I made my 2012 race plan a few months ago.  The goal is to prepare and complete a 50K race in April of this year.  In the interim there is to be two half marathons and a couple of 5K's.  With the first half marathon off to a great start, I am optimistic about my training.  I also enlisted a personal trainer, also a good friend of mine, to help prepare me.  He has much experience in racing and preparing for races, and I respect his input to help me progress.  

Saturday I completed my race in 2hours 11 minutes, almost an exact 10 min/mile pace.  I felt good the entire race, I felt confident, and I felt prepared.  The single best peice of advice, and probably the most simple and straightforward, was given to me by my trainer.  Start off slow!  Start off slow so it feels almost TOO slow.  So that is what I did, for the first three miles I was running at about a 10:30-11:00 min/mile pace and it felt SLOW.  But as I approaced mile 6-7, I saw the benefits I had gained.  Each hill felt easy to focus on and overcome.  Each rest stop felt like it was unnecessary.  I felt awesome!  it was probably my best feeling race thus far.  A great way to begin the new year and my training program.  

I have a goal to run a 50K in April of 2012 and to risk it all by pushing a marathon without being fully ready, seemed stupid and unecessary.  So in 2 weeks, I will be doing 13 miles.  A race meant for keeping me in training mode but also giving me a chance to set a new 1/2 marathon PR.  

The point of this post is that when you look at acheiving progress, you need to define progress in several ways.  Running the same race with a faster pace, running a longer distance, running on different terain, choosing a higher elevation race.  All of these represent ways of progressing in your running training.  I made he mistake of focusing on distance and using that as my benchmark, but I learned that you can only increase your distance so much before your body needs a break.  To work on speed and pacing is just as important and fulfilling.  Be smart when it comes to planning your season.  Don't feel like you need to puch your body each race, some races can be for practice for an upcoming race or to set a new time goal.  There is plenty of time in life to progress, don't force it. 

A weight loss goal is far different from competing in powerlifting events and way different from endurance sports.  With the first two under my belt, I decided to invest in someone with experience in the third area.  Even as a trainer, you never know all there is to know and when you think you do, you will no longer succeed as a trainer.  it's not about knowing everything or being able to do everything, it's about knowing what your strong points are and what your expertise is and building upon that base.  I am able to admit I don't have a whole lot of experience when it comes to training for endurance events.  I mean I trained for the marathon in October, yes, but in order to move forward and become more competitive and progress, I need another's expertise.  

It's not easy to find a trainer you work well with, or even one who will be best able to help you reach your goals.  Everyone has different styles, personalities, and expertise which is hard to gage at first.  I pride myself on building relationships with people and learning all I can to help every person reach their goals.  I have had several clients with new "situations" that I didn't necessarily have a lot of experience with, but I sure did some research and found out as much information as possible to provide the best possible training I could.  THAT is what is important, the willingness to go above and beyond the one hour sessions.  You have to really have a passion for what you do to take such interest and transfer that passion to your clients.  

So beginning this week, I have enlisted the help of a great trainer who also happens to be a good friend of mine, to help improve my runs.  With a plan to run 2 more marathons and one 50K this year, I figure I can definitely benefit from some good input and new ideas.  Remember, as a trainer or just someone working out to be healthy, if you think you know everything you are wrong.  If you are unwilling to accept outside input from those with experience, you will never succeed.  Even sole sports require training & learning from others with the experience.  Keep an open mind and you will reach your goals.  

1) Set a schedule and stick to it!  If you workout on Mondays through Fridays, then do it!  If you train 2X a week with a trainer, maybe think about increasing to 3X around the holidays.  If you are an endurance athlete, sign up for an event to keep you on track. 

2) Set a goal!  Signing up for an race or event in January or February can allow you to stay on track.  It can give you an end goal and therefore make setting a schedule even easier.  If you have no endpoint you are trying to reach, it can be hard to stay out of trouble when the temptations get bigger.  Knowing you have a race to complete will hopefully help keep away that second piece of pie. 

3) Do not allow yourself to overdo it!  I know there will be holiday parties, there will be gatherings, dinners, and lots of good eats. The worst thing you can do is give in to each temptation.  Allow yourself to enjoy the holidays festivities and splurge a little.  Just ensure you stay as much on track as you can with your nutrition and avoid letting the splurge carry into the next day or next week. 

Just setting small goals can help keep the end of year craziness from making your body crazy too.  Stay no track, be smart, reach your goal and you will come out in 2012 feeling great! 

