It has been a week since I gave my clinic at John’s Run Walk Shop on using a run:walk strategy to train and race better.  I have been getting some feedback from a few of those runners after they went out and tried to do a run using the strategy.

Let’s keep the discussion going here! Place comments on the blog post or email me with your questions at garyditsch at gmail dot com.

From the people that attended the clinic, I have to say the feedback has been really positive.  Maybe it is due to the fact that they understand how to use the strategy appropriately and effectively, or – maybe it is because they want to believe it will work (placebo)?  I’ve had 2 fairly new runners mention that they had runs over a familiar course faster than they had ever completed that course before.

I have also got some negative feedback, but that came from a person that wasn’t at the clinic.  I’m hopeful that we can continue to work together and use the previous experience as a lesson in the application of the method.

Here are two key things I would like to point out:
1. There is a way to walk when you take your break and it isn’t using your normal mall walking form
2. There are ways to come out of your walk break that will help you get back into your run more readily

Key points review:

Who is run / walk for?  Everyone in training.  In racing it depends upon the athlete, but the majority of runners I work with benefit from this strategy.  100% of the 1/2 and full marathon runners I coach benefit using it.  In triathlon, it depends on the athlete and the length of the triathlon.  Again, 100% of the athletes I coach for 1/2 Iron and Iron distance races benefit significantly using this approach.

What does run / walk strategy mean?  Simply a strategy used in a PROACTIVE way that uses walking during training or race that enables a runner to better achieve their goal.

Could be:  9min run / 1min walk, 15min run / 30sec walk, 2min run / 3min walk, etc.  – It depends upon athlete, goals and race distance.

Run / Walk in Training:

“The goal of a workout is not to avoid walking.  The goals are to feel better, get in better shape, reduce tension, lose weight, train for an upcoming race and so on.  Take your pick.  They’re all worthwhile goals.”

Amby Burfoot – The Run/Walk Plan, runnersworld.com article, 8/2001

Benefit 1 – you recover better and quicker
Benefit 2 – quality of your long runs improve (you can actually run at end of long run)
Benefit 3 – quality of shorter runs improve (you can achieve interval and tempo run goals)
Benefit 4 – you can increase the amount of running you are doing more quickly

Run / Walk in Races:

Benefit 1 – If forces people to slow down and think about proper pacing when a race is full of anxiety and tension.  I like to see if a runner has ever negative split a race, if they have not then I require run/walk methods (negative split means they ran second half of race faster than first half)

Benefit 2 – Allows athlete to better manage race fatigue.  The decline in run pace is less than if they were not using strategy.

Benefit 3 – A runner can better hydrate and fuel themselves during the race.  Walking aid stations is a superior race strategy and something we consider when creating a race plan.

Benefit 4 – The psychology of feeling strong and being strong at the end of the race is more motivating than “trying to hold it together”.  Passing people versus getting passed is a significant change in mental outlook for many runners.

Added Resources from Endurance Base Camp:

- Things I learned by running two marathons in 8 days
- 2008 Flying Pig Marathon Podcast – recorded while run/walking every aid station during race
- Walking my way to faster races

Outside Resources:

- Bobby McGee interview on IMTalk Podcast (episode 170 scroll down)
- Bobby McGee’s website
- Bobby’s Run/Walk Protocol at Endurance Corner

I would love to hear your feedback and continue the discussion!

There are many episodes of the Today Show, mid afternoon talk shows and self help gurus that will tell you that you need to be more “Balanced”.  It is a concept that Americans are determined to figure out and get right.  The reason that we are so dedicated to the idea of being balanced is because we are told that when we find that perfect level of balance then we can have,

Promises of a Balanced Life:

- more peace
- more happiness
- better relationships
- better time management
- higher productivity
- more success
- more money
- etc.

Essentially, we are being sold on the idea that we can be successful in many different areas of life: family, professional, career, athletically, socially, relationships and spiritually.  What we want to believe is that we can have the American Dream without having to sacrifice to obtain it.

I have to admit that I used to believe in the concept of balance and success, but I don’t think it is true any longer.  What I have realized is that being successful in any one area will require that you sacrifice in another area; therefore you are left with the decisions of priority.

