I had an interesting situation come up on Monday. I had planned a pretty extensive workout for my lunch hour and was looking forward to it. However, on this particular day it was raining out (not sprinkling, full on raining) and I had a very full day in meetings. My plan was to head out at 11:30 so I would be back for a meeting at 1:00.

11:30 came and it was pouring out. I resigned myself that I would need to force my run in at home after work, which was not ideal since I had some important family commitments. Shoot forward 15 minutes and out of the corner of my eye I see some sun peeking out and the rain has stopped. I now have a decision to make – do I adjust my run so I can get the run in at lunch or wait?

I actually struggled with it for a couple of seconds but decided to do the run. My hesitation was the reduced workout that I would need to do as result of the limited time. I am pretty committed to doing my full runs so a change is a bit stressful. However I became comfortable because I knew it would be less of a impact to run at lunch than adjusting things with my family in the evening.

In the end I didn’t need to adjust the run too much. It was a speed workout so I altered my warm up and cool down time and took one speed repetition off. It was actually a great workout. I met my pace goals and I was very happy to have got the run in.

The morale of the story for me was that sometimes it is ok to adjust a workout plan. The impact on an overall training program in terms of fitness is negligible. As long as I am not changing every run at the last minute I will no longer stress about these minor tweaks.

I have heard the phrase, “Running is 10% physical and 90% mental” many times before. Anyone who has run a marathon knows this is true. Sure there is a lot of physical training involved to get ready for the run, and the actual run itself is physically difficult, but the only thing that will get you through the training and the race is your mental state!

I think an important first step is to realize that the training for the race is not going to be easy and it will take all you have got to get through it. However, you also need to believe in your heart and mind that you can do it – if you go into it thinking you don’t have what it takes, then guess what? You will not be successful. If you go into it knowing you can do it and you have the desire and dedication, then there is no doubt that you will finish.

An article on the Marathontraining.com site lists a number of techniques a runner can utilize to ensure a successful training program and race. They break the techniques down into 3 specific areas:

* Mental Rehearsal/Visualization – The process of creating pictures or images in your mind.
* Imagery – Playing out/imagining in your mind the way you wish for an event to occur.
* Self-Talk – The “voice” in your head that can be trained to provide positive affirmations during adversity and tough times.

If you go on to read the article in more detail, you will see that the key to success for a runner is having the self-discipline, a goal-orientated focus, and the time management skills to place yourself in the right frame of mind.

In my experience, the races I have been most successful in are the ones that I have been able to maintain the right frame of mind throughout the training program. Once race day came along, I was fully prepared and excited to see how fast I could run!

I have been cross training to supplement my running for a few months now and wish I had started sooner! My primary form of cross training has been the 2 times per week that I have been riding my bike to work. The positive results of this is that I am a better runner now, and my legs and knees no longer have that constant dull ache I had when I was running 5 to 6 times per week.

I think we all have read about the benefits of cross training but I think that most people don’t do any for the simple fact that it is more time consuming to focus on multiple types of sports. When we get into a particular routine it is easy to just get out and do that run. If you need to complicate it by going to a pool to swim or the gym to do an elliptical trainer, then it becomes more difficult to get started. This was definitely the case for me. I needed to figure out a way to ensure that it fit in with my current schedule and didn’t take time away from my family.

My approach to get these cross training sessions in has been to bike to work. I do this twice per week. It is about 11 miles each way and takes 53 minutes door to door. As I need to get home after the days work, I actually do this cross training workout 4 times per week – 2 times to work and 2 time back home.

The benefits that I have realized from biking are primarily in my legs. As we all know, running really uses those hamstrings a lot. With biking, I find that my quads are taxed more and my hamstrings get a good stretching. It balances the muscles out. I also find that my leg turnover has improved.

