Race Your Own Race

One of the most common things you'll hear coaches tell their athletes when it comes to endurance sports is that its absolutely crucial to race your own race once the horn goes.  But to put that advice into practice can be far more challenging than you would think.

Being able to race your own race is a combination of being able to control a number of internal and external factors that can try and alter how the day will play out for you.  Controlling these factors is what will allow you to make sure you no unwanted surprises come your way on race day.  For every athlete, the prep and routines in the days leading up to the race is what will give you and edge when its time to start performing.

Before the Race

Whether you're racing the local charity 5k run and walk, or on your way to Ironman, its important to have a routine going into the race that you can stick to.  Things like what you eat, when you go to sleep, when you head down to pick up your race package, all can help build familiarity and remove some of the race day jitters that you might get.  Also, that way when something does go awry, you're better prepared to take it in stride, and it doesn't feel like your race week is unravelling before your eyes.

If you're getting set for a goal race that you've based your season on, be sure to have everything done and taken care of at least two days before the race.  The day before I did Ironman last year was as uneventful as they come.  I dropped my bike off early in the morning, got in the water for a super easy, super short swim, and then got off my feet and chilled with friends at the hotel for the rest of the day.  It was honestly the best thing I could have done, knowing that everything had been checked and re-checked in the days before took a load off the mind and relieved a lot of stress.

After the horn blows

The funny thing about running races is that people so often seem keen to start out fast, and then get progressively slower through the race.  In my last couple races I've found myself victim to this myself and that's why I wanted to write about it.

I like to have Gold, Silver, and Bronze goals.  Bronze is the time I'll be happy with and can go home satisfied about.  Silver is my target time or PB that I've been pushing for and should be comfortably hard to reach.  Gold should be the target time that if you hit, it'll be like winning Olympic Gold, like breaking the two hour half marathon barrier, or hitting the 1 hour 40km TT time.

When the time comes to race, target your silver goal and then wait until you've got a good read on the race, or around the half way mark, to re-evaluate the race strategy.  At that time you can decide to push and go for the gold, dig deep and stay the course for silver, or stick it out and hang on for bronze.

With all the adrenaline and nerves of race day sometimes it can be challenging to not get caught up and go out too hard.  One little trick I've learned is to look up my target time in last year's race results, then seed yourself accordingly in the start field.  So if you're looking to run a 1:30 half mary, you should probably be in the front twenty or thirty runners.  If you're looking to run 2 hours, seed yourself somewhere in the front half of the field, and so on.  Recognize that there will be a lot of people who will start out too quick around you and even people running by you at the start, and don't be tempted to hold that suicide pace.  It won't be long  before you see them again, and by midway through the race you'll be alongside people looking to hit roughly the same time as you, which you can use to give yourself a little extra push.

A Good Race

Yesterday I ran the Police Half Marathon and managed to set a PB for the race course at around 1:36.  Its a pretty hilly route so it wasn't an overall PB, but I'm still really happy with the overall result.  I'm gradually moving up in my age cat and the run was good for 12/99 in the 29 and under group.

I did start out a little too strong though and the last 5km I found myself giving up some time to my overall pace.  It was a bit of a lesson in following my own advice.  Looking back I would have backed off a bit at the beginning and saved some energy for the last couple km's.  Though I don't really think this would have changed my overall time, it would probably have felt a bit nicer to finish on a slightly higher note.

Anyways, it was a beautiful day for a race and I'm very proud of all the friends I saw out there, many of whom also set PB's yesterday!

Cheers!

Mental Preparation for the First Race of the Season

The great Steve Prefontaine

With spring just around the corner, and the first race of the season just days away for some (myself included), its important to mentally prepare yourself for what lies ahead on the race course.  For many runners and athletes the first race of the season is typically a huge test to see where you're after months of off-seasion and pre-season training.  It will also act as an important benchmark to see where you're at for the races in the months ahead.

