This is a blog I wrote a while back, but I really think the message is important.
Anyone who knew me in high school is thinking, "You didn't run track in high school?!?!" Well, I was on the track team for two weeks. I was looking for something new to do and I decided to join track. I told the track coach and he told me when practices were. I went to every practice for two weeks. The coach was never there. Sometimes one of the other track kids would have a note of things to do, a sort of work out that was written in what was to me at the time some secret track code. There wasn't much running going on.
Having not had one session of coaching, a track meet was coming up. I had no idea what I was doing, so I went to the track coach after a class and told him I was quitting track.
He laughed.
Then he asked me why, I told him there was a track meet coming up and I was not ready for it.
He said, "Well whose fault is that?" I walked away, he laughed a little more. If I had been as bold then as I am now I'd have said something back.
I didn't even consider running again for twenty years after that. When I did, it turned out I was kind of good at it.
So I'd like to thank my high school track coach for some important lessons.
Always be there for others.
When you are the one in charge of something, be involved.
Never laugh at a kid.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Why I Wore My Shirt in the Pool
It is in our nature to hold on to what we believe. Studies have shown that once we are emotionally invested in an idea, then we become resistant to arguments against it. When this happens, no matter if new facts are presented, no matter if circumstances change we will hold on to that belief. Often, in the face of overwhelming evidence against the belief, we will just start holding on even harder.
This is why I used to always wear a t-shirt swimming. In the pool, in the lake, it didn't matter, I wore a t-shirt when I swam.
I'm sure it had something to do with this:
This is why I used to always wear a t-shirt swimming. In the pool, in the lake, it didn't matter, I wore a t-shirt when I swam.
I'm sure it had something to do with this:
When I graduated high school I was 5'7" tall and weighed 120 pounds. In my mind, the idea that I had become invested in, I was a scrawny little wimp. I was pale skinned, weak, and frail.
Negative body image affects boys too.
Even when it was no longer true, I maintained that idea in my head for years. Even now, I feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off to swim. To this day, I get embarrassed when I come out of the water shirtless.
What the advertisements try to tell us is that if we can change our bodies, become more muscular, or thinner, or more tanned, or more toned, we will like ourselves, and others will too. For me, and I am willing to bet for a lot of other people too, changing the way my body looked did very little to change the way I perceived myself.
I'm still uncomfortable in shorts.
For me, fitness is not about trying to make my body acceptable as defined by others, it is not about trying to fix the way I look. For me fitness is about enjoying life to the fullest.
I want to live longer. I want to always be able to put the 50 pound bag of dog food in the cart. I want to be able to run after my dog if he manages to get off his leash. I want to be able to play soccer in the backyard with my daughter. I want to be able to keep up with her when she wants to go for a bike ride. I want to be able to give her a piggy back ride even when she's all grown up and comes home to visit.
I don't emphasize the idea of exercising to fit into an outfit, or into a mold that someone else set up as ideal. If goals like those get you exercising, I will be glad to help you fit into those pants, but my real goal, my ulterior motive, is to get you healthy and strong so you can minimize illnesses and injuries and maximize your time enjoying life.
If you want some fitness training or advice, let me know, I'll be happy to help.
Steven O'Nan
stevenonan.trainerize.com
https://www.facebook.com/StevenONanPersonalTrainer?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark
www.gettonedfitness.com
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Ways to Overcome Fitness Intimidation
OK, if you are new to the whole idea of fitness, if you have been sedentary and need to be less so, if you know it is time to make some changes, I'm talking to you.
I'm not going to tell you to train for a 5K race.
Or a marathon, or a triathlon. While many people have success stories about getting fit by committing to big goals, these things are not necessary.
I'm not trying to sell you a fitness program.
I'm in mission mode today, not career mode.
I'm not going to tell you the "one weird trick to lose belly fat fast!"
I'm going to keep it simple today.
I'm not asking or telling you to completely overhaul your lifestyle, I'm just sharing some easy things you can do that if you work them into your life can increase your health and happiness. Of course you should always discuss changes to your fitness routines with a doctor first, but these things are simple.
1. Walk your dog.
You need it, your dog needs it, take your dog for a walk. Go out the door, walk for 5 minutes, turn around and come back. Don't have a dog? Go to the humane society and volunteer to walk dogs there.
2. Find a fun way to get moving.
Do you like to take pictures? Go for a walk seeking out photo opportunities. Do you like to write? Go for a walk to find inspiring scenes to put on the page. Like video games? Get one that requires your body as the controller.
Whatever it is that you like to do. Find a way to make movement part of it.
3. Take up something new.
Try a new something to get you moving. Pick up some new fitness routine that you think you will enjoy, if you don't enjoy quit doing it and find something else. It can be anything from tennis, to Nintendo Wii sports to golf.
4. Take up something old.
Find an activity you enjoyed before and start doing it again. It can be anything from tennis, to. . .
The main thing is, to overcome a sedentary lifestyle, find something you like. You don't have to become a marathoner or an ironman triathlete, or Iron Man for that matter. All you have to do is start moving. Get up and do more, make it fun, make it a habitual part of your life. Once it is in your routine, if you want more, do more.
If you want help getting fit, contact me.
onansm@gmail.com
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
Words From My Wife
My wife is training for the "Atomic Man" triathlon. This is a half distance triathlon in Tennessee, 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run. She wrote this and sent it to me. She was also gracious enough to let me share it here.
Top Ten Perks from Training for The Atomic Man Triathlon
10. I can eat and enjoy WHATEVER and WHENEVER I want without concern of over fueling. Cereal at midnight is crucial.
9. I truly enjoy the look of shock on people's faces when I tell them how many miles I did or am doing. I hate to admit it, but I really do.
8. Running so long, I get to watch the sun set after a scorching summer day and give way to cool breezes rustling over sun baked, wheat fields.
7. Swimming a mile in cool water and peeking at the moon after each breath.
6. Traveling from county to county on my bike to notice what can never be seen in a car, such as turkey feathers for Emma, potential bonsai trees for Steven, and a turtle in a stream below the bridge for Jordan.
5. Realizing each day that people are CRAZY not to reach for their full potential, and they think I am the crazy one.
4. Profoundly shocked each day that I can do so much more both physically and mentally than I ever allowed myself to imagine, and so can everyone else, if we just embrace effort and give up the illusion that a couch and internet will bring happiness.
3. I am so stinking STRONG thanks to my fabulous coach, Steven O'Nan.
2. Sharing the experience with Jordan, Steven, and Emma.
1. Listening to Emma describe what it feels like to ride the bike she just mastered because she wants to do what we do: "You know...it's all smooth and balanced and smooth and peaceful."
Yes, it is Emma.
Top Ten Perks from Training for The Atomic Man Triathlon
10. I can eat and enjoy WHATEVER and WHENEVER I want without concern of over fueling. Cereal at midnight is crucial.
9. I truly enjoy the look of shock on people's faces when I tell them how many miles I did or am doing. I hate to admit it, but I really do.
8. Running so long, I get to watch the sun set after a scorching summer day and give way to cool breezes rustling over sun baked, wheat fields.
7. Swimming a mile in cool water and peeking at the moon after each breath.
6. Traveling from county to county on my bike to notice what can never be seen in a car, such as turkey feathers for Emma, potential bonsai trees for Steven, and a turtle in a stream below the bridge for Jordan.
5. Realizing each day that people are CRAZY not to reach for their full potential, and they think I am the crazy one.
4. Profoundly shocked each day that I can do so much more both physically and mentally than I ever allowed myself to imagine, and so can everyone else, if we just embrace effort and give up the illusion that a couch and internet will bring happiness.
3. I am so stinking STRONG thanks to my fabulous coach, Steven O'Nan.
2. Sharing the experience with Jordan, Steven, and Emma.
1. Listening to Emma describe what it feels like to ride the bike she just mastered because she wants to do what we do: "You know...it's all smooth and balanced and smooth and peaceful."
Yes, it is Emma.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Burning Calories
An enormous, old, dead tree stood alone in the field, I sat in the back of my Dad's truck, my Dad and two other men were working at the base of the tree. They alternated between using a chainsaw and hammering wedges into the cuts on the tree. Occasionally the tree would groan and shift a little. Finally it started to lean, then it rolled to one side just a bit, then with a pop and crack the beast of a tree was falling, crashing to the ground.
After my family had moved out of town and into the country we had to adopt certain new chores. The only heat in that house when we moved in was a propane furnace which didn't provide enough heat and cost us a lot to get the propane refilled so we got a wood burning stove and had to get firewood and split it. There was no trash pickup, so we had two methods of dealing with trash, a drive to the dump or the burn barrel.
While I was out on my long run today, I was thinking about the phrase "burning calories" (I think about all sorts of things while out on a long run) and it occurred to me that different people have very different ideas about calories.
