Who Am I?

I am an avid runner and have been running since I was 15 years old. I began running low to medium distances while on my high school track team, running the 800 meter and 1600 meter races (I was a sub 5 miler and a 2 minute 800 runner). In addition to the track team, I also joined the cross country team. After high school I still wanted to run and decided to start doing road races. I have probably ran a couple hundred 5k races (16.29 PR)along with many 10k's as well. In 2009 I decided to step up my game and try to tackle my first marathon. I will be honest; the only reason I did this was because my father ran a few and I wanted to show him that I could do what he did. I trained poorly for my first one and regret it. If you are going to run a race, train like you want to win. I still continue to run marathons and other distances as well, and every race is a chance for me to better myself.
I started this blog to hopefully communicate with other runners and to shed any knowledge I may have about the sport that can help other runners. I believe running is the best sport and can be a great stress reliever. I encourage all runners to spread the word of our sport and show people why running is so good and why the community of runners has such great people. You can follow me on twitter @byrne1324 or find me on facebook- Shaun Byrne

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Battle The Weather

      Mother Nature can sometimes wreak havoc for a runner.  Rain, wind, snow and many other forms of her sometimes beautiful yet sometimes harsh conditions can challenge the best of runners.  One of my gripes with spring races, especially marathons is trying to train in the conditions.  Every runner has a different tolerance level in which they can withstand the cold weather.  So here are some helpful tips for you as train for your spring races.
      If you are going to run in the cold weather first dress accordingly.  Try to stay away from cotton clothes, they will absorb your sweat and you will get the chills from them.  Do not under dress but do not over dress. Wear just enough clothes that you wont be sweating a lot from them, but make sure you have enough on that you are not getting the chills the whole time.
       If you are going to run in the road, run toward oncoming traffic.  Cars are more likely to lose control due to ice and you want to be able to see any problems rather than have your back turned.  Also leave the headphones off (this is even hard for me).  You want to be completely aware of your surroundings and the music could be a distraction.
       Do not attempt something new.  Choosing to go for a distance that you are unaware you can do may not be your best choice.  The last thing you want to do is go for a long run and not be able to make it the whole way and have to walk.  With the sweat already on your body you will be sure to get the chills very quickly.  Also use the long run the way it should be used, a nice long slow run.  Do not try to run faster in order to get done quicker. You do not want to over work your lungs in the cold weather.  It can cause asthma attacks and chest pains.
       If the weather hits a point where you believe it is unsafe to run outside then use the treadmill.  Believe it or not even Olympic athletes have had to train on treadmills.  It all just depends on how you do it. Here are some tips that may be able to help you on the treadmill.
       Do Tempo Runs, start running for about ten minutes at a easy pace then go to a speed that is just a bit slower then your 10K pace.  Run that speed for about 20 minutes or so then do a cool down.  But the speed and distance little by little over time.
      Run Intervals, start at easy pace then bump the speed up to almost a sprint and try to hold the pace for 2 minutes. After you sprint go back to easy for about 2 minutes. alternate the speed for about an hour.  This will help you from getting bored on the treadmill and is great for controlling your breathing.
     When you do your longs run on the treadmill, you do not have to do the whole run at once.  Break it up into 2 runs in the day.  Do 8 in the morning and another 8 at night if you have to.   When you run try to break the down into 15 minute sections.  Sounds stupid but I would rather think I am running for 15 minutes instead of 2 hours.  When I reach my 15 minutes I start the next 15 countdown.
     Run on a 1 or 2 incline, this will help make it more like running on the road.  No one likes running on a treadmill but you don't want to just not train.  So be prepared for when Mother Nature strikes and be ready to strike back.

     How do you train in the winter months?
     Is there a certain temperature that you wont run in outside?

6 comments:

  1. I think its hard to get out in the cold but once you do the run isnt bad. Maybe committing to meet witha friend or something will motivate you to get out there!

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    1. I can run outside most of the time but once it goes below 10 degrees I use the treadmill

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  2. Sean,
    Great stuff on the blog. I find the treadmill to be a very important tool for racing. Just finished a 75 mile week with 68 on the treadmill. I have big goals for races in February, March and April. Slipping on ice won't help but the treadmill hopefully will. We'll see, but looks like several more miles are going to be inside with the winter we're having in DC.

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    1. Do you mainly stick to speed workouts on the treadmill or are you able to do the long run also on the treadmill

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  3. I too have only been running on the TM lately. It's not my first choice, but it works!

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    1. When it's this cold there isn't much you can do about it. Hopefully we get some warm weather soon

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