My Running and Fitness Goals for 2012

It's that time again...setting fitness goals for the new year!  I've realized that I have to set achievable fitness goals for myself or I end up floundering in a no man's land of exercise that keeps me more active than the man on the couch but does little else.  Last year my ultimate goal was to get back into regular running and increase my mileage to a half marathon distance by the end of the year.  I met and exceeded that goal.  Since I reached that goal mid-way through the year I had to set new goals.  I decided on the ambitious yet doable goal of running a full marathon, which I also accomplished. The full marathon was a far reach though, I'll admit.  I didn't finish it within a time that I'm particularly proud of (4:40) and I know that I have it in me to do better than that.  I realize that I probably pushed too hard too soon but I was really intent on running that first marathon.  Now that I have running experience with a variety of distances I have a better idea of what to expect and aim for. 

So, what goal(s) should I aim for as New Year's Resolutions for 2012? First I'll start by looking at the weaknesses I've identified after a year's worth of running.

Weaknesses

• Slow speed - I've sacrificed speed for endurance by competing in progressively longer race distances.
• Lack of upper body strength - Focusing on running has left my upper body strength training wanting.
• Weak on Hills - The Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon taught me that hills are killer for me and that I need to work on leg strengthening.  

There are many more weak areas I could mention but these are the main problems I identified throughout 2011.  I don't want to spend the majority of my training focusing just on weaknesses because that wouldn't make running and exercising particularly enjoyable and I'd tire of the grueling pace of things quickly.  In order to develop a useful but reasonable and hopefully enjoyable training regime I need to take my strengths into account too.

Strengths

• Endurance - I know I can handle progressively longer runs and increased mileage if it's done slowly.
• Few Injuries - I have had few problems with injuries (knock on wood) that a short recovery period and some minor adjustments haven't handled.
• Training Plans Work - With a reasonable training plan in hand I usually follow it and benefit from it much better than when I allow myself to improvise.

With all this in mind I've developed a few goals for 2012 that I think are challenging yet achievable and will make me a better runner.

Fitness Goals for 2012

• Run a sub 4:30 Marathon - My ultimate goal for 2012 is to run a marathon before the end of the year in less than four hours and thirty minutes.  This would be a ten minute improvement on my first attempt but very doable as my first attempt was slower than even my training runs predicted.  If I find myself on track to do even better than 4:30 then great, but I'm not going to be overzealous.
• Tackle the Hills - I would love to run the Atlanta Half Marathon again next year but I need to be able to handle those hills a lot better.  At least once a week I will incorporate hill work or intense lower body strength training into my training plan.
• Get Faster - Before I start focusing on longer distances for the marathon I need to work on my speed.  For this reason I'd like my first race of 2012 to be a 5k.  My initial training plan for 2012 will be a 5k plan focusing on a 22 minute finish time. I'll also make sure to incorporate speedwork into my subsequent training plans once I transition to a half marathon or marathon distance goal.
• Don't Neglect the Upper Body - I realize that focusing on running won't allow me a lot of time to focus on the upper body (also depending upon how busy my schedule for 2012 ends up being).  So, I don't want to set an overly ambitious goal of doing upper body strength training three times a week but I need to do a minimum of one upper body strength training session a week and two sessions during my lower mileage weeks.

So, those are my fitness goals for 2012! It doesn't cover every aspect of my training plan because I know that'll change throughout the year depending on my progress and how much time I have available.  It's a good starting point though and includes things I need to keep in mind throughout the year. I have one larger, ultimate goal to work towards that can and may take the entire year to work up to (sub 4:30 marathon).  I also have a few smaller goals that I can start on right away and will help ensure I'm a well-rounded runner and increase my physical fitness level. What do you think? What are your fitness goals for 2012? 

Small Changes Can Prevent Leg Cramps During Strength Training

So, I'm playing a bit of catch-up in documenting my workouts over the past few days.  To be honest, when I started this blog I didn't intend on using it as a workout log at all and instead just using it to track my running training to see what works and what doesn't and maybe help others that were interesting in running as well.  So, I might not always list my workouts here unless I feel they hold some particular significance to the point I'm trying to make (if there even is a point).

