Training Block Coming To An End

My relationship with running continues to evolve. At this point, I would still run regularly without racing for my own enjoyment and health. However, I am still somewhat competitive-more so against myself than others-and like the idea of trying to maximize my potential.

I am very grateful for my time running in college. Most importantly, I made life-long friends and enjoyed getting to go to practices and races with them on a daily basis. I also learned so much about running, got to compete collegiately as a student-athlete, and gained a desire to continue running/exercising after college.

With that being said, I never ran as fast as I think I could have run. I am fairly content, but while I am still physically and mentally able I would like to get after things. In college I had the ability to train better, specifically with more mileage on a consistent basis. I do not think I will ever beat my 1500m PR (4:17) unless I get in monster shape, and I am not interested in going after my 800m PR (2:06), but from the full mile (4:50) and up I think I have room for improvement.

Again, I am happy enough to run without racing, but there’s still some fire in my belly. I notice when I am coaching runners as well that I want to see them succeed and get the best out of themselves.

Tomorrow I race a Turkey Trot 5k, which will be the end of my unofficial training block. I have run consistently since the end of June and I am thankful I enjoyed a healthy and fulfilling stretch of training. I plan to take a week off after the race tomorrow and then build a strong base in the winter.

Here are the highlights from this training block:

• Stayed healthy without even a minor knock that kept me from training
• Ran 14 straight weeks over 30 miles– probably a personal record for consistency
• Won three straight road 5k races
• Broke 18 minutes for the 5k at a road race for the first time in a long time!
• Had a blast coaching runners on the local high school team and running with them

Overall, I am enjoying running and hope to stay healthy and competitive moving forward.

Thinking about changes I can make in training, here are a few things I plan to incorporate more of:

• A long run every week or two weeks at a moderate effort
• Strong strides once or twice a week
• More LT work (the pace you can hold for about an hour), including 1K and mile repeats
• Strength work- lifting once a week and doing injury prevention
• Faster intervals as the season progresses

To running! And Happy Thanksgiving!

Wedding Reception and DMR Recap

Last Saturday, July 31, Veronica and I got to fully celebrate our wedding with family and friends.

We were married on October 24, 2020, and delayed our reception until July due to COVID restrictions. We had a fun smaller gathering after the wedding in October, but knew that we wanted to have our bigger celebration.

Overall, we ended up having quite the day.

We started off the afternoon with the Distance Medley Reception, which was a relay race that followed the format of a typical DMR. Basically, the race goes 1200m (3 laps), 400m (1 lap), 800m (2 laps), and the mile (4 laps).

We tried to make the teams as even as possible going into the race, but obviously that can be hard to do with a wide variety of people. However, the race ended up being fairly competitive. Thankfully, everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and enjoyed the atmosphere. The Wheelers, Veronica’s immediate family, set everyone up very well, providing food and refreshments following the race. To anyone reading this who ran, helped, or watched the race, thank you so much. We were really looking forward to the event and had a blast.

There would be too many people to highlight from the race for their performance, but a few stick out. The two Calhoun kids, Maura and Colin, crushed their respective legs and set up Nick Dudek for an impressive anchor leg to bring home the victory. Jamie Hartop received the baton in 5th place and ran a crazy fast final mile in 4:48 to get his team second! James Newman (recently engaged!) clocked the fastest 400m in 81 seconds, while Jonah S ran the fastest 800m split in 2:48.

Standings	1200	400	800	Mile
1	Luke S- 3:44	Maura C- 1:37	Colin C- 4:04	Nick D- 5:15
2	Josh C- 4:31	Carrie K- 2:05	Steve K- 3:21	Jamie H- 4:48
3	Andreas Q- 4:11	Angelo Q- 1:22	Rick S- 3:48	Aidan Q- 5:25
4	Simoncini- 4:37	Bridget C- 2:19	Tim S- 2:56	Drew M- 5:29
5	Veronica S- 5:16	Newman- 1:21	Jonah S- 2:48	Rudy- 6:08
6	Johnny W- 4:39	Karen W- 1:50	John W- 3:38	Larry D- 6:16
7	Bridget W- 5:39	Brittany V- 1:37	Gary D- 3:57	Vince F- 5:42

The reception took place at The Buck Hotel in Feasterville, where we received excellent service from stellar hosts.

