New Beginnings!

This has been an extremely challenging week for me with respect to my training.  I had to travel to Basking Ridge, New Jersey to meet with Barnes & Noble and to Buffafo, New York to meet with our partner in the Puma launch, New Buffalo Shirt Factory.  So it was a major challenge to keep up with my training schedule.

Rather than attempt to make up for my missed workouts I am going to be patient and get back on track beginning with tomorrow’s run with the TEAM.  It’s important to remain disciplined with my diet when I know I’m going to be unable to be cosistent with my workouts.

My job is very demanding and time consuming, particularly since I’m preparing to launch two new lines at our January sales meeting with the potential of generating tens of millions of dollars in a difficult economy.  I love what I do in terms of cultivating relationships with my vendor partners and managing the entire sales force so that always lessens the pressure from a demanding work and travel schedule.

I will focus on staying hydrated and eating well in prepartion for tomorrow’s TEAM run.  I will also be running between 10-15 miles on Sunday morning with Lori.  I really look forward to our weekly runs, they’ve become our weekly date.  We catch up on all the week’s activities with Rider and Macie Jo as well as our work.  Even though Lori has been the amazing CEO of Home Sweet Home for the past 10 years she has managed to stay involved with her love of education by privately tutoring various students.  She is also a board member of the Grafton Land Trust and works diligently with an extremely dedicated group of volunteers to preserve open space in a rapidly growing community.  That is a herculean task that ranks alongside training for a marathon!

It’s been far too long since I’ve seen Dr. Grayson Kimball so I’m really looking forward to seeing him.  He’ll be signing copies of his bood, Grateful Running, so plan accordingly if you’re interested in purchasing a copy.  I know that I am!  He is a HUGE Grateful Dead fan so you’ll find a lot of relevant musical inspiration in his book.

Each week I assess what I’ve done well and where I’ve fallen short.  Unfortunately I’ve fallen short in more areas than not this week so I’m determined to reverse that trend in the updoming week.  It’s important not to become paralyzed by frustration when you have a challenging week.  The spirit of a marathoner is to always deal with challenges in the most positive manner and become inspired and empowered by your efforts.

Today is the beginning of a new and determined effort!

Buffalo Blues

I am departing Providence this morning @ 6:30 for Buffalo, New York.  I have an all day meeting scheduled with Puma and will return home tonight @ 10:00.  Unfortunately I won’t have time for a workout.

I travel 70% of the time during the academic year but I hope this is going to be my last trip of the year.  Our pellet stove is blazing and our Rhodesian Ridgeback is trying to crawl onto my lap, not an easy task for a 100 lb. dog.  He’s one of the best running dogs but, like many of us, has gotten a little less disciplined over time.

With the exception of Lori, however.  I hope that you enjoyed her post yesterday.  I also hope that I can convince her to be a regular contributor since she’s full of helpful advice and insight.  I will always be inspired by her marathon debut in Hartford where she qualified for Boston; not an easy task.  She validated her ability by qualifying again in Boston a few months later…very impressive!

Noted sports psychologist, Dr. Grayson Kimball, will join us for training this weekend to speak about the mental aspect of running.  Dr. Kimball helped me coach my final Boston TEAM for Team In Training several years ago.  Here are a few links related to his work:

www.gratefulrunning.com

www.gratefulrunning.com

The following week we will have another good friend of mine, Colin Peddie, and the owner of Marathon Sports join us to discuss the natural running movement.  In future weeks we will also have a yoga instructor as well as a nutritionist speak to the Marathon Coalition TEAM.

Well I have to drive an hour to the airport so I will keep today’s post brief.  I hope that you have an enjoyable day!

