Better late then never!

     How do you stay on track with your training while trying to survive the holiday season? This is a question that almost every athlete has to answer around this time of year. In a season where meetings with families and friends come to a forte, it is often very difficult and sometimes seemingly impossible, to find time to get in your training. I know that for me, this holiday season has been one of my busiest yet, yet I will not allow myself to lose focus of my training goals. No matter what is going on I make sure to find some sort of time in my day to get my training runs in. Now, a lot of the time that has meant getting up way too early and going out when it is way too cold, but that is the sacrifice that I am willing to make to reach those goals. I will easily trade a couple of hours of sleep, or the time that I have to eat lunch to get my run in. This brings me to the point of this posting. The amount that you stick to your training during this season is directly connected to the amount that you are willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals. If you are truly set on running a certain race in a certain time, or just training up to be able to finish a race, then you will find time amongst all of the chaos to get your training in. There is always time in the day; you just have to want to find time for training. I know that it can be hard, especially with it being cold outside, but let’s try and stick to it and get out on the road, even just a few times a week.

     Oh and remember, exercise is a great tool for reducing stress, which is another thing that everyone is running high on right now! GO GET IT DONE!



The Addition of Spin

     To cycle or not to cycle, that is the question on many runners’ minds. Roberto and I discussed running/cycling twice a day to add extra mileage earlier this week as he was concerned about being able to get in his daily mileage and keep on track with our training (we will announce the reason for training in the next couple of weeks!). So here goes my explanation on cycling during a running plan.
     Many are worried about it having a negative effect on their runs and others are worried about it causing their bodies to become over worked. Whatever your reason to turn down the opportunity for a good spin is….. Ignore it. The addition of cycling to a training routine will do nothing but good for you muscles and cardiovascular system. Now I am not talking about going out and doing hill climbs after a 10+ mile run, nor am I saying to go out and do 50 mile rides a few times a week either. I am referring to getting on a bike for thirty minutes to an hour in the evening to help loosen up your muscles for the next day’s run. Just a nice steady ride to where you can still carry on a conversation and chew some Hubba Bubba (although I do not condone chewing gum and riding a bicycle…. Choking hazard… Obviously).
     Runner’s World just released an article a couple weeks ago about adding an evening run to your training schedule. The main concern that most runners seem to having is that that second run will be even more impact on their bones and joints, which are already going through enough stress on a daily basis. Obviously, if you are an avid runner who is used to running 50+ miles a week, then you can easily add and evening run to up your mileage. If you are, however, one of the millions of runners who struggle just to get your morning run in and are lucky to average 30 miles a week because of it, I would suggest adding a bit of spin to your routine. It is a low impact activity, and if you happen to own your own stationary bike or trainer then you can easily get other things done in the process of helping your muscles recover. “Wait… did he just say RECOVER?” Yes, and it is the honest truth about the activity. If done right a nightly spin can set your body up for untold amounts of success the next morning. There is no need to be frightened. Just embrace the bike and love it like your child.
     A nice easy spin does a lot when it comes to your body. For one, it helps to flush the lactic acid that has built up in your legs during earlier runs. Performing another low stress activity such as cycling will increase your muscle’s ability to process lactic acid, which in turn makes you able to run further and faster than before the activity. Another benefit of this is that it helps stretch out the muscles from your earlier run and sets you up to feel much more loose and fresh in the morning. While there are times for static stretching, such as after you get in from your early run, the ballistic stretching that a spin provides is much more beneficial in the evening. This helps to elongate and loosen those stiff muscles and can actually lead to reduced soreness the next day.
     My point is this: If you are crunched for time, like most runners are, don’t be afraid to get on the bike for a few minutes. It does not have to be a long ride. Just a few miles will do the trick. It will help you perform and feel better than you ever have in the past.
     Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks on running happy, running smart, and trying to make a positive change in the world that we live in through being active. There is no telling how much a good kick and a smile can do to affect the attitudes of those around you!

Announcement! (This one is cool!)

