Night of the Running Dead

...or maybe The Virginia Liver Massacre?

Given my antics the past 3 weekends, it would be far more fitting to post on the "Drinking Beers like Animals" blog instead of this one. This past weekend marked another voyage to a college town which entailed very little sleep, and far more beers than i care to remember all at once.

I came home Sunday after a large meal and steak dinner with the family, only to take a 30 minute nap before i decided to venture out on a long run around 7:30. Weary, sore, and dreary-eyed, I ended up going for 2 hours, or roughly 16-17 miles in the cold and drizzle. It was a spooky run fit for the halloween weekend as all of the street lights on the main road i ran on were all out of order. Through the curtain of darkness and fog i was fortunate to have my newly acquired and trusty headlamp on hand(or head i guess). As expected, i felt like crap the first half and was running out of steam by the end of the second half, but am otherwise not too terribly sore and am satisfied i got my sorry ass out of my cozy warm house to do it.

I ran in these babies i picked up earlier in the day too:

You indie hipster hippes should write a song about THESE kicks.

-Kyle

The Result

2x2 mile at an average pace of 6:25. Galen Rupp, eat your heart out.

In other news, I did the entire workout while listening to my iPod shuffle.

The Return

Dear Friends,

As I have so many times before, I must begin this post with an apology for my absence over the past couple of weeks. I have been stuck in an emotional and mental fog that has kept me from doing anything meaningful with my life. As I slowly pull myself from this abyss, I will begin by commenting on my recent running and future race plans.

My recent running has been terrible. I have been unmotivated. I now find myself approximately 2 weeks away from my "race," and have put in no substantial training at all. The only upside to this is that I don't really care. My plan for this race is to just get through it. To be perfectly honest, as long as I run under 1:30 I will be happy. To be perfectly honest again, I don't know if I can do that. As sad as that is, it is true.

Today will be a bit of a test to see if it will be possible. I plan to go to the track for the first time to do a tempo style workout (2x2 mile at "race pace" which I will set at 6:45 for the time being, 800 jog between). If I am unable to accomplish this workout with relative ease, I don't even know. Bottom line is that this race was to be used as a "return to running" springboard into training for the Boston marathon in the spring. If that is legitimately my goal, then I will say that I'm content with where I'm at right now. Which is approximately... 50% of my maximum talent.

I'll report back post workout. Kyle and Max will be shocked to know that I'm going into it expecting to tank.

Ant.

Specificity 2

Changed my training plan. Still adhering to specificity's rule -

marathon week - race one day
weeks leading up to marathon - run one day

Shedding Some Light on the Subject

Today was my third and maybe last workout in preparation for this half marathon coming up. I decided to run up to the track during lunch and do 6 x800 with 1:30 rest followed by a hard 400 afterwards. I ended up running 2:40s and a 66. While it isn't anything stellar it felt good to run some quicker intervals and get my legs moving faster than they have been so far. Even though it was raining, I felt a lot more comfortable on the track this week than last.

Last week i decided that i'm going to purchase something that i once considered 'yuppie' and scoffed at.

A headlamp.

When i was training at my parents house in suburbia I had a few standard 8-10 mile loops that i would run nightly. Gliding through the darkness like a unseen phantom in the middle of the road. It was lit enough by the moon, street lights, and house lights that i had no use for any bright, flashing, excessive gear that would advertise my existence. I wanted to be the quiet dark figure sifting through the shadows outside as others sat unknowingly in their warm and quaint houses.

However, i've since moved to a much older and busier metropolitan area in which streets are constantly busy with traffic and the only places to run lack any kind useful light. This is also considering the fact that i don't get home from work til about 6:45-7:00 when the sun is already well beyond the horizon and darkness is engulfing the area quicker than i can toss on some kicks and be out the door. While i like the feeling of being an invisible shade clipping along in the night, i also am sure i would not like the feeling of running headfirst into a cyclist, nor tripping on a root or piece of uneven ground that would send my face barreling into a trunk or rock.

