Training in the zone

In my most recent post, I blogged on running with a heart rate monitor.  for 4 years I ran tracking my heart rate.  It was interesting data and it helped to guide my running. Then we moved to Germany, joined the Pfitzenmeier Gym and started spinning.  the leader of the spin class was Marczena. During the class, Marczena would call out certain heart rate zone, 60%, 70% etc. I used 170 as my max and then calculated approximate percentages. I also started to notice that people had heart rate guidelines that they used during the class.

I found out about the “Laktate Management” testing.  In the U.S. we would call it Lactate Threshold testing.  I spoke with Marczena and she said that she could do the testing for 35€. We actually did this in another gym (gym politics was involved here). The basic concept is to track heart rate and blood lactate levels. In the gym, we started by taking a base line Heart Rate (HR) and Lactate Level (LL). Then we began increasing levels of effort on the treadmill and every 6 minutes Marczena would take my current heart rate and prick one of my fingers to get a drop of blood to measure the lactate level.

The results were interesting. My max heart rate was set at 172 beats per minute. I had been training at about 145 beats per minute and the results showed that was the bottom end of my training zone. I started running at a higher HR and I noticed a change in my running immediately. I also started doing what I call Zone training runs. In Germany, those Zone training runs tended to be 10 miles runs where I would run in one of 5 training zones for 15 minutes.

In Philadelphia, I could be doing the same type of training runs. but I have taken a different tack.  I do 60 minute runs.  I run out West River drive for 30 minutes.  I try to run at a HR of 155 beats per minute average. Slowly, I am running farther in the same period of time.  I am also doing a 120 minute run and try to run with an average bpm below 145.

While it is important to train in your middle and upper heart rate zones, it is also important to train in your lower zones.  Here the concept is to increase your speed at your lower zones. If you can run faster in the lower zones, then you are going to be able to run faster at the upper zones.  The key to training in your lower zones is being able to run slow.  Being competitive, running slow can be very difficult!

Running to the Beat

Leaving Germany. Vacation in Australia. Living in a hotel room. Moving into a new house.  They all take a toll on running.  I frequently see articles about people who make all sorts of time to run while they travel.  They must not need sleep nor must they walk a lot when traveling.  To me, it all adds up to the fact that I have not posted in an extending period of time. It also means that I have a back log of ideas that I have thought of posting about.  Some are related to others and there will be a little bit of a hierarchy.

Today, I am posting about running with a heart rate monitor.  What is the benefit of running with a heart rate monitor?  Why do I run with a heart rate monitor?

As I have mentioned in past articles, I started running for fitness when at Bloomsburg, but really started after I left Bloomsburg, in 1984. At that point, I do not know if the average runner ran with a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) or not.  I know I did not and I did not even give an HRM a second thought. In the 90′s I would see the occasional runner shirtless with a band around their chest.  I had no idea what that was about.  Then I read an article explaining about HRMs and I put two and two together to get HRM.

At this point my thought was derogatory.  Who needed to know their heart rate to run effectively.  At that point I was still running 7 minute miles and was fit and slim-ish.  Then enter the mid to later 90′s when I was no longer running effectively and I was no longer slim-ish.  I was not even over weightish…I was just plain old fat. I definitely did not give an HRM even the slightest consideration at that time.  Hell, even buying running sneakers was an infrequent event.

As we entered the new millennium, my running began to kick up again.  At first it was a run at all cost phenomenon. Most mornings I felt terrible, but I made myself go regularly even if it was only a mile. Later I found the root of the evil, cut out dairy and corn products and my running kicked up another level.  I started reading Runners World with a renewed vigor, for a year or two (it gets repetitive after 2 years). My weight dropped and then plateaued (it is still at the same plateau). I thought I was running well, but I was not running well enough.

Then I read another article about HRMs.  I went to the running store and purchased the least expensive HRM, a Polar.  It was awful.  It had a hard plastic/rubber sensor across the front and frequently slipped  and lost signal.  It also was easily disrupted by local radio frequencies, police stations and cars, radio transmitters, store door sensors, cell phones, etc. All that being said, it helped. I began to understand my running better.  How hard was I running.  Was my perception of my effort realistic?  What did the HRM say about my level of effort?

I remember the Philadelphia College of Podiatric Medicine Bridge 10K back in the late 80′s.  I hated that run.  It hurt.  I just wanted it to end.  When I crossed the finish line, I was in 8th place, 3rd in my age group.  I had run a 31 minute 10K, which by anyone’s measure, it a good time. So, yes, the run hurt like hell, but it did for a reason. On the other hand, there are days when you feel like you are flying, but the fact is, you are on cruise control and not really running hard.

