Renewing Your Love for the Run

“Keep your love for running as your highest priority,
regardless of your running goals.”
— P. Mark Taylor

I am tired.  Since the end of 2009, I have been training.  I trained for marathons.  I trained for Ironmans.  For just over 8 years, I have raced 800 meter races, mile races, 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks, 10-milers, half marathons, marathons, half-Ironmans, Ironmans…

…and now…  .. I am tired.

Yes, I have taken breaks.  Sometimes I have gone a week without running.  Sometimes I have gone a month without any serious training.  The breaks were scheduled for my health and for my long-term success.  I have planned so carefully, done the calculations countless times, and my breaks were very much designed to lower my cortisol levels and give my body a chance to recover so I could go hard again safely.

…even so… ..I am tired.

I am the only one putting pressure on myself.  I want so badly to succeed.  I am fifty and I hear the clock ticking.  It haunts me like the crocodile chasing Captain Hook.  Time is ticking loudly.  It taunts me:

• “You will never reach your goals!”
• “You are too old to make it to the next level.”

The constant ticking of the clock is not the only taunting I hear.  I hear the same old negative thoughts that everyone hears:

• “You just don’t have it.”
• “You must not want it bad enough.”
• “You are doing it wrong; no wonder you always fall short of your goals.”

The worst part of the taunting is that it has my own voice.  I hear these things and I hear myself saying them.

…and I am so tired, so weak, so disheartened…

Relighting the Fire

I am not physically tired.  I am healthy and strong.  I am just washed out emotionally as it relates to my athletic pursuits.

I have heard it said that the best way to handle your kids in sports is to say, “I just love to watch you play/run/throw because I see how much you enjoy it.  It makes you happy.”  The same experts say that the worst thing you can do is make your kids practice and/or compete as if it were a chore.  A lifelong love for a sport is fueled by the love of doing it.

The same is true for running, triathlon, and any other sport you do as an adult.  Whether you are training to finish a 5K or training to qualify for Boston or Kona, it still remains true.  You can keep a strict running schedule, but always keep your love for the sport primed.

Happy Place Number 1

In my first book, I had a little section about rekindling the love by going back to your happy place.  For me, that means cross country.  Run in the grass.  I love going to parks where there the local high schools have cross country courses set up.  These runs are nearly never compatible with my current training for various reasons.  When I run cross country, I run for the love of it.  I am happy.  I have only run one trail race in the entire span since starting to train in 2009.  That was last week.  I let my goals take me away from my happy place… until now.

Happy Place Number 2

My other happy place is the long run.  I have always enjoyed the longer distances, especially the marathon.  I get into a zone where I am relaxed and the world is a great place to be regardless of any present circumstances.  The thought of it brings a smile to my face.  I let my knowledge of the sport of running and triathlon take me away from more frequent long runs, rides, and swims.   I carefully balanced my training for minimal wear and tear along with maximal performance.

In my planning for minimal wear and tear, I took myself away from my happy places.  I stole the me-time that fuels my passion for running and triathlon.

…and that has worn me out…     … and I am oh so tired..

Renewing Your Love for Your Sport

Some people reach this point and just give up.  This is not a solution.  Giving up running is a way to stay permanently away from the things that bring you joy.  Not good.  The solution for being tired of your sport comes from rearranging priorities, not from giving up.

Remember the things about your sport that made you love it.  Go there early and often.  Prioritize it above performance, above the logical things that lead to being great.  Plan your training, but always keep in mind what keeps you in love with the sport.

Put “love of the sport” days on your weekly calendar.
Allow yourself flexibility on distance, pace, and time.
The goal of those training days is to smile.

Enjoy the run.

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Chasing a Seventeen-Year-Old Me (updated 11/30/2016)

“Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us.  They are essential to really keep us alive.”  — — Robert Schuller

‎”You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” ~Jack London

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Call it a mid-life crisis.  Call it dreaming.  Call it whatever you want.  I am chasing the shadow of a 17 year-old me.  I was 17 when I consistently ran 4:45 for 1600 meters.  I was 17 when I ran a half-marathon in 1:20:48.  I was 17 when I got tendinitis.  After a couple of years of doctors, specialists, & physical therapy, nobody could figure out why I had this tendinitis.  I would run once in a while, but my competitive days were done… or so I thought.

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My tendinitis issues started in 1984.  Now fast forward to 2003.  I decided that I was getting out of shape and I started jogging.  This time, my tendinitis did not show up but I had knee issues.  Another specialist and another round of, “There is nothing we can do.”  I was told to stay off hills and run 3 miles or less.  So for a few years I jogged 3 to 7 miles on a feel-like-it basis, every so often.

