2011 came more quickly than I anticipated last night when my sister-in-law announced a March 12th wedding date in Las Vegas (where my in-laws live). Travel time and expenses accounted for, I had to drop plans for one marathon (Salt Lake City on April 16th) but was able to add another (Red Rock Canyon). Fortunately or unfortunately, Red Rock is only 14 weeks away...so much for taking a few weeks off. So here how 2011 shapes up:
March 5th, 2011: Red Rock Canyon Marathon (Las Vegas, NV)
June 4th, 2011: Newport Marathon (Newport, OR)
June 25th, 2011: Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (Seattle, WA)
July 4th, 2011: Foot Traffic Flat Marathon (Portland, OR)
I missed on becoming a Marathon Maniac this year by two days. The bronze level criteria is three marathons in 90 days...the Pocatello Marathon (my third) came on day 92. Not in 2011. It's an ambitious schedule but one I don't feel any hesitation about. I know how my body recovers and feel confident in my abilities to run all four of these events. I'm hoping to add a fifth marathon in the fall, but I haven't found one that is economically feasible right now.
As an added bonus, I'd really like to run the local "mini-marathon" in my hometown on July 4th. This is the race that got it all started for me in 2008 and my goal is to run the Foot Traffic Flat Marathon and the Monmouth-Independence Mini-Marathon. Logistically is just might work. The marathon begins at 6:45am and it's about an 80 mile drive down I-5 back to Monmouth, where the 2.6mile race begins at 11:45ish. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but if I can finish the marathon in the 3:45 range (my goal for next year and the Foot Traffic Flat is just that) and all goes well, I just might be able to pull it off. And if not, I'll settle in and watch the parade with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends and then go enjoy the rest of the day (my 29th birthday also) at my grandparents' house in their pool.
I've spent a considerable amount of time thinking about how I need to change my training for the coming year. Coming into 2010, I had very little, if any, running base to speak of. Now I've got a year of consistent running under my belt and could go run 15 miles on any given day and not sweat it. Mileage isn't a problem. Cross-training, however, is a problem. I don't do any. And if there's one thing I think would make a difference between mile 20 and the finish line, it's adding a consistent core strengthening program.
I'm also realistic about my time, or lack of it. I'm not any less busy than I was at this time last year and a four running days per week schedule bordered on too much. For the next 14 weeks I'll be using Hal Higdon's 3-day per week program. I like the principles behind it and feel good about Mr. Higdon's purpose for each run. I'll spend two days a week doing the RevAbs program as my core strengthening component and then I take two days a week, Sunday and Friday, to completely rest. I'll have a few months between Red Rock and Newport so I can adjust things if necessary, but for now this is what I'm going with.
While cleaning some things in my garage this morning, I glanced up at the wall where I put all of my race bibs, finishing medals, pictures, etc and thought about the last 14 months: three marathons, five half marathons, two 15ks, a 10k and a 5k. Who'd have thought? 2011 is here, even if it's only December. It's cold outside. It's wet. It's dark. It's miserable. I dislike all of these things, but for marathon training it's perfect. It separates those who will put in the work regardless of the conditions and those who will make excuses why they can't. For those who endure it, the reward will be there on race days next spring.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Giveaway Post! Contest Ends 11/22/10!
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Update: Congratulations to Andrew G., who's sharing of the giveaway post on Facebook won him a brand new RevAbs kit! Enjoy!
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I have in my possession for one lucky reader a complete RevAbs kit from BeachBody. BeachBody, the creators of the wildly popular P90X fitness program, along with Brett Hoebel, a sought-after fitness, strength and nutrition expert in New York and Los Angeles for 15 years have developed the RevAbs program using Brett's biomedical science background and expertise in the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira.