Getting Out the Door

  I asked my wife Lori to share her tips for staying disciplined with her morning runs and here’s what she wrote:

  

 Let’s face it, winter is knocking on the door, and the cold temperatures are here to stay. It will only get colder, and add to that some wind, snow, sleet and of course, darkness, and you have a recipe that will make you want to stay in bed when that alarm goes off in the morning.  How do you get out the door when the cozy warmth of the bed, not to mention the temptation of another hour of precious slumber, is pulling you back under the covers?  Well, it’s not easy… getting out the door is the hardest part, but there are some things that will help you resist the urge to hit the snooze and forego the run.

  

1. Get your mind ready.

The very most important factor that needs to be in place to get you out the door in the morning is your mind set- and that needs to be in place before drifting off to sleep the night before.  You need to be ‘ready to run’ mentally before you go to bed, and committed to getting up in the morning.  While having your gear in place will help you feel prepared and get your mind thinking positively, you still need to remove the doubt. So, as you are drifting off to sleep, tell yourself that you are getting up when that alarm goes off and doing your run- there’s no other choice.  Think of it as having a season’s pass to running… you want to get your money’s worth from your investment and that means making every run.  No is not an option. 

 

2. Get your stuff ready.

Set out your gear (shoes, running tights, tops, outer layer, hat/headband, mittens, neck warmer (this is my most important piece), reflective things, headlamp (optional) and socks) so you won’t be looking for things in the morning darkness- everything will be there, ready to go.  Fumbling around in the morning looking for your gear wastes precious minutes that you could otherwise be spending on your run- it also gives you time, and an excuse, to change your mind and go back to bed. If you have a heater in your house, you might choose to put your things near it so that they are warm when you slip into them.  (We have a pellet stove and I like to put my clothes on the couch by the stove- they are always nice and toasty when I put them on.)   

 

3. NO snoozing. 

When the alarm goes off, do NOT hit the snooze button.  If you snooze, you lose, literally.  Do not even take a moment to think about it, your decision was made last night and you committed to it.  You cannot afford to have a ‘maybe’ attitude.  Get up!  Set your clock away from your bed if necessary so you have to get out of bed.  Get dressed and brush your teeth- there’s no turning back now.  This is the time to hit the floor to do some pushups (or pullups or any other activity)- start with 10 or 20, then add a few more to get your heart rate up and your body warmed up.  Doing pushups fully dressed to run will warm you up so quickly that you’ll want to get out the door to cool off- and that is exactly what you’ll do, every day. 

 

Make it a habit and you’ll have no problem getting out the door for your run in the morning… you’ll be so glad you did!   

 

 

Selecting The Proper Running Shoes

I am frequently asked, “Can you recommend the best running shoe for me?”  There is no simple answer to a fairly complex question.  I commonly indicate that the best shoe is the one that fits your foot the best.

I realize how overwhelming it can be to walk into a running store and see hundreds of running shoes on the wall; it can be so confusing trying to determine which shoes you should focus on without simply gravitating to the look of the shoes.

In the early 80’s I was a tech rep for New Balance and was trained to understand completely the construction of running shoes and subsequently travel the country teaching others about this fascinating business.  I currently struggle to balance the scale of having all that knowledge and my current belief that running shoes have been overdeveloped and, in many ways, provide a disservice to runners because they prevent the foot from performing in its natural state.

I have been a huge fan of Marathon Sports here in the New England area because their staff is so well-trained and are extremely customer focused.  You would be well served by having the staff at Marathon Sports analyze your running gait and the movement of your feet in an effort to determine the best shoe suited for your biomechanical needs.

I recommend that you try on running shoes after a run or later in the day as your feet will swell throughout your run or throughout the day.  To allow for this expansion you should have at least a thumbs width between the end of your longest toe and the end of the shoe.  Many runners wear their shoes too short and ultimately lose their toenails because of all the pressure being placed on them.

