Part of training for a marathon include these dastardly things called "sprints" or "intervals". I remember running suicides in basketball, sprints from the baseline to the free throw line and back, then halfcourt and back, then to the opposite free throw line and back, and finally to the opposite baseline and back. Uh, I never liked those things, because coach used to make us run those as punishments at the end of practice, or just as part of his conditioning drills. Man, those things were hard, even back then when I was young and spry.
And now as part of my upcoming marathon training, these darn things are back in my life again. Now, I'll never actually "sprint" meaning a full-out 100% effort, that is, unless a dog is chasing me or something like that. But, it's much faster than I'm used to, and difficult to maintain for a long time. In my training, there are four sets of intervals distances: 400m, 800m, 1200m, and 1600m. It starts at 8x400m and peaks at 4x1600m. The pace is 1 min less than my 10k pace for the 400m and 30 seconds less than my 10k pace 1600m. Seems slow, but running 'fast' is tough at my age.
The benefits, though, are great. When I have my long runs on the weekends, the slower pace (1 minute slower than my 10k pace, or even slower if I feel like it) seems much easier, and I concentrate on my form a lot more. If you do plan to incorporate intervals in your workout regimen, be sure to warm up well, stretch, and start out nice and easy. Running too fast, too soon ... results in injury. I know this firsthand. My good friend always tells me to join a track workout group, and I probably should do that one day, and really reap the benefits of running and training in a group. I would encourage you to explore that as well.
I'm off soon, going to run 8x400m, but a little slower than usual. Just 'warming up' and 'getting ready' at this point. I'm about a week and a half from the start of marathon training.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Yoga at Night
If you have trouble sleeping, it may not just be your bed that's the issue. Man, I'm an insomniac sometimes, mostly because my mind keeps going, and going, and going, like the Energizer Bunny. It takes a while for me to calm down, slow down. And all the ESPN SportsCenter in the world isn't going to help. Plus, the Warriors and the Suns were playing a pretty amazing game last night, so I was up watching my hapless Warriors try their best and play a great and fun game last night.
Monday and Wednesday nights for me lately, have been my Yoga nights. This is much different than what I'm used to. Usually I'm an early morning Yoga person (Fridays, I do that). But, something about getting to the studio, taking care of yourself for that 1 hour, getting in a good stretch, and moving and opening your body like that, makes the rest of the night so restful and peaceful. And you know what, a restful and peaceful night typically means a good morning, and a good day.
Do something nice for yourself and try Yoga at night, either in the privacy of your own home, in a Yoga studio, fitness club, YMCA, wherever. Find a great teacher, something that you click with, calms you down, and takes you through the poses with detailed instruction. Listen carefully. Hear every word, follow the simplest and smallest instructions, they make the biggest differences. Namaste. :)
Monday and Wednesday nights for me lately, have been my Yoga nights. This is much different than what I'm used to. Usually I'm an early morning Yoga person (Fridays, I do that). But, something about getting to the studio, taking care of yourself for that 1 hour, getting in a good stretch, and moving and opening your body like that, makes the rest of the night so restful and peaceful. And you know what, a restful and peaceful night typically means a good morning, and a good day.
Do something nice for yourself and try Yoga at night, either in the privacy of your own home, in a Yoga studio, fitness club, YMCA, wherever. Find a great teacher, something that you click with, calms you down, and takes you through the poses with detailed instruction. Listen carefully. Hear every word, follow the simplest and smallest instructions, they make the biggest differences. Namaste. :)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
"Dang Bro :)"
Those two words and that emoticon were all that I needed to be put in my place. My cousin/nephew (long story) had emailed a bunch of us about how he met a nutritionist and she had passed along some basic information and background to him. She said all the standard stuff you hear about if you're into that kind of stuff (fruits and veggies - good, whole grains -good, water - good, processed food - bad, sugars - bad, etc. And then she talked about "meat" and said something akin to "meat itself isn't bad for you, it's what's done to the meat that is." I was good, until that point. And again, to reiterate, I agreed with 99.9% of what she said, she's obviously educated and enlightened and I'm here, just a regular dude, talking through my nose. :)
I think I went off. Sure, meat itself, in the right quantities, isn't bad for you. I hear that. In small quantities, it's great. But, do we really eat meat in small quantities, the type that I'm alluding to here? I don't think so. We eat meat, sometimes at every single meal, maybe 50% of our total calories, I dare say, come from meat. And that's just way too much. That was point #1. Point #2, which I won't detail here, is what's done to meat. And I think you know my stance on that. Just read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer, and that sums it up.
