The RunRunLive 3.0 Podcast
The RunRunLive 3.0 Podcast Episode 3-260 – Running across NH with David Salvas
(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi3260.mp3]
Link epi3-260.mp3
Introductory Comments:
Hello and welcome to the RunRunLive Podcast Episode 3-260.
Thanks for letting me get the poison out of my system with the last episode. I appreciate everyone who reached out to me. Writing that out and reading through it a number of times really helped me move through the healing process.
It’s been a busy couple weeks. I’m humbled, grateful and appreciative that my team really stepped up and delivered an awesome Groton Road Race in the face of a challenging climate. It was amazing how well it came off and how well the community rallied around us.
Amazing times. Amazing times.
Today we have a great chat with Dave Salvas who is getting ready to run across NH and is a veteran runner from New England. We go through the natural evolution, the ebb and flow of a running life. I think it will give you something to think about.
I’m going to talk up my thoughts on how to practice leadership in a crisis in section one – having had time to think about and practice these skills at different points in my life. Remember this is just my opinion and thought – I’m not a professional so make your own choices folks.
In section two I’m going to talk about my love affair with the 1600 meter track workout. Sexy stuff that.
I have been training! I’ve bumped my running up to four days a week from three and I’m adding in some speed-work and some over-distance to leverage my base fitness from the spring. (Over-distance is just longer long runs. For me it’s in the 24 mile range –to build my base)
I’m sure you folks already guessed that I’m not going to let my Boston marathon career end like this and I’m not looking to take another charity bib. Therefore the only way out is through!
If you had asked me 2 years ago before my heel freaked out on me if I could run a 3:30 marathon to qualify I would have laughed out loud at the absurdity. The previous two Bostons I turned in low 3:20’s without even training for the race specifically. Isn’t it interesting how our sport can humble?
I need to change my attitude. I need to reset. I need to acquire the mind of the novice – the mind of the beginner. What I have done really has no bearing on what I can do. What I could do 2 years ago is a nice artifact, but really nothing more than a friendly ghost.
I have stepped through another door and need to acclimate to the new environment.
I was not ready to race at Boston. I did not have the fitness or the confidence. I was neither physically or mentally prepared. But the training I did this spring is not wasted. The marathon is a long race and you benefit from years of building the blocks of fitness.
I proved that I CAN run and train without pushing the PF over the edge. I moved my recovery that much further along. I built a base that I can work from to fix the things I need to fix to get to my goals.
A couple things that I need to work on became apparent. One thing that I noticed was that my mechanics and pacing were awful. Somewhere in all the compensating for injury my pacing skills left the building.
I just don’t have that burned-in, comfortable, metronome pace that I can relax into and just click off the miles. I think the foot problems have thrown my mechanics off and pushed me out of balance.
Another thing that I noticed is that I haven’t been able to recover during the race. Let me explain. In any long race there are going to be spots where you go into the red zone and have to recover. But, this is in-race recovery, so you have to stay on or close to your race pace strategy.
For example you get that big hill that fatigues your quads and pushes your heart rate through the roof. At the top of the hill you can’t just start walking if you expect to meet your race goals. You have to relax and recover and shake those quads out and let your HR come down while you keep racing.
In my training this spring I would be forced to walk or stop and stretch out a muscle in the middle of an interval. That’s not what you want to train your body to do.
And a final challenge I have is my pace gap. I have been racing marathons for 16 years now and I’ve burned in the form and mechanics of the race pace, but that race pace I burned in for a 3:10 marathon is counterproductive when I’m trying to run a 3:30 marathon. The mechanics may be comfortable but the effort level causes that catastrophic failure that I can’t recover from gracefully mid-race.
So… I need to work on my pacing, I need to work on my in-race discomfort tolerance and recovery and I need to adjust my comfort zone up to a sustainable pace closer to what my goal times are now.
And I know only one way to burn in pace and mechanics. That is by going down to the track and running 1600’s.
So, the worm turns and what’s old is new…
On with the show.
Section one:
Leadership in times of challenge – http://www.runrunlive.com/leadership-in-times-of-challenge
Featured Interview:
David Salvas – Running across NH
About the Run
I plan to Run Across NH from Vermont to the Atlantic Ocean; a total of 116 miles, and I need your help! The dates of the Run Across NH will be June 20 to June 23rd. Any support you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Section two:
Finding myself with 1600’s – http://www.runrunlive.com/falling-back-in-love-with-the-1600s
Outro:
Thanks folks, another successful RunRunLive completed on time and on schedule with no government assistance – Episode 3-260 in the can.