Also included is a fantastic Nutrition Guide, featuring Brett's 14-day Jump Start Plan, simple, easy to prepare and delicious meal by meal recipes and all the nutritional information you'll need to stay on course. Regular readers of this site know how I feel about nutrition, but I will say this about the RevAbs system: the principles, if followed, will be an improvement in diet for probably 90% of Americans. Each meal is customizable and contains real food. Not fake food, or worthless supplements or platters full of cauliflower (forgive me if cauliflower is your thing).
Update: Congratulations to Andrew G., who's sharing of the giveaway post on Facebook won him a brand new RevAbs kit! Enjoy!
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As 2010 comes to a close and 2011 race announcements start arriving in my inbox, I look back at my year in running with satisfaction and look forward to the coming year with optimism. My satisfaction comes from completing three marathons, two half marathons (including my first trail race), two 15k races, and a 5k and 10k, where I set new PRs. My optimism comes from knowing I've yet to run my best marathon. I know that I can break 4 hours and challenge 3:45 if all goes right. I'm not there yet. But I will be. My problems always come in the final 6 miles but I don't believe it's a conditioning issue or a mental issue as much as it is a strength issue. I'll explain:
As I've learned to run the last 18 months, I've improved in many areas. At first, I focused solely on distance. After some injuries due to overtraining, I added a nutritional component to my training. Then I developed a schedule that included regular rest days and targeted mileage increases. Shortly thereafter I began practicing various mental-strengthening strategies. One thing I have never done, however, is cross-train. I don't own a bike (both were stolen), I don't swim particularly well and I have neither the time nor the money to join a gym simply to lift weights.
I've also learned that focusing on leg strength isn't enough to get me to where I want to be. The body uses an incredible amount of energy to create the motion needed to move the legs--motion that begins in the core. In each step we take, we must first ask our bodies to rotate from left to right or right to left. Over and over again, hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of times during a run we ask this of our bodies. When the core muscles are the weak point in the body, they become a burden to the whole structure, throw other muscles and energies out of balance and can eventually lead to poor form and ultimately injury. And no one likes being injured.
This winter, with four marathons in view for 2011 (see the side panel for upcoming races), I'm committing myself to strengthening my core muscles. I know that by doing so I will become a more efficient and effective runner.
Now there's an opportunity for your to do the same -- for FREE!
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| RevAbs: Your 90-Day Ab Solution |
Created and designed to burn fat and earn you (not give--you'll certainly work for it) six-pack abs in 90 days, simplicity is the name of the game with RevAbs. For me, as a person who thrives on structure, RevAbs does not disappoint. Out of the box, the RevAbs kit is a complete step-by-step workout and nutritional program designed to maximize fat burning and six-pack creation.
Separated into two 45-day programs, RevAbs contains 9 different workouts on 7 CDs. The accompanying RevGuide guides you through each daily workout, so you never have to worry about or wonder what's coming next. Each workout lasts 15-45 minutes, about the time it takes to watch a lame episode of Survivor (shaking head), Fringe (great show) or The Office (ehh). The workouts are fast, efficient and don't mess around and you'll start to feel the burn almost instantly
In addition, the RevAbs kit contains a 45 minute Rev It Up Cardio workout. Why spend time being bored on a treadmill when you can spice up your workout and burn fat off your whole body? Do a lot of traveling? Take the Anytime, Anywhere Abs workout with you. It's a 5 minute workout you can do anytime, anywhere.
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| The RevAbs Kit: 7 CDs, RevGuide, Nutrition Guide, Rev It Up Workout, Anywhere Abs, Wall Calendar & Fat Calipers, |
A wall calendar, professional fat caliper and free 24-hour online access to the RevAbs web site where you can chat with Brett and other fitness experts, and meet other RevAbs customers round out the kit, which retails for around $80. But...
...for being one of my readers, I have one complete RevAbs kit to give away for FREE! Entering to win in simple:
One Entry: Simply check out the RevAbs website and leave a comment below telling me what one of Brett Hoebel's nicknames is.