Two recent examples:

Who was the greatest athlete from 2000 through 2009?  Tiger Woods (here’s a little ESPN article about it.)  It’s interesting to hear people respond to a discussion about Tiger today.  A few weeks ago when his family life and very public affairs were coming out I heard a lot of individuals say how disappointed they were with his behavior.  Their response seemed to be focused on his marital failures.  Then yesterday as I was driving to the gym, I heard a local golf show talk about how they wanted him to just start golfing and put the whole mess behind him.

The story is old and overly debated at this point, so this is not an attempt to give my opinion on the subject.  I merely want to take a look at the extremes:  Most successful athlete of the decade, but highly deficient as a father and husband.

What college football program has been the most successful program over the last 5 years?  The Florida Gators.  The leader of the program for that duration has been Urban Meyer, an intensely competitive and dedicated coach.  So what has been the trade-off?  His health.  Here’s a link to an SI.com story discussing Meyer’s heart conditions.

What’s my point:

I’m not making judgments about the decisions that Tiger or Meyer have made in the past that lead to this point, I am merely suggesting that they made sacrifices along the way.  To be the best athlete in the world, Tiger made a decision to spend energy, time, ego and emotion on golf that he could have used to create a better situation with his wife and children.

To lead the most dominate college football program over the past five years, Meyer made the decision to spend his time, energy and passion on reviewing game film and player development and left his own health to bare the sacrifice.

The point here is that there is sacrifice to be successful.  And we all get the opportunity to decide what we will choose and how much success we want to have.

There are very, very few individuals that get to be successful at everything they do and get to be successful in multiple areas at the same time.  In fact, right now I can’t think of anyone that fits that description.

There are a lot of people I admire in the endurance sport world.  I have clients that amaze me with their ability to get workouts in, have high level jobs and also get to attend family functions.  There are those guys and gals out there, but I also know that there are decisions every week that are made regarding priority.  They must decide if getting a workout in means more than going to a child’s dance recital, they must make the decision on whether showing up to work fried from a weekend of training is possible.

It’s a constant process of decisions and analysis.

Without balance, know what you value:

If there is not a situation of perfect balance that allows one to be successful in all areas of their life, then I find it absolutely essential that a person be honest with themselves and those around them regarding what they plan to prioritize.

I recently read GaryVee’s book “Crush It” and was intrigued when he discussed his list of priorities.  It was a simple list, in a simple order:

1. Love your family
2. Work super hard
3. Live (and work) your Passion

The thing that I love about this list is that it simple and to the point.  It doesn’t complicate things by giving if/then scenario’s or by developing matrix boxes to take in various situations.  It is a fairly simple statement of priority – now the challenge is to live into it.

If this was someone’s list (other than GaryVee’s) then when faced with decisions about family or work, it becomes obvious that family is first.  If there is a question between work and social obligation, work is a priority.

The issue that I see many people have is that they want to have it all.  They want to fulfill their different desires, but don’t want to feel guilty about short changing other areas that they feel should be valued.

Where this applies to Triathlon and Running:

As you sit there and think about your upcoming season, I would like to challenge you to honestly answer these questions:

1. What do I value most?
2. How do I prioritize those things that I value?
3. How does my training and endurance goals fit into these lists?
4. If racing is a high priority for my season, do I have a support structure at home and work?
5. Does my support structure understand how much I value racing?
6. How can I communicate my desires with my family, friends and co-workers?

What I tend to see this early in a calendar year from people is a long list of events, with one simple statement: “I want to do these races!”

As a coach it is exciting to see ambition and passion.  It is fun to see the excitement of the new year and the enjoyment that someone takes in being active.  But I also know that there’s a level of honesty that needs to take place.  It has been a big learning process for me over the past 10 years.  I remember writing some of the first running programs for people who wanted help.  I wanted to be the cheerleader, the encourager, the one that told everyone that anything is possible.

In reality, I still believe that to be the truth.  But I’ve also learned that when dealing with age-group athletes, there needs to be an assessment beyond the physical capabilities.  The ability to test someone’s vVo2, lactate threshold pace or lactate threshold power is wonderful, but how does that also relate to their ability to be at home by 6pm in order to sit down and eat with the family?

