Chuckit Running and Walking

Mid Week 8/31-9/1

2010-08-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

After pondering workouts for those with upcoming marathons and those running the Super Jock n Jill half next Monday. I originally considered not having you run the 2 mi TT this month but I think I like the sounds of it after thinking about it. It's shorter than any other workout I would plan so it will give you a nice quick effort leading up to your half, one that works your speed and is also one you can quickly recover from. Also with this weather it might nice to get there and get it in quickly and be done with it.

Of course it's not required but I do recommend it. Like I said I think it's the perfect workout this week for most.

Those with long runs planned this weekend who are also running the SJJ half, I would use the half as your long run and just run 3-4 miles on Saturday. As many of you have heard me say running 13 miles hard is worth running 17 miles easy in my book.

If you have an upcoming marathon I really would plan for a race in the next couple of weeks even 5K's will do the trick., I've mentioned this before over the summer but I think there is nothing like other races to help you prepare for your goal race. That's one of the reasons we run the 2 mile TT.

Mid Week 8/24-25/10, if you want to run faster you gotta run faster

2010-08-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out to the party. The weather was perfect and the food and company great. The fire pit also came in handy keeping away the bugs and keeping away the chill. In the end I think we ended up with more food and drink than we provided. A lot of left overs.

It's always nice to spend time with everyone out side of running. I think everyone had a good time and we'll plan for next year. Stephanie Buley was the lucky winner of the Gamin 310xt that we raffled off. Thanks again.

Well we're getting awfully close to your up coming fall events with only about 6 weeks away to Portland, Chicago and Victoria. Time to buckle down quality wise. So these next few weeks of Mid week workouts are very important.

As I was pondering (as I often do) about the group last week and occurred to me how many people say they join the group for the long runs and how running with others will make them faster. As I thought about it I started thinking that's pretty silly, seems to me people who are wanting to run faster should joining the group because of the midweek workouts. I mean your long runs are important if run the right way but if you want to get faster the easiest way is not through long runs, it's through quality running. Your mid week workouts are going to help you get faster, faster than your long runs. I've never thought of a long run as a hard work out. To me a hard workout is one that is going to bring benefits that will help me get faster than other runs such as recovery runs or long runs. Recovery runs to me are the runs the day after your hard workouts. Running long is easy and are run most time a lot slower than your expected race pace. So you need to do some running at your race pace of after so that you 're able to run that race pace comfortably.

I will add here though if you're a beginner I think long runs are probably more important because you're just building up endurance and strength so you'll improve a lot from that. If you're a more experienced runner the best way to improve from the way I see it is to add more volume, be more consistent and add quality and this quality is where you'll see the biggest improvement faster.

So as you continue to prep for your fall events remember to get in those quality runs in and in the end they'll make you faster, than your long runs.

Mid week 8/17-18/10, Workout wrinkle, Chuckit Article, Party Info , Martha Stewart

2010-08-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well finally some warm weather, I guess you have to be careful what you wish for. Supposed to cool down by the weekend so good weather for your long runs.

For those of you running the 10x800's I want to add a new wrinkle this week. 20x200 with a 200 jog at 5K race pace (or 2 mi t pace) the idea here is to work on your leg speed without killing you. This shouldn't be run full out. This will work on your stride efficiency and make you marathon pace seem a whole lot slower, plus I think it will add a little variety to keep your minds a little fresher. I'll explain it further at the workouts.

There is a nice feature article in Competitor Magazine this month about myself and the group. I put a scanned copy up on the web site if you're interested in it. click here to read it.

Supposed to be cool and maybe rain on Saturday, which is of course the day of the party. Oh well we'll get by. It's always grat see everyone outside of the running thing.
Ok here is the party info:
Will start at 5:00ish until when ever
Potluck, byob we will have a lot of stuff
Kids welcome, no goats please as we already have a couple.
Address: 3217 West Valley Hwy N.
Auburn Wa. 98001
206-391-3448

View Larger Map
my house is really easy to get to. from Seattle Go south on I5 take the 272nd street exit, go left follow 272 for about 2 miles down a long hill. At west Valley Hwy go right. Go for about a mile. after you go through the intersection of 292 /37th the road starts to bend take the first drive way to the right stay left. Our drive way has the chain link fence along it.

From Bellevue 405 south, take 167 south, take the 277th street exit go right then left at the next light (West Valley Hwy) Go for about a mile. after you go through the intersection of 292 /37th the road starts to bend take the first drive way to the right stay left. Our drive way has the chain link fence along it.

I hope you can make it.

Starting on September 11th we'll be moving our Saturday morning run to Madison Park for our long runs. This will give those who are running Seattle a chance to train on the course and for a others a nice change of scenery. Also on that day our run will be part of a promotion for Martha Stewart. Here's the info that I have so far:
This September, "The Martha Stewart Show" is moving exclusively to Hallmark Channel. To celebrate that Martha is on the move, we are looking to partner with running clubs throughout the US to coordinate a fun run letting people know that Martha is on the Move. These runs can be in conjunction with a planned training run or practice or an event on their own. As a way of saying thanks, Hallmark Channel and "The Martha Stewart Show" will be providing runners with some great swag including a dry-fit runners shirt. Of course,this being Martha we're also including an apron and wooden spoon for everyone who runs.

