Check out the Latest from FNF in the September issue of This Month in Focus-N-Fly!
Written by Dena EvansRace Spotlight - Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon / Half Marathon
Written by Dena Evans
Thanks to Rusty Snow, SBIM Race Director, for taking a few moments with FNF to share the latest and greatest about this year's race! We are thrilled to again be a part of what is quickly turning out to be one of the West Coast's fall distance gems.
FNF:How did the inaugural race go from your perspective. Last year, we talked about trying to create a really special experience for each athlete with great amenities and so on, for instance. How did things unfold according to your plan?
RS: The Inaugural year was a great success given lots of last minute traffic control issue. Luckily, the most of the things that didn’t go well, our participants didn’t see. Our reviews reflect this. One of the things we were really proud of was our fan presence on the course and this wasn’t an accident. We had 8 volunteer captains each in charge of 3 mile segments on the course and their job was to not only be in charge of their volunteers but also to get the word out in each neighborhood to come out and watch the race....so for a first year marathon the fan presence was incredible. We also provided one of the most beautiful ice baths post race anywhere....the Pacific Ocean at the finish at Leadbetter beach! We have much more in store with an incredible track finish this year as well as the addition of a super fast 1/2 marathon. (both races finish at the same spot on the brand new SBCC track)
FNF: Are there any major changes planned for the race this year besides the date? And, what helped sway you to change the date of the race to a month earlier this year.
RS: Major changes include the addition of a 1/2 marathon as well as some logistical changes such as all marathoners MUST take the Beautiful smooth riding SBAirbus to the start this year (parking at the SBCC). There are no extra fees for parking or the bus this year. This is for many reasons one being we started 30 minutes late last year as locals tried to get to the start at the last minute and a traffic jam occurred. We are starting on time this year whether folks are there or not so we ask for all to take the very short 13 minute bus ride to the start. We changed the date for a couple reasons. One, we took over directing the local 1/2 marathon (formerly the News-Press 1/2 marathon) that has been part of our community for the past 35 years and has always been on this date (we also go through the same neighborhood on the mesa so going through once a year versus twice in a month will lessen the impact there) and two we got lucky and just missed rain last year which if it’s going to rain in SB, december is the month.
FNF: A race like this is such a community undertaking. What are some of the ways in which the Santa Barbara area has embraced the race and are invested in its success?
RS: Looking at the community presence on the course last year is all you’d need to see to know the community embraced the event.....now we continue to educate our business community on what a marathon can do for our local economy and continue to have more involvement on that level. We also have a local running boom in SB directly related to the marathon. Heck, just this morning I had 60 people at practice this morning at 6am and our team has grown from 40 to 140 since last year!
FNF: What are your long term plans for the race and any related events or programs you envision for the future?
FNF: If you were an FNF member looking for a great fall half marathon or marathon, what are three top reasons they might want to consider the SBIM?
Tom McGlynn will speak at the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute EXPO on January 29th.
Check back later for more details!
Christine Kennedy - World Class Masters Marathoner is In the Hunt
Written by Dena Evans
ed note: Christine Kennedy is a recently joined FNF member with decades of top class distance running already under her belt. She's won major marathons in the mid 2:30's, has been Irish National Champion, and has countless age group and age graded titles to her name. This fall with the help of Focus-N-Fly, she is hoping to again achieve a fast mark at October's St. George Marathon in Utah.
This year's Boston Marathon was the reason I decided to seek out a coach and reach my goal. I won my age division last year (2009) with a 2:46, and one would think I should be satisfied with the result. However, I knew deep down that I could run faster and so promised myself that I would train like I did years ago. This year, I got invited to run with the elites. All I thought about was that I would not have to spend 2 hours in the cold before the event! So, I did the mileage, and I planned that would race like I did in the past.
My experience at this year's Boston helped me realize that I if I wanted to break the age division record I needed to make changes in my training. The elite ladies started 9:32 am, while rest of the field started at 10:00am, which meant that we had a small group of fast women and no other competitors to work with through the early miles. When the 1st mile for me was 6:11 pace, I knew I was in trouble, even as I was third from last last. My plan was to run 6:35 pace, but this would have put me last of the elites and I had never experienced being in this position before. Quickly, I realized that if I was to finish Boston, I would have to slow down and not look at the field disappearing in the distance.
