Yasso 800s

I have a rough plan of what my week of running will look like based on Hal Higdon Personal Best Marathon Training Schedule.  I don't decide my route until I leave my front door.  I have 2 choices when I get to the end of my road: I can go right and do flats or go left and do hills.  Usually I have already planned if it will be a long run, an easy run, or speedwork based on my schedule.

Today I went right and I decided to start my Yasso 800 training.  You can check out Runner's World's article describing Yasso 800, if you think that I just made it up.  Or check out Bart Yasso at bartyasso.com. 

The theory is that you can predict your marathon time based on how fast you can run ten 800 meter intervals (with a short 200-400 m jog between).  For instance, if you can run 800 m averaging 3:50 min, your marathon time should be 3 hours: 50 minutes.  

However, you don't want to just go out one day and attempt to run all 10 the first time.  I did this when I trained for the Utah Valley Marathon and it was BRUTAL!!! Bart recommends that you start with four and build up to ten, doing these intervals once every other week.

I'm just going to admit that my 800s were a JOKE this morning.  The first 2 were ok.  My goal is to run my next marathon in 4 hours, so I wanted to run each 800 in 4 min.  The first was 4:07, the second 3:53, the third was 4:23 and fourth 4:17.  On those last 2 I caught my mind wandering to things that I needed to do today.  When I looked down, my pace was just under 10 min/mile.  I came home and told my husband that from now on he was going to have to pace me so that I stay on pace.  I love to run, but I have to really concentrate to run fast.

Does this theory really work?  I found several proponents and opponents to Yasso 800s.  I personally think that there is actually some validity to it.  Regardless of it really working or not, it is a great form of speedwork.  If you have a marathon in the near future, try it out and see what you think.

I would love to hear your feed back about Yasso 800s or what you are doing to mix things up with running.

Marathon Training - Speedwork

I'm finally getting excited to train for my next marathon.  I have used several different training programs in the past, but I always seem to come back to Hal Higdon's programs.  This time around I'm using his 30 week Personal Best Program.

Utah Valley Marathon 2013

This program is a combination of his Intermediate Spring and Intermediate Marathon Training Programs.  It is for people that have run 2-3 marathons in the past and are looking "to achieve peak performance."

I just started week 12, so I have 18 weeks to go.  I am really enjoying this program because it is allowing me to ease back into running.  This winter I was still recovering from PMS (post-marathon syndrome), so I only ran a few days a week for short distances.  I'm glad that I gave myself that break because now I'm ready to start over again.

Almost all of my running was done on the treadmill this winter.  I get really bored when I run on the "dreadmill," as one of my friends calls it.  One of the ways that I have been able to keep myself sane is to do speedwork.

Here is a list of my interpretation of three types of speedwork: tempo, fartlek, and pace training.


1.  Tempo:  A tempo run is commonly described as "comfortably hard."  There are several different methods out there for tempo runs, but I prefer doing it like a pyramid.

• start with an easy jog at a warm-up pace for 1-2 miles.  You should be able to chat with your running buddy (or to yourself if running alone).
• Gradually pick up your pace to just slower than your 10-K pace or about 80-90% of your max heart rate.  I usually take about 5-10 min to accelerate.
• Hold this faster pace for about 3-5 min.
• Gradually decrease your pace for another 5-10 min.
• Cool down at a comfortable pace for another 1-2 miles.  

I think the easiest way to do this is on the treadmill.  After my mile warm up, I add on 0.2 mph every minute for a mile or two.  Then I decelerate by coming down the pyramid in the same manner.

2.  Fartlek: This is not only a fun word to say, but I think it's fun to do!  Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning "speed play."  I think that I like them the most because they are unstructured.  They alternate between moderate-to-hard effort.  This is a fun workout to do with friends. You can alternate the leader to shout out when to run hard and when to run moderate.  The goal of these runs is to keep it fun, like a game. 

Since I usually train alone, I have chosen to do my fartleks with Tabata timing.  I guess that it defeats the purpose of not being tethered to a watch, but I think it's fun so that's all that matters.  I warm up for 10 minutes with an easy run, then I set my Tabata timer for 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, repeating 8 times.   I repeat the whole process 2 more times.

3.  Pace training:  This is a run done at your goal "pace" of the race that you are training for.  I use this pace calculator to determine my pace.  For instance, my goal is to break 4 hours at my marathon in August.  I used the pace calculator and found out that I would need to run a 9 min pace to accomplish this.   A good way to do pace training, is to throw in races every 3 weeks during your training schedule.  

BEGINNERS:  If you are new to training, I would recommend doing speedwork every other week.  

