May latest column for RunMichigan!

This link will take you there. I apologize for all the spelling errors in it.

Since things are starting to come around, I figured I would just post my log for the week!


Fall Marathon Training
Week of 8/2-8/8

Monday:
AM: 3-2-1 @ Goal MP, from the Boat Launch.
3 miles: 15:03
1 mile jog: 6:40
2 miles: 9:57
1 mile jog: 6:20
1 mile: 5:02

Felt pretty smooth, except it was very warm and humid. With Mike and Steven. Total: 14 miles

PM: 28:00 easy from the Lake Orion Store. Hot. 4 miles


Tuesday:
AM: Twinkler Loop Easy. 1:10:00 for 11 miles
PM: Bloomer Park: 39:00 for 6 miles

Wednesday:
AM: Gallagher Loop. 1:15:38 for 12 miles.
PM: Easy in Bloomer. Watched the bikers on the velodrome for a few minutes. 33:00 for 5 miles.

Thursday:
AM: Big Thursday. Long from Keith’s house. Trying to run the long runs with a more significant effort. Splits from Garmin were: 5:46, 5:30, 5:23, 5:16, 5:23, 5:26, 5:20, 5:22, 5:25, 5:17, 5:17, 5:21, 5:34 (up Snell), 5:17, 5:19, 5:24. Felt pretty smooth. 1:26:30 for 16 miles.

PM: Shakeout run. 27:00 for 4 miles.


Friday:
AM: Shepherd loop with Bears option. 1:17:00 for 12.1 miles.
PM: Easy after work. 33:00 for 5 miles

Saturday:
AM: The Saturday Dutton Loop. Wore the Garmin, most splits between 5:45-6:05. 1:21:00 for 13 miles
PM: Easy on the Clinton River Trail. 33:15 for 5 miles.

Sunday:
AM: 4x1600 @ 10 seconds faster than MP. 800 jog recovery. Nothing crazy, but a little leg turnover.
1600: 4:52
800 jog: 3:05
1600: 4:52
800 jog: 3:10
1600: 4:52
800 jog: 3:22
1600: 4:52
800 jog: 3:25

With warm up and cool down: 16 miles

PM: Shakeout in Bloomer. 27:00 for 4 miles

Weekly Total: 127 miles. A very good week. All mileage was solid. A very good steady state run. Starting some good workouts.

Chicago Marathon Training Week #4

Chicago Marathon Training: Week #4


7/26-8/1



Training started to get more serious this week. This week included another steady diet of 12 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon. I did start wearing my Garmin to get a good idea of paces. Most of the mileage was right around 6 minute pace after we got going. Friday was the first workout of the segment, a 12 mile cut down. We started at 6:00 and worked down to 5:10 for the last miles. Actual splits were 5:47, 5:58, 5:49, 5:50, 5:39, 5:36, 5:23, 5:27, 5:18, 5:10, 5:03, 5:03 (1:06:08 for 12). Total mileage for the week was 118 miles. Hopefully, there will be a video of the workout, soon. It feels good to be running the higher mileage again and getting into the workouts again! Very excited for the possibilities this fall.



On a side note, there was an end of an era this week as Sell moved back home to Pennsylvania. It’s funny how much things can change in two years. We all wish him well as he moves on to the next chapter of his life.

Fall Marathon Training: Week #3

Chicago 2010: Week #3


7/19/2010-7/25/2010

This week ended up very well. The goal was to finish with about 100 miles. My week consisted of a lot of days with 12 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon. The “highlight” was on Friday, where I lost a good 7 pounds of water during an hour and half of running. The Grizzly Bear went from 145 to 138 pounds. I drank an entire jug of apple juice before I realized what I had done. That took a couple days to recover from. Most of the mileage was from 6:00-6:25/mile pace, right between 65-70% of maximum effort. Sunday capped the week with an almost long run. Mike and I hammered out a hilly 16.5 miles around Lake Orion in 1:41. The weekly total was 108 miles. According to Kevin, one more week of mileage (I’ll shoot for 110-120 miles), and then start workouts after the 30th. That should make for more interesting reading!

Some of my current running music:

Fall Marathon Training: Week #2

Chicago 2010, week #2


7/12-7/18

Today was the end of my second week of training for my fall marathon attempt. Again, it was just building back into the mileage and incorporating the little things back into the daily routine- mainly core work and stretching.