It was at this time that I started my running log.  My running log is an Excel spreadsheet that keeps growing.  It begins in January 2006. The very first run recorded is a 4.3 mile run along Haverford and Montgomery Aves. My pace was just under 9 minutes per mile. My average heart rate on that run was 158 beats per minute (bpm).

Later, I replaced that watch with a Timex Ironman.  This watch was better in that the band had ridges that prevented the band from slipping. I actually owned two Timex watches, purchased one after the other.  They were nice watches, but were not well built and both broke pretty quickly.

I am now on my 4th watch, a Polar RX300.  I like this watch.  It has a soft band that does not slip.  I have had this watch for more than two years.  It has had good battery life and does not lose connection between the sensor and the watch (which records and displays the data).

So, why should you run with an HRM? Rather, why do I run with an HRM?  I run with an HRM because it provides objective feedback.  My most recent run was a 7 mile run in which I ran 8 minute 15 second miles. I can also look at that and say, that I my average BPM was 150 and had I run at a55 BPM, I obviously would have run faster.  Looking at my most recent history, I know that 155 BPM is a realistic number.

Further, I did lactate threshold testing in Germany and that provides all sorts of additional feedback that I did not have before the testing…but that is going to be in another post.

In conclusion, I run with a Heart Rate Monitor, so that I can have objective feedback so that I can maximize my time spent running and better meet my goals, better fitness and running faster.

 

The Problem with running in New York City

There is a problem with running in New York City. The problem is pretty simple, where should you run. When Pam and I visit NYC, we generally tend to stay in the Village with her Aunt.  This is great, the Village is fabulous, people, stores, restaurants and yet it still retains a little bit of a village feel (I may be stretching that point a little). The Village is a great place to start running from, but at the same time it is not so good!

Generally, when I start from the Village, I head west on Christopher to the Hudson.  From there, I can run north or south.  Because of location and the distance I want to run, I have always run north because there is more of Manhattan to the north, than to the south. The run along the river is great. There is a path that had gone as far north as about 90th St. but which has been extended considerably. The run north is very nice, there is lots to see, plenty of people around and very few traffic lights to really be concerned about. Turning around and running south, is even better. Then you have the real sky line to see and in a few years when the World Trade Center is again soaring above the south Manhattan skyline, the view will be even more impressive. You also run past the USS Intrepid and the cruise ship docks as well as the interesting  skeletal remains of a once vibrant port.

Here is the problem.  Manhattan is big. We stay near 10th Street. Central Park is at 59th Street north to about 94th.  Running to the park is a pretty long run and you need to run the streets. It is about a 3.5 mile run just to get to 59th. I have spent some time running in the park.  What time I have, has been great, I would just like to be able to spend more time running in the park.  It is loaded with a density and variety of people that is amazing.  While this environment is not for everyone nor for every occasion, in my opinion, it is very enjoyable.

Another problem with running in NYC is the fact that it is a city and in fact a very big city. It is easy to navigate as most of it is laid out in a grid, but this grid is intersected with traffic signals.  If you want to run through the city and not around the edge, then you are going to have to deal with Cars, People and traffic lights. When running the streets, density of people is not desirable.  You then have to run along the margins of the sidewalks, many of which will have street vendors hawking their wares and food (which is not at all bad). To minimize your exposure to people and cars, it is necessary to be an early riser.  On a Saturday or Sunday, you should be out and running by 7am (if you are running for more than an hour). By 9am, people are getting out and the traffic on the streets is getting thicker. More cars means less opportunity to cross against the light and more time standing waiting for traffic to clear.

NYC is a great place to run. If you are not close to the park or close to the Hudson, plan on getting out of bed early and hitting the streets. I’ve run all over NYC and never had any issues, but you can ensure your comfort, by running in places where there are other runners.  Also…run without music in your ears.  It is important to know what is around you as you run.  To hear the bus (or taxi) that is about to run you over.

I don’t run to live longer

I don’t live to run longer, I run to live better.  There are lots of things an individual can do to live longer, exercise is not at the top of the list.  Yes, medical research has shown that exercising regularly can extend your life, but exercising is not going to extend your life by 10  years, probably not even 5years.  Most of what I have read shows that exercise will extend your life a couple years.

