tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61017022935219208712024-03-13T04:42:46.753-07:00kansai kudasaiDan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-10457142914363778622015-12-08T19:16:00.001-08:002016-01-09T06:09:24.716-08:00Thought ConstipatedSince the Chicago Marathon, I've raced for fun a handful of times. Unfortunately I also managed to hurt my right Achilles and am now taking some time off of running. In addition to resting from running, I have been implementing the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9617396" target="_blank">Alfredson Protocol</a>: 3 x 15 eccentric heel drops twice per day (for 12 weeks). This protocol is very commonly recommended for runners with injury to the midpoint of the Achilles tendon. It's important to note that injury to the insertion point of the tendon should be handled differently. Google it and consult a professional if you have questions.<br />
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Anyway, here's a video that clearly illustrates eccentric heel drops:<br />
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Instead of running, I've been riding my commuter and road bikes. This has been somewhat of a rude awakening as I've been run commuting so much that I'm out of practice when it comes to <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/440333944" target="_blank">dressing for colder rides</a> and riding itself. The constant threat of traffic is much greater when riding in the street and is sort of grating compared to the relative serenity of the sidewalk.</div>
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On top of biking for "fun" and transportation, I've also been taking this time to develop some strength and conditioning routines to help make me more injury resistant and faster. I've never had a serious Achilles tendon injury and so I think this is more of a freak injury; the result of a couple of runs where I pushed my body too hard without a proper warm up. That said, pretty much every runner can benefit from additional injury-proofing. My existing routine before and after Chicago Marathon was very, very minimal: calf and quad rolling, the occasional <a href="http://www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf" target="_blank">MYRTL routine</a>, and that was pretty much it. I'm still developing a plan around injury prevention, but I know a lot of it has to do with my hip and core strength. In addition, I fully realize to achieve my goals on the track and roads next spring and in Berlin next fall, I need to get stronger in general. So I'm also looking into protocols for this as well.</div>
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My upper body is a particular area of focus. I undervalue upper body strength and have done little to maintain or develop strength in this area. To this end, I am going to do a <a href="http://news.health.com/2015/10/07/this-50-push-up-challenge-will-transform-your-body-in-30-days/" target="_blank">30 day push up challenge</a> I found via a quick Google search. I've always sort of looked down on these sorts of challenges. If I'm painfully honest with myself, I've looked down on these challenges at least in part because I felt threatened by them and the people that did them. I lack motivation/ability/confidence when it comes to my upper body. This is obviously a really unhealthy, constipated way of thinking. My hope is to use this challenge to take steps towards strengthening my upper body, embracing challenges, and celebrating the diverse skills, dedication, and talents of people around me (which yes, maybe different from my own).</div>
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Here's my <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/p/30-day-push-up-challenge.html" target="_blank">Google Sheets Push-Up tracker</a> for accountability!</div>
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<b>What are your tips for embracing challenges?</b></div>
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<b>How about celebrating the skills, dedication, and talents of others?</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-70487438049118906212015-10-14T21:41:00.003-07:002015-10-15T05:27:40.643-07:00Race Recap: 2015 Chicago MarathonI'm finding it difficult to write naturally about the race so I am resorting to a contrived Race Analysis form, which I found in my training log from the summer before my senior year of high school that my then coach, Jon Gordon, put together. I'm not sure where this form comes from so if you know, let me know!<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi-67hqOzCUvxY7zruoY6rlqUoIhoXQDh2IxzoEQd1NeofUkcYfhR9ZTN6QxOAzlcSGWjz3s0yiO-oZipx4WJr-Op6O3g37HvTagPSK_N1PkRSlbqTjt_BupqXxVWbSK0_xYA57ohht8/s1600/20151014_215156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi-67hqOzCUvxY7zruoY6rlqUoIhoXQDh2IxzoEQd1NeofUkcYfhR9ZTN6QxOAzlcSGWjz3s0yiO-oZipx4WJr-Op6O3g37HvTagPSK_N1PkRSlbqTjt_BupqXxVWbSK0_xYA57ohht8/s320/20151014_215156.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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<b>I logged 601 miles in 14 weeks that summer. This year in the 13 weeks leading up to the Chicago Marathon I logged 1064 miles.</b></div>
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A lot has changed since I started this blog while training for my fourth marathon, the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/10/race-recap-2013-boa-chicago-marathon.html" target="_blank">2013 Chicago Marathon</a>. I've grown and learned about the marathon and life though I'm still far from master of either. Throughout the last few years, I've really grown to appreciate the support of those near and far, on and off the course. My <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/10/race-recap-2014-bank-of-america-chicago.html" target="_blank">2014 Chicago Marathon Race Recap</a> catalogs all the friends and family on course. Looking back at it now, I'm no less thankful, but it does come off as <a href="http://www.theonion.com/blogpost/im-truly-sorry-for-this-but-youre-about-to-hear-al-28995" target="_blank">a bit obnoxious</a>. This aside, thanks for your support! I hope you enjoy this race recap.</div>
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RACE ANALYSIS</div>
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<b>Venue: <a href="https://www.chicagomarathon.com/participant-information/course-amenities/" target="_blank">Bank of America Chicago Marathon</a></b></div>
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<b>Date: 10/11/2015</b></div>
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<b>Distance: 42.195 km or ~26.2 miles</b></div>
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<b>Time: <a href="http://results.chicagomarathon.com/2015/?content=detail&fpid=search&pid=search&idp=999999107FA30900001725B4&lang=EN_CAP&event=MAR&lang=EN_CAP&search%5Bname%5D=kittaka&search_sort=name&search_event=MAR" target="_blank">2:33:29</a> (chip)</b></div>
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<b>Position: 116</b></div>
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<b>Winner's Name: <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/kenya/dickson-kiptolo-chumba-254506#personal-bests" target="_blank">Dickson Chumba</a></b></div>
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<b>Winner's Time: <a href="http://results.chicagomarathon.com/2015/?content=detail&fpid=list&pid=list&idp=999999107FA30900001756C8&lang=EN_CAP&event=MAR&lang=EN_CAP&search%5Bsex%5D=M&search_event=MAR" target="_blank">2:09:25</a></b></div>
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<b>Own best time to date: <a href="http://results.active.com/events/2010-metropcs-dallas-white-rock-marathon/marathon/daniel-kittaka" target="_blank">2:31:42</a>, 2010 Dallas White Rock Marathon</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lJqEUvXiEERJ77pW1ziIl6KJPiOE_ByLEW1pA_fPhYCR4zx8Pby08Yf7MI_WR-iJdzgQ6Ka-JxsjQVbhk_flQ0wMT0TnPQOlif-WaJnLCZ230hm1hA440f8QmoPZ2s6rWzKVl37ehXE/s1600/IMG_8678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lJqEUvXiEERJ77pW1ziIl6KJPiOE_ByLEW1pA_fPhYCR4zx8Pby08Yf7MI_WR-iJdzgQ6Ka-JxsjQVbhk_flQ0wMT0TnPQOlif-WaJnLCZ230hm1hA440f8QmoPZ2s6rWzKVl37ehXE/s400/IMG_8678.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://jeannedarcpix.com/" target="_blank">Janet Takayama</a></div>
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<b>Number of hours sleep 48 & 24 hours before race: </b></div>
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7-8 & 6.5 respectively. Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. This would be in alignment more or less to my typical sleep patterns throughout training.</div>
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<b>Food eaten before race, and when (Note: I didn't write this form, what strange wording!):</b></div>
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During the Race</div>
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Typical schedule of 3 gels; Gu Salted Caramel (mile 7), Huma Apples & Cinnamon (mile 13.5), and Gu Salted Caramel (mile 20, taken early due to cramping in lower legs).</div>
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Morning of</div>
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5:10am - 1 packet <a href="https://store.generationucan.com/products/pomblue" target="_blank">pomegranate-blueberry Generation Ucan</a> immediately after 1 mile shakeout jog, normally I wouldn't take anything, but since I had practiced with this product with no ill GI effects and it has minimal impact on insulin response (impacting fat burn), I decided due to my light dinner the evening before I should top off my energy stores.</div>
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Evening Prior</div>
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7:30pm - 4 small Gala apples with ~4 tablespoons almond butter, the body didn't feel like eating a large dinner since I had a late lunch. I wanted to get some fiber in the system, too.</div>
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5:00pm - 1 square of Skratch Labs portables Blueberry Coconut Chocolate Rice snack</div>
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Late Lunch Day Prior</div>
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1:30pm - .5 lbs ground beef 80% lean, sauteed with tomatoes and zucchini </div>
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I don't recall what I had for breakfast, but it was probably</div>
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8:30am - 2 bowls of cereal with almond milk</div>
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Two Evenings Prior</div>
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7:00pm - Angus burger topped with fried egg and french fries at Burger Bar on Clybourn with Austin Hendrix and Cole Sanseverino</div>
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<b>Type of warm-up carried out:</b></div>
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1 mile shake out run done 2.5 hours prior to race start. ~1 mile walk to start corral including some very light jogging. Temps were cool, but not chilly/cold.</div>
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<b>Tactics in early stages of race:</b></div>
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My goal was to settle into 5:48-50 pace with as little drama as possible. Cole and I started in the A Corral together. Cole stuck right on my shoulder as we navigated the crowded, adrenaline-filled first mile. I think we split about 5:40, but then quickly got things under control. Our 5k split was 18:08 or 5:50 pace so we were exactly where I wanted to be. Also within this first 5k, we ran into my friend, Rich Heffron. Rich and I have similar marathon PRs and had planned on trying to work together in this year's race. In addition to Rich and Cole, I found myself in a group including some other Chicago guys, Dan Regalado and Matt Thor.</div>
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Our group at about 2.5 miles into the race.</div>
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photo credit: Felipe Lopez</div>
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Things stayed relatively consistent for us through half way which we passed in 1:16:12 which is right at 5:50 pace. Shortly after this, our group started to splinter apart, but I was feeling relatively comfortable and continued to enjoy the company of Rich and Cole.</div>
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<b>At what point discomfort set in:</b></div>
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After the halfway point, I held steady a few more miles, then started to ratchet the pace down a bit. I figured if we were to run under 2:32, now would be the time to start getting time back. After a few 5:45 miles though, I could tell maintaining this tempo would be challenging. Still nearly 10 miles out from the finish, I relaxed and tried to maintain the previous tempo of ~5:50 pace. Surprisingly Rich, Cole, and I were still running together.</div>
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After 30k, around mile 19 or so, I noticed that my arches and the medial portion of my calves were beginning to cramp. From this point onward, I would experience cramps that would lock up my foot and calves (more on the right than the left) for about 20 steps at a time every mile or so. At this point, Cole had dropped back and it was just Rich and me with <a href="http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&ATCLID=209675790" target="_blank">Monika Juodeskaite</a> trailing us. Running through Pilsen, dealing with cramps, I knew I was slowing down slightly and prepared for Rich to run away from me. Ultimately though, this never happened as we traded leads a number of times in the last 10k down to the final stretch on Columbus with Rich overtaking me in the final stretch.</div>
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I thoroughly enjoyed running nearly step for step with Rich since we've done a number of runs and races together over the past couple years:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvv0F5GvNMQyuSZwNMYNHtCXh6VAC_UYlZjYxxTrK87453tdefgNElUDD-NwF2gWvstT8T3pn6zsck86SxSLU9VsjccvUEtoe0gKo6lu0D7v6-M3DCCUONXMABIJFOCMfvPMD8g5V7D0/s1600/withrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvv0F5GvNMQyuSZwNMYNHtCXh6VAC_UYlZjYxxTrK87453tdefgNElUDD-NwF2gWvstT8T3pn6zsck86SxSLU9VsjccvUEtoe0gKo6lu0D7v6-M3DCCUONXMABIJFOCMfvPMD8g5V7D0/s320/withrich.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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Rich and I running the 2013 Paleozoic 25k</div>
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photo credit: Jenna Heffron</div>
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It's pretty rare for two runners to be able to set out to run a race together, but that's pretty much what we did and I wouldn't have run as well without him!</div>
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<b>Whether absolutely maximum effort was made:</b></div>
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Wow, this analysis sheet doesn't pull any punches! I believe I made the maximum effort. It's a bit tough to say when you're dealing with something like calf cramps. I felt like at times I might be able to run a bit harder, but at the same time I didn't want to push too hard and pull something.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">In the early stages, I made a conscious effort to keep the pace in check; in alignment with my fitness. I also made a conscious effort to slowly push the pace after halfway to put myself in a position to set a PR. So in these aspects of execution, I would say I made the maximum effort. I then maintained what I thought was maximum sustainable effort when I became hampered by calf cramps, being willing to sacrifice 5-10 seconds/mile in the last 10k in order to prevent a catastrophic injury that would prevent me from finishing.</div>
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<b>How long it took to recover:</b></div>
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(A) From immediate exhaustion:</div>
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1-2 hours.</div>
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(B) Completely:</div>
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Three days later, I'm still a little tired, but not sore at all. Initially (Monday morning), my left arch was completely frozen up. This is my problem arch. I rolled out my calves and did a lot of walking and biking which helped a lot. I'm planning on resuming running on Sunday, but not resuming any formal training for some time.</div>
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<b>Type of cool down carried out:</b></div>
