Ultra Marathon Training is Back in Session

Today:  5 miles
Yesterday:  50 minutes Insanity Strength

I'm hurting!  But it's hurts so good!

Everyone,

I'm sorry I've been MIA.  I had been struggling with not just a running rut, but a life rut.  I was scared of moving forward with a few major initiatives in my life that would test my ability to lead and see things through.

But I made a promise to run, to fundraise, to inspire.  And I'm going to do that.  I made that promise, and I don't want to break that promise, because it's more than me.  It's ALMas, the pre-k literacy program I'm trying to start up.  It's the only thing I want to leave behind here at the University of Chicago.

I'm going to do it, and I'm going to run this ULRA for ALMas, and I'm going to raise $3K  (or try really hard to).

Love,
Marvni

Hilarious Experience on my 7.5 miler!

On my second mile, as I ran under the 51st street Green Line stop, this sweet older black lady in a wheelchair saw me run by, and as I did, she yelled out:

"RUN N***A!  RUN!"

 This made my day.  :]

Honestly, the things you experience on these runs.  Beautifully hilarious and exhilarating.

Marathon Training Log: BACK UP and UP TO DATE

All right guys!  I've updated my training log!  You have to scroll all the way to the bottom for the most recent ULTRA-MARATHON workouts!

OR, you can look at sheet number 2, entitled, ULTRA MARA TRAIN for the most recent workouts this year for the big 50 miler.

Happy trails!  I'll have pictures at some point!

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

Best comment today while on my 7 mile morning run in the 28 degree snow:

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

To which I respond:
"A little bit! Have a good morning!"


If you let your mind convince you the weather will stop you from running, remember this:

if it's snowing, you can always add more layers and put on some pants;

if it's hot, around 6am or 7pm, it's not.

Types of Runs: How They Affect Your Body

I came across this article from Running Times Magazine (and you should read!), and it delves into the specifics as to when certain workouts actually impact your performance and create positive changes to your running ability.

I thought this was a piece of gold:

"While running-specific adaptations are unquestionably cumulative, each piece within the framework has its own recovery timeline, and it's important not to overlook this critical point when planning your training. The best time to perform a specific workout depends upon the time it takes from doing it to realizing its benefits on goal race day, coupled with the recovery profile of a workout. As mentioned above, the short answer regarding gains -- for all the types of workouts -- is about eight to 10 days. However, because of the variant stresses that different workouts place on the body, each must be considered separately. (See "Scheduling Your Schedule", below.) Knowing this information means knowing what workouts make the most sense shortly before an important race.

V02 max intervals tax the body the most and take the most recovery time. Pfitzinger believes that full recovery takes about eight to 10 days. "You would want to do your last hard V02 max workout eight to 10 days before a major race," he says. "During training or before a less important tune-up race, you do not need to be completely recovered from one hard workout before doing another, so you could do another V02 max session after five or more days." Rubio agrees and has his athletes perform a V02 max workout approximately every seven to 14 days, and never in the final week before a major race."

And they added this chart:

Type of Workout	Example	Time Until Next Similar One	Day Before	Day After
VO2 Max	5 x 1000m @ 5K race pace w/ 400m recovery jog	5 or more days	recovery run	recovery run
Threshold	4-mile tempo run @ half marathon race pace	4 or more days	recovery run or speed development	recovery run, speed development or easy long run
Speed Development	12 x 200m @ mile race pace w/ 200m recovery jog	2-3 days	recovery run, tempo run or easy long run	recovery run, long run or tempo run
Long Run	18 miles @ 1:00/mile slower than marathon race pace	4 or more days	recovery run or speed development	recovery run

I'm integrating this into my running schedule for Base = 1 trianing, when I start into the actual ultra-marathon mileage and hardcore trianing.

Right now, I just want to add to my mileage base with consistent mid to long distance runs that are either focused on increasing my lactate threshold (tempo runs) or just long slow distance (for leg endurance).

That'll provide the necessary leg strength and endurance for the real training, when I start including VO2 max intervals

Training Schedule

 All right, it's up!  My training schedule for the Ultra Marathon this October! 

I start this coming Monday, so I will be posting and updating my training log, now I'm sick and tired of insanity and want to get back running!

I've got some massive mileage planned, and it's going to be sweet!

Base = 0: First 2 Months: ~45 miles per week
	Miles	Pace	Workout
Monday	7.0	LT	~Hard
Tuesday	6.0	Jog/Brisk	~recovery
Wednesday	7.0	Tempo or LT	"+" tempo
Thursday	6 or 7	Jog/Brisk	recovery
Friday	5.0	8 min/mile	"+" & fartleks
Saturday	10 to 15	<= 8 min/mile	LSD
Sunday	5.0	slow	"+" & recovery
Total	46 to 52
Base = 1: 4 Months Before ULTRA: start from base of ~50 miles
	Miles	Pace		Workout
Monday	10.0	LT		~Hard
Tuesday	6 or 8	Jog/Brisk		~recovery
Wednesday	15.0	Tempo or LT		"+" tempo
Thursday	8.0	Jog/Brisk		recovery
Friday	5.0	8 min/mile		"+" & fartleks
Saturday	16 to 22	<= 8 min/mile		LSD
Sunday	6.0	slow		"+" & recovery
Total	66 to 74

Why Run Anymore?

