My company is one of the major sponsors of this race. The race is to benefit the cancer center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They do some pretty amazing work, so my wife and decided to run in the race. On a side note, my team at my company raised over $3k for CHOP. I was extremely excited about this; we rocked.
Anyway, my wife and I signed up for the 5k run. They also had a 2k fun walk as well. The weather was perfect; mid-50's pre-race and in the upper 50's at race start. However, I was dumb and was wearing a long sleeve tech shirt and was sweating horribly during the run, even though it was only 5k. The event allowed people to sign up on race day, which is always good for big charity races...the more the merrier. The goal was to have 10,000 participants, and they got 9262. It seemed like twice that number there because of how many spectators showed up as well. They raised $976,786.01 at the race, but the final amount raised of $1,031,951.01 beat their goal!
I have to say that the Four Seasons Hotel was awesome for foregoing the port-a-potties and letting everyone use the hotel facilities...which were extremely nice. There was free coffee and water for everyone pre-race. In addition, if your team or company had a tent, they all had Dunkin Donuts. My only complaint for the race was that it started almost 15 minutes late and there was no National Anthem. I would have expected such an overall well organized to event to have started on time; but who cares, it was a for a great cause and it was fun time. The lack of National Anthem was sad...even all of the small local races I do have that...it always gets me amped up for the run.
The run itself was great. You start at Logan Circle by the Four Seasons Hotel, and proceed towards the Museum of Art and onto West River Drive. You turn around a little ways into West River and head back to where you started. Aside from West River Drive, there was a ton of spectators everywhere cheering everyone on.
At the finish, all participants received a free breakfast; which basically was a combination of continental and hot breakfast! Definitely the first time I got eggs, tots and sausage for free after a race!
There supposedly was an APP for your phone to get race results, but I couldn't find it anywhere in the iTunes store; maybe it was Android only? The results are posted now on the website. You can sign up next year if you are in the area; it's September 28, 2014.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Why So Many Knee Issues?
So what's the deal with those knee issues? I mean, come on, it's not like you are on them all of the time. Sorry, had to do a Seinfeld-esque statement there. But seriously, why does it seem there are increasingly more and more knee injuries and people with knee problems? Just get to the record straight, I am not going into hereditary, low bone density, arthritis, old age, and similar causes of knee problems. I am focused on people who were fine for most of their lives until one day they all of the sudden had knee problems.
The common issue is usually plain and simple; a person injured their knee from a sports activity or falling down for one reason or another. This person needs to get usually needs rehab, and maybe some pins, maybe some bio-gel do fill in lost cartilage, or maybe some surgery.
So what about everyone else? I personally never had knee injuries until I got into long distance running and multi-sports. I hate to admit this, but I figured it was just the extra impact on my knees from the extra distances I was going. I was so wrong...and this is a common way to think for most people. I therefore had to do some root cause analysis and figure out how this could have happened. In short, in 2012, the year after I recovered from my second car accident, I got back into running and wanted to do long distance; 10ks and half marathons. I had knee issues for my first triathlon during the running segment. I ignored this issue because I just assumed it was from me just swimming 1.5km and cycling 24.8 miles. However, later that year I collapsed 3 times during the Philly Half Marathon. Was it from overuse, bad running form, something else?
I went to a sport medicine doctor and he said there were two issues; 1) I had extremely high collapsing arches, but with each foot collapsing differently. 2) My leg strength and flexibility were atrocious (the doctor used a harsher explanation than this...which is good because I needed to hear it). The arch issue was easily resolved by insanely expensive custom orthotics. They are definitely not a solution for everyone, but they worked miracles for me...and still do. The surprise to me was leg strength and flexibility.
Flexibility and Your Knees
When it comes to your knees, the range of motion is fixed; straight through bent all of the way back where your heel touches your butt. Sadly, I could not get my knee to bend that far. But that actually doesn't matter as much, since I don't need to ever bend my knee like that for any activity I am doing. This was still an issue that needed to be addressed (exercises and stretches will be in another article). There is more of course; the rest of my legs. My hips and legs were also not very flexible and extremely tight all of the time. Even after doing basic dynamic stretches, I was still always tight. When your muscles are tight, they do not handle impact very well. This causes more impact to be distributed to your bones, which results in lots of problems. The buffer between your muscles and bones are the tendons. Their elasticity makes them an extremely efficient buffer for everyday activity and impact. However, they can only handle so much. Therefore, you need to make sure you are lose before exercising. Yes, some people are naturally loose, but I am focusing on the majority of people. It is recommended that you perform dynamic stretches before you workout, followed by static stretches after you are done working out. Your stretches should not only be focused on the areas you worked out, but rather your whole body. Yoga is a great after-workout routine for getting full body stretching. Things like lunges, jumping jacks, arm rolls, and many more are good examples of dynamic stretches.
Leg Strength is Vital
When it comes to impact, it goes in the following order: muscles, then tendons, then bones. Your tendons can be strengthened via your standard core and leg strength training routines. Most leg workouts, especially for your thigh and calf muscles, will strengthen your tendons in your legs. A lot of people with knee issues will focus on reducing leg strength training during cardio training in order to keep their legs from getting too sore...but this is counterproductive. Your knee is the final point for impact to end. For example, if you jump in the air and land, assuming you land on your toes, you will start with impact dispersion via the feet, lower leg, then upper leg, then lower back, and then you knees. The less muscle you have in those other areas, the more impact the knees will take. An extremely cushioned shoe may help a little more, but ultimately, you need to build up your leg muscles. During my training season, I fit in 1-2 strength training sessions just for legs. This is an addition to the cardio work to strengthen legs, such as hill work. During off-season, which is typically late fall and winter, I will work my legs at 3 times a week in addition to any cardio I am doing.
So, there is even more you need to worry about for leg strength. You also need strength balance between your upper and lower legs. For example, one of my issues with my knees was that my calf muscles were really strong, but my thighs and quadriceps were extremely weak. So, this caused an imbalance for when I took impact. So, because my upper legs did not balance out the impact that the lower legs were taking, my knees ended up taking extra impact. Fortunately, striking a balance is pretty easy. All you need to do is make sure your leg workouts target calves, glutes, hips (abductor and adductor muscles), quads, thighs, and hamstrings. Basically you need to be doing a full leg and lower core routine. Lower core is defined as your stabilizer muscles and primary muscles for your abs and lower back.