We'll be working with the local media to promote your group and the run. We're hoping the groups can help by using social media to get the word out. We want people to have FUN and channel "their inner Martha". The groups that have the most fun and are the most creative will have the chance to win one of a kind signed Martha Stewart products.
Moving day is Monday September 13. We are looking to have the runs take place in the two weeks prior to moving day.
The attached PDF gives you more detail on the promotion.

mid week 8/10-/11

2010-08-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Had some very nice time trials last week, shows that your work is paying off. for those who would like to submit their times to the search-able data base you can do that here http://www.runseattle.com/2-mile_time_trial.asp, it goes back to about 2004. I like to look at it to see how everyone is doing although I notice that it's used has dropped a bit. I had few people ask me how to access it last week the link is on the pace run page, which is under training on the site. Thanks to those that have submitted their times.

One lucky person with my prodding learned that to run these things fast you have to run faster then you think might be safe or even as fast as you think you can. John Leddy was talking with someone before hand saying his best ever was 12:45ish. I heard that and said John you're going to go out the first mile today in 6:05 (got to be careful what you say around me) I got a nice little stare from him but insisted that he try it. He relented and I enlisted the Jason to help get him through 6:05, They took off and I have to say John looked like he was jogging, it looked so easy for him. Unfortunately Jason has been vacationing more than running recently so he was only able to must a 6:10 first mile. John stayed on pace and finished with a 12:22 a good 20 second improvement. The only way you can find out what you're able to to do running wise sometimes is to take a chance. Is it hard? You bet but you have to lay yourself out there sometimes and give it a shot or you'll never make those big improvements, is it safe nope, is it hard yeap but it's fun when you get them.

Going to get warmer this week so make sure that you take it easy in the heat, wouldn't be a problem if we had warmer weather all along but every one is getting used to those nice 55 degree Saturday long runs. I hope we get a good spell of warm weather so that you can get used to running in a bit warmer weather in case your fall event falls victim to a warm day.

Got a check from someone for membership a couple of weeks ago, stuck it in my wallet, a few days later I found it and deposited, it didn't have any information on it such as name or address so I couldn't record that. For the life of me I can't remember who gave it to me, I couldn't even make out the signature. Anyway I got it returned + a nice $19 charge to my account for that. If you might be the person who gave it to me could you contact me so that we can settle up? Thanks.

ChuckIt Summer Party is around the corner on the 21st if you think you'll be attending let me know so that I can get a rough idea how many might be coming.

From what Glen says the Danskin Tri is still in need of volunteers, info on that is in last weeks blog post.

Mid Week 8-3-2010

2010-08-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yeap time trial time. For those who are running an early fall marathon you only have two left until then.So you need to make the most of them and aim for some good results as these will give you a very good indication of you fitness and what you might expect for your goal event.

With only a couple of months to go until the October events you're heading into the heaviest load training wise. Only a month until you start cutting back so make sure you're getting these workouts in. On the other hand this being vacation time for many make sure that you get your vacation in and don't let this ruin it. The thing about vacations is that things never turn out like you think so I would say it's just good to take it easy run lightly and go with the flow. If you're allowed to get your planned work out in great but if not don't stress and do what you can and it that's nothing well just move on to the next opportunity.

Remember the Chuckit Party on the 21st down here at my house. The goats are pretty excited about it. I figure we can start the festivities about 5:00 pm until whenever.

As a reward to our efforts with pacing at RnR I was given a Garmin gps watch. I propose that we have a raffle at the party for it.

From Glen.

Volunteers needed!

Hey Chuckit Crew!

Do you want to be a critical part of the 2010 Seattle Danskin Triathlon? You can by being a volunteer at this great event!

Below are some details:

Danskin Women’s Triathlon – Genessee Park, Seattle. Friday, August 13 – Sunday, August 15

Danskin is seeking volunteers in all areas of this triathlon starting with race setup on Friday to the finish line on Sunday and everything in between! Over the course of three days, we will need to fill nearly 450 volunteer positions! More than 4000 female athletes will be looking to you for encouragement, assistance, and support. Volunteers are the HEART of this event, and we couldn't do it without you! Join us for a fun and rewarding experience. Please encourage your friends, family, or club to volunteer with you. For more details and to register, go to www.seattledanskintri.com. If you’d like to sign up as a group, please indicate on the online registration form under “Additional Information”, or email seattlewomenstri@gmail.com.

New for this year: volunteers will be getting some swag (besides the t-shirt) more info to follow!

mid week 7/27-28/10, upcoming races, summer party

2010-07-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

We're heading into August and the toughest part of the training for fall events is right in front of us. A reminder to make sure you hydrate in the warm weather, eat properly and make sure that you get your rest between workouts. Also this would not be a good time to take on a new venture like riding across the great USA or something. The month ahead is very important so focus on getting through it.

There are some good races coming up that can only help you in your future endeavors, Saturday night is the torchlight 8K which runs through the Torchlight Parade route and on labor day is the Super Jock n Jill half marathon. So that would give an 8K under your belt and then a month later a half marathon to help finish tuning up for your fall events Followed by your planned race. (unless you're running a September event.)

We haven't had a party out here are the Bartlett Ranch in a couple of years because of having babies and renovations and such but I think it's time to have another one. I'm thinking about August 21st. It's always good to get everyone together out side of the running thing, everyone is welcome to attend. We have a large party area and large yard which is very kid and goat friendly. Generally we do potluck and byob and will carry on with that. We have a couple of barbecues so certainly bring something to cook. I'll post more info as we get closer.

