My current training plan… A long overdue update.

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Brad| 2 Comments

 

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One of the difficult things about writing a blog about running every day is getting the time to write consistently. I promise I’m working on that!

A lot has happened since my last update so I’ll share just a bit.  So far I have run a minimum of one mile every day since the 9th of April 2011. My current total mileage is 178.28 miles! Not bad for 3 1/2 months! In that time I have lost about 20 pounds, but more importantly my body shape has been changing a lot. When I started I was in size 48 pants and 2 days ago I was able to get into a pair of 38′s something that has not happened in a LONG time! Just a healthy reminder that it is not ALL about weight loss, but more importantly how you look and feel and I look MUCH healthier and feel GREAT!  I ran in my second obstacle race last weekend: The Warrior Dash (Race Report to follow) and am now weight lifting as part of my training plan.

A lot of people have ask my why I keep my mileage so low… my first response is usually something like: “How many miles did YOU run this week?” or Most people do not consider 10-15 miles per week to be low mileage. The truth is for someone who has only been running for a bit over 3 months a 15+ mile week is a BIG week and at this stage of my running career we are putting in base miles. Basically I am building up the joints and muscles for harder training to come by taking it slow and easy right now. I have managed to stay healthy and injury free up to this point because I am VERY careful and listen to my body and what it is telling me. MY body takes this level of mileage fairly easily at this point, but I am staying here because I have added some weight training to my plan to help me in my obstacle racing, to build strength, and stay injury free.

Here is my current plan:

My heavy days: 2-3x per week (By feel if I am too sore or tired I skip one weight session)

My light days: 2-3x per week (Again by feel skipping a session if I am too sore or tired)

My heavy workout is obviously focused on developing whole body strength and power, while the light day is much more focused on core strength and cardio. The light day was also added because I noticed that a lot of the “easy” obstacles were really feats that required good cardio while working the entire body while taxed by running. Both workouts are short and designed to work the maximum volume of muscles in the minimum amount of time. I’d love to hear feedback from other runners and obstacle racers to learn what you are doing. My goal is to build strength and learn the basic lifts to get started in CrossFit. I am starting an 8 week cycle of this routine, at the end of this cycle I will meet up with my trainer again and adjust the exercises based on my the gains I have made and current needs. My big goal is to do a marathon this Fall, followed by Tough Mudder Seattle next year, and if I’m up for it a 50 mile race. :) For more frequent updates make sure to like Running For 365 Days on Facebook!

 

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Obstacle Racing ROCKS!

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Brad| 2 Comments

Last weekend I ran in the Survivor Mud Run with my Wife Kristi and we had a blast… So much that I think I found a new hobby! (click here for the Survivor Mud Run Seattle Race Report) I am REALLY excited about obstacle racing first because it is a HUGE challenge both physically and mentally, and second because it tests every aspect of your fitness. If you have never seen an obsticle race or mud run before this video will give you a little taste of what the Warrior Dash is all about:

If that doesn’t get you excited to work out and have a blast with a few good friends I don’t know what will! I’m also planning on doing them all in my Vibram Five Fingers, because after last weeks mud run I really feel like they offer a HUGE advantage in traction, ground feel, climbing ability, and weight when wet. Anyways, I am REALLY pumped up and excited about the upcoming race and am adding in some additional elements to my routine now including some body weight exercises, kettlebell swings, plyometrics, and weightlifting to help me drop more weight quicker and get over those BIG obstacles a bit quicker! Have you ever done a mud run or obstacle race? What was your experience like and how did you train?

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Posted in Barefoot Running, Mud Run, Obstacle Racing, Racing

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Running Every Day Isn’t Easy, But It’s Worth It! – Survivor Mud Run

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Brad| 5 Comments

Survivor Mud Run LogoRunning every day isn’t easy… and some days are harder than others. June 18th’s Survivor Mud Run Seattle was one of the tough days! If you have never done a mud run I highly recommend you try it out! It was an EPIC day of showing the world how tough you are in the 60 degree pouring rain. With 3.3 mils of mud, rivers, and mayhem including 14 obstacles you absolutely got your moneys worth! When the race started a 9am I saw the first finishers coming over the line and thought to myself these people do not look too muddy! By the time my 11:45 heat started and close to 2000 people had covered the course it was a pure mud-fest.

Brad, Krisy, and Sophia before the Seattle Survivor Mud Run.

Brad, Krisy, and Sophia before the Seattle Survivor Mud Run.

This was my first race as a barefoot runner, and I used my Vibram KSOs. People looked at you a bit weird, but I really feel like they were a HUGE advantage. My ground feel was awesome and not running in waterlogged trail shoes was totally worth it even with the rocks and gravel roads. They also stayed on amazingly well in the deep mud. There was one point in the bog where myself, Krisy, and a guy we had never met were mired so deep in the mud we were unable to free ourselves. It tool a solid 10 minutes of pushing, lifting, and pulling to get all three of us free. I was literally up to my hip in mud so deep I could not move and had to crawl on my belly to avoid sinking deeper. My first thought when I sunk that deep is this is how dinosaurs got fossilized! The 10 foot wall was awesome, the pipes were cool and a bit freaky, and the other racers were awesome!