Other Common Reasons for Knee Issues
I am a BeachBody coach, yes. But that doesn't stop me from stressing how awful workout programs like Insanity are for your knees. If done properly, Insanity is a killer program and has awesome results. However, it shouldn't be done by someone just getting back into working out. Also, even fit people commonly get hurt in exercise programs such as this, or aerobic classes that focus on a lot of jumping exercises (examples are box jumps and burpees). The reason is pretty simple; form and technique. So many exercise classes and routines focus on the exercise, but usually very little on proper form and technique. I recommend asking your instructor or watching videos online to see proper form. Always watch more than one video, as even professionals can tend to use improper form, even if they know what the proper form should be.
The other big reason is improper gear. Many people think they are experts on their bodies. Maybe you can judge how you feel and if you are pushing yourself too hard, but that is usually the extent of an individual's expertise on themselves. Therefore, for runners and other cardio athletes, you need to make sure you are wearing properly fitting socks, and have a professional make sure you are using the proper shoes. If you look at my feet, it appears I have a normal foot. On closer inspection you can see I have a collapsing high arch. However, it took an X-Ray to see how severe my high arch actually was. In addition, it took analysis of each of my feet to see that they collapse and roll differently.
Summing It All Up
If you plan on being a distance runner or a multi-sport athlete, then your legs are vital to your success and avoidance of unwanted injuries. All of your cardio training is easily wasted if your leg muscles overall are not strong enough. Yes, there people who have always had strong legs and don't need to strength train to keep their leg muscles strong. As I stated before, this is the exception, not the norm. I'll be following up this article with workouts to help with stretching, legs, and lower core.
The common issue is usually plain and simple; a person injured their knee from a sports activity or falling down for one reason or another. This person needs to get usually needs rehab, and maybe some pins, maybe some bio-gel do fill in lost cartilage, or maybe some surgery.
So what about everyone else? I personally never had knee injuries until I got into long distance running and multi-sports. I hate to admit this, but I figured it was just the extra impact on my knees from the extra distances I was going. I was so wrong...and this is a common way to think for most people. I therefore had to do some root cause analysis and figure out how this could have happened. In short, in 2012, the year after I recovered from my second car accident, I got back into running and wanted to do long distance; 10ks and half marathons. I had knee issues for my first triathlon during the running segment. I ignored this issue because I just assumed it was from me just swimming 1.5km and cycling 24.8 miles. However, later that year I collapsed 3 times during the Philly Half Marathon. Was it from overuse, bad running form, something else?
I went to a sport medicine doctor and he said there were two issues; 1) I had extremely high collapsing arches, but with each foot collapsing differently. 2) My leg strength and flexibility were atrocious (the doctor used a harsher explanation than this...which is good because I needed to hear it). The arch issue was easily resolved by insanely expensive custom orthotics. They are definitely not a solution for everyone, but they worked miracles for me...and still do. The surprise to me was leg strength and flexibility.
Flexibility and Your Knees
When it comes to your knees, the range of motion is fixed; straight through bent all of the way back where your heel touches your butt. Sadly, I could not get my knee to bend that far. But that actually doesn't matter as much, since I don't need to ever bend my knee like that for any activity I am doing. This was still an issue that needed to be addressed (exercises and stretches will be in another article). There is more of course; the rest of my legs. My hips and legs were also not very flexible and extremely tight all of the time. Even after doing basic dynamic stretches, I was still always tight. When your muscles are tight, they do not handle impact very well. This causes more impact to be distributed to your bones, which results in lots of problems. The buffer between your muscles and bones are the tendons. Their elasticity makes them an extremely efficient buffer for everyday activity and impact. However, they can only handle so much. Therefore, you need to make sure you are lose before exercising. Yes, some people are naturally loose, but I am focusing on the majority of people. It is recommended that you perform dynamic stretches before you workout, followed by static stretches after you are done working out. Your stretches should not only be focused on the areas you worked out, but rather your whole body. Yoga is a great after-workout routine for getting full body stretching. Things like lunges, jumping jacks, arm rolls, and many more are good examples of dynamic stretches.
Leg Strength is Vital
When it comes to impact, it goes in the following order: muscles, then tendons, then bones. Your tendons can be strengthened via your standard core and leg strength training routines. Most leg workouts, especially for your thigh and calf muscles, will strengthen your tendons in your legs. A lot of people with knee issues will focus on reducing leg strength training during cardio training in order to keep their legs from getting too sore...but this is counterproductive. Your knee is the final point for impact to end. For example, if you jump in the air and land, assuming you land on your toes, you will start with impact dispersion via the feet, lower leg, then upper leg, then lower back, and then you knees. The less muscle you have in those other areas, the more impact the knees will take. An extremely cushioned shoe may help a little more, but ultimately, you need to build up your leg muscles. During my training season, I fit in 1-2 strength training sessions just for legs. This is an addition to the cardio work to strengthen legs, such as hill work. During off-season, which is typically late fall and winter, I will work my legs at 3 times a week in addition to any cardio I am doing.
So, there is even more you need to worry about for leg strength. You also need strength balance between your upper and lower legs. For example, one of my issues with my knees was that my calf muscles were really strong, but my thighs and quadriceps were extremely weak. So, this caused an imbalance for when I took impact. So, because my upper legs did not balance out the impact that the lower legs were taking, my knees ended up taking extra impact. Fortunately, striking a balance is pretty easy. All you need to do is make sure your leg workouts target calves, glutes, hips (abductor and adductor muscles), quads, thighs, and hamstrings. Basically you need to be doing a full leg and lower core routine. Lower core is defined as your stabilizer muscles and primary muscles for your abs and lower back.
