River to River Relay 2012

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to race the 2012 River to River Relay.  This 8 person, 80 mile relay takes runners from one side of Illinois to the other going from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River.  The race was amazing.  It boils down to a day of fun with your teammates while occasionally carrying the baton.  I competed for team Has Beens, composed of good friends and former teammates varying in age.  We placed second in the field of over 250 teams and I am still pretty pumped about it. 

The course is quite hilly and makes for some challenging running, but the relay environment takes some of the normal race day pressure away.  It becomes more about having fun and enjoying the time with your team.  On the same note, you cannot help but want to run well.  Each runner runs three separate times which can lead to some cramping up.  I led off for us and had a stellar first leg.  By that, I mean I had a blast.  I raced in Superman briefs (that should illustrate the tone of our team) and after a very quick first mile found myself at the front of the pack.  I built a decent lead over the next few miles and handed off in first.  It was a great feeling.  The crowd loved my uniform and as I climbed into our Transformers decorated van also adorned with animal horns and the race trophies of the past few years I felt nothing but pride.  As the race went on we held to second place and considered ourselves the people's champs as throughout the entire race word of the Superman runner and the Transformers van team spread.  We had so much fun that place or pace was irrelevant.  It was great being with the guys and the antics of the van will likely become legend passed on to future runners of the Has Beens.  The post race celebrations occurred in the small town of Galconda, IL where all the teams mingle, eat, drink, and be merry.  A great way to cap off a great day of running. 

The value to those reading this is that a team relay may be a great opportunity for you to get back to racing or to get out of a bad race funk.  The relay environment makes gauging your efforts difficult as the leg lengths and intensities vary.  The team aspect also replaces a relaxed feel of fun for the normal race day pressures you may feel.  This gives you a chance to run based on feel, push yourself, and have a great time doing it.  You can associate some positive feelings with racing which can carry over to your next "real" race.  I would also recommend a relay for first time or beginning racers.  It will surely leave you with positive feeling that will make you come back for more.  I suggest that everyone tries at least one.  I can definitely think of a worse way to spend a  weekend. 

Ahh The Power of Ice Bath

Its hard to quantify the benefits of ice bath or immersing oneself in cold water for a period of time. Some distance runners take them constantly while others nearly never do or prefer to hot tub instead. Regardless of personal preference however, ice bath has been shown reduce swelling and tissue breakdown following long runs or intense workouts. Running long or at a high effort level pushes up that metabolic rate causing breakdown and micro-tears which we associate with post run fatigue or soreness. The idea is that the cold water constricts your blood vessels and decreases the metabolic activity in the muscles that are roaring from your recently finished run. After sitting in there a brief period you get out and as you naturally let your muscles warm over the next twenty to thirty minutes blood rushes back through and pushes out much of the byproduct of that metabolic breakdown. This reduces inflammation, reduces soreness, can help prevent injury in the long term, and promotes recovery.

There is no exact way to ice bath and many runners prefer to ice for different amounts of time, at different temperatures, or even prefer to use contrast baths. It is common for ice baths to range from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and for one to immerse for 10 to 15 minutes. I've seen guys do ice baths in the low 40s and I personally don't see an increase in benefit from going below 50. You may also be reaching a point where the cold is doing more harm than good so colder is definitely not always better. The same goes for the time, more is not always better. Spending 30 minutes in 50 degree water likely is going to be taxing and could impair recovery rather than promote it. I've also seen people who prefer to do brief periods in the cold, a brief period in the hot tub, then back to the cold. This contrast is supposed to promote the flushing described earlier. I think a few minutes back and forth offers less benefit than straight time in the cold, but again this is a personal voyage for every runner.

My ice bath process is quite simple. I only utilize this after long runs or when I am particularly sore from racing or high intensity efforts. That means I usually take the plunge once or twice a week. I'm fine with anything in the 50s for temp and I get in, making sure to put my hips under and then sit tight for 10 to 12 minutes. As much as it can hurt the first minute I figure that after two hours of running what's another few minutes of discomfort? After the time passes, I dry off and then wait thirty minutes before I shower so I can warm up a slow rate to keep things cool for a little while longer. This does the trick for me and when I fail to take an ice bath after hard efforts I can sometimes stay sore or feel fatigued for a few days. At the very least it offers a bit of recovery that makes long term training a bit more sustainable and may prevent small injuries from derailing an entire training block. If I don't have access to ice to make my own ice bath I think that simple sitting in a tub with cold water does offer some benefit. It may not be as effective but its better than nothing.

