Tag Archive | Training

Glycogen. What Is It and Why Do I Need it?

Jul9

Well your guess is as good as mine and if you thought I had the answer, you’ve come to the wrong blog:)

I’ve been running now for about 3 years, yet sometimes I still feel like such a newbie.    I have been running, but I have really only started learning in the last year.  I realize that I’m so much a newbie.  When I started running, I thought the whole point was just about getting faster and running further which technically it still is.   That is only a small part of the equation though.   Also there is only so fast and far that my short legs will be able to go.    There is also soooooo much more to this running thing than speed and distance.

Per my coach, I’ve been doing some of my runs without fuel (ie -gels and such).   She has said, “The aim with ‘no fuel runs’ is to maintain an aerobic pace in the zone where you are relying more on fat and sparing glycogen.”  I’m not even sure that I total understand this sentence.  I will say that science is not my forte and this is one of the reasons that I’ve never really dived into this area of my training.   To me it all sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher and looks like this

glcyogenNow my very proficient soon to be 10th grader who takes advanced science might be able to decipher this picture. I’m actually going to ask him later.  Me not so much.    I can also be a great avoided of things that I don’t like and this has been one of the many reasons that I may have been burying my head in the sand when it comes to this aspect of my training.   With most things in life, it is time to put my big girl panties on and face it.   No, I may never fully understand how this all works; but I do need to get a handle on it.

I’m always telling my kids that education is the key to their success.   It might be time for me to take my own advice.    By learning how to master this aspect of my training, I might have a better understanding of what my body needs and when.   Then just maybe if someone hands me a rose at the end of my next marathon it won’t feel like they are handing me a 25 pound weight.  (So whose bring the roses this time?)

Yup, there is more to this running thing than just running.

Who knew?

I guess school isn’t out for summer:)

Do you understand how this all works?

A Little Help From My Friends!

Jul7

I had a great run yesterday.   It wasn’t because I was fast because I wasn’t.   It wasn’t because it was easy because it wasn’t.  It was great because I had the support of my fellow Mama friends to gt me through it!

Yesterday I needed to do 12 miles.   I didn’t feel like doing it.   I couldn’t do it in the morning since I knew that I wouldn’t have enough time to get it done while my youngest was at his summer program.    I didn’t want to do it during the day, so that left the evening.   Unfortunately, I couldn’t get out the door till around 7:00.   I literally was running down the street as my husband was getting home.   Hey, dinner was on the table!   What more can a man ask for?

Anyway, I thought that I would be fine to be back before it got too dark.   I thought I went out prepared.   I wore my pink reflective vest, socks, and wrist bands.   I even work a small light on my visor.    Then about 5 miles into it, I am beginning to realize that I made a slight miscalculation on the sunset.   I ask Siri what time the Sun will set and find out that I miscalculated by more than a half an hour.   At this point, I am literally miles from home.   I didn’t want to have to call my hubby to pick me up and I wanted to get my run all the way in considering this was my first real week of marathon training.   Don’t want to get off on the wrong foot.   It’s not dark yet, but I know it’s coming.    What’s a Mama to do?

Call for reinforcements!!

BAMR Friends!

Friends

My long running routes, I usually loop to a local park.   A park with facilities and water fountains that I use to refill my bottles with.    As I was getting closer to thus particular park, I messaged the queen of night time blinky running, Janna.   As a plus, she is also only a 5 minute drive from the park.   Unfortunately, she was in the midst of a piano lessons but informed me that Dawn was at the park.    She told me that if Dawn didn’t have any blink on her that she would sent some back with her.   As I was running in the park, I started to call Dawn but then saw her across the parking lot!    Once I caught up with her, she informed me that unfortunately she did not have any blinky on her but would happily bring me back some after picking her daughter up at Janna’s!    So while waiting for Dawn to come back, I ran a half a loop around the park with another BAMR from my MRTT group that Dawn had been running with.    Then Dawn came back.   Suited me up so that I could safely make it home and off I went.

