Why Run When You Have NO GOALS?

SNAPSHOT

Events got canceled but running is never canceled.

DIGGING DEEPER

On my run today with my high school sophomore son (yes, I guess I am still normal enough to be seen in public with him) we discussed why we are running even though our seasons have been canceled. The writing is on the wall for his high school track season to never resume. And with my high school coaching and spring trail races canceled, I am floating aimlessly. So why were we still out on the trails running when our goals, expectations, and hopes are dashed, delayed, and non-existent? His answer was, “We are investing.”

We don’t put money in the bank in order to every 6 months withdraw every cent. We plan portions for immediate use, special purchases, emergencies, and another for long term. So your immediate use portion of running fitness is for the daily ability to complete workouts. The special purchases are the goal races, yearly marathon, and team relay races. An emergency portion is for a good immune system in order to keep you healthy and happy. Then there is that long term category. It is the portion that takes discipline with regular additions, and no subtractions. That is the running you can be banking now.

Invest Long Term

With every step you run your body is becoming a more efficient machine, adding strength, changing cell structure, and building mental endurance. When you meet those runners who have been running for decades you are interacting with long term investment. You look up to their resilience, calmness, and confidence. They didn’t get there through only running because of goals, or special purchases. They got there because they kept investing in their 401K running bank.

HOW to Run Without Goals

Value Long Term Investment - Add up your miles for the year, remember each mile or dollar matters.

Consistency- Get accountability, routine, plans, encouragement in order to run often

Get connected to the Feeling of Running- Slow down, feel the rhythm of movement, smile

SOLUTION

Running is never canceled. Invest today.

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Quote below is from the morning shakeout newsletter by Mario Fraioli — excellent, subscribe!

“Be patient and tough; one day this pain will be useful to you.” by Ovid

Energy to Burn

Guest Blogger

By Dr. Theresa DeLorenzo, RD

There are many factors when we determine if we have the freedom to run.  Do we have the time?  Many of us work 9-5 jobs meaning if we want to run if requires running in the dark.  Many of us have other responsibilities that get in the way of being able to run such as kids after school activities and sports events.  There are physical disabilities that prevent some of us from running.  But, one factor that is ubiquitous to us all is the need for proper energy intake to making running and exercise of any type possible. 

I have been a runner for almost four years.  I, like we all do, have good days and bad days.  Days when you feel like you can run forever and days when you feel like your legs weigh a million pounds.  I run six days a week so they are obviously not all going to be good.  I have done eight half marathons and will do my first marathon this year.  So why at the age of 41 have I only been running for four years?  It’s complicated.  

When I was six years old, I started doing gymnastics.  I am small and energetic so it was a perfect sport.  Ball sports never interested me and in fact, they terrified me.  Gymnastics just felt so freeing and powerful.  When you stand on the balance beam you are precise and in control.  When you swing from the bars, you are agile and free.  When you spring from the springboard and glide over the vault you are powerful.  Then, you get older and bigger and it isn’t so easy anymore.  It all takes more energy and moving across the bean and swinging from the bars is more difficult and more awkward.  Then there’s the pressure of what a gymnast should look like; the petite, 4 foot 7 person with no extra body fat and the bony figure.  That may be realistic when we are ten years old but as we reach puberty that is no longer realistic nor is it healthy.  Nevertheless, that is the expectation.  As a 14-year-old gymnast, weighing 100 pounds was certainly not acceptable.  A day that changed my life forever occurred.  I would not change it because many good things have come out of the experience but it was not easy.  What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger right? 

It was mid- summer after seventh grade.  I was at gymnastics practice and my coach informed me that he would no longer be able to spot me because I was now too big.  The comment hit me like a ton of bricks.  I should’ve thought, “what a jerk, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”  Instead as an impressionable 14 year old I thought, I need to fix this. 

My coach went on vacation and didn’t return for two weeks.  During that time I decided that I would prove to him that I was still a capable gymnast.  I started by going as long as I could without eating.  I made it almost 24 hours before I broke down.  I came up with a meal plan that would allow me to survive but maintain a very lean figure.  I lost 13 pounds, kept it off for four years, and did not menstruate again until I was 18.  There is a misconception that excessive exercise causes amenorrhea.  It is actually inadequate calories to fuel that exercise that causes amenorrhea and the subsequent bone loss. During this time I began to break.  I went to catch the bars on a mount and broke all of the bones in my right hand broke.  That healed and I came back, dismounted the bars, and sprained my ankle very badly.  On the small amount I was consuming, I was not strong enough to continue.  My career in gymnastics had come to an end.  So, what the heck does this all have to do with running?  Just keep reading…

I needed to find a sport with a softer landing.  As a junior in high school I joined the diving team.  Landing in water felt safer.  Maybe I won’t continue to break.  I didn’t break but I gained weight because I wasn’t getting as much exercise. My slim frame of 87 pounds became 93 and then 98.  I panicked.  I was approaching the dreaded weight that was so problematic.  I decided to join the track team so that I could get more exercise but my intake hadn’t improved so sure enough, illness struck.  I came down with mononucleosis.  After a month of having my dad read my assignments to me and eat as little as possible because I wasn’t moving at all, I decided it was time to go back.  Was it actually time to go back?  Probably not.  Actually, it was definitely not time to go back.  I developed walking pneumonia.  

