Give and Take

In running & racing jargon, once a runner reaches the ripe old age of 40 they move up to something called the Masters Division. I’m not sure why they call it “Masters”. In the 15 years I’ve been running, I certainly don’t feel like I’ve “Mastered” anything yet. However, as a Masters runner I have learned that I need to be flexible – both in my training and my racing expectations.

When I started running at the age of 29, I could hammer every workout day after day and nearly every race I ran seemed to bring a new PR. If I trained (and raced) the same way these days I’d end up getting injured more than I already am! So, I’ve learned that a certain amount of flexibility (a give and take if you will) is required for both my running longevity and my overall sanity!

Running on Faith

Long distance running requires a certain amount of faith; Faith that your weekend 20 miler will be worth getting up at 5:30am for; Faith that you’ll be able to complete the day’s workout in its entirety, despite what your legs are telling you; Faith that the driver coming at you with a cell phone in one hand and a tall vanilla latte in the other is not going to plow you over.

Long distance racing requires a whole other level of faith: Faith that your finely-crafted training program will deliver you to the starting line on race day in the best shape of your life; Faith that the pace which felt slow and difficult during your 10 mile training run will now feel light and easy during your marathon; Faith that when you push yourself to the limit, you can achieve your goals.

Running Goals for 2012

2011 was a bit of an up and down year for me running-wise. It started out very promising. A winter of base building (long runs) and strength training (snowshoe racing) left me primed for some early season road PR's. I ended up having a couple of good races and then promptly tore my hamstring in April. 

For the initial recovery, it took about 2 months before I could start training full-time again and then another 2 months to get myself back into reasonable racing shape. I had a couple of OK races in September as I built up my speed. But, from early October until now it's been one hamstring set-back after another.

Fortunately, with some deep tissue massage, active release therapy, graston technique and some core exercises I believe I have my latest hamstring issues solved. Or, at least solved enough to start setting some goals and making a plan for the New Year. With that in mind (and tempting fate beyond belief) below are my running goals for 2012:

Training Goals:

• Stay injury free for the duration of 2012.
• Get my weight below 180 (184 currently) and keep it there for the year.
• Add more (and varied) cross training exercises to my training routine.
• Learn to swim. Not just treading water, but proper swimming technique.

Racing Goals:

• Compete in my first duathlon race.
• Complete my first 50 mile race.
• Become an Iron-Runner by running each of the 7 NEGP races
• Win a race - of any distance.

Time Goals:

• 1m: 5:10 
• 5k: 17:30 (5:38) 
• 5m: 29:00 (5:48) 
• 10k: 36:30 (5:54) 
• 10m: 1:02:00 (6:12) 
• 1/2m: 1:22:00 (6:16) 
• Mar: 3:00:00 (6:52)

So there it is. In black and white.

Now all that's left to do is make it happen ...

Sanctuary

I really love running on the trails this time of year. All the leaves have fallen and are blanketing the brown & dirty ground. The sun is low in the sky but shines brightly through the leafless forest canopy. It’s crisp and cold but the snow has yet to arrive. Cross country season is over but snowshoe season is still a month away. It’s like trail running’s “curtain call” before the snow and ice of winter make the trails impassable (save for snowshoes) over the next few months.

I’m particularly fortunate this time of year to have a wonderful system of trails right outside my daytime door. A patchwork of Conservation Land, Wildlife Refuges, and Town Forests just across the street from where I work in Carlisle, MA. The trails system I run on stretches along the west side of the Concord River from Route 225 in the South up to Treble Cove Road in the North and includes land parcels named Foss Farm, Great Meadows and The Greenough Land.

Couples Therapy

Oh, Trail Running! Why do you hate me so! Today’s hidden trip, slimy-root slip, knee smash, face-plant in the mud on my lunch-time run was totally uncalled for. I know our relationship can be Rocky at times but this latest abuse is the last straw! That’s it, Trail Running. I’m walking out on you!

A Rocky Road to Fitness

Yo, Taxi!

As a runner who is constantly looking to push the boundaries of my fitness, I sometimes find myself becoming injured. Unfortunately, those injuries seem to be coming more frequently as I age. As a result, I’ve been spending a lot more of my time lately cross training instead of actually running. And, while I do enjoy sitting for hours upon hours on my comfy bike seat, after a while it leaves me wanting something more. So, recently I decided to take a page from the Italian Stallion himself and do some Extreme Cross Training!

Most runners are probably all too familiar with traditional cross training such as swimming, biking & weight lifting. However, these methods can only take you so far. Fortunately, that’s where the patented Rocky routine comes in handy! And, as we’ve seen in countless movies, it only takes a few minutes to get in really, really great shape. Because, as everyone knows, Sly Stallone spends 95% of the Rocky sequels messing around and only about 5% of his time actually training. But, to his credit, he usually does it to a really cool soundtrack!

You're a bum

Now, I know what you’re saying, “What if I can’t find a flock of chickens or a side of beef to train with, but I still feel the overwhelming desire to eat lightning & crap thunder”? Well, fear not! You can start building some “hurtin’ bombs” today simply by following my easy plan to “Extreme Cross Training – The Rocky Way”. So without further ado, here is a summary of Rocky’s best training methods (from easiest to most difficult) with Domestic Equivalents (things you can easily do around the house) for those weekend warriors who are meat or poultry challenged.

All Crossed Up

The cool crisp air, the brightening trees, the amber fields and, the dew-soaked grass. To most people, these are sure signs of Fall. But to runners, these autumnal images can only mean one thing - cross country season is finally here! From the long, thin starting line, to the clusters of color-coded runners. From the leaf covered paths to the scattering of orange marking flags strewn along the course. Nothing gets your competitive juices flowing like a good, old-fashioned cross country meet!

