Weathering the Weather

I’m finally getting this posted – I waited because I didn’t want my post to be overly negative concerning my marathon experience (I was very disappointed and angry immediately following the race due to how I had to finish).

My Marathon experience was a disappointment but only because I was not allowed to finish. I initially prepared for a possibly cold marathon by buying a long sleeve form fitting shirt a few weeks ago – little did I know at that time that it would be unseasonably warm. I am sure all of you have heard about the marathon being called off before most of the runners had finished due to record high temperatures. My training temperatures and conditions varied from cold and unprepared to hot and prepared (you all know that I followed good hydration under all conditions) as a result of this I actually felt very good during the race (better even than any of my training runs).

The two days leading up to the marathon I was nervous and irritable (my wife and family thankfully tolerated me). On marathon day I woke at 4:00am and getting out of bed at around 4:30 for the drive downtown – eating and drinking was difficult due to a nervous stomach. Leaving my house it was already 70 degrees. My neighbor Rhonda rode downtown with us to help cheer me in for the last few miles of the race.

My wife had arranged for us to park at a good friends house near the race start. I taped my knees and walked with my wife and everyone else down to the starting line.

The start to the race was amazing, so many people. It took me about 20 minutes to reach the starting line after the race actually started. I kept having to pull myself back and not try and pass people, the race had only begun and I needed to stick to my plan and finish.

From what people have told me, I kept a very steady pace through the portion of the race that was recorded and I should have finished only 15 slower than my originally planned time of 5:15.

I actually felt great during the race, my knees barely gave me any problems until after I was forced off the course, walking was actually more painful than running. I felt stronger in this race than I ever did in training, I just knew that I could make it if I stuck to my plan and kept steady.

Before this race there has never been a race I didn’t finish and I always have told myself that I’d always make it over the finish line even if I had to crawl over it. So, this race was first for me, I didn’t make it over the finish line but I can at least say it wasn’t by my choice I was forced off the course by fire hoses and police with less than 6 mile to go.

Hydration was the major issue with this race, the first two water stops had no water or Gatorade though I was able to get a cup of water from a hose using a cup I picked up off the ground between the first two stops and douse my bead in the fountain at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Finally, at the third water stop I got some water (I carried the cup I picked up from the hose stop). I was mostly able to stay reasonably hydrated through the help of informal water stops along the course (a BIG thank you to all the people in the neighborhoods that the race went through – without them I would have been in trouble). The day was hot but shade was available for most of the course that I ran.

My thanks to; my family – parents, brother, sister and extra-especially my wife, my friends, neighbors and patients – Rhonda (who came down with me and my wife for race day), Donna, Ed, Rick, Jason and to Pat for his indispensable help with taping.

Will I race next year – I don’t know yet but I can promise you that I’ll complete a marathon within the next 2 years.

Friday night... I tried the tape yesterday, just the tape not running, and it stayed on for a hour before I removed it. Today I got a call from Pat (the previously mentioned PT) who told me that he had a skin prep and adhesive that in his experience helped with keeping the tape on as well as decreasing skin irritation. So, I drove up to his clinic and picked it up , while I was there he demonstrated for me how best to apply the tape and how to use the skin prep (Prep Protective Skin Barrier by Coloplast). This evening I tried the improved taping method on my last run before the marathon, a 30 minute jog. The run went well and the tape stayed on even though there was a little peeling at the edges (I didn't use the prep because I want to have some Acetone on hand to be sure that I can remove the tape without taking skin with it).

At present I'm nervous about the race...getting downtown to pick up my packet, waking up extra early on Sunday (plans changed and we are leaving at 4:30 from home instead of staying over in Chicago), worry over the weather since it will be in the 80's on Sunday (far from prime marathon weather - I actually got long sleeve DouDry shirt for the race which I won't be using now). All the little details make me worry and I have to keep turning my focus to just finishing the race. The little things can also be a comfort since taking care of them takes my mind off other things. I had some inspiration from a neighbor today - Donna ran a 5k in Plainfield last weekend after a poor nights sleep while having a sinus infection. Pushing through pain to finish is always an inspiration to me (like I've said before I see this as a force of will as much as conditioning).