As I have grown in my understanding of these various dynamics, I have also developed the ability to say “No”.  It is hard to tell an athlete that is passionate about triathlon that training for an Ironman will take some sacrifice.  It is harder to suggest to an athlete that they are would be better served waiting to do a Half Ironman or Ironman at some point in time when they have a more stable support network and training can be a little higher priority.

But it’s essential that we be honest about expectations and priorities.  First of all, be honest with yourself.  Then be honest with your communication to your support structure: family, training partners, coach, etc.

Make things simple:

The last little piece of the puzzle that I find helpful, is creating simplicity.  Once you have realized that to be successful you can’t do “everything” and you have established a complete understanding of your priorities, the next step is to take a bunch of crap out of your life if it doesn’t fit.

Here are two examples that I have from my 2009 season, once I started training specifically for Ironman Louisville:

1.  Cut the T.V.  It was a big mental leap at first, but after the BCS National Championship game in 2009, I loaded up the digital cable box and turned it in.  It was more of a statement of commitment than it was an act of discipline because with Hulu, Netflix and all the other ways to watch television, I knew there would still be plenty of opportunity.  But, it did allow us to immediately end late night station browsing.

2. Social parties and gatherings.  This one was a request I had to make to Nikki as part of my support structure.  The common situation we have at our house is that 98% of the time I would rather come home after work or training and lay down to rest, sleep or watch a movie.  Nikki loves to get together with friends for coffee, chatting, dinner out, talking about running, setting up birthday parties, putting together clothing shows, doing a pot-luck – well you get the point.  If it was up to her, we would never be home except to sleep.

At the beginning of 2009, I asked her to make a promise to keep me as uncommitted to social outings as she could.  If you ask her, I got out of a lot of social commitments for the year.  I would agree that I was able to escape more than 50% of the events, but the 40% I made it to was still 25% too much.  Just a difference in personality and needs, I guess.

The key to simplifying is just aligning your priorities you’ve established with your task orientation.  When you can make that happen, you are getting done the things that will make you successful.

Final Thoughts:
2010 is an interesting year because it allows me to look back over the past decade and ask myself,

“Have I made the choices needed to be successful in the areas of my life that I feel are a priority?”

It seems like it wasn’t very long ago that I sat down on January 1, 1999 and wrote down “run a marathon” as one of my goals.  And it doesn’t feel like it was 4.5 years ago that Nikki and I made the commitment to live our lives together.
I anticipate 2010 to be a very positive year.  I also know that there’s work to be done on my part (and on Nikki’s) to understand more completely what we value and how we prioritize, what sacrifices we intend to make and how to simplify in order to clear the non-essential.

If you want to follow along our Journey of Endurance this year, we welcome you.  I plan on writing more on the subject and how we’re making it happen.

To subscribe to our blogs and website, just go to http://feeds2.feedburner.com/EnduranceBaseCamp

Looking at our feedburner updates, it appears that there might be some individuals that may want to update your rss feed subscriptions.

Back in the day we used to have only these:

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/garysfitnessblog –> for gary’s personal blog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/NikkisBlog –> for nikki’s personal blog

But now we have a RSS feed that brings everything together, plus more: podcast, articles, etc.  That feed is located off on the left side of the webpage, but here is the feed details:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/EnduranceBaseCamp

The only other feed that we currently have available, in case you don’t want everything (which I’m not sure why you wouldn’t) is the direct feed for our podcasts.  Here is that feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/EnduranceBaseCampPodcast

Hope that information will help people streamline their interaction with our site and content.  As always thanks for reading, commenting and participating in this journey of Endurance!

Listen to the podcast by clicking here or Go to Itunes Store and search podcasts for Endurance Base Camp

Show #9

Focus: After a significant break we are finally back!  This episode includes a quick look at what we are currently up to and where some of our next races will be, then I discuss two mistakes that I’m seeing people make as they start to prepare for their upcoming spring races.

Two Mistakes:

1.  Doing every run at the same pace/effort
2.  Going long prior to being strong enough to handle the training

There will be a lot of discussion on why I think these are mistakes and why they need to be corrected.

Links mentioned:

Mike Young’s twitter page
Science Daily : Train less and be faster

Facebook is a great tool!  My old college roommate at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln found me yesterday.  The last time I heard or saw Nate was at his wedding and I was still living in Colorado.  It is just the way things happen sometimes when one person heads west (Nate now lives in Oregon) and another heads east (I’m in Kentucky).  So thanks to facebook, I get to see what he’s up to.