Mid Week, the magical schedule, Product testers needed for Moving Comfort

2010-07-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

For those training for an early fall marathon we're about smack dab in the middle of the training plan so many of you will begin hill work this week. Of course this being summer we'll using the summer hill for this unless of course you're running the longer version which entails running from the bottom of the winter hill to the top of the summer hill and down for recovery, reverse and run to the top of the winter hill which means of course you'll be sharing the love with both.

Both hill workouts are great and you might also alternate weeks doing the shorter repeats one week and the longer the next. In the end they're both great works which is all that really matters.

For those wondering how many should they do? If you're a beginner I usually start with 3 hills on the short version. Building to 9 by week 3. For those wiley veterans out there I say jump in and get jiggy with it and start with 9, make the most out of this and get the full benefit. For those doing the long version 6 should do the trick. One being form the bottom of one hill to the top of the other.

There have been those that have been asking for the mystical and magical advanced plus schedule well here you go-
http://www.runchuckit.com/patrick/TrainingSchedule.htm?race=Portland2010&type=full&level=aplus
(you'll notice that it for portland, if you want to train for chicago change it to change the portland in the url to chicago and so on.)

Please tread lightly with this schedule, it's a good one but very intensive quality and quantity wise, I generally only like to share it with those that have a fair amount of background. There were a lot of people asking about it so I've taken the cover off it's internet hiding place to share with all you good people. Again be careful and may the force be with you!

I'll be going on vacation at the end of this week. I'll miss the Saturday run (Eric will be there to open the store so that you can meet there) as well workouts next Tuesday and Wednesday. I'll be back for that Saturday.

Below is a note I got from Moving Comfort looking for some ladies for some product testing. I've attached more info as well.

My name is Fran Faure. I work as a Product Developer at Moving Comfort, a women’s athletic apparel and sports bra company located in Bothell, Washington. We are currently gearing up to test our bras in a laboratory setting and we need fit, athletic women to come to our facility in Bothell to wear test our garments.

Please find attached a pdf file with a few more specifics that can be easily passed on to the women members of your team. Also, below is a little more description of the process.

As a brief outline, you will be testing 4-6 different bras and 2 different pairs of shoes (potentially). You’ll be running without a shirt on in front of male and female biometricians and hooked up to wires for taking movement measurements. You’ll be expected to run for 2 minutes at 8:30-10:00 minute/mile pace for each tested bra. The test may take up to 3 hours to complete.

Our testing facility is in the process of being built but we expect to be “up and running” by August with testing planned for 34C or 36D in August and 34C, 36D and 38DD for September. We are looking for up to 8 women per size. If you know anyone who fits the specification on the sheet you received, please feel free to pass it on.

All testers will be compensated with Free Moving Comfort apparel or bras (TBD).

Please contact me if you have any questions and thank you for your help in making our first-class products better!

Fran Faure
Assistant Product Developer

Additional information

Mid Week, hot weather running tips

2010-07-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

As this is the first Tuesday of the Month, I won't post workouts since everyone has the same one, the 2 mile TT/Pace run. Those who ran RnR should look at this as a tempo run, more or less a workout to get you back up and going towards the fall.

The temps are going to be getting up there this week especially compared to what we have had lately but today I think should be about perfect with things getting in the 70's, so probably the best day of the week for a nice quality workout.

For the rest of the week since the temps are going to get up into the high 80's - 90's later in the week, I might cut things back a little this week, still keep your running going but cut back the volume a bit as well as the intensity. Even your long run this weekend. This should help you acclimatize to the change and not take too much out of you but allow you to keep going forward with your training.

Here are some tips from the RRCA for hot weather running -

From The Road Runners Club of America (http://www.rrca.org ) - The Road Runners Club of America wants to remind the running community about the importance of following our hot weather running tips. Running in the heat of summer can be dangerous if proper precautions and preparations are not followed.
"About this time of year, I start to receive stories from around the country of runners that pass away as a result of extreme heat exposure," explains Jean Knaack, executive director of the Road Runners Club of America. "These deaths are tragic and often times are a result of underlying health issues that manifest in extremely hot conditions. It is so important for every runner, regardless of their age - young and old, to follow our hot weather running tips."

1. Avoid dehydration!!! You can lose between 6 and 12 oz. of fluid for every 20 minutes of running. Therefore it is important to pre-hydrate (10-15 oz. of fluid 10 to 15 minutes prior to running) and drink fluids every 20-30 minutes along your running route. To determine if you are hydrating properly, weigh yourself before and after running. You should have drunk one pint of fluid for every pound you're missing. Indications that you are running while dehydrated are a persistent elevated pulse after finishing your run and dark yellow urine. Keep in mind that thirst is not an adequate indicator of dehydration.
Visit Gatorade Endurance's site at http://www.itsonthecourse.com You will find great tools for developing a hydration strategy and coupons for Gatorade Endurance.
To stay hydrated on your run, consider using one of the many products designed by FuelBelt, Inc, "The Official Hydration Delivery System of the RRCA". Find them online at http://www.fuelbelt.com and get a 15% discount on online orders by using the RRCA coupon code: RRCA.

