This post is going to be about my experience with GPS, running maps, and overall keeping a fitness journal.
I believe in fitness journals! They are great for helping with accountability and even more so for planning and goal setting. The great thing about fitness journals is that they can be as detailed and thought out as you want or as plain and basic as you want. Personally, I only record races and miles ran or biked. Side note .... I should probably keep a nutrition journal also but the fear of seeing how many calories I consume from my food .... and who am I kidding, my drink!
I have used two programs: MapMyRun and the Garmin Connect (which goes with my gps)
I started with MapMyRun and used a wristwatch to approximate my mile splits. I would use MapMyRun to make a map and then stick with it. I created many routes to run and was able to modify things so that I could get a certain number of miles, or at least close. It was a great beginning way of tracking my progress. I logged miles into the program as well and was able to do some cool things with the program. There are a lot of other programs/apps out there like this and I am sure all of them have perks. Find one that is right for you and start using it!
At some point I transitioned to GPS technology by purchasing a Garmin 400 series. This GPS watch has definitely changed how my runs/rides go. I no longer had to worry about where I was going to run and where the mile splits were. I simply had to take off and the watch did the rest. There are certainly headaches that go with the watch such as: always looking down at it, losing the fun of running, and the GPS losing connection. Personally I have not had any problems with the GPS losing connection, only running out battery during a run or two. It is a unique experience and as you get more into running, I suggest using some type of GPS technology to help you on runs.
The nice thing about the Garmin is it's uploading to Garmin Connect (web journal). Although the process of uploading depends on the model, the concept is the same. Get your runs/miles/rides on the computer and then there are a million things you can do with it. The thing I use it the most for is seeing my weekly/monthly/yearly mile totals. I set goals in January and using this feature helps me to see how close I am to reaching my goals.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Speed Work
As any runner can probably attest to, I became obsessed with two things: my mileage and my 5K time.
As I ran more, I found myself getting drawn in to the competitive aspects of racing. I would get pissed if I finished 4th in my age group. It was frustrating and I'll be honest, I wanted the stupid medal. More on this topic some other time.
The mileage thing was one of my biggest problems and I still face it today. For the past two years, while making my New Years Resolutions, I have set goals of yearly mileage. Last year I fell a little short and this year I am behind and it is only May. One of my problems is that when I set these mileage goals, I get so fixated on it that it consumes me. So instead of doing a different form of cardio, I only focus on running. This means I have eliminated the following: weight lifting and road cycling. Those two things being eliminated have really caused me to be unhappy with my workouts. Running is not enough. More on cycling and weights later but I am trying to incorporate these more because it is a much better balance.
Balance is key here and I definitely am NOT balanced.
The speed work thing was something I was encouraged to add to my workouts. I am fortunate to have access to two tracks and one of them is a stones throw away from my house. The use of the track is a daunting task and many I talk to hate it. But if you are looking to increase your speed for a better finish, in my mind, there is no better way to do it than a speed workout. You can google a lot of the speed drills if you are interested. I will list my favorites and some of the ones we make our cross kids do. They can be brutal but they help, for sure!
The ones I like best are...
1 mile warm up for each and a 1 mile cool down for each (if you want to do less miles, reduce the warm up and cool down to 1/2 a mile)
1. Pyramid: 1 x 200, 1 x 400, 1 x 600, 1 x 800, 1 x 600, 1 x 400, 1 x 200
2. Mile repeats x 3
3. 800 repeats x 4 or 6
4. 400 repeats x 12
5. 1 x 200, 1 x 400, 1 x 600, 1 x 800, 1 x 1200, 1 x 1600
The goal is to set a time that you want to run your 5K in and shoot for that. i.e. if you want to run a 21:30 5K. Count on it taking 30 seconds to do the .1. So divide 21 by three miles and you get a 7 minute mile. That is your goal time. If you are doing 400 repeats (#4) then you need to run 1:45 400's (All I did was divide 7 minutes by 4).
Personally I take a couple of minutes between the sets and catch my breath. Some people like to run another 400 between sets at a much slower recovery pace. The great thing about speed work is you can modify the workout to make it work for you.