The cocktail hour, introductions, speeches, dinner, dessert, and dancing all made for a fabulous time. Looking back, I smile with gratitude thinking back on one of the best nights of our lives, getting to celebrate with many people who are close to us. While we wish some more of our family members could have come, especially my Mom’s side in England because they could not come back in October, we were thankful for everyone there.

To pronounce and bind your love with someone else in front of family and friends is truly special. Our actual wedding may have been in October, but to experience all the love from everyone last Saturday, nine months later, added a unique wedding/reception experience we will remember fondly, knowing this all took place during crazy times with COVID.

On a final note, the MVPs of the dance floor would have to go to Vince F, Nick D, and Sophie S.

US Olympic Track Trials- Distance Team Predictions

One year later than planned, the Olympic track trials are finally here.

As a runner who likes to follow professional running, other than the Olympics themselves, this meet is right up there as one of the most important and entertaining running events in the world.

The top runners in the US select their best event(s) and see if they can make the top 3 in the event (top 3 make the team to go to Tokyo, unless you don’t have the Olympic standard).

Favorites often make the team in their chosen race, but there are also plenty of surprises and the competition is fierce.

As I like to do with most sports, here are my predictions for who makes the team in the distance races (from 800m up to the 10k).

WOMEN

800m:

1. Ajee Wilson
2. Athing Mu
3. Kate Grace

Wilson and Mu are very likely to go 1-2, but either could win. Spot 3 is up for grabs!

1500m:

1. Ellie Purrier
2. Elise Cranny
3. Jenny Simpson

Shelby Houlihan would have almost certainly made this team, but she was recently banned in a controversial decision where she tested positive for a banned substance, which she claims came from meat that she ate at a burrito stand. I think she is clean and this is a very unfortunate event for US track and field. Purrier has a chance to medal at the games.

Steeplechase (3000m):

1. Emma Coburn
2. Courtney Frerichs
3. Leah Falland

Coburn and Frerichs will likely go 1-2, leaving that 3rd spot wide open in a very challenging event.

5k:

1. Elise Cranny
2. Karissa Schweizer
3. Rachel Schneider

Cranny has shown both strength and speed recently, making her a favorite to make multiple teams. Schweizer should be able to run up front with Cranny and separate from the pack. Schneider has a nasty kick that could get her the 3rd spot.

10k:

1. Emily Sisson
2. Alicia Monson
3. Sara Hall

Sisson has shown she is a beast. Cranny has shown both strength and speed recently, making her a favorite to make multiple teams. Ritzenheim trains Monson and he is super high on her chances. Many will doubt Sara Hall, but I think she’s going to be right there at the end of the race, using all the training tips from her husband, Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall.

MEN

800m:

1. Donovan Brazier
2. Bryce Hoppel
3. Isaiah Harris

Brazier and Hoppel should be ready to go 1-2, but the 800 is a tough event. There could be some surprises here.

1500m:

1. Matthew Centrowitz
2. Cole Hocker
3. Craig Engels

This may be the most exciting event of the meet due to the depth. The 3 I selected are fantastic runners, led by Olympic medalist Centro, but there is a chance none of them finish in the top 3.

Steeplechase:

1. Hillary Bor
2. Sean Mcgorty
3. Mason Ferlic

This will be a tough race that could also have some surprises. Jager is hurt, leaving things more open.

5k:

1. Paul Chelimo
2. Emmanuel Bor
3. Woody Kincaid

Chelimo is a stud, but he may be vulnerable. Cheering for Kincaid to grab that 3rd spot.

10k:

1. Grant Fisher
2. Ben True
3. Joe Klecker

The first distance final of the meet, starting tonight! I am pumped and cheering hard for 35 year-old Ben True and the youngin’ Klecker to make the squad.

These athletes have dedicated thousands of hours to their craft. Let’s hope they all compete well and the best runners win the day.

Turning 26 Years Old- Gotta Run the Big One (The Marathon)

Tomorrow I turn 26. Holy potatoes.

Actually, I am not surprised. Time never stops rolling along. The Buddha (and many others) have pointed out that we all get old and we all pass away at some point. Life is impermanent, at least from our understanding. What we do with our limited time is what matters.

Many older people seem to remark how quickly their lives went by when they look back.

In the grand scheme of things, 26 is not that old to many, but to others it may be.

