Distance: 5 miles
Total for the week: 18 miles
Overall total so far: 270 miles
Notes: I ran out right after a fat dinner and my knee was killing me, so I had to stop for about a quarter mile a third of the way in. I was pretty down on myself about it, but then it just dawned on me that I was letting little crap bother me, and I decided to start running again. I worked on keeping my head up and smiling so that I would look as if I were having a good time (seriously, it works), and in short order I was cruising along again.
One funny thing is that I saw some people warming up to play what looked like a serious game of volleyball in Cobb's Hill Park, and I chuckled to myself, "I remember when I used to play actual sports that were actually fun." In a few weeks, that will be me again!
The first 18 happens on Saturday. It's the longest run of our training program. We do it twice. Wish us luck!
Showing posts with label Psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psychology. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Week 10, Day 4
Hey, wha-happened? Where's day 3? Well...I skipped it. Let's just say I had better things to do. And it's the only missed run in 10 weeks, so that's not too bad.
Distance: 16 miles
Total for the week: 29 miles
Overall total so far: 222 miles
Notes: This was so encouraging after our disaster last Saturday. We did two out-and-back runs in opposite directions from our campsite in Chautauqua. Four miles to the left, then back to the start, then four miles to the right, and back again. There was much scrambling and improvised bathroom breaks (I'll spare you the details), but we finished nice and strong. A much needed psychological boost for us! PowerBars are a convenient way to fuel up before a run when you don't have much time.
Distance: 16 miles
Total for the week: 29 miles
Overall total so far: 222 miles
Notes: This was so encouraging after our disaster last Saturday. We did two out-and-back runs in opposite directions from our campsite in Chautauqua. Four miles to the left, then back to the start, then four miles to the right, and back again. There was much scrambling and improvised bathroom breaks (I'll spare you the details), but we finished nice and strong. A much needed psychological boost for us! PowerBars are a convenient way to fuel up before a run when you don't have much time.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Week 9, Day 4 (The Wall)
Distance: 16 miles
Total for the week: 27 miles
Overall total so far: 193 miles
Notes: By far the worst run ever and the most grueling physical experience of my life. Quite simply, Tracey and I both ran out of fuel at about mile thirteen. Literally, we had no more carbohydrates to burn. This is called "hitting the wall" or "crashing," and I'd heard it was a pretty nasty experience. Well, it was. My legs simply could not run any longer. And yet I had to keep going, through the heat of the day, because I needed to relieve our friends who were watching Abel—they had a wedding to get to.
So I walked a while, and then jogged for a minute until the burn overtook me again, and then I walked. At one point I sat on the grass next to a tree and just didn't move for a while. Finally I arrived and basically collapsed on their lawn for a while. When I got home, I sunk onto the couch and shivered under a blanket in my running clothes with a stomachache. It took a few hours to feel any better. Eventually we went for ice cream at Friendly's, and then I started to feel kinda normal again.
This was the first time during the program where I had any whisper of "Maybe I can't do this after all." Writing about it a few days later, I can see all the stuff that went wrong and the ways to correct it, and I am optimistic again. But that was awful. We have two more cracks at sixteen, then two weeks of eighteen before the training tapers for a few weeks to build strength before the marathon.
Total for the week: 27 miles
Overall total so far: 193 miles
Notes: By far the worst run ever and the most grueling physical experience of my life. Quite simply, Tracey and I both ran out of fuel at about mile thirteen. Literally, we had no more carbohydrates to burn. This is called "hitting the wall" or "crashing," and I'd heard it was a pretty nasty experience. Well, it was. My legs simply could not run any longer. And yet I had to keep going, through the heat of the day, because I needed to relieve our friends who were watching Abel—they had a wedding to get to.
So I walked a while, and then jogged for a minute until the burn overtook me again, and then I walked. At one point I sat on the grass next to a tree and just didn't move for a while. Finally I arrived and basically collapsed on their lawn for a while. When I got home, I sunk onto the couch and shivered under a blanket in my running clothes with a stomachache. It took a few hours to feel any better. Eventually we went for ice cream at Friendly's, and then I started to feel kinda normal again.
