Run Tampa

Check the Blog on Mojo for Running for a 4th of July Running Recap

Wow! What a running weekend.

Most people cook out, picnic, barbecue, watch fireworks and wear red, white, and blue. Runners do all those things plus a race or two, too.

Check out this post on the MojoforRunning.com blog about the Lutz Independence Day Run, the Kiwanis Morton Plant Mease Midnight Run, and yesterday's Run Tampa Group Run. Many pics, too.

See the post here.

Run Tampa Patriot's Challenge

Many of you are planning on doing one of the road races on Saturday, July 3rd. The Lutz Independence Day 5k is in the morning, and the Kiwanis Morton Plant Mease Midnight 5k/10k is that night.

Links to race websites: http://bit.ly/beoJkv  http://bit.ly/9Fmtk2

The challenge: Do any of those races AND come to the group run at Lake Park on Sunday morning, July 4th, at 8 a.m. (must do 3 miles) to be entered in a drawing for a Run Tampa t-shirt, with shipping, a $35 value. The shirt will be ordered from Running Banana.com. You'll have the option of ordering a running singlet, short sleeve, long sleeve, men's or women's, in your size.

Anyone doing more than one of those races and doing our Sunday run, will get one entry for the t-shirt giveaway for each race.

Excellent Group Run on Bayshore This Morning and Plans for Croom Trail Run Tomorrow

Great group run this morning! I thought we might have a smaller crowd because so many people were out of town for the holiday weekend, but we had our largest group yet. Outstanding!

Here's my weekly wildlife report: We didn't see any manatees, but there was one dolphin (or shark) lingering in one spot for a long time. Everyone said it was a dolphin, but I've never seen one cruise along the surface that long. However, Alison said they do that when they're feeding, and I imagine she's right. Don't think they have sharks around there, anyway, do they? Not my field of expertise. Anyway, that's the only wildlife I spotted except a couple of pelicans and many happy canines jogging along with their owners.

Thanks for coming everyone, and I hope you'll be able to join us next weekend on SUNDAY, June 6th at Lake Rogers Park, 7 a.m. That will be completely off road. Three kiosks with ice water along the 2.1 mile loop. Can't wait to share this with you.

One more thing: Several of us are running at Croom tomorrow morning, Sunday. If you've never been to Croom, it is in the Withlacoochee National Forest and was named by the World Wildlife Fund as "One of the 10 Coolest Places You've Never Been." I have been, and I agree.

Check out this video

of the 2008 John Holmes 50k and 16 mi. race. Wendy and I are in there somewhere. This year's John Holmes 50k and 16 mi Fun Run are coming up October 9th. If you haven't done it, you've got the whole summer to prepare. Register now for motivation through the hot summer months.

I'll be going slow and easy tomorrow and doing the 14 mile loop, but Wendy is leaving earlier and doing 20. I'll be leaving Tampa at 5:45 and planning to meet her at 7. These are gorgeous trails; as Wendy says, you feel like an animal running through the woods.

Here are her comments: "For anyone who may be interested in trail running in Croom this Sunday, May 30. Meet at 5:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. My plan is to leave from Tucker Hill at 5:30, run about 5 miles and be back at Tucker Hill again at 7. At 7, I'll be doing the 14.4 mile loop. I'll leave a cooler of water midway on the 14.4 mile loop with extra water for everyone. Right now, I think there may only be 4 of us. I average about 14 minute miles on these trails. We can run together or there are maps at the trail head that are relatively easy to follow and the turns are marked but you have to pay close attention. It's a great trail and there are some hills. Let me know if you plan to join us :)"

You can send your email to me deb@runTampa.com or call me at 813-416-4638.

Robinson Preserve Twilight 5k & 1 mi, Bradenton, This Friday!

Okay, this is one race I think I have to do. I raced last weekend and  raced the week before, but gosh, look at the photo. That venue is just irresistible. I have to do it. And it's an evening race, 6:30 p.m.

Race Director, Doug Schiller says, “If you haven’t experienced this amazingly beautiful property, you’ll surely want to now. And, if you have, well, you’re probably already registered for the race.”  

Could there be a better way to begin a weekend?

