Sunday, October 31, 2010

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, By Dean Karnazes

 Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

Topping the "What book should I read for motivation?" threads on /r/running, right next to Born To Run, is Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.

Ultramarathon Man, written by Dean Karnazes, is essentially the story of how Dean went from an uptight swanky office man to a ultrarunning fanatic. The book is really a few short stories showing different adventures he has partaken in. From the tight running cliques to the toughest runs, this book will beg for you to read it after every page turn.

If you are looking for running motivation, this is your book. As Dean runs 199 miles nonstop for charity, he describes the things that push him forward. Clearly this is a man of steel, both physically and mentally. The thought of a man running this far for someone else is more than enough to make you want to stop whatever you are doing and go run.

His stories show the greatest obstacle to any runner: himself. Every step he makes effects his next step. Something that happened miles back could affect him 3 hours later. I have developed even more of an appreciation for ultramarathoners after reading this book.

Throughout the book he asks himself the question, "Why am I running?" A typical question most runners struggle with.  He gives many answers, but finds peace in one answer that he supports with his whole heart.

Now, Dean does not run barefoot. He finds joy in running in shoes. After finding the shoe that he liked he stuck with it. Do I see him as anything less for wearing shoes? Heck no! If you can run 100+ miles I am in no position to judge you. Do whatever you want and do whatever works for you. I do, however, wonder if he has considered some barefoot training...

If this book has taught me anything it is to run with your heart. Once your legs give out and your mind is telling you to quit, your heart will keep pumping and guide you to the finish.

I give this book a 8/10. It is an excellent read. Why the deduction of points? I think some more details could have been given about what he does to train, what he wears, etc. The lack of these topics is clearly a way to get non-running geeks to read the book, but maybe my interest is a little geeky.


If you are interested in buying the book Ultramarathon Man, please use the links from my site to purchase it. All funding contributes to BarefootTyler.com.

Going For A Run

I have a run planned tonight with my girlfriend. It will be the first time I have ran in a month. I had some heel problems(bone brusing I think). I have been waiting for it to heal. It is still there, but I think some gentle running will be good for me and my form.

Anyway, we have probably about 3-4 miles planned. We are just going to run/walk and enjoy ourselves at a steady pace. I will try to make it fun by incorporating some tag or something.

Now, I am off to write my review of Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. Should be up soon!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Some Thoughts On 50K

As January approaches, I beg my heel to heal. I want to start training again so I know that I can run the Alex's Fat Ass 50K barefoot. It will be a challenge since I have never ran that far and my feet are going back to old softees while waiting for this injury to heal.

Next week I am going to start walking around barefoot in the street to hopefully harden my feet a bit. I understand that toughening of the feet is not necessary to run barefoot, but I know from experience that there is some toughening when beginning running barefoot or starting after a long break.

When my injury heals I want to start cranking out long runs. I will probably be following a slightly modified 8 week plan developed by the RunnersWorld SmartCoach Training Program.

Your current race time is: 0:20:00  for a 5 K
Your distance training goal is: Marathon
You currently train: 41 - 45 miles/week
How hard you want to train: Hard
Your long-run day: Sunday
Your training program Starts: Monday, 11/1/2010 and Ends: Sunday, 12/26/2010
Length of your training schedule: 8 weeks
Wk Dat Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total
111/1
11/7
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Tempo Run
Dist: 6 mi, inc
Warm; 4 mi @ 7:04; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Rest
/ XT
Long Run
Dist: 14 mi
@8:25
41 miles
211/8
11/14
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:25
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Speedwork
Dist: 6 mi, inc
Warm; 2x1600 in 6:37
w/800 jogs; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Rest
/ XT
Long Run
Dist: 16 mi
@8:25
44 miles
311/15
11/21
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Tempo Run
Dist: 7 mi, inc
Warm; 5 mi @ 7:08; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Rest
/ XT
Long Run
Dist: 18 mi
@8:25
46 miles
411/22
11/28
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:25
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:25
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:25
37 miles
511/29
12/5
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:20
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:20
Tempo Run
Dist: 8 mi, inc
Warm; 6 mi @ 7:08; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 7 mi
@8:20
Rest
/ XT
Long Run
Dist: 20 mi
@8:20
49 miles
612/6
12/12
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:20
Easy Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:20
Speedwork
Dist: 7 mi, inc
Warm; 3x1600 in 6:33
w/800 jogs; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:20
Rest
/ XT
Long Run
Dist: 20 mi
@8:20
51 miles
712/13
12/19
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 4 mi
@8:20
Easy Run
Dist: 4 mi
@8:20
Tempo Run
Dist: 7 mi, inc
Warm; 5 mi @ 7:04; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 4 mi
@8:20
Rest
/ XT
Long Run
Dist: 8 mi
@8:20
27 miles
812/20
12/26
Rest
/ XT
Easy Run
Dist: 4 mi
@8:25
Rest
/ XT
Tempo Run
Dist: 6 mi, inc
Warm; 4 mi @ 7:04; Cool
Easy Run
Dist: 4 mi
@8:25
Rest
/ XT
Marathon Race Day
Marathon
@7:33
Time: 3:18:18
40 miles
 
Legend
Example What it Means
Easy Run
Dist: 3km
@8:00
Run a total distance of 3 kilometers at a pace of 8 minutes per kilometer.

Speedwork
Dist: 8km, inc
Warm; 3x800 in 4:00
w/400 jogs; Cool
Run a total distance of 8 kilometers. Your run should include:
- a warmup of about 1.5km
- 3 repeats of 800 meters each; each repeat should take 4 minutes
- a 400-meter recovery jog after each repeat
- a cooldown of about 1.5 km
Note: Warmups and cooldowns are generally 1.5 km each. But on some days, you'll need to make them longer to reach the total distance for your run.