I've divided people's thinking about calories into two categories. There is "burn barrel" thinking and "firewood" thinking.
Burn Barrel Thinking
Growing up, one of my chores was often to monitor the burn barrel. All the paper trash would go into the burn barrel and be lit, then I would be left to make sure nothing fell out or drifted out, and to occasionally throw in more trash or stir the trash in the barrel to keep it from smothering itself out. We burned all the garbage, the idea was to get rid of it, get it out of the house, dispose of it and not deal with it anymore.
Burn Barrel thinking when it comes to calories is viewing the calories the way we viewed the garbage. It was something that came into our house and we needed to get rid of. It was undesirable, it was sort of the enemy, it's only place was to be disposed of.
Burn Barrel thinking is when the workout serves the purpose only of getting rid of these awful calories that we consumed.
I challenge any burn barrel thinkers to start adopting firewood thinking.
Firewood Thinking
Firewood thinking is almost the opposite of burn barrel thinking. Yes it is still the process of burning something, and getting rid of it, but approaching it from a very different perspective. Firewood is what kept us warm and safe in the winter. Firewood made our house comfortable and livable. There were so many evenings in the winter that I would eat a big bowl of my Mom's Chili, then lay on the floor next to the wood burning stove and take a little catnap in the heat from the stove.
So firewood was not something we desired to get rid of. We knew that to keep our hose warm (to fuel your body), we needed to get firewood (you need to consume calories). My Dad had types of wood he preferred over others, he really liked to burn hickory (there are foods you should prefer too). Firewood was not the enemy, but something we needed to fuel our home (calories are what you need to fuel your body). The colder the winter was, the more energy we needed to expend to warm the house, so the higher quality and higher quantity of wood we needed. (The tougher your workout, the more energy expended, so higher quality and quantity of calories you need to fuel your body.)
Of course, that doesn't mean the solution was to cut down every dead tree, cut it up, split it, and stack it. If we got too much, it would not all get used and it would sit in the stacks and rot. The goal was to get the right amount of the right kind of wood to provide the fuel we needed.
When it comes to calories, I want you to think of them as the fuel you need to get through your life. Make sure to get the right kinds and the right amount. Not too many, not too little, and not garbage. Garbage goes in the burn barrel.
After my family had moved out of town and into the country we had to adopt certain new chores. The only heat in that house when we moved in was a propane furnace which didn't provide enough heat and cost us a lot to get the propane refilled so we got a wood burning stove and had to get firewood and split it. There was no trash pickup, so we had two methods of dealing with trash, a drive to the dump or the burn barrel.
While I was out on my long run today, I was thinking about the phrase "burning calories" (I think about all sorts of things while out on a long run) and it occurred to me that different people have very different ideas about calories.
I've divided people's thinking about calories into two categories. There is "burn barrel" thinking and "firewood" thinking.
Burn Barrel Thinking
Growing up, one of my chores was often to monitor the burn barrel. All the paper trash would go into the burn barrel and be lit, then I would be left to make sure nothing fell out or drifted out, and to occasionally throw in more trash or stir the trash in the barrel to keep it from smothering itself out. We burned all the garbage, the idea was to get rid of it, get it out of the house, dispose of it and not deal with it anymore.
Burn Barrel thinking when it comes to calories is viewing the calories the way we viewed the garbage. It was something that came into our house and we needed to get rid of. It was undesirable, it was sort of the enemy, it's only place was to be disposed of.
Burn Barrel thinking is when the workout serves the purpose only of getting rid of these awful calories that we consumed.
I challenge any burn barrel thinkers to start adopting firewood thinking.
Firewood Thinking
Firewood thinking is almost the opposite of burn barrel thinking. Yes it is still the process of burning something, and getting rid of it, but approaching it from a very different perspective. Firewood is what kept us warm and safe in the winter. Firewood made our house comfortable and livable. There were so many evenings in the winter that I would eat a big bowl of my Mom's Chili, then lay on the floor next to the wood burning stove and take a little catnap in the heat from the stove.
So firewood was not something we desired to get rid of. We knew that to keep our hose warm (to fuel your body), we needed to get firewood (you need to consume calories). My Dad had types of wood he preferred over others, he really liked to burn hickory (there are foods you should prefer too). Firewood was not the enemy, but something we needed to fuel our home (calories are what you need to fuel your body). The colder the winter was, the more energy we needed to expend to warm the house, so the higher quality and higher quantity of wood we needed. (The tougher your workout, the more energy expended, so higher quality and quantity of calories you need to fuel your body.)
Of course, that doesn't mean the solution was to cut down every dead tree, cut it up, split it, and stack it. If we got too much, it would not all get used and it would sit in the stacks and rot. The goal was to get the right amount of the right kind of wood to provide the fuel we needed.
When it comes to calories, I want you to think of them as the fuel you need to get through your life. Make sure to get the right kinds and the right amount. Not too many, not too little, and not garbage. Garbage goes in the burn barrel.
Friday, June 20, 2014
"We Need One of the Men For This"
I never want my daughter to have to say, "We'll need to get one of the men for this."
In the workplace I have heard that phrase a lot. I couldn't decide whether that was discriminatory against women, men, or both. I once saw a physically demanding task handed to a male who was less capable of lifting heavy loads than the female standing next to him.
I also cringe when I hear modified pushups (knee pushups) referred to as "girl" pushups.
Yes I do understand that physiologically men tend to have higher upper body strength than women; however, I also have met women that could bench press me while I am bench pressing my one rep maximum.
Each person has a right to live their life their own way, but as long as I can influence my daughter I want her to value fitness, strength, and self sufficiency. I want her to be the one who says, "We don't need a man to carry that box upstairs, it's only 25 pounds and I squat 150!"
Lifting weights is not just about bodybuilding, it is not just about proving yourself in the gym. Most of us in the USA today are privileged in that we have the opportunity to live pretty soft lives. Our daily routine does not have to include heavy exertion. In fact, in many cases our daily routines make it hard to find opportunities for heavy exertion.
Then benefits of strength training include:
In the workplace I have heard that phrase a lot. I couldn't decide whether that was discriminatory against women, men, or both. I once saw a physically demanding task handed to a male who was less capable of lifting heavy loads than the female standing next to him.
I also cringe when I hear modified pushups (knee pushups) referred to as "girl" pushups.
Yes I do understand that physiologically men tend to have higher upper body strength than women; however, I also have met women that could bench press me while I am bench pressing my one rep maximum.
Each person has a right to live their life their own way, but as long as I can influence my daughter I want her to value fitness, strength, and self sufficiency. I want her to be the one who says, "We don't need a man to carry that box upstairs, it's only 25 pounds and I squat 150!"
Lifting weights is not just about bodybuilding, it is not just about proving yourself in the gym. Most of us in the USA today are privileged in that we have the opportunity to live pretty soft lives. Our daily routine does not have to include heavy exertion. In fact, in many cases our daily routines make it hard to find opportunities for heavy exertion.
Then benefits of strength training include:
- Weight maintenance
- Weight Loss
- Arthritis Relief
- Stronger Bones
- Leaner Body
- Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
- Being able to carry your luggage up a set of stairs
- Never needing to say, "We better get one of the men for this."
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Benefit From the Bad Run
My long run this past weekend was one of those "bad" runs.
It started out fine, but before I was even 1/3 of the way done my speed was dropping and I just felt bad. I kept going, and kept getting slower, and finished the last mile walking.
The first time I had a bad run, I wasn't sure how to handle it mentally. Negative thoughts bounced around in my mind,
"I'm supposed to be faster, I'm supposed to be able to handle this, maybe I'm not as good at this as I thought I was."
Now I have learned how to benefit from the bad run.
1. Consider the factors that led to the underwhelming performance.
In my case, it was the hottest run I'd had this year, the longest run I'd gone on since my ultra-marathon in March, I had spent the previous day canoeing, I probably started off a little bit under hydrated, and I was under a large amount of personal stress.
2. Make changes as needed.
This weekend I will freeze my water bottles so that by the time I reach for gatorade it won't be 85 degree gatorade. I will try to get more rest the day before the long run. I will adjust my planned mileage down a little bit.
3. Monitor your next few workouts to see if this was a fluke or part of a larger trend.
On my next run, two days later, I was back up to my usual performance, so I think this one was a fluke.
4. Keep a workout log.
Not only can you look back on your log to see what caused the bad workout, you can use it to plan ahead to avoid future problems.
It started out fine, but before I was even 1/3 of the way done my speed was dropping and I just felt bad. I kept going, and kept getting slower, and finished the last mile walking.
The first time I had a bad run, I wasn't sure how to handle it mentally. Negative thoughts bounced around in my mind,
"I'm supposed to be faster, I'm supposed to be able to handle this, maybe I'm not as good at this as I thought I was."
Now I have learned how to benefit from the bad run.