 

• 5k Chip timed and participants receive a New Balance tech shirt

• Enjoy a GREAT post race party and silent auction, DJ, dinner, beverages and more

• The 5k route is over shell packed trails, six bridges, winding around mangroves, vistas of Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and 100’s of species of birds then finishes on a paved path

• Kids’ races 3 to 12 years receive official race t-shirt, bib, packet, and finisher’s medal

• Cash awards to the M/F top finishers and award tiles to all winners in their respective groups

29th Annual Strawberry Classic 2010

I don't know which was more striking, the vivid blue sky and yellow race shirts or all the smiling faces. No matter how you look at it the 29th Annual Strawberry Classic was a huge success. Kudos to Tampa Bay Runners.

See the photo album in the column to the right or click here to access all 149 photos in a Picasa album.

Publix Gasparilla Weekend 2010

Another great Gasparilla Weekend has come and gone, and true to form, it was an amazing weekend of racing. I understand the 5k was a bit soggy, but if the comments I read on the Gasparilla FB page are any indication, spirits were still plenty high. What's a little rain when you've got all those glorious endorphins surging through your veins, anyway?

Race Director Susan Harmeling reported a record number of participants this year, at around 25,000, and that's no surprise. Running seems to be continually gaining popularity, and this event has a great reputation in the running community. I never miss it.

With a 5k, 5k walk and stroller roll, 15k, marathon and half marathon, the weekend offered something for everyone. Sadly, it was the last year for the marathon, however.

Congratulations to all the winners, to all who finished, to Race Director Susan Harmeling, the City of Tampa, sponsors, and volunteers.

Check this photo slide show on TBO.com and Bill Ward's article here for more details.

15 Tips for Running Faster

Almost every runner plateaus from time to time. Often the best cure for this is a training adjustment. Sometimes, even a slight tweak will result in faster times, but just as often, the whole training program needs to be overhauled. Whether you are just looking for some new ideas, or you are thinking that your training regimen needs drastic modifications, check out the suggestions below for ideas of techniques you may want to consider. Incorporate one or all and watch your time drop.

1. Rest more. Sometimes we get so caught up in training and striving for that lower PR, that we forget that one of the most critical facets of training is, in fact, rest. Your body doesn't get stronger, more capable of faster times, during actual running - or cross-training for that matter - but rather, during recovery/rest. For two weeks, try taking a complete rest day on one of the days that would normally be an easy training day, and make an easy day out of one of your hard days. And be careful not to make your other training days more intense to compensate. That would defeat the purpose of the added rest. This will give your body a bit of extra recovery. Then return to your usual training regimen. If you are sluggish and not seeing the kind of results you want or expect, taking just one extra day off might make the difference, but if it doesn't, try my two-week plan.

2. Hills. If you are not already doing regular hill training, try doing some, but only do it once a week, and do it on one of your hard days. If you already have two hard days per week (not including your long run), then replace one of them with a 'hill' day or reduce the rest of the workout to make room for some hill training. There are many types of hill workouts. Just google "hill training running," and you'll get plenty of ideas, but be sure to start gradually with only a small amount the first week. If you are saying to yourself, "We don't have hills in Tampa," I have two suggestions: The closest hills are near St. Leo College in San Antonio. Most serious runners travel up there to do their hill training. It's about 45 min. from downtown Tampa. A more convenient second alternative is the overpass on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. You can do repeats on that without worrying about vehicular traffic. A third alternative is to train in a parking garage. Make sure you do this when there are no cars to compete with. The last alternative would be a treadmill, but this is not nearly as good because you can't go downhill, which is also important.

3. Spin. If you are not spinning already, add one spinning workout per week. By this I mean a spinning class. Do this on one of your hard days; otherwise it will not help and might hinder because your legs will never get to recover due to spinning being an intense workout. I recommend spinning after your run on one of your hard weekday workouts, but you could also do it first. Another idea is to do it instead of one of your hard workouts. Maybe alternate with replacing track work with spinning one week and replacing tempo with spinning the next week. Spinning will increase your leg turnover speed and your leg strength, but it has many other benefits as well.

