From Naples, FL to Duluth, MN

Before this week, I've been averaging over 90 miles/week for the past 5 weeks, gradually building my base again.  After May, I cut it quits on workouts, so going into the half marathon in Duluth I knew I was not in racing shape.  Much of my running had been quite slow but that's what I needed to do.  After doing some higher volume again, I wanted to use this race as a good workout to break up the slow running I've been doing.  I did a very short taper for this race, for mileage I hit 100, then 80, and then down to 60 during the race week.  The result was my pace began quickening again naturally and my legs feeling a bit fresher.  I knew I wouldn't run fast here, but I felt like this would be a good workout nonetheless.  My goal was to have a good time and to run comfortably hard.  I roomed with Ricky Flynn, who was aiming for the Trials Standard of 1:05:00.  We both headed out on a shakeout run Friday morning.  Since I was in Naples, Florida not even a week ago and Ricky was coming from SC, it felt like freezing temperatures to us, even though it wasn't much below 50 degrees.  I ran in a long sleeve.  The temperature was obviously ideal for running, but coming from such heat and humidity really made it feel like 30-40 degrees out there.  We ran along the shoreline on the soft surface dirt/gravel path and adjacent boardwalk.

Our race was an early 6:15 AM start.  We got outside at 4:30 AM to get on the bus.  The bus drove us north along Superior Lake where the start was.  Superior Lake is like an ocean.  It's so big it would cover the entire area from Washington, DC all the way to Boston.  It was just south of 50 degrees, but it felt a lot colder.  I bought a pair of throw-away gloves to have during the race.  A ghostly like misty fog hovered over the lake and in the northern pine trees along the rocky shore.  It was hard to believe it was the first day of summer.

This race always has good competition.  I knew I wasn't in peak racing shape, so I made sure to let myself settle into what I felt was a comfortably hard pace, and not get caught up in red-lining it.  I went out between 5:10-5:15 the first mile, just testing the waters a bit, and then relaxed the rest of the way, averaging 5:20's.  I felt good actually, running a faster pace finally, because I had been doing a lot of slow running the past few weeks and feel it "woke me up" a bit.  I finished in 1:10:53, again not fast for me(see list below of my all time best half marathon times), but a solid run that made me feel like I got the effort in.  

Below is a list of my top all time half marathons over the past 3 years:

1:07:29 (Houston 2014)
1:08:39 (Philadelphia 2011)
1:08:51 (Va Beach 2013)
1:09:27 (Va Beach 2012)
1:09:30 (Richmond 2013)
1:10:04 (Va Beach 2011)
1:10:53 (Philadelphia 2012)
1:10:53 (Grandmas 2014)

I cooled down for 2.5 miles cheering for twin sisters Lucinda and Claudin(who ran wth me in high school), who both ran excellent times of 2:48 in the marathon.  What I am really excited about as well is that Lucinda is going to have me help coach her for a fall half marathon.  Lucinda is certainly a pro at the marathon, and it is a good time for her now to work on getting her half marathon time faster.  I certainly know she is capable of at least 1:17, if not faster.  I am humbled to coach her, and excited to see what she can do.

Later that afternoon, I ran again for an easy 50 minutes.  Sunday I ran a slow 9 miles, and this week I have begun specific marathon training.  I ran 15 miles this morning and it feels great to get the aerobic base going.  It's time for me to take all the tools I have gotten from racing the shorter distances and use them as best I can and maximize my endurance training.  Roland is having me train in a Lydiard-style like way, which I know will work well for me.

I am also excited for all the runners I am going to coach this fall!

New Goals

I haven't posted much since Cherry Blossom this spring, and I apologize for that to those of you who keep up with this blog.  Speaking of which, I want to thank all of you for continuing to read and hope it has given a lot of good/helpful insight on your own running.  One of my favorite things about this blog is being able to get my thoughts out and to help others look at their own running in such a way.  I met a fellow at a wedding the other day who keeps up with this blog, and it was very humble to hear that my posts have helped his own running.  In terms of style of training, what works for me, may not work for you.  But, I think the patterns show what type of runner I am, and that can help someone define whether they are a similar runner and/or different.  A good friend of mine, Lucy, and I ran together last weekend, and during the run, Lucy suggested how we were similar runners in certain ways, but also have interesting differences.  For example, Lucy is a 2012 Marathon Olympic Trials qualifier, but has also run fast in the 10K, yet hasn't had a great half marathon yet.  I have done well in distances half marathon and below, but haven't had a great marathon yet.

