Friday, August 18, 2006
Easy Day
The day before a race, big or small, is always an interesting workout, especially when running with a team. We liked to call them easy days because we were getting our bodies loosened up for the race to come the next day by doing just enough running to break a sweat. In high school, it was a workout that some of the slower runners could keep up with the varsity guys on, mainly because the top runners knew what would happen in the race if they ran too hard the day before. Those slower runners that ran hard on easy days were known as the Easy Day Champions.
Well, I ran my easy day workout by myself today so I guess I was my own Easy Day Champion, but I certainly didn't push the pace of the run at all. Tomorrow will be my last race before the cross country season begins so it's my last chance to see just what kind of shape I am in. I know I don't have a lot of speed yet, but my endurance level is feeling like it's pretty high. It's only a 5K tomorrow and it's supposed to rain all morning, which should make things interesting. I love racing in the rain but it's been so long since I've done it, I'm really hoping it does rain for the race.
Well, I ran my easy day workout by myself today so I guess I was my own Easy Day Champion, but I certainly didn't push the pace of the run at all. Tomorrow will be my last race before the cross country season begins so it's my last chance to see just what kind of shape I am in. I know I don't have a lot of speed yet, but my endurance level is feeling like it's pretty high. It's only a 5K tomorrow and it's supposed to rain all morning, which should make things interesting. I love racing in the rain but it's been so long since I've done it, I'm really hoping it does rain for the race.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
It's a Love-Hate Sorta Thing
Interval workouts are quite possibly the toughest kind of workout that a runner can do but probably the most beneficial too. Today was my first interval workout in quite some time and it certainly showed. The one thing I've been trying to improve on with my running has been my speed and this is the best way to do it. It certainly won't come without a lot of work however.
Today's intervals were 800 meter repeats (half-miles). I ran them on a measured half-mile stretch of road and paved trail combination. I would usually do these kinds of repeats on a track or at Hoover School in CR where I have a half-mile loop marked out entirely on grass including a tough hill as well, but I couldn't get there today so this had to do. There was no doubt that I could feel myself working extremely hard on the intervals but with how hard it felt like I was going, my times sure were a lot slower than I was expecting. I can't complain with them, they're still a lot faster than anything I've done this summer and it was only my first interval session since my cross country training began.
All I will say is as much benefit that a workout like this gives you, you have to love doing these kinds of runs, but man, they sure hurt like hell! I know my legs are gonna be moving slow come tomorrow's recovery run.
Today's intervals were 800 meter repeats (half-miles). I ran them on a measured half-mile stretch of road and paved trail combination. I would usually do these kinds of repeats on a track or at Hoover School in CR where I have a half-mile loop marked out entirely on grass including a tough hill as well, but I couldn't get there today so this had to do. There was no doubt that I could feel myself working extremely hard on the intervals but with how hard it felt like I was going, my times sure were a lot slower than I was expecting. I can't complain with them, they're still a lot faster than anything I've done this summer and it was only my first interval session since my cross country training began.
All I will say is as much benefit that a workout like this gives you, you have to love doing these kinds of runs, but man, they sure hurt like hell! I know my legs are gonna be moving slow come tomorrow's recovery run.
Monday, August 14, 2006
A Date of Infamy (in Coon Rapids)
Today in the world of running in Coon Rapids, MN is a rather infamous one...at least if you were ever on the high school's cross country team. Today was the first day of official cross country practice for the fall season and has become the tradition over the last few years, the first day of practice consisted of everyone going on a two-hour run! I was never on the team when we did this, it actually began the season after I graduated but I was an assistant coach that first year and came back to run it the following year, just because I had so much fun. The run always takes place at the Coon Rapids Dam and since I'm on a week of recovery training, a two-hour run doesn't exactly work for me but I decided to run over at the Dam just to see how everyone was surviving.