On Saturday I decided to change up the order of my workout.  I planned to do lower body strength training and a 3 mile run on the treadmill.  From previous experience I found that doing the strength training first usually led to my muscles being tight and so I would end up changing my form during the run.  That's not a good thing.  That's how you end up getting injured by twisting your knee or something as a result of unnatural movement.  I also have had the problem of my legs cramping during strength training even if I did some dynamic stretches first.  I figured that my legs just weren't getting loosened up enough beforehand.  On Saturday I did the run first and then did the lower body strength training.  What a difference! I had no problems with leg cramps and I felt the workout was a little easier than it would normally be.  

I also changed up my exercises a little on Saturday.  I tried using the Bosu ball to do body weight squats.  I'm uncoordinated so I figured it'd help with stabilization muscles as well as overall leg strength. I had a few problems keeping my balance but it's the first time I've done that particular exercise so I know I'll improve over time. I also think using the Bosu for squats (without weights) helped to prevent the leg cramps as well.

Saturday December 17 Workout
Treadmill Run - 3 miles in 28:15

Dumbbell Lunges - 3 sets w/ 10 lbs x 10 each side
Bosu Squats - 3 sets x 12
Dumbbell Calf Raises - 3 sets x/ 15 lbs x 10
Step-ups - 3 sets w/ 15 lbs x 10 each side

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Today, Monday, I focused on upper body strength training and did that first before going on my run. I tried to cover all the major muscle groups which took me about 30 minutes to do.  I didn't do any different exercises or increase the weight really but I felt much stronger this time around than I did last Monday.

Monday December 19 Workout

Dumbbell Shrugs - 3 sets w/ 20 lbs x 12
Dumbbell Bicep Hammer Curls - 3 sets w/ 15 lbs x 10
Dumbbell Tricep Kick-backs - 3 sets w/ 10 lbs x 8
Dumbbell Chest Press - 3 sets w/ 10 lbs x 10
                                     1 set w/ 15 lbs x 10 (because 10 lbs is really too light but 15 is a little too heavy)
Lat Pull-down - 3 sets w/ 50 lbs x 10

Treadmill Run - 3 miles in 26:45

These past few weeks have been very laid back in terms of workout frequency and length.  I plan on keeping it this way until after the holidays.  I figure I have to be realistic and it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra time for my knees to heal.  Once the New Year rolls around I will definitely have to increase the workouts to at least five per week and increase the run mileage a bit as well.  The large running mileage increase won't happen until Spring though.  By then I should be completely recovered and more than ready to run, run, run!

Trail Run at Clinton Nature Preserve

Clinton Nature Preserve Trail - Much Better Than Looking at a Gym Wall

Today was a beautifully temperate winter day so I took the opportunity to go on a trail run at Clinton Nature Preserve.  I had no particular route in mind and my only goal was to run for at least 40 minutes but preferably no more than 50 minutes.  Setting a time goal instead of a distance goal is much better for trail running as the terrain variation will make your pace slower than normal anyway while giving an added workout to stability muscles while going over rocks, limbs, etc.  It's also more difficult to hit a goal time or distance exactly as, unlike in the gym, you can't just stop whenever and wherever you want and be within short walking distance of your car.  So, it takes a little more planning to run on trails and until you learn the network of trails in the park or area where you wish to run you need to plan for the unexpected as much as possible.  If you'll remember, this nature preserve is where I got lost while trying to follow the entire red trail.