INTERMEDIATE:  Increase your speedwork to once a week.

I highly recommend adding speedwork into your workouts.  However, be very careful when doing this.  Make sure that you properly warm up and cool down with each session.  Work up slowly!  For instance, when doing fartleks, only do 3 intervals to begin with.  Make your hard and moderate time equal, or even rest for longer periods of time to begin with.  Your chances of injury are much greater if you start off too fast, do too many, or don't let your body recover between speedwork sessions.  

Most importantly, make speedwork fun!!!  Include your family or friends in these workouts or make a certain playlist with all your favorite songs just for these speedwork sessions.  I don't know if I would ever be able to share my speedwork playlist with anyone.  Some of the songs on there are kind of embarrassing, but they keep me motivated.  

PMS: Post Marathon Syndrome

It has been a month since the Utah Valley marathon and I am still not feeling the love for long runs or training. The other day I read a post by Hal Higdon about Post-Marathon Syndrome, or PMS.  I have decided that this is what I am suffering from.  I have the Pocatello Marathon on my calendar for August 31, but I can't wrap my head around training for it.  The training for the Utah Valley Marathon was so intense and focused and time consuming, that I am not ready to do it again.  Also my leg is still giving me some problems and I don't want to aggravate it more with long runs.

I am loosely following Brian Mackenzie's crossfit approach to running, but other than that I am doing whatever I feel like doing. For example, this week I did 2 speedwork sessions (the max was 4 miles), I went to 3 kettlebell classes, swam 1/2 mile, went on a 6.8 mile walk/hike, and attended a Pilates class. On Saturday, instead of going for a long run, I let my friend, Monica, kick my butt at the gym.  After a warmup on the treadmill we did a fitness test.  We did 1 minute of push ups, 1 minute of crunches and 1 minute of Burpees. We both kept a log of our results and then we will do it again to see if we are improving our fitness. We are still trying to decide how frequently we want to do the fitness test.  I suggested monthly and then we could try to get at least one more/minute each month.  After a warmup and the fitness test, she put me through her 1 1/2 hour long kettlebell boot camp. I'm really sore now, but it was tons of fun.

I wanted to do the fitness test because I recently realized that my 36th birthday is less than a month away. When I started this journey back in September, I made it one of my goals to be the most fit in my life by my b-day.  The only problem is that I really didn't set out any parameters to gauge my fitness.  I do feel like I am more fit, all of my clothes are loose on me, my body fat is down, I have lost a bit of weight, and I have set PRs in my race times.  All of these are good indicators of fitness, but I think that the fit test will help me to have a starting point for the next year of goal setting.

Last week I decided that it was time to take action with my diet.  I realized that I had eaten some kind of sweet everyday the week before and I caught myself drinking more and more Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper.  I have read that you should eat to look good, feel good, and to better your performance. So I decided that I needed some motivation and accountability. If I eat any type of sweet- including dark chocolate and soda- I have to pay Monica $5.  I started this challenge on June 29 and I'm going to do it until my birthday on July 27.  I know it probably seems crazy, but I have made it a week without sweets or soda. On any normal week this wouldn't be too terrible, but my husband and I have had tons of family in town with tons of family gatherings and tons of sugary temptations.  I was able to stick it out though and I am so glad that I did.

I threw this challenge out to my book club.  Sarah said that she would try and Libby said that if she tried to do this she would be setting herself up for failure. I replied to Sarah with my favorite quote from Yoda "Do or do not, there is no try."  My response to Libby was that I don't see it as setting myself up for failure, but for success. When I eats sweets and drink soda, I feel guilty, but I have never felt guilty when I have not eaten them. This week when I contemplated eating a piece of cake, drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper or eating a M&M, I remembered that guilt (and the $5) and it made it so much easier to walk away.  I figure that I saved at least 500 calories per day by not eating sweets this week.  I'm sure that I wasn't in a caloric deficit since I still ate plenty of other foods that I usually don't eat, like dip & chips and pasta salad, but it is a step in the right direction.

