Sept 15-Oct 15 "Daniel's Running Formula" Book Club (Page 9)

The offseason that I used JD's 5k-15k plan to improve my 10k I just plugged it in while going through Jorge's Winter cycling program.  Combined with 3 days of swimming I pretty much did a two a day everyday except for one.  It was hard, but it helped me get a lot faster.

Hi, kids...joining the party a week late but I'm getting caught up.  Let's see...bio (a little long, and the "Core Challenge" group has heard the short version, but here goes):

I joined my high school XC team for the hell of it in 10th grade, and though I was never any good (never went sub-20) I really enjoyed the running.  However, I LOVED track, specifically middle distance (which at that time was the 400 and 800...heck nowadays they're practically sprints!).  I wasn't great but decent enough to win some meets and qualify for a couple of bigger races, where I promptly got smoked.    PRs of 53.x in the 400 and 1:59.99999999 in the 800.  Graduated HS at 165 lbs.

Went to college, and just like about everyone else here gained a lot of weight (200 by age 20).  Starting playing competitive team sports as my body filled out (grew another inch in college plus at least SOME of that weight was muscle ).  Played volleyball and basketball mostly, with some soccer thrown in.  I was the guy my fraternity sent in cold to play IM sports just so we got participation points, so I learned to lose with grace.    I continued to run a little bit here and there.

In my 20s, I did the normal weekend warrior team sport/pre-drinking stuff...softball, soccer, etc., plus played competitive beach volleyball.  Got smoked when I tried to play "Open" level (sensing a theme here??  ).  I stayed in really good shape in my 20s by working out 2 hours a day or playing sports.

In my 30s I got married, had a kid, and stopped playing sports.  And got chunky...up to about 230.  I was still running and lifting a little bit but nowhere near enough to maintain my eating habits.  So I signed up for a half marathon and winged my way through the training, and finished 2:02.  And endurance junkie was born.  Did three more of those HMs and got down to 1:50 by 2010. 

Did my first tri in Aug 2010 after wanting to do one for years, and fell in love with the sport.  Joined a BT mentor group and was focusing on the Oly distance in 2011 when all hell broke loose and my body basically fell apart.  Knee swelled up after an 11-mile run and two months later I'm on the table getting scoped for what we thought was a torn meniscus.  It wasn't, and we still don't know why I went from "running my whole life on good knees" to "OUCH...DAMMIT!!!".  2nd opinion from probably the most respected ortho in Baltimore basically said, "I think you're done running."

During my rehab I aggravated my knee, while cycling of all things.  While limping around trying to drag down Christmas crap from the attic, I injured my low back.  And apparently, I don't mess around, as I manged to get myself an L4/L5 spondy from it.  Went to several docs and a chiro trying to get better, but eventually my spine surgeon said I needed spinal fusion surgery if I ever wanted to train again.  After researching this surgery I decided, "well, let's just see about that".  I started swimming, and it hurt a little but the benefits to my back were incredible.  I also started incline walking, and then cycling on the trainer.  And then eventually outside.  I got cortisone injections in my back and started doing a crap ton of core work, eventually starting Bikram Yoga.  Did BT's "Couch-to-5K" program and jogged a 5K in 31:15 in February.  Started to train for a couple of June tri's and wound up tweaking the knee and added some foot issues <facepalm>.

FINALLY got healthy enough this summer to train for, get this, ALL THREE SPORTS.    Ran an open 5K in early August and wrote the happiest race report ever.  Then successfully completed a couple of sprints, including a podium at a small race.

Now...why I'm reading this book:  I want to be able to run again, because like Elesa I draw a lot of mental benefit from it that I just can't get from swimming, biking, playing sports, etc.  I guess it's because you can just turn your brain off and enjoy the scenery...I dunno. I also LOVE to run fast.  Even at 44 with minimal recent run training I get still get my 6'4" frame rolling pretty fast.

So, given my recent susceptibility to injury I gotta be really smart about how I run.  When I looked back at my logs from 2011 my training was an all-over-the-place mess..."Hey, I think I'll run 10 miles today in Z3!!!"..."Today looks like a good day to do a practice Oly!!".  Tons of harder runs without a purpose.  Idiot. 

I'll post up some thoughts/questions as I get through the posts and I re-read the first 4 chapters after I dust off the exercise physiology book.

Doesn't sounds like much of an off-season.  

Speaking of which, there are some questions I'll have around this concept once we get to Part II.

It really wasn't as bad as it sounds. 

Of course, that way we can keep tabs on you mwahahahaha.

