My 5 tips to help you start (or return to) running!

Let’s be honest, when starting out, or coming back from a break, running isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I’ve been running for about 15 years and am just now starting back after several months off due to a stress fracture in my sacrum. I’ve been surprised at what a challenge it is to get back into running after just a few months off. That’s why I want to tell you about my 5 tips to start, or start back, running. Here we go…

Let’s get right to it. Tip number 1: Go slow. This is probably going to be a lot slower than you think you should run. A lot of people ask me how do they control their breathing while running. If you’re starting out and you’re wondering how to keep your breathing under control, you’re going too fast. There is a lot to be said for pushing yourself and running fast, and it can be fun, but in the beginning, the lower you can keep your heart rate, the lower your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), the more comfortable you’ll be. The more comfortable you are, the more likely you’ll be to continue and make running an enjoyable habit that you WANT to do. Remember, speed has absolutely nothing to do with whether you’re running. The main difference between running and walking is that you get airborne when you run. That is, when walking, at least one of your feet is always in contact with the ground. When you’re running, at some point during your stride both feet are in the air. Running slow and easy is going to be a different speed for everyone and it will change for you as you progress! What is hard and difficult for you now will not be as hard or as difficult for you after 6 months of consistent training.  

Which brings me to tip number 2: be consistent: Consistency is key if you want to make a behavior a habit and if you want to improve at that behavior. If your goal is to be heathy by eating more fruits and vegetables, I promise you it won’t work if you eat fruits and vegetables once and then again two weeks later and in between you eat junk and processed food! That’s not a habit. The same rule applies to running. Don’t expect to get better at running and don’t expect to see the results you want if you’re not consistently putting in the effort. While good intentions are nice, running, fitness, and health require more than far more good intentions. They need to go hand in hand with consistent application. The road to being a couch potato is paved with good intentions. (that’s the adage, right?).

That leads us nicely into tip number 3: be committed! A commitment is a personal choice you make. Commitment is the state of being dedicated to a cause or activity. Do you have a partner? You’re probably committed to maintaining a good relationship with them. Do you have children? I’d bet you’re committed to raising them the best you can. Do you have a job? Your boss would hope you’re committed to working hard and being as productive as possible. At the very least, you’re committed to earning that paycheck, right!? Anyway, being committed does not mean your running will be easy. It does not mean you will enjoy every moment you spend doing it. What commitment does mean is that you will do it, even when it’s not easy!  That’s when you’ll see progress. That’s when you’ll see results. Tip number 3, be committed.

Now, you can commit to something, but to be successful, you need to hone that focus a little. That’s where my tip number 4 come in: Set goals!

Goal setting theory refers to the effects of setting goals on subsequent performance. Numerous studies have demonstrated participants perform better when they set goals. I’m sure each of you have your own anecdotal experience with this. It works with running!

Lets be smart about this. No, I don’t mean smart like, intelligent, I mean S.M.A.R.T., the acronym. The S.M.A.R.T. approach to goal setting means you will set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Adjustable, Realistic, and Time-based.

Specific goals means your goal is concrete rather than abstract. For example, for someone who is starting to run, a specific goal might be to run a 5k. That’s better than the abstract goal of just running further. For a runner with a little more experience, a specific goal could be to run that 5k 30 seconds faster than before, rather than the abstract goal of just running faster.

A Measurable goal is one where the progress or action can be charted or recorded so you can see your improvement. Again, the example of running a 5k is a measurable goal; distance is measurable. The example of running a 5k 30 seconds faster than before is measurable; time is measurable. Make your goals measurable and you’ll revel in your improvement, perhaps sparking more motivation to continue.

Having an adjustable goal is important because of, well, life. Life happens. If you’re injured, don’t make a goal of running a 5k 30 seconds faster than before even though you missed a lot of your training due to the injury. Adjust your goal by pushing it out to a later date. By the same token, if your training is going so well and you think running 30 seconds faster will be easy, adjust your goal to run it 45 seconds faster!

Setting a realistic goal is a HUGE part of you achieving success whether you’re starting out or a veteran runner. For example, if you’re running for the first time, setting your goal as running a marathon may not be as effective a goal as the goal of running a 5k. Now, it’s ok to set the marathon as a goal, if you really want to run one, but set incremental goals along the way. Incremental goals will help you get to you end-point. When I say end-point, I should clarify that there is no end-point. Setting goals will always make you achieve more and be more focused on the task! Keep setting goals!

