Soreness vs Pain - Progress vs Injury

This has been an outstanding weekend of running for me.  I ratcheted up my long run to 1 hour, 15 minutes yesterday, running roughly 10.5 miles at a decent clip.  This is my longest run since committing to run the Santa Barbara Marathon a month ago.  And this morning I ran another 45 minutes, feeling solid and good.  These overcast skies we've been seeing make for some great training!

Today my legs felt sore but in a "good" way.  Whenever I push myself on a run, I usually feel some soreness the next day or two, sometimes longer.  I'm usually able to continue the training through the soreness.  I actually think some light training or perhaps some cross training...walking, hiking, cycling, etc. is good when you have some muscle soreness to keep the blood flowing and move towards recuperation.

After I do an "all out" 5K, 10K, marathon or other race, I often feel really sore for up to 3, 5 or even 7 days after the race.  Icing the sore spots or perhaps jumping into the pool and moving around seem to help.

Let's not confuse "good" soreness resulting from a solid training run or performance to pain associated with an injury.  Running through a sharp "pain" can be more challenging and self defeating than running through muscle soreness.

I trained pretty hard for the Tucson Marathon 5 years ago.  The course is known for its 2,220 net drop in elevation.  I trained quite a bit on the pavement for that race and for whatever reason had recurring shin splint pain.  Running on shin splints can feel like running with a knife pointing at your shins.  For me, running downhill adds fuel to the pain.

Due to sheer will, stupidity and to some degree lazyness (not at training, but at taking care of my body after my training), I continued to attempt to run with the shin splints while not resting enough and not consistently icing them. So without having completely remedied my shin splint issue, went to Tucson.  After a decent start (love that downhill), by mile 16 the shin splints came back with a vengeance and ultimately I dropped out of the race.

So if you are feeling sore, that can be a good thing.  Recover and you'll be fine for your next run.  If you are feeling sharp pains somewhere, STOP and do something about it!

Gym Workouts: Pump It or Dump It?

First off, an update on last week's training...42 miles for the week and my long run was 60 minutes, approximately 8.5 miles.  I was hoping for a 10 miler but my body was not agreeable to that.  But that's o.k., I feel pretty good about where my training stands with over 6 months until the marathon.

In the meantime here's a listing of upcoming races on my calendar:

June 7th:  Senior Concerns Love Run 10K in Westlake Village (Come on out and sign up for this local event at www.seniorconcerns.org.  Sponsored by Jersey Mike's!).

June 14th: Valley Crest Half Marathon in the San Fernando Valley (www.trailrunevents.com)

August 22nd: This is crazy but I'm signed up for the Bulldog 50K Ultra Run in the heat of the summer.  I plan to run it purely as an "over-distance" training run, meaning fully 3 months prior to my marathon I hope to do more than the marathon distance (roughly 31.2 miles) at a "casual" pace...whatever that means.  This will mark the first time I've ever attempted more than 26.2 miles.  Bulldog is quite a challenging, hilly, trail course.  I've run the Bulldog 25K (same day) several times.  A lot of fun...but sign up soon as entries are limited (www.trailrunevents.com).

November 6th: Calabasas Classic 10K - A premiere local event with goodie bags that are worth more than the entry fee!! www.calabasasclassic.com

I'll sign up for more events as time moves along.  It's fun and motivational to race in preparation for the marathon distance.  Not to mention it helps you practice the art of eating/drinking on the run, which is quite important for the marathon distance.

So on to pumping iron.  Yea or nea?  Let me give you the standard answer...it depends.

Most people say moderate gym workouts are good for running as they provides good "core" muscular training of your body.  Keeping your body in good physical shape in general is good for running.  I believe in this theory and have been working out in gyms for 30 years.

Prior to my running endeavors, I'd work out in the gym 3 to 5 times per week for 45 to 75 minutes.  Over the years, I've reduced my gym workouts to 3 times per week, 20 minutes per workout, resting very minimally between sets.  Something along the lines of a "Curves" workout for women.

I don't really enjoy working out in the gym anymore, which is one reason I'm motivated to get in and out of there in 20 minutes.  I don't mess around.

But I do like the way gym workouts make me look and feel.  While it is more likely my physique would be mistaken for a flagpole over a linebacker, my belief is that gym workouts help keep me stronger for running.

Some people say working out is not helpful to running as it does not replicate the movement of your muscles when running.  I disagree and feel that keeping your muscles strong in many ways helps supplement your running.

If you were extremely limited in time and had time for only a running workout or a gym workout, I'd pick the running workout.  But I'd guilt myself into working out the next day...or at least doing some pushups and situps later that day.

Some people say working out too much makes your muscles too big and slows down your running.  This could happen to some people but for the most part that would take a lot of effort.