1. Consider the factors that led to the underwhelming performance.
In my case, it was the hottest run I'd had this year, the longest run I'd gone on since my ultra-marathon in March, I had spent the previous day canoeing, I probably started off a little bit under hydrated, and I was under a large amount of personal stress.
2. Make changes as needed.
This weekend I will freeze my water bottles so that by the time I reach for gatorade it won't be 85 degree gatorade. I will try to get more rest the day before the long run. I will adjust my planned mileage down a little bit.
3. Monitor your next few workouts to see if this was a fluke or part of a larger trend.
On my next run, two days later, I was back up to my usual performance, so I think this one was a fluke.
4. Keep a workout log.
Not only can you look back on your log to see what caused the bad workout, you can use it to plan ahead to avoid future problems.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Personal Training or Group Fitness
There are advantages to personal training, and there are advantages to group fitness. In the end, it is not a matter of one being superior to the other, but which one is the best fit for an individual.
Personal Training.
If you don't know where to start, a trainer knows how to get you started.
If you've hit a plateau and aren't seeing results, personal training can help you get past the plateau.
Personal training provides accountability.
The more specific your fitness needs, the better off you are with a personal trainer.
Group Fitness
Generally less expensive than personal training.
Get support and camaraderie from the group.
Knowing that you can only go to the class at the time it is offered prevents procrastination.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
How To Run Faster
It was a crisp October morning. Unsure of whether to expect dew or frost on the grass I got out of bed, started breakfast, pinned my race bib on to my shirt and went about getting ready for my day. I had been an adult onset runner for just eleven months and at this point my number one goal was to run faster every time that I raced. I knew that I wasn't going to be among the first to the finish line, but I also knew that I would likely finish in under 21 minutes. This would be an improvement of six minutes over my first 5K less than one year before.
I studied runner training to learn the science behind improving as a runner. I cruised online on google+ and facebook listening to questions runners from around the world had and reading about their experiences, struggles, and successes so I could see what other runners were doing.
I learned a lot, there is a science to learning to run more quickly, and since I just wrote about how to run more slowly, I thought now I'd write about how to run faster.
1. Stop trying to run so fast all the time.
I know, I know, your fitness app applauds and sends you recorded messages from Lance Armstrong every time you run a mile faster than you have before, but if you really want to improve, running faster every training run is not the way to do it. Most of your running should be done at your "easy" pace. In fact, you can make loads of improvement in your race times using only easy runs. When your race times plateau, it is time to take on some other types of training.
2. Run faster some of the time.
Intervals, tempo runs, fartleks, reps, and strides all are ways to introduce some higher intensity running into your running schedule. When my runners are in the appropriate part of their training I start introducing higher intensity runs into a small part of their running schedule. Still 80% or more of their training will be easy runs.
3. Do some runner specific strength training.
Resistance training has been found to reduce risk of running injuries, improve core stability, improve running economy, and improve race times. It is best if the training is not just the latest workout in a fitness magazine, but a program specific for runners.
4. Don't forget to have fun.
For most of us, it is not our job to win races. If that is the case it is important that you are enjoying your running. There are tons of benefits of running, so that even if you don't enjoy every single run, you should at least be enjoying the results of running. Just don't forget to have fun on your runs. It is really difficult to train harder to run faster if you hate going out for your run. Find ways to keep it fun, change intensity, find new routes, enjoy the scenery, run with a friend. . . Do whatever makes running enjoyable.
I studied runner training to learn the science behind improving as a runner. I cruised online on google+ and facebook listening to questions runners from around the world had and reading about their experiences, struggles, and successes so I could see what other runners were doing.
I learned a lot, there is a science to learning to run more quickly, and since I just wrote about how to run more slowly, I thought now I'd write about how to run faster.
1. Stop trying to run so fast all the time.
I know, I know, your fitness app applauds and sends you recorded messages from Lance Armstrong every time you run a mile faster than you have before, but if you really want to improve, running faster every training run is not the way to do it. Most of your running should be done at your "easy" pace. In fact, you can make loads of improvement in your race times using only easy runs. When your race times plateau, it is time to take on some other types of training.
2. Run faster some of the time.
Intervals, tempo runs, fartleks, reps, and strides all are ways to introduce some higher intensity running into your running schedule. When my runners are in the appropriate part of their training I start introducing higher intensity runs into a small part of their running schedule. Still 80% or more of their training will be easy runs.
3. Do some runner specific strength training.
Resistance training has been found to reduce risk of running injuries, improve core stability, improve running economy, and improve race times. It is best if the training is not just the latest workout in a fitness magazine, but a program specific for runners.
4. Don't forget to have fun.
For most of us, it is not our job to win races. If that is the case it is important that you are enjoying your running. There are tons of benefits of running, so that even if you don't enjoy every single run, you should at least be enjoying the results of running. Just don't forget to have fun on your runs. It is really difficult to train harder to run faster if you hate going out for your run. Find ways to keep it fun, change intensity, find new routes, enjoy the scenery, run with a friend. . . Do whatever makes running enjoyable.
Friday, May 30, 2014
How To Run More Slowly
I just imagined three different responses to that title:
"Why would I want to run more slowly?"
"Finally, I've been trying to run more slowly ever since I heard about heart rate training!"
"WHY WOULD ANYBODY RUN, IT'S BAD FOR YOUR KNEES, SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE CHASING ME FOR ME TO RUN AT ALL. . ."
Why running slowly is good.
Running quickly and running slowly are relative things when it comes to choosing your training pace. Running slowly for me is faster than running slowly for my wife. Running slowly for Meb Keflezighi is faster than running quickly for me. When I use the phrase running slowly, what I am really talking about is running within one's aerobic pace.
For endurance runners, the easy run is a crucial part of training. Benefits include strengthening of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, increased capillary capacity, increased mitochondrial density, improved aerobic capacity, improved running economy, and the list goes on.
The problem is, that some people don't feel like the easy runs are hard enough, so they run faster and push themselves out of the aerobic training zone and don't get all the benefits of the easy run.
How to run slowly.
First, if you want a primer on how to determine your maximum heart rate for easy, aerobic running, click here.
That post gives the nuts and bolts of determining heart rate for an easy run, but I've also been asked about how, physically, to actually run slowly. It is easier than you think.
Start off with a moderate walking pace. As you are walking, monitor your breathing, and increase your pace gradually. There will come a point at which a walking gait no longer feels comfortable at the speed you are moving. Allow your body to adjust naturally and you will adopt a running gait. If you've been running too fast, it won't seem like a run, maybe a jog, or a shuffle, but congratulations, you are now running more slowly.
If this still puts you out of your aerobic zone, as discussed here use a run/walk interval system. Once you are breathing too hard, slow down to a fast walk, when that starts feeling too easy, speed up to a slow run again, repeat the process until you find your sweet spot.
Good luck and happy slow running.
"Why would I want to run more slowly?"
"Finally, I've been trying to run more slowly ever since I heard about heart rate training!"
"WHY WOULD ANYBODY RUN, IT'S BAD FOR YOUR KNEES, SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE CHASING ME FOR ME TO RUN AT ALL. . ."
Why running slowly is good.
Running quickly and running slowly are relative things when it comes to choosing your training pace. Running slowly for me is faster than running slowly for my wife. Running slowly for Meb Keflezighi is faster than running quickly for me. When I use the phrase running slowly, what I am really talking about is running within one's aerobic pace.
For endurance runners, the easy run is a crucial part of training. Benefits include strengthening of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, increased capillary capacity, increased mitochondrial density, improved aerobic capacity, improved running economy, and the list goes on.
The problem is, that some people don't feel like the easy runs are hard enough, so they run faster and push themselves out of the aerobic training zone and don't get all the benefits of the easy run.
How to run slowly.
First, if you want a primer on how to determine your maximum heart rate for easy, aerobic running, click here.
That post gives the nuts and bolts of determining heart rate for an easy run, but I've also been asked about how, physically, to actually run slowly. It is easier than you think.
Start off with a moderate walking pace. As you are walking, monitor your breathing, and increase your pace gradually. There will come a point at which a walking gait no longer feels comfortable at the speed you are moving. Allow your body to adjust naturally and you will adopt a running gait. If you've been running too fast, it won't seem like a run, maybe a jog, or a shuffle, but congratulations, you are now running more slowly.
If this still puts you out of your aerobic zone, as discussed here use a run/walk interval system. Once you are breathing too hard, slow down to a fast walk, when that starts feeling too easy, speed up to a slow run again, repeat the process until you find your sweet spot.
Good luck and happy slow running.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Great Workout! Not Sore?
It was the day after weight training and. . .
I wasn't sore, so I went for an easy three mile run. The next day, still not sore, easy four.