What can you do to live longer?  First, lets rule out any kind of tragic or unexpected death.  That said, there are instances of people who have had severe trauma and survived specifically because they were endurance athletes. Read “The Long Run” by Matt Long and you will understand exactly what I mean.  Since we have ruled out tragedy, in my opinion, the most important factor is genetics.

How old were your grandparents when they died?  Did they die of natural causes when they were young or when they were older? What about your parents? The next factors are lifestyle choices.  Do you or have you smoked?  Are you overweight? Eat poorly? Let’s look at my Grandparents.  My Father’s Parents both died in their early 70′s. Both smoked heavily and when it came to vegetables, peas and potatoes where their vegetables.  My Mother’s parents lived longer. My Grandmother had Parkinson’s disease due to the Spanish flu in 1917 and she smoked, drank and used other medications heavily for most of her life. She died in her early 80′s.  My Grandfather smoked heavily until the Surgeon General’s report on smoking was published and put out his last cigarette while reading the report.  He lived to the age of 84.  Closer still, my Father died at the age of 70.  He smoked cigarettes and then cigars until he had his first heart attack in the late 1970′s.  Mom is almost 74, suffers a little from diabetes, though she has never smoked nor drank heavily.

My Mother’s Mother, never exercised and smoked and drank and used drugs and lived to 80. She did not died of cancer nor did she die from Emphysema. She had fallen and broken her hip and at the end of her recovery, a clot broke off and killed her. Had she had a different attitude towards exercise, she may have indeed lived longer.  Perhaps she would have been in better shape and not fallen or perhaps her bones would have been more dense and not broken so badly.  The fact is, Parkinson’s had taken away her ability to function well.  Walking and eating, let alone smoking had become difficult for her.  Had she exercised, she may have lived longer, but not decades.

After genetics, I believe, it is lifestyle choices that most influence how long we live.  Three of my grandparents never had cancer.  My Dad’s Mother died of lung cancer and had had breast cancer before that, but she had smoke for most of her life.  How long would they have lived had none of them ever smoked?

So, if exercise has so little influence on how long you will live, why bother? I run so that I can have a better quality of life. It has been shown that running not only does not cause arthritis, in fact it can help prevent it. The body likes movement.  Adding extra weight or being sedentary hurts the joints.  When you exercise causes fluids that can accumulate to move through the body and lowering your body weight is better for your joints.  Also, additional muscle mass will help support the joints cushioning them from deterioration. For me, this means that I will be better able to move better further into life.  I’ll continue exercising and stretching. Keeping my muscles looser and more pliable.  As I age, I want to be able to still get on and off the sofa without help or struggle.

It is also important to me that I have stamina.  I want to continue to travel, especially when I have time to travel without the pressure of work. By exercising, I hope to be able to travel and do the things I want to do without consideration to my health because my health will not be a factor.

Today, it means that I can walk and see things and go places easily. At times, it also gives travel a new focus as I can travel to a half marathon somewhere in the world. Or I can travel and then run in some of the great cities of the world.  It is always an interesting thing to do.  You get so see things that you would otherwise not see and perhaps visit later in the day because they are interesting.

I also run, well, because I love to run.. This morning, I left for my run thinking it would be an easy slow pace.  The first mile was easy.  I was relaxed.  It felt good.  So I ran faster.  It still felt good.  So, I ran faster.  It was great.  I loved it.  I love feeling strong and running fast and after running, I feel great!  I look forward to running more and running faster!  Will I ever run 6 minute miles again? Maybe not, but 7 minute miles are quite likely.

Don’t exercise simply to live longer.  That is a long term goal that is hard to measure.  Choose an exercise you love and will do regularly.  Enjoy the activity and it will add to your life now and then again later.

Running again in Philadelphia

I date the start of my running for fitness at May 1984.  I had stopped attending Bloomsburg University and moved with my parents into Center City Philadelphia and then gained about 30 pounds!  I did run while I was at Bloomsburg, but that running lacked structure and purpose.  It was just something I did.  Since 1984, I have run in four primary areas, Philadelphia, Akron (Lancaster Cty) Pa, Ardmore and Heidelberg.  Those of you who know me well will ask, but what about when you lived in New Jersey.  Well, that was a dark period of sporadic running and I choose to ignore those years.

Of the four locations, Heidelberg was definitely my favorite and Akron was my least favorite. Iam not sure that I should break out Ardmore from Philadelphia because there is overlap, which I will explain shortly.  Interestingly, while Akron was my least favorite, it also has some of my best running experiences.