As I ran more, I found myself getting drawn in to the competitive aspects of racing. I would get pissed if I finished 4th in my age group. It was frustrating and I'll be honest, I wanted the stupid medal. More on this topic some other time.
The mileage thing was one of my biggest problems and I still face it today. For the past two years, while making my New Years Resolutions, I have set goals of yearly mileage. Last year I fell a little short and this year I am behind and it is only May. One of my problems is that when I set these mileage goals, I get so fixated on it that it consumes me. So instead of doing a different form of cardio, I only focus on running. This means I have eliminated the following: weight lifting and road cycling. Those two things being eliminated have really caused me to be unhappy with my workouts. Running is not enough. More on cycling and weights later but I am trying to incorporate these more because it is a much better balance.
Balance is key here and I definitely am NOT balanced.
The speed work thing was something I was encouraged to add to my workouts. I am fortunate to have access to two tracks and one of them is a stones throw away from my house. The use of the track is a daunting task and many I talk to hate it. But if you are looking to increase your speed for a better finish, in my mind, there is no better way to do it than a speed workout. You can google a lot of the speed drills if you are interested. I will list my favorites and some of the ones we make our cross kids do. They can be brutal but they help, for sure!
The ones I like best are...
1 mile warm up for each and a 1 mile cool down for each (if you want to do less miles, reduce the warm up and cool down to 1/2 a mile)
1. Pyramid: 1 x 200, 1 x 400, 1 x 600, 1 x 800, 1 x 600, 1 x 400, 1 x 200
2. Mile repeats x 3
3. 800 repeats x 4 or 6
4. 400 repeats x 12
5. 1 x 200, 1 x 400, 1 x 600, 1 x 800, 1 x 1200, 1 x 1600
The goal is to set a time that you want to run your 5K in and shoot for that. i.e. if you want to run a 21:30 5K. Count on it taking 30 seconds to do the .1. So divide 21 by three miles and you get a 7 minute mile. That is your goal time. If you are doing 400 repeats (#4) then you need to run 1:45 400's (All I did was divide 7 minutes by 4).
Personally I take a couple of minutes between the sets and catch my breath. Some people like to run another 400 between sets at a much slower recovery pace. The great thing about speed work is you can modify the workout to make it work for you.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Stuck in a Rut
For a good three years I struggled with consistently running. I found it really irritating actually. I would start one week, build up my endurance, and watch it all go as I became lazy.
The rut ended however, and for that I am especially thankful.
How did it end exactly? I have three things that I think helped.
1. I signed up for races
Not only did I try to do at least one race a month, if not two, but I also mixed it up. I have done trail runs, obstacle course runs, local races of course, and even some runs in Chicago. This has helped tremendously. The races themselves, though expensive, do always go to a great organization. I found that the races were rewarding and began enjoying the thought of training. So find some and sign up!
2. Spouse
My wife is a runner and has been especially supportive of my running. She signs up with me and even did a half marathon (her second) and she didn't really want to do it. She did it all to run with me. That kind of support was huge for me. If you don't have that, try and find a running buddy who will be able to build that with you.
3. Variety
Your training runs cannot be the same ole route every time. This is just asking for a problem, at least in my experience. I find that mixing it up by going to different places, running with different runners, and even the time of day will make it better. Running is hard enough, but if you have to look at the same thing every time, it has got to be horrid. Mix it up and add that variety to your runs. I believe it will help.
The rut ended however, and for that I am especially thankful.
How did it end exactly? I have three things that I think helped.
1. I signed up for races
Not only did I try to do at least one race a month, if not two, but I also mixed it up. I have done trail runs, obstacle course runs, local races of course, and even some runs in Chicago. This has helped tremendously. The races themselves, though expensive, do always go to a great organization. I found that the races were rewarding and began enjoying the thought of training. So find some and sign up!
2. Spouse
My wife is a runner and has been especially supportive of my running. She signs up with me and even did a half marathon (her second) and she didn't really want to do it. She did it all to run with me. That kind of support was huge for me. If you don't have that, try and find a running buddy who will be able to build that with you.
