One goal I set for myself was to crack the 8 minute barrier in my 10k by the end of the season. While this is a lofty goal I think it is achievable. How do I get more running speed? What is holding me back because I know it is in me? I think I found my answer in a good article by Ben Greenfield on Trifuel title Run Faster: Six Keys.

Ben clearly identifies my problem:

“Increase cadence: Until a cadence of 86-90bpm becomes second nature, you cannot let yourself  “zone out” on your runs. Period. You must focus the entire time.”

In my estimation I have been zoning out on my runs. Intermittent periods where focus is lost and I contemplate “the thing d’jour”. Additionally, I do not know my running cadence. One additional thought was in the winter on the treadmill I was faster. I had discounted this but in retrospect there is a connection. There is no zoning on a treadmill and my pace is controlled by the speed dial.

I am going to need to do some serious drill work here to make my goal a reality. I need to check in with the coach but it looks like hills, fartlek and cadence drills are in my future.

As always I welcome your thoughts and input on cadence and speed drills.

I really believe the basic principles I learned in ChiRunning really helped me take my running to the next level. I plan to attend a few more running  clinics to help me with my form and pick up a tip or two. I would love to be able to break 40 minutes for 5 mile by the end of the season. It is a lofty running goal but I am committed.

Tonight I am going to attend a open water swim clinic and am really looking forward to it.

While this is and will always be a  family weekend I really was looking forward to my workouts. I enjoy challenging myself to get to the next level and my progress has kept my going. I will also admit that this past week was not a great diet week but for the most part was pretty good considering the abundance of goodies to eat and drink.

I spent Saturday morning in the pool with the opportunity to work out with a group of swimmers well above my level. I set my pace and trailed in the drills but exceeded my own expectations. Working out with veterans is so beneficial to a novice like myself. I was fortunate to get some good coaching and a really challenging workout.  This Saturday I am attending my first swimming clinic. I feel like I have started to build a good foundation and am looking forward to learning from a pro.

Sunday I planned to do a brick. A brick workout simply means that you complete one workout after another. I mapped out a 21 mile course using GMaps. This was really the first time I used a map to plot a bike course. It was a bit awkward and did not go 100% as planned but that did not matter. I was outside and on my bike, what could be bad! I wound up extending my distance by a few miles but that was OK because I felt good. I then met my club for our regular run. It was a great day and we all did well. I approximate that I did about 25 miles on my bike and a 7 mile run. This is my longest brick to date.

Memorial Day I got up early a did my 6.4 miles and made a personal best for the loop. This was surprising considering the extra effort I put out yesterday. I felt strong and paid close attention to my pace and form. It was a gorgeous Monday morning and the sun was shining. My time was 55:46 about 30 second faster than my previous time.

All in all it was a great weekend. I not only had a great time with the family but also accomplished my training goals.

One of the biggest things I feel has helped me extend my running endurance and pace has been refining my running posture. Less than a month ago I knew nothing about this but with some coaching it has made all the difference. I was privileged to get some help from David Stretanski our YMCA Tri-Club ChiRunning expert.

It all started with some basic awareness, then a few basic pointers and I was on my way. The biggest problem I had in my form was keeping my feet facing forward which I tended to open. That issue was significant because I was already straining my hip induction muscles and I  didn’t know why. The additional basic form and posture exercises David pointed out made running easier. Strides were more comfortable and required less effort.

As my training develops and I get more experienced I have become more tuned to what my body has been telling me. On a run last week I noticed that I was rolling my feet. As I tried to correct this I started curling my toes and threw off my mechanics.

Puzzled I went for help and Coach Tom Manzi told me about some exercises to help correct this call 20 second (barefoot) strides. Basically, you run in a grass field barefoot to “feel” how to strike the foot mid-sole then repeat with shoes on. Well I am pleased to report coach knows his stuff, it worked.

In my run today I was focused and relaxed and it all seemed to gel. I know it seems cliche to say “just relax” but it is so true. That also seemed to be the issue with my strides because I had a stiffened my foot and as soon as I let the tension go, it clicked.  It has helped me in all my activities and is so key to being efficient. While I recognize that I am a novice I feel more confidant than ever before because of some basic coaching.

Today was a good day!