58 days, 13 hours to go...
Thursdays aren't the best days for me to run a workout. It comes close on the heels of four days of work, and an endurance day on Tuesday. On top of that, I cover about 4 miles walking to and from the community college every Tuesday and Thursday morning. It's a lovely path, but the trails are rough at times, and the climbs steep. For these reasons, I typically wait until Friday to do anything difficult so far as running is concerned.
Alas, however, a good friend of mine is in the hospital and tomorrow is the first day I can see him. So I moved up the workout day by one.
Today's starting weight came in a 154 lbs.
The weather this afternoon proved quite lovely, with lots of sun and a light breeze down the backstretch of the track. While warm, the humidity seemed low.
I felt a bit light and hungry on the warm-up walk down to the track, wondering how things would go. Some people really like jogging in the morning and then working out in the afternoon. Typically I do not, and avoid it whenever possible. Interestingly, I don't mind the reverse; that is, working out in the morning and jogging the afternoon. Why this is so remains unclear, but I've come to accept it.
Today marks the end of our latest 3-week training cycle, and as with the end of the previous cycle my goal involved the consolidation of gains. The workout involved 4x1200m, followed by a repetition of 1x400m. The splits went as follows-- 4:50, 4:49, 4:49, 4:46, 78. Of all the cycle's workouts this was the most consistent, as well as run in the hottest conditions, and with the most miles covered for the day before starting. This is really encouraging, and seems to suggest continued improvement.
At the end of the workout I weighed 151 lbs, a 1.95% change. I feel tired, but strong too. This was a good cycle, and with two more before the marathon I'm looking forward to putting on the final touches. 58 days, 13 hours to go.
This one's for you, Bob.
Happy Thursday, friends :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A Memorial to Neil A. Armstrong (1930-2012)
While washing my hands after work yesterday, I learned from my dad that Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon, had died of "complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures" (from a statement released by Armstrong's family). He was 82 years old.
I was saddened to hear this news, as Mr. Armstrong had long served for me as a role-model and hero since first learning of his journey to the moon from my dad's knee nearly two decades ago. He was the calm, steady captain of one of humanity's great expeditions; a quintessential explorer skilled in his craft, and dedicated to a mission for which so many gave so much. It is perhaps fitting that, along with some personal items, Mr. Armstrong also carried with him a piece of the original Wright Flyer to and from the Moon.
Following his death, the Wall St. Journal called Mr. Armstrong, "the most famous aviator since Charles Lindbergh." The Economist obituary read, "He had an engineer’s reserve, mixed with a natural shyness. Even among the other astronauts, not renowned for their excitability, Armstrong was known as the 'Ice Commander.'"
Of the moon-landing and it's context, the same Economist obituary proclaimed:
"It was one of the mightiest achievements of the potent combination of big government and big science; in many ways the apotheosis of the post-war American political consensus. Viewed from an age in which America’s government aspires to smallness and in which grand projects are regarded with suspicion, it seems more alien with every passing year.
Nevertheless, it is one of the few events of the 20th century that stands any chance of being widely remembered in the 30th."
In a different vein, the New York Times wrote:
"The Apollo 11 mission capped a tumultuous and consequential decade. The ’60s in America had started with such promise, with the election of a youthful president, mixed with the ever-present anxieties of the cold war. Then it touched greatness in the civil rights movement, only to implode in the years of assassinations and burning city streets and campus riots. But before it ended, human beings had reached that longtime symbol of the unreachable."
All the papers seem to agree, however, that while the 2 hour, 19 minute moon-walk on 20 July, 1969 is how most of us will remember Mr. Armstrong, it was never an achievement which he used to define himself. Much like Roger Bannister after running the first ever sub-4 minute mile in May 1954, Armstrong avoided the lime-light and the high status which society sought to grant him. It goes to show perhaps that, while society frequently rewards the confident and flashy among us, it is sometimes the quiet, unassuming, and level-headed who take the great "leap for mankind" and succeed.
So let us remember Neil A. Armstrong not only for the momentous step he took, but also for the way he handled himself in its aftermath. Thank you, Mr. Armstrong. You will be missed.
Peace.
I was saddened to hear this news, as Mr. Armstrong had long served for me as a role-model and hero since first learning of his journey to the moon from my dad's knee nearly two decades ago. He was the calm, steady captain of one of humanity's great expeditions; a quintessential explorer skilled in his craft, and dedicated to a mission for which so many gave so much. It is perhaps fitting that, along with some personal items, Mr. Armstrong also carried with him a piece of the original Wright Flyer to and from the Moon.
Following his death, the Wall St. Journal called Mr. Armstrong, "the most famous aviator since Charles Lindbergh." The Economist obituary read, "He had an engineer’s reserve, mixed with a natural shyness. Even among the other astronauts, not renowned for their excitability, Armstrong was known as the 'Ice Commander.'"
Of the moon-landing and it's context, the same Economist obituary proclaimed:
"It was one of the mightiest achievements of the potent combination of big government and big science; in many ways the apotheosis of the post-war American political consensus. Viewed from an age in which America’s government aspires to smallness and in which grand projects are regarded with suspicion, it seems more alien with every passing year.
Nevertheless, it is one of the few events of the 20th century that stands any chance of being widely remembered in the 30th."
In a different vein, the New York Times wrote:
"The Apollo 11 mission capped a tumultuous and consequential decade. The ’60s in America had started with such promise, with the election of a youthful president, mixed with the ever-present anxieties of the cold war. Then it touched greatness in the civil rights movement, only to implode in the years of assassinations and burning city streets and campus riots. But before it ended, human beings had reached that longtime symbol of the unreachable."
All the papers seem to agree, however, that while the 2 hour, 19 minute moon-walk on 20 July, 1969 is how most of us will remember Mr. Armstrong, it was never an achievement which he used to define himself. Much like Roger Bannister after running the first ever sub-4 minute mile in May 1954, Armstrong avoided the lime-light and the high status which society sought to grant him. It goes to show perhaps that, while society frequently rewards the confident and flashy among us, it is sometimes the quiet, unassuming, and level-headed who take the great "leap for mankind" and succeed.
So let us remember Neil A. Armstrong not only for the momentous step he took, but also for the way he handled himself in its aftermath. Thank you, Mr. Armstrong. You will be missed.