Why is Lancaster my least favorite? Danger and lack of variety.  The roads around Akron were not designed for anything but farm vehicles, cars and trucks.  I really had only one route to run and the first half of the run is by far one of my favorite sections.  On the other hand, the second half of the run was along a very busy road and was always dangerous.  That said, the first half of the run was through the town and then out along farm roads with little or no traffic. I loved the first half and especially loved running on cold winter mornings when there were no clouds and a full moon.  It was very cool to run in the dark while casting a very distinct shadow. The other experience I had happened two days in a row.  It was winter and the temperature was under 20F (-6,5C). It was also very humid, so humid in fact that there was a very dense fog.  I ran with a small flashlight (being afraid of running into a skunk in the dark!).  Without the flashlight turned on I could see nothing, with the flashlight turned on, I could see an envelope of white wrapped around me.  I ran with the light pointed at the ground and I could see that the fog had also accumulated on the road surface, so everything around me was white. That morning it was as if your were running in an envelope of whiteness. When I got back to the house, I checked myself out in the mirror and every place that was not warm, was covered in a frost.  It was very cool.  Aside from these two things, running in Akron was very repetitive.

My structured running began in Philadelphia and I will ignore the first six months or even year where I was trying to figure out where to run.  This was long before things such as Google Maps or Mapmyrun.com, both sites that are very helpful in determining where to run. I remember sitting at the dining room table with a map and a piece of string to figure out how far a run was.  Eventually, I found two good routes to run, The first was to run to Front then out Walnut to West Philly and then back home, about 8 miles or so. The other was to run to the Art Museum and then around the drives.  The first run and to some extent the second run, suffered from streets and intersections and traffic lights. Running early in the morning was always better than later in the day when there was more traffic.

My running in Ardmore was very similar to running in Philly.  My basic route was very different but there were still traffic lights and there was no real alternate.  I could make the run shorter or longer based on how I felt or how much time I had, but that was it. I would also drive to the Art Museum and then run the drives also, just for a change.  The big change came when I started to train for the Philly Marathon.  Then I started to run on Forbidden Drive.  Forbidden Drive is a 5 mile long path which winds alongside the Wissahickon Creek and in the gorge is created.

In Heidelberg I had three basic runs and each of them could be adapted into several other runs.  It was also easy to avoid running in high traffic areas and places where there were lots of traffic lights.  The terrain was varied from extremely hilly to mostly flat. From woods to vineyards to towns.

Now were are living in Center City Philadelphia. Currently we live in temporary housing along the Parkway and all of my runs have been out along the drives. When we move to our house, my routes will essentially be the same. Running along the Schuylkill River is great.  It is an amazing inner city park area and you can run long distances in the park without encountering much traffic. I also have the option of running a circuit, from the Museum out Kelly Drive across Falls Bridge and back down West River Dr. Or I can go out and back Kelly Dr. (for a shorter run). I have also run out to Forbidden Dr. but not along Forbidden Dr. (it is a 14 mile (22K) run out and back.

One great advantage running in Philly is people.  There were times in Heidleberg, I could run for an hour or more and never see another runner. Philly is a city of 1.5 million people and the Drives (by the Museum) are a place where many runners who live in town go to run. This means that there are many, many people running in the same location.  This variety adds its own interest.  When you run on a regular schedule, you will be sure to see the same people running.

Interestingly, running in Heidelberg and running the Philadelphia Marathon, have changed the way I look for runs.  The Philly Marathon course went through parts of the park I had never explored before.  I am sure that I will take time and run new routes.  They will take time to learn, but with the tools available today that I did not have just 5 years ago, I am sure I will expand my running horizons. The Schuykill River trail is supposed to be continued through the city and to the confluence with the Delaware River.

While running in Philly is not as diverse as in Heidelberg, there is hope I will add diversity to my runs and that there will be more running paths available in the near future. So keep putting one foot in front of the other and find your special place to run!

Running Australia

Running when you are traveling can be a challenge.  Running when traveling for vacation is a challenge.  I’ve been lucky, I’ve been able to run in many different places.  Large cities tend to provide the best places to run when you are not familiar with the area.  I’ve run in Boston, Washington DC, Berlin, Milan and even Venice.  Some cities are more of a challenge.  I have never run in Jerusalem.  I could probably do so now, but not being sure where I was going and where I may end up has been a concern.  Smaller towns have their own challenges.  Is this road safe to run on or will traffic be too much and the shoulder too narrow?  Will this road end someplace and I will have to turn around?  Vacation running adds another couple of layers of complexity.  What time do I need to be done by so that we can do what we want to do? How far can I run and still walk and not be tired too quickly?