I’ve signed up for the Vt. Shires marathon on May 19th. They offered free entry to anyone who didn’t finish Boston. It’s only a 2.5 hour drive for me and I don’t have a Vermont marathon yet. Yes I’m going to keep training and keep running marathons until I get my qualifying time. You already knew that I’m guessing.
The Plantar Fasciitis is ok. It continues to hover at a 1-2 level. I do my best not to make it mad. I do the self massage and tape it when I have to. I called my orthopedic surgeon to ask him a question about steroidal cream and he was surprised to hear I was back to marathoning based on the extent of scar tissue the last time I talked to him 8 months ago.
Let that be a lesson to you. Don’t ever give up. Keep chipping away at it and you’ll make progress. He told me the creams only penetrate 5 Mil and the injury is 20 Mil deep so he’d write me a prescription but I’d do just as well with hand cream and it smells better.
I bought a pair of Hokas! No Kidding! And I paid retail! This must be the bizarro universe!
Hokas are a show for ultra-runners that you might call ‘Maximal footwear’. They have a huge pillow of EVA and your foot sits down inside the midsole. I raced the Groton 10K in them and I like them. They feel awesome to run in, like running on clouds!
I particularly like the downhills because the big midfoot pad was like a spring absorbing and rebounding my 190 pounds. Even with all that cushion they only weigh 10 oz and didn’t hinder me at all as I turned in a 47:29 on a hilly 10k course. The toe box is a bit tight and I’ll have to remember to tape my big toes, but I’m going to wear them on my long runs to see if I can curb the abuse on my body a bit.
I’ve discovered a couple new tracks to run on. There is a track in Burlington where I work that is just about 2+ miles from my office door, which is perfect for speedwork, because I can warm up on the run over to the track.
They have also completed the renovation of the old track in Littleton where I’ve spent so many long nights struggling in circles, or ovals, as the case may be, and it is gorgeous! It’s surreal to be running on a brand new track where my old potholed friend used to be. The only problem is that now that it is usable again they actually use it, and I have to plan around the track team.
I’ve gotten Fuji-san dusted off and am doing at least a bike ride a week on the rail trail as part of my training. I also got the 29er out and it was wonderful. I was amazed at how quickly my balance and flow came back in the woods. I didn’t crash at all. It was, well, like riding a bike.
Well my friends, I’m busy and I’m happy. My quixotic life rambles on.
And I hope to see you all out there.
Outro Bumper
Thanks for listening folks I appreciate your support. RunRunLive is a free service for you because I like writing and telling stories.
I also love to meet folks so feel free to reach out to me at Gmail or any of the other social networking sites. I’m CYKTRussell. And as you know that’s Chris-Yellow-King-Tom-Russell with two Esses and two Ell’s.
My Website is WWW.RunRunLive .com and most if not all of this content is posted out there. If you want the show notes to magically show up in your inbox when I publish a show in a beautiful HTML wrapper you can subscribe to the mailing list at my site. It’s a useful thing if you are moved by something I say and would like to see if what I wrote is the same thing! It also has all the links to everything and everyone I talk to and about.
Other than that, thank you for your attention, do epic stuff and let me know if I can help.
Ciao
Happy Song – Super Hero
(Sorry about the audio quality – I’m having to rebuild a bunch of presets.)
Links for this show
http://www.runrunlive.com/messing-around-with-a-kickstarter-project
Other products from Chris Russell you may be interested in
The Mid-Packer’s Lament
On Audio (Read by the author)
The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy
Standard Links:
Contact:
Cyktrussell At gmail and twitter and facebook and youtube
Dial in number for RunRunLive is – 206-339-7804 (to leave an audio message for the show)
Bio
Chris Russell lives and trains in suburban Massachusetts with his family and Border collie Buddy. Chris is the author of “The Mid-Packer’s Lament”, and “The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack. Chris writes the Runnerati Blog at www.runnerati.com. Chris’ Podcast, RunRunLive is available on iTunes and at www.runrunlive.com. Chris also writes for CoolRunning.com (Active.com) and is a member of the Squannacook River Runners and the Goon Squad.
Tags -> Running Podcast, podcasts for running, podcast for runners, free podcast for runners, Running Blog, marathon, triathlon, mileage, sprinting, run, track, training, running clubs, running groups, running shoes, exercise, health, 5k, running, swimming, sports, injuries, stretching, eating, jogging, biking, trail race, 5K, 10K, Ultramarathon, jogging a good exercise, road runner, jogging tips, benefits of jogging, free running, running shoes, marathon training, running, jogging, health and fitness, runners, runner, Boston qualification, Marathon BQ, Boston marathon
(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi3-258.mp3]
Link epi3258.mp3
Introductory Comments:
Hello and welcome to the RunRunLive Podcast Episode 3-260.
