Next Week We Start Running!

I’m very excited to get started with the 2009 running group next week!

As an overview, we’re going to start slow and easy, and develop our cardiovascular systems over time.

For some, you’ll combine slow jogging and walking. Others may jog for the entire duration of our sessions. Always remember, it doesn’t matter where you are when we start – You Will Improve!

Some may have been active longer than others recently. All that matters is that we are improving, individually - this group is designed to be a structure way to get additional cardiovascular exercise in each week, and if you want to do a 5K, you’ll be ready in a couple of months.

If you want to then work toward a 10K, you’ll be ready a couple of months after the 5K. And of course those who want to continue on with a half marathon and then the full Flying Pig marathon next May will have the opportunity.

Things to keep in mind:

1. If you have a history of foot, ankle, knee or back pain, please let your doctor know what you are doing. We’re going to train in a way that minimizes pre-existing injury and that starts with speaking to your doctor (if appropriate). If at any time something hurts, stop immediately and let Leah and me know.
2. Go at your own pace. You’ve heard me say this before, but always remember to go at a pace that is comfortable for you. Slower is always better in preparing for long distance cardiovascular exercise or running! If you go too hard at the start, often you have too little energy to make it to the end.
3. Get fitted for very good running shoes! You don’t have to go out tonight, but within the next 2 weeks you’ll need to have a pair of running shoes that are dedicated for running alone. Go to Bob Ronckers and have them fit your foot. Every foot is unique and Bob Roncker’s Running Spot will ensure you get the proper footwear. I have a $10 off coupon for you – just ask me or Leah for the coupon. Proper footwear is critical!
4. You’ll need a sports watch. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we’ll train for a period of time. And since everyone is going at their own pace, you’ll need a watch to tell you when it’s time to head back in. To start we’ll be going for 20 minutes. When you're close to the 10 minute mark, it’ll be time for you to retrace your steps back to your starting location. All you'll need to spend is $10. Click here for sports watch options at Target!

For those in Cincinnati, we’ll be meeting at Crossroads Church at 5:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an individualized-paced combination of walking/jogging or easy jog for a given time period.

Then on Saturday mornings we’ll meet at the HealthStyle Fitness Studio at 7am for a distance walk/jog or run. And, each week we’ll slowly progress and build upon the previous week. In the first few weeks of training, plan on 20 – 30 minutes of training time for each session.

If you cannot participate in Tue/Thu/Sat group session, you can follow the plan on your own. Each week I will be emailing the training routine to everyone in the group – so you can follow it on your own or join us for any of the group sessions as your schedule allows.

Training Schedule – Week One

Tuesday - Run (or walk/jog) 20 min

Thursday - Run (or walk/jog) 20 min

Saturday - 2 miles (walk/jog)

Sunday - Rest

Additional Notes of Importance:

• Drink plenty of water prior to starting.
• By alternating walking and running from the beginning, you speed recovery without losing any of the endurance effect of a long run. Start with jogging one to two minutes and walking two to three minutes. As your cardiovascular fitness increases you can adjust your run/walk ratio to running 5 minutes/walking one minute. You WILL improve using this system!
• Be sure to do the running portion slow enough at the beginning of every run (especially the longer runs) so that you'll feel tired but strong at the end. The conservatism will allow you to recover faster.
• If you body needs a break from “pounding on the pavement” you can substitute non-impact cardio exercise, like an elliptical machine or biking, as needed.
• Stay conversational on all of your training sessions for now. This means that you should be exerting yourself at a low enough level that you could talk. It's okay to take deep breaths between sentences, but you don't want to "huff and puff" between every word.
• As the runs get longer, be sure to keep your blood sugar boosted by consuming a meal replacement shake (or equivalent) about an hour before exercise. Drink water continuously before and during exercise and with all food.
  

Above all, be a smart runner...and have fun!!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

Are You Ready to Run?

The Flying Pig Marathon really did a number on me, and I didn't even run the 26.2 miles last Sunday.

But, I did train with an incredible group for almost a year in preparation for it.

This is a group where we started running very short distances, and built up over a year to being able to complete a full marathon.