When I got to Wellesley, I was shocked when the girls were screaming [a Boston Marathon tradition - the Wellesley students create a huge cheering section along the course around the mid point of the race]. I seriously thought there were was a group of cute guys behind me like the year before when I was pacing behind the Navy Guys. But, no they were cheering me on and it felt good.
" Know Thyself." To run effectively is to train with adequate information. I realized I was not listening to what my body was trying to tell me. "Know Ourselves." Get adequate information. Become the best, otherwise someone else will control the pace. These are some of the things I was able to reflect on after my experience this spring.
The time is always now. My concern is the present, and there is no tomorrow! This is the reason why I decided to take the risk and let you know what my goals are: This year I will run St George Marathon October 2. My goal is 2:52, knowing that someone believes in me (Coach Tom!). I also hope to help my club, Tamalpa, win the USATF National Club Cross Country in December [Charlotte, NC, December 11]. Next year, I hope to set the new 50+ age division Boston Marathon record currently held by Ann Roden (2:54:21).
Personal Best - Mental Strategies for Challenging Workouts
Written by Dena EvansPersonal Best: Mental Strategies for Hard Workouts
It has been sitting on the schedule since you first looked a week or two ago. Your first 10 or 20 miler, or the first time you are doing a tough track session more challenging than anything you have attempted to this point. Or, maybe it is a workout or a run you have done before, but it didn’t go so well. If one of the primary reasons we run is to enjoy ourselves, how do we find enjoyment in these seemingly daunting tasks? Below are a few strategies for taking these challenges head on, not so you merely make it, but so you conquer and thrive.
US 5k champion Lauren Fleshman talks about some of these and others in our September Pro’s Perspective as well. Read it here.
1. Remember that although this may be a first time for you, others have gone before you and have been successful.
Whether you are beginning your first training cycle with Focus-N-Fly or have been with us for 10 years, you can rest assured that every workout you’re given is based on what has worked for other runners. It is exactly through these successful experiences of novice and experienced runners that we have built the system that is helping you now. Know that your path has been trod before, that it is possible, and that it can be done.
2. Take one step at a time
One almost universally shared tip is to take a tough workout and break it down into manageable pieces. Notice how both our beginning runner, Terri Wojtalewicz, and our experienced professional athlete, Lauren Fleshman, both talk specifically in their profiles about taking a long race one mile at a time or a hard workout one interval at a time. You may not know if you can run 20 miles, but if it is on your schedule, you can be confident you can run a large percentage of it because it wouldn’t have been on your schedule otherwise. So, say you know you can run 15 miles. Beyond that, promise yourself you will run at least one more mile. Focus on a task that will take several minutes vs. one that might take hours. Conquer the one mile and celebrate it to yourself as you finish it. Consider if you can focus again for one mile. Buoyed by the sense of accomplishment from the 16th mile, you might just be able to. Before you know it, you’ll be at your goal distance and you will have built up a reservoir of confidence and positive self-talk that will be helpful for the next challenge.
3. Take as many variables out of the equation as possible.
No, you can’t control everything. However, if you can set yourself up for a tough workout with food you know will work for you, and your “go to” shorts/ shirt/ socks, it may take one element of worry from your minds. Find a routine by experimenting with fueling and clothing approaches on easy days, you so are confident in your choices on hard days, leaving your mental energy for the task itself.
4. Prepare in advance with the positive self-talk you are going to give yourself when you are in the thick of a tough day.
There will come a time when the run or the workout will require bigger than average effort. What are the keys you will remind yourself of when that time comes? Do your shoulders hunch and get tight when you are tired? Plan in advance that you will try to relax your shoulders for 30 seconds at a time when that occurs. Does your breathing get too shallow? Tell yourself in advance that when it starts to go that direction, you will commit to several long and deep inhales to help get you back on track. What are the types of encouragement from others that really have helped you succeed in running or in life generally? Tough barking orders, or soothing positive words? Prepare with these phrases already on tap to remind your body that you and your mind are in control and not the other way around.
5. Decide if knowing the workout well in advance is helpful to you or not.
If you find that you get too stressed out thinking about a big one in the week leading up, but know that every week on a certain day that type of workout will occur, resist the urge to look ahead or forgo the weekly email for a time and instead look at it a day or two ahead just for logistical planning purposes. You will know what type of effort is required (tempo run, track workout, long run), but you won’t have the time to build additional pressure on yourself.
