Here’s a quick look at some of the action in Downtown Nashville for the 2019 Rock & Roll Marathon. An estimated 30,000 runners took part in the half and the full. Please subscribe to Crushing Iron on YouTube for the full video and story which will come out soon.
Running Slow To Get Faster
For the longest time I thought running my perfect Ironman marathon came down to one theory: If I could learn to make my ideal goal pace (around 8:30) seem easy in training, I could hold it during the race.
It made total sense to me. I already knew I could hold a 10 minute race pace but it was very difficult to stay that slow in training for extended periods. It was hard to stay that slow?
I’ve always been sort of a quick-fix-guy and being patient in training or a race is difficult. But the more I learn about triathlon, the more I realize building base (or chassis as Coach Robbie often says) is the key to real growth in our sport.
It’s easy to think that means beating up our legs and training hard, but have we thought about building base on a cellular level?
Most people (especially me) don’t want to hear it, but getting better at Ironman can be . . . boring. It’s less like a thunderstorm and more like a steady rain dripping deep into your roots, or in this case, oxygen seeping into your cells.
The reality of boring is that it can actually be more enjoyable because it doesn’t hurt as much. I’ve spent a lifetime looking for the short cut, but putting in the work is always the best, and less frustrating solution.
So many of us spend our training days excited to post the results on social media, but could that be ruining our race? Ironman success on the marathon is a slow burn and building the perfect running machine should be the goal.
These techniques just make sense and intrigue me with their simplicity.
Have you ever thought that it might make more sense to break your 10 mile run into two five milers? How about running three separate times during the day to be fresh by giving your body a chance to stay recovered?
On this podcast we dive deep into why running slower might be the key to building your distance running. We also cover speed work, why it should be limited, and the best way to approach it.
The topic was stimulated by an article in “The Science of Running” about theory of Ernst Van Aaken. Here’s the article link. Below is our 8th Podcast: Running Slow To Get Faster.
IMWI 011 – Running Through The Pain
One of my favorite topics regarding Ironman (Wisconsin) is pain. Specifically running with pain. Today I talk about a few strategies to practice pain and be prepared for the inevitable meltdown on the Ironman Run. I share a great run training tip from Dominant Woman Spartan Racer, Amelia Boone and talk about a few things I work on to prepare for the pain of an Ironman run. Make sure to follow Crushing Iron on Facebook and @crushingiron on Twitter.
Country Music Marathon – Nashville, TN
Not many endurance sport activities are more awkward than “running along to support someone in a marathon,” and that’s what I did this weekend in Nashville.
I’ve run exactly two marathons, both at the end of Ironman, and Saturday I jumped on the Country Music Marathon course at Mile 18 to support my friend Mark for his last 8 miles. By then, he was a veteran soldier and I was a well-rested, baby-faced-rookie dishing my new-aged arsenal of annoying cliches.
“You look great, buddy!”
“You got this!”
“Your tougher than this course!”
“Car up!”
Most of my inspirational quotes were met with a soft grunt or groan, but I know he appreciated my company.
It’s just so weird!
Last year at Ironman Louisville I had a someone join me at the 13 mile turnaround and I literally didn’t remember who it was. I was telling this story to one of my buddies on our Wednesday night group runs.
ME: “Yeah, I was so out of it I could barely stand up and some guy was walking with me, asking me all kinds of stupid questions and trying to get me to talk about LIFE when all I wanted to do was lay in an ice bath.”
HIM: “That was me, you asshole!”
Oh…
So, that’s how I felt when I was running with Mark. It’s kinda like trying to cheer up a heavy sleeper the minute they wake.
I’d been running for two miles when he hit mile 20. A spring chicken cruising at a pace just out of Mark’s comfort zone. “We’re gonna have to slow down a bit, man.”
Okay.
In retrospect, it was fine and I’m sure it helped him, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I felt like a party crasher who didn’t bring a dish to pass.
Three miles from the finish line we saw a woman lying in the fetal position on the side of the road. She had her left arm in the air with a “thumbs up,” like she was in great shape. She was not.
I kneeled down to touch her shoulder and asked if she was okay. She rolled over onto her back with a thud and said, “I’m from Canada, it’s sooo hot!”
I held her hand and her body temperature was through the roof. My fingers must have felt like ice cube on hers and I told runners to send back help.
“It’s just so hot,” she said in a distant voice, then she said, “I’m gonna get sick,” before turning away to do just just that.
It didn’t look good, but she still had a sense of humor, so it calmed me a bit. She was also a little salty about bonking so close to a PR. It wasn’t meant to be.
I ceremoniously removed her race belt and fastened her watch around it. I had no idea what to do other than just be there while we waited.
Two cyclists came to the rescue with full bottles and a pack of ice to hold on her forehead. Eventually an ambulance showed up and they put her on a stretcher.
As they slid her into the van, I heard her ask, “Can you at least let me run through the finish line?”