Peace.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Training Update VI (MCM): Rising early and continued progress
64 Days, 22 Hours to go...
I rolled awake feeling wired this morning at about 5:25am, wondering why on earth I felt so "uppity" at a time I'm usually content to snooze. After maybe 30 minutes of unsuccessful attempts to fall back asleep, I gave in and headed downstairs for some pre-workout grub.
Waking up early isn't all bad this time of year. The sunrise proved quite lovely, a mix of deep reds and orange not unlike the shade of hot embers. Cool temperatures prevailed, and the Cricket Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was out in force, to say nothing of the Songbird Singers. The air up around the house had a clear, washed feel to it, but a mist obscured the low-lands down by the running track.
My body weight after consuming a banana, a saltine, and a few sips of water, and before leaving the house was 157lbs.
I intended to make today's workout much like that of last week, in other words 4x1200m, followed by 1x400m. I felt good the whole time, though a little hungry at the start. The splits went as follows-- 4:55, 4:52, 4:48, 4:43, 78.
Comparing these splits to last week, they are all of them faster than before. This is a positive sign, though perhaps not entirely due to improvements in fitness. Cooler air temperatures help a lot, as does a higher starting body-weight. Why this latter point is true is unclear to me, since a few extra pounds should require more effort to move. Yet that has never been the case for me, even when I weighed 160-165lbs back in my swimming days. Rather, for me it has long proved true that--up to a point, perhaps around 162lbs--a higher starting body-weight generally yields superior performance. Could it be due to better hydration? More fuel? Better mechanics? Or indeed the sensation of becoming significantly lighter throughout the course of a race or workout?
All of these might be true to some extent, even the last one since I tend to lose more weight during a workout when I begin with a higher value. This might be due to a sub-conscious regulatory measure in the brain, which allows body-weight to fall to a certain point before intervening to prevent significant further loses. So the higher one's starting weight, the further it can fall before the brain intervenes to prevent further loss. It's an idea, though one that would undoubtedly require further testing to confirm.
In any case today bucked that trend somewhat, since I started at 157lbs and finished at a weight of 155lbs, a dehydration rate of 1.28%. This proved the case in spite of the fact that I replaced only about 125ml of water during the workout, less than half of what I consumed last week in similar conditions (but beginning at a starting body-weight of 154lbs). It is interesting that I could run faster this week, drink less, and still finish with the same number of pounds lost. Perhaps it is a sign that fitness is indeed improving. That would be nice.
One week more remains of this training cycle. In addition to improvements in Friday workouts, I'm feeling much stronger on Tuesdays, when I do longer, endurance work. Old challenges are getting easier, and the pace seems to be faster on average than a few weeks before. I'm also able to go for longer without getting as tired, which is a good indication that positive adaptions for the marathon are occurring. As the race draws closer, this sort of work will become increasingly more important.
So on the whole signs seem to be pointing in a positive direction. I'm having fun and getting fit, which is the idea really. 64 days, 23 hours to go!
Happy Friday, friends :)
I rolled awake feeling wired this morning at about 5:25am, wondering why on earth I felt so "uppity" at a time I'm usually content to snooze. After maybe 30 minutes of unsuccessful attempts to fall back asleep, I gave in and headed downstairs for some pre-workout grub.
Waking up early isn't all bad this time of year. The sunrise proved quite lovely, a mix of deep reds and orange not unlike the shade of hot embers. Cool temperatures prevailed, and the Cricket Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was out in force, to say nothing of the Songbird Singers. The air up around the house had a clear, washed feel to it, but a mist obscured the low-lands down by the running track.
My body weight after consuming a banana, a saltine, and a few sips of water, and before leaving the house was 157lbs.
I intended to make today's workout much like that of last week, in other words 4x1200m, followed by 1x400m. I felt good the whole time, though a little hungry at the start. The splits went as follows-- 4:55, 4:52, 4:48, 4:43, 78.
Comparing these splits to last week, they are all of them faster than before. This is a positive sign, though perhaps not entirely due to improvements in fitness. Cooler air temperatures help a lot, as does a higher starting body-weight. Why this latter point is true is unclear to me, since a few extra pounds should require more effort to move. Yet that has never been the case for me, even when I weighed 160-165lbs back in my swimming days. Rather, for me it has long proved true that--up to a point, perhaps around 162lbs--a higher starting body-weight generally yields superior performance. Could it be due to better hydration? More fuel? Better mechanics? Or indeed the sensation of becoming significantly lighter throughout the course of a race or workout?
All of these might be true to some extent, even the last one since I tend to lose more weight during a workout when I begin with a higher value. This might be due to a sub-conscious regulatory measure in the brain, which allows body-weight to fall to a certain point before intervening to prevent significant further loses. So the higher one's starting weight, the further it can fall before the brain intervenes to prevent further loss. It's an idea, though one that would undoubtedly require further testing to confirm.
In any case today bucked that trend somewhat, since I started at 157lbs and finished at a weight of 155lbs, a dehydration rate of 1.28%. This proved the case in spite of the fact that I replaced only about 125ml of water during the workout, less than half of what I consumed last week in similar conditions (but beginning at a starting body-weight of 154lbs). It is interesting that I could run faster this week, drink less, and still finish with the same number of pounds lost. Perhaps it is a sign that fitness is indeed improving. That would be nice.
One week more remains of this training cycle. In addition to improvements in Friday workouts, I'm feeling much stronger on Tuesdays, when I do longer, endurance work. Old challenges are getting easier, and the pace seems to be faster on average than a few weeks before. I'm also able to go for longer without getting as tired, which is a good indication that positive adaptions for the marathon are occurring. As the race draws closer, this sort of work will become increasingly more important.
So on the whole signs seem to be pointing in a positive direction. I'm having fun and getting fit, which is the idea really. 64 days, 23 hours to go!
Happy Friday, friends :)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
"About this time of year..."
About this time every year, my old cross country team returns to school to begin training camp. I remember this time last year in particular, since it was the first in four years that I wasn't joining them. This year's camp is the second I won't be attending, and isn't nearly as hard as the first. In some respects this also proved true of the training camps themselves: the first was the most difficult, and subsequent ones proved more bearable. I'm not sure what all this means except a.) I'm getting old(er), and b.) as much as I miss the experience, I'm finding similar joys in other ways now.