This was the first time during the program where I had any whisper of "Maybe I can't do this after all." Writing about it a few days later, I can see all the stuff that went wrong and the ways to correct it, and I am optimistic again. But that was awful. We have two more cracks at sixteen, then two weeks of eighteen before the training tapers for a few weeks to build strength before the marathon.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Week 6, Days 2, 3, and 4
Quick blast edition, since I'm behind on posting my notes—very, very busy week in other areas of life.
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Distance: 5 miles
Total for the week: 9 miles
Overall total so far: 97 miles
Notes: Ran in the rain for the first time (!) since the official training began. Not too bad, especially since Tracey had the day off (Independence Day).
Day 3 (Thursday)
Distance: 4 miles
Total for the week: 13 miles
Overall total so far: 101 miles
Notes: More rain. Broke 100 miles for the training.
Day 4 (Saturday)
Distance: 11 miles
Total for the week: 24 miles
Overall total so far: 112 miles
Notes: Worst run ever. But we finished it, so I'm calling that good. I don't really feel like writing about it, but Tracey did. Better luck next week, right?
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Distance: 5 miles
Total for the week: 9 miles
Overall total so far: 97 miles
Notes: Ran in the rain for the first time (!) since the official training began. Not too bad, especially since Tracey had the day off (Independence Day).
Day 3 (Thursday)
Distance: 4 miles
Total for the week: 13 miles
Overall total so far: 101 miles
Notes: More rain. Broke 100 miles for the training.
Day 4 (Saturday)
Distance: 11 miles
Total for the week: 24 miles
Overall total so far: 112 miles
Notes: Worst run ever. But we finished it, so I'm calling that good. I don't really feel like writing about it, but Tracey did. Better luck next week, right?
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Week 5 Recap
Quite a week. My first ten miler—that was a good feeling. I finished up my 70 mile 4-week goal and reached a big milestone on the Nike+ iPod system. But really, the biggest accomplishment for me this week was just getting out there and doing the runs. This was an important week in my mind, because it was week five—and I only made it through week four the first time I set out to train for a marathon. So I was officially in uncharted territory when I took my first step on Monday.
The NRMT suggests incorporating visualization techniques at this point in the training. The idea is that you create two short "videos" in your mind and commit them to memory; then you "play" those videos every time you get discouraged or tired on a run. The first is based on the memory of your best run ever, and the second is the scene that you imagine will meet you when you finish the marathon. I have to admit, this technique seems a little goofy to me. But I'm going to try it out and see if I find it useful.
This week the short runs bump up to four miles each, so there will be no more three milers until the program tapers leading up to the race. I'm looking at 4-5-4-11 this week, and the great thing about it is that I know I can do it, no problem. But the mileage really gets serious in the next few weeks, and I'm just the slightest bit nervous about it. At least until I remember that 3-4-3-5 seemed a little scary when I was looking at that for the first week of training. What can I say? You just run until you finish the mileage, and then you stop. We are not very good at estimating our own limits. They're higher than we think, and the only way you will believe that is if you are willing to try something you don't think you can do. So get out there and try!
Or else you'll wind up living in a van down by the river.
The NRMT suggests incorporating visualization techniques at this point in the training. The idea is that you create two short "videos" in your mind and commit them to memory; then you "play" those videos every time you get discouraged or tired on a run. The first is based on the memory of your best run ever, and the second is the scene that you imagine will meet you when you finish the marathon. I have to admit, this technique seems a little goofy to me. But I'm going to try it out and see if I find it useful.
This week the short runs bump up to four miles each, so there will be no more three milers until the program tapers leading up to the race. I'm looking at 4-5-4-11 this week, and the great thing about it is that I know I can do it, no problem. But the mileage really gets serious in the next few weeks, and I'm just the slightest bit nervous about it. At least until I remember that 3-4-3-5 seemed a little scary when I was looking at that for the first week of training. What can I say? You just run until you finish the mileage, and then you stop. We are not very good at estimating our own limits. They're higher than we think, and the only way you will believe that is if you are willing to try something you don't think you can do. So get out there and try!
Or else you'll wind up living in a van down by the river.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Nike+ iPod system
The Nike+ system has been a real motivator for me during this training. I thought some people might be interested to know a little more about how it works.