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"Your 10K is better than your 5K, your 10 Mile is better than your 10K, and your Half Marathon is better than your 10 Mile.  It is with no doubt that as the race gets longer, you do better.  You are obviously meant for the marathon.  The 2016 Olym Trials are a realistic goal for you."
-Roland Rust, my new coach

  The past few months I have been in search for a coach.  Not that I don't know what I'm doing or am just training blindly, but I have been looking for someone to guide me, to have someone who sees the potential I have, and to work together to achieve the goals I strive for.  I have looked for someone who individualizes training based on the person(and what works for the person), rather than someone who trains everyone the same.  It has been very hard at times doing this on my own.  No question, I know how to push myself.  But having someone to give feedback and to believe in me will help me become a better athlete.  Someone to talk to, and to look at long term goals.  I believe Roland will fill this role for me very well.  We plan to take an all out assault on a fall marathon, most likely the Chicago Marathon.  It makes sense for me to go back to marathon training, and this summer Roland and I agree that 110-120/week will be ideal.  The other thing about marathon training, is that no matter what I always find that the TRAINING gets you fit as hell even if the marathon doesn't go as planned.  It always translates at some point to other distances as well.  This will benefit me greatly, and I am excited to get back to it.  It's the right time.

I have begun a new phase of my running and training.  Starting mid-May, I got my mileage up and it has climbed back up to 100/week for the past few weeks.  I feel great, actually, and physically I feel very strong.  I have been really keeping up my strength training well too.  I currently am training in Naples, Florida while on vacation.  Everytime I run here I get super fit.  The last few weeks of May I did some threshold pace running on the track, but honestly I am pretty sick of the track right now.  I've stayed away from it starting this past week.  I will get on it again at some point, but for now if I do any fast running it will be on the road or towpath.  This week is pretty much just mileage, and below are my previous 2 weeks.  I will post this Sunday 6/8 on my current week I will about to finish up.

5/19-5/25

5/19: AM: 9.5 miles
PM: 5 miles

5/20: AM: 7 miles
PM: 7.5 miles

5/21: AM: 4.5 miles
PM: Track: 6 x 1600m w/ 2:30 rests: 5:10, 5:01, 4:58, 4:59, 5:03, 4:59, 9.5 miles total

5/22: AM: 8.5 miles
PM: 6.5 miles

5/23: 11.5 miles + Strength Training

5/24: 10 miles + Strength Training

5/25: 20 miles, 2:13:00(68:00/65:00)

Total: 100 miles

5/26-6/1

5/26: AM: 10 miles
PM: Strength Training and Drills

5/27: AM: 13 miles
PM: 4 miles

5/28: Track: 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, all at 5:00 pace, +42:00 progression run, 11.5 miles total

5/29: AM: 5 miles
PM: 8.5 miles

5/30: AM: Strength Training
PM: 9.5 miles

5/31: 20 miles, 2:12:00(71:00/61:00)

6/1: 11 miles

Total: 93 miles

Adaptation and Balance

I started the year off with a great half: Houston in January, running 1:07:29 and demolishing my previous PR by 1 min 10 sec. Afterwards, I did some short tune up races to get ready for Cherry Blossom, which worked very well and I was very pleased with my effort and another new PR of 50:57 for 10 miles.  More so, I also placed well(20th) in the championship race.  Pikes Peek 10K followed 3 weeks after, which was a so-so race(I tied to the exact second my current PR of 30:43-same course, although I placed well-8th overall).  No question my 2 best performances this year(and of my entire running career thus far) are Houston and Cherry Blossom.  I am proud of those races and I think they have put me on a new level in my running.

