

I am going to try to run with the Frontrunners this week. I would like to meet some folks in Indy, so why not fellow runners?

Charlie

Checking In

A couple of things to talk about. Last night's Runner's Round Table was a great conversation. I hope you all have a chance to listen to it. Many good points were made about competing and completing marathons. I made my voice heard, but mostly I was listening to the great conversation.

This morning Mark, Kris and I ran about 3.5 miles through Greenwood. I know Mark wasn't pleased with his run. I took it for what it was - a run on a humid morning. I am still not acclimating to this heat and humidity. By the time I do, I imagine it will be Fall. Still I was happy to get the miles in and spend time with Kris and Mark on the road. Once school is in session Kris will join us each week for some runs up here. In time I am sure we will alternate.

Tomorrow Mark and I are planning a run along the Monon Trail. This afternoon we checked out Ft. Benjamin Harrison State Park - another great place in Indianapolis to run. Looks like a rolling set of trails and roads. I think that will be fun to navigate.

Charlie

Compete vs. Complete

Tonight I am co-hosting The Runners Round Table, which is always fun and exciting. Tonight's topic is a close one to me - "Compete vs. Complete." The running community always has to have a bit of controversy. This one involves the people who believe the marathon is for competing vs. the folks who want to complete.

Clearly the marathon is for both, but what irks me like crazy are the ones who insist that the marathon is somehow just for those who want to compete. Trust me, when I am out there for 6+ hours, I am competing. I am competing against the course, time and myself.

One point I will want to make tonight is that no matter which side of the fence you are on, it is important that you respect the distance. If you think running a marathon is easy - it isn't. So if you have a "bucket list" make sure you have a good understanding what 26.2 miles is, and what training is involved.

So join us at the table - www.runnersroundtable.com

Charlie

Peaceful at Sunrise

This morning I went for a nice run on the Monon Trail. How refreshing that it wasn't hot and humid like the last couple of weeks. The sun wasn't up yet as I started on my way.

Today's goal was to run in under 38 minutes. I tried not to think about the goal too much as I was enjoying the run. I could see light just beginning to appear about midway through my run. I would see glimmers of light in the sky through the trees.

The trail was not busy this morning. A few runners and bikers were out there. Most of the time I was on my own. Still the occasional good morning was said as runners would go by.

I ran the first half in 18:20. My thought was I would slower coming back. But a key for me was I made myself speed on the bridges. My last half was in 17:52 - negative splits. My finishing time was 36:12. I was winded, but I felt good on the run.

Charlie

There Was a Time...and What I Can Do

There was a time when I could go to bookstores and judge how good it was based on how many books on theatre they had in stock. Oh how times have changed. These days I check out the running section. People seem to be more interested in running than theatre if the number of books is a sign.

Back in the day my goal in life was to be an actor. That dream left me a long time ago. My dreams are a bit more manageable, or so I like to believe. These days I think about running challenges. As you all know I would love to run Boston. You may also know that I can't qualify at this point in my life.

If I am to run Boston it is as a charity runner. The running community always has a disagreement over the qualifying vs. charity running when it comes to Boston. This speaks to a broader topic which I will be talking about at the Runners Round Table this next week - competing vs. completing.

I complete races and I compete against myself and the course. If I take 5, 6, or even 7 hours - I do it. I train as hard as the 2-4 hour folks. And I am on the course longer. It is hard physically for me to do this, but I do it.

This was some of what I thought about on my run this morning with Kris and Mark. We ran for 40 minutes in the heat and humidity. It was not pleasant at all, but we did it.

Now I just need one more run this week.

Charlie

Embracing the Time

Typically when we look at half or full marathon training programs we look at how many miles we log in a run. I know you read about that on this blog. I will usually talk about how many miles and the time it took me. Now I am going to talk about a different approach.

Our store takes a different approach to training. Traditional programs for a half or full marathon look at miles. Each week you increase miles. What our training programs focus on is the amount of time you run. African runners typically train this way. By running in a certain block of time, you can focus more on the quality of your run, and your speed. The miles tend to take care of themselves.

Legendary coach, Jack Daniels adheres to this type of program. "Runner's World" has set up his program in some easy steps:

1. Run no farther or faster than you have to.
In other words, strive for optimal training benefits with the least amount of work. This is the cardinal rule of Daniels's training philosophy. As he likes to put it: "If I said that you could run a five-minute mile with one program that took 30 miles a week or another program that took 80 miles a week, which would you choose?" The answer's a no-brainer, of course, but many runners nonetheless train too hard and too inefficiently. The outcome is worse performances, not better ones. Daniels tries to cut out the waste, maximizing improvement and minimizing injuries. A corollary to this rule: Whenever you do a workout, know what you're trying to achieve. Is it endurance? Speed? Running economy? If you're training intelligently, you'll know the answer before you begin to sweat.

