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Tricks of the Trade – Complete an Ironman
If you have completed a full marathon and are ready for more, read on. This article will describe how someone who has finished a marathon can take steps towards their goal of completing a full Ironman. There are many excellent books on this topic. I recommend The Triathlete’s Training Bible by Joe Friel. This article focuses on the philosophy and strategy rather than workout schedules. My goal is to describe a method of simply completing the event not taking first place.
Limit of Liability: Running involves inherent risks. Running long distance endurance events increases these risks. The purpose of this article is to make the risks of hurting yourself objective and, then, attempt to mitigate them. This said, there is no way to completely eliminate risk. By reading this article, you are agreeing to hold the author harmless for any injuries that might occur. As always, you should consult your health care professional before making any changes to your workout regiment or medications. Full disclosure: I receive a small commission if you follow some of the links listed in this article and make a purchase.
Introduction
After turning 40, my wife convinced me to schedule a physical. Though I wasn’t facing any immediate danger, my doctor told me that the minimum he would like to see is “45 minutes of exercise, three times a week”. Since I was having trouble motivating myself at first, I decided I needed a goal. I trained for and completed my first half marathon in early 2006 and then, a few weeks later, signed up for the Long Beach Marathon.
Long Beach is held in October so the weather was perfect. The energy coming from the 18,000 participants was overwhelming. I had trained using the Galloway method of walking a minute after each mile completed. I practiced this technique in the race as well. After the half way point, my shins started to ache. As I continued, the pain only grew worse. By the end of the race, I was walking more than running. I hobbled across the finish line at 4:48. I finished my first marathon!
After more than a month of shin pain, I concluded that I had a stress fracture. I made an appointment with my doctor to get his advice. At the visit, I told him that since he suggested I increase the duration of my workouts, it was his “fault” I hurt myself. He smiled and then ordered some X-rays. Rather than a stress fracture, I had something more mundane – “shin splints”. My doctor explained that the place where the muscle attaches to the bone had low “vascularization” and that recovery would be slow. He told me (over an over again) that running was hard on my body and that I should think about other forms of exercise at least while I waited for my injury to heal.
Progression, Progression, Progression
What’s the number one rule in real estate? Location, location, location. What’s the number one rule in endurance sports? Progression, progression, progression. Just as I started my journey down the road of endurance sports with a half marathon, followed by a full marathon, the same goes with Ironman events. While there are some people have made the jump from marathon to full Ironman, it is not advised. It’s better to work your way up, successfully completing a half before signing up for a full Ironman.
Months after completing the Long Beach Marathon, I started looking for ways to maintain my fitness while I allowed my injury to heal. I joined a local fitness club and start swimming. It’s sad, but at first I couldn’t even make it once across the pool without stopping to catch my breath. But, over time, I was able to increase my distance. As my endurance improved, it dawned on me that I only needed to master one more sport (bicycling) to have the skills I needed to compete in a triathlon. Even though all I had at the time was a mountain bike, I signed up for the 2008 “Big Kahuna” Santa Cruz Half Ironman.
Practice Makes Perfect
With six months before the race and before temperatures starting to rise, I plotted my workout strategy. My goal was the duplicate the conditions of the race during my training. I applied this philosophy during every workout. Since the swimming portion of Santa Cruz takes place in the ocean (you swim around the pier), I made it a point to drive to the beach (40 minutes away) and swim. When I couldn’t make it to the beach, I wore my wet suit in the pool at the club. As for the bike portion of my training, I purchased a used “Tri” Bike on eBay. I had it fitted at my local bike store and then make small adjustments myself to improve comfort. For both the bike and running portion of my training, I learned about fueling and supplementation and practiced eating and drinking with the exact pattern I would use in the race.
Sport Rotation
The most difficult part of competing in a triathlon is that you need to be fit in three events, not just one. I looked at my workout schedule a week at a time. My plan was to rotate through all three events each week. Since I have a full-time job and a family, I wasn’t able to train for hours every day. Most weeks, I targeted five days for training: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I usually practice two events, two times during the week with the remaining sport on Saturday. For example, I might swim on Monday and Wednesday, run on Tuesday and Thursday and then ride on Saturday. During the week, I trained 50 minutes a day (really). On Saturday (or Sunday if Saturday didn’t work), I trained for four hours or more. Again, my goal was to complete an Ironman, not take first place.
Staying Healthy
My doctor was right. Running is hard on my body. So, if my shins or knees hurt, I focused on the other two sports. This could be a problem if I have pain just before the race. But, if the race is still months away, I will simply skip running and substitute the walking, tread mill, the step mill (simulates endless flights of stairs) or weights. Once I start to feel better, I slowly reintroduce running – limiting both the speed and the distance. The key is to train without crossing your pain threshold. If you have trouble with your knees, check out my article titled Tricks of the Trade – Knees.