Devising your Race Strategy

For any race longer than a 5k its important to have a strategy that goes beyond "just run".  Going into the St. Patrick's Day 10k this weekend I've be thinking about how I want to warm up before the race, and in this case I plan to do about 1-2km of light running as close as possible to the race start time.  Then when the horn goes, I've thought carefully about what my target pace for the first few minutes will be, and at what point I'll hit the gas.

Its important to think about your target paces and race strategy in advance.  Think about what pace and time you know you can do, and then think about what pace and time you can push yourself to do.  Don't be afraid to set a realistic but aggressive target time/pace.  Remember, this is probably just a race to check in and see where you're at, so if you push yourself you'll either blow up and learn a valuable lesson about pacing, or you might just surprise yourself and blow away a personal best.

Get Ready to Dig Deep

Racing well is all about pushing your physical and mental limits, and the reality of this is that racing is tough, and its demanding.  You have to mentally prepare yourself to go to your limit, and then take a step beyond that limit and trust that your training has paid off.

When you're walking to work, or going for a short easy run in the days leading up to the race, put on some music and picture yourself at the mentally toughest part of the race.  Picture your feet hurting, your lungs burning, and your legs gassed, and then visualise how sweet it when that hurt goes away as your cross the finish line to your first sub 60 minute, or 50 minute, or 40 minute 10k.

Words to Race By

There is no shortage of catchy phrases to inspire or motivate you when you're in the thick of a race.  One fun little trick is to think of the one phrase, word, or name that rouses your spirit the most, and write it on the inside of your arm so that when the going gets tough, you know why you're doing this. 

Here are some of my favourites;

• "Most people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine
• "Only think of two things - the gun and the tape.  When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other" - Sam Mussabini
• "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place". - Lance Armstrong
• "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure". - Marianne Williamson
• "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice a gift". - Steve Prefontaine
• Ad astra per aspera. - Latin phrase meaning, "to the stars, through hardship".
• "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great". - Steve Prefontaine

You Owe this to Yourself

If I can leave you with one thought before you hit the start line of your next race, its a thought that my friend Janelle Morrison left me with before I raced my first Ironman and yelled to me in the middle of the marathon of that race.  Its that we owe it to ourselves to give everything we've got to that race.  We owe it to the person who got up at 5am to run in the middle of January, to the person who passed on going for beers with friends to do a training run, to the person who thought they could never run 10k in less than an hour but was naive enough to try it anyways, and to the person who was motivated enough to train to get you to that start line.  We owe it to ourselves to give our very best and leave every ounce of energy out on the race course.

So as cheesy as this sounds, at your next race get out there, and be great.

Sharpen your speed skills with track work

We're hopefully in the last few weeks of winter and many of the earliest spring races are just a little over a month away.  With that in mind, if you've been slugging away through the winter months on the treadmill, or are looking to sharpen your running skills and start picking up some speed, getting on the track might be just what you're looking for.

I personally have a love/hate relationship with track workouts.  On the one hand they're mentally and physically demanding and uncomfortable.  On the other hand, if you want to become a faster runner, then run fast, and one of the best ways to do that is on the track.  The balance between speed and the physical and mental stress of running track leads to one of it's greatest benefits; track work really provides you with a sense of how your body feels at different stress levels, providing you with valuable experience for your next race.

Over the past two years I've really noticed that track work has improved my running economy and helped me move towards a more mid foot strike.  On my longer runs this has translated into quicker leg turnover and greater physiological efficiency.  In terms of the aerobic benefits intervals and track offer, work done at or slightly above your functional threshold heart rate pays dividends.  Track work and intervals allow improved running economy which translates into decreased oxygen extraction at sub maximal pace, increased maximal oxygen consumption at maximal pace, and improved lactate tolerance, which delays fatigue. 

So what do you need to know to hit the track?  I've personally found the research and insight provided by Greg McMillan to be a great resource.  Probably one of the best kept secrets on the internet for runners is the McMillan Run Calculator.  This tool, which is also available in an excel spreadsheet if you're a real run geek, is an exceptional predictor or run performance.  Input your best or most recent race result, and it provides some pretty decent numbers around what your performance should be for different race distances, as well as what you should be targeting for training and track paces.