So in my opinion...pump it up!  At a later date I'll share more information about my quick and dirty 20 minute workouts.  Or if you are ready to start your training, there are many options listed here in CVG. Now if you don't know what you're doing in a gym, read up on it or shortcut the process by hiring a personal trainer.

If you don't like the confines of a gym, how about an outdoor boot camp?

Rolling With the Punches When Training for the Marathon

It is Memorial Day weekend, a 3 day weekend for many of us.  Today is also the 24th running of the Los Angeles Marathon!  So I thought this would be an outstanding weekend of running, training and motivation!

Zzzzzz...but I'm TIRED!

Ah well, I tried to get my long run up to 1 hour, 15 minutes yesterday, but just didn't have it in me! :<

LIFE kind of gets in the way.  I've got 3 and 6 year old boys and they are quite a handful.  We've had a great weekend, full of fun activities.  But I've been tired.  They seem to have this sixth sense...wake up at 6 a.m. on weekends but on school days sleep like a rock.  And make sure to wake up 2 or 3 times during the night for various reasons.

So as a full-time dad, full-time provider for the family and part-time marathon runner, I roll with the punches, step back and realize that I ain't gonna feel perky, peppy an energetic all the time.

I can set training goals but I'm not going to meet them all the time.  In fact, these days, I don't meet my goals more often than not!

It is frustrating.  But I do have the hindsight of running 24 previous marathons to know that, you can't force your body to do something it isn't willing to do.

So what else can you do about these training impediments?  PLAN for them!  Yes, place enough time in your schedule for the unforeseen to occur.  Plan for the unplannable and you will succeed in meeting your marathon goals.

Miles or Minutes? How Should You Measure Your Training Efforts?

The quick answer:  Who cares!?  For most of us it really doesn't matter how you measure and how precise you are.  JUST GET OUT THERE AND RUN!

But let me digress and ramble a bit.

I began running in May 1994.  Feeling happy and bubbly with 5 beers in my belly (and I did have a belly back then), the discussion with my fit coworker in her mid 50s turned towards her marathon training.

Lori (you know your real name) had (and has) a passion for running that kept her going, day in, day out, regardless of how she felt.  I admired her for mental and physical toughness that got her out there training up to 60 miles a week.

I was 28 and had never run much, other than away from bees and dogs foaming at the mouth.  But that beer was messing with my brain and in a sudden rush of drunken stupidity I told Lori that I would run the Los Angeles Marathon next year.

So starting the next day, I stuck with my commitment and got out there and ran.  At first, only a block or two before my knees and ankles gave out.  But I walked back home and tried it again the next day until I could run without stopping.

Long story short. I soon found myself not only running each night, but driving my car along the paths that I ran, jotting down the mileage to the nearest tenth of a mile.  I had several pages of courses and their distance written down.  Boy was I anal-retentive about it, to the point I would drive courses several times "just to make sure" they were correct.

But, at the time, I felt a need for precision because I was really getting into it and enjoyed tracking and analyzing my "statistics."

Here we are now in 2009, 15 years of running later, and my life and attitude have changed.  I don't have the time, energy or desire to track my mileage down to the tenth of a mile.  I still log my mileage, but generally round to the nearest half mile.

But it has been years and years since I drove a course just to measure the distance.  I've developed a decent feel for the "pace" of a run, be it 6, 7 or 8 minutes per mile.  So I simply measure the time run in minutes and quantify the mileage based on my estimated pace.

That said, there are some outstanding products out there now that can precisely measure your mileage for you.  One of them is the Nike Plus gadget that syncs to an iPod Nano and lets you upload your mileage and pacing to a website.  Click here for a decent write-up. I have a Nike Plus and think it is cool, but I prefer to just get out there and RUN.  But if you're looking for data, this is a great, simple, useful and unobtrusive to use product!

I digress again. This talk about data and the Nike Plus is making me think about that cool NikePlus.com website again. Hmm.

My Advice, Ice is Nice, Don't Think Twice

First off, I'm pleased to report my mileage increased last week from 36 to 46 miles, mostly driven by several one hour runs this weekend (including this trail run in Sycamore Canyon).

Yesterday two body parts were nagging me with pain.  My left big toe must have been jammed up against my shoe too much on the downhills as it was pretty painful to walk on yesterday.  On that same leg I've had a knee problem...not due to running...my 3 year old has knocked into it a few too many times of late.  It hurts more when I kneel and walk than when I run though.

So while I felt pretty happy with the past week's training, it ended on a bit of a note of irritation.  It is never enjoyable walking around with pain.

What I have learned over the years is that the simple placement of ice on these types of problems often seems to fix the problem.  I'm no doctor but I guess it helps to reduce the swelling and pain.  Sometimes I also take an Advil or Aleve.