The EMT smiled and said, “Let’s just work on standing up first, Jill.”
Her name is Jill Libby and I would love to hear how she is if you know her.
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As the ambulance pulled away, I wished I had asked her to cut off her timing chip and let me run it through the finish line. Hopefully there wasn’t too much worry at home.
And Mark did just fine without me. Battling the last 3 miles to finish his first of two marathons this year. I’ll be running his next one, but it will be at the end of Ironman Chattanooga.
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The Power of Running
I’m sitting here in my home office watching the Boston Marathon and, as usual, it’s blowing me away. The fact that so many people care about running and/or watching this race is a testament to human spirit.
How so many could fall in love with something so painful was always a mystery to me, but now that I am a runner, I understand it goes far deeper than the activity itself. The pain is a prerequisite to growth.
It’s about the feeling, the challenge, the quest. It’s one piece of the life-puzzle that keeps us on the right side of our dreams.
Yesterday, I took off on a run with no intention. It could have been 3 miles or 15, but I guessed I’d land somewhere in the middle. I hit mile 3 as I entered my favorite abandoned-airport and it started to rain. By the time I was on the lonely runway, the sky drenched me.
My instinct was to turn back and head home, but after a few strides, I was genuinely unsure whether or not I had gone to heaven. The cool rain washed my skin and I felt unusually clear and in the moment.
I have this tendency to seek childhood feelings, and in the middle of this monsoon I was back on the playground without a worry. Completely alone in the sandbox as I circled the one mile loop. It was truly surreal gazing into the pouring rain and stomping in warm puddles with every stride. My mind was free and my body responded with four more miles.
I found a running groove for the first time this year and seemingly floated at a pace far faster than I anticipated. It was gliding more than running. No one watched, no one cared, and I imagined the home stretch at Boston with fans cheering my will to dig deeper.
Nothing mattered other than being the best me at that moment, and frankly, I think I was.
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My First Training Mistakes of 2015
Remember that time when you were craving sweets and reached into the snack drawer to break off off the corner of a cookie then walked away after a small nibble? Yeah, me either.
Yesterday I was craving a trail run. It was a little cold, but the sun finally came back, so around 3:00 in the afternoon, I laced them up.
In an effort to top my cookie with 2 inches of frosting, I decided to run with music for the first time in months. That was my first mistake.
It’s odd to think of running with music as a mistake. I mean, it’s music! Probably the best invention God has rolled out in a long time. But for some reason it always pumps me up just a little too much.
My rule for exercise is always “ease into everything.” But Eminem, AC/DC, and Grandmaster Flash rarely encourage you to chill.
After a few days of rain, the trails were a quagmire and the lyrics pumping my brain assured me this was a minor obstacle. I ripped into shin deep puddles with reckless abandoned. I was “Cleaning Out My Closet” on the “Highway to Hell.”
I’m not sure how much harder it is to run in mud, but by the time I realized I was 4.5 miles away from home I was a little beat up. I refilled my water bottle and contemplated the next move, and for me that’s typically, keep running.
I turned up the music and went about retracing my steps. Six miles was plenty, but after flying through a miniature lake at mile seven (and wrenching my ankle pretty good) I finally stopped at 8.
Still two miles from home I decided I should practice my Ironman-tempo-walk, and that’s what I did. There were a few attempts at running, but it hurt.
For some reason, running with music throws me off. It takes me away from my body, breath, and rational decisions. I pushes me like that 10th beer can give you confidence for the 11th.
My second mistake was running too far. When adrenaline is pumping, it’s easy to do.
But the fallout was exhaustion and frankly, that’s not my motivation. Last night was worthless and this morning wasn’t much better.
I guess the lesson here (and I have no idea how I keep forgetting this) is that moderation is the key to life (even when training for Ironman) and must be accepted. Just when running was becoming fun again, I fucked it up. Don’t let me do that again, no matter how many people would be impressed by a photo of my Garmin.
A Lot of Running Thoughts
I’ve been reading a lot of things about running lately. Not running, but reading about it.
This morning I saw a surprising amount of people running on the Greenway at 6:30 am while I was walking my dog. I guess people do run that early.
I thought about running a lot today and eventually ran one mile on the treadmill before doing a leg workout. It felt fine, but I can’t stand treadmills.
Running is going to be the key for me this year. I want to be the best runner I’ve ever been, so I’m preparing for that by reading, thinking, and observing.
I wonder if that will work.
My Latest Video
Here’s something I did for the Middle Half in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I’ve done their videos for the last few years and it’s always a good time/race. I ride around on a mountain bike and pick up all these shots in about two hours. Feel free to give me a shout if you put on a race and would like a good/affordable video to remember/promote it with. The awesomeness that is Lanni Marchant won the woman’s overall with a time of 1:16:56. Men’s winner, Patrick Cheptoek, at 1:06:23.
