RUNNING TRANSFORMATION

 

I prefer to live in the spirit of continuous improvement.  This requires maintaining a constant state of self-assessment that relates to all facets of my life…as a husband, father, employee, friend, coach and runner.

I have been plagued with chronic Achilles pain the past 5 years that has severely impacted my running consistency.  This is the first serious hurdle I have encountered in 43 years of running and I’m FINALLY back running consistently.  And now the competitive fires are burning again.

My running goals in 2018 are to run a marathon to achieve my 33rd consecutive Boston Marathon qualifying time.  I am targeting the Providence Marathon.  I last ran it in 2009 in 3:20:39 and finished 3rd in my age group.  One week later I’m planning to run the 50 mile Ice Age Trail race in Wisconsin.  I last ran this race in 1991 (it was my first ultra trail race), I finished in 7:06:36 (8:31 pace).  Later in the year I hope to finish a 100 mile race.  I haven’t decided which race I will run yet but the Vermont 100 miler is high on the list.

This seems like a lot considering I am just returning to consistent running.  But the competitive fires have been dormant for such a long time and I’m not getting any younger.

In preparation for this new journey I have completely revamped my nutrition and focused on a LCHF (low carbohydrate, high fat) approach that has allowed me to lose 25 lbs which feels wonderful.  I’m also making a concerted effort to improve my running efficiency and economy.  Additionally, I’m improving my mobility and balance and trying to improve my post-workout recovery, hydration and quality of sleep.

I’m so excited to be committed to these ambitious running goals!

I just hope they don’t diminish my plans to also improve as a husband, father, employee, friend and coach.

Running in Austin, Texas

Austin is one of my favorite cities in the country, along with Portland, Oregon, Missoula, Montana and Asheville, North Carolina.  I enjoy the culture, music and food of this special city.

When I visit I start every day with a run on the Lady Bird Johnson trails, a unique venue in the heart of Austin.  The temperature @ 6:30 a.m. was 53 degrees and heading to 78.  After a great night of sleep I was well rested and ready to run.

I started conservatively and focused on establishing a rhythm of total efficiency, a pattern of rhythmic breathing and a positive attitude.  I’m on a quest to rebuild my running foundation so 90% of my runs are at a low intensity.  I recently attended a Healthy Running Workshop with Dr. Phil Maffetone and I’m following his recommendation of limiting my heart rate to 121 bpm (beats per minute) average based on the formula of 180-my age (59).

That has been a drastic change to my training approach.  I normally average 131-135 bpm while averaging 8:00 minute pace.  By keeping my average heart rate to 121 bpm I was running a pedestrian pace of 10:45 per mile.  Dr. Maffetone reassured me that my pace would gradually increase while still maintaining the recommended 121 bpm.  This morning’s average pace was 9:05 with the same effort…I AM A BELIEVER!

It’s counterintuitive to think I can run faster by running slower.  But, this experiment is trending in that direction.

I am in Austin to attend TRE (The Running Event), the premier event for the top running stores and vendors in the country.  I’m honored to be on a panel discussion this afternoon with Meb Keflezighi.   Meb is the 2004 Olympic Marathon Silver Medalist,  and winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon and the 2014 Boston Marathon.  He’s the world’s best ambassador for the sport of running.

I’m completely honored to be a small part of this significant event!