2. Avoid running outside if the heat is above 98.6 degrees and the humidity is above 70-80%. While running, the body temperature is regulated by the process of sweat evaporating off of the skin. If the humidity in the air is so high that it prevents the process of evaporation of sweat from the skin, you can quickly overheat and literally cook your insides from an elevated body temperature. Check your local weather and humidity level at www.weather.com

3. When running, if you become dizzy, nauseated, have the chills, or cease to sweat.... STOP RUNNING, find shade, and drink water or a fluid replacement drink such as Gatorade Endurance. If you do not feel better, get help. Heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature, and the body temperature continues to rise. Symptoms of heatstroke include mental changes (such as confusion, delirium, or unconsciousness) and skin that is red, hot, and dry, even under the armpits. Heatstroke is a life-threatening medical emergency, requiring emergency medical treatment. For more information and symptoms of heatstroke visit
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/87/99468.htm

4. Run in the shade whenever possible and avoid direct sunlight and blacktop. When you are going to be exposed to the intense summer rays of the sun, apply at least 15 spf sunscreen and wear protective eyewear that filters out UVA and UVB rays. Consider wearing a visor that will shade your eyes and skin but will allow heat to transfer off the top of your head.

5. If you have heart or respiratory problems or you are on any medications, consult your doctor about running in the heat. In some cases it may be in your best interests to run indoors. If you have a history of heatstroke/illness, run with extreme caution.

6. Children should run in the morning or late afternoon hours, but should avoid the peak heat of the day to prevent heat related illnesses. It is especially important to keep children hydrated while running and playing outdoors in the heat.

7. DO wear light colored breathable clothing. DO NOT wear long sleeves or long pants or sweat suits. Purposefully running in sweat suits hot days to lose water weight is dangerous!

8. Plan your route so you can refill water bottles or find drinking fountains. City parks, local merchants, and restaurants are all good points to incorporate on your route during hot weather running. Be sure to tell someone where you are running how long you think you will gone, and carry identification.
Stay hydrated, cool, and safe this summer!

Site wil be down, Rock n Roll

2010-06-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed or at least I do when I go to post the workouts, the web site has been incredibly slow for a while now. I've talked to godaddy about it and they don't have much to offer as far as why. I have checked their message boards and it seems I'm not the only one experiencing these troubles, maybe too many sites per server. So anyway I'm moving the site today so there may be some outages. I'm going to post anything there today so that I can get everything moved.

Great Job to everyone over the weekend at Rock n Roll whether pacing or running the marathon of half. The weather was perfect for running. I was a little chilled standing in that wind tunnel that was the finish (I know poor Chuck). It was good to see you finish. Many faces focused on the finish ahead didn't realize that they ran right by me. I got many pictures which once the site is squared away I'll post. Here are the results I could find. Many of you didn't put yourselves in a group so I had to do some digging. In some case as I get to know you I only know your first name which makes it more challenging. Races out of town/state are easier as well because I can just search by city or state and then just scroll through them.

MARATHON
Andrew   Bryant     3:12:37
Kathleen De Rubeis     3:35:51
Megan Thompson        3:36:35
Matt Saunders          3:47:08
David Arthur              3:56:10
Ken   Feldman           4:10:33
Catherine Porciuncula   4:32:11
Tien Doan                 4:37:55
Pradnya Dharia     5:38:54

HALF
Terry Wong     1:38:40
David Stodden   1:49:01
Shauna Shimono 1:59:12
Shauna Pirotin 1:59:20
Anita Lam     2:04:11
Adina Segal    2:23:06
Christine Riedy 2:30:38
Amit Mandvikar 2:43:52

A thanks to all of the pacers and the outstanding job that they did, good work. A special thanks to Rachel and Enid for helping organize and put the pacing together. Enid giving up her body and taking stitches for the cause, nice work! Now that is taking your job seriously!

I won't be at the run on Saturday as I'll be in Eugene for the prefontaine classic track meet. One of the bigger track meets in the USA. Eric from Super Jock n Jill has offered to open the store for you on Saturday so that you can meet as usual. I'll confirm that and send something out.

The spring /summer marathons are finished as far as the group goes, next up fall which are only a couple of months away so make sure that you're getting the needed work in. These next couple of months are important so time to buckle down and get some work in.

Mid Week 6/22-23/10

2010-06-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Below are a list of current groups created by group members. If you're training for a fall marathon or half feel free to join up. If you have an event you're training for and a group isn't present please add it.

I have the new t-shirts and most like the look and the tweaked logo. Thanks for those that donated $5to the screen printing of them. You can also do so here if it's easier http://runchuckit.com/t-donation.htm I'll have the shirts tonight and tomorrow.

Also on Saturday I spoke to everyone about the importance of paying for membership even if you only come for the runs and not the coaching and how it's seems harder each year to collect dues. One thing I didn't mention is that most of you are great when it comes to paying and some some a little over the top. for that I thank you, it's gives me one less thing to worry about and keep organized. Thanks again. I've had some say they have had a hard time finding where on the site to pay online it's under join, you can renew there here's the link. http://runningnw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=49

Rock n Roll is this weekend with many of you running and and pacing. We have a booth at the expo for the pacers to work so stop by and say hello. I've been contacted by a couple of group members who won't be able to run the and are willing give them up to others, they are Lisa Boyadjian - lisa.boyadjian@gmail.com (half marathon )and Karissa Weeks karissaweeks@hotmail.com (Marathon) Contact them if you're interested and make arraignments.