6. Create accountability and a reward. Enlist others.
For many of you, just knowing you will return to the computer to log your workout is motivation enough to complete each day. For some, you are able to train with others who can keep you buoyed even when the running isn’t coming as easily as you had hoped that day. Others are training for a big goal with an emotional motivation, such as to honor a friend or family member, or to note one of life’s milestones. If so, one strategy would be to create a visual reminder around the house to keep track of the steps or miles you are logging on the way to that goal, and use it as a positive motivation to keep you going as well as a reminder to those in your household to help keep you on track with encouragement, even if they know nothing about running. Think of your training as a tower. You want a tower that is a tall and as strong as possible, but one sub par day doesn’t mean the whole thing falls over, it just means you need to put that next block on there the next time out.
On a lighter note, it is ok to concede to the occasional treat as motivator, whether it is the espresso and pastry Lauren writes about, a meal at your favorite restaurant, or perhaps a pedicure for your marathon worn toes. It need not cost anything, but if it is something you enjoy doing every once and a while, it might serve as a fun carrot for you as you travel toward the conclusion of your miles that day.
Remember, doing every single difficult workout to perfection doesn’t guarantee a perfect race, nor does missing one/ falling short a time or two necessarily mean you will not succeed. What we are looking for is a field of data points, from which you can reasonably conclude you are prepared for the race. Every challenging day you complete allows you to strengthen the argument you are going to make for yourself on race day when the going gets tough, and oftentimes, those days although difficult, can also end up being the most memorable.
Lauren Fleshman - A Pro's Perspective on Hard Workouts
Written by Dena Evans
Lauren Fleshman is a 1999 Graduate of Canyon High School in the Santa Clarita Valley of Southern California. While competing for Stanford from 1999-2003, she won five NCAA Individual titles, 15 All-American awards, and was ranked among the top 5000 meter runners in collegiate history. As a professional competing for NIKE and the Oregon Track Club Elite, Lauren has competed for several US international teams, including the 2005 and 2007 IAAF World Championships in the 5000m and many IAAF World Cross Country squads. She has been the US Champion in the 5000m on the track in 2006 and now in 2010, boasting a personal best of 14:58.48.
After spending most of the previous two seasons recovering from foot surgery, Lauren is enjoying the tail end of a successful European track season, and took a few minutes to answer a few questions from FNF on how she preps for challenging workouts. Like all of us, even a top pro has good days and bad days! Hear what she has to say on the subject.....
Photo credit: Sports Image Wire
FNF: What is the most difficult type of workout for you, both historically, and currently? What is the easiest, or the one you most look forward to?
LF: Fartleks with 3-5 min intervals are always the toughest mentally. I hate them. I have no clue how far or fast I'm going and I always worry I'm not working hard enough! I love 8x 800m repeats. Right when it starts to hurt, I get to stop, so its a no-stress workout.
FNF: What is your favorite time of the year for workouts (base building, specific track workouts in the spring and summer, etc)?
LF: I love fall build up because its the time of year when I get to strip myself down as an athlete and start from scratch.
FNF: How do you approach those really challenging workouts on the day of, and has that changed since high school or college?
LF: In college, our tough sessions were in the afternoon, and two or three times per season, we knew a "big one" was coming up. I'd anticipate it all week, getting pumped up and excited to go out and kill it. Luckily I had classes all day to distract me or I would have over-thought it. Now my coach schedules all our hard sessions for 10:30 in the morning. I'm not a morning person, so this means I have to wake up at 7:00 just so I'm a half-way normal person by 10:30. Once I'm fed and caffeinated, I'm usually full of excitement. The only time I feel dread is when the session seems like it will be above my fitness level and I'm worried I'll fail; its tough to battle the nerves for those sessions, and I find myself having to work on relaxation techniques.
FNF: Do you prefer to know your workouts well in advance or right as you arrive, or some combination? Why do you think you have these preferences?
LF: I like to know the general type of workout, (tempo, long reps, short reps, etc) but I don't like to know the specifics (how far, fast, etc) until the last minute. At Stanford, we always did this, and I think it prepared me to be ready for anything, but at the same time, relaxed. These are the qualities you need to have for a successful race, so its good to practice that. I've told my current coach that I prefer it that way, so that's how we roll.