It was a great workout, challenging, full body, heavy (for me) sets, but I never got sore. It was three sets of each exercise in the 4-8 rep range, meaning that if I could do the lift 9 times, I added weight until I couldn't, but I still didn't get sore. Sure I could feel the results of the workout, I could tell which muscles were tired, but it was nothing to stop me from my running schedule.
I am a runner who lifts. I don't lift to burn calories, or so people will be " 'mirin' my aesthetics". I don't do weights to burn extra calories, the only time I count calories is when I'm making sure I've had enough of the little guys that day. I lift to make my running better, so what good would it do me if I can't even walk the next day.
Whether you are a runner or not, soreness is not the goal of a workout. It is often a side effect of a workout, and if you have muscle soreness it isn't the end of the world. If you are new to resistance (weight) training or if you move in a new way during weight training there is a very good chance you will be sore until your body adapts to the new movements. The soreness however, is not the goal.
If your goal is to feel sore (why?) that is easy to accomplish, you don't even have to do any work just come in and I'll practice my Muay Thai kicks on your thighs. I guarantee you'll go home with sore legs.
If your goal is progress, come in and we will work smarter. Yes, you may get sore at first. Yes, it is OK for you to be excited about the soreness. No, soreness will not be the goal.
The goal is up to you. Lift more, run faster, burn fat, improve bone strength, improve metabolism. . .
How you want to feel is up to you. Stronger, leaner, healthier. . .
Monday, May 19, 2014
On a Mission.
Mission based fitness.
That might sound a little dramatic, but that is a pretty good description of my thinking. I am on a mission.
My mission is not to promise you shredded abs, or a bikini body in six weeks. It is not to guarantee you explosive muscle growth so that guy on the beach will stop kicking sand in your face.
My mission is not to burn belly fat and fit you in to your jeans.
If those are your goals, I have some good news my mission will help with those goals, but those are not what my mission is about. Weight loss, muscle growth, toning and fat loss are the side effects of my mission, not the goal.
My mission is to help you become more able to carry out your mission. I believe that every single person has something important to do. Your mission might be research that will eliminate some horrible disease, or it might be raising a child, it could be encouraging girls to become engineers, or it could be teaching boys to be respectful of women when they reach dating age.
The point is, whatever your mission, my mission is to help you be physically fit enough to make it happen. Without good health, your mission will be cut short. It will be curtailed by lack of energy, by time spent in doctor's offices and hospitals, and it will be stopped abruptly by an early death.
My mission is to grant you more energy, more strength, and more years on this planet so that you can coach little league, teach robotics to kids, get families out of poverty, cure cancer, raise a child all the way into adulthood or whatever your mission should be.
So please, eat right and get fit.
If you want help with it, contact me.
That might sound a little dramatic, but that is a pretty good description of my thinking. I am on a mission.
My mission is not to promise you shredded abs, or a bikini body in six weeks. It is not to guarantee you explosive muscle growth so that guy on the beach will stop kicking sand in your face.
My mission is not to burn belly fat and fit you in to your jeans.
If those are your goals, I have some good news my mission will help with those goals, but those are not what my mission is about. Weight loss, muscle growth, toning and fat loss are the side effects of my mission, not the goal.
My mission is to help you become more able to carry out your mission. I believe that every single person has something important to do. Your mission might be research that will eliminate some horrible disease, or it might be raising a child, it could be encouraging girls to become engineers, or it could be teaching boys to be respectful of women when they reach dating age.
The point is, whatever your mission, my mission is to help you be physically fit enough to make it happen. Without good health, your mission will be cut short. It will be curtailed by lack of energy, by time spent in doctor's offices and hospitals, and it will be stopped abruptly by an early death.
My mission is to grant you more energy, more strength, and more years on this planet so that you can coach little league, teach robotics to kids, get families out of poverty, cure cancer, raise a child all the way into adulthood or whatever your mission should be.
So please, eat right and get fit.
If you want help with it, contact me.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Some Reasons I Exercise
The reasons I exercise boil down to a few simple statements.
1. Being strong fit and healthy feels good.
2. I want to live a longer, happier life.
3. I want to be able to do things that I could not do without my strength and fitness.
If that were all there was to this post it would be pretty dull, so here are some more memorable examples of the above.
Reasons I Exercise.
For views like these.
 |
| Also on our bike/run routes. |
 |
| Somewhere on the country roads my wife and I run and bike on. |
Because this is miles off road.
 |
| Some miles down a trail at Mammoth Cave National Park
Because starting lines are exciting places.
|
 |
| My wife's first marathon |
For family adventures.
Because nothing else makes a cold bottle of water feel this good.
 |
| My first Olympic distance triathlon. 5 minutes shy of my goal time. |
For winter trail runs with a
beautiful woman.
 |
| Trail running together at Mammoth Cave National Park |
Because you never know when you'll have to escape from dinosaurs.
 |
| Dinosaur World! |
Or zombies.
 |
| BRAINS! |
To be around for more birthdays.
 |
| My daughter's fifth. |
And more Christmases.
Because pushing past what I thought my limits were
is an incredible feeling.
 |
| For details on my first Ultra-Marathon, click here. |
And because I'd like to be able to keep up with her for a few more years.Wednesday, April 30, 2014
How Do I Use This Thing?
Increased availability of technology for exercisers has become sort of a blessing and a curse all wrapped into one shiny, wrist-mounted, global-positioning, heart rate-monitoring, tell-me-when-I'm-running-too-hard device. Running with a heart rate monitor/GPS watch can give a runner of any experience level all sorts of information about their workout. From the questions I see asked online, the only problem is that many people just don't know what to do with all that data. So I would like to simplify things and help people out.
To make the best use of a heart rate monitor, one must first determine his or her target heart rate zones for running. There are several formulas available to estimate one's Maximum Heart Rate (MHR), and using one of those formulas is a good place to start, but don't rely on the formula alone. One formula has shown that for 95% of people's estimated MHR lies within a range of 40 beats per minute. If your actual MHR is even 10 beats per minute away from the estimate, all your training zones will be inaccurate as well. The best way to know what MHR really is would be to do a MHR test, which is not always appropriate for everybody, especially those new to exercising.
So, now that I possibly have you regretting spending all that money on an expensive heart rate monitor I'll give you some hope.
If you are a new runner, with a new heart rate monitor and want to start using it, here is my recommendation.
It uses a combination of mathematical MHR formulas, and good old fashioned listening to what your body is telling you.
For a serious breakdown of MHR formulas and a calculator thrown in with it, click here. Now you have some totals on hand for what your MHR might be. Keep in mind this is your maximum heart rate, not your training heart rate. It is very easy to determine your target heart rate in different training zones, and since I am targeting this information at beginner runners, we are going to keep things in the "easy" zone. Keep in mind, that "easy" is a relative term. Easy runs don't always feel easy.
The top end for easy runs is 80% of your MHR. If I am going out to do an easy run, I would take my MHR from that formula and multiply by .8. The formula gave me scores ranging from 179 to 184, so I'll use 181.
181*.8=144.8.
So my target heart rate for an easy run is around 145.
Now for step 2.
I strap on the handy dandy heart rate monitor and go for a light run. I start off really easy, maybe even by walking briskly, gradually increasing my effort until I get up to about 125 beats per minute. When I get to 125, I say the Pledge of Allegiance, or some other paragraph long memorized statement.
Sounds like a strange thing to do, I know, but there is method to my madness. I am trying to find the first ventilatory threshold (VT1). The reason for that is that what these heart rate monitors and percentages are trying to find is at what intensity the lactate starts to accumulate in your blood or the "onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). OBLA correlates very well with VT1, because when you reach OBLA (Obla dee obla da life goes on). Your respiration has to change to buffer the acidity building up.
If it was easy for me to say the pledge, I increase intensity a bit shooting for 130 BPM. It is much easier to do this in a controlled fashion if using a treadmill, but I really dislike running on a treadmill. When I get to a steady 130 BPM, Pledge of Allegiance.
Every time it is easy to say the Pledge, I try to add 5 to my BPM until I find it "uncomfortable to challenging" to say the Pledge, or whatever paragraph I've been saying. and voila, I have found VT1. My heart rate at VT1 is now my real upper end of my easy zone.
Personally, I don't recommend anything other than easy zone running for new runners, there are lots of adaptations the body needs to make to running, not just your cardiovascular system, but your bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles as well. Don't worry about tempo runs, and VO2max intervals yet, there is a lot of improvement and progress that can be made running just in the easy zone. As a matter of fact, experienced runners should be spending 70-80% of their running in the easy zone.
Now that you have the numbers you need, while it is great fun to look at all the graphs and data after the run, and while it is tempting to try to get Nike plus or whatever program your feeding it into to cheer for your fastest mile, don't let the technology trick you into bad training habits. This is how to use that heart rate monitor.