3. Variety
Your training runs cannot be the same ole route every time. This is just asking for a problem, at least in my experience. I find that mixing it up by going to different places, running with different runners, and even the time of day will make it better. Running is hard enough, but if you have to look at the same thing every time, it has got to be horrid. Mix it up and add that variety to your runs. I believe it will help.
My First 5K
I "trained" for this race but not very hard. I had never had any training run that resulted in anything less than 28 minutes. My first mile, I took off like Prefontaine. I ran a 7:30. While that isn't particularly fast and I can duplicate that no problem today, at the time it was a bad decision. It wasn't a decision that I intended but as a first time racer, I got caught up in the "gun" and the start line. If I kept this pace it would have put me at about a 23 minute 5K. That is 5 minutes faster than any of my training runs. Needless to say I finished at 27:30 which I was really proud of at the time.
You can do the math. We are looking at about 10 minute miles for miles 2 and 3. Not happy about that. If fact, it took me a long time and a lot of training runs and races to get a better grasp of pacing myself and keeping a consistent cadence. It is one of the hardest things about racing. If there is a lesson to be learned from racing it is the splits that runners get. As a coach now, I watch the cross athletes struggle with this as well. A trend on our team is to really blow the 2nd mile. This is obviously something we need to work on.
The finish was on the brand new turf field our football and soccer programs use at the school. It is super nice and as I was starting my finish the first upchuck feeling started. By about the 10 yards line and again at the 30 yard line it took every once of abdominal strength that I have to keep from doing it. The race directer, who is a coworker and friend, could see I was near upchuck and frantically yelled, "don't puke on the new turf". Needless to say, I didn't but I was certainly close.
It felt nice being a part of the running community and even though I still wasn't a "runner", It started a domino effect that would eventually develop into a love for the sport.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Rough 3 Years - Read if you struggle staying motivated
Like many of you and even in previous posts, my running experience has been a roller coaster affair.
I am proud to say that I have been on the good side of that roller coaster ride now for more than 2 years. In this post I want to help explain how I was able to finally turn the corner on my running lifestyle.
I started and stopped running more times than I even care to share.
If you are like me, this is a really frustrating cycle of events that occurred in my life. It was an up and down emotional time for me and running just never was the priority it should have been. Oddly, my wife was really into running and competed in races and did her thing and I was no where to be found. I was on the couch.
I believe there are 3 things YOU can to do avoid my back and forth running experience.
1. Join a running club - here is my local club but if you aren't from where I am from you will have to search out your own.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Kankakeeriverrunningclub
http://www.kankakeeriverrunningclub.com
This group of running enthusiasts does such a wonderful job making people feel welcome. There are some really smart people and experts in the field of running and biking.
All levels of runners are welcome to participate and network
Couch-to-5K to ultramarathon abilities are represented. This club, and many like it I am sure, will get you hooked up with the right people and will help you find motivation. This leads me to my next helpful suggestion.
2. Find a Buddy!
I am lucky, my wife and I have very similar speeds and goals in mind for our weekly exercise so I have gotten a built in buddy for much of my running experience.
Encouraging your spouse/sig other is a great way to communicate and have a common bond.
Here is an interesting link about couples and running together.
http://www.hellawella.com/random-fascinating-statistics-about-runners/20567
If your buddy cannot be your spouse which is probably true for most, find friend or coworker. I contend that a coworker or friend will GREATLY influence YOUR WEIGHT LOSS and keep you ACCOUNTABLE.
Accountability is really really important and I cannot say that enough.
If you simply do not have anyone in mind that could be your running buddy and are at a loss then I suggest utilizing a Running Club to network and I am positive that someone will be willing to run with you and at your pace. There are people at every pace in these clubs and they will run with you. Runners are a unique group and the support that we have as a group is phenomenal.
Continuing with accountability, my third part of this recipe is...
3. Run in Events
One of the biggest things I have done that helps keep me motivated is to sign up for and pay for local and regional running events. The wife and I try and do at least 1 race a month (I want to do one every weekend but she quickly reminds me how thin my wallet is).