2. Avoid injuries.
Duh. Who doesn't pay homage to this old chestnut? But it's easier said than done. To help you escape the trap of overuse injuries, Daniels offers the following formula: Stick with your current weekly mileage for at least three weeks. Then, if your training feels comfortable, you can increase your weekly mileage by the number of workouts you are running per week (that is to say, if you're doing four workouts, you can increase by four miles).

3. Follow a progressive training program that gradually builds to a racing peak.
Daniels's ideal training plan lasts 24 weeks or longer, and moves steadily from one emphasis to another: easy runs to repetition workouts to interval training to tempo training. At the same time, he realizes that many runners don't plan far enough ahead to follow long-term training programs, and in Daniels' Running Formula he has developed sophisticated variations on the basic approach.

4. Pump up your stride rate to 180 per minute.
At the 1984 Olympics, Daniels and his wife, Nancy, analyzed the stride frequencies of runners from 800 meters to the marathon. At distances from 5000 meters on up, the top runners, both men and women, were remarkably consistent: They ran with a stride rate of about 180 strides per minute.

5. Run 75 to 80 percent of your weekly mileage at a relaxed pace.
This kind of running builds your basic aerobic capacity, and strengthens the key running muscles, joints, and ligaments. Your EZ pace is equivalent to your 5-K race pace, plus 90 to 120 seconds per mile. (If you race 5-Ks at 8:00 pace, your EZ pace is 9:30 to 10:00.)

6. Run a weekly long run that amounts to 25 to 40 percent of your total distance for the week.
If you're running 20 miles a week, the long run can be eight miles (40 percent). As your weekly mileage increases, the long run becomes a smaller percentage of your total miles.

7. Run about 12 percent of your weekly mileage at your lactate threshold (LT), or tempo pace.
When you run at LT pace, you enhance your running economy and your body's ability to function with increasing amounts of lactic acid. LT pace is your 5-K pace, plus 25 to 45 seconds per mile.

8. Run about eight percent of your weekly mileage at your interval pace (INT).
This pace improves your VO2 max and your ability to run at a fast pace. Your INT pace is 5-K pace, minus 10 to 20 seconds per mile.

9. Run two percent of your weekly mileage at your repetition (REP) pace.
This pace improves your power, your speed, your stride frequency, and your relaxation while running fast. Your REP pace equals your 5-K pace, minus 40 to 80 seconds per mile. You'll do most of your REP running as "strides" after easy runs or as fast 200-meter repeats.

10. Stay positive.
Remember: When you have a good day, it's no accident. You can't fake it; these days represent your true capacity as a runner. On the other hand, bad days are flukes. They happen to everyone, and they mean almost nothing (unless you have a lot of them, and then you need to analyze what's going wrong). Reward yourself mentally for your good days, and don't obsess about the bad.

I am going to give this a try with my runs. I started yesterday. My goal was to run no more than 30 minutes. I headed down the Monon Trail. At 13:58 I thought I should head back, and figured I would be slower going back because it was so hot and humid. I was a bit slower, but I ended my run in 28:28 and ran 2.3 miles.

I found during my run that I was able to focus more on my form, and what my body was doing. I also found my body was more relaxed. Curious if anyone else has trained like this. I think there is something to this, and am going to keep up with this.

Charlie

Early Morning on the Monon

I told Mark last night that I had a goal of running four days this week, and his job was to make sure I ran on day one - this morning. The alarm woke me 5:30 this morning. Mark told me to look out the window to check for rain. There was none so out I went.

The weather was MUGGY!!! Running out there was like running with a wet rag over my face. Still the morning was quiet and beautiful. Mostly bikers were on the path, but there was the occasional running nodding hello to me as we would pass.

My favorite moments on the run were listening to the honking geese, running over the water on the bridges, and running through an area which looks like I am running through the runs.

So how was the run? I have run faster. I completed 3.2 miles. The thing I struggle with these days is that I am not in great shape and my running and working is erratic while I develop a regular schedule. This is why I created the goal to run four days this week. Today was day one - in the books. Three runs to go.

Charlie

Running with Mark and Kris

My friend Kris is new to running, and she likes the idea of once a week getting together with Mark and me for a longer run. We got up around 4:30 this morning to head on down to Greenwood, where Kris and her family live. She wanted to go for a run before her husband headed to work.

