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).