The week was highlighted by a three day trip to the Finger Lakes region of New York to celebrate the marriage of Chad and Melissa. It was a good time as we were able to get a lot of the old guys and girls together. As much as people come and go in the program, many of them do end up being an extension of your family. Morgan and I were able to talk to Nick a little bit about the McMillan guys running Chicago and what their plans were. It sounds like a really nice group of guys attempting 2:11-2:12 races this fall. It should be exciting. As much as it is intimidating, it’s actually really nice to have those guys there. It makes the work a little more bearable and it means someone is going to come out with a really good race.

So, all in all, seven days of running for 75 miles. Fell off a little from the extra work, mainly due to time constraints of wedding and travel. Next week means no travel, and the beginning of hermit mode training. Looking for about 100 miles next week, then start workouts.

Active Isolated Stretching

The Whartons' Stretch Book, Featuring the Breakthrough Method of Active-Isolated Stretching - 1996 publication

Fitness Tests

As an exercise physiologist, I certainly find the value in laboratory tests of such variables like VO2max, Aerobic Threshold, Anaerobic Threshold, Running Economy, along with the accompanying velocities (or paces) with the mentioned variables. As a coach, there needs to be a practical component. In other words, numbers are great, only if you know how to use them. I think for runners who are more experienced and looking for a way to fine tune their training, then these tests can be incredibly valuable. For runners who are just starting out, these tests may not mean very much to them. I say this, simply because, as starting out the focus really just needs to be on building their general running endurance first. After a couple months of just running, then these tests can extremely helpful. Another problem with laboratory testing is there otfen times is no place of convenience to conduct the testing.

Over the last couple years, I have become a big fan of using a test called the Balke Field Test with a twist from Dr. Joe Vigil. This test is simple, effective, accurate, reproducable, and most importantly; practical! The basic steps are as follows: (Adopted from Dr. Joe Vigil's Road to the Top)

Steps:
1- Subject runs as far as possible in 15 minutes. The distance is accurately recorded. The best place to conduct this test is probably a local track where the terrein is even, distance easily measured, and pacing can be controlled.

2- Distance is converted to meters. Each lap of the track is 400 meters. A mile is 1609 meters.

3- The total number of meters are divided by 15 to get the meters per minute

4- The first 150 meters is a base and is equivalent to 33.3 ml/kg/min

5- For every meter over 150 meters, multiply by 0.178 ml and add to the base.

6- For every meter under 150 meters, multiply by 0.178 and then subtract from the base.


Example: A subject covers 4800 meters in 15 minutes and is equal to 320 meters/minute (4800 divided by 15). Then subtract 320-150 (the base) = 170. Mulitply 170 by 0.178, which equals 30.26. Finally, add 33.3 + 30.26 for a VO2 of 63.56.

Using this example, we see that the subject has a pretty good VO2max measure. However, in practicallity, what does this mean. Well, remember the 320 meters/min that we mentioned above? That is your velocity at VO2max. To convert that to a pace to use for training simply take 1609 meters and divide by 320 to get 5.028 minutes per mile, or about 5:02-3 per mile pace.

That is the fastest pace per mile you would use. For instance, if you were doing 400 meter intervals, that's the pace you would use. Anything on the 90-100% range is ideal for improving VO2max. You can quickly figure out paces for a wide arrange of paces. Easy paces can range from 60-75%, High aerobic/marathon pace typically ranges in the 75-85% range. and your anaerobic threshold or 10k-half marathon pace typically falls in the 85-95% range. All of these perecentages depend on the person and their level of training. However, to find the pace, simply multiply the meters per minute by the proper percentage and divide by 1609 meters to get your minutes per mile.

The question remains, how often do you do the test? I think after a short base building period of a couple weeks. This can be for anyone just starting out or coming back from a planned break. It takes about 6 weeks for the body to adapt to a new training stimulus, so after 6-8 weeks of training at your new training levels, a re-test can occur. I would do your last test prior to your tapering phase or competition phase of your training block.

It takes a little practice to get a good test. You don't want to go out too hard and you want to be ready to provide a good test. You may see a big improvement simply from having a better idea of what is going on the second time around.

Enjoying the race

I recently had a discussion with an athlete that I coach regarding her recent half marathon performance. She had reached her time goal, but when speaking to her, she seemed less than excited. She explained to me that she loved the training, but when she got to the race, she was nervous, not excited, and very worried about whether, or not, she would reach her goal. In essence, the race was not fun for her. I explained to her that I understood her dilemma. Imagine how she would have felt if she had not reached her goal! My poor athlete would have been devastated. After talking to her, I began to think about it and some lessons I have learned along the way.