Mike too! Very cool.  Mike, every time I read your or Steve's history I feel so, so grateful that I've dodged serious injuries.  You've come a loooong way this year.  Let's try not to be idiots together with this running thing.  Because of the mental health benefits, I have a predisposition to being an idiot with the running. 

My ankle update:  I spoke with a sports med doc today who thinks it's acute achilles tendonitis--the swelling made me have pain in my ankle.  A little more rest, ibu and ice, and I"m gonna try a small run maybe as soon as Friday . *fingerscrossed*

Oh! Actually, that is great news if that's what it is.

My teammate had it recently and the recovery went pretty quickly and she hardly missed a beat.

She did a lot of work on the bike to stay aerobically fit (as well as the alterG but most people don't have access to that) and then was sure to return slowly. I remember her spending a lot of time running easy on soft surfaces in the beginning. 

I knew we'd get some hop-ons 

Thankfully I had already found a box of Chocolate Lucky Charms.

And the bike might be worth a shot. I've been able to ride well during some foot/ankle/achilles/calf issues in the past. The amount of force used in biking is actually quite a bit less and it's not applied as suddenly either. It was mostly all trainer and I avoided standing as much as I could, but still did alright with it. Although this is assuming it's still getting better with the activity. Tougher call on that part.

GOB had not mailed the letter, but in act of defiance, dramatically hurled it out to sea.

OK...caught up on the book and the chatter.  Lots of good stuff in both places.  Some initial thoughts:

• the book is a little dated...love the 70s/80s B&W high school XC pictures; I have one of me from HS I have hanging around the house here
• so far, it's about what I thought it would be:  a more technical, detailed version of the same old mantra...run often, mostly easy, sometimes hard
• it's definitely geared towards more elite runners
• I had to re-read a couple of sections like 5 times to get through the jargon, but I think I get it now
• re: slow running discussion.  Yep...I'm with ya. Running around 10 min/mile just feels blah...I wanna go fast, dammit!!!!
• my VDOT is small (SHRINKAGE!!!), but I like the concept
• my tempo runs have been too short and too fast, and my intervals are too long and too slow
• It's going to be intersting putting this info into a tri training plan
• JD says I can overeat...it's good for me!!!  (source:  Chapter 4, Step 5:  Including Planned Breaks)

I've also found it interesting contrasting it to Maffetone's Big Book: JDs technical approach vs. Dr. Phil's holistic ideas.  Also, JD promotes work above LTHR while Maffetone is more on building a huge aerobic base IIRC.  Not that JD doesn't advocate that base...I think he assumes it's already there.

Dr. Phil is definitely against overeating

Dr. Phil?  Not Dr. Phil Dr. Phil...who is Dr. Phil?

He's referring to Phil Maffetone, whose style of training doesn't work with me at all!

Oh, OK.  What didn't work for you about it?  Obviously, I don't know anything about it :)

But I also enjoyed your Dr. Phil pic;)

Here is a quick post by the man himself about it:

http://philmaffetone.com/180-formula

Going by his method, the highest my HR would get up to would be 157.  The problem with that is I would have to log A LOT more mileage to see similar gain than a program where I can incorporate speedwork.  I could never do a track workout using his philosophy.

I actually use HR when I train on the bike, but I'm not a fan of using it on the run, because far too many things affect your HR.  

Another thing that I don't like about his concept is that his calculation is based off a generic formula.  You do no testing to determine this heart rate, and your fitness doesn't move that number.

I perform way better using JD's pacing based on your actual race performance.  With that said Mark Allen trained under Phil Maffetone's method, and the results of that speaks for itself. 

Yeah man, I accidently had the Weeknd on my running playlist one time, talk about things affecting your HR 

I agree with just using JD's pacing based on actual race performance. Also, on a personal note, I just like the simplicty. It seems like there are a ton more variables with heart rate and it's just ... clunky. The idea of a HRM and the testing and the re-testing...

Well, there is very little testing needed for HR. Outside of some initial increase for an inactive person the information (eg. zones) will be relevant for a rather long time. Likely on the order of years. There is no need to test/retest any more often than you would using a pace. Not liking the extra gear or the delayed effect of HR, that's another matter.

Interesting. Years? I did not know that.

But all my other comments are totally personal and I can definitely see why people would use HR as a tool. Especially people who need a little more discipline to keep them within certain ranges.

I'm actually kinda looking forward to doing a training block focused on pace, and not watching my HR.  I can tell you one thing, the heat jacks that HR right up there, and I've also noticed that when my swim is my first workout of the day and running is second my running HR is jacked.  Doesn't happen with the biking as much.  Is that weird?