Running and American Heart Health Month

Earlier this year, President Obama declared February "American Heart Month". The declaration reads: “cardiovascular disease — including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure — is responsible for one out of every three deaths. It is the No. 1 killer of American women and men, and it is a leading cause of serious illness and disability.” He goes on to expound the benefits of healthy eating, regular exercise and not smoking. 

Nothing new here, really.

When I quit my 20+ year pack-a-day smoking habit, the cost was a factor. But what made me finally kick the cigarettes was a realization that I was polluting my body. Worse yet, I gained no benefit besides the cessation of the urge to smoke for another half an hour. How could I continue to inhale toxins when my Return on Investment (ROI) was negligible? Once I drew that line in the sand, quitting was easy. Quitting actually WAS easy. To paraphrase Harris Dickson: "Quitting is easy, I've done it a thousand times."

That is not to say I was instantly heart healthy. My diet remained poor and my lifestyle lacked exertion out of principle. As I navigated mid-life, I began to lose a step here and there. I lost my breath skiing, couldn't hike a steep hill without rest, etc. My diet improved tremendously when I met Twirly. She got me off of fast food and into eating whole foods regularly. Yet still my health remained poor.

When she finally convinced me to move my ass off the couch, I chose running. I admit, it scared the hell out of me. Once I began, my ego took hold, and I set off on this journey of self improvement. I know myself well enough to recognize that my eagerness to improve would result in serious injury if left unchecked. Enter the heart rate monitor.

At first, I just wanted to know if I was having a heart attack or it just felt that way. Now, I consider my heart rate monitor my most valuable training resource. I track every workout by zone and time, the product of which is a numerical score which I can use to evaluate my effort. Using this "TRIMP" score allows me to compare a gym workout with a mountain trail workout and ensure that I get enough rest. I also use it to hold myself accountable for the hard workouts. Check out my posts here and here for more information on TRIMP.

A final tool for heart health which I use regularly is the annual physical and blood panel. I play with my diet so much that I am concerned about cholesterol levels and muscle damage. My results remain steady year after year, and my doctor tells me everything looks normal. At Western States last year, I participated in cardiovascular research which included pre and post race ECG's and blood work. So far, the data all indicates I am heart healthy. 

Health is a primary motivator in my running and racing. It is difficult to get a better ROI than aerobic exercise like running. Add to that the fact that it can take so many forms: trail running, road marathons, community 5k's, treadmill workouts, they all provide a different spin on the same activity. I'll be running for as long as my heart and legs will carry me. I'm willing to wager my heart outlasts the wheels.

I was inspired by the American Recall Center to discuss heart health. Below are some tips to jump start your own heart health, and be sure to check out how other bloggers are celebrating their hearts in honor of this month here.

Couch to 100 Miles: The Fastest Five Years

When I took my first steps towards fitness, I could not comprehend the distance I would cover, and how fast I would get there. It seems like a lifetime ago, but just 5 years have passed since that day. I would have denied any desire to attempt what I have accomplished. In fact, I denied any interest in ultra running right up to the day I signed up for my first 50k. I would have wagered money that I would never run 100 miles. I still don't know how I got here, but the montage sequence that is these past five years tells a different story. How did I get from the couch to 100 miles in five years? Let's go to the tape.

To get started, I chose to follow the "Couch to 5k" (C25k) program. Touted for its gentle introduction to building stamina and endurance, the C25k program is built on 30 minute workouts five days a week. My first week was, well, pedestrian:

Monday (9/1/2009): Walk 30 minutes

Tuesday: Walk 30 minutes

Wednesday: Walk 30 minutes (walk 5 minutes, run 30 seconds, repeat)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Walk 30 minutes (walk 5 minutes, run 30 seconds, repeat)

Saturday: Walk 30 minutes (walk 5 minutes, run 1 minute, repeat)

Sunday: Rest

And so it went, gradually increasing the run interval to five minutes. Then the walk interval was reduced until it lasted only 30 seconds. At this point, my legs would ache whenever I walked, but they loosened up when I ran. I was beginning to feel like a runner. The program progressed into running 1 mile, then 1.25, etc. Until that fateful day: November 1, 2009, I ran 3 miles without stopping. I followed the C25k program with a Nike+ 5k program which built my long run up to 3.5 miles before my first 5k, the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot in Grass Valley. I broke 29 minutes on the hilly course, and never looked back.