Survivor Mud Run Seattle Post Race Photo

Brad, Krisy, Solomon, and Alyssa after the Survivor Mud Run.

For the $60 entry fee you got to race (obviously) a shower!, a free beer, a free Brat,  t-shirt, and a finishers medal. Well worth it in my opinion. My only gripe was that there could have been a few more course safety people on hand as there were a few injuries and I saw one girl wait a very long time to get help for an injured ankle after jumping off the 10 foot wall. Overall though, the available staff were nice, friendly, and helpful. The DJ was good and the event was well organized and planned. my only other grip was the volume of showers available… it was a LONG line to get cleaned up and even after we did we used two 2 1/2 gallon jugs for a sponge bath at the car just to get sort of clean. I needed one more real shower and Krisy needed two to get her hair clean. This race is on my must do list for next year…

No iPhone GPS tracks with Runtastic though! No way I was going to carry it on this course.i saw too many people looking for gear in the thick soupy mud! I uploaded the time and distance manually: 3.3 miles in 1:50:30. Most of that extra time was spend waiting to get over crowded obstacles, but it was a welcome break, and I was BEAT when we finished! This isnt a course to set a new personal best on… Its about covering the distance and I think most reasonably fit people should be able to do it if my tubby butt could! :)

Survivor Mud Run with Finishers Medal

Krisy and I after a shower and an additional sponge bath in the parking lot. Sophia was MAD she was too young to run!

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Days 24-51 – Holy COW I am a Blogging Slacker!

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Brad| 1 Comment

Wow… Where did the MONTH go? I know (hope) there is someone out there that is asking themselves What on earth happened to Brad? Well… First let me say I did in fact run every day this month. If you would like to see the details of every run you can see them on my Runtastic Profile. Here is the High level summary:

Not bad for a guy who thought a long run was to the fridge and back 52 days ago!

So, whats happened this month, well I have flirted with the idea of eating vegetarian, and I have to say I don’t really miss meat like I thought I would. I am currently about 90% veg and 50% vegan. Not really for any moralistic purpose, I just feel like it is a healthier way to eat. I have been reading The Engine 2 Diet and it has been a BIG help in showing me how to eat “man food” that is vegetarian, healthy and delicious. I always felt like eating veg was eating foods food and that I would be limited to salads, sandwiches,  and stuff like that, but I have had some AWESOME vegan and Veg meals. If a Texas Fireman and IronMan Triathlete can eat Vegan I feel like I should be able to go veg for a month so that is the current challenge.

I have also been barefoot running off and on in my Vibram Five Fingers, and I really enjoy it as well, but it is hard for me to get the distance in that I can in regular running shoes, but I understand the logic behind why it is a good idea to run barefoot and how it could benefit me. The issue is that your feet are used to being supported all the time, so there is a lot of muscular development that has to happen to build healthy strong feet, and it just takes time. Krisy is a stay at home mom and wears her Five Fingers out and about every day so the break in period for her has gone MUCH faster than it has for me due to a demanding work schedule. Still both of us love them and I highly recommend you try a pair on and see for yourself what you are missing. If you are thinking about it I recommend you check out Vanessa Runs, the famous Barefoot Ted or Barefoot Running University for good barefoot training information. I share what I am doing and what works for me, but I think it is always a good idea to get multiple perspectives.

I also had my first business trip as a careful eating runner. Its not as hard as I thought it would be. I was on a three day trip to Salt Lake City for a district meeting and I was able to go to all my meetings, dinners, drinks etc… and STILL get my runs in. Its a beautiful way to get to experience a new city. and the only advice I have to give is pack some shorts, shoes and tech shirt and get off your butt. It really was that simple. :)

Finally, I think I have a new direction for the blog. Instead of blogging EVERY run no matter how boring I am going to do a weekly wrap up of mileage and what happens and try to share more recopies and items of interest. I’ll still blog great runs, PB’s, and races, as well as the random intriguing thoughts I have, but I am not enjoying the pressure and tediousness of blogging every run with a map.  Hopefully it will make the blog more readable and informational for everyone. I’m down 13 pounds in a month and a half so the REAL plan is to keep running, blogging, and sharing with others to make their path to health a little easier.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to ask questions in the comments or hit me up on the Running For 365 Days FaceBook Fan Page.

-Brad

 

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Posted in Barefoot Running, Equipment, Nutrition, Random Thoughts, Training log, Weight Management

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Day 23 – Shopping and new shoes!