It's a two-piece system. A small chip goes into the iPod's cable connector port, and a small pedometer/accelerometer goes into a special compartment under the insole of the special Nike shoe. I don't wear Nike shoes, but that doesn't matter. You can put the Nike+ sensor in a plain old shoe wallet, and it works just fine. The pedometer broadcasts a signal to the chip in the iPod, and the iPod records your data and gives you feedback through the headphones. And when you sync the iPod, it sends the data to Nike's website, where you can view all kinds of interesting information.
Here's what I see when I upload my run data (click to enlarge). The circles are mile markers, and you can mouse over any of them to see your pace for that mile. (In this screenshot, I'm mousing over the first mile.)
And I can also see a bar graph of all the runs I've done in the past week, month, or ever. The new run is in red, and when you mouse over any bar, it gives you the details from that run.
Psychologically, this can be very encouraging. You get to see the real progress of your training program, and something about the visual association is just lots of fun to watch. I also track goals for myself using the Nike+ Dashboard widget. For example, I recently looked ahead to see how many miles I would do in the next four weeks. It happened to be 70 miles. So I set a goal of running 70 miles in four weeks. Now, every time I open Dashboard, I see this widget in the upper corner, with the runner symbol (actual mileage) nipping at the heels of the target point (which keeps moving to stay "on pace" with the goal). Here's where it sits this morning:
Interestingly, I don't usually listen to the iPod itself as I run, because I'd rather talk to the person I'm running with than listen to music. I usually just put the chip in the iPod and leave the headphones at home. But when I run alone, I often listen to podcasts, which tend to pass the time faster than music.
As I mentioned, the iPod does give you feedback as you complete miles, reach your halfway point, and near the end of your run. And occasionally a famous athlete (Lance Armstrong, for example) will congratulate you for your fastest mile or longest run so far. That's all well and good, but I often prefer not to know how far I've come or how much distance remains. I'm more interested in the tracking that happens after you upload the run.
So there you have it. It's a great system. I highly recommend it.
It's a two-piece system. A small chip goes into the iPod's cable connector port, and a small pedometer/accelerometer goes into a special compartment under the insole of the special Nike shoe. I don't wear Nike shoes, but that doesn't matter. You can put the Nike+ sensor in a plain old shoe wallet, and it works just fine. The pedometer broadcasts a signal to the chip in the iPod, and the iPod records your data and gives you feedback through the headphones. And when you sync the iPod, it sends the data to Nike's website, where you can view all kinds of interesting information.
Here's what I see when I upload my run data (click to enlarge). The circles are mile markers, and you can mouse over any of them to see your pace for that mile. (In this screenshot, I'm mousing over the first mile.)
And I can also see a bar graph of all the runs I've done in the past week, month, or ever. The new run is in red, and when you mouse over any bar, it gives you the details from that run.
Psychologically, this can be very encouraging. You get to see the real progress of your training program, and something about the visual association is just lots of fun to watch. I also track goals for myself using the Nike+ Dashboard widget. For example, I recently looked ahead to see how many miles I would do in the next four weeks. It happened to be 70 miles. So I set a goal of running 70 miles in four weeks. Now, every time I open Dashboard, I see this widget in the upper corner, with the runner symbol (actual mileage) nipping at the heels of the target point (which keeps moving to stay "on pace" with the goal). Here's where it sits this morning:
Interestingly, I don't usually listen to the iPod itself as I run, because I'd rather talk to the person I'm running with than listen to music. I usually just put the chip in the iPod and leave the headphones at home. But when I run alone, I often listen to podcasts, which tend to pass the time faster than music.
As I mentioned, the iPod does give you feedback as you complete miles, reach your halfway point, and near the end of your run. And occasionally a famous athlete (Lance Armstrong, for example) will congratulate you for your fastest mile or longest run so far. That's all well and good, but I often prefer not to know how far I've come or how much distance remains. I'm more interested in the tracking that happens after you upload the run.
So there you have it. It's a great system. I highly recommend it.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Week 4, Day 1
Distance: 3 miles
Total for the week: 3 miles
Overall total so far: 51 miles
Notes: Our running partners are on vacation, so we're doing this week's runs alone until Saturday. Our usual pattern is for me to run with Brian and Tracey with Becca during the week, and then to trade childcare with them on the long runs so we can run as couples. This week some other friends are watching Abel on Saturday for us, but we're on our own for the 3-5-3 during the week.