Off we went through the neighborhood and to the trail in Greenwood. Typically when we run together we are a touch slower than I like. Today I was pace leader, and I ramped it up a bit. I didn't tell them that I was having us do a 6/1 interval.

The run was warm. Today it is expected to get into the 90s, so heading off at 6 a.m. was a good thing. I was worn a bit towards the end, but we got 4 good solid miles in today at a 12:13 min/mile pace.

What is nice about these runs is we chat about anything. Today the topics ranged from my new job, to Kris' kids doings to Mark finally waking up. :-)

All in all a good run.

Charlie

45 Minutes on the Elliptical

Today was a cross train day. I hit the gym, and I did 45 hard minutes on the elliptical. I set the machine at a level 6, then I went up to an 8, and I went hard on level 10. I suppose I should know what all that means. What I do know is the larger the level number the harder it is.

Sweat was pouring off me. I needed it to after last night's birthday dinner for Mark. We went to Fogo de Chao. I ate so much beef. So clearly I had some protein in me. :-)

Tomorrow is a longer run with Mark and my friend Kris. We are heading to Greenwood to run with her. This will be a slower run, but that's ok.

Charlie

Welcome to the Monon Trail

Today was my first experience running on the Monon Trail.

The Monon Trail is an old train track, which was developed into a running and bike path, running from downtown Indianapolis to Carmel.

http://www.indygreenways.org/monon/monon.htm

I ran 3 miles today. All I can say is wow! What an amazing portion of the trail I saw. If my sister reads this, she will know what I am talking about it. When I was young, we had a cottage along Lake Michigan on the Michigan side. To get to our cottage, there was a long winding road in the woods. The trail today reminded me of going through that road. Oh there weren't the hills of that road, but the woods were so nice and so peaceful.

The trail is used by thousands of people each day, but even with the people on the trail this afternoon, I felt peaceful sense out there. I had a sense of trail running, even though I was on a paved "road".

I am going to love running on this trail, and getting to know the ins and outs of it.

Charlie

Change is Good, Bad, but Mostly it is Change

This morning I had the honor of helping send off about 60 folks on their various half and full marathon training programs. I would meet many of them along the Monon Trail with water. While I was on the trail manning the water station, I thought about all the change in my life of late.

I sat along the trail, and looked at the incredibly immense sky. Lots of puffy clouds this morning. It was warm, but not the humid mess we have had this week. I am loving my new job, workplace and co-workers. I am loving being back in Indiana, where spent my early years. I love being back with friends I have missed. I love the slower life. I feel very much at peace. Those are the good things about the change in my life.

The bad part is, I do miss some things about Chicago. I miss a lot of the conveniences of the city. I miss some of the cultural things. I do miss Lake Michigan. I miss my friends there.

For the most part though I see the change as change, neither good or bad. Ok....it might lean more towards the good. :-)

Tomorrow I plan on running the Monon Trail. Will let you all know how it goes.

Charlie

The New Gym

This week Mark and I joined a gym. The best way I can describe it is, it would be terrific, if we had not been to a gym before. It's an ok gym, but I'm not a fan of their treadmills. They are a touch lackluster.

Looks like a good many of the guys there are bodybuilder types. Tonight I watched two guys posing in the locker room. One guy kept clenching his butt like he needed to do something, then made faces in the mirror, while flexing his muscles. It looked strange and funny at the same time. Now I have no problem with bodybuilders, but this was too funny.

I think we will give this gym a month or two. It's a huge gym, and we need a gym. I like the fact it has a pool. Would like to swim more.

Tonight was a cross train session. I ran for 2.3 miles, I worked on the Eliptical for about 10 minutes, then I did stretches and crunches. I felt good to really workout.

Charlie

A Slap in the Face

I would not say I got a wake up call today. I got a slap in my face. Mark and I joined a gym today, and had to go through a body assessment. Now I know how much weight I have gained over time. As of today I am 224 lbs. At my best I was at 197. I was consistent for a time with 205. So this gain really hurts.

I have gained most of it in the last year and a half. The stresses of living with the squatters(long story for those who don't know), the hardship I went through at work, and just an overall feeling that I was not doing as well as I should led me to eat, and eat I did.

As I have shared I am an emotional eater. So the period of high stress and unhappiness led me to eat. Add to that I cut back in my running to 3 days a week. This took a toll.

So now that I admit where I am. I also need to get the anger out. I am so angry at myself. I let this happen. I knew all I needed to do, and still it happened. I talked myself into larger portions by rationalizing it. I told myself it was ok to have this or that, because I would run, and I didn't run. This slap in my face is one of my own hand. Now....I work.

