POSE running links

Consider these words of wisdom from John Parker’s Once a Runner, a cult classic novel about

a collegiate miler:
A runner is a miser, spending the 

pennies of his energy with great stinginess, constantly

wanting to know how much he has spent and how much

longer he will be expected to pay. He wants to be broke

precisely the moment he no longer needs his coin.

The Pose

POSE:  work with, rather than against, the natural forces at play in nonsprint running. Gravity, ground reaction, muscle elasticity, muscle contraction, torque, and momentum are the key factors. 


checklist:
1) posture (hips forward, arms close in, up, shoulders over hips)
2) fall (movement is the destruction of balance)
3)  pull (squeeze the orange

POSE drills
Body Weight Perception
Hill Running
Basics
Romanov explains the method

Swimmer learns to run:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Running as a wheel

Don't land in front of a forward moving body:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7zEruVUwr4

waxing gibbous moon

1. Distance assigned: you suggested between 15 & 22. ran: 14.9 k under a waxing gibbous moon. The beach was silver and black, with white breakers and dark golden sand - no yellow in it - more like a mustard colour. The good kind, not baseball hot dog mustard!

2. Pace Assigned: none ran: average 9:26/km total time: 2:20

3. Walk breaks assigned: none ran: I didn't take regular walk breaks tonight. I walked a couple times, but generally just kept a steady relaxing pace in the dark.

4. Speed work: none.

5. Aches & Pains: I tried running with my shoes again because of the cold weather. Got another blood blister on the right foot. I'm tossing the shoes. I hope to get an insulated pair of Vibrams. I like barefoot better.

I would have chosen the longer distance, but I just did not have the time - I didn't get up early enough and the whole weekend was filled with orchestra performances for my two sons - lovely, but smack in the middle of the day (one on Saturday and the other today), when I like to get my long run in. I laced up at 7 pm tonight even though my motivation was at an all time low. I think the cold, wet, darkness is doing a number on me. But tonight was warm-ish and dry-ish (I still ran with wool socks).

6. questions: not really - just to let you know, I'm a bit at cross-purposes at the moment. I am really pushing to lose some weight, so I'm eating a lower calorie menu than I have the last couple months. I think ultimately, my running will be easier with these last 10 pounds off. I felt like I had good stamina tonight - I ate more yesterday and today to prepare for the run. My goal is to be at my goal weight by new years.

7. Next week: I'm not sure -  here's what you had put together - I'm off by a week since my household had the flu and I ran a 5k instead of distance last weekend.

Nov 22--22K
Nov 29--5K
Dec 6--27K
Dec 13--6K
Dec 19--16K

shoe saga continues

I don't know how to describe yesterday. I felt bored with food. Not cooking, shopping, or planning. Just foraging in my kitchen and eating at the canteen. I wasn't not hungry in the morning. Ate when I get to work. Lunch was roast chicken that had a sweet chili sauce. I think that triggered a sugar craving and I ate half a bag of licorice. Instead of tasty apples sitting on my desk. Then a late inadequate dinner, which was a sports meal replacement bar. Eaten at the checkout stand because I was feeling light-headed. Even so I am quite pleased with myself. I had been feeling a little too perfect with my food lately.

Thursdays are the only day of the week when stores stay open past five. So last night I ran errands on my bike in a rainstorm, complete with high winds and lightning, to try out some new running shoes (again) and replace the bath salts I used up. And buy go-gel and sports drink for this weekend's long run. I picked a local marathon out for December. It's a homely little race nearby; by then it will be cold, dark and rainy here. A fine time to run.

So I have yet another pair of running shoes, these a half-size larger. According to the shoe guy, the Brooks are fine for shorter distances but they are too soft and my right foot needs more support against bending and rolling off my foot at an angle. I think the real problem is my form since my right foot turns out just a bit. I will try a treadmill run so I can try the shoes while keeping them clean. I'm vaguely suspicious of shoe guy's opinions. He's in the business of selling shoes, after all. He didn't have my size in the shoe he was recommending - turns out he wants to put me back in the same Asics Nimbus I already have.

I mail-ordered some VIBRAM five finger shoes the other day to see if barefoot running continues to work better for me. Shoe store guy offered his opinion that I would hurt myself running on asphalt. [don't they all say that?] That my feet don't hurt on the the beach because it acts like a cushioned running shoe. Time will tell. But I know my Brooks hurt after 8k on sand or asphalt. He said they were half a size too small. Crikey. The same store sold them to me. He did give me a discount on the new shoes though. So I'll try the Saucony, which are not as stiff as the Nimbus.

12*800 & shoes again

1. Distance assigned: 800m*12

2. Pace assigned: gradual accelerations every 200m, total 5 min, including a 30 sec walk break at 400m. Pace actually run: see above (average temperature 76 degrees) - duration of rest periods between laps indicated. I walked rather than jogging.

3. Pace: I ran between the 100 & 900 m hashes, to eliminate the error I think I found in the markings last week - this appears to have eliminated the 4 second variation on the tops and bottoms of the laps.

4. Speed-work done: see above

5. Any aches/pains? No soreness in my knees at all today. Not even afterwards. My right foot is bugging me again: I ran with my shoes on today except for the last two laps. I took them off because my right foot started hurting again at 8 k and loosening the laces didn't relieve it. The "corner" or edge of the ball of my right foot started to hurt. This doesn't happen when I run barefoot on the beach. (I ran most of the 22k last week barefoot). After I took my shoes off, the pain stopped immediately. The foot dr I saw a couple weeks ago suggested the callous there comes from shoes that are too narrow. So I will go back to the shoe store - maybe I need a wider running shoe. running on the trail barefoot is not like running on the beach. (and maybe I need new dress shoes too....)

6. Questions? how do runners carry enough water? I ran with a camelbak last weekend and drank all my water, and bought more on the route, and still ran out. Today I ran with bottles in a belt and finished them too. :(

Tuesday's mid-week run was more difficult than usual - I felt like a flat tire and kept it to 30 minutes. I think I was still a little tired from Sunday's run/bike festival.

I sampled the intervals you suggested. Both 4:1 & 3:1 intervals felt very comfortable. I worked late Wed & Thursday and didn't get a second run in. Nutrition and sleep were off the last couple days (too little of each). I felt it today. The last two laps felt pretty difficult compared to the earlier ones. The first three didn't feel as quick as they turned out to be.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 22K - I'm looking forward to it!
Have a great week.

Chris