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Minimal cool down. Approximately 1 mile of walking immediately after the race. 10 minute massage targeting the calves, quads, hamstrings, and upper back.</div>
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<b>What can be learned from this race:</b></div>
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Rich, who runs for Dick Pond/Fast Track, is the best teammate I never had. Team rivalries are fun, but in the long run (haha), working together to achieve our goals and building friendships is even more fun and productive. I'm also thankful for Dan, Matt, Cole, and the other members of our initial group who helped keep the pace rolling along in the earlier miles.</div>
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I forgot to hydrate well enough prior to the race. I think this may have contributed to the cramping I experienced. I changed shoes because I experienced some foot cramps in my last 4-5 marathons or so, but these were by far the worst I have experienced yet. I have trouble replicating them in practice as I think they're a function of dehydration and running for a long time at race pace.</div>
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My calves were also the issue in this past year's Boston Marathon. Over the off season, I would like to work on lifting and plyometrics targeting the calves/lower legs to help prevent future issues.</div>
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<b>Next race (marathon):</b></div>
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2016 Berlin Marathon!</div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-77241937650718433412015-09-12T07:48:00.001-07:002015-09-12T07:49:49.800-07:00Comic: Riot Fest 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh1qdkTk5_MVsczHsN6zdgGdbRllvl-BOhONxJ-7JdnmwCjhCV5EWyEV0GkHhx1FSThK-m7U2VQnP2TqnD1R448nLmGKIzi36DNiUF3k2c2RSpWXrO_CnhBeXcGXdpKKSeWU8vyx5194/s1600/20150912_093833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh1qdkTk5_MVsczHsN6zdgGdbRllvl-BOhONxJ-7JdnmwCjhCV5EWyEV0GkHhx1FSThK-m7U2VQnP2TqnD1R448nLmGKIzi36DNiUF3k2c2RSpWXrO_CnhBeXcGXdpKKSeWU8vyx5194/s640/20150912_093833.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZtD4G2yjjfCnMkEr7CBhcYXGNCYZWbmMqIpw1lJFmmhX7XqZmNIC-Jrwx-YnW30m5IU28pL-eGkT-sA4cTdCSS0vEjJK6cNzcEBSufeJDSNrYuCnb6TUC9lvMp-P_PEJcNuUmkfUdj0/s1600/20150912_093911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu6NxABXjZV_nByRdVrS3KzwbmmoXz7NL4Eu2zKXU9U4WMM42aK_L-5jaEo8tOH_WHfGcX41gbIEZ2DvFPA0sV6Ko-3uC2AApgCeQB18TyP2A05QUgG9ErcceIBKtA5neKFEdG4OhjY4/s640/20150912_094036.jpg"> </a> </div>Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-49875083681907739142015-09-01T19:39:00.001-07:002015-09-01T19:39:36.333-07:00Sticking to the Plan (Training 6/22-8/30)After <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/06/race-recap-2015-grandmas-marathon.html" target="_blank">Grandma's Marathon</a>, I took two weeks off of running (6/22-7/5). I really enjoyed and needed this break from running and probably could/should have taking a third week off. During this time, I was able to follow up last year's <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/07/aside-three-floyds-brewery-ride.html" target="_blank">Three Floyds brewery ride</a> with a ride with Eric and Lyndsey to <a href="http://www.twobrothersbrewing.com/tap-house/" target="_blank">Two Brothers Tap House</a> in Warrenville, IL:<br />
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The Prairie Path is great, but I wasn't a huge fan of the crushed gravel. Riding through Oak Park, was probably my favorite section; the streets are wide and the houses are pretty.</div>
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After my break, I immediately jumped into the program I wrote for the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/p/boa-chicago-marathon-2015-training-plan.html" target="_blank">2015 BoA Chicago Marathon</a>. This year, after a somewhat disappointing result in Duluth and conversations with teammates, I decided it was time for me to try a higher mileage approach again. After years of off and on injury, I'm a little gun shy about higher mileage (consistently 80+ mpw), but it felt like my body and mind were getting to a point where I could and should increase my average mileage. </div>
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This is the first program that I've ever tried to execute that outlines every single day of the cycle. The two driving forces behind trying this approach were 1) to plan recovery days/weeks to avoid falling into the trap of trying to string together as many 90+ weeks as possible (I ended up injured doing this before) and 2) to reduce the stress of planning when I'd be getting my runs in for the day/week. Of course I use the term "stress" here sort of lightly however since I've made run commuting a habit, it does require some additional thought and planning to get one's self and stuff from one place to another. I figured if I could reduce some of the constant unknowns, by planning ahead as much as possible I could be more relaxed and enjoy my training more.</div>
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I'll post my program in another post to keep things focused more on the execution of the program itself.</div>
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Eight weeks into my program and with six weeks to go, it seems that this approach has certainly helped me stay healthy while increasing my weekly mileage into the 90 mile range.</div>
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It's also been helpful to have a plan for commuting/running. Of course I've deviated from this plan due, but in general, it's been helpful to have a plan for the week. An added benefit of planning recovery runs/commutes is that I've been a lot more consistent about getting in strides throughout the week. I'm still working on being consistent about strength and mobility training, but it seems like the strides have helped running at faster paces become more comfortable.</div>
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Workouts have been consistent and for the most part pretty solid. The last three workouts in particular have been good efforts. Shout out to the 6am Fleet Feet / Nike Racing Team crew!</div>
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My long runs on the other hand have been a bit of a struggle. I've made some dietary changes, moving away from consuming as many grains in order to become a little leaner/lighter. This along with my return to running coinciding with warmer weather/poor hydration habits have resulted in my early long runs ending with me jogging or walking home. Lately, the weather has been a bit more tolerable and my long runs have been a bit more encouraging.</div>
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Looking ahead, the next three weeks feature my peak mileage for the cycle (I'll average ~95/mpw over these three weeks) and my hardest long runs and race specific workouts including a planned 24 miler at 90-95% marathon pace (which may need to be adjusted) and Oak Brook Half Marathon on Labor Day (9/7). I'm looking forward to these harder efforts as training seems to be going in the right direction.</div>
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<b>How is your training going? What is your goal for the fall?</b></div>
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<b>Have you ever made dietary changes while training? What differences did you notice?</b></div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-30291116692616403982015-06-27T13:06:00.001-07:002015-06-27T13:06:43.891-07:00Race Recap: 2015 Grandma's MarathonAfter running my fastest marathon in four years at <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/06/race-recap-2014-grandmas-marathon.html" target="_blank">Grandma's last year</a>, I decided to return to Duluth for the marathon again in 2015. As I was already signed up for the Garry Bjorkland Half and the Marathon still had open spots, this was a relatively easy transition. I switched a week or two after <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/04/race-recap-2015-boston-marathon.html" target="_blank">Boston</a>. While I was healthy coming off of my Boston Marathon, I wasn't particularly satisfied with my performance and had long entertained running Grandma's again in 2015 if Boston didn't end up going as well as I would have liked.<br />
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<b>Post 2015 Grandma's Marathon!</b><br />
photo credit: Erin Webb</div>
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Training between Boston and Grandma's was a little rocky. As with each training cycle, things change and this one was unlike last year's mini-cycle between Boston and Grandma's and unlike the cycle I did between Chicago and Dallas in 2010. Unlike my two prior experiences, with the 8 week turnaround between marathons, I could feel my motivation lag and doubt creeping into my mind as the weeks progressed. One of the big factors here was tweaking my left arch a two weeks after Boston. I wasn't nearly as sore this year and returned to running a little too aggressively. I also started doing hops and strides in an effort to find my speed and strengthen my calves which had given out in Boston. Perhaps the introduction of this stimulus also played a role in my arch issue. Anyway, it's difficult to motivate yourself to train hard when you're constantly dealing with a nagging injury. For future reference, when dealing with a nagging injury, take a break or train without fear. Continuing to run with a nagging injury that isn't improving doesn't have to be the end of the world if you're able to more or less maintain training at a high level. If you're compromising your training, you aren't going to achieve your goals, your motivation will suffer, and you're probably better off resting and recovering.</div>
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<i>Note: This is more for my own reference, in no way am I advocating you train through injury. Ten of ten times I would tell you to back off and rest, particularly immediately following a decent marathon goal race and a hard training cycle. But the rules are different for me. Ha. ;)</i></div>
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<b>I know this is supposed to be my 2015 Grandma's Marathon Recap.</b></div>
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The one good week of "training" I had was probably also one of the dumbest weeks of running I've ever attempted (100+ mile weeks included). It began Sunday, May 17th, at the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon (<a href="http://www.bibrave.com/races/cellcom-green-bay-marathon/2623" target="_blank">my BibRave review</a>), with pacing the 3:00 group, running 2:59:26, on a really humid day where only 18 people broke three hours. After taking Monday and Tuesday "off" (I "only" rode 17 miles+ to/from work), I returned to running Wednesday the week following Green Bay. Still feeling elevated soreness in my left arch, Thursday, I raced the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge representing team Shure for the second year! While the event was fun, the race was a struggle. I only managed 19:05 for 3.5 miles, 10 seconds slower than the prior year.<br />
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At this point, you're probably thinking, "Serves you right, Dan." I was just warming up!<br />
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After an "easy, recovery" run on Friday, it was time to race again. This time it was Fleet Feet Sports' Soldier Field 10 Mile. Despite barely averaging sub-5:30 pace for 3.5 miles, I had it in my head that I could probably average sub-5:40 pace for 10 miles. My gut told me that if I slowed down just a bit from the pace I ran at Corporate Challenge, I'd be able to hold it for the 10 mile distance. Marathon training does weird things to your physiology (and psychology, ha). Sure enough I was able to finish just seconds off my 10 mile PR set at Soldier Field in 2011, <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/310349204" target="_blank">running 55:37</a> for 24th in a deep field.<br />
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Capping a very odd 7 day stretch of with a near PR performance over 10 miles probably indicates that my 10 mile PR is pretty soft but also gave me some much needed confidence that Grandma's Marathon wasn't going to be a total bust as my races, workouts, and long runs with the exception of Green Bay had not gone well.<br />
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Fast forward to several days before Grandma's Marathon. I hadn't had a great workout since Soldier Field, but was feeling pretty strong and confident something like 5:50-low pace was totally doable after averaging 5:34 pace for 10 miles. I planned to go out a little faster than last year, somewhere around 1:17:00 versus 1:17:45. After running a -2:04 negative split in 2014, I knew if I were to run faster than the year prior, I'd need to get out a little harder in 2015. I also had the though flash through my mind, "2014 was pretty much about as good as it could have been. It's highly unlikely 2015 will go quite as well." I don't think this is necessarily negative thinking as much as being realistic and preparing for the potential for things not to click quite as well as the year prior.<br />
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Sure enough, things didn't quite feel as good in 2015. While we started in a downpour, the rain lightened up so as not to be much of a factor for me pretty early in the race. I ran with a group that included the 6th, 7th, and 8th place women at the time as well as my friend Ben Kampf for many of the early miles, we were on a fairly hot pace, running 5:45s which was kind of my average goal pace. I told myself it was the incline variation and that I might be having a decent day.<br />
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After reaching halfway in 1:16:48, I could tell a negative split was out of the picture. Discouraged, I considered slowing to meet up with a group of friends who were trying to break 2:40. 13 miles is a long time to run when you know you aren't going to reach your goal. After a mile or so, I snapped myself out of my malaise and told myself to just focus on running as close to 5:50 pace as possible, taking each mile at a time. I strung together some decent miles and kept the slowing to a minimum until mile 22. After mile 22, I had one downhill 6:11 but the rest of my miles were about 6:20 pace. I wrote in my log, "Death by 1,000 paper cuts."<br />
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<b>Dying by 1,000 paper cuts at mile 23.</b></div>
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photo credit: <a href="https://twitter.com/kimmiepearlman" target="_blank">@kimmiepearlman</a></div>
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While my 2015 Grandma's Marathon wasn't the 2:33 I was hoping for, 2:36 and my 3rd "best" positive split ever (+2:40 on the second half) isn't the worst possible outcome. More importantly, I like to think choosing to stick with the race was a good character and race-skill building opportunity. I've found that it can be easy to check out physically and mentally when things aren't going as expected or desired, but often (not always, but often) staying positive and continuing to work towards your goals is still valuable. I suppose some people would call this "heart."</div>
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Weeks prior to Grandma's I was really looking forward to taking a break from running mostly because I wasn't really running well and my left arch wasn't getting better while training on it. I'm on day 7 of 14 planned days without running. I have been bike commuting, but this first week was pretty much a complete rest week. I'd like to reintroduce some light strength and stability work next week in preparation for returning to running and ultimately 12 hard weeks of training for the Chicago Marathon. My top priority is to get my left arch to a place where it doesn't hurt as much. So far, it's improved significantly, but is still sore. Hopefully another 7 days will do the trick.</div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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<b>Some Qs for yous:</b></div>
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<b>What are your mental processes when you know mid-race that your goal is out of reach?</b></div>
