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New Blog Address

I have a new blog address. The new blog is at http://www.therunnersguide.com/blog/ You can also click on this link to get there. I am sorry about the inconvenience.

Technical Issues

I am sorry I have not posted for a while, but there has been some computer issues that I have finally taken care of. I will post videos in the near future and get things rolling again.

Training for the week of August 26 with running tips

My running log the week of August 26th with running and marathon tips included.

Training for the weeks of July 30 to August 12 with running tips.

My running log the weeks of July 30th through August 12 with running and marathon tips included.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Race

This week I ran 66 miles which is drop from my 80 to 85 miles I have been running the last 4 weeks. You want to drop your mileage every three to four weeks to give your body and mind a rest. It also gives your body a chance to adapt to the stress you have been putting on it. My 15 mile run was a success and I ran between 6:30 to 6:40 pace for the run. On Wednesday I ran a 5 mile AT run averaging 6:00 pace. On Sunday I ran the Pro Football Hall of Fame 5 mile race in 26:50. It was a solid performance and feel happy about the results.
Having to race on Sunday I had a youtube viewer ask me how do you pace yourself for a race. First you have to have an overall goal in mind. For example it may be 25 minutes for 5 miles. Once you have this realistic goal decided, by how your training is going you break the time into mile splits. Once you have done that you want to run the entire race within that time frame. So for the time a gave earlier you want to average 5 minutes per mile. The most critical time of a race is the first minutes of the race. Make sure you do not let your emotions get a hold at the start of the race and run even splits. If you have any questions about running you can post them on my Running Forum or Email me. Until next time, have a Great Run.

Technical Difficulties

Sorry about not posting for the last few weeks. I have had technical difficulties with the website. Everything is now up and running. I will give you a quick summary for the last four weeks. My mileage has increased from 75, 80, 80 and this week 85 miles. My first week I was in Florida for vacation and ran easy. July fourth weekend I ran a five mile race in 27:11 and felt solid. The next two weeks I ran a 400 meter workouts on the track. I did between 16 to 18 in 74 seconds with a one minute break. This workout is supposed to help me neuromuscular to get me running faster. I have not run that pace in well over a year now. The other important run is an anaerobic threshold run where I run 6 miles at 5:30 pace. This run is going to help with strength and will help my body with dealing with lactic acid.

I want to continue with the use of a Heart Monitor. When you do easy base mileage you want to have your HR between 135 to 150. This pace is used normally a lot at the beginning of the season. As the season progresses once a week you want to do a medium run which is between 150 to 165. At roughly 167 beats per minute is where your anaerobic threshold is and you should run 4 to 6 miles at this pace. Finally, when your above 170 bpm you are doing shorter runs at faster pace with a rest in between. For example when I do mile repeats I run them at 5:10 pace with a two minute recovery in between. I thing to remember when using a HM during the hot summer you HR will be higher so you have to make some changes because of the heat.
If you have any questions about running you can post them on my Running Forum or Email me. Until next time, have a Great Run.

Vacation Time

Consistency Is The Key

I have gone back through my training log for the past nine weeks to search for information about my training. I have found that I have run nine weeks of 70 miles or more each week. This information you can use to get you ready mentally for your next race. It also gives you that added confidence when you know that you have done the work. This week continued that consistency. I ran 75 miles with my longest run being 15 miles. The long run went great. I averaged between 6:45 to 6:50 pace for the entire run. I also went to Wooster, Ohio to train with my coach Matt Woods and his crew of young distance runners on the track. I did 3 miles at 5:20 pace and felt solid. I hoping to put in another 70 mile week in next week.
I had a few emails asking me about heart monitors and are the worth buying? I believe they are. I have used them consistently over the years. They monitor your current condition and they also help you not to over train. Over the next few weeks I will give you some good info on how to use them to help you get into better shape.
Lets start with accuracy and ease of use. In the old days you had to stop and count for 10 seconds to get your HR and half the time you messed up because you counted to fast or slow. With a heart monitor you simply look down at the watch and gives you a very accurate number. The only negative you may get is the weird look some people may give you if you have your shirt off and they see the strap around your chest. I usually gave those people a wink and they would run.
If you have any questions about running you can post them on my Running Forum or Email me. Until next time, have a Great Run.

Starting to Heat Up

The heat is finally back. The temps have been in the mid 80's and fortunately the humidity is still low. For the next few months I can go out to run with a pair of shorts and shoes. I love this time because you do not have to worry about dressing in layers and it takes lot less time to get ready for a run.
This week I ran 75 miles and felt strong doing it. My long run was 15 miles at a little faster than seven minute pace. I decided to back off on my AT run because of the weather and I ended up running 5 miles at 6:10 pace. I also did a mile repeat workout. I started my first of four repeat miles with a 5:15 mile and ended the workout with a 5:04. There was a two minute and fifteen second rest in between in which I walked around. The workout went great and is definitely a confidence booster.
This weeks question is about eating before a race. I normally wake up about 3 hours before the race and eat two pieces of toast with jelly and water. You need to make sure you eat something that digests easily and contains some carbohydrates. The night before is the most important meal, so make sure you eat good the night before including a lot of pasta. If you have any questions about running you can post them on my Running Forum or Email me. Until next time, have a Great Run.