Periodization
As I choose to rotate through sports on a weekly cycle, I also look at my workout schedule as a monthly cycle whereby I would stair-step up the effort and duration over four weeks only to have to return to more modest levels at the end. Imaging hiking over a series of ever-increasing peaks, each one higher than the last, culminating in the mother of all peaks at the end – the race itself.
Doing the Distance
Some say that 80% of an Ironman is mental. I say that the other 20% is mental too. As my race approaches, I plan “trials”. For example with two months to go, I would do a “quarter Ironman” – all three events on the same day. This is not an official race. (They cost too much and never match my training schedule.) During this trial, I am training my body and my mind. I am also focusing on my gear – what’s working and what’s not as well as the “transitions” where you switch to the next event. With a month to go, I run all three events with the full distance. However, this time, instead of doing them all on the same day, I do them over a three-day weekend or two events on Saturday and the remaining one on Sunday.
It’s a Timed Event
If you don’t finish the race within the time limit, you receive a DNF (Did Not Finish). What most people don’t realize is that, each sport within a triathlon has a time limit as well. If you don’t finish the swimming portion of the race within the prescribed time, that’s it…, you pack your bags and go home. The same goes for the bike portion. Even the individual laps of the running portion of the race may have time limits. This really adds to the pressure during competition. When you are doing the trials described in the previous section, make sure you are timing yourself. The information that you collect is crucial when you are riding the bike portion of the race, for example, and need to decide whether you need to speed up in order to make the cutoff or slow down, to save your energy for the run.
Conclusion
Completing an Ironman is one of my most memorable achievements. I will never forget it. It’s something I lean on when I’m having trouble. I have new confidence that has helped me in other areas of my life. Let me know your story. You can email me at darren@vansoye.com or just leave a comment below.
Tricks of the Trade – Night Running
Summary
As the days grow short and the temperature drops, you may find you aren’t exercising as much as you were just a few months ago. In this post, I review three “Tricks of the Trade” that will help you to safely run in the dark whatever the season.
Introduction
Many people drop their running routine late in the Fall when outdoor temperatures drop, the risk of injury from slips increase and the hours of daylight shortened. While these are all good reasons to reduce outdoor activities, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are still 24 hours in a day, after all. It’s just that running during the late fall and winter means you will be performing at least part of your workout in the dark. In this post, I review three “tricks of the trade” that will help you to safely run in the dark – at night or in the morning, before it gets light.
Limit of Liability: Running involves inherent risks. Running at night increases these risks. The purpose of this article is to make the risks of running at night objective and, then, attempt to mitigate them. This said, there is no way to completely eliminate risk. By reading this article, you are agreeing to hold the author harmless for any injuries that might occur. As always, you should consult your health care professional before making any changes to your workout regiment or medications. Full disclosure: I receive a small commission if you follow some of the links listed in this article and make a purchase.
1. Safety First
For most people, it’s not the temperature that keeps them indoors; it’s the “crazies” out there. (Have you noticed how the plot of nearly all horror films takes place at night?) I’m not saying that it’s safe out there. Just that we should start by separating objective (actual) risks from unfounded fear. This said there are real dangers involved with running at night. Here are a few ways to reduce the threat.
Run with a friend. Running with others will reduce your vulnerability. The more the merrier. Often, when I am running in the early morning hours, I bump into a large group of around eight or nine runners. These men and women usually run in two groups. The thing I notice every time is how much fun they seem to have. They are always talking (loudly) and laughing (a lot). Though we don’t know each others names, I usually get a slap on the back and some words of encouragement as we pass each other. Friends don’t have to be human either. A dog will do. Just make sure to give your canine time to get in shape if he or she isn’t used to running with you.
Pay attention. If you are looking around and aware of your surrounding, you will reduce your risk. That’s because those that prey at night are looking for easy targets. A piece of related advice is to choose your route carefully. Running through dark alleys is not advised. Instead, run where you have good visibility and will see any would-be attackers. I often run along a river trail. I normally see very few souls out at night when I am running. If you plan to run alone, you may want to consider bringing some mace.
2. Equipment
One piece of safety equipment is a flashlight. I particularly like a headlamp. They come in many makes, models and price ranges. The more expensive ones have LED lights which will help you to reduce your battery consumption. Princeton Tec puts out a nice 3 watt LED. If you are on a budget, there are some inexpensive and bright flashlights including this cheapy for $0.99. Some runners recommend two flashlights used at the same time – one on your head and another one held in your hand. This is because light coming from two directions helps to improve your depth perception. I carry two flashlights using the second one as a backup. I also carry extra batteries. Running without some type of light at night is not recommended.
