A Structure Worth Building

As I've progressed as a runner over the years, I have also developed more and more as a student of the sport and I must say I really enjoy learning new tools to fuel this passion that I have. Of course, when I say I'm a student of the sport, I mean that I study it in my spare time. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't go to school for running. No, I actually received my degree in Civil Engineering... something I pursued in my first year following graduation, but have since set aside to entertain other pursuits. For the better half of my undergraduate studies, my concentration was Structural Design. In all my structural specific courses, there was a common term that was applied in every design situation, which we knew as the Factor of Safety.

The Factor of Safety is a variable that refers to how much over engineering is built into the design of various structures to withstand above average loads. This number varies based on many outside factors including cost, weight, climate, and so on... but the largest determining factors come from the variability of the building materials and the consequences of failure. For example, the elevator in your workplace probably has a Safety Factor of 10 or more. This means that whatever the maximum expected load is, the structure is built to withstand 10 times that load. This is not because there is a high variability in elevator materials, but rather because the consequence of failure (loss of human life) is extreme!

As for building materials, you can expect a lot of variables in material strength. For example, the tensile strength of steel is very high, but steel is also very heavy (~450 lbs/cFt), while the tensile strength of concrete is very low but it's compressive strength is high and it has a relatively low weight (~150 lbs/cFt). Furthermore, the consistency of materials like concrete and wood vary much more than that of steel, which causes it's failure properties to fluctuate, which again would raise the necessary Factor of Safety to account for these less predictable characteristics. This is why you typically see structures built with a combination of materials to accommodate the different forces in which that structure demands, while also meeting the practical demands of costs, weight, and functionality.

In this same school of thought, our bodies are designed in a similarly engineered fashion. We have a heavy bone skull to protect our most valued organ; we have larger bones to support the larger, harder working muscles; we have strong elastic tendons and ligaments to connect all these moving parts; as well as a flexible, fatty flesh to pad our exterior. Much like the many variables of building materials, we also find many variables within our body components. Some of these variables come from predisposed genetic features; giving us different body structures, deformities, diseases, and so on. Other variables come from what we do with our bodies after we're born; the types of food we eat, the amount of exercise we do, the drugs we abuse, the strenuous demands that we put on our bodies, and so on.

As incredible as these miraculous human components are, the average body is not built to withstand over 100,000 miles of intense running. Some people can do it, but it takes more than just a cushioned pair of shoes to do so. Again, like the "born with" material strength of wood and stone, we also have our own "born with" properties that we have to work with. As much as our elementary school teachers would like us to believe, we can't go out and build bridges out of toothpicks or houses out of gingerbread, regardless of how much super glue or icing we use. Similarly, I know I will never be able to run 9.58 in the 100m or 12:37 in the 5000m, regardless of how hard I work at it. I don't want to put limits on myself, but I know enough to realize those tasks are reserved for the "un-human" likes of Usain Bolt and Kenenisa Bekele.

Knowing that my body was not designed for all the tasks that I ask of it as a runner, I know I need to supplement my training with more than just ball-busting intervals on the track. I need to increase my material strength in order to withstand the forces that I hope to continue for a while longer. The question is how strong to make it? With so many variables within each athletes body and so many variables with how much stress we put on that body, it would be impossible to predict the exact point of failure for each bone, muscle, and tendon in the body. Therefore, we over engineer and we make each component able to endure more than we expect of it. By doing this, we increase our "Factor of Safety" and reduce the chance for failure (even if we encounter an above average load). Because I have been vulnerable to injury in the past, and the consequences of getting hurt are pretty severe for me, I plan on doing more "over engineering" than I have in the past. With that, I hope to stay healthy longer, get stronger, and ultimately get faster.

I've done various types of supplemental strength training in the past but have never had a structured routine or schedule to stick to. Instead, I've just used the "I'll do it when I can" mentality. I'm trying to change that by creating a routine that works for me and stick with it. The best core strength routines that I've seen to date have been those described by Coach Jay Johnson. He demonstrates some of these in this article with Running Times and I've linked a few of the videos in my training below. However, the more extensive exercises can be found on his DVD set. I have just started to implement these more structured routines over the last couple of weeks. It's something that takes time and I need to make sure I set aside the time to do it. As you can see, my mileage is pretty low right now and it was still tough to get everything in. As I continue to add mileage and intensity, it will be even more important for me to schedule my day around my runs and all the supplemental work that goes with it. All this in addition to some other drills, core work, rehab work, massage, and good nutrition will hopefully add to what I'm trying to accomplish. If I'm gonna do this, I might as well do it to the best of my ability. It won't be easy and I'm sure there will be more difficult choices ahead, but if it gets me close to where I want to be, it will all be worth it. Despite the set backs and aggravation, I continue to believe that this is a structure worth building!

Monday, August 17: PM - 7 Miles, 48 min

Bentley Woods

Extras: Pedestal Routine, Myrtl Routine, Ice Bath (full legs)

Tuesday, August 18: PM - 57 min w/ NBB group

@ Bentley

Extras: Team Drills, Strides on Grass

Wednesday, August 19: Day Off

Thursday, August 20: PM - 7 Miles, 48 min

From the Hingham store

Extras: Ice Bath (lower legs)

Friday, August 21: AM - 8 Miles, 55 min

River (West Side)

Extras: Back Routine

Saturday, August 22: Day Off

Sunday, August 23: PM - 10 Miles, 69 min

River to JFK Bridge

Extras: Pedestal Routine + Push Ups

Week Total = 40 Miles, 5 Sessions

Monday, August 24: PM - 5 Miles, 34 min

Worlds End

Extras: Pedestal Routine + Push Ups, Ice Bath (full legs)

Tuesday, August 25: PM - 59 min w/ NBB group

@ Bentley

Extras: Team Drills, Strides on Track

In other news, I'll be heading out to Oregon tomorrow to take part in the Hood to Coast Relay. I was able to get this all expense paid trip through my connections with work and with Strands. I think it will be a great experience and a good chance to catch up with old friends and expand my connections within the running community.