So i will purchase this headlight and wear it proud as i confidently run through the trails, residential paths, and streets of my town, blinding oncoming runners with my headlight as they have done so many times to me before.

-Kyle

Rude Awakening

Today I came to a realization... I may not be able to run as quickly as I had initially planned for this half marathon. I admittedly(and foolishly) figured that I could run 30 miles a week and enter race day and run sub 1:20 no problem. I mean, i've ran a full marathon at that pace before so why shouldn't i be able to get a few miles under my belt and do half the distance at the same pace?

Well that race was 3 years ago when i was training 60-70 miles a week, actually doing 3 structured workouts a week, and weighing 15 lbs less.

Looking at my calendar, stunned with realization that race day was only 3 weeks away, i found myself so far having done 1 actual workout, and no long runs above the race distance. So today i decided to run up to the local high school and do a track workout. It was extremely windy and i only managed to do a 4xmile in ~5:34 pace before i had to get back to work(not that i was in any state to grind out another interval anyway). The pace felt nothing short of very uncomfortable in both my legs, and lungs. Going to Harrisonburg this weekend, and potentially Charlottesville next weekend, after being in Richmond last weekend(all with the intention of drinking beers and partying), probably won't do much to help my training cause either.

Oh well, I will fit in long runs, try to get at least 2 more workouts in, and give the race an honest and hard effort and let the chips fall where they may. This will just be a stepping stone in my fitness as I will have made it through a race(*knock on wood*) without some kind of injury for the first time in a long time. Maybe if i can summon the motivation i'll try to run a faster half or even attempt another full marathon in the Spring while following a structured training plan that incorporates more mileage.

Running with Music

For many years, I have trained while listening to music. Many people have criticized me for doing so, and, at one point in my "career," they convinced me that I should stop doing it because "real runners don't train with music." I have become wiser since then.

I started listening to music while I ran during winter break of ninth grade. I had received a "running walkman" (a walkman with a handstrap that made it more portable than a walkman without a handstrap) and Taking Back Sunday's first album for Christmas. I happily used both gifts. After listening to "Cute Without the E," I selected it as my running song and listened to it exclusively while training.

I grew in tenth grade, crossing the 5'4"/105lb mark. I also stopped cutting runs. My new body and training ethic allowed me to train with real runners (who NEVER listened to music while they trained). Reluctantly, I abandoned my walkman.

Eleventh-Grade-Me policed headphone usage on the PFXC/T&F teams. Big Ant policed it, too. Never again would I run with music.

2 real 4 headphonz

As a college sophomore on winter break, I decided to re-try running-with-music. I was unmotivated to run alone. So, in typical winter fashion, I waited to run until the latest possible hour, went to the gym, and hit the treadmill. Fourteen miles and eighty minutes of Bloc Party's "Flux" later, I realized that running with music was The Way.

Since then, I have trained while listening to music, podcasts, and the TV. Occasionally, I have run without headphones.

"Running-with-music," for me, has always meant repeating one song for many consecutive runs. Each time that it has been time for a new song, I have tried a few songs and then settled on one. "Kissing Families" by the Silversun Pickups was my running soundtrack for many, many runs (perhaps three seasons worth). It was the perfect song for the speed at which I ran. Today, I am sorry to write, Elliot Smith's "Angeles" keeps me at the right pace.

By listening to the links, you ought to be able to gauge my fitness levels from different times in my life. Surely, doing so will alert you to the degenerate state of today's fitness.

Specificity

I have run a few times since my last post, the one in which I "registered" for the Richmond Marathon. Obviously, fitness has fallen to the wayside.

It has been difficult to train because I have been unmotivated to a) suffer, b) pursue a short-term running goal, c) feel tired at work, and d) train without a (quasi-)legitimate schedule. To combat these lacks of motivation, I decided to address issue (d) and hope that my commitment to a schedule will help me address the other issues as they occur.