Lesson 1: You are much more likely to succeed when you learn to let yourself be successful. A former teammate and good friend of mine told me before his big marathon that he would have dreams at night and simply visualize himself being successful. He stated that he didn’t visualize a time at all; just that he ran strong and comfortable the entire way and would envision crossing the finish line in exuberance. He finished sixth in the Chicago Marathon that year and ran a personal best by several minutes in 75 degree weather! To get to that point, it doesn’t take much. My friend simply would visualize the race for a few minutes periodically when it came into his head. I am sure that during his long runs and tough workouts he would visualize the later stages of the race and picture himself running stronger than his competitors. Whatever it is, it has to be repetitive and you cannot allow negative thoughts creep in.

Lesson 2: Take the attitude of I get to race; not I have to race. The goal race of your training segment should be the reward for your hard training, not the punishment! The race is the chance to see how well you planned, trained, and can execute a race strategy. It shouldn’t be a time to fret about uncontrollable variables or who is in the race. In fact, you should be happy when a race is competitive, as it is a great chance to see how well you stack up against people who may be just a touch better than you (or were)! I remember in college, we were ranked seventh (ish?) in NCAA Division I cross country. It was our highest ranking ever. At the national meet, my coach could tell we were nervous. He said to us, “Listen up! Tomorrow, when you are standing on the line, I want you to look down at the Stanford’s and the Colorado’s. I want you to realize that they are just as dumb as you guys!” Of course, he didn’t mean it, but it made us laugh. It made us realize that we were all just a bunch of 18-22 year old punks that happened to be pretty good at running. For the most part it worked and we finished ninth in the nation, by far our highest finish ever. The best part is that we went back my last two years and continued to finish in the top 25. We got to race the best and we had fun at beating the best!

Lesson 3: We all truly do go through the same feelings. I recently roomed with a fellow elite runner at a road race. We were talking about training and how we were both going through a period where we thought we were training much better than our races had been showing. We also talked about a race we ran together several years ago where I had edged him during the last mile of a marathon. He told me that he didn’t even know how he finished that race. It surprised me because he is a runner that I had viewed as much better than me. I figured that he had it all figured out and never felt those things. It seems silly, but hearing him tell me that seemed to solidify that, yes- we all hurt and we all go through the same periodic struggles.

I picked these three because the three of these lessons were the three variables were the constants in every race where I felt I ran well. I am sure there are other elements to enjoying the moment and that’s the fun part- I’ll get to find them out along the way!

Finishing a Segment: Some personal reflections

Since graduating Central Michigan and leaving Mount Pleasant in 2004, I had thought of myself as a marathon runner. That was before I had even run one! Since 2005, I had barely touched a track and hadn't even considered putting a full track segment in, until the summer of 2009. From the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2009, I had run the Chicago Marathon three times, Boston two times, New York once, and the US Olympic Trials in Central Park. My best year by far was 2006, where I had run 2:15:22 and 23 at Boston and Chicago, and been part of the best American male finishing contigent since Greg won over 25 years ago. Since then, I had continued to push the marathon and since the Olympic Trials in the fall of 2007, performance has not exactly been there. Some of it has been circumstance. I am at the point where I continued to force races that were not there, instead of just letting them come to me. Some of it was the races I had run, where I would be running by myself and not racing anyone. The long story short, I had become stagnent and needed to get back to a different type of running- TRACK.

With all of that said, there were two main goals for this segment: 1) regain some lost speed and 2) make a serious attempt at a new 10,000 meter PR. The segment began in Mid-November, so it was a long training block. However, it was by design, because long term, I am thinking about a fall marathon. My mileage is relatively high anyway (100-120 miles a week), so I don't like to do a huge build-up for a marathon. Anyway, so I had been doing "speed" work for a long time. I say, "speed" because it's relative to what I used to do. I wasn't on the track twice a week, but just doing some shorter workouts at 4:30-4:35 per mile pace. This weekend, the segment was to close at Stanford. I was certainly faster than 6 months ago and now it was time to hopefully close out the segment with the secondary goal accomplished.

My plan was to go straight to the back of the group and get pulled along for as long as possible. I was in the fast heat and it is usually pretty fast (for me), so I don't need to be up front where I don't belong. For those who are a little unfamiliar with track racing, it's a cluster-bleep at the start. A lot of pushing and shoving for position. The name of the game is to stay on your feet, hold off space invaders with a strategic elbow, and jockey for a rail position. After that, just ride the rail and only make a move when you think a break is for real!