Using Nike+ training programs and the Nike+ foot pod, I trained through the winter and set my sights on the Gold Country Grand Prix. Having a race every month or so would provide continual motivation to get out there and run! In April and May of 2010, I ran 3 5k's, first improving my PR to 25:55, then 25:51, then 25:06. I found the improvement rewarding and motivating.

Then Twirly and I bought Kuani, our 42 foot Cascade ketch. She was a project boat, and we ended up spending the long summer weekends in the Napa Valley Boatyard making repairs and doing much needed maintenance. Racing took a backseat, but I continued squeezing in runs while epoxy was drying or after the day's work.

The lack of consistent training from the boatyard was a breeding ground for niggles. As I continued trying to improve my speed my joints became a nuisance. Sore Achilles tendons kept racing off the schedule until the 2010 Turkey Trot.

2011 began with my first 10k, the Davis Stampede. I comfortably met my goal of sub-50 minutes. The allure of running longer distances was strong. I spent the summer preparing for a 5k PR attempt at a Gold Country Grand Prix event that August. Focusing on heart rate training zones and race-pace interval training, I was able to establish significant gains in performance. My eagerness to improve was ultimately my downfall. Just weeks before my goal 5k, I developed what I hoped was shin splints. I rested, wrapped and iced my left leg, running less than 10 miles in the three weeks leading up to race day. I ran the race, and set a new PR of 22:51. After the race, I could hardly bear weight on my leg. An MRI a few days later revealed two stress fractures in my left tibia. Running was shelved for a few months.

Committed to continued improvement, I took the heart rate training program which had worked so well and applied it to the elliptical. I spent the next few months in the gym, religiously implementing various levels of exertion with the expectation that when I was able to return to running my cardiovascular system would be in prime shape. Twirly and I ran/walked a couple Grand Prix 5k's in the fall, and I set a goal to compete in the entire Gold Country Grand Prix in 2012.

2012 also marked my first trail run, the American Canyon 15k. It was held on my 40th birthday. I took second place. The longer distances continued calling their siren song. I signed up for my first marathon, the California International Marathon in Sacramento. Two months after American Canyon, I ran my first half marathon, the US Half in San Francisco. It was at the finish line that David, a friend who had just begun running, suggested that we run the Bizz Johnson 50k. I had heard about the ultra distance races, and my interest in trail running was growing larger with each passing day. But the timing of Bizz Johnson meant that I would be attempting the 50k two months prior to CIM. Of course, that just made it all the more attractive.

I ran the Gold Country Grand Prix series, sticking with the 10k distances when they were available. I set new 5k PR's in back to back races over the summer. 21:27 in the 2012 Bear River Run remains my best 5k to date. I set a new half marathon PR at the Giant Race in September (1:41:13). I shifted my focus to distance/endurance training, and ran the Bizz Johnson 50k with David. My longest run prior to the 50k was 17 miles. We finished in 6.5 hours. There were many lessons learned on that trail.

I achieved my goal of top three in the Grand Prix, and came very close to my goal time of 3:40 at CIM. 2012 was the year I came into my own as a competitive runner. My biggest accomplishment that year was staying healthy. I learned the value of consistent training and recovery aids like foam rolling and Active Release Technique (ART) therapy. My quiver now full of training tools, I set my sights on ultra trail running. The increased training volume brought new challenges, and my crescendo to present day has not been a smooth one:

Monthly distance, 2012 to present

2013 saw me progress into the 50 mile distance via the American River 50 and the North Face Endurance Challenge 50. I increased my total volume by ~10% and my total elevation by 50%. I began utilizing a coach, as the ultra distances felt like a different animal altogether. Despite the addition of a guiding hand, a pulled groin interrupted the summer training plans. In fact, I have yet to return to the smooth progression which I had been building from 2012 into the first half of 2013. I learned a lot in 2013, and the confidence that came with racing four 50k's and two 50 milers came in handy when I got the news that I would be running Western States.