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<b>How do you spend your time when taking a break from running?</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-69387475819700252392015-04-24T13:10:00.001-07:002015-04-24T13:10:06.273-07:00Race Recap: 2015 Boston MarathonI gladly add my voice yet again to those who have sung praises to the Boston Marathon. After completing my second consecutive race (<a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/04/race-recap-2014-boston-marathon.html" target="_blank">race recap for my first</a>), I can understand why one might return year after year as some runners do (the longest streak is <a href="http://running.competitor.com/2015/04/boston-marathon/ben-beach-continues-amazing-boston-marathon-streak_125280" target="_blank">48 consecutive finishes</a>!). The people of Boston celebrate marathon runners unlike any other town I've observed. It seems to me that they see the sweat and struggle as a sacrifice in their honor and respond with shouts of encouragement and thanks. I certainly would have faltered more without them. It is this celebration of the culmination of the runners' dreams that I believe makes the atmosphere so intoxicating.<br />
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As last year, I was fortunate enough to have access to the <a href="http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/boston365-pages-71.php" target="_blank">Boston365</a> amenities made available through Adidas and Fleet Feet Sports. This year, I was particularly thankful for the warm, dry charter bus where we spent a good three hours and weathered a spring shower, and the trail mix bar in the post-race lounge which brought me back from lightheaded limbo. If you're headed to Boston in 2016, I highly recommend looking into this program as it takes the training and racing experience to a whole new level and only continues to improve. Kyle Larson deserves a big shout out for coordinating this program for the Fleet Feet Sports Chicago crew. Kyle did a great job managing the needs of 100+ neurotic runners throughout training and race weekend.</div>
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I was also blessed with encouragement from across the country (social media at its best!). Friends, family, and acquaintances offered warm well wishes. I am learning to internalize their words of encouragement more each day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CQFW1JU2oO4tGIDIP68A-hGNj6P5sxK8Yc_0vYPoWMRpyZZiu2FZXivzkyI9Z_q71pprs_U6hyphenhyphenK3dQJca56MKGyYN5tu-R7MCY4V6eQA-t-3VdbGnIig0SiBuBLbKmcyyY24HlUnqFw/s1600/11175004_10101186931262231_8718531165991204314_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CQFW1JU2oO4tGIDIP68A-hGNj6P5sxK8Yc_0vYPoWMRpyZZiu2FZXivzkyI9Z_q71pprs_U6hyphenhyphenK3dQJca56MKGyYN5tu-R7MCY4V6eQA-t-3VdbGnIig0SiBuBLbKmcyyY24HlUnqFw/s1600/11175004_10101186931262231_8718531165991204314_n.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<b>Somewhere in Wellesley with my marathon friend Ari (right)</b></div>
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photo credit: Mark Erspamer</div>
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As for the race itself, I missed what I considered a reasonable time goal of sub 2:35 given my fitness and the course. This was likely due to a quick first half and really quick opening miles. Last year, by mile ten my left quad in particular was pretty beaten up. One of my theories was that this was due to braking in the early miles (my first mile in 2014 was a 6:35). So in addition to <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/04/boston-2015-specific-period-training-22.html" target="_blank">lifting</a>, <a href="http://www.baumtempleofspeed.blogspot.com/2015/04/tapering-for-boston.html" target="_blank">taping</a>, and hammering <a href="https://www.strava.com/segments/6111486?filter=overall" target="_blank">Windmill Hill</a> I decided that I'd try to relax and run at a more natural feeling pace which I suppose backfired a bit. Here's a look at my splits:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bc1BhoyZa0f3izMcJ1mc8Llax1qeSeVqOqozqM6o5D5jkODRDHwlTw31bxuxMHKKZNBAFA20_OVPSh3Ua8BniFLQYndiv3U_P1wCGNneU2lDNxPTmTwvTxbP1fHY2neV_3uUCOLWFss/s1600/boston+2015+splits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bc1BhoyZa0f3izMcJ1mc8Llax1qeSeVqOqozqM6o5D5jkODRDHwlTw31bxuxMHKKZNBAFA20_OVPSh3Ua8BniFLQYndiv3U_P1wCGNneU2lDNxPTmTwvTxbP1fHY2neV_3uUCOLWFss/s1600/boston+2015+splits.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>5k and half splits with average split paces</b></div>
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A couple additional notes on the splits from the race:</div>
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+5:39 from the first half to the second half </div>
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-5:12 <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/04/race-recap-2014-boston-marathon.html" target="_blank">from 2014</a> (+4:07 positive split last year)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-sRhqMp8UikIi_Ok_X8DPAN013AKZxFe_81eVHJl8Hb4S9zIjGlURTbiZO5Q1lTb6ZEBSaeBWvIgI7k1Gi-6_ud4CpZ-pe2ZRdTlpiXIFHzHYicqxejlp1ypW57QqQoXjwhL690Iloc/s1600/dk+boston+results.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-sRhqMp8UikIi_Ok_X8DPAN013AKZxFe_81eVHJl8Hb4S9zIjGlURTbiZO5Q1lTb6ZEBSaeBWvIgI7k1Gi-6_ud4CpZ-pe2ZRdTlpiXIFHzHYicqxejlp1ypW57QqQoXjwhL690Iloc/s1600/dk+boston+results.JPG" height="86" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/results-commentary/2015-boston-marathon/2015-results-search.aspx" target="_blank">Official results</a></b></div>
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The early miles, as you might surmise from the splits, felt like they should; easy and controlled. I tried to get out of the way and let my body do its thing, trusting that my training had prepared me to run the last few miles triumphantly into Boston. This went on for some time. I enjoyed getting out a bit faster than last year as the water stations weren't as crowded, but there was still a good group of people including my marathon friend Ari (with whom I've run parts of two Chicago Marathons and now this race as well). This group seemed to be targeting 2:32-35 and was rolling along at about 5:45 pace which seemed good to me as I thought a slight positive split was probably more likely than a negative split on the course.</div>
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Rolling through halfway, my split of about 76 minutes was quicker than the 77 minutes I had initially planned, but I had minimal concern as I was still feeling pretty comfortable. My breathing was completely in control, and my quads felt great thanks to my most drastic taper yet and some KT Taping (see photo). At this point, I was starting to notice my calves begin to fatigue and my gels did not seem to be digesting well. Both these issues were likely due to the hot pace. In particular, I've noticed in marathons where I've gone out aggressively for my fitness level, I've had difficulty digesting my gels. Looking back, I also didn't really train much with <a href="https://guenergy.com/shop/roctane-energy-gel" target="_blank">Gu Roctane</a> so that may also have played a role. At least I did stick to my fueling plan: a Roctane prior to the start and at 7, Salted Caramel at 14, and Huma Apple Cinnamon at 21. In retrospect, I wanted more caffeine earlier and would have liked to eat two Salted Caramels instead of the Roctane on course.</div>
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After a comfortable half, the next major checkpoint in my mind is getting to the Newton Hills (Mile 16) unscathed. Aerobically very comfortable, I kept on the gas, splitting 5:47, 52, 58, 40 for miles 13, 14, 15, and 16. I arrived in decent shape and so decided to continue running at the same effort up the hills with reasonable success through the first three, running 6:00, 01, 01, 10 for 17, 18, 19, and 20. As the splits reveal, the wheels were starting to come off up the third hill. I could feel my form falter on this climb as my hips began to sway more than normal. I also couldn't remember at this point how many climbs I had completed. I knew I was starting to falter so I continued to press along just trying to keep my effort up. I crested Heartbreak Hill and it took someone's very helpful sign to tell me I had completed the Newton Hills. Splitting a 6:26 for mile 21, I told myself to rally for the downhill ride to Boston.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qKxXY0TRVSk0PEOJvJi_gaAUNhqFxTk06VxhIy5-ur3JI6u1Ajv65ciBrxI1IuOBv9tDkhKiIq08EKRc2UI0CeCTWouo-DenfVSnumTjKGRVoaU8Fc6r6aEMlpShmNPWU_2m1kca9nc/s1600/11188355_360471884151137_8339813400268620335_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qKxXY0TRVSk0PEOJvJi_gaAUNhqFxTk06VxhIy5-ur3JI6u1Ajv65ciBrxI1IuOBv9tDkhKiIq08EKRc2UI0CeCTWouo-DenfVSnumTjKGRVoaU8Fc6r6aEMlpShmNPWU_2m1kca9nc/s1600/11188355_360471884151137_8339813400268620335_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Mile 17's Clif Shot Stop</b></div>
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photo credit: Team <a href="http://www.bibrave.com/" target="_blank">BibRave</a></div>
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In my experience, once you start running well above the pace you've been averaging for the earlier portions of a marathon it's pretty hard to pull things back together. Usually this means you're bonking (you've depleted available muscle glycogen) and your day is pretty much done. In 2014, I had gone out much more conservatively, ran strong through the Newton Hills and had gotten to mile 21, looked downhill, and knew my race was done. A knot in my left quad prevented me from running downhill without pain and had me hobbling to the finish despite my conservative start.</div>
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I specifically trained to handle this section in 2015, pummeling my body during long runs in Barrington, pushing the pace on downhill sections. Cresting Heartbreak, I knew it was time to go to the well for whatever I had left. I stood tall and tried to let gravity do the work. At about this point I also ran into my friend Peter from Chicago which also helped spur me onward. I split a 6:04 for mile 22 running with Peter. Unfortunately, the earlier miles had taken more of a toll than I thought they might and I couldn't maintain that pace. I slowed to a 6:14 for mile 23 and Peter begin to slip away.</div>
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Crowds, teammates, and experience come into play when things start to fall apart in the marathon. While I continued to slow in the last few miles, I recalled prior races where this had occurred and remembered that despite running 30+ seconds per mile slower than what I had hoped to be averaging that I wasn't hemorrhaging time too badly and still had a very good shot at a sub-2:40 performance on the course. I chased Peter and another friend Ian who passed me at mile 25. Last but certainly not least, the crowds thicken through these final miles, cheering triumphant and faltering runners alike. I fought onward, hoping my effort would align with their faith in me. Unlike last year, when I felt embarrassed about jogging in the last few miles of the race, I enjoyed and accepted the adulation of the crowds using it as fuel to continue onward. Finishing within a few minutes of several Chicago friends including Peter and Ian who's silhouettes I had chased made the experience even sweeter.</div>
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While the objective performance was better than last year's by over 5 minutes, I was also able to feel more present and enjoy the event more this year which is the larger victory won. Celebrating the wonderful performances from teammates and friends was also a highlight of the day. I will put my coach hat on for a moment and agree with my friend Graham who ran a 2:26 PR and said in response to me saying I had run a good first 10 miles, "[Y]ou're better than that! Anyone can rock a fast first 10 there!" I should have stuck with my planned 77 minute first half. I know I can run much faster on this course, however I do have my doubts about training for a faster effort in Chicago. While I'll likely not race Boston again next year, I do hope to return for a more successful third try at the course and to experience again the shared joy of race day.<br />
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<b>Thanks for following along!</b><br />
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<b>Did you run Boston this year? How did it go?</b><br />
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<b>Is there a course on which you've experienced a connection with the spectators like I have?</b><br />
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<b>Let me know in the comments below!</b><br />
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<b>Also check out <a href="http://www.bibrave.com/races/boston-marathon/2328#.VTqirfnF_Dw" target="_blank">my review on BibRave</a>!</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-10986721056655767932015-04-14T06:17:00.000-07:002015-04-14T06:17:27.219-07:00Boston 2015 Specific Period (Training 2/2-4/5)Since this is a recap of nine weeks of training (catch up on the previous <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/02/training-1117-21.html" target="_blank">11 weeks of "global" training</a>), I thought some data visualizations would be a helpful starting point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3lM-2IG7WYesMwT5YsHm_qyKOJjHOHftb4o2bU1cs4esP8HdvJXpZWtdCywsgLy_zh5tS66kIYjSjWK37x5U2jPEt-fxcugVXpIUboy8MCM02vNfj10-5_bIjAEftne9tgCoDyYmXXE/s1600/weekly+mileage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3lM-2IG7WYesMwT5YsHm_qyKOJjHOHftb4o2bU1cs4esP8HdvJXpZWtdCywsgLy_zh5tS66kIYjSjWK37x5U2jPEt-fxcugVXpIUboy8MCM02vNfj10-5_bIjAEftne9tgCoDyYmXXE/s1600/weekly+mileage.png" height="247" width="400" /></a></div>
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First off, here's a mileage bar chart of my last nine weeks of training. I'm still working out using Google Sheets for these visualizations (I also tried SAP Lumira, but Sheets was easier for these basic visualizations, I should probably just use Excel but it isn't currently installed on my home computer) so the key weeks are missing data labels, but here are some details:</div>
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<b>Total for the Period - 673.2 miles</b></div>
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<b>Average - 74.8 miles/week</b></div>
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<b>Maximum Week - 88 miles</b></div>
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<b>Minimum Week - 65.4 miles (race week, I ran terribly)</b></div>
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I've dealt with tightness/pain in my left quad for much of this training cycle. This really began to effect my training about 7 weeks out from Boston, a very critical point of training, when workouts really start to get long and more marathon specific. I decided to go see Dr. Ryan Verchota who practices out of <a href="http://activebodychiro.com/" target="_blank">Active Body Chiropractic</a> in the South Loop and <a href="http://www.edgeathletelounge.com/home" target="_blank">Edge Athlete Lounge</a>. My teammate, Ian La Belle, had recommended Dr. Ryan and after treatment, I felt much better, and was able to run the next 4 weeks without taking a day off! Tapering healthy feels great! I haven't gotten through my training without feeling banged up since 2010.</div>
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I segmented this mileage over the last nine weeks using Strava's Run Type field. Strava allows you to categorize your runs by four basic "types." This isn't the most accurate as some workouts were as long or longer than long runs and sometimes to adjust for GPS or user error generic "runs" were logged, but it does outline the mileage I've been logging.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbYenfCuPmNCpU3nRzLY2pHAnlBCEkEnSp3AKjzP6Y8Hi4DnB-Bf63hX-_TNQyMdyDvOcwxjThpmS9oCcC9wXXxg3s5B9Gye-Dkxriu-RcZbVQ1lXnWjOYlY7h-eH4Fhx7-nMC9Asfj8/s1600/run+type.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbYenfCuPmNCpU3nRzLY2pHAnlBCEkEnSp3AKjzP6Y8Hi4DnB-Bf63hX-_TNQyMdyDvOcwxjThpmS9oCcC9wXXxg3s5B9Gye-Dkxriu-RcZbVQ1lXnWjOYlY7h-eH4Fhx7-nMC9Asfj8/s1600/run+type.png" height="247" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Mileage Run Type</b></div>
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This chart shows the Run Type breakdown of the miles logged during this period. Below, I will cover a few thoughts on each Type for this cycle.</div>
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<b>My Best Run in Barrington Ever?</b></div>
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<b>Long Run -119.5 mi</b></div>
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Long runs this cycle were fast! It makes such a difference to go into a training cycle healthy! In 2014, I started the cycle swimming on my easy days to keep my shins happy. My Barrington long runs were more about surviving and making sure I got in good time on my feet. This time around, I knew I had to really hammer my legs on the downhills to prepare for what I might feel like in the later half of the course in Boston. It also makes a big difference having a group of faster guys hammering along side me on these runs.</div>