To track this run I decided to use my husband's Nike GPS Watch which he rarely uses.  I used that in combination with my New Balance Minimus shoes with the Nike+ pod nestled in a pouch attached to the shoe.  The big disadvantage that I've noticed in using the pouch on shoes that are not Nike+ compatible is that the sensor isn't as accurate.  Sometimes it'll underestimate the pace and distance and other times it'll overestimate it.  I guess there's something about the pouch that means the pod isn't as secure as when it's in the Nike+ shoe.  I smell a Nike conspiracy.  Anyway, the pod in this case was just a backup in case the GPS went out.  I was able to recalibrate the Nike GPS watch to my sensor pretty easily but there was no way to change the Nike+ account associated with the watch so the run got logged under my husband's account.  At least it made his numbers look good.

Nike GPS Watch and NB Minimus with shoe pouch (that shiny thing is the pouch)

My run was pretty enjoyable.  It was nice to get back out on the trails after running solely on a treadmill for a couple of weeks.  Too bad this nice weather isn't likely to last all winter.  I saw only two other people on the trails as well as a couple on a bench which they probably thought was secluded enough that no one would see them (but I am a forest ninja).  Every time I come across a couple on a secret rendezvous in a park they're almost always adults and hardly ever teenagers.  It makes me wonder if there's some secret affair going on as adults don't need a secluded area of a park to make out.  Anyway, I finished the run with no issues and without falling down this time (always a plus).

Today's Workout:
5 Mile run in 46:25 with an avg pace of 9'15"

Tempo Run For Fun

Ah, the joys of a tempo run.  Some (non-runners mostly) would think that the slow run days are the most enjoyable but that's not always the case.  Usually my favorite runs are tempo runs.  Tempo runs are really meant to be run at just below the lactate threshold but I really have to gauge that mostly by feel and by min/mile pace because I've never had my lactate threshold exactly measured in a lab setting.  You'll see a few different definitions of tempo run out there; some give you a heart-rate percentage and others a pace based off of various race distances.  For me that translates to running a pace roughly equal to my 10k race pace (9 min/mile) but for a much shorter distance (2 - 4 miles).  Today I ran 3 miles at that pace.  As you can see, I'm no speed demon.

I suppose the reason I find these tempo runs so enjoyable is that I get the chance to run at a speed I feel is respectable without killing myself in the process.  Once it's all said and done I feel that I've gotten a decent workout in but haven't had to run really fast or for very long in order to do it.  Sort of like a college class in which you know today's class time will only consist of a quiz.  You'll feel like you've put in some effort at the end of it but there's a good chance you'll get out of class early because of it.  Sounds like a win/win to me.

Before indulging in my favorite type of run though, I did a core strength training workout.  I'm on a constant mission to find abdominal exercises that aren't sit-ups as I had to do those in the Army and hated it.  I'm not a fan of crunches either.  I did bite the bullet today though and did some incline sit-ups but the bench wasn't really designed for someone 5'2".  A lot of exercise machines at the gym aren't really designed well for someone my size but I can usually make do after making some adjustments.  The sit-up bench's incline can be adjusted but that doesn't help my legs to fit well under the padded supports at the top of the bench.  Instead of my legs pressing up against the support I'm having to use some leg strength to keep my feet hooked under there in order to avoid rolling ass over tea kettle off the back of the bench.  I'm sure that would be entertaining to others but would likely abruptly end my workout for the day. Somehow, I made it work.

Today's Workout Routine

3 sets of Knee Raises on the Captain's Chair x 15
3 sets of Back Extensions on bench x 20 
2 sets of Side Extensions on bench x 15
3 sets of Incline Sit-ups x 12

Three mile tempo run on the treadmill at about a 9 min/mile pace finishing in 26:30

Strength Training For A Weak Woman

Strength training workouts are proceeding as planned!  Last week, as part of my off-season training, I made sure to concentrate more on strength training.  I did three strength training sessions throughout the week (one upper body, one core, and one lower body focus).  I ran three times during the week for a total of 13 miles and did another cardio session on the elliptical.  I've realized one important thing - I'm weak!  I really need to make sure I get these muscles working this winter.