But, in retrospect, I think my unintended arrogance about the topic came through, and thus the response from my beloved cousin/nephew. I think I should speak or write with more restraint, more control, and make sure not to force information upon people. Heck, the poor nutritionist said so many good things, and I focused the 0.0001% of the 0.1% that I had issue with. And that's dumb on my part.
So, to all the good people that were copied on that email, I say to you here publicly, I apologize for my unintended arrogance. I'm just a regular dude, I don't know much, just read a few books, and all of a sudden have a passion about this stuff. I just want to encourage you to arm yourself with the information that's available, and then come to your own conclusions. Obviously, whatever you decide that is right for you, is the right choice. There's no right or wrong answer here, just the one that you choose personally.
I pray for you daily, that you have peace, health, and happiness in your life. And if there's ever anything I can do or say that helps, I'm appreciative of that.
I think I went off. Sure, meat itself, in the right quantities, isn't bad for you. I hear that. In small quantities, it's great. But, do we really eat meat in small quantities, the type that I'm alluding to here? I don't think so. We eat meat, sometimes at every single meal, maybe 50% of our total calories, I dare say, come from meat. And that's just way too much. That was point #1. Point #2, which I won't detail here, is what's done to meat. And I think you know my stance on that. Just read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer, and that sums it up.
But, in retrospect, I think my unintended arrogance about the topic came through, and thus the response from my beloved cousin/nephew. I think I should speak or write with more restraint, more control, and make sure not to force information upon people. Heck, the poor nutritionist said so many good things, and I focused the 0.0001% of the 0.1% that I had issue with. And that's dumb on my part.
So, to all the good people that were copied on that email, I say to you here publicly, I apologize for my unintended arrogance. I'm just a regular dude, I don't know much, just read a few books, and all of a sudden have a passion about this stuff. I just want to encourage you to arm yourself with the information that's available, and then come to your own conclusions. Obviously, whatever you decide that is right for you, is the right choice. There's no right or wrong answer here, just the one that you choose personally.
I pray for you daily, that you have peace, health, and happiness in your life. And if there's ever anything I can do or say that helps, I'm appreciative of that.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Less is More - Marathon Training Program
I'm about two weeks away from embarking on 4 months (16 weeks) of marathon training, culminating in the San Francisco Marathon in July. Here's the training program I'll be doing.
This is much different than what I've tried in the past, a lot less time on the road, less total 20+ mile runs, and a lot more recovery time. Even the duration (just 16 weeks) is short compared to I've done in the past. I think this suits me, because I really felt over-trained and prematurely peaked in the past.
The caveat this time, is that I'm running and training as a full-on Vegan for the first time. So, I'm wondering how my body is going to handle all of the additional loads, where I'm going to get all the calories I need to fuel up and go, and how my recovery will be after long runs. I see lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in my future, and lots of trips to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, the Farmers Markets, etc. I will probably be even more disciplined in my diet while I'm training, and not eat a lot of "processed" Vegan foods. You know what I mean, the types of foods that are in wrappers and packages, stuff ready made, etc.
I take it week-by-week, and have to still balance all of the responsibilities that being a father and husband are all about. I still need to do a great job at work, still need to walk my kids to school, help them with their homework, take care of stuff around the house, etc. But, hey, it's not like life stops for you when you embark on a marathon, eh? :) It's all good, I love the challenge, I embrace it. Give me all you got, and I'm gonna still be here. I'm still gonna get up, lace up my shoes, and get out there.