I believe that by signing up for races, it forces you to get out there and do it. This also provides me an opportunity to train for something. For instance, I am training for my 2nd half marathon in Indianapolis so I have paid for and have been training for this race. Had I not signed up for the race, it would be really easy to turn the alarm clock off or hit snooze.
One of the coolest secondary things associated with these local running events is that every time there is some sort of charity involved in the race. Don't quote me on it, but I think it is tax deductible. The fact that I am keeping myself fit and at the same time running for a worthwhile cause, is simply rewarding!
You can use the search on http://www.runnersworld.com/race-finder to find local races although not every race is probably listed.
So.... I struggled and hated running for a long long time. But do me a favor,
1. Join a running club ...... 2. Find an accountability buddy ....... and 3. Sign up for races!
I am proud to say that I have been on the good side of that roller coaster ride now for more than 2 years. In this post I want to help explain how I was able to finally turn the corner on my running lifestyle.
I started and stopped running more times than I even care to share.
If you are like me, this is a really frustrating cycle of events that occurred in my life. It was an up and down emotional time for me and running just never was the priority it should have been. Oddly, my wife was really into running and competed in races and did her thing and I was no where to be found. I was on the couch.
I believe there are 3 things YOU can to do avoid my back and forth running experience.
1. Join a running club - here is my local club but if you aren't from where I am from you will have to search out your own.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Kankakeeriverrunningclub
http://www.kankakeeriverrunningclub.com
This group of running enthusiasts does such a wonderful job making people feel welcome. There are some really smart people and experts in the field of running and biking.
All levels of runners are welcome to participate and network
Couch-to-5K to ultramarathon abilities are represented. This club, and many like it I am sure, will get you hooked up with the right people and will help you find motivation. This leads me to my next helpful suggestion.
2. Find a Buddy!
I am lucky, my wife and I have very similar speeds and goals in mind for our weekly exercise so I have gotten a built in buddy for much of my running experience.
Encouraging your spouse/sig other is a great way to communicate and have a common bond.
Here is an interesting link about couples and running together.
http://www.hellawella.com/random-fascinating-statistics-about-runners/20567
If your buddy cannot be your spouse which is probably true for most, find friend or coworker. I contend that a coworker or friend will GREATLY influence YOUR WEIGHT LOSS and keep you ACCOUNTABLE.
Accountability is really really important and I cannot say that enough.
If you simply do not have anyone in mind that could be your running buddy and are at a loss then I suggest utilizing a Running Club to network and I am positive that someone will be willing to run with you and at your pace. There are people at every pace in these clubs and they will run with you. Runners are a unique group and the support that we have as a group is phenomenal.
Continuing with accountability, my third part of this recipe is...
3. Run in Events
One of the biggest things I have done that helps keep me motivated is to sign up for and pay for local and regional running events. The wife and I try and do at least 1 race a month (I want to do one every weekend but she quickly reminds me how thin my wallet is).
I believe that by signing up for races, it forces you to get out there and do it. This also provides me an opportunity to train for something. For instance, I am training for my 2nd half marathon in Indianapolis so I have paid for and have been training for this race. Had I not signed up for the race, it would be really easy to turn the alarm clock off or hit snooze.
One of the coolest secondary things associated with these local running events is that every time there is some sort of charity involved in the race. Don't quote me on it, but I think it is tax deductible. The fact that I am keeping myself fit and at the same time running for a worthwhile cause, is simply rewarding!
You can use the search on http://www.runnersworld.com/race-finder to find local races although not every race is probably listed.
So.... I struggled and hated running for a long long time. But do me a favor,
1. Join a running club ...... 2. Find an accountability buddy ....... and 3. Sign up for races!
First Cross Country Coaching Job
My running journey began when I took a position as an Assistant Cross Country coach at Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School. I teach science at this school and flat out saw an opportunity to coach a sport I had no experience in.
I was dedicated to being able to run with the kids I coached. To show them that I can do it and so can you. Unfortunately, my devotion and passion was short lived. I ran with the kids, intermittently but did a lot more bike riding than running. It was a truly disappointing time in my life and certainly a regret.
I did not stick it out for another year with the birth of my first born. I choose to walk away from cross country coaching and, likewise, so did my running.