Nate was always a “creator” of things. He crafted our kitchen table in our apartment, he and another friend (Dan) built a couch and chair out of old ski’s, etc.  His deal was art.  He and Dan both played guitar too.  Needless to say, I hated it.  Mostly because I am not artistic in the same way they are.  I can’t draw a stick figure, I can’t tell the difference between a note that is sharp or flat – but I can appreciate the arts.  A passion of mine since a high school project on Dylan Thomas and with the intersection between poetry and hip hop has been poetry.  Watching the two of them live “artisticly” emboldened me in some ways to be more open with the poetry I wrote.

It’s interesting how these things can come back to you at unexpected times.  Just last week, Dan and I were on the phone discussing “Passion”.  We were asking ourselves, “What it meant to make a living doing what you are passionate about”, “Is it possible to make a living only with your passion” and  “How does one know the possibilities surrounding their passion.”

We talked about another friend of ours that lives in Telluride, Colorado and works within the ski/sport industry.  Which is another passion that Dan, Nate and Scott have (that I have not gotten into either).  I remember a time that I came home from classes to find Nate in snow goggles and boarding gear watching a Warren Miller documentary on tv.

Why all the talk about passion?  While in college, Nate worked at a local bike shop in Lincoln called Bike Pedalers.   It was a pretty cool store that was in a couple older homes, one for service and one for sales (which is apparently not the case now looking at the website).  So bikes were a passion for Nate and were becoming a significant passion of mine too.

I had heard that Nate was building bikes for a living now, but never really knew the whole story.  It appears that is the case.  The business is called – Signal Cycles in Portland, Oregon.  Here’s a video of their work and team they posted on their blog.  It’s is exciting to see him building bikes as an occupation.   It helps me answer a few of the questions Dan and I were talking about just last week.

You can also find Signal Cycles on their facebook page.

Signal Cycles Cyclocross from Benji Wagner on Vimeo.

There’s a lot of discussion locally (in Lexington, Kentucky) about training for a half marathon due to the inaugural – Lexington Half Marathon. Today, as I went for a run with a few other runners, I continued to think about ideas I have been having in regards to getting people from the start of their training program to the finish of their first half marathon.

I have a podcast in the queue (yep, there will be a podcast again) discussing the “2 mistakes I see half marathon and marathon runners make”, therefore in this post I just want to highlight some general ideas about how to approach your half marathon training. In addition, I will touch on common pitfalls and training traps that I see half marathon virgins succumb to.

Background of a runner:

In the spectrum of runners there is a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.

• runners that ran cross country in junior high and high school and continued to run for fitness in college and after as a lifestyle of fitness
• runners that ran in high school for soccer (or another team sport) then didn’t run again for 15 or 20 years until they decided to do a half marathon
• runners who have never ran a step in their life, but for personal achievement and lifestyle reasons decide to do a half marathon
• then the minority (probably less than 1% of all runners) are those who ran in high school, competed in college and continue to run a significant amount post college

Which category of runner are you? (If you are wondering, I fit into blended first and second category runner. I ran initially for team sports and started “running long” in college as a lifestyle of fitness choice.) This is an important self assessment because your background and experience will greatly influence the type of training program you use to finish your half marathon. This self awareness will also allow you to review training advice you see online, in podcasts, from fellow runners and the knowledgeable co-worker and determine if their advice applies to you. It may – It may not.

Development of a long distance runner: Pitfalls and Training Traps

1. Many individuals preparing for their first half marathon or marathon start to do long runs before they are ready.

This results in injury, over-training or unnecessary fatigue. Any of these situations will require extended time away from running, resulting in a negative impact on overall fitness.

2. Runners over emphasize the importance of the long run and place too little value on regular (even daily) runs.

There is a physiological and psychological benefit for doing a regular long run (once you are ready to handle it), but it is not correct to say that your training is going “perfectly” just because you are able to make it through a long run once a week. There are training stimulus and running traits that need to be addressed outside what the long run allows. For example, you may need to improve neuromuscular patterns and coordination.