As always, ask your coach for their thoughts on getting on the track, but if you're keen to get going, here are a couple other resources with some good track workouts;

McMillan Run Calculator
Runner's World - Get on Track Running Times - The Best 10k Workout
No Meat Athlete - Three Track Workouts Guaranteed to Kick your Ass
Running Planet- Marathon Interval Training

Now, who wants to hit the track for some lung busting 800's? 

Running Music

I've never really blogged about what I listen to when I'm running, but I'm often looking for good run songs so I figured I'd write a quick post on some awesome runs that I use to amp me up for a tempo run, or calm me down for a long slow run.

So here's what's on my "HTFU" playlist (thats actually what its called, and if you don't know what HTFU means, Google it).

• Bulletproof - La Roux (high tempo song that gets me started)
• Coming Home - Diddy (there's something triumphant about the opening song that I just love)
• Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (this is a staple)
• Gives You Hell - The All American Rejects (Need I say more?)
• I'm Shopping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys (This is a GREAT song for short fast intervals)
• Icky Thump - The White Stripes (Try having this song in your ear and not feel bad ass)
• Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas (Kind of a "what are you made of?" song for me)
• Stronger - Kanye West (Probably a cliche workout song by now, but still good)
• Rooftops -  Lostphophets (This song is all about giving it your all, used to be the Flames opener song)
• Rolling In the Deep - Adele (Its the opener to this song thats the most motivating, great song)
• Kings and Queens - 30 Seconds to Mars (Great song, really motivational)
• Not Afraid - Eminem (What would a HTFU soundtrack be without some Eminem?)
• Time - Hans Zimmer (This is one of the songs from Inception, and was at the end of the 2010 Kona broadcast when Macca was on his last couple miles on his way to the win, listen to this song at the most mentally challenging point of a workout and visualize the finish line at your big race in slow motion, so powerful)

 Now that you know what I use to push me up a hill or crush a tempo or interval run, here's my playlist that I use to slow myself down for a Sunday morning LSD run.

• Use Somebody - Kings of Leon (Such a chill song)
• Stop and Stare - One Republic (A cool song that you can visualize your whole season to)
• Airplanes - B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams (preparing for Ironman Canada I listened to this so many times wishing and hoping I'd finish the swim!)
• Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine (You can totally run on a Sunday morning and be perfectly content listening to thise)
• Edmonton - The Rural Alberta Advantage (I can't say enough awesome things about this band, just download their album Hometowns, its awesome and the whole album should be on this list)
• Unwritten - Natasha Beddingfield (Girlie music at its best)
• Lighters - Bad Meets Evil (A song about struggle and triumph, also with Eminem)
• I Love this Road - Emerson Drive (Showing some love for country music here, pick your fave run route and listen to this song)
• I Believe - Nikki Yanofsky (The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Theme! Listen to this, watch this montage, and just be inspired by our Canadian athletes)
• All These Things That I've Done - The Killers (See the video below, enough said)

Lastly there are two videos that I use to amp me up and get me ready for a run or a workout.  Just watch them.

And this next one gives me chills, you don't even need to watch it, just listen to it

Have a great run!

Lululemon Run Club

So as some of you may have heard me talk about, I'll soon be co-leading the Lululemon 17th Ave/4th Street Run Club.  I'm very excited to be a part of the Lululemon team and am super excited to be leading the club with rockstar marathoner and fellow ambassador Andrea Rice! (check out Andrea's blog here, she's running the NY Marathon next week!)

The run club will be for runners of all levels but one of our main goals for the group will be to introduce new participants to running.  So whether this is your first run or 101st run, we'd love to see you out there.  For experienced runners, think of this as your easy recovery run, for new runners, think of this as an opportunity to run outdoors in a safe, welcoming atmosphere.

Each run will meet at 5:15 on Tuesdays at the Lululemon on 17th (by Melrose) and we'll spend 15 minutes talking about things like gear, training, staying motivated, etc.  We'll then head out at 5:30pm and run for 30 minutes from the store.