The T in SMART is for Time-based. Make your goals time-based. Returning to the example goal of running a 5k, a better goal would be to run a 5k 6 months from now. This time-constraint will help you focus on achieving it, making it more likely. Without the time based element to your goals, you may be likely to procrastinate or get even bored and drop it completely. I’m sure you all know someone who waited to the last minute to hand in an assignment yet still did well on that assignment. This is because the time-aspect made them super focused on achieving their goal. When the completion date was far in advance, it was impossible for them to be adequately motivated to complete the task. The same is true for your running goals!

Remember, your goals are there to benefit you. You’re not married to them! If your goals are not working for you, you have the power to adjust them!

Ok, tip number 5: Increase gradually. Increase what gradually, you ask? Anything to do with your running! This includes distance, speed, and time! This is sound advice for every runner at any stage of their running life. Have you heard of the terrible twos, I mean toos? Too much and too soon can be a serious hazard! Picture this, your starting running and you’re beginning to see results; maybe you’re getting faster, maybe you’re running further, maybe you’ve dropped a few pounds. Whatever it is, the results can be addictive. The thought that if I got these results by doing x, I will get better results by doing 2x can be an easy trap to fall into and, trust me, it’s a slow process to climb back out. Listen, if you’re starting out, you’ve gone your whole life not running, give it a little time and trust the process; it works.

And now a bonus tip!! Tip number 6 of my 5 tips to help you start (or return to) running is, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is different and on different stages of their journey! Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disappointment and discouragement.  Trust me when I say there will always be someone faster than you (I’m making an assumption that Eliud Kipchoge or Usain Bolt are not watching this). But keep this in mind; you will always be faster than someone sitting on the couch. You will always beat someone who didn’t have the courage to start!

Now, with these 5 tips in mind, it’s time to get up and go for a short, slow, easy run. You’ve got this!

Cheers!

 

 

Heed the call (of your body)

I want to recognize what many runners often find themselves dealing with, or not dealing with: pain/discomfort/injury. I, like many of my running peers, think we know what to do when it comes to training and injury prevention. We read countless articles, books, and scientific studies on the subject. To say listening to your body is important is a massive understatement. We know we ought to take a rest day (or several) when needed. Although empirical evidence supports we only lose a negligible amount of fitness after a two-week hiatus and that fitness is quickly regained, we often fret if we can't meet our subjective running goals. Why this willful ignorance when it comes to our own fitness and/or running? Why doesn't this blindness apply when we're talking to others about their goals and training structure. When talking about our sport with others, we truly want what's best for them and will err on the side of caution to help them avoid any unnecessary hardships and barriers to their training. With others, we use scientifically supported training principals which can be (inconveniently) forgotten/ignored in our own training. When questioning if I ought to do something (training or otherwise), my wife will sometimes ask if I would advise my daughter to do the same thing. This question helps reframe the situation. If I decide the answer is no and still go ahead and take the questionable action (e.g. double run day when the I'm overly fatigued) then I'm a hypocrite and ought not be surprised with a negative reaction. Furthermore, I may find myself in a state of cognitive dissonance which is not a comfortable psychological state to be in. Avoid it by taking actions that align with what you know and hold to be correct.

Why am I writing about this now? Well, if you follow me on Twitter or Strava you may know that I've been having some pain in my butt/groin/hip. Back story: in 2014 I broke my hip (stress fracture) while running the Boston marathon. It happened towards the end (near the Citgo sign) and I managed to finish the race. After stopping, I could barely walk! Below, the first MRI has an arrow showing the location of my 2014 stress fracture. The second MRI is zoomed in a little closer so you can see the fracture.

After about 6 months of low/no impact training I was able to resume running. I knew I needed to be more careful with my training and one of my 2015 goals was to avoid injury. Fast forward to today, the summer of 2015, and I'm training for a summer ultra marathon, The Pinellas Trail Challenge. Obviously, the heat has made it difficult to run but I've adopted running considerable slower than I used to. My easy runs are easy, rather than the moderate effort I used to run most miles at. I've enjoyed running more and my volume increased quite rapidly. Too rapidly for me. I know my orthopedic threshold is lower than I'd like but I've been ignoring that fact; I needed (wanted!) to train for my upcoming race!
Unlike my 2014 stress fracture that occurred suddenly with acute pain, my injury now feels relatively minor. I hope it’s not another one! However, the feeling is disturbingly similar to my 2014 stress fracture. When I first felt it last week, I took two days off then, on the third day, ran an easy 11 (see the video I made on that run below).