I have discussed my thoughts on the long run previously on this podcast: The long run in a marathon program

3. Runners don’t spend enough time thinking about, working on or improving their running form.

In most sports we understand there is a level of skill required when we decide to participate. If we want to play golf, we practice swinging the clubs -  if we want to play tennis, we practice our serve -  if we want to swim, we may take a swim lesson — but for some reason if we want to do a long distance race, we go out the door and only give thought to proper running mechanics if we start to have injuries. Run drills are valuable. They are necessary for many of us!

4. Every run is done at the same pace / effort.

I will go into detail around this issue in the podcast, but it comes back to this one basic thought : Every run workout should have a purpose. When training for a half marathon, this means that working in different effort zones is essential to improving your fitness and running ability.

Quick tips on how to approach your half marathon training and be successful:

1. Be consistent!

I like to see people I coach consistently run 4 times a week at 45mins per workout prior to adding any long runs into the schedule.

2. Think “Strong before Long”

The first phase of our training programs are dedicated to durability (usually through consistency) and strength.  It is only upon this level of development can a runner start to build successful long run sessions without the risk of injury.

3.  Incorporate running drills and run mechanic work into your workouts

This can be tied into your regular workouts.  Start with your easy warm up (or dynamic warm up), then stop your activity and begin your running drills right were you are.  The 5 to 10 minutes you spend doing these drills will pay dividends as you are trying to become a better runner.  Many of us need to train or retrain our brains to signal our muscles in a properly functioning way.

4. Run “fast” in the right amounts, when it’s appropriate and run “easy” when appropriate.

Build your portfolio of running abilities.  You’ll become a better runner and have better overall fitness than if you try and run every run at the same pace.

5. When you start to add in your long runs – always finish stronger than you begin.

This one simple philosophy will teach you a lot of lessons in your journey of endurance.  Learning the proper pacing that you can handle and maintain is an essential lesson in the development of a runner.  If you find yourself always struggling to finish your long runs or even cutting the runs short because you can’t finish them – teach yourself to go out slow.  It’s a lesson you’ll want to have learned prior to race day!

You will have a successful journey!

If you start to pay attention to your training schedule, notice if you are to making any of the four pitfalls I mentioned above.  If you are, ask yourself if you were focusing on the five tips I mentioned or if you were only focused on logging the miles on the calendar.

Very cool video of the NYC Marathon with a tilt shift lens and timelapse

2009 NYC Marathon Timelapse from mdkmc on Vimeo.

The lateral lunge will help improve hip mobility. Most runners will notice a stretch in the adductors (the groin) as they lunge outward and maintain the straight leg on the side of the body with the planted foot. As you do the exercise begin with a small bend at the end of the lunge and as you continue to warm up and as your mobility allows increase the depth of the bend.

To progress from the basic lateral lunge, we like to add in a stability hold. This requires a powerful ground reaction with the lunging foot. The push off must be powerful enough to get the body back to it’s starting position, but it also needs to be able to get the leg elevated so you can complete the stability hold.

The stability is done at the end of the exercise, back at the top of the starting position. As you power off the lunging foot, you’ll lift that leg so the thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold that position for a couple seconds and then lower to start the next rep.

If you are having trouble viewing this video here, you can view the video directly on YouTube: link to lateral lunge video here

You can also find our find out book here: Strength Training for Runners

As a coach, the one thing that I am always amazed by are my clients.  We are in a sport where 99% of the participants do not make any money through their participation, it is completely a test of self accomplishment.  This reality brings some very accomplished and successful people into our sport and onto our team.

This week one of our teammates, Kendrick Riggs, was recognized for his accomplishments as an attorney, father, community member and triathlon participant.  The magazine, Business First of Louisville wrote an article -  Power Attorney : Kendrick Riggs tackles his utility and energy practice, triathlons with quiet determination

I always say that the one thing that impresses me the most by some of my athletes is their ability to prioritize and manage their time.  Kendrick is way above average when it comes to displaying this characteristic.  He also displays something that I only hope I can do as well as he does when the time comes – put my family first.

I do not have children so I can not even begin to understand what it takes to be a father first and triathlete third to fifth in the line of priority.  As an outside observer – Kendrick has discovered how to put triathlon into his life and still be an active father.

Congratulation Kendrick on some well deserved recognition.