Training: 10/17/11 - 10/23/11

This week was a hard week. The weather is changing, the days are growing shorter, and I'm getting crabbier. I keep running five days out of seven, and I have no reason not to run seven. (Spoiler alert: This week I'm again only running five.) The treadmill replaced my track workout this week because of rain.

Monday: 8mi @ 7:21min/mi
Tuesday: 5.5mi @ 6:52min/mi
Wednesday: -
Thursday: 2mi, w/ 1mi @5:52min/mi
Friday: 4mi, w/2mi @ 5:46min/mi
Saturday: -
Sunday: 15mi @ 7:39min/mi

Total: 35 miles

Exercise Does a Mitochondrion Good

We know that exercise is good for your mind. It relieves stress, makes you smarter, decreases depression  and so on, but can it do more? The good researchers at the University of South Carolina hypothesized that perhaps the brain was improving the brain function by creating new mitochondria. (Mitochondria, from what I can deduce, is the chemical energy production unit.) We already know that exercise helps create and improve mitochondria in the muscles, but we weren't sure if the same was true of the same benefits occurring in the brain until recently when the researchers found that mitochondria was created throughout the body, to include the brain.

The possible advantages to this finding is that neurodegenerative (e.g. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's) diseases could possibly be curbed by producing more mitochondria. Also more exercise might promote the ability to withstand more exercise, through the strengthening of the mitochondria in the brain. Plus it could "reduce mental fatigue and sharpen your thinking" after exercise ends. But you already knew that. Wink.




http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/how-exercise-can-strengthen-the-brain/

Training: 10/10/11 - 10/16/11

This week I had an OK week. My Thursday excuse is that as soon as I opened the door to go outside, I heard possibly the largest thunderclap in DC history and then the sky opened. I can run in rain, but not a monsoon and it never let up. Friday I made the mistake of lying on my bed for a brief minute, which sucked me into the vortex of doing nothing for the rest of the night.


Also three times a week I will lift weights, and one night a week I will go to yoga.

Monday: Semi Long Run- 9@ 7:37
Tuesday: Recovery- 5@ 8:04min/mi (Ran w/Pacers Logan Circle)
Wednesday: Speed (Track)- 1600@ 5:47, 1600@ 5:47, 1600@ 5:50, 800@ 2:49
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Long Run- 15@ 7:28min/mi (w/6:45, 6:49, 6:42)
Sunday: Recovery 5@ 8:18min/mi


Total: 39 miles

Pless Replay

Is visualization part of your regular training? Or do you only do it the night before the big race? In his blog, Dr. Jim Amfremow tells us to not only to mentally see ourselves succeeding but to relax, visualize, and repeat. The better you are at seeing you accomplish your goal, the better your visualization will be and that will help when it comes to the big day.

Although I have to say, if the scenario is too specific, would that allow you space to adapt to any situation? If you're training for a hilly race and you envision only hills, what about when it rains? Or if you get a slight injury, that could throw off your whole mind rehearsal. Just something to think about.




 http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/trust-the-talent/201109/visualize-actualize

Training: 10/03/11 - 10/09/11

This week I don't really know what my focus was. Recovery from the last week's half marathon? Sure, I'll go with that answer. I am really enjoying the track workout for some reason. Maybe it's because I actually get to interact with people. There are some really fast people there. This week there were some faster older people, which is a change from the faster younger people. So really I have no more excuses... even though it's so much more fun to have them.


Monday: Semi Long Run- 8@ 7:54
Tuesday: Tempo- 5.2@ 6:50min/mi (Ran w/Pacers Logan Circle)
Wednesday: Speed (Track)- 400@ 1:19, 600@ 2:04, 800@ 2:45, 600@ 2:02, 400@ 1:18, 400@ 1:17, 600@ 2:01, 800@ 2:48, 600@ 2:05, 400@ 1:14
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Recovery- 4@ 8:01mi/min
Saturday: Long Run- 15@ 7:53min/mi 646
Sunday: Recovery 5@ 8:00min/mi


Total: 41 miles

The Perils of Running a Race on a Civil War Battlefield; 2 years later

The Battlefields of Antietam

One hundred and forty-nine years ago the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought on the battle fields of Antietam. Two years ago I ran a half marathon on the same battle field, and I swore I would not do it again, but then I needed a race to train for and I decided on this. Time heals all wounds.

