Here's To New Beginnings

My last post I came out and said that I wanted to change things up on this blog. I want to get back to the roots of why I started this, to help other runners out. As I did some thinking about ways I can help other runners, I thought there is no way I can do this on my own. So I am asking for everyone's help here.

 

I know a lot of us who comment on here are from Pittsburgh and we run a lot of the same local races. I also know that like myself a lot of us travel to do many other races. I am asking if you do a race out of state or do a race in our state that I have not ran, give us a recap. If you write one for your blog that is fine, just send me the link and after I have a few different race recap links to people's blogs I will do a post so people can see a few different races. If you don't have a blog and want to write up a recap and email it to me that is fine too. One thing I have learned is that listening to other runners is a great way to find out if a race is right for you. I think this will let all of us see different races from around the country and it might even spark interest in a race you may not even of thought of.

 

 

One thing I still plan on doing is my Random Friday posts. I know sometimes these post cause some controversy, but it is just me talking from my heart. Sometimes on Friday though I can't think of what I want to talk about so once again I ask for your help. If you have something on your mind and want to do a guest post on here, you have the floor to speak. Only rule is it can't deal with running. This is our one day on here where we get to give our minds a break from running.  If you are to shy and don't want to put your name out there on a post, shoot me an email and give me the topic and maybe I can take it and run with it. 

You see this may be my blog but I feel like when we are all talking and getting involved, whether it be helping each other with running and training tips or just shooting the shit, the more input the better.

 

Hopefully I will be hearing from you

If you want to email me any idea's you can reach me at: byrne1324@yahoo.com

or feel free to shoot me a text on my phone: 412-736-9464 

That long lost feeling

     I can't pinpoint it to a day or a time, but I found my passion for running again. Don't get me wrong it was never really gone, but at times I was getting frustrated with workouts and races. After the Pittsburgh Half Marathon I expected myself to be down on myself for not having the race I wanted, but instead I accepted the outcome and made it my goal to work extra hard this summer and accept responsibility for every race outcome.

     Every week I am trying to add a bit more into my workouts. My goal is by mid summer to be running as if I was training for a full marathon, even though it looks like I will be running another half at the end of summer. I think I am going to sign up for the Crawlin Crab Half Marathon in October as my redemption race. So here is how training went down this week.

MONDAY: Since it was a holiday I figured it would be a great day to head to the track. Sure enough I was the only person there, SCORE for me!!!  I started with a light warm up and some stretching, then begun with a 800. My time was 3:23. Then I did 3 X 600's. My times were 2:40, 2:43, 2:39. Then I did 4 x 400's. Times were 1:21, 1:23, 1:25, and my last was an all out sprint in 1:09. I finished with one last 800 at 5K pace and then did a 800 cool down. I felt really good even though this workout beat me down.

TUESDAY: 4 Miles at 8:23.  I ran a fairly easy course, but wanted to do a course that was flat and see what my time would look like at 75%. I feel pretty good about this time and will start using this course as my progress course.

WEDNESDAY: 4.5 miles at 8:40. As I was running the 3rd mile I felt my right leg tighten up again. This is the same leg and pain that gave me problems during the half marathon. I was still able to finish the run, and as soon as I finished I immediately did some stretching. My wife said she could feel a knot in my calf muscle, so she tried to massage it out.  It did feel a little better but I could still feel some pain.

THURSDAY: My sister needed my to baby sit her youngest child while she and my brother in-law went to her oldest schools play. She lives about 5 miles away so I decided to run over. My right leg was sore and about half way there I realized I was over compensating for the pain by using my left leg more than I should of, causing my left to get sore as well. I still ran the whole way and felt good for the most part. I don't think the leg thing is serious this time and will just take a few days of stretching and foam rolling and not running.

FRIDAY: Since I have a race this Tuesday I wanted to let the leg rest. I headed to the gym and did some upper body workouts. I need to hit the gym more soon since I will be doing at least 2 obstacle races this summer and upper body strength is a must for them.

SATURDAY: I helped my buddy who owns a landscaping business get caught up on some of his lawns.  I am so glad I did because all that walking really got my leg feeling loose and good, plus I probably lost 10 pounds of sweat.

SUNDAY: I am helping my friend again do some of his lawns. I plan on not running again today. I want to let the my leg get back to 100% before my mile race on Tuesday. Tomorrow I will do an easy 3 and see how it feels.  

Like I said in this post I am doing a race on Tuesday. If any of you are around I suggest coming to the Gateway middle school and running it as well. It's at 6:00 pm and it is free. They will have a few heats so you can get into one that best fits your time. The school is right off the parkway and is always a good time, plus yours truly will be there.

How did your training go?
Are you planning on a fall destination race?

We don't want the funk!!!

If you read my post on Sunday you would see that I am in a bit of a mental funk. From time to time every runner goes through some type of funk. It may be something as little as wanting to run when they are supposed to be in taper mode or it can be severe as not running at all. Thankfully my little funk I am in is not too severe. My problem is I start to doubt myself as I approach a big race.

As anyone who has ran a marathon and most will tell you that the hardest part of a marathon isn’t the race it’s the training. Not only do you have to endure the long runs, but you have to endure the mental struggles that come with it as well. Your mind can be your greatest weapon or your demise in a race. I am sure you have heard someone use the phrase “I was in the zone”, well that is their mind working at its peak. On the flip side I am sure you have talked to someone who has said “my mind just wasn’t in there today”. Unfortunately there is no blue print or remedy on how to get out of a funk, each runner has to figure that out on their own.

