Some of you may have read my last post detailing my triumphant return to running high mileage this winter. A few of those may be wondering how that’s working for me. In a nutshell: good! I took five days off from running after the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Even though I didn’t race it (I was the 3:05 pace group leader), my legs had felt achy and sore all season, and were not happy with me Read more…
As you might have heard, I did not run under 16 minutes in the 5K this year. But that’s ok, because I have a plan. A plan so crazy it just might work! What is that plan, you ask? Well I’ll tell you! I am going to do the opposite of what I did this year, and two years ago when I ran 16:00! Rather than reduce my mileage and focus on lots and lots Read more…
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard lots of distance coaches, running columnists, exercise physiologists, and running store employees urging us all to run slower on our easy runs. The reasoning is simple: the slower you run on your easy days, the better you will recover and will be more prepared to run a hard workout later. Also, you actually improve during the recovery phase, so it makes sense to run as easy as Read more…
This fall, I had one goal and one goal only: to run under 16 minutes for a 5K. Everything I have done since June has been with that singular goal in mind. In June and July, I increased my mileage to 80 miles per week, and following a mediocre Boilermaker 15K, I initiated started running hard workouts targeted towards being able to cover five kilometers in less than 16 minutes. The first 5K of the Read more…
The Pomoyolo technique can change your life and wash your dishes! A few months ago, I stumbled across this Lifehacker article detailing a productivity method called the Pomodoro Technique. The gist of this system is that you split your time into 30-minute chunks, and work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After a few “Pomodoros,” as these chunks of time are called, you take a longer break, from 15-30 minutes, before jumping back Read more…
Sunday, October 5th, 2014 marked the first attempt at a sub-16-minute 5K for me this fall. Several other Roadkill runners including my wife and myself all drove out to Syracuse for the flat and fast Festival of Races. I had run this race four years ago, and tied my PR of 16:24 then, and knew I was in good shape this year. The morning of the race was brisk and the chilly weather encouraged me, Read more…
Earlier this year, my teammate Dave wrote a post regarding doubles, and why he thinks they are the worst idea ever. I personally disagree with him in theory. Splitting a run into two smaller pieces makes a lot of sense to me, provided that your long runs stay long. The day after a hard workout or race, the idea of running two 30-minute recovery runs sounds much gentler and easier than running a single 60-minute run. Read more…
I have a problem. Luckily, I have realized that I suffer from this issue, but even so, it can be difficult to separate myself from it. You see, I like to run. But that in itself is not the problem per se. The problem is that I find it relatively easy to run a lot, and sometimes how much I run becomes a goal in and of itself. I make the number of miles I Read more…
A lot has happened since my last update. I turned 30, ran a mediocre Boilermaker, went on a cruise to Alaska with Ashlie’s and my parents, and ran a decent Bergen 5K. Let’s go through them in order. 30 was kind of a big milestone for me. I feel like one can still act pretty immature up through 29, because hey, you’re still in your 20s. You’re just a kid. But once you turn 30, Read more…
Dear dog owners, We need to have a talk. First, let me start out by telling you that I love dogs, and have always been around them my whole life. Dogs truly are man’s best friend, and everything I write after this is from a dog lover’s point of view. As you may be aware, most areas have a leash law. In Rochester, this states that any dog outside of the owner’s premises is required Read more…