The Last Couple Weeks, U.S.A. XC, and the Joys of Coachlessness

Pretty great last few weeks! USA Cross Country last week went really well and I was really excited with how it panned out. The course was awesome and definitely one of my favorites, so stoked that it's back there next year. I got 14th this year, and am hoping to knock at least 4 places off of that next year. I hadn't previously ever finished higher than 16th so I'm getting closer! Yay! It was great having a couple of teammates (Loren and Rachel) out there too, and Colorado was well-represented! Plus, Loren was such a good sport when they made him put tape over his BRC logo. But YEAH the course was awesome! Nice iffy footing in places, cold wind, hills (my favorite), and mud. Loved it. So glad that we've forgone the Beautifully Groomed Golf Course style cross country race in favor of more appropriate terrain for the next couple years. The field was great. Without a World's this year though supposedly the field was less deep (according to Letsrun sources, for whatever that's worth...), but really it seemed like the top-20 or so had about as much depth as it usually does. No, there was no Shalane and no Blake Russell for instance, but there was a Sara Hall, a Liz Costello, a Laura Thweatt, and others who offset that loss of depth. So really, I think that's debatable.

Right here is a good place to insert my special thanks to Loren for being a great roommate, pre-race shake-out run partner, fellow detective in the search for the Elusive #48 on the dark streets of St. Louis (long story), and for introducing me to all of A&E's great late-night TV shows, namely Storage Wars, Parking Wars, and Shipping Wars. I don't watch much TV but I can't believe what I've been missing out on this whole time.

The last few months have gone so well, and the cherry on top was U.S. cross, and all of that has me thinking that, you know, maybe the whole having a coach thing gets a little over-rated? That's not to say that subjective advice of someone who is not emotionally attached to your running isn't helpful (it is), and that having someone around to assess what you're doing wrong when things go, well, wrong isn't helpful (it is), but it all really boils down to consistency and common sense. The basics usually seem the same regardless of who is telling you to do what: hard on your hard days, easy on your easy days, and if you screw up then figure out how you screwed up then don't do that thing again, mmkay? Now I'm not professing to know everything (or anything for that matter) or to have any knowledge of the physiology or the more scientific reasoning behind different workouts and different training structures, to be really honest I'm actually probably awfully naive. Could you be a lot better with someone mapping out your every move? Absolutely. Could you be worse? Absolutely. But everyone's an experiment of one and if one thing doesn't work try something else because eventually some combination of things will work, it's just sometimes lots of trial and error getting there. The kicker seems to be that it takes a little more honesty with yourself sometimes: do you really feel crappy today and need to knock a couple miles off of your long run, or are you being a pansy? When does the cost outweigh the benefit? When do you need to push the envelope and when do you pull the reigns? That part is tricky sometimes. But really you just have to have a little faith in yourself and don't outsmart your common sense. And remember: if you say you can or you say you can't, either way you're right. Of course, it's a little easier to say all of this since I think it's a little hard to mess up 3k-10k training anyway. When I move up to the marathon (yes I will), that might be a different story, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Welp, since it's pretty much just been go-go-go since last October and I really haven't put in a good chunk of training longer than 2 weeks that wasn't interrupted with a race, time now to cool the jets for a few weeks and just train. No races on the immediate horizon till the springtime and in the meantime back to the grind! Congrats to everyone on great races for the last few weeks, and good luck to everyone in the Spring Runoff 10 miler! Keep on keepin' on.

What a Weekend!

Great races across the board and across the country at last weekends races! Results are as follows...

Husky Invite (Seattle, WA): Scott Dahlberg posted 8:08 in the 3k while Brandon Johnson ran 14:23 in the 5k.

USA Cross Country Championships (St. Louis, MO): In cold, very windy conditions on a genuine cross country course, Loren Ahonen placed 16th in the men's race, while on the women's side Shannon Payne took 14th and Rachel Gioscia-Ryan placed 25th.

Mercedes Half Marathon (Birmingham, AL): Sean Brown took 3rd place overall, clocking 1:07.25.