In the book, "Chi-Running" by Danny Dreyer, he talks about how running is a privilege, a gift that you should always appreciate. I never looked at it that way, I always thought running was a chore. And then one day it clicked for me, just being ABLE to run is an amazing thing. Not running fast per se, not beating your PR, just being ABLE to run. I was at a Chi-Running + Yoga camp one summer, and we went around the room to discuss why we were there. Some people talked about "Boston" ... like "When I first ran Boston ..." Some people said "Well, I've ran X number of marathons ..." I just said, "I'm just happy to be here, happy and privileged that I even have the ability just simply to run." People looked at me like I was a freak show, that I didn't mention PRs or Boston or anything like that, and I thought that was pretty hilarious. Man, so many serious people in there. Still, it turned out to be great, learned a lot from a lot of nice people, ate great, and did lots of yoga, which is always great.
Don't get me wrong, I'm fiercely competitive inside. I used to coach basketball for 15 years, and during that time, I wanted not only to beat my opponents, I wanted them to think that playing us would be the last thing they wanted to do that day, because it was going to be that tough. As a player, I had the same fire. Not the tallest, quickest, or even best out there ... in my mind, I was better than everyone, and that carried me.
So that competitive fire (something I call 'liveliness' now) is what drives me to complete my training and the race. Now, I am a lot different now. If an older lady, a little kid, or a fat guy passes me during a race (which happens all the time, at any distance!), I just laugh it off, and just keep running at my pace. I'm not competitive with other people in running, I just run with them, behind them mostly, and enjoy the view. But, I am competitive in completing my training, in trying my best during the race, and enjoying it the whole time.
If you ever want a serious challenge, something you never thought you could accomplish. Try running a marathon, half-marathon, 10k, or 5k ... heck just run 1 mile, heck walk 1 mile. You never know what you're capable of, until you put your mind to it and try.
This is much different than what I've tried in the past, a lot less time on the road, less total 20+ mile runs, and a lot more recovery time. Even the duration (just 16 weeks) is short compared to I've done in the past. I think this suits me, because I really felt over-trained and prematurely peaked in the past.
The caveat this time, is that I'm running and training as a full-on Vegan for the first time. So, I'm wondering how my body is going to handle all of the additional loads, where I'm going to get all the calories I need to fuel up and go, and how my recovery will be after long runs. I see lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in my future, and lots of trips to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, the Farmers Markets, etc. I will probably be even more disciplined in my diet while I'm training, and not eat a lot of "processed" Vegan foods. You know what I mean, the types of foods that are in wrappers and packages, stuff ready made, etc.
I take it week-by-week, and have to still balance all of the responsibilities that being a father and husband are all about. I still need to do a great job at work, still need to walk my kids to school, help them with their homework, take care of stuff around the house, etc. But, hey, it's not like life stops for you when you embark on a marathon, eh? :) It's all good, I love the challenge, I embrace it. Give me all you got, and I'm gonna still be here. I'm still gonna get up, lace up my shoes, and get out there.
In the book, "Chi-Running" by Danny Dreyer, he talks about how running is a privilege, a gift that you should always appreciate. I never looked at it that way, I always thought running was a chore. And then one day it clicked for me, just being ABLE to run is an amazing thing. Not running fast per se, not beating your PR, just being ABLE to run. I was at a Chi-Running + Yoga camp one summer, and we went around the room to discuss why we were there. Some people talked about "Boston" ... like "When I first ran Boston ..." Some people said "Well, I've ran X number of marathons ..." I just said, "I'm just happy to be here, happy and privileged that I even have the ability just simply to run." People looked at me like I was a freak show, that I didn't mention PRs or Boston or anything like that, and I thought that was pretty hilarious. Man, so many serious people in there. Still, it turned out to be great, learned a lot from a lot of nice people, ate great, and did lots of yoga, which is always great.