A key component of my heart rate training is monitoring my daily and weekly effort using the TRaining IMPulse (TRIMP) score. TRIMP is a product of the time spent exercising (in minutes) and the average heart rate zone for the session. I find it is a useful way to compare different activities, such as road running and trail running. It also allows me to gauge my effort across race distances. Take a look at how 2014 has unfolded so far:

My mileage numbers thus far really do not tell the story. I have run over 5500 miles, and raced 642. The evolution of my perspective over that time has changed so drastically that it is hard for me to believe there weren't more miles in there. I feel like I've run to the moon and back, whereas if I were running across the continent and back, I'd still be somewhere in the Rockies. Compared to many of my new ultra-geek friends, these numbers are insignificant. Lifetime totals of well over 100,000 miles are not uncommon. But what jumps out at me is that I have had life-changing epiphanies within those 5500 miles. Each and every mile holds the potential to rectify a bad attitude, or provide just enough oxygen-rich blood to my brain for me to solve that elusive problem or develop the right paradigm to interpret another.

By distribution, the bulk of my racing experience remains middle distance. While I continue to consider taking another run at my 5k and 10k PR's, the experience of finishing Western States guarantees that I will spend each and every year trying to get back into the iconic 100 miler. If I cannot gain entry, I will complete a qualifying race. So I can count on at least one 100k or 100 mile race each year.

Race distribution

In five years, I have completely redefined my personal expectations. Fitness and strength are now paramount to my identity. My coping mechanisms have been reduced to sweat equity. My priorities now include communing with nature and ensuring I have the time to train and race. The community I have found in trail running has been the largest surprise of all. Running is an activity which precludes many of the aspects by which we define each other. In modern culture, the question of how one spends their time is common cocktail party banter. Our society is built upon the idea that networking is beneficial, which leads us to ask of others: "what do you do, and what can you do for me?". Ironically, when I spend time with running friends, the question never arises. I have no idea what most of my fellow runners do for a living. Unless, of course, they work for a running store. Otherwise, it just doesn't come up.

My confidence in my training has evolved too, to the point that I have returned to self-coaching. Having the support network while preparing for unknown distances helped me through the doubt and fear that accompany such undertakings. Now that I have endured the distances and trained through the niggles, I know my body well enough to approach training on a day to day or week to week basis. By listening to my body and reacting accordingly I feel I can prepare for any race I pursue. I am fortunate to still have the ears of many veterans at my disposal. Runners don't shy away from questions on training, nutrition or fitness. I can get feedback and opinions on wide-ranging topics from all levels of abilities.

And so, I look forward to not just five more years, but a lifetime of running adventures. My bucket list grows larger all the time: R2R2R in the Grand Canyon, many more WS100 finishes, organizing my own 50 mile race, traveling to Europe for some of the most iconic races of them all. I'll keep coming back to Wanderplace to record as much of my adventure as I can. See you there.

Year in Review: 2013

2013 turned out to be a very satisfying year at Wanderplace, despite interrupted training by a mid-spring groin pull. I did not see the volume I set out to complete, but I did finish all of my races, and I ventured into new territory via a couple of fifty milers. Here are the numbers:

• Total miles run: 1499
• Average week: 28.8 miles
• Total miles raced: 300.25
• Elevation gained: 154,553'
• Avg HR: 139
• Total calories burned: 172,108 (about 49 pounds worth!)
• Longest run: 49.88miles
• Avg run: 8.56 miles

My total mileage for the year was a bit low (only 125 miles more than 2012) but within my goal of keeping it under 2000. Too much too fast has gotten me into hot water more than once, and upping the distance raced in lieu of total volume worked well for me in 2013. In fact, I doubled my total distance raced from 2012, despite participating in only 10 races, compared to 16 in 2012. Elevation gained increased 50% and my average run rose 33%. The numbers are trending in the right direction.