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While I say the long runs this cycle were fast, I was also trying to shift my mentality a bit around long runs and pace. While training for the Chicago Marathon, I did one 22 miler with 18 miles at about 95% marathon goal pace. I thought this was a "fast" long run. This cycle, many of my long runs were done at a similar average pace with the mentality that for a faster marathoner, 6:00-6:10 pace isn't that "fast."</div>
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I take a lot of confidence from hammering almost every long run, but at the same time, I think I really sacrificed some of my Wednesday workouts, but we'll get to those later. I plan on running a faster long run every other weekend versus every weekend in the future.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNkIyYua3Qhd875cRaEoHYx-G4O3Q_p_mR9Qfu0872X46N6P4FR3UUkdFGr47iSzB_hBBn0ax-nhjpd9N37HYuEPS-zbottpN0Me_HMYVate9vgAiu5cEALGGQ6W__SGKTD0O0trGysY/s1600/manpri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNkIyYua3Qhd875cRaEoHYx-G4O3Q_p_mR9Qfu0872X46N6P4FR3UUkdFGr47iSzB_hBBn0ax-nhjpd9N37HYuEPS-zbottpN0Me_HMYVate9vgAiu5cEALGGQ6W__SGKTD0O0trGysY/s1600/manpri.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Must beat Manpri</b></div>
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photo credit: Eric Baum</div>
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<b>Race - 20.6 mi</b></div>
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It's hard to believe I'll be racing more miles on April 20th than during this entire 9 week period. The highlight was probably the 16:18 I ran at UW Parkside on February 7th, 11 weeks out from Boston. This race was supposed to cap the "global" or general fitness phase of my training. Coming from a year where I never broke 16:20 in the 5k, the Parkside race was a nice confidence builder. That said, I bombed my next race, a terrible 16:45 at UChicago.</div>
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The other two races I ran, the Shamrock Run 15k in Portland, OR (<a href="http://www.bibrave.com/races/shamrock-run/2166#.VSx5evnF-So" target="_blank">my BibRave Review</a>) and BoA Shamrock Shuffle 8k were ambiguous gauges of Boston fitness as I ran both prior to the Marathon last year. Shamrock Run 15k is hilly and I was about 20 seconds faster than the year prior. Shamrock Shuffle is fast and I was about 20 seconds slower than last year.</div>
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I believe I'm in much better shape than at last year's 2:42 in Boston. I may not be able to race fast (in relation to my PRs) over shorter distances, but I'm confident in my ability to run reasonably fast over the marathon distance.</div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/273633427/embed/3d868d07071f8a3f52502961e134777b22852b1d" width="390"></iframe>
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<b>A Typical Run Commute</b></div>
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<b>Run - 430.9 mi</b></div>
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I'd say close to half of these miles were done to or from work and quite a few of these with teammate, Eric Baum, who is also training for the Boston Marathon this year. This was the first time I really ran consistently with a pack which I fabricated myself (more on this another time? Comment below if you'd like to learn about my pack).</div>
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I feel like every runner has a distance that is their "perpetual run distance" or PRD. This is the distance they can cover without much effort almost every day. It is the ideal distance for easy days during marathon training. For me, in high school, this distance was probably 6-7 miles. Since then it's crept up to 8-10, but really settled around 8 miles after dealing with years of injury. Enter the run commute of 9 miles door-to-door. Forced to extend my PRD by necessity, I slowed down and took my time, ultimately adapting well to this new distance.</div>
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<b>Workout - 99.1</b></div>
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As I alluded to earlier, I feel that my workouts were significantly hampered by the fact that I hammered virtually all my long runs averaging under 6:20 for pretty much all of the major long runs. It's not a great feeling to bomb mid-week workouts, but that's kind of been my story now for the last 18 months. Healthy and strong, but completely lacking speed. I tried to take this in stride as much as possible, focusing on my key workouts and performing decently when I prioritized them.</div>
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The capstone workout was 3 x 3 miles with a half mile recovery run between reps. I was very pleased with this workout and couldn't have done it without the help of Kyle, Austin, and Mark. We did this run sort of in the place of a long run (I ended up covering just over 19 miles total), warming up to Fleet Feet Sports - Old Town then running the first 1.5 reps south. I ran 16:50, 30, 30 or so for about a 5:33 average. When I performed this workout last year prior to Grandma's Marathon, I averaged about 5:40 so this is a big improvement from that effort. For Grandma's this ended up being about 10 seconds per mile faster than goal marathon pace. Now, I'm not convinced I'm in 2:30 marathon shape (5:43), but I am happy with the effort as it shows that I am developing some decent fitness.</div>
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<b> Strength Training</b></div>
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I would be remiss to leave out the final (new) piece of the training puzzle that Eric and Lyndsey Baum introduced me to: Dr. Yessis' <a href="http://doctoryessis.com/sports/running/" target="_blank">running specific</a> resistance band exercises and the 1x20 Program developed by their friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/allfitlifestylesolutions" target="_blank">Amber</a> for their marathon preparations.</div>
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I had been doing <a href="http://m.runnersworld.com/race-training/video-general-strength-exercises?page=single" target="_blank">Coach Jay's Pedestal and MYRTL routines</a>, but I hadn't really lifted regularly since high school (I was also injured less in high school so there's that...). While I didn't really log this activity in Strava, I lifted a total of 6 times during this cycle, typically on Tuesdays, run commuting from work with Eric. This additional stimulus has helped develop much needed stability and general strength which I believe has helped keep my healthy. I really do notice this on my easy days as well as workouts and races. I even noticed the difference riding my bike! That said, my legs are usually trashed after doing squats and Romanian dead lifts, yet another contributor to my less than stellar Wednesday workouts.</div>
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<b>Summary</b></div>
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This cycle featured:</div>
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-Professional prehab/treatment of a nagging minor injury (+1 for taking care of one's body)</div>
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-Consistent, moderate, and (mostly) healthy mileage</div>
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-Faster group long runs (6:20 pace and faster)</div>
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-A good indoor 5k among otherwise mediocre race results</div>
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-Run commuting</div>
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-Perpetual Run Distance (PRD) extended to 9 miles</div>
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-Generally bad faster workouts</div>
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-A good 3 x 3 workout</div>
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-Sport specific and general strength training</div>
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-Support from teammates and others</div>
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Overall this has been one of my most successful marathon cycles ever. I have learned a lot and become much more consistent. I'm still not where I was in the fall of 2010, but I believe I'm well on my way to a successful and healthy 2015!</div>
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<b>How has your training been going?</b></div>
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<b>What new stimulus have you introduced recently and what has its effect been?</b></div>
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<b>Leave a comment or question below!</b></div>
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Shameless plug: I'm running the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/02/training-1117-21.html" target="_blank">Super Sunny 5k</a> on June 6th which benefits Garden Center Services, a Chicago-area agency that serves people with developmental disabilities. You should join me!</div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-28877549280973544122015-04-06T04:39:00.001-07:002015-04-06T04:39:59.443-07:00My First RaceThe passing of another year, a #tbt photo, and a vlog post about Good Friday, Easter, and personal narrative, have inspired a reflection on how my self-narrative has changed over the years.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMrBAbWUHU41CpEjc8aXvbyWrauNx3j5cmM0zWUicPRggMN9ycd5Wtr0DXY1xX95UTDpipHKsjKD_Upj41fX3nGR6KZTXkJu4Iz1B30MfwOlxGucI_5krXWs_-tps6823b81bcgM0dj0/s1600/danny+k.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></div>
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This photo was taken just weeks into my freshman cross country campaign at Northside and got a crazy number of likes on Facebook by people who have known me throughout various stages of my life. In considering this and the ways which the stories we tell ourselves shape our lives, I thought it might be helpful to share a little about how my self-narrative shifted as a result of choosing to run cross country.</div>
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My dad began training for his first and only marathon (Chicago 2002) at the end of my elementary school days. In preparation, he signed up for a 10k and asked me if I wanted to try running the corresponding 5k. Having basically no athletic background and carrying the awkward burden of being a (former) chubby kid I figured running might be a good way to "get in shape." The narrative I told myself was that as a (former) chubby, Asian kid with glasses, I wasn't "tough" and would never be an athlete. Without a background in traditional team sports or much natural speed, strength, or stature, I had written off athletic activity as an opportunity to be embarrassed, and was entirely content to view physical activity as a necessary evil of a healthy lifestyle akin to brushing my teeth. I allowed this narrative to limit my potential not just as an athlete but also as a person.</div>
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I ran that <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/results/02/il/Apr27_Voices_set1.html" target="_blank">first 5k</a> in 29:36 and figured that this would probably be the extent of my running "career." I didn't train much and figured running a bit faster than my dad's planned marathon pace for the distance would be respectable. It fit perfectly into the narrative I told myself: I was healthy enough to finish, I'd maybe jog once or twice a week and run a 5k for charity once in a while, but I wasn't about to win any races.</div>
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Fast forward a few months to my transition from home school to public school for the first time in five years. The only person I knew at my new school played lacrosse (shout out to Tori, haha). I hadn't really played organized team sports, but figured this sounded cool (tough or whatever) and sort of had an idea that not many (Chicago) kids had experience playing lacrosse prior to high school so I might have a shot at this "new" sport. Again to "get into shape" and develop some toughness, I surprised myself and my parents by deciding to run cross country the fall of my freshman year of high school (I don't think there is any "going out" for cross country as everyone makes the team).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5SrbrbHfQcRgb3MOK3eQ20hBYdV95pfJXBuFIQetOuSGhHJjJXQiKnsYx4c949KtTtMCQ0i_-ug3QSY0ZICWzk8ypYqt7V12ivSok4eh1Z1JyI3IxH-kJCH_2CFA5BF8vPC4XsZsN4w/s1600/gordon+tech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5SrbrbHfQcRgb3MOK3eQ20hBYdV95pfJXBuFIQetOuSGhHJjJXQiKnsYx4c949KtTtMCQ0i_-ug3QSY0ZICWzk8ypYqt7V12ivSok4eh1Z1JyI3IxH-kJCH_2CFA5BF8vPC4XsZsN4w/s1600/gordon+tech.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Racing for the first time!</b></div>
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My self-narrative began to change in my first cross country race. I finished the Gordon Tech Invite Freshman Two Mile in under 13 minutes, truly racing for the first time and off little training. I believe I placed 19th or 20th in this race and received a medal or ribbon for this finish. Prior to the race, I realized I couldn't fail if I never backed down. No matter how slow I ran, I couldn't question my toughness if I ran through the pain. This thought was freeing for a failure fearing teen. Thus unhindered by paralyzing fear, I had objectively achieved something in cross country. In light of this evidence, my narrative had to change. I could no longer truthfully tell myself I was an athletic non-achiever and that I wasn't tough.</div>
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I still have miles to go in terms of refining my self-narrative, but this experience is one of the most significant to date. This mile (or two miles as it were) of my journey began to reset parts of my narrative that kept me from achieving my potential as an athlete and a person. I'm finding it difficult to connect this transformation of self-narrative to things beyond running at the moment. I will say that what this revealed was my ability/worth in a totally unexpected area, a foreshadowing of a (growing) realization of my worth regardless of achievement or ability.</div>
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<b>How would you describe your first race experience?</b></div>
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<b>Have you experienced a transformation as an athlete that has changed the stories you tell yourself?</b></div>
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<b>Leave a comment or question below!</b></div>
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<i>Note: A lot of the thought processes I describe above were fueled by an unhealthy fear of failure which characterized my adolescent mind. Perhaps another time I'll write about running "scared." Another adolescent fantasy to dispel is there is only so much "toughness" can overcome (sorry Pre fans). Being mentally tough and staying positive counts but I believe its dangerous to disconnect those things from our natural ability, current fitness, and the limits they impose. In fact, the lack of sprint speed, explosive strength, and stature that make team sports challenging for me is probably the flip side of the physiology that allows me to run well in the marathon.</i></div>
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<i>Also thanks Dan McDowell for editing this piece!</i></div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-27731909271017776652015-02-16T20:51:00.000-08:002015-02-16T20:51:09.195-08:00PART 2: What Your Running Shoes Say About YouIf you missed my original post, <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-your-running-shoes-say-about-you.html" target="_blank">What Your Running Shoes Say About You</a>, I wrote my takes on adidas, Asics, Brooks, Mizuno, Nike, and Saucony fans.<br />
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In this installment, We'll cover some old favorites and some up and comers!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Part 2:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">What Your Running Shoes Say About You</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTToOXI4fMhIXqYidfzThYGcy7oCh4ydgsNhbaBXUQ2-DgJYS-MehOERx0KhgoZQRf_rbUxojGOl_bt1VVK2EbbzHMa4FkYtcizkaY3ogOL7fkuhwcBOV8IxKRlrQ3JS6zj9OCfPjzTY/s1600/nb-jenny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTToOXI4fMhIXqYidfzThYGcy7oCh4ydgsNhbaBXUQ2-DgJYS-MehOERx0KhgoZQRf_rbUxojGOl_bt1VVK2EbbzHMa4FkYtcizkaY3ogOL7fkuhwcBOV8IxKRlrQ3JS6zj9OCfPjzTY/s1600/nb-jenny.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="https://twitter.com/NBRunning" target="_blank">New Balance Running</a></div>