As I was saying my problem is I start to doubt myself before a big race. I am only running the half marathon this year in Pittsburgh, and I say only because in the previous years I have ran the full. Therefore you would think I should not be worried at all. I don’t have to worry about the big hill at mile 11, and I don’t have to run 26.2 miles. Instead this year I set my sights on something else I want to PR the half, and not only PR I want to finish at 1:30 or below. My training has been one of the best training cycles I have ever done. I not only followed the Hal Higdon method, but I even upped the mileage the last few weeks. My speed workouts have gotten faster and my times have improved tremendously. So why would I doubt myself? I honestly don’t know. I noticed the last few runs I couldn’t get my mind into the run. I would start to think of something and then I would want to stop running or I would find it hard to get back on track. I have seen other people say this happens to them and I would even give advice and say trust in your training and believe in yourself. So why am I not taking my own advice? I remembered at time back on #runchat and one of the questions was how do you get yourself out of a funk when you are in one? The response I saw that most was switch up the run, whether it be with running a new course, adding music to your run, or sign up for a new race. Well I am about to put this to the test. Today I plan on doing a new route on my run while listening to some music. I use to listen to music all the time and honestly it did help take my mind off the run, but I started to notice I let the beat of songs dictate my pace. So today I will just do an easy 6 miles and hopefully be able to hold a steady pace. I also decided what better way to get my mind right by signing up for another race. This Saturday I will be running the Boston Trail Half Marathon. It will not only be my last long run before Pittsburgh, but it should let me know where I am at for the race. I am hoping to go and run a nice and easy pace. I am not going to try for a PR or anything like that, but hopefully I will realize that I am capable of doing what I set out to do. You can read all about if this works on my Sunday post. Here’s to hoping it does.

How do you personally get out of a mental funk?

Find Your Happy Place

      If you have seen the movie “Happy Gilmore”, you might remember the part when Happy finds his happy place. For Happy it was a little person acting like he was riding a horse, his girlfriend in lingerie with 2 pitchers of beer in her hand, and his grandmother winning money on a slot machine. It was a bit far-fetched, but that was the place he took his mind too when he needed to relax.

       This week I was on #BIBCHAT and the topic was finding our happy places. Questions were geared around finding our happy places during training, the morning of a race, and during a race. It was very interesting to see what each person did or thought of to get them relaxed. Some people said they found their happy place getting lost in a run, when their mind shuts down and they aren't thinking about anything. Some people said their happy place was a certain route they ran. Running on the beach or running in the mountains seemed to be a popular answer. If I had to choose the perfect day for training it would be 70 degrees, the sun shining down on me, and I am on a trail. However that is not my happy place that is a comforting place that sets me at ease. For me my happy place is during a race. I love being in a race and having everything go as planned. I am in no pain, my breathing is perfect, and I feel like I can pick up the speed at any time. This doesn't happen too often. However the few times the stars align and everything is going my way I am like a man possessed. There is just something about being in a race and you can see the finish line in the distance and you know the person next to you is using you to pace their self. At any moment you know it’s going to come down to who has the fastest kick and who wants it more. That is my happy place in a race, knowing that I can control my own outcome. Knowing that the person next to me can’t touch me when it comes down to the end. Don’t get me wrong I love being out in the middle of a long run and my mind goes blank. The feeling when you forget that you are actually running always makes the long runs go by quicker. For me though it’s the race that really gets my blood flowing. I am a competitive person at heart and anytime I can compete is a chance for me to prove to myself that the training I have done has paid off.


What is your happy place for running? Is it the weather, the training, or a certain course you run?

A few gift idea's

One week until Christmas, and if you are anything like me this means you have about 10% of your shopping done. If you are looking for a few late minute gift idea's for the runner in your life then I have a small list that may be able to help you. Now most of these will have to be ordered and probably won't make in time for the holidays, but they are all worth the wait.

Bib Coasters: These neat little things can be purchased from gone for a run. You send them a picture of one of your racing bibs and they will make a replica bib and make coasters out of it. The price ranged from 12.99 for one coaster with replica bib up to 39.99 for a set of four. The set of four is the bib broken into four different sections.

Range Roller: Everyone knows injury prevention is key to running, so why not help that with this gift from Medi-Dyne. Unlike your big foam rollers the range roller is smaller and designed to get deep into the muscles. They have a 16 and 19 inch that goes for 25.00 and a XL one that is 25 inches for 40.00. This is great for traveling with it being smaller and easier to fit in your luggage. You can customize your roller with 12 colors to choose from.

Running Drinking Pints: This is great for that person that loves to run and have a few drinks to unwind from the intense training. Cafe Press has many different glasses to choose from. The average price seemed to be 24.99 and they even have pints that you can personalize.  If you are not a big beer drinker maybe a shot glass is for you. The average price was 20.00 and they also have ones that you can personalize.

Go Pro Hero3: If you have been to a road race or obstacle race recently then you probably have seen these things around. I guess taping your runs is the new thing. These are a bit pricey, but if that running person in your life is looking for one of these they will be very grateful. You can find these at Dicks Sporting Goods stores. Besides the camera they also sell different attachments. What I found pretty cool is these are waterproof so can tape in any weather. The price for this one is 299.99, but they do have more expensive ones for the serious tapers.

Medal Holder Rack: Who doesn't want to show off all their bling. These are great to display all your medals you have earned over the years. The price range is from 28.99 to 35.99. What's nice is you can pick different quotes to put on your display, and choose the color. Running on the wall also carries a bib display for 33.99 which holds your bib and has a few hangers for some medals.  If you have a lot of medals then you may want to order the medal and bib display combo. This one will hold your bibs and a lot of medal. The price ranged from 44.99 to 55.99.

Hopefully these can help you out if you are in a pinch. If these don't help you can always go with shoes or a race entry. We all love those. There is always a virtual run so the person can get a medal. The Battle Frog 5K has a nice medal. You also get a shirt and 25% off a future Battle Frog race.   You can use promo code BFFT for 15% off the virtual race. 

You can also sign up for a Battle Frog race anytime using code BFByrne for 15% off. If a person has not done an obstacle race I recommend this series.  

Swag or No Swag

DOES THE SWAG REALLY MATTER?