I'll check in tomorrow night and again on Monday (or at latest, depending on my condition) after the race.

Taping

I got my Endura tape last week and taped my knees on Sunday for my 7 mile run - no luck the tape rufused to stay on for more than a mile and a half. Since then I've tried cleaning my skin with alcohol before applying the tape, using a hair dryer and hot packs to warm the adhesive after apllying it (it is supposed to be heat activated adhesive) all to no avail. I've been a bit stressed since this seems to be my best chance of alleviating the pain (if only I could get the tape to stay on!).

After talking with my mother last night I thought of a Physical Therapist who has helped me out in this past and this morning I was able to catch up with him. It seems the Endura tape is very skin friendly but it actually does not stick all that well and he recommended Leukotape P as a better tape and gave me a roll. I will let you all know how it works after tomorrows run (I had already worked out today when I got the tape).

2 Weeks and Counting

I wrote this post on Monday but neglected to upload it. So here it is…

Training has been going well even with my continued knee pain. I’ve continued to train but have focused on other aerobic activity instead of running to in an attempt to give my knees time to rest and heal. I completed my 7 mile run last night running straight through (no walking, just varying the pace). My knees began hurting after only a few miles, not so bad that I needed to stop but it makes me worried about 26 miles. After my run last night I iced my knees 2 times before going to bed and it seemed to help a bit. This morning my knees were only slightly sore and aggravated a bit going up and down stairs.

Today I placed a rush order for Endura tape so I can try McConnell taping to help with the knee pain. My plan until the race is to primarily cross train, I will do a little running to test out the taping, and icing after all workouts.

Cross training over the past few weeks has consisted of cycling and elliptical machines – they are both fairly easy on my knees but irritate the neuroma in my right foot. There are a few other cardio machines that I’m going to be trying out and I hope to find one that gives me a good workout without irritating my knees or my feet. On the technical side I know that 2 weeks off wouldn’t actually decrease my conditioning but psychologically it would hurt me.

Currently I’m putting all my energies into strategies to finish the race (at this point I know that my knees may hurt during the race but I’m confidant that they won’t suffer any permanent damage).

Conquering 20 miles

Well, it almost conquered me. I set out early this Sunday for my last really long run before the marathon, 5:00pm (I planned to leave at 4:00 but mapping the course and placing the Gatorade bottles slowed me down). To make a long ordeal short I’ll first state that I made it the 20 miles.

Elaborating on that I’ll start my saying that in many ways it was easier than the 18 mile run I had a few weekends back. I woke up Sunday morning feeling great but a little anxious concerning the 20-mile run I was to face later in the day (all my training runs in the past 2 weeks went well but my performance on my 18 miler made me worried). The run started well, I decided to run an elongated version of a course I’ve been using only in reverse (for safety reasons mainly, I wanted my actual road running to be in day light and after dark running on sidewalks as much as I could). At 10 miles I was feeling pretty good, tired but pretty good. By 14 my left knee began hurting a little bit (I felt it earlier than this but wouldn’t really call it painfull). By 16 it really began hurting, mainly around the kneecap (mostly right below it and on the outside area). At 17 miles I was in some trouble, for this run my knee hurt more when running than walking (and I mean really hurting – almost falling down hurting). I discovered that I could run about 20-30 paces without increasing the pain too much and that I could walk pretty fast without to much pain. With this discovery I focused on counting steps – 10 steps with the left running than 10 walking – and tried to increase it when I could. Eventually I made it home – total time about 4:35.

Today, Monday, my knee’s still hurt a little (actually my right more than my left). I decided to do a little exam on both of my knee’s – it seems that both knee caps are a little tender on the end closest to my feet (inferior pole of the patella for any other doctors out there). After my run, and this morning, going up and down stairs increased my knee pain. I tested my hamstring and quad strength at the gym and determined that my hamstrings are about 60% of my quad strength (I expected higher).