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<b>New Balance</b></div>
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A genuine and humble soul, many people don't even know you run, much less bring the heat! On the track you're a fierce competitor while off the track you enjoy the simple things in life. Committed to a small group of training partners, you make each other better one day at a time. A smart racer; when rivals go head to head with you they usually lose.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="https://twitter.com/trackjenny" target="_blank">Jenny Simpson</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDfo0GQjRX3-3_GiAztsrfNTefSv-6BP5JuBoWaTRMi_5suUip23B9uoznkMnixy55sDKZNn62Gdjyr8ItnQXYrEk-TqXyKRdfdqH5R0OZa2wrNvZfL-IzD7DBq7a0f02Fdj59MRR9YY/s1600/hoka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDfo0GQjRX3-3_GiAztsrfNTefSv-6BP5JuBoWaTRMi_5suUip23B9uoznkMnixy55sDKZNn62Gdjyr8ItnQXYrEk-TqXyKRdfdqH5R0OZa2wrNvZfL-IzD7DBq7a0f02Fdj59MRR9YY/s1600/hoka.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://www.hokaoneone.com/" target="_blank">Hoka One One</a></div>
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<b>Hoka One One</b></div>
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Relentless, you don't let anything get between you and your run. You know there are no shortcuts and consistent hard work is the path to success. A life long runner or new to the sport, you bring a unique perspective to the trail that your training partners appreciate. On race day, you are quick to smile and fast to the finish.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="https://twitter.com/David_Torrence" target="_blank">David Torrance</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbEKFPMxUc9DiWptJQpP0YEzwiYHWqRgenNGORgWEvaJf8YXVAD4hroZZ4wmjavRSz5tJx1CMGegcvUUExEHXyo9-nKFsR3lIVbMyGYaAryY6ztfzfQzll2CK609wZzeVh__-ZtoiBPo/s1600/64768_10152637190777639_2668283938994096137_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbEKFPMxUc9DiWptJQpP0YEzwiYHWqRgenNGORgWEvaJf8YXVAD4hroZZ4wmjavRSz5tJx1CMGegcvUUExEHXyo9-nKFsR3lIVbMyGYaAryY6ztfzfQzll2CK609wZzeVh__-ZtoiBPo/s1600/64768_10152637190777639_2668283938994096137_n.png" height="396" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewtonRunning" target="_blank">Newton Running</a></div>
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<b>Newton Running</b></div>
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Colorful and quirky, you can't get enough of running or runners. Your running journey has taken a lot of twists and turns, but you're sticking with it. Your teammates rely on you for a positive mental boost. On race day, you feed off nervous energy and are constantly looking for opportunities to execute better than before.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="https://twitter.com/FernandoCabada" target="_blank">Fernado Cabada</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQv_k7GysXZmA1KIikDXmQ92K0H3xbuBDgkVHS-9742ub1cjPn4l4PKm0jHq5CDDfY_L3-reyudLrRc11-pLVpQLxE8eD9-alNVUiZGR4weyWY1Xowk9ZK0niRs58fwA8WNBImceDw7oE/s1600/altra2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQv_k7GysXZmA1KIikDXmQ92K0H3xbuBDgkVHS-9742ub1cjPn4l4PKm0jHq5CDDfY_L3-reyudLrRc11-pLVpQLxE8eD9-alNVUiZGR4weyWY1Xowk9ZK0niRs58fwA8WNBImceDw7oE/s1600/altra2.jpg" height="193" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/altrarunning" target="_blank">Altra Running</a></div>
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<b>Altra</b></div>
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Your morning run is what gets you out of bed. A principled, self-starter, you aren't afraid of being different or trying something new. Those around you find themselves motivated to get out the door. You race to find the best in yourself and the world around you. You're particularly dangerous at altitude.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="http://blog.altrazerodrop.com/zero-drop/larisa-dannis-runs-her-best-in-boston/" target="_blank">Larisa Dannis</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlOt8Ne5DPfX9D8AeqYmNU1lvbPQRJRXCxZ_PF2yz8llR0rDTOPL-eQRxHMnAY6DPjg5QWzS3c_r1BD-WNLDbXkSAbSvZojo9MZKXff61OMiG5bSDFtGd7PvAqtdnSEwbF8LbC5sTNAM/s1600/meb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlOt8Ne5DPfX9D8AeqYmNU1lvbPQRJRXCxZ_PF2yz8llR0rDTOPL-eQRxHMnAY6DPjg5QWzS3c_r1BD-WNLDbXkSAbSvZojo9MZKXff61OMiG5bSDFtGd7PvAqtdnSEwbF8LbC5sTNAM/s1600/meb.jpg" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarathonMeb?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Meb Keflezighi</a></div>
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<b>Sketchers</b></div>
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You see opportunities and capitalize on them. Running has changed your life. For you, running is about family, both your blood relations and the running community at large. On race day, you're the underdog on paper, but your tactical skill is like that of a chess Grand Master.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Your spirit runner is </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarathonMeb?ref=br_tf" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Meb Keflezighi</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVUnGvcYiIpeJhqaWsES9BiZZnYUoxgxP4Qi-FLRlajhj85O7J37WrnFDXbmtCNQS3DAALddGZ0NQBJb_mr9RH8bscYseDi0pv_Km9aeRlR_R0PGekLSdJX46DEOEObpI2xMEqV-ZjFs/s1600/onrun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVUnGvcYiIpeJhqaWsES9BiZZnYUoxgxP4Qi-FLRlajhj85O7J37WrnFDXbmtCNQS3DAALddGZ0NQBJb_mr9RH8bscYseDi0pv_Km9aeRlR_R0PGekLSdJX46DEOEObpI2xMEqV-ZjFs/s1600/onrun.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/onrunning" target="_blank">On Running</a></div>
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<b>On</b></div>
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You're always on the move because you can't stand staying still. You live on the cutting edge of technology and fashion which spills over into your running. Your friends ask you for the best running routes and restaurants when they travel abroad because chances are, you've already been there. Racing for you is an intensely personal experience where you seek the unknown, testing your limits.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="https://www.on-running.com/en-us/athletes/frederik-van-lierde" target="_blank">Frederik Van Lierde</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">End of Part 2!</span></div>
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I can't believe I did 6 more brands! There's probably at least 6 <i>more</i> brands, too, but I'm kind of getting tired of writing this stuff.</div>
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Did you relate to my take on your brand?</div>
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Tweet a photo of your running shoes <a href="https://twitter.com/danielkittaka" target="_blank">@danielkittaka</a> using the hashtag, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23yourshoes&src=typd" target="_blank">#yourshoes</a> to get your own personalized (made up) running shoe analysis!</div>
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Miss <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-your-running-shoes-say-about-you.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>?</div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-41019860081834290932015-02-12T20:19:00.000-08:002015-02-22T16:30:56.941-08:00What Your Running Shoes Say About YouWay back in the day (and maybe even now) running magazines, books, and websites would tell readers to examine their shoe wear pattern and thus determine their "right" running shoe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbJ7CVGqE8L2j05zBzZO8lrilcLOhPCC5Fg8KXod4Wv3dTwC1zS-FkAZ66un3G5ty3prJrrhs98AcEdng3Phyphenhyphen2OD6oEK80tUy8glQ4YZbAjaUiIHE2CLSaI2_6aZ1tyPUuPc4ufsnbwc/s1600/shoewear.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbJ7CVGqE8L2j05zBzZO8lrilcLOhPCC5Fg8KXod4Wv3dTwC1zS-FkAZ66un3G5ty3prJrrhs98AcEdng3Phyphenhyphen2OD6oEK80tUy8glQ4YZbAjaUiIHE2CLSaI2_6aZ1tyPUuPc4ufsnbwc/s1600/shoewear.GIF" /></a></div>
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Case in point, this <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/184.shtml" target="_blank">guide found on CoolRunning</a></div>
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I subscribe to a more hands on (feet on) approach involving trying on actual running shoes at your local running retailer, but to each his or her own.</div>
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That said, what if your running shoes actually said more about you than if you made the "right" choice? With out further ado, </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What Your Running Shoes Say About You</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSDA_bSs1CaNEp18Bg8CX9vh2vKt5dlIe6O-J8x3MQvMidEbSgvezJSDMXPR8y1RY96YnRKFSyjX4VEqf-hPmIINnSGvNgNUNZS4iPIAwll50iAPKuHIUqNxEa1VBIYhEopn5ui_8tCs/s1600/Lady-Foot-Locker-Nike-Lunartempo-Make.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSDA_bSs1CaNEp18Bg8CX9vh2vKt5dlIe6O-J8x3MQvMidEbSgvezJSDMXPR8y1RY96YnRKFSyjX4VEqf-hPmIINnSGvNgNUNZS4iPIAwll50iAPKuHIUqNxEa1VBIYhEopn5ui_8tCs/s1600/Lady-Foot-Locker-Nike-Lunartempo-Make.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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photo credit: Nike Running</div>
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<b>Nike</b></div>
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At the cutting edge of run fashion, you like to turn heads. In your book, function and fashion; style and speed go hand in hand. A social runner, you roll with a "crew" that shares your passion for fly kicks and fast <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Click" target="_blank">clicks</a>. On race day, you like to get out hard and set the pace, forcing the field to follow. You hold on for an honest effort and hope it's enough.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ3s9HRaDJ0" target="_blank">Sammy Wanjiru</a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW63FndB0ImP5GBdaALol-AwH5DxhUB1Nc6CfcGUUNEq7NTHbqSSj0LHTm0gVSX37sDRxX_AVngI1Wg4W5wSN5N0r0Ii4-uiml2Tkjh0EvtkAT-BdUMQW1QLTn2YAfJ3B4f_Wfp5N4TDk/s1600/BRS_5010-1024x683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW63FndB0ImP5GBdaALol-AwH5DxhUB1Nc6CfcGUUNEq7NTHbqSSj0LHTm0gVSX37sDRxX_AVngI1Wg4W5wSN5N0r0Ii4-uiml2Tkjh0EvtkAT-BdUMQW1QLTn2YAfJ3B4f_Wfp5N4TDk/s1600/BRS_5010-1024x683.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://talk.brooksrunning.com/2014/01/22/garrett-heath-and-erica-moore-join-and-complete-the-brooks-beasts-team/" target="_blank">Brooks Blog</a></div>
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<b>Brooks</b></div>
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For you it's all about having fun. You want to run your best but not at the expense of enjoying the experience. Slow or fast; friend or stranger, you're more than happy to chill for a few miles on the trails and shoot the breeze. You like to go out relaxed in races, saving energy for a fast finish. Negative splits are more fun.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="http://www.flotrack.org/speaker/1930-Katie-Mackey" target="_blank">Katie Mackey</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiO83EudwawhRMSJorf91XRvGoAJWNJR3KmkeJLm-1ezvBjVio_PG5x6GmAMJJX0pkJomhdWhmvNHZx8-UMd-MiDIlctWnDbMCOA_WqDUI6qHW5wDPC-Wd4GtpxYGrjDLu4nZ2V3MTn0/s1600/setSmaterGoals-1137x758-1137x758.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiO83EudwawhRMSJorf91XRvGoAJWNJR3KmkeJLm-1ezvBjVio_PG5x6GmAMJJX0pkJomhdWhmvNHZx8-UMd-MiDIlctWnDbMCOA_WqDUI6qHW5wDPC-Wd4GtpxYGrjDLu4nZ2V3MTn0/s1600/setSmaterGoals-1137x758-1137x758.jpeg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://blog.saucony.com/inspiration/dont-call-them-resolutions/" target="_blank">Saucony</a></div>
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<b>Saucony</b></div>
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Solitary and stoic, you let your legs do your walking and talking. You enjoy putting in work on the roads, trails, and track in relative solitude. A gritty runner, the beat of your feet against the pavement is all the music you need as you cover mile after mile. Confident in your fitness, you race like there's no tomorrow, pushing the pace and leaving your competition in the dust.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_True" target="_blank">Ben True</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36Cc6CbvmtfVmJlVtgfVqDZpQhFsdAAHAQd_2AttUtDuCxO3tZqG6mWdtlRrxntkQ81dvCI0_eEcCIQJvzczy5v8c4uA_A4aXtMHdvw6mO-cG1quW556g81XQNLm2Fh6BeiqUrmAQkwc/s1600/Spring-Mizuno-Shoe-for-Training-523x249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36Cc6CbvmtfVmJlVtgfVqDZpQhFsdAAHAQd_2AttUtDuCxO3tZqG6mWdtlRrxntkQ81dvCI0_eEcCIQJvzczy5v8c4uA_A4aXtMHdvw6mO-cG1quW556g81XQNLm2Fh6BeiqUrmAQkwc/s1600/Spring-Mizuno-Shoe-for-Training-523x249.jpg" height="190" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://www.mizunousa.com/running/blog/the-right-mizunos-to-train-in-for-spring-races/" target="_blank">Mizuno Running USA</a></div>
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<b>Mizuno</b></div>
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You are the perfect running buddy. You always meet up on time and like running a predictable pace. Beyond the basics, you believe in your running buds and they know it. While racing, your secret sauce is consistency. Particularly over hill and dale, you ride rolling terrain like a surfer catching waves.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="http://www.mizunousa.com/running/blog/belief/" target="_blank">Serena Burla</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ssw9pvRuHw9Dgc4YpwQCPkZUXywRjH2grmt5DaJlALcUiB6seO40pJ6nOI6uSZ36W9sUuy2O3C0HWfnqloGu95gVTX5Rg_vd5dgTFcX329_CvIRVM08HjaWTQ8qyLyhf4P304YyTGJ0/s1600/My_ASICS_12col_FA14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ssw9pvRuHw9Dgc4YpwQCPkZUXywRjH2grmt5DaJlALcUiB6seO40pJ6nOI6uSZ36W9sUuy2O3C0HWfnqloGu95gVTX5Rg_vd5dgTFcX329_CvIRVM08HjaWTQ8qyLyhf4P304YyTGJ0/s1600/My_ASICS_12col_FA14.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://www.asicsamerica.com/sports/running" target="_blank">asics america</a></div>
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<b>Asics</b></div>
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You connect the dots, the ethic you display on the roads informs the rest of your life and vice versa. Running is as much a part as your personal journey as it is about fitness or achievement. While racing, you absorb the energy of the crowds letting them inspire you as you inspire them. </div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="http://www.asicsamerica.com/athletes/deena-kastor" target="_blank">Deena Kastor</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lfXNZj8OEiLM7IlGFvZpvx-ZKb_KPxgHMHJ0qsCwyC-x_4m8fL_8otPKMfKwraBqDKo92ugfhCO-A8CTNb7HY8YV1yQAa4wVXU1vwv2Dpx9RWecYkEpAYLlccrNmoIGmPS_SjSjjVg8/s1600/307458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lfXNZj8OEiLM7IlGFvZpvx-ZKb_KPxgHMHJ0qsCwyC-x_4m8fL_8otPKMfKwraBqDKo92ugfhCO-A8CTNb7HY8YV1yQAa4wVXU1vwv2Dpx9RWecYkEpAYLlccrNmoIGmPS_SjSjjVg8/s1600/307458.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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photo credit: <a href="http://news.adidas.com/global/Athletes-And-Ambassadors/RUNNING/David-Rudisha/s/64f464f5-1949-44e6-af06-9f1e85e48d07" target="_blank">adidas</a></div>
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<b>adidas</b></div>
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Perfectly poised, you're all class. On and off the track, you stay focused, keeping your eyes on the prize. Racing, you like to lead wire-to-wire, defining distances and times for yourself.</div>
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Your spirit runner is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rudisha" target="_blank">David Rudisha</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">End of Part 1 (Check out <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2015/02/part-2-what-your-running-shoes-say.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>!)</span></div>
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So that's it, my take on the kinds of runners that wear the big 6 running shoe brands. Obviously I've left out a bunch of brands, but I only have so much time on my hands!</div>
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This is all just stuff I made up based on random images I found on the vendor websites and other vague associations. Did you relate to my take on your brand?</div>