    You go to a race and you are given a goodie bag or sometimes it is just a shirt and your bib number.  My question is should the swag you get a race affect your decision on whether or not you will run the race?
     Like most runners I love getting a goodie bag filled with protein bars, coupons, and my shirt, but it does not affect my choice on if I will run the race or not.  I have ran many races where you are given just a basic cotton t-shirt and your bib and sent on your way to race.  I have been reading a lot of blogs lately and I have already found so many races I want to run next year that are low key races.  Most bloggers give you a great description of not only the race, but what you receive for running it as well.  There have been a few that have the best of both worlds, cheap and have a great goodie bag.  Price is one thing I really look into when deciding a race.  I want to know how much is this going to cost me and what exactly is the money going for.   Let me throw a little scenario at you.  You have one race that cost 30 dollars, gives you a nice tech shirt and a bag full of your basic goodies. (protein bars, energy drink mix, coupons, and your basic nick knacks that you will never use) All proceeds go to the city or borough running the race.  Race 2 is also 30 dollars, but only gives you a cotton shirt and your bib number. All proceeds go to the make a wish foundation.  For me this is a no brainer. I am running in race 2.  I like to know that my money is going to a charity or foundation that will help a person.  I have the ability to run and everyday I am thankful for that. So if I can run a race that will help people who are less fortunate than me, I will gladly take less swag.
    I was at a race about 3 years ago and a lady was bitching to me because she had to pay for coffee.  She even made the comment a good race is decided by the course, the shirt and what you get after for free.  I agree a race is decided by all of that, but the race was for a charity.  So what if you had to pay for some coffee. Go take the free water and grab some coffee at your house.  I wanted to turn to the lady and say a few choice words but instead I just walked away shaking my head.
    It kills me that we live in a world where people always want for themselves.  What can I get? What is in it for me?  What ever happened to what can I do for that person? How can I help out?  Next time you have to decide between 2 races, don't look at the swag look at where is your money going and is someone going to benefit.

Does swag matter to you when choosing a race?  or better yet how do you choose your races?

Columbus Training Week 7

10 WEEKS UNTIL THE COLUMBUS MARATHON!!!!

That's right only 10 more weeks until the Columbus Marathon.  This week my plan was take an extra rest day and conserve some energy for my long run.  I was planning on a 15 miler for Saturday, but I was also using the other week days to bump up the mileage as well.  Lets just say this week didn't go quit as planned but I walked away happy. And I mean that in 2 ways which you will see shortly.

MONDAY: Normally I would run 4-5 miles on Monday and work on my form. This day I did 6.5 miles in the heat and humidity and still worked on my form.  I ended with a pace of 8:50 per mile.  My form is starting to come together and I have really learned a lot about what works for my body this time around with training.  I plan on continuing the form day as I call it through out training.  I have definitely added some length to my stride and I seem to be using less energy than before.

TUESDAY:  This was my first rest day.  Me and my wife went to THE YARD in Shadyside to eat dinner.  If you like gourmet grilled cheese this is the place for you.  I had a grilled cheese with chicken and some kind of barbecue sauce. It was unreal, so good in fact that sandwich was off the plate and in my stomach before my wife was on her 3rd bite.

WEDNESDAY: This day I planned for a 8 mile run. As I was running I come to an intersection with a car. I stopped and waved the car on. The car didn't go, so I waved again. The car still didn't go, so I started to cross the intersection.  As soon as I got in the middle of this assholes hood he or she ( the windows were so tinted I honestly couldn't see the driver) decides to floor it. The car hit my hip and I quickly threw my hands hard on the hood and kicked my legs to the side and safely landed on my feet.  The asshole floors it again and takes off.  I was so pissed I forgot to look at the license plate. I did call the cops and give the description of the car, and with some help from my friends I was able to locate the car and take down the license plate.  After the incident I was so pissed that I couldn't get into my run. I only made it 4 miles and had to call it quits.  Either I really pissed someone off and they wanted to hurt me, which is highly unlikely since I don't have any enemies that I am aware of. It probably was a person just not paying attention and didn't look and got scared and drove off.  My third theory is my wife got a new car and didn't tell me.  This one still remains a mystery.

THURSDAY: After the incident on Wednesday I figured go to the track, at least there no one will try to hit me with their car.  Since I have a 5K coming up in 2 weeks I wanted to work on my speed for the shorter race. This will still be good for the marathon though.  I did ten 200 meter repeats with a 200 meter slow jog in between.  I also did a mile warm up and a mile cool down. I have always been fast but I can tell I have lost a step over the years.  Now that I am really focusing on my speed this training I can see that I am starting to get back to where I was years ago. I don't think I will ever get to the point I was 10 years ago, but I may be able to come close.

FRIDAY: Rest day number 2  Knowing Saturday is my long run day I wanted to have fresh legs for the 15 miles I had planned.

SATURDAY: I set out for a slow 15 miles.  As I was running I started to plan my course.  The goal was to do my normal course and add some miles on backstreets here and there.  As I got to mile 5 I was out of water and wanted more.  I knew in 2 miles I would run by Tru Runner and they usually have water set up outside.  On this day they did not for some reason.  I knew there was a park about 3 miles away that had a fountain and I decided to change up the course and head for the park.  This was great because I knew they had water and I was starting to really need it.  The problem was it threw in a shitload of hills. After I got my water I was in Frick Park and decided to hit the trail for 2 miles.  After I came out of the trails I stopped my watch.  I decided to walk back to where my car was since it was basically 1.5 miles straight up some big hills.  I could of ran it, but I think it would of beat me pretty good. So i ended with a 12 mile run and a 1.5 mile fast paced walk.  I will say even though I didn't go for the 15 planned I am happy with the 12. It was a brutal course and my legs felt really good later in the day.

SUNDAY: Cross training at home. A lot of ab workouts and some light arm workout.

The goal for this week coming up is to continue to increase the miles while not getting hit by cars.

    I know this goes off the beat and path from running but I wanted to share a neat little thing I am doing.  My cousin @mikesmithwriter wrote about music on his blog and made a little challenge. You find another person and for 20 days you take turns sending a link to your top 10 favorite songs that inspire or motivate you.  Me and my cousin Katie are currently doing this with each other, and even though we are family just after a few days we started to notice things about each other and our taste of music.  I guess you can really tell a lot about a person from the little things.  I want to do this with someone who isn't family so if anyone is down for a neat little thing let me know.

Turtle Trot 5K Recap

     Last Saturday I ran yet another 5K. This one was a local race called the Turtle Trot. The Turtle Trot has been around for 23 years now and always has some good local runners show up.  When I woke up Saturday morning I questioned whether or not I wanted to run the race, but after talking to my friend Anna I decided I would run the race.  Since I was not registered I had to register before the race. Registration was open until 8:45 for the 9:00 start.  The race was only a little over a mile from my house so I ran down to register as a warm up.  The fee for the race was 20 dollars if you pre-registered and 25 dollars for race day registration. 
     Like most local races all you got was your shirt and timing chip.  This was the second race in recent weeks that I did not have to wear a bib.  I am starting to like this non bib thing.  I also have to say I really like the shirts.  It is a normal T-shirt and is very comfortable. Don't get me wrong I like tech shirts but there is something about a nice cotton T that makes you feel good when your throw it on...No, ok maybe it's just me then. 


