Sub 5s

I just read an article about a man that broke 5:00 for the indoor mile. 4:57.06 to be precise. There is nothing over the top outstanding about running sub-5. There are long lists each year of men that average faster than that for a marathon. However, what is way over the top outstanding about this particular sub-5 mile is the fact that its author, Nolan Shaheed, is 60 years old. Yes, 60 years old. His time is a new World Indoor Record for 60 year olds and also eclipses the American outdoor record for the same age group. I guess he is not slowing down simply because Father Time can’t keep up!

Part two of my jaw on the floor: I was running some 200s on the track with PRR owner Ray Pugsley last night. It was cold and windy (huge surprise this winter). Needed to be done, though, as Ray is soon to head off to compete at the Boston Indoor Games in the master’s mile (his first indoor race in 12 years). We all know that distance runners tend to chattiness, and Ray and I got to talking. He let slip that he currently has a 26year streak of running a sub-5 mile. Since 1984, he has run a mile each year under 5:00. What’s more, this is not even the longest streak among his friends! Some of you may remember Mark Coogan (UMaryland ’87) as one of the United States most versatile distance athletes. He’s run sub 4 for the mile, made US teams in the steeplechase, and owns a 2:13 marathon PB. Mark had a streak of 30 years going sub-5 for the mile. I say “had” because he ruptured his Achilles tendon 1k into a sub-5 attempt last year and was not able to recover before the new year began. 30 years!

Quoting longtime track and field broadcaster Larry Rawson, “Go down to your local track and run a lap.” If you hit 75 seconds, know that all you have to do is keep that pace for 3 additional laps. You’ll have to kick a little on the last lap to make sure you break 5minutes. Now do it again next year, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next. At that point, you will have equaled Ray’s current streak of sub 5s. Good Luck!

Become a fan of the Boston Indoor Games and Potomac River Running Stores on Facebook! Check your local listings to watch PRR's Ray Pugsley battle some of the nation’s top masters athletes in the mile.

Houston Half

I had one of those great Sunday mornings last week. Woke up a little early, grabbed a cup of coffee, flipped the computer on and watched the US Half-Marathon Championships from Houston on a live stream. I wanted to check in on some of the locals running, Kathy Newberry (William & Mary’s distance coach and Lake Braddock alum) and Samia Akbar (American U. and Oakton alum), and see how Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan would fare at her debut in the 13.1 mile race. This was also a nice excuse to delay my long run for a bit, as it was raining and quite cold.

The women were flat out hammering the course. Flanagan and a group of 3 or 4 others started rocking and rolling from the gun. The problem? The camera broadcasting the stream was not able to get a view of the women’s leaders until 3 miles in. Yes, we got to see some really good racing over the last 10miles, but we missed a solid chunk. This is akin to missing the first quarter of an NFL playoff game. Imagine the uproar that would have occurred if a football game was late getting on the air. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to see any live running, and the guys doing the filming did a great job of mixing in some interviews when the runners were out of sight. But to have to watch a championship race on the computer saddens me.

There are a ton of sports programming stations on television. There are shows about hunting, fishing and card playing. One of these stations couldn’t have dropped their professional bowling coverage to pick up a US championship race that features some of the best young athletes in the country? Many of the folks running that race will be the folks we are rooting for in London in 2012. We runners have to log on to a random website and watch on our computer screens instead of our high-def televisions. Disappointing.

The race itself was fantastic. A bunch of younger guys asserted themselves in the men’s race and began making names for themselves on the pro scene. Antonio Vega (61:54) and Patrick Smyth (62:01), both from Team USA Minnesota, went 1-2. Shalane Flanagan took down the course record on the women’s side by over a minute with a 69:41. Great running, even if we had to watch on a computer screen.

Refound Love

Nothing reinvigorates the soul like reconnecting with your first love. In this age of Facebook, Twitter and MySpace (does anyone use that anymore?), finding long-lost friends has become quite easy. We can see pictures of our high school cronies, the hot girl from freshman year stats class, even what the “cool” science teacher does in his free time outside of school. None of that is quite like getting a friend request from the person that you thought was the “one”. Relationships have come and gone in the intervening years. Each one is compared, for better or worse, to that first love that got away. Even if your life is wonderful, you may still hold a candle for that first person you thought you couldn’t live without.