Ice bath may help you train more consistently and that is a major part to improving your running. So, try it out and see what works for you. Be safe and don't go to the extremes. Remember that everything I've written is based on my opinions and personal experiences. This is a subject that remains very vague in terms of research and I have in no way conducted any formal investigations to back what I've claimed. It is all based on information from my own trials,what I've seen the athletes around me do, and small write-ups I've seen in running publications and on the web. Be smart, be safe. I hope it helps.

Balancing Work and Running

It can be difficult to balance working a lot and still trying to get your mileage in. This is especially the case with work schedules that are constantly changing and do not allow for the development of a regular routine. This applies to runners of all levels and pursuing all types of goals and developmental milestones. Running offers a pillar of stability in a chaotic world and for me it is one aspect of life that I prefer to do everyday and almost always do. (I have scheduled day's off for recovery reasons.....) There is nothing worse than feeling as if a job is taking away the things you love in the sense of you are too tired or simply do not have the time to pursue what you want. This blog should offer some tips on how to cope and how to balance work and running so that you don't have to sacrifice too much of one.

PLAN: Especially with a constantly changing week by week work schedule you need to get in the habit of planning out your running schedule. This will allow you achieve the mileage you want for that week based on your crazy schedule on the job. This even applies to racing as you will need to request off well in advance and plan to taper as your schedule allows. You may have to alter your training around work, but with proper planning you can still get your mileage in. For instance, if I work 8 to 5 during the week I often have evening requirements with school that don't allow for running. So I run in the morning, usually for an hour, then run immediately after I get off at 5 for another thirty minutes or so. This gives me about 11 miles on the day and despite working and other activities my weekly mileage goal has not taken a hit. Some people even prefer to do a few miles on their lunch hour, but I'm usually starving by this point. This leads into tip number 2.....

DOUBLE: Double when necessary. Sometimes it is unrealistic to do a long run in the early morning before work, so break it up. Fifteen extra minutes to eat, get ready, or sleep in the morning may be more valuable than two extra miles so I suggest going a bit shorter and then heading back out in the afternoon or evening for few more miles.

CROSS TRAIN: You don't always have to run either. Supplementing cross training like aqua jogging or elliptical can help you maintain a high activity level and endurance base while offering your body a bit more recovery.

MAKE DAYS OFF COUNT: Put in your long runs on days when you have the time to do so. Getting in your weekly long effort of 20% of your total volume is important and really helps build your strength. Don't sacrifice it. Days off are also great days to plan for workouts and may even give you an extra opportunity for an easy double. The most important part of the day off though may be the mental aspect it offers. Enjoy it, this is your chance to not feel rushed and be sure to use that as a refresher. It may also be valuable to take a day off of work as a day off from running if you are very worn down. Take a double whammy to boost recovery.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: You're going to get tired, so go easy. Don't expect to be firing on all cylinders and when you have a crappy day just go slower and cut it short if necessary. As the work week presses on my morning runs get a bit slower as a lack of sleep and recovery catches up to me. It is important to remember that getting out the door and doing something is the key, it is not necessarily the pace that is most pivotal. You may also get worn down to where a day or two off becomes vital. Take the days. A few days down is less of a sacrifice than weeks down due to injury, illness, or over-training.

SLEEP: Make a concerted effort to get to bed at nearly the same time every night if possible and shoot for the coveted seven to eight hours. If you can stay consistent in your sleep recovery will be less of an issue and this balancing act will be less taxing over time.

WATER BOTTLE: Take a water bottle to work and be sure to use that thing like crazy. Staying hydrated fosters recovery and recovery is the name of the game with our busy schedules. 
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MAKE IT WORK AT WORK: Stretch when you get to work if possible. Pack recovery drinks and snack bars to enjoy on the job or on break to facilitate... you guessed it.... recovery. If you're planning a workout after work try to stay off your feet and if need be bring your running gear to work so you can change and go straight for it.

Hopefully these suggestions help you out, they sure help me. The most important tip however is to stay focused and just keep on it. It will pay off in the long run and you love it right?

A Brief Chat With Derek Rubis

Derek Rubis from Waukesha, Wisconsin is arguably cross country and track’s biggest fan. Most well known for his face in the hole renditions of elite runners and those associated with them, this “Rubisizing” has become a sign of success in the sport. Note: The first person “Rubisized” was Ryan Fenton of Flotrack. Derek has shown an uncanny ability to develop relationships via social networking and due to his active involvement on Twitter and Facebook he can now call many elite level runners friends he may have otherwise never have come to know. His genuine love for the sport is evident in his passionate following of results and the sheer amount of time he devotes to running and volunteer coaching at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Derek and I have been communicating since this past summer via these social networking sites and I was curious how “The Hub of Distance Running” himself would go about building the sport’s following. Derek and I exchanged a few messages via Facebook and here is a brief synopsis about his background and his ideas.

