A New Way to Run

Since my focus has turned to just running for all my physical activity, I took some time to evaluate how I should train and improve. As I looked around some forums, I came across a training program I have never seen before. After looking it over, it mostly makes sense. Not all of it, but most of it. So, I'm going to give it a shot and see how things improve.

The program I found was presented by a BarryP on the Slowtwitch forums. The basis of it is to run the number of miles you would normally run in a week, but to spread those miles out over the course of 6 days instead of 3 or 4 days. This is done by doing 3 easy runs, 2 medium runs, and 1 long run per week. The medium runs should be twice as long as the easy, and the long three times as long as the easy. In addition, instead of running at your "race" pace, or very near to it, you run quite a bit slower. For example, I currently run about a 24 minute 5k (8 min/mile pace). For my easy runs I maintain a 10.5 min/mile pace, medium runs a 9.5 min/mile pace, and 10 min/mile for the long runs.

The basis is to not pound out your miles for the week. Instead, run those same amount of miles, but do it at a slightly easier pace and not be so rough on your body. You basically use your easy runs for rest days since they are short and done at a very easy pace. The goal is to make sure your body is rested for the medium and long runs. If you are feeling great the day after those runs, then increase your total distance for the next week by 10%. If they wasted you, take another week or two at that total mileage before kicking it up 10%.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. Since I've been prone to injuries in the past with respect to running, I'm hoping this will be a better training program for me that will help my body to become better accustomed to a running lifestyle.

Priorities

It's amazing what life can throw at you. While I greatly desire to train for and race in a triathlon, it has become apparent over the last month/month and a half that I don't think it's a good idea for me to train so much at this time in my life. This has been a hard thing to realize.

I currently work 2 jobs. this usually involves 60 hours per week and the second job going until 11:00pm at least three nights a week. It is SO hard to get up at 5:30am or earlier the mornings after not getting to bed and falling asleep until after midnight. Not only is it hard, it's not healthy. About 3 to 4 weeks ago I got hit by a pretty major viral infection (and midway through a bacterial infection) that put me down for 10 to 12 days straight. I'm pretty sure my heavy training (2 swims, 2 bikes, 3 runs per week) and lack of sleep played a major role in contracting that and taking so long to recover.

Along with that comes some major realizations/revelations on how much work I have to become a better husband for my wonderful Companion. So, I think it's time to put my own wants and desires on hold for the betterment of family and personal life. What will I do now? Go back and focus on my first love: running. :)

Swimming

As I have been training for a triathlon and discussing it with people, there is one thing that most list as what would keep them from doing a triathlon: Swimming.

People seem comfortable to throw on a pair of sneakers or (preferably) running shoes, head out the door, and walk/jog/run. And just about everyone grew up riding bikes around the neighborhood or going on long bike rides with scouts, church groups, etc. In addition, riding a bike is pretty simple if you aren't going for some personal record but to simply finish a distance because you don't have to push hard. Plus, at times, you can just coast and give your legs a break.

With swimming, sure, the majority grew up swimming in pools, lakes, and oceans. But it was always for fun and never for distance. Obviously this is a bit different than biking, because you can't just stop moving altogether and keep floating/moving forward. I guess this is what scares people when they find out that a Sprint Triathlon (shortest of the standard Triathlon races) is about 1/4 mile swim (roughly 400 meters). Because when most beginners get in the water at their local lap pool, they are gasping for air and almost completely worn out after 25 or 50 meters. How in the world do you swim 400 meters continuously?

Well, I was one of those beginners. Signed up for a 3 month pass at our local recreation center, got in the pool for the first time (25 yard lap pool, a yard is practically a meter), tried to just swim, and was completely gasped/spent between 25 and 50 yards. So, I took some time to study up on what I was doing wrong and how one comes to even swim for 400 yards non stop.

In that time searching, I came across two resources that have been crucial to my success, so far. By going to the lap pool twice a week for about 25 to 30 minutes each visit and focusing on these resources, I have gone from that first attempt to being able to swim 400 yards (and beyond) non stop after just under one month!

The very first comes from a post on a forum I joined when I started triathlon training. Here is the link to that post. It's pretty long with A LOT of information, but it's very good information for those looking to start swimming. It might seem overwhelming, but if you take one or two of these points and focus on them during a swim session or two, you will see major improvements.

Bigfuzzydoug's Ten Points to Swimming

The second resource comes from the Total Immersion swimming program. I didn't attend classes with a coach or anything like that, I simply looked up online the videos that are available showing the Total Immersion technique. Bigfuzzydoug's ten points come partially from the Total Immersion technique, so it's good to see what it looks like to swim effectively.

Anyway, I hope these resources will help others overcome that "fear" of swimming 1/4 mile or more for triathlons. I have come to LOVE my swimming training sessions! I think the two most important points to distance swimming for beginners would be:

1) Be comfortable in the water. Enjoy being in it, and remember to have FUN (even when focusing on competition/race training)!

2) Learn to breathe. Seems obvious, but it is something every beginner should focus on. I ended up spending about 15 minutes during my first swim session and 10 minutes of my second swim session focusing solely on learning to breathe out while my face was in the water and inhaling quickly when rotating.

The First Post

A blog, I can't believe I'm considering this. First of all, I'm male. It seems the vast majority of casual bloggers are females. You know, the wives blogging about their family life and all that good stuff. But, for whatever reason, I felt like starting a blog was something I should do. So, here goes nothing.

What do I hope to accomplish? I think the primary reason a blog piqued my interest in the first place was my decision to begin training for triathlons. I wanted a little something to document publicly my little personal journey. I use a nice Android app (CardioTrainer) to log all the biking, swimming, and running I do, but that only shows the data. And the data doesn't tell the whole story. It can't tell you my emotions, my thoughts, the struggles, obstacles, and all the other life stories to go with it all.

Even though I have all these high hopes of training for triathlons, there is this little thing called reality. I'm a husband and father of three. Add in Church responsibilities, two jobs (Environmental Engineer and Pharmacy Technician), and life in general, it gets a bit hectic, crazy, but always entertaining!