If the weather around here is any measure, the conditions for this training camp thus far have proved excellent. Clear skies, low humidity, and unseasonably cool temperatures all make for a potentially-enjoyable experience, running or otherwise. It certainly made this morning's long effort on the roads a pleasant time for me. Indeed, I smiled at the thought of old friends racing each other in a 5-kilometer time-trial, perhaps at the same moment as I climbed the first of a long series of hills under a fresh, almost-washed looking sky. (As it turns out, the time-trial is tomorrow, not today).
In any case, my old college is a treat to meander through on foot in this sort of weather, at this time of year. The oak trees (which by the way, are EVERYWHERE up there) that give me so many allergy attacks in Spring are thankfully less active now. With a great variety of other trees (which the first-year biology/pre-med students will be able to identify in a few months), the campus has large swaths of shade. Sometimes the smokers gather there to discuss one thing or another, and other times one finds the lone freshman looking about to gather his or her bearings. At night, one may occasionally find a drunk using the tree as a friend to lean on, but usually only in mild weather.
I still don't know what it is, but something about walking around campus this time of year always seemed to fill me with a sense of excitement. Fall in general has always been that way for me, but the feeling seemed heightened once I went to college. One might think that with Autumn everything is dying or tending toward winter's chill, but for whatever reason it hasn't and doesn't feel that way to me; in truth, it almost feels as though a new life is just beginning.
In any case, sunset is also a beautiful occurrence to observe at my old college, because of the way light plays through the branches of the trees, or the tops of campus buildings. The clouds from Limerick Nuclear Power Plant may also contribute to this effect. But on the whole, the effect can be most stimulating. In winter, the sun shines through the stain-glass windows of the chapel building; I remember watching it once instead of doing physics homework.
I suppose I miss life at the old Uni sometimes, but I feel lucky to have so many friends and pleasant memories from it. And the longer I spend away from the place, the more I can smile at all the things that went both right and wrong, or indeed just happened without any planning. I hope my old friends are doing well, and finding the road ahead interesting.
Happy Tuesday, friends :)
If the weather around here is any measure, the conditions for this training camp thus far have proved excellent. Clear skies, low humidity, and unseasonably cool temperatures all make for a potentially-enjoyable experience, running or otherwise. It certainly made this morning's long effort on the roads a pleasant time for me. Indeed, I smiled at the thought of old friends racing each other in a 5-kilometer time-trial, perhaps at the same moment as I climbed the first of a long series of hills under a fresh, almost-washed looking sky. (As it turns out, the time-trial is tomorrow, not today).
In any case, my old college is a treat to meander through on foot in this sort of weather, at this time of year. The oak trees (which by the way, are EVERYWHERE up there) that give me so many allergy attacks in Spring are thankfully less active now. With a great variety of other trees (which the first-year biology/pre-med students will be able to identify in a few months), the campus has large swaths of shade. Sometimes the smokers gather there to discuss one thing or another, and other times one finds the lone freshman looking about to gather his or her bearings. At night, one may occasionally find a drunk using the tree as a friend to lean on, but usually only in mild weather.
I still don't know what it is, but something about walking around campus this time of year always seemed to fill me with a sense of excitement. Fall in general has always been that way for me, but the feeling seemed heightened once I went to college. One might think that with Autumn everything is dying or tending toward winter's chill, but for whatever reason it hasn't and doesn't feel that way to me; in truth, it almost feels as though a new life is just beginning.
In any case, sunset is also a beautiful occurrence to observe at my old college, because of the way light plays through the branches of the trees, or the tops of campus buildings. The clouds from Limerick Nuclear Power Plant may also contribute to this effect. But on the whole, the effect can be most stimulating. In winter, the sun shines through the stain-glass windows of the chapel building; I remember watching it once instead of doing physics homework.
I suppose I miss life at the old Uni sometimes, but I feel lucky to have so many friends and pleasant memories from it. And the longer I spend away from the place, the more I can smile at all the things that went both right and wrong, or indeed just happened without any planning. I hope my old friends are doing well, and finding the road ahead interesting.
Happy Tuesday, friends :)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Training Update V (MCM): Moving Up
71 Days, 20 hours to go...
Of all the training updates during this marathon build-up, today probably constitutes the best so far in terms of weather. While still humid, the air temperature felt cool to the skin. The sky was clear and bright, except for a few rippling clouds that looked like ocean surf. Dew clung to the grass all about, and cicada-song rippled over the adjacent forest. On the whole it was a fine morning.
With that said, today was also the lightest I've been before a workout, coming in at 154lbs even after eating a banana and drinking some water. This was a bit concerning, since I've had problems in the past trying to run a workout at a low weight. Since today marked the beginning of a new training-cycle, I wondered whether a dud workout was in store. That wouldn't feel good, though sometimes it happens. As it turned out, however, my fears were overblown. The workout came off well, and I finished only two pounds lighter (152lbs, or a 1.3% decrease).
Following some debate, I elected to do 4x1200m at roughly the same pace I'd been doing the Yasso-800s. Having found some success in earlier workouts, it seemed like a good idea to try extending that pace another 400m to see what happened. In this way the training stress would be different, and thereby yield new adaptations.
The first one was poorly paced, going out at 1:44 for the first 400m, 3:24 through the 800m, and finishing at 4:59 for the 1200m. The second one was almost as bad, going out at 1:36, coming through the 8 at 3:16, and finishing with 4:55. After that, however, I got a better sense of rhythm and finished the last two in 4:54 and 4:47 respectively, both with relatively even splits for each lap. Following that, I ran a hard 400m in 81 seconds. So the final splits for the workout went as follows--4:59, 4:55, 4:54, 4:47, 81.
This was a good workout, and it's encouraging to feel strong even when my body-weight was a bit low at the start. Having a capacity to run fast when under one's usual weight could prove valuable during the marathon, since I'm liable to lose a fair bit of weight throughout the race. Adapting to that circumstance may help me maintain a faster running speed throughout the final third of the distance, where last year I really tanked.