More when I get back. Stay tuned.

Seasons of Change

This picture was taken earlier this week as I look out over Wood Pond in Jackman, Maine. In a town of 720 people located about 10 miles from the Canadian border, I was perfectly content to sit here with no cell phone reception and no internet access, just watching the sun set over the tree tops and listening to the water ripple as a boat passed by. After 2 months of exhausting work and little satisfaction, I was finally able to stop everything and do absolutely nothing. It was one of the greatest moments I've had in quite some time.

Needless to say, I've been busy in the last two months as I've continued to work at piecing together a lifestyle that will meet all the demands I have personally and also accommodate some of the passions and goals that I have professionally and athletically. While trying to take care of these obligations, I feel like I've had to temporarily put some of my passions on the back burners in order to put out the fires on the front burners. This blog was one of those passions that got pushed aside for a while, and for that, I apologize. Moving forward, I should be able to return to my regular weekly updates and hopefully have some actual training to document in the process. I do enjoy updating this blog and I hope to continue doing so, regardless of how many readers it gets.

In the absence of my posts, we have entered the summer season and in doing so, have left the spring season behind us. Each year, the seasons go by faster and faster and each year I wish I had accomplished more. As we are already well into the summer, I feel like I haven't had a chance to really enjoy enough of it yet, and will again be entering a new season wanting more. In the past year, all of my "running seasons" have more or less been lumped together in one long progression. It's been a bumpy road and at times, it seemed there was no end in sight. Finally, after about 8 months of climbing back up the ladder, I can start to feel a sense of accomplishment. Not in my individual performances, but more so in my ability to balance everything as I've tried to create opportunities for success. I have a lot that I want to accomplish, but without knowing the best path to get me there, I have done my best to keep every path I see as a possibility.

In the last few months, I've juggled two separate jobs (Olive Garden and The Running Company), while also working on side projects with the Santa Barbara International Marathon and the Boston's Run to Remember, along with some additional work for Flotrack. Recently, I transitioned into a full time employee with the Greater Boston Running Company which enabled me to leave my position with the Olive Garden and focus more of my efforts on the areas that I have a stronger interest in.

Acquiring a comfortable living situation and a secure job were two of the biggest accomplishments for me in the past few months. But in addition to that, I have also managed to get myself healthy and into reasonable enough shape to be competitive on the local scene again ...enough to get my picture in New England Runner at least (page 79 in the July/August issue). On top of all that, I managed to squeeze in four weddings, a 70's Runner Party, and a Summerpalooza. While these events added to the already crazy schedule I had this summer, it was important for me to include them in my priorities. These functions helped keep my sanity levels in a healthy range and gave me a chance to keep contact with friends and family that I otherwise might not have seen this summer.

I could do a long write up of each individual event, but this post will be long enough without that. To shorten the word count and keep things somewhat interesting, I'll post some photos for you to help summarize the events. A picture says a thousand words anyway, right?

Cassandra and Nate's Wedding. Long time friends of the family. It was a beautiful ceremony in a small church located in Norwich, Vermont. The reception took place at a beautiful country club in Quechee and even had hot air balloons flying over head!

After having a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Boston, Gabe and Liz's wedding took place in Winthrop, Maine on the front yard of her parents home. After the ceremony, we had a lobster bake and danced to bluegrass tunes. It was definitely a fun combination!

The 70's Runner Party should be self explanatory, but here's one shot to give you an idea of what the night was like.

Craig and Ashley's Wedding took place in Auburn, Maine. This was also my final of four weddings for the summer. As I sat down to my assigned table, I saw this picture which summed things up pretty well. (For the record, I was invited to all these weddings!)

After a successful run of the Beach to Beacon 10K, it was time for one last party up in Maine. In its fourth year, Summerpalooza was a huge success. Everyone seemed to have a good time and we raised money for some worthy causes in the process.

After all the weddings, races, and parties were over, I felt it was time for a break... a mental break! I ventured a few hours north with Rupprecht to meet the rest of his family in Jackman, Maine. We ate a bunch of food, drank some beers, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was enough to recharge the batteries and get focused on the next stages of my life, whatever those may be.

So where do we go from here? Well, now that I've worked hard to put things in place that will enable me to do what I enjoy, it's time to continue that progression and work hard at that very task that keeps this blog alive - Running. Since, I returned to Boston last fall, the main goals that I've had with respect to running have been to get healthy, stay healthy, make continuous progress, and create the groundwork for whenever I was ready to take it further. In the past, I've referenced these as "process goals" which is exactly what they are. Although the consistency in my training has been lacking, I feel like I have done an ok job at following through with these goals. Now it's time to do something with that groundwork, take my running back to a higher level and start introducing some outcome goals. I will continue to add to the process goals, but use them as a guide to produce results or "outcome goals".

My desire to run fast has been there all along, but my ability to put in the work necessary to do so has not always been there. As I enter the fall season, this is what I need to work on. I really want to work hard this year and make that commitment to training that I've only touched upon in the past. It's been exactly two years since I started this blog and two years since I made this same pledge to myself. I did well at first with a strong fall season, but that winter, everything started to fall apart. A lot has happened in those two years and I feel like I've come full circle to where I was when I started this thing. But now I have the fortunate gift of hindsight. I've learned a lot in those two years, a lot about the sport and a lot about myself. I may not know any more about what my potential is, but I do know more about what I need to do to achieve it.

Today is the start of my new season; my season of desire, my season of commitment... my season of change!