At this gym, you set goals. The membership coordinator feeds your info into the computer and comes up with an "weight goal" and how long it takes to reach that goal. Ideally the computer said I should be at 194 lbs by Oct. 19. I would be happy to be back at 205.

I have work to do, and I have to be hard on myself. You would think the new job would create stress, but I am not feeling. In fact I am very happy in the new job. I am happy in Indianapolis. I know this move is hard on Mark, because this is all new to him, and he knows next to no one here. I also know he will get through this, just as I will push through this.

I am determined to make things far more transparent on this blog, and I hope you all will help keep me honest.

No more slaps.

Charlie

Firecracker 6 Miler

When last I wrote, I was getting ready to leave Chicago. In fact I did one last loop around Andersonville before I left. No running during the move. We are in Indianapolis though. The move went well for the most part. Mark, Friday and I are settling into the new home. Lots of boxes to unpack.

We did have time to run the Inaugural Firecracker 6 Miler today. The race runs through downtown Indianapolis - pretty much most of the historical parts of the city. It was a sunny and warm morning, as Mark, my friend Kris and I ran the race. It was Kris' first race. It was Mark's and my first 6 mile race. An odd distance when you think about it.

The run went well. Mark wanted to be ahead for a while. Kris had not really done anything beyond 3 miles, so I was helping her get through the race. Things went fairly well until mile 4. The move finally caught up with me. My legs had been going up and down stairs for the last few days with heavy boxes. I actually cramped the other night. I most likely should not have run this race, but I wanted to. So for most of mile 4-5 we walked. Kris was understanding. My body just could not do a whole lot.

At mile 5 though we began to run, and we actually finished strong. My time was 1:24:24. Not my best 6 miles, but I will take it today.

Now I unpack and rest before I start my new job on Monday.

Charlie

The Challenge of 4 Miles - Last Run at the Gym

Today we headed to the gym. I believe this is our last visit to the gym before we leave Chicago. So another good bye today. I have loved FFC - www.ffc.com. It's the first gym I have ever belonged to, and it served me well. I discussed this a bit in yesterday's post I believe.

FFC was my first personal training experience. I could not have asked for someone better than Josh. I was worried about him being a "body Nazi" he could not have been more supportive or nicer. All in all a great guy and excellent trainer.

Scott was the manager when I started at the gym, and was also head of the marathon training program. He guided me through the 2007 Chicago Marathon, then developed a plan for me for the Indianapolis Monumental this last year. Both these men have been 100% supportive of my efforts and I thank them.

Today's run was a challenging 4 miles. 2 miles I used the hill program. I need to work on this, and I could tell I was not in great hill shape. Still I ran the 4 miles in jut a shade over 46 minutes. That was really good. I worked up quite a sweat in this run, and was satisfied with the run. Overall a good running week.

Charlie

What I Leave

In a few days I will leave Chicago for a new life in Indianapolis. I hope you will indulge me as I write some thoughts about my time in Chicago.

I have lived in Chicago 3 times. I moved here in 1992 to attend Loyola University Chicago. I had a a goal to become a journalist. It didn't happen. I truly value my education I got at Loyola. The lessons I learned there have served me well in my life.

From Loyola I went to Southwest Airlines. For the next 5 1/2 years I worked for one of the most amazing companies ever. I left Chicago to live in Albuquerque, NM. I lived in New Mexico for 2 years. In 1997 my mother passed away, and I decided to come back to Chicago. I was still with the airline at the time, so a transfer was easy.

In 2000 I left Chicago and Southwest to move to the Washington, D.C. and work for the Motley Fool(www.fool.com). A few months later I was laid off. I found work soon enough, but it was not a great job, and I felt lost. While there, I lived through 9/11. I lived 1/2 mile from the Pentagon, and I saw the plane that would crash into it that morning. Truly that was a harrowing time.

It was from that day that I went on a new journey. Initially I visited South Africa, where I learned quite a bit about myself. In particular, my experiences visiting a village near Victoria Falls in Zambia led me to come back to Chicago, to attend DePaul University and work on a master's in non profit management. Of course I did not get that career in the non profit world, and was very discouraged.

During my time at DePaul, I became ill, very ill. I had a pre-diabetic condition, which was a result of my being obese. I was a little over 300 lbs. This diagnosis would become what I consider one of the most important turning points in my life.