Don't get me wrong, I'm fiercely competitive inside. I used to coach basketball for 15 years, and during that time, I wanted not only to beat my opponents, I wanted them to think that playing us would be the last thing they wanted to do that day, because it was going to be that tough. As a player, I had the same fire. Not the tallest, quickest, or even best out there ... in my mind, I was better than everyone, and that carried me.
So that competitive fire (something I call 'liveliness' now) is what drives me to complete my training and the race. Now, I am a lot different now. If an older lady, a little kid, or a fat guy passes me during a race (which happens all the time, at any distance!), I just laugh it off, and just keep running at my pace. I'm not competitive with other people in running, I just run with them, behind them mostly, and enjoy the view. But, I am competitive in completing my training, in trying my best during the race, and enjoying it the whole time.
If you ever want a serious challenge, something you never thought you could accomplish. Try running a marathon, half-marathon, 10k, or 5k ... heck just run 1 mile, heck walk 1 mile. You never know what you're capable of, until you put your mind to it and try.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Laugh!
What is it about laughter that is so good for you? Can someone educate me? I mean, we spend so many resources, so much time, so much energy trying to eat right, exercise, be mentally and spiritually centered, find peace, etc. Sometimes, just a laugh, as simple as that is, puts everything in it's place, even for just a moment.
I'm not talking about a chuckle, a smirk, or a giggle. I'm talking about something hella funny, something that makes you crack up, hold onto your stomach, make you bend over, cry tears, stop your breathing for a second, you know what I mean. I had a couple of moments like that the past few days, and really, it felt like, even for a moment, that all was right in the world. Body centered, mind empty, blood flowing, thoughts quiet, emotionally happy, spiritually in tune. All because of a good laugh.
I pray for you today, my friend, who may be reading this in search of something very deep and enlightened, to look at the more simple things in life that may give you a sense of peace and joy, even if just for a moment. Crack up, laugh, live your life, and enjoy the benefits!
I'm not talking about a chuckle, a smirk, or a giggle. I'm talking about something hella funny, something that makes you crack up, hold onto your stomach, make you bend over, cry tears, stop your breathing for a second, you know what I mean. I had a couple of moments like that the past few days, and really, it felt like, even for a moment, that all was right in the world. Body centered, mind empty, blood flowing, thoughts quiet, emotionally happy, spiritually in tune. All because of a good laugh.
I pray for you today, my friend, who may be reading this in search of something very deep and enlightened, to look at the more simple things in life that may give you a sense of peace and joy, even if just for a moment. Crack up, laugh, live your life, and enjoy the benefits!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Green Smoothies and Friends/Family
So, by now, you know that I'm a Vegan, not super strict, not nutty or crazy or zealous, and do it mostly for health reasons, with some heavy thoughts of the environment, the farmers and workers involved, and animals mixed in. But, again, mostly for health reasons, and to have a conscience when it comes to what I put into my body.
I've been pitching and preaching this "Green Smoothie" idea for a while now to my family and friends who want to try. We obviously don't get enough dark leafy greens in our diet, something we need to nourish and heal us on a daily basis. It would be great if we could have a nice salad for lunch and dinner, every dinner, but that just doesn't happen for most of us. Man, I love a great green salad, but it's hard to find a good one, unless you make it yourself, and take care to get all of the very best and freshest ingredients. On the "Eat-To-Live" 6 week jumpstart, I had salads for lunch and dinner. On a 30-day raw diet, I did the same thing. And I felt great. But, I made my salads myself and packed them, every day. And for a busy guy like me, that can be a lot to do on a daily basis.
For breakfast, what do we normally eat? Oatmeal? Bagels? Fruit? Cereal with milk? Toast? Coffee? Bacon and eggs? Hash browns? Pancakes or waffles? You know, for some people, they do great just by eating the traditional breakfast. It gives them the energy and nutrition they need going forward. And if they do get their greens and veggies later in the day, exercise, and take care of themselves, then I'm sure they'll be fine, healthy, and balanced. But, it's likely that most people have a traditional breakfast, one without any dark leafy greens, and then don't eat ANY dark leafy greens or veggies for the rest of the day. Maybe it's a burger, fries, and coke for lunch, and then some frozen dinner in the microwave for dinner.