Two Entries: In additional to leaving a comment below, put a link on your blog (if you have one) to this contest page OR become a twitter follower of @mobmarathon and retweet the contest announcement (if you're already a follower, just retweet the announcement). Don't use Twitter? That's fine, just spread the word by sharing this page on Facebook instead using the button at the bottom of this post.
Please let me know in your comment how many entries you've qualified for if more than one (honor system). It will save me the time and effort of matching up your Twitter account name with your Facebook page with your name on your comment (read: I'm not going to spend the time matching up names. Just tell me how many entries in your comment).
Hurry and enter! Contest closes at 8pm EST on Monday November 22nd and will post the winner will be posted on Tuesday November 23rd by 11am EST. I want to make sure I get you the RevAbs kit in time to start working off that Thanksgiving Dinner!
(fine print disclosure: BeachBody, the makers of RevAbs, has provided me with a complete RevAbs kit to review and an additional kit to give away. I have not been compensated in any other way by Beach Body nor am I affiliated with them in any way. For more information about RevAbs and BeachBody, check out their Facebook and Twitter pages).
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Case for the 6th Day
At the outset, I want to warn you that this post will have little to nothing to do with running strategy, technique, nutrition, or mental discipline. I'm here today to vent, plain and simple. Not at anyone in particular or against society or culture. Just at "it." Because "it" has driven me nuts for the duration of my short, but increasing running career. "It" has been working its way past annoying and towards irritating for sometime now, but today for whatever reason, it kicked and in doing so sprinted right by irritating and frustrating and into depressing.
A few pieces of disclosure first of all:
1. I understand fully that race directors and organizations don't know me from anyone (nor do they care, nor do they have a reason to) and as such, don't have me in mind when they organize a race.
2. Not only do they not know or care who I am, they know if I don't sign up for their race and pay their fee, someone else will--so why should they care?
3. I have made personal decisions in my life that contribute to "it."
4. My personal decisions, and my reasons behind them, are far more important to me than eliminating "it" by simply changing my decisions.
Sufficiently lost or confused yet? I apologize. Hear me out (or not -- either way, I'm writing it).
Here's what "it" is: Why are the vast majority of marathons held on Sunday?
Many of the arguments I see in online running forums and other places fall into three main arguments:
First, that Sunday races allow for Saturday expos. What many marathons call "expos" are simply packet pick-up/registration venues that also happen to have various products for sale. They're not events you would ever go to if you didn't have to pick up your race packet. Hold these festivities on Friday evening, Saturday morning before the race and for a few hours after the race. My guess is you'd have a more relaxed customer base. Let's face it, despite our best efforts, we're all strung a little tighter then we'd like to be in the hours prior to a marathon.
Second, traffic may be slightly less on Sunday morning. Let's just agree on the fact that unless it's strictly a trail race, there will be traffic logistics to work out on any day and at any time the race is to be held. A little route planning would probably go a long way towards making the issue of traffic a moot point, in terms of Saturday versus Sunday.
Finally, Sunday races allow for travel on Friday and Saturday. Having recently run a marathon and traveled home the same day let me tell you, it's hell. That said, having Sunday to recoup and recover before going back to work on Monday was an absolute necessity.
Scenario A: Travel on Friday, race on Saturday morning, enjoy the festivities and either travel home Saturday and recover on Sunday or get a good night's sleep on Saturday and travel home Sunday.
Scenario B: Travel on Friday or Saturday, be all stressed out over how many steps you're taking, try to fill your day with enough activities to keep you occupied but not so much that you sap your energy, worry about how you're going to stick to your pre-race diet away from home, get a poor night of sleep because of these three issues, race Sunday morning, be stressed some more as you rush to get home so you can get to bed late and wake up Monday morning to go to work.
That's obviously dramatized a bit, but you get the idea.