I finished the run, but did get slower as the miles went by.   More so because I wanted to be safe and visibility wasn’t that wonderful.    My headlamp may be good for camping, but it is not a running headlamp.   I did change my return route up a bit to stay on streets that I knew had some lighting.    By the time I got home it was dark, but i got in my 12 and that is really my goal.

To top it off my pace was off the whole run too.   I should have been running at a 10:45- 10:55 pace, but ended up running an average of 11:09.   Part of that is because I didn’t double check my pace before I left and really thought that I was supposed to be running an 11+ pace as I have been.   My bad.   Although, I don’t know that I had a faster pace in me anyway.   I guess I will see next time!

After coming home, getting a protein smoothy, stretching, showering, and eating; I went online and bought some more blinky’s to be better prepared next time.   I already had some, but I realize that what I have is more for dusk time running not it’s dark running.    The goal of all my runs is to come home safely and if I have to light up the night with my runs to do so, I will:)

Do you run at night?

What is your favorite night time running accessory?

Ruh Roh!

Jun30

ScoobyDooRuhRoh

I knew it was coming.

Sort of.

I was preparing for it.

Sort of.

But now the gauntlet has been thrown down by my running coach.    It’s Marathon Training Time.

Ruh Roh!

These last few weeks that I’ve been working with Caolan, the long running coach, have been preparing both of us for this.   Her getting to know my abilities.   Me getting to know her expectations and training ways.   It’s been working well.   Now it’s time to get serious.

Ruh Roh!

She sent me my training plan for the next two weeks with the miles building up which I was expecting.   We’ve talked about her thoughts on milage and I do know as we get further into training, the miles will build to about 40 a week.

Ruh Roh!

One of the things that I do like though is that she doesn’t think the dreaded 20 miler runs are necessarily warranted.   It’s really a case by case basis.   Some need it to mentally prepare to run a marathon, but since I’ve run one before I don’t need that mental aspect of it.    That is good, because I don’t think I could follow a plan that had 2 or 3 twenty mile runs in them.   This is not to say I will not have LONG runs, but they will be set on time.   Plus it might be multiple days of decent miles.   She feels it’s less wear and tear on the body and I will not argue with that thought process.   I like it.   Plus, we are working on getting my Plantar Fascitiis under control.   Per her suggestion, I’ve been heating instead of icing and it seems to be helping.

One thing that scared me in her last email though is the fact that she came to the conclusion on my last couple of runs that “those indicate that you can probably run faster .” 

  Damn.   Damn. Damn.

So now not only is she upping the miles, she is giving them a faster pace.   Not all as she still wants my recovery runs to be very slow, but other runs are going to speed up.

Ruh Roh!

I believe Mary said something to the effect of this on our way home from the Queens 10K,  “so your upset that your coach is making you do the things your paying her to do.”

Well yes and no.

Yes because it’s easy not to worry about where you finish when you are convinced your slower than you might actually be.   To actually try to go faster will be both a mental and physical challenge.    (You get what I’m talking about, don’t you Dawn:)

No because without her help I don’t think I would get to where hopefully I’m going to end up….

The finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon:)

Have you started your training yet?

What are you training for?

Friday Five – 5 Reasons to have a Running Coach

May29

Friday Five Link-up with by Eat, Pray, Run DC,   Mar on the Run, and You Signed Up for What?

Today’s Theme is a Free Friday.

I went with 5 Things I Like about Having a Running Coach.

For those that have been here, you might remember that I recently started with a Running Coach.    Yes, I still feel funny saying it and somehow I even felt a little bit of a fraud like who am I to have a Running Coach.   Then I remind myself that I’m me and that not only can I have one, but so can anyone.   She is my running personal trainer and I deserve one.

Running1

1.   I no longer need to spend countless hours trolling to find the right plan to follow and then let wondering if it is the right one for me.   Caolan sends me a plan customized for me and my goals.   It is not a one stop shopping plan.  It’s a what does Christine need to do plan.

