Half Marathon training :Week 6

Training On Ramp
Week 6

by Scott Campbell

We enter right into the beginning of Week 4  in training for the Encinitas Half Marathon. The first 3 weeks have been pretty intense for The Runner's Journey. I had to pick a 9 week training schedule due to procrastinating and work. Here is the training schedule. 

It is starting to have it's affects now in Week 4. I am sore all over however when I run I can feel the results of the off season strength training that I did with weights. The strategy has been the first 2 weeks I ran only on the treadmill. I call it the shakeout weeks where I see if I am injury free . Then I start taking it outside. Here in Southern California the winters are mild and for me that means running. I know some of you might be snowed in right now and can't run but that is how it is here in the summer. It's too hot unless one trains early morning or in the evenings. . 

So far the runs have been in the San Pasqual Valley. I love running there and have learned that there are more trails out there. This last weekend I ran coming into the valley from the west side . It is an excellent place to run with a broad well graded trail for the first couple of miles. 

I could run on trails every time if I could. When I am out in nature running it is the best . 

It is now week 6 and I am in what I like to call the hell week of this particular trainig schedule. My take aways are :

• weight training equals better running 
• sticking to the training schedule increases chances of PR
• running is fun

When I am running I have begun t push myself and turn almost every training run into a speed workout a some point in the run. I have found that doing this has increased my speed and stamina. I also have completely come off the treadmill and all my running is outside . I prefer that. I havent't been blogging a lot because I am training an dwant to break that 2:10 pace for a half marathon. 

Here are some highlights from last Sunday's LSD ( Long Slow Distance ) run. Enjoy 

Chelsea King Memorial

It was  7 years ago exactly since she was killed by that monster . You can read about it here 

Chelsea King

I am a spiritual person so I offered her spirit, if it was there my hand and I told her lets finish your run together. I ran the rest of my run in her honor. 

Happy Running to You All !

How To PR Your Next Race

How To PR Your Next Race

by Scott Campbell

So you want to make a personal record in your next race, how do you do it? I have asked myself that question many times and have even implemented many of srategities but I still have yet to beat my best time in a half marathon. This time around when I run the Encinitas Half Marathon I am going to PR. Here are some some things I am going to do and you can too. 

The Goal Sub 2 Hours

Methods to Achieve it

Run More Miles

Yes that is a must. There is no way around it . The success of you finishing the half marathon is based on your aerobic capacity . The only tried and true method of doing that is running more period. Once you have established a longer running week then you can supplement some of that aerobic activity for different types of cardio work like stair climber, the elliptical or any other type of cross training. The goal is to get your heart rate up over 120 each session. 

Add Strides to Your Runs

Add some strides to some of your runs. What are strides in running? 

Strides are 20 to 35 second sprints at your mile race pace, or roughly 85 to 95% effort. Typically, they are assigned to a running schedule after an easy recovery run or before a big workout or race.

I find them very useful and will incorporate them into almost all my runs. 

Hill Training

Yes I had to add that one in there. It is not every one's favorite but it will add to your strength and speed. 

Push Your Lactose Threshold Pace

What is that? It is the time it takes for your blood to remove the lactic acid in your muscles.It is that pace where you can comfortably run at. You need to push that boundary. 

Tempo training is best for this as it gets your body used to operating at that level and practice improves that ability. 

Work on Your Race Pace

Get your pace dialed in. Figure out what you will need to run at to beat your PR and work towards running at that pace as long as possible. 

Strength Training

My favorite. After getting cleared from your doctor if you are over 50 then you must incorporate strength training into your workout regimen. I like weights but any kind of resistance training will work. You don't have to be an Arnold Swartzenegger you just have to build strength in proportion to yourself. 

Study the Course

Get to know where you will be running so you can use that knowledge to better your plan to PR. Go there and run parts of it if possible. Ride it on a bike or car. Look for the hills and places that you know will bog down your pace and work on those weaknesses. 

Meditation

This is my own. I recommend this for anyone. It not only improves your running . It just about improves everything else in your life which indirectly improves your running. 

Happy Running 

5 Ways A Morning Run Will Change Your Life - Running Motivation

To all you morning runners out there I salute you . I aspire to be one myself!


Happy Running !

Bone Broth Soup: Good for Runners?

Bone Broth Soup

good for runners?

The Runner's Journey is currently cooking up a batch of this stuff and thought it would be nice to share some info about this great stuff. Not only is BONE BROTH good for you it is also very frugal and conservative to do so. 

Read this short but brief article here from Runner's World.BONE BROTH

Started to run at age 60 Still running after 19 years

This is a great interview with a guy just like us who decided to make that lifestyle change and start running at age 60!