Anyway, it was kinda nice to run alone this time (even though I went out a little hard and paid for it at the end), but I'm a touch nervous about Wednesday's five miles. The midweek distance is bumping up (from four) this week, so it's already got some challenge built in. At any rate, I know I can do it because I've run that far several times now; it's just that I'll miss the conversation. Oh well, I'll toss a few long podcasts onto the iPod to keep me company.
Hooray for breaking 50 cumulative miles!
Total for the week: 3 miles
Overall total so far: 51 miles
Notes: Our running partners are on vacation, so we're doing this week's runs alone until Saturday. Our usual pattern is for me to run with Brian and Tracey with Becca during the week, and then to trade childcare with them on the long runs so we can run as couples. This week some other friends are watching Abel on Saturday for us, but we're on our own for the 3-5-3 during the week.
Anyway, it was kinda nice to run alone this time (even though I went out a little hard and paid for it at the end), but I'm a touch nervous about Wednesday's five miles. The midweek distance is bumping up (from four) this week, so it's already got some challenge built in. At any rate, I know I can do it because I've run that far several times now; it's just that I'll miss the conversation. Oh well, I'll toss a few long podcasts onto the iPod to keep me company.
Hooray for breaking 50 cumulative miles!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Walk breaks?
An experienced marathoner at Tracey's office suggested she take a look at a technique developed by Jeff Galloway. She looked into it and found Galloway's website, which includes a reproduction of an October 2000 Runner's World article about taking walk breaks during long training runs and the actual race. Here's his rationale:
That actually makes sense to me. He goes on to suggest that there is a psychological benefit to the walk breaks as well, since taking regularly scheduled breaks gives you something to look forward throughout the race. And I've never been under the illusion that I'd run nonstop during the marathon; it just never occurred to me to use walking intentionally and strategically. I think we're going to try this on our Saturday runs and see how it goes.
Anyone ever tried this technique? Post a comment.
It may sound counterintuitive to stop and walk in the middle of a race, but I've spoken to scores of runners who set PRs in the marathon by doing just that. Walk breaks work by reducing the intensity of your run. This conserves resources during the first half of a race, so you'll be able to speed up at the end. You'll allow your muscles to recover while continuing to make progress.
That actually makes sense to me. He goes on to suggest that there is a psychological benefit to the walk breaks as well, since taking regularly scheduled breaks gives you something to look forward throughout the race. And I've never been under the illusion that I'd run nonstop during the marathon; it just never occurred to me to use walking intentionally and strategically. I think we're going to try this on our Saturday runs and see how it goes.
Anyone ever tried this technique? Post a comment.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Week 1, Day 1
Distance: 3 miles
Total for the week: 3 miles
Total overall: 3 miles
Notes: Tracey and I ran 4 miles last Saturday as the final prep run before our official training program began. It was so easy for us that we ran hard for the final quarter mile or so. Naturally, I figured this 3-miler would be very easy, then. Not so fast, Prefontaine... I don't know if it was because I was running alone, or because I went out too fast, or because it was the first official run, but I was ready to tank after about a mile. My first psychological battle with myself, already. Yay. I told myself that I would not stop no matter what, and I slowed my pace, and I finished the run. But I didn't enjoy it. I was happy when I finished, though.
I've got runs of 4, 3, and 5 miles remaining this week.
Total for the week: 3 miles
Total overall: 3 miles
Notes: Tracey and I ran 4 miles last Saturday as the final prep run before our official training program began. It was so easy for us that we ran hard for the final quarter mile or so. Naturally, I figured this 3-miler would be very easy, then. Not so fast, Prefontaine... I don't know if it was because I was running alone, or because I went out too fast, or because it was the first official run, but I was ready to tank after about a mile. My first psychological battle with myself, already. Yay. I told myself that I would not stop no matter what, and I slowed my pace, and I finished the run. But I didn't enjoy it. I was happy when I finished, though.
I've got runs of 4, 3, and 5 miles remaining this week.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The training program
Well, my official training program begins on Monday. I just spent a few minutes putting all my training runs into iCal, and I discovered some interesting realities about my future over the next 16 weeks.
I will run:
5 miles on my anniversary...
9 miles on my birthday...
12 miles on the day I perform a wedding for a couple in our church...
16 miles on the Saturday of our church camping trip...
18 miles on the day of the GRADA Ultimate playoffs...
and so on.