From my own determination (and just remember that the adage “A lawyer that represents himself has a fool as a client”) I would seem to have “runners knee” also known as Petallofemoral Syndrome. To be certain, I plan on having Dr. Stephanie Easterday-Bartuch look at it tomorrow afternoon.

In case you may be concerned, YES I will still be running the Chicago Marathon and YES I will finish it (even if I have to limp over the finish line). I have always believed that the Marathon (as an event) is a test of will as much as conditioning – I have always been most inspired by those people who have dragged themselves over the finish line even if it meant crawling

I have talked to a few friends and acquaintances early today about my experience last night and while supportive one thing I have heard repeatedly is “just shows you we’re getting older”. I want all of you to know that is not something I accept – I have patients that accept all sorts of joint pain when they are in their 30’s because they think they are getting older yet I have other patients in their 70’s and 80’s who want my help getting rid of their back or ankle pain because it’s getting in the way of doing what they like doing (they don’t accept pain and dysfunction and are determined to live and enjoy life). I can say that I almost gave up running after High School because of hip pain and a popping/snapping feeling in my hip when I ran. Later I learned that simply stretching my IT band fixed the problem.

Don’t let pain prevent you from staying active and reaching your goals – find out what’s causing the pain and fix it.

18 miles

Finally made the run last night – in the rain. I originally scheduled it for last Sunday but the weather forecast was a bit discouraging, 95 and humid, as a result I’d thought I’d err on the side of caution. As it turned out the temp was actually around 85 and I would have made the run except that I wasn’t prepared mentally.
The run itself started out well, except for the rain and the fact that the pullover I used wasn’t at all waterproof (oops). The first 6 miles went fairly well but after about 8 I was starting to drag a bit and after 10 my knees were hurting. I must admit that there were many times that I was challenged to cut the run short or just walk the remainder but I persevered by putting it down as a test of will (of course it helped that walking actually made my knees hurt more and I just wanted to get out of the rain and running was faster).I used a 4 minute run 1 minute walk interval and only lost ½ pound over the run due to good hydration.

Joe Callahan

Last week I lost a good friend, Joe Callahan. I first met Joe 2 years ago when a trainer friend sent him over to me because of some arm pain he was having. After that first meeting I got to know him better and talked and trained with him at Cardinal fitness many times over the past two years. I regularly scheduled my workouts (when I could) to coincide with the times he was in the gym – he was great to talk to and I always learned something new whenever I saw him. He had a way of getting the most out of you in the gym.

Joe trained a number of other guys at the gym and as a testament to his knowledge and coaching you can see him coaching Devon McCord at the APA meet this spring when Devon set a new Illinois state Deadlift record.


Joe was always an inspiration to me with his dedication to training and his approach to life.

Joseph J. Callahan
July 31, 1944 - July 30, 2007

Starting a Running Program

So far I'm currently on track with my milage for the marathon - I'm set to run 18 miles this Sunday (hope it stays cool that day).

For those of you who aren't currently running but would like to start I've put together a general outline on getting started as well as some links to helpfull sources on how to start running.

If you aren’t currently engaged in some form of exercise get yourself checked out to be certain that it is safe for you to exercise (see your family doctor or Chiropractor).

Get a good pair of running shoes, I posted a basic guide to choosing running shoes on July 2nd.

• If you have not run for a long time it is best to start out with walking.
  Start with a time you can walk without trouble, whether it is 5 or 30 minutes (if 30 minutes is easy then you’ll want to progress to adding in some actual running).
• Walk 5 days a week, if you are able to.
• When you add in running start with running about 1 minute followed by a 4 minute walk.
• Start easy and work your way up.