I was able to tell who the newcomers were pretty easily because they were definitely struggling. I myself ran for an hour and 12 minutes, just a little over 10 miles today. Some may think, why would you run two hours on the first day? Wouldn't that be bad for the new runners who aren't sure of what to expect? In a way, this is right but at the same time, if they have to run two hours on the first day, they now know exactly what to expect. It's a workout that can set the tone for an entire season. It will test everyone from freshmen to seniors and captains. If you ever hear of a football player complaining about two-a-days the first week of practice, tell them you ran for two hours straight the first day of practice. I guarantee there won't be a football player complaining to a cross country runner about two-a-days if they had to go through a two-hour run (by the way, the Coon Rapids team also does a second workout later on in the day as well).
I was able to tell who the newcomers were pretty easily because they were definitely struggling. I myself ran for an hour and 12 minutes, just a little over 10 miles today. Some may think, why would you run two hours on the first day? Wouldn't that be bad for the new runners who aren't sure of what to expect? In a way, this is right but at the same time, if they have to run two hours on the first day, they now know exactly what to expect. It's a workout that can set the tone for an entire season. It will test everyone from freshmen to seniors and captains. If you ever hear of a football player complaining about two-a-days the first week of practice, tell them you ran for two hours straight the first day of practice. I guarantee there won't be a football player complaining to a cross country runner about two-a-days if they had to go through a two-hour run (by the way, the Coon Rapids team also does a second workout later on in the day as well).
Friday, August 11, 2006
HILL!!!
I don't about anyone else, but I love doing hill workouts. Many of my teammates absolute hate running hills. For some reason I just love them. Today I went to a familiar hill. Known as Knox Hill, it's short and steep. I grew up sledding down this hill in the winter time, but now it's serving a much greater purpose with my training. I went up and down the hill 16 times, each taking about 20-25 seconds to reach the top. I really focused on my knee drive and getting on my toes while working up the hill. It's going to come in handy in the races this fall getting over some of the tough hills we'll encounter in some of the courses we'll be running.
Like I said, most people hate running hills, even runners who are really good at them. However, I look at the benefits running hills can give you: getting you out of your monotonous running stride, getting you on your toes and lifting your knees a little higher, making you pump your arms a little more, and it's a great way to work on your sprint. Working up a short hill really hard will make running a short, flat sprint at the end of a race or a workout much much easier.
Well, the work week has come to an end for me; only one week of summer work remains before I return to school to prepare for cross country camp!! I'm looking forward to a good LSD run tomorrow morning, I can't wait!!
Like I said, most people hate running hills, even runners who are really good at them. However, I look at the benefits running hills can give you: getting you out of your monotonous running stride, getting you on your toes and lifting your knees a little higher, making you pump your arms a little more, and it's a great way to work on your sprint. Working up a short hill really hard will make running a short, flat sprint at the end of a race or a workout much much easier.
Well, the work week has come to an end for me; only one week of summer work remains before I return to school to prepare for cross country camp!! I'm looking forward to a good LSD run tomorrow morning, I can't wait!!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Who Am I?
I find myself as a runner constantly being asked some odd questions when the topic of me being a runner comes up, especially when meeting new people. Some of my personal favorites are the ones like: "Don't you get bored?" or "You run how far? At once??" Even better are their reactions after you reply to them. Usually after I tell them how far I run in an average day, I'll get the jaw-dropped, wide-eyed, are you insane? look, followed by a response like, "I don't think I could run 10 steps without getting tired." To be totally honest, these do get a little annoying, especially from those who are trying to make a joke out of it. But when I think about it, it's amusing to me as well. I've just added another person to my list of those who think I am completely nuts.
To an extent, I consider myself nuts as well. But I like it that way and would never want to change that about myself.