I have noticed a few changes in my running over the last year: my endurance and threshold are improving a lot.  My threshold is moving closer and closer to 5:00 pace(I raced Cherry Blossom at 5:05/mile, and Houston was 5:08 pace).  Last year I did a bit more VO2-Max stuff where as this year I have been doing more threshold.  The results make sense.  Nevertheless, after Pikes Peek, I felt like jumping in the Swarthmore 5K on May 12.  I wanted to see what I had in me and possibly take down my 5K PR off of not very much 5K type training.  I did a few workouts after Pikes Peek, but they were not very fast-again they were more so my threshold pace.  So I went into the race blindfolded, just seeing what would happen.

The gun went off and I sprinted to the front pack of the fast heat of the mens 5K.  Aerobically, I felt fine, and was aiming to run 70s, which I ended up doing very consistently, going through the first mile in 4:40.  Then, 6 1/2 laps in, I pulled the plug and dropped out.  My left soleus started to tighten up and I pulled up just in time to not injure myself.  It had been tight the last few weeks, I've noticed.  Anything faster than 5:00/mile has seemed to feel just too fast right now, not to mention running in spikes.  And it makes sense, I am not a 5K runner right now.  4:40 is too fast right now, and it isn't natural for my body at this point, so it was straining.  I cooled down for a few miles, and that helped loosen it up.  Yes it sucks when this happens, but I have Grandma's Half Marathon on June 21 and I did not want to take away from that.  I honestly I feel really good about things right now.  It's hard to really listen to your body, and I have gotten quite good at it.  Similarly, last fall at Philly, I felt my body straining, and pulled out of that race as well, which later on I realized what a smart decision it was.

Last week I only got in 55 miles, but the week before was a solid 81 mile week however.  I should be able to get in some decent mileage this week, but just endurance stuff, no hard workouts.  Next week, hopefully I should be fine to do some threshold training.  I will only race Grandmas if I can do some solid threshold workouts before then though, and if my body is feeling good.  If my body is not ready, I will not force it.  I will not race, simple as that.  The key is to let my body guide me towards what it is ready to do.  This is the key to adaptation and keeping balance as a runner.  I always go by the simple rule that Olympian Paul Cummings told me once: "You should feel good running, if you do not feel good, do not run."

2014 USA 10 Mile Championship

April 6, 2014
Cherry Blossom 10 Mile
USA 10 Mile Championship

Time: 50:57
Average: 5:05/mile
Placing:
USA Championship: 20th 
Overall: 32nd

This race is always a good one.  But even better when it's a championship race.  The combination of the East Africans and some of the best US men always makes great competition.  The winning American placed 6th overall in the race.  8 East Africans placed in the top 10 overall, and a total of 12 East Africans were of the first 28 finishers.

This was a solid race for me.  My "A" goal was sub 50:00, and my "B" goal was sub 51:00.  I felt realistically I was in 50:30 shape, and was on that pace for much of the race, I just wasn't quite sharp yet to hold it the last 2 miles when Kieran and Conrad pulled away at mile 8.  I am glad I got the sub 51 though.  Before the race, I met the friendly Jake Krong, who resides out in Salt Lake City, Utah, and who finished ahead of me at Houston back in January.  He started out at the tail end of the lead pack, as well as Conrad, and I was just behind.  Kieran started out behind us and reeled us in later on.  I kept my sight on Jake, as I knew he was aiming for sub 50:00.  First mile was 4:53-ish, the lead pack had gone out conservatively as I wasn't far behind them.  But I knew it would break up and I hoped there would be people for me to run with.  We stormed across the Arlington bridge, looped back to mile 2 right around 9:59.  From there, I knew I wasn't quite sharp yet to maintain sub-5s, which Jake was flirting with.(you can read his blog post here, http://www.wasatchandbeyond.com, I am enjoying following his blog).  Kieran, Conrad, and I ran together for much of the race, and we went through 5 miles in 25:15.  It was good we worked together, because running alone after the first 5 miles of this race sucks.  There are few people on Haines Point, and it can be quite a grind.  We went through 10K in 31:21(5:02 pace), and we picked up a few runners, including Sergio Reyes(who was obviously having an off day).  Mile 8 I lost some ground on Kieran and Conrad, but kept pushing, trying to maintain contact.  It's hard, very hard at this point during this race.  You turn back to head towards the monument, and it's just a grinder.  The wind slightly went against us, though it was only slight, and thank goodness it wasn't the same conditions as last year.  I passed through 15K in 47:20 or something like that and knew I had to really finish strong if I wanted to finish in the 50:xx territory.  I heard Charlie Ban cheering at that point and he said something like "yell it out sloane"....I took his advice and yelled out loud to give myself an adrenaline rush and began to run as fast as I could without sacrificing my finishing sprint.  I had to run hard up "the hill" at the end too!  That hill is conveniently placed with a 1/4 mile to go.  Your legs are building up with acid yet you are starting to kick which I knew I HAD to do going up that hill and use my momentum going back down.  I hammered like hell up that thing and ran faster than I ever have before towards the end.  I certainly had a great kick.   This is perhaps the best thing that happened for me during this race, because my speed is improving, and it will bode well for Pikes Peek 10K in 3 weeks.  I was happy to cross the line in 50:57, 20th American in the championship.  This is my highest placing in a championship, which is also a great feeling.  In addition, it is a course PR for me by 1 minute.  Now I am ready to attack the 10K.  I also feel like with a little bit more sharpening and speed work I can get closer to 30:00 in the 10K right now(PR is 30:43), and, if there is good weather at Pikes Peek, that is the course to do it.    