One final point I might make about this workout is that 1200m is likely to be the longest interval I do during this marathon build-up. Some people like doing mile repeats, but I will not likely go that far. The reason for this based on the advice of two coaches. The first is Jack Daniels, the exercise physiologist who wrote Daniels' Running Formula (1998). In it he suggests when doing intervals not to go shorter than 2-minutes or longer than 5-minutes. Granted, the intervals I'm doing are all slower than what Daniels would typically call "Interval Training," for someone of my ability, but given that I think this general rule is useful in avoiding overtraining (repetitions on the other hand, which are designed to improve running speed, should take less than 2-minutes). The other coach who mentioned this was Andrew Alden at the coaching seminar I attended in March. While discussing Daniels' training theory, Mr. Alden described how some years ago he decided to stop using mile-repeats with his cross country team, and found as a result that they tended to have better seasons in general.
This is anecdotal, but isn't entirely surprising. It seems possible that for people running slower than 5-flat miles in workouts that 1200m repeats may provide nearly as much benefit as mile-repeats without as much stress. This may come closer to maximizing the balance between training gains and training stress, and therefore be more optimal than doing mile-repeats simply because one's coach did them when he or she was in high school or college. Something to experiment with and consider perhaps.
In any case I'm pleased with how today went, and look forward to another week of preparation and recovery. We're just about 10 weeks out from race day, and with the weather getting cooler and the seasons starting to shift, things seem to be coming together nicely. How everything goes on race-day is anyone's guess, but I'm feeling happy and fit, and that counts for quite a lot at day's end. 71 days, 20 hours to go...
Happy Friday, friends :)
Of all the training updates during this marathon build-up, today probably constitutes the best so far in terms of weather. While still humid, the air temperature felt cool to the skin. The sky was clear and bright, except for a few rippling clouds that looked like ocean surf. Dew clung to the grass all about, and cicada-song rippled over the adjacent forest. On the whole it was a fine morning.
With that said, today was also the lightest I've been before a workout, coming in at 154lbs even after eating a banana and drinking some water. This was a bit concerning, since I've had problems in the past trying to run a workout at a low weight. Since today marked the beginning of a new training-cycle, I wondered whether a dud workout was in store. That wouldn't feel good, though sometimes it happens. As it turned out, however, my fears were overblown. The workout came off well, and I finished only two pounds lighter (152lbs, or a 1.3% decrease).
Following some debate, I elected to do 4x1200m at roughly the same pace I'd been doing the Yasso-800s. Having found some success in earlier workouts, it seemed like a good idea to try extending that pace another 400m to see what happened. In this way the training stress would be different, and thereby yield new adaptations.
The first one was poorly paced, going out at 1:44 for the first 400m, 3:24 through the 800m, and finishing at 4:59 for the 1200m. The second one was almost as bad, going out at 1:36, coming through the 8 at 3:16, and finishing with 4:55. After that, however, I got a better sense of rhythm and finished the last two in 4:54 and 4:47 respectively, both with relatively even splits for each lap. Following that, I ran a hard 400m in 81 seconds. So the final splits for the workout went as follows--4:59, 4:55, 4:54, 4:47, 81.
This was a good workout, and it's encouraging to feel strong even when my body-weight was a bit low at the start. Having a capacity to run fast when under one's usual weight could prove valuable during the marathon, since I'm liable to lose a fair bit of weight throughout the race. Adapting to that circumstance may help me maintain a faster running speed throughout the final third of the distance, where last year I really tanked.
One final point I might make about this workout is that 1200m is likely to be the longest interval I do during this marathon build-up. Some people like doing mile repeats, but I will not likely go that far. The reason for this based on the advice of two coaches. The first is Jack Daniels, the exercise physiologist who wrote Daniels' Running Formula (1998). In it he suggests when doing intervals not to go shorter than 2-minutes or longer than 5-minutes. Granted, the intervals I'm doing are all slower than what Daniels would typically call "Interval Training," for someone of my ability, but given that I think this general rule is useful in avoiding overtraining (repetitions on the other hand, which are designed to improve running speed, should take less than 2-minutes). The other coach who mentioned this was Andrew Alden at the coaching seminar I attended in March. While discussing Daniels' training theory, Mr. Alden described how some years ago he decided to stop using mile-repeats with his cross country team, and found as a result that they tended to have better seasons in general.
This is anecdotal, but isn't entirely surprising. It seems possible that for people running slower than 5-flat miles in workouts that 1200m repeats may provide nearly as much benefit as mile-repeats without as much stress. This may come closer to maximizing the balance between training gains and training stress, and therefore be more optimal than doing mile-repeats simply because one's coach did them when he or she was in high school or college. Something to experiment with and consider perhaps.
In any case I'm pleased with how today went, and look forward to another week of preparation and recovery. We're just about 10 weeks out from race day, and with the weather getting cooler and the seasons starting to shift, things seem to be coming together nicely. How everything goes on race-day is anyone's guess, but I'm feeling happy and fit, and that counts for quite a lot at day's end. 71 days, 20 hours to go...
Happy Friday, friends :)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Describing a walk
Today was the final day of summer class at the community college. For the past six weeks I've been studying Introductory Psychology, and two weeks from today I'll be starting Statistics. The purpose of these classes is to gather prerequisites necessary to become an exercise physiologist. A long road remains ahead, but so far the first stage has come off well.
One of the things I enjoy most about studying at the community college is the walk I take to get there. Since most of the parking-lots at the college require a parking pass, and since I don't like driving on the road leading to them, I early on elected just to go to a nearby park and walk the rest of the way. This has so far proved a good choice.
Walking through the park is usually a great experience. The path I typically follow begins along a narrow boulevard lined with Sycamore trees. Emerging from their shade, a wide field of soybeans appear off to the right. Three years ago this field was occupied by corn, so whoever farms it must rotate his or her crops.
Interestingly, every once in a while one can pick out a stalk of corn emerging from the sea of soybeans. From a distance, they remind me of a brief story about my hair. Back in college, I use to cut my hair to 3/8" before every competition. Since we competed almost every weekend, I had a lot of hair cuts. One may think that with so much practice I would have acquired some skill at cutting hair, but I didn't, and frequently missed a hair or two. These proved quite noticeable to my teammates, and they took to calling them "Centafonts" in my honor. In any case, that was the first thing which came to mind when I saw a cornstalk in the middle of a field of soybeans.