The Freedom Run takes place in and around the Sharpsburg area of West Virginia. It really feels like a community race, but with the competency of a larger more established one.

I got to the race at the last minute (naturally), but luckily the parking attendants were there to tell me where to go. I preregistered so I could pick up my packet at the registration tent and I dropped off my bags. I forgot to take my gels out of the bag before I dropped it off. I will say this: the port-o-potty situation was phenomenal. If anything, there were too many places to relieve oneself, but I'm glad the race organized erred on that side of the fence.

The race started and I don't exactly know how I was timed since I didn't see anything to active the chip in my running number, but I got a finishing time at the end so I guess it happened. And off we were. The course was reversed from the last time, meaning, from miles 3-9 there were some heavy hills. Rolling hills I can handle, but I mean some steep incline quad killers. Did I forget to mention that it was 40 degrees and raining? There was also that. I decided to wear shorts, a singlet, and gloves. I was ok with my apparel choice, although it was a little chilly by mile 8.

The first part of the marathon was all road followed by a mile or so trail run. Then the most fun part of it because of the cows and horses, but also the most grueling due to the severity of the inclines. Next up was the actual battle fields of Antietam, which was very inspiring to run through. Whenever my legs hurt or I couldn't breathe, I would just look out onto the distance and imagine dying men, their blood turning the ground red. Suddenly, running this stupid race didn't seem so terrible. The last four or so miles were rolling down hills. You can kind of get a feel for how difficult the course was by noting my splits below:

1 - 6:35
2 - 6:18
3 - 7:00
4 - 7:10
5 - 6:38
6 - 6:52
7 - 7:13
8 - 7:03
9 - 6:37
10 - 7:08
11 - 6:38
12 - 6:44
13 - 6:28

My worst splits are the ones where there are the largest hills. Actually some of those splits don't really make sense, but oh well. I think mile 7 was where the giant hills was. I don't know what happened on mile 10. And I didn't realize miles 3 and 4 were that bad, although they were very hilly. It's interesting that my last mile was my almost the fastest.

The finish line was in the local stadium. Normally I'd stay to watch people finish but it was freezing and rainy so I decided to chill in my car. At the finish line there were pizza slices abound. Warm, nourishing pizza as well as other post race snacks. Also you could shower at the nearby university gym and warm up that way.

Even though I wouldn't recommend this course to reach your personal best, the race itself is great. The people are friendly, the course is historically minded, has local atmosphere, charges a reasonable entry fee, etc. Then afterwards you can dine in or around Shepardstown, WV, which has some great cafes and restaurant. Or, travel south ten miles to Harper's Ferry and go to that John Brown Wax Museum.

Training: 09/26/11 - 10/02/11

This week I did a slight taper for the half marathon. I didn't do a lot of actual training for it, but I wanted a goal. All the runs felt good, and I was happy to spend a little less time running this week. My metatarsals are getting better, maybe because of the new shoes. I wear them everywhere that I can. 


Monday: Tempo- 4@ 6:50min/mi, 2@ 7:45min/mi
Tuesday: Recovery- 5@ 8:00min/mi
Wednesday: Speed (Track)- 800@ 2:50, 400@ 1:19, 400@ 1:17, 800@ 2:43, 400@ 1:16, 400@ 1:16,
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Recovery- 1.5@ 8:00mi/min
Saturday: Half Marathon- 13.1@ 6:48min/mi
Sunday: Recovery 5.75@ 8:14min/mi


Total: 35 miles