Congrats to all and keep up the good work everyone!!!
Rachel Gioscia-Ryan at USA XC

Into The Black

It’s February. Fatigue February! As I have branded it, with the exclamation point at the end like that too. It’s not necessarily a dark month in Colorado, but cold non-the-less, which adds to the aura of Fatigue February!. Since it’s F2 and all, I’ve gone to a solitary Rocky Balboa-style of training in the “Russian Mountains”. Obviously I’m not in Russia right now, though the Flatirons are covered in a foot or two of snow and right out of my front door, which has given me the opportunity to bound up them in the knee-high deep snow while sporting a thick leather jacket and black combat boots and scream “Drago!!!” when I get to the top of Bear Peak. Just another typical day in Boulder…

To catch up a bit (I know, it’s a wHile - emphasize the H). I spent the months of November-January just running, no real structured workouts, just straight up old-school Yogging. I wanted to build a massive aerobic base to carry me into when things really heat up, in late Spring on into Summer. So, in January I ran three unstructured “workouts” (accidental tempo runs), mostly in attempt to change gears so the 4.1 Mile Fast-and Flurrious Cross Country race at the end of the month wouldn’t be too much of a rust buster (even though it was).

Surprisingly enough, the race actually went quite well. Despite not running any faster than 5:20 pace for any “workout” prior to the race, I clicked off 5:08s in the snow and finished just under 21 minutes in 20:59, and felt great. My legs just weren’t 100% ready to go, which was expected. To add to the Cytomax in the glass-half-full, the time was well over a minute faster compared to last year - when I was peaking for the US Half-Marathon Championships. Major progress has been made, off straight aerobic training…

Now, I go Into The Black of Fatigue February. I’ve pumped up the volume even more, and started to loosely plan out my training (tempos, hills, repeat). Given that this is Fatigue February!, I’ve decided to most likely stray away from racing. I fear if I stepped onto a course this tired, I’d be out-kicked by a woman pushing a stroller with four toddlers in it. They’d peek at me, sympathetic of course, through their plastic windows out the back, little curious eyes, “why does that man look like he’s dying?”. I might not be dead yet, but near-death is a good definition. Just close enough to feel ALIVE in a few months (picture Nicolas Cage jostling in the waves after “falling” in City of Angels), yeah, that kind of ALIVE. The contrast is a must.

Well, I’ve got to get my combat boots on and leather jacket so I can run up Bear Peak (in a an all-out-sprint of course) and scream “Drago!” at the top, hopefully I get their before another homeless Boulder guy does…

Stay Classy Colorado!

Getting Back At It

It's been a couple weeks since the Marathon Trials and I'm getting back into training again with some easy running and light workouts. I was really happy with my race in Houston. It was great to set a new PR and to finish as strong as I did. Although...I did come away thinking that I finished so strong that I may have sold myself a little short. I felt great, I got my fuel right, and I never hit the wall! The experience was amazing and I'm so thankful that I got the chance to compete.

Looking forward, I'm heading to the U.S. 15K Championships in Jacksonville, FL in March. I'm considering a 10K on the track at Mt. Sac, but that's a big question mark. The 10K is one of those races that I can't seem to put together for the life of me! I'm also going to head home to Michigan in May for the U.S. 25K Championships.

I spent most of the last year doing marathon training. I'm so excited to change gears and try some of the shorter distances. We'll see how it goes! Until then, I'm trying to get used to the burning feeling that comes with doing workouts at altitude again!

What's been going down

I'm pretty happy to already have two races under the belt for 2012! About a month ago was the Quicker Quaker 5k up in Lafayette, which was a good one, except that I hadn't done it previously and had heard it was a "really fast" course. Um no. Maybe I misunderstood and was really told that it attracts really fast people. Because it does. It was Olympic Trials weekend though and you've gotta figure, "While the cats are away the mice will play!" And aside from just being a fun race, they were offering up some $$cha-ching$$ for the top 3. And I got 3rd so that was swell. Nicole Aish and Melody Fairchild were neck-in-neck the whole time, with Melody coming away with the win--she's back in buisiness.

Last weekend was the Fast-and-Flurry-ous 4.1 Mile xc race up in Boulder. GREAT race and the course is a real booger (definitely one of the harder xc courses I've ever run...I loved it.) made more boogery by some snow, sketchy footing, icy patches, and 20-odd degree temps. But it was a blast and a perfect tune-up for U.S. Cross. Not to mention it was FAST. I got 4th that day, and they offered up even more $$cha-ching$$ for the top 5 there, so I could at least justify taking off work that day. BRC-Boulder put on a great race and the added rivalry with Boulder Track Club made it more fun with a lot of the team all being there, it was a little bit like a miniature Club XC. Oh and I have put in my vote to add hay-bales to the course next year, just to shake things up a little more.


Training is going great and I feel awesome. We got a hefty dump of snow today so it was a forced easier-than-I-wanted day....but probably for the best. 8 days till USA's!!!!

Training camp in north carolina

Great week here in durham! Team type 1 gave me the opportunity to fly out here to train and study my blood sugar levels. I'm staying here with Missy foy who has had type 1 diabetes for the past 15 plus year and is now help me out with my diabetes.