FEMALE OVERALL (1st, $500; 2nd, $250; 3rd, $150) - Course Record Lanni Marchant 1:15:32 (2013)
Ovrl Sex
Place Name Plc Plc Age Time Pace City & State
===== ====================== ==== ==== === ======= ===== ==================
1 Lanni Marchant 9 1 30 1:16:56 5:53 Chattanooga TN
2 Emmy Chepkirui 12 2 26 1:18:21 5:59 Hardin KY
3 Amanda Dunne 20 3 31 1:23:00 6:20 Murfreesboro TN
MALE OVERALL (1st, $500; 2nd, $250; 3rd, $150) - Course Record Micah Tirop 1:05:43 (2010)
Ovrl Sex
Place Name Plc Plc Age Time Pace City & State
===== ====================== ==== ==== === ======= ===== ==================
1 Patrick Cheptoek 1 1 28 1:06:23 5:04 Bowling Green KY
2 Justus David 2 2 27 1:07:12 5:08 Murfreesboro TN
3 Scott Wietecha 3 3 33 1:07:29 5:09 Hendersonville TN
Half this Stuff is 90% Mental
After a mentally challenging month I dubbed “No Run December,” I’m back on the asphalt. The year started with a few ticklers, then on Saturday, decided to get a honest reading on my fitness.
When I start running, I often have no idea how far I’m going. I just take off up the street and play it by ear, but sometimes that gets me in trouble. I don’t have mental capacity for walking back home and often find myself in serious pain at the end of runs. I suppose that strategy ultimately helped me at Wisconsin, but it’s an entirely different deal when you are 5 miles in with four miles back to your house.
None of it was easy, but I kept repeating, “don’t quit” in my mind. Once you stop running, you’re sunk.
Stopping to walk is a hard habit to break and I don’t want the addiction. I’ve gone through some pretty intense training for Ironman, and really believe branding “non-stop” mentality into my brain was one of the toughest things to do.
I only ran 9 miles on Saturday and half of it was hell. The good news for me, though, is that most of my struggles were cardio. My legs felt pretty strong and I “proved” to myself I’m still in pretty decent shape.
Ironman 70.3 in New Orleans is the only race on my calendar at the moment and I feel relatively secure, but know I have to pick it up if I want to hit my time goal. But, patience is the key. We have to be patient . . . with everything.
I have to let the story unfold. Just because I can’t do it, understand it, or visualize it now, doesn’t mean I won’t be ready then. I have to trust the process and peak when the time is right. New Orleans is a race along the way, but it’s not my primary goal. Louisville is king and I want to peak on that day. Not now, not the day after, but on August 24th.
But, I also want to enjoy the process. It is a methodical journey of finding solutions and motivational tactics. It is about sticking with the plan and believing you will rise to the challenge.
———
Note: I sort of borrowed the concept for that title from one of my favorite Yogi Berra quotes: “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.”
A Moving Reminder of Boston and What Matters
I just saw a segment on The View with a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings. Erika Brannock is a school teacher who was running toward a dream and lost her leg to the explosion near the finish line. I stood in our break room and cried.
It rekindled a horrible memory and reminded me of the most pressing question I’ve had since this tragedy — how could anyone be so angry or disturbed to do something like this to innocent runners and the people there to support them?
Since I started running almost two years ago, one of my biggest surprises has been learning how many people renounce you because of it. All I wanted was to feel better, be happier, and enjoy life. For this, I’m often chastised. “Friends” that don’t want you to find happiness. It’s a sad blemish on humanity.
It’s not everyone, though. More than not support my lifestyle. Many have been inspired and tell me they’ve started exercising again because of my adventures. In turn, their efforts push me and we’re all better off with each other.
How bad does your life have to be that you will take to violence with someone that is running? A runner. Winding down a road or a trail searching for peace in an confusing and overwhelming world.
Is there anything worse than someone ripping peace and contentment from your grasp?
This summer, I was on a 10 mile run through East Nashville. As I turned down a quiet side street I stayed on the left near a curb. About halfway down the block, I noticed a truck turn the corner and the driver literally floored it right at me until turning away and flipping me off at the last minute. Oddly, I wasn’t scared, but I was boiling mad. I stopped, turned around and begged him to come back so I could drop him on the pavement.
In a split second, he sucked me into his ugly world. I was literally shaking in anger and it took 5 minutes to start running again. But two minutes from then, I was almost fine.
Life is about movement and being free. That is exactly what running means to me, but some people are so miserable they want to take that away.
At the end of that segment on the View, they put about 8 of Erika’s students on the screen to do a live talk-back. These little kids were so innocent and happy. Full of life and love. Everyone (including me) fought back tears as they professed admiration and support for their beloved teacher.
It was a moving reminder of what’s really important in life and one that I wish everyone could could remember. We’re all in this together. It’s not about money or fame or power, it’s about having people in your life who love and support you, share your freedoms and give you courage to run toward a dream.
. . . Runner’s hearts are in the right place.