2012 provided me the opportunity to get to know my body and how it feels under exercise stress. My daily training impulse graph (TRaining IMPulse (TRIMP) = Avg HR zone * minutes) illustrates my progression from running Bizz Johnson 50k (Zone 2 * ~400 minutes) at a much lower TRIMP than CIM (Zone 5 * ~225 minutes), to fully realizing how hard I could push, and for how long, in the Tamalpa Headlands 50k and NFEC 50 Mile. Ironically, it was my Garmin that was holding me back. I raced Tamalpa Headlands 50k and NFEC 50 Mile without looking at anything but the time of day and using a heart rate alarm to let me know when I was nearing my lactate threshold, and my resulting effort was much higher. I was letting my watch tell me I was going too fast, when I actually had another gear (or two).

Daily TRIMP Chart

Finishing the year with a strong and comfortable day at the NFEC 50 Mile was the icing on my ultra cake for the year. All of my GI woes were mitigated by using Tailwind for calories and electrolytes. This simplified my fueling and allowed me to focus on my performance instead of reacting to my discomfort. Of course, just when you think you have everything figured out, everything changes.

2013 also brought Nevada County's first Hash House Harrier club, the Cougars. Twirly and I have really enjoyed getting out for fun runs with like minded beer drinkers. The hash runs are just the thing to break up my regimented training schedule. They remind me how fun it is to run with no expectations. Speaking of expectations, after employing Footfeathers as a coach for a little over a year, I had to let him go after NFEC 50; we just weren't aligning anymore. The feedback had become scarce, the support failed to materialize in my darker moments, and Tim held the opinion that States was "a lot to bite off" for someone in my position. Obviously, that attitude was not one I cared to have in my camp while preparing for my first hundo. Fortunately, Jorge and Laura at Mauka Running have stepped in to support the next six months of training.

Last but not least, 2013 brought me my first Western States 100 entry. This follows a rather smooth progression into longer distances, and despite feeling a deep-seated anxiety about the distance I am eager to experience such an epic and prestigious event.

2012 - Year in Review

My third year of running is in the books, and I saw some significant milestones along the way. Most importantly, I managed my first full year of training, running every week on the calendar. I also completed four new distances: 15K trail race, half-marathon, marathon and 50K ultra-marathon. In addition, I set PR's at every distance I have raced, 5K through 50K. I competed in the Gold Country Grand Prix Race Series, taking third among Men aged 40-49. Ultimately, I tested myself, developed strategies to push through my limits and began finding success in endurance. I have to say it was an incredibly nourishing year of running.

So many metrics… Where to begin? 2012's training log is full of memorable runs, races and numbers. I have numbers for every aspect of my training, but I also have peers that eclipse every single number I can throw out there: total mileage, miles raced, epic adventures. However, I know better than to compare myself to others; I race against myself, not for the glory of defeating fellow competitors. In the end, I must own what I can and admire the rest...

Here is 2012 in numbers: 

• Total miles run: 1374
  

  • Average week: 26.42 miles
• Total miles raced: 156.94
• Elevation gained: 94,988'
• Avg HR: 138
  

  • Total calories burned: 146,223 (about 42 pounds worth!)
• Longest run: 31.54 miles
• Avg run: 6.19 miles

2012 mileage showed a 234% increase over 2011

My mileage total was more than double my total from 2011! So much for the 10% rule, eh? While my 2013 goals do not rely on numbers to measure my success, I am curious how much farther I can run in one year. Training for 50 milers will bump up that total, but I plan to take a month off after American River. My intention is to keep 2013 under 2000 miles. Can you see how difficult it will be for me to focus on aesthetic goals in  2013?!?

There are many ways I could illustrate my training, but the one I find most useful is the TRIMP score. TRIMP (TRaining IMPulse) equals heart rate zone x time, and when graphed, provides a useful visual aid to assess over training. You can calculate the factor by the mile, workout, by equipment or activity, and it will continue providing a gauge of how hard you've been working, and provide a guide to injecting rest days and weeks into your schedule.