I went out for my first run in a long time, and I felt horrible.

Not completely unfit, just a little sluggish and thick.  Maybe it's just me and this past week, but I'm just not feeling it.

But if there's one thing I just remembered as I write:

Champions do two things: train when they want to and train when they don't want to.

Just registered for the 2013 Des Plaines 50 mile ultra-marathon to fundraise for ALMas!

Also, if you don't know what ALMas is, follow this link.  It's the after-school pre-k literacy program a few friends of mine are starting for latino children!

#LIFE #RUNNING #TRAINING #PRE-Kindergarten #EARLYCHILDHOODEDUCATION

New Goal: The Ultra Marathon

While I haven't been blogging for a while ever since the big Chicago Marathon in October, I want to do something bigger.

I'm signing up for an Ultramarathon.  50 miles.

I wanted to sign up for the Chicago 50 miler, but it's on March 23, and that doesn't give me enough time to train.

A good training regimen requires at least 16 weeks of planned, concerted running and cross-training to avoid injury and perform at your best.

I'll be posting more articles and information on dieting and training regimens, since I'll be working towards a new goal.

New development, too:
I'll be fundraising for my student organization, ALMas.  I'll be raising money to pay for children's books and other partnerships.

I'm going to be knocking on a few doors to get this started.  I also need more pictures on this blog.

Back in Training

Today was my first day back.

Insanity The Asylum, 49 mins

Quick one miler, 8 mins

In horrible shape, but getting back in it!

Now only if my diet were clean.

Back in Session!

I know I didn't mention this earlier, but my final official time for the 2012 Chicago Marathon was 3:19.  Three hours and nineteen minutes.  Not bad!

A 28 minutes improvement from last year.

Here are some pictures!

Chicago Marathon Tomorrow!

I know, I know!  I haven't posted in a long time.  But I promise you it's not because I've ignored running--no, on the contrary:  I've been running stronger and faster than ever this past month! 

I haven't posted because I've been focusing on this club I'm starting here at the University of Chicago.  My little baby I need to cradle in its infancy.

But in light of the great event tomorrow:

Tomorrow, the knells shall ring with all their hearts--but their deathly portent shall be softly eclipsed by the early morning rise and reverberations of fabric and synthetic rubbers methodically pounding on the pavements of the Chicagoland with their promise of long-term cardiovascular exercise and sought-for pain.

Haven't Posted in a While

I've got about t-minus 5 weeks to go before the big Chicago Marathon.  

I've basically fulfilled my St. Jude charity commitment, so I'm happy there.

And one more thing.

I love distance running.  I love running for miles at a time.  Why?  Because you can start slow and feel horrible.  But around mile 4 or 5, it gets better.  The legs begin to pump.  The lungs flare up with oxygen at a calm rhythm.  And then you're good to go.  For miles.

Because that's the thing.  In a run that's 10 miles long, you can stumble and fumble for the first few miles, but you have to have the courage and the strength to keep putting one leg after the other until you're ready to do your best.

It just takes a while sometimes.

This is the biggest lesson I've learned this Summer while training.  To just keep going.  To ignore that voice in your head that continues to murmur, "I'm not ready."  Because you'll get there.  You just have to keep gonig.

Mo Farah Blog: Mo Farah Running Away from Things

This is one of the most hilarious blogs about running I've ever encountered:

http://mofarahrunningawayfromthings.tumblr.com/

Here's an example:

Back in Houston: The Real Training Begins

Date	Workout	Mileage	Time (Minutes)	Comments on Workouts
8/11/2012	Insanity Asylum, Speed and Agility, + 4 miles	4	80	GREAT.  I can't do speed training anymore :[
8/12/2012	Insanity Asylum, Strength + 6 miles	6	90	Strength felt great, although I now know what it feels like to be a true blue runner.  No muscle
8/13/2012	Yoga X + 4 miles	4	110	OMG, WHY?  MY LEGS HURT!

So this has been my workout schedule for the past three days.  As you can see, mileage has significantly decreased, but time and intensity has significantly increased.

This is all part of my new phase in training.  Building strength, power, and endurance in my overall body--especially my legs because they need more plyometrics training to increase their elasticity (their ability to quickly strike the ground and spring back up like a rubber band).  The greater elasticity in the legs, the easier it will be for me to keep a swift/fast pace especially in the last 6-8 miles of the marathon, when muscles are tired and worn out).

I'll be sacrificing mileage for now, until around two weeks from now, when I should be able to hit 8-10 miles immediately after an insanity workout, if not completely do away with insanity workouts and just do general strength and add more mileage.