Tuesday I was on the track and did on and off 1ks avg 3.07 my offs were 3.38. So just about 5 min pace for the ons and just under 6 min pace for the offs. I did it 4 times. Blood sugar was great (100 the whole time)!

Workout today (Friday the 3rd) long run as progressive tempo. Started out first 2 miles at 7 min, next 2 6.50, then next 4 was about 6.25, next 2 were 6.00, then 2 more at 5.50, the last 3 were 5.15 and under. Great run, felt great, but from the start blood sugar was low and kept having to take my powerbar gel.

Since I've been here I have been able to watch a couple of soccer games, duke womens basketball game, meet up with an old friend (Lauren Bonds), got the powerbar sponsorship for 2 years, and I'm starting to talk to some agents for some diabetes company's sponsorships.

Lot of stuff happening! You can also fallow me on twitter @tommyneal2

Fast and Flurry-ous Race Review

Thanks to all those who braved blustery conditions at the Fast and Flurry-ous 4.1 Miler!!! Acting as the first race in a series of five against rival team Boulder Track Club, thanks to the efforts of the guys and gals who raced the challenging 4.1 mile cross country course BRC/Adi came away as the victors!

The combined times of the top four runners on both the men's and women's teams on both sides were used to determine who claimed the trophy. The first race of the day was the women's, and Boulder Track Club's studette Laura Thweatt trounced the field by a landslide in 22:24. While her time was undoubtedly quick, BRC put two more ahead of their second with Shannon in 4th with 23:43 and Rachel in 6th with 23:58. Kristen finished 10th in 24:40, followed by Lori in 11th, who rounded out BRC's score, in 24:49. Just behind Lori was Ashley in 12th (25:14) and Sarah in 17th (25:41). All six BRC women finished ahead of BTC's third woman, thus sealing the deal on the women's side.

For the men it was a loaded field and it looked like it would be a close call. BTC's Matt Tebo and Clint Wells took 3rd and 4th respectively, while Loren took 5th behind Wells in 20:16. Just on Loren's heels were two more BTC'ers, Josh Glaab in 6th and Curtis Begley in 7th. Adam snatched 9th in 20:48, followed consecutively by a nice pack of four consisting of Robby (20:49), Jason (20:57), who capped off the score, newcomer Bobby Reyes (20:59), and Jay (21:11), all in 10th-13th places respectively.

While the BRC men took it to them, the BTC guys would have been the victors in that division, thankfully the women tilted the scale in favor of BRC and took home the hardware for Team Champions. Great job ladies and gents!!!

In the five series race, the men are vying for the Mark Plaatjes trophy while the women are in the hunt for the Elva Dryer trophy. So far the BTC men are one up on BRC, while the BRC women are a point ahead of BTC.

Big thanks to BRC-Boulder, New Balance, Naked Pizza and Avery Brewing Co. for putting on a great show!

Next up in the series will be the Bolder Boulder 10k on Memorial Day.

Meno’s Paradox

Plato once theorized that it is impossible to learn anything new. You simply recollect something already known and come to "enhancing" on this previously known knowledge. The same way you discover how that bright red burner on the stove is hot, common sense would tell you that not only the color but the sheer heat radiating from the top is probably near-hot enough to brand a cow. Fortunately for me, I haven't touched the burner in years, keeping my hands in tact to write this blog. Of course, many can dispute Plato's somewhat pessimistic approach to knowledge, though in reference to my training during 2011, and onward into 2012, I have to agree with him...

If 2010 was the upward-swing of my running career, 2011 was undoubtedly the downward-swing. Like the spirals "fictional" legend Bruce Dention talks of in the famed novel "Once A Runner", I'm in the momentum-gathering phase. Whether it be mental (it is now), or physical (it is, even more so now), I've finally come (back) to the simplicity of training required to attack that up-swing with a full force.

What I'm referring to mostly is old-school approach to training. Longer runs, longer workouts, running twice a day, every day, every week, every month, and so on. I had been training under a highly Lydiard-esque style since high school, cruising through longer tempos and thresholds, "strength work" to say the least. This quite literally formed the base work to everything I knew about training, and it worked. Though, during the down-swing of 2011, these simple truths were stored near the back of my mind, tucking themselves in the darkest corner, waiting to be sought out and re-found again.