There are a few Saturdays coming up that I won't be present in the next month. This Saturday is Rock n Roll so I'll be at the race. The following Saturday (July 3) I'll be in Eugene for the Prefontaine Classic Track meet and July 17th I'll be on vacation with the family. I have someone who will open the store for the July Saturdays so you'll still be able to meet, this Saturday with so many involved with the races we'll just cancel. After that I'll be here all summer as far as I can see.

Victoria Marathon

October 10,2010

Created on: Friday, 18 June 2010

1 Member 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts Make Featured

Marathon du Medoc

September 11, 2010 Bordeaux, France Once over the finish line each runner is rewarded with a large number of gifts; tee-shirt, medal, sports bag, bottle of Medoc wine, surprise gifts, art print, refreshments etc. They also serve wine at each water stop.

Created on: Wednesday, 16 June 2010

3 Members 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts Make Featured

2010 RnR Pacers

Meet your pacer here.

Created on: Thursday, 20 May 2010

13 Members 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts

Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Flat, Fast and Festive

Created on: Saturday, 15 May 2010

2 Members 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts Make Featured

THE 2010 PORTLAND MARATHON

THE 2010 PORTLAND MARATHON 10-10-10 http://www.portlandmarathon.org

Created on: Tuesday, 20 April 2010

8 Members 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts

Twin Cities Marathon

10/3/10 http://www.mtcmarathon.org/

Created on: Monday, 19 April 2010

1 Member 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts Make Featured

Chicago Marathon

The 2010 Chicago Marathon is on 10/10/10! Flat and fast...sure to be a winner. Great Boston qualifier! Come join in for the fun!

Created on: Tuesday, 13 April 2010

4 Members 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts Make Featured

Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon

June 26, 2010 - Tukwila to Seattle A Running Nirvana! Scenic course with live music every mile.

Created on: Wednesday, 17 March 2010

8 Members 0 Discussions 0 Wall Posts

White River 50

WHITE RIVER 50 MILE TRAIL RUN USATF TRAIL RUN CHAMPIONSHIPS JULY 31st, 2010 -- CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, WA

Created on: Tuesday, 16 February 2010

1 Member 2 Discussions 3 Wall Posts Make Featured

Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon

June 26, 2010 - Tukwila to Seattle A Running Nirvana! Scenic course with live music every mile.

Created on: Monday, 21 December 2009

10 Members 0 Discussions 1 Wall Post

Mid Week

2010-06-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Not the warmest weather but minus the rain we've got some good training weather, so make the most of it and get the most out of your workouts. Soon enough it will warm up and make things a bit tougher an slow you down some.

Here are some over looked results from group members over the June 5-6th weekend. Nice Job!

Olympic Discovery Half

AMY ROE 1:53:50
CORRIE VAA 2:05:01
KRIS PALMER 2:10:23

San Juan Island half

Joesph Cunningham 2:00:21.1

The community Groups are getting pretty thin after deleting most of the earlier spring events, if you have one for the fall feel free to add it.

mid week 6/8-9/10

2010-06-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

We had a marry band of group members head down south to Newport OR last Saturday for their marathon and unfortunately encountered probably the warmest day of the year so far. It wasn't 90's or anything but when your training has been done in weather that's been in the 45-50 degree range that can be a big difference and can put the hurt on great performances.In the end they mostly ended up with a very long training run. Nice efforts in tough conditions gang!

Karin Cheung     4:06:03
Monica Callen     4:50:57
Christina Gonzalez 5:05:32
Guido Aversa     5:14:18

So what to do when you train for 6 months and the weather turns on you or for that matter you just have a bad race? First I wouldn't get down about it, you can't control mother nature or that bad race that is looming and waiting to jump on your back. (Hey if nothing else it makes for a good story). Look at the positive, you've worked hard for several months getting yourself into great shape. You'll probably recover quicker than you might normally so you won't waste time on that. I would spend a month running on the easy side just to give your brain a break, this will also allow you to maintain your fitness.

Start looking ahead to another race, maybe a fall marathon, build on what you have already established and as I say often find some shorter races to run. There are many to choose from. After your few easy weeks you'll be raring to go, your body stronger and recovered and you brain ready take on the challenge again.

I'm a believer that running a marathon in the fall is the safest bet as far as weather goes, you've had a summer to get acclimated to warm weather so if your fall race is warmer then you're more prepared. If it's cool the better.

On another note good to hear that I have converted a few of you into more than 2 day a week runners, you'll see that it will improve your performances and in the end make your training easier and safer, which it doesn't take a genius to figure will make you faster.

Mid week update

2010-06-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well June is here and summer is not. Maybe next week. Got a big workout tonight, yes , yes the time trial. Big as in for those running RnR, your last big test before your event (unless you have some races planned) For those who ran a marathon or half and are planning for a fall event. Time to get back on that horse and ride. Nothing better than a nice up tempo run to get you going again.

Most of the Fall training plans are under way. The Seattle Marathon plan starts this week with those early December ones like Vegas and CIM starting next week. So they way I look at it fall will be here shortly.