It is also important to rotate two pairs of shoes as your shoes need to rest just as you do.  The midsole of a running shoe is the heart of the shoe as it provides support, cushioning, and protection from the force of running and the road.  Most midsoles are comprised of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate).  It’s essentially an air-blown plastic/rubber material that is composed of thousands of tiny air bubbles that compress as your foot strikes the ground.  These air bubbles compress and act as a shock absorber and require at least 24 hours to expand back to their full resiliency to provide the ultimate protection.  If you’re a consistent runner and wear just one pair of shoes, you can wear them out prematurely by not allowing them sufficient rest.  Rotating 2 pairs of running shoes will outlast 3+ pairs of shoes worn individually.

I recommend that you treat your running shoes like the family pet (i.e,. don’t leave them in the car overnight or place them in the washing machine or dryer).  I do wash my shoes in the kitchen sink using dish detergent and my wife’s vegetable brush when she is not home (please don’t tell her).  Be sure you rinse them thoroughly, otherwise you’ll be extremely embarrassed the next time you wear them in the rain.  Don’t ask me how I know this!

You can determine your foot type by standing on a dark towel when you come out of the shower.  Step directly down on the towel, allowing your footprint to be imprinted, and step away.  Pay close attention to the arch area as that will determine whether you have an average foot, a high arch, or a flat foot.  The more cut away the arch area the higher the arch, the less cut away the flatter the foot.  Runners with high arches tend to have rigid feet and require more flexible or cushioned shoes and runners with flat feet tend to have a more flexible foot and require greater support. 

I often hear runners talk about pronation and how bad it is.  The reality is that pronation is not bad, it’s the normal movement of the foot that allows for the dispersion of shock.  You place  3-4 times your body weight on your feet with every foot strike, that is a ton (literally) of force your feet are expected to absorb during a typical run. Over-pronation is what causes the problem because you’re going beyond the normal range of motion and placing additional force on your lower extremities when this biomechanical misalignment occurs.  The result is typically knee or ITB (illiotibial band) syndrome.

So the message is simply to visit your nearest Marathon Sports store to determine the best possible shoe for you, treat it like the family pet, rotate it with a similar model that’s proven to work for you, and always rinse them thoroughly if you share my need to always run in clean shoes!

Making A Difference

I want to share an amazing experience that I had when Rider was only 3 years old.  It was the day before the 2004 Boston Marathon and he said to me, “Dad, I want to learn to ride my bike today!”  Up to that point, Rider had always refused to ride his bike with training wheels, but he rode a Razor scooter from the time he was about 18 months old.  It was so remarkable to see him pushing with those little legs and racing his scooter around our neigborhood; people used to stop and ask how old he was.

So, we got out his two-wheeler, went into our back yard and I simply gave him a push and he rode across the yard like he had been riding forever.  When he made it to the other side of the yard he stopped, turned around and proclaimed, “I want to do that again!” 

Lori was taking care of the horses at the barn and when she returned home she was amazed to see Rider come from behind the deck, riding his bike all by himself.  Shortly after that he said to us, “I want to ride my bike to raise money for kids with cancer.”  That statement was so awe-inspiring because we realized that he was paying attention to what we were doing as Team In Training coaches, and he was also influenced by our runners.

We had taken Rider to training with us before he was even a week old.  So he spent every Saturday of his life around people that were extremely charitable.  I had heard the adage, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ many times before but now I was witnessing just how true that was.  Our TEAM of runners at Team In Training certainly influenced him and he clearly adopted their commitment and mindset.

So Lori found a Pan Mass Challenge for Kids event in Upton that was scheduled for two months later.  Lori and I have both lost parents to cancer so she made Rider a shirt that said, “In Memory of Grandma and Grandpa” so he could wear it on the ride. 

Rider then dictated a fundraising letter to Lori and sent it to our closest friends and family.  He raised over $400 for his first time!

When we arrived at the Pan Mass Challenge For Kids event, Rider was clearly the smallest particpant.  There were kids several years older who were still riding with training wheels.  I began to realize how unique and special Rider is.  I mentioned to Lori that I would run beside him during the ride.  Afterall, I was a marathoner and he was only 3 years old.  How far could he actually ride on such a small bike anyway?  I didn’t have to wait long for my answer.