Daily TRIMP - a great way to judge your workout intensities

I am totally a stats geek. Tables and graphs are my favorite way to interpret data, thus my log is full of bar graphs and line graphs. I'm even considering some pie charts. Here are a few of my favorites:

Weekly mileage with a 3 week moving average to smooth out the niggles

Weekly TRIMP makes it easy to see training cycles

I just like to see the year this way. Probably a throwback from Nike+

And so, 2013 is off to a good start with the base I have developed over the course of 2012. My schedule has a good mix of iconic ultra-marathons and trail races, along with a healthy dose of volunteering and novelty 5K's. Once again, Twirly and I will be volunteering at Western States, and doing quite a bit of sailing a other R&R for good measure.

What are your goals for 2013? Got any big races on your agenda? Leave me a comment, and have an EPIC 2013!

2012 - Year to Date



Me and David at the American Canyon 15K



Achieving a new level of running each year is a great motivator. Setting sights on longer distances or faster times (or both) provides both incentive to train consistently and motivation to continue living a healthy lifestyle. Having completed a 10K in February of 2011, I signed up for the 2012 American Canyon 15K, held on my 40th birthday (February 11th). Up to this point in my running career, I had mostly run alone, except for a couple of trail runs with a colleague. By posting my runs to Facebook, I had managed to inspire some people to remark that they "felt like they should consider taking up running", but I'm not certain that any of them ever did. One person I am sure my enthusiasm had an effect on was my friend David. Upon hearing about my birthday plans at another friend's wedding, he committed to running the 15K with me, despite not actively running at the time. I assumed it was the champagne talking, and did not think much of it until he messaged me that he had signed up, and was interested in training plans that could get him ready in the 9 weeks until the race. He joined me for a track workout in Grass Valley a couple of times, and battled the usual start-up niggles, but joined me on the starting line and took first place in his age group, finishing within ten minutes of my second place overall. He was hooked, and ready to start upping the ante! I had signed up for the April 8th US Half Marathon 2 in San Francisco, and David eagerly threw his hat into that race as well.

The US Half Marathon course is an out and back which crosses the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco to Sausalito, then turns around and crosses the bridge again on the return trip. I enjoyed this race so much, I am running it again in November. I ran the first half at a leisurely pace, about 9:00/mile. By the time I was coming off the bridge the second time, I felt invincible and had upped my pace to 7:30/mile, finishing in 1:48:51 (8:19/mile). David and I reunited at the finish line, at which point he told me he had found a race he wanted to do at the beginning of autumn, the Bizz Johnson 50K in Susanville. Despite planning to be a third of the way into my marathon training program, I took his challenge, and signed up for my first 50K. I would be running an ultra before I ever started a regular marathon!

After the US Half, I began training for the Gold Country Grand Prix races. I missed the first race, the Daffodil Run 5K/10K, but intend to participate in the remaining ten races of the series. The point totals are based on the ten best races, with the lowest race dropped from the calculation. I focused on the first five races in the series, working on speed, form and leg turnover. The first half of the year paid dividends as I set 5K PR's in two races in a row (the Freedom Run and Bear River). Now I turn my attention to distance running. My marathon training program begins next week and builds slowly to peak at almost 60 miles a week in November. In the interim, I am running the Giant's Half Marathon in September, the Bizz Johnson 50K in October, and the US Half in November. The fall is full of races and long runs; I look forward to bringing them to these pages.

When Shin Splints Become Stress Fractures

2 miles to go in the Davis Stampede 10K

I entered the 2011 racing season with determination. I felt that if I trained my still-adapting body to run faster, I could compete for a top three spot in the 30-39 age group. At 39 years old, I had lost 40 pounds by running and watching how much I ate, and my motivations had morphed from running to lose weight, to losing weight to run faster! I ran my first 10K, the Davis Stampede (a nice flat course) for my 39th birthday and achieved my goal of going sub-50 minutes (48:28, 7:49/mile pace). Unfortunately, my new found enthusiasm led to over training early in the spring, and my race times year over year did not show much improvement.

The first race of the Gold Country Grand Prix is the Penn Valley Daffodil Run, a 5K/10K/Walk to raise money for local schools and to beautify the neighborhood by planting daffodil bulbs. In 2010, I ran the 5K in 25:56 (8:22/mile pace). After working hard all winter, I ran the 2011 5K in 26:09 (8:26/mile pace). As a novice, I thought this meant I needed to train harder. A month later, I ran the Run For The Community 5K, which helps a local church "serve extreme community needs". Again, my pace went from 8:06/mile in 2010, to 8:10/mile in 2011.