End of Week Training Reflections

End of Week Reflections

By

Scott Campbell

The soft open of the running season is underway. The weekly total of miles ran is a low 6 however I am not officially training for the race yet. These 6 miles that I completed this week were a shake out of the old body to see if I still had it or not. I appear to still be able to put one foot in front of the other.

take aways from week one

• in better shape than thought
• positive results from weight training
• started running by chunks of time as opposed to miles
• discovered bone broth

When I am running like this on the treadmill I strive to run in a controlled way with my focus on my form. Is my head held high like it is being pulled up by a string?Are my shoulders back?Do my lungs fill and exhale fully and with a good rhythm to my stride. I find inside running to be a perfect place to work on such things. As we age form is even more crucial for us to be conscious of as good form allows for us to avoid injury and keep running for years to come.

Happy Running!

How to Start Jogging After 50

Encinitas Half Marathon : Soft Open !

The Soft Open

I didn't do exactly as I planned in the off season for running. I wanted to keep my mileage up to at least 10 miles a week however I failed at doing so. What I didn't fail to do was keep hitting the gym. I started out every workout with some form of cardio but mostly it was an one mile run on the treadmill. Sometimes I'd feel really good and I would run a 9:30 mile , other times I would run much slower in the 11:00 minute pace. The goal for the summer off season was to drop fat and gain muscles and I was successful at that. I concentrated a lot on my legs. I am really into doing squats to build up muscles and also as a man , to keep the testosterone high. These are so important as we age. Building lean muscle mass at any age helps.You just have to go really slow depending on your physical condition and your level of lifting experience. 

Today was my " soft opening to the running season for me. I did a whopping two miles on the treadmill. I can definitely feel the lack of a cardio workout today as my lungs burned and I wanted to stop . I didn't and pushed through . I am glad I did because I ended up having a pretty good little run that lifted my spirits and made me hungry for some longer miles. 

I will follow up with a rest day tomorrow and another casual run on Wednesday. 

Once I flesh out my new training schedule for the next race I will post it so others can use it . 

Happy Running !

A Film for Runners by Runners - Does this Move You? If so, please share it.

Morning Inspirational Running Video

Today The Runner's Journey is battling to not put off this very important training run. It is 10 miles!! I found this very inspirational video check it out.

GET OUT AND RUN

it is worth the watch.

Happy Running!

The Runner's Journey:Mid-Week Sixer/video

Feeling the Burn 

You start out a run in the mind. You think about it all day imagining what you are going to do, how fast you are going to run and how awesome it is all going to be. Then comes the moment of the run and you take your first stride, the music starts and the run is on! When the second stride hits the ground you realize "this isn't going to be a piece of cake". That is how the mid-week run turned out to be. 

There was no mind, body spirit connection. In my mind I felt like the scarecrow on The Wizard of Oz legs flaying about , arms swinging goofily and the mind checked out till next Sunday. That Sunday holds the grand daddy of this Half Marathon Training Schedule a 10 miler. 

I took some video of this weeks six miler so you could come along with me. You can view it here on youtube. Just click and watch . Six Mile Run Video. Don't forget to click the video! It is amateurish but was fun to make .

Happy Running!

The Drinker vs The Runner Pt 3

The Drinker vs The Runner

      It went like that for a few years with The Drinker taking the lead and winning and then The Runner would do the same. It was not an easy thing to go through. I was unfamiliar with change and also how change went down. I was experiencing it first hand and I was resisting it. It was in April of 2010 that it all came to a critical mass. I had joined a team of much younger runners to participate in The Ragnar RelayRace SoCal. This was unlike any race I have ever been in. It was 12 people , two vans and 200 miles. It was named after Ragnar of Norse history. In those days drinking was part of that race and we did. It was a drinking and running weekend. I ran hung over after partying the night before the race . We drank during the race and after the race. I was completely wiped out after that race. 

The team was Hairforce.You can see our video here:

Hairforce 2010 

It was a fun time and it was the turning point in The Runner's Revolution that was going on inside. The Drinker was on the ropes. Later that year on August 3 The Runner landed the knockout punch to The Drinker. To celebrate, The Runner ran the following Races:

• The Carlsbad Half Marathon
• The San Diego Half Marathon
• another Ragnar race (this time sober)
• The La Jolla Half Marathon
• America's Finest Half Marathon

It culminated at The Carlsbad Full Marathon where on the finish line I was to preside over my son's marriage. They both ran the half marathon together. It was an amazing event.one I will never forget. Guess what? Running made all that happen and more.

Today I am just The Runner.

read the other two installments of this article here

The Drinker vs The Runner Part2
The Runner vs The Drinker Part1

Happy Running!

Another Running Hero !

Running Hero  is exactly what this guy is.  He gives me hope that I can be this when I am his age.  This gave me the inspiration to get out and run these scheduled 6 miles.

Week 9 of Half Marathon Training.

Yesterday was a 2 miler on the treadmill. I felt strong and ran it at a 9;34 pace. It was fun and fast! This week culminates in a 10 miler on Sunday and then begins the blessed taper when the miles decrease but the energy builds until it is unleashed on Raceday!

