Ryan – Page 90 – HillRunner.com

Eating disorders

September 10, 2015 / Health and Fitness / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

I’ve encountered a few instances recently that have made me realize how prevalent in the running world eating disorders are.

One of these instances that spurred this post was this article, written by Jenny Scherer. Another was an article on Suzy Favor Hamilton, who also had to overcome eating disorders.

I just wanted to address this topic not because I think this post alone will spur someone to seek the help they need but because I guess I had my head in the sand. I knew they existed but I didn’t realize how common eating disorders were in the running community. In recent weeks, I’ve heard of several runners I never would have guessed before who faced these issues.

I’m not even close an expert on this topic. I’m not posting this with the intent to offer advice, just to raise awareness. If you’re looking for advice, it would be know the symptoms and learn how to approach someone if you suspect a problem (there are things that definitely should be done and some things you might instinctively think of doing that should definitely not be done). If you see some symptoms in yourself, please consider talking with someone about what you see going on.

In the meantime, I’ll be reading more on symptoms and how we can help those in our lives who we suspect might need help.

If anyone knows of good resources, please share in the comments. If I find anything I find especially useful, I’ll be sure to share there also.

Monthly report for August

September 7, 2015 / Miscellaneous / 1 minute of reading

This article was originally posted by Ed at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Other than a great race performance August was a terrible month for my running. The month started off while I was camping in the woods – still hadn’t figured out the logistics of running and getting cleaned up after the run (got it now). So I did not run the first nine days of August. Then on the 19th I twisted my ankle and needed time off.

Ten days and five runs later I had a phenomenal race (see the race report.) I earned a new PR that was 52 seconds faster than the previous PR and in a race as short as a 5k that is huge.

All told – Only 105 miles. 15 runs plus a race. Just shy of 13 hours of running.

Next race is Brigg’s and Al’s run 9/19/2015 – a great team event – looking forward to another PR.

Run without limits

September 3, 2015 / Training / 2 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

Ed ran a 52 second PR in a 5K this past weekend! 52 seconds in a 5K, that’s insane! Over 15 seconds per mile improvement off a respectable time for a runner of his age and background.

How did he do it? Well, a lot went into it.

However, I’d like to point out one factor right now. He didn’t limit himself. To be honest, I would have had him running with even fewer limits if it were up to me. I wanted him to run watchless and suggested before the race doing so. He wanted to wear his watch to keep himself from going out too fast.

It’s true, we can’t run with reckless abandon. Ed would have been foolish to go out in 5:00 for the first mile. That said, if I recall, he set a target of 6:07/mile to start. He did tell me, I think to reassure me, that he was only going to pay attention to his pace early.

It’s a good thing he did. Had he paid attention to his pace throughout and stuck with that 6:07/mile target, he would have run only a 22 second PR. The artificial limit he placed on himself would have left him 30 seconds short of what he obviously was capable of.

I see people do this a lot. They get the idea that they are "only" capable of some given performance and they don’t let themselves just run. As a result, they finish feeling good and questioning how well they may have run.

Don’t do this to yourself. Learn how a race effort should feel through practice, then run by effort. If you’re ready for something special, something that might even surprise yourself, this is how you’re going to get it done. You’re not going to get it done by placing artificial limits on yourself, then only running to those limits.

Race report: 2015 Hootie Hustle 5K

September 1, 2015 / Race Reports / 5 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

My second of two race reports from August races.

the Hootie Hustle is a second annual event supporting the scholarship fund at the school district I live in so I feel an obligation to show up. Besides, last year I discovered that it’s a pretty nice course overall and it had better competition than I was expecting. Plus, this year, I’m unable to make it to the Jamie Block Alumni Meet at UW-Stout so it’s the perfectly timed replacement for that as a final Al’s Run tune-up.

As I mentioned, this course is pretty nice overall. I wasn’t expecting so much in Slinger, a pretty hilly town. However, they found a course where you have a long, gradual climb in the first half and a long, gradual descent in the second half. Before the race this year, someone mentioned the middle school, roughly the high point of the course, is 130 feet higher than the start/finish area, roughly the low point. So it’s not like we’re mountain climbing but it’s hardly pancake flat.

As I arrived at the course, I found an open parking space and, as I was pulling in, realized I ended up parking right next to Ed. We had a quick conversation, then I wanted to pick up my packet. Ed decided to join me so we walked together to the packet pick up. It was kind of drizzly/misting but, otherwise, not too bad of a morning. Honestly, I was thinking that precipitation might be a benefit because it was humid. Without the precipitation, it could get downright stuffy. With it, at least there was something to help cool you down.

Ed and I warmed up together, scouting out a bit of the early part of the course and the last mile or so of the course. After some loosening up, strides and scouting out how slippery the field turf football field we’d be turning on to for the finish gets when wet (not very) it was time to line up.

At the start, you pretty quickly hit a U-turn onto the street. Before that, i was out into the lead. Around the turn, I played it a little cautious and someone got past me. I fairly quickly got back in front and then was in the driver’s seat. For some reason, I felt like I was working hard but not going as fast as I would have hoped. As we climbed the hill, I could hear someone on my back. I could tell he was working hard but not giving in. I didn’t want to kill myself up the hill and turn myself into a rabbit so I kept the pressure up but didn’t fully open up. Then we got to the middle school and I knew that, generally speaking, it was all downhill from there. By that time, I felt a little more in sync and began pushing a little harder. Around a hard right that slowed me down, then into some neighborhoods. I pushed through that stretch then, at the 3K mark around a turn I stole a look back. I definitely built a gap but not as big as I had hoped. Knowing I didn’t have a whole lot to go and a great downhill was coming, I raised the effort level a little there.