4. Leg turnover drills probably have the greatest potential for increasing your speed. These are sometimes called foot strike drills. See how many foot strikes you can do in a minute. Strive for about 90, counting only one foot or 180 if you count both feet. Don't pay any attention to forward movement. That's irrelevant. Just concentrate on rapid foot strikes. Cool down with an easy jog for a few minutes. Then repeat. Great drill. 

5. Drills. There are many different kinds of running drills. The purpose of most drills is to overemphasize correct running form. Every running coach has their favorites. Go to YouTube and enter "running drills" or "drills for runners." Don't just accept anything you see; look for drills demonstrated and recommended by well known, credentialed coaches.

6. Add weight training. If you've never done any weight training, you might be very surprised at how much it can improve your running speed. AND don't ignore your arms. They are the levers that help you propel the legs forward. If you are already doing weight training, consider making some changes in your workout; be sure you are doing the right exercises for runners; you want to strengthen all muscles, but remember that there are usually several ways to strengthen each muscle group, and some will be better for runners than others. And be sure you are performing them correctly. 7. Core. Improving core strength helps you to be lighter on your feet. It will help you avoid sinking into the ground with each stride; rather you'll feel more like you're gliding over it, which is, of course, faster. Study photos of yourself when at the end of a race. You may notice that you look like your torso drops closer to the ground with each stride than it did in photos taken early in a race. Strengthening your core and all other muscles will help reduce this type of fatigue and keep you running with less sinking.

8. Lose weight. Many runners can afford to lose a few pounds. Even a few pounds will make a difference in your speed and comfort. To investigate this, put 10 lbs of weight in a backpack and go for a run. Nothing will convince you more effectively.

9. Try some plyometric exercises. Be very careful here because these can easily get you injured and will always get you sore, at least at first. Make sure you do each exercise correctly and do them on a hard training day. Basically, plyometric exercises are explosive exercises. Google "plyometric exercises running." You'll find plenty of videos on YouTube, but be very careful, and don't do this if you are not already in peak condition. Even then, start with only one or two reps of only a couple of different ones each week, and build from there. And, of course, you don't want to even experiment within a couple of weeks of a race. Better to incorporate this in your next base phase.

10. Run off road on rugged terrain at least once a week. Running through sand, hopping over roots and adjusting to varying uneven ground will require much more mental concentration, but it will also strengthen your ankles, require more balance, and increase overall agility. As a result, when you run on pavement it will seem easier, and you will be stronger. An added benefit is that it is less stressful in other ways due to the fact that it is on soft surface. Therefore, it will be easier on your body in that way.

11. Increase your base miles. Many people try to race and set new PR's after not completing an adequate macro cycle. In other words, they don't spend enough weeks going through the necessary training phases before goal races. If you are striving for a PR in a particular race, you need to carefully prepare for months in advance. Of course, the length of the preparation period/macro cycle depends on the distance of the race you're preparing for. Even if your goal race is a 5k, you will have a much better performance if you started your training/preparation for that race by building a base of at least 20 miles per week. If you are training for a goal 5k and don't plan on racing any longer distances, I still recommend building your once weekly long run to at least 9 miles and building to 25 miles per week. If you have not done this in the past, you may find that it is the secret to having a breakthrough race.

12. Eat more protein. Of course, your whole diet is important, but I have particularly found that many athletes do not get sufficient protein for the quantity of training they do. I suggest keeping track of your protein intake for a few days. It may be that your muscles cannot get stronger and can't recover properly because you are not consuming enough protein. I recommend listening to some podcasts about nutrition for athletes. A highly recognized national authority on nutrition for athletes is Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/index.html. It could be that all you need to achieve a better time is a better diet.

13. Take a long, hard look at your running schedule. Does it make sense? It is carefully planned or haphazard? Is your training specific to what you need for the events you normally compete in?

14. Avoid any intense training sessions the week of any goal race. By that I mean a race in which you hope to set a PR. The only hard training you should do during that week is race specific but that should be minimal because you need to be very rested for the race. 

15. Take a weekly yoga class. This is an excellent way to improve core strength, increase balance, and improve flexibility.

As always, be careful not to overtrain, i.e., work too hard too often, and don't do anything you are not properly conditioned to do. Keep in mind your age, experience, and current fitness level. Also, you wouldn't want to try to incorporate all of the ideas at once. Consider where you are in your training cycle before adding some of these ideas. If you are in the middle of your racing season, it may be best to wait until after the season and incorporate some of these ideas into your next macro cycle.