Other Common Reasons for Knee Issues
I am a BeachBody coach, yes. But that doesn't stop me from stressing how awful workout programs like Insanity are for your knees. If done properly, Insanity is a killer program and has awesome results. However, it shouldn't be done by someone just getting back into working out. Also, even fit people commonly get hurt in exercise programs such as this, or aerobic classes that focus on a lot of jumping exercises (examples are box jumps and burpees). The reason is pretty simple; form and technique. So many exercise classes and routines focus on the exercise, but usually very little on proper form and technique. I recommend asking your instructor or watching videos online to see proper form. Always watch more than one video, as even professionals can tend to use improper form, even if they know what the proper form should be.
The other big reason is improper gear. Many people think they are experts on their bodies. Maybe you can judge how you feel and if you are pushing yourself too hard, but that is usually the extent of an individual's expertise on themselves. Therefore, for runners and other cardio athletes, you need to make sure you are wearing properly fitting socks, and have a professional make sure you are using the proper shoes. If you look at my feet, it appears I have a normal foot. On closer inspection you can see I have a collapsing high arch. However, it took an X-Ray to see how severe my high arch actually was. In addition, it took analysis of each of my feet to see that they collapse and roll differently.
Summing It All Up
If you plan on being a distance runner or a multi-sport athlete, then your legs are vital to your success and avoidance of unwanted injuries. All of your cardio training is easily wasted if your leg muscles overall are not strong enough. Yes, there people who have always had strong legs and don't need to strength train to keep their leg muscles strong. As I stated before, this is the exception, not the norm. I'll be following up this article with workouts to help with stretching, legs, and lower core.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon - Race Review
I am going to try and be unbiased here, as I just hit a new PR on this race and feel like a million bucks. That aside, this is the 2nd time I have done the race, which is also the 2nd time that the formerly named Philadelphia Distance Run has been under new ownership with Rock 'n' Roll. So, this was the 2nd time I have participated in the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. The race was just as enjoyable as last year.
Parking & Pre-Race
Parking is always a pain, so I recommend getting to the race at least 1-1.5 hours ahead of time, unless you have someone dropping you off. Or, if you are hardcore, you can just jog or bike over. The port-a-potty lines are always an adventure, but moved along pretty well this year. From what I noticed, it seemed like they had a considerable amount more than last year. They also have a VIP port-a-potty area, which you can either purchase a pass or if you got $150 or more of merchandise from any of the sponsors, such as Brooks, then you got a free pass. My wife and I qualified for the free pass, and stupid me, I forgot them...so we used the regular port-a-potties. Not a problem, they were well stocked this year with toilet paper.
Pre-Race in the Corrals
Getting into the corrals was a lot easier this year. There wasn't any security to see which corral you were entering, so technically it was first-come-first-serve despite what corral you should have been in. This was only moderately annoying because there were a lot of walkers and slow runners who went in the early corrals, which made running around people more of a challenge. I was a lot slower last year and in corral 18, instead of corral 5 this year, so I didn't really have to worry about this issue then. Still, it wasn't a really big deal.
Everything felt very organized and it didn't feel chaotic at all; just a lot of excited energy from the runners as you would expect. The weather was perfect! A nice chill in the morning and cool at the end of the race. Although it did feel a lot warmer after the race with the sun out in full blast. Fortunately, this race usually falls on a gorgeous days every year, so I expected good weather.
And We're Off!
It took about 5 minutes for Corral 5 to get to the starting line after the horn was blown. However, corral 17 for example, took 30 minutes to get to the starting line. This was because the later corrals had multiple corrals together. The first part of the race through the city in regards to the roads was a lot better this year. There had been road work last year and tons of uneven road and potholes to avoid. However, there were a ton of ignorant spectators and locals who felt they could just cross the race coarse and runner's were the ones who had to go around them. This is the first race where I saw this situation as bad. The Pittsburgh Half in May had some people like this, but nowhere near as bad. I have to admit that when I saw a 250+lb clydesdale runner take out some kid walking across the street with this headphones on, I got a nice laugh and only hoped that the runner was not hurt...the kid cursed at the runner...while the other runners cursed at the kid to get off the race course.
The Course
You can see the course map on the Rock 'n' Roll Philly page if you want to see the full details and elevation map. Overall, this is a very flat course. However, it ends on an uphill, which sucks. Not only that, but the last couple miles are in almost full sun, which combined with the uphill makes this a very challenging end-course. But, the rest of the course is fine. The only hard turns are in the first few miles through the city. Once you are get out of the city and onto Kelly Drive, it opens up for the rest of the race. There is a slight turn at Falls Bridge, but the road is very open and you make more of a gradual wide turn than a sharp turn. And then it's West River drive to the finish at the Art Museum. Overall, a scenic and very enjoyable race.
One thing I love about Rock 'n' Roll events is that you get music all throughout the course. This year was awesome. No country music (I don't like country, sorry)...but lots of jazz, a drummer, and other groups. Plus, there were they occasional speakers setup playing some decent tunes. Annoyingly the race starts with Eye of the Tiger...which is a song I would prefer to hear towards then end of the race when I need that last bit of motivation to speed up and complete the race. Oh well, they'll figure it out one of these years.
Finish Line Goodies
I think a lot of people complained about the finish line food and drink last year, because there was a LOT more this year. I am angry that Philly races don't seem to give out Philly Soft Pretzels anymore. I know it's not cheap...but seriously, this is a Philly race...I want a Philly Pretzel...and I don't want to pay for it. Sorry, I guess I am spoiled by the past. But, it's expected, as races have grown so large. The race this year was sold at 22,500 people. The race-day overall count was 25,209. Not sure how that works out. Anyway, they had lots of versions of chocolate milk (wish they had chocolate almond milk since I don't like dairy before or after a race), lots of Gatorade, water, Herr's products, bananas, bagels, and more. It was a good spread...I just wish I had a bag to put it all in. My arms were full of stuff.
Right after the finish line you got your race completion medal (in my picture below) and got a finish line photo.