Set the device to alert you when you have reached your heart rate at VT1. If your heart rate monitor doesn't do that, just look at your heart rate periodically. For the first few weeks, when it beeps, recite your paragraph, if it is easy to do, stay at that effort level, if it is uncomfortable to challenging, ease off a little.
To make the best use of a heart rate monitor, one must first determine his or her target heart rate zones for running. There are several formulas available to estimate one's Maximum Heart Rate (MHR), and using one of those formulas is a good place to start, but don't rely on the formula alone. One formula has shown that for 95% of people's estimated MHR lies within a range of 40 beats per minute. If your actual MHR is even 10 beats per minute away from the estimate, all your training zones will be inaccurate as well. The best way to know what MHR really is would be to do a MHR test, which is not always appropriate for everybody, especially those new to exercising.
So, now that I possibly have you regretting spending all that money on an expensive heart rate monitor I'll give you some hope.
If you are a new runner, with a new heart rate monitor and want to start using it, here is my recommendation.
It uses a combination of mathematical MHR formulas, and good old fashioned listening to what your body is telling you.
For a serious breakdown of MHR formulas and a calculator thrown in with it, click here. Now you have some totals on hand for what your MHR might be. Keep in mind this is your maximum heart rate, not your training heart rate. It is very easy to determine your target heart rate in different training zones, and since I am targeting this information at beginner runners, we are going to keep things in the "easy" zone. Keep in mind, that "easy" is a relative term. Easy runs don't always feel easy.
The top end for easy runs is 80% of your MHR. If I am going out to do an easy run, I would take my MHR from that formula and multiply by .8. The formula gave me scores ranging from 179 to 184, so I'll use 181.
181*.8=144.8.
So my target heart rate for an easy run is around 145.
Now for step 2.
I strap on the handy dandy heart rate monitor and go for a light run. I start off really easy, maybe even by walking briskly, gradually increasing my effort until I get up to about 125 beats per minute. When I get to 125, I say the Pledge of Allegiance, or some other paragraph long memorized statement.
Sounds like a strange thing to do, I know, but there is method to my madness. I am trying to find the first ventilatory threshold (VT1). The reason for that is that what these heart rate monitors and percentages are trying to find is at what intensity the lactate starts to accumulate in your blood or the "onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). OBLA correlates very well with VT1, because when you reach OBLA (Obla dee obla da life goes on). Your respiration has to change to buffer the acidity building up.
If it was easy for me to say the pledge, I increase intensity a bit shooting for 130 BPM. It is much easier to do this in a controlled fashion if using a treadmill, but I really dislike running on a treadmill. When I get to a steady 130 BPM, Pledge of Allegiance.
Every time it is easy to say the Pledge, I try to add 5 to my BPM until I find it "uncomfortable to challenging" to say the Pledge, or whatever paragraph I've been saying. and voila, I have found VT1. My heart rate at VT1 is now my real upper end of my easy zone.
Personally, I don't recommend anything other than easy zone running for new runners, there are lots of adaptations the body needs to make to running, not just your cardiovascular system, but your bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles as well. Don't worry about tempo runs, and VO2max intervals yet, there is a lot of improvement and progress that can be made running just in the easy zone. As a matter of fact, experienced runners should be spending 70-80% of their running in the easy zone.
Now that you have the numbers you need, while it is great fun to look at all the graphs and data after the run, and while it is tempting to try to get Nike plus or whatever program your feeding it into to cheer for your fastest mile, don't let the technology trick you into bad training habits. This is how to use that heart rate monitor.
Set the device to alert you when you have reached your heart rate at VT1. If your heart rate monitor doesn't do that, just look at your heart rate periodically. For the first few weeks, when it beeps, recite your paragraph, if it is easy to do, stay at that effort level, if it is uncomfortable to challenging, ease off a little.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Offended by Fitness
On Google Plus I have been a member of a community simply called "Running". On that community people post about their recent runs and upcoming runs, they ask for tips and advice and they share tips and advice. They talk about their new running shoes, post articles about elite runners, and write about their experience running. They also share lots of data from runkeeper, runtastic, etc.
Today I joined a fitness community that I won't share the name of, and left it within 5 minutes. On that community it seems people post a few useful things, but mostly pictures of women's butts in "workout clothes" that I've never seen a woman wear in public, spam ads for various shakes and scam diets, and psuedo-inspirational memes shaming people for not working out until they puke.
I look at this and I see why some people get uncomfortable when I talk about fitness on my personal facebook page. I see why so many people are offended by the fitness industry. If one is to believe what I saw on that community, fitness is a world where those who are overweight must become skinny, those who are skinny must become muscular, and those who are muscular need to become more muscular. The other option is to be seen as a fat hopeless slob with no chance at happiness, and worse, no chance at sexiness.
Personally I'm sick of the idea that a person must loathe who they are before they can become fit. I'm offended by the idea that if you are just a little fit, you should still loathe yourself until you've reached "beast mode".
Fitness should not be about how your butt looks, how your legs look, and how many people are checking out your biceps. Fitness should not be about shame and self loathing. Fitness should not be about shame.
Fitness is about enjoying life to the fullest. There is a list of benefits of fitness, scientifically identified and quantified, it includes reduced risk of coronary disease, diabetes, and some cancers, increased chance of living longer, stronger bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments, improved mood and mental health, ability to continue with your daily activities and avoid falls as you age.
That all sounds just fine, but what it really means is that you have a higher ability to enjoy life to the fullest, and to live that life longer.
At age 5 my daughter wanted to ride her bike to Chaney's Dairy Barn to get ice cream. From my house that is a five mile bike ride, thanks to my level of fitness we were able to plan the trip, and I ran beside her as she pedaled down the backroads.
I can grab a couple of dumbbells and do a squat to overhead press, but I can also squat down and lift my daughter onto the first branch of the redbud tree in the back yard.
I can run an ultra-marathon, but I can also run around the backyard with my daughter and our dogs.
I want to maintain a strong body with amazing cardiovascular fitness for the rest of my life. Not so that at age 51 I can share holograms of my awesome abs to the colonists on Mars, but so that at age 51 when my daughter is visiting from college and says, "Dad can I have a piggy back ride?" I can say sure, hop on.
Today I joined a fitness community that I won't share the name of, and left it within 5 minutes. On that community it seems people post a few useful things, but mostly pictures of women's butts in "workout clothes" that I've never seen a woman wear in public, spam ads for various shakes and scam diets, and psuedo-inspirational memes shaming people for not working out until they puke.
I look at this and I see why some people get uncomfortable when I talk about fitness on my personal facebook page. I see why so many people are offended by the fitness industry. If one is to believe what I saw on that community, fitness is a world where those who are overweight must become skinny, those who are skinny must become muscular, and those who are muscular need to become more muscular. The other option is to be seen as a fat hopeless slob with no chance at happiness, and worse, no chance at sexiness.
Personally I'm sick of the idea that a person must loathe who they are before they can become fit. I'm offended by the idea that if you are just a little fit, you should still loathe yourself until you've reached "beast mode".
Fitness should not be about how your butt looks, how your legs look, and how many people are checking out your biceps. Fitness should not be about shame and self loathing. Fitness should not be about shame.
Fitness is about enjoying life to the fullest. There is a list of benefits of fitness, scientifically identified and quantified, it includes reduced risk of coronary disease, diabetes, and some cancers, increased chance of living longer, stronger bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments, improved mood and mental health, ability to continue with your daily activities and avoid falls as you age.
That all sounds just fine, but what it really means is that you have a higher ability to enjoy life to the fullest, and to live that life longer.
At age 5 my daughter wanted to ride her bike to Chaney's Dairy Barn to get ice cream. From my house that is a five mile bike ride, thanks to my level of fitness we were able to plan the trip, and I ran beside her as she pedaled down the backroads.
I can grab a couple of dumbbells and do a squat to overhead press, but I can also squat down and lift my daughter onto the first branch of the redbud tree in the back yard.
I can run an ultra-marathon, but I can also run around the backyard with my daughter and our dogs.
I want to maintain a strong body with amazing cardiovascular fitness for the rest of my life. Not so that at age 51 I can share holograms of my awesome abs to the colonists on Mars, but so that at age 51 when my daughter is visiting from college and says, "Dad can I have a piggy back ride?" I can say sure, hop on.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
50K > 26.2: My First Ultra-Marathon.
So here I am, walking through the woods, eating jellybeans. The rain has finally stopped so this has turned into a wonderful day to be walking leisurely through the wooded trails at Fall Creek Falls State Park. I am, however, supposed to be running this trail. It is a race after all.
Six months before I had put together my training plan for my first ultra-marathon. I had run this course twice before, but both times it was the half-marathon distance and I felt it was time to rise to a new challenge. So I researched training plans, marathon nutrition plans, and racing tips. I spent weeks talking about nothing but ultra-running. I put together my own training plan and started preparing my body to take on something new. I planned, four phases of running training as well as four phases of strength training. Strength training is a very good idea if you plan on running long distances. This was going to require me to run double the longest weekly mileages I had before, so everything had to be carefully planned to build up to the challenge without overtraining.