So-called "destination marathons" receive a pass on the travel point. However, many races think of themselves as destination marathons when they actually are not. Disney World? Destination marathon. Las Vegas? The same. New York, Chicago? Fine. Vernonia, OR?!? Eugene, OR? Vancouver, WA?
Ask yourself this: if there was no marathon being held, would you ever travel to Location X just to site-see or tell people you had been there? If the answer is no, if EVERYONE'S answer is no, then it's not a destination marathon (I exclude a 50 Stater's answer to this question because they'll go anywhere and call it a destination race simply because its probably their one and only visit to a particular state).
When I first started to run I made the decision I would not run on Sunday. Given my personal convictions and religious beliefs, it's not something I feel right about doing. I spend my Sundays going to church, pondering things spiritual, spending an entire day with my wife and kids and treating it in multiple ways as a day of rest. Others can make their own decisions. I don't judge them for it. Their convictions and beliefs are just as personal and unique to them as mine are to me. There are even those within my own congregation who feel differently about this issue than I do. I don't think any less of them for it.
Long ago I knew that this decision to not run on Sunday would mean I would never run in some of the most popular races in the country (Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Disney World) as well as a few smaller races that I would love to do (Phoenix, most of the Rock n Roll Series races, Vancouver B.C.). At some level this is disappointing, but as I said in the beginning, my reasons for not running on Sunday are for more important than any of these races would be. And so, I I have never trained or run a race on Sunday since this journey began.
My frustration today came as rumors became a reality when a (somewhat) local half marathon announced they would be adding a full marathon in 2011. The half has been held the last few years on Saturday early in April and has had good reviews locally. The full option now added, the directors moved both races moved to Sunday. What a shame. With the exception of a few years for college, I have lived in Oregon my entire life. I had to look up on a map where Vernonia, OR is. It fails all three arguments above: In no way is it a destination marathon, there are minimal if any traffic issues and there isn't an expo. The vast majority of runners will be from the Greater Portland area, who will simply get in their cars and drive home following the race. And yet, a popular local race was moved to Sunday. For what purpose? Does a race somehow gain prestige by being held on Sunday? Is it like a movie producer who adds just enough language, violence or sex to get his movie an R rating, somehow making it a "real" or "better" movie than one with with a lesser vulgarity rating? (It should be noted that half marathons seem to be no different, at least locally).
I am jealous of my friends who live back east. From their door step, they can drive three hours and be in any number of major U.S. cities and dozens of other mid-sized cities. Their universe of travel-friendly marathons is huge. Out here in the west, not so much. From where I sit, It's four hours to Seattle, seven to Boise and 12 to San Francisco. Despite the distance between major cities, there are a still a good number of marathons held each year within a reasonable driving distance. They are as follows:
Vernonia, OR (new in 2011)--Sunday April 10th
Eugene, OR--Sunday May 1st
Newport, OR--Saturday June 4th
Vancouver, WA (new in 2011)--Sunday June 19th
Foot Traffic Flat--July 4th every year
Portland, OR--Sunday October 9th
Portland is the only one that might be considered a destination race. And that might be stretching it (and given their EARLY-BIRD price of $135 for the 2011 race, save your money, buy a picture calendar instead).
I'm excited to run marathons, but I look at that schedule and it's frustrating. To toss salt in the wound, July 4th fell on a Sunday last year so the Foot Traffic Flat was out (though it will be a welcomed addition to my schedule next summer). Flying anywhere is expensive. Race fees are increasing (a vent for another day), and yet, there's a half dozen marathons spread throughout the year within 90 minutes of my house. Two of them aren't on Sunday. Portland and Eugene will never change. Why should they? They sell out every year (even at ridiculous prices). When word began to get out that Vancouver, and then Vernonia, were going to hold marathons, I really hoped they would run them on a Saturday.
Apparently not.