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Tweet a photo of your running shoes <a href="https://twitter.com/danielkittaka" target="_blank">@danielkittaka</a> using the hashtag, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23yourshoes&src=typd" target="_blank">#yourshoes</a> to get your own personalized (made up) running shoe analysis!</div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-69043945996244448852015-02-01T14:51:00.003-08:002015-02-02T20:20:56.797-08:00Boston 2015 Global Period (Training 11/17-2/1)Yikes! It's been 11 weeks or so since I last recapped on the blog. That's actually probably a good thing as I've been busy running and doing other things for the most part.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6G4SM8bhWY051oWfV2ed5-koJ6fe8mYWCF99ofhdwvUtxlNKpzSygbpZ7jK32oKSiIDYro8pl1r3OyK25krAjav-npKNG2zliU_thr3Io_CVIS8Gr9RASYY1PlbJrkrqe9t_nXIhAG2Q/s1600/CW3A5094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6G4SM8bhWY051oWfV2ed5-koJ6fe8mYWCF99ofhdwvUtxlNKpzSygbpZ7jK32oKSiIDYro8pl1r3OyK25krAjav-npKNG2zliU_thr3Io_CVIS8Gr9RASYY1PlbJrkrqe9t_nXIhAG2Q/s1600/CW3A5094.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>A shot from the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/danielburnhamopen/" target="_blank">Daniel Burnham Open</a> cross country race Lee Greenberg and I produce.</b></div>
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<b>(photo credit: <a href="http://www.groundupdij.com/recentevents/" target="_blank">Ground Up Dij</a>)</b></div>
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In summary, the past 11 weeks, I've averaged about 70 miles per week, implemented hip/core strengthening, and done a number of workouts featuring faster paces/shorter reps. You can check out the details on <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/dkittaka" target="_blank">Strava</a>.<br />
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I had to nix <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/11/hansei-kai-2014.html" target="_blank">my goal</a> of racing at the Illiana Invite (as it is an invitation only event, duh), but it seems I've also gotten a bunch of other runners interested in racing on the (indoor) track at some point in February so that's cool. It looks like we'll be running 5000m on Saturday, February 2nd.<br />
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My feeling is that even with the progress I've made with <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/11/hansei-kai-2014.html" target="_blank">stabilizing the chassis</a> and getting the legs turning over with workouts featuring shorter, faster repeats, I'm still lacking a certain "something." That "something" could very well be just getting in a race or time trial so it's a good thing that it looks like there will probably be a few opportunities to race indoors this year.<br />
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Looking ahead, my training will start to become increasingly (Boston) marathon specific. This past weekend was the first <a href="http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/boston365-pages-71.php" target="_blank">Boston 365</a> workout in Barrington, IL which features rolling terrain and is one of the spots Chicago-area runners use to prepare for the Boston Marathon.<br />
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We tried something a bit different this latest outing, running out and back on "Windmill Hill" segment twice before flipping around for home.</div>
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<b>The very steep second half of "Windmill Hill" provided some great downhill running stimulus.</b></div>
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I focused on running marathon effort (at this point about 6:00 pace) for these hills. After a gentle mile back on the roads, I ran 6 miles at marathon effort (again just over 6:00 pace). I think this was quite valuable as it gave me the opportunity to run marathon effort after some hard downhill running. Kudos to Boston Marathon Guru, Dan Daly for dreaming up this new training stimulus.</div>
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I'll have to post more specific goals and plans for the next six weeks or so, but the main thing is to begin making that transition to marathon specific workouts in preparation for a few key workouts like my staple 18 miles at 95% marathon goal pace.</div>
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<b>What do your next six weeks look like?</b></div>
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<b>Leave a question or comment below!</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-89977462637407664842015-01-25T15:39:00.002-08:002015-01-27T05:21:51.860-08:00A Runner's Guide to Memphis, TNI was recently in Memphis, TN for five days for my sister, Rachel's wedding (Rachel hates it when I refer to her exclusively as "my sister"). If you find yourself in Memphis, TN, here are my recommendations for where to run (important), where not to run (even more important), where to eat (most important), and more.<br />
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You're gonna need to run eating like this in Memphis! (at <a href="http://www.bryantsmemphis.com/" target="_blank">Bryant's Breakfast</a>)</div>
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<b>Where to Run</b><br />
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In my limited experience, <a href="http://www.shelbyfarmspark.org/" target="_blank">Shelby Farms Park</a> is <i>the</i> place to run in the Memphis area. A gargantuan park, 11 miles directly east of downtown Memphis, Shelby Farms features miles of paved and unpaved trails and a Greenline from Midtown to the Park itself.<br />
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<b>Tour de Wolf (Shelby Farms Park)</b><br />
Bisected by Walnut Grove Road, the north half features an unpaved, double track trail system known as <a href="http://www.shelbyfarmspark.org/trails" target="_blank">Tour de Wolf</a>.<br />
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A decent run, the trail isn't really too long, a loop will get you about 5 miles or so round trip so be prepared to add on. Also it runs through the dog park so heads up on that. The section along Walnut Grove Road is a little bit hilly and would be good for some sort of repeat workout.<br />
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<b>Wolf River Trails (Dan's Choice)</b><br />
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This run on the Yellow Trail, was probably the best (most continuous) run I did while in Memphis. Single track along the Wolf River, I would highly recommend this run. Also based on the Park Map, this trail connects to more trails that cover the western and more of the southern portions of the Park.</div>
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Clipped from the larger <a href="http://shelbyfarmspark.org/assets/1848/shelby_farms_map_61114.pdf" target="_blank">Park Map</a>.</div>
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I've actually also run on the other side of the Wolf River on the Germantown Greenline, which was a nice paved bike trail, but nothing to write home about (and yet I find myself including a sentence on it). I would only resort to this if you somehow can't get around to the other side to run the single track.</div>
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<b>Overton Park</b></div>
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In an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_Park#History" target="_blank">interesting story</a> of privilege, this park was saved from becoming Interstate 40 in the late 1970s. It's central, Midtown location and surrounding "runnable" neighborhoods make this a more appealing option if getting out to Shelby Farms is not an option.</div>
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<b>Shelby Farms Greenline</b></div>
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Speaking of which, there is actually a 6.5 mile Greenline from Midtown (Walnut Grove and Tillman) to the northwest corner of Shelby Farms Park. I haven't run or biked it, but from what I could tell it seems like a better option than straight up running city streets.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m29!1m12!1m3!1d26099.081868272304!2d-89.92202065734197!3d35.14701207647305!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m14!1i0!3e1!4m5!1s0x887f81282f21bc5d%3A0xdc39aa584c40a6fd!2sWalnut+Grove+Rd+%26+Tillman+St%2C+Memphis%2C+TN+38111!3m2!1d35.135659!2d-89.9623613!4m5!1s0x887f9ccb6595286d%3A0x4b29b0a1be5ae874!2sShelby+Farms+Greenline%2C+Memphis%2C+TN!3m2!1d35.1514198!2d-89.87138!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1422224915771" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe>
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<b>(Mississippi) Riverfront</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT7ybUzWB_Zccvr3lMas1yl6zwNJtzf5uK7aU-F3EKPA9QsWXGNsNT2A9emiwAPBgTlOK4JSli89ptBGZjEszp9nKNGmNwfwVMG-0OjUBvIu5PFqbqu4bua3LvwdCDVo4xiXiyT03bdI/s1600/20141220_125202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT7ybUzWB_Zccvr3lMas1yl6zwNJtzf5uK7aU-F3EKPA9QsWXGNsNT2A9emiwAPBgTlOK4JSli89ptBGZjEszp9nKNGmNwfwVMG-0OjUBvIu5PFqbqu4bua3LvwdCDVo4xiXiyT03bdI/s1600/20141220_125202.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're staying downtown and can't make it out to the other places I've listed, the Riverfront area will suffice. It's also a quick jog from notable Memphis locations like the Lorraine Motel and Beale Street.</div>
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<b>Where Not to Run (or Drive)</b></div>
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Almost as important as good running spots is areas to avoid. For example, I ran Germantown Parkway from the Wolfchase Galleria my first day and that was not fun and at times dangerous.</div>
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From my log: "Terrible!!! Germantown Parkway is the longest strip mall you've ever seen. Some sections didn't even have sidewalk despite having crosswalks?!? Don't do this run EVER!"</div>
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Also later that day, I returned to run at Shelby Farms and it took me 40 minutes just to drive this same section (in one direction) around rush hour. So my advice would be not to drive this section after 9am.</div>
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<b>Who to Run With</b></div>
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Check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BreakawayRunning/timeline" target="_blank">Breakaway Running Facebook</a> page for group runs! I didn't actually run with any of their groups, but I did see their well attended, Thursday night Midtown run the first evening we arrived in Memphis on our way to dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhqDKZXidoyTW4cdWY8aN4aR2GmWwzrtobidesje_82relcfxzGmx8ndw4Zj4eZyoX2L-pnt0vcO_SrheSBSZOa1HKYbanQA07MrQwNx3rPfPb5dId_1Q37kJlpOeVz7h06JwTSC2pys/s1600/9006_10153285817699179_8412438189301552602_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhqDKZXidoyTW4cdWY8aN4aR2GmWwzrtobidesje_82relcfxzGmx8ndw4Zj4eZyoX2L-pnt0vcO_SrheSBSZOa1HKYbanQA07MrQwNx3rPfPb5dId_1Q37kJlpOeVz7h06JwTSC2pys/s1600/9006_10153285817699179_8412438189301552602_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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You can also travel with running buddies. Shout out to Kian for the company on these Memphis running adventures!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSq1bKHxTBG-IOGA1X4Ie-mOfteLElBdEFOrqsHzZxYoOkTmCvwrZmw1uxblTgaEb-yj7EomJDAi3SEEYQnGkPetC60B1kTij8IQUnBOJIgxORehjSlENrhyphenhyphenFY8H_Kva7TcI5iADbu1s/s1600/20141220_131704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSq1bKHxTBG-IOGA1X4Ie-mOfteLElBdEFOrqsHzZxYoOkTmCvwrZmw1uxblTgaEb-yj7EomJDAi3SEEYQnGkPetC60B1kTij8IQUnBOJIgxORehjSlENrhyphenhyphenFY8H_Kva7TcI5iADbu1s/s1600/20141220_131704.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Where to Eat</b></div>
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When thinking about Memphis, maybe the first thing on your mind is "BBQ!" But don't forget that breakfast (after a run) is the "most important" meal of the day.</div>
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<b>Breakfast Spots</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ7KzYLYnHW8upVSnCgRXHGui4sq4PxCLjCSAa04CTnJ2Xs9bXwyhQMlYyUlPK02i5wWhtseG8V0Xpk5mAQIRCfdXD_Ip-0tysbZe5TITS4q1LcMkNEcCmS4fzpZwRFz4RtjIPh6Iyio/s1600/20141219_085537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ7KzYLYnHW8upVSnCgRXHGui4sq4PxCLjCSAa04CTnJ2Xs9bXwyhQMlYyUlPK02i5wWhtseG8V0Xpk5mAQIRCfdXD_Ip-0tysbZe5TITS4q1LcMkNEcCmS4fzpZwRFz4RtjIPh6Iyio/s1600/20141219_085537.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bryantsmemphis.com/" target="_blank">Bryant's Breakfast</a> is a local favorite. On a Friday morning, there was a to-go line through the entire storefront. You'll get all the biscuits and gravy you can eat along with your breakfast meats and eggs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXZJbybA_JpI_U5dD8VFOFq9z9IrDJemOwkWQEbunK-nnB9tpFDL4dAMzM2mYCE6qgFeHmdzs_d9S1W1i-SyP2OiKtw09D1RKpPxj9gZ_bYSnFheaJNgBT4ctjA6mRt4Ij5pOaV-QOmU/s1600/20141220_102747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXZJbybA_JpI_U5dD8VFOFq9z9IrDJemOwkWQEbunK-nnB9tpFDL4dAMzM2mYCE6qgFeHmdzs_d9S1W1i-SyP2OiKtw09D1RKpPxj9gZ_bYSnFheaJNgBT4ctjA6mRt4Ij5pOaV-QOmU/s1600/20141220_102747.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you want to combine a bit of history with your meal, the <a href="http://arcaderestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Arcade Restaurant</a> is Memphis' Oldest Cafe (whatever that means) and is within walking distance of the Riverfront.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>Barbecue</b></span></div>
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With three locations and a good rep among locals, <a href="http://cbqmemphis.com/" target="_blank">Central BBQ Memphis</a> has got to be my pick for your BBQ fix.</div>
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<b>Brews</b></div>
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While I was less than impressed the food, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boscos+Squared/@35.136145,-89.990065,18z/data=!4m7!1m4!3m3!1s0x87d57e106a7b1751:0x5b11b3238ca0578!2sMadison+Ave,+Memphis,+TN!3b1!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0xa2306a5416536578" target="_blank">Boscos Squared</a> is one of the places to get local brew in Memphis' happening Overton Square area.</div>
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<b>When to Race</b></div>
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If you'd like to visit Memphis to race, the most notable and storied event has got to be the <a href="http://www.stjudemarathon.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b6bbb065d488d310VgnVCM100000290115acRCRD" target="_blank">St. Jude Memphis Marathon</a> (which includes a half marathon and 5k races as well). From what I've heard, the early December event is one of those notable races that brings a town together around the worthy cause of caring for the health of children. Check out the race reviews on <a href="http://www.bibrave.com/races/st-jude-memphis-marathon#.VMV8DP7F-So" target="_blank">BibRave</a>!</div>
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<b>Do you have a favorite run, race, or restaurant in Memphis?</b></div>
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<b>Let us know in the comments below!</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-89170362960859944922015-01-01T21:11:00.000-08:002015-01-01T21:11:01.514-08:00Happy New Year!Happy New Year everyone!<br />
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I'll write a real post soon, but in the mean time check out this update on by other blog, <a href="http://2-something.blogspot.com/2015/01/sub-3-in-2015.html" target="_blank">Two-Something</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKzo4c5RA8-qeMZzbDH-AKz3B_hm6wqsi62FGlsXlMXCiBRHvwLGJRGhydFQzYsyuqExj2sJsE4pWtxSLUWfyGfeJ-mnDZh5O_Fy9ISy0n4JxWmUz4Ezvbt7pq3xY6WKkCth4xzR9L8k/s1600/Br3rZN5CEAA384X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKzo4c5RA8-qeMZzbDH-AKz3B_hm6wqsi62FGlsXlMXCiBRHvwLGJRGhydFQzYsyuqExj2sJsE4pWtxSLUWfyGfeJ-mnDZh5O_Fy9ISy0n4JxWmUz4Ezvbt7pq3xY6WKkCth4xzR9L8k/s1600/Br3rZN5CEAA384X.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>One of these two guys could be your pacer at your next marathon!</b></div>