Lastly, don't be intimidated by the weather, we'll tell you all about proper running gear into the cool winter months, but part of this is showing people how refreshing it can be to run in the cooler months.  Also, you can check out my Cool Running post (below) for some extra tips on... cool running.

See you Tuesday at 5:15pm!

Cool Running

The past few weeks we've once again been blessed with a comfortable, seasonal, autumn, but with Halloween just a few days away we're all reminded that the days are getting much shorter, and long winter nights are just around the corner.

That certainly doesn't mean that its time to head indoors however, it just means its time to make a few changes to the routine.  You'll find that with some pretty easy changes to your schedule and gear, you can train outside year-round, and even have a good time while you're at it.

Here are a few tips and considerations for training as the temperatures drop and the days get shorter.

• How much to wear-  Summer is easy, shorts and a tee shirt.  But fall/winter is a bit trickier.  Overdress and you'll find yourself overheating after 5 minutes, underdress and you'll freeze your tail off.  A good rule of thumb when you head out for a run is to dress as though its 10 degrees warmer than it is if you were idle.  So if its -5C out and you're going for a run, wear what you would were if it were +5C and you were walking to work.
• What to wear- Layers, layers, layers.  Forget about your old college hoodie and sweat pants.  You typically want to wear 2-3 layers of technical and insulating fabrics depending on the conditions.   Ideally with the exception of your base layer, the more zippers the better since this allows you a lot of flexibility in adapting to temperature changes on your run.  More layers will also keep you warmer than just a since thick ugly sweater since the air between each layer will act as its own insulation the same way a double paned window insulates better than single (house windows vs car windows).  Go to a running store or click on either of these links for a good explanation of how a good layering system works; GO Outdoors or MEC. 
• Run the good routes you know-   If you run in your neighbourhood or on the same pathways fairly frequently you probably know which ones are the best lit, have the most other runners, flood the least frequently (rain/melting), and cross the fewest roads.  Stick to these routes, there's the many obvious safety considerations involved here but I also say this because these are the routes you'll have the best workouts on.  These are the routes you'll feel most comfortable pushing yourself on since you'll see other runners braving the elements, and you won't have to worry about as many safety concerns (ice, poor lighting, drivers seeing you).
• Run shorter loops, closer to your base- Rather than running one big 10km loop, do things like try two 5km loops, once one way, once the other. At the end of the day running in cold weather presents a slightly higher risk should something go wrong.  If you're having an off day, cramp up, have IT band issues, or worse yet GI issues, you'll want to be close to home so you can cut through the park and get back in just a few minutes, or call your roommate to come to your rescue so you can go to Starbucks instead.  
• Know the conditions- Know what time the sun sets and rises, what the short term forecast is for the next few hours, how far your route takes you, etc.  The big thing here is that you don't want to be caught offguard by something you could have figured out by going to theweatherchannel.ca.  Like a freak snowstorm, or you know, the sun setting and it dropping 10 degrees.
• A couple things to bring- A phone is a must have, so is a toque, gloves, $10, and a pair of sunglasses for reflecting snow or those stinging little snow flakes that fall when its really cold.  Another piece of tech that I like to have are those little thermal boot/hand warmers you can get at any ski shop.  If you get colder than you'd thought, you can crack a couple of those and you'll be good to get home.  

The last thing to have that'll do you good for cooler/cold running is a buddy or group to run with.  Its funner, safer, and it will give a little extra motivation to HTFU and get out there.

You'll find running as the temperature starts to drop really isn't so bad once you get out there and do it once.  A little smile will come across your face when you run by the gym windows where people running on their treadmills watch you go by, the runner with the grit to brave the elements.  And you'll discovery there is a knowing, unspoken camaraderie between you and the other runners out there when its -15C, dark, and you're running like the Energizer Bunny. So give your running brothers/sisters a wave or a nod when you're out there, we'll be sure to give one back!  :-)

Raf

The Mental Endurance Race

In this blog post I'm going to talk about some of the experience I've had in endurance events, and the strategies that have helped me through my races.  First and foremost, I am not an exercise physiologist, or a sport psychologist, so please keep in mind that this is an n=1 examination of endurance racing, at the end of the day you know your body best, so its important to race how you are most comfortable.

