Training Log - March 31

Finally, the last day of March! Somehow, I always expect a big change on April 1. Tonight we are supposed to get snow. :-(

I went for a 5k on the treadmill and then did some weight training. While it was near freezing, it was damp and blowing pretty hard out in front of the snow that's coming, so I elected to run and watch a baseball game on the tube. The fans were in shirt sleeves at Dodger Stadium.

Wimps.

Training Log - March 29

Ran 6.2 miles today up the Scenic Hwy. The temp was about freezing, so it really wasn't bad weather for running. It was one of the those runs that I didn't want to stop. I felt I could do another 6. I probably could...but then walking tomorrow would be an issue.

Goals for April

This month I've got four goals (in addition to finishing the taxes):

• My long runs will increase from 6.2 to 9 miles. My 10% rule which adds so little in the beginning starts to add up pretty quickly now.
• My weekly mileage will increase from 20 to about 24.
• After all of the articles I've read about avoiding injury, I've been shamed into adding some weight training into my routine. We'll try twice a week. I guess its supposed to be good for you.
• Run a 10k race on April 12. This will be the first race of the year. I'll be happy with any time under an hour. Last year I ran one in 56 minutes, but that was in August when my mileage was higher.

Training Log - March 28

Another cold morning...10 above. I cannot wait for spring! I headed out and did a quick 5k. I saw three deer cross the road ahead of me. My wife said she saw some deer out on the lake shortly after I started, so may be they were the same deer. My run felt good, but cold. This week will be my first 20 mile week of the year, and I feel great.

What I Miss Most as a Middle-Age Runner

Over the last several years I've gotten serious about my running again. Last summer I trained enough to comfortably run a 1/2 marathon. This year I'm training for a full marathon in October.

As I was running this week I was thinking about the things that have changed since my last marathon (in 1989).

• I've changed careers. I was in the insurance business when I last ran a marathon. Now I'm a pastor. It's a change I'm glad I made.
• I've got two great kids. One's a junior in high school and the other a seventh grader. They are both jocks...more so than I ever was at their age. They'd probably join me in my long runs if they hadn't heard that long runs can hurt your vertical jump. Basketball is their game at this time in their lives.
• I've moved to the woods of northern Minnesota. It's fifteen miles to the nearest four-way stop sign. I don't worry about traffic when I run here. Bears and wolves, yes. I've seen a bear and plenty of wolf tracks on my runs. It adds a sense of adventure to the run. Kip Lagat, a Kenyan marathoner, explained why his country produces so many great marathoners with these words: "It's the road signs: Beware of Lions."
• On the other hand, I miss some of my old running routes in the Highland Park/Lake Forest area of Chicago. The traffic wasn't bad and the mansions were pretty cool. There were parks with drinking fountains and other runners to wave to.

If there is one thing I really miss about those years its my running partner. My wife and I were training for the Twin Cities Marathon in 1989. On our last long run something happened going up a little hill and she hurt her knee. She hasn't been able to run much since. She still cheers me on in my running endeavors, but I miss her companionship on those long tiring runs.

My wife is great. We all know what it is like to listen to someone go on and on about something that we love but can no longer do, but she listens willingly and prods me a little when I need a little motivation to get out the door.

Just like she used to.

I wouldn't trade her for the world.

It Starts at the Bottom - Reprise

I was going to write an article about some of the things I do to avoid injuries until I talked to a runner last night who was struggling with exactly the same problem I faced when I began running after a long hiatus...cramping feet. She was frustrated and didn't know what to do about it. I'm sure she was wondering how she would ever train for the 1/2 marathon she had planned to run this summer.

I had previously written an article about the problem, so I thought I would share it with the Take and Run Crowd. Here it is:

Saturday, February 2, 2008

It Starts at the Bottom
I've started running again after a break of several years. Okay, this dad quit running when his kids needed to be chased and then didn't start again until he had gained a few too many pounds. So my break from serious running was over ten years. Closer to fifteen. Long enough to have become middle-aged.

I've learned some things about running as a forty-something. When I started running again, of course I noticed how out of shape I had become. In my striving to get back into shape I ran into a problem I never had experienced before. I'd run about two miles and the top of my right foot would start to cramp. It was a weird feeling. In a way, it almost felt like my socks had bunched up under my toes. The top of my foot hurt and it would radiate up my shin. Sometimes I would be able to run through it, but it often brought me down to a walk.

I've been wearing orthotics since I marathoned in my twenties. I had never changed orthotics because my feet were always comfortable. Since it had been so many years, I figured maybe they were worn out and that a trip to the podiatrist was in order. He immediately fit me for a new pair of orthotics. When they finally arrived I slipped them in my shoes and took off running.

