Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Fall Update

There's not too much for me to blog about this week.  I have gotten a number of emails the past two weeks with questions from followers and I really appreciate it!  If you haven't read my two previous posts (10 ways to become a better runner) please do!

Training is going about as good as it could be right now.  I'm feeling good and I'm in better shape then I have ever been for this time of year.  But it's the right type of shape.  I'm by no means anywhere near 1:45 fitness but for the workouts that we have been doing, I am very pleased with where my fitness is.

This time of year for a lot of people can get tough because the weather is getting harder to train in.  But if you push through the cold, rain and snow, it will pay huge dividends down the road.  Bundle up and train smart!  Don't increase the risk of injury because you didn't warm up properly or you wore improper equipment (i.e. don't where shorts because you're a "tough guy!").

Here is my training from last week.  With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I have a scheduled down week coming up, which I am really looking forward to.

Week of November 10-16
Monday
10x1000m w/2 minutes rest
Weightlifting session
Mileage: 12
Tuesday
9 mile recovery run
Drills/Strides
Wednesday
8 mile recovery run
Thursday
AM: 2x3mile tempo w/5 min rest
PM: Weightlifting session
6x150m
Mileage: 15.5 
Friday
8 mile recovery run
Saturday
14 mile long run
Sunday
6.5 mile recovery run
Total Mileage: 73

For questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to post below or email me directly at mikeruttrunning@gmail.com!

Monday, November 10, 2014

10 Ways to Become a Better Runner (Part 2)

Hey everyone!  I hope that you all had a great week of training/racing.  For myself, as well as the rest of the New Jersey-New York Track Club, we are grinding away at our Fall training.  It's definitely one of the tougher parts of the year as we whip ourselves into shape.  Racing season can't come soon enough!

Last week I started my list of 10 ways to become a better runner.  I got some great feedback, so thank you!  I'm glad that what I'm blogging about is interesting and helpful to some of you.  If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me at mikeruttrunning@gmail.com.  Here is the remainder of my list!

5. Develop a strong coach/athlete relationship
This goes hand-in-hand with putting yourself in a good environment.  Working with your coach is crucial to success.  There needs to be a positive relationship where you and your coach are able to communicate back and forth about training and racing.  Many times, coaches work with multiple athletes and are unable to micromanage each athlete.  You, as the athlete, are responsible for letting your coach know how you are feeling.  Coach Gags and I talk multiple times a week about every little detail that goes into my training.  We go over workouts for the week and remind each other of our "big picture" goals.  It make me feel secure as an athlete that I have a say in my training and I know that my coach is on the same page.


4. Get out of your comfort zone
In order to reach that "next level," athletes need to simply get out of their comfort zone.  Pushing yourself to a new limit is what this sport is all about.  If you're used to running comfortable mileage a few days a week as you train for your first half marathon, think about doing some one minute intervals where you pick up the pace for a minute and rest for a minute.  You'll be amazed at what the human body is capable of and how much a few simple workouts can improve your fitness drastically.  As an athlete, I know that there are some times where running until I puke is the best thing for me.  That my sound a little crazy, but I know it's what I need to do from time to time, to get to the next level.


3. Learn to use all recovery modalities
Recovery tools are an athlete's best friend.  They help decrease the risk of injury as well as allow us to train and compete at a high level.  Every day, you should do something to help your body recover.  It can be as simple as taking 10 minutes to stretch or as complex as getting work done by a licensed physiotherapist.  There are many ways to help your body recover.  Don't be afraid to try something different to find out what works best for you.  My go-to recovery tools are foam rollers and ice baths.  They have worked best for me to stay healthy and ready to go every day.

2. Set Goals
This can be one of the easiest things for athletes to do.  Write down your goals, both short-term and long-term.  Whether it is to complete your first 5k, set a personal best in your next race, or qualify for the Olympics, it is beneficial to write these goals down to remind yourself why you are training.  It can be boring and tiresome during certain times of the year when training is tough and racing is months down the road, but your goals can light that fire within you again.  Post these goals on sticky notes and post them in places that you frequently look at.  For example, your bathroom mirror, on your fridge, or on the dashboard of your car.

1. Use Performance Enhancers
Yes.  You read it right.  I encourage and condone the use of performance enhancers.  I take them every day.  However, I have not, do not, and will not ever take illegal performance enhancers.  Every day I take a multivitamin which might not sound like much, but tapping out my blood levels with essential vitamins and minerals allows me to train at a high level and stay healthy.  A performance enhancer that we are all familiar with is water.  According to a study conducted in 1985, running performance can be negatively affected by dehydration with as little as a 1.6% loss of body weight*.  If you're not a math major, that can be a huge difference between bringing home the victory and settling for something less.  Another proven performance enhancer that is often seen at track meets is caffeine.  Athletes like the boost that it gives them before competitions and many feel that it truly helps them perform at their best.  Recently RunGum hit the market and it provides caffeine, taurine, and B-vitamins to provide the boost that athletes prefer before training and competitions**.  I plan on trying some for myself in the near future!

One thing that I do want to make clear is my disgust and lack of respect for athletes that do try to use illegal performance enhancers to gain an advantage on their competition.  I understand that at a certain level, this is a business and I don't think that we will ever eliminate drug cheats from the sport.  But I will make sure that I do my part and never take illegal performance enhancers.  I respect myself and my sport, and will continue to stay free of illegal drugs for my entire career.