A few good programs for beginner runners are listed below

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/beginners.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-261--9397-0,00.html

http://www.trainingpeaks.com/hal/#HalHigdon

I personally find it motivating to have a goal for training, in the case of running a race. My goal is usually to beat or meet previous times or in the case of the marathon to actually complete the race.

If you are currently in good health a good goal is the Plainfield, Harvest 5k Run/Walk: http://www.plainfieldharvest5k.com/helix/index.php

New Personal Record

Prior to this year my personal best for distance running was 12.4 miles when I was in high school. Two weeks ago I beat that with a 14 mile run and this Sunday I was set for 16 miles. I made it – 16 miles – and I actually beat my time for 14 miles that I ran 2 weeks ago. Sunday was perfect weather for running and the run itself was very comfortable even though I had some knee pain the last 5-6 miles. Hydration was very good, my pre run weight was 164 and so was my post run weight (a first for me on a long run). I continue to use Gatorade on the long runs (I spike it with extra sodium and potassium to match Gatorade Endurance Formula – I can never seem to find it on sale).

Sunday morning and afternoon I was a bit worried due to feeling a little nauseous but I think now I was just worried over the run since my 14 miler 2 weeks ago was excessively hard. That Sunday (7/8) began very hot and I had to wait until about 7:30 at night for it to cool off a little so I could start my run. In addition to the heat I made one tactical mistake on Saturday (7/7) that led to that Sundays run being so difficult – I spent about 3 ½ hours digging and moving dirt in my backyard in the middle of the afternoon which used up a lot of energy and I also ended up with a sunburn (yes I did use sunscreen) which also sapped my body of a lot of energy. Even though I ran extra slow that Sunday it ended up being very difficult. I am happy to report that I made none of the mistakes that I made on my 14 miler and as a result felt great running 16 miles this weekend.

As my runs are getting longer it is becoming harder and harder to find courses that are long enough and safe to run on (we seem to have a lack of paths in Plainfield as well as lighted roads that are safe for running after dark). If anyone knows of any longer courses please email me at meehantp@netzero.net and I’ll post them on this Blog.

Choosing the right shoe

Choosing the proper shoe for you is important whether you are a seasoned runner or just starting out (if you are just starting a running program your first step should be choosing the right shoe for you).

Overuse injuries are the most common injuries for runners to suffer. A well fitted shoe will help you maintain alignment in you foot, ankle and leg and as a result will help you decrease your chance of injury to your feet, ankles, knees, hips and even your low back.

Your best bet for getting the correct shoe is to go to the Naperville Running Company (or similar store specializing in running shoes), they have knowledge of the shoes available, what features they have as well as being able to analyze what you need so they can match you with the right shoe. Before going out to get fitted for a pair of running shoes I suggest you read this article: http://www.vpshoes.com/bestrunningshoe.htm

If you aren’t able to get to a specialized running store you can use the link below as a starting point for selecting the right shoe. Be sure to try on many different shoes to ensure comfortable and well-fitted shoe.

http://runnersresource.com/articles/shoeselection.htm
Provides a list of shoes based on your arch and body size.

Below are some general tips on choosing the right shoe as well as caring for your shoes once you have them.

• Try on shoes near the end of the day or at least after a lot of walking or better after a run (your feet are larger at the end of the day due to you’re being on them awhile).
• Running shoes should feel good when you first wear them, they don’t need to be broken in.
• Wear your running shoes only for running; if you want to wear running shoes during the day buy a different pair to walk around in.
• Unlace your shoes to take them off; don’t kick them off with your other foot (damages the heel counter).
• Replace your shoes at least every 600 miles (or 6 months), if the soles of your shoes are starting to break down then you are well overdue for new shoes.
• Washing your shoes in the washing machine can break them down faster so don’t do it, same thing goes for drying them in the clothes dryer (let them air dry if they get wet).

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2005/0105/aspund.htm
Technical article on making a shoe prescription based on numerous factors. This article provides you with information to determine out what features you need in a shoe but doesn’t provide you with shoe names. Some of the links in this article are blind due to the age of the article.

