Running in Complete Darkness

I know the safety precautions for running in complete darkness pretty well (see my article 7 safety rules for running in the dark).  Regardless of how many times I run when it's dark, I never get completely acclimated to the idea that there may be something out there I cannot see.  We have less than a week before the time goes back an hour in the US. And, I am impatiently waiting to get that hour back for the selfish reason of bringing daylight to my early morning runs.

In this neighborhood, it's difficult to believe that we have few streetlights, especially considering there are lots of kids and elderly people who could be easy targets for crime (I have heard the area was designed with  few streetlights to create an "ambiance" unlike other Chicago suburbs.) Having only a few streetlights might be a thing of beauty for some people here. But, it would really help the runners, bikers , walkers, and pet owners who just want to see where their next step will land.

During yesterday's Easy Run, I noticed the wooden bridge I use to cross Butterfield Creek was missing a few planks. Apparently the creek rose pretty high due to the heavy rains and a log or two hit the bridge causing the damage.  Thank goodness there was enough light for me to see the missing planks otherwise Isis and I might have been injured.

I doubt if there will be any streetlights coming in this area anytime soon, so I guess the runners, bikers, walkers and pet owners must deal with the darkness for now.


Training
This is week 4, day 2 of my 12 week half marathon training program. Yesterday I completed a 4 mile Easy Run and today I completed a 5 mile Tempo Run.  Tomorrow's scheduled run is a Pace Run and then Friday the schedule calls for the second Progression Run.  I can probably do a good pace run outdoors. However, I'd much rather do the progression on the treadmill to ensure my pace is accurate.  I love doing progression runs but it's a challenge to look down at my watch often enough to be sure I'm running at the right pace for the right amount of time.

So far there are no kiddie activities planned for Saturday morning.  That could mean that I can get in a good Long Run this weekend.  Shame on me: I've missed the last 2 long runs!

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Wet, Cool Fall Runs

What a week. Gauging the weather has been a little tricky this Fall. It's been a little chilly. But, when it's also raining I'm finding that's not the kind of weather I feel comfortable running in. I started the week outside and have completed the last 3 runs on the treadmill.

I've been extremely busy at work and haven't written any articles this week for Examiner.com. Next week is the time to get back on track. I enjoy writing and have some great ides for my next half dozen articles. So, be on the lookout for new, informative articles from me soon!
Today's Run
This is week 2, day 4 of my 12 week half marathon training program. Today I completed a 4 mile Progression Run on the treadmill. I'd rather have run outside but couldn't see myself running in cold, wet rain. Progression runs are pretty fun and it would have been difficult for me to do a progression from 9:05 min/mile to 8:3 min/mile and then 8:05 min/mile accurately without a GPS, so the treadmill was the best option.
Training
This week I completed an Easy Run Monday; a treadmill Tempo Run Tuesday; a Pace Run, and a Progression Run today. Tomorrow is a Long Run, but since I'll be in Kankakee most of the weekend I may need to shorten the run to a 10k treadmill run or move it to Sunday.
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New Half Marathon Training Program

After completing my second half marathon on September 27, 2009, I decided to make some changes to my training program.  I ran a great race, finished in 1:54:38 (a personal record) or a 8:42 minutes/mile pace.  I'd like to continue to lower my half marathon pace next year so that I'm able to run at or near 8 minutes/mile at next Spring's Illinois Half Marathon. 

With this new training program, I will alternate hill workouts and progression runs using the treadmill on Fridays.  My rest days will be Thursdays and Sundays unless I do a 5k or 10k on the weekend.  I've also started the Two Hundred Squat Challenge to strengthen my legs since there aren't many hills to challenge me locally.  The goal will be to gradually increase distance and speed and strengthen the legs over the first 10 weeks.  The final two weeks I will reduce or eliminate the strength training and lower my mileage.

Today's Run
I completed week 1, day 3 of my 12 week half marathon training program - a 3 mile Pace Run. I am noticing the squats improve my running posture and give me a good kick at the end of the run. I can also run up my stairs a lot easier these days!  I thought I'd dread doing them, especially before a run.  But with the colder temps these days, completing 100 or more squats is an excellent way to warm up before a run.

Training
The first week of training is almost over.  I completed an Easy Run Monday; a treadmill Interval Run Tuesday; and a Pace Run today. I'll take a day off from running Thursday and then do my first Hill Run on Friday.  I'm inclined to do Saturday's 8 mile Long Run at the local Forest Preserve.  Two laps around the track should be about 8 miles!
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A break in the rain

Today's weather forecast called for a 50% chance for rain. When rain is predicted, I'm usually torn between running outdoors and planning a good treadmill workout. In general if storm activity can be heard within 15 minutes of my alarm time, I'll hit the treadmill. Fortunately for me the rain stopped about 45 minutes before the alarm sounded this morning!

I finished a 3 mile Easy Run around the neighborhood during the calm between storms this morning. It was almost pitch black when I started the run which reminded me that it's that time of year where I need to be very careful (see "7 safety rules for running in the dark"). There's just two runs remaining on my training schedule before next Sunday's half marathon. I'm trying not to think about it too much. But, it's hard not to imagine what it will be like to run my second half.

After Saturday's 11.25 mile Long Run, I'm refreshed and ready for Sunday. I probably could have run 13 miles instead of 11.25. Goodness knows my body needs to rest. Saturday night I'll eat a chicken breast sub from Subway; get a good night's sleep; eat oatmeal for breakfast; and carry a couple of energy bars and 20 oz of PowerAde with me Sunday morning.
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Motivation and Hydration

Motivation

Yesterday was a good 4 mile Easy Run the day after an extremely challenging 8 mile Fartlek Run. Experts say an easy run is good the day after a long run to help the body flush unneeded by-products. I understand this in theory, but from a practical standpoint it's not easy to run the day after very tough run.