I was thinking of making a list of goals to set for my next year of life as a 26 year old, but I will take some time to think about those off of here. One thing I have decided I want to try: RUN A MARATHON.

The math makes sense, right? 26 years old= 26.2 miles

I ran in college and still run competitively at the local race scene (trying to make myself sound good here), but I have never run further than a half-marathon in one go.

This is a task I do not plan to take lightly. I refuse to go out there not having trained and prepared myself to try to run well (hopefully around sub 3 hours but we’ll see how training goes).

So, as I somewhat naively sit here optimistic and excited, I’m pumped for the challenge. And this is a very, very big challenge. I do not know when or where, but not until at least the Fall. I could use the later summer months to get in some heavier distance training.

Let’s go get it. I appreciate any well-wishes and positive vibes.

There’s No Secret to Getting Better

Running means much more to me than the time on a clock, but I still enjoy pushing myself to see what I can accomplish in races. I do not put as much weight on race performance as I used to, thankfully, but there is still primitive excitement involved in exerting yourself and competing with others. Chasing a long-term goal can also be incredibly gratifying.

Over the past three years I have probably run about 10-15 different 5k races on the road and also a few on a cross country course. Amazingly, I think almost all of these have fallen within about a minute of each other for the final time, between 18:30 and 19:40 (although the one I won was a long course and may have been more like 18:15).

I am happy with the consistency, but heading into this summer I’m ready for a jump. Clearly, some things need to change for something different to happen. I am not sure if I will ever get back to what I ran in college (17:10) from the one track 5k I competed in, but I know I can crack 18 again this summer and then we’ll go from there.

I usually run between 25-35 miles a week with a couple different workouts sprinkled in, but I’m ready to switch something up to see some time improvement. Will I ever set big records or compete on the biggest stage? Of course not, but as I noted earlier running is much more than competition or times, and ultimately I want to see the best version of myself, as cliché as that may seem. I’ve put a lot into running and I want to know that I gave it my best go.

Is there any secret to making the jump? No, I really don’t think so.

Eliud Kipchoge finishing up his sub 2 hour marathon, full of energy and life.

Running at your peak comes from a combination of many things, but perhaps most notably training, diet, recovery, and genetic capability.

To keep things simple, I think I need to run more volume. I could really focus on crushing hard workouts, but that would likely lead to higher chance of injury. If I can run more mileage I will increase my aerobic engine. I also could probably shave off 5 pounds. I am not overweight, but my best times in college came at a time where I weighed 20 or so pounds less than I do right now.

I have never been a higher mileage runner because I would often get little knocks that limited my full training in college if I started to creep the mileage up. However, I think if I go slower on on easy days and switch my shoes and the surface I run on regularly, then I will have a solid chance of staying injury-free and I’ll be ready to roll.

All those fun details aside, there is/are NO SECRETS to success. There is no magic pill that can make you better or take something away that you don’t want, at least not for any long-term solution. Things that are worthwhile take time and lots of effort and practice. Let’s make the day count.

March Running Plan

For over a year I used an online running coach to send me training, mostly for workout purposes. He is a great guy who focuses on building relationships and tailoring training to the individual. I greatly enjoyed our time working together and may return at some point, but about a month ago the outside of my hip was bugging me so I was not doing consistent training or workouts. I decided to take a break from using his training and I have been doing things on my own for over a month. My mileage has been pretty low-between 15 to 25 miles a week-but I hope to start upping that a bit beginning in March.

I found myself feeling excited about writing my own training for the first time in a while and would like to see what I can do on my own. I am far from being elite or even sub-elite, but I am a competitive every-day runner at local races and feel like I have a lot more to accomplish with the sport. I also enjoy running on a deeper level that goes beyond times. If I never run faster than I did in college, I have come to accept that fact and I am okay with it. Heck, my easy runs now are usually between 8:15-8:45. That was not a thing in college. However, I feel that I still have some pop in me and know I am capable of more. With that being said, running has become a part of my lifestyle that I consider to be a very healthy habit, both for mental and physical benefits.

I wrote out a plan for March and would like to share some of my workouts. I plan to run two workouts every week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. One workout will be more tempo/aerobic focused, while the other will be on the track and focused on speedier things at race paces. Each Sunday I will go for a long slow run and then take off once a week on Mondays.