They felt great!

Until about two miles out when my foot cramped.

I searched the internet looking for a solution, but nothing made sense. I didn't have plantar fascitis, shin splints, or ITB syndrome. Whatever it was, it was painful while I was running, but then I would feel fine within minutes of stopping.

Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place: I went to a running store. For me, that's a 90 mile trip to Duluth. I explained that I wore orthotics for over-pronation and wore a 10 or 10 1/2 shoe depending on the brand. I then told them about my problem with foot cramps.

The owner sat me down, took off my shoes, measured my feet and asked me, "Who told you that you wore a 10 or 10 1/2? You're at least an 11! If your shoes are too small, your feet will cramp!"

Who told me I wore I size 10 or 10 1/2? A running store clerk 20 years ago. I never new that as you get older your feet get wider and perhaps longer! I walked out of the store with a new pair of shoes, laced them up and have run for miles since.

It was one of the first lessons I learned being a middle-aged runner. There were many more to come.



I related the story to the gal and she got a funny look on her face. She told me that she had purchased her last pair of running shoes from a "regular" shoe store (remember a running store is 90 miles away). "I've always worn a 9 or 9 1/2, but they measured my feet and told me that I should wear an 8 1/2!"

I told her to take the drive to the running store (Austin Jarrow) in Duluth and they would set her up right.

It's a simple thing, really: "If our feet aren't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Training Log - March 27

It was in the single digits this morning and I simply didn't have the gumption to bundle up and head outside. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill instead. It looks like the cold is going to last another day and then it will warm up a little for the weekend, which is good because I'm planning to get a 10k training run in on Saturday.

Training Log - March 25

It was snowing like crazy this morning, so I did a 5k on the treadmill. This winter seems to be lasting forever.

Training Log - March 24

I ran after work today. I decided to run my 4 mile run today rather than tomorrow because we are supposed to get some snow tonight. As it was, the wind was blowing out of the south at about 20 mph and the temp was about 33. It made for a long four miles. Tomorrow will probably be back on the treadmill.

Training Log - March 22

This morning I ran 5.7 miles up the Scenic Highway and it felt good. If I wasn't so concerned about overtraining injuries I would have gone farther. I keep reminding myself that the goal is a marathon...in October.

Training Log - March 21

Ran a 5k outside. Sometimes this is a strange place. During this run, at 4:30 in the afternoon I saw as many cars as deer: 3. I was running on the busiest road near my house.

Training Log - March 20

Well, I'm not sure what happend on Tuesday, but the day got too busy and I simply didn't get me run in. Then on Wednesday I was going to run but the top of my right foot hurt. I have no idea why. It seemed to be a muscle or tendon thing. I don't remember doing anything in particular to set it off, but it really hurt.

I woke up this morning and it still hurt a little.

I decided to go running anyway and it loosened up during my three mile run.

Hopefully, this foot thing is just a fluke that won't affect anything long term. I've got a 5.7 mile run coming up on Saturday.

Training Log - March 17

It was snowing all day today, so it was another treadmill 5k. I kept increasing the speed because I felt good...and I wanted to get it over with.

Training Log - March 15

It was about 20 this morning. I went for a run down the Scenic Highway rather than up the Scenic. The route took me a good part of the way down Lawrence Lake. I haven't run that way before. It was good to have a little variety. There were several trucks out on the lake doing some fishing. I guess the ice is still almost 3 feet thick.

My run was 5.2 miles. It felt good. In fact, I feel like I could go farther. I guess that's a good thing.

Training Log - March 14

It was snowing a bit this morning so I did a 5k on the treadmill.

Training Log - March 13

Its above freezing today and the snow is melting. Unfortunately, we got a couple inches of the sloppy stuff last night, so I wound up running on the treadmill this morning. A 5k, which I pushed a little harder than normal because I didn't feel like I was putting out much effort.

Training Log - March 11

30 above at daybreak! Yahoo! Went for a four miler as the sun came up. Woodpeckers were drumming in the woods and the shoulders were clear of snow.

Training Log - March 10

Yea! Today was the first "hatless" run of the year. About 35 above this afternoon! I did a 5k outside and the sun felt warm against my face. Maybe, just maybe, we might see spring come before Memorial Day. Wouldn't that be nice?

Training Log - March 8

It was cold out today. About 12 degrees with a gusty wind that had the windchill below zero. I couldn't face the treadmill, though, and headed outside. I discovered that I overdressed for the run and worked up quite a sweat. I went 4.8 miles up the Scenic Hwy. It felt good to get a longer run in today.

Training Log - March 7

I am so sick of this weather. It was -25 this morning. How many times will the weatherman say that "this" cold snap will be the last one for the year?