Fast forward to the present, I have obtained a bachelors, masters and doctorate degree in nutrition and have learned, amongst other things, that in order to use your body you have to fuel it.  I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.  I love my career as a dietitian and never once have I wanted to be in any other field.  It is an extremely rewarding field that allows me to help people of all ages become healthier, have less disease symptoms, live longer and perform better.  Did I learn to eat perfectly and not have any fearful thoughts when it comes to food?  No, but I got much better.  

When I was 36 years old I ran a 5k with my best friends.  I survived so we ran a four mile race on the fourth of July.  They decided if I could run four miles that I could run six miles so we trained for a 10K.  I knew from my gymnastics years that I gain muscle easily and saw the number on the scale slowly creeping up with my running so I decided to cut out meat. A boyfriend at the time even said to me that I should watch my weight because my body fat was 19% and much higher than his. There is so much evidence surrounding plant- based diets and how they stave off disease.  I decided that would be the right diet for me.  I claimed that I was trying to fend off disease but I was actually trying to keep my weight in a place where I was more comfortable.  I ran a 10K and then a 15K and then several half marathons and then I was a runner.  I ran daily only taking days off when coach Shelly told me to.  It got easier and I got faster and each race went better than the last until it didn’t. 

I had been running for almost three years and not eating meat for the same amount of time. Half way through a half marathon my world went fuzzy.  I didn’t know what was happening.  I was at mile three and Shelly said I was supposed to pick up my pace from 8:30 minutes per mile to 8:15 but I couldn’t.  My legs wouldn’t move.  I couldn’t see straight.  I felt like I was floating for a minute and one of the volunteers grabbed me and made me stop.  I was so disappointed because this was going to be my fastest half marathon yet.  I started thinking about other things I had been noticing about my body in the past few months such as blurry vision, waking up with my hands and feet both asleep and my lips cut apart to the point that it was impossible to open my mouth without excruciating pain to know that I had a vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is only obtained from animal foods but I thought the eggs and fish I was eating was enough.  Apparently not.  I asked my doctor to obtain my serum level.  Ideally, it should be over 800 ng/ml.  Mine was a measly 180 ng/ml.  I had done it again. I had depleted myself to the point that did not allow me to perform my sport the way I wanted to. 

I decided that it was time to eat what my body told me to eat.  I resumed eating meat again.  My weight actually did not change.  I am able to run and in fact, all winter I ran 40 miles per week and feel great.  I run with friends who say “you just never know how a run is going to go.”  I remember feeling that way but now that I fuel my body the way it asks me to, I rarely have difficult runs.  I still believe a plant- based diet is a healthy way to eat and consume nuts, beans, tofu and tempeh on a regular basis but I believe that moderation is the way to go.  If I don’t eat meat, my body does not allow me to exercise which is my stress release.  Stress is more harmful than anything we can put in our bodies. 

This year I plan to run my first full marathon and will listen to what my body needs.  When we crave foods, there is a reason. 

Listen to your body.  It is smart.  Happy running! 

Theresa can be contacted by email at
theresadelorenzo123@yahoo.com

Note From Shelly: Thank you so much, Theresa, for sharing your journey through weight control, fueling the body, and learning to listen to the body. I admire who you are and your care for others within your profession and home life. I’m a fan of you!

My Winter Week of Running

SNAPSHOT

Opening up my Garmin Data

DIGGING DEEPER

Want to peek into another runner’s training log?

Well, this week I am opening up my pages to show you where and what I logged this week.

Since winter in Minnesota has descended on our roads and trails, I have sheltered in my local YMCA’s cardio room for use of the treadmill. The bonuses of treadmills, within a community of runners, are that we can each go our own pace and show up for partial runs together. Most of my runs were with conversations but others needed a Kindle or virtual terrain to keep my mind occupied. Then afterward I am more likely to stretch a little longer and add a few more strengthening exercises because I am not distracted by the home and kid needs.