So last night as I was typing away on my laptop on the couch with beer on one side, TV on in front of me and Sunday newspaper and phone to my left, and the rest of the family asleep, I sat there and placed ice packs on my toe and my knee for 30 minutes.

Today I woke up and while both problematic body parts still hurt, I was able to get out there and start slowly running.  Within 10 minutes the pain seemed to go away.  Tonight I feel about 80% better.  Some lingering soreness but I think the ice did its duty again.  I should probably be icing it more right now.

So my advice it to grab that ice and don't think twice.  Ice is your friend.  Ice is nice!

But on that note, ice can also be hard to balance on your toe, knee, hamstring, etc.  Well, a bag of frozen peas is equally good.  Plus it can mold to your body shape.  If you do plan to use a bag of peas (or carrots if you prefer), might wanna place it in a separate space in the freezer so your family doesn't have to eat a bag of peas that has been nestled up against your derriere.

Ran Up to the Old Danielson Cabin Site and Monument Today

Danielson Monument

At 10 a.m. today, I ran from the trailhead at Wendy and Potrero in Newbury Park up to the Danielson Monument and old cabin site.  Generally I prefer to run early in the morning but my wife needed some extra sleep today so I ran later.  It is definitely getting warmer out there but there was some light ocean breezes in the trails.

Danielson Monument Sign

This is roughly a 7 mile round-trip trek and it took me an about an hour, 32 minutes up and 28 minutes back.  Some of the trails are a little overgrown but overall it wasn't too bad.  Butterflies and lizards were out in force today.  In fact a baby lizard ran with me for about 20 steps as he decided to veer off the trail.  There were only about 2 dozen people total on the trail today so it was nice and quiet.

I run at a decent clip.  For many of you, assuming you run the whole way, this would be about an hour and a half run.  If you hike the trail, it is more like 3 hours. Details at THIS LINK.

I was out of gas at the end of the run today. This is a challenging run because it involves a lot of hills.  The net elevation climb is 1200 feet but I suspect the total climb, factoring in downhills is a lot more. Courses like this are great for building endurance, strength (uphills) and speed (downhills).  Lots of rocks and turns though so be careful!

Danielson's Old Deer Cabin - Only the chimney remains

There was shade along a decent section of the trail today but overall it was pretty warm.  There are some areas, particularly near the stream crossing, with poison oak to watch out for.  I didn't carry water with me as I knew it would only be an hour, but I'd recommend bringing some.

Now go on, stop reading this blog, get out there and start RUNNING!

Reduce the Hurt...Run on Dirt!

Let's face it.  The human body was not built to run 30, 40, 50+ miles per week solely on pavement.

Buy the best pair of shoes, stretch, rest a lot, get massages, but you are putting your joints and ligaments at risk by pounding out all of your mileage on streets and sidewalks.

That's not to say it isn't a good idea to do some significant training on the roads.  In fact, if you are training for a road race, particularly a marathon, it behooves you to train quite a bit on that surface.  If you don't, your body will not be fully prepared for 26.2 miles of pounding on the roads.

But try to get out there in the trails and more "giving" surfaces as much as you can.  If you live here in sunny Southern California, surrounded by mountains and beaches, you've got it made.  Here in the Conejo Valley, we are surrounded by hundreds of miles of open space and trails.  Some of my local favorites are Sycamore Canyon, Cheseboro Canyon and the Los Robles Trail.  But there are so many to choose from.

Now for the pros and cons of trail running.  The pros are: easier on the body, scenic, gets you back to nature, great for improving foot/eye coordination, gets you away from car fumes, etc.  The main drawbacks are higher chance of twisting your ankle on rocks (gotta be careful!) and possible wildlife encounters.  On that note, I do have a few friends that refuse to run trails because they are afraid of snakes.  I agree that you need to be aware...I run trails 5 days a week and see a snake probably once every few months...mostly in the summer. 

Of course on the trails you have to deal with creepy crawlies, gnats (I've run through some nasty swarms at times...usually in the late spring), bees (got stung on the back of my head once, but I survived), etc.  I see coyotes all the time but they are scrawny and stay away from me, even though I am scrawnier.  Of course, you also need to be aware of poison oak..."leaves of three...let it be."

But don't let those minor matters scare you away!  You've gotta try it and you'll be hooked!  And your body will thank you for it.

And consider running an upcoming local trail race!  Great stuff.  You'll meet a lot of fun people.

Looking Out For #1...and #2

So last week I ran about 36 miles.  Wasn't quite what I wanted to do but my right hamstring started bothering me after an 8 mile run on Thursday morning and the smoke from the Santa Barbara fire played some havoc with my lungs.  But that's o.k.  Felt good this morning.