New Shoes

I’m very satisfied with my training for the past week – I was able to get everything in plus a little more (started up training some boxing again). My Sunday run was a bit short, 5 miles instead of 6, but at a faster pace (about 10:40 miles). If anyone else is following Galloway’s training program you might be wondering why I didn’t run 14 miles this past weekend. Well, aggravating my foot a few weeks ago forced me to change the program for a few weeks and as a result I’ll be running 14 miles next weekend (soon to be my personal record).

Due to my foot (Morton’s Neuroma in right foot) I decided to go for it and get some better shoes. Before my Sunday run I headed over to downtown Naperville to the Naperville Running Company, the best store in this area for running shoes and attire. I knew I’d be paying a bit more for shoes but I also knew that they would be better shoes and more specific for my feet and my unique problems. The clerk who helped me asked about the kind of training I was doing as well as the problems I was having and how long I was having them. He then proceeded to look at my current shoes for wear patterns. From this information he picked out about 5 different shoes to have me try on and walk around the store to determine which fit best and gave the best support. All and all I was probably there for about 30 minutes but the shoes I left with felt considerably better with last nights run (even with the faster than usual pace).

I will post some helpful hints on choosing your own running shoes Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

Hydration

Staying hydrated

If you want your runs to be more enjoyable (easier) and perform at your best you will need to stay hydrated. A loss of just 5% of your body weight in sweat is enough to significantly decrease your performance (that works out to 7.5 lbs for a 150 pound person). Even a loss of 2% (4lbs for a 150 pound person) can result in a reduction in your performance, as well as placing greater stress on your heart. In addition, all of us remember the Gatorade advertisements stating that thirst is a poor guide for hydration

Maintaining hydration is especially important when engaging in long duration endurance exercise (greater than an hour) or even moderately long exercise (greater than half an hour) in hot weather.

The first step in staying hydrated during exercise is to stay hydrated during the rest of the day. As a minimum you should be drinking a half-gallon of water (or at least total fluid – not counting alcohol) over the course of the day. If needed, you can flavor water with sugar free drink mixes or mix juice half and half with water. Drinking flavored water has repeatedly been found to increase fluid intake (most of us can down a glass of juice or other beverage faster and with greater ease than the same volume of plain water). Chilling the water you drink also helps increase consumption, especially on hot days.

It is actually better to drink small amounts over the whole day instead of drinking all your water in just a few sittings – this is because too much water at once just results in more of it being lost in urination.

I make it a practice to keep 32oz refillable bottles of water in my refrigerator at home and the office. Anything larger than that becomes warm before I can drink the whole thing (some people I know use 16 or 8 oz bottles).

Hydration during the long runs:

Prior to your run

• When to eat – any meal should be eaten at least 2 hours before your long run, to soon before your run and you could end up with cramps or nausea or worse vomiting. What you eat is something you’ll have to experiment with, as a general rule eat something light and easy to digest. – you will want to experiment with what you can eat before your runs to find out what you can tolerate.


• About 2 hours before your run drink 17oz of water or sports drink.
  Weigh your self and record it!

During your run

• Aim for about 8 ounces every 20 minutes. You may need to adjust this depending on weight lost during previous runs as well as your opportunity to drink during your run (most of us don’t have access to drinks every 20 minutes). Personally I place 32ounce bottles every 2-3 miles along my course. I go back later to pick up the empty bottles (I try and go by the naturalist adage “Take only pictures and leave only footprints” – in this case meaning don’t leave your garbage behind).
  


• On runs longer than one hour you need to pay attention to electrolytes and carbohydrate.
  


• Sports drink guidelines:
  Max of 15g of carbohydrates per 8 ounces
  70mg Sodium per 8 ounces

After your run

• Weigh yourself and compare to pre run weight.


• If you have maintained hydration you should weigh the same, if you weigh less after a long run you didn’t drink enough to keep up with fluid loss. To replace fluid loss you will need to drink 23 ounces of water for each pound lost (eat some salty snacks with the water or consume a sports drink with sodium).