2.   I am learning.   Yes, I’ve read books, blogs, and talked to other runners before but somehow this is different.   Since I’ve been working with her I feel like I have learned so much.   If there is something in my plan that I don’t understand why she wants me to do it a certain way all I have to do is ask.    She then explains her reasoning, what she is looking for me to get out of it, and why she thinks its an important part of my training.

Case in point – Monday’s are the days that I normally do my long runs.   On the schedule for next week, she wants me to do my 9 miles with no fuel making sure to have my recovery drink ASAP when done.   This seemed strange to me, so I asked.   She then explained that ” Doing long runs at an aerobic pace without fuel forces your body to rely on fat for fuel rather than (limited) glycogen. This only works at an aerobic pace where you can actually rely on fat. At faster paces we must use glycogen (which is why races and tempos must be with fuel).”   She also suggested it is good for mental training and some other stuff.  Her explanation made sense to me and maybe it’s a good thing to try to tap into my fat as I do have some to spare:)

**edited to add that she further explained this is not done for weight loss but that it does encourage fat metabolism which most of us can tap into.

3.   I don’t have to think anymore about “What I should do today?”   I already know.   It’s actually helps me plan out my week and is a real time saver too:)

4.   It’s keeping me on target while training smarter not harder.    The first thing she had me do is slow down my everyday aerobic runs as I was running them close to a minute too fast.   I used to do most of my runs at a 10:20 pace or faster.    She has slowed me down to at least as she calls it a 11+ and many and 11++.    My post half recovery run was done at an 11+++ which was lovely.   So now most of my runs are at and 11:20 pace.    You wouldn’t think a minute makes that much of a difference, but it does.

  semperfi_logo

5.  It is giving me confidence as I gear up to start my MCM training that I will be able to meet my goal.   Caolan knows my goal is to finish MCM strong.   I’m not going in this to be fast and in our conversations we are thinking possibly a 4:30ish time or that’s what she thinks.   That is 15 minutes faster than Philly, but I must remind myself that I jumped into Philly last minute without a lot of “real” marathon training.  I will trust her and the process and see where it takes me.    More important to me though is to run the whole race unless a planned walk is built into it.   I walked at the end of Philly (unplanned) and for some reason it bugs me.   I know that MCM ends on a hill or there is a hill very close to the end.   I want to go into this with the confidence that when I get there I will still be running.

Have you ever had a Running Coach?

Lastly,

I wrote about this is my Blog Post Dreaming The Dream Until I can’t Dream It Anymore.   I’m not your typical runner.   I don’t have the runner’s body (what ever that is).   I wasn’t athletic ever, but I’ve become a runner along the way.  I have a passion for it.   I have a need for it.   I love to share it.   So I think to myself, why couldn’t I win to be on the cover of Runner’s World.   Wouldn’t it be cool if just your average running mom made the cover?    So, please vote for me here.

Word of the Week – Pace

May13

tortoise

pace

noun

  1. Pace is the rate of speed or a single step taken when walking.
    1. An example of pace is when change comes slowly.
    2. An example of pace is one step taken.

verb

  1. To pace is defined as to repeatedly walk the same path over and over or to regulate the progress of something.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my pace recently.   Probably because if you remember, I’ve recently had to slow it down.   Not really by my choice and not really because I’m Speedy Gonzales.   It’s just something I was told to do by running coach.  I’m getting better at it and I’ve been spending a chunk of my runs making sure to stay on pace.  I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’ve seen some improvement in just the few runs I’ve done already.

Runner’s spend A LOT of time thinking, talking, and trying to improve our pace.    That being said, very rarely do we try to master our pace (or maybe it’s just me) and usually never spend time trying to slow it down.    It’s always about going faster, faster, faster.   Now it’s about putting on the breaks a bit.   Strange.

Often when talking to another runner and sometimes even a non runner, the question of our pace usually comes up.   What’s your normal pace?   Do you want to run your pace or mine?  I think all our focus on improving our pace sometimes makes us forget that faster isn’t always better.    Also faster is all relative.   What is lightening fast to me, would be a snails pace to a front of the Pack runner.  And what is slow to me is fast to another runner.   We need to remember the story of the Tortoise and the hare to remind ourselves that it’s ok not to run fast all the time.