The After Party
The beer garden is impossible to find just like last year. Very annoying and not clearly marked to be spotted over the crowds. Gotta love a free beer after a race though. They also had a "Merch" area. Why Merchandise is being called Merch now is beyond me, since Merch sounds like something you need to see a doctor about;
Me: Hey, did you know I got merch from the race
Friend: Oh man, that sounds painful, you should get that looked at...I hope there is medicine for that
So, the main band to perform was Walk Off the Earth. Sorry, this type of music is not my taste. I either want old school AC/DC style rock, STP, Green Day, or some old or new school hip hop or dance music. Thankfully, for me anyway, there was no country music playing on the race course or anywhere else. I am not a fan of country music, sorry everyone. Anyway, I didn't stick around for the concert, but I read that people who do like that music thought the performance was good.
Overall, a fun and enjoyable race and I highly recommend it. Congratulations to all of the other runners who completed the race!
Parking & Pre-Race
Parking is always a pain, so I recommend getting to the race at least 1-1.5 hours ahead of time, unless you have someone dropping you off. Or, if you are hardcore, you can just jog or bike over. The port-a-potty lines are always an adventure, but moved along pretty well this year. From what I noticed, it seemed like they had a considerable amount more than last year. They also have a VIP port-a-potty area, which you can either purchase a pass or if you got $150 or more of merchandise from any of the sponsors, such as Brooks, then you got a free pass. My wife and I qualified for the free pass, and stupid me, I forgot them...so we used the regular port-a-potties. Not a problem, they were well stocked this year with toilet paper.
Pre-Race in the Corrals
Getting into the corrals was a lot easier this year. There wasn't any security to see which corral you were entering, so technically it was first-come-first-serve despite what corral you should have been in. This was only moderately annoying because there were a lot of walkers and slow runners who went in the early corrals, which made running around people more of a challenge. I was a lot slower last year and in corral 18, instead of corral 5 this year, so I didn't really have to worry about this issue then. Still, it wasn't a really big deal.
Everything felt very organized and it didn't feel chaotic at all; just a lot of excited energy from the runners as you would expect. The weather was perfect! A nice chill in the morning and cool at the end of the race. Although it did feel a lot warmer after the race with the sun out in full blast. Fortunately, this race usually falls on a gorgeous days every year, so I expected good weather.
And We're Off!
It took about 5 minutes for Corral 5 to get to the starting line after the horn was blown. However, corral 17 for example, took 30 minutes to get to the starting line. This was because the later corrals had multiple corrals together. The first part of the race through the city in regards to the roads was a lot better this year. There had been road work last year and tons of uneven road and potholes to avoid. However, there were a ton of ignorant spectators and locals who felt they could just cross the race coarse and runner's were the ones who had to go around them. This is the first race where I saw this situation as bad. The Pittsburgh Half in May had some people like this, but nowhere near as bad. I have to admit that when I saw a 250+lb clydesdale runner take out some kid walking across the street with this headphones on, I got a nice laugh and only hoped that the runner was not hurt...the kid cursed at the runner...while the other runners cursed at the kid to get off the race course.
The Course
You can see the course map on the Rock 'n' Roll Philly page if you want to see the full details and elevation map. Overall, this is a very flat course. However, it ends on an uphill, which sucks. Not only that, but the last couple miles are in almost full sun, which combined with the uphill makes this a very challenging end-course. But, the rest of the course is fine. The only hard turns are in the first few miles through the city. Once you are get out of the city and onto Kelly Drive, it opens up for the rest of the race. There is a slight turn at Falls Bridge, but the road is very open and you make more of a gradual wide turn than a sharp turn. And then it's West River drive to the finish at the Art Museum. Overall, a scenic and very enjoyable race.
One thing I love about Rock 'n' Roll events is that you get music all throughout the course. This year was awesome. No country music (I don't like country, sorry)...but lots of jazz, a drummer, and other groups. Plus, there were they occasional speakers setup playing some decent tunes. Annoyingly the race starts with Eye of the Tiger...which is a song I would prefer to hear towards then end of the race when I need that last bit of motivation to speed up and complete the race. Oh well, they'll figure it out one of these years.
Finish Line Goodies
I think a lot of people complained about the finish line food and drink last year, because there was a LOT more this year. I am angry that Philly races don't seem to give out Philly Soft Pretzels anymore. I know it's not cheap...but seriously, this is a Philly race...I want a Philly Pretzel...and I don't want to pay for it. Sorry, I guess I am spoiled by the past. But, it's expected, as races have grown so large. The race this year was sold at 22,500 people. The race-day overall count was 25,209. Not sure how that works out. Anyway, they had lots of versions of chocolate milk (wish they had chocolate almond milk since I don't like dairy before or after a race), lots of Gatorade, water, Herr's products, bananas, bagels, and more. It was a good spread...I just wish I had a bag to put it all in. My arms were full of stuff.
Right after the finish line you got your race completion medal (in my picture below) and got a finish line photo.
The After Party
The beer garden is impossible to find just like last year. Very annoying and not clearly marked to be spotted over the crowds. Gotta love a free beer after a race though. They also had a "Merch" area. Why Merchandise is being called Merch now is beyond me, since Merch sounds like something you need to see a doctor about;
Me: Hey, did you know I got merch from the race
Friend: Oh man, that sounds painful, you should get that looked at...I hope there is medicine for that
So, the main band to perform was Walk Off the Earth. Sorry, this type of music is not my taste. I either want old school AC/DC style rock, STP, Green Day, or some old or new school hip hop or dance music. Thankfully, for me anyway, there was no country music playing on the race course or anywhere else. I am not a fan of country music, sorry everyone. Anyway, I didn't stick around for the concert, but I read that people who do like that music thought the performance was good.
Overall, a fun and enjoyable race and I highly recommend it. Congratulations to all of the other runners who completed the race!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon - Expo Review
As with last year, Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon Expo was held at the Philadelphia Convention Center; one of my preferred locations for expos in Philly. Sometimes the races use the stadiums or other venues, and they are always too crowded and packed. Parking in the garage was $17.76, hah. However, if you just park a couple blocks away at a lot, you can get away with anywhere from $10-$12. This is what I did.