Below are the top USA finishers:

1 CHRISTOPHER LANDRY 46:41 ANN ARBOR, MI $5,000.00
2 GIRMA MECHESO 47:22 W. CHESTER, PA $2,500.00
3 MOHAMED TRAFEH 47:27 DUARTE, CA $2,000.00
4 BEN BRUCE 47:33 FLAGSTAFF, AZ $1,500.00
5 TIM YOUNG 47:45 FREDERICKSBURG, VA $1,000.00
6 MATT TEGENKAMP 47:57 CONCORD, MA $800.00
7 JOSEPH GRAY 48:04 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO $600.00
8 TYLER MCCANDLESS 48:21 BOULDER, CO $500.00
9 IAN BURRELL 48:42 TUCSON, AZ $300.00
10 LUCAS MEYER 48:46 WASHINGTON, DC $200.00
11 MARK LEININGER 49:09 WASHINGTON, DC
12 BEN SATHRE 49:28 CHASKA, MN
13 CHRISTOPHER BARNICL 49:47 ALBUQUERQUE, NM
14 MARK ALLEN 49:51 WASHINGTON, DC
15 SEAN BROWN 50:03 50:03 AURORA, CO
16 JAKE KRONG 50:12 SALT LAKE CITY, UT
17 KIERAN O'CONNOR 50:30 ARLINGTON, VA
18 CONRAD LASKWSKI 50:32 BETHESDA, MD
19 CHRIS KWIATKOWSKI 50:45 WASHINGTON, DC
20 CHRIS SLOANE 50:57 GAITHERSBURG, MD
21 KEVIN SHIRK 51:31 WINCHESTER, VA
22 BRIAN FULLER 51:38 CAMP HILL, PA
23 DAVID ANGELL 51:41 BLUE RIDGE, VA
24 JERRY GREENLAW 51:44 ALEXANDRIA, VA
25 BERT RODRIGUEZ 51:56 CHARLOTTE, NC
26 EVAN JURKOVICH 52:09 WASHINGTON, DC
27 PAUL BALMER 52:12 WASHINGTON, DC
28 CARLOS RENJIFO 52:16 BALTIMORE, MD
29 MARK BUSCHMAN 52:29 FREDERICK, MD
30 JAKE KLIM 52:32 NORTH BETHESDA, MD
31 PHILLIPE ROLLY 52:37 MCLEAN, VA
32 ANDREW MADISON 52:42 CATONSVILLE, MD
33 DAVID WERTZ 52:46 ARLINGTON, VA
34 SERGIO REYES 52:49 PALMDALE, CA
35 WILSON KOMEN 52:50 WASHINGTON, DC

Upcoming Spring Season

The past 7 weeks I have averaged 85 miles/week, with some solid races during these weeks.  My focus has been on the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, and using the races leading up to that as workouts.