I’m learning to embrace my inner tortoise.   We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare.   We all know that sometimes taking your time is the best way to get to the finish line.   Yet, we all want to be the hare.     We forget that the hare lost the race and that sometimes slow and steady is all that is needed to win the race.
On my now slower runs, I’ve really been thinking about my pace.   I’ve realized that in order to be able to do the things that I want to do with my running that some days I will need to be the tortoise.   I need to do that so that on the days that I will be the hare, I am prepared.   I need to learn to control my pace, so that when I do finally get to the Marine Corps Marathon I will not have negative reverse splits like in Philly.    Although, I kept a steady and decent pace my time per mile kept creeping up and not down.   Case in point, my first mile was 10:06 and my last was 11:16.   I even had a 12:30 at mile 22.    I would like to get control of my pace, so that when I start in DC, I will be the one able to hold it back in the beginning and have the energy to push it at the end.
One of the things that I had an Aha moment about was that I need to control my pace and not let m pace control me.   It is also a good idea to have in your running arsenal.    There will be days, runs, hills, and everything in between that will benefit.   Maybe, just maybe if I get a handle on it, I will be able to see the right kind of splits in DC.   Luckily, I’ve got months to work on it!
Do you control your pace or does your pace control you?

Check Your Form

May5

I’m going into day 4 of my training.   I have to say it’s been nice not have to think about what I will be doing.  I am excitedly (nervously) waiting for this weeks schedule to arrive.    The only thing that I do know is that I will be running every other day or at least that’s what I’ve done the last 4 days.  I do believe that this will continue as I work on recovory with my foot.

Today is swimming which I haven’t done since last summer.   Oh my, how did that happen?   I was supposed to swim all year long while the boys were in school.   I guess it is true that time has a way of getting away from you.

I will say that I did start to embrace the 11+ miles on my 6 mile run yesterday especially because I went mid morning when it was starting to get hot.   I also thought about how when I ran Philly, I basically ran the entire marathon at a 10:20 pace.   My normal pace.   I need to be able to regulate my pace.   Let me control the pace and not the pace control me.   Now just because I had this Epiphany does not mean that it was easy to keep the 11+ place, but I did it.   I hit my target and I’m not sure if it was the heat, the extra miles, or the route; but I did feel less choppy than I did the first day.   I still had to keep track of my pace, but I didn’t feel so jerky.  I even hit my target pace all 6 miles.

11:36, 11:19, 11:27, 11:34, 11:25, 11:25

I’m happy:)

One of the other things that I was thinking about while I was running was my form.    This gave me something to think about as I’ve never really given it much thought other than to make sure I had good posture.  Well according to Meb from Meb for Mortals there is so much more to think about.

Things like:

Landing position – feet should land under body and need to be careful of overstrides

Core and Back – core should be engaged

Arms – should swing in direction moving, not back and forth (to me this sounds the same, but it’s not).

Shoulders – (this is the only one I was already doing) low and level

Head – Meb says to pretend you have an egg on your head to stay in proper posture

When all of these things come together it is a beautiful thing!

meb

This picture explains why Meb is an elite athlete.  He readily admits that he does form drills EVERY day.   He also knows that the average runner (hello, me) will not do form drills every day, but does suggest to build them into your weekly routine.  His job is to run and run well.   His job is to train.   For most of us, we barely have time to get done what we need to get done.   Although, it really isn’t such a bad idea to pay attention to our form.   Not for speed, but as an injury prevention measure.

I also think that if I work on my landing just maybe this will help with my feet issues. I have a feeling that maybe I have been overriding.   I also hope that my inserts are the magic that I need to take away all that ails my feet.  Bad form can lead to bad things.

Don’t let this be you

as I know it’s me

running

Who knew that there was so much to think about?

How’s your form?

How Slow Can You Go?