So sentimental, you say? I didn’t mean for it to happen, but over the last couple of weeks, I’ve returned to my first love. My heart has never quite found a way to get past it. I’ve tried and tried to fill the void, but I’ve kept longing for a do-over, a return to the past and how things were. The elevated heart rate, the butterflies in the stomach. They all came right back in an instant, as if they never left. The craziest thing: My wife totally approves! She’s even joined in a couple of times.

Yes, there is nothing like returning to your first love. After nearly a decade, stepping back on the track felt like a dream. I’ve missed that 400m oval and, you know, I kinda think it missed me back.

Fartlek Monday

Today's workout felt pretty good. Probably because I took the time to warm up well. Usually when I have a couple of athletes at a facility, I will leave them to warm up with each other. I'll either watch their workout or jump in. Going from zero to sixty without getting the muscles loose is not the greatest idea. Sort of like starting your car in cold weather and peeling out. You probably wouldn't do that to your car, so why do it to yourself?

Besides a solid warm up, I think the weather change helped out. Today was 10degrees warmer than last week's workout at the same venue. Today was about 36, still cold, but the wind was also dramatically lessened. That meant we were using less energy to keep ourselves upright and more to propel ourselves forward! Less shivering overall was also a plus.

Still only in the first 3 weeks of this training cycle for the athletes, we kept it nice and easy today. A "controlled" fartlek. I call it controlled, because a standard fartlek has no distance, pace or time limitations. It is simply go as hard as you see fit for as long as you see fit. I like to create the ability to progress and have it be measurable. Therefore, today's fartlek was 1,2,3,2,1 with equal rest. It is a nice, introductory workout...sort of a welcome back to hard running. The "on" segments are brisk to slightly faster, the "off" at everyday run pace.

Good workout, but I can't wait to take it to the track on Thursday!

Originally posted 12/18/2009
The excitement of an impending snowstorm is setting in. Children (and their teachers) are bitter that they probably will not be getting a day off of school. I’ve come up with a few suggestions for successful snow running tips.

1- Be the first on the trail. Running in the fresh powder before it all gets beaten down into ice is key.
2- Layer up! You can always pull a layer off if you get too hot. And wear a hat!
3- Gore-Tex shoes. Nike makes a nice neutral and stability shoe with a Gore-Tex upper…keep your feet warm and dry.
4- Know your trail. Remember that low spot that always seems to be a puddle? Keep a mental note to take it easy through that section.
5- Expect and know how to fall. Don’t lock out the joints and save your head!
6- Quit wearing shorts over your tights! Read Jeanette’s columns for fashion tips and avoid this fashion faux pas. If you need extra cold/wind blocking, get some wind-paneled briefs, or pop a semi-fitted pant over the tights.
7- Put some pants on! That numb tingling you get on bare flesh is not a badge of courage. It is the beginnings of frostbite. You aren’t a superhero, no matter what you think.
8- Bring dry clothes. If you are traveling to a favorite running spot, be sure to bring an extra set of clothing to change into for the drive home. Make sure you have a winter emergency kit in your car while you are at it.
9- Refer to Cathy’s blog about proper warm up. Take it easy going out the door and realize that your run is going to be slower overall.
10- If it is really bad/cold, play it safe and skip the run. Set up a circuit in your house of various exercises. Push ups, crunches, squat jumps, floor dips, pull-ups, step ups, half squats and lunges is a solid circuit to run through a few times. Do 30seconds on and go right into the next exercise.

A little safety and discretion goes a long way in enjoying winter running.

The holidays are a great time to see friends and family and enjoy being together. If alcohol is a part of your celebration, don’t get behind the wheel. Designate a driver or give SoberRide a call at 1-800-200-TAXI for a free ride home. I’d like to see you running in the new year. From my family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season!
Happy Running.

Originally posted 12/26/2009
The recent snowfall (and lack of plowing in my neighborhood) has caused me to take my running inside. I’ve always had issues with using a treadmill. I end up running too close to the control panel and ripping the emergency stop button off or kneeing the console. Limited air-flow in my gym also leaves me a sweaty mess. My least favorite part of treadmill running in the gym: Lookie-loos. Those are the people that check out my screen and feel the need to pump their speed up to .1 mph faster than mine. Most of the time they end up running for a couple of minutes before turning off their machine and leaving the cardio area. I can’t help but shake my head.