Derek has been running since his 6^th grade year of school, totaling 18 years. Although his first race did not go as well as he would have hoped, the roots for his love of distance running had been planted. He described an early draw as the fact that not many people can run distance and the enjoyment he felt and still feels from long runs. In high school cross country Derek raced against the former Olympian and Stanford graduate Gabe Jennings. He continued his running at Carroll University and does so today by competing for the Greater Milwaukee Track Club. He currently runs 75-80 miles per week and says he hopes to find work as a collegiate assistant coach in the near future. Derek is actively in attendance at many major and local competitions and describes Landon Peacock’s late charge past Andy Bayer in the 2010 Big Ten Cross Country as the most exciting race he’s seen. Derek was also at the 2011 NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships where he was able to cheer on many of his favorite athletes including Diego Estrada of NAU, Colby Lowe and Tom Farrell of Oklahoma State, Chris Derrick of Stanford, and the members of his favorite team hailing from the University of Wisconsin. At the national meet Derek was even featured on both Flotrack and Runnerspace as one of running’s biggest fans. Derek is currently the focal point of a Facebook group, “Let's Send Derek Rubis to the Olympic Trials” in which members of the running community are raising money to, you guessed it, send Rubis to Eugene. Derek said he hopes attend the trials as he’s never been and would like to support his favorite pro athletes in Chris Solinsky, Matt Tegenkamp, Billy Nelson, and star decathlete Trey Hardee. Derek describes these athletes as an inspiration to get out the door and pursue becoming a better athlete and a better person. The total raised as of this writing is at $930.

I asked Derek about his views on building the sport’s following and how both current fans and elite athletes could contribute. Derek suggested that promoting is everyone’s responsibility. This falls on both athletes and fans alike as Derek is quoted as saying, “Promote Like Hell.” If this approach is taken and everyone involved begins simply spreading the word about local and national events and increase in exposure is likely to increase fan base. Derek suggests that promotion go beyond simply telling people about the events and meet coordinators going to extra mile to increase media coverage by contacting local news agencies. Fans could push this too by contacting themselves and asking for more involved or better coverage of running related events. Derek suggested that for elite athletes to help more need to take a strong stance as Nick Symmonds has done by aggressively pursuing changes in USATF policy and speaking out to build for the future. Note: Check out Nick’s Facebook Group, ““I’m tired of USATF and IAAF cripping our sport.” As for televised events, Derek stressed that partial coverage of a race does not do it justice and that showing more, highly competitive races may bolster casual interest from the community. I would agree, building the drama of a race is a great way to capture interest and suck people in. What is better than two hometown heroes competing head to head for a championship? Things people can relate to like location and upbringing can help people relate to distance running and increase their interest. That is what I see as the major problem, for many people this running thing is too foreign and hard to relate to. By increasing exposure through increased promotion as Derek suggested this may make running more relatable to the average American. This a good starting point, I am interested to see how things unfold in the future. I will be doing my best to promote like hell, will you?

A big thanks to Derek Rubis for his time and sharing of personal information. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @drubisunirun and check out the Facebook groups mentioned above.

Random Olympian

On our return trip from the Big 12 Indoor meet in College Station, Texas we stopped in Breckenridge to grab some quick lunch. Accompanied by a group of about ten of the OSU athletes we simply walked to the nearest place we could grab something quick. While eating, we were approached by a man wearing a lot of orange and a vest reading something about a stuntman's association. The man introduced himself as Dean Smith, who used to run a bit of track when he was younger. We caught his interest because he had roomed with J.W. Mashburn at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Naturally all of our levels interest increased drastically upon hearing, "Olympics." Mashburn was a 400 meter runner at Oklahoma State who won a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games running on the 4x400 relay. Mr. Smith spoke of how he had run for the University of Texas as a 100 meter sprinter and had often raced against the Aggies of Oklahoma A&M. He had even run 9.7 wind-aided at a meet held at OSU's Kyle Field. He described his time at the 52' games with Mashburn and how he had also roomed with Wes Santee the great miler from Kansas. Smith placed 4th in the 100 meter dash in what he described as the closest finish in Olympic history. The judges spent 2 hours determining the placings and unfortunately for him he landed just off the medal stand. He did however lead off for the United States' gold medal winning 4x100 relay. Smith chatted with us casually describing how what bothers him most about today's sport is the lack of press. When he was racing, everything was front page news. He described today's position as, "a small article on the second or third page." We found out later he worked as a very successful stuntman in the film industry and even played some pro-football after graduating from Texas and leaving the track world behind. It was a wonderful encounter and completely unexpected. It was great to see the younger guys interacting with this man who competed in an era that none of us really know and being able to connect and share a mutual love for the sport. It was a chance encounter with an Olympian, a World Champion and at the very least now the boys of OSU know a little bit more about the history of our sport. It is important to hold on to the heroes of the past and to lift up our heroes of today. A big thank you to Dean Smith, even 60 years later he is still a positive ambassador for track and field, even at a local fast-food stop.