May2

slow down

Ok, I’m ready to start working with my new coach.   I just got my first training plan and it’s time to get moving.   It’s only for 4 days as I will normally get my weekly plan on Tuesday’s.    It seems like when I get my new plans, I will then email her back with my weekly completed training plans with some notes.   She needs to know what I completed, how I felt, paces, and such.  Seems pretty reasonable and I am excited to get started.  I guess it’s a good thing that I bought the training journal to keep track of things too!

One thing that struck me though is that FOR NOW she wants me to slow down my training runs.   The next two runs are scheduled to be run at 11+.    What?   How can that be?    I think my average run lately is in the low 10’s or better.   To slow down is going to be hard.  It goes against the grain.   When I first started running, I was running an eleven minute mile.   Now to intentionally run this “slow” is just going to seem weird and it is actually going to be hard to do.   I will do it, but it won’t be without a lot of looking at my Garmin for help.   I know that I am going to have to pay close attention to my time and not just go with the flow.  Caolan has assured me that there is a method to her madness and to trust her.    As I said before, she knows what she is doing.   So I will trust her knowledge that I need to run at these slower paces more than my desire not to.

The one line in the email that really stood out to me was when she said,

“Most of us run too fast too often and not fast enough ever.“

She is so right and I will listen to her.

So I will check my ego at the door and run the pace or as close to the pace as she tells me to run.

The real challenge will be being brave enough to get in my swim suit tomorrow for a swim!

Wish me luck!

Have you ever slowed down to speed up?

Turning Goals into Accomplishements

Apr30

I said yesterday, I’ve got Plans.   Well, I really don’t have solid plans as much as I have direction that I’m moving towards that will develop my somewhat rock solid plans.   That’s something though:)

First Step

towel

I finalized working with a running coach and even paid for the first three months.   Now I feel funny saying that I am working with a Running Coach as it just doesn’t sound right to my ears.   Me, working with a Running Coach.  Ha.   I was introduced to her by my running cohort Dawn.    We all rode down to the Philly Marathon together.   I thought that Caolan was amazing just based on her personal record.   We became Facebook friends after Philly and she added me to one of her Facebook groups that she moderates.   Then after I got into the Marine Corps Marathon while still running all my 9+1 races, I started thinking about how can I put this all together.   This is where Caolan comes in.

I’ve purchased online training plans before.   So why not work with an online coach?   I’ve filled out all the initial forms, we’ve emailed about what I’m looking for and what my goals are, and we’ve even connected through my Garmin Connect account.    She is in the process of putting a plan together for me.   That is both exciting and scary.    Now before you think, “OH MY GOD, THAT MUST BE SO EXPENSIVE!”    Let me just say it really is not.    Working with Caolan will be cheaper than what I spent on Crossfit each month.    That being said, I still will need access to the YMCA for cross training as we both agree I need to swim as a great cross training exercise.  Luckily we have a family membership.

Next step

training

I bought myself a handy dandy Training Journal.   Yes, I have online training logs, but I really am old school.    I still buy monthly planners at Staples for the year.   I just need to write it down in my own hand.    There are lots of types of Training Journals out there.   I bought the Runner’s World one.   I just like the way it is set up.   I will start using it once I start working with Caolan.

Step Three

Hokas

New shoes and orthotics.   I don’t have my orthotics yet, but I did get new shoes.  They are lovely and I will do a review of them next week:)

Finally

Breathe and know it will all come together just the way it is meant to.

You can set all the goals you want to but if you do not create a course of action, you will never reach them.   You have to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

So I’m walking the walk now.

Living and Learning

Apr24

Living and learning go hand in hand.   Opinions evolve as does your experiences grow.   When I first started running, I knew of a couple of people that had running coaches.   I thought to myself….. What a waste.    I know.  I know.   I’ve evolved now.   I understand that there is more to running than putting on running shoes.   I also understand that you don’t need to be an elite runner to have a coach anymore than you need to be a professional bodybuilder to have a personal trainer.   I didn’t think of it that way.    I apologize to my hopefully new running coach.

I get it now.

No, I do not have to be an elite athlete.

No, I do not need to plan to “win” any races.

(Although, lets be honest for us mere mortals showing up at the starting line is a win).