Well, here are some of the workout ideas with short explanations for why I plan to run each one.

1. 3 miles of 800s in/out going 3-3:10 and 3:15-3:25 immediately into 200m fast

This workout ends up being 5k of solid work. I heard of this type of workout from Syracuse, specifically from Marty Hehir. A lot of workouts include a jog or break after each interval, but this workout sets up for a continuous effort. I hope to go 3:0s for each “in” and then rather than jog, I go into a floating effort where I run “3:15-3:25.” This workout will be very helpful aerobically. The final 200m fast will be like practice for kicking in a race.

2. 3 x 7 min. @ tempo effort w/ 1 min. recovery jog b/w each

An aerobic workout that totals to 21 min. of work, which is a solid amount for me. I do these based on effort where I try to think if I could hold this pace for an hour race. These workouts are important toward building the aerobic engine.

3. Ladder 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400

This can be a tough one if you are going fast on these. I will start a little more conservatively to make sure I do not burnout and ruin the back end of the ladder. Ideally, the second set of 1200, 800, and 400 will be faster than the first one.

4. Fartlek- 2 x (6 min., 4 min., 2 min.) w/ 1 min. jog b/w each one and 2 min. job b/w sets

Fartlek means speed play. There are plenty of fartlek workouts and I like to go based on effort for these. I will run the 6 min. reps at 10k-half effort, the 4 min. reps at 5k-10k effort, and the 2 min. reps at 3k-mile effort. When running a fartlek workout, I really try to focus on my effort level and not any paces. Ultimately, you get 24 min. of good work completed here.

5. 8 x 400m starting low 90s working down to low 80s w/ 200m jog b/w each, then 3 x 200m sub 40

This is a classic workout that some high school coaches probably use way too much. However, there is value in the set-up and I hope to do this closer to the 5k race I put on the schedule for April 3rd to simulate the race pace. I want to practice running a bit faster for the low 80s reps but I need to be relaxed. The 200s are just to practice turnover.

Thank you for the read and best of luck with your running or whatever passion you are pursuing!

The Marathon Project Predictions

Tomorrow morning in Chandler, Arizona, around 50 elite men and 50 elite women will race a marathon on a 4.3 mile loop.

The race website (below) can explain all the deits you may want, but I am here to offer some predictions on the top 10 from the men and women.

Race Details

If you know running, you know.

Top 10 Men:

1. Marty Hehir– Philly med student with 2 infants who is ready to drop the hammer.
2. Cj Albertston– A unique runner with the 50k national record and a 2:09 treadmill marathon.
3. Scott Fauble– A burrito-eating monster who is ready for another big race.
4. Cam Levins– The Canadian marathon-record holder with big mileage training.
5. Noah Droddy– An easy-going, long-haired, fast competitor who is very fit.
6. Jared Ward– 6th place at the Rio Olympics Marathon and well liked by all.
7. Shadrack Biwott– Very high place finishes at big marathons and now ready for a top time.
8. John Raneri– Mcirdy Trained and ready for a huge marathon PR.
9. Colin Bennie– Trains with Hehir and a big surprise at the Trials in February.
10. Scott Smith– From NAZ Elite- I really like his personality and want to see him do well.

Winning Men’s Time: 2:08:37

I am going to guess that over 75% of the field will PR.

Top 10 Women:

1. Kellyn Taylor– One of my favorite runners from NAZ Elite. So tough and coming off a fast 10k.
2. Sara Hall– Recently ran 2:22 in London and apparently crazy fit. The favorite to win this race.
3. Stephanie Bruce– Also from NAZ Elite and known for her grit. I think the top three will be together into the final miles of the race, unless Hall runs away from the start and holds it all the way.
4. Kiera D’Amato– Running some crazy fast PRs in 2020 and ready to finish the year strong.
5. Emma Bates– A very talented distance runner with a chance to compete for the win.
6. Ursula Garcia– From Mexico and coming off a strong World Half Marathon Championships.
7. Sarah Inglis– A track-star from the UK ready to debut a strong marathon.
8. Diane Nukuri- Representing ASICS with a solid PR of 2:27 and looking to improve on that.
9. Julia Kohnen– 10th place at the trials and now training under Rosario at NAZ Elite.
10. Kinsey Middleton– Giving a Canadian the nod to crack the top ten.