I did a bit of research on the web and have found some pretty good tips on incorporating cross training into a training program:

* Just be careful not to overdo it. Reduce your running to accommodate any new activities. Overtraining is overtraining, whether it’s in one sport or a combination of them (Cool Running)
* When biking, make your knees track up and down; do not splay out – otherwise you will lose the knee injury protection (http://home.sprynet.com/~holtrun/bicycle.htm)
The following are from About.com:
* Swimming focuses on the upper body and general conditioning. It can help you relax and recover after long or hard workouts. Swimming provides an aerobic workout without being a weight-bearing exercise, thus making it a great option for marathoners and injured/recovering runners.
* Rowing also focuses on the upper body, as well as the abdomen. This can be useful for runners who have run for years and are interested in both learning a new sport and balancing their upper body and core area with the strength they have earned in their legs.
* Strength training can focus on keeping your legs strong during an injury or on strengthening unbalanced muscle groups.
* Yoga can be used in much the same way as strength training, since some poses use your body weight as resistance to strengthen your muscles.
* Elliptical machines at the gym or in your home offer an alternative for nasty weather or for injured runners who can still run, but need no-impact.

I think the most important part is to ensure that the cross training is fun and provides you with a break from running.

I am just like everyone else in the world – I need to be motivated by some internal or external quest to get me moving toward the achievement of a particular goal. Whether it is buying a new car, getting a new job, or running a 10-k, the task of setting goals is the most important first step in the journey.

When I think back to when I first started running over 2 years ago, my running goals were not well defined. At that point it was not about what race I was going to run or at what pace. It was simply to get my fat butt into better shape. Looking back on that, I would say that it was a pretty loose goal with very little definition. I am actually surprised I have been running since that time as many times before I had set out on an exercise path to lose weight and failed. The only thing that kept me going was joining a Running Room 10-K clinic and the friends I was making in that clinic. I was not however signed up for a race at that point.

Shoot forward a couple of weeks into the clinic something changed. I found myself having an easier go of the actual mechanics of running and was starting to really enjoy spending time huffing and puffing my way around Calgary. I also was able to secure a bib for one of Alberta’s largest and most popular races, Melissa’s Road Race 10-K. Things really changed at that point. I was now super motivated to train and I had a goal to finish. The sheer fact of having this goal was so powerful, I remember one training run where it was basically a torrential downpour but I went out anyway as there was nothing that was going to stop me from being in the best shape possible for the race. Race day came and I had so much fun and was so proud to finish it. I am not sure if I would still be running today had it not been for the race day goal I had.

Having learned a valuable lesson from that experience, all my training from that point forward (and everything in my life for that matter) is goal orientated. Each training run has a goal or objective associated with it. For example, on my speed day, I go out with the objective to run a certain number of repeats at a very specific pace. Each of these objectives are driving me towards a particular time goal at a particular goal race. I record each objective in my Garmin watch using the training feature and carry around a 3 X 5 index card with the race and my goal time written on it and read it twice a day. I find this really focuses my efforts and pushes me towards achievement of that goal every day. Without these goals I would not be a runner today.

As you may have already deciphered from my blog, I have been training using the Furman Institute of Running (FIRST) training method. The book they have published, Runner’s World Run Less, Run Fasterprovides a lot of the background on why their program works and most importantly, how to use it properly and for the most impact on your performance.

All runs in the training program are to be run at prescribed times. For example, on Key Run #1, which is a speed workout, you run 10 minutes of easy warm-up, then a number of repeats such as 400 meters with a 400 meter cool down (10 times for example), followed by a 10 minute cool down. Where the science comes into play is not just on the structure of the workout, but the actual pace that you need to run the repeats at. The program will tell you how fast you need to run the 400 meter repeats. The obvious questions is how do you know how fast to run them.

The actual paces that you need to run are determined by your most recent 5-K race time. If you don’t have one, then go back to your most recent race (e.g. 10-K) and from there you can determine what your 5-K time would have been. For ease of reference, FIRST has developed a race prediction table that can be used to predict race times. The file can be found by clicking on the Race Prediction Table. For example, if your most recent race was a 10-K and you ran it in 0:54:58, your predicted 5-K time would be 0:26:20. Further, the table predicts that you would run a marathon in 4:20:08, provided you did the training as directed using paces determined by that 5-K time. When you actually put the paces and training runs into practice, I have found them to be difficult, but not too hard so that I can’t finish them. Most importantly, I feel that my running is improving .