When writing my new training schedule, I decided to ignore all of the training advice that I had ever received from (excellent) coaches and embrace the wisdom imparted to me and my teammates by the (not-so-excellent) W&M trainers. That advice was most seriously (and memorably) shared with my friend, Sean, (a formerly outstanding mid-distance runner for the Tribe), when he was accosted by the training staff for running farther than half-of-a-mile each day when he never raced farther than that distance. Specificity is key, after all.

I have applied that advice in my new training plan by scheduling myself for 26.2 miles per week for the next four weeks (the four weeks prior to the marathon) and then finishing the five week training cycle with the marathon on the sixth day of the fifth week. That means that I will be resting for the first five days of the marathon week, race the marathon on Saturday, and then rest on Sunday.

Recovery and "the details" will include a shower beer after each run (for specificity's sake. I plan to implement similar recovery measures on race day.)

Check back for training updates as the saga unfolds. And hit me with a high-five as I finish the Richmond Marathon in sub-three (on a road that parallels the race's finishing stretch).

Hiccups

This past week has been odd for my training. I had a lively paced hour run friday night before venturing out to DC, sleeping(horribley) on a friends couch and rendering myself incapable of doing much besides lay in bed on saturday. Sunday however was my longest run this time around at 1hour52minutes. As Ant described earlier, fall is coming. I wasn't sure what to expect leaving my house with a stiff and groggy feeling but once i realized it was October, then the crisp cool air hit my face as i slowly picked up speed atop fallen orange, maroon, and brown leaves, and a little piece of heaven came blaring through my headphones, i was completely slapped across the face by autumn. And i loved it! I felt good the entire way and although i had no gu was able to still finish without feeling entirely depleted. Just mostly depleted.

I was, however, very stupid and lacked of all samurai discipline as i only got 5 hours of sleep that night and had to work til midnight the next day. Working a 14 hour workday isn't very conducive to training FYI and i was not able to get any sort of workout in that day. Those factors, coupled with the weather changing, caused me to fall victim to illness the rest of the week. I still managed to get in 2 lifts, a 45 minutes run tuesday and thursday, and workout today, albeit still feeling groggy and sick.

Today was the first workout i've done in a LONG time. Although it was nothing to write home about, i was satified. 15min warmup, 4x1 mile with 2:00mins rest, 20 min cooldown. My splits were 6:00, 5:30, 5:38, 5:30. They had to be done on the W&OD since most tracks are closed due to friday night lights football. It hurt. But it will help my fitness and i hope to get a few more workouts in before the race.

The plan this weekend is an easy run with some upper body work tomorrow followed by 15 or so on monday.

-Kyle

Enter Fall?

Good morning readers,

This morning I had my first run in approximately 9 days. As previously noted in an early post, I was forced to take the time off due to a flared up bout of Achilles tendonitis. After a purchase of a new pair of slick black, yellow and white Wave Riders and a couple more days off, I was ready to give running a shot this morning.

I was particularly bitter about missing my runs this weekend since the temperature sat in the cool mid 50's range. Fall weather is my favorite. Luckily, this morning matched the weekend's temperature, so I got my shot.

About 3 minutes into my run, I noticed a familiar, heavy feeling in my chest as I struggled to breathe. It couldn't be that I'd decreased my fitness level that significantly in just a little over a week, could it? No. The feeling was unmistakeable, even in the (actually) very chilly weather: humidity. I had noticed on my weather.com that the humidity was 87% when i was checking the temperature, but it didn't really matter since it was so cool. Well, with the combination of the first run in a while, plus some residual stiffness in my ankle, the humidity pushed it over the edge. My breathing was quite labored for the entire run. Granted, I probably was running a bit quicker than I have been lately -- but none the less, it was not enjoyable.

All in all, I'll take the run as a positive step. My Achilles itself felt fine. My posterior tib, on the other hand, was definitely tight and uncomfortable. I'm hoping it's just something that will work itself out. I'll take it as a good first run back.

In other news, I still haven't had my first PSL of the fall since they've been "out" of them the past two times I've gone. And Maxwell, with the entrance of fall and the annual season of failed romances for Big Ant, you'd be happy to know that I have a girlfriend.

Ant.