I have some new t-shirts that I will get in for screening this week(those of you who are owed Jackets or Vest I will included those for screening) They are the Night life version Bright yellow /green, Brooks podium shirts. Now that Brooks is sponsoring the group we won't be getting the shirts in both genders like we did with New Balance. They are unisex. So basically how it works is that a men's xs is a womens small. A men's small is a women's medium and so on. If you're a women's medium by the way and you don't like the color I choose good for you those are white. They only had one in the night life color.

For those that are pacing RnR make sure you spend a little time working on that pace you're handling. If for some reason you're having trouble with the pace and you don't think you'll be able to handle your designated please let me know ASAP so that I can find a replacement. You'll also were your new t-shirt for the RnR event. I tried to get Singlets (tank tops) but their stock was really low and won't be replenished until the end of July.

Mid week update

2010-05-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Got to make this short as I've got sick kids with Dr's appointments, everyone should be following the same workouts as last week.

Pacers selections for RnR have been made, if you are pacing make sure that you get your entries in before June 1. Also please add yourself to the pacer group I added to the community section of the web site. Adding a picture would also be good as I want this to be a place where those that are going to paced by you can can see what you look like and ask any questions they might have. After the race you can remove your lovely mug.

Ok got to run. I'll see you tonight or tomorrow night.

Open pacer spots

2010-05-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here are the spots needed to be filled for pacing for RnR. A requirement of that is working the pacer booth at the expo Enid can fill you in on that mocharn@gmail.com. You get free entry into the event, the deadlind is June 1st. Let me know asap if you can fill a spot.

Marathon: 3:00    6:52 - 2 people needed

Marathon: 3:10    7:15- 2 people needed

Marathon: 3:15    7:27- 2 people needed

Marathon: 3:20    7:38- 2 people needed

Marathon: 3:30    8:01- 2 people needed

Marathon: 4:30    10:18 1 person needed

Marathon: 5:00    11:27 1 person needed

Half Marathon: 1:35    7:15 1 person needed

Mid week update, how many days do you run?

2010-05-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Cap City Results Warm and a bit humid.
Carol 3:55
David 4:18

Green Bay (WI) Marathon
Sub 3:24

Nice Job everyone!

As I delve into the questionnaires that I receive from those that are taking me up on the PTP (personal training plans) and for that matter in a few discussion I've had with other group members it strikes me how many people only run 3-4 days a week and I bet there are those that only run a couple of days a week. They also aren't adding another component like biking or swimming to make up for the loss of running.

For those that are looking to improve your running it goes to follow that the more you run the better shape you'll be in, the better shape you're in should lead to better results right?

Here's how I see it. There are 7 days in a week right? if you only run 3-4 days of seven that ,means you not also running for 3-4 days. I've always been a believer that you lose fitness faster than you gain it. So if we work with that the best you're going to do with the plan is maintain at best and I just don't see how you'll improve. I mean if you look at it monthly that means you're not running 15 or more days out of the month. Seems like a to to me.I don't care how many long runs or speed work you add I don't think that as they say is a winning formula.

That's is why my training plans have 5 days built into it and think find you'll most do.

One of the main reason I build in 5 days is that I would also argue that you might have a better chance of getting injured with less running. Now I'm not saying you need to go out and hammer every run but I do think your easy day runs are in a way therapeutic plus building a little more strength. So the day after a hard workout it's probably better to go for a nice easy run, getting the blood flowing and stretching out your legs rather than sitting around resting thinking that is allowing you to recover.

I can tell you from personal experience when I was competing I would run 100-120 miles week, with most days having two runs in them. If I didn't get in my morning run my afternoon run always seemed tougher. So if I didn't run in the morning not only was I missing a workout but I think the way I loosened up for the day and that in the end made my afternoon work a bit easier. It was like I needed to run more to be able run more.

Now no body here is going to running like that but if looking to improve your running performance I might dedicate a little more time to your recovery days as they a long with improving your fitness will help you recover from you hard days and in the end make your running a bit more enjoyable and hopefully injury free.

Mid week Update

2010-05-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather seems to have moved in a positive way, meaning it's warmer and sunnier, your training should be better and more productive. It's always easier to run in that environment and even easier when you've had bad conditions to train in.

Now that many of you have completed your spring event it's time to start planning for what's next. First though make sure that you have recovered from you latest event. It's hard if you have a great race not to want to get back up on that horse and ride but you need to give your body and MIND some time to recover not only from the race but the training. Now I'm not saying do nothing I'm just saying go a little easy for a couple of weeks and then maybe change the focus of your training for a a few weeks or so. That's one of the big reason's I'm big on people following up there marathon training with a good 5K 10K program not only because it will help your speed, it will also change your mental focus, which I think gives your mind a break.

I know you just had a big PR and you've got visions of an Olympic team berth, but don't get caught up in the excitement and jump right back into training before you've recovered from you latest event. More likely you'll just crash and burn a few weeks down the road. Hey go easy for a couple /few weeks and enjoy the nice weather.

For those looking down the road to the fall and a big event make sure that you add or join a group on the site.

As I mentioned to the group on Saturday tomorrow is my 50th and I'm not sure I'll be attending the workout in Kirkland tomorrow. I have no problem going but the hard part is that my kids are more excited about it than I am ( as you can imagine) so I feel I would let them down if I didn't let them celebrate this grand affair with me.