The thrill of the chase

Cross-country running is perhaps the oldest sport known to man, reaching back to our ancestral hunters and gatherers, messengers in ancient Rome, and the pursuits of excellence in the early Olympic Games. Unique in its team concept, cross-country racing affords the camaraderie of teammates while testing one’s own limits in running over hill & dale, through forested trails, across farmers’ fields and over rocks, mud & hay bales.

Oftentimes, we reach a plateau in our road running - where merely putting one foot in front of the other on the same road, day after day, mile after mile, no longer gives us the “runner’s high” we once felt. A special feeling comes to harriers who have pushed themselves to the limits, on a hilly course, in extreme weather, with their team depending on their effort & result. For many, cross-country running can present a whole new challenge. So this year, I decided to take that challenge and mix some XC races into my usual autumn running routine.

Hanging Tuff

Riding high on the comeback wave I headed down to Saugus last weekend for the Tuff Ten Trail Race. Wait?! A trail race in Saugus!? Who knew Saugus had trails?! Yup, right off Route 1. Just past the “Ship” and the “Leaning Tower of Pizza” is Breakheart Reservation. A 640-acre hardwood forest with jagged, rocky outcroppings, two fresh-water lakes, and a rambling section of the Saugus River. I know, surprised the heck out of me too!

A Race for the Aged

Ok, boys and girls. This race report is a long one. But, like the race itself, it’s definitely worth your time. So, pull up a chair and pour yourself a cold one, a coffee or a shot of Jack. Because this is a story that starts in 2006 and you’re not going to believe how it ends …

5 years ago, some friends of mine and I decided it would be fun to put together a 12-person team for the Reach the Beach Relay – a 36-leg race from the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the Atlantic Ocean, 200 miles away. The 2006 team was made up mainly of Gate City Striders ranging in age from 24 to 54. We called our team the Mine Falls Milers (after one of our favorite places to run) and headed out on our 24-hour adventure together.

Needless to say, that first year was quite a learning experience! I never knew how hard it would be to assemble (and keep together) a team of 12 runners. Not to mention how hard it would be to run 3 legs (some in the middle of the night) over unknown terrain, with little recovery time and almost no sleep. We ended up doing pretty well (for a team of newbies) as we finished in 8th place (out of 296 teams) with a time of 24:08:43 and an average pace of 6:44 per mile.

Raising the Bar

Typically, August and September are months where, because of cooler weather, my mileage starts to creep up in anticipation of a fall goal race - like a Marathon or Half Marathon. However, this year has been anything but typical and, as a result, over these past two months I’ve just been trying to get my head above water – training wise.

Late this August, I decided to test my current fitness level by running a 5k race. Of course I knew it was going to be a bloodbath because, as stated in a previous posting, I’ve got a lot of work to do on my speed. And, just how much work I had to do became very evident, very quickly. The 5k I chose was one of the last races in the Mine Falls Summer Trail Race Series and despite my high placing (fourth) it turned out to be a personal worst 5k time for me.

No Escape

So, I guess I was built for long distance running after all …

I am what I am

If you’ve been following along at home (and that’s a huge assumption on my part) then you’ll be familiar with the troubles I’ve been having recently with my running. Since the latest comeback attempt began, my runs have been in the order of 4 to 8 miles long with most being right around 6 miles. And, the vast majority of them have been awful. When I say “awful” I mostly mean they were awkward, slow and not at all enjoyable. In fact, they were so bad that I recently considered a change of hobby - as seen here.

Biddeford Pool

Anyway, last week (while away on vacation) I attempted my first "long" run since early April. Of course, heading into it I was expecting much more of the same – except that the suffering would last twice as long! However, once I got going (much to my surprise) it was great! And, I’ll give you three guesses (and the first 2 don’t count) as to when it started feeling great. Yup, you’re right! Just past mile 6!

Fortunes Rocks Beach

I don’t know what happened, but after about 45 minutes of bumbling along the winding beach roads of Biddeford Maine, my body loosened up and everything just felt better. My stride lengthened, my turnover increased and my pace quickened. In short, I got into a regular running rhythm for the first time since the accident. Of course, with the lack of any real distance training, by mile 12 I was toast, but at least I know I can work on that.

And, now that I know what I am, it’s time for me to get back to the track and work on improving those first 6 miles!

Time Trials

So, it seems I’ve become a bike racer …

After 12 weeks of “serious” bike training (and almost no running) I decided to enter the Charlie Baker Time Trial. It’s a 9.75 mile bike race series that takes place in Concord, MA every Wednesday night in the summer and is put on by the Northeast Bicycle Club. And, conveniently, takes place on the very same roads that I bike on during my lunchtime rides from work.

Not me

Now, I have no misunderstanding about where I stand as a bike rider. I’m a novice with a capital “N”. I’ve been riding off and on for a little over 2 years - mostly when I’ve been injured from running. And, lately, that's been quite a lot! I love watching the Tour De France and the amazing riders that survive it. But, I have no idea how to maintain my bike and can barely name its various moving parts.

Nevertheless, I’ve been considering jumping into bike racing for a some time now. It’s been 4 months since my last running race and the competitive juices from doing road races still course through my body - even though my running fitness does not. And, the idea of doing a time trial (as opposed to an actual circuit race) appealed to me mostly because I wouldn’t have to worry about crashing into other riders around me. It’s just me, the road and the clock – What could go wrong?