Half Focused

We just finished the Arthritis Jingle Bell 5k today and if I thought my Das Bier race was my worst 5k at 33 minutes, I was wrong. Wendy got a cool 30:30 and I got an even 35 minutes. That was way off my goal of 30 minutes. My personal record at this event is 26:45. I can attribute my issues to a blood clot in my lower right leg, which took away most of my training time as it dissipated and healed. I also had some herniated disk issues in my back.

 

My mom was up from Texas and attended this race with my daughter and her friend Emma Abadusky. There was plenty of after race pizza, bananas, oranges, bars and a Klondike festival in the park next to this race. That made it a lot of fun as it is definitely one of our favorite races to run. A week earlier we ran the Folepi 4 mile race in which I received a 42:30 and Wendy got around a 39 minute finish time. Wendy is doing very well and actually is getting better as I am struggling to get back on pace.

 

I purchased some new balance 880v4s today for our annual upcoming St. Jude half marathon in Nashville. The shoe is a step up from my 870s and offers comfort with mild stability control. It is a neutral foot placement shoe that is also light and very comfortable.

 

My supplementation has not changed and my plan to put on muscle weight and up the cross training cardio is in full swing and I have already gained 10 good lbs, possibly contributing to my current pace issues. As we look forward to April I will start lessoning resistance training, up the cardio and re introduce 10 mile weeks of running in late February, moving up to 20 mile weeks in April up until the half marathon.

 

As always, Happy trails and I'll post back in the spring of 2015! Can't wait. :-)

 

Setting Sights

I am coming off of my worst 5 kilometre race of all time that we ran at the dais bier 5k in Peoria. With the culmination of a plantar fasciitis flare in my foot and my back I have scheduled to run just one more 5k in December and end all major running training plans for 2014. The focus for me is to dive into my usual winter routine of biking, resistance and cardio class training in preparation for our 2015 Nashville half marathon race. I will also focus on honing my supplement regiment, going on even stricter diets and training focus areas in the gym that will help with speed and decrease my need for oxygen. As a 220lb runner I require a lot of O2 to run fast and keep up at a decent pace, and I don't plan to lose much in mass. I will also be shopping for the best new balance stability shoe known to mankind and be sports taping more areas of my body during speed training and races next spring. We will run the Jingle Bell Arthritis 5k this year in December and then get our sights fine tuned for longer races! Happy training!

Dead Voices

If luck has it our way we shall be running two six and a half mile races in Springdale cemetery and one das bier 5k to round out the fall season.

For me that will end competition running and practice until April of 2015. For Wendy it simply means that the treadmill service technician (me) will have extra work over the cold months. We will probably run either the turkey trot 4, Felipe 4, or the Jingle bell 5k for winter and that will be it.

As for me coming off a series of back flares from June up until now (hopefully its over!) I am happy to be at the end of the season and ready for more resistance, other cardio and core training.

I have gotten under 1:05 for these 6.5 mile loops back in 2012; and according to my records, a similar injury state. So the goal time is just that and for the 5k I'd like a 26:45! That's a good time for a heavyweight (>220)...

Until next time I will just keep training in the cemetery along with the unheard dead voices, many of which surely jogged some of the same routes so long ago.

Tribulations from the trail

I have not updated this blog in depth for some time, so here is my best attempt at doing so:

I ran the Peoria firecracker 5k on the 4th of July and didn't do as well as I thought for coming off a 38 minute steamboat classic 4 miler. I got it done in a not so cool 29:50. Wendy did much better at around a 29 even time. This race was a nice flat; very familiar course, and I expected to get around my PR of 26:45. I was way off my goal most likely due to taking a different approach to train less while working 10 hour days at work and having a heavy stress load with family, along with financial issues. I have yet to step up training to 20+ miles a week, which is my summertime goal target and have remained around the 6-12 mile a week range. I still resistance and cross train 2-4 times a week. Next week I plan to step it up as the IVS half, bridge to bridge, das bier, screaming pumpkin, and the warrior dash are all popping up on the radar. I was planning to do the Peoria Hard Charge 2014 challenge, but that ended up getting canceled due to the coordinators filing bankruptcy.

Training additives:

I am still using the same supplement regiment. I'm hooked on plant based pre hormone agents such as velvet bean powder and birch bark. I cycled off of a synthetic black bear bile acid supplement and due to price will probably stick to milk thistle, dhea and my two favorite amino acids; l arginine and l lysine, in its place. I added a bit more iron, b12, folic acid... etc to try and keep my hemoglobin population at peak performance. I also keep up on my magnesium, creatine and zinc. My peak air flow and fev1 performance for lung function has remained at my target 90-105% range and I still use a new balance 870 v3 shoe along with a l405 insert. I have had a few l-4/5 back flares and some left shin locking issues that appear to remain intermittent as usual with no major changes as of yet.

St. Jude update:

We had to cancel our participation in the St. Jude Brimfield/Kickapoo to Peoria Memphis satellite run mainly due to low fundraising abilities against many efforts to raise money. I'm not quite sure if I will take a time out in the next few years and focus on fundraising better or even organising my own event to challenge myself to get better and more directly involved in fundraising. I have learned that having more control over an event could allow for more fundraising options that could appeal to target groups that do not normally donate. I'd like to focus on that untapped demographic in the future.