I had every run meticulously planned, but I also had each week's runs prioritized so that if my body told me I was doing too much, I knew exactly what workout would be dropped from the schedule. At the end, several workouts had to be dropped. I was pushing the limits of what my body could do at that point in my life.
It was fun.
It was hard.
And then it was race day.
And it rained, and rained and rained.
The rain turned out to be a major problem.
There it is, that stupid log again! This is the fourth time I've crossed this log. It didn't bother me the first time. The first time I lept over it like a hurdler, the second time, still wasn't bad, I put one hand down on the log as I hopped over. Last time, I stopped, took a breath and stepped over gingerly. This time I'm not sure how I'm going to get over it. Here we go.
Walk up to log.
Sit on log.
Lie on stomach.
Swing legs over.
Use hands to push back up to standing position.
Keep Walking.
I had been watching the weather for as long as race day showed up on the 10 day forecast. I watched as the chances of rain waxed and waned, then once the day arrived, rain chances were at 100% for the race. The sound system at the starting line couldn't be set up due to the rain, announcements were made by yelling really loud to the crowd of over 200, 60 of whom were signed up for the 50K, the rest running the half marathon. My wife loaned me her brightly colored rain coat. Uncommon colors for a guy to wear, but I figured if there were bears in this part of Tennessee, they would think I was poisonous and not bother me. I stood under a picnic shelter as the registration line crawled into another shelter. I didn't want to stand in the rain to wait.
Finally everyone was signed in and it was time for the race to begin. Spirits were high all around despite the pouring rain. We all took off, talking to one another like old friends although the only thing we all had in common was a love of trail running. With the hood up on my wife's raincoat all I could hear was footsteps rolling up the road, raindrops beating down, and the susurration of the raincoat. The trail rolled on before me and I was feeling alive. My body feels strong, powerful, and swift.
I can barely walk, but I feel alive. The rain is gone, and I am struggling. The struggle is what makes me feel so alive at this point. My running mantra has been changed through the day. My default mantra is, "I am Strong, I am Powerful, I am Swift." When my pace dropped down slower than 10 minutes per mile, I dropped the, "I am Swift," part. I'm not feeling particularly strong or powerful right now either, so my new mantra is, "I am capable of moving forward."
Rainy, wet, muddy, and slippery. This race is going to be tough. I've run this course twice before for the half-marathon version of the race, but the trails were much drier for those runs. This day, going uphill took much more focus and energy, if I pushed too hard with a step, my foot would slide downhill. The flats (as they were) were often canted to one side or the other, requiring stabilization with each step to avoid sliding sideways. The downhills, were probably the worst, usually on downhills I adopt this relaxed, quick stepping, high cadence run that allows me to fly down the hill with little effort, but on this slippery as snot course I had to have constant tension in my quadriceps and hip flexors to avoid my feet sliding out in front of me and dumping me on my butt. It seemed like every step took twice the normal amount of energy.
I'm not a big socializer, probably the most socialization I ever do at one time is on trail races. For whatever reason I just feel a kinship with those around me and we talk. We greet each other, wish each other luck, discuss running, trails, race nutrition, encourage each other, and cheer each other on. The layout of this race course really lends itself to crossing paths with other runners frequently in the final miles. That really helped me with not having to spend too much time alone in the woods towards the end.
I came across people who were still running strong when I was reduced to a walk, passed others who wound up not finishing, chatted with people all through the race. Towards the end, more and more, the conversation was mostly checking up on each other and encouraging each other through the end.
All that work stabilizing myself on the muddy trails took its toll. My speed was dropping, my legs were getting heavy, I was alternating between walking and running. I was headed towards aid station 3, which is about a mile from the ending of the course, but to make the 50K course, you repeat the course, then turn back, go to aid station 2, then return to station 3 and finish. In short, on arriving at this aid station I would have to turn back, run 3 or so miles, then come back this way again.
With my new slower pace, I was beginning how much longer it was to the aid station. I started trying to estimate it based on people running back towards me on the course. I was getting tired, then I heard, "Come on O'Nan you can do it!" My wonderful wife was at the aid station, she had been there encouraging runners and waiting for me. I ran to her, and hugged her, she took her raincoat back from me, the rain was gone and it was mainly a burden now. I got some gatorade and gu and told her it was going to be longer than I had expected.
I told the other volunteers I needed someone to run behind me singing the theme from Rocky. One of the boyscouts wanted to, but his mom told him no. I ran back into the woods and set a new record for the slowest three miles I had ever done in my life. It took me about an hour to get back to aid station 2.
I was walking, jogging, shuffling up and down the hills, over roots, rocks, and rotting logs, I had started humming and singing to myself. Music from Rocky, "Be a Man" from the movie Mulan, the theme from the old Superman movie, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, whatever popped into my head.
I made it back to aid station 2, they were out of gatorade, and nearly out of gu, I turned around and started to run back.
Aid station 2 is on the road way, to get back on the trail, there is a steep little descent going from the road down to the woods. As I walked down it my hip flexors protested. They didn't scream in pain, they didn't lock up or cramp. They just sat down right there on the factory floor and refused to do any more work. So I walked.
After an extensive walk break I decided it was time to run again. A signal went from my brain down to my legs telling all the necessary muscles to run. My hip flexors sent a message back to my brain.
The message was, "Nope."
I could not lift my knees.
I could swing my arms and lean forward which caused my legs to swing forward allowing me to continue a walking motion, so I kept moving forward with about 4 miles to the finish.
So here I am walking through the woods eating jellybeans. . .
Before leaving for the race I packed everything I would need including my fuel belt which carries four water bottles and has a pouch that fits several energy gels. The one thing I managed to leave behind was the fuel belt. So not only was I lacking my belt, most of my fuel was back in Bowling Green too. We made a quick stop at WalMart searching for a source of glucose for the race. I bought a hiker's waist pack (I refuse to call it a fanny pack), a bottle of gatorade, and two bags of jellybeans.
Walking towards the finish, another couple is running towards me headed back for their final turnaround. She is just in front of him, she looks, grim? determined? angry? I ask how they are doing, she keeps running, he raises his hands, palms up and shrugs his shoulders.
It takes me an hour and 45 minutes to complete the three miles between stations this time. My wife is waiting for me in the woods. I say, "Want to see me run?" She says yes, and I tell her too bad, I can't run anymore.
On the final stretch three deer walk out of the woods onto the road. One of them jerks its head up and looks at me, evaluating. After a minute it goes back to nibbling at something on the ground. I think it decided that I could not possibly be a threat since I could barely move forward.
The final downhill. I see the finish line and giggle to myself that I thought I would have been finished two hours ago. I had enough energy to sort of run now. Downhill on pavement doesn't require much lifting of the knees.
I finished.
17 out of the 60 did not finish, so I call that a good day.
I am an ultra-marathoner.
Six months before I had put together my training plan for my first ultra-marathon. I had run this course twice before, but both times it was the half-marathon distance and I felt it was time to rise to a new challenge. So I researched training plans, marathon nutrition plans, and racing tips. I spent weeks talking about nothing but ultra-running. I put together my own training plan and started preparing my body to take on something new. I planned, four phases of running training as well as four phases of strength training. Strength training is a very good idea if you plan on running long distances. This was going to require me to run double the longest weekly mileages I had before, so everything had to be carefully planned to build up to the challenge without overtraining.
I had every run meticulously planned, but I also had each week's runs prioritized so that if my body told me I was doing too much, I knew exactly what workout would be dropped from the schedule. At the end, several workouts had to be dropped. I was pushing the limits of what my body could do at that point in my life.
It was fun.
It was hard.
And then it was race day.
And it rained, and rained and rained.
The rain turned out to be a major problem.
There it is, that stupid log again! This is the fourth time I've crossed this log. It didn't bother me the first time. The first time I lept over it like a hurdler, the second time, still wasn't bad, I put one hand down on the log as I hopped over. Last time, I stopped, took a breath and stepped over gingerly. This time I'm not sure how I'm going to get over it. Here we go.
Walk up to log.
Sit on log.
Lie on stomach.
Swing legs over.
Use hands to push back up to standing position.
Keep Walking.
I had been watching the weather for as long as race day showed up on the 10 day forecast. I watched as the chances of rain waxed and waned, then once the day arrived, rain chances were at 100% for the race. The sound system at the starting line couldn't be set up due to the rain, announcements were made by yelling really loud to the crowd of over 200, 60 of whom were signed up for the 50K, the rest running the half marathon. My wife loaned me her brightly colored rain coat. Uncommon colors for a guy to wear, but I figured if there were bears in this part of Tennessee, they would think I was poisonous and not bother me. I stood under a picnic shelter as the registration line crawled into another shelter. I didn't want to stand in the rain to wait.