Another key beyond lighting is clothing. There are a lot of choices here. My favorite brand is Nike. They have a whole line of clothes for cold weather running here. Even where I run in Southern California, I usually leave the house with most of my body covered from head-to-toe. If it’s unusually cold, I wear a hat that covers my ears and wear gloves. If you live in another part of the country, you will want to wear something warmer. However, you can really “boil” if you have too much on. If you live where it snows or where there’s the risk of ice, consider investing a traction device such as Yaktrax.
3. Motivation
Let’s face it, getting up at o-dark-thirty or going for a night run after a long day at work takes discipline. What follows are some suggestions to converting your goals into actions.
Get the rest you need. If you are a morning runner (like I am), the trick to getting up early is going to bed on time. If I want to run 10 miles and still get to work on time, I need to get up at 4:15am. The only way this works is if I go to sleep by 9:00pm. Anything later and I will either skip my run or be a zombie at work. If you run at night, you may find it difficult to go to bed early. After your run, you may want to take a shower, grab some dinner and then try to wind down.
Be intentional. Running at night especially when it’s cold, requires a lot of equipment. That’s why it’s best to lay out your clothes when your motivation is high – hours before your run. As you are gathering the items, set a goal about how far and fast you want to run. If you use different routes, visualize yourself at various points along the way. Another option is to set a minimum distance and see how you feel.
Multitask. Though listening to music or commentary at night increases your risk profile, I have found this to be the key to motivating myself. There are podcasts on nearly every subject and they don’t cost a dime. Before I leave the house, I load my MP3 player with several hours of podcasts from the BBC, Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio. If you have interest, there are even free language courses available for download. As much as I enjoy listening to podcasts or music when I run, it is sometimes best to shut it all off and run silently through the night with only the sound of my thoughts.
Conclusions
The streets that you run along will be busy with traffic soon. But, right now, they are mostly deserted. You have them all to yourself. There’s a certain feeling of freedom that comes with night running. There are challenges to be sure. But, the results are powerful. You feel that you have conquered something. You have conquered yourself.
Tricks of the Trade – Knees
According to one source, one in five runners injure their knees annually. In this post, I review four “Tricks of the Trade” that will help you reduce or eliminate your knee pain.
Introduction
About 60 per cent of all runners are injured in an average year, and about one-third of those injuries occur at the knee, producing a yearly injury rate of one in five runners (’Running Injuries to the Knee,’ Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, vol. 3, pp. 309-318, 1995). I too have suffered from knee issues over the years. At one point, I was ready to “throw in the towel.” I was just “too old” to expect to run any significant distance. In this post, I review four “tricks of the trade” that will help you to reduce or eliminate your knee pain.
Note: While I am not a doctor, I have put together these four “Tricks of the Trade” to address problems with knees. Some knee injuries will not get better with the techniques listed below. I recommend that you consult your health care professional before making any changes to your workout regiment. Full disclosure: I will receive a small commission if you follow the links listed in this article and purchase a book or DVD.
1. It’s the shoes, Mike! It’s the shoes!!
That’s right, shoes make a big difference. After about 300 miles, the sole of your shoes will start to break down. This will reduce the sole’s ability to cushion the impact of each step. Since I run distance, marathon and above, I tend to run a fair amount, at least 20 to 30 miles a week. That means that my shoes are ready for replacement after about three months. If you run year round, that’s four pair a year! If you log your workouts, you will know when your shoes are ready for replacement.
There are shoes that have been designed to correct common problems such as pronation and supination (click on links for excellent articles on each topic). I pronate (also called knocked-knees meaning I tend to apply pressure to the inside of my soles). How do you tell if you pronate or supinate? There’s a really easy test. Grab an old pair of shoes and look at the heels. If there is wear on the inside (left side of the right shoe), then you pronate. If there is wear on the outside (right side of the right shoe), then you supinate. There are two solutions that I have employed here. The first is the shoe. I have purchased shoes that correct for pronation. I have purchased the ASICS Men’s GEL-Foundation 8 Running Shoe. The second solution is the lacing. I create a loop using the last two lace holes and pass the lace ends through these holds to improve stabability. Make sure you lace ‘em up tight!
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2. Running Style
I’ve already mentioned pronation in the previous Trick and I have held out the shoe as the solution. There’s another solution: force yourself to run the right way. This is not easy. But, over time, you can correct your running style. Try this: the next time your are out for a run, look down and watch your feet. Are they both pointed forward or is one angled out (like mine)? Turn your foot. That’s right, turn your foot so that it points forward. Someone asked if this caused problems with my hip. The answer is “No” but this was my experience. You may have issues. So, make this change slowly, over time. Imagine looking down at a boat. Is your boat (your right or left foot) traveling north on the ocean or more to the East (right foot) or West (left foot)?
Here’s another issue. Again, while you are looking down, is the contact point on the inside of your shoe (pronation) or the outside (supination)? As I have mentioned already, without the right shoes, I pronate rolling on the inside of my shoe (my right shoe contacts the pavement on the left side of the sole). Again, using the boat analogy, this would be side to side motion. Imagine waves hitting the side of your foot and rolling it side to side. With the right shoes, you soles should roll forward with even side to side pressure on the pavement.