I was a little surprised security was so light, as last year there was a lot more. Also, there were a lot more vendors and giveaways last year. You can go this link to see the vendor list. Also, the speaker events were not as interesting and useful this year. You can see the list of speaker events at this link.
As usual, you walk in through the archway to the race bib pick-up area. The line for my corral had no wait, so I got my bib after showing photo idea and handing over my signed race waver. From here I picked up my tech shirt, then my swag bag. You can see the pictures below.
After this, we proceeded into the usual Brooks Zone. It's basically a very large area dedicated to Brooks, since they are a major sponsor. They had a fun zone called Brooks Run Happy Island. Below is a video of a guy riding a shoe; good times.
After you leave the Brooks area, you are off to the other booths. I stopped at all of them, got some free stuff and samples. Nothing really exciting for me this year as I pretty much have all of the running gear I need now. I did pick up some compression long sock; 2 normal pairs and 1 reflective. With the weather starting to get cooler, they will be helpful since my outside runs will start being in complete dark for AM or PM runs, as the days are getting shorter. Other than that, my wife got a pair of compression socks as well, a free visor, GU's, and some other running items. We both got medal hangers and I got another magnetic bumper sticker from Gone for a Run, one of our favorite vendors for non-running running items. Last time we got bib binders and some other magnetic bumper stickers.
Despite there being a good amount of vendors, it was a lot less than last year, and a lot less packed. Last year the whole hall was filled with vendors and there was a lot of food and handouts. This year there was no food, a large amount of the hall was empty, and most vendors were stingy with handouts.
However, still a good time and I highly recommend going to the expos so you can at least get discount vouchers or fill out surveys to get free gear...it all comes in handy. Plus, a lot of vendors will offer high discounts at the expo; not as many discounts this year, but still some plenty of them. It also gives you a chance to try out gear so you can consider it for your next race or training.
I was a little surprised security was so light, as last year there was a lot more. Also, there were a lot more vendors and giveaways last year. You can go this link to see the vendor list. Also, the speaker events were not as interesting and useful this year. You can see the list of speaker events at this link.
As usual, you walk in through the archway to the race bib pick-up area. The line for my corral had no wait, so I got my bib after showing photo idea and handing over my signed race waver. From here I picked up my tech shirt, then my swag bag. You can see the pictures below.
After this, we proceeded into the usual Brooks Zone. It's basically a very large area dedicated to Brooks, since they are a major sponsor. They had a fun zone called Brooks Run Happy Island. Below is a video of a guy riding a shoe; good times.
After you leave the Brooks area, you are off to the other booths. I stopped at all of them, got some free stuff and samples. Nothing really exciting for me this year as I pretty much have all of the running gear I need now. I did pick up some compression long sock; 2 normal pairs and 1 reflective. With the weather starting to get cooler, they will be helpful since my outside runs will start being in complete dark for AM or PM runs, as the days are getting shorter. Other than that, my wife got a pair of compression socks as well, a free visor, GU's, and some other running items. We both got medal hangers and I got another magnetic bumper sticker from Gone for a Run, one of our favorite vendors for non-running running items. Last time we got bib binders and some other magnetic bumper stickers.
Despite there being a good amount of vendors, it was a lot less than last year, and a lot less packed. Last year the whole hall was filled with vendors and there was a lot of food and handouts. This year there was no food, a large amount of the hall was empty, and most vendors were stingy with handouts.
However, still a good time and I highly recommend going to the expos so you can at least get discount vouchers or fill out surveys to get free gear...it all comes in handy. Plus, a lot of vendors will offer high discounts at the expo; not as many discounts this year, but still some plenty of them. It also gives you a chance to try out gear so you can consider it for your next race or training.
Friday, September 13, 2013
I'm running on a half, but everyone else is full
You are going to pick up your race packet for the half marathon you are so eager to run in. You have trained hard and are ready for a PR the next day at the race. As you walk into the expo, you see 2 areas; 1 for the half marathon event, the other for the marathon event. The area for the marathon event looks nicer, but who cares, you are picking up your race bib. You are then directed to get the rest of your racing swag; clear bag for putting your warm-up stuff in, tech shirt, samples, etc. As you approach this area, it's packed. You look around and notice that most of the people around you have bibs for the marathon. For some odd reason you start feeling uncomfortable, even a little embarrassed. All of the sudden your excitement for your race turns into a slight panic. Why do you feel this way?
Welcome to being a human! Competitiveness is a natural instinct. And although you may be shooting for a 10 min / mile pace for that half marathon, the idea of other people doing that marathon just drives you nuts. And that is completely natural. Even if you aren't ranked, professional, elite, etc., you will still feel the urge to be as good or better than everyone else around you, based on some factor you determine subconsciously. So, if this were a half marathon race only, the shear fact that you are here to complete the race and everyone around you is here to at least complete the race, puts you on equal footing. However, you doing the half and others doing a full marathon means you are running half the distance they are. You have therefore decided subconsciously that your competitive factor for that situation is total distance. For some people, it may be the fact that they are getting their number in the general line, but see others getting their number from the elite runner line. Now the factor is either speed or title or both.
Sadly, this feeling tends to discourage many people and even though they might complete their half marathon, they may give up and not do anymore races unless there is no other distance or runner status other than what they will be doing. In some cases, it causes a person to train even harder so the next time they will be one of those elites, or the person running the top distance, or something else. So, is there a way to cope with or use this natural instinct to your benefit?
The simple answer is yes. The truth is that it can be challenging and difficult. For someone like me, I fall into this classification: Competitive self-competitor. This basically means that although I feel very competitive with others, my primary focus is competing against myself. Using various psychological profiling techniques, I can justify this and say this is completely natural. But can I change this? Can I see someone else who is better and then make myself stop at nothing to beat them? Aside from physical limitations, I can achieve this. However, it's in my nature to analyze and over think everything, and then to come to a realization based on my conclusions. Therefore, it's extremely challenging for me to strive to beat someone else.