Me and Anna

     As I was registering my friend Anna arrived and was registering as well.  It was nice that she actually drove down and we were able to put our shirts and tickets we received for the post race raffles in her Tahoe.  We did some stretching and a light warm up and did a lot of people watching.  I was telling her who I thought would win.  This year the competition was extremely good. 
    
                                               THE COURSE
The course was basically an out and back course.  You started in Turtle Creek and ran down a flat road until you came to a bridge that took you into Wilmerding Pa. You ran under the bridge and made a turn back out onto the main road and ran back down into Turtle Creek for the finish.  There were 2 water spots one at the first mile marker and one at the second mile marker.  They also had a person yelling splits which was nice.    One thing that threw me off during the race was as I made it just past the first mile marker I saw the leader go past me and head back to the finish.  Normally I don't get pay attention to something like that on out and back courses, but his lead was so far that I was amazed.  I ended up finishing with a time of 23:34. The leader finished in 14:32.
                                                                      POST RACE
    Once you finished the race and had your chip cut off you could enter a area that had refreshments. They had the normal water, fruit and bagels.  I am not complaining I ate a few bagels and had a few waters.  They had a board with numbers that coincided with the ticket they gave you during registration and this was your way of knowing if you won a raffle prize. I didn't win anything but Anna won a nice little cooler. They also gave away a weekend trip to seven springs which was pretty nice.  We did not win that either.  After the last walker finished they announced the winners and the age group winners. The top guy and girl won 250 dollars, second won 100 and third won 50 dollars. The age group winners won a trophy. I came in second in my age group so was pretty happy.  2 of the top woman could not accept the money and had to give it to charity in order to keep their amateur status. That is another topic for another time, because I think the NCAA is bullshit when it comes to students and money, I digress though.

Overall this race was well organized and had some great competitors.  There was plenty of refreshment and more than enough raffle prizes.  I think I may have been the only person not to win one.  The trophy's were nice for the age groups and any race that gives money out to the top runners is always nice.  I am giving this race 5 out of 5 stars.  If you live in Pittsburgh and want to run a fast course next year mark this one on your calendar.

Oakmont 5K Recap

      Even in a big city like Pittsburgh you still have to appreciate a good local race. On June 14th I ran the Oakmont 5K for my 4th time. For me this race is the definition of a “local race”. Oakmont is a small town with great local shops lining the main road and is known for being home of the U.S. Open for golf every few years. 

                                                                       REGISTRATION

      I arrived to register at 8:00 am for the 9:00 am race. In order to pre-register you have to print the form from their website and mail it in. If there was a huge price difference I would have went this route but even race day registration was 20 dollars. The only thing I may have missed out on was the shirt. Not that I didn’t want one, but if I didn’t receive one it wasn’t the end of the world for me. I however did register early enough to get the shirt. They usually order enough shirts so everyone gets one. Besides the shirt you were given your chip for timing. One thing I really like is you aren’t given a bib. I don’t like bibs that much anyway so not having one felt great. Your chip is all you needed. I am not sure if people who pre-registered were given a goodie bag or not. I did see some people with little bags but I didn’t pay too much attention to the other tables at registration.

                                                                    THE COURSE

       One of the main reasons I love this race is the course fast and flat. You start in the middle of a field and run on a double gate onto the street. You make 2 turns and you are on the main road of Oakmont. From here you run pass the famous Oakmont Bakery and numerous other shops. The smell coming from one of the restaurants had me salivating at a half mile into the race. You continue on the main road just before the mile mark and you turn off onto a side street. You run pass the Greek Orthodox Hall which marked 1 mile and then turn as if you are going to be making your way back to the main street. I had my wedding reception at the hall so I was pretty familiar with the area. Instead of going all the way back to the main road you turn right down a dead one street. There was a cone set up in the middle of the road for you to run around. This was the turn around and marked 1.48 miles. After running back the same way you came you enter the field. Instead of going on the field you stay on the pavement that takes you alongside of the field. You follow the pavement down a slight hill and end up on a track. Once you are on the track you ran 200 meters to the finish. I have no complaint on the actual course. The track was only 4 lines so at times it did get tight but everyone managed to maneuver around each other without causing a jam. The top 3 times were all under 17 minutes, just to give you an idea of the fast course. I ran a 23:14 and finished in 62nd overall out of 247 finishers. Not my best time but not my worst, and far from a PR.

                                                                   POST RACE

      Once you were in the finish shoots there were 3 people waiting to cut your chip off. They were quick and kept the line moving. After you exited the shoots you could either make your way to pavilion in which you registered for refreshments or step to the side and watch the rest of the runners finish. They had an assortment of bagels, fruits and drinks. I was happy to see chocolate milk. One thing I can say is they made sure there was enough snacks for everyone. As soon as the race ended they used the same pavilion to start announcing raffles and awards. This race probably gave away more raffle prizes than any other race I have done. Go figure I didn’t win anything though. They also gave awards for every age group both male and female and overall winners. At one time this was a money race but it has changed and now just gives the winners trophies and medals. However even without the money the competition is always very good and runners from all over come to run the fast course in hopes of getting a PR.



      Overall I would give this race an 8 on a scale of 1-10. Great course with good competition, very organized and easy to navigate around if you are a spectator.
      If I had one gripe it would be the same for this race as it is almost every local race I ran.  The start!!!!  Parents please quit letting your kids stand at the front of the race.  Every race I see it. A young child stands on the line and wants to be at the front.  This is great and cute in all, but it can lead to an injury, and chances are its going to be the child.  This race had a line drawn almost across the whole field so you could spread out.  However there was still 3 rows of people.  I did not see it take place but my father who was watching the race said a young kid started on the line and when the gun went off he was running way to slow and the runner behind him went to the right to pass.  Now here is the problem with little kids at the start. If you are directly behind one you know they are there, unfortunately the person behind you can not see them.  So when the runner stepped to the right the guy behind him sped up and basically ran up the kids back.  I do feel bad for when this happens because I have went down in a race and had people step on me, and let me tell you it is scary and painful.  Parents should step up though and tell the child to let the runners who deserve to be up there go first.  If you are a newbie to a race fall back a bit until you know your ready to be up there with the fast runners.  I don't fault the race's for this because they have enough on there plate. I put this solely on the parents. 

