Taking a Break

Well, In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a bit of a hiatus lately. Unfortunately, I will be continuing my blog break for another week or so as I embark on my journey to relocate to the Mile High City of Denver*.

The fiancée and I have spent the past two weeks packing up our apartment to leave this weekend. Once again, I've generated a brilliant idea to hit the road for 14+ hours on Memorial Day weekend....yes, I promise, I am a college graduate, despite my wildly intelligent ideas on occasion.

I'm roaming once again, but this runner hasn't been logging too many miles lately (albeit there have been a few light morning runs the past two weeks, they are few and far between). Between the packing, planning and visiting with fabulous friends and family, I will sadly be leaving behind in the Lone Star State, I've had to shun my shoes to a cardboard box for the time being.

I have saved a couple of articles from the past week that I thought I would share to help you get your fix during my hiatus:

• A more in depth look at altitude running and racing from Competitor.
• Look out for a future post on the need for running and training with I.D. on hand.
• Don't forget National Running Day on June 1

If you find yourself back here in need of some entertainment simply watch the video for a smile from a furry friend dreaming of his own running excursions.

*I would like to note, for those readers who live in DFW, that despite the continuous advertisements displayed around the Metroplex, played on the radio and TV, my decision was not influenced by the media...but good campaign though. I'm hoping the combination of my being in Denver and these pleasant little reminders will encourage visitors to make their way up to Colorado. ;-)

It is certainly a bittersweet farewell, just remember it is not goodbye, simply see you again soon!

Altitude Running

Normally, I'm all about packing my shoes and running gear on trips away from home. Most of the trips are centered around races to knock off another destination on our list anyway, so it's usually not something in question. However, my most recent trip has landed me in The Mile High City. I thought about tossing my shoes in my bag for a few days before the trip, until I put some more thought into it.

I'm currently residing in Fort Worth, Texas, elevation: avg. 670 ft., and spending the weekend in Denver, elevation: 1 mile or 5280 ft. For those who are math challenged and have trouble calculating in your head, much like myself, that's a difference of more than 4600 ft (depending on what 'hill' you stand on in Texas). Not exactly a cake walk for a casual run if you aren't used to the altitude. So, 4600 ft. later and higher, here I am sitting on the computer in my hotel room on Saturday morning, glad I made the choice not to run as I have felt dehydrated since stepping off the plane and have had a few spurts of dizziness...I think it was a wise decision to suck it up and take it easy for three days. I'll be back to it Monday morning in hot and humid Texas. Until then, here are some things to keep in mind if you get ambitious and decide to run at high altitudes when your body hasn't acclimated.

Some things to keep in mind when make a drastic elevation change and still training:

• Hydrate: Dehydration will happen much faster at higher elevations.
• Keep it Simple: Don't go running a half marathon right after you reach your destination. Start with smaller distances as your body gets used to the change.
• Pack these essentials: Sunscreen, the air is thinner and your closer to the sun, and lip balm.

One a side note: We made a similar trip to Denver in October 2010 to run the Rock N Roll Half Marathon (I know, brilliant right, let's train at low elevation then run 13 miles after one day of acclimating at 7 times the elevation). This wasn't the horror story it could have been, even with the short time to get used to the lower oxygen levels, but we did hydrate and take it easy the days leading up to the race. The elevation did hurt our performance by adding an extra 20 minutes to our time. With that said, if you're feeling ambitious, just make sure you take care of yourself and listen to what your body needs, or you could be in a bigger mess than not running for a few days.

Will Run for Cheeseburgers

I better get back in the groove and start running longer distances. It's going to take a lot of miles to not feel guilty about eating this delicious mess from In N Out:

Animal Style Fries

It's a good thing I still have time before the Fort Worth location opens, time to kick my summer training into high gear.

Double Double, Yum Yum!!

Are you drooling yet?

This could be dangerous!!!!

Against the Wind

"Against the wind, I'm still runnin' against the wind" ~ Bob Seger

Okay, so maybe there is a different meaning behind the Bob Seger song and what I'm talking about, but I certainly felt against the wind today. Living in North Texas brings some interesting weather, we have gone from 90 degree heat to freezing temperatures in a matter of hours, clear skies and a cool breeze will quickly turn into a cloudy tornado like force, even more difficult to overcome if you're walking or running through the high rises of downtown.

The gusty winds last most of the spring and summer here, so it's just something you have to get accustomed to, or you'll be spending your whole season on the couch or hiding inside on the treadmill.

Here are some things to keep in mind while running in gusty weather:

• Slow Down. Probably the last thing you expect anyone to say if you're in training, however, it takes a considerable amount of energy to maintain your no wind pace at a gust of 15 to 20 mph. 
• Tuck and Lean. Tuck your chin into your chest, bring your arms in close to your torso and add a slight forward lean to your form, this will make you more aerodynamic.
• For racing try drafting, it will help shield the wind, which will already be requiring you to put forth more effort.

If you can't beat it join it, and run with the wind (or at the very least, finish your run with the wind). Running against the wind and finishing with it at your back will help relieve some of the effort used during your run, allowing you to pick up your pace (not too much though, don't over exert yourself just because you feel that burst behind you) and finish comfortably.