Around another turn, through the 2 mile mark and into almost the perfect downhill. I leaned into the hill, tried to make the most of it but felt I wasn’t really accelerating much. By the bottom of the hill, I was just pushing with all I could.

You can see how wet it was, not ideal but not as bad as 85 and sunny would have been

Around a left turn, then just before a right I could see the scoreboard clock. 15:03. I pushed the pace thinking I’d be at least in the low 17s and maybe have a shot at sub-17.

I didn’t realize quite how far I still had to go, though. By the time I hit the track, the clock was right around 16 flat. I was pushing as hard as I could but, even in an oxygen deprived state and without trying to do the math, I knew a sub-17 effort would require the kind of sprint I don’t have when I’m rested, much less at the end of a 5K. I still gave it all I had, around the track for about 300 meters, then onto the field and finishing at the 50 yard line.

I saw 17:15 on the scoreboard as I crossed the finish line, then thought Ed should be around. Sure enough, he was on the track. I tore my pull tag off, then got around to cheer him in. I could see he was clearly on track for sub-19, I started telling him he has sub-19, how far under can he go? He seemed to pick up the pace some but not a whole lot. One of the finish line workers said something about me telling him sub-19 and I told him it was his goal and would be a PR for him. I think he was quite impressed when Ed crossed in 18:30.

After a few pictures, Ed and I headed out for a cooldown through a different part of town. All said, I have to rate this as a successful day for Team HillRunner.com at the Hootie Hustle. Sure, I would have liked sub-17 but I scored the win and this tells me I’m well on the path to sub-17 this fall. Ed got a top 3 finish and a huge PR. I’m looking forward to seeing what we both can do at Al’s Run.

Race report: 2015 Hank Aaron State Trail 5K

August 31, 2015 / Race Reports / 4 minutes of reading

This article was originally posted by Ryan at the original HillRunner.com Blogs.

I’m a little behind on race reports. It’s been a hectic summer. So I’m going to be posting two race reports in fairly short order.

First up, the Hank Aaron State Trail 5K. As seems to be the case every year recently, I find myself at some point questioning whether I should run this race. This time, as mentioned, I had a very busy summer. The weekend before this race, I was in Illinois going through an RRCA coaching certification course (which I’ll write about when I get a chance). 2 days, 8-9 hours per day plus driving, then return to work on Monday. Plus I had a 100 question test I had to complete on my own time after the course was completed and I wanted to get that done before going on vacation the weekend after the HAST 5K. So I thought about skipping the race because I thought I’d be pretty drained.

Then I saw an offer for a free entry on the Keep Running MKE blog and figured what the heck, if I can get in free I can show up and at least get the body used to running hard. As it turns out, I ended up winning the free entry so there was no backing out.

On race day, I arrived and claimed my free entry, then relaxed until warmup time. During the warmup, I wasn’t feeling great but I was feeling good enough. What I noticed more than anything was the humidity. It was only around 70 (pretty good for this early August race) but the humidity was just thick. Still, everyone has to race in the same conditions and conditions are never ideal for distance running in early August. So I lined up thinking of what has become my recent usual finish: mid-20s for place with a time in the high 17s. This is a good field but not on a fast course so, while not thrilling, that isn’t a bad performance.

I lined up about 3 deep and, once the race started, quickly found myself first wishing I had lined up in the second row then getting passed by a handful of people. I probably lined up about right.

As the course looped around the Miller Park parking lots for most of the first mile, I worked my way past the fast starters, then settled into position. Around the mile, I passed a few people, then someone with a Hansons singlet passed me I believe just past the mile mark. I wanted to go with but I couldn’t quite match him so my goal became to just hang close and try to get him back later.

As we went up the gradual rise, I stayed as close as I could but he did open up a bit of a gap. As we turned around and went back down, I tried to make the most of the gentle downhill slope to pick up some speed but Hansons guy seemed to be doing the same thing. I was gaining slightly, though.

At the bottom of the slope, there are a couple quick turns, then a turn onto the off road portion of the trail along the river. Around the first turn, I was lining up to pass the Hansons guy. Coming off the turn, he knew I was there and picked it up, almost instantly passing 2 guys who were just ahead of us. I tried to match the move but again couldn’t. So I shifted to focusing on the 2 guys now between us. I fairly quickly passed one, then set to work on the other. Just past 2 miles, I got him and was back looking at Hansons guy.

With a couple quick, sharp turns, we cross the river, then it’s running parallel along the other side of the river upstream until we’re back by the Miller Park parking lots and into the finish line. Not much changed along here. I pushed hard, trying to close on Hansons guy unsuccessfully but also trying to make sure the guys I just passed didn’t come back on me. I don’t remember any position changes through here or into the finish.

In the end, I finished 19th, 1st 35-39 age group, in 18:03. Not quite the time I was hoping for but a better place than I was expecting. Maybe the humidity took more out of me than I expected. I did finish feeling like I had just swum, not run, a race.

Regardless, this race brings me back for another year and I get another good early tune-up for the fall season. Plus a gift certificate to a local running store. Not a bad day.