We spent 4 nights in Uluru (Ayers Rock).  I never ran.  The first morning would have been the best morning, unfortunately, after traveling to Australia we were so tired, we slept until 11am. The next three mornings we had to be ready to go at 7:30, 6am and then 5am.  Getting up at 5am or earlier to go running is not so vacation like.

We spent one night in Alice Springs. I was determined to run here, but where?  Alice is a small town.  It is in the middle of the Bush and not a pretty town. The Todd (mostly dry) River runs through the center of Alice.  That was my choice.  There was a path that ran along the banks of the dry river.  I did a 10k run, out and back, from the Crown Plaza to the Telegraph park where Alice was founded.

The next chance I had to run was in Townsville.  Townsville is on the Coral Sea.  There is an Esplanade all along the water front and there is a breakwater that extends close to two kilometers into the sea.  I decided that I would run to and then out the breakwater.  I was not familiar with the area and I did not run with a map in my hand.  I ran out to the esplanade, which was right out front of our hotel and then ran in the direction of the breakwater (the sea to my left). I got lost.  Well, not exactly lost, I turned to early and wound up in the employee parking lot of the casino. I went back out and around and eventually found the breakwater. Unfortunately, the top of the breakwater was not really paved.  Walking it would be fine, running it would be an obstacle course.  So I ran back where I’d gone and went to the far end of the esplanade and then back again to the hotel (which was in the middle of the Esplanade).  Very nice run.  love running by the ocean.

The next run was at Airlie Beach before getting on the Pacific Sunrise. The beach in Airlie though is relatively small.  Not really worthy of running along.  It is really in a small bay.  I decided to run out the main road and then up and over the hill to see what was there.  I figured the hill can’t be as bad as the hills in Heidelberg and I could use the hill workout.  Well, I ran out as planned and started up the hill, but then was stopped by a sign that indicated people on foot were not allowed to walk along side the road.  Which made sense as there was no shoulder.  I turned back and then turned down another road, that did start heading hill.  I followed it until I got to a place where I thought I should head back to the motor lodge.  There was a large estate for sale where I turned around on Mandalay Rd.  That was a pretty nice run.

After three nights on a boat and a day spent on the road, we were in Hervey Bay.  We were not near the beach this time, so it was a couple of kilometers just to get to the Esplanade. Then I ran out the Esplanade and retraced my route back to the hotel.  Which was a little more difficult than it sounds as the sidewalks were not well marked.

Noosa was the best run I had in all of Australia.  There is a large national park there and I ran out to the national park and then followed the trail that is at the top of the cliffs looking out over the ocean.  you reach a head land (it is the Noosa Headlands Nat’l Park) and then drop down to a beach and run a long a beach for about 1 kilometer and then back the way I had come.  There were a lot of people on the trail, but the views were spectacular and there were some real hills to run, which was nice.

My final run in Australia was in Sydney.  Here we are in an urban environment.  This was fine as I was able to follow the streets.  At first I head east to the sea, but then made a left in the direction of the bay.  I never made it either way.  Looking at the map after the fact, I was about 1 kilometer from Bondi Beach and later I was about 3 blocks from the bay.  If only I had continued in either direction.  Sydney is not flat.  This provided me excellent hill running.  Not nearly as steep as the hills in Heidelberg, but far larger than any I will find in Phila.

I would definitely look forward to running Australia again.

Finishing Heidelberg

So it has been a while since I have last posted and life has moved forward at warp speed.  This will be the first of a series of posts.  The focus of this post is to talk a little bit about running in Germany and in fact, ending my German runs.  In a future blog, I will talk a little bit about the comparison between running in Heidelberg and running in Philadelphia.

With all life transitions, whether good or bad, leaving Germany was stressful.  Not only was there a lot that needed to get done, but the very fact of leaving a place I came to love and call home was stressful. One of the many things I loved about Germany was running there.  German culture is centered on the Village/Town/City, so there are very few real American style suburbs.  Most roads and streets have sidewalks and bike paths and where they do not, there is usually enjoy room and the drivers courteous enough that being on the shoulder was never a concern. That being said, I hardly ever needed to run anywhere that was not safe.