The discomfort was still there. Ugh! WHY IS IT SO HARD TO JUST STOP? Well, I've stopped now and it's not pleasant but I'm happy; I know I need it! I'm writing this during a two hour sesh on the elliptical. I am taking a whole week off from running before I reassess. Saturday August 8th will be the soonest I run. I have to identify a date in here because it, and my readers (all three of you (LOL)) will hold me accountable. If there is any pain I will hold off for longer and, if necessary, cancel my race (I REALLY don't want to do that!).

So...something to take away...hmmm. Although I am self coached, I see incredible value in getting one. She will give you structure to your training and workouts tailored to your individual abilities/needs. If you adhere to the plan, I think you'll be less likely to become injured. I also see incredible value in the running community, especially online; you can communicate with thousands of people and see what they're doing. Moreover, the running community provides support when you're doubting your own training. Although we think we know best, sometimes it helps hammer home an idea when you hear about and see others doing what you know to be best. 

Many thanks to my wife and running peeps for what you do. You don’t know how much I value what you provide!

Race report: 119th Boston Marathon (2015)

Hooray! Marathon Monday is upon us again! The Boston marathon is a revered race in the running community. The 119^th running was my third consecutive time running it. It didn’t disappoint…of course, it can be cathartic to complain about something and the weather forecast provided such catharsis. The race was still super fun! A few days before, this was the forecast. 

 

Burr! Needless to say, there was a lot of moaning and groaning within the online running community.

Exited to get going on my race weekend, I left Tampa, FL early Friday morning, flying into Manchester, NH.

I am fortunate my parents live pretty close to Boston so I can stay with them. This has so many benefits above being able to combine a family visit with a race; I get to eat my normal food and stick to a fairly similar routine, which is something that can be lacking when you travel for a race! I had mailed some food items to cut down on food preparation time and to ensure I had exactly what I wanted. Some may call this “rigid” or “fussy,” I call it rigid AND fussy, but I also call it being well-prepared. It makes me happy, reduces stress, and makes me happy. Who is against happiness?

Like every runner before a big race, I had been checking the weather, compulsively. In a nutshell and as you can see from the forecast above, it didn’t look good. However, the weather in the three days leading up to the race were beautiful: sunny skies and mild temperatures. But, really, who cares about the weather before a race? It’s race day that matters.This was a video I made on my Sunday shake out run, the day before the race. Look how beautiful the weather is!

The taper ought to be a time of celebration. It's when your hard work and preparation get rewarded with tons of rest. Although I walked quite a bit in the days leading up to the race, I had reduced my mileage and eliminated any additional cardio activity (elliptical, Stairmaster, bike) in the two weeks leading up to the race. Although I know I have rested, I struggled with not feeling as rested as I'd like. Why were my legs a little achy the day before? There were little feelings of discomfort on my shakeout that had me worried in the beginning, although they soon went away.

Race day arrived and I had slept well, which can be unusual before a big race. I made it to the drop off point in a light rain …

…but by the time the bus reached Athlete’s Village it had stopped. I only had about 30 minutes before I had to walk down to the start line and in that time I had another banana (my fifth of the morning) and a spot of coffee. It’s about ¾ of a mile from Athlete’s Village down to the start line and, as usual, the atmosphere was thick with excitement with runners making their way. I was still wearing my warm clothes, which I was grateful to have; the temperature was 41 without any wind-chill. About 5 minutes before the start I shed my sweat pants and trash bag rain jacket, keeping my sweatshirt, hat and gloves on. Unfortunately, the planned Army helicopter flyover was cancelled due to a low ceiling, which was funny; the news helicopters’ had no trouble flying over the crowd. Oh well. 10am arrived quickly and we were off. For those who don’t know, the first miles of the course are downhill. After a taper, and with extreme excitement and eagerness to run, it almost feels like you’re falling. Below is the course profile with my pace (the dip in pace at mile 14 came courtesy of a potty break)!