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When my life was turned inside out back in 2009, I needed stress relief badly, so I turned to fitness.  I joined a gym and started training for a marathon.  Well, I should say that I started running a lot and hoping that would help me finish a marathon.  I can’t really say that I had a plan.  In the 2010 Knoxville Marathon, I totally bonked at mile 17 and walked the rest of the way…mostly in the cold rain…shivering..muscles locked up… but I finished.  5 hours and 35 minutes.  It was hell.  I was hooked!

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I put the weights down and focused on training for the 2011 Knoxville Marathon.  This time, I followed one of Hal Higdon’s plans.  I modified the advanced I plan.  I also learned about electrolytes and Yasso 800s.  I felt fast enough to run 3:40 or so, but alas I had still not learned enough about electrolytes and nutrition.  I had to settle for 3 hours and 55 minutes.  Much better than the first try!

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After this one, I followed Hal’s advice and used the momentum from this marathon to earn some personal records (PRs) in shorter distances.  He was SO right.  I had done very little speed training.  Most of my track work was about pacing more than speed.  Still, my training had made me much faster.  I found myself running a 5k in less than a 7 minute pace for the first time in over a quarter of a century!  A month later, I averaged a 7 minute pace for a 10k!

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“What else can I accomplish?” This was the question That I asked myself.  Moreover, “What do I WANT to accomplish while I am still young enough to get fast?”

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I set my sights on a 6 minute mile.  In the next 5k, I ran the first mile in 5:47.  I obviously couldn’t maintain that speed, but it was my first sub-6 mile in a very long time.  I ended up finishing the 5k in 20:46.  I kept pondering…”How fast can I get?”

. As of 11/30/2016, my best times (not including high school) are:

Marathon	3:08:22
Half Marathon	1:27:42
10K	39:43
5K	18:35
1 Mile	5:23
800 meter	2:21
Full Triathlon (Ironman 140.6)	13:59:43
Half Triathlon	6:06:30

I am now 49 years old and I have qualified for the Boston Marathon on the courses at:

• 7 Bridges Marathon, TN
• Shamrock Marathon, VA
• Indianapolis Marathon, IN
• Savannah Marathon, GA
• Boston Marathon, MA
• The Seqouyah at Pinson Mounds, TN

At this point I am still wanting to achieve a sub-3-hour marathon.  It is not about the final destination, however.  It is about loving the journey.    🙂

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Qualifying for Boston was just bucket list item #1.  Also on my bucket list:

• Run 1 mile under 4:45.
• Run a 5k under 17:40.
• Run a half marathon in less than 1 hour and 20 minutes  ( I can probably make it faster, but this specific time would be enough to defeat the 17 year old me)

What I am not doing is setting time limits.  I obviously can’t wait forever, but injuries/mishaps will occur along the way.  I have to give myself that latitude or I will go crazy.  I set goals and display them publicly to push myself, but I want to enjoy the ride.

 .

I am chasing the shadow of a 17 year-old me…

I am finally getting close enough to see him…

and I think I can pass him before this race is over!

.

Happy Running!

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Wear a Wise Running Shirt to Your Next Race!

Are you a Wise Runner?  Show it proudly with this New Balance Tempo Performance Tank!

 

It is available for $20 plus shipping costs.

This unisex tank comes in Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, and XX-Large.  
[I am wearing a medium in the photo, and I am 6’1″.]

Email me (pmark.runner@gmail.com)the quantity and sizes you wish to order.   I will email you a Paypal invoice of $20 per shirt plus the shipping.  You can then click the link in the email to pay by credit card, debit card, or Paypal account.  Your shirt should be mailed out to you within 2 weeks.

Runners in the Knoxville area can purchase a shirt from me directly without the need to pay shipping.

My Unreasonable Running Goals for the Next 5 Years (don’t judge me)

These are running goals I would like to accomplish within 5 years.

No, they are not reasonable for my current level of fitness.

This is my dream.

Encourage me or keep it to yourself.

Thanks,

P. Mark Taylor

Distance	Goal Time	Why
400 meters	0:54	Training for the 800
800 meters	1:58	US record for 50-54 age group
Mile	4:29	Because it is faster than 4:30  😉
5K	15:12	Training for 1/2
10K	31:35	Training for 1/2
½ Marathon	1:10:25	This is my main goal.
Marathon	Sub 3	At Boston.  Pride mostly.  🙂

Wise Running: Thoughts on Running and Life (2nd book)

Wise Running Book 2 is now available via in paperback and e-book. 