If you want more detailed information on hydration during exercise I encourage you to follow the links below:

American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Exercise and Fluid Replacement
http://www.acsm-msse.org/pt/pt-core/template-journal/msse/media/0196.htm

National Athletic Trainers Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for Athletes
http://www.nata.org/statements/position/fluidreplacement.pdf

Gatorade Sports Science Institute
http://www.gssiweb.com/

12 Miles

Made it through my 12 mile run. Kept it slow and ended up averaging 12:30 min/miles. I was quite happy that my foot held up through the whole run, only a little tingling in my toe but no actual pain. From now on I’ll be breaking my record for longest run (my longest run ever was 12.4 miles for a 20k race back in high school).

Training for the week was pretty much as I scheduled it, with the exception of Thursday and Friday. Thursday I worked out with some competitive Powerlifter’s I know – an hour and a half on Bench Press. I made it through the workout but knew I wouldn’t be running that day. Friday I ran for 30 minutes in the morning after a shorter Deadlift workout. By Friday afternoon I was really feeling the after effects of the Bench Press workout – extreme soreness in my left pec muscle. By Friday night I noticed that my left pec wasn’t only sore but it was swollen – so I began icing it about once an hour along with applying DMSO to the area. I was a bit worried that my pec soreness might interfere with my run on Sunday since any movement seemed to increase the pain. By Sunday afternoon the swelling was down a bit and the pain was less and it didn’t interfere with my run and the run seemed to actually help it.

A short note on hydration (I’ll post a more complete guide on Tuesday or Wednesday this week) – prior to my run I weighed myself, 167.5lbs. To prepare for this run I placed frozen bottles of Gatorade at strategic spots along the course. After my run I weighed myself again and I was down to 166.5lbs, despite having consumed close to a half gallon of Gatorade during my run (1/2 gallon = 4 lbs). You can see even with a relatively cool night fluid loses were pretty high. For every pound of weight lost from sweat you should consume about 23 ounces of water. I advise anyone performing long runs to always weight them self before and after to determine if you are in water deficit.

Foot pain

It’s been a few weeks since I last posted. Training has been progressing fairly well though I have encountered a few snags. My long runs have been great and I’ve progressed to a 4:1 (jog:walk) interval. The area that I’ve had some snags is my runs during the week – some I’ve missed and others have been over short.

Run for this past Sunday was supposed to be 12 miles but had to cut it short due to my Morton’s Neuroma in my right foot acting up. I have had this neuroma for about 8 years now, it’s only painful when it gets irritated and inflamed and then it can feel like I’m constantly stepping on a sharp rock. I had it treated last summer with injections aimed at killing that section of the nerve but found out in December that it had grown back, up until this Sunday I hadn’t had a trouble with it since it flared up in December. This Sunday morning I went to the pet store with my daughter to buy some pet food. While I was at the store I turned to reach for something with my foot planted on the ground and suddenly it felt like some one had stabbed me in my right foot. As soon as a got home I began icing my foot, and iced it 2 times before I went out for my run, scheduled to be 12 miles. I played it smart and only did a short run followed by more icing. As of today my foot feels about back to normal so we’ll see how it feels after tonight’s run. Now I only need to take care of it until the marathon.
For some basic information on Morton’s Neuroma: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_mortons_sma.htm

Since my last post I have switched to a low carb diet during the week (under 60g carbs/day), I do eat carbs on Sunday to help out with the demands of the long run. This has resulted in my losing 8 pounds. I have remained vigilant about my hydration and have continued to drink a minimum of half a gallon of water every day.

