With 2013 coming to close today I thought it would be appropriate to outline some of the moments I had as they pertain to running. It has been a great year altogether but I feel I have really done some great things to re-kick off my running lifestyle. Here is my list of things:
1. Started my track coaching job for Eagle Grove Middles School/High School. I already coached cross country for a season in 2012 and decided to take an assistant position to coach some track. I had a great time and fell back in love with the sport. Coaching, for me, is much more rewarding than competing.
2. Signed up and started training for the Dam to Dam. I put on some minimal miles towards the end of February and early March with the track team (I love running with the athletes).
3. Organized the Run for Boston in Fort Dodge. Along with some great friends, Danny Milligan, Robbie Teff, Kacee Schmidt, Jeremiah Feine, and others I was able to organize a 5k to raise funds for the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing that occurred this year. We had over 200 people show up and raised close to 6000 dollars to send out to Boston. This was one event that proved I am surrounded by a great community of people who really want to do good for the world.
4. Ran the Dam to Dam. One of my athletes from cross country decided to run the Dam to Dam so I thought why not? I will run it too. I started training in February and this slowly died off as I switched to coaching middle school. I ran the Dam to Dam the last day of May without running for 6 weeks. To my surprise I did it and ran a pretty decent time of 1:31 for a 20k. This next year I hope to go sub 1:20 (with training this time around).
5. Ran a few small road races. The thing I love about small road races is I have a good chance of doing well, place wise. Sometimes I actually walked away with the gold medal. I lowered my 5k time to a low 18 and it just makes me wonder what I could now.
6. Got together with old teammates and ran the Regional time trial 5k that Iowa Central competes in. We were able to get enough people together and form an alumni team and run the 5k. It was quite possibly the worst 5k I have ever run but the experience was great.
7. Read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. This book has inspired me to get back into the sport of running and really changed my entire perspective on the sport. I changed the type of shoes I wear. Changed my perspective and have been running (a lot) ever since.
8. Ran a half marathon in Cedar Rapids. After I signed up for the Des Moines Marathon (7 weeks out) I decided it would be a good idea to see where I was at with my training and run a half marathon. I had been running with the cross country team I coach and was feeling pretty good. I signed up for the New Bo Fest Half in Cedar Rapids. I ran a 1:31 which was great as far as I was concerned as I had run the 20k in May with the same time. I placed 8th overall and 3rd in my age group. I needed that confidence booster to really push me.
9. Ran my first marathon. I am an impulsive runner. I like the feeling of just going out and running without a plan. Most people spend months training for a marathon, I spent 7 weeks. I attribute my motivation to the people around me, Danny Milligan, Patrick Olmstead, and Robbie Teff who all ran the marathon with me. It was a team effort and I had a blast. I can cross it off my bucket list but I plan on doing a lot more now. I finished in 3:03.57 which puts me just under the 3:05 Boston Qualifying mark. There have not been a lot of moments in my life that rival crossing the finish line after running 26.2 miles.
10. The Eagle Grove High School boys cross country team qualified for the state meet. This was my second year coaching the program and the boys and I set the goal early on in the season to qualify for the state meet. Last year the team placed 6th and we knew to qualify this year we had a lot of hard work ahead. I have been blessed to work with such strong, motivated, and good spirited young men. They truly showed their character this season and got the job done. When I heard news that we qualified for the state meet I was overwhelmed with emotion. It makes my top 5 for the happiest moments in my life. It is the first time the team has been to state since 2007 and to be a part of a program that is growing is a great feeling. I have to thank the parents, the supporters, Jerry Becker for all his wisdom and knowledge, and the guys on the team for making this year so special.
11. Signed up for two more marathons and my first ultra marathon of 50 miles. Within the next year I hope to complete many more big races. I am currently registered for the Triple D Winter Race Marathon in Dubuque which takes place January 19th. I am registered for the Zumbro 50 miler which is on April 12th. I have also registered for Grandma's Marathon which is in June. I look forward to these events and hope to carry on what I have started this year with my running.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Update on Ultra Training
I have shifted my focus recently to train for a marathon which is coming up on the 19th of January. The training isn't really any different for me but the mental focus is. I have been really slacking on the miles, which concerns me and I know that it is nobody's fault but my own. I need to stay focused and hit the pavement. Some days/nights it is just so hard to find the energy to go run when it is barely above zero degrees or less. It's always nice to have someone to run with which keeps me focused on the days where I do have someone.
The other problem I have is distance. I firmly believe that running in the cold weather takes so much more energy. I feel exhausted after running 6-8 miles when it is 4 degrees. My body is trying hard enough to stay warm let alone make it through 8 miles. I have backed off on mileage for this purpose. I do take advantage of the warmer days and I take the really cold days off (-10 or less).
I cannot afford an injury at this point in time. Running in the winter poses many threats, with muscles tightening up and ice to slip on. Most of my runs are at night which makes it so much harder to avoid the ice and difficult terrain. I have not slipped yet (knock on wood). I love the feeling of being outside and running.
I shaved my face recently and surprisingly enough it has not bothered me. I have a face mask that actually feels more comfortable now with a smooth face as opposed to the burly beard I was sporting. These last 4 weeks of cold weather have seemed like forever but I know I still have at least 8-10 weeks left of it (which will get me through mid-March). Once that weather turns over to hit at least 30 degrees you can bet I'll be hitting the roads like crazy. It has truly been a great experience thus far training for this ultra marathon.