Here is a good example. I currently have trained to try and run an 8:30 min/mile pace at my upcoming half marathon. My prior time for a half marathon was around 9:07 min/mile. Based on what you now know about me, this time I trained for will more than satisfy my competitive nature. However, I have a coworker who will be running the same race. He is looking to run at a 6:52 min / mile pace. I find that impressive and inspiring, but know there is no way I will get to that level anytime soon. Therefore, I am not going to go out after my race and start training to run at that pace. However, I can take my coworker's time, and look at my long-term goals. One goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I need to be running around a 7 min/mile pace to qualify. So then I tell myself "I can run as fast as him, and to prove it I am going to train to qualify for Boston in a couple of years". Now I have no limits. Usually, my typical thinking is "Okay, knocking another 1:30 min/mile off of your current goal time is not only not reasonable, but impossible for the short term." But because I can now use my coworker and put his time in terms of a way I can compete with myself, I will now be trying to achieve that goal time in as short a time as I possibly can.
So, do I already have a plan even though I don't know if I will even hit my current 8:30 min/mile goal? You betcha! To get myself to thinking this was rough. I had many failures and gave up many times. But I finally got it right, and now the sky is the limit. As a parting note, I used a half and full marathon as the example here, but you can use this for any distance or any event; running, swimming, cycling, triathlons, rock climbing...anything! If I can do it, you can do it too; just figure out what makes you tick; what drives you. Good luck and remember, always persevere!
Welcome to being a human! Competitiveness is a natural instinct. And although you may be shooting for a 10 min / mile pace for that half marathon, the idea of other people doing that marathon just drives you nuts. And that is completely natural. Even if you aren't ranked, professional, elite, etc., you will still feel the urge to be as good or better than everyone else around you, based on some factor you determine subconsciously. So, if this were a half marathon race only, the shear fact that you are here to complete the race and everyone around you is here to at least complete the race, puts you on equal footing. However, you doing the half and others doing a full marathon means you are running half the distance they are. You have therefore decided subconsciously that your competitive factor for that situation is total distance. For some people, it may be the fact that they are getting their number in the general line, but see others getting their number from the elite runner line. Now the factor is either speed or title or both.
Sadly, this feeling tends to discourage many people and even though they might complete their half marathon, they may give up and not do anymore races unless there is no other distance or runner status other than what they will be doing. In some cases, it causes a person to train even harder so the next time they will be one of those elites, or the person running the top distance, or something else. So, is there a way to cope with or use this natural instinct to your benefit?
The simple answer is yes. The truth is that it can be challenging and difficult. For someone like me, I fall into this classification: Competitive self-competitor. This basically means that although I feel very competitive with others, my primary focus is competing against myself. Using various psychological profiling techniques, I can justify this and say this is completely natural. But can I change this? Can I see someone else who is better and then make myself stop at nothing to beat them? Aside from physical limitations, I can achieve this. However, it's in my nature to analyze and over think everything, and then to come to a realization based on my conclusions. Therefore, it's extremely challenging for me to strive to beat someone else.
Here is a good example. I currently have trained to try and run an 8:30 min/mile pace at my upcoming half marathon. My prior time for a half marathon was around 9:07 min/mile. Based on what you now know about me, this time I trained for will more than satisfy my competitive nature. However, I have a coworker who will be running the same race. He is looking to run at a 6:52 min / mile pace. I find that impressive and inspiring, but know there is no way I will get to that level anytime soon. Therefore, I am not going to go out after my race and start training to run at that pace. However, I can take my coworker's time, and look at my long-term goals. One goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I need to be running around a 7 min/mile pace to qualify. So then I tell myself "I can run as fast as him, and to prove it I am going to train to qualify for Boston in a couple of years". Now I have no limits. Usually, my typical thinking is "Okay, knocking another 1:30 min/mile off of your current goal time is not only not reasonable, but impossible for the short term." But because I can now use my coworker and put his time in terms of a way I can compete with myself, I will now be trying to achieve that goal time in as short a time as I possibly can.
So, do I already have a plan even though I don't know if I will even hit my current 8:30 min/mile goal? You betcha! To get myself to thinking this was rough. I had many failures and gave up many times. But I finally got it right, and now the sky is the limit. As a parting note, I used a half and full marathon as the example here, but you can use this for any distance or any event; running, swimming, cycling, triathlons, rock climbing...anything! If I can do it, you can do it too; just figure out what makes you tick; what drives you. Good luck and remember, always persevere!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Multi-race and Multi-day Race Phenomina
Are you Dopey? Can you stake claim to a Hat Trick? In addition to multi-sport events, such as triathlons, becoming increasingly popular, another sport is becoming popular as well; multi-race events. I have yet to find a buzz-word for this yet, but basically it means that a race event, usually running races, has multiple runs on the same day or throughout the course of multiple consecutive days.
The pioneer of this is Disney. They started with the Goofy run, which is running the half marathon, then the full marathon the following day. Due to its popularity, Runner's World introduced the Hat-Trick for its half marathon events, which involves a 5k and 10k on the same day, and then the half marathon the following day. More events like this are popping up everywhere. But why are these so popular?
The concept of running multiple events on the same day or consecutive days is nothing new. Many people have done this for a long time. With running such a popular sport for amateurs and pros alike, there are many instances where there are Saturday races and Sunday races. They can be part of the same event or be completely different events in different places. Some people want to do both races, so they do. There is no additional medals for this however; just the personal achievement and bragging rights for having that level of endurance. Other races have a weekend of events, such as the Pittsburgh Marathon, with a variety of races on Saturday, and the half and full marathon on Sunday.
So, with the popularity of these new events, the big question is "How do I train for this?" For the shorter distances, it's not too bad, even for beginners. For long distances, this really becomes challenging, as you are putting your body through a lot in a short period of time.
Shorter Distances
For events where you can do something like a 5k and 10k or a 5 & 5 (5k then a 5 miler), you can basically follow a mix of a 5k and a 10k plan. I won't outline plans, as there are so many available on Runner's World and many other fitness sites. I still may post some training plans at another time, but not in the article. Since the races are short enough, you don't really need to worry about much other than hydration for the races. Which is great, because you can pack light and really just focus on enjoying the races.