On a side note, if your one of the unlucky few like myself, try to take some allergy medicine before your run, or you will regret it when you get back. Hydrate!!!! I find running with a strong wind drys my mouth out faster than a regular run.

Something is Better than Nothing

Lately, my time has been hard to come by. The normal 30 minute morning runs (which is hard enough to squeeze in) seems to keep getting replaced by 10 to 20 minute snooze cruises and 10 minute runs. I've strongly held on to the belief that something is always better than nothing, whether it's 10 minutes around the block a few time, or a quick arms and abs circuit workout before getting ready for work...those short workouts will make your day better and brighter than if you spent the extra 10 minutes in bed, when you know you don't actually fall back asleep.

Check out this recent post by Competitor Running for some tips on how to get in your 10 minutes, on days you don't have time for the long runs. The Best Use of 10 Minutes.

Hopefully I'll get to bed in the next 30 to get my full morning run in...check back tomorrow to find out.

Still a Fair Weather Runner

I haven't quite acclimated to running in bad weather, I hid indoors and hit the treadmill for the winter/early spring season, waiting for the heat to return. I started back on the trails about two months ago, and the thought of the treadmill again makes me groan. It's just not as gratifying as running outdoors.


Now, I'm no stranger to extreme weather running, a snow storm two years ago didn't halt my half marathon training. It was a cool 19 degrees outside and we were running with a Camelbak, that froze at the mouthpiece every 5 to 10 minutes if we weren't sucking down the water....and I ran cross country in Las Vegas at 3 p.m. during August, on a good day we were below 100. But, if given the option I'm a snob for 60 degree breezy weather. Today was not one of those days, so I took the opportunity to catch a few more zzz's and put off the treadmill another day.

A gloomy Monday, view from my office in Downtown Fort Worth...45  degrees today,
90 degrees on Saturday. The weather certainly isn't dull in North Texas.

Here are some tips, insight and workouts to stop the groaning before a treadmill run:

• Check out these interval workouts from Runners World
• I like to get everything done in the least amount of time, so I do a circuit workout for the hard days. Start with a mile warm-up, bump up the speed to about 70 percent of your race pace and hold that for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on your allotted workout time, slow it down for 30 seconds and then hop off and do either an arm or leg circuit workout, back on the treadmill for another 2 to 5 minute speed workout, this time at 80 percent. Repeat for 90, then do a mile cool down. This gets your weight lifting and running in without taking up too much time on those busy mornings.
• The treadmill is lower impact than outdoor running, and can help on days you're feeling achy but still want to get a workout in.
• Some good tunes help keep your workout exciting, check out my list below:

If you're like me running on the treadmill requires a different, more upbeat, playlist than outdoors. Here are a few songs I've got lined up for the next indoor session:

• Bulletproof by La Roux
• When Love Takes Over by David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland
• Animal by Neon Trees
• Sam's Town by The Killers

Happy Treading!

Never Underestimate the Importance of Hydration

Saturday was the final meet for the Southwest Preparatory Conference track and field season. It has been quite a whirlwind acting as volunteer coach working with the distance group (800m, 1600m, and 3200m runners). We had two runners in the 800m and one runner in the 1600m for the final meet. I'm incredibly pleased with the effort our dedicated runners have put into practice this year, but if anyone has ever coached high school or teenagers in general you know it is a struggle to develop responsibility in them and to taking care of themselves. There is only so much preaching you can do as a coach.

All Saints Episcopal School, where I coached, doesn't have the depth seen at many of the other private schools that make up our conference, but there are always a handful willing to go the extra mile (pardon the pun) to succeed, and that's what truly made the experience great. 

At the meet, our two 800m runners did very well, achieving a personal record or coming close to it. We had one individual who's had a phenomenal season, but was tainted with some allergy issues in the past few weeks, which is a whole other battle to overcome in itself if you live in Texas. He was geared up to run the 1600m (1 mile/4 laps around the track) and we were looking at a time under 5 minutes for his finish. Bad luck struck with only 200m left to go, and he collapsed right off the track. The culprit, dehydration and lack of energy. 

I cannot stress enough as a runner and a coach how important it is that you not just focus on your running and techniques, but it's a package deal and fueling and hydrating yourself for performance is paramount to success and well being. 

Our runner was okay after about 3 bottles of gatorade and 3 or 4 water bottles and a lot of ice and shade from the excruciating 90 degree weather. 

Here's some Hydration Information to help keep you on track during training:

• There really is no cure all for how much one person should drink in a day, it depends on your activity level and your individual needs. Here's an article with the basics on Defeating Dehydration.
• Pay attention to the signs, and know when to stop: cotton mouth or dry mouth, extreme thirst, less need to use the restroom, dizziness.
• Some less obvious signs: headache, constipation, abnormally dry skin which can lead to fever and added stress on your heart.
• It must also be noted that it's not just water you should be taking in, if you reach the point of extreme dehydration, especially due to heavy activity, you need to replace the salt in your body. That's where sports drinks like gatorade com  into play. 
• If you take any kind of medicine, from ibuprofen to an antibiotic for a sinus infection, your body is going to need more fluids.

Top 3 finishers in the girls 1600m, don't end up like number three at the finish line.
Check out the Dallas Morning News for some more photo coverage from the meet.
Photo by Khampha Bouaphanh