I consider myself to be a thorough researcher. In my three years of running, I have devoured dozens and dozens of books on running, from technique to memoir. I have tried to find as much information on the pursuit as possible. Somehow, I had overlooked the often mentioned 'overtraining' phenomenon, which led me to train even harder in search of more speed! I was still placing in my age group, and receiving medals for my efforts, but the improvement I desired was not materializing, which frustrated me to the point that I considered giving up running all together. "You don't have the best body for a runner, you know" my father said to me one afternoon. Having run marathons in middle age, his opinion was one I respected, and he supported my running then as he does now, but his words only made me want to work harder.

Then, after a ten mile trail run, my training plan called for 5 strides of 150 yards. My left shin and soleus muscle had been experiencing some pain in the preceding weeks, but I had determined that it was a case of shin splints, and figured I could train through it. By the time I was on my last stride drill, I could hardly walk! My goal race, the Bear River 5K (benefiting the Bear River High School cross country team) was only three weeks away, and I had come up lame! I attempted a run here and there over the next two weeks, but the pain in my shin would not recede while running, a sign that it was more serious than shin splints. I bought a neoprene calf sleeve and hoped for the best. I showed up for the race with barely 3 miles run in the previous 3 weeks.

My shin did not hurt as bad while I warmed up, and I figured that if I was going to have to take some time off and give up all my aerobic fitness, then I was going to give it my all during the race. At the start, I latched on to a friend who I knew was faster than me, and held on to his pace for two miles before saying "you're killing me!" and falling back slowly. Going out so fast spent most of my energy; I even walked up the last hill, but still set a PR (22:51, 7:22/mile pace) by over 90 seconds! The pain in my shin paled in comparison to my joy at having finally showed such improvement, and the three week break caused by my injury turned out to be just the taper my body needed. I did notice that my heart rate for the race was a bit too high, and it caused me to begin thinking about how I could better train for cardiovascular efficiency.

Unfortunately, a trip to the doctor, x-rays and an MRI ultimately led to the diagnosis that I had two stress fractures in my tibia, and running was taken away from me for the next three months. Even walking the races was out of the question until I could hop on my left leg - a test I could not complete until the end of fall. Not being able to run caused me to become depressed, and I looked at other runners with a longing which surprised me. In my heart, I finally felt that running had become part of who I am.

Once walking and easy running was possible, I participated in the series-ending fall races with my wife, who surprised me by running much more of them than she intended, although the running bug has never bitten her, especially not like it has consumed me. I finished the Grand Prix in fifth place for men 30-39, despite my injury.

By the end of 2011, I had begun a new training plan based on heart rate and time, not mileage (Total Heart Rate Training). As I rehabbed my leg, I spent a lot of time at the gym working on the new heart rate workouts without running. Focusing on heart rate instead of pace, I have found that I can better avoid over training by alternating hard and easy days, and ensure that I have easy weeks thrown in to allow for adequate recovery. My 2012 goals were to race the Grand Prix 10K races, break my PR at the Bear River 5K, complete a 15K trail race on my 40th birthday, and run the CIM Marathon in Sacramento.

The Gold Country Grand Prix

My first race, the 2009 Turkey Trot 5K

I trained hard through the Turkey Trot 5K in 2009. It is the last race of the year for the Gold Country Grand Prix, a ten race series in Nevada County hosted by the Sierra Trailblazers Running Club, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I finished the race under 29 minutes, and was hooked! My goal for 2010 was to place in the top three overall in my age group in the Grand Prix. The point structure, which gave 10 points to the winner, 7 to second, 5 to third, 4 to fourth and 3 to fifth place, with one point awarded to all other finishers, would award consistency, and if previous years' season end point totals were an indicator, I could get a top three with consistent fifth place finishes in the 30-39 age group.