If you ran Oakmont how did you do?
Have you ever almost ran a child over at start?  

The Age Of Running

     Am I too old to start running? Will the body hold up if we let our child start this early? What is the best age to start? How do I know when to call it quits? These are just some of the questions that come up when it comes to our age and running. Is there a right age when you should start and is there an age when it becomes too dangerous?

      Jonah Gorevic recently just broke the mile record for 10 years and younger.(10 year old breaks mile record )Competitive Runner wrote a piece on him and you can read it by clicking the link. Since this has happened I have noticed many people giving their opinion on what age it is safe to start a child running? On the flip side of the spectrum 91 year old Harriette Thompson set a U.S. record for the fastest marathon run in the 90-94 age group with a time of 8:53:08. Once again the question arose at what age does running become unsafe for the body?

            Let me first state this is “MY” opinion. I am not a doctor, nor do I have children for that matter. I am also only 35 so I can’t say from personal experience on the later ages of running. I can only tell you what I have observed through 20 years of running.

       Let’s start with at what age do you let a child start and at what age should you introduce longer distances. I am a firm believer that there are some people in this world that are given a gift. (Bobby Fischer was considered one of the best chess players at the age of 14. He played and beat men double his age. Adzo Kpossi was 13 when she competed in the 2012 London Olympics for swimming.) Some things just come natural to some people, so why hold them back. Isn’t one of the famous quotes we always hear is “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent”. If your child shows interest in running I say let them start out slowly and see what happens. Don’t push the child though. Pushing a child at any sport is never a good thing and usually the child will end up not wanting to play it due to pressure. Now at what age do you start letting them add on distance and start to run longer races? In my opinion each child is different and everyone’s body develops at its own rate. Some children are ready to move up more quickly than others. The topic of what effects will have on the body can go either way. Some doctors say there is no physical evidence to show a child running long distances to an adult are any different and both are at risk for the same injuries. While some doctors say the child is not done growing and it will have a long term effect on their ligaments and bones. If I had a child I would let them start running when I thought they could handle it, and I would introduce longer distances when I thought he/she was ready. I would try to have them hold off on doing anything longer than a 10K until the later teenage years, unless that child showed all the signs of being a prodigy. Which we all know is few and far between. I have seen firsthand some of the effects running can have on certain bodies. One gentleman I know has been running since he was in high school and is now in his fifties. He wears a brace on both knees now. He went from winning marathons and placing in almost every race he ran, to now struggling to break an 8 minute mile. I have also seen people who have been running for forty plus years and can still keep up with people half their age. Once again I think everyone has a different body and you have to listen to your body.

      Now the other end of the Spectrum, what age does it become unsafe for you to run? I don’t think there is a definitive answer for this question. I mean be honest though we have all been running and came across that person and thought to ourselves, please don’t die while I am passing you. Hey once again if your body is up to it I say go get it. Shit I hope I am running when I am 80. I may be wearing a diaper while doing it, I may not know why I am running, but I will be running the best I can god willing. We only live life once and I say “Ride this mother f#cker until the wheels fall off”. If running is what keeps you sane in your old age then run. Every time I read a story about someone over 80 finishing a marathon I get inspired. I think now there is a person who is “living”. We should all be so lucky.

       I guess I am a person that looks at age as number. A number that does not define me, a number that does not dictate what I can and can not do. I listen to my body and when that day comes that my body says it’s time to stop and call it quits, I will unhappily bow out. But until that day comes no matter what age I may be. I will be “living”, and by that I mean running.

 

Do you think age should play into what age you start and finish running?

If you are a parent I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

A Little Help Along The Way!!!!!

 Last week at this time I was pretty bummed out and feeling sorry for myself. All I could think about was how I didn’t achieve my goal for the marathon. A few hours after the race I got a few text messages, and messages via Twitter and Facebook from friends thanking me for helping them with their training. Some said my blog helped them out. Others said the talks we had and the advice I had given helped them through the race. I have always said that if I do badly in a race I want who ever I know to do their best. I will take a crappy race any day of the week if it means watching a friend do great. I mean that is what part of running is about, helping those around you. During my self-loathing I never took the time to think about something that had happened in the marathon that makes me proud to call myself a runner.

 At about mile 18 when my race started to take a turn for the worst I was with a group of runners who also ran into some trouble. There was about 6 of us and we were all starting to feel some pains. I remember there were 2 ladies in black shirts and pink tutu’s and one of them said “has anyone ran this race before?” no one answered so I finally told them I have. Another guy in the group then asked me what the course ahead look likes. I told them we just need to get to mile 22 and from there it is all downhill and flat. Our small group decided we would stay together for the rest of the race. As one person started to get tired someone in the group would say something and try to motivate them to keep going. One of the “Tutu ladies” looked at me and said “We can do this, we finish together”. I nodded yes and we continued to keep moving. At one point another man in our group turned to me and gave me a fist pump and said “we don’t stop!” Some of us drifted apart but were still in eye sight of each other and when one person slowed someone, myself included would try to lift their spirit. One of the guys in our group was a very muscular man with a Mohawk hair due, and tribal tattoo’s all over him. He had a very intimidating look to him and someone I would not want to mess with. He and I stayed close by not saying much to each other from mile 17 on. We would both surge a little and go ahead for a bit and then the other would catch up and we would run together. I think he was using me the same I was using him. I normally will pick one person to pace with and I will make sure they do not get too far in front of me. Finally at mile 24 he looked over at me and said “we got this!” I agreed and we started to set our sights on the finish. We both were in pain and tired and both of us had to tell the other to keep moving. About a quarter mile from the finish I got a real sharp pain in my groin and had to pull back a bit. The man I was running with tried to keep me moving but I could tell I was in more pain than him. I told him go ahead and finish. He pulled away from me and gained a few steps on me. When I crossed the finish line all I could think about was getting some water and a banana, but when I crossed there was the Mohawk man waiting for me, cheering me on. He shook my hand and thanked me for getting him through the race. I thanked him as well and we both went our separate ways.

It wasn’t until the next day when I was telling my wife about my race experience that I realized what had happened. A group of people, different gender, age and races all ran together and helped each other out as if we had known each other for years. I never got one of those persons name but I am forever grateful to each of them for getting me through the race.