Wise Running is the follow-up to P. Mark Taylor’s first book on running: The Gift of Running.  While the first book focused more on getting started as a runner, this second book is more about how to move to the next level. P. Mark Taylor tells us how to think about running in ways that will help you be more consistent and improve.

Running is a great metaphor for life. It takes effort. It takes motivation. You have to stay healthy. If you stick with it long
enough and smart enough, you live a more rewarding life. So it is with running.

In Wise Running, P. Mark Taylor shows runners how to train smart, eat well, and enjoy the run.

The ebook includes:

• goals, fitness, & health
• how to think about training
• designing a race and training schedule
• aligning your efforts with reality
• eating for health and fitness
• a runner’s view on special diets
• running-specific nutrition, including marathon nutrition
• the effects of heat and humidity
• the social aspect of running
• motivation and encouragement

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The Gift of Running, the first book in the Wise Running series by P. Mark Taylor, is available in both paperback & e-book

 

Running Naked: The Effects of Watchless Running

A fellow runner posted this question to me:

Hi, P. Mark!!

What has been your experience with watchless running and racing? I race without a watch but I want to start training without a watch, just enjoying runs and doing true fartlek runs, don’t care wearing a watch during intervals, I have been obsesses with splits for so long that I want to try something different, I have tried fartlek runs without a watch in the past and I raced decent and I loved the freedom of it!! Do you think that the training and racing suffers training watchless always ( even for hard workouts)?

Cesar

Most runners feel naked without a timing device.  That is why I refer to an untimed run as a Naked Run.

It is not the watch or GPS device that we miss.  What we are missing is data, the opportunity to analyze our running and make informed decisions about our progress and the effectiveness of our workouts.

Well, Cesar, I know exactly what you mean.  We get so caught up in the numbers sometimes that is easy to forget some important things.

• First, in the attempt to focus on our pace and or form, we sometimes forget the simple joy of getting lost in a run. The act of lacing up your shoes and enjoying the freedom that running brings.  There is joy in movement.  There is joy in enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells on the run.
• Second, we forget to give ourselves a little latitude.  On hot and humid days, we sometimes forget to adjust our goal times and end up frustrated throughout the run.  Cold and rain can throw us off pace as well.  Too  much focus on a regimented training with exact paces can drive you crazy.

Does a GPS device or a watch do this to us?  No, we do it to ourselves.  The watch is just a tool.  It is not the Garmin’s fault.  The Garmin is innocent.

Say it with me: 

“The loss of the simple joy of running and the negative feelings created by a “bad workout” are the fault of no one or no thing except myself.”

Now that we have that out of the way, let us move on to the other extreme.  What would happen if we all started running naked?

The Effects of Naked Running

The truth is that there is not one answer that fits all.  What is true for all runners is that pace is important.

• Running too fast can lead to injury; a watch can tell you when to slow down.
• Running too slow can lead to frustration because you are not making progress as fast as you could.

If you have been watching your pace like a hawk for years, you can probably “run by feel.”  Running by feel simply means that you can tell when you are running at or near the most important benchmarks.  If you are that runner, you do not need a watch to know when you are pressing against the limit of your lactate threshold.  You know when your body has switched from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism.  For these experienced runners, the danger of never wearing a timing device is gradually losing your sense of pace.  Without timing periodically, you could venture to far away from your goal paces.

For those runners who are less aware of how these things feel, we need to go by pace and/or heart rate.  For our key workouts of the week, we have to wear our watches, heart rate monitors, and GPS devices.  This includes slow runs!

Striking a Balance

I do not believe that any runner should do all of their runs with a watch or GPS device.  I believe that one or two runs a week should be simple, relaxed runs where you can let go of the pressures of the world AND the pressures of training.  Just go out for a run.

I also believe that the experienced runners still needs to wear the devices at least once or twice a week.  It will allow you to document your runs and show your progress.  You will want this data months or years from now.  Wearing the device periodically can also tell you if your “sense of pace” is a little off.  If you are surprised by how fast or slow you are going, it is time to wear the watch more often for a while.

If you find yourself over-focused on pace and unable to enjoy the run, add some Naked Runs to your week.

Here are some related posts about the importance of pace:

• Running Faster: Training at the Right Pace
• Running Slower to Run Faster: The Benefits of an Easy Run
• Running Faster: Adjusting Your Training Schedule and Paces
• How to Run Faster
• What Is a Custom Training Program and Why Do I Need One?