While running was one of the things I so enjoyed about living in Germany, the reason I liked it so much was the variety.  We lived at the foot of the Odenwald and the vineyards were less than a kilometer away and then there was running along the Neckar River. Most frequently, I would head towards the Weinstrasse and run towards Dossenheim/Schriesheim/Leutershausen.  There I would run along the vineyards and fields.  It was so nice to see the seasons change.  Three times I watched the grapes blossom, bear fruit and be harvested.  I ran past strawberry fields smelling the fruit in the air, I also ran past fields of yellow Rape seed (used to make canola oil) in bloom.  Along the way, there would be people I would see, some of them I saw quite regularly.  One regret I do have is not being able to give my regards to a woman I saw two or three times a month while we lived there.  She had a Border Collie she walked.  While I did not get to “know” them, we did exchange pleasantries when we passed.

I also loved running up into the hills of the Odenwald.  Usually, I would head to the Benedictine Monastery and then back along the river.  Sometimes I would head into Ziegelhausen and then across the river, following the Heidelberg Half Marathon Course.  I would see very few people along this route and I never saw anyone regularly.  This was always a challenging run with a lot of vertical.

The last run I did regularly, was to run along the Neckar river to Ladenburg and then through the fields to Schriesheim and then home.  This was a relatively flat run.  Of course, it was downhill to the river and then uphill away from the river.  It was cool to run past the Heidelberg Zoo and see lions and tigers and flamingos.  It was also cool to see the barges on the river/canal and stop and watch the locks in action.  Again there were lots of fields with strawberries and rape seed, etc. The mountains of the Odenwald formed the back drop for the first half of the run, off to the right (east) until making a right turn in Ladenburg.  Then the hills would grow as I ran away from the river and towards the Idenwalkd.  I so miss this run.  It was my longest run, but definitely a favorite!

I had other routes I did here and there while living in Heidelberg, but I did not do them frequently because they were less interesting.  There was a run in Berlin I did several times, running a big loop around the center of Berlin.  I ran through Paris, running along the river and realizing I had just seen these places in a movie.  I was lucky to have those runs and sorry to see them end…for now.

Form over function? Function over Form?

Anyone who follows this blog will be aware of my entries relating to foot strike and form.  Well, I recently read another article on form.  You can read the whole article here: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-268-13951-0,00.html.

The essential questions are, ‘what is the optimal form?’ and ‘should you change your form to have a better form?’

On the first question, there is no doubt that in a perfect world there is a perfect form.  You should keep your back straight with a slight forward bend at your hips. Your head should continue the line of your back. Your shoulders should be straight across and you should minimize shoulder movement while you run.  This means that when you swing your arms, you should be focusing on keeping you elbows on even with your torso with a minimum of shoulder swing and your forearms should be swinging in rhythm with your legs to help balance yourself. You should not hold your arms at chest level.  This causes unnecessary tension.  You also do not want to swing your arms across your body as this will cause needless sideways momentum.  This is the easy part.

Footstrike.  There is that word.  Optimally, you want to strike you foot mid-sole and directly under your body as it moves forward.  Striking in front of your body does a couple of bad things.  It stops your forward momentum, it jars your skeleton (knees and hips).  This can lead to injury. You also want to lift you knees as you bring your foot forward, this is call high leg lift, as opposed to shuffling.  I have not read how this may be more beneficial, but I have read that move of the great Kenyan distance runners have high leg lift.  So lift your leg.  You also want to have about 180 foot strikes per minute. Again, there is no real scientific evidence this is best, but there is plenty of training evidence.  Great runners who focused on strikes per minute have become greater runners by increasing or decreasing (as necessary) their foot strike per minute.

What does all of this mean?  Should you change your form? What am I doing about all of this information?  All of this information is interesting and helpful, but should you change your form? The answer to that question is a strong, maybe or perhaps. If you are injury prone, perhaps there is something in your form that you can correct that will reduce the number of injuries you have. If you are striking the ground in front of your body and pushing off too far back, you may be having knee, hip or back problems. Or maybe it is shin splints or perhaps hamstring issues.  If on the other hand, you are running relatively pain and injury free and you are happy with how you feel, then why bother?  Well, perhaps you want to run faster or longer.  Developing better form may mean you can run longer using less energy and recovery after long runs may be better if you are running more smoothly.

What am I doing? What do I do now?  I tend to be a heal striker.  I have never been a heavy heal striker.  I have always be conscious of the sound my feet make when I run.  I try to be as silent as possible.  This seems simple, but when you run among many people, you hear people I call slappers.  Their heals hit hard and then their forefoot slaps the ground.  If you are running any distance at all, that has got to hurt. I have also focuses on where my foot strikes.  Without seeing myself running on tape, I am pretty sure that I strike a tiny bit in front of my body. At the same time though, I have been aware of different running forms that I myself used. A decade or so ago, I started shortening my stride running uphills. The theory being that I did not want to lift my leg higher than necessary when running hills, consequently, I have been running as a front/mid-sole runner for a decade now, uphill.  Additionally, when I have gotten fatigued on a long run, I have changed my stride to use different muscle groups. This stride approximates the mid-sole strike.