After reading this list, you may be pumped to try a few, but one caveat, if you did not begin the season - your macro cycle - by building a sufficient base, then that is the most important thing to change. First, because it is the most likely thing to result in improvement, and, second, because doing so will greatly decrease the likelihood of injury, allowing you to safely incorporate the other suggestions.

Always Listen to That Voice in Your Head: The Florida Half Marathon Report

Big weekend! I ran the Florida Half Marathon in hilly Clermont on Saturday with my daughter, Wendy Spencer, and good friends Lee Casteris and Jackie Macaluso. When the decision was made that we would meet in Temple Terrace at 4:45 a.m., I started to wonder if doing this race was the right decision, but, of course, it was.

Last week was just not a good week for me, the week leading up to the race I mean. It was just extra hectic and quite stressful, so, not having pre-registered, I seriously considered staying home and going for a long run at sun up, but I had told them I'd go, and there was also that nagging voice whispering in the back of my head, "You know if you go, you'll be glad you did. You know you'll enjoy being with your friends. You know you're ready for this race and likely to have a good time. You know you can take a nap when you get home. You know that even though the temp will be in the forties, you'll be toasty after running a couple of miles. You know that no matter how hilly it is, it probably won't be any worse than San Antonio. You know you run well in the hills. You know you'll be sorry if you don't go!"

Turned out, the temp was, as predicted, in the forties, and the wind was really blowing as well. I would never have predicted that we would all have excellent races, but we all did. It was one of those magical mornings, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The voice in my head was dead on.

A small and low-key race, there was no photographer and not a lot of food, but piping hot hot chocolate made up for that. They let me take my age group award and leave right after the race, which I liked because it was just too cold to stand around waiting for an awards ceremony.

It was just Jackie's and Lee's second half marathon, and both had huge PR's. Wendy has done many halfs, but still dropped a huge chunk of time as well. That was my 16th half, and I had my best time in several years, only two minutes off my best ever, even in the hills.I'll definitely add this race to my half calendar for next year.

We had our own personal one man photographer, support crew, and cheering section, too. Thanks, Michael. You were great!

There is a reason why that voice in my head had so much to say. It's because I've done so many races before, and I know that I'm always glad I did them after I finished. Some are better experiences than others, of course. This happened to be one of those. Once again I find myself thanking my friends; I certainly would not have gone if it weren't for them, AND once again I find myself appreciating the voice in the back of my head that is much wiser than my conscious self.

Flapjack 5k: Fast, Fun, Families, Flapjacks

Today I ran in the 16th annual Flapjack 5k in Land O' Lakes. I like that the race proceeds went to Land O' Lakes High School's running teams because I have a special place in my heart for that school. A long time ago, when I first became an English teacher, I did my internship there.

Congratulations to Lee Stephens, the first male, a LOLHS alum, and Brandi Nichols, the first female. Also, Oakstead Elementary won the school category. See their photo below. Congratulations to those hard working kids and their dedicated coaches. The race started at the rec center on Collier Parkway and then turned into the Lake Padgett area. I recommend this race to anyone. A couple of things set this race apart from most races. One is that they have team categories for father/son, father/daughter, mother/son, mother/daughter, brothers, sisters, and husband and wife. Wendy and I teamed up as a mother/daughter team, and I love it when we get to do that. More race directors should do that. We didn't win our category, but just wait til next year.

The other unique thing is that - as you may have suspected - flapjacks are served after the race along with OJ and sausage. Now that's my kind of post race food. And kudos to the volunteers because they managed to serve several pancakes each to all those runners without a long line. I guess they've been doing this long enough to have mastered the procedure. 

I had a great race, only 12 seconds over my PR, a good final speed workout before the Florida Half Marathon in Clermont next weekend.

 

Jingle Bell 5k Plaza Run

Woohoo! This morning's Jingle Bell 5k Plaza Run for the Arthritis Foundation was a huge success. Approximately a thousand runners participated in either the 5k or one of several kids' races. Santa high-fived runners as they crossed the finish line; then everyone retired to Champps for the awards ceremony and an early lunch.

Click here to see many race photos.