     As of about a week ago, I was asked by the founder of the I Ran with Robert racing team to contribute to the team blog and to assume the duties of training guru/team coach. This is a huge step for the team in branching out and helping mentor and shape members of the running community. This is also a huge step for me as I am now expected to actually know what I am talking about! I am honored to be a member of the IRWR team and cannot express the gratitude that I have for Roberto Gonzales in choosing me for this position. 

     I will be posting my articles in both my blog here and the IRWR blog on the team website: www.iranwithrobert.com. The creation of the website is a huge step for the team in becoming a more prominent force in the Texas running scene. We have very high hopes for where the team will go in the future and hope that everyone will help us grow this dream that we have. 

Remember, there is no telling how much a good kick and a smile can do to affect your attitude and those around you!

Excitement of Day 1

          The first day of a new training plan is always full of excitement. You are excited about what the future holds over the next eighteen weeks and cannot wait to hit the road. New goals have been set, shoes bought, and the latest greatest hydration system that had a good review that you found on some running blog is now sitting in your room. As you lace up your shoes and get ready to head out on that first run for all the world to see, it seems like nothing could ever keep you from achieving greatness. For most of us, this feeling of conquering the world lasts a couple of miles and then we sink back into the reality that running still takes effort and we question why we got ourselves into this. Slowly but surely as the days go by we start to skip runs and take extra rest days, convincing ourselves that our bodies 'need' a day off. For most it is not our bodies that need the day off, but rather our minds and attitudes towards the activity. We get so burnt out by hitting the road day after day that we lose sight of the benefits and joy that running brings to our lives. This inevitably leads to us failing ourselves and never reaching that goal of setting a new PR at the end of the cycle. That feeling of failure soon carries over into the next cycle and you go into with doubt in your mind as to whether or not you will actually succeed this time. Eventually you all but give up the activity once it becomes nothing but a frustration from constant disappointment.
          How do we fix this issue of burning out and failing to reach our goals on race day? There is not one simple fix for every person. A good start is trying to keep a positive attitude about running. We all know that the activity takes effort and that some days we will be sore and tired. No matter what training plan you subscribe to, that is not going to change. So, instead of dreading the days when your legs feel like they are made of cement and no matter how hard you try you walk like a young Forrest Gump in braces, view this as a sort of trophy of the hard work that you  have put in. That muscle soreness is the result of you pushing yourself through wanting to quit on your last three intervals the day before. It is a sign that you went out, put the work in, and bettered yourself. Soreness should not be viewed as a punishment, but rather a reward for your hard work and dedication to your goal. Sure, when you stagger into work the next morning, barely able to make it to your desk, your coworkers may wonder what you did to yourself the night before, but hold your head high and bask in the glory of hard work. There is no need to explain to everyone that you are sore because you ran 6x800m intervals at a sub-6:00/mile pace with a 400m rest in-between. First-off, most likely your coworkers will not understand anything that you just said. Secondly, why do you need to justify your soreness to them by explaining how your body came to be in this state of stiffness?
          You should run for yourself, no one else. If you start out on a training plan and you are doing it just to impress someone, or to try and look cool, you will most likely burn out in a couple of weeks and never pick it up again. Running is something that you have to do for yourself. You have to do it to burn off steam, make your body better, and make your mind better. It has to be something that you want to do and dedicate yourself to. Of course, if you are a weekend jogger then this does not pertain to you. This is for the folks that sign onto a training plan that will have them running 4+ days a week. You have to find your reason to run. You have to find that motivation that will be there in your darkest hour. That one thought that will keep you pushing through the 24 mile marker on your way to a Boston qualifier. To be a runner takes complete dedication. No skipping workouts, no putting runs off until tomorrow, no excuses for not pushing yourself as hard as you should have. 
          Once you master getting your mind right for running, then you can fully dedicate yourself and find out just haw good you can be. Take a while to think about fuels you when you hit the road. What makes you lace up your shoes everyday? If the answer is not for the joy of running, then you need to rethink how you view the activity.