What am I doing now?  I am trying to change my stride.  In January I had a session with a running coach.  Just one session indicates that I was not happy with her instruction, but she did suggest changing my foot strike and I had just read an article, so I tried.  This cause me to use muscles in a way they were not accustomed to be used and I wound up with some tendinitis in my calf.  Today, I am more conscious of my form.  I try to vary my form and maximize the fluidity of my form. I try to be aware of my stride count and I try not to bring my foot to far forward.

Generally, be aware of your stride.  If you are feeling jarred when you run and long runs take days to recover, you probably should fix your stride.  If you do not have any or minimal pain and long runs to not knock you out for days, then do what you are doing.  Remember, listen to your body. Most of us run for personal growth and development. We are not going to be professionals and earn a living running.  Don’t make running so difficult that you dread running because of all the little details you need to think about.

Why run in a race?

As I have mentioned in past blog posts, I started running for fitness in May 1984.  Then in June 1984, I ran in my first 5K. It was something like the AT&T Run for Freedom or some such thing. I finished in 22:22.  Since then I have run in 2 Marathons, close to 50 Half Marathons, 17 10 Mile runs, an untold number of 10Ks and a bunch of 5Ks.  Why?  Should is racing for everyone?

The answer to the last question is a decisive NO. Running in races is not something that every runner has to do or should do.  Then why bother?  The first reason I run in races is because I have a competitive nature.  I love watching races and I love being competitive. I am unlikely to win any races these days.  When I was younger, I did come pretty close.  Back in the 80′s, I would complete a 10K in 32 minutes and the winner would finish in 27  or 28 minutes. Even then I was unlikely to ever really win.  The few minutes I finished behind the winners is a huge gulf in talent and training that is only filled in with lots of hard work.

Then and now the purpose of running in a race is goal setting and benchmarking.  As an example, I recently ran in the Pfaubau Half Marathon.  That event provided me with a goal.  For some people, the goal me be as simple as completing the run.  For other people and for me, it is completing the run in a certain time period. Our friend Charlotte, recently ran a leg in the team marathon in Mannheim.  She loved it.  She loved the atmosphere and she loved the sense of accomplishment.  She is not talking about running a half marathon.  She is not talking about running in a given time but just running it to complete it.  On the other hand, I ran the Pfaubau to complete it in a given time.  My easy goal was 2:00, my stretch goal was 1:50, my super stretch goal was 1:45.  I did beat my easy goal and I came close to my stretch goal.  This was satisfying.  I ran a hard race and did as well as I could have done.  Of course last autumn in Cardiff I ran the half marathon in 1:51, a full minute faster than the Pfaubau.  I complete with myself.

Yes, there is always the race within a race and it changes from minute to minute, ‘keep up with that dude’, ‘pass that woman’, ‘finish with that person in sight’, ‘sprint the last 100 meters’. Most runs, you find I find a pace and hope to maintain that pace.  At Cardiff, I did not find that pace until the second half of the race because it was so crowded.  Then during the Heidelberg Half Marathon, I did lost the groove during an asthma attack.  The Pfaubau though, I kept the pace.  It was a good pace. Strangely though, there was also one person that I either ran behind or in front of most of the way, a woman named Jasmin who finished just in front of me.

Now, I have no races planned.  I may run in the Philadelphia Distance Run in September – now called the Philadelphia Rock n Roll half marathon (which I am not happy about), but with all that is happening between now an September, I am being cautious about that. I have no goal now. Now I am running only for fitness. My running log is my guide.  It shows me graphs and tables that provide me with inspiration.  The log definitely helps, but having a more concrete goal is better and this is why I run in races.

The Beauty Uhldingen Pfaubau Halb Marathon

On Saturday (May 28th), I ran in the Uhldingen Pfaubau Half Marathon.  I was scheduled to run in this Half Marathon last year but for various reasons, we did not make it there.  Uhldingen is along Lake Constance in the Bodensee across the lake from the city of Constanz. We were actually in Unteruhldingen, which is directly along the lake and at a slightly lower elevation than Uhldingen proper.  This is a common distinction in Germany.