And so I will continue to find other challenges. Like running Newport, Seattle (Rock n Roll--Saturday June 25th) and the Foot Traffic Flat within a 30-day window. If my budget allows, maybe I'll add the Utah Valley marathon on June 11th to complete the month. Marathonguide.com has a map that can be filtered to show Saturday marathons only, but I've found so many inaccuracies that I've been slowly making my own list over the last few months. I'll post it soon. If you've run a Saturday marathon or know of one that should be added to the list, please let me know and I'll gladly do so.
I don't expect things to change. Marathons, the big ones at least, appear to be recession proof as organizers continue to increase costs but also continue to sell out. From a business standpoint, why mess with something if its wildly successful.
Anyway, I think that's all for that. Here's the first 5 miles of my run tomorrow (around 13.5 miles total) as I get ready for my first trail race (Silver Creek Falls half marathon) on November 6th and a flat and fast half marathon on November 20th. Fun, huh?
A few pieces of disclosure first of all:
1. I understand fully that race directors and organizations don't know me from anyone (nor do they care, nor do they have a reason to) and as such, don't have me in mind when they organize a race.
2. Not only do they not know or care who I am, they know if I don't sign up for their race and pay their fee, someone else will--so why should they care?
3. I have made personal decisions in my life that contribute to "it."
4. My personal decisions, and my reasons behind them, are far more important to me than eliminating "it" by simply changing my decisions.
Sufficiently lost or confused yet? I apologize. Hear me out (or not -- either way, I'm writing it).
Here's what "it" is: Why are the vast majority of marathons held on Sunday?
Many of the arguments I see in online running forums and other places fall into three main arguments:
First, that Sunday races allow for Saturday expos. What many marathons call "expos" are simply packet pick-up/registration venues that also happen to have various products for sale. They're not events you would ever go to if you didn't have to pick up your race packet. Hold these festivities on Friday evening, Saturday morning before the race and for a few hours after the race. My guess is you'd have a more relaxed customer base. Let's face it, despite our best efforts, we're all strung a little tighter then we'd like to be in the hours prior to a marathon.
Second, traffic may be slightly less on Sunday morning. Let's just agree on the fact that unless it's strictly a trail race, there will be traffic logistics to work out on any day and at any time the race is to be held. A little route planning would probably go a long way towards making the issue of traffic a moot point, in terms of Saturday versus Sunday.
Finally, Sunday races allow for travel on Friday and Saturday. Having recently run a marathon and traveled home the same day let me tell you, it's hell. That said, having Sunday to recoup and recover before going back to work on Monday was an absolute necessity.
Scenario A: Travel on Friday, race on Saturday morning, enjoy the festivities and either travel home Saturday and recover on Sunday or get a good night's sleep on Saturday and travel home Sunday.
Scenario B: Travel on Friday or Saturday, be all stressed out over how many steps you're taking, try to fill your day with enough activities to keep you occupied but not so much that you sap your energy, worry about how you're going to stick to your pre-race diet away from home, get a poor night of sleep because of these three issues, race Sunday morning, be stressed some more as you rush to get home so you can get to bed late and wake up Monday morning to go to work.
That's obviously dramatized a bit, but you get the idea.
So-called "destination marathons" receive a pass on the travel point. However, many races think of themselves as destination marathons when they actually are not. Disney World? Destination marathon. Las Vegas? The same. New York, Chicago? Fine. Vernonia, OR?!? Eugene, OR? Vancouver, WA?
Ask yourself this: if there was no marathon being held, would you ever travel to Location X just to site-see or tell people you had been there? If the answer is no, if EVERYONE'S answer is no, then it's not a destination marathon (I exclude a 50 Stater's answer to this question because they'll go anywhere and call it a destination race simply because its probably their one and only visit to a particular state).
When I first started to run I made the decision I would not run on Sunday. Given my personal convictions and religious beliefs, it's not something I feel right about doing. I spend my Sundays going to church, pondering things spiritual, spending an entire day with my wife and kids and treating it in multiple ways as a day of rest. Others can make their own decisions. I don't judge them for it. Their convictions and beliefs are just as personal and unique to them as mine are to me. There are even those within my own congregation who feel differently about this issue than I do. I don't think any less of them for it.