To prevent me from missing any training this week I’m posting my plan for the week:
Mon –
Kettlebells
3 sets of 10 swings followed by 10 sumo squats
1 min rest
3 sets of 5 Getup situps per side followed by 20 Russian twists 1 minute rest after each set
1 ladder of 1-3 reps clean and press followed by 5 high pulls to snatch on each side
20 minute walk

Tues – 30 minute jog

Wed –
Kettlebells
3 sets of 10 swings followed by 10 sumo squats
1 min rest
3 sets of 5 Getup situps per side followed by 20 Russian twists 1 minute rest after each set
2 ladder of 1-3 reps clean and press each ladder followed by 5 high pulls to snatch on each side (1 minute rest after each circuit)
20 minute walk

Thu – 30 minute jog

Fri –
Kettlebells
3 sets of 10 swings followed by 10 sumo squats
1 min rest
3 sets of 5 Getup situps per side followed by 20 Russian twists 1 minute rest after each set
3 ladders of 1-3 reps clean and press each ladder followed by 5 high pulls to snatch on each side (1 minute rest after each circuit)
20 minute walk

Sat – Rest

Sun – 12 mile run using 4:1 ratio

A very cold run

Last Sunday was an easy 3 miles so I don’t have much to report on that one (it was sort of a vacation from my long runs). This past Sunday was my 8 miler, now we’re talking real distance. I started out with my 3:30/1:00 jog/walk but had some trouble due to the weather. The distance and the run itself actually seemed fairly easy; it was the cold and wind that was difficult to deal with.

Before I went out Sunday I checked the weather and sunset time (the temperature has been dropping significantly here around sunset) to be sure I’d dress appropriately. Well, I miscalculated badly and suffered for it. I went out at 5:45 in shorts and a short sleeve shirt, after placing frozen water bottles at the 2, 4 and 6 mile marks. The run began well, even though I was a little cool I thought as soon as I got warmed up I’d be fine. At the 2 mile mark I was still cool with the sun behind a cloud and the wind picking up. By the time I made it home my fingers were very stiff from the cold and when I looked at the temp I saw it was 55 degrees (by far my most unpleasant run this year).

A good tip is to always have bring an extra cover up if you have any doubts about the weather (I didn’t and I paid for it).

Keep it slow when you go long

I made it through my 7 miler on Sunday in great shape (3:30/1:00 jog/walk ratio) and actually felt better than I did for my 5 miler 2 weeks ago. This time I actually followed Galloway’s advice to run slow – something that can be very hard for me to do. I am always tempted to get the long runs done quick, an hour pushing it seems easier than trudging it out for an hour and a half. In addition, I feel competitive when I run – whenever I see other people running ahead of me I want to “reel them in” and get past them. This time I fought these feelings and had a more enjoyable run and felt great today (compared to the heavy fatigue I felt on Monday two weeks ago).

Returning to the subject of hydration and electrolytes – I am continuing to research this issue to gain more complete understanding of it before I make recommendations. At this point I will say maintaining hydration on a daily basis is a must and the bare minimum for fluid intake is 64 ounces a day (half gallon). Personally, I accomplish this by filling a half gallon pitcher in the morning and placing it in the refrigerator. I make it a goal to finish half the pitcher by the time I finish lunch. In addition to this I also take 500mg magnesium in the morning and have substituted using table salt in cooking with using salt substitute (potassium chloride). My rational behind these steps is that magnesium deficiency is the most common mineral deficiency in the US and potassium is frequently deficient in endurance athletes. I hope this helps until I complete my review of the research literature.

Upcoming posts:

• How to start running
• Buying shoes
• Kettlebell training
• And – Hydration and electrolytes (of course)

Calf cramps

I’m a little late getting this posted – actually had it written yesterday but forgot to post it.

Training over this past week has gone extremely well, especially considering that my daughter had her tonsils taken out in the middle of the week (I have to thank my wife for letting me take the time to get my runs in). This next long run will be a real test for me (7-8 miles next Sunday).

I had the importance of hydration and electrolytes reinforced yesterday morning when I was woken up by a severe cramp in my calf. Muscle cramps are a common complaint with running, especially during warmer weather, and can even occur while you are running. To avoid this very painful problem you need to maintain hydration and electrolyte balance.