Pam and I had wanted to go to the Bodensee since we got here and it never made it to the top of our priority list, but I was determined to get there and I am glad we did. Lake Constance is in extreme southern Germany and is in both Baden-Wurtemberg and Bayern as well as Switzerland and Austria. It is a fairly large, blue water fresh water lake. It is about a 3.5 hour drive from Heidelberg.

Uhldingen is not a large town and as we entered town we found the tourist information which is where the race packet/registration was located…that was easy. We also found a nice little hotel for the night, we had plans to head to Winterthur to see the family Kirsch.

It was early evening when we arrived and after getting our hotel room (Hotel Seehof) and we walked around town a little and then had dinner at the restaurant in our hotel.  It was a splendid dinner.  They used herbs and spices very well.

The next morning we went down for breakfast and we started playing the, “Who is running the half marathon” game. The run was to start at 1:55 that afternoon and after breakfast we packed up our room and checked out. Due to the fact I was running, I did not want to go hiking or really do a lot of activity.  We really did two things before the run.  First, Pam registered for the 9K Nordic Walk (she does not have Nordic walking sticks – but was not the only person without) and we hung around the hotel drinking coffee and other fluids. Then, at about 1pm, I changed into my running clothes and we headed across the road to the start area.  This event had 4 different activities.  The first to go off was the kids run, which was complete before the 10K run, Half Marathon and Nordic Walk began.

As I said, this was a small run.  There were 256 people running the half marathon.  At 3500 people, I consider the Heidelberg Half Marathon small. Realize that all the communication during the pre-run period is done in German.  The man speaking, speaks a very clear German, but he is using some words which leave me in doubt as to what exactly he is saying. I am about 90% sure the 10K is going off first and I am correct. 5 minutes later the half is going off. This is actually cool and works because of the size of the event. The Half Marathoners line up and we are quickly away.

My start is a little rugged.  The battery in my heart rate monitor died and I had no feedback.  In the first couple miles, this feedback is vital to understanding how hard and efficiently I am running, but I could tell it was not optimal.  The run started out on paved road and then made a turn and went down a fairly small gravel path within the first half mile.  We wound through some gravel paths and passed the Pfaubau.  The Pfaubau is a village that is set on stilts or piers out in the water and is apparently a reconstruction of a bronze era village from the area.

The run wound along dirt/gravel farm paths and occasionally a road.  It was a gorgeous run and the lack of people was very cool.  In a run such as this, you find people who you pace with and you will generally stay with them for periods of time. I seldom actually speak with anyone and seldom actually run next to them, but you are each aware of the other person.

At one point we were winding our way besides a lazy little stream and then remarkably, came out to a road besides someone’s barn filled with their farming machinery. Shortly after that we were running through the central Platz of the town of Salem.  The  church in Salem is gorgeous and there was a wedding going on as we passed, listening to Beethoven being played on the church organ. We actually passed three or 4 weddings during the run.  I crossed the half way mark in about 50 minutes, which was setting me up for a sub 1:45 half marathon!  So far the run had been through rolling hills and not hilly.  After the half way point, I notices some people stopping at aid stations along the way, suffering a little with the heat.  The second half also had steeper hills and I noticed that running in Heidelberg with its hills was proving to be a benefit, especially as I had yet to see a challenging hill.

About about the 16K point we headed down to a stream, crossed a bridge and turned a corner, to be faced with a Hill.  This was a good 3/4 of a mile hill which was pretty steep.  This hill hurt.  For me, it was completely unexpected and I had been running pretty hard up to this point.  This run killed my sub 1:45 effort. Not only did it cost me time as I ran more slowly up the hill, but once over the top, I needed a recovery period (running slower). Not long after crossing the top of the hill, we crossed under the major road leading to Uhldingen and came out to a spectacular view of the lake and the town below. The rest of the run was downhill or flat and I crossed the finish line in just under 1:52, a very respectable time, but still under the 1:50.5 of the Cardiff Half Marathon last fall.

I really enjoyed this run. While large runs have their own energy, I like small runs like this more. They are more intimate.  When I first ran the Philadelphia Broad Street Run(1985), there were 2,500 runners.  At that time, I thought that was a lot of people, today the BSR draws 15,000 people. The same thing has happened with the Philadelphia Distance Run (now the Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon – BOOOOOOO). During this Half Marathon I spent considerable time running alone.  This does not mean I could not see anyone else, but it does mean that there was nobody directly in front or in back of me.  Also, this run is very well organized and marked.  There were people at points all along the route.  I hope to be able to get back and run this one again!