My first open half marathon was the Calgary Police Half Marathon which I did a few months prior to Calgary 70.3 last year in the interests of actually having run the distance before showing up to a Half Ironman.  My comfort zone is on the bike, not on feet, so as with any rookie runner my primary goal was to finish the race, my secondary goal was to finish the race in under two hours.  I was successful after completing both goals and went on to have a great year of racing.

See? Snow!

I did the Calgary Police Half Marathon again this year and was remarkably faster, and improved by a margin of about 18 minutes in one year despite very poor conditions this year (think snow... lots of it).  One obvious variable had changed, I was much more fit.  But the other thing that changed was my mental strategy.  The first time round I chose to listen to music, and was mentally focused on training my goal of making fast, easy.  In training I had prepared myself to run faster, more comfortably, for longer, and that's the mental strategy I brought into the race.  It seemed appropriate at the time since my goal essentially was survival, but I look back now and wish I hadn't been so blissfully unaware of how well our brains are designed to work with our bodies.

This year was a complete 180 from that strategy.  After ruining my headphones in the washing machine (not as bad as when I ruined my passport in the washing machine) I started running without music.  It was boring at first but after a while it allowed me to place a lot more focus on how my body felt, and when I wasn't thinking about that, I was actually making use of my other senses.  I became acutely aware of how hard my foot was striking the ground from the sound of the pavement, how hard I was breathing, how my joints were feeling, and where my muscles were at.  But in addition to that I also came to appreciate the birds, the wind, the other runners, the crispness of the air, and the warmth of the sun.  Its a little like doing yoga versus going to a club, you can enjoy both, they're just different.

So when I showed up at the race this year I was prepared to utilize all the information that my body was designed to provide me.  By choosing to focus on associating with internal stimuli such as perceived exertion and how my body felt, balanced with external stimuli such as other racers, the varying terrain conditions, and the people there cheering me on, I was able push harder and this actually made the race go by faster.  This is in stark contrast with my first go at the Police Half where I was listening to music to actually tune out what was going on both internally and externally.  This time I was able to go beyond that comfortable running zone and actually "race the half marathon", rather than just "run the half marathon".

A number of studies conducted on endurance athletes have supported this approach.  A study conducted at the 1989 US Olympic Marathon trial, Silva and Appelbaum (1989), found that elite marathon runners who paced and focused on other runners as a part of their race strategy faired better than runners who tended to adopt a dissociative mental strategy during the marathon.

Similarly, a study conducted at the 1996 London Marathon found that racers who relied on a dissociative internal mental race strategy (ie; doing anything to keep you mind off the hurt in your legs) were more likely to hit the wall/bonk, than other racers.  The study ultimately leads to a conclusion that would suggest it may be ideal balance internal associative check ins on your body, with an overall external focus on race day.

So what does this mean in short?  When you go out on race day, listen to your body, and enjoy the race that is going on around you.  Humans are incredible complex organisms that were designed to run, we have built in feedback systems that allow us to measure things like how much energy we have left, how much harder can we go, how much water do we need, and so on.  We just need to choose to listen to them.  Beyond that, build off the crowd cheering for you, encourage other athletes, and smile when people watch you go by and clap or call your name.  Take it all in.

Race Report: Calgary Police Half Marathon

Typically I wouldn't write a race report for a single sport race simply because they can seem relatively straight forward (one foot in front of the other, repeat 10 thousand times), but I know some of you are easing into longer distance runs so I thought I'd give you an idea of how it all plays out. Next post will be the second part in my series on coaches.

Pre-Race

The days leading up to the race I was looking at the weather forecast hoping that it wouldn't snow, figuring knowing more about being on the wrong side of the jet stream would reduce the likelihood of 20cm of snow. It snowed anyways but with a temperature only at -3C I still opted to run in my Zoot Ultra 2.0's race flats, 2XU compression tights and shirt, my Tricommitment jersey, and a Lululemon toque. As a general rule for running I like to dress like its 10C warmer than it actually is, and you'll be fine.