Train smart, eat well, and enjoy the run!

P. Mark Taylor

Wise Running: More on Motivation

I recently posted a blog about motivation, an excerpt from my 2nd book about to be published.

http://wiserunning.com/2013/07/27/wise-running-models-of-motivation/

 

Today’s post adds a little and is a response to the requests of two fledgling runners that are trying to find the motivation to be more consistent.

A few questions to ask yourself:

• What is the purpose and role of running in your life?
• Why did you start?
• Why do you continue?

When you have answered these questions, write the answers down and post it on the wall.  When it is time to go for a run, read these before you decide whether you will run or not.

The second thing that I want to share is consistency leads to rewards.

Remember This:

If you run consistently, running will reward you with endorphins, health, the satisfaction of meeting goals, and connections to a network of positive people.

If you only run once in a while, running most often feels like a punishment.

 

The final thing to add is a quick note about runners high.  It is an awesome feeling that is different from a rush of endorphins.  Running becomes easy and you feel very relaxed and happy while you run.

The more consistent you are with your running, the more likely it is that you will experience runners high.

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Now it is time for our fellow runners to share!

• What benefits do you get from running more consistently?
• What tips would you give to runners to help them become more consistent?

Post your response in the comments below.  Thank you!!

Train smart, eat well, and enjoy the run!

P. Mark Taylor

My Running Form: In Pictures 7/25/2013

 

Wise Running: Models of Motivation

Note:   This is an excerpt from my second book on running, Wise Running: Thoughts on Running and Life.  (to be published some time in August 2013)

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“A setback is an opportunity for a glorious comeback.”

I rarely meet my ideal goal for a race.  I almost always have some ideas about how I could have run the race a little faster.  I rarely satisfied with my performance.  In an effort to be supportive, my friends will try to cheer me up.  They say things like, “That’s a lot faster than me.”  or “I would love to have a time like that.”  I greatly appreciate their hearts as they are trying to care for me.  The thing is that being unsatisfied on a regular basis does not mean that I am unhappy.  I may not be smiling.  I may be very frustrated.  That does not mean that I am not enjoying the process.  I have a different model for motivation.

This frustration cycle is a part of what makes me successful in running.  Let me explain…

Typical Motivation Model for Runners

With most runners, the key to motivation is a series of small successes.  “Celebrate every victory,” is the mantra that keeps them going.

For beginning runners:

• each time they run a little farther is a victory to be celebrated
• each time they complete a race without quitting is a victory to be celebrated

For the most runners:

• each time they get a personal record for a distance or race, it is a victory to be celebrated
• each time they have a particularly strong run during training, it is a victory to be celebrated
• each time they enjoy running with friends, it is a moment to be celebrated  🙂

For aging veteran runners:

• each time they get a personal record for the year or for the decade, it is a victory to be celebrated
• each time they can run with and mentor younger runners and contribute to their success, it is a big victory to celebrate
• each time they celebrate another birthday with a training run or race is a huge victory to be celebrated.

Deficit Model of Motivation

While I have some of that type of motivation going on, I tend to be more motivated by the moments when I do not succeed.  How does this makes sense?  Despite how I look and act after a not meeting my goal in a race, I am not disappointed and I am not discouraged.  In the initial moments after the race, I am frustrated.  My frustration develops into anger.  Within a short amount of time, usually less than 30 minutes, my anger morphs into determination.  That determination fuels my training.  It is not like throwing a log on the fire.  If I fall short of one of my big goals, that frustration turns into fuel that is more like the equivalent of refueling a nuclear plant.  I train as hard as I do because I am that motivated.  I get that level of motivation not by meeting my goals, but by falling short of meeting them.

I set high goals for two reasons:

1. So I can accomplish big things.
2. So I can experience failures, which sets myself up for motivation of nuclear proportions.  The determination created by not meeting my goals eventually leads me to meeting those huge goals.

It is not my little successes that fuel my fire the most; it is my deficiencies, my failures.

Next time you see me getting frustrated after a race, smile and realize that my frustration will morph into the determination that leads to huge success.  Be happy for me.  It means that I am one step closer to achieving great things.

Everyone is different.  Figure out what drives you to succeed and operate within that framework.  Let your friends know, so they know how to contribute to your success.  Life is a team sport.

Train smart, eat well, and enjoy the run!

P. Mark Taylor

The Pieces of the Running Puzzle

The following is an excerpt from my new book, Wise Running: Thoughts on Running and Life, which is scheduled to be released in August 2013.