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So this is a fairly common winter week for the month of February. I start to get my mileage up near 40 miles a week in preparation for the spring when I can run more long runs and speed workouts outdoors.

The skiing has increased this year as I am gaining in my endurance and technique. Plus my 10-year-old can last longer on the trails. I like to ski 2-3 times a week. With one of them being close to 20K. My arms and legs have become so much stronger this season. I love that I will have strong arms even before tank top season begins!

So here is the breakdown!

Monday

18K Nordic Skiing - Skate style— I was able to sneak this in before and during my sons’ JV conference ski meet at Elm Creek Park Reserve. I circled the lake twice by covering the Lake trail which joined up with the Northern Lights trail.

6 miles including 5 quarter mile hills on the treadmill — I was eager to feel the surge of endorphins since I had to take the previous days off due to illness so grabbed an hour at my local Y to run. I keep forgetting to set the minutes on the treadmill for more than the 30 preset limit and end up restarting the treadmill in order to finish out my run. This mistake instead got me thinking about mixing up elevation. I threw in five quarter mile repeats (2% incline at 7:30 pace) in the last 3 miles of the run. For recovery between the repeats, I returned back to zero elevation but kept the 7:30 pace. The result of 2% elevation and 7:30 pace put my body at an effort level above my lactate threshold and training the threshold to increase to a higher level. After pushups and downward dog, I rushed off to pick up my daughter from swimming!

Tuesday

3 miles outdoors with a friend were followed by the rest of the miles on the treadmill to reach 6 miles— Whenever a friend asks to run, I try really hard to make it happen. So out onto the snowy roads, we went. I tried my trail shoes in order to get more grab on the roads but my muscles noticed. Since three miles was all that could fit into her schedule, I drove right to the Y to finish up the run, reaching a calculated average for the day. Hint: 2019 divided by 365

Wednesday

5K Nordic Skate Skiing — A relaxing tour around our local ski trails with my kids. Incredible beauty lays awaits for you to discover within the woods. Go for a walk, run, snowshoe, or ski to be filled up.

1 hour of treadmill miles adding 7.3 miles — I have this favorite winter training duration. It is the hour-long run. An hour of running is long enough to aerobically and structurally challenge the body, yet it is low enough stress that it can be repeated day after day. My favorite is when I can hit exactly 7.0 miles at 1:00:00 without purposely altering my speed. I have only done it only two times in my life. On this run, I didn’t think I would make it past a daily 6 miles but small goals helped me to hit my mark.

Thursday

Lactate Threshold testing in St. Cloud in the morning — Googled and found! I was reading the Science of Running book by Magness about Fast Twitch and Slow Twitch muscles and how to find your body’s natural dominance. And so I googled and found a nearby university that would do Lactate Threshold testing. I was hoping for a bit of a different test than I received but am overall glad for the information and experience gained. I will leave the detailed description of my testing for another blog post. However, the testing of my blood lactate level along with my heart rate gave me the same data that I can feel when I am running. Interesting that my Monday workout happened to put me right at the correct level of training to push my lactate level higher. Experience can be as good as data! Listen to your body well and add up your experiences. And yes, I do plan to get retested from the FT and ST fiber levels and an updated lactate level in May.

6.2 miles in the treadmill in the evening — Well 2 miles in the morning was not enough running and a friend could do her run workout beside me so I jumped back onto the treadmill in the evening for a 10K. This winter I have set my watch to read metrically instead of imperially because well, that is what skiers do. I figure changing up my thought patterns and seeing my running distance from a new angle is advantageous, so kilometers it is! Just for the winter season though.

Friday

6 treadmill miles - A high heart rate and a tired body still made it to 6 miles on the treadmill with a friend to keep me company. After this run, I knew I needed a day off tomorrow.

Saturday

Family Skiing for 17K (daughters new record) and no running — Seriously LOVE the beauty of Nordic skiing sights!

Sunday

Wondering around with the youth ski club for 3K classic skiing — Warms the heart to teach children

7 miles on the treadmill — Reached the 40 miles a week mark with this final run. I don’t like running on Sunday because I usually want to spend all the time with family but the kids wanted to swim play at our YMCA so I got 7 miles of guilt-free running! I didn’t have to hit 40 miles this week, but it worked out well. I did notice my heart rate back down to normal and the fatigue of the week’s training all gone. Rest days are valuable. Added extra stretch and strengthening after the run.

SOLUTION

Throughout the winter, each of my weeks looks different but usually consist of 5-6 days of running with 30-40 miles covered. I just feel right with daily runs. No long run this week but I did challenge my body twice with speed. In the spring I will mix in more race distance specific training but for the winter I just need to maintain a good base. I do wish I could have done more runs outdoors this week but the snowy roads and negative degree weather made the treadmill a better option. The sunny skis were helpful in accumulating more vitamin D from the sun!