Winning Women’s Time: 2:21:31

LET’S GO!!

The Amazing Theragun

Back when my wife (still getting used to wife instead of fiancée!) and I set our gift registry, we mostly selected items that were useful and practical, like kitchen appliances and a tool kit.

But there was one item that stood out among the rest.

The handheld theragun.

If you are like my wife, you are probably thinking what the heck? Especially when you see the price tag. We did not think anyone would actually get it, but I secretly held on to a small hope.

Lo and behold, some of my family members in England pulled through big time.

My wife was partly aghast, but I was excited as anything.

I don’t think my wife would want to admit it, but we actually use the device all the time. I find the theragun relaxing, but I also use it for recovery after runs and sometimes for activation before a workout.

The force behind the little thing is incredibly powerful and I can see why professional athletes use it all the time.

What would I score the theragun? Probably an 8.5 out of 10.

Some would say the cost is too high, but if you use it as much as we do, so far I can say we’re making good use and justifying the investment from my family.

Running Races Again? I Think So!

I have not run an official race since last February. I had to think hard about that one to make sure I got the date correct. I ran the Alumni Mile on a Saturday in early February (5:13) and a 5k (around 18:40) the next morning. I was in solid shape and looking forward to some Spring and Summer races.

But then COVID hit and everything started to get cancelled or moved to the Fall. Many of the rescheduled races ended up going virtual.

While that all stinks, I am not complaining. People are going through incredibly difficult times and not getting to race is such a small inconvenience. Actually, this time period reinforced for me that running is worth so much more than some times on a watch and helped me maintain structure.

However, I am very excited to have some races on the schedule over the next 6 weeks. I ran most of the summer and did a couple “time trials” on a dirt path by myself that just did not feel like racing and the times reflected that. I’ve been running between 25-35 miles most weeks and started doing more workouts. I am not in phenomonal shape by any means but… it’s time to race!

So what’s on the docket?

October 4th- Chester County XC Series 5k

October 18th- Chester County XC Series 5k

October 24th- Wedding Day DMR (probably 1200m)

November 7th- Bucks County Half Marathon on the Delaware Canal

I have not run an XC race in four years, but those were some of the only options that I found to be in-person. I had no intention of signing up for a virtual race. There are heats of a small amount of people to try to minimize contact that go off in waves. I know a cross country race will be tough, but I’m looking forward to going hard and seeing what happens.

On my wedding day, who knows how I will feel that morning trying to get my legs kicking for three hard laps around the track. But again, I’m pumped to go hard and feel the adrenaline for the wonderful day ahead will help.

And finally, I have only run one half marathon, which was a couple years ago in Philadelphia. This will be on a dirt path rather than the roads. I think this will be a great chance to see where we are aerobically.

Having races on the schedule definitely adds some motivation to workout days and even for easy runs to focus on recovery. Races offer a wonderful opportunity to really push yourself against others. Ready to give these a good go!

The Wedding Day DMR

Firstly, I wish everyone and their families the best in these very uncertain times. To your health and well-being.

Veronica and I are getting married next October. Woot Woot! As some of my friends and family know, I have been thinking of planning a race for the morning of the big day.

Now, this race would be for fun and open to anyone invited to the wedding. I really do imagine getting a good amount of people to come out, female and male, young and old. There would certainly be a competetive side, though. I originally thought of planning a road mile, but then I had one of those shower epiphanies and think a different race is better suited to include everyone…

THE DMR

 

 

DMR= Distance Medley Relay 

There are four legs to the relay.

1. 1200 meters (3 laps)
2. 400 meters (1 lap)
3. 800 meters (2 laps)
4. 1600 meters (4 laps)

 

How would this work?

Well, once we find out everyone who wants to participate we will try to split up everyone into teams of four as evenly as possible.

*Groomsmen, other close running friends, and select individuals are basically required to participate ;

Everyone will receive an email with the names of their teammates and the color they are to wear to the race the weekend before the wedding. Teams can pick an order for who runs what leg by email or wait until the morning of the event to deliberate. One of the fun parts will be picking who runs what leg because this could make all the difference to performance.

We will likely run this at the Bristol track.

Prizes= TBD

Main Reward for Winning Team= Pride and an announcement by the DJ to everyone at the reception recognizing the achievement. 

So if you like running (and know you are coming to the wedding), GET PUMPED!