Saturday Weekend Run 5.8.10

2010-05-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Had a great day for a run, first Saturday that wasn't cold, windy and wet in a long time. Had a few early members head out for 20 at 7:00. The rest of the group showed up a little later with many of them sporting their new finisher t-shirts from Eugene. Ken was with them waiting to show me his mile splits from Eugene. I would have to say they were impressive. The first quarter of the race were at 9:00-9:10 pace, the next quarter he moved it to 8:45-9:00, he really got rolling over the 3rd quarter (maybe a little to fast with an 8:30 in there) and finished up pretty strong although his last two miles were at 10:00 per mile. You know he probably should have kept that 3rd quarter in the 8:45 range but as I told him when you're rolling and feeling good you just got to go. Over all though I think he had a great run and a 7 min PR to boot. There were many more results like his so great job everyone.

With many of you finishing up with your spring event, time to start planning for your next endeavor. First make sure that you allow yourself time to recover. For a half marathon 2-3 weeks, for a marathon 3-4 weeks. What I mean by recover is not sitting on your butt eating bon bons, I mean easy runs with any quality being on the easy side. This will allow yourself time to physically heal from your event as well as mentally get a break from all of the hard training you did over the last few months which will let your head heal and start fresh again.

For those looking for a more personalized training program I'm now offering what I call PTP. I've added a new level of membership. I call it PTP - personal training plans. Over the last year the groups growth has leveled out a bit. This will allow me to do what I have wanted to do for some time and that is provide a more personal approach to the training. So now we have PTP.

So the way it works is that you pay the fees as they have been and have access to the group and current training plans so nothing will change in that respect but if you want a more personal training plan based on your goals and abilities you'll pay an additional $100 (for 6 months) I'll then send you out a questionnaire and based on the information I receive from that I'll put a plan together, If I already know you and have a pretty good idea about your goals I can go from there and we can adjust as we go if needed. Also I'll provide a weekly log sheet for you to complete. This will give me an idea on how you're doing. The monthly plan will remain you'll just pay the extra $100.

If you have any questions about this let me know and if you're interested you can go here and sign up.

I was able to get lessons today from Josh on how to run a 4 hour half marathon, it was very informative

Up next is Capitol City Marathon next week followed by the Newport Marathon (Oregon) the first week of June.

Mid week, had a bad day?

2010-05-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Great job to everyone who raced over the weekend. We had members in Eugene for the half and the full, at Avenue of the Giants marathon in California and at in Pittsburgh, Tacoma, Spokane and Vancouver for races. Pretty busy weekend. From all accounts most had good runs. I posted results for all but Vancouver and Tacoma, have been struggling with the web sites and not really able to access much. If you want to send them my way I would love to see them.

As I mentioned most had great runs but with a group this size unfortunately some don't have such great runs. What to do? Well of course we could sit around feeling sorry for ourselves, I've tried that, boring. Could get back on that horse and ride, done that, was ok. I think the best thing to so is sit down take a look at your race and examine it and see what the deal is. I think if you can figure out the deal then you're able to create a bit of closure, move on and learn from it so that it's less likely to happen again. Other than the obvious reasons, like bad weather what else might have caused your downfall .

Did you follow your race plan? If so was your race plan realistic? Did you go out too fast? Were you properly hydrated? Did you eat right? Did you try something new like new equipment, food or clothing? I myself have been guilty of pretty much all of those. Then there is always the dreaded "had a bad day" not much you can do about that bad boy. He/she is out there waiting for the unsuspecting and no matter how well you've trained, paced yourself, enjoyed the perfect weather he'll just jump on your back and ruin a perfectly good few months of training.

If you fall in to the category of having a bad day. The thing to remember here though is even though "having a bad day" has ruined that day for you, you are in great shape. That also goes for the other possible reason you may not have performed as expected. It's easy to get bummed out but you just have to take it for what it is, an experience you can learn from even if having a bad day was on your back.

What I would do is remember in the end you your race may have ended up being one hell of a workout, one that will make you stronger. If done right you can jump into another race soon if you don't feel too beat up. You can use your great base and add some 5K /10k workouts to improve at those distances which in the end will help you in your longer races.

If nothing else remember there are always more races.

As far as workouts go this week, the planned workout is the 2mi TT which of course those who raced over the weekend can site out of. For you I would go for a light run with maybe a few strides in to stretch things out. If you have an upcoming race for those doing the workout plan to add a little to the end of the TT.

For those that are going the personal training plan route (PTP) I'm working on a way to share those via the web site, something you'll be able to post to so that we can share the workouts and you can provide your actual; workouts as well as feed back.

MId Week, Eugene

2010-04-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well many of you will running this weekend in Eugene. Good luck to you. We had a couple of members venture south to Big Sur Dana Mason 3:57:41and Tim Baccus 4:15:31, Big Sur is a very difficult and hilly course one best run for the view than for a fast time.

For those of you running in Eugene, remember your race and it's outcome is usually decided in the first few miles. Put together a plan and stick with it. The first few miles should seem easy, enjoy them. If you're struggling early on then you need to slow down. If you're on your goal pace and it seems easy, great, enjoy. At some point the race will start to get difficult, I'm a believer it's how you handle that, that determines how you finish. One of the best things you can do is relax, check your breathing, are you tight somewhere? Check your form, straighten up. Shake your arms out. Use your arms, they'll help your legs go forward. Remember when you were doing your hills how your arms helped? I always found a nice cup of water over my head would give me a nice little jolt that would wake me up a bit and help me focus on the job at hand

I think the best thing I can say is that you've done the work and if your goals are based on your work then just let stuff happen. You've put a lot of work in and you have to believe in that work. Don't over think things. Yes it will get hard but many of the workouts you did were also hard, they were hard to help you deal with this situation.