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photo credit: Lyndsey Baum</div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-27036831171053629612014-12-07T21:00:00.001-08:002014-12-07T21:04:55.858-08:00dailymile Aid: Visualizing Exported DataI stopped using <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/" target="_blank">dailymile</a> because when you export your training log it gets spit out in CSV format which looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-DRrphJKhrLBGru32F1m26r3Q_gkydDXMyiOx-ECvLoWB8oAEmHyksNsrBm_mREeYx5bzCB3_dbx_00DFlq0c-n3vcRZFBz3STOQ7pEMScsxaz8S8q3s55tHqs5m6ulJ6a92tsUTlDc/s1600/dm+cvc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-DRrphJKhrLBGru32F1m26r3Q_gkydDXMyiOx-ECvLoWB8oAEmHyksNsrBm_mREeYx5bzCB3_dbx_00DFlq0c-n3vcRZFBz3STOQ7pEMScsxaz8S8q3s55tHqs5m6ulJ6a92tsUTlDc/s1600/dm+cvc.JPG" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
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On top of this, run distance is spit out in meters and run duration in seconds.</div>
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After learning about <a href="http://saplumira.com/" target="_blank">SAP Lumira</a> at work and downloading the free home edition, I decided my dailymile training log stretching from June 2011 to June 2014 in CSV format was the perfect data set to load into this new tool.</div>
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Here's how to export your data from dailymile:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBeX9f8AYknBZ2AVuYK5uyxYVd9MeSGe5skua6BZyx9it6mluxzID1dR8PN0JnHMaSe-waWrqvs0ESSElNMpx1Gz0mq4PaFCOKxUwweLCqManxWXs2wrzcn3Z31kXmS2gkVh2W-Y2ODQ/s1600/dailymile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBeX9f8AYknBZ2AVuYK5uyxYVd9MeSGe5skua6BZyx9it6mluxzID1dR8PN0JnHMaSe-waWrqvs0ESSElNMpx1Gz0mq4PaFCOKxUwweLCqManxWXs2wrzcn3Z31kXmS2gkVh2W-Y2ODQ/s1600/dailymile.JPG" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>Click the Training tab on top</li>
<li>Then click the Settings tab on the sidebar</li>
<li>Finally, click export</li>
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Once this data is exported into .CSV format, the real fun can begin. I won't go into the details, but I used SAP Lumira to slice and dice data into the following charts (I limited the data to January 2013 through June 2014 which is the period through which I most consistently logged runs (mostly manually) on dailymile):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8U4OBwn37aIVW2MNtfG8jixj1dx_jpDxWBmzFLLVNzenATEvucuWm_mPqqRTjIG4IiGnPM4flOlOX7-O5fYOXuZo5xRVpT-ZkOrhWtHsIrEOFbLA1UOjKLQUGLmCvvAZOLTfA61Tteg/s1600/Hours+by+Month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8U4OBwn37aIVW2MNtfG8jixj1dx_jpDxWBmzFLLVNzenATEvucuWm_mPqqRTjIG4IiGnPM4flOlOX7-O5fYOXuZo5xRVpT-ZkOrhWtHsIrEOFbLA1UOjKLQUGLmCvvAZOLTfA61Tteg/s1600/Hours+by+Month.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42OVDKREopKZlJFFCBVsPu0zXh0PdlzVXca90D9jUjT_g-QJs641NXnjz9uwhgrtWLSZkOT3S_z-jfkuBGZVQ6ryXFhMiQhoWswUl2SePvTLOvPpLifCFbOMgaUlaifFcjFRyTDROg8Y/s1600/Runs+by+Month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42OVDKREopKZlJFFCBVsPu0zXh0PdlzVXca90D9jUjT_g-QJs641NXnjz9uwhgrtWLSZkOT3S_z-jfkuBGZVQ6ryXFhMiQhoWswUl2SePvTLOvPpLifCFbOMgaUlaifFcjFRyTDROg8Y/s1600/Runs+by+Month.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I ran a crap-ton in summer/fall 2013 (6 consecutive weeks of 90+ MPW). I also got hurt after that; no runs logged in November or December 2013.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYcLMjTL3yQOYyZ1TGia4CkScLLy92r82dVqU6sXiSq9VeKA_xsDB0x1L3N21Bi2IdLeVk8ENN5TtAgoFecpwqHGY7DRhR9wpbQgZ7EvRAC6D2FU6ztUjzDmYTlsDlxDxza4o0IR-v8c/s1600/Runs+by+Distance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYcLMjTL3yQOYyZ1TGia4CkScLLy92r82dVqU6sXiSq9VeKA_xsDB0x1L3N21Bi2IdLeVk8ENN5TtAgoFecpwqHGY7DRhR9wpbQgZ7EvRAC6D2FU6ztUjzDmYTlsDlxDxza4o0IR-v8c/s1600/Runs+by+Distance.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned earlier I logged a bunch of runs manually which meant I rounded down (<a href="http://thehighschoolrunner.com/2008/06/badger-miles.html" target="_blank">Badger miles</a>) to integers. My "average" run was an 8 miler.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndUapVJLEzLvRgIpG41DYBCH-q3pWY-gC4S8gSQMvKm998i8Acqw0YzsB5NpGReXhEr29gCvSCEp10aoGpmsz4O4GAMu3fsYJ6gPwZTyisZTurtjvdlJlZvL6oxesgatpTRlKVYrHjJE/s1600/Runs+by+Feel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndUapVJLEzLvRgIpG41DYBCH-q3pWY-gC4S8gSQMvKm998i8Acqw0YzsB5NpGReXhEr29gCvSCEp10aoGpmsz4O4GAMu3fsYJ6gPwZTyisZTurtjvdlJlZvL6oxesgatpTRlKVYrHjJE/s1600/Runs+by+Feel.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I always thought giving your runs a "Feel" was a bit goofy (evidenced by 13.65% of runs during this time period lacking any rating at all), but this pie chart sort of makes them a bit more relevant.</div>
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After looking at this data and slicing through it using SAP Lumira, I kind of regret moving over to Strava as now an export only yields distinct GPX files instead of basic run metrics in columns like dailymile. Anyone have experience exporting run data from Strava and doing additional analysis?</div>
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<b>Questions or comments?</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-80275072900407328522014-12-07T09:28:00.003-08:002014-12-07T09:28:37.174-08:00STRAVA AID: Viewing Lap SplitsBy popular demand, I'm putting together a guide to viewing manually split laps on Strava's desktop web-interface. Before I start, I want to show the hardware and software I'm using:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1I3SD-ucjfJXqy_uP7aCuEjNXyhixQSWSXveLcGwVaIVfEKVI3mErFv2eRLR4k5NJAEJ6ClFtIDdMv5ujgM_aimjK9syL4ca5QY3EW4vfPF10Fg2_MzzVftsExlW3vp-tacpeUCJInmY/s1600/movescount.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1I3SD-ucjfJXqy_uP7aCuEjNXyhixQSWSXveLcGwVaIVfEKVI3mErFv2eRLR4k5NJAEJ6ClFtIDdMv5ujgM_aimjK9syL4ca5QY3EW4vfPF10Fg2_MzzVftsExlW3vp-tacpeUCJInmY/s1600/movescount.JPG" height="320" width="261" /></a></div>
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<b>I'm using the Suunto Ambit 2S with Moveslink 2 v 1.2.13</b></div>
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I have my Suunto Movescount account synced with <a href="http://www.strava.com/athletes/4815751?utm_source=top-nav" target="_blank">my Strava account</a>. So that's how my data is getting into Strava.</div>
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Strava's interface doesn't make it too clear how to view manually taken splits as it automatically calculates moving pace and mile splits in its overview tab:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBfT34iOzViQCuYDWkGF-yODa3XPHYrZhIxKG-DF1Di14K7XvoTdxkz5puTvGJdehyphenhyphenEFPLua5UcO49WXyMOgHM6CORhbtyGn4zp4_45JktzhcccGWrBDQbykLWTpBRzGzKSAm_4-r6uw/s1600/Capture1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBfT34iOzViQCuYDWkGF-yODa3XPHYrZhIxKG-DF1Di14K7XvoTdxkz5puTvGJdehyphenhyphenEFPLua5UcO49WXyMOgHM6CORhbtyGn4zp4_45JktzhcccGWrBDQbykLWTpBRzGzKSAm_4-r6uw/s1600/Capture1.JPG" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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A 4 x 2 mile workout is a great example of a workout where mile splits and moving time/pace aren't relevant.</div>
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The "Laps" tab is right there in front of you, but it is unclear what data lies beneath.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqDfCfOf3S624yhAVLYdvX9TadTvbYwfzlyJlUw54eNAbrtW9EVLCWXZrVLSxhJRJgYKvXTuhH3p1ChvWc-yf6VCeZdrPaquYj0T_yLrczC0lMs1d38u3YsNMUhv1nT4jxtagUuV5OyY/s1600/Laps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqDfCfOf3S624yhAVLYdvX9TadTvbYwfzlyJlUw54eNAbrtW9EVLCWXZrVLSxhJRJgYKvXTuhH3p1ChvWc-yf6VCeZdrPaquYj0T_yLrczC0lMs1d38u3YsNMUhv1nT4jxtagUuV5OyY/s1600/Laps.JPG" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is actually exactly where you'll find the information (assuming you properly took manual splits) you're looking for (repeat distance/time/pace, recovery interval).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSleAXr2PGdkHbl_FmxmB9PhNVA6nuhVQT2yW-jteIFI4z7yw6k1mP1i5W7m1Ck3N7L4qqXZzPi4vBVlDXgkEbMwhYhfIzgwaL1FKqPgcWeIJPu0_7Pok8TmL_uO8QN8cIanmn4RhKXsU/s1600/Workout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSleAXr2PGdkHbl_FmxmB9PhNVA6nuhVQT2yW-jteIFI4z7yw6k1mP1i5W7m1Ck3N7L4qqXZzPi4vBVlDXgkEbMwhYhfIzgwaL1FKqPgcWeIJPu0_7Pok8TmL_uO8QN8cIanmn4RhKXsU/s1600/Workout.JPG" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was pretty indignant that this feature was so "difficult" to find and I've talked to more than one user who was having trouble viewing this information so I decided to create this 3rd Party documentation.</div>
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<b>Questions or comments?</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-4815130125889253442014-11-24T04:40:00.003-08:002014-11-24T04:45:11.499-08:00hansei-kai 2014In studying for my <a href="http://www.apics.org/careers-education-professional-development/certification/cpim">CPIM</a> certification exams, I have come across the concept of hansei, one of the twelve pillars of the <a href="http://blog.toyota.co.uk/hansei-toyota-production-system#.VHHpqIvF-So">Toyota Production System</a> (TPS, a structure of management philosophy and practices) and more generally a characteristic of greater Japanese culture (or so I've read).<br />
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<b>hansei –“reflection,” or "self-reflection," becoming aware of and acting on opportunities for improvement.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ra-RlQbufF39BBkfB-B_JoYQ_gbah1Irimgg0nhxOVc2jlqa92uaBPsrzura3EZHUlnhxDgrOQ83qfXEPDc6ilifLAxkIMD-tvEjwD1fbeeLv3GQEhPmPyhM2oEzAawjzmGdQ8UKV0Q/s1600/martineau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ra-RlQbufF39BBkfB-B_JoYQ_gbah1Irimgg0nhxOVc2jlqa92uaBPsrzura3EZHUlnhxDgrOQ83qfXEPDc6ilifLAxkIMD-tvEjwD1fbeeLv3GQEhPmPyhM2oEzAawjzmGdQ8UKV0Q/s1600/martineau.jpg" height="280" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photo Credit: Michael Martineau</div>
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In the TPS, both successful and unsuccessful initiatives are followed by a hansei-kai or reflection meeting. The UK <a href="http://blog.toyota.co.uk/hansei-toyota-production-system#.VHHpqIvF-So">Toyota blog</a> elaborates a bit on this:<br />
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<b>"An inability to identify issues is usually seen as an indication that you did not stretch to meet or exceed expectations, that you were not sufficiently critical or objective in your analysis, or that you lack modesty and humility. Within the [h]ansei process, no problem is itself a problem."</b><br />
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Lest we become fixated on our failures (even to exceed expectations), it is important to note that <b>the end goal is ultimately to drive positive change</b>. Let me restate this, the goal of hansei is to improve.<br />
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For me it can be easy to get stuck in the first step of uncovering and accepting responsibility for failure, but miss the end goal of positive change. One western blogger living in Japan describes <a href="http://www.kirainet.com/english/hansei-%E5%8F%8D%E7%9C%81/">hansei in action</a>. He notes how that the goal was not to place blame or make apologies, but, after accepting responsibility for failure, to improve the team.<br />
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All of this is a long way to introduce this latest blog post reflecting on my running in 2014 and my preliminary plan for improvement.<br />
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I want to keep this initial, annual reflection short as I already include periodic reflections (this of course being one of the purposes of blogging one's training/racing), and I want to emphasize the changes in place and planned. Since the focus of training is racing, I will focus on racing performance.<br />
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Early in the year, I started on par with a decent (for me) 3k indoors and my fastest Shamrock Shuffle to date. With these exceptions, I struggled a lot at races that weren't marathons, failing to run faster than 16:27 in the 5k, posting a mediocre 56:17 at 10 miles, and running only marathon pace for the half-marathon. At this juncture, it is important for me to post some faster times at shorter distances both from a physiological as well as psychological standpoint. <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/10/race-recap-2014-bank-of-america-chicago.html" target="_blank">My result</a> from the Chicago Marathon underlines this point, every mile split was between 5:40 and 6:00. My aerobic strength pulled me through. To capitalize on this strength in 2015, I need to get comfortable running at faster paces.<br />
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My plan to get myself to run faster paces features several key components:<br />
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<b>1) Establish race goals at non-marathon distances.</b><br />
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In the near term, I am focused on getting into the best 5k shape possible for a 5000m race at <a href="http://www.lewisflyers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mtrack&" target="_blank">Lewis University's Illiana Invite</a> on January 16th. This involves using long runs for aerobic maintenance (instead of race-specific training) and introducing 5k pace and faster repeats, a bit more on this later. Looking further out, I would like to break 26:00 at Shamrock Shuffle. As the season progresses I will set more specific goals, but I plan on running the Soldier Field 10 Mile, the Big 10 10k, and the Bix 7 later in the year.<br />
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<b>2) Support faster pace running with a stronger chassis and safe environment.</b><br />
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Injury has been one of the primary factors preventing me from achieving the best of my ability. I am implementing Jay Johnson's now famous <a href="http://vimeo.com/4752171" target="_blank">Pedestal and MYRTL routines</a> in an effort to strengthen my core and hips, the "chassis" that allows you to take advantage of your aerobic "engine." [This analogy appears in Jay Dicharry's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Runners-Unlocking-Potential-Prevention/dp/1620871599" target="_blank">Anatomy for Runners</a></i>].<br />
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I am also going to spend some money and time doing key workouts indoors at DePaul's Rec Center, purchasing the <a href="https://campusrec.depaul.edu/membership/Pages/Community.aspx" target="_blank">10 Visit Package</a> (for $110). After experiencing soreness after running sub-7 minute pace earlier this week while it was 15 degrees outside, this plan is only further validated. It is difficult to get fully warmed up when the temperatures drop leading to additional muscle soreness and potential injury.<br />
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<b>3) Establish a plan for running faster.</b><br />
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I've not been a huge subscriber to laying out a week-by-week season plan as I've felt like incorrectly calibrated, these types of plans have contributed to disillusionment and injury. That said, I have received benefits from following a rigid schedule when participating in the <a href="http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/boston365-pages-71.php" target="_blank">Boston 365 program</a> (which I'll be co-coaching for 2015!).<br />
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Here's the plan I've outlined (based on a Jack Daniel's program) for the following weeks (weeks start on Mondays):<br />
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11/24 - 5k cross country (Turkey Trot)<br />
12/1 - easy running w/ strides and chassis<br />
12/8 - 7 x 1200 @ 5k pace w/ 400 jog recovery, 8k road (Rudolph Ramble)<br />
12/15 - Fartlek, 6 miles (hopefully it will be warm in Memphis for this one)<br />
12/22 - 3 x 1600 w/ 4 min recovery, 3 x 1000 w/ 2 min recovery, @ 5k pace<br />
12/29 - 20 min @ tempo, 3 x 400 @ mile race pace w/ 400 jog, 2 x 1 mile @ tempo w/ 1 min recovery, 5000m time trial(?)<br />
1/5 - 2 x 2k @ tempo, 5 x 1000 @ 5k pace, 4 x 200 at mile race pace<br />
1/12 - 4 x 1200 w/ 2 min jog, 4 x 200 @ mile race pace, 5000m indoors (Illiana Invite)<br />
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<b>What actions are you taking to make 2015 better than 2014?</b><br />
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<b>Also don't forget, the fourth installment of <a href="http://2-something.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Two-Something</a>: The Backgrounds, Beliefs, and Secrets of Sub-Three Hour Marathoners comes out tomorrow!</b>Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-80286607739845014172014-11-01T19:01:00.001-07:002014-11-02T11:23:19.863-08:00The Fellowship of the Lakefront Trail<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"[Bilbo] used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. 'It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door," he used to say, "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.'"</i> [<a href="http://www.frodoforever.com/bquotes.php">p.74, <i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i></a>]</div>