FNF: Assuming you have some positive imagery or self-talk you use to get yourself through difficult work days, can you share some of these keys you either currently use or have used in the past?
LF: I try to take the pressure off, and focus on staying relaxed. I tell myself, "Just do the best you can" and it relaxes me. You only get tense when you think you won't be able to handle the session. But if all you have to do is deliver your best effort, there is nothing to be worried about. Sometimes though, I just don't feel like working hard and I want to can it. That's when I remind myself that I'm lucky that I get to run, that I'm able bodied and have the time to do it. I trick myself by breaking the workout down into bite-size pieces, giving myself the option to bail after a certain point. For example, if I have 2x 4 mile tempo, I'll commit to one 4 mile tempo saying, "I'll do one four miler well, and see how I feel." 98% of the time, once I'm out there, I finish the whole thing.
FNF: What would be a piece of advice you might give to a novice runner who is a bit apprehensive about upcoming workouts that may be more difficult that they have ever done before?
LF: So often we can go through life on autopilot, but a hard session puts you right in the present moment. You have to concentrate. You have to engage, adjust, fight. This is uncomfortable, but so rewarding. Whenever you feel apprehensive, or have thoughts of doubt, change the conversation. You enjoy working hard, you enjoy doing this for yourself, you are fine tuning your machine inside and out...actions will follow your thoughts.
FNF: What rewards do you allow yourself or how do you congratulate yourself on a workout well done?
LF: A latte and a scone at my favorite bakery, preferably while in my sweaty running clothes, still euphoric from the session.
Terri Wojtalewicz
Athlete In Focus –September 2010
Terri is married to an Army Colonel who has been stationed at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for the past three years. While he is on the road many times, taking various units through pre-deployment exercises, Terri takes care of things at home, including their three children, 18 (beginning college this fall), 10, and 8. Terri grew up as the daughter of an Air Force officer, so is no stranger to the itinerant lifestyle of military families, living in England, Germany, Virginia, California, Alabama, and Nebraska along the way. With all that moving as a young person, she got used to meeting new people, but is glad that with new technology, these moves no longer necessarily mean losing touch.
Terri is training for her first Army Ten-Miler, which will be the longest race she has ever attempted.
FNF: How did you start running?
TW: Many of my friends have been running. I had always wanted to run, but never pursued it because I thought it was too hard, couldn’t run that distance, couldn’t keep up, etc. My New Year’s resolution was to get back in shape, but figured, I’m 42 years old and need to do something that I can do even when I was 60 or 70 (which left out kickboxing and things like that).
I began with stationary bike and walking, and once I started doing that, I decided in March to try running on a treadmill. Everybody said, “Go get fitted for a good pair of shoes,” but I didn’t listen, and got shin splints and had all sorts of problems. Finally, I went and got new shoes and that was the end of all the pain.
I decided to sign up for Army Ten-Miler. I figured could do it one mile at a time, water station to water station. You know, just go as fast as you can, doing my personal best each time. If I cross the finish line under my own power, then I accomplished my own goal. A lot of army spouses are running it, and we’re all meeting up in DC to run the Ten-Miler. They have all gone to different (stations) since then, so it is nice to be meeting up with them. I’ve run two 5ks and my first 10k [August 28]. Ft. Leavenworth is very hilly, right by the Missouri river. There were a lot of really big hills in there. I ran a pace of 13:11, and it was really fun. My children were there at the end, and ran the last 100m with me. I was like there was no way I can do this, but I saw them and next thing I knew I was jogging across the finish line.
FNF: Who is your running role model?
TW: A few close friends of mine who are regular women, Army spouses who also have decided to pick up running and have seen that it is possible to just go out and do it, have fun, and not take it too seriously.
Also, one of those days where is was going to be 103-105 degrees, I was making excuses about going out to run that morning, and then came a woman running up the street in a full leg prosthesis, and I was like, I have no right to make any excuses at all!
FNF: What has been your most memorable running / racing experience?
TW: the 10k I just did, the fact that I was absolutely terrified to run it, that I was doubling my distance. I know because I did that that I can do the Ten-Miler. It was kind of the roadblock that has been shattered.
FNF: What have you enjoyed about working with Focus-N-Fly?
TW: The schedule, and the blogs - being able to go in and see what other people are doing. For instance, there was something about taking a day of rest. Just taking that rest day seriously…I was like it can’t just be that simple! I like how the system has the flexibility to work around your schedule. I’m going to keep it up after the Ten-Miler!