Once the ride started, he was gone.  I couldn’t believe it and I was in a state of panic.  He had never been out of our sight and suddenly he was consumed by this flood of riders.   I was cutting through yards and taking every conceivable short cut to catch up with him.  After what seemed like hours, I finally caught a glimpse of him.  I quickly sprinted up to him, and saw him at a water stop, bicycle laying on its side.  He was consuming a packet of Skittles with the biggest smile on his face.  He was so full of life and enjoying every minute of it- especially the Skittles (which he NEVER got to eat at home)!

Rider ended up riding 12 miles on an extremely difficult and hilly course with the temperatures soaring through the 90’s.  Even today, after training thousands of charity runners and witnessing selflessness and giving beyond comprehension, Rider’s commitment to raising money for kids with cancer still ranks at the top.

His example has proven to me that ANYONE can make a signifcant difference in the world if they have the desire and belief.  He has inspired me to do more than I ever imagined.  I hope that this story will inspire you to adopt his commitment and belief that YOU can make a difference too.

I love you Rider!

Getting The Most Out Of Giving

“Learn like you will live forever.  Live like you will die tomorrow!” -Mahatma Gandhi

I would like to thank everyone that attended our first training yesterday.  I hope that you learned that, by attending training, you are giving yourself the opportunity to learn so much about running in general and the Boston Marathon in particular.  Additionally, my greatest hope is that you realized this marathon journey is going to be one of the most meaningful and inspirational experiences of your life.

And that is because YOU are actively engaged and committed to putting so much effort into it!  This message is mostly for the runners that didn’t attend training yesterday.  I want to recognize that some of you had prior commitments that prevented you from attending training and I appreciate that you notified me.  But if you didn’t attend training because you slept in or thought that, like a college class, you can get by with not attending training and do okay on the final exam….you are in for a HUGE surprise on April 18th.

Many of you are running your first marathon in Boston…that continues to amaze and inspire me.  But I hope that you realize that I am applying my experience of running Boston 5 consecutive decades and developing a program that you will benefit from.  You simply cannot extract all that you need to know from my blog and weekly messages via e-mail along with everything you read and what your friends tell you and develop a strategy of success.  You might get to the finish line but is that really all that you want to do?

Don’t you want to feel like you gave this experience everything that you have?  Is simply getting through the marathon or just meeting your fundraising minimum all that you’re going to ask of yourself?  Consider how you will feel about yourself and your marathon contribution if that is the approach you’ve adopted.  Most importantly, consider the benefactors of your fundraising efforts and how limited their educational opportunities will be because you accepted less from yourself than you know you’re capable of achieving.

I want to be very clear that I am putting everything I can into my coaching effort to ensure everyone gets the most from this journey…including myself.  I live Gandi’s quote everyday because, thankfully, I have learned some extremely hard lessons in my life about the downfall of coasting and not putting forth my best effort.  I have also gained a little wisdom in my 52 years of living.  I have benefitted greatly from the wisdom that certain people shared with me throughout my life and I consider that knowledge one of the greatest gifts ever!

So I am simply trying to pass that along to you.  If you’re intimidated by training becasue you fear you might be the slowest runner….you shouldn’t be.  Training is non-competitive and someone will always be the slowest runner.  Training is about preparing yourself for the Boston Marathon and if that means trying to break 6 hours that is okay!  Training is also about attempting to make the biggest difference possible in the lives of the people served by the missions of all 7 charities.  Although running tends to be an individual activity, this is truly a TEAM sport.  Collectively we rely on one another for so much.  And when you don’t attend training your deprive your teammates and yourself of more than you likely imagine.

After coaching runners for 15 years I know that the runners that get the most from this experience are those that attend training.  I have also learned that if you don’t attend training within the first 3 weeks you’re unlikely to attend training at all.  Please don’t allow that to happen.  You don’t want to be standing on the starting line in Hopkinton on April 18th with any regrets. 