Early running is easy but IT’S A TRAP! Going too fast here can cost you later in the race. I managed to hold back and was quite pleased with the restraint of my first three 5K splits: 20:45, 20:29, and 20:40. I felt good and could have gone way too fast! At mile 8 the rain began and at mile 11 is was a complete deluge. I was soaked and, worst of all, my shoes were soaked. I cannot emphasize enough how miserable I was between miles 11 and 13. It was so cold. My face felt frozen. In short, it was very uncomfortable! My metal game went out the window with the downpour and I had to battle to get it back. I kept on and when I checked my watch at mile 16, saw a 6:31 split, and felt good, I knew I had made it through the worst. I would not allow any mental weakness for the remainder of the race! Next up was the Newton hills, culminating with Heartbreak hill. I knew the hills started at mile 16 and ended around mile 21. I told myself I was up for 5 miles of work and my reward would be an easy 5 (mostly downhill) to the finish. I used a few mantras during the hill climbs including “run within yourself” and “do what you can do in this moment.” Furthermore, I refused to look up the hill. I kept my gaze about 20 feet in front and hammered it out. The final 5 were not as easy as I told myself they would be, due to the pounding my legs took in the hills, but it was nice knowing I was so close to the finish. At this point, I saw my average pace, up until this point, was 6:44 and I knew, barring anything unforeseen, I would be achieving my primary goal time: under 3 hours. I was very happy but I tried not to focus on the finish, yet. “Do what you can do in this moment!” I ran as hard as I dared (could?) in the last 5 miles and I felt great! Turning onto Boylston is a real treat; you can see the finish line in the distance and the crowds really motivate you to go all out!

I crossed the line in 2:57:39. This was my third time running Boston and I had made it a goal to go under 3. 

It turned out, in spite of, or perhaps because of the weather, to be a fantastic day…until I stopped running. Wow, that is when the cold hit me. Luckily, my parents were quickly on scene and had a sweater and jacket for me but it was still SOO cold. I knew I’d be posting about the race so I took a few (freezing) minutes to take some photos. 

The walk to the car was brutal but I made it to the sweet warm cocoon. Speaking of sweet warmth. This review is being written on an insanely turbulent flight back to Tampa but I have warm temps to look forward to upon my arrival.

Congrats to all runners who ran today! You’re all amazing athletes!

Image is everything, or is it?

Don’t we all want to be thought of, or seen, in the best light possible? When we identify with a particular sport/job/activity, it’s pleasant to work hard at it, to become better and see improvement. When those efforts are recognized by others it only serves to increase one’s feeling of well-being an enhance one's self-image. It’s a basic tenet of the supervisor-subordinate relationship: praising the effort, rather than the result, achieves greater success and happiness in the subordinate. Of course, we all know that one has to be happy with one’s self to truly achieve happiness. It’s a repeatedly cited cliché but Whitney was right: learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all. 

Anyway, enough of all that; if you’re reading this then it’s likely you accessed it from Twitter. Social media allows us to present out best selves. Social media doesn’t care if you love yourself; it cares about presenting your best self. The side of self that will be looked up to the most, appreciated and “liked/favorited” by as many people as possible. 

We often show only the side that makes us look like the superstars we all are. This is my blog so take me for example, I ran 20 miles today! Wow! Yes, I know, that is a long way. If you’re reading this then you may be (probably?) thinking, “Plantfedrunner is one freaking amazing guy! I want to be just like him. I wish I could go out and run that far and be so freaking awesome, like him!” (Don’t unfollow; I jest!) Ok, that may not be exactly what you’re thinking but the fact that I posted my long run earlier today painted me in a pretty positive light, especially if you’re a runner and into that kind of thing. What you don’t see is the struggle I had on the run. It was hard. I needed the motivation of my wife when, at around 7 miles, I ran into her near the house. I stopped and walked with her for a bit. She told me to “just get it done” and that I’d be really happy if I did it. I knew she was right but when you’re not in the right mindset it’s very difficult to focus on a future feeling. Social media doesn’t care about that. It’s the end result, not the journey that followers, me included, like to see. I like to see all my online friends activities and postings because it can be motivational. I don’t think (often enough) about how hard it was for them to run that day or what else they had to sacrifice to get it done. Just waking up can be a PITA and getting out of that sleepy, relaxed mode can be super hard! I will try harder to appreciate the effort that goes into the work and workouts you all post!

There is also the faulty self-image that social media and our training logs can provide. I like looking back at my training block to see what I’ve done. It can be comforting to know you’ve worked hard at achieving a goal. “Trust your training” is great a mantra to overcome race day anxiety! 