Sunday; Long Run Day

The Long Run, arguable the most important run of the week for the distance runner. A week's long run is usually gauged as 18-22% of the weekly total mileage and offers huge benefits to runners at all levels. Increasing strength, aerobic capacity, running economy, and how to gauge your effort again prove useful to every type of runner training for a multitude of events. The real beauty of this run though, is that it allows a runner to simply relax and enjoy their time out running. The pace really does not matter (see earlier post) and these runs usually progressively get faster assuming you budget your energy properly. If you bonk, you either went too hard too early or progressed too much. This turns into an especially valuable lesson to runners racing longer road races as it teaches you to be patient. Yes, often the early miles of a run can feel overly easy but when you have 15 to go it becomes a good idea to simply enjoy that rather than ratchet up your effort.

For me, the long run is my favorite run of the week not because of the running based benefits but due to the mental and social aspects that I derive. I usually run between an hour forty-five and two hours for my long efforts and that is time that I am either alone with my thoughts or with a group of close friends. Even though the run can be taxing physically I feel refreshed from good company, time with my thoughts, or simply the idea that I have just accomplished something that many people will never attempt or understand.

Post run recovery is especially important after the long run as your body will be craving fluids, carbohydrates, and muscle repairing proteins. Offer your body the food and water it needs to start repairing itself within an hour of finishing your run and I can guarantee you will feel much better than if you wait any longer. I usually supplement with a small, protein recovery shake. Ice baths or icing directly will speed recovery as well and are an integral part of my personal post long run recovery. As uncomfortable as an ice bath can be, ten minutes with my hips and legs in fifty degree water is well worth the reduction in soreness and the increased rate at which muscles seem to recover. The biggest benefit of the long run day though may be post recovery when you get home or decide to grab some food on the way home. I take this day to eat whatever I have been craving. You burn more calories on this day so it makes sense to give yourself a bit more freedom and appease those damn craving which you've been suppressing all week. I'm not saying go nuts like after a marathon, but rewarding yourself now and then will make long term training more manageable.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy your long run as much as I do whether it be Sunday or any day of the week!

Normal Run Pace

Many runners beginner or other struggle with the idea that every run should be a certain pace and that anything slower than the preconceived pace is really just junk mileage and not worth much if anything at all. I am not one of those runners. I believe that your body should dictate the pace on every normal or easy run you do with a few minor exceptions. The best thing a distance runner can do to improve their fitness is get out the door and run. The more time you spend on your feet the better off you will be (listening to your body of course.) I'm not saying to start out running 100 miles per week but to be smart about it and consistently build volume over time allowing your body to adapt and adjust. The pace is less important.

I'm fortunate enough to run with guys who have run sub-13:30 for 5k and guys who struggle to run under 16:00 most days of the week which gives me a pretty good perspective. When guys feel good, they run a bit faster. When guys feel bad or worn down, they take it easy. The individuals or the group never sets out to hit a certain pace or average for the run and the way everyone feels dictates the pace we go. Groups often form and the guys who want to get after it make slowly pull away and those poor fatigued fellas hang back a ways. The guys you see go hard everyday on easy runs are the ones who don't make it through the season and usually end up blowing up. The natural ebb and flow of a run may also change the pace you run. I often see those noted 13:30 guys starting out well over 7 min pace and finishing a bit under 6 min pace. Then again, I've spent entire runs with those guys where we haven't cracked 6:30 or 7 at all. These guys also don't go hard every time they feel good. It is important to hold back and allow your body to recover. The miles are still adding strength and its important to understand that you can keep high volume or running the miles while doing solid workouts and RECOVERING.

The point is, don't get fixated on time. Don't decide how fast your run is going to be before you start. Feel it out and allow your body to progress or not based on the recovery you need. Every few weeks I set aside a day to run alone and force myself to cruise at an almost uncomfortably slow pace. It is an active recovery method that feels a bit like a day off. So run as you feel, and if your worried about getting in a solid effort remember that taking it a bit easier may allow for much more running in the long term. A week of miles at too quick a pace can cause injury and cost you many miles over the next few weeks.