Thanks for letting me get the poison out of my system with the last episode. I appreciate everyone who reached out to me. Writing that out and reading through it a number of times really helped me move through the healing process.
It’s been a busy couple weeks. I’m humbled, grateful and appreciative that my team really stepped up and delivered an awesome Groton Road Race in the face of a challenging climate. It was amazing how well it came off and how well the community rallied around us.
Amazing times. Amazing times.
Today we have a great chat with Dave Salvas who is getting ready to run across NH and is a veteran runner from New England. We go through the natural evolution, the ebb and flow of a running life. I think it will give you something to think about.
I’m going to talk up my thoughts on how to practice leadership in a crisis in section one – having had time to think about and practice these skills at different points in my life. Remember this is just my opinion and thought – I’m not a professional so make your own choices folks.
In section two I’m going to talk about my love affair with the 1600 meter track workout. Sexy stuff that.
I have been training! I’ve bumped my running up to four days a week from three and I’m adding in some speed-work and some over-distance to leverage my base fitness from the spring. (Over-distance is just longer long runs. For me it’s in the 24 mile range –to build my base)
I’m sure you folks already guessed that I’m not going to let my Boston marathon career end like this and I’m not looking to take another charity bib. Therefore the only way out is through!
If you had asked me 2 years ago before my heel freaked out on me if I could run a 3:30 marathon to qualify I would have laughed out loud at the absurdity. The previous two Bostons I turned in low 3:20’s without even training for the race specifically. Isn’t it interesting how our sport can humble?
I need to change my attitude. I need to reset. I need to acquire the mind of the novice – the mind of the beginner. What I have done really has no bearing on what I can do. What I could do 2 years ago is a nice artifact, but really nothing more than a friendly ghost.
I have stepped through another door and need to acclimate to the new environment.
I was not ready to race at Boston. I did not have the fitness or the confidence. I was neither physically or mentally prepared. But the training I did this spring is not wasted. The marathon is a long race and you benefit from years of building the blocks of fitness.
I proved that I CAN run and train without pushing the PF over the edge. I moved my recovery that much further along. I built a base that I can work from to fix the things I need to fix to get to my goals.
A couple things that I need to work on became apparent. One thing that I noticed was that my mechanics and pacing were awful. Somewhere in all the compensating for injury my pacing skills left the building.
I just don’t have that burned-in, comfortable, metronome pace that I can relax into and just click off the miles. I think the foot problems have thrown my mechanics off and pushed me out of balance.
Another thing that I noticed is that I haven’t been able to recover during the race. Let me explain. In any long race there are going to be spots where you go into the red zone and have to recover. But, this is in-race recovery, so you have to stay on or close to your race pace strategy.
For example you get that big hill that fatigues your quads and pushes your heart rate through the roof. At the top of the hill you can’t just start walking if you expect to meet your race goals. You have to relax and recover and shake those quads out and let your HR come down while you keep racing.
In my training this spring I would be forced to walk or stop and stretch out a muscle in the middle of an interval. That’s not what you want to train your body to do.
And a final challenge I have is my pace gap. I have been racing marathons for 16 years now and I’ve burned in the form and mechanics of the race pace, but that race pace I burned in for a 3:10 marathon is counterproductive when I’m trying to run a 3:30 marathon. The mechanics may be comfortable but the effort level causes that catastrophic failure that I can’t recover from gracefully mid-race.
So… I need to work on my pacing, I need to work on my in-race discomfort tolerance and recovery and I need to adjust my comfort zone up to a sustainable pace closer to what my goal times are now.
And I know only one way to burn in pace and mechanics. That is by going down to the track and running 1600’s.
So, the worm turns and what’s old is new…
On with the show.
Section one:
Leadership in times of challenge – http://www.runrunlive.com/leadership-in-times-of-challenge
Featured Interview:
David Salvas – Running across NH
About the Run
I plan to Run Across NH from Vermont to the Atlantic Ocean; a total of 116 miles, and I need your help! The dates of the Run Across NH will be June 20 to June 23rd. Any support you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Section two:
Finding myself with 1600’s – http://www.runrunlive.com/falling-back-in-love-with-the-1600s
Outro:
Thanks folks, another successful RunRunLive completed on time and on schedule with no government assistance – Episode 3-260 in the can.