No, I do not need to think that I am suddenly a top of the packer.

worth it

What I am though is someone who wants to improve.

I am someone who is smart enough to know that there is a whole Hell of a lot of things that I don’t know.

I am someone who has a full race schedule coming up that found a little overwhelming.

I am someone who is striving to do better than I did yesterday.

That is all.

No more.

No less.

My epiphany came when I realized that a cookie cutter plan would not work for me.   I have had personal trainers in the past at the gym.   No one though twice about that.   This is no different.   Instead of teaching me routines to use at the gym though, she will help me get the most out of each run.

I will say that after our initial chat today that I am frightened especially when she said she will build my running up to 40 miles a week.   WHAT!?!     She, as most coaches, takes this seriously which I should hope so since this is her job.   She knows what she’s talking about too having just completed her 3rd Boston Marathon and now a week later getting ready to run Big Sur Marathon.    I hope I am up for the challenge.

It will be nice for change not to have to figure out if I am following the right plan as she will create a plan just for me:)    It will be nice just to focus on the task at hand.

If all goes well we will start in the beginning of May which is only a week away.   She seems to think that with my past results it might be possible for me to get a 4:30 at the Marine Corps Marathon, but that seems out of my league right now.   I guess that’s why we are starting the training now.

Wish me luck.

Have you ever had a Running Coach?

Word of the Week – Training

Apr1

I haven’t done this in a few weeks and I thought I would come back to it for today.

Today’s Word of the Week is

training

(ˈtreɪnɪŋ) n

1.  a. the process of bringing a person, etc, to an agreed standard of proficiency, etc, by practice and instruction: training for the priesthood; physical training.

b. (as modifier): training college.
2. in training

a. undergoing physical training
b. physically fit
3. out of training physically unfit
Sadly it is so easy from going to Training to Out of Training and much harder to go back to Training.   Right now I’m in between the two.    I am training for My Birthday Half Marathon (that’s what the Moore Half is “officially” called now), but I’m also a little Out of Training.   I have my plan, but I am not following it to the letter T.   I’ve still got some tenderness in my ankle which I finally made an appointment to see a Podiatrist for and I’ve got some foot discomfort.   I think the later is from needing a new pair of shoes.   I realized after talking to a friend that I’ve had these shoes since before the Hat Trick.  I then trianed and ran the Philly Marathon in them and have been running in them since.    It’s time for new shoes.   That being said, I am going to wait till I see the Podiatrist to see if she recommends a certain type of shoe.
Love a good reason to buy new shoes!
Back to Training…
When you have what seems like race after race after race, I will admit that training isn’t so much about training in as much about retention.   Now there is training involved when it comes to my goals of reaching a certain time, but many of these races are really not to push the boundaries as to reach the end goal of my 9 plus 1.    I still hope to meet my goal of a 2;00 hour half marathon, but I will need to train for that and train hard.
A friend who ran the NYCM last year and is doing the 9 plus 1 and I were talking.   She was saying how she can’t wait till she is done training, because it’s getting old.   It’s getting tiring of doing the same thing and to be honest she is thinking she wants to try new things.   Can’t blame her.   I sometimes feel the same way.   I’ve said more than once that after this year, I will not run as many races next year and only run the NYC Half and the NYCM.   Then I will be free to run or do other events that I want.   I’m not sure if that will be the case as I always end up pushing some boundary somewhere.   Who knows.
All I know is that sometimes, I do have to push myself out the door.   Sometimes I don’t.  Today was one of them.  I was going to run 3 miles after the dog trainer came today.   Yes, I need a dog trainer.   Finn doesn’t but I do.   Anyway after she left, I layed down on the couch thinking I would only rest a few minutes.   I was tired after staying up late the last couple nights catching up on things and getting up early or in the night with Finn.   So instead of running my 3 miles today, I ended up taking a LONG nap.   You know what?   That’s ok.    Training is good, but pushing you body to the limits without giving it down time is not good.
My baby even napped next to me:)
Finn15
Know your limits.
Know when to push them.
Know when to back away.
and
Know when to Run:)