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Brad| Leave a comment

Today was a bit of an adventure… Krisy and I don’t do a lot of shopping but today we went to REI and got some cool stuff… the BIG buy for both of us was our new Vibram FiveFinger shoes! I got the Vibram FiveFinger TrekSport and Krisy got the Vibram KomodoSport. I also got a pair of Native Sunglasses, backpacks for Sarah and Sophia, some new Tivas for Krisy and I and a few other random things. It was a fairly awesome trip over all! :)

After the shopping festivities were over we went home and I had my daily run… First trip out in the Vibrams and I have to say they are REALLY cool! The TrekSport is a bit thicker in the sole because it is a trail running shoe and designed to give a bit more protection than some of the other models. Still, I really felt like I was barefoot. I could feel every pebble and twig I stepped on and the shoes ability to conform to the ground gave excellent traction. Its a weird sensation because while I could feel every thing I stepped on it never one time hurt. The one really cool thing is this shoe encourages a forefoot or mid-foot strike and as a heel striker its a big change for me. I kept the distance short and was really done when I got home. I go barefoot a lot, but usually just walking around in my house or yard. 1.6 miles continuous was more than my feet were used to and they were a bit tired, but I really enjoyed them.  My biggest concern was the pounding my feet would take being 245 pounds. The guy at the store assured me it would not be an issue and I have to say he was right. The mid-foot strike I instinctively used barefoot had NO pounding and my knees, ankles and hips all felt REALLY good. If you get a chance I highly recommend you try a pair out… It’s REALLY cool! I am following the advice given to me of keep it slow and no more that 10% of your weekly mileage and work up every day use over time. I can tell you the muscles in my feet and lower legs are thanking me for my decision the heed that warning and I feel like I am going to get HUGE calves! :)

Here are the details of todays run:

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Day 22 – The day before Opening Day Fishing!

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Brad| Leave a comment

Today is the day before opening day fishing and it is COLD and raining. I kept Sophia out of school to take her up to see the flowers at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festal. I’m still in rest week letting myself heal up a bit before I kick it up another notch. Anyways, I spent most of the morning waiting for it to warm up a bit, but it wasn’t happening for me. I let Sophia know I was getting ready to go and she was stoked so we both suited up and out the door we went. It was raining and windy, but we had a nice chat together and the experience really solidified the idea that Sophia LOVES to run with me, because I don’t think most people in their right mind would choose to run outside in this kind of weather… It was a good diet day. Not much else to report. Here are the details:

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Day 21 – Still resting!

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Brad| Leave a comment

Today is another rest day… Just an easy run around my normal 1 mile loop with Sophia. I’m way behind on posting my run data so not much more to say today.

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Delicious homemade frozen yogurt in the Vita-Mix!

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Brad| 2 Comments

 

My wife Krisy made the BEST frozen yogurt in our Vita-Mix blender tonight. It had 1 pound frozen strawberries, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, and 1/8 cup splenda. All you do is put everything in the vita-mix and blend until it is smooth. The strawberries freeze the yogurt and it makes a delicious sweet creamy mixture. We are planning to make this with frozen pineapple and coconut soon! This is an awesome healthy recipe the entire family LOVED! High in protein and fresh fruit makes it a great way to cap off the day! I know the Vita-Mix is expensive, but this alone made it all worth it!

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Posted in Cooking, Recipes, Smoothies, Weight Management

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Day 20 – Yet another rest day!

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Brad| 2 Comments

Yet another rest day running with Sophia. I am forcing myself to be patient and slow down… I know I could go flat out again and feel great. For a day or two… But rest is important and I am making sure I get it. t is imperative that i eat well and get plenty of rest . Running damages muscles and rest is when you rebuild them and get faster. I had another GREAT nutrition day and got in a easy run with Sophia. Best of all this is the first time in a while that I have posted my blog post up the same day it happened. I have several good recipes I’ll try to share today. I had black bean and quinoa tacos, stir fry, a smoothie, fresh juice, and some awesome homemade frozen yogurt. I’ll try to get some recipes up real soon!

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Posted in Recovery Run, Training log

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Day 19 – Cold is a powerful motivator!

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Brad| Leave a comment

Today was a LONG day at work. I got home about 10PM and was tired, but feeling quite good after a few easy days. Unfortunately, it was COLD, windy, and raining hard. Nothing like a 10:30 PM run in 39 Degree weather with a 20 MPH wind to help you kick it into high gear. I am very happy that I am at a point now where I feel natural getting ready to run regardless of the time or weather. In fact I am starting to look forward to it as a time to unwind from my day and get a chance to think through lifes problems and day dream a bit.

Good news today, my 1 mile pace was 9:55 a new personal best for me! The last .15 I walked as a bit of a cool down before I went back into the house, but it was too cold and nasty for much more of a cool down and I was chilled so I headed in quickly. Its awesome what a little rest does for you. I had a chiropractor appointment this morning and had solid nutrition all day with 2 juices, a smoothie, and a big vegetarian burrito to eat. I think I was a bit dehydrated, and need to make sure I stay on top of that. Otherwise, it was a GREAT day! Just a couple more easy days before I am back at it again. :) Seattle Marathon is calling my name and I am 100% sure I will be ready. I just need to stay healthy!

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Posted in Foul Weather, Personal Best!, Training log

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