A Marathon PR and Setting New Goals

Utah Valley Marathon Run Down

I finished the Utah Valley Marathon in 4:19:47, which shaves 2 minutes and 52 seconds off my personal record.  So why am I disappointed?  Because I wasn't able to meet my goal of 4 hours.  My strategy was to start out with the 4 hour pacer and run with this group until mile 16.  There were three hills up to this point, so I had decided that after these I would reevaluate how I felt and then either stick with the 4 hour group or speed up for the last 10 miles of gradual downhill.  Right from the start I felt off.  I had been sick for the 2 weeks prior to the marathon, so I am sure that was a contributing factor.  However, I decided to stick it out and stay with the 4 hour group.  I thought that maybe I just needed to warm up and it usually takes me about three miles to get into a rhythm.  The first hill was at mile 8 and fell about 100 yards behind the pacer during the climb.  I decided that I wasn't going to worry too much about it because she was pacing a little bit faster than a 9:09 min/mile pace.  But as time went on, and as I came to the next two hills, she got farther and farther ahead of me.  According to my Garmin watch, at the half marathon start, my time was 2:01:19. I figured that I could still make a 4:05 finish, since the hardest part of the marathon was behind me. I was still slowing considerably, and after mile 19 I was averaging a 9:24 minute mile (4:06 finish).

By mile twenty, I hit the wall like I had never hit it before. I could barely put one foot in front of the other.  I had a cramp in my calf and both of my hips were throbbing.  I was also in a mental fog.  It wasn't until after the race, that I realized that I was dehydrated.  It took me several hours to figure this out.  When Mike and I sat down to eat lunch, the waitress gave me the menu and as I looked at it, I realized that I could barely read the words and what I could read didn't make sense.  As Mike and I talked about it I realized that I usually have to urinate midway through my runs, but I wasn't able to go until several hours after the marathon.  Last night I read on Facebook the race organizer's apology for the lack of porta potties.  I had to chuckle a little because I hadn't even noticed.

I ended up walking the majority of the last 6.2 miles.  I cried when the 4:10 and 4:15 pacers passed me.  If I would have had a phone with me, I would have called Mike to come get me after mile 20 and it took me 12:10 to finish that one mile.  I averaged an 11:37 min/mile pace for those last 6.2 miles.  Now, as I reevaluate everything, I am so glad that I didn't quit the race.  I am actually just relieved that I was able to finish without needing medical attention.  And although I am glad that I was still able to PR, I am still disappointed in the choices that I made that affected my performance.  I should have taken more time at the aid stations.  I should have trained with Gatorade, so that I would have been prepared to drink it throughout the race.  I should have drank both water and Gatorade at each aid station.  I should have started hydrating better before the race.  I was up at 3 am and I should have started to drink water and Gatorade at that time, but I was tired and I didn't feel like drinking then.  I did take two 6 oz bottle of BCAA with me.  I drank those with gels every 2 miles and that helped me not to have any GI issues until after the race.  I guess that is something that I have figured out.

Summer Training Plans

It's 24 hours after the marathon, and at this point I am usually planning out the training for my next marathon. Not this time though.  I am signed up for the Pocatello Marathon in September, but I am planning on changing it to the half marathon.  I don't think that I am ready to train for another marathon at this point.  I think that one marathon a year is more than enough.  I still want to drive my pace down to the sub 9 min/mile zone or lower.  I have been reading Brian Mackenzie's book Power, Speed, Endurance, which is a crossfit approach to endurance events and I want to start focusing on his method for awhile.  Check it out at http://www.crossfitendurance.com/.  I'm excited to focus on power and speed.

There are so many other things that I want to do, in conjunction with running.  I definitely don't want to spend the summer running any more long runs.  I have two great bikes: a road and mountain bike, but I haven't even gotten on either one yet this summer.   I have already mentioned several times how much I love Monica's Tabata and Kettlebell classes (they are comparable to the crossfit classes I have attended) and I want to be able to go to them whenever I want. Just writing about these things that I enjoy, I am getting excited.  I just have to get past this next week.  Hal Higdon refers to the week after a marathon as week zero.  I plan on doing pilates, walking, stretching, and using my foam roller.  I also need to get some sleep.  I might get on my bike next week, but according to Hal, I shouldn't do anything new.  Since I haven't biked for over 9 months, I think that this activity would qualify as "new."  I might try going back to Kettlebell class on Friday, if I can walk properly by then.  I was walking in front of an old lady with a cane and hunched back yesterday, and Mike said that she was moving better than I was.

And Finally-Time to get back to CLEAN EATING

I also am going to get back to eating clean 90% of the time.  This past month I was probably eating clean

75-80%.  I ate out about two times a week and I ate treats nearly every day.  Although I have splurged more, I kept the meals that I made myself totally clean.  I think that this really helped me to keep my weight maintained.  I still want to lose 5% body fat.  Now that I'm not training for a marathon, I can focus on building muscle and losing fat.  I have been debating if I should go back to the Stripped Diet Plan, but I think that I am going to start with Cooler 2 for the summer and see where that gets me.  If I'm not where I want to be after the Pocatello Half Marathon, then I will reassess what I am doing at that point.

Phantom Pain?