The other problem I have is distance. I firmly believe that running in the cold weather takes so much more energy. I feel exhausted after running 6-8 miles when it is 4 degrees. My body is trying hard enough to stay warm let alone make it through 8 miles. I have backed off on mileage for this purpose. I do take advantage of the warmer days and I take the really cold days off (-10 or less).
I cannot afford an injury at this point in time. Running in the winter poses many threats, with muscles tightening up and ice to slip on. Most of my runs are at night which makes it so much harder to avoid the ice and difficult terrain. I have not slipped yet (knock on wood). I love the feeling of being outside and running.
I shaved my face recently and surprisingly enough it has not bothered me. I have a face mask that actually feels more comfortable now with a smooth face as opposed to the burly beard I was sporting. These last 4 weeks of cold weather have seemed like forever but I know I still have at least 8-10 weeks left of it (which will get me through mid-March). Once that weather turns over to hit at least 30 degrees you can bet I'll be hitting the roads like crazy. It has truly been a great experience thus far training for this ultra marathon.
Monday, December 9, 2013
It's Always Warm Enough to Run
I read an article about winter running last night that said to stay indoors and forfeit running if the "feels like" temperature is -20 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The "feels like" tonight when I ran was -17 so it was still warm enough, as if -20 would even keep me inside. I took most of the weekend off due to a busy schedule, so now I have to make that up by hitting it hard this week. I put in just under 13 miles today in 2 runs (today was supposed to be my rest day).
It is safe to say that these are probably the toughest conditions I have ever run in. Days like these were always made optional in college or our coach would tell us not to run. I have to stay motivated, the weather is only temporary. When I end my run I have to wait for my face/face mask to thaw out before I can take it off, or else it will tear out beard hair. The frost on my clothes goes layers deep. It is hard to trudge through snow, almost like resistance training.
My way of staying motivated now is to research upcoming races, it gets me excited. Obviously I have the 50 miler coming up in April, which is what I am training for. I also have the Triple D Winter Race on January 19th in Dubuque. I just found out about Iowa's first 100k which takes place May 10th which might be nice to do after the 50 mile and before Dam to Dam (which will now be a half marathon).
The weather is supposed to warm up as the week progresses, but this is only the beginning of winter and getting through the first few weeks will be great mental training, as it already has been.
It is safe to say that these are probably the toughest conditions I have ever run in. Days like these were always made optional in college or our coach would tell us not to run. I have to stay motivated, the weather is only temporary. When I end my run I have to wait for my face/face mask to thaw out before I can take it off, or else it will tear out beard hair. The frost on my clothes goes layers deep. It is hard to trudge through snow, almost like resistance training.
My way of staying motivated now is to research upcoming races, it gets me excited. Obviously I have the 50 miler coming up in April, which is what I am training for. I also have the Triple D Winter Race on January 19th in Dubuque. I just found out about Iowa's first 100k which takes place May 10th which might be nice to do after the 50 mile and before Dam to Dam (which will now be a half marathon).
The weather is supposed to warm up as the week progresses, but this is only the beginning of winter and getting through the first few weeks will be great mental training, as it already has been.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
I Think My Mustache Almost Froze Off
Well, yesterday the roads and sidewalks were icy and to alleviate some fears I stayed home. No sense in risking an injury when I can postpone a run for one of my designated rest days. I did, however, run tonight, and I think the roads were just as icy as they were yesterday. It was colder tonight with a temperature of 5 degrees, although weather.com says it actually feels like -10 degrees, and I won't argue that. Bottom line...it was cold. I was wearing four layers on top, cold gear running tights with cold gear running pants, wool socks, gloves, a face mask, and a hat. I never really warmed up, in fact I only got colder as my run progressed. As I was breathing the moisture from my breath was being absorbed by my face mask so I moved it down out of the way of my mouth. Although, this was initially very cold on my cheeks and nose but I was able to slowly acclimate. The only problem was, the moisture absorbed by my face mask froze and sort of formed a cast around my lower face which was kind of a weird feeling. My mustache froze to the point that I felt it was going to fall off which would be a shame since I have grown it for so long (see picture at bottom).
The best part about the run is I felt great, physically. My body feels like it is in great shape as I was able to run at a nice fast pace the entire 6 miles. I feel motivated to keep this going and hit the streets hard for weeks to come. The cold weather is a deterrent but I can get past that. Tonight was the coldest it has been and I survived. I do not doubt it will be colder in days/weeks to come, but that's dedications for you.
The best part about the run is I felt great, physically. My body feels like it is in great shape as I was able to run at a nice fast pace the entire 6 miles. I feel motivated to keep this going and hit the streets hard for weeks to come. The cold weather is a deterrent but I can get past that. Tonight was the coldest it has been and I survived. I do not doubt it will be colder in days/weeks to come, but that's dedications for you.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Long Run > Short Run
I went for a 4 mile run tonight. It felt good but I feel as if I need an extra pump of motivation and inspiration. I may go back and read parts of Born to Run just to give me that extra push. The first couple weeks in the cold weather are are starting to get to me mentally, but I have to keep my head up and get through this first wall. My 16 mile run on Saturday was entertaining and I felt great, but four miles tonight was rough. This has been a trend where my shorter runs seem more difficult than my longer runs.
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