Hill Training

I got up at 4:50am this morning to run from my house to the neighboring subdivision, Graymoor. It didn't seem like much of a challenge to me initially. However, Graymoor has some inclines that will test a newbie's endurance. I finished my 5K in less than 27 minutes (that's about 8.6 minutes per mile). And as I sit here at work, I feel like I could use a nap...a real long one! Thank God I have an opportunity to get some rest on my train ride home this evening.

Now I must prepare myself mentally for the 16K I have on the schedule tomorrow. I drink a whey protein drink that I purchased from Lifetime Fitness last week. I might drink a little before I do the 16K in the morning to give me the energy I need to finish. If you are planning to do a 5K or 10K like me, here's training plan you can follow courtesy of CoolRunning.com.

Hundred Push Up Update 1

I decided to take two days off last night. I'll be back at it Saturday.

Today's Run: 5K on The Treadmill

I took my run indoors today after running outdoors Sunday through Tuesday. I prefer the outdoors because:

1. The weather and environment helps keep my body cooler which allows me to run faster and farther without overheating, i.e., reaching high a high heart rate.
2. The outdoors is extremely relaxing and breaks the monotony of seeing the same view for the entire run.
3. The outdoors allows me to train in an environments similar to my planned races. I am not against running on treadmill.

Hey, I started running on a treadmill. And here in Chicago, you have to run indoors at least part of the year, so treadmill runs are inevitable for me (I am not the kind of person who goes to the health club before work!)

Needless to say, I overdid the run a little (my average heart rate was way too high - about 160 Beats Per Minute). Even though I felt the weight of my legs for the last half of the run, I just had to keep running. Finished with an 8.85 minute/mile pace, just a .1 of a minute less than yesterday's 8K. Outdoors is just so much easier for me.

Gonna do that 16K from my house on Saturday after tomorrow's 5K.

Impossible is Nothing!

Can You Do One Hundred Pushups?

I found this site HundredPushUps.com and thought I would pass it along. The site was created by Steve Speirs to challenge people to do 100 consecutive push ups. Steve provides a very good plan for meeting the goal of 100 consecutive push ups over a 6 week period. And, you only have to workout 3 days a wee (sounds good to me).

I am gonna try this soon and let you know how it goes. Just so you know, for the past 9 months I have been working out 3-4 times a week using The Perfect Push Up. I am able to do about 200+ push ups at each workout. When I got home from work yesterday evening, I maxed out just to see how many push-ups I could do. I only did 70 which was a little disappointing but good considering I did 200 push ups (in sets of 4) the day before.

Push ups are a very good way to tone the upper body, arms, and abs. And I have found this exercise compliments my running schedule well. Read more about the benefits of doing push ups and TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

Treating Exercise as A Project

Whether I am working in my garden, adjusting our wireless network, or painting a room, I treat work as a project: there's always a beginning and an end, tools or equipment I need to use, and milestones that help me see progress along the way. I find that this method helps time pass and keeps me focussed on the end result. If you can treat work as a project, why not view exercise as a project?

How I Run My Exercise Project

Every day I workout, I plan the start and finish of my routine. The night before I run, I review my equipment list: I layout my clothes, ensure my shoes are ok, check my Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) to make sure it works properly, drink plenty of fluids and try to rest my body as much as possible. Just before I run, I do a final equipment check. Finally, when I run I check my mileage, heart rate and pace periodically to ensure I hit the milestones I've set.

You do not have to be as anal as I am with my exercise project. However, developing an exercise project of your own could help you surpass some of those obstacles that have held you from incorporating running or other exercises into your lifestyle.

Training Program

I utilize a 10-week training program developed by Olympic Triathlon Coach Brendon Downey in cooperation with Polar, the sports watch company. I started the program on 7/1/08 and will complete the training on 9/19/08 - the day before I run in the South Holland Heritage Haul Awesome Blossom 10k. I may also run a few races before the Awesome Blossom...we'll see how the training goes.

The program generally looks like this:

SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
Rest!	10k	8k	Rest!	5k	5k	12k / 14k / 16k / 18k (one of these, not all!)

Some days I do interval training or hill training, so the program varies a bit. On Saturday, I have my longest runs. This Saturday, I will do a 16k - that's 10 miles. I've never run more than a 12k, so pray for me!

It's The Shoes

Instead of running on Saturday, I decided to visit a local shoe store, The Human Race, to look for new running shoes. My legs were starting to hurt and I was beginning to develop blisters on my feet. I did not realize how much detail a runner must devote to his/her shoes. In the past I wore Nike running shoes exclusively. Well as soon as I walked in the store, the salesman pointed out that Nike running shoes are not as comfortable as others. And, I'd have to agree knowing how my legs hurt after running 10k or more, especially outdoors.

At this store, they take you through a series of tests to determine you are an under/over pronator (that's how much hour feet lean outward or inward). They also check to see if your stance is balanced to determine if you need shoe support. When I finished my tests, I ended up with a size 11 Adidas Supernova Sequence Control. I had no idea I needed to go up almost a full size for running purposes. However, after running a 12k indoors at LifeTime Fitness yesterday, I am convinced I made a good purchase. The run felt very comfortable and I ran my fasted 12k ever.

If you have any pain after you run and you have a similar store in your, I would highly recommend a similar set of tests to ensure you get fitted properly for your next pair of running shoes.

Getting Over The Hump Using Goals

Today's training run was a 5k (3.1 miles) that started and ended at my driveway. The goal this month is to run almost 128 miles - the most I will have ever run in a month! Mind you, I have run 80 and 90 miles respectively for the months of June and July, so the 128 mile for this month will be a challenge.


When I run, I find that the first .5 - 1 mile is the most difficult for me. After I have run for a mile, I am usually able to run for as long as I can. I only stop when I have reached my distance goal or when my heart rate gets within a few percentage points of my HRMax (178 BPM). Today was a bit of a challenge for me. My mind (the bad guy) and body teamed up this time and told me to quit after the first 1/4 mile. Well, the good guy in me said to keep running...so I kept running until I hit the 5k mark. I got over the hump.


One key trait a runner needs is the ability to push himself/herself when the body says "No more!" Pushing yourself can be dangerous, but I see a lot of people who will quit running after a mile or less when they could do so much more for themselves if they fought it off and kept running. Hey, I know it ain't easy. A big part of my motivation is reaching my goals. Every time I run I have either a distance goal or a pace goal or both.


Setting goals is almost like having my own personal training, at least that's the way I view it. I would encourage everyone to set small goals first and then, as you progress , gradually increase the expectations for your goals. I would have not believed I could run at a 8.65 minute/mile pace after only 4 months. However, that's what I did today. And, I got over that hump too!