So you get up at 5:30 a.m. one morning for an hour long run.  You roll out of bed, splash some water on your face, gear up, lace up, drink some water, force a piece of toast or banana down, and take off.  You don't really have a lot of time to lounge around, have a cup of coffee, read the paper.  You just wanna take off and get your run in.

The plan is to run for half an hour in one direction, then turn back around, an "out and back" course. You generally start out slow to work into the run, so your plan is actually to run more like 32 minutes on the way out, figuring you will speed up a bit on the way back.

Twelve minutes into the run you pass a public park with restrooms.  You kind of feel like you need to stop but decide you can "hold it" for now.  At the 25 minute mark you realize maybe you should have stopped at the park, for not just #1 but #2 reasons.  But you are determined to run the full 32 minutes so you keep going.

At 26 minutes your internal organs feel like a can of Coke shaken hard.  You realize that a decisive action must take place, either beeline back to that park, roughly 13 minutes, or almost 2 miles away, find somewhere else, or explode.

At this point you could care less how far you run.  You just want relief.  So you veer left as you recall a construction site a few blocks over.  Briefly you ponder ducking behind the dumpster by Vons down the road but quickly decide the it wouldn't be worth the risk of getting caught, aheming, in public.

So your steps become noticable shorter as you do your best to restrain the contents of your innards, running ballerina style, and yes, there's the construction site!  But NOOOO... the gate is locked!!!  Arrggghhhh!!!  Thankfully though, you see an opening on the other side and with your lean runner physique manage to squeeze into the gap and manage your way to the porta-john.

Without any more thought you find the relief you were looking for.  Then look over and realize there is no T.P. in the porta-john. 

So as you jog back home, with socks missing, you think, I gotta plan this out better.

Paula Radcliffe, the current women's marathon record holder, had this problem in the 2008 Olympics.  She made a beeline for the porta-potty and finished 23rd.

Used to happen to me all the time too.  Funny, but no laughing matter when you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, or worse yet...SOMEWHERE...and you are unprepared!

So here is my list of things to prepare yourself for when nature calls:

1. Try to time things such that you don't need to "go" in the middle of a run.  Yes, easier said than done I know.  But if you are able to take care of business before you run, that is the best solution.

2. Be careful what you eat.  No doubt in my mind that runners are more "regular" than non-runners because of the jarring motion of running.  In general that means that thing will go through you faster and sometimes unexpectedly.  So before you down that extra lump of wasabi, cup of salsa or bowl of 100% Bran Flakes, ponder the impact on your innards the next day.

3. Plan your runs such that you will have pit stops along the way if needed.  Or if you REALLY have some problems, consider running a loop near your house so you can make a pit stop there.  I have found the most success with this approach. Approximately 10 to 12 minutes into my run, I've resolved my issues and am ready to really start running.

4. Bring items that will enable you to complete your uh, little mission, in an appropriate way.  In other words, consider stuffing some T.P. in your pocket.

5. Wear Depends on your run.  (OK, I'M JUST JOKING!)

OK, now that I've given you all this wonderful information, get on out there and start running!!

Running When There is Smoke in the Air

It is Sunday afternoon, Mother's Day and I haven't felt very good all weekend.  I ran for 50 minutes yesterday morning and another 40 minutes this morning, but my chest hurts when I breathe in deeply and my eyes kind of hurt.

The Jesusita fire in Santa Barbara has burned nearly 9,000 acres over the last 5 days and is now about 55% contained.  I've been concerned for residents of Santa Barbara but I didn't really think about the impact of smoke from the fire on us here in Ventura County.  But there has been an air quality advisory for all of Ventura County all weekend on the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District website at www.vcapcd.org.  The advisory says "Persons sensitive to smoke and particulates should limit time spent outdoors and minimize physical exertion while smoke is in the air." That be me.

Not only did I run for 50 minutes yesterday, but I was at the Conejo Valley Days Carnival for about 5 hours.  So, as a person who is impacted by smoke in the air, I haven't been doing my body much good over the past few days.  I ran like a slug thi s morning.

So be careful out there, especially when the fires are close to home.  Run indoors on a treadmill if possible and minimize your time outdoors if you are sensitive to smoke.

You Won't Regret Taking a Break

While this is advice is for all marathon runners, it is particularly geared towards the obsessive ones that feel guilty when taking a day off.  I place myself into this category.

Thursday night I was really tired and could barely drag myself out of bed on Friday morning.  Not to mention, I had run for an hour on Thursday morning and had a bit of a sore knee.  So I took Friday off.

All better today!  My knee problem is gone. My energy is back.  I ran this morning with a spring in my step.

Take a day off when you need it, even if you had planned to run that day.  Your body is trying to tell you something.  Don't feel guilty about it.