I ran a 5k on the treadmill. Again.

Brett Favre Retired Today

I watched Brett Favre's retirement press conference today while I ran on the treadmill. It was obviously an emotional decision for him to walk away from a game that he has been so committed to his whole life.

He said he was tired. He said that he did not want to put the effort in to play another season. He said that the stress was mounting with each game. He said that the enjoyment had left the game.

The reporters seemed puzzled, probably because any of them would give their right arm for a chance to play one game as an NFL quarterback. Why would he "quit"?

I guess I can relate a little bit to his situation. Bear with me for a moment.

Brett Farve's main reason to play is because the "want to" has to be there. He doesn't need the money. He has all of the records. He's won a Super Bowl. The hunger to pay the price to play has to be there. It's not anymore. So its time to walk away and find something else to do. Something that you enjoy doing.

This winter I made the decision to run a marathon. I've done it before...a long time ago. I know what is involved. The hours of preparation. The daily grind. The mental discipline. The endless training. All for the few hours some Saturday morning when I'll try to cover 26.2 miles...because it's fun.

But if the whole marathon experience has lost its appeal, if it no longer holds the mystique, if it is no longer fun, then why do it?

A marathon, like pro football, demands intensity over many months. You cannot just show up at the starting line having faked or skipped the training and expect to finish.

Brett Farve must have looked at another upcoming season and asked himself if it was worth it. The training, preparation, the practice and the risk of injury, all for the fun of Sunday afternoons and the chance to win another Super Bowl.

He decided it wasn't worth it anymore.

And so he walked away.

Good for him.

Football fans will miss him. He was fun to watch.

But for the people who matter most, his family and close friends, his walking away from football will mean he has more time to spend with them. If he hasn't discovered it already, I'm sure he will find that the greatest blessing is not in the locker room, but in the family room. That's where the greatest game is played.

Brett, don't ever walk away from that one.

Training Log - March 6

I ran a 5k on the treadmill. It was below zero again. This time I watched Brett Farve's retirement press conference. It was sad to watch him say good-bye. He's been at it a long time.

The Distance Running Essential

This week's topic got me thinking about what gear or gadget is most important to my running. Here are some of my considerations for the top spot:

The Treadmill. This time of year tons of my miles are run in a little nook of my basement. While I guess it could be considered an essential, it is really more of a necessary evil. I certainly cannot train excessively on the thing because I'll either lose my mind or suffer an overuse injury. So cross it off the list.

My iPod. I read about runners who swear by running with tunes. I must admit that I am intrigued and this one might be my number one gadget except for two small details. First, I cannot escape all of those warnings about not being able to hear traffic while you run. Second, I don't own an iPod...I'm too old.

The Heart Rate Monitor. I've got one of these gizmos on my treadmill and for a while I was intrigued by its ability to speed up and slow down the pace to match a given effort level. The only problem with it is that if I watch a tv show that has some excitement to it the treadmill slows down. I hardly use it anymore.

My Windshirt. I've got a windshirt that I've been wearing as a shell for close to 20 years now. It's no longer waterproof, but it is simple a necessity for cold weather runs. This could be my favorite item, except that I only wear it half the year.

My Watch. I've been wearing one version or another of the Timex Ironman watch for most of my life. My current one has a 100 lap memory (although I've never used more than 7), is good down to 100 meters (but I've never been deeper than 5) and has a memo function I don't know how to use. It does, however, demonstrate to others that I am a runner. Somehow, that matters. It has been a companion on almost every run I've been on. It might claim the top spot except that these days I only time my long runs and an occasional short one. I simply no longer feel the need to run each run faster than the day before.

This leaves me with my #1 pick for the most essential distance running gadget:

Vaseline. Runners will understand why this is an "essential gadget." Remember the story of the marathon? In 496 BC Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens with the news that the Greeks had defeated the Persians. At the end of his historic run, he collapsed and died...my guess is due to excessive chafing. How else do you explain that the marathon race was not run again until the 1896 Olympics in Greece...24 years after the invention of petroleum jelly?

Training Log - March 4

3.6 miles on the treadmill. It was snowing outside today. My legs were a little tired at the end of the run. One of the problems with treadmill running is that unless there is some exciting TV to watch (which is hard to find) all you think about is how tired you feel and wonder when the run is going to be over.

Training Log - March 3

3.1 miles on the treadmill. It was below zero with a strong wind out of the north.

Training Log - March 1

Ran 4.4 miles today. Went up the Scenic Hwy. I think I saw a wolf track on the shoulder, but I didn't stop to study it. I don't think it was a dog...it was way too big for that.