One thing I find it hard to get away from is the mileage mindset.  I had gotten used to running 30 or 40 miles a week or more while training for the marathon and it feels like I'm hardly running at all when I put in a 13 mile week.  I realize that logically, as long as I'm focusing on cross training and maintaining some running that I'm still going to stay in shape.  I just have this fear that once spring rolls around and I increase my mileage that I will all of the sudden be unable to run.  But, to run 30 miles a week now would sort of be counter-productive to my goals.  I still have a few problem areas that need to fully recover following my first year of running races and I have the aforementioned strength deficit that I need to work on.  But I miss the feeling of accomplishment from those long runs!

I look forward to the day that I can feel as comfortable lifting weights as I do running (to the point where I can give advice to beginning runners).  When I'm on the treadmill or running outside I feel a sense of comfort that comes with doing something familiar.  I may not be particularly fast nor an expert in the field but at least I feel I know a thing or two about running.  When it comes to strength training however, I still feel like a newbie.  I've been doing strength training (to varying degrees) for years now but as I'm weak I usually stick to lighter weights and work on toning.  Now that I'm trying to push myself and deal with weights that are heavy for me, I feel like a wimp.  It doesn't help that I'm struggling to do bicep curls with a 40 pound curl bar while the guy next to me is throwing up an ungodly amount of weight.  Sort of makes my efforts feel insignificant.  I'm glad my gym has a women's only section for just that reason even if I don't always use it (why should I be embarrassed?).  Luckily, I have yet to see a woman of my size throwing up lots of weight.  When I do, I'll have to ask her what her secret is.  

Today's Workout Schedule
 I start all workouts with dynamic stretches before moving into a brief warm-up


Warm-up:  Push-ups (from knees) x 10

3 sets of Dumbbell bench press - 16.5 lbs x 10
3 sets of tricep cable push-down - 50 lbs x 10
3 sets of curl-bar bicep curls - 30 lbs x 10
Should have thrown in some shrugs and/or lat pull-downs as well but was feeling weak. I'll throw that in later in the week when I workout the core.

Ran on the treadmill for 4 miles, varying my pace between 11 min/mile and 8 min/mile with the majority of the run being at a 10 min/mile, and finished in 39 mins. 

People At the Gym

Jumping rope like this guy will help you get ripped in no time

I know I've commented before on the parade of humanity one can find at the gym but as the gym is a variable menagerie I once again feel compelled to share my (un)scientific findings.  Today I observed the habits of the American hippie, what I believe to be a lesbian couple (but could also have been two teenage boys...not sure), a man whom I momentarily mistook for my husband, and a galloping horse type creature on the treadmill.  This may be one of the horsemen sent as a sign that the Apocalypse is near.

As to the man whom I mistook for my husband; that one is pretty simple.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man of approximately the same skin color, height and build as my husband.  I had to do a double take because he was also wearing glasses (as my husband does) and was wearing the same type of clothes that my husband would wear.  This precipitated a several seconds long stare before I could be assured that he was not, in fact, my husband.  I realize that an unintended side effect of this was that the man probably thought I was checking him out.  Well, at least I bolstered someone's ego today.

Then there was the hippie fellow.  If this were a gym in California or some other place where one often finds hippies (a Mellow Mushroom?), it wouldn't be as unusual.  A gym in suburban Georgia that's part of a well-known national chain is not a place I expect to find a hippie.  After all, aren't they anti-big business? He was wearing the usual hippie workout attire (which also happens to be the usual hippie beach attire and casual wear) of knee length frayed shorts, baggy tank top, tattoos and the gnarly dreadlocked hair along with jewelry made of some hemp related material.  He was in shape though.  I'll give him that.  I just didn't think someone who's stoned (as I assume most hippies are) is really interested in working out.