An average coach would be satisfied with having less runners at training because it would be easier.  I hope that you realize I am NOT that coach.  I want EVERYONE to attend training.  I welcome the additional work and want YOU to attend training.  I will look forward to seeing you Saturday :-)!

Go TEAM!

Training is Underway

Today was the first day of training for the Marathon Coalition TEAM.  We ran nearly 5 miles on the hills of Newton.  Our training location is right at mile 20 of the Boston Marathon and in the heart of the hills. 

I need to explore the area more so that we have training options away from the hills.  I focused on the importance of running form and efficiency.  I was pleasantly surprised by how many runners already have such a smooth and efficient stride.  The challenge will be to sustain their form throughout their runs, particularly once they become tired.  It was nice to run by and touch the Johnny Kelley statue on Commonwealth Avenue.  It has always been a source of inspiration for me  and I am hoping that the runners will feel similarly. 

Next week I will have Dr. Grayson Kimball speak to the TEAM about the mental aspect of training.  Dr. Kimball received his Ph.D. in Sports Psychology from Springfield College.  He also helped me coach the Boston Marathon TEAM for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during my last year with TNT.  I know the TEAM will benefit greatly from his advice and immediately connect with him.

I wore the Nike Zoom Air today.  I’ve become so accustomed to the minimalist genre of shoes so having excessive cushioning definitely wreaked havoc on my legs.  I look forward to returning to the K-Swiss Blade for tomorrow’s long run with Lori. 

I have a lot of work to do before the Phoenix Rock n’ Roll marathon next month.  I’m trying to focus on cleaning up my diet.  We are having friends over for dinner this evening and I stopped at Whole Foods on the drive home from training and bought a HUGE carrot cake for Lori’s birthday.  We’ll see how disciplined I can be.  I would rather forego a few minutes of guilty pleasure and not have to pay such a high price for my indulgence.

The majority of the runners I am coaching will be running Boston as their first marathon.  I will teach them about managing this challenging course and help them to develop a strategy they’ll be comfortable with on April 18th.  We have a lot of work ahead of us but I’m confident every one of them will finish.  I have an impressive group of young and fit runners that I know will qualify next April. 

I look forward to having more runners attend training next week.  I know the runners that attend training get far more out of this journey than those that don’t.  I also know that if someone doesn’t attend training during the first 3 weeks they are likely not to attend training at all…that would be a travesty.  

Tomorrow I will focus on my most important workout of the week….180 steps per minute, smooth transitions from walking to running, fueling and hydrating properly, relaxed breathing and form, running quietly, and maintaing a sharp mental focus so that I begin to believe I can accomplish my goal in Boston!

Home Sweet Home!

It is so nice to be home after several days in Chicago.  When I landed in Chicago on Wednesday the temperature was 21 degrees and snowing.  This morning it was 12 degrees so I decided to run 8 miles on the treadmill rather than run along an unfamiliar highway @ 5:00 a.m.

Now is a good time to consider whether you have sufficient clothing to train through the New England winter.  I recommend that you become accustomed to layering your clothing.  On extremely cold days I wear a thin base layer closest to my body.  I prefer Under Armour tights because of the quality and fit.  I have had several pairs for nearly 5 years and they’re holding up great.  You might prefer to wear a wind pant on extremely cold and windy days but that’s never been my preference.  I tend to wear two layers on my upper body with the outer layer having a zipper.  That allows me to regulate my temperature throughout my run (i.e., fully zipped up at the beginning before my core temperature rises, down during the run and back up near the end of the run when my resources have been depleted).

I always wear a hat since so much body heat escapes through the head.  A headband will keep your ears warm but it doesn’t prevent precious body heat from escaping.  Gloves and mittens are items that I treat like the zipper on my top in that I remove them during the run after I’m fully warmed up and replace them when I’m in the final miles of my run. 