I think many believe that if you workout harder your race will be easier, nope, you just get faster, hopefully ;) Running 26 miles is pretty far piece so you'll be tired no matter what. You run it harder you'll get tired earlier. The trick is to find running hard and running too hard. If done right you're running too hard at the very end.

Many of you are trying for your PR's this weekend and I believe you can get them. Do you? One advantage you have is that many are probably receiving this same advice above, think they are listening then come race time they throw it out the window. They will go too fast early and falter later. They are all ducks on the pond for you. They will all start to come back to you and later in the race they will come back faster, use this as motivation to keep going, pick them off one at a time. It's actually a lot of fun and makes the race seem a bit easier.

Again good luck. Most of all have fun and have faith in the work you've done and just take care of business.

Mid Week, upcoming races and planning for shorter events

2010-04-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well Boston and has come and gone for another year. With many great results from our members.

Next up is Big Sur and the La Jolla half this weekend with Eugene around the
corner.

So far this year we have been blessed with great weather for your big events which always helps when it come to results and I think also the bad weather we've had recently for your long runs makes all weather more tolerable.

Also let's not forget the hard work you've put in, the good weather is just icing on the cake of great results I'm sure you have/will received from the hard work you've put in.

For those of you finishing up with big events for the spring it's time to ponder future events. With Rock n Roll filled up (and no I don't have any connections to get you in) it would be a good time to focus on the shorter races and work on getting PR's (Personal Record) for those that will only make you faster in the end for your longer races.

One of the nice things about training for shorter races is that it's less time consuming, you certainly have to get a longer run in but nothing like 20 milers. Also the focus of the training is different so it gives you some variety through the year. When I was training hard in the old days I would always have a track season, road race season, a marathon season and a cross country season and would tie them all together so that each would help the other. So basically I would have 4 different directions I would head with my training through the year but each would help the other in the end.

If that's not your bag ( I would encourage you to consider it anyway) it might be time to start thinking of the fall and the many races that are run then. Training schedules for the early fall races have started as well as groups in the Chuckit community. Portland, Chicago and Twins Cities groups have been created.

At any rate if you need advice for your shorter or longer races or or recommendations for either please don't hesitate to ask.

Chuckit Boston Results

2010-04-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Was a great day for running Boston today. Many members of the group took and most had great performances. Great job to all.

As always I looked pretty hard for everyone's results but as usual there were a few I couldn't find. I you're missing let me know how you did.

The Results are posted here.

Quote of the year, by Austrian Gunther Weidlinger in Vienna for Sunday race

2010-04-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you with upcoming events here is something to consider. The way I look at it, it all comes down to this on race day. No matter how you've trained in the end it also how you think:

"No risk, no fun! I am planning to run the first half in 64:30 to 64:45 minutes. If it should turn out that this is too fast for me it will get very tough in the final part of the race. But a marathon is not a children’s birthday party! If I don’t try going for 2:09 I will never find out if I am capable to do it. That is why the marathon is special – you can not try that in training before the race.”

Mid Week, upcoming races

2010-04-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Congrats to those that ran a very long way over the weekend at the MT SI 50K.
3    Joe       Creighton      M30   Seattle            WA     3:44:43
15   Patrick   Niemeyer       M34   Seattle            WA     4:28:22
33   Gwen      Forrest        F31   Seattle            WA     5:11:20
48   Wilson    Soong          M36   Issaquah           WA     5:49:57
you're all a tougher person than I am, that's a long way to run.

This weekend we have the Wenatachee Half Marathon and of course on Monday is the Boston Marathon. Good Luck to all.

The mid week workouts are posted with many of you on the track finishing up for your race in the next month. There were many great times posted last week at the Time Trial a hint of good things to come I'm sure and of course it shows that you've been working hard. Keep it up!! You're almost there.

Today's my daughters birthday so I'm not going to make the trek up to Seattle but I do expect that you'll get your work out in.

Again good luck to those that are running over the weekend. You've worked hard and I'm sure you'll run well.

Mid Week planning

2010-04-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Congrats to all of those that went long on Saturday, I don't remember a more blustery and bitter day this year. Will for sure add to your toughness.

Many of you are tuning up on the track now for up coming events. Let's make sure you maximize those workouts. One of the best ways I can think of doing that it to plan for them. Have an idea of how you are going to approach the workout. Plan your pace, plan your rest interval. Think a head about the weather. What are you going to wear? All of these will help you prepare mentally for the workout. This preparation will make the workout easier and help you get the most out of it.

In many respect it's like preparing for your race. In a way that is what you're doing. In your race you don't want to start at a pace that you can't handle, same with these workouts. You need to pace yourself. You're trying to run as hard as you can proportioned over the duration of your work out so keeping the pace even is very helpful. Certainly you can plan to finish faster than you started but there is the key word again "plan".

If nothing else this practice of planning for practice will help you in preparing for your event. You will be used to thinking about things in advance and leave you less to think about on race day. You'll also be used to planning for and running a pace that you feel you can run.

So let's plan for the workout tonight.