TELL ME about YOUR training last week! What cross training do you do, are you a winter treadmill runner, what is your ideal winter weekly mileage? Comment below…

MISSION COMPLETE: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#30 Mission Complete

SNAPSHOT

I must be honest, 30 days of writing in a row contained some struggles but after completion, just like training and racing, I am a changed person, more experienced and I hope a better writer. It was a positive experience and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I set out a challenge, stuck with it, and had fun along the way.

DIGGING DEEPER

At first, it was easy to find topics to write about. Oh, course I had to cover female training, sleeping, shoes (part 1 and 2), winter running, gear (including watches), treadmills, training plans, and sitting. But then came the inspirations day by day, like listing my runner’s phone uses, and when to stop or start running. The polar freeze brought topics of training partners, motivation, Minnesota play, and strength training. I love reading so I naturally shared favorite authors and books, as in Fatigue Tolerance, Fast or Slow, Older Runners, Runners Stretch. Topics close to my heart crept into the blog with Run Like a Kid, No Pretty Runners, A Runner’s Will, and Rest Days. My training partners brainstormed and uncovered a few gems like Runners Vacation and Running Friends.

Through all of these posts I shared knowledge and experiences along with links to articles and shopping. I hope this 30 day series is a resource for you and your training partners for many years. An added SEARCH BAR at the bottom of the page will aid you in finding the information you seek. Please share the posts in order to help others find joy in running.

Although my 30 days are up, I am not powering down the computer, since I have plans for weekly blog posts. And I am excited to bring into the discussion guest bloggers whose experience and viewpoint can enlighten us all. I am hoping to find another blog that will give me the chance to share my love for running with their community as a guest blogger. Perhaps these first ventures into select topics can continue to mature into published articles.

SOLUTION

Tomorrow when I wake up and don’t need to complete a blog, I will be sad, for I will miss our time together.

I am a learner, wanting to grow and grow. If you have ANY feedback for me as a writer and coach, please contact me. I value your thoughts. Thanks, friends!

LAST POST — This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Older Runners: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#29 Older Runners

SNAPSHOT

OLD, a word I dislike. The word old takes away all the beneficial qualities of years of experience, knowledge, and mastery. I prefer the word MASTERS. In running once you pass your 40th birthday you are officially a masters runner. The men and women masters runners that I have trained and raced with throughout the years have colored my world, broken glass ceilings, and taught me the value of patience. THANK YOU!

DIGGING DEEPER

#1 You’re not old! You are still a growing developing individual seeking new challenges and experiences.

#2 You’re not who you use to be. Your mind is stronger, your actions wiser, and your experiences are more vast. However, your body has changed along with time. Don’t try to relive the past, instead forge a new future.

#3 Your past mileage counts for a lot! You have this wide foundation in which to draw upon. Don’t train like a beginner, train like an experienced runner.

Run Less Run Faster by Bill Pierce is my favorite book (I even have a signed copy from meeting him at a coaching seminar) detailing how to train as a masters runner. The combination of Pierce and training with the Willow Street Athletic Club’s masters runners I have shown me you can be an impressive runner into your master years.

HOW TO BE A MASTERS RUNNER

Strive For Realistic Goals and Progressions - Be your current YOU. You are impressive. I admire you. I want to be a masters runner chasing current personal records, just like you. As you progress through your training season give yourself flexibility in your training. You may have more traveling to navigate around or need extra time to recover from illness. Lower your expectations in training and racing and enjoy the experience and friendship community you have grown.

Complete Three Quality Runs- Quick, Steady, and Long. Hit these three paces most weeks of your training season and you will be set for toeing the line at your favorite races. The workouts don’t need to be long, just consistent. Your body has a great memory, able to rebuild central nervous, metabolic, and muscular systems quicker than in your early years of running.

Do Critical Cross-Training - Cash in all your years of mileage and replace some of your easy runs with cross-training activities. Recovery is critical for all runners, but especially for you. You need a few more days of recovery than in your early years. Enjoy cross-training and less pressure for weekly mileage goals.

Be Strong - You loose muscle each birthday year, shore up your muscle fiber count with a couple of short strengthen sessions a week, bodyweight training is quick and effective.

Stay Flexible - Be bendable. With the flexibility will come better mobility (a key to fewer injuries)

Be Adventurous- Yes, completing your 20th Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is admirable but you may find joy in trying a new distance, location, or terrain. Shake up your racing schedule and try a new race.

SOLUTION

Masters runner, YOU AMAZE ME!

ONE DAY LEFT in my QUEST —This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.