As is true in many forests, there are a lot of trees in the park. My favorite is probably the Sassafras tree, because like people their leaves are so unique. They're the ones that sometimes look like mittens, and turn a red-orange color in the Autumn not unlike the shade of dusk. There are several along the path I walk, and if there's a wind their leaves seem to wave at me as I pass. Sometimes I even wave back.
At about 3/4 of the way to school, there's a long, narrow bridge over a wide stream. Coming down from the tree-clad heights in the morning, it's not uncommon to see a thousand-thousand little sparkles upon the flowing water. Often this flurry of reflection is accompanied by rattling waves of cicada music, which seem to give voice to the sparkles. I wonder if the moon makes a similar impression on the water, and if so whether the resulting sparkles at night look like stars.
The final leg to school requires traversing a wide meadow under an even wider sky. I've found at least six different kinds of wild-flowers along this path, which might make a nice arrangement if I was so inclined. Sometimes giant black birds called Turkey Vultures chill in this meadow, while at other times it seems like a cafeteria for deer. While walking today I found a Gold Finch scurrying along, looking for seeds perhaps. I asked if he (with bright canary feathers, he was certainly a he) wanted to take my final exam, but alas no dice.
Following the meadow the path climbs toward a parking lot, where at the corner stands a decently-sized Tulip Poplar. From there, it is not far to class.
So that is a brief description of my walk to class. It's about 2 miles each way, and when I'm not in a hurry is an enjoyable little trek. I'm looking forward to seeing the place when Autumn comes.
Happy Thursday, friends :)
One of the things I enjoy most about studying at the community college is the walk I take to get there. Since most of the parking-lots at the college require a parking pass, and since I don't like driving on the road leading to them, I early on elected just to go to a nearby park and walk the rest of the way. This has so far proved a good choice.
Walking through the park is usually a great experience. The path I typically follow begins along a narrow boulevard lined with Sycamore trees. Emerging from their shade, a wide field of soybeans appear off to the right. Three years ago this field was occupied by corn, so whoever farms it must rotate his or her crops.
Interestingly, every once in a while one can pick out a stalk of corn emerging from the sea of soybeans. From a distance, they remind me of a brief story about my hair. Back in college, I use to cut my hair to 3/8" before every competition. Since we competed almost every weekend, I had a lot of hair cuts. One may think that with so much practice I would have acquired some skill at cutting hair, but I didn't, and frequently missed a hair or two. These proved quite noticeable to my teammates, and they took to calling them "Centafonts" in my honor. In any case, that was the first thing which came to mind when I saw a cornstalk in the middle of a field of soybeans.
As is true in many forests, there are a lot of trees in the park. My favorite is probably the Sassafras tree, because like people their leaves are so unique. They're the ones that sometimes look like mittens, and turn a red-orange color in the Autumn not unlike the shade of dusk. There are several along the path I walk, and if there's a wind their leaves seem to wave at me as I pass. Sometimes I even wave back.
At about 3/4 of the way to school, there's a long, narrow bridge over a wide stream. Coming down from the tree-clad heights in the morning, it's not uncommon to see a thousand-thousand little sparkles upon the flowing water. Often this flurry of reflection is accompanied by rattling waves of cicada music, which seem to give voice to the sparkles. I wonder if the moon makes a similar impression on the water, and if so whether the resulting sparkles at night look like stars.
The final leg to school requires traversing a wide meadow under an even wider sky. I've found at least six different kinds of wild-flowers along this path, which might make a nice arrangement if I was so inclined. Sometimes giant black birds called Turkey Vultures chill in this meadow, while at other times it seems like a cafeteria for deer. While walking today I found a Gold Finch scurrying along, looking for seeds perhaps. I asked if he (with bright canary feathers, he was certainly a he) wanted to take my final exam, but alas no dice.
Following the meadow the path climbs toward a parking lot, where at the corner stands a decently-sized Tulip Poplar. From there, it is not far to class.
So that is a brief description of my walk to class. It's about 2 miles each way, and when I'm not in a hurry is an enjoyable little trek. I'm looking forward to seeing the place when Autumn comes.
Happy Thursday, friends :)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Running in the woods: a reflection
It's just about the middle of August, and signs of a new season are beginning to appear. While walking to school this morning, I passed two local cross country teams training in the woods. They gathered first at a parking lot near the water. Then, having separated into girls' and boys' teams, each set out across the stream in opposite directions, almost like my old cross country team used to do on the Perkiomen trail. Not always, but often one group would go "left" (or North on the trail) and the other would go "right," or South on the trail.
In general I found it easier to go left than right, because there were fewer busy roads to cross that way. It's also the direction we took on my first run along the trail, and so became a matter of habit in short order. In late Autumn there is a stretch of trail going "left" which becomes, for a few day,s like the nave of a golden cathedral. I don't remember the types of trees along that stretch, but their leaves became a golden yellow shortly after the NCAA Region meet. On runs at that time, my teammates and I used to try and catch the leaves as they fell from from the trees. It's surprisingly difficult to do, particularly on a windy day; they flutter and weave, changing directions suddenly and always tending away from one's grasp. In this respect, it's a bit like trying to hold a memory, even one so fond as that. But I digress.
While it is only the middle of August, a few leaves have already changed their color. Not much mind you, but enough for notice. Splashes here and there of red and yellow punctuate an otherwise brilliant collage of various green, brown, and gray. Jogging along a muddy trail today, I watched a few golden leaves tinged with brown on the edges fall as I passed. And while it proved rather humid, the cooler temperature today seemed to exude a scent of Fall, which is unequivocally my favorite season.
About two weeks from now, that same trail will play host to a local high school cross country meet, the Viking Invitational. For many teams involved, it's their first race of the new season. It may even be someone's first cross country race.
I remember my first cross country race. It was absolutely horrible, haha. It was a hot and humid day in the beginning of September, and I hadn't trained much yet. The course ran over the grounds of my old high school, which once had a rather long hill at the end of the first mile (which is now gone), typically the place where the well-prepared dropped everyone else. Several people "dropped" me that day, though the one I remember most vividly was a skinny fellow from Bensalem wearing miler-spikes. That wasn't fun. The whole race wasn't fun. Once I got over it though and trained up a bit, cross country became my favorite sport. Strange how that happens sometimes, but so it goes.