Finally everyone was signed in and it was time for the race to begin. Spirits were high all around despite the pouring rain. We all took off, talking to one another like old friends although the only thing we all had in common was a love of trail running. With the hood up on my wife's raincoat all I could hear was footsteps rolling up the road, raindrops beating down, and the susurration of the raincoat. The trail rolled on before me and I was feeling alive. My body feels strong, powerful, and swift.
I can barely walk, but I feel alive. The rain is gone, and I am struggling. The struggle is what makes me feel so alive at this point. My running mantra has been changed through the day. My default mantra is, "I am Strong, I am Powerful, I am Swift." When my pace dropped down slower than 10 minutes per mile, I dropped the, "I am Swift," part. I'm not feeling particularly strong or powerful right now either, so my new mantra is, "I am capable of moving forward."
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| Sporting the "Ultra Man" bandana my wife made with 3/4 of a mile to go. |
Rainy, wet, muddy, and slippery. This race is going to be tough. I've run this course twice before for the half-marathon version of the race, but the trails were much drier for those runs. This day, going uphill took much more focus and energy, if I pushed too hard with a step, my foot would slide downhill. The flats (as they were) were often canted to one side or the other, requiring stabilization with each step to avoid sliding sideways. The downhills, were probably the worst, usually on downhills I adopt this relaxed, quick stepping, high cadence run that allows me to fly down the hill with little effort, but on this slippery as snot course I had to have constant tension in my quadriceps and hip flexors to avoid my feet sliding out in front of me and dumping me on my butt. It seemed like every step took twice the normal amount of energy.
I'm not a big socializer, probably the most socialization I ever do at one time is on trail races. For whatever reason I just feel a kinship with those around me and we talk. We greet each other, wish each other luck, discuss running, trails, race nutrition, encourage each other, and cheer each other on. The layout of this race course really lends itself to crossing paths with other runners frequently in the final miles. That really helped me with not having to spend too much time alone in the woods towards the end.
I came across people who were still running strong when I was reduced to a walk, passed others who wound up not finishing, chatted with people all through the race. Towards the end, more and more, the conversation was mostly checking up on each other and encouraging each other through the end.
All that work stabilizing myself on the muddy trails took its toll. My speed was dropping, my legs were getting heavy, I was alternating between walking and running. I was headed towards aid station 3, which is about a mile from the ending of the course, but to make the 50K course, you repeat the course, then turn back, go to aid station 2, then return to station 3 and finish. In short, on arriving at this aid station I would have to turn back, run 3 or so miles, then come back this way again.
With my new slower pace, I was beginning how much longer it was to the aid station. I started trying to estimate it based on people running back towards me on the course. I was getting tired, then I heard, "Come on O'Nan you can do it!" My wonderful wife was at the aid station, she had been there encouraging runners and waiting for me. I ran to her, and hugged her, she took her raincoat back from me, the rain was gone and it was mainly a burden now. I got some gatorade and gu and told her it was going to be longer than I had expected.
I told the other volunteers I needed someone to run behind me singing the theme from Rocky. One of the boyscouts wanted to, but his mom told him no. I ran back into the woods and set a new record for the slowest three miles I had ever done in my life. It took me about an hour to get back to aid station 2.
I was walking, jogging, shuffling up and down the hills, over roots, rocks, and rotting logs, I had started humming and singing to myself. Music from Rocky, "Be a Man" from the movie Mulan, the theme from the old Superman movie, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, whatever popped into my head.
I made it back to aid station 2, they were out of gatorade, and nearly out of gu, I turned around and started to run back.
Aid station 2 is on the road way, to get back on the trail, there is a steep little descent going from the road down to the woods. As I walked down it my hip flexors protested. They didn't scream in pain, they didn't lock up or cramp. They just sat down right there on the factory floor and refused to do any more work. So I walked.
After an extensive walk break I decided it was time to run again. A signal went from my brain down to my legs telling all the necessary muscles to run. My hip flexors sent a message back to my brain.
The message was, "Nope."
I could not lift my knees.
I could swing my arms and lean forward which caused my legs to swing forward allowing me to continue a walking motion, so I kept moving forward with about 4 miles to the finish.
So here I am walking through the woods eating jellybeans. . .
Before leaving for the race I packed everything I would need including my fuel belt which carries four water bottles and has a pouch that fits several energy gels. The one thing I managed to leave behind was the fuel belt. So not only was I lacking my belt, most of my fuel was back in Bowling Green too. We made a quick stop at WalMart searching for a source of glucose for the race. I bought a hiker's waist pack (I refuse to call it a fanny pack), a bottle of gatorade, and two bags of jellybeans.
Walking towards the finish, another couple is running towards me headed back for their final turnaround. She is just in front of him, she looks, grim? determined? angry? I ask how they are doing, she keeps running, he raises his hands, palms up and shrugs his shoulders.
It takes me an hour and 45 minutes to complete the three miles between stations this time. My wife is waiting for me in the woods. I say, "Want to see me run?" She says yes, and I tell her too bad, I can't run anymore.
On the final stretch three deer walk out of the woods onto the road. One of them jerks its head up and looks at me, evaluating. After a minute it goes back to nibbling at something on the ground. I think it decided that I could not possibly be a threat since I could barely move forward.
The final downhill. I see the finish line and giggle to myself that I thought I would have been finished two hours ago. I had enough energy to sort of run now. Downhill on pavement doesn't require much lifting of the knees.
I finished.
17 out of the 60 did not finish, so I call that a good day.
I am an ultra-marathoner.
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| Some of the mud my shoes collected and of course my finisher's medal. |
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Too Hard?
"I don't like to exercise, it's hard."
Yes, exercise can be hard, and the more one needs it, the harder it is to get started. It is especially hard for someone who doesn't know where to start.
There are tons of programs, 30 day challenges, bootcamps, magazines, blogs, and youtube videos out there selling you an exercise program.
Many of these programs are good programs, but any program that doesn't start with analyzing where you are starting, how your body moves, what you enjoy in exercise, or what your goals are is limited.
If you need to get started contact me. Whether you can afford training or not, I'll help you get started in a safe, gradual fashion.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
641.1 Miles
I've run over 600 miles training for this, as many as 58 miles in seven days. This is the highest volume of running I've achieved since my first run in November of 2010.
It hasn't all gone perfectly. I missed some training due to getting sick. I've missed some due to a sore ankle. I've missed some due to "I din't feel like going out in the cold and running 12 miles today.
I haven't always been able to run at the desired pace. My last trail run started off with miles ticking by in under ten minutes each and ended up with miles ticking by in. . . let's just say they were under twenty minutes and leave it at that.
A few more miles to go this week, then in three days I run my first ultra-marathon. 50K (31 miles) on the trails at Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN.
I'm excited and nervous. Having the taper crazies isn't helping matters much either.
This has been my big journey. I have to trust in the training at this point. I built up from 100 miles per month to nearly 200 per month. I built from running 14 miles over a weekend to 34 over a weekend. Now it is time for it all to come together, the big event is looming before me.
This is going to be fun.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Why Do Cardio?
David Nuckols of GT Fitness recently asked (mainly to get people discussing) why we do cardio. I had a short answer and a long answer, the short answer for why I do cardio is simple.
I like to run.
The long answer gets tricky, I could go on and list all the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, or talk about how cardio and strength training make a great one, two punch combination for improving health. I could go on at length about why I'm against strength training with no cardio, (and against cardio with no strength training). I could talk about what a great system David has at GT Fitness of making strength and cardio a single hybrid workout. I could brag on my own KB500 kickboxing fitness class and how we combine strength training and cardio training there to improve fitness, burn fat, and build muscle.
Instead, I want to talk about why I do cardio.
I am a runner, I have become a distance runner and am training for my first ultramarathon. At 50K it is just barely an ultramarathon, but it is indeed an ultra. I have just reached my peak of training for this race, and to give an idea of how much cardio I sometimes do in a week I'd like to compare it with the recommended dose of cardiovascular exercise.
It is said that we should be getting 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week. Sunday I got 370 minutes. My February cardio has March covered, and probably April too.
The thing is, from a health perspective, those extra hours per week of cardio aren't really doing much to improve my health over that first 150 minutes. If you go from 0 minutes of cardio and add a little so that you get 30 minutes per week you get a little benefit. If you go from 0 and add a lot to get 150 minutes, you get a lot of benefit, but thanks to the law of diminishing returns, once you go past that, you have to do a lot more to get a little more benefit to your health.
The only reason for me to do that much running is that I like it.
I like the challenge of pushing my body, carefully, gradually month by month, to achieve things I didn't think I could. I once believed I couldn't run even a mile. Then I ran a 5K, Half Marathon, Triathlons, and now 50K is two weeks away.