Woke up at 6:00am, had a bagel, a banana, and an Ensure. For the record, Ensure makes a great race morning drink since its loaded with calories, vitamins, protein, carbs, etc etc. But more importantly Ensure sits very well. Typically you don't need a very large breakfast before a race, since your body only needs to replenish the glycogen stores that its depleted while you sleep. You generally want to finish your last meal (that sounds ominous) about 12-14 hours before the race start.

Drove to the race start, listened to music, said hello to the awesome Lululemon 4th Street team, and chilled for a bit. I made sure I got to the start line early though so I could seed myself in the front 100 or so racers. Last year I made the mistake of seeding myself towards the back and struggled to get through traffic.

The Race

It snowed the night before, a lot. So the race started, and on the first couple corners people started going down. After about a km I looked at my watch and found myself about 10-15 seconds per km off the pace I set for myself at this heart rate. The snow was absorbing a lot of energy as though I was running in sand as well as causing slipping that was putting me off pace. I knew from that point on that my benchmark of a good vs bad race wouldn't so much be my actual time, as where I placed overall.

For the first 5k or so people were passing me so between that and my pace I really had to focus on racing my own race and listening to my body. But as we approached the halfway mark I heard someone yell I was in the top 100 so I figured if I didn't lose position from that point on I'd be happy since its a race of about 1600 people (typically about 2000). At 10k I took a Hammer gel at the aid station and Shirl told me I was looking good.

After the half way mark I started making up position again and it seemed people were falling off, and my pace was starting to pick up. I had planned to run a negative split but with the snow I figured I'd just be trying to hang on at that point. Past halfway you go into a part of the Glenmore loop called Weaselhead which is in a valley with steep hills in and out. Going in was challenging because you didn't want to bail, but coming out was even harder because you were running up a small ski hill. On top of that since I was now making up positions, I was also having to pass people off the race line of packed snow, which meant running in 5 inch deep fresh powder. At the top of the big hill out of the valley there were bagpipers, the Lululemon cheer squad with a sign with my name on it, and an aid station, all of which was very uplifting.

For a bit I actually thought I pushed too hard up that hill but I took my second gel (about 17km in now) which was the one with caffeine in it. I stuck out the next 2 or 3k, and then in the last km I was able to drop the hammer entirely thanks to another awesome triathlete who insisted I draft him into the headwind to catch a buddy. Oddly enough my HR monitor was maxing out with a reading of 220bpm, which I knew I wasn't at. My HR monitor strap had slid down to my stomach, and I think it was picking up my readings, and the readings of the other guy. So that was garbage, I just had to dig deep and listen to my body for a 1k push.

Crossed the finish line to be greeted by my awesome girlfriend Shirl, the Tri It team, and my family (who had run the 5k).

I ended up 78th overall with a time of about 1:39:12 (I think). The top guys were about 3-5 minutes off pace from last year, and I think that would be a fair estimate of what the conditions did. All in all a great, albeit wet Police Half Marathon.

Post Race

Its been a sore couple days with lots of tightness in my peroneal tendon which is the one that runs down the outside of your calve and through your ankle. Running in fresh snow can be a lot like trail running and I think I'm paying for for the race a little more than I normally would since it activated a lot more muscles than your typical half mary.

What I learned

A lot of this race was about adjusting on the fly. Typically I let my computer tell me what to do but with the adverse conditions and the HR monitor issues over the last few km I really had to listen to my body. I can't stress enough the value of using the information your body provides you as your number one data input. A lot of people use music when they're racing or training and that can be a great way to build focus, or it can be a huge distraction from the task at hand. For this race I specifically chose not to bring my ipod since there were just too many other things to think about that day. I'm glad I made that decision as it allowed me to focus on the challenging terrain, focus on listening to my body, and of course interact with other racers and have fun!