The days are getting shorter now, about 2 minutes less of sunshine each day. A month from now we'll have an hour less than today. Odd to think, but I guess it's okay. The march of seasons continues. I hope you are having an interesting ride.
Happy Tuesday, friends :)
In general I found it easier to go left than right, because there were fewer busy roads to cross that way. It's also the direction we took on my first run along the trail, and so became a matter of habit in short order. In late Autumn there is a stretch of trail going "left" which becomes, for a few day,s like the nave of a golden cathedral. I don't remember the types of trees along that stretch, but their leaves became a golden yellow shortly after the NCAA Region meet. On runs at that time, my teammates and I used to try and catch the leaves as they fell from from the trees. It's surprisingly difficult to do, particularly on a windy day; they flutter and weave, changing directions suddenly and always tending away from one's grasp. In this respect, it's a bit like trying to hold a memory, even one so fond as that. But I digress.
While it is only the middle of August, a few leaves have already changed their color. Not much mind you, but enough for notice. Splashes here and there of red and yellow punctuate an otherwise brilliant collage of various green, brown, and gray. Jogging along a muddy trail today, I watched a few golden leaves tinged with brown on the edges fall as I passed. And while it proved rather humid, the cooler temperature today seemed to exude a scent of Fall, which is unequivocally my favorite season.
About two weeks from now, that same trail will play host to a local high school cross country meet, the Viking Invitational. For many teams involved, it's their first race of the new season. It may even be someone's first cross country race.
I remember my first cross country race. It was absolutely horrible, haha. It was a hot and humid day in the beginning of September, and I hadn't trained much yet. The course ran over the grounds of my old high school, which once had a rather long hill at the end of the first mile (which is now gone), typically the place where the well-prepared dropped everyone else. Several people "dropped" me that day, though the one I remember most vividly was a skinny fellow from Bensalem wearing miler-spikes. That wasn't fun. The whole race wasn't fun. Once I got over it though and trained up a bit, cross country became my favorite sport. Strange how that happens sometimes, but so it goes.
The days are getting shorter now, about 2 minutes less of sunshine each day. A month from now we'll have an hour less than today. Odd to think, but I guess it's okay. The march of seasons continues. I hope you are having an interesting ride.
Happy Tuesday, friends :)
Friday, August 10, 2012
Training Update IV (MCM): Finishing a cycle strong
78 days, 13 hours to go...
In a nutshell, this past week of training went well. In spite of a busy schedule, I felt strong almost everyday, and routes that gave me trouble before are a little easier now. This is really encouraging, and makes going out each day a bit more fun.
Today marks for me the end of a 3-week training-cycle. Some training theorists call this a micro-cycle. Several micro-cycles can make up a macro-cycle, which might encompass training for an entire competitive season, or indeed a year. Micro-cycles are useful because they mark off periods between new training stresses. Both Daniels (1998) and my training book from USATF suggest at least 3-weeks between new stresses, because that is about how long it takes for most peoples' bodies to fully adapt to a new stress. I'm not certain of the physiological reasons why this is so, but it may have to do with the fact that human muscle-cells are fully recycled every 21-28 days. That might be one reason why 3-weeks is recommended, but again I am unsure.
In any case, a common practice is to load mileage or intensity the first two weeks of a training cycle, then unload a portion of it during the final week. This is particularly true of long runs, such that one might do 90 minutes week 1, 100 minutes week 2, and 85 minutes week 3. I didn't quite do that this time around, but I did keep the volume and intensity relatively even.
For today's workout, I ran 6x800m and 1x400m. Earlier in the week, I thought about doing 7x800m, to build from last week's effort. After some reflection, however, I elected to hold back slightly, and finish the training cycle with some well consolidated gains.
The splits went as follows--3:20, 3:19, 3:18, 3:16, 3:13, 3:10, 88. I felt strong today, and the workout seemed to take much less effort than before. This is usually a good sign that your training is working. Pleased with the result, I decided to end the cycle with a faster 400m.
Not sure how I'll approach the next three weeks, though it might involve some tempo-running. We shall see.
In light of my dehydration observations, I started today's workout at 156 lbs, and ended at 153 lbs. That's a 2% change, which is less than last week's 2.3%. While the conditions were a bit different, I drank only about 150ml of water today, as opposed to about 350ml last week. In short, the sensation that today's workout took less effort is somewhat upheld by the lower dehydration level. This is good to know.
At any rate, very happy with how this training cycle has gone. 78 days, 13 hours to go...
Happy Friday, friends :)
In a nutshell, this past week of training went well. In spite of a busy schedule, I felt strong almost everyday, and routes that gave me trouble before are a little easier now. This is really encouraging, and makes going out each day a bit more fun.
Today marks for me the end of a 3-week training-cycle. Some training theorists call this a micro-cycle. Several micro-cycles can make up a macro-cycle, which might encompass training for an entire competitive season, or indeed a year. Micro-cycles are useful because they mark off periods between new training stresses. Both Daniels (1998) and my training book from USATF suggest at least 3-weeks between new stresses, because that is about how long it takes for most peoples' bodies to fully adapt to a new stress. I'm not certain of the physiological reasons why this is so, but it may have to do with the fact that human muscle-cells are fully recycled every 21-28 days. That might be one reason why 3-weeks is recommended, but again I am unsure.
In any case, a common practice is to load mileage or intensity the first two weeks of a training cycle, then unload a portion of it during the final week. This is particularly true of long runs, such that one might do 90 minutes week 1, 100 minutes week 2, and 85 minutes week 3. I didn't quite do that this time around, but I did keep the volume and intensity relatively even.
For today's workout, I ran 6x800m and 1x400m. Earlier in the week, I thought about doing 7x800m, to build from last week's effort. After some reflection, however, I elected to hold back slightly, and finish the training cycle with some well consolidated gains.
The splits went as follows--3:20, 3:19, 3:18, 3:16, 3:13, 3:10, 88. I felt strong today, and the workout seemed to take much less effort than before. This is usually a good sign that your training is working. Pleased with the result, I decided to end the cycle with a faster 400m.