 A mix of road and cross country 5K/10K, spaced about a month apart from April to November, the Grand Prix takes the runner from rolling farmland and river canyons, to high school cross country courses and quaint mountain town road races. As a new runner, I did not realize that so much variation in terrain makes it difficult to compare performances based on time. Nor did I know that to deliver the best performance in a given race a runner should train on similar terrain.

What I did know was that I was having a blast! Running was paying dividends so much larger than I had expected. My training runs were mostly unoccupied roads winding through the forest. I used the local high school track for some workouts, especially when the roads were too messy (although I have overcome any aversion to bad weather or conditions, as Bill Bowerman said, "there is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people"). Running became a surreal period of time. My mind would be freed of all the shackles of daily concerns and distractions. A clarity of thought combined with the focus of how my body was moving and moving with intention, provided a meditative state which became addicting. At first the races were an intimidating contrast to training; running off a starting line with dozens, or hundreds (or thousands) of people is like being herded, and the more people, the longer it lasts. Once the crowd thins, however, running on a race course becomes a unique social experiment. The people you come across all share the burden of the experience, and this common ground is a great equalizer. The community stretches far beyond the race course.

I experimented with various training plans as the 5K races came and went over the first half of the year, but eventually became preoccupied with life at the expense of participating in racing. I kept running, however, and ended 2010 in seventh place for Men 30-39 with a newfound sense of competitiveness I did not anticipate. My original intention was to be a "completer, not a competer", but my goal for 2011 ended up focusing on running all ten Grand Prix events again. The 30-39 age group had a deep field of fast runners, some of whom actually won the races outright, so placing in the top three overall was not in my reach, but placing in the top three at any given race was still possible, and I hoped to get as much hardware (i.e. age group medals) as I could. So I trained harder...

Gotta start somewhere...

"Before", taken in 2009 (I'm on the left)

Three years ago, my wife looked at me with concern in her eyes and voiced (again) her opinion that I needed to reverse the slide towards obesity that I had been riding in the three years since our wedding. I had successfully lost 40 pounds in preparation for our nuptials by spending 2-3 hours at the gym five days a week, mindlessly spinning, trudging on an elliptical and weight training while watching basic cable or listening to an mp3 player.  We honeymooned in Greece, and I developed a soft spot in my belly for moussaka. I went from 180 lbs before the ceremony to 195 lbs by the end of the honeymoon, six weeks later. I did not return to the gym, and despite some active pursuits such as skiing/snowboarding and whitewater rafting, by Labor Day 2009 my weight had blossomed to 235 lbs, a body mass index of 30.2! I agreed with her assessment that something needed to be done. I was officially obese.

Returning to the gym and commiting 10-15 hours a week did not sound appealing. What could I do to increase my fitness which would not require a gym membership and umpteen hours a week to be effective? Despite abhorring running in school, I decided that for the cost of a pair of running shoes, I could be out my front door and back in 30 minutes a day, three days a week. Much more attractive. I picked the "Couch to 5K" training plan and signed up for the Thanksgiving 5K in Grass Valley, CA. The Turkey Trot.

I credit the C25K training program with providing me a solid foundation that enabled me to ease into the activity. I worried about form and injury, as I had ACL replacement surgery in my late twenties. I read "Master the Art of Running" by Malcolm Balk and Andrew Shields, which helped me focus on posture and ridding my body of tension. I bought proper running shoes after putting 30 miles on the cheap pair of tennis shoes I had begun running in. Before I knew it, I was logging my miles with the Nike+ system and shopping for gadgets, gear and clothing like a man obsessed. If Runner's World thought it was cool, I wanted to try it (so much for running being more affordable!)

Today, my weight is stable (180-185 lbs), I run an average of one race per month (I even have some age group medals), and I am trying to figure out how far I can push my body to run in one sitting. I volunteered at the Dipsea and Western States races this year, and I have been able to increase my race distances. Last weekend I passed two milestones as a runner. I ran my 2000th mile on Saturday (since I began Labor Day 2009), and logged the most volume in one week, 54 miles. This fall, I will participate in two half marathons, one road marathon and a trail ultra-marathon. I guess this running thing and I get along :)