Finally, focus on foot landing. Are your feet landing on your heal? Well, they shouldn’t. They should be landing on your toes (see Pose Method of Running) or mid-foot (see 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days). I run long distance events. I can’t imagine running a marathon on my toes. But, some people do it. I instead land on my mid-foot. This has worked for me. Back to the boat analogy, imagine waves hitting the front of your foot, causing it to rock from front to back.
You might think this is it. But it isn’t. I have left the most important running style Trick for the end of this section. Again, looking down at your feet as you run, make sure that your big toe never advances beyond your knee. If you are, you are guilty of “cheap speed”. Taking giant steps, may look impressive, but you are putting tremendous pressure on your whole body, especially your knees. Instead of pushing off with your rear foot, focus instead on increasing your cadence (sometimes called “turnover”). What’s cadence? The number of steps your take per minute. Instead of taking 60 steps per minute, try to maintain the same speed at 90 or 120 steps per minute. What does it look like? Like you are shuffling. And note, you will have to increase your arm movement as well to match your foot cadence. Not convinced? If you have a GPS watch and experiment with cadence, you will see what I mean. I radically improved my speed and still felt like I was doing the same amount of work! What? No steroids? No human growth supplements? That’s right. You can increase your speed for “free”. And, you will be putting less stress on your knees at the same time!
3. Weight lifting
Let me start off by saying I hate weight lifting. I would rather stick needles in eye, than go to the gym and lift weights. But, I can say that focusing on the lower body can have tremendous results on your running in general and your knees. One weekend I ran 13 miles. I was tired. But, nothing out of the ordinary. The next weekend, I ran 15 miles. The last two miles nearly killed me. Why? Because, as I fatigued, I lost my form and failed to run with good style. Without going into a lot of detail, weight lifting strengthens the muscles that allow you to run the “right way”. Thus, you can run further with good form. What sorts of exercises should you do? Instead of listing them here, let me recommend a book (reference: The Body Sculpting Bible for Men and The Body Sculpting Bible for Women). How often do you need to lift? I would say, once a week. Note that lifting will also build the leg muscles that don’t get used as much while running. Some believe that this will reduce injuries. I tend to agreed. Note that the book that I have references includes upper body (not a bad idea) and core exercises (essential for runners). Tip: Instead of bringing the book to the gym, type up notes on each exercise and then just bring the notes. Another tip: Alternate between a pair of exercises and you can cut the time it takes to complete your workout in half!
4. Cross Training
Here’s another tip. The best way to reduce or eliminate knee problems is to not run. What? That’s right, reduce your miles and instead, use other forms of exercise to build endurance and strength. Another story: After the Long Beach Marathon in 2006, I had terrible “shin splints”. I went to the doctor and told him I hurt myself while running a marathon. (Each time I visited my doctor, he asked how far a marathon was. I told him, 26.2 miles. And each time I said it, he looked up to heaven and remarked, “Wow, that’s a long way”.)
Since it hadn’t healed after a month, I thought I had a stress fracture. We got it X-Rayed. But, my bones were in fine shape. When I returned to my doctor, he explained that the contact point between the muscles and the bone sometimes become inflamed. And, because of the low vascularization, the healing process can take a long time (it took three months). He told me that running is really hard on your body (he said it over and over again). He recommended that I take up another sport, at least as long as my shins hurt. He recommended swimming or riding a bike. Both are low-impact sports. I reasoned that I wouldn’t be giving up running. I would instead just be temporarily substituting other forms of exercise to maintain my fitness and wait for the healing process to take place.
After about 6 weeks of swimming, riding and lifting weights, I started to walk. I had no pain walking. Later, I started to run-walk, always ensuring that I stayed below my pain threshold (this is very important). Gradually, I reduced the other sports and increased my running, stopping or slowing down if I had any pain. Note that the cause of my shin splits were improper shoes and using the wrong running style. But, this regiment, allowed me to heal and maintain my fitness. Try this protocol if you have knee pain.
Even though I primarily consider myself a runner, I only run twice to three times a week. If I run three times a week, I will run mid distance first, speed workout at the track (reference: Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness) and then a long, slow run on the weekend. I ALWAYS take one day a week off (sometimes two). And, if I run a race or complete a long training run, I will take two or three days off and significantly reduce my running for the next two weeks.
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Darren Van Soye (http://darren.vansoye.com) lives with his wife and daughter in Southern California. He enjoys travel, technology and fitness. Darren just completed his first full Ironman in 2009. He is currently focused on ultra distance events – 50 miles and more. Darren has visited over 40 countries on six continents.
You can follow him on twitter here: http://twitter.com/dvansoye