Pretty crazy, huh? It is sinking in that this achievement is not merely about being able to run 26 miles in one race. It's also about being dedicated enough to the goal that I give up a lot of personal freedom for the sixteen weeks preceding the race. This will be good for me; perseverance and the surrender of autonomy are two areas of my character that probably need a bit of work. This program will sand off the rough corners, to say the least.
Here's a quick glance at the entire program (click to enlarge):
Now that's what I call a challenge.
I will run:
5 miles on my anniversary...
9 miles on my birthday...
12 miles on the day I perform a wedding for a couple in our church...
16 miles on the Saturday of our church camping trip...
18 miles on the day of the GRADA Ultimate playoffs...
and so on.
Pretty crazy, huh? It is sinking in that this achievement is not merely about being able to run 26 miles in one race. It's also about being dedicated enough to the goal that I give up a lot of personal freedom for the sixteen weeks preceding the race. This will be good for me; perseverance and the surrender of autonomy are two areas of my character that probably need a bit of work. This program will sand off the rough corners, to say the least.
Here's a quick glance at the entire program (click to enlarge):
Now that's what I call a challenge.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Run: Sunday, April 29, 2007
Distance: 2.25 miles
Weather conditions: Almost perfect, sunny with a light breeze, 56°F.
Notes: During this run, I rehearsed my sermon for later in the day. It helped pass the time, but by the end, it was almost impossible to focus on the sermon or the run itself. I think it was a good mental exercise.
Listened to the Joshua Redman Elastic Band album Momentum. Good running music.
Weather conditions: Almost perfect, sunny with a light breeze, 56°F.
Notes: During this run, I rehearsed my sermon for later in the day. It helped pass the time, but by the end, it was almost impossible to focus on the sermon or the run itself. I think it was a good mental exercise.
Listened to the Joshua Redman Elastic Band album Momentum. Good running music.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Running in the rain
On Monday, Brian called at midday to ask if I wanted to run together that evening. I hadn't been out in a while, so I agreed. I met him at 7 p.m. with plans to run from his house to the Cobbs Hill Reservoir and back, and we set out.
Just as we left his development, it began to rain. Then it began to rain hard. Figuring we looked really hardcore, I suggested we soldier on. Let me just tell you, if you ever find yourself saying, "I mean, come on, how much wetter could we even get?" you might want to stop and think about whether you really do want the answer to that question. Because shortly after I said that, the hard rain turned to a torrential downpour. I'm talking about sideways rain, deep puddles from suddenly overflowing drain gutters, rooster tails of dirty water leaping from the tires of every passing car, five extra pounds of weight in your clothes, and your shoes squishing with every step. We were SOAKED.
We turned around.
When we got back to Brian's house, we got some beach towels and dried off. We'd run about a mile and a half, but even though I haven't run much yet this season, I barely felt anything. Our minds had been occupied elsewhere. The psychology of running is so fascinating. If you smile while you run, you'll feel stop hurting and feel happier. If you find the rain entertaining rather than depressing, it won't slow you down.
As I wrote this on my front porch, a soggy man jogged by, wringing out the front of his shirt after a similar spring downpour. He didn't look like he was having much fun. I hope he doesn't have far to go.
Just as we left his development, it began to rain. Then it began to rain hard. Figuring we looked really hardcore, I suggested we soldier on. Let me just tell you, if you ever find yourself saying, "I mean, come on, how much wetter could we even get?" you might want to stop and think about whether you really do want the answer to that question. Because shortly after I said that, the hard rain turned to a torrential downpour. I'm talking about sideways rain, deep puddles from suddenly overflowing drain gutters, rooster tails of dirty water leaping from the tires of every passing car, five extra pounds of weight in your clothes, and your shoes squishing with every step. We were SOAKED.
We turned around.
When we got back to Brian's house, we got some beach towels and dried off. We'd run about a mile and a half, but even though I haven't run much yet this season, I barely felt anything. Our minds had been occupied elsewhere. The psychology of running is so fascinating. If you smile while you run, you'll feel stop hurting and feel happier. If you find the rain entertaining rather than depressing, it won't slow you down.
As I wrote this on my front porch, a soggy man jogged by, wringing out the front of his shirt after a similar spring downpour. He didn't look like he was having much fun. I hope he doesn't have far to go.
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