Rest
/XT
Take a rest day, or do moderate cross-training activity.

Race Day
Dist: 5K
@5:00 Time: 20:00
On a race day, run your 5K at a 5-minute per kilometer pace. Your time will be 25:00.

Anyway, what I plan to do is ignore the speeds and focus on the distances for each day. When I run the 50K I will be running at about a 12-15 minute/mile pace. This feels slow for me, but I think if I start slow I can complete it and end strong without injury. I want to run all of my runs at that speed and just get used to being patient with myself. I have a tendency to get cocky and see how fast I can go. If I go slower I can concentrate on good form and maybe not get another injury.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Too Long... Standing Strong

I am still waiting on my heel to heal. I think this is going to be a 6 week thing, meaning I have(*checks blog...*) 3.5 weeks to go. Don't get me wrong, I really want to run, I just don't want to aggravate my heel any more.

After 6 weeks, if it still hurts, I am going to see a doctor just to double check everything.

After I finish healing I am going to still run barefoot, but I think I am going to stay clear of rough trails. I know that the mistake I made that caused my injury is my fault and not a flaw in barefoot running, but a flaw in my experience. I should have ran softer trails first and eased into running the rough terrain. Never-the-less, if I am going to run a rough trail I will probably sport some Vibrams instead. Barefoot running is fun and enjoyable, so I want to be able to do it as much as possible with the least amount of injury.


I have been reading Ultramarathon Man. I take a while to read books, but I only have one more chapter left, so a review should be coming soon. Keep an eye out!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Staying In Shape With Some Low Impact Cardio

Aside from doing the 100 Pushup Challenge and 200 Situp Challenge, I have started something new. I need some way to keep my legs in shape while keeping my heel satisfied. For the first time in 2 years I am riding my bike!

I have had some bad experiences on my bike. Surely I have had more good than bad though. I used to race BMX in the American Bicycle Association and was Expert at age of 12. Sometime while I was 13 I broke my femur at a local race. I still loved racing, but was convinced by my parents that it wasn't in my best interest. I gave it up, took up guitar and pool, and went on with my life.

I really want to post a picture from that era. Maybe I can round one up....

A few years later I had an itch to ride, so I bought a bike and started riding again. A few months after the start I was doing some dirt jumps and had a concussion. Once again, riding was not in my best interest, so I gave it up.

So what am I doing back on my bike? Well instead of concentrating on getting big air or seeing how fast I can go around a track, I am concentrating on seeing how much I really need a car. Luckily, while doing this, I am able to get some much needed exercise in. I can already feel it in my legs! (These Georgia hills are something!) I can also feel it working my arms and chest. I had some brutal pecks when I raced, maybe I can get them back.

So here I am, saving gas, taking five minutes longer to get somewhere, enjoying myself, and getting a workout all at once. Most importantly, I am trying to be safe. I don't want any more incidents. Wish me luck!

On a barefoot running note, I tried running yesterday just to test out some changes in form. I have come to a conclusion that my current form is the one for me. Everything else I do feels odd. My heel is still uncomfortable. When I stand on it barefoot I feel the bruising. I am positive that resting it will help it heal faster, but I am just impatient. Grrrr wanna run!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

100 Pushup and 200 Situp Challenge

For those of you who have never heard of the 100 Pushup challenge, it is essentially a training guide to get your butt off the couch and do some pushups. There is also a 200 situp version which does the same. The goal of these is to reach 100 consecutive pushups and 200 consecutive situps all at once, for each individual activity.

I am taking a break from running to give my heel some time to heal, but I told myself that I would build my core. I figure pushups and situps are better than nothing.

I started Week 2 of each training guide. I am fit enough where I don't have a problem starting a bit ahead. Every other day I am going to do the 100 pushup and 200 situp challenge to gain strength. I don't really care if I actually am able to do 100 pushups or 200 situps, just that I am staying strong.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Playing With Pose

I am still on my recovery, but I started studying techniques that may help me prevent injury. One of them, is the Pose technique.

From what I can tell, I am supposed to fall forward with my back straight, head up, bending at my ankles. I tried it for a few steps on the carpet floors(to not irritate my heel) and it felt alright. It definitely kept me more on the balls of my feet without stressing my calf muscles. Now, is this better? I dunno. I only ran 10 feet with it.






Will I go full on Pose method if I do decide to keep the form? Probably not. It is something I want to play with and implement into my running if it works for me. Experimentation can be good right? Anyone have any experiences with Pose or even Chi running?

Friday, October 1, 2010

Taking A Break

My heel still isn't feeling better. I talked to a doctor today and he believes that it is a bone bruise and won't get better unless I give it some rest for 4-6 weeks. He recommend just trying 2 weeks and seeing if it feels better.

I am going to take his advice. These next few weeks are going to be bad without running, but I know that it is for the better and will help me in the long run(no pun intended). I think once I get my heel taken care of maintaining a streak will be much easier.

I plan on reading more about running through Ultramarathon Man
and The Barefoot Running Book and posting reviews of each.

I also want to work on strengthening my core by doing pushups and situps, as well as other exercises. I think when I reach a point of fatigue during the Alex's Fat Ass 50K these core exercises will carry me though.

After this 4-6 week period my training will start again. I will focus on running flat surfaces, since most of the 50K is flat. I will be focusing on my form, distance, and core building. I want to be able to run at least 25 miles before the big run. I expect the awesomeness of the race to carry me the other 6ish miles.

Here are some pictures I took yesterday but forgot to put up at Yahoola. It really is a nice place.