At around 6:45am I ditch the sweatshirt, grab my camelbak and my headphones, and head on over to the start line.  I am feeling super excited, especially because I know I have prepared as much as I possibly could.  I feel like all my training is going to pay off and I am super excited for this one.  One last bathroom trip and it's time to line up.  3…2….1…GO!  I take off with my normal pace, trying not to get over anxious and peter out early.  It is pretty easy to keep my stride considering I have run this speed so many times.  Some people pass, some of those people I pass not too long after.  It is a beautiful course, the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the blue water & blue sky.  It was a gorgeous course and a very pleasant run.  Rolling hills, nothing too unmanageable.  Things were going great! 

Mile 17, here we go…..I can begin to feel my right lateral tendon near my knee starting to talk.  Not a big deal, I can push through this one.  I'm not one to give up at the first sight of some minor knee pain.  Then it starts, the right hip, the top of my foot.  All the stories I had read about the onsetting pain during a long run like this, all about to come true.  By the time I reached mile 19, I was really feeling it.  I walked for a minute and then thought, wait! There is no way I am going to let this keep me from the finish time I have been waiting for.  Screw it!  I began to run, in pain, but managed to figure out a way to modify my stride to shift my impact to other areas of my leg.  It felt like I was running with a peg leg, but I didn't care.  I was going to run to the finish and get a good time even if I had to pay for it the following day(which I surely did!).  I reached the final 1.2 miles, I could tell people were losing steam, some were walking just trying to finish the race all together.  Others were on a run/walk finish course.  I could see the final turn into the finish and I was thrilled!  Who is this girl running side by side with me?  That's it, I'm making a sprint for it if it kills me.  I will make it ahead of this person!  So I turned the corner and sprinted with everything I had left in the tank.  I ran so fast I was waiting for something to snap and for me to collapse on the ground.  Next thing I know, there it is, the finish line.  I crossed over, let out a huge smile, and collapsed on the curb. I did it!  I finished and it felt great! 

4 hours and 45 minutes complete! I beat my 5 hour expectation AND finished under an 11 minute mile average!  WooHoo! 

Nothing beats the feeling of your first marathon, of knowing that all the hard work you put in paid off.  After the pain set back in, I thought about tomorrow and how much I was going to struggle to function, I thought "Ok, now what's next!"  Not one better sign then finishing your first 26.2 mile run and already looking for the next big thing.  I was elated!

Now, I didn't want to focus on the pain of the run or the after effects of the distance, but I will mention for informational purposes.  Think about it this way, normal everyday activities like going to the bathroom, getting in and out of the car, walking, stairs, getting up and down, sitting, standing, lying.  They ALL hurt!  My right hip was screaming in pain, and I heard it loud & clear.  All I could do was ice, try to move as much as I could.  I will say this though, by the following evening, things were feeling pretty darn good.  It was like I had just done a good leg workout.  Fantastic!  If my body can recover like this and hold its own like this, I am SO doing this again!

THE PLAN:

Running with the Angel marathon (january 7th, 2012) www.calicoracing.com

Labor of Love 50K run (April 2012) www.calicoracing.com

Nothing says success like looking ahead to the next big run!  Happy running!

**If you are looking to get started with running or would like to discuss a running plan for an upcoming race, contact me at strengthenandconquer@gmail.com

I have toyed around with the idea of training for a triathlong or ultra run next year and still cannot decide.   My thing is, both can be done at some point, but which wil be the first?  With the marathon at the end of October and perhaps another one before year end, I guess I have time to decide and plan it.  I've been reading many articles and many recounts of past races by other athletes, which is helpful.  A big cue for me is the feeling I get while reading as people relive their experience.  Reading about someone's journey as they run for 12 hours straight, makes me feel motivated and ready to tackle my own!  That being said, I will be sure to update on my own personal experience with the training in the hopes I can help another aspiring athlete do the same. 

*DO NOT increase speed AND distance in the same run!  This can lead to heightened injury potential.  I know it's hard in the beggining especially, to harness yourself.   This is why periodization is so important and having a plan is a must!  You have seperate days for your speed runs and those for your longer runs, but do not try both together.  Not giving your body enough time to adapt to one change alone, can result in an unwanted mandatory break in training. 

*Ease into new footwear.  Ok, so you're on your 10 mile run training for your half marathon and you want to wear in your new shoes a little before race day.  That's fine, but I wouldn't attempt to do so on your long run for the week.  It is better to break them in on smaller runs, to allow your feet to adapt.  Remember, better safe then sorry. 

*Don't forget to cross train!  I know you want to run, especially if that's what you'll be doing race day.  It is just as important to add in cross training to strengthen your support muscles.  Trail runs, biking, resistance training, and rowing are great ways to work those leg muscles AND then some.  You want to have all hands on deck come race day. 

*Looking for a new race day drink?  Thats fine, just don't do the trial run on the day of your race.  Nothing worse then an upset stomach, or maybe worse, when you're trying to attain that time goal.  We all look for the best support come race day, so test it out on your training runs.  At least you can take a detour if need be without losing race time.  

