Training While Traveling Article by Scott Jurek

This article seemed pretty timely after my trip to Mexico last week, the canceled trip to Colombia this week and NY vacation next week...  Enjoy.

The Long Run: Train Or Bust

Updated: Aug 10th 2011 1:43 PM UTC by Competitor.com

Ultrarunning star Scott Jurek shares his tips for logging miles while traveling.
Written by: Scott Jurek

Photo: Scott Draper

It was a classic case of air travel gone wrong. In 2001, my team and I were stuck in the Vancouver International Airport for an extra 12 hours while on our way to the Hong Kong Trailwalker 100K. In an instant, we lost half a day and missed out on a training run on the course. It would have been easy to grab some dinner, curl up on the airport floor and call it a day, but my teammate, Ian Torrence, had a better idea. Before I knew it, we were running along the sidewalks of the departures entrance. Although the 90-minute run took place alongside roaring planes spewing jet exhaust, we made the best of things and didn’t miss our training run. I maintain a busy travel schedule amid training for the world’s longest and toughest ultramarathons; combining pre-travel planning with adaptability is my strategy for running while on the road. Before leaving home, I front-load training. My advice:

• Plan the week preceding travel as a higher volume week and the travel week as a recovery week.
• Do quality sessions such as tempo runs, hill workouts and long runs the week before travel.

If I’m traveling some place new, I try to research the area so I know what to expect when I arrive:

• Use the Internet to research running routes; I like www.mapmyrun.com and www.usatf.org/routes.
• Search for restaurants and grocery stores to save time and fuel right.
• Check the weather forecast to pack appropriately. This may appear to be a no-brainer, but you’re more likely to skip a run if it’s pouring and you forgot a running hat and waterproof shell.
• Research nearby running specialty stores and running clubs to join group workouts and explore hidden routes. Before a trip to Asheville, N.C., I contacted resident trail running legend Will Harlan, who gave me a great tour—complete with lessons on botany and history—and workout on a local trail.

Upon arriving at my destination, I gather additional information from the hotel staff to confirm my research and get advice from locals that may not be available online or in English. When I traveled to Tokyo in February, I stayed one mile from the 5K path that circles the Imperial Palace. I went for a run to shake off the jet lag as soon as I got settled, sightseeing during the less hectic late-night hours.
A busy schedule that changes on the fly can obliterate training plans. Here’s what I do:

• Look over the next day’s schedule and plan when a run will fit; it’s often best to train first thing in the morning before obligations pile up.
• For tempo and specific pace workouts, a GPS or speed-distance watch is an important tool for knowing splits on routes without mile markers.
• Evenings are a good time to squeeze in a flexibility or short strength session. If a hotel gym is not available, consider a portable gym unit (such as TRX or resistance tubing) that packs easily.

Remember, even the best plans need to be flexible:

• Make do with the time and environment: Thirty minutes of running in traffic can be better than a zero for the day.
• Make the most of unexpected schedule changes. Have running gear on hand for unexpected opportunities to train.
• Factor the day’s stress into whether getting out for a late-day session is worthwhile. Sometimes rest and sleep may be the best choice.

While it may not take the form of running alongside an airport tarmac, training during travel can be something to dread or a fun challenge to embrace. Running in a new environment and being adaptable may be just what you need to stay motivated.

About the Author:
Based in Boulder, Colo., Scott Jurek is a seven-time winner of the Western States 100-mile trail run. Read more from Scott every month on the back page of Competitor Magazine.


http://running.competitor.com/2011/08/inside-the-magazine/the-long-run-train-or-bust_34677

Marathon Training Plan

I finally have my Chicago Marathon training plan put together.  (I think...)  We'll see how it goes!  Check it out on my training blog: http://trainrunwin.blogspot.com/2011/06/marathon-training-plan.html

Running & Race Tip #6 – Dealing With the Heat

**I started this entry last week, but after last Saturday’s events in Chicago I think some of these points become even more important.

I just read an article by Joe English, professional marathon and triathlon coach, where he mentions the “4 H’s of Hurt” – Heat, Humidity, Head wind, and Hills. Welcome to South Florida; you may only have to deal with 3 of them, but you have to deal with them constantly (no hills in South Florida). As summer bears down on the US “normal” people in South Florida (and the rest of the country) begin cowering indoors to the comfort of their AC units, but runners are still hitting the streets, braving temperatures in the 90’s and high humidity.

Heat can make even easy runs feel hard, and if you’re not ready for it, can be devastating to your race results. Heat forces your circulatory system to work harder to regulate muscle and core temperatures (more blood flowing to outer extremities for cooling reduces volume of blood available to be pumped per heart stroke), reducing it’s ability to efficiently supply nutrients to key muscles, it induces dehydration, and reduces your ability to push yourself (survival theory – your brain limits your body from pushing to injury) In worst case scenarios, if you’re not careful, heat and humidity can even be deadly. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t excel with the mercury starts rising, it just means you have to do more to be ready to combat they heat.

Marathon Training Resources

18 weeks until Chicago and I'm fully thinking about the marathon.  I was just asked about marathon resources - you can see how my training is taking shape on my training blog, but here's a list of resources I've used, and some that others might find helpful.

My Favorites:

http://www.halhigdon.com/ - Hal Higdon, a renown coach who as of 2006 had run 111 marathons and longest termed writer for Runner's World, has training schedules for every level of runner.  Lots of free information, I used his advanced schedule as the basis for my marathon training, though I thought some of his speed work was a little weak and I wanted a little longer than 20 mile long run in my schedule.  Great site.

http://mcmillanrunning.com/ - Greg McMillan, an "exercise scientist" and coach who has been involved with olympic athletes since 1996, coaching runners in the 2008 games, started McMillan Running company to provide online resources to runners.  Lots of great information including a running calculator to help figure your training speeds, there is also personalized coaching / plans available for a fee.  I used this site heavily to figure training times and what types of training I need to incorporate to round out my training.  Terrific site.

Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach - A book by Brad Hudson, a great former runner who now coaches some big name US runners (Ritzenhein, James Carney, Jason Hartmann, Casey Burchill, Stephanie Rothstein, Megan Lewis, Tera Moody, and Lucinda Hull and previously Shayne Culpepper, Steve Slattery, and Jorge and Ed Torres, among others.)  A good book that covers training programs from the 5k to the marathon with lots of great tips and training programs.

Running Formula - Book by Jack Daniels, a running scientist and coach.  This book is basically the early running bible.  Any decent coach will have read it.  While I (and several other runners & coaches I've talked to) don't agree with everything set for in the book (it's a little dated) there is tons of great scientific information. There are also a few basic training programs and training times & zones are referenced by many other sites and books.

Some others:

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/ - Jeff Galloway, a former US Olympian, and a master's runner who ran a 2:16 at the age of 35, shares his thoughts on training.  His "run to finish" program is free, but other programs require a subscription   He seems to target beginners / non-serious runners with his run/walk method of marathoning.  Me?  Not that impressed.

http://marathon-training-guides.com/ - I just found this site so I haven't had time to really look through it.  It looks like it has some good info though the advanced sections are incomplete.  Might be worth looking through.

http://www.coolrunning.com/index.shtml - Not just for marathoning, but there are some plans as well as other good information for runners on diet, cross training and motivation.

http://www.runnersworld.com/ - The online companion of the Runner's World magazine.  I tend to think of this as more a jogging resource, I did find some interesting marathon information that I utilized in my marathon planning.


This is not even close to an exhaustive list of online & book resources (obviously) and I have read and used a number of other resources for my training, but this list should offer a solid foundation to your running knowledge and marathon training.