I’ve signed up for the Vt. Shires marathon on May 19th. They offered free entry to anyone who didn’t finish Boston. It’s only a 2.5 hour drive for me and I don’t have a Vermont marathon yet. Yes I’m going to keep training and keep running marathons until I get my qualifying time. You already knew that I’m guessing.
The Plantar Fasciitis is ok. It continues to hover at a 1-2 level. I do my best not to make it mad. I do the self massage and tape it when I have to. I called my orthopedic surgeon to ask him a question about steroidal cream and he was surprised to hear I was back to marathoning based on the extent of scar tissue the last time I talked to him 8 months ago.
Let that be a lesson to you. Don’t ever give up. Keep chipping away at it and you’ll make progress. He told me the creams only penetrate 5 Mil and the injury is 20 Mil deep so he’d write me a prescription but I’d do just as well with hand cream and it smells better.
I bought a pair of Hokas! No Kidding! And I paid retail! This must be the bizarro universe!
Hokas are a show for ultra-runners that you might call ‘Maximal footwear’. They have a huge pillow of EVA and your foot sits down inside the midsole. I raced the Groton 10K in them and I like them. They feel awesome to run in, like running on clouds!
I particularly like the downhills because the big midfoot pad was like a spring absorbing and rebounding my 190 pounds. Even with all that cushion they only weigh 10 oz and didn’t hinder me at all as I turned in a 47:29 on a hilly 10k course. The toe box is a bit tight and I’ll have to remember to tape my big toes, but I’m going to wear them on my long runs to see if I can curb the abuse on my body a bit.
I’ve discovered a couple new tracks to run on. There is a track in Burlington where I work that is just about 2+ miles from my office door, which is perfect for speedwork, because I can warm up on the run over to the track.
They have also completed the renovation of the old track in Littleton where I’ve spent so many long nights struggling in circles, or ovals, as the case may be, and it is gorgeous! It’s surreal to be running on a brand new track where my old potholed friend used to be. The only problem is that now that it is usable again they actually use it, and I have to plan around the track team.
I’ve gotten Fuji-san dusted off and am doing at least a bike ride a week on the rail trail as part of my training. I also got the 29er out and it was wonderful. I was amazed at how quickly my balance and flow came back in the woods. I didn’t crash at all. It was, well, like riding a bike.
Well my friends, I’m busy and I’m happy. My quixotic life rambles on.
And I hope to see you all out there.
Outro Bumper
Thanks for listening folks I appreciate your support. RunRunLive is a free service for you because I like writing and telling stories.
I also love to meet folks so feel free to reach out to me at Gmail or any of the other social networking sites. I’m CYKTRussell. And as you know that’s Chris-Yellow-King-Tom-Russell with two Esses and two Ell’s.
My Website is WWW.RunRunLive .com and most if not all of this content is posted out there. If you want the show notes to magically show up in your inbox when I publish a show in a beautiful HTML wrapper you can subscribe to the mailing list at my site. It’s a useful thing if you are moved by something I say and would like to see if what I wrote is the same thing! It also has all the links to everything and everyone I talk to and about.
Other than that, thank you for your attention, do epic stuff and let me know if I can help.
Ciao
Happy Song – Super Hero
(Sorry about the audio quality – I’m having to rebuild a bunch of presets.)
Links for this show
http://www.runrunlive.com/messing-around-with-a-kickstarter-project
Other products from Chris Russell you may be interested in
The Mid-Packer’s Lament
On Audio (Read by the author)
The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy
Standard Links:
Contact:
Cyktrussell At gmail and twitter and facebook and youtube
Dial in number for RunRunLive is – 206-339-7804 (to leave an audio message for the show)
Bio
Chris Russell lives and trains in suburban Massachusetts with his family and Border collie Buddy. Chris is the author of “The Mid-Packer’s Lament”, and “The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack. Chris writes the Runnerati Blog at www.runnerati.com. Chris’ Podcast, RunRunLive is available on iTunes and at www.runrunlive.com. Chris also writes for CoolRunning.com (Active.com) and is a member of the Squannacook River Runners and the Goon Squad.
Tags -> Running Podcast, podcasts for running, podcast for runners, free podcast for runners, Running Blog, marathon, triathlon, mileage, sprinting, run, track, training, running clubs, running groups, running shoes, exercise, health, 5k, running, swimming, sports, injuries, stretching, eating, jogging, biking, trail race, 5K, 10K, Ultramarathon, jogging a good exercise, road runner, jogging tips, benefits of jogging, free running, running shoes, marathon training, running, jogging, health and fitness, runners, runner, Boston qualification, Marathon BQ, Boston marathon