Over the years I have detailed my weight loss. I have talked about my ups and downs. One thing was constant - the running which I credit with adding years to my life was started here in Chicago. This city became my running trail. Whether I was running along the lakefront, through the neighborhoods, in Evanston, or even my ill fated 2007 Chicago Marathon, I loved running through this town.

It was in Chicago where I worked for Fleet Feet Sports, and found a joy in working with other runners. I met so many inspiring and wonderful people through my work at Fleet Feet.

You never know where the road of life is going to lead you. I did not become a journalist, but I blog. I did not become a leader in a non profit organization, but I have worked with many of them, and feel my management skills have always helped me at Fleet Feet. So while it is not the life I thought I would have, it is a pretty good life that I have.

There is one more thing about Chicago. I met Mark and found love. I met him at a very low period, and I credit him with bringing love to my life. I was meant to be here this time.

Now, though a new chapter begins. Mark and I move to Indianapolis for a new life. I will still be in running specialty, and I will use all the lessons I have learned along the way. Returning to Indiana is returning home of sorts. I was raised in Indiana, and now I get to come home and start this chapter.

I don't know what lies ahead. All I know is I look forward to it. I will miss Chicago, but it will always have a special place in my life.

Charlie

Squeezing a Few More Miles

Yesterday I ran the longest I've run in quite a while - 5.2 miles. It was a sunny and warm afternoon. Temps were a bit cooler - in the mid to upper 70s. I can assure you it felt a lot better in the shade.

The route was one of my farewell journey on the path along the river. This is the path Fleet Feet uses for its fun runs. It's a nice path, which if I took it all the way north, would land me in Skokie, IL. It is a bit rolling in places, and that was what I needed....something with some rolls in it.

Lots of people were enjoying the park, which was nice to see at 4 in the afternoon. Lots of kids. Some kids snickered as I went by. I'm sure seeing a guy running in tight shorts can be amusing. I learned to let that go a long time ago - I can do something they can't, I run marathons. Oh I know, some of them may run a marathon one day, but until then - I AM SUPERMAN! :-)

On my run, I thought about how close we are to the move. It is now days away, and there is still some packing to go. We will get it done. It just takes time - arrgh!

Today we may go to the gym. I feel the need for a bit of a cross train.

Charlie

Another Scorcher - 4.2 miles

There is a lot to be said for a warm summer night's run. There is something else to be said for a hot summer night's run. Another hot one this evening. When I started on my run, it was 84 degrees. I wanted to push myself tonight, so I stretched my run to a 4.2 mile run. I am glad I did.

Yes I got hot out there. Yes, I took some more frequent walk breaks. In the interest of not dying out there, I thought it prudent to take breaks a bit more frequently. I did run a good portion in a 8/1 interval, but then I brought it down to a 5/1 interval. It made for a pokey run. but I was not about speed tonight, I was about distance.

So what did I think about tonight? I got a lot going on - need to renew my driver's license, pack, and get a move going. That kept my mind busy. Thank God I had Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp among others on the iPod to keep me company. The move happens in a week, so there is much still to do.

I want to enter a race. There is one in Indy on July 3. I am still thinking of doing that one. We'll see.

Charlie

Summer Runnin'

With apologies to Grease the musical -

Summer runnin' had me a blast.

Summer runnin' happened so fast.

I ran in Brooks, crazy for them.

I went out, ran some miles.

Well-o well-o UH....tell me more, tell me more, did ya get very far. Tell me more, tell me more, like did you out run a car.

LOL....yesterday's run was an 87 degree scorcher. I was determined though to get my third run of the week in. I did the 3.8 mile loop around Andersonville. I was slathered in sunscreen and had a bottle of Nuun. I was ready.

The run was a good one. I thought I would really fatigue, but perhaps the 3.8 miles was the right length for the heat. I suspect had I pushed the miles it would have been a different story. I did run out of Nuun and quickly bought some Gatorade. That got me through the rest of the run.

All in all I was happy. I ran 45:55 which is a touch over a 12:00/mile. I was thirsty for a long while after the run, but I expected that.

Looking to up the miles this week.

Charlie

An Offer

Yesterday I was offered a charity entry to the New York City Marathon. I had not planned to run a marathon this year, and I have to say I am tempted. I think though in the end I am going to turn it down. As much as I would like to run NYC, this is a non-marathon year for me, and I will be starting a new job and already taking time off for the Rock n Roll Philly.

I do have another goal. I am going to ask the charity if they have a spot for next year's Boston. I have a strong desire as you all know to run Boston. I can't qualify, and I know charity entries are a controversy in our community. I can tell you though I would train like nobody has trained before to do my best in Boston. Let's see if I can get an entry for that one.

Charlie