Longer Distances
Longer distances are a whole other story. Depending on how long each race is and the time between races, you have a lot to worry about. First, you need to follow a training a plan that is tailored for your max distance you will be running; so if your max distance is a half marathon, then make sure you have a half marathon plan in your training. After this, you have a couple of options. First, you can always just make your later long runs equal to the total distance of all of your runs you will do on race day or race weekend. This is good if you are mixing a half marathon with a 5k or 10k. However, when you start getting into marathons as your max distance, then adding a half marathon and maybe even others to your long run is not really feasible. You might as well just train for an ultra at that point. So, the next option is to have back to back longer run days. So, if Sunday is your long run, say 20 miles, you might want to be doing anywhere from an 8-12 mile run on Saturday, at a little faster pace than your long run pace. The short period between the two training runs will help build up your endurance greatly, and your body will be able to adapt better for recovery. Now, of course, you don't want to overdo anything and you will still need the proper nutrition and hydration.
The good news is that for races like Goofy, if you are already training for a marathon, then the 5k and 10k should not be an issue at all. You will just need to incorporate the second option from above to handle the half marathon after the 5k and 10k, and then doing the marathon the following day.
The Competitors
There are those of your who want to compete no matter what. Therefore, if you are going for time and want to place in these types of events, then you will need to follow a training plan that incorporates everything mentioned above, but also include multiple interval sessions each week. In addition, you will want to make sure your interval sessions vary to cater to each distance you are running. So some weeks you may be doing intervals for your 10k race speed, and another week you may be doing intervals geared towards your marathon speed. You will also want to include training runs where you are doing a race pace run for the short distance, following up with a long run the next day.
Health Notes
As some parting wisdom, don't ever blinding sign up and think you will be able to do the multi-race event with little to no training. You will be putting extra stress on your body than it's used to and it's always good to get a physician approval before embarking on such a tough physical challenge. Also make sure you are getting enough "fuel" and hydration; don't want you bonking on race 2 or 3 because you got over-confident and didn't take those extra water stops. And most importantly have a great time and enjoy your bragging rights when you complete it all!
The pioneer of this is Disney. They started with the Goofy run, which is running the half marathon, then the full marathon the following day. Due to its popularity, Runner's World introduced the Hat-Trick for its half marathon events, which involves a 5k and 10k on the same day, and then the half marathon the following day. More events like this are popping up everywhere. But why are these so popular?
The concept of running multiple events on the same day or consecutive days is nothing new. Many people have done this for a long time. With running such a popular sport for amateurs and pros alike, there are many instances where there are Saturday races and Sunday races. They can be part of the same event or be completely different events in different places. Some people want to do both races, so they do. There is no additional medals for this however; just the personal achievement and bragging rights for having that level of endurance. Other races have a weekend of events, such as the Pittsburgh Marathon, with a variety of races on Saturday, and the half and full marathon on Sunday.
So, with the popularity of these new events, the big question is "How do I train for this?" For the shorter distances, it's not too bad, even for beginners. For long distances, this really becomes challenging, as you are putting your body through a lot in a short period of time.
Shorter Distances
For events where you can do something like a 5k and 10k or a 5 & 5 (5k then a 5 miler), you can basically follow a mix of a 5k and a 10k plan. I won't outline plans, as there are so many available on Runner's World and many other fitness sites. I still may post some training plans at another time, but not in the article. Since the races are short enough, you don't really need to worry about much other than hydration for the races. Which is great, because you can pack light and really just focus on enjoying the races.
Longer Distances
Longer distances are a whole other story. Depending on how long each race is and the time between races, you have a lot to worry about. First, you need to follow a training a plan that is tailored for your max distance you will be running; so if your max distance is a half marathon, then make sure you have a half marathon plan in your training. After this, you have a couple of options. First, you can always just make your later long runs equal to the total distance of all of your runs you will do on race day or race weekend. This is good if you are mixing a half marathon with a 5k or 10k. However, when you start getting into marathons as your max distance, then adding a half marathon and maybe even others to your long run is not really feasible. You might as well just train for an ultra at that point. So, the next option is to have back to back longer run days. So, if Sunday is your long run, say 20 miles, you might want to be doing anywhere from an 8-12 mile run on Saturday, at a little faster pace than your long run pace. The short period between the two training runs will help build up your endurance greatly, and your body will be able to adapt better for recovery. Now, of course, you don't want to overdo anything and you will still need the proper nutrition and hydration.
The good news is that for races like Goofy, if you are already training for a marathon, then the 5k and 10k should not be an issue at all. You will just need to incorporate the second option from above to handle the half marathon after the 5k and 10k, and then doing the marathon the following day.
The Competitors
There are those of your who want to compete no matter what. Therefore, if you are going for time and want to place in these types of events, then you will need to follow a training plan that incorporates everything mentioned above, but also include multiple interval sessions each week. In addition, you will want to make sure your interval sessions vary to cater to each distance you are running. So some weeks you may be doing intervals for your 10k race speed, and another week you may be doing intervals geared towards your marathon speed. You will also want to include training runs where you are doing a race pace run for the short distance, following up with a long run the next day.
Health Notes
As some parting wisdom, don't ever blinding sign up and think you will be able to do the multi-race event with little to no training. You will be putting extra stress on your body than it's used to and it's always good to get a physician approval before embarking on such a tough physical challenge. Also make sure you are getting enough "fuel" and hydration; don't want you bonking on race 2 or 3 because you got over-confident and didn't take those extra water stops. And most importantly have a great time and enjoy your bragging rights when you complete it all!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Picking the Correct Workout Routine For You
How do you choose what exercise routine will work best for you? This is a tough question. For starters, if you do the same routine all of the time, and only ever increase reps and/or weight, you will eventually plateau on the benefits of that routine. For many people who are classified as "fit", this typically means you will start to plateau around 3 months of doing the same thing. This is not scientifically proven, as each person's muscle memory and body chemistry tend to differ in many ways. Not only that, but a routine that seems to work for one person who has similar goals to you, may not actually work or give the same results for you. Again, we are not all created equal. Especially when it comes to gender.