That's why I'm pitching the Green Smoothie idea. Get your greens in early in the morning, when your body needs it the most. It's so simple and easy to do, it takes me less time to pour cereal into a bowl, add soy milk, and munch, that it does to make a green smoothie and drink it down. Seriously. In all of 5 minutes, I'm done. And I feel great. My body is nourished, I'm full and satisfied probably until 10am or so, when a small piece of fruit will do. I have great fiber, low calories, and high nutrition, all packed in a simple smoothie. And it tastes amazing, now something I crave and feel undernourished when I don't have it. I've been drinking green smoothies daily for about 9 months now for breakfast. My friends and family have tried and tasted my basic recipe for it, and they all love it. I encourage you to try it, replace that cup of coffee, or that traditional breakfast with a green smoothie, do it for a week or 6 weeks if you're up to it, and see what it does for you. Give some to your kids, see if they like it. Modify the recipe to your liking, make it taste good for you, add whatever you like.
You don't have to start your day with something greasy, oily, or heavy, something hard for your body to digest and make you even more tired. You don't have to skip breakfast and make excuses because of time, effort, business, or anything like that. All you have to do is throw a bunch of stuff in a blender, push a button, pour, and drink. That's all, and it'll give you so much. To your health!
I've been pitching and preaching this "Green Smoothie" idea for a while now to my family and friends who want to try. We obviously don't get enough dark leafy greens in our diet, something we need to nourish and heal us on a daily basis. It would be great if we could have a nice salad for lunch and dinner, every dinner, but that just doesn't happen for most of us. Man, I love a great green salad, but it's hard to find a good one, unless you make it yourself, and take care to get all of the very best and freshest ingredients. On the "Eat-To-Live" 6 week jumpstart, I had salads for lunch and dinner. On a 30-day raw diet, I did the same thing. And I felt great. But, I made my salads myself and packed them, every day. And for a busy guy like me, that can be a lot to do on a daily basis.
For breakfast, what do we normally eat? Oatmeal? Bagels? Fruit? Cereal with milk? Toast? Coffee? Bacon and eggs? Hash browns? Pancakes or waffles? You know, for some people, they do great just by eating the traditional breakfast. It gives them the energy and nutrition they need going forward. And if they do get their greens and veggies later in the day, exercise, and take care of themselves, then I'm sure they'll be fine, healthy, and balanced. But, it's likely that most people have a traditional breakfast, one without any dark leafy greens, and then don't eat ANY dark leafy greens or veggies for the rest of the day. Maybe it's a burger, fries, and coke for lunch, and then some frozen dinner in the microwave for dinner.
That's why I'm pitching the Green Smoothie idea. Get your greens in early in the morning, when your body needs it the most. It's so simple and easy to do, it takes me less time to pour cereal into a bowl, add soy milk, and munch, that it does to make a green smoothie and drink it down. Seriously. In all of 5 minutes, I'm done. And I feel great. My body is nourished, I'm full and satisfied probably until 10am or so, when a small piece of fruit will do. I have great fiber, low calories, and high nutrition, all packed in a simple smoothie. And it tastes amazing, now something I crave and feel undernourished when I don't have it. I've been drinking green smoothies daily for about 9 months now for breakfast. My friends and family have tried and tasted my basic recipe for it, and they all love it. I encourage you to try it, replace that cup of coffee, or that traditional breakfast with a green smoothie, do it for a week or 6 weeks if you're up to it, and see what it does for you. Give some to your kids, see if they like it. Modify the recipe to your liking, make it taste good for you, add whatever you like.
You don't have to start your day with something greasy, oily, or heavy, something hard for your body to digest and make you even more tired. You don't have to skip breakfast and make excuses because of time, effort, business, or anything like that. All you have to do is throw a bunch of stuff in a blender, push a button, pour, and drink. That's all, and it'll give you so much. To your health!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Rest Day
And on the seventh day ... God rested. And so should you, unless of course, it's your race day. :)
All kidding aside, rest is one of the most important aspects of training, both physically and mentally. You see it all the time, folks over training, peaking too early, not getting enough rest, and by the time their event comes up, they're bonking big time.