And I was SO close to doing the marathon.

But I violated my own training philosophy. In one short 5 day span I just did too much in too short of time, in order to accommodate an important family vacation.

It was a valuable lesson. Stick with the principles of science, how the body best responds to progressive overload! But, I have no regrets, I grew out of the experience. I'm smarter and wiser. And, I'm way more fit than I was a year ago.

Seriously, how many people can say that they've run 21 miles during a single exercise session? ;)

So, instead of running, I excitedly watched the joy of each of the running group members achieve an amazing milestone that they'll carry with them for the remainder of their lives.

And in that process, I became even more inspired and recommitted to complete my own marathon.

May 2, 2010 will be my day!

And, I'm inviting you to join me.

Before we get into the details of how you can join our next running group, here are a few running benefits to entice you to consider making a similar commitment.

Benefits of Running:

1. Running Makes You Feel Good. Ask any long time runner and they often refer to the "runner's high" they feel during and after their exercise of choice. Runners will tell you that they have a significantly clearer mind, as well as a significant reduction in stress, through running.

2. Running Allows for Good Heart Health & Great Fitness. Running, or any cardiovascular exercise for that matter, keeps your heart healthy by reducing plaque buildup in the arteries. As you become increasingly fit, the quantity of blood that your heart pump with each beat goes up substantially, while reducing the number of times your heart needs to pump per minute. Having a stronger, more efficient heart allows for better nutrient and oxygen delivery to all of the cells of your body, giving you significantly more energy and better health.

3. Running Leads to Weight Loss. Running speeds up metabolism and allows you to burn significant calories. In addition, many runners report that their appetite dwindles for a period of time post exercise. And although resistance training and quality nutrition are critical for optimal health and body weight, the functional caloric requirement of consistent running is substantial.

4. Running Enhances Self Esteem. Along with the benefits of feeling and looking good, runners often report higher levels of confidence and self esteem. Those who set goals for achieving a 5K or 10K, half or full marathon get a tremendous feeling of achievement as they cross the finish line. The synergistic accumulation of all the benefits of running allow for a sense of considerable self-satisfaction.

5. Running Gives You a Sense of Connection. Whether you have a running partner, use a group training program, or just enjoy saying hello to your neighbors as you run past, the nature of running is one of human connection. All you have to do is attend a running event to watch the support of fellow runners and onlookers to get a real sense of how running allows you to feel a part of the community.

If you've ever wanted to train for a 5K, 10K, half or full marathon, the opportunity is here. Contrary to what you may believe at this moment, it's not as insurmountable as you think. With the proper guidance and small weekly progressions, you can achieve any distance up to a full 26.2 miles. Our next running group begins on May 25th!

For more information on joining these first time runners,

click here!

Have an great Tuesday!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

Congratulations!!

my hero:

So, how are you feeling today, marathoner??

I imagine you’re feeling a mixture of a tremendous elation in completing a grueling marathon, and some fatigue, muscle soreness and joint pain.

Over the coming days, schedule in 20 – 30 minutes of continuous light aerobic activity, like a brisk walk or some easy ellipticaling each day until the soreness is gone.

In terms of delayed onset muscle soreness, tonight you’ll feel it more than earlier today, and tomorrow may be the peak of your discomfort. By Thursday it’ll start improving. The more easy movement you get in, the sooner you’ll feel better.

And boy, was I ever excited to see you during the various stages of the marathon yesterday, and of course at the end. You all are my hero’s!! Truly.

I realize it may be too early for some on you to think about, but I’ve heard from several people about what their next event is going to be.

Whatever it is, is fine. I’ve heard some are going to run another marathon, some will be doing an upcoming Half, others are unsure at this point.

Many of you have expressed an interested in keeping our running structure going. I’m all for that!!!

In fact, it’s SO MUCH EASIER to continue training, than it is to cease training and then start back up from a less conditioned standpoint. My guess is that you've never been more fit than you are RIGHT NOW!

My goal is to complete the Columbus Half faster than I did last year.