Inspirational Quotes: Running and Hitting the Pavement

Two great quotes to keep you going when you're feeling under the weather or second-guessing yourself about your up coming run of the day:

Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head.  

Joe Henderson, running coach and author 

If one can stick to the training throughout the many long years, then will power is no longer a problem. It's raining? That doesn't matter. I am tired? That's besides the point. It's simply that I just have to. 

Emil Zatopek, Olympic runner 

Get these daily quotes from Runner's World Running Quote of the Day.

Funny Funny Running Stories

I came across Runner's World's discussion board, "Strange Encounters with Nonrunners While Running."

Here are a few posts:

I had a junior high school aged boy wave me down only to say "Hey, your legs are so white they would blind Jesus"!

I had a snorkel (of all things) almost hit me on a run.   It was an accident by some kids horseplaying at a pool my route takes me by.   

While trying out a new route (alone), I encountered a possibly insane man sitting in a lawn chair on the side of the road, cheering for me like it was a parade.  I wasn't really sure how to react, so I smiled and waved!!!

I had 1 guy offer me a beer on a hot day, and women cheer me from an outside deck of a bar. I once ran a relay in NH and saw pigs escape from the a farm as I ran by onto the main road. 

Let me tell you about one of my running stories (it's more of a horror/scary story, to be honest).

I was running along the Houston bayous behind my old high school at around 5 AM, and as I turn my head to the left, I see this figure wearing white shorts, white shoes, and a white t-shirt.  But that's all I could see.  No skin or anything.  It was 5 AM, and it was pretty dark.

The figure looked like my XC Coach, so I yelled out, "Coach!"  I Looked down for a second to make sure I didn't trip or hit something, and when I look back up, the figure was gone!

At this point, I'm pretty sure I just saw a running ghost.  I slowly stopped...---and then I booked it back home fartlek style.  I think it was my longest and fastest fartlek to date.

I'm Drinking Beet Juice Before the Marathon

I'm drinking beet juice before my marathon.  And probably a lot when I get back home.

Here's why:

In a recent study, cyclists drank beet juice or a placebo for six days. The next day they rode for an hour and then raced a 10-K time trial. Those who drank beet juice rode faster, cycled harder, and used less oxygen during the trial. Researchers credit the athletic boost to nitrate found in beet juice, which indirectly increases blood flow. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-300--14439-0,00.html?cm_mmc=NL-Nutrition-_-997278-_-08022012-_-The-Value-of-Juice

... 

A recent study found drinking two cups of beet juice (which has a high nitrate level) daily for six days may decrease the oxygen your muscles need, thus improving endurance.  

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-242-300--13352-0,00.html

I'm convinced.

Running Hills: Oh Geez...AGAIN?

I've been living in Ann Arbor, Michigan for about 8 weeks now at a summer program, and if there's one thing I won't miss:  It's the HILLS.

I'm a converted Texan going to school in Chicago.  You know one thing they have in common?  FLATNESS.

But I've been running through the hillacious Ann Arbor--and I've come up with a few ways to really get excited about hill workouts.  Luckily, Runner's World provides a great summary:

STOP REPEATING YOURSELF! 
"Running hills doesn't have to mean repeats," says Lt. Colonel Liam Collins, assistant track and cross-country coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. "The trick is to make it enjoyable." Plot out a new route that has a couple of hills (if you live in terrain untouched by the Thunderbirds, incorporate artificial hills, such as overpasses or even parking garage ramps). You'll reap the same benefits, says Collins, plus, "It's closer to what you'll find in a race."

NAME YOUR NEMESIS 
Storied inclines like Peachtree's Cardiac Hill and Dipsea's Dynamite may be no tougher than your neighborhood hill, but because they've been imbued with a name, they've acquired a mystique. "Anytime you have a hill with a name, it gives it a life of its own," Collins says. Conquering your local version of Heartbreak will have more meaning if you've given it a moniker.

I gotta tell ya, hills can be fun if you make them.  And after a while, they'll feel like the usual.  Once that kicks in, if you're running on the flat surfaces of Texas or Illinois, oh, you'll feel pretty fast.

And you may miss the hills eventually.

But don't forget another benefit of hillacious runs.  When you descend, relax and open your stride, practicing on your recovery after a hill and most importantly speedwork and control.

Bart Yasso Advice: The Long Run

I was reading Runner's World Magazine this morning, and I learned something new.

On your long run, which is the cornerstone of any marathon training regimen, run one minute slower than your target marathon-day race pace.

If you're looking for a specific pace for your long runs, aim for between 30 to 90 seconds slower per mile than the pace you expect to run in the marathon, but even slower is fine.

So if you plan to run 7 min/mile on race day, you should be hitting your long runs at 8 min/mile.

You don't want to be racing your long-runs, or else you'll be dead before hitting the pavement race day.