Okay, I'll give you a little history into my life as a runner. I began running in the spring of 1999 when I was in 8th grade. I joined the school's track team to stay in shape for basketball. I got addicted quickly and joined the high school cross country team that fall. I ran cross country and track all 4 years of high school (I quit basketball after my sophomore year). I decided to continue running in college and attempted to run cross country at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. I was certainly in shape for it but injured my hip only a week into practice. It was an injury that kept me from competing for the entire school year. I finally got healthy thanks to a cortisone shot (it was a lifesaver for me) and decided to start training for my first marathon. I transferred schools and began attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and joined the cross country team there but ran my first marathon in the middle of the season. I ran 3:10:47 at the 2004 Twin Cities Marathon which qualified me for the Boston Marathon. I decided to go for it and ran the 2005 Boston Marathon. It was not a good race for me, but the great part was that I qualified for it and finished it. I then ran the 2005 Twin Cities Marathon in 3:15:06, a decent time coming off of a tough injury again. I then ran track for UWRF that winter and spring, focusing on the 5K and 10K. It was a lot of fun to be back on a team again and I PRed in 3 different distances over the season. Over this summer, I ran my fourth marathon, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Despite the humid conditions I ran a new P.R. of 2:59:01 to finish 128th out of almost 7,000 finishers. It was a great race and it set me up well for the remainder of the summer, in which I am now training for the upcoming fall cross country season.
Of course, my life as a runner isn't just about the races and times I've run. More than anything it's about doing something I love. My life wouldn't be the same without running. When I take a week off of running, I just about lose my mind. There is order in my life when I am running and there is pure joy. Even if I have a bad day, knowing that I am able to run and that God has blessed me to do this each day always puts a smile on my face.
As I post on this blog, I will let you know how my training and racing is going. I will give you insight into my running and just why I do it and why I can't live without it. I will share stories of running memories from over the years and from memories that are created with each new workout that comes along. I tend to be nostalgic at times, so I hope you enjoy a few good stories now and then!
God Bless,
Brandon
To an extent, I consider myself nuts as well. But I like it that way and would never want to change that about myself.
Okay, I'll give you a little history into my life as a runner. I began running in the spring of 1999 when I was in 8th grade. I joined the school's track team to stay in shape for basketball. I got addicted quickly and joined the high school cross country team that fall. I ran cross country and track all 4 years of high school (I quit basketball after my sophomore year). I decided to continue running in college and attempted to run cross country at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. I was certainly in shape for it but injured my hip only a week into practice. It was an injury that kept me from competing for the entire school year. I finally got healthy thanks to a cortisone shot (it was a lifesaver for me) and decided to start training for my first marathon. I transferred schools and began attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and joined the cross country team there but ran my first marathon in the middle of the season. I ran 3:10:47 at the 2004 Twin Cities Marathon which qualified me for the Boston Marathon. I decided to go for it and ran the 2005 Boston Marathon. It was not a good race for me, but the great part was that I qualified for it and finished it. I then ran the 2005 Twin Cities Marathon in 3:15:06, a decent time coming off of a tough injury again. I then ran track for UWRF that winter and spring, focusing on the 5K and 10K. It was a lot of fun to be back on a team again and I PRed in 3 different distances over the season. Over this summer, I ran my fourth marathon, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Despite the humid conditions I ran a new P.R. of 2:59:01 to finish 128th out of almost 7,000 finishers. It was a great race and it set me up well for the remainder of the summer, in which I am now training for the upcoming fall cross country season.
Of course, my life as a runner isn't just about the races and times I've run. More than anything it's about doing something I love. My life wouldn't be the same without running. When I take a week off of running, I just about lose my mind. There is order in my life when I am running and there is pure joy. Even if I have a bad day, knowing that I am able to run and that God has blessed me to do this each day always puts a smile on my face.
As I post on this blog, I will let you know how my training and racing is going. I will give you insight into my running and just why I do it and why I can't live without it. I will share stories of running memories from over the years and from memories that are created with each new workout that comes along. I tend to be nostalgic at times, so I hope you enjoy a few good stories now and then!
God Bless,
Brandon