I go see my doc today at 2:30 to see how my healing has progressed. I did end up running almost 2 consecutive miles yesterday (by accident), and felt great!

So, please reply to this email if you’d like to continue our training structure of Tue/Thurs/Saturday morning, or some version thereof.

In the meantime, savor the incredible day you had yesterday!! I'm super proud of you!

And don’t forget to move, move, move!! Easy movement.

Talk with you soon!!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

It's Marathon Time!

Here we are, the week of your marathon!!

There are 3 things you can do to get ready:

1. Keep all of your thoughts about Sunday’s event positive!

Too much stress the week of a marathon will take its toll on your physical capabilities and performance on Sunday. This week is all about positive thoughts – there’s nothing else you can do to prepare, other than some easy runs, preparing your running gear, and the 2 other keys below. Just remember, YOU ARE PREPARED and you WILL DO WELL on Sunday. The most important thing is to absorb as much joy from this experience as possible.

2. Create Your Race Plan: Mentally plan out how you’re going to run on Sunday. Take caution in starting too aggressively (which is likely to biggest reason for a slower than anticipated time). It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the event...or have your competitive juices kick in when the gun goes off...or even to just forget to check your pace with each mile marker.

You’re going to be jacked up with the crowd and festivities. So again, RELAX.

Plan your race out in segments and make sure you have plenty of gas in the tank for the home stretch. Check your times at each mile. For example, if your goal is to finish in 4 hours, you should be averaging about 9:09 per mile. If you have a Garmin, you’re all set. If you do not, other options include running with a pace group, or plotting out what your ideal time should be at each mile marker.

Also, you might consider having two goals, if a finishing time is important to you. A “I’m happy with this time” goal and a “I’m totally thrilled with this time” goal. As an example, before I got injured I would have been “happy” with finishing in 4 hours and 15 minutes, and “thrilled” with finishing at 4 hours or less.

3. It’s Time to EAT! Starting on Wednesday, the goals is to maximize glycogen storage in muscle, which means you need to eat more complex carbohydrates than you normally do.

Remember, all carbs are not created equal. Some supply energy very quickly (with very quick corresponding “crashes” in blood sugar) while others provide a slow, steady stream of energy. Carbohydrates are classified by numbers between 1 and 100, called the glycemic index (GI).

Complex whole grain carbs are generally lower on the GI and filter into your system more slowly. Foods that are low on the GI list tend to keep your blood glucose stable and give you a steady supply of energy, allowing you to maintain your longer runs for longer periods of time. Wednesday through Saturday you want a lot of low GI foods – whole grain starches like bread, past, rice, cereal & beans.

A simple carbohydrate is high on the GI and dumps into your blood stream very quickly. This is what you want to consume during the Flying Pig. And whatever strategy you’ve been using for pumping sugar into your system, stay with that system. Gels, sport drinks, or whatever, don’t mess around with changing your approach - whatever got you to this point will work for you on Sunday.

Remember, you are creating an experience that you will remember vividly for the rest of your life. Go out on Sunday, enjoy this incredible milestone, and soak up as much of this experience as possible!!

An ideal training schedule for this week is this: Adventure Boot Camp on Mon/Tue/Wed, or the latest on Thursday. 3-5 mile easy run on Tuesday and 2 – 4 miles on Thursday. Complete rest on Friday and Saturday.

26.2 on Sunday. I'll see you there!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

Less than 2 Weeks...

You are less than 2 weeks from the big day!! Feel good in knowing that you are prepared to run the best race of your life!!

The next two weeks of training are all about recuperation and recovery in preparing your body to be at it’s peak state of strength and energy. In fact, you’re going to be amazed at how good you’ll feel doing 26.2 versus some of the recent long runs. The difference, of course, is the taper-down period, allowing nicks and dings, aches and pains, sore muscles, tired joints and your energy systems to build back stronger than ever!

26.2 after 3 lower milage weeks is easier than 22 miles after 21 miles, after 20 miles, etc.

So, this is the time of rebuilding the body and reflecting on your tremendous efforts over the past year. Maybe I say this too often, but truly I am incredibly proud of you. Seriously, how many people EVER run a marathon? Very few. And you are ready (from a conditioning standpoint) and now all you need to do is recharge your body!!