The race started just as expected and I went right to the back of the 30 runners. It was a little chaotic and spiked feet were a little too close to comfort. Nobody really wanted to lead, so it was like a highway traffic jam. Everybody knows you don't hit the breaks on the freeway! In any case, I stayed upright. We coasted through the first lap in 72-73 seconds, which was slow. I was hoping to be 69-70. But, it picked right up and the next lap was 68 something. I found myself off the rail, making stupid moves to move up the line. That costs energy, especially when you panic. Two really big mistakes. I forgot that it's ok to feel good when you're not doing the work!!! We rolled through the 1600 meter mark in 4:41, or so. The next mile was pretty similar. By now we had strung out to nearly single file and we hit the 3200 meter mark in 9:15, or 4:34 that second mile. At this point I feel pretty freaking good. I am relaxed and running smooth, but I continued to make a couple more unnecessary moves that would later haunt me. The third miles was 4:37 and we hit the 3 mile in 13:52 and the 5,000 meter mark in 14:27. I am feeling awesome, it felt like a hard tempo run, not a redlined drag race.

BUT, a kilometer later, I couldn't cover a small burst from the group and boom! I am off the back. Kevin said I was 71.5 for that lap. I am not really sure what splits were from there, but it wasn't great. I couldn't cover any moves and it felt like someone hit me in the face with a 2x4! It's so weird, how I can feel amazing one lap and then absolutely terrible a couple laps later. Looking back at it, if I could have just held on for a couple more laps, I would have gotten it down to under a mile and a half to go. At that point, I think I could have held on better and snuck under 29:00. It didn't happen though, and I ended up coming in at 29:25. It's hard, because you come through with a mile to go and realize you aren't going to run a 4:00 mile to seal the deal. When you are in the situation you want, you know you can bring that last 400 in 63-65 instead of 70-72! So, it was about 70% there. I made it through 4 and change on a huge PR pace, but couldn't just finish it. That part is frustrating, especially when I can picture the exact moment where I made a split decision and it was the wrong one. However, I always try to find the positve in a situation. 1) the segment was a succes in the fact that I did the work. I did the 28:30 work, and I am closer now than I have ever been. Your body still adapts to that work, regardless of a bad race. 2) I know exactly where I need the most work. It has nothing to do physically, it comes from knowing that a race like that is extremely painful and you have to trust that your body will hold up for those last 10 minutes! It's not like a marathon where it's the slow depletion fatigue. It's sharp, pugnent, and forceful. 3) I am more fit than I have been in over a year, accross the board. My 8 mile tempo runs are over a minute faster than they were in 2009. They are faster than when I ran 1:04:05 in the half marathon and 2:15:22 in the full. That is very promising, and gets me fired up!

So, the segment is over and a break is long over due! A week off from running, then start a small transition segment. I'll get back to the roads and run a half marathon at the end of June. Another small break, then back to the marathon this fall.

Hanson's Coaching Services: 2010 and beyond.

Hello everyone, with 2010 well underway, it's probably a good idea to update everyone on what is going on with the coaching. 2009, despite the economy, was a good year for Hanson's Coaching. I am not saying I made a million dollars, but we at least stayed in business! I have a lot of ideas that I am working on to make me a better coach to all of you, and the coaching as good of an experience as possible. So, here is what I would like to accomplish over the course of the year.

1) Create a blog and make sure the website (http://www.hansonscoachingservices.com/) has current information on it. I would also like to be more involved on social networking sites like facebook, runnerslounge, athlinks, strands, and a couple of others. These are all great ways to post writings and be involved with athletes on a regular basis.

2) Develop training schedules that are an affordable option for everyone. My idea is to create training schedules based on event and weekly mileage intervals so that anyone can have a pretty specific training schedule for whatever distance they are training for. Currently, I have 20 week marathon schedules created and avaliable for download from my home site. The schedeules will be 20, 16, 12, and 8 weeks for the marathon, half marathon, 10k, and 5k. The weekl mileage will be for 20-40 miles per week, 40-60, 60-80, 80-100, and 100+ miles per week.

3) Update trainng notes and add to the training packets. I have been working on these too, ut luckily, the coaching has been busy enough, that it takes most of my time. I would like to update notes on all training variables and nutrition, core, resistance training, drills, etc.

4) Update our annual marathon clinics. I would really like to create some podcasts, mp3s of the presentations, including powerpoint presentations and discussions. This would allow for the clinics to expand beyond the 4 Hanson's Running Shop locations, since we can be a little crowded in a couple of the stores. Plus, it allows for people from anywhere to hear my lovely voice!

Those are the four big goals for 2010. We have begun work on most of them, while hopefully, the others will get some attention soon. I hope to hear from you and wish all of you the best this year!

-Luke