Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

William Shakespeare"

It's a great line, given to us by the Bard himself. Shakespeare's greatness was he used the English language as masterfully as any artist ever used paint to create great pictures we could take anywhere, pictures that evoked emotion and thought. 

As we near the end of our summer training, standing as we are on the cusp of the new season, it's time to reflect on what we've done and what we might do going forward. Despite the heat and rain, we've gotten some solid training done. We've been challenged also by injuries some brought into the summer, and we have challenges facing others in treatments or surgeries. All can be overcome, but we have to decide to overcome them.

Each of us are tied together by that very thing - we each have challenges. How we deal with them is what defines us. Do we become frustrated and give up? Do we try to face the challenge but lose our way and give up finding alternative solutions? Or do we persevere to the end and overcome? And if we can't overcome a challenge, do we fight on anyway? Do we push as far as we can go even if the ultimate goal is unattainable?

Every one of you girls could give me five reasons at any moment why you shouldn't do your training. Some of those reasons might be legitimate, but the truth is, while we have to deal with those things, we can usually get our training in. It might not be convenient, it might not be easy, but it can usually get done. 

Our sport is an endurance sport, not only of the body but of the mind. Our bodies do what our minds tell them to do. If your mind thinks the reward is great enough it is capable of dragging your body through incredible pain and suffering. That's right, your mind drags your body. Your mind tells your body to take that next step, turn that next corner, climb that next hill. Your mind tells you to push harder, longer, and faster. Your mind tells you it's worth it. 

Here comes the point...

Some people walk in the first day and they have already mastered their mind game. They were born to do it.

Some people develop the ability along the way. They didn't realize the mind game matters, but once they see the value, they embrace it and work on the game.

Some people are forced to do it because they have no alternative. This is the "failure is not an option" scenario, usually reserved for extreme situations of survival, like being in a plane crash in the Andes Mountains with no food.They survive because they are forced to put their minds in a place where they can focus on what it takes to get through the unimaginable. 

Okay coach, that last one was extreme. How do we use that?

Let's say it's Regional, we want to get to Semi-State. You're in the top-7, and you start the race. You are having the race of your life, and you find yourself in the top-10. The team needs you to hold that place if the team is going to advance. You are sore, you are tired, and you want to slow down. Others are counting on you now. It isn't just a personal failure, it's a team failure if you don't hold on. It's bigger than you. Now you have to dig in, and now you have to hurt like never before.

Greatness has been thrust upon you. 

Heart Rate Training

Ladies,

We got our quality in today, maybe at the expense of distance, but it's all okay. We got our effort in, and that's just as important as distance. Let me take some time to expand on that a bit - maybe it will be a bit less rambling than this morning's pre-practice explanation...

For the most part, we measure workouts on distance. That's a convenient marker, because it's universally understood. Sometimes we throw pace in there as well, because most can understand that running the same distance at a faster pace usually means harder work. And that's true. But it's not that simple.

See, what IS the most important aspect of training is probably the least understood - that what truly measures the quality of the workout is the time spent at higher levels of effort. You could run 10 miles at 10-minute pace, but it would not be equal to the effort put out running 5 miles at 5-minute pace. Though shorter, the faster run is exponentially harder.

That's the trade-off we had today. Under the conditions, we could have done our usual 5-6 miles attempting 8-minute pace or under, but I doubt many of you would have made it. It's too hot and too humid, and to go at it would have raised your working heart rates way about the desirable zone.

Desirable zone? What do I mean?

Every workout has a desired heart rate zone. When we are going easy, that's around 60% or so. Moderate is around 70%, hard is 85% or above. Racing typically is going to be 95%, saving 100% only for the very end. Why not go all-out? First, the body breaks down, second form breaks down. Once your form is gone, your speed is gone too. You have to run the maximum speed that allows you to sustain good form for long periods of time. And it's based on... heart rate.

Usually when we have normal conditions we can bypass most of this technical side and just run. When the conditions are as they have been for a while, we're forced to really focus on the details. In this case, I can't look at distance and speed as much as how high your heart rates are running. If you ran a moderate/high heart rate for an hour today, no matter how far you ran, the workout is equivalent to the one you got on a cool day where you could run farther and faster. It's effort over time that matters most.

Oh!