I’ll conduct a workshop on running form and efficiency at our initial training.  Being able to maintain efficient form throughout your runs will make running far more enjoyable and significantly reduce the likelihood of injury.  Most runners dramatically lose their form when they get tired, forcing their body through a greater range of motion and risking injuring themselves.

I am so excited to be training for Boston with the Marathon Coalition TEAM.  We’ll be running up Heartbreak Hill for the first time on Saturday.  It will feel very differently on April 18th after having run 20 miles to arrive at the base.  Some of you have a lot to learn but we’ll cover a lot of ground the first few weeks and before you know it you’ll all be fully versed on the course and the requisite strategy needed to finish Boston in ‘relative comfort.’

Four year old Macie Jo is one of the many reasons I love returning home after all my business trips!

Our little girl is growing up way too fast

Sources of Inspiration

Now is the time to consider what you hope to achieve and accomplish as we approach the beginning of our training for the 2011 Boston Marathon.  It is important to then develop a multi-faceted strategic plan that will position you for success.

I recommend that the cornerstone of your plan be the actual marathon.  I suggest your marathon goal be to finish in ‘relative comfort’ if this is your first marathon.  Having a time goal can be a double-edged sword in that, if you happen to not have a good day on April 18th, it can completely overshadow what should otherwise be cause for celebration. 

Running, particularly marathoning, has always been far more meaningful to me than simply getting into the best possible shape and trying to achieve a particular time.  Running and all that it represents has always been my True North.  It has taught me more than anything I could possibly have learned in a classroom.  I have learned that I am capable of accomplishing practically anything when I remain focused, deal with the ebb and flow of anything significant and have the willingness and desire to pay whatever price is necessary.

This will be the 5th consecutive decade that I have run Boston and I have certain goals that I want to accomplish.  I want to be the best role model for every runner that I coach.  I want my runners to be as proud of me as I am of them.   I also want to set an example for my children, Macie Jo and Rider, that it’s important to set  huge goals and remain steadfast in your commitment to those goals, as well as to live a healthy lifestyle. 

I received a gift once that had the following quote etched in an extremely heavy piece of metal, “What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?”  It was a very thoughtful gift but it has NEVER resonated with me because the possibility of failure has been my constant companion.  I have always been comfortable with the possibility of coming up short and failing.

I recall when I attempted to run 100 miles in 24 hours on the local high school track.  The headlines in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette sports section read, “Muhr to Attempt 100 Miles in 24 Hours!”  The day turned out to be simply unbelievable because of gale force winds and an incredible amount of rain.  I ended up running 62 miles and knew the best decision was not to go on because I had been unable to eat for such a long time.  The reporter called the following day and asked me what I thought he should do?  I suggested he write the headline, “Muhr Comes Up Short!”  I don’t want to sugarcoat my failures…I have learned far more from my shortcomings and failures than any of my successes.

I simply don’t want to be one of those poor souls that is so paralyzed by failure they don’t accomplish anything.  One of my favorite quotes is from Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. ”

I realize his quote isn’t considered politcally correct today but I didn’t want to alter history.  Trust me, no one knows better than I that women can endure far greater pain than any man that I know, particulary when it involves the marathon and beyond :-)! 

You are also going to encounter critics when they learn that you’re training for the 2011 Boston Marathon.  They are going to question ‘why’ you would want to attempt something so significant and even cast doubt on your ability to finish. 

For all the people that might say that you can’t do it or that you won’t do it; or that you are crazy for even trying, You will see them at the finish line!

So my goal for the 2011 Boston Marathon is to run under 3 hours.  I look forward to training beside you and paying the same price that you are.  I look forward to sharing the entire journey with you…the pain, the discomfort, the chocloate milk and the socializing when we complete our runs and, most importantly, I look forward to sharing the accomplishment and acheivement of completing Boston with you! 

 I look forward to silencing the critics, ‘those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. ‘