Conversations with my wife and other female friends reveal that few males can stand when a woman is running faster than them. My favorite story involves my wife doing a little workout in the gym. She was scheduled for a longish brisk run. Not quite tempo pace, but for a good 45min. About halfway through the workout, a gentleman started up the treadmill next to her. In true Lookie-loo fashion, he saw her speed and raised his. One minute in, she said he looked like he was sprinting…pumping his arms and driving his knees. By 2:30, he was audibly panting. At 3:30 into his run, the dry heaves came. Four minutes into the run, his treadmill was off and she could see him in the mirror gagging into a trash can.

This is obviously a story about the worst offender. Everyone can learn from it, however. Running is a sport for everyone, provided that we approach it in an individualized manner. What is good for one person is not necessarily appropriate for the next. Knowing and accepting our current fitness levels is the name of the game. Gradual and intelligent progression from there will lead to the most benefits. So, you have two items to take your running to new heights in 2010. One, run to your ability and only incrementally increase training levels. Two, don’t run next to my wife in the gym unless you have quick access to a trash receptacle.

Originally posted 1/3/2010
So much for heeding my own words! I was out for a run with my wife and a friend this morning. It was 19 with a wind chill of -3 degrees when we left. I was dressed well, cool but not cold, and warmed up quite nicely as we got into the run. We were cruising along the Battlefields in Manassas, frozen tundra underfoot. The trees did a wonderful job of blocking the wind. I knew I would be at a slight disadvantage during the run, being a southern boy hanging with two New Englanders in the cold, but they took it easy on me. Then it happened. I was leading the others, using my “big” body to block the wind across a field. Like a mountain lion (or some other fleet footed critter) I was deftly avoiding the copious patches of ice and showing the way for my compatriots. My foot hit what I determined to be a very thin ice floe, it looked like a little puddle frozen over, and I foolishly presumed it would break under my weight. (Tip #1: Never assume ice will break under your weight) It did not. Before I knew it, I found myself landing on the ground and rolling in a thud, hoping to not get trampled by my closely following running partners! Luckily, I seem to be very adept at falling, and I managed to roll through it and bounce back up like the seasoned pro I am. (Tip #2: If you DO fall, let your body fall as naturally as possible, but remembering to protect your head) A couple of tentative steps and a system check later and all seemed to be well. Some bruises tomorrow for sure, but nothing overly dramatic. Running this time of year in these conditions is always a little extra rough on your body, but hopefully I won’t be too much worse for the wear tomorrow.

I am a coach. Just last week I remember giving a good, concise list of tips for winter weather running. The moral of today’s story? Do as I say, and hopefully not as I just did! With all the snows and thaws, freezing rain and whipping winds, the landscape is in a constant state of flux. Watch your footing carefully, the ground is hard when it’s this cold out and what looks like a previous travelers footprints do not always make a good path to follow…they will not squish and conform to your footfall. Just like the puddle that did not break. Oh yeah, and if you do fall, then treat yourself to a nice post-run bath with some Epsom salts for your aching muscles. And don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself – these are the war wounds we wear as dedicated runners…you better believe anyone bundled up and warm on a day like today who saw you going out for a run is laughing their butts off at how crazy you are!!!

Streaking

I recently entered into a self-challenge. Without going into detail, it involves “streaking”. No, not running around sans-clothes, but running for a string of consecutive days. In this case, attempting to go the full year. A friend of mine from the Burke store accomplished this feat last year. He ended up very fit by the end, and notched several race victories over 2009.

This challenge has gotten me thinking about scheduling. Having already had two runs start after 9pm, I know I have to get my run in earlier. I also know that I am not very good at waking up and running. I need some time for my legs to get moving; rolling out of bed and out the door does not work for me consistently. However, I am making the attempt to become a morning runner. Work schedules typically do not permit the easy afternoon running that came when I was younger and on a school’s time-clock. So, earlier it is.

The key here is to get into a routine. With hectic lives and increasing workloads, it sometimes seems daunting trying to find the time to get out the door for a run. It is important to devise a schedule that leaves time for work, family and our health. Too many times we will skip exercising because we say we don’t have time for it. It becomes easier to skip the next time, and the time after that. Getting in a routine is almost like meeting up with a running buddy…it sort of guilts you into going out, not wanting to disappoint. You know the time is there and available, so you go.

That said, there will probably still be days where I want to sleep in. If you happen to see a figure striding along the sidewalk, reflective jacket and headlamp affixed, at a random hour in the night, it is probably me…streaking.