Many of my friends have shown an interest in running. But most find it difficult to start running or keep to a schedule. There are some days when I do not want to do my runs which is why I was motivated to write the article Staying motivated to run on Examiner.com. Hopefully runners will find this article, and future articles, useful as they embark their running journey!

Hydration

This weekend's run is an 11 mile Long Run which will likely require about 1:45 minutes on the road. I have a terrible habit of doing my long runs after drink 5 or fewer gulps of PowerAde or Gatorade. And of course by the time I get home, I'm too drained to think about doing anything.

After reading Peter Sagal's article Fuild Dynamics in the October 2009 issue of Runners World, I decided to order a Nathan Quickdraw Plus 22 oz water bottle from Amazon.com. I like the idea of carry a water bottle, but I really didn't think I could wear a bottle on my belt. The Nathan Quickdraw Plus water bottle is worn in the hand. Most runners say they don't even notice it when they are running.

Well, I'm sure I will benefit from taking a sip or two every 20 minutes or so on my long runs. The Quickdraw Plus will definitely come in handy for my next half marathon too!
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Those Little Things!

Running isn't just about how far or how fast you go.  It also has a lot to do with how much rest you get, how well you manage your weight, what you eat, when you run, the environment, and how you feel.  But sometimes runs can be very uncomfortable or go completely wrong because of the little things that get ignored while you prepare to hit the road.

This morning I had a goal to run 10 miles.  I got myself prepared as usual except I decided to eat a light breakfast - a bowl of cereal. My plan was to run 3.5 miles to the Sauk Trail Forest Preserve; run the 3.5+ miles around the track at the Preserve; and, run 3-3.5 miles back home.  Well about a mile or so into the run I started feeling cramps.  The cereal wasn't agreeing with me!  Determined to get in a long run, I decided to keep ignore the cramps and keep going. 

The next problem I encountered was the heat. It was about 60°F when got out of bed this morning.  After walking and feeding the dog, making cereal for my son, and doing a few minor tasks, about an hour had passed and the temp had climbed to about 70°F. Oh boy, gotta hit the road now! When I hit the 3 mile mark, I had enough of the heat and decided to remove my shirt for the first time. By the time I got to the Preserve, I felt a lot better and the dense trees helped cool me down for the next 3.5 miles.  What a relief.

The last 3 miles seemed pretty doable: my body was not overhead and I didn't really feel the cramp. I felt pretty good until mile 8.5 when the cramp sort of took over.  The blessing is that determination took over.  I kept my head forward and prayed for strength while I finished the last two miles. I could have run another mile, but while make the cramp worse?  I walked the last half mile or so which was cool with me!

The cramp is still with me although I feel a lot better.  The picture is one of several deer I saw last weekend at the Preserve.  There was only 1 deer out during this morning's run probably because I started almost 2 hours later than last week's run.  I love this new route because there are sidewalks most of the way and a few inclines which give me a pretty good workout.

Week 36 & 37
I logged 29 miles this week: 5 miles on Monday; 4 miles Tuesday; 6 miles Wednesday; 4 miles Thursday; and a 10 mile
Long Run today, Saturday. I added a Hill Workout on Thursday which will improve my endurance.  Next week I'll do 30 miles:

1. Monday: Easy Run - 5 miles
2. Tuesday: Easy Run - 4 miles
3. Wednesday: Temp Run - 7 miles 
4. Thursday: Hill Workout - 3 miles
5. Saturday: Long Run - 11 miles
   

Sunday and Friday are rest days!

Goals
In August I ran about 114 miles - the most miles I've logged in a month! I'm ready for the Cal City Mini Marathon in 3 weeks!
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The Home Stretch

Only a few more weeks before the Calumet Memorial Mini Marathon on September 27, 2009. I've been training for almost 6 weeks and feel confident I will do well. My goal is to complete this half marathon with an 8:15 minute/mile pace or better. I'm ready!

I've been talking to runners online and many of them are running marathons or half marathons this Fall. Most runners are also following a training plan too. The online tool I primarily use is the SmartCoach from RunnersWorld.com. This tool is simple, customizable for the beginning or experienced runner, and best of all its FREE! I used SmartCoach for my first half marathon in April 2009 and I plan to continue using it.

Week 35
I will log almost 28 miles by the end of this week: 4 miles on Monday; 3 miles Tuesday; 7.5 miles Wednesday; 3 miles Thursday; and a 10 mile Long Run Saturday. The first two runs went as expected: two Easy Runs at about 1-1.5 minutes/mile above my target half marathon pace.

I completed a Speed Workout today, Wednesday: 2 mile warm-up; 3x1600 meters at 8:05 minutes/mile with 2x800 meter jogs; 1.5 mile cool down. The workout went well except I forgot one thing: I didn't have any liquids prior to running! How could this have happened? Well if I had brought Isis along with me, I would have probably remembered to walk by the fridge and grab my bottle of G2 (life is complicated for me!). The important thing is that I finished the run.

I should point out that I ran up to the local high school and ran 4 times around the track too. This was something new for me. I usually avoid running on a track. But I had fun today!

Goals
I'm up to 87 miles for the month of August. I completed the form and mailed
it back to the Calumet City Park District, so I'm committed to run in the Cal City Mini Marathon next month!
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