I enjoyed coaching the kids and definetely saw it as my own source of inspiration. Still keeping in contact with many of the kids from that team, albeit through social media, as continued to keep my motivated watching them achieve their goals. Recently, Nolan Grace completed a marathon and he is doing another. Here is the link to his fundraising for it.
https://goldenapple.myetap.org/fundraiser/2013marathon/individual.do?participationRef=488.0.346007579
I think of Marty Hinze (Concordia), Kevin Martin (Milikin) and Sarah Higgins (Bradley University) who are continuing to take their talents on to the college level.
It has been awesome being associated with one of the toughest sports to participate in and watching these very talented young men and women work hard for their goals. There are very few sports (proudly wrestling being one of them) in which an athlete's performance is singled out and running cross country is that.
Although I took a couple of years off, I am proud to say I am again coaching Boiler Cross Country and am hoping to build this program to be very competitive with the help of Head Coach Alison Zipper. This season was a nice one locally, winning boys All City and All Area but we fell short of the conference/regional goals we set for ourselves. We graduated a couple of seniors that have meant so much to the program (Mitchel Kahl and Colin Hanson) so we have work to do.
I was dedicated to being able to run with the kids I coached. To show them that I can do it and so can you. Unfortunately, my devotion and passion was short lived. I ran with the kids, intermittently but did a lot more bike riding than running. It was a truly disappointing time in my life and certainly a regret.
I did not stick it out for another year with the birth of my first born. I choose to walk away from cross country coaching and, likewise, so did my running.
I enjoyed coaching the kids and definetely saw it as my own source of inspiration. Still keeping in contact with many of the kids from that team, albeit through social media, as continued to keep my motivated watching them achieve their goals. Recently, Nolan Grace completed a marathon and he is doing another. Here is the link to his fundraising for it.
https://goldenapple.myetap.org/fundraiser/2013marathon/individual.do?participationRef=488.0.346007579
I think of Marty Hinze (Concordia), Kevin Martin (Milikin) and Sarah Higgins (Bradley University) who are continuing to take their talents on to the college level.
It has been awesome being associated with one of the toughest sports to participate in and watching these very talented young men and women work hard for their goals. There are very few sports (proudly wrestling being one of them) in which an athlete's performance is singled out and running cross country is that.
Although I took a couple of years off, I am proud to say I am again coaching Boiler Cross Country and am hoping to build this program to be very competitive with the help of Head Coach Alison Zipper. This season was a nice one locally, winning boys All City and All Area but we fell short of the conference/regional goals we set for ourselves. We graduated a couple of seniors that have meant so much to the program (Mitchel Kahl and Colin Hanson) so we have work to do.
Me - knower of some, expert of nothing
My name is Tony Swafford. I am a father of 2 youngsters (Eli and Aly) and married to a former BBCHS cross runner Katie. I am 5'6" and about (was) 170 pounds. My journey with running is like a lot of peoples and I will use this blog to talk about it and do my best to try and motivate others who, like me, hate running.
I am a former soccer player and wrestler and left high school in great shape. College was not kind to me though. Although I exercised (mainly weight training) I put on weight due to my eating habits, work schedule, and propensity to suck back a few brews with friends. I went from 125 pounds my senior year of high school to 170 by the time I was 22. It wasn't all bad weight but at some point in my late 20's, I made a choice to begin running.
My beginning and subsequent ending of running became repetitive until a little over 2 years ago. It was a roller coaster that I am sure many of you can relate to. That is why I choose to create this blog. To offer hope and provide inspiration to help others stay accountable to their plans.
I am a former soccer player and wrestler and left high school in great shape. College was not kind to me though. Although I exercised (mainly weight training) I put on weight due to my eating habits, work schedule, and propensity to suck back a few brews with friends. I went from 125 pounds my senior year of high school to 170 by the time I was 22. It wasn't all bad weight but at some point in my late 20's, I made a choice to begin running.
My beginning and subsequent ending of running became repetitive until a little over 2 years ago. It was a roller coaster that I am sure many of you can relate to. That is why I choose to create this blog. To offer hope and provide inspiration to help others stay accountable to their plans.
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