Cold Training Run

This past Saturday, my dad, my brother and myself set out on a 13.2 mile run. This was the same training run that my dad and I did last Saturday, with one big difference, it was 30 degrees colder and we had 15 mph winds for the entire run.

I was hoping to run today faster then we did last week. Last week my tummy was killing me. This week I traded a stomach ache for very cold, muddy, windy weather. Right away the ground was muddy, so I knew my plan for a faster time was going to be hindered.

This was the reading at the end of our run, so the temp when we started  was much colder.

I started out strong, it was a little fun running through the mud, for the first mile, but after 2 miles it just became a pain. The mud would alternate between thick and slick. Sometimes it was so slippery, we would slide every step. Other times it was thick and would stick to our shoes, even pulling off my brothers once.

At about mile 3 we made it to more firm ground. With the wind chill it was about 34 degrees. It was around this time that my brother speed up and left me and my dad running at my pace. I would guess my brother was running at about 6.5 mph while me and my dad were running at my pace which was 5.8 mph.

Somewhere around mile 7 we caught up to my brother. Since this was his first time running this trail, he  had made it to an cross roads and was not sure which way to go. So we all ran together at about the same pace 6.0 mph.

The last 3 miles my brother legs were starting to hurt as a result of running a distance that he had not trained for. He usually runs 10k and runs them for time.

The last mile we started to pick up the pace, not because we were feeling strong, but more because we were ready to get out of the cold.

All in all I would say this was a good run.

Saturday Workout 11/3/2012

Today's run was tough for me. I really was not up to running. I had a busy couple of days leading up to this Saturday run. It started with me driving about 20 minutes to my dads. From there we drove about 35 minutes to a location up north of where we live. We were to run 13.2 miles down to his house through the hills.

When I woke up in the morning my tummy was not feeling great. I guess it just felt really full. So I tried to drink some coffe to help me empty my tummy. As a result I think I dehydrated myself. One we started our run, I was tired and my legs felt so sluggish. About 2 miles into the run, my left shoe felt very tight. It was starting to make my foot fall asleep. So we stopped and I adjusted it, and it felt better.

Then at about mile 4, my calves started to cramp up. I drank some water and had been taking some GU Chomps and it helped a little. We kept running on.

My dad does not like to drink water when he runs, I think he prides himself on it. But he will usually stash water jugs on the trail we will be running. He always like to stress "this water is for you Adam."

 Now me on the other hand, I like to run with water, especially on trail runs. I like to have everything that I need with me. It gives me comfort and the confidence to push hard knowing I have supplies. I have an old Camel Back M.U.L.E which has two good sized compartments and holds up to 3 liters. Usually when I run a long run I fill it up to 2 liters. I dont like stashing water bottles for a few reasons, but the main reason is that the water during the winter months freezes or is ice cold. Ice cold water makes my stomach cramp.

So even though my pack was still pretty full, I drank some of "my" water and we continued on.

This was all new teritory that I liked but, also I had no idea how far this run was. My dad said he thought it was about 12, then he said a friend of his thought it was 14-15 miles. When I am not quite sure of the distance that I am going to be running, I tend to conserve and run extra slow.

As we made our way to mile 10 the area started to look familiar. I had been up this road a couple of times a few years ago and knew that we were not far from the highway, which was to be our finish.

We finished and we had my stepmom pick us up. This was not my best training session and I hope that next week I can shave of some time and hopefully feel a lot better.

Total Distance: 13.2
Total Time: 2:35:26
Weight: 216
Runners: Dad and Myself

Mentally Power Through The Run

On one of my recent runs, I jumped on the treadmill and set out for a 5 mile run. About 2 miles into the run, right about the time my legs were pleading their case as to why we should stop, it happend.

The cry of our 2 month old. Now my wife is pretty good about keeping our baby happy, but this time he was just not feeling well. He had come down with a cold. And was just felling icky! (Did I just say icky?)

And for you parents out there, you know the difference between a fussy cry and a painful cry. This was a painful cry. It hurt me!

From then on that run became more of a mental battle than a physical. As hard as I tried to tune it out, I just couldn't  Our baby's cry that day just cut through me. It made it so hard to keep going. I felt my protective father instinct kick in. I felt like I needed to get off the treadmill and go try and help my baby.

No quite sure if I should stop, I yelled "Do you need me, honey?" My wife came in the room and told me that I should keep running and that she had it all under control, (which she did). She could do more to clam him in just a few minutes than I could do in an hour. Something about that mother's bond I guess. (My marathon training would be impossible with out her. She constantly makes scarifies for me to run. She puts up with me being gone for hours at a time while im out on my long runs. She has done more than her share to take care of our baby to help me train. I love her!)

So with the go ahead to keep running I continued, and was able to shift mental gears and focus on the run. In that moment I learned that running is a mental game. I learned that if I can easily be drained by a distraction, then maybe the same could be true in reverse. If I can keep myself entertained while I run, I could mentally power though my runs. - My mind held the power to push my body to run hard or to wimp out.

Power Through The Run

Run Somewhere New - I have found that what works for me is to run new places. I live in a rural area, and there are lots of trails. Sometimes I can run the same trail a few times, but after that I get bored. If I run the same place enough times, my desire to run diminishes.

Keep the Mind Occupied - Running for me has been a place for me to talk to God. There is just something peaceful about being alone in activity with my God. It is a time for me to meditate, and think on things. In fact some of my best ideas and preaching sermons have come from being out on a run.  - Is your mind stuck? Got a problem on your heart? Go for a run.

Run to music - I dont usually run to music, but for some people it really helps them keep their mind focused.

Stuck inside? Watch Something (treadmill) - I have a huge collection of preaching services collected from various podcasts. I enjoy running to preaching. But recently I have also enjoyed watching recording of Marathons (Boston, Roderdam, LA, ect), it has been fun to run while they run. Its almost like I am running with the elite athletes. Usually the race will be over in about 2 hours or less if the commercials are edited out, which allows me to run the entire time they run. I have also liked watching videos of other people's races via youtube. Its amazing how many people are running with cameras and video recorders!

Stare at the wall (treadmill) - This has been one of my most powerful running tools. If you can force yourself to run an hour staring at a wall on a treadmill you are developing powerful self-will. You are training your mind to handle the bordom, the tiredness, the toughness, and keep going. - Think of it this way, if you can endure running staring at a wall during training, imagine how your mind and body will react when there is entertainment.

There are so many things that you can do to keep your mind occupied. Don't let your mind fool you into thinking you are weaker than you are! Find what works for you and then, power through your run.

What do you do to keep your mind occupied when you run? What helps mentally power you though your run?

Marathon Training with a Newborn!

Needless to say this will be interesting and busy time in our lives....


Stay tuned for more updates, tips, and fun adventures from a family guy trying to get in shape...and stay in shape!