I hope that these 10 tips have helped you all!  These are all things that I have learned about and implemented into my training over the course of my career.  I feel that each of them helped me in one way or another.  Check out last week's training below and stop by next week for a new post!


Week of November 3-9
Monday
8 mile recovery run
Weightlifting session

Tuesday
9 mile run w/ Drills and Strides

Wednesday
AM: 5 mile tempo@5:15/mile
PM: Upper body lift
6x150m hills
Mileage: 14.5

Thursday
9 mile recovery run

Friday
2x(300, 300, 300, 600)
Weightlifting Session
Mileage: 8

Saturday
15 mile long run

Sunday
6.5 mile recovery run
Drills and Strides

Total Mileage: 70

For questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to post below or email me directly at mikeruttrunning@gmail.com!

*Article referenced above can be found here
**RunGum website can be found here

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

10 Ways to Become a Better Runner (Part 1)

Runners are constantly looking to get fitter and faster.  From the high school athlete that just joined the cross country team to the "weekend warrior" that is training to complete his or her first marathon, we are all looking for tips and tricks to get just a little bit quicker than we have been before.  Here are 10 things that I feel can help out runners of all skill levels.  Now, these are by no means the only ten tips that can drop your times, and they aren't ranked in any particular order either.  There are a lot of variables that affect training and racing.  Finding out what works for you is part of the joy of the sport!

10. Love the sport!

Why do something you don't enjoy?  That sounds like a miserable life, if you ask me.  A happy athlete usually makes for a successful athlete, regardless of who you are.  There are so many reasons to love running.  For example, I love the sport because I'm a highly competitive person and I enjoy racing to see what I can achieve.  And, going out for a run is always a great stress reliever for me.  Find what you love about the sport and use that as a daily reminder as to why you get up and hit the roads, track, or trails.

9. Keep a workout log

Writing down your daily training schedule each week is one of the most underestimated aspects of training.  Keeping a log allows you to not only see your progress over time, but you can also use it to compare past training and fitness levels.  It wasn't until after college that I even thought about keeping a log, but it is something that I now do on a daily basis.  I am able to gain confidence from seeing what types of workouts I did in years past and how I was competing at that time.  I also use my log as a tool to analyze myself as an athlete.  Each block of training affects me in different ways and I can observe the effects in my logged workouts from past years.

8. Do more than just run

Running is great and all.  But sometimes it's good to mix things up!  Swimming, biking, and hopping on the elliptical (or in my case, ElliptiGO!) are great ways to work the cardiovascular system while also resting your joints from the pounding of running.  Lifting weights is another great activity that you can add to your training routine.  Many of us have imbalances that we may not be able to see or feel but working with a trainer in the gym can keep us strong and healthy.  Keeping your body balanced and fit can help to decrease the risk of injuries that will disrupt training.

7. Ask questions

There are thousands of training programs, coaches, and athletes at your disposal at the click of a button.  Ask us questions!!  Personally, I enjoy giving advice to runners and helping out in any way that I can.  As I was introduced to running, I tried my best to become a student of the sport by reaching out to athletes and coaches to gain some tips and tricks.  It allowed me to learn not only what I am doing, but also why I am doing it and how it makes me a better athlete!  That's why I try to make myself available to anyone who has questions (email me directly at mikeruttrunning@gmail.com)!

6. Put yourself in an environment that will work best for you.

If you want to be the best that you can be, you need to make sure that you're surround yourself with people and training that will fit your needs and style.  There are countless people out there that have high goals and expectations but are not willing to do what is best for them.  Do you enjoy running with people? Join a running club.  There are thousands of them out there.  Personally, I love running with other people because they help push me to new levels and make the training easier to bear.  Clubs and teams also make it easier for you to be accountable for your training.  You don't want to let your teammates down by missing runs and workouts so putting yourself in the team environment can help push you out the door on those tough training days.  However, if you work better alone, then do it!

Different coaching styles also benefit some athletes over others.  Most of the time, you can choose what type of coach you train with, whether you are a selecting a collegiate program or a new training group.  You don't need to be a part of the "it" team if there is another coach that will get more out of you as an athlete.  

(To be continued next week...)

That's all for this week!  I'll post the remainder of the list next week.  Before I go, I want to give a shout out to the College of New Jersey Cross Country teams.  Both the men and women captured the New Jersey Athletic Conference title this past weekend!  We are heading to Rochester next week for regionals and we hope to have both teams qualify for the NCAA Championships!  Thanks for following and check in next week!

Here is my training last week...

Week of October 27 - November 2

Monday
10x800 (4@2:30, 4@2:26, 2@2:22)
Afternoon weightlifting session
Mileage: 10
Tuesday
8 mile recovery run
Wednesday
AM: 2x2.5mile pace run w/5 min rest
PM: 6x150m hill
Afternoon weightlifting session
Mileage: 14
Thursday
8 mile recovery run
Friday
5x600 w/ 5 min rest
3x200
Afternoon weightlifting session
Mileage: 8
Saturday
7 mile recovery run

Sunday
15 mile long run

Total weekly mileage: 70

For questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to post below or email me directly at mikeruttrunning@gmail.com!