In 2011, I had replaced what I had known with a much more anaerobic approach to training, consisting of incredibly short, and intense workouts, (which I guess could be considered the “original” old school). I’ll avoid elaborating on the rationale behind straying away from common sense, though, let’s just say that each agonizing black and white result after another begged to be scrutinized, analyzed, and ultimately answered (and yes, that’s a lot of “ed”s). When you’re finishing workouts about ready to empty the two bananas and that Blueberry Powerbar you ate for breakfast on the side of the track, sometimes the question isn’t “Am I running hard enough?”, it’s “Can I really get ‘abs’ in 7 minutes?”. The depressingly real answer is “probably not”. It’s going to takes days, weeks, months, and sadly years of long, hard, training to really get there.

Distance running is an endurance sport. Similarly, longer tempos and thresholds are workouts to be endured. The “Aha!” moment came over me in a Buddhist-like session of mediating while in hot bath of Mr. Bubbles and Epson salt. Anyone can survive 10 minutes of punching the air on the track, but when your race is three times the distance, stamina would be a much more friendly ally. Why not train the heart (literally) before the legs?

And now we have arrived in 2012, where ironically enough I have re-adapted the style of training first handed to me before I could even grow facial hair, well over a decade ago. At this point, I can’t doubt Plato’s theory, as the objectiveness of running and results will always hold as the Truth to where your fitness is, or isn’t. Now that I’ve shared something that everyone either A) Already knows or 2) Will recollect after reading this, I’ll stray to lighter tone to end this blog entry.

As a new member to the BRC-Adidas team, I’m extremely excited for the coming year. With training (finally - again) in tact, and an Adidas Christmas on the way, I look forward to hitting the roads, tracks, and cross country courses alongside the best Club team in the US, outfitted in the most stylish and sleek Adidas gear available. "Come at Me" 2012!

Stay classy Colorado!

The Joys of Breaking Bones

As many know, I broke my foot at Club Cross. I'd love to have an exciting story like 'I was practicing my half pipe skills and crashed', but no, I just ran in a race and broke it. I was doing so well and running up front thinking I'd place in the top 10, then I twisted my ankle (like I do in every run and race with no problems) and there was lots of pain. I was brillant and thought it was fine so I finished the last 2 miles with much confusion as I was getting continually passed and just couldn't hang on. As soon as I finished I couldn't walk and then realized I actually did hurt myself. But another dumb runner move...I walked (limped) it off, enjoyed the Club XC party and hoped it would be fine by Monday. The brusing, swelling, and look on Ashley's face (PA) was an indication that it was more than a sore, twisted foot.

Monday the 12th, it was confirmed. Broken foot. Snapped the 3rd metatarcle in half, dumb. I was devastated that I was in the middle of training for the Olympic Trials for the marathon and was finally enjoying the mileage and now I will not be able to compete. At least this was the OT for the marathon and not the track, otherwise I would still be crying.

It's been 6 weeks with the boot and luckily I was able to remove it yesterday. Sadly, I was naive and thought I'd be able to run this week, but the doctor said absolutely no running for at least 2 more weeks. I guess this is a good thing because he tells most patients no running for another 6 weeks...I'm not sure that means I'm healing extra fast, or that he knows I'll go crazy in the next week and come back to find him. Either way, I guess I'm back to cross training for the time being.

Oh the fun of the biking and swimming...and the crazy things I see in the gym. I feel so funny going to the gym with my boot and jumping on the bike. I get the funniest looks, strangest questions, and silly competitive people who do not want to get beat by the lady in the boot.

At first it seemed like a lifetime to ride for more than 30 minutes, but now I'm able to easily do 90-120 minutes. I sometimes just ride steady and other days it's intervals. I can't do too much resistance, but I'll just get the RPM's as high as I can.

In the pool I've been mostly swimming (with just my arms), not much aqua jogging as it seemed to hurt my foot more. I'm not a swimmer, but I'm setting my own personal records of laps per hour or laps without choking on water. The life guards watched me carefully as I unstrap my boot and jump right in. I'm pretty sure everyone at my local gyms thinks I'm crazy, but I'd be more crazy if I don't exercise at all.

On top of the 60-120 minutes of cardio per day, I've been lifting (upper body) and doing core exercises. Another reason I can't wait to run again...this all seems to add up to more time training than I have ever done in one day. Yet, I still don't get the same satisfaction I do from running.

Anyway, the coutdown begins...13 days to go.

Where I'm at, what I'm doing

Banana Hands, checking in. It already feels like a long time since Club Cross, that fun time of year when the entire team comes together for the same race. Since then, I reset and started building from where I left off in the fall. Even though it's an off season for me, I have a clear idea of what I'd like to focus on: lots of miles and a hard effort every week. I ran the first winter series race last week and signed up for the others as well. It should be a good way to get in the harder runs those weeks. Just as important as the running, I'm making sure to do recovery exercises to stay healthy and injury-free. We'll see how it all goes.