Not sure how I'll approach the next three weeks, though it might involve some tempo-running. We shall see.
In light of my dehydration observations, I started today's workout at 156 lbs, and ended at 153 lbs. That's a 2% change, which is less than last week's 2.3%. While the conditions were a bit different, I drank only about 150ml of water today, as opposed to about 350ml last week. In short, the sensation that today's workout took less effort is somewhat upheld by the lower dehydration level. This is good to know.
At any rate, very happy with how this training cycle has gone. 78 days, 13 hours to go...
Happy Friday, friends :)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Congratulations Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, and Alberto Salazar
Since I had work today, I didn't get to see the final of the Men's Olympic 10,000m run live. Yet it was a race worth waiting to watch, as Mo Farah and Galen Rupp ran an inspiring final kilometer to take gold and silver. Having followed these runners the last few years, I am so happy to see them both come through and medal at the Olympics.
Both have proven class acts, and with the help of their coach Alberto Salazar provide great examples of how an approach geared towards injury-prevention and long-term development can yield good results. As much as their feat may inspire younger generations in the UK and US to dream and train, I also hope the patient, methodical approach adopted by Mr. Salazar will inspire a generation of coaches and athletes to take long-term potential serious. It nothing else, it may leave fewer athletes injured and burned-out early in life. Hard work is important, but hard work with a purpose may prove more so.
In any case, a hearty congratulations to Messrs Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, and Alberto Salazar. Good luck in the 5000m gentlemen, and go Team USA!
(Source)
Both have proven class acts, and with the help of their coach Alberto Salazar provide great examples of how an approach geared towards injury-prevention and long-term development can yield good results. As much as their feat may inspire younger generations in the UK and US to dream and train, I also hope the patient, methodical approach adopted by Mr. Salazar will inspire a generation of coaches and athletes to take long-term potential serious. It nothing else, it may leave fewer athletes injured and burned-out early in life. Hard work is important, but hard work with a purpose may prove more so.
In any case, a hearty congratulations to Messrs Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, and Alberto Salazar. Good luck in the 5000m gentlemen, and go Team USA!
(Source)
Friday, August 3, 2012
Dehydration observation
I don't suppose this post will be of interest to most of you, but since I'm reading Dr. Tim Noakes' newest book Waterlogged, I thought I'd explain some observations I've begun on myself regarding dehydration during marathon training.
Before I started reading Dr. Noakes' book, I'd heard from many sources that one should try during marathon racing to avoid dehydration of any kind; a 0% drop in body mass. Other sources have suggested a 2% limit. Almost all of them agree that dehydration in excess of 2% will yield a sharp decline in performance.
To put it shortly, from what I've read of Waterlogged so far, these figures are not actually true for many people. In fact, time-and-again the winner of most long-distance races is also the most dehydrated. For example, when Haile Gebreselassie broke the marathon world-record in 2008, he lost 7% of his body-mass in the endeavor. According to what many of us hear these days, his performance should have tanked once his water-deficit climbed above 2,3, and 4%. That it didn't should at least give us pause. I hope to have a much more detailed summary and discussion once I've finished Dr. Noakes' book, but until then we'll leave the topic there.
Bearing all this in mind, I decided to see how much weight I lost during this morning's marathon workout in the heat and humidity. Upon leaving the house today I weighed roughly 157.5 lbs, and upon returning weighed 154.0 lbs. That's 3.5 lbs, or 2.3% of my body weight. With that in mind, I should like to see how that number changes as the workouts become longer. Will a greater percentage-loss have a pronounced effect on performance? How much weight can I lose during a race or workout without it compromising my ability?
These are important questions, because it is very likely I will lose a lot of weight during the marathon race, and one adaptation I'll need may be to have a high dehydration tolerance. It's something to which I intend to pay closer attention, so we'll see what happens. In the mean time, I highly recommend checking out Dr. Noakes' book.
Happy Friday, friends :)
Before I started reading Dr. Noakes' book, I'd heard from many sources that one should try during marathon racing to avoid dehydration of any kind; a 0% drop in body mass. Other sources have suggested a 2% limit. Almost all of them agree that dehydration in excess of 2% will yield a sharp decline in performance.
To put it shortly, from what I've read of Waterlogged so far, these figures are not actually true for many people. In fact, time-and-again the winner of most long-distance races is also the most dehydrated. For example, when Haile Gebreselassie broke the marathon world-record in 2008, he lost 7% of his body-mass in the endeavor. According to what many of us hear these days, his performance should have tanked once his water-deficit climbed above 2,3, and 4%. That it didn't should at least give us pause. I hope to have a much more detailed summary and discussion once I've finished Dr. Noakes' book, but until then we'll leave the topic there.
Bearing all this in mind, I decided to see how much weight I lost during this morning's marathon workout in the heat and humidity. Upon leaving the house today I weighed roughly 157.5 lbs, and upon returning weighed 154.0 lbs. That's 3.5 lbs, or 2.3% of my body weight. With that in mind, I should like to see how that number changes as the workouts become longer. Will a greater percentage-loss have a pronounced effect on performance? How much weight can I lose during a race or workout without it compromising my ability?
These are important questions, because it is very likely I will lose a lot of weight during the marathon race, and one adaptation I'll need may be to have a high dehydration tolerance. It's something to which I intend to pay closer attention, so we'll see what happens. In the mean time, I highly recommend checking out Dr. Noakes' book.
Happy Friday, friends :)
Training Update III (MCM): stretching, Yasso-800s, and progress
85 Days, 20 hours to go...
Is it just me, or is every Friday now the hottest, most humid day of the week? That was my first thought while strolling outside to grab the newspaper this morning. Munching on a banana, I stared up at the sky, whose hazy face looked like a series of dark smudges mixed with lighter ones. It'd be exaggerating to say it felt like walking through a steamy locker-room, but only just. In any case, conditions for today's workout weren't going to be much better than last week.