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Going out for a run is good enough if your goal is to run. If your goal is to run over one mile quickly, however, there is a lot more to it. In the old days, they just worried about two things: speed and endurance. This, too, is oversimplified. The goal of this chapter is to give you an overview of what you really need to know in order to make informed decisions about training for any distance from a mile to a marathon.

The following framework is offered as a way to think about your training. There are much more technical ways of looking at running. Later in this book I have included a list of suggested readings if you want to know more of the details. In my own thinking, however, this is as complex it needs to be for effective training. I think about it in these three categories:

1. Raw Speed & Power
2. Short-Term Endurance
3. Long term Endurance

Here is a brief description of each:

Raw Speed & Power

Raw speed and power is just as it sounds. Go out to a track and run 50 or 100 meters as fast as you can. For this kind of running, you are in the anaerobic zone. Literally, you are not breathing enough oxygen to provide enough energy using the aerobic metabolism. Your body shifts into anaerobic metabolism. The pace at which this occurs is called the anaerobic threshold. While this requires less oxygen, it also requires a lot more fuel. You burn out quickly, so you can only do this for very short distances. Even so, raw speed and power workouts are an important part of the foundation for training for races at any distance from 400 meters to the marathon!

Training for raw speed and power takes repeats. Doing these sprints at distances from 100 meters up to 400 meters can build muscle and change your anaerobic threshold for the better. In order to add even more muscle, I also add natural power-building exercises after my repeats workout. I include things like power-skipping, hopping, jumping, walking lunges, and crossover running drills.

I do not recommend doing this raw speed and power workout more than once a week. It takes a long time to heal from these extreme workouts. In most marathon training schedules, raw speed and power workouts are limited to the first 1/2 or less of the training schedule.

Short-Term Endurance

When I speak of short-term endurance, I am referring to distances of 800 meters up to a mile or even two. These are distances at which you are not likely to cross the anaerobic threshold, but you are likely to cross another important line: the lactate threshold. While the anaerobic threshold is about the consumption of oxygen, the lactate threshold is about the buildup of lactate in your muscles. Lactate is not only a natural byproduct of the aerobic metabolism happening in your muscles but it is also fuel. Your muscles can recycle this byproduct and consume it as a secondary source of fuel. As such, lactate is good. The bad part is that your body is limited as to how fast this recycling occurs. When the muscles produce more lactate than they can burn, this leads to cramping. This cramping can slow you down or even injure you. Hence, you need workouts specifically designed to challenge your body to become more efficient. More efficiency in these processes means that you can run a faster pace without cramping from lactate buildup.

Training for short-term endurance takes interval training. There are several types of interval training, but they all have the same goal: being able to run faster before hitting your lactate threshold. Interval training methods also have the same characteristics in terms of how they challenge your body to be more efficient with lactate. It is simply alternating between paces: running a little faster than your lactate threshold pace and then switching to a little slower than lactate threshold to allow your body to catch up. Then without stopping, you accelerate to the faster pace again. This fast/slow sequence is done throughout the intervals workout to cue the body that it needs to change to adapt to faster running. As with speed and power workouts, doing interval training once a week is enough for almost any runner.

Long-Term Endurance

When you run significantly slower than your lactate threshold pace, you should be able to maintain that pace for a long way. Many of us might have enough glycogen stored in our bodies to run as far as a half marathon with no additional fuel. That does not mean, however, that your body can manage any distance just by training for those other levels. It does make it easier, but you still have to train for what you want to race.

If you want to race farther than two miles, you must train for the distance. In order to hold your newly enhanced faster paces for longer distances, you must practice two types of runs: tempo runs and long runs. A tempo run is simply running a fairly fast pace (but slower than lactate threshold) for a longer distance. You can do a tempo run that takes anywhere from 20 minutes up to an hour. A long run, however, is just that. You run much slower than lactate threshold pace, but you do it for a much longer distance. A long run can be anywhere from an hour to three hours. Both of these types of long-term endurance runs cue the body to develop more in ways that support more efficient oxygen and fuel delivery, more efficient metabolism, and more efficient lactate clearance. In addition, the longer runs do more to build and develop mitochondria which allow you to burn body fat more efficiently.

** Note for Marathoners: Research shows that no significant gain comes from running a long run beyond three hours. No matter what distance that is for you, I do not recommend running longer than three hours during training.

If you are going to develop a training plan for whatever goal you have in distance running, you will need to consider these three areas.

Train smart, eat well, and enjoy the run!