I like going out the door and hitting the road on a sunny day, running between fields of corn in the countryside, watching birds of prey soaring on rising currents of warm air, spotting rabbits as they duck for cover in the fields, listening to the sounds of nature around me and the sound of my breath and heartbeat as I stride down the road for hours at a time.
I like going up to Mammoth Cave and running the trails, jitterbugging my feet around rocks and roots, hopping streams, crawling over fallen trees, jogging within 15 feet of whitetail deer before the leap away from the trail into the cover of the woods, climbing up, up, up to a ridge top overlooking the Green River or down, down, down to see a karst spring trickling out of the limestone.
I do cardio because I like it.
It seems that some people see cardio as a punishment for their transgressions.
"I have to go get on the elliptical because I broke down and had three donuts this morning."
"We went out to eat last night, so I better go burn it off on the treadmill."
For me exercise is different, I exercise because I like what I am doing, my kung fu workouts are fun, my runs are fun, challenging and restorative. I admit that I do my strength training primarily to support my running, I don't usually find strength training fun, but it helps me keep the running fun by improving how well I run, and helping me to avoid injury.
Find fun in your workout. Then instead of thinking, "I have to workout tonight," you'll be thinking, "I can't wait to go workout tonight."
I like to run.
The long answer gets tricky, I could go on and list all the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, or talk about how cardio and strength training make a great one, two punch combination for improving health. I could go on at length about why I'm against strength training with no cardio, (and against cardio with no strength training). I could talk about what a great system David has at GT Fitness of making strength and cardio a single hybrid workout. I could brag on my own KB500 kickboxing fitness class and how we combine strength training and cardio training there to improve fitness, burn fat, and build muscle.
Instead, I want to talk about why I do cardio.
I am a runner, I have become a distance runner and am training for my first ultramarathon. At 50K it is just barely an ultramarathon, but it is indeed an ultra. I have just reached my peak of training for this race, and to give an idea of how much cardio I sometimes do in a week I'd like to compare it with the recommended dose of cardiovascular exercise.
It is said that we should be getting 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week. Sunday I got 370 minutes. My February cardio has March covered, and probably April too.
The thing is, from a health perspective, those extra hours per week of cardio aren't really doing much to improve my health over that first 150 minutes. If you go from 0 minutes of cardio and add a little so that you get 30 minutes per week you get a little benefit. If you go from 0 and add a lot to get 150 minutes, you get a lot of benefit, but thanks to the law of diminishing returns, once you go past that, you have to do a lot more to get a little more benefit to your health.
The only reason for me to do that much running is that I like it.
I like the challenge of pushing my body, carefully, gradually month by month, to achieve things I didn't think I could. I once believed I couldn't run even a mile. Then I ran a 5K, Half Marathon, Triathlons, and now 50K is two weeks away.
I like going out the door and hitting the road on a sunny day, running between fields of corn in the countryside, watching birds of prey soaring on rising currents of warm air, spotting rabbits as they duck for cover in the fields, listening to the sounds of nature around me and the sound of my breath and heartbeat as I stride down the road for hours at a time.
I like going up to Mammoth Cave and running the trails, jitterbugging my feet around rocks and roots, hopping streams, crawling over fallen trees, jogging within 15 feet of whitetail deer before the leap away from the trail into the cover of the woods, climbing up, up, up to a ridge top overlooking the Green River or down, down, down to see a karst spring trickling out of the limestone.
I do cardio because I like it.
It seems that some people see cardio as a punishment for their transgressions.
"I have to go get on the elliptical because I broke down and had three donuts this morning."
"We went out to eat last night, so I better go burn it off on the treadmill."
For me exercise is different, I exercise because I like what I am doing, my kung fu workouts are fun, my runs are fun, challenging and restorative. I admit that I do my strength training primarily to support my running, I don't usually find strength training fun, but it helps me keep the running fun by improving how well I run, and helping me to avoid injury.
Find fun in your workout. Then instead of thinking, "I have to workout tonight," you'll be thinking, "I can't wait to go workout tonight."
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Functional? Really?
Sometimes I am convinced that people create exercises solely to sell new equipment.
For example:
That exercise is functional if you are at sea, on a raft, after losing one of your legs battling pirates, loading cannonballs into a cannon.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Too Skinny On Biggest Loser?
The problem with weight loss competition:
If you have reached your ideal weight with a week left to go, and everyone else is still ten or twenty pounds overweight, how do you win the competition?
Dehydration, starvation, laxatives?
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
I Was Never Really Lost. . .
For a brief few days, the winds had changed. The biting cold had been blown back to its northern home where it crouched, waiting for another chance to head south and punish those of us accustomed to milder weather. I took advantage of this respite from the cold to head out for my long run on the trails at Mammoth Cave National Park. I gathered up my supplies, running for hours requires fuel, so I filled my water flasks with Gatorade and stuffed some energy chews, which you may just as well call candy, in the pocket on the back of my fuel belt. I drove out to Mammoth Cave, took the ferry across the river and parked at the trail head ready to start my run.
Whatever the goal, planning is important. If you are planning on taking charge of your health by losing weight, it is important to start by planning and preparing. I would never have been able to run well over 20 miles that day if I had not prepared what I would need ahead of time. Your journey to a new fit, healthy you starts at the grocery store. Plan your shopping and buy what you need to prepare healthy meals at home, including meals you can take to work. Having what you need ahead of time will prevent you from resorting to junk food snacks and fast food lunches.
The trail grew gradually wilder as I ran. At the parking area I crossed the white painted lines of the crosswalk, stepped onto the gray gravel of the start of the trail which gradually gave way to dirt well hardened by many footsteps. Soon the leaves that had fallen all winter obscured the trail so that there were times I had to stop an search for a faint line of flatness in the leaves and hopefully a blue blaze on one of the trees. As I approached the crossing of this trail with another trail I checked my watch. Since I knew the mileage of that section of trail, it was easy to calculate that I was nailing a ten minute per mile pace, perfect for this easy paced long run.
Many times when you start, there is a time when your eating habits and workouts just click into place. Everything goes smoothly and there is continuous progress to your goal. When it is going smoothly it is so motivating and you might feel unstoppable. Use that momentum to your advantage, but keep in mind it might not always be a smooth ride.
At several places on the trail I had to step, leap, climb across small streams. At some of these the spring from which the stream escaped from underground was visible. 
At one, I could even see a cave entrance. Tempting. 
I crossed the stream that slinked its way out of the cave, scanned ahead to find the trail and continued. The trail was gradually becoming more and more obscured by leaves. 
Seriously, which way.
Left? Right?
At his point I had been running for over an hour. I grabbed my map and got a rough idea how far I had gone if I were still running at about 10 minutes per mile. I decided that I was at the point of the map where the trail turned about 170 degrees and continued. I turned, scanned for the slightly flattened line in the leaves, saw it and a blue blaze, turned, and ran. At times, my light jacket felt too warm, but with the gray overcast sky and the strong winds blowing I was glad to have it. I ran down the trail, leaves crunching with each step. I leapt over some fallen trees and scrambled under others. I saw another cave spring ahead and decided to stop for another picture. 
Wait a minute. That picture looks familiar.
Sometimes, you will experience setbacks. Instead of losing two pounds one week you may discover you've gained three. Your schedule one week may have been very busy resulting in one too many fast food stops. You might have given in to the craving for some chips or ice cream.
Setbacks happen. When they do, the important thing is what you do next. Stop, regroup, get back on track, adjust your plans. Do whatever you need to start making progress again.
It turns out that after I had run for an hour I made the reasonable mistake of miscalculating that 170 degree turn and made a 180 degree turn. I decided to head back to the point where the two trails crossed and reassess the rest of my running route to be sure I got the mileage I wanted. Unfortunately there were some trail closures, so I had to do quite a bit of replanning. I did see some awesome scenes along the way. 
I saw deer and turkey, and I found some very muddy trails. 
The last eight miles or so were so muddy that It seemed to take three steps to make one step of forward progress. The mud grabbed my feet trying to hold me in place, the trail slid out from beneath me trying to drag me down, it was a struggle to move. Then I wound up on a connector trail when I should have been on my return loop.
Then I saw it. Through the woods, I saw the roadway.
I snuck through the growth knowing that going this way would be all but impossible in a few months. I got on the roadway and jogged, walked, ran, and walked some more the last few miles back to my car. It was a harder day than I anticipated, but I did what I had to do and met my goal. I actually ran an extra mile or two over the 22 I had planned.
Achieving your weight loss or fitness goals won't always go smoothly, but if you persevere, you can find a way. If you recognize the importance of a healthy lifestyle and set your mind to it, you can find a way. It may not be the path you expected, it might be very difficult, but with planning, execution, and perseverance you can do it.
So what are you waiting for?
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