FNF: What is one part of your racing routine you can’t do without (sleep, pre race meal, tie shoes certain way, other ritual)?
TW: I can’t think of anything other than saying a prayer about reaching the finish line. Ok, well, I know I don’t wear cotton shirts. I make sure that I am wearing my orange or my pink tech shirt.
FNF: What is your favorite place to go for a run?
TW: Outside, around the golf course, in the shade of the trees. I love running here on post. There are all these trees, all this historical stuff. It keeps my mind off the running - looking around at all the beautiful scenery. I don’t like going into the gym, it’s boring!
FNF: In the next year, what goals do you hope to accomplish?
TW: The biggest goal would be to increase my pace and just be able to run a 10k or a half marathon, run it the whole way without walking at any point during the race. I’m not ashamed to stop and walk, though. I sing that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer kids’ song about putting one foot in front of the other! So my goal is just to complete it running.
Speed vs. Endurance - The Haynesworth Fitness Test
Written by Coach TomTwo weeks ago one of our runners wrote me about taking the "Albert Haynesworth Fitness Test".
For reference, Haynesworth is a star defensive lineman for the Washington Redskins. He made headlines at the start of training camp when the 'skins now coach, Mike Shanahan, refused to let him practice until he passed a "standard fitness" test. According to Shanahan this test was basic and had been completed by every other player. The fact that one of his most important players couldn't complete the test irked the new coach and gave cannon fodder to the media around the beltway for two weeks.
Here's the test:
- Run a 300 yard shuttle run in under 70 seconds
- Do this by running goal line to the 25 yd-line and back 6X
- Take 3 minutes and 30 secsonds recovery
- Repeat the 300 yeard shuttle run in under 73 seconds
Upon first glance this looks like a run of 300 yards (~275 metres) in 1 minutes and 10 seconds, a big recovery, and then the same thing in 1 minute and 13 seconds.
Oh, it isn't. 
The exercise is an accute assessment of explosiveness, quickness and balance. There are no less than twelve separate accelerations required along with ten 180 degree directional changes.
Our runner who ran the test told me "I felt like I was doing a strength test" and to an endurance runner this makes sense as we have developed our slow twitch, arobically funded systems in preparation for 3, 6, 13 and 26 Mile races. Even though Haynesworth (listed at 6' 6" & 350 lbs) could never hang with any of us in a 5K, his ability and fitness is undeniable for his trade. In fact my guess is that if we took a random sampling of Focus-N-Fly runners and had them race Albert Haynesworth this is the percentage of people who would beat him by distance:
- 5K = 100%
- 1K = 80%
- 100m = 50%
- 50m = 25%
- 25m = 15%
- 10m = 5%
In other words none of us big, slow distance runners would have any chance against a professional football palyer like Haynesworth in a short burst effort that falls right in his wheel house.
Hopefully this is thought provoking but I still haven't given you any practical advice so here it is.
We use running drills to help develop fast twitch muscles, anaerobic metabolism, and neurological response. These drills makeup less than 1% of total weekly mileage and less than 5% of total time spent training. We also use fast interval training (<1500m pace) as an extension of this development for 5-10% of weekly mileage. Both these exercises have specific objectives and can be beneficial. In fact if you weren't doing these then you would have no chance against Albert Haynesworth in any race of 100m or less. The bottom line is that we weigh this part of the regimen according to perceived value (it is valuable but not as valuable as all the aerobic work we do).
So you will continue to see the majority of your assignments focused on maintenance/easy and threshold/comfortably hard paces. We know for certain the benefits of extended aerobic stress and they are well documented for endurance races but could they help a high-performance, short burst athlete in the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL?
My guess is they probably could and I often wonder why more professional ball players don't utilize distance running in the off season. It has been documented that the aerobic contribution is dominant in all races from 400m up so there is a contribution at shorter distances as well.
As distance runners we need to focus on the aerobic stresses that will help us improve the most. Just don't forget about those drills and faster intervals when they're assigned.
Oh and the next time you're watching football on the weekend and you see those big guys gasping for air - just think of the Albert Haynesworth fitness test and the fact that all those guys have passed the test.
Pretty incredible!
**BTW I am posting my Albert Haynesworth fitness test results on the forum in hopes that we might get a few others to take the test and post accordingly.