 

Running may be an individual sport, but often we do work as a team.  I have read many stories this week about how people ran with someone they knew or didn't know and how they were able to motivate them.  So if you are ever in a race and see someone feeling weak and you think they might just need a little push, get next to them and help them out.  It may slow your time and you may miss out on a chance of placing in your age group but the satisfaction of seeing that person cross the finish line and knowing you had a part in that is worth more than any medal or trophy you will receive.

 

 

Have you ever had to have another runner motivate you through a race? or have you ever been that person that has had to motivate another runner, and if so how did you feel at the end of the race?

Races For The Season

      The Pittsburgh Marathon was my first official race of the season.  I always like to wait till after that race before I start trying to figure out what other races I will run during the season.  Yesterday I sat down and went under a few sites and found some of my favorite races that I will be running this season, or at least intend too.  Normally I will use active.com or runhigh.com as my main sources for races.  Although there are a few other sites out there that list many races over the state.
        So here is a little breakdown of some of the races I will be doing.

No official date set- The Beer Mile:  This is technically not a race. In April I came across the video of a man who set the new world record for the beer mile.  Let me explain what exactly this is.  You go to a track and chug a beer then start running your four laps, after each lap you chug a beer.  So it's 4 beers for 4 laps.  The record is 4:57.  I have no plans of attempting to even come close to that time but I will record it for everyone's viewing pleasure.  

JUNE 5- Gateway Track Mile:  This is always held on a Thursday in June at the Gateway Middle School.  It is just a mile run on a track. There is no charge.  They usually run 4 heats based on predicted times.  Refreshments are provided and the winners of each heat get homemade fudge which is really good. I do this race every year, and it is a awesome race to see where your mile time is if you plan on running the Liberty Mile later in the summer.  The people who hold this event are known as the Tuesday Night Run Group and train at the school every Tuesday night and let me tell you there is some legit runners in the group.  Previous Pittsburgh Marathon winners, Olympic qualifiers and other world class runners.  So don't think there wont be any competition.

JUNE 7- Verona 5k run and walk:  I am not familiar with this race but I do know Verona pretty good and I am going to guess and say this will probably be a fast course.  The main road in Verona is primarily flat and I would expect an out and back type course.  This is one race I can say I have never ran before but would like too.

JUNE 15- Man Up Fathers Day 5k or 10k:  This race takes place on the north shore of Pittsburgh.  A fairly fast course for both races, you can expect to get a good time.  Also the 10k is less crowded than the Great Race later in the season. So if you are looking to PR this may be a race you think about.

JUNE 21- Oakmont 5k: This is a race I have ran a few times and a race that I really enjoy.  It is an out and back course through the streets of Oakmont and Verona. All flat and a really fast course. It's also a money race. So they usually get some good runners and the winning time is usually a face time. I will say though I have not seen to many ladies take advantage of this course.  I don't know if it is that low key or people just shy away from it.  So fast ladies this may be a race you can win.

JULY 19- Stampede In The Park 5k run and 1 mile fun run: This 5k is a bit on the harder side compared to most 5k's.  If you are familiar with Boyce Park then you know it is a lot of hills. This race has been around for a while and brings out a good number of runners. Plum High School runners usually are there in numbers and use this race as a warm up before their cross country season gets on the way. 

JULY 26- Turtle Trot 5k: This race is where I got my PR for a 5k. The course is all flat and is a very fast course.  This is another money race and brings out some good local runners.  The good thing about it though is it is not a very crowded race.  And once again except for the Tuesday Night run group the ladies do not show up for this race. So again if you are a lady this race could be your for the taking.  But don't expect an easy win, Tammy Slusser who once won PGH Marathon can still move for her age and usually still runs sub 20 minutes.

AUGUST 1- Liberty Ave. Mile: This is probably my favorite race of the season. A 1 mile race right down Liberty Avenue.  There are different heats for this race as well. It starts with the fun run. This is for people who go slower than 6 minutes. Then they do the corporate race. Runners who are running for some corporation and form a team.  Then the sub-elite, runners who can run below a 6 minute mile. You must be able to provide proof to get into that heat. Then they run the woman and men's elite race.  I am not sure what the time is for woman but for men you must be able to run a sub 4 mile to even get into that heat.  This race is always on a Friday night at 7:00 so it makes it exciting to be running at night with people cheering you on.

AUGUST 23- Run Around The Square:  This is considered to be the biggest neighborhood race in Pittsburgh. It sells out every year.  This could be because it is a great course, with both road running and trail running mixed together. The course is not easy but I wouldn't call it hard. It is a course that will challenge you is that best way I can put it.  Another reason it may sell out is when you finish in the lower Frick Park field, kegs of beer will be waiting for you. D's six pack and hotdog shop is a major sponsor and always have free beer and hotdogs at the finish.  It's the perfect race for all you drinkers. I have ran this race since I was in high school and it always has a good amount of above average local runners.

SEPTEMBER 14- Erie Marathon and Half Marathon:  I have never ran this race before but I am told that it is a very fast and flat course.  I checked the map and it runs around Presque Isle twice for the marathon and once for the half.  I will be running the half here and will be hoping to get a PR.

SEPTEMBER 28- Great Race:  If you are from Pittsburgh then you probably have ran in this 10K race. I consider the course to be easy, but over crowded. I have a love hate relationship with this race. I love the course but I hate how hard it is to move and I always think the start is a cluster. With that being said though the crowds are good, the expo is ok and runners from all over come to run it.

OCTOBER 19- Columbus Marathon:  I am calling this race my Redemption Race. I will be looking forward to this race all summer.   I will be running the full in hopes of getting my time I know I am capable of. Also one of my good friends will be running his first half here and I will be there for it.  I have never ran this race before but I do know it is considered one of the fastest courses in the country.  It is a Boston qualifier as well, so they get a lot of runners hoping to take advantage of the fast course.  This race is my ultimate goal for the season.

Any other races that you are running that you think may be a good one I should do?
Are you running in any of these races?

2 Weeks Till PIttsburgh

    Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!!!

    Good luck to all the runners that will take to the streets of Boston for the marathon tomorrow. I can't even begin to imagine what the atmosphere will be like on the streets.  This year has so much meaning behind the race. It shows the resilience of a city, fans, and runners.  I wish each and every runner the best of luck and I pray they have the perfect day to run.