That's all for now.... happy running!

Steamboat 2014

Wendy and I ran a 38:00 time for the steamboat 4 miler this year. The weather was perfect and sunny, the beer was free, and it was a great time.

We prepared for this one by running some hills the weeks before the race. I got my best time in over 10 years and the training continues on this summer as we shift focus to our St. Jude satellite run in August and the IVS half in September.

More to come....

Nashville St. Jude half Marathon April 26th, 2014 in review

"I'm not as good as i once was, but I am as good once as i ever was."

We just finished the St Jude Nashville country music half marathon are sitting here listening to live jams. Wendy got 2:19 and I got 2:23; which was a little above our goals as usual.

I trained harder for this half then my last one (my third), minus my injuries logging around 6-15 miles a week. Wendy was logging 15-25 miles a week.

Injuries to my left shin muscle sheath was my most serious injury shutting me down for 1.5 weeks on restrictive running and lower back flares resulting in 3-5 days of limited training. A Fall on my knee also left me in 5 days of limited training. I used a roller, compression and stretches to reduce the impact.

For supplements I took: milk thistle and licorice in high doses up until race to detox and Increase lung function. I also added in nitric oxide to lower oxygen demands and quit the cycle one week before race day to keep a lower blood pressure while training harder. Creatinine intake was up to make oxygen use in my leg muscles more effective and to hold water. Supplements that i also used for this training session were: birch bark, banaba, multivitamin, extra zinc, magnesium, selenium, flax oil, dhea, a few added amino acids and l-dopa (velvet bean source), birch bark for strength and I finished a armitose inhibitor along with a synthetic bear bile acid (tudca) cycle(s), in early April.

I went to gym for light rep cross training 1-2 times per week.

From a baseline in march to week of race day my lung function increased in correlation to my increased mileage. Peak expiratory rate was up 30 liters/m. My fev1 was up from 90% to 100% and my forced vital capacity was up from 80% to 85%.

My main diet stayed the same: on heavy gym/run days I kept easily converted starches on a medium intake... otherwise it was mostly complex foods such as:    vegetables, vegetable juice, whole grain wraps, and rich protein sources like: eggs, milk, lean meats, nuts and fish for recovery and overall diet. Vitamin and protein fortified whole grain cereal was also included among other things.

For shoes I used:

Men's Running - New Balance 870v3

A stable running shoe no longer has to be a heavy running shoe. The New Balance 870v3 reigns at the lighter side of stability, with the synthetic and TPU upper offering a light, breathable, comfortable fit, and the extended ABZORB® crash pad, the blown rubber forefoot and the REVlite® midsole—featuring an 8mm offset—bringing the stability and comfort when the rubber hits the road. Keep things light with the 870v3.
TYPE:Stability
WEIGHT:279 grams (9.8 oz)

Features:

8mm drop: due to variances created during the development and manufacturing processes, all references to 8mm drop are approximate
ABZORB® Crash Pad allows enhanced motion control and stability within the heel
Blown rubber outsole
No-sew material application
REVlite midsole foam
Synthetic/TPU upper

For inserts:

Aetrex L405

Designed specifically for comfort, support and weight redistribution in athletic, walking and comfort footwear.  These tri-density orthotics feature a Pro-Shox® top cover for superior cushioning and shock absorption.  Pro-Shox’s high-tech polyester fibers wick moisture away from the foot and provide a cool, friction free surface to prevent blisters and other foot problems.

Rearfoot Cupped - Cushions and stabilizes rearfoot.
Recommended for medium and high arch feet.
Forefoot Supported -  Metatarsal support comforts ball-of-foot & redistributes weight from metatarsal area.

Its off to train for another St Jude run that's in August. Happy running! :)

Half training update

Wendy got a 58:30 for 6 miles to kick off her half training last week! She has been doing great averaging 12-15 miles a week. She has good blood pressures and heart rates. I think I may have talked her into a supplement regiment!

I had a nice 4 mile opening test run @ a 9:45 pace to kick off half training last week also. I have had some recent issues with blood pressure and blood sugar from my work hard play hard ways so I took some new baseline measurements. My blood pressure held at 170/95 sitting and standing during mid way through, 135/80 @ rest afterwards, my heart rate held at 145-155 BPM (need 165) average during the run and 50 BMP at rest (signalling decent autonomic response), my blood sugar was 95 pre and 125 post (signaling a liver glucose dump) and I had no pain from any pre existing injuries or cramp areas. Peak air flow was 650 as usual. I also went from 233lbs to 223lbs in 7 days. These are definitely the numbers I needed to get at and maintain as a "Clydesdale" runner.

We will now start more rigorous training routine going up to 20 mile weeks by mid March so that we can be close to a 2:05:00 half marathon finish in April!

I will hopefully be using s new balance 1260v2 or similar on race day with lyco405 inserts to keep loose and also remain supported.

Supplements for me this year are: willow bark, banaba, multi, extra zinc, magnesium, selenium, flax oil, synthetic bear bile acid, dhea, creatine, a few added amino acids and l-dopa (velvet bean source)

Happy running!