The only negative thing that I can comment about on the program is that on the 10-K training program, Key Run #3 (the long run) seems really long. On some weekends you are prescribed up to 9 mile runs, which is way above a 10-K. This is to prepare you for the 10-K distance as race pace, but it can seem a bit long. Overall I have enjoyed using the training program and look forward to seeing my performance in my next 10-K in September.

I love to run. There is nothing better than the feeling of being in the open air and getting the heart rate up, with nothing but your thoughts (or iPod) to keep you company. In fact, my love for running can have a down side. There are times when a runner shouldn’t run, but at first thought I struggled to identify them. However, I was determined to list a few…

So, for fear of sounding too negative, I have listed some times when it is not a good idea to get that run in, no matter how much you want to:

1. You have an injury
2. You have not eaten properly before heading out (see this article)
3. You have not spent any time with your kids on that day
4. You have not spent any time with your spouse
5. It is a torrential downpour, with lightening
6. There is a wicked ice fog making all sidewalks, paths, and roads like a skating rink
7. You just ate a lot of refried beans
8. Your can see through the soles of your only pair of running shoes
9. It is so hot out that you are sweating even before your run
10. Your wife just gave you the wink wink nudge nudge (this one only works for guys)

That is all I came up with. I would love to add to this list but need your help. Please use the comments to provide me with additions to this list – serious or not!

Ok, so just a few days after I wrote about how much running at lunch works for me I had probably one of my worst runs at lunch ever. I don’t like to eat my lunch before the run, but on the days that I am doing a lunch time run I eat a banana or a granola bar before heading out. This helps provide me with some energy as I tend to eat breakfast pretty early and by the time the run comes along, I am out of juice! Today however I did not eat prior to heading out – I had a meeting that took me right up to the lunch hour and once it was done I was in a rush to get out the door. I forgot to eat.

The first mile was fine, but all of a sudden I had a moment like those old Gatorade commercials – I totally and completely bonked. I felt light headed and it was all I could do to keep my legs running forward. I ended up having to walk a good portion of the run, which for me feels like I totally lost a day training. I have never felt this before. I really had zero energy left to run. Just goes to show you how important nutrition is during any training program.

For these runs I am going to somehow try to remember to eat before heading out – I do not want this to happen again. I think what I will do is put the granola bar in the pocket of my shorts when I pack by bag the night before. This way I will not have to remember to grab it off my desk before going to change. I guess I will just need to write this training day off and learn from it.

For those of us corporate slaves who work downtown in large buildings with phones and requests for assistance that never stops coming, one of the best ways to break up the day is a run at lunch. I know this is popular because the trail I run in Calgary during a normal lunch hour period can get pretty busy. Seems there are many people who find this time therapeutic and just a good time to get the run in.

If you have been reading my blog for a bit now, you will know that I often have trouble getting runs in due to work and family commitments. However, being the dedicated runner that I am, I feel guilty if I cannot get to that next run. Evenings only work about once a week, weekends can be difficult as we are family that is constantly out and about, and I try to start work pretty early in the morning so to get a run in could mean a 4:30 am wake up – I love running but I love sleep too! I have run to work in the morning, and have made the 10 mile run to work, but by the time the afternoon rolls around it is tough to keep focused on work. This pretty much leaves lunch time as the next best alternative.

Running at lunch has some good benefits:
* Breaks up the day
* Allows your mind to refresh – nothing clears out stress like a good 6 miler
* If you run with someone, it can be a good time to socialize
* In the summer, it is nice to enjoy the sun and break free from the 50 story building you work in
* You don’t eat as much at lunch (this is true for me – I have never asked others if this is the case)

So with running working well, I thought it would be interesting to display my overall training schedule. I use the FIRST training methodology which prescribes 3 key runs per week and 2 cross-training sessions:

Monday: Key Run #1 – Evening – Speed work
Tuesday: Cross-Train # 1 – Bike to and from work – 10 miles each way
Wednesday: Key Run #2 – Lunch – Tempo run
Thursday: Cross-Train # 2 – Bike to and from work – 10 miles each way
Friday: Key Run #3 – Lunch – Long run

I am sure I will need to adjust this as goals and life changes – but this is what is working now.