 But comparing ourselves to others is (mostly) not a good thing. True, it can provide motivation to better our selves but, overall, we are our own person and should embrace it. That brings me to the real reason for this post. I have been looking at my Tweet statistics and am not getting much attention. Apparently, photos increase the attention each post receives. Duh, of course! I know I like seeing personal photos! During my run I knew I was going to take a few photos to post immediately after my run. The only thing is that I was tired at mile 7. At mile 20 I would be exhausted. Who cares! A photo is just a snap shot in time. It does not have to capture my fatigue! 

I also remember seeing a photo of Rich Roll that, I thought, captured the grace of running. Even though it is not a typical running step, Roll looks strong and elegant. FYI, I just copied the photo from his site. If you want to check out his podcast, click here!

I’m that kind of runner (I thought). I will recreate that photo.

Post run, I walked in the door and immediately ask wifey to come out and take a few photos and a video of me. The photos are not too bad but, unfortunately, the video captures the real me. 

Not the imagined elegant and graceful runner I imagine myself to be. This is pretty self-depreciating so, in my defense, I did just run 20 miles. Enjoy!

Ahh, but what happens if I take some stills from the video?

Admittedly, these photos still do not paint me as the most elegant or graceful runner but they are clearly better than the video. Lesson learned: It is easy to adjust the image you portray to your followers. Are your photos showing the real you or the "you" you choose? Either way, I guess, it's all fun!

GOOAAAALLLLLLLs......can make all the difference!

Runners are, generally speaking, a pretty successful group of individuals. Yes, admittedly there may be a slight bias to that statement, but I stand by it. Setting goals is an important part of getting anything done. This applies to most things but i'll try and keep it running related. Goals really help when training for a specific distance or time; without them, our workouts lack structure and focus. Goals provide motivation and direction. They help us get up early and get out the door or to log a run after a long day at work (something I am not motivated to do). Most importantly, setting and working towards goals is fun! Achieving one's goal is also fun but it's the process that matters. It adds another level to your workout instead of just floating, aimlessly, through life and mindlessly logging miles without direction. It seems like a safe assumption that most runners are goal setters in some regard, however, I think many of us could use a little more focus and direction with our goals.

A goal ought to be both specific and measurable; an ambiguous goal will not allow you to plan the specific actions needed to meet the goal. E.g. Bad goal: I want to run faster. Good goal: I want to run a 4:00 marathon!
There is a goal setting sweet spot that runners should consider: Goals ought to be hard enough to attain that they encourage one's top performance but not so hard that they're inconceivable. For me, It would be not be a good goal to want to break 2:00 in the marathon; training, body type, orthopedic threshold, and the time commitment needed, make it an inconceivable goal. Oh, and the fact that it has never been done (yet) is a small limiting factor for this recreational runner!

Once a goal is set, the next step is appropriate implementation intentions, that is, how, exactly, are we going to achieve the goal? This is an important aspect of goal setting theory and separates those who reach their potential from those who do not. E.g. It would be silly of me to make a goal to run a hundred mile race and then only focus on 5Ks leading up to it. It is probable I would not meet my potential in the 100m distance (This is where having a coach can be beneficial!). Make challenging and achievable goals; your performance will improve and you will move towards it. Motivation can be maintained, when your goal is far in the future, by making mini-goals that keep you on the right track. An example could be running a 1:50 half marathon before your primary race where you go for a 4:00 marathon.

The Reality of Goals

We all know how important it is to make good goals and how effective they can be. I always find it funny how, during a tough interval sesh or race, I will catch myself negotiating with my goals. That's why I like to set various goals to account for different race day variables. I use the "A", "B," and "C" goal format where the "A" goal is the primary goal if everything is perfect. My "B" goal is still a good goal and I'd be happy with it but I have fallen back on it because some element was not perfect. The "C" goal is the catch all. A lot of people put "finishing" in this spot but I still prefer, and recommend, having a quantitative goal. "Finishing" allows too much leeway in effort and can lead to slacking off the pace more than you otherwise might if you still have a time you can work towards.

Goals are your friend. They push and motivate you to be your best possible self. With them, you can become the best runner you can be. Without them, you're doomed to run aimlessly without the satisfaction of working for and achieving something. They are not totally rigid; they're flexible and can be reasoned with when absolutely necessary. Try it today! If you haven't set a goal for this summer's race season, do it. You'll be amazed at how your motivation increases and you have purpose and direction in your sport.

What are your goals for your upcoming races? Remember, letting others know your goals holds you accountable to work towards them.