At about 8:00am I walked down to the cinder track, completing a warm-up and drawing a line in the cinders to serve as a start. The ideas was to do 6x800m in a Yasso-800 manner. I changed a few things from last week, just to see if they'd make a difference. First, I didn't do dynamic stretches during warm-up. This is because I've noticed that every time I stretch (dynamic or static) before a workout or race, my legs feel loose but exceptionally heavy. I'm not sure why this is, but it makes some sense given newer research I've seen concerning stretching and lower power-output. Indeed, one instructor at the USA Track and Field coaching seminar mentioned that when he worked with NFL players, many said after stretching that it took about 25 minutes of game time to get rid of the "heavy-legs" feeling. Bearing all this in mind, I decided to do my usual run-a-few-minutes-walk-a-few-minutes warm-up without stretching.
The second thing I did differently was start in the shade. This seemed to help a lot, because I felt cooler after each interval, and had cooler water to drink as well.
On the whole, the workout came off well. I finished all six intervals, and felt good. The splits went as such--3:22, 3:19, 3:16, 3:16, 3:15, 3:10. Unlike last week, I felt stronger as the workout went on, and managed to keep the same effort throughout.
The idea today was just to stay under control and find a good rhythm (and of course, to have fun :)...). It's a good boost of confidence, particularly since it happened under such humid conditions, and since during last week's effort everything felt like a struggle. To have it work better today felt good, and I'm looking forward to another week of training. 85 days, 20 hours to go.
Happy Friday, friends :)
P.S. Some dehydration observations I began today.
Is it just me, or is every Friday now the hottest, most humid day of the week? That was my first thought while strolling outside to grab the newspaper this morning. Munching on a banana, I stared up at the sky, whose hazy face looked like a series of dark smudges mixed with lighter ones. It'd be exaggerating to say it felt like walking through a steamy locker-room, but only just. In any case, conditions for today's workout weren't going to be much better than last week.
At about 8:00am I walked down to the cinder track, completing a warm-up and drawing a line in the cinders to serve as a start. The ideas was to do 6x800m in a Yasso-800 manner. I changed a few things from last week, just to see if they'd make a difference. First, I didn't do dynamic stretches during warm-up. This is because I've noticed that every time I stretch (dynamic or static) before a workout or race, my legs feel loose but exceptionally heavy. I'm not sure why this is, but it makes some sense given newer research I've seen concerning stretching and lower power-output. Indeed, one instructor at the USA Track and Field coaching seminar mentioned that when he worked with NFL players, many said after stretching that it took about 25 minutes of game time to get rid of the "heavy-legs" feeling. Bearing all this in mind, I decided to do my usual run-a-few-minutes-walk-a-few-minutes warm-up without stretching.
The second thing I did differently was start in the shade. This seemed to help a lot, because I felt cooler after each interval, and had cooler water to drink as well.
On the whole, the workout came off well. I finished all six intervals, and felt good. The splits went as such--3:22, 3:19, 3:16, 3:16, 3:15, 3:10. Unlike last week, I felt stronger as the workout went on, and managed to keep the same effort throughout.
The idea today was just to stay under control and find a good rhythm (and of course, to have fun :)...). It's a good boost of confidence, particularly since it happened under such humid conditions, and since during last week's effort everything felt like a struggle. To have it work better today felt good, and I'm looking forward to another week of training. 85 days, 20 hours to go.
Happy Friday, friends :)
P.S. Some dehydration observations I began today.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The trouble with rewards and punishments
The other morning in psychology, we began a general discussion of the theories of behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904-1990). For those who don't know or remember, Dr. Skinner pioneered the practice of operant conditioning, which is, "a form of learning in which an individuals learning is modified by its consequences." This is accomplished by employing a variety of rewards and/or punishments, the specifics of which I can't and won't get into just now (though if you are interested, this is a humorous example).
In any case, the discussion brought forward the idea of rewards and punishments, and how we use them. For example, in school we are often "rewarded" for good behavior, and "punished" for bad behavior. The same is often tried in sports, as well as with our jobs. If you want someone to do or not do something, then you reward or punish it accordingly, right?
Yet what if the picture is more complicated than that? Such was the direction our discussion took next. Consider, if we wished to "reward" a student, how should we do it? Give less homework? Give them a sticker saying "Great Job!"? Offer free-time if class-work is satisfactorily finished early?
These are all ideas I've heard or seen before, and none of them work in all cases. The reason seems to be that a "reward" is not just a thing with a specific, universal value, but also something that's value is determined by "the eye of the beholder." Money might be the closest thing we've yet developed that aspires to universal appeal, but even that is desired more by some people over others. The same might be said of punishments, in that what is punishment to one person might be a reward to another.
Furthermore, some rewards or punishments seem to hold greater value for people at different times. For example, a free dinner might seem awesome for a starving person, but absolute torture for someone just finishing the last course of a long, fancy meal. In another case, a D- might be reward for someone trying to pass a class, but a disaster if they're trying to get an A.
In short then, rewards and punishments seem to be relative to different people at different times. I can imagine this might render policy-making difficult, because it may be impossible to please or deter everyone from a specific behavior or activity. Something to think about maybe.
Happy Wednesday, friends :)
In any case, the discussion brought forward the idea of rewards and punishments, and how we use them. For example, in school we are often "rewarded" for good behavior, and "punished" for bad behavior. The same is often tried in sports, as well as with our jobs. If you want someone to do or not do something, then you reward or punish it accordingly, right?
Yet what if the picture is more complicated than that? Such was the direction our discussion took next. Consider, if we wished to "reward" a student, how should we do it? Give less homework? Give them a sticker saying "Great Job!"? Offer free-time if class-work is satisfactorily finished early?
These are all ideas I've heard or seen before, and none of them work in all cases. The reason seems to be that a "reward" is not just a thing with a specific, universal value, but also something that's value is determined by "the eye of the beholder." Money might be the closest thing we've yet developed that aspires to universal appeal, but even that is desired more by some people over others. The same might be said of punishments, in that what is punishment to one person might be a reward to another.
Furthermore, some rewards or punishments seem to hold greater value for people at different times. For example, a free dinner might seem awesome for a starving person, but absolute torture for someone just finishing the last course of a long, fancy meal. In another case, a D- might be reward for someone trying to pass a class, but a disaster if they're trying to get an A.
In short then, rewards and punishments seem to be relative to different people at different times. I can imagine this might render policy-making difficult, because it may be impossible to please or deter everyone from a specific behavior or activity. Something to think about maybe.
Happy Wednesday, friends :)
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