2/03-2/09: 80
2/10-2/16: 89
2/17-2/23: 82
2/24-3/02: 97
3/03-3/09: 75
3/10-3/16: 92
3/17-3/23: 85

On March 15 I raced the Shamrock Townebank 8K.  I didn't feel great, but I wasn't surprised as I was in the middle of a 92 mile training week.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel during this race, and whether I was going to actually be able to run it fast or just run it hard.  I hit a tick over 25:00 in 4th place, and pretty much ran alone the last 3 miles.  The wind was pretty bad too, which made things rough, but it was a good "B" effort.  The next day, I paced Christina in the half marathon.  I should have signed up as a pacer for the race, however I would have had to sign up as either 1:30:00 or another round number, and I knew Christina was going to run faster than that(based on her fitness somewhere between 1:27-1:29).  We started our first mile in 6:58 and worked the pace down from there.  Splits below:

6:58,
6:47,
6:47,
6:45,
6:44,
6:41,
6:41,
6:47,
6:49,
6:39,
6:38,
6:46,
6:43

She finished in 1:28, and her husband Tommy finished in 1:30, both new PRs for them.  I was very happy but not surprised by their results.  I then ran some more miles to get in 21 miles for the day, watching a bit of the marathon in the process.


Last week was a hard training week.  I did 2 hard track workouts, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday, and got in another 85 mile week.  It's good because I went into Saturday's workout not feeling fresh, and my rests were very short between intervals(90 seconds).

Monday: 8 miles easy

Tuesday: 12.5 miles, + strength training

Wednesday: AM: pool running 35 minutes
PM: 10 x 800 meters w/ 200 meter jogs between each, up to 2:00 rests:
2:34, 2:28, 2:26, 2:25, 2:23, 2:26, 2:23, 2:24, 2:24, 2:25, 9.5 miles total

Thursday: AM: 25:00 easy/PM: 45:00 easy

Friday: AM: 13 miles easy

Saturday: AM: 5 x 1600m w/ 90 second rests: 4:56, 4:53, 4:51, 4:54, 4:56, 10 miles total;
PM: 45:00 easy

Sunday: AM: 15 miles easy


I begin tapering this week and into next week for Cherry Blossom.  I really want to run well in this race.  My B goal is to run 50:XX, and my A goal is to crack 50:00, which is pretty ambitious, yet I feel like somehow it is possible, especially with the fact that Cherry Blossom is hosting the USA 10 Mile Championship this year, which brings fast racers from all over the country.  In addition, I may not do this race again next year, because I plan to devote an entire spring outdoor track season in 2015(Raleigh Relays is one on my list, which is around the same time as Cherry Blossom typically), focusing on the 10K and 5K.  So I'd like to completely crush it this time around.

-Sloane

The Past and the Present

"Follow me," I yelled back to the boys running.  I was in the middle of doing 1 mile repeats while the Quince Orchard Track Boys Team was doing 1/4 mile repeats.  The top boys were running close to my pace, so at times I was either chasing them down or running with them for at least part of my intervals.  Besides coaches Seann and Steve, I don't know anyone on my former high school's squad.  As I hammered repeat 4:50 miles, I overheard some of the runners saying "Who is that guy?"  It felt strange to me to hear that, and I suddenly felt nostalgic as 13 years ago I was a senior who knew everyone on that track, and everyone knew me.  I am a different runner now.  A much better runner.  My body has become sculpted and chiseled by thousands of miles underneath my feet.  My fitness is at a greater understanding.  I can now run countless repeat miles faster than I could ever run one.  As I got my trainers back on and out of my flats, I glanced at the top boys on the team, and said good job to them.  One glanced back at me, nodded, and looked me in the eye, and for one moment I saw myself staring right back at me, the young 14 year old boy who had yet to discover how strong of a runner he was to become.  The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials, as John L. Parker says.