I said that I wasn't going to do lunges or squats until after the marathon.  Really, I did say it.  I even believed that I was telling the truth.  On Monday I went to Tabata class because I was a little bit tired of running.  Well,  I did some squats and lunges, but that was going to be the last day.  Then on Wednesday I went to Kettlebell class and of course I did squats and lunges.  About half way through the Kettlebell class (as I was doing squats on the bench) my left quad started to hurt.  It wasn't the normal "feeling the burn" kind of pain, it was deep, something is wrong kind of pain.  But, being the idiot that I am, I finished the class.  I realized I was in big trouble when it was very painful to walk up and down the stairs Wednesday night and Thursday.  I was supposed to meet with my trainer to do an interval run on Friday, but I texted her and said that I thought that I had injured my IT band and that I needed to rest my leg.  Thursday night, I ran into my friend Kim (who has ran several marathons) and I told her that I was worried that I had injured myself.  After listening to me complain, she told me that in the weeks leading up to a marathon she will sometimes have "phantom pain."  This has really got me thinking.  On a normal day, I try to push myself with every workout.  Therefore, everyday something hurts.  Even though something always seems to hurt, I do it again the next day.  However, the closer I get to a marathon, the more I worry about these aches and pains.  I dwell on every little thing and then I start to think the worse and then I worry about how it will affect me on race day.  I decided to take my runs a little bit easier on Friday and Saturday.  Today my right quad is still sore, but my attention has shifted to my sore calves.  Am I nuts?  Yes, yes I am.  But am I suffering from real or phantom pain?  I'm not entirely sure.

Despite this real or perceived discomfort, I still managed to get in 24 miles of running, the tabata and kettlebell classes, 2 pilates class and 1 at home pilates workout, upper  body strength training, and a 6.68 mile walk/hike (plus the neighborhood walks with my dog).  All in all, it was a good week.  I'm looking forward to relaxing this next week at my sister's pool in Las Vegas.  I plan on doing some pilates, pool exercises, walking with my sister, and 2 shorter runs.  Other than that I will spend the week lying on a lounge chair, watching movies, enjoying the company of my sister and brother-in-law, and just being lazy.

 

Starting to taper

I wrote this on Sunday and forgot to post it. Better late than never!

Last week was my "peak" week. I ran a total of 38 miles. A 6 mile run that included 10- 400 meter repeats, a 10 mile run as close to race pace as I could muster and a 20 mile run. The 20 mile run was my slowest one yet. I don't know if it was because I was alone, or because everything kind of went wrong. I usually run on Saturdays, but the weather was forecasted to be bad so I decided to run it on Thursday. I had worked the day before so I didn't drink as much as I should have. Because of this late change, I had done my repeats before work on Wednesday and then kettle bell class afterwards. My legs were exhausted before mile 10. I also had to stop for a potty break and I added in an extra hill climb. Although the run was hard, the weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful. I also listened to "The Secret Keeper" by Kate Morton, so that made the 3 plus hours fly by.
Today I'm exhausted. I think that it will be nice to decrease my mileage this week. I'll still keep my regular workout schedule for one more week, but the 2 weeks after I will cut everything but Pilates.
These past few weeks of high mileage have been accompanied with lots of justifying of extra treats. However, now that I'm starting to taper, I'm also starting to clean and tighten up my diet. Food prep, lots of greens, and planning will be crucial.
I have been trying to come up with a granola/protein bar recipe, which has led to much sampling. I just want to find something that's a better alternative to granola bars at the grocery store. On the days I work, I am either going to the gym at 5 am or right after work. I need something that is convenient and nutritious. It's a work in progress, but I have found a recipe for a no bake cookie that I'm using as my guide. I will share it when I get it right.

I ❤ Hal

I love Hal Higdon! I think that I have said it before, but I felt like I needed to say it again. I wait impatiently

for his tip of the day on Facebook everyday. Often his tip is just the encouragement or insight that I needed. Last week I was dealing with a great deal of self doubt. I have set a goal of breaking 4 hours on my next marathon. I also have a BQ as my long term goal. Since I have said it on KPVI More and also on my blog and told other people of my goal, I worry about feeling stupid if I have to say I failed. I hate failing!!! This was Hal's tip when I needed it the most-



I love that! After I read that my whole attitude about running has changed. I'm back to loving it and doing it for me. Not to prove anything, not to care about what anyone thinks. A PR is just that- a personal record. No matter what your goals are- they are for you! Don't worry about where anyone else is. Focus on what you want to prove to yourself. Whether its getting your butt off the couch more, taking out the food that isn't food from your diet, or signing up for a race or fitness competition. Do it for you!