     While Boston may be tomorrow for a lot of runners, 2 weeks is all that stands between a lot of us and the start of the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Yesterday I did my final long run, 18 miles. I honestly felt like shit for most of the run. My calf muscles were screaming in pain and it took about 7 miles to loosen up. Once I got loose I felt good but the pain would come back here and there. I am hoping the pain was from some bad decision making the night before. I attended the Pittsburgh Pirates game and may have drank a few too many beers.  So I am sure I was dehydrated the next morning. It also didn't help that I was out of Energy Bits. No need to worry I just received another shipment of them.  I have to weeks now to get in some good foam rolling and massaging and hopefully work out any tightness.
     This week was also a lot of speed workouts. Monday I was doing a tempo run but made the mistake of running by my old high school. Just my luck there was a track meet going on. So now I am left with the decision keep running or stop and watch some of the meet.  Like I said once before I am a sports fanatic and would watch people dodge traffic if it was a sport.  Side note on the track meet, I don't know if when I ran the guys were just that good or the kids have lost a step. I was not impressed at all by the times. When I ran though there were a good amount of above average runners so I guess I can't say to much about the times, but I left wanting to see something amazing.
     Tuesday I ran 5 miles and my goal for the whole run was to run negative splits. I started at a 9:23 pace then dropped down to a 7:50 pace for the last mile.  I felt really good for the run and it was a huge confidence booster. During the marathon my goal is do negative splits for most of the race. If everything goes as planned my final 6 miles will be my fastest.
     Wednesday I cross trained at the gym and rode the bike for 6 miles and did some core work.  I feel that every time I am in the gym everything is improving. From riding the bike to lifting, I have gotten stronger and my stamina has improved so much.  I use to be one of those runners that would rely on raw skill. As I get older I have come to the realization that I need to encompass all aspects of training.
     Thursday I ran 7 miles and held a 8:20 pace for the entire run. I felt really good and the only problem continues to be my asthma. The weather has not been cooperative at all to runners this season. 70 degrees one day 35 the next. How can the body get used to that? I mean really if someone has an answer please share with me. I did however push through the run and I am finally starting to feel like the old Shaun.  The confident runner that was cocky and thought he couldn't be beaten in a race. I obviously know I will not win, but I am starting to take the attitude of if there is thirty thousand runners in a race. 29,999 are in my way and you can either step a-side or come with me and challenge me. I know this sounds super arrogant but sometimes that is what it takes to light that fire under your ass and get you to conquer your goals. 
     Friday was my day off from training.  Like I said my wife and I went to the Pirate game with friends and enjoyed the night out.  Also Friday is the day I received my email saying what corral and my race number for the marathon.  Look out for number 635 in corral A. 
     This week I will still run but it will be a short hill workout, a speed workout, and a few 6-8 mile runs with some cross training thrown in. 

     How is your training going if you are running the marathon?
     What Corral are you in?
     And is it wrong to take on a cocky attitude when running?

The Countdown Continues: 7 Weeks

    Seven weeks, seven weeks, seven weeks, no matter how many times I say it the times is not going to get any longer.  The weeks are just flying by,  and soon we will all be standing in our designated corral waiting for the gun to go off.
     This week I felt my training went really well. The sun graced us with it's presence a few days and made training a bit more easier.  Finally my new shoes are starting to get broken in and they feel light on my feet.

MONDAY:
                      Unfortunately I had a funeral viewing to attend so I had to get in a quick work out.  I ran 4 miles at 8:30 pace.  Felt really good and did not have any pains and didn't get winded at all.  The only thing I did notice was my shins were a little sore later after the run.

TUESDAY:
                      Did 6 miles at 8:50 pace.  The 6 mile course I did though was full of hills and made it a very hard 6.  Not complaining at all though, I look forward to the hills now. How we train on the hills is what is going to separate the people who trained poorly on marathon day.

WEDNESDAY:
                       Took this day to rest and do some foam rolling followed by a massage on my calf muscles.  As the days go on I noticed more and more my shins were starting to hurt a bit more. Shin splints is the one thing I do not enjoy. The next few days would call for a lot of ice.

THURSDAY:
                        Did 5 miles at 8:00 pace. My legs felt great for most of the run and my shins didn't hurt when I ran, only after.  This is right around the pace I want to run my first half of the marathon, before dropping down into the 7 minute range for the second half.  So even though it was only 5 miles I was just trying to use this a feeler run to see where I was at. I have to say the training I have changed up has really helped me out a lot and I can see the time dropping, and I can see how much easier the runs have been.

FRIDAY:
                       Cross trained at the gym... First did a quick 2 miles on the treadmill at a 7:30 pace, followed by a half hour ride on the bike. Then I worked on my abs for about 15 minutes.

SATURDAY:
                       This was my long run day. I set out for 18 but only made it 16 because the wind was ripping and I felt my lips getting severely chapped.  I had my Nike run on and on mile 10 as I made my way back to where I started I took my headphones out and it paused my workout.  I saw someone I know running and pulled the headphones out to give some words of encouragement.  Oh well shit happens, so I didn't get to track the whole run.

I was not going to push myself real hard on this run.  I wanted to just do a nice slow run and get in the miles.  next time I will have to remember that when I pull my headphones out it will not record the rest of the run.  But I basically held a 9:40 pace for most of the run.  Felt really good and my shins did not bother me too much.

Also I am sure like me a lot of people did their long run in the morning so they would be able to enjoy the St. Patty's Day festivities.  In my younger days I would be at the bar at 7 am.  This year though I didn't get there until noon and I only stayed for a few drinks.  I have really made it a point to not drink a lot during this year of training.  I don't want to be able to have any excuses on race day.
But even my short time at the bar I had a really good time drinking with my friends and seeing people I only get to see once in a while.


SUNDAY:
                   Today I will be going to the gym and doing some more cross training.  Mainly some weights with some bike riding thrown in as well.



How is your training going?

Three Running Partners

   So as you can see from my blog I have been counting down to the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Every week we get a little closer and every week I feel like a lot of us are getting more stressed out.  So today I have decided to lighten the mood and not talk about training or the race.
    I am sure at one point in your life you have been asked the question, if you could have dinner with any 3 people dead or alive who would it be and what would you ask.  #Runchat asked the question a few weeks ago and just asked name one person.   So today my question for you is, If you could pick 3 people to run for a day with who would it be and what would you ask them or do with them?
  Here are my 3 from least wanting to, to most wanting to:


3: Grete Waitz (1 October 1953 – 19 April 2011) was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. Waitz won nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history. She also won a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki.