The lesbian couple is still a bit of an enigma to me.  I have nothing against lesbian couples and fully support their right to workout in a gym.  What does bother me is when I'm unable to determine if they are, in fact, lesbians because I'm not sure of their respective genders.  That could lead to many an embarrassing situation and I could only hope that they wouldn't ask me where the locker room was located as I'd have no idea which one to direct them to.  I'm fairly certain that at least one of them was female.  The problem lay in the fact that they were both overweight and had short hair.  It makes it hard to determine if they have man-boobs or for-real boobs.  To further complicate matters I had pretty much determined that they were both female as they appeared to be wearing sports bras and then I noticed that one of them had hairy legs.  Male or female who chooses not to shave her legs?  Despite all that I'm about 65% sure they were both females.  They could very well be heterosexual females but based on everything I've mentioned you can draw your own conclusions.

Finally, there's the galloping man.  Well, it was really more like a cantor.  I'm not sure....I'm no equestrian expert.  Suffice it to say, he was "running" on the treadmill with a gait I can only attribute to four legged creatures.  He was running at a moderate pace but lifting his legs much higher with each step than I would have thought mechanically efficient.  As you can imagine, he was making a lot of noise in the process.  I bet he burned a bazillion calories. In conclusion, here's a video of his kind in their natural habitat.....

     

Treadmill Workout Here I Go!

Time for a treadmill workout to get back to my old running self!  Today was my first run since the half marathon on Thanksgiving Day.  I eased back into running with a simple 30 minute easy paced treadmill run in the gym.  I know there's a lot of animosity toward the treadmill among runners but I honestly don't see why.  It's true that I would rather run outside most of the year but cooler temps and dreary weather don't inspire me to get outdoors.  If it keeps me running during the winter then I'll take a treadmill run any day.  This is particularly the case since I really dislike running on roads and having to watch out for traffic or wait at stoplights.  My ideal run is on a clear trail with a few good hills spaced throughout.

I also learned a neat tidbit of information from the December edition of Running Times about the treadmill.  I had always been told that, in order to compensate for wind resistance and other factors of outdoor running, that while running on a treadmill you should always keep it at a 1-1.5% incline.  Apparently that isn't necessarily the case.  Only of speeds faster than 8mph (7:30 min/mile) does this really make a difference.  So, for those of us who spend most of their time running speeds slower than this, there is no need to increase the incline.  Although, I suppose it won't hurt you to run with a 1% incline and will actually help you in the long run.  At least I won't feel guilt anymore if I choose not to have that bit of an incline.  I will need to bump up the incline though when doing speed intervals as I will usually be hitting that 8mph threshold for those.
 

Off-Season Workout Routine

Relaxation, rest, recovery....that's what I've been doing for the past week.  Following my Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon I needed to take a break.  I've been running 4 or 5 days a week since March and steadily increasing my endurance.  I begun to notice in October though that I wasn't getting any faster and long runs were getting more difficult instead of easier.  That's a sign that you need to take a break.  I was mentally and physically worn out but I still had the Half Marathon to run.  I decided to run that race for fun without focusing too much on speed.  I'm glad I did it but it was the finale to my running season.

I'm hitting the reset button.  I decided on a week of rest followed by the start of a new workout routine to carry me through the winter. I dislike running in the cold anyway so this seemed like a logical off season opportunity to focus on strength training and flexibility while doing a combination of cardio workouts including running, walking, the ARC trainer and the elliptical.  I still need to maintain at least 10-15 miles of running a week but as I know I will never be in a position to win races I'd rather focus on my overall well being.  Once the spring rolls around I'll reduce the cross training and strength training and increase the running mileage gradually.  At least that's my plan. :)

Today I eased back into an exercise routine by doing 30 minutes of yoga/strength training.  I used The Biggest Loser Yoga Meltdown workout video on level 1.  It's a good mixture of yoga flexibility training and body weight strength training moves.  You would think that someone who has run a marathon would have no problem with a Biggest Loser workout routine, but it wasn't easy!  I haven't done yoga for about 9 months and I'm pretty weak when it comes to strength training because I've been focusing so much on cardio and endurance this past year.  If anything this has reaffirmed my need to work on my strength and flexibility.

So, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and if you have any ideas for a well rounded workout please feel free to share!