Long ago I knew that this decision to not run on Sunday would mean I would never run in some of the most popular races in the country (Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Disney World) as well as a few smaller races that I would love to do (Phoenix, most of the Rock n Roll Series races, Vancouver B.C.). At some level this is disappointing, but as I said in the beginning, my reasons for not running on Sunday are for more important than any of these races would be. And so, I I have never trained or run a race on Sunday since this journey began.
My frustration today came as rumors became a reality when a (somewhat) local half marathon announced they would be adding a full marathon in 2011. The half has been held the last few years on Saturday early in April and has had good reviews locally. The full option now added, the directors moved both races moved to Sunday. What a shame. With the exception of a few years for college, I have lived in Oregon my entire life. I had to look up on a map where Vernonia, OR is. It fails all three arguments above: In no way is it a destination marathon, there are minimal if any traffic issues and there isn't an expo. The vast majority of runners will be from the Greater Portland area, who will simply get in their cars and drive home following the race. And yet, a popular local race was moved to Sunday. For what purpose? Does a race somehow gain prestige by being held on Sunday? Is it like a movie producer who adds just enough language, violence or sex to get his movie an R rating, somehow making it a "real" or "better" movie than one with with a lesser vulgarity rating? (It should be noted that half marathons seem to be no different, at least locally).
I am jealous of my friends who live back east. From their door step, they can drive three hours and be in any number of major U.S. cities and dozens of other mid-sized cities. Their universe of travel-friendly marathons is huge. Out here in the west, not so much. From where I sit, It's four hours to Seattle, seven to Boise and 12 to San Francisco. Despite the distance between major cities, there are a still a good number of marathons held each year within a reasonable driving distance. They are as follows:
Vernonia, OR (new in 2011)--Sunday April 10th
Eugene, OR--Sunday May 1st
Newport, OR--Saturday June 4th
Vancouver, WA (new in 2011)--Sunday June 19th
Foot Traffic Flat--July 4th every year
Portland, OR--Sunday October 9th
Portland is the only one that might be considered a destination race. And that might be stretching it (and given their EARLY-BIRD price of $135 for the 2011 race, save your money, buy a picture calendar instead).
I'm excited to run marathons, but I look at that schedule and it's frustrating. To toss salt in the wound, July 4th fell on a Sunday last year so the Foot Traffic Flat was out (though it will be a welcomed addition to my schedule next summer). Flying anywhere is expensive. Race fees are increasing (a vent for another day), and yet, there's a half dozen marathons spread throughout the year within 90 minutes of my house. Two of them aren't on Sunday. Portland and Eugene will never change. Why should they? They sell out every year (even at ridiculous prices). When word began to get out that Vancouver, and then Vernonia, were going to hold marathons, I really hoped they would run them on a Saturday.
Apparently not.
And so I will continue to find other challenges. Like running Newport, Seattle (Rock n Roll--Saturday June 25th) and the Foot Traffic Flat within a 30-day window. If my budget allows, maybe I'll add the Utah Valley marathon on June 11th to complete the month. Marathonguide.com has a map that can be filtered to show Saturday marathons only, but I've found so many inaccuracies that I've been slowly making my own list over the last few months. I'll post it soon. If you've run a Saturday marathon or know of one that should be added to the list, please let me know and I'll gladly do so.
I don't expect things to change. Marathons, the big ones at least, appear to be recession proof as organizers continue to increase costs but also continue to sell out. From a business standpoint, why mess with something if its wildly successful.
Anyway, I think that's all for that. Here's the first 5 miles of my run tomorrow (around 13.5 miles total) as I get ready for my first trail race (Silver Creek Falls half marathon) on November 6th and a flat and fast half marathon on November 20th. Fun, huh?
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