   I have to choose Grete because hands down she is considered to be if not the best, one of the best to ever put on a pair of running shoes. Every year they talk about the New York Marathon Grete's name is brought up in the conversation. I would just ask her how she did it? What was her training and what kept her motivated over the years.  

2: Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American middle and long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics. Prefontaine once held the American record in seven different distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters.[2] Prefontaine died in May 1975 at the age of 24 in an auto accident.

       As a American runner Prefontaine is the runner I think a lot of people want to be like.   Even though he died at a young age he still to this day is considered one of the best ever and is known as the person who made running "cool" in his days.  Some of his records stood for years after he was gone and in high school cross country his name is still brought up for how good he was.  I think I would just ask him to teach me how to go as fast as he did.  And I would obviously want to race him in the 1600 meters to see how bad I got my ass kicked. 

1: My dad (William Byrne)- My father is still alive(I interviewed him early on in my blog in case you missed it)  but when he was a runner I was still young. When I took running seriously he had already suffered an injury that prevented him from running.  He ran races from 5k's to marathons and still enjoys watching me run.  I would just like to go on a run and not ask question. I would just like to do one race where we were both healthy and in our prime and finally settle who is the best. Once again I would probably have my ass handed to me, but the moment would make it worth it all.

Motivational Monday

Motivational Monday

10 Week Review

    We now stand 10 weeks away from the Pittsburgh Marathon.  This week my training had some high points and some low points.  I started the week doing a 5 mile at a 8:30 pace. I felt really good and it seemed like I really didn't get into my groove until about the 4th mile. This is what I was hoping would happen, I want to go for a few miles before I find my groove in a marathon.  I don't want to be in my first mile feeling good and then tire out later.
     On Tuesday I did a 4 mile tempo run, in which I basically ran the whole 4 miles at a 7 min. pace.  Once again I felt really good and I felt like my breathing was finally getting back to normal after battling a cold for the last few weeks.
      Wednesday is normally a day I use for rest and wont do much of anything but instead I decided to use it for some stretching and using my foam roller.(which by the way felt awesome)
       Thursday I ran 6 miles at an easy pace for most of it and would throw in some intervals here and there. It was on this run that I started to notice my leg feeling some pain on about the 2nd mile. I was able to run through it but it was a noticeable pain that seemed to hinder me for most of the run. After the run I used my foam roller and worked the pain out.
      On Friday I took the day off and decided to use it as a rest day.  I was hoping that maybe taking the day off would help with my leg.
      Saturday there was a race where you could run 10 miles, 15 or 20.  I originally planned on running the 15 mile race but I forgot I entered a chili cook off that I do every year for charity.  So I woke up early and did my long run on my own. 14 miles is what I ended up doing, I wanted to do 15 but once again I was having problems with pains in my leg.  It started on mile 3 and I stopped and walked for just 10 seconds and it honestly helped the pain diminish until about mile 8 when it came back.  I ran through it and made it to 14 and I decided to call it quits.  On a high note I did come in second place at the cook off.  Besides running I do enjoy cooking, so I look forward to the cook off every year.  I honestly think mine was the best but judging is done by anyone who wants to donate 10 dollars to the charity (St. Judes Children Hospital), so basically you can bring all your friends and just have them vote for you.  I do bring a good amount of people, but its at a bar so my friends would be there anyway drinking.  The person who came in first owns a bar and she brought way more people than me.  I only lost by 6 votes, which tells me people I didn't bring were voting for me.
     Also it was nice because my high school cross country coach who normally enters the cook off and usually wins because he brings every teacher in woodland hills to vote for him did not enter one.  He still came down though to vote, and me and him got to catch up like we do every year. I tell him how I am training and he usually tells me what I am doing wrong or will give me some tips to help out.  I take his advice seriously, he ran a few marathons under 3 hours.  I walked away from our conversation with some advice that I need to start running 17-18 miles at my race pace goal.  So next Saturday my long run will not be a nice slow one but one that will push me to my limits and let me see exactly where I stand.  You know I will be writing about either way.
       Today I am taking another day of just stretching and using the foam roller in hopes of getting my legs back to normal. I think dehydration may be a lot of my problem. I am not really a water drinker and sometimes during work it is not uncommon for me not to drink anything all day long.  This is something I will be working on as well this week.

So how is your training going?
We all talk about how much we love running, what are your other passions?

Heaven Is Made Of Foam?

      So I guess you can call me late to the party on this one, but I just recently purchased a foam roller.  Heaven is the best way I can describe it. At first I was hesitant to purchase one. I would see everyone writing on #runchat how much they loved them and how they would use them for recovery workouts and I have to say I was skeptical.  I am not the type of person that runs out and buys whatever other people are saying works. I am a minimalist when it comes to using products to improve my running.  
     It was a little over a week ago I was talking to a friend and he told me had just purchased one and how it was helping him out a lot.  Now what I had already heard from so many other people I was hearing from a friend who I consider reliable.  My friend has been dealing with plantar fasciitis for quote some time and it seemed like nothing was helping him. So when he texted me that he had got the foam roller and it seemed to be helping him I was sold.  I went out that night and purchased one. My friends chiropractor told him not to spend a whole lot because they all basically are the same and do the same thing.  It just so happened that me and the wife had to run to Walmart to buy my nephew a birthday gift and since we were there I figured it couldn't hurt to check and see if they sold one.  Lo and behold I found a Gold's Gym one for 18.99.

     At first It seemed hard to me. You have to be able to hold yourself up for a lot of the stretches and it was tiring.  Once I started to get into the groove over the next few days it became pretty easy and I quickly noticed I was recovering quicker from my runs and my leg pains were not coming on during runs like they sometimes would.  The best part is my roller came with a picture showing all the exercises and stretches you could do with it.  But if you are not as lucky as me, that is why there is the internet.  I searched and found tons of stretches to do and you could even print out the pictures to make it easier to look over.

    So now that I am a believer of the roller I suggest if you do not have one you go out and get one soon.  They are fairly cheap and they really work.  I like to think now that if there is a heaven it may just be made of foam because the feeling you get from using it is surreal. 

Do you use a foam roller? and any particular stretches you do?