Here’s what you have in store this week:

Monday: Cross-training day. In the books. If you were in camp today, you had a wet workout - but boy is was FUN getting back outside!

Tuesday: 5 mile easy run.

Wednesday: Another cross-training day. Work those legs to get the spring back in your step!

Thursday: 4 miles at marathon pace. You can use the running calculator to determine your per mile pace here: http://www.swiftpage1.com/SpeClicks.aspx?X=2T0JJPDXHQR08Q1000Y5WW
Friday: Another cross-training day.

Saturday: 8 easy miles. For those "Type-A" personalities out there, resist the urge to do more. Your fitness level is already established and now is NOT the time to try to improve it. Research clearly shows that we don't lose what we've established (physiological adaptations) by tapering down for 3 weeks. It's always much easier to maintain, than to attain fitness. Sunday: Rest!

The full 18 week running schedule is here!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

Your Final Big Training Week...

One more big week then we taper down. All of the runners I've talked with over the past week are tired and feeling beat up. Likely you're feeling it too - remember, you're doing A LOT of miles, well beyond what you've ever done before. Hang in there - you're so close! Next week you'll start to recover.

Okay, so here's the game plan for this week:

Monday: Cross-training day. In the books.

Tuesday: 5 mile recovery run. Go easy.

Wednesday: Another cross-training day. Done.

Thursday: Thursday: 10 miles at marathon pace. You can use the running calculator to determine your per mile pace here: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

Friday: Another cross-training day.

Saturday: Up to 24 miles! But here's the deal. You have to listen to your body - if you need to walk part of this long run, then walk. Now is NOT the time to let the ego take over. If you're feeling exhausted, excessive joint pain or discomfort in a muscle/connective tissue, modify your pace or distance. The most important thing is to get to the 20 or so mile mark, see how you feel, and then proceed accordingly. Be smart this weekend.The taper that follows next week will allow most aches and pains to go away, and will give your energy systems a chance to recuperate in time for the Pig.

Sunday: Rest!

The full 18 week running schedule is here!

Keep at it, this is your final big training week!!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

Running Update...

Okay crew, once again, sorry for the slow running update this week.

Most of you know, I’ve been struggling during the past 3 weeks of running – lots of pain.

For those who aren’t aware, I’ve been to the doctor, had x-rays and this morning, an MRI. I won’t know anything definitive until Monday when I see the hip doc again. He suspects a serious muscle tear, or a stress fracture in the hip.

I’ll be honest, based on the pain I’m feeling while walking, I’m looking doubtful to make the Pig. But, I’m staying positive and will continue to train on the elliptical machine until I know something for sure.

Of course, I’ll keep you posted. With all of the visits to the docs, my schedule has been cramped a bit, thus slow emails on my part.

We’re in crunch time, and have 2 more intense weeks of training before we taper down to allow your body to replenish before the Flying Pig.

I am going to strongly recommend that this Saturday, in lieu of 23 miles that we have scheduled, you only do 14 miles. We need a little less pounding before going up again next week.

Okay, so here's the game plan for this week:

Monday: Cross-training day. In the books.

Tuesday: 5 mile recovery run. In the books.

Wednesday: Another cross-training day. Done.

Thursday: Our final Yasso training run on a track. We're running twice around the track (800 meters) for X number of minutes (4 minutes if you're shooting for a 4 hour marathon, 4 minutes, 30 seconds if you're striving for a 4:30 marathon, etc). Between the 800's, jog slow (to recover) for the same number of minutes it took you to run your repeats. Tomorrow we'll do 10 intervals of 800 meters.

Friday: Another cross-training day. Stay strong - critically important right now with the super long run of last week, and the one next week.

Saturday: 14 miles! Go at a comfortable pace. Next week we'll go up to 24 miles.

Sunday: Rest!

The full 18 week running schedule is here!

I believe the Oakley running group is training tomorrow night - touch base with Leigh if you're wanting to go with them.

Keep at it, you're almost there!!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com