So how do you choose? Here are some basic guidelines I suggest to people; but ultimately you need to do some research or get a professional to help do a custom plan for you. There are so many workout and eating misconceptions, that if you don't do the research, chances are you will never get the results you want.
What is my current goal?
You need to know what you want to achieve before you can achieve it. Diving right into fitness with no real goals is fine; many people just want to stay a their owned perceived level of fitness or like it as a hobby. But if you want to actually gain something out of it, then you need to start with a short-term goal. As I will cover below, you can have a long term goal, but it's usually important to set smaller goals throughout the journey so they are more realistic to achieve. Once you know your current goal, you can then start figuring out what types of fitness activities will help you achieve that goal, and of those activities, which ones you would enjoy doing. Granted, if you have never tried an exercise before, it's always good to try it out to see if you will like it. However, I always advise seeking a trained professional to guide you on proper form and technique so you can avoid injury.
What is my long term goal?
It's human nature to start off with a long term goal (even if you technically want it to be immediate). The long term goal should be where you want your journey to take you. For example, if you are overweight and want to be around a certain weight, then your long term goal would be to lose however many pounds to get to that sustainable goal weight. However, as noted above, in order to not psych yourself out or get unmotivated too soon, it's best to then break that long term goal into smaller, more easily attainable goals. Humans typically feed on short-term successes to keep their drive going; doesn't matter if it's for your career, fitness, or anything else.
What are my physical limitations?
Once you have your goals, you need to be honest with yourself. Do you have any permanent issues, such as bad knees, prior injuries, etc.? For example, a permanent back injury could limit you greatly from many activities, such as running or doing weight routines like dead lifts and squats. However, if the injury isn't as severe, then maybe you can do lighter impact activities to strengthen the core and supporting muscles, and eventually perform those activities. Also, I always recommend that you go to your doctor and get various tests taken to make sure your body can handle whatever activities you might want to do. Maybe you have a heart condition that you don't know about; performing a HIIT activity could cause you to have a heart attack. And that is the last thing you want. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
How much time per week can I devote?
The final piece is how much time you can commit per day and how many days you commit per week to achieve your goal. You may want those 6-pack abs in a month, but if you can only workout a few days a week for 30 minutes each session, and you can't drastically adjust your eating routine, then chances are you won't be getting that 6-pack in anywhere near a month. The main thing to understand here is that the amount of time you devote will typically determine the length of time needed to achieve your goal. However, you can only go with generalities on this, as everyone is different, and depending on the goal, the time will usually vary drastically from goal to goal.
What do I like doing?
As I mentioned already, you not only want to do the activities that you will help you achieve your goal, but you also want to do activities you enjoy doing. Very few people have the determination to consistently do something they don't like and stick with it. Therefore, once you have figured out all of the above, you need to figure out which activities you will enjoy that also help you achieve your goals. In some cases, there may be a couple activities you don't enjoy, but if overall you enjoy all of your other activities, making a little sacrifice usually doesn't hinder your success. There are plenty of websites, apps, and professionals who can guide in the right direction to know what activities are available for the goal your trying to achieve.
Good luck and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
You need to know what you want to achieve before you can achieve it. Diving right into fitness with no real goals is fine; many people just want to stay a their owned perceived level of fitness or like it as a hobby. But if you want to actually gain something out of it, then you need to start with a short-term goal. As I will cover below, you can have a long term goal, but it's usually important to set smaller goals throughout the journey so they are more realistic to achieve. Once you know your current goal, you can then start figuring out what types of fitness activities will help you achieve that goal, and of those activities, which ones you would enjoy doing. Granted, if you have never tried an exercise before, it's always good to try it out to see if you will like it. However, I always advise seeking a trained professional to guide you on proper form and technique so you can avoid injury.
What is my long term goal?
It's human nature to start off with a long term goal (even if you technically want it to be immediate). The long term goal should be where you want your journey to take you. For example, if you are overweight and want to be around a certain weight, then your long term goal would be to lose however many pounds to get to that sustainable goal weight. However, as noted above, in order to not psych yourself out or get unmotivated too soon, it's best to then break that long term goal into smaller, more easily attainable goals. Humans typically feed on short-term successes to keep their drive going; doesn't matter if it's for your career, fitness, or anything else.
What are my physical limitations?
Once you have your goals, you need to be honest with yourself. Do you have any permanent issues, such as bad knees, prior injuries, etc.? For example, a permanent back injury could limit you greatly from many activities, such as running or doing weight routines like dead lifts and squats. However, if the injury isn't as severe, then maybe you can do lighter impact activities to strengthen the core and supporting muscles, and eventually perform those activities. Also, I always recommend that you go to your doctor and get various tests taken to make sure your body can handle whatever activities you might want to do. Maybe you have a heart condition that you don't know about; performing a HIIT activity could cause you to have a heart attack. And that is the last thing you want. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
How much time per week can I devote?
The final piece is how much time you can commit per day and how many days you commit per week to achieve your goal. You may want those 6-pack abs in a month, but if you can only workout a few days a week for 30 minutes each session, and you can't drastically adjust your eating routine, then chances are you won't be getting that 6-pack in anywhere near a month. The main thing to understand here is that the amount of time you devote will typically determine the length of time needed to achieve your goal. However, you can only go with generalities on this, as everyone is different, and depending on the goal, the time will usually vary drastically from goal to goal.
What do I like doing?
As I mentioned already, you not only want to do the activities that you will help you achieve your goal, but you also want to do activities you enjoy doing. Very few people have the determination to consistently do something they don't like and stick with it. Therefore, once you have figured out all of the above, you need to figure out which activities you will enjoy that also help you achieve your goals. In some cases, there may be a couple activities you don't enjoy, but if overall you enjoy all of your other activities, making a little sacrifice usually doesn't hinder your success. There are plenty of websites, apps, and professionals who can guide in the right direction to know what activities are available for the goal your trying to achieve.
Good luck and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
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My Journey to Ironman - Build Phase
The next 10 weeks are now complete. They were pretty rough, mainly because I was very sick twice. I missed out on a lot of long rides and ...