It happened to me at my last marathon. I trained for 1 year for that silly thing, about 8 months of base-building, and 4 months of hardcore, 4x/week marathon training. Long runs of 20,22, and 23 miles interspersed with track sprints, etc. For some people, this is fine, no big deal, their bodies can handle the load. But for me, it was too much. I peaked at that 23-mile run, early on a Saturday morning, had the training run of my life. I wish that could've been my race. By the time the real race came about 3 weeks later, I was tapped out, and by mile 19, I was struggling, walking, and ready to call it a day. Whatever it was that made me finish that race, out in the cold for such a long time, I'll really never know, maybe some inner drive that just wanted to complete a year's worth of training, maybe the crowd cheering us on, maybe the other runners struggling with me, maybe my smile as I was walking, or maybe my family who was there to cheer me on at Mile 20. The bottom line was that I over-trained, and peaked too early.
So, for this next one, I'm handling it differently. Not that it will be any better, but I'll try something different. Less running, more stretching, more rest. Slower pace, hopefully less injuries. And hey, it's my last marathon ever, one for the 3rd daughter, one for the road. And it's gonna great to train for it, and finally finish it, no matter what the dumb clock says at the end. I've never been one to keep track of my 'PR' or my 'time' or compare to my age group or my friends who ran. Who cares? I run slowly, and I like it that way. I run for 4 months to train for this, and most times, it's just me out there, talking to myself, hyping myself up. So in the end, with whatever result happens, I'm completely happy with it, as long as I tried my best, as long as I gave it my all.
So, that should be the case for your rest days as well. Give those as much attention as you do your training days. Watch what you're doing, stay off your legs, get a massage, get some rest, some sleep, or some quiet time. Pray, meditate. Ease off, take it slow. There are 6 days to work, 1 day to rest.
All kidding aside, rest is one of the most important aspects of training, both physically and mentally. You see it all the time, folks over training, peaking too early, not getting enough rest, and by the time their event comes up, they're bonking big time.
It happened to me at my last marathon. I trained for 1 year for that silly thing, about 8 months of base-building, and 4 months of hardcore, 4x/week marathon training. Long runs of 20,22, and 23 miles interspersed with track sprints, etc. For some people, this is fine, no big deal, their bodies can handle the load. But for me, it was too much. I peaked at that 23-mile run, early on a Saturday morning, had the training run of my life. I wish that could've been my race. By the time the real race came about 3 weeks later, I was tapped out, and by mile 19, I was struggling, walking, and ready to call it a day. Whatever it was that made me finish that race, out in the cold for such a long time, I'll really never know, maybe some inner drive that just wanted to complete a year's worth of training, maybe the crowd cheering us on, maybe the other runners struggling with me, maybe my smile as I was walking, or maybe my family who was there to cheer me on at Mile 20. The bottom line was that I over-trained, and peaked too early.
So, for this next one, I'm handling it differently. Not that it will be any better, but I'll try something different. Less running, more stretching, more rest. Slower pace, hopefully less injuries. And hey, it's my last marathon ever, one for the 3rd daughter, one for the road. And it's gonna great to train for it, and finally finish it, no matter what the dumb clock says at the end. I've never been one to keep track of my 'PR' or my 'time' or compare to my age group or my friends who ran. Who cares? I run slowly, and I like it that way. I run for 4 months to train for this, and most times, it's just me out there, talking to myself, hyping myself up. So in the end, with whatever result happens, I'm completely happy with it, as long as I tried my best, as long as I gave it my all.
So, that should be the case for your rest days as well. Give those as much attention as you do your training days. Watch what you're doing, stay off your legs, get a massage, get some rest, some sleep, or some quiet time. Pray, meditate. Ease off, take it slow. There are 6 days to work, 1 day to rest.
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