*Enjoy the process, not just the result.  I have this problem, of focusing on the end of the race/run and not enjoying the run as much.  Problem with this can be several things.  You can end up running to fast of a pace and losing steam for the second half, you can end up getting sucked into negative thoughts on your run, you don't let yourself relax and enjoy the run itself.  If you tend to focus on time, try to do your long run without keeping a watch.  Yes, track the time you start and finish, but don't obsess over it for the entire run! 

*Don't starve your body.  So you're going for your long run and you figure you'll survive on that apple you had this morning.  WRONG!  About 45 minutes in you are going to notice the gradual process of fatigue.  Sure, you can fight it on a short 3 miler or maybe even 6, but anything longer and you better be feeding your body some sustinance.  If you want it to work hard, you gotta feed it!  Try a granola bar on your run, or Cytomax sports drink in your camelbak, or even some Gu or other simple sugar.  I'm not saying stop off for a cheesburger at mile 10, but light sugars will provide you with the steam to forge ahead.  

If you are a runner and have any good tips to share, email me at strengthenandconquer@gmail.com  I would love to get your feedback and input to share with readers!  

**Accountability: Would you let down your group, let alone yourself?

**Company: It is a lot easier to run when you can chat or just have somebody with you.  If you're competitive like me, it gives into a perfect chance to show them what you got!

**Pacing:  Being new to running, you probably have no idea what your pace is or what it should be.  Having a group will help you keep up with the group and not give into falling behind. 

**A Sounding Board: If you're having an off day or a great day, running partners can be there to encourage, motivate, and keep you on track with your runs.  We all have those days, it's how you get through them that counts!

**Racing partners:  Nothing more nerve racking then the first race.  Having a running group can lead to taking that group into your first actual race.  You'll be comfortable with the pace, the people, and the race will become nothing but another run in the park….literally!

There are many avenues you can take for relaxing your muscles.  You can foam roll, you can do yoga, you can do dynamic stretching, static stretching, or get massages.  Today I did something which I rarely do and got a massage.  Now everyone who is anyone loves a massage, right?  Well, I have never been a huge fan and I think the hang up has to do with the need to lie still for a whole hour!  Very challenging for me.  Well since I have been increasing my mileage for my runs and approaching race day, I wanted to make sure I took care of my body by giving it a monthly break.  Not only did I feel light as air afterwards, but my neck felt like it went from a turkey neck sticking out farther then my chest, to pulled so far back, I could actually feel neutral spine.  It was fantastic!  He was wonderful, relaxing, knowledgable, and his name is Corey Buck.  Like his facebook page! (http://www.facebook.com/corey.buck1) If you are in the Vegas area, you must go see him for he is wonderful!  So since I have somewhat turned to liking and knowing I need a massage, this will be continuing at least once a month. 

One other thing I take advantage of frequently is foam rolling.  Now for those of you who haven't been introduced to it or think it sound like some kid's sport, visit this link and read about the benefits and why you should incorporate it.  When I feel a muscle is tight or overworked, foam rolling helps me catch it and loosen up before it gets worse, or even halts my progress completely.  (http://www.strengthspeedagility.com/benefits-of-foam-rolling-self-myofascial-release/) 

It is important to strengthen your muscles and keep them strong & functional.  It is just important to give them rest & relaxation….in the form of stretching.  Take care of your body!

1) Track all run times & distances.  Now there are numerous online websites you can use to track your runs on the computer or even on your phone.  Me, I opt for the old school method.  Pen & paper.  That's right, I keep a running log of my daily workouts including cross training, run distances, outdoor vs treadmill runs, and run times.  This allows me to track my weekly mileage, my progress, and it also allows me to ensure that I am getting enough speed, hill, and long distance training. 

2) Track your food.  Nutrition is as important, if not more important, ad tracking your workouts.  Without the proper diet, your runs will not improve and you leave yourself prone to fatigue & regression.  A couple of pointers to remember when it comes to diet, get enough carbs!  Yes, do not shy away from the main energy source.  It can lead to fatiguing early on runs, losing muscle mass due to insuffuficient carb levels, and plateauing.  It is important to stay hydrated as well, especially before, during, and after longer runs.  You need to feed if you want to get ahead. 

3) Mix up your runs. Time, weather, and physical feeling can all affect your workouts.  That is why it is important to mix it up with speed training, cross training, longer runs, hill intervals, and recovery days.  ALL are important for progression and by cutting out any one of them, you are leaving yourself open to plateauing.  On those days when schedules don't allow for a 3hr run, intervals can be the perfect fit and just as beneficial to improving speeds & distances on runs. 

Mixing it up will keep you from getting bored and keep you feeling positive about your progress.  Whether your trying to lose weight or train for a run, triathlon, or marathon, you can't do it without the proper preparation.