Happy Running!

Get out there and do it!

The Drinker vs The Runner Pt2

The Drinker vs The Runner

by Scott Campbell

      After that 10 Miler The Runner retreated and The Drinker ran rampant through my mind destroying that relationship and others. I remarried and The Drinker was happy. One night while drinking at the Country Club Bar where I lived I had my wife come and pick me up . I was way too drunk to drive. I decided I was going to run through the wooded pathways instead . I proceeded to run across the road towards the trail, tripped over the median crashing and sliding onto the other lane. I lied there feeling no pain but felt blood dripping out of me . I turned and saw oncoming headlights. " fuck " I thought.
      I did survive that night and others. One thing about  that night is what my wife said to me. She said I wasn't a runner and I was all talk. She awakened The Runner from his slumber. This time it was The Revolution that started inside me. The Runner was about to take the driver's seat but it would be a few years before he could turn the tide and repair the damage of The Drinker.

If you missed Part One click here The Drinker vs The Runner

I do not advocate drunk running . I found this online and thought it funny. I could have founded that club.

More to come

Happy Running!

Slaying the 9 Miler

Slaying the 9

by Scott Campbell

Again and again it is only a battle between my mind and body. It is the conscious mind that doesn't seem to want to do anything. The tactic,suit up and show up ,works every time for me. I ran in beautiful Kit Carson Park. I ran on almost all the different surfaces one could be faced with too, such as GRASS,ASPHALT and CONCRETE.

The first mile was rough or shall I say it sucked. That is what I have read from other running blogs and I must say I agree however things smoothed out and by the time my app told me I was on mile 2 things were flowing. There was a feeling of all parts of my body working together and for the first time ever as a runner I felt that I was being taken for a ride by a strong and powerful animal. That I was just sitting back observing while this beast took me up hills and over bridges. I really liked that feeling. There were many bridges on this run which I found symbolic to the bridges we all have to cross in life but even more important the bridges we build in life. I like those so much better. NEVER burn a bridge.

I got to run across a log! 

Here is another crossing.  

I had an incredible run that boosted my confidence that I can run this half marathon. I needed that run and now look forward to the rest of the runs scheduled for this week. The Runner's Journey's training has a 10 miler at the end of it this week. The strength is there, the mind is on board and the spirit is ready to run free as it should! Good news is that this run was better than a run logged in three years ago for the same distance. Fitness can be maintain I realize. I am afraid that at our ages though if you don't use it soon we will lose it . Run , walk and crawl if need be just KEEP MOVING!

Happy Running!

The Drinker vs The Runner

The Drinker vs The Runner

by Scott Campbell

      In 1998 I found myself single again with two children that depended on me and an ex wife. I was 32 and everything I thought  was going to happen in the future suddenly wasn't going to happen. At least not the way I imagined it would. I was a drinker at that time. A rather heavy one too. I was not a runner yet. That was to awaken soon. 

      In the beginning of 1999 I got a DUI. I decided to change. It was then the Runner awakened. I decided to turn my bad luck into a catalyst for change. I was going to become a Runner! I lived down in Mission Valley at the time, right next to The San Diego River. A beautiful bike path went all through the valley right along the river. It was going to be perfect,I thought. 

 It was perfect except I could only run a 1/2 mile at the time and would walk back from my run sometimes with a cigarette lit and smoked. I would also wash the run down with a good 12 pack . The Runner was losing that battle but once awakened The Runner refused to sleep and never admitted defeat to The Drinker.

      I drifted for a couple years with The Drinker still in the driver's seat. It wasn't until the year 2001 that I felt The Runner stir deep within me. He had been waiting and planning his return. Patiently letting The Drinker do his damage. I was living with a girlfriend at the time and she brought a treadmill along with her. The Runner saw this as a sign to return from my subconsciousness where it had been working on the real changes that would come. I decided to begin a running plan using the treadmill as my training ground. I was really embarrassed to be seen running . I am not an out of shape man and I wasn't then but ....I could not run.....and I felt like I was too old to be starting this sport. I WAS ONLY 35!!!!!

      I started with my half mile on there. I then added another half mile. After a few weeks I could run a whole mile without stopping so I decided to take that show outside and let the world see this new runner. During that time I didn't search the Internet about running, I didn't read books about running and I didn't have any running friends but one. So I naturally or instinctively began adding miles until I came to a pivotal day. I was going to run 10 miles and I did. I can still remember the feeling of having to push myself. I can feel the heaviness in my legs the burning of my lungs and I can still feel the joy and pride I felt as I came to the end of what became a legendary run in my story as The Runner 

That was how I felt. The Runner had won those battle to 10 miles but The Drinker wasn't going down without a fight. The problem with The Drinker was he thought it acceptable to destroy everything before he lost the war. 

Come Back Soon 

The Drinker vs The Runner will continue

Happy Running!