I’ll post the recommended electrolyte and fluid replacement levels by the end of this week.

Registration now closed for Chicago Marathon

All the spots are now taken for the Chicago Marathon – at the beginning of last week there were 4,000 left and by the end of the week 0.

Made it through my 5 miler last night feeling good (used a 3:30 to 1:00 run walk interval). It looks like it might actually stay warm from now on which should mean no more long runs on the treadmill. A little note on running gear – on my 4 mile run I made the error of wearing regular running shorts and had my first experience of extreme chaffing on my thighs. As a result of that experience I advise anyone doing longer runs, especially in the warmer weather, to wear lycra shorts or running tights since they cut down on the friction and can save you lost training time.

Since it is getting warmer out (finally) we all need to pay attention to hydration and sun exposure and I’ll be posting information on these areas in upcoming weeks.

Training starts for real

I began this month by starting over at week one of training, since I began a month early. Even though I’ve been determined to not miss a day I was forced to miss the 4th through the 7th due to a low back strain. Since then I’ve been very diligent about my training even though much of it has been on the treadmill. This Sunday I’ll be back to long runs, another 5-6 miles, so I really hope that it’ll be warm out (that’s just to long to be running on a treadmill).

From now on I will be posting every Sunday or Monday night.

Start of real distance

This past Sunday was my first true long run 5.5 miles (I don’t consider anything under 4 miles to be truly long). I made it through using a 3:30 run 1:00 walk ratio (thanks to my new Gymboss timer). The run went great, especially since the weather was perfect, 78° with a cooling wind. Monday was tougher than I expected – I was very fatigued from Sunday’s run (I think my pace may have been a bit to fast) but the rest of this weeks runs have been fine.

Next Sunday’s run is short, 3 miles, but paced to correspond to marathon pace. After Sunday I’ll repeat these first 4 weeks since I started training a month early.

Training is right on track with the exception of my long run over the weekend – I missed it due to having class all weekend (something I forgot about until the last minute).

Cross training has consisted of “Kettlebell” workouts that prove to be short but intense, 15 to 25 minutes followed by a 10 to 20 minute jog..

If you ever plan to follow Galloway’s run/walk training for long runs I found a great timer that clips onto your shorts (or sweats) and can be set for recurring countdown followed by another period, that all keeps repeating. It’s called the “Gymboss timer” and can be found at http://www.gymboss.com/ for only $19.95. I plan on using it for my long runs as soon as it arrives (for a 4 minute run / 1 minute walk interval).

Running went great in Florida as you can see from the picture; I definitely miss the weather now that I’m back home. I’m continuing to train primarily on the treadmill due to the wind and cold but I’m hoping that this weekend will be warm enough for my 5-6 run (that’s to long and tedious to do on a treadmill).

On my first day of official training I decided to do my 40 minute walk outside. Today didn’t look windy and the temp was just below 40 so I thought I’d be okay. Well, I am okay but it was far from a comfortable experience – the wind was pretty constant which sucked the heat out of my face. The only comfortable moments were when I was walking backwards.

I advise anyone who wants to run outside in this area in cold weather to wear some kind of face mask or do what I’m going to do – run on the treadmill until it warms up enough.

For the second half of this week I get to escape the cold here in Plainfield and do my running in Florida.

Since this is the start of my official training for the marathon I decided to indulge the scientist side of me and make some measurements and see if anything changes by race time. Here they are: bodyweight 172lbs, body fat 17%.

I registered for the Chicago Marathon in the first week that open registration, I learned from last year that spots fill up fast.

Next weekend I'll be starting my training for the Chicago Marathon, a bit apprehensive but this is something I've had as a goal for a long time.

I'll be using Jeff Galloway's plan for training this year: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/marathon.html
I trained last year using Higdon's program http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm but by the end of August (week 7 of the program) I wasn't able to get a bib for the race so I dropped my training at 12 miles for the long run.