-Sloane  

The Importance of Weight Training for Runners

I'll start the week of 2/17-2/23, where I went to Virginia Tech and did a double 3K/5K workout.  It went very well, and I was satisfied with my efforts.  The 3K was just before 8PM on Friday, and the 5K followed on Saturday at 2:30 PM, so I had less than 24 hours rest between each event.  The 3K went out fast(my first mile was 4:34), and the race didn't feel natural to me.  The indoor air was a bit of a shock, as I haven't run an indoor race in 2 years.  However, it was awesome running on that track again, which is elevated and banked.  I ended up finishing 8th place in the 3K in a time of 8:48(averaging about 4:41 pace).  Not very fast, though technically a PR for the distance for me.  I don't race 3K much, it's an odd distance to me.  But it was a good way to get my legs worked going into the 5K the next day.  Including the warm up and cool down, I got in 8.5 miles for the day.  The next morning I did a solid session of foam rolling and stretching.

The 5K had no one else who had run the 3, so I was up against fresh legs.  I probably started out in 7th place or so.  But gradually, I began running down everyone.  I actually felt better than I had the day before. First mile was 4:45.  I moved my way up to 4th, then 3rd position.  I went through 3K in 9:01.  I wanted to try to break 15:00, but knew that was a bit ambitious and I was slightly falling off that pace.  Not to mention I now had to lap some of the other runners.  I then moved up to 2nd place, and because I was now lapping runners, I couldn't tell where the leader was.  I just grinded my way home, finishing in 15:13, 9 seconds behind the winner.  I immediately jogged off the track, put my trainers on, drank some gatorade, and went out for a 6 mile run on the huckleberry trail to get some mileage in.  I got in over 12 miles for the day, pretty wiped when I got back.  The next morning I did an 18 mile long run, 82 miles for the week.      

Then last Tuesday, I slipped on some damn ice during a run.  I fell splat flat on my back, and cursed to myself, gotta be more careful!  Always mind your surroundings.  I got up and felt my muscles had all tensed up, but otherwise I was fine.  I am more of a muscular guy(I like to think of myself built sort of like Meb, only a lot slower).  But thanks to all the strength training I do, my body was able to recover quickly.  In fact, I was able to finish the last few miles of my run, and got in 97 miles for the week(but no track stuff).  I am a big believer in strength training helping not only to prevent overuse injuries, but also when instances like falling randomly occur.  So I am going to talk a bit about the importance of weight training now.  I typically lift weights twice per week, and target the chest, arms, upper and lower back, glutes, hip adductors and abductors, obliques, and a ton of abdominal work.  It's all fatigue resistant exercises(less weight, more reps).  Many runners forego the arms and chest(especially females).  The fear is to bulk up, but if you do the right stuff, you won't bulk up, you'll lean out, and burn more fat at rest in the process(and therefore become more efficient, and more cut).  You'll also be able to run faster!  If you watch Deena Kastor in the 2004 Olympic Marathon in Athens, she worked her way up during the final miles of the race towards a bronze medal finish.  She believed that she wouldn't have passed everyone in the end to grab the medal if it weren't for her upper body strength.  She credited her rigorous strength training routine leading up to that race.  Some of the exercises I do include:

-pullups
-pushups
-bench press(light weight, more reps)
-abdominal crunches on stability ball
-side leg lifts for hip adductors, gluteus medius, and abductors(inner thighs)
-bridges(raising one leg at a time, targeting the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings)
-lower back lifts on stability ball
-squats and lunges(without weights)
-planks
-side body lifts(for obliques)
-medicine ball twists

Running trails also fits in this category(I am talking about REAL trails which help with stabilizing the ankles).  Roots will toughen your ankles up.  If you don't exercise the ankles, they become weak, and therefore you are more vulnerable.  If you always run on the treadmill, your body is not going to be more resistant to injury(despite the less impact).
 
This week I got the intensity going again, and yesterday I did a fast 6 x 200-6 x 400, with 200 jog(or 1-2 minute rests) between each rep.  It was good quality, and helped me work on my weakness(speed).  Splits below:

200m: 34, 
400m: 69, 
200m: 34, 
400m: 66, 
200m: 33, 
400m: 65, 
200m: 32, 
400m: 64, 
200m: 31, 
400m: 65, 
200m: 29, 
400m: 69

My next race will be the Townebank 8K in Virginia Beach on March 15.