That doesn't mean we ignore speed or distance - certainly not. But we have to pick and choose when to use what, and for now, as long as we have these conditions, it will be effort. Don't worry about going shorter if I pull you off. Don't worry about speed if I don't address it with you. Focus on the day's goal, whatever it is. When you are done, hydrate, take in electrolytes, and rest for the next day.

These are the hard days, July and August. The weather will begin to change in a month, and things will get better. Hang in there!

Five Pounds in Five Miles

Ladies,

I have a habit in the summer when the weather is warm to periodically weigh myself before and after a workout. This is an old triathlete trick; endurance racing is largely resource management, so I have to monitor my resource output in order to be sure to replenish at a proper rate. Simply put, I have to make sure I am replacing what I am losing.

Today the difference in the before/after weight was 5 lbs. That's 5 lbs. of sweat. That's 5 lbs. of water loss. A gallon of water weighs just over 8 lbs. Can you imagine a milk jug filled 5/8's full of sweat? Gross I know, but telling.

As of this writing at 9:49 AM, it's 86 degrees with a real-feel of 96 degrees. Dew point is 76 degrees, and humidity is 71%. When we ran it was cooler, but all that means is the humidity was much higher, probably more in the 90% range. Sweat doesn't evaporate when that happens. You sweat harder, you dehydrate faster.

And that's what happened to many of you today. That's why you were fine one minute and not the next. It hits you that fast, and you are done. It's not your fault.

I had plans for 6 miles, which a few of you hit. I did modify the workout a few times as the conditions deteriorated, and some of you didn't go as far as we planned. That's my decision to make, and you may not agree with me at the time, but always remember I have your safety in mind. I am running with you for many reasons, to feel what you feel, to see you as you do it, and to monitor the situation at all times. If I pull you out for a rest, you don't have to like it, but accept it. Don't worry, it won't be just you; everyone has a bad day here and there, especially under these challenging weather conditions. Hang tough as long as you can. When it cools off, it pays off.

Bringing this back to the beginning, try weighing yourself before and after runs. You might be surprised what you find out. If you are keeping a running journal, which I strongly suggest you do, that information can be of great value as you try to analyze your program as you move along.

_____________________________________________________________

Physicals. Get them. Now. Season is only three weeks away. 

Made it to Charleston!

Ladies,

So our vacation is begun! Leisa and I made it to Ashville, NC last night, spending the night after 8 hours of driving. Construction really held us up, so I was glad we weren't pushing through all the way to Charleston in one day.

Ashville is a nice town, home of the Biltmore Estate. This is the summer home of the Vanderbilt family, built around 1900. It features over 100 rooms! How would you like THAT for a summer home? It's nestled in the scenic mountains of North Carolina, and is really a breathtaking spectacle.

Before we left Ashville, I wanted a run, but there was no safe place to do it outside. I was forced to get on a treadmill and go. I started off, and struggled for 9-minute pace. It was starting to freak me out until I noticed the grade was set on 6% - a huge climb. Imagine trying to run 9-minute pace on the big hill coming off the Milwaukee Trail and you get the idea. After I straightened that out, things went better. I dropped the pace every mile, finishing with a 6:30 mile. The overall average was 7:45 mpm, so that was a good workout.

Coach Jo told me you all had great runs today. That's great! I was glad to hear so many went longer, which is what we need to see. I'm pushing myself too, don't worry. Vacation doesn't mean vacation from training! I will ride and run tomorrow, along with miles of walking around town seeing the sites. I'll try to post some pictures of Rainbow Row tomorrow.

Dead Week Is Over!

Ladies,

It's been a long week without you. I have completed my training - have you?

Tomorrow we start back with the routine. The summer is more than half over now, and in a few short weeks we start the actual season. With this in mind, the last few weeks of summer need to be more focused on getting us ready to train hard when the fall comes.

This week we'll look at two things - getting standard distance up again, and doing more sustained moderate effort. A few of you have taken the opportunity to race local 5k's, and you can see how the sustained effort to do one is difficult if you don't practice the technique. It's important to have race-specific training, and sustained effort runs give us just that.

I will be gone for the week. My wife, who ultimately is in charge of my life, picked this week for our vacation. Once again, I will get my training - will you? Coach Jo, Coach Amy, and Coach Jill will be with you this week, and should be familiar with the plan. I even bought Coach Jo a bull whip. She has permission to use it as she sees fit.

All kidding aside, get to practice as often as you can. Do what you can. Get into a consistent routine now. Season will be upon us before you know it.