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It has been some time now that I've thought about what it might be like to run the entire <a href="http://www.cpdit01.com/resources/brochures/pdf/Lakefront%20Trail%20Map.pdf">Chicago Lakefront Trail</a> (LFT). I believe it has something to do with learning about <i>Fastest Known Time</i> or FKT runs in places like <a href="http://www.trailrunnermag.com/destinations/west/461-lions-in-zion">Zion National Park</a> or <a href="https://www.ultrarunning.com/headlines/ultrarunning-news/jornet-sets-speed-record-at-kilimanjaro/">Kilimanjaro</a> in Tanzania. A point-to-point-to-point of the LFT (18 miles one way) posed a reasonable next step beyond my experience running the <a href="http://www.chicagoultra.org/">Lakefront 50/50 50k</a>. I do recall discussing with <a href="http://www.runflaherty.com/">Matt Flaherty</a> or <a href="http://heffrun.blogspot.com/">Rich Heffron</a> or both at some point the existence of a Known Time for this run on the LFT. They weren't aware of a posted time. I also checked what appears to be the hub of FKTs, the <a href="http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/">FKT message board</a> at ProBoards.com and came up empty handed as well, presenting a rather interesting opportunity to set a Fastest Known Time for the course.</div>
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With injuries and other issues that have plagued my running in recent years, there hasn't really been a good opportunity for me to attempt this run and so I sort of forgot about it. However after attending a screening of a film about <a href="http://neverstopexploring.com/2013/08/05/hal-koerner-and-mike-wolfe-set-a-new-fastest-known-time-record-on-the-john-muir-trail/">Hal Koerner and Mike Wolfe's FKT</a> of the John Muir Trail, the desire to complete the LFT run was reignited.</div>
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<i>"'It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam,' said Frodo, 'and I could not have bourne that.'</i></div>
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<i>'Not as certain as being left behind,' said Sam.</i></div>
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<i>'But I am going to Mordor.'</i></div>
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<i>'I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I'm coming with you.'"</i> [p.406]</div>
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<b>The Fellowship of the the Lakefront Trail at the 71st Street 0 mile marker</b></div>
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photo credit: Kyle Larson</div>
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I may have actually mentioned this desire at the screening to <a href="https://twitter.com/KLarson_run/status/528611149219397633">Kyle Larson</a>, I don't recall exactly, but Kyle and I decided to make an attempt at this run following the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/10/race-recap-2014-bank-of-america-chicago.html">Chicago Marathon</a>. We were joined by Robby Haas, Kyle's coworker, and together we formed the Fellowship of the Lakefront Trail. I'm pretty indebted to these gentlemen as it would have been a pretty awful time running 36 miles of pancake flat, windy trail solo.</div>
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I had <a href="http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=553431">plotted a course</a> beforehand, taking into account some of the construction on the path however these plans changed quickly <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20141101/streeterville/photos-waves-tear-up-lakefront-path"><span id="goog_2013850474"></span>after massive waves eroded parts<span id="goog_2013850475"></span></a> of the Trail on Friday, October 31st and continued to pose a safety hazard near Oak Street Beach. We did our best to adhere as closely as possible to the posted mile markers, but deviated slightly at Oak Street in order to stay safe:</div>
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<b>The blue line indicates the marked trail while the red indicates the actual path taken.</b></div>
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Other than attempting to adhere to the marked path as much as possible, our other rule was that we couldn't use each other's first names for the duration of the run. With transgressors buying the named person a drink for every offense. I devised this rule in order to provide a little entertainment particularly in the early miles where we'd be feeling good, with the wind, and still able to chat. As a result, each member of the Fellowship was awarded several nicknames:</div>
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Kyle became Swishy (because of the sound of his pack), Coach K, and Smeagol (see below)</div>
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Robby was 'Zoo (because of his hometown of Kalamazoo, MI) and Sam (see below)</div>
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I ended up with the nickname Frodo (my balaclava which I wore mostly around my neck formed a hobbit-like hood and as the primary timekeeper, my Suunto Ambit 2s became the Ring)</div>
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We collectively became the Fellowship of the Lakefront Trail, running to Mordor (the southern most point at 71st Street) and back.</div>
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Starting our run just as the sun was rising, with the still-strong winds from the northeast, we ran comfortably for 18 miles. The temperature was in the low 40s, keeping us quite cool. I took my gels according to my usual marathon cadence of about every 7 miles.</div>
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Once we turned, we faced 18 miles more or less into constant wind. As you might imagine, things got a bit tougher here. It was more difficult to stay warm and we were already 18 miles into our adventure. Other than finishing, the highlight of the second half was spectating the Lakefront 50/50. My friend, <a href="http://baumtempleofspeed.blogspot.com/">Eric Baum</a> outsmarted the wind and the competition to win at the 50k distance!</div>
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<i>"But do you remember Gandalf's words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved, and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam."</i> [Frodo, p.947, <i><a href="http://www.frodoforever.com/bquotes3.php">The Return of the King</a></i>]</div>
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While we ultimately finished apart, it was a great comfort to have the Fellowship along with me. For the 36.55 mile course, I kept my watch running from the first step to our last (including a bathroom break at St Joe's on Diversey and multiple water bottle refills), taking splits as each of us finished our runs at the Hollywood 0 mile marker.</div>
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<b>Kyle Larson - 4:46:11</b><br />
<b>Robby Haas - 4:30:40</b><br />
<b>Dan Kittaka - 4:26:28</b><br />
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<iframe height='405' width='550' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://www.strava.com/activities/214308350/embed/6daaafed2fd8989e487c023aeb9c4f459966732a'></iframe>
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One last nerdy note: It is interesting to see that for a very small population size, there is an inverse relationship between the total times of our 1600m Fleet Feet Racing Time Trial on Wednesday and our LFT run on Saturday:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JaToGjLObi_M0Nrh10CachPhO7ivu8lODSYIZLUsRsQqVjSLnrW-a3-lPUejgLhdZceqFw_Cmr2JeihdWeGDiD4R_hepmQR0LmCNSINytgTWwVeePTQrbjZft7CQa8SXk-RPAMUzS94/s1600/TT+vs+LFT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JaToGjLObi_M0Nrh10CachPhO7ivu8lODSYIZLUsRsQqVjSLnrW-a3-lPUejgLhdZceqFw_Cmr2JeihdWeGDiD4R_hepmQR0LmCNSINytgTWwVeePTQrbjZft7CQa8SXk-RPAMUzS94/s1600/TT+vs+LFT.png" height="246" width="400" /></a></div>
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*where 1 is the average of performance of the population</div>
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<b>What are your "just 'cause" running goals?</b></div>
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<b>Also help us build knowledge of the LFT. If you're aware of point-to-point-to-point times, <a href="http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/611/chicago-lakefront-trail-il">please post on the boards</a>!</b></div>
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</div>Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-44535191738405223942014-10-16T21:16:00.001-07:002014-10-17T03:37:16.458-07:00Race Recap: 2014 Bank of America Chicago MarathonSince I'm going away for the weekend, I want to make sure I get some thoughts written down about this race.<br>
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<b>"To enjoy the streets of Chicago you need to smile. </b></div>
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<b>With all these people you need a big smile." </b></div>
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- Eliud Kipchoge, winner of the 2014 BoA Chicago Marathon (among other things) via <a href="http://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/10/eliud-kipchoge-inspiration-roads/">LetsRun.com</a></div>
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photo credit: Ruben Gonzalez</div>
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First off, thanks for your support!<br>
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There is no experience like running your hometown marathon, the crowd support is amazing. I was perhaps more acutely aware of this as my last couple marathons were away from home (<a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/04/race-recap-2014-boston-marathon.html" target="_blank">Boston</a> and <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/06/race-recap-2014-grandmas-marathon.html" target="_blank">Grandma's</a>).<br>
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Running the streets of Chicago this year was like a stroll through my running past as I saw and heard supporters from my earliest years as a runner to the present. My family of origin, my parents and youngest brother, have spectating the Chicago Marathon down to a science. I started running in 2002 when my dad was training for his first and only Chicago Marathon. High school teammate Danny Garcia and coach Humberto Gutierrez, two of the few people I knew who had run the Chicago Marathon in my earliest running years were on the course cheering.<br>
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Moving on to my friends from undergrad, there were tons of guys from the <a href="http://www.illinoistrackclub.com/">Illinois Cross Country and Track Club</a> cheering (Aaron Silver, I needed that pick up in those last couple miles) and racing. Congrats to my former training partner Declan McDonnell for pulling what Matt Newman called a "Kittaka" and debuting in 2:35 as well as throwback racers Matt Peharda and Ryan Tripicchio! I also saw some former River to River Relay buds including JMac (dude, someone else was totally racing in a NBA jersey this year), Kyle Somerfield, and Brent Chatham.<br>
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My description of supporters from my <a href="http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/">Fleet Feet</a> days could probably go on for several paragraphs, but I will say it is always a pleasure to run through mile 10. I enjoyed seeing Catherine Moloznik, Cole Sanseverino, Shawn Lucas, Krissy Czapanskiy (and Bill!), Matt Curley, Peter Mone, and of course Mark Erspamer. Thanks for the pics, Ruben Gonzalez and Lyndsey Baum!<br>
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Heh, this is getting long but it's a pretty interesting, at least for me, to review how running is defined by the folks you share it with. It was great to have Bana Negash out there on course. Thanks to <a href="http://www.trackandtrough.com/">TTAU</a>'s Michael Martineau for some sweet pics and Mark Wehrman for the company. And finally, thanks to the crew from <a href="http://bootlegrunnerscoalition.com/">Bootleg Runners Coalition</a> for the Rainbow Dash, helium pick me up and Jeff Edmonds and crew at the <a href="http://www.bibrave.com/">BibRave</a> cheer station for the encouraging words!<br>
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I've undoubtedly left more than a few names off the list, but you get the point. I mentioned this in my <a href="http://www.bibrave.com/races/the-chicago-marathon/1609">BibRave review</a> of this year's event, but it bears repeating, 2014 had the best crowd support in the toughest areas of the course in my four years running the event (2010, 12, 13, 14). This of course could all be my distorted memory as 2014 was my fastest Chicago Marathon of the bunch, but I think there is still some truth in there somewhere.<br>
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Now onto the actual race itself.<br>
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<b>If you want to run low 2:30s, run with the ladies as they tend to be smarter racers than men!</b></div>
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<b>Also: Twin Anchors!</b></div>
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photo credit: Michael Martineau</div>
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I started a bit quick. I'm not sure how I missed the first mile split, but I ran what felt like a relaxed split with my teammate and fellow <a href="https://twitter.com/danielkittaka/status/520016587274084353">pretzel aficionado</a>, Kyle Larson who was guiding vision impaired athlete <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdifferentwithaaron/info">Aaron Sheidies</a>. From there things got rolling pretty quickly as I keep the pace under 5:50 through the first 10k, splitting 35:52. The wind was out of the south so things felt pretty relaxed and I dropped my gloves when I saw my folks near LaSalle and Chicago (mile 4).<br>
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After turning south at Addison, I could feel that the legs weren't too happy running 5:45s into the wind. I let the pace sag a bit to let my body relax remembering that there was still 19 miles remaining in the race! At this point, I was caught by a group of women including Hansons-Brooks' Melissa White (see Michael's photo). They were probably running high 5:40s while I kept things controlled and stayed comfortable, biding my time until after the half-way point. I was relatively comfortable, but not feeling particularly smooth which was concerning considering the hot early pace and bad memories from previous years. I recalled my general race plan to stay relaxed through mile 15, then reevaluate my goals for the remainder of the race.<br>
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Passing half-way in 1:16:17, I tried to stay optimistic. Based on how I was feeling, it would probably not be possible to negative-split the way I had intended. Not only that, but the miles following were exactly where my races the past two years <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/10/race-recap-2013-boa-chicago-marathon.html">completely unraveled</a>. I found confidence in my ability to continue running (relatively) relaxed 5:50s. Over the summer, I had been bike commuting pretty much everyday, logging 3-5 hours of easy riding per week. This additional aerobic activity helped keep me healthy while maximizing my aerobic capacity however it also introduced more muscle fatigue as my rides and runs often butted up against each other. During training and racing leading up to the marathon, I noticed that it was difficult for me to maintain fast paces, but my ability to run 5:50 pace was nearing the level it was at when I set <a href="http://results.active.com/events/2010-metropcs-dallas-white-rock-marathon/marathon/daniel-kittaka">my marathon PR</a> nearly four years ago in Dallas.<br>
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Mile 15 came and went and while I didn't feel great, I also wasn't blowing up. Modeled after Dan Daly's segmentation of the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/04/race-recap-2014-boston-marathon.html">Boston Marathon</a> I used in April and again at Grandma's, miles 15-22 or so are run by feel, focusing on staying relaxed and maintaining the effort. For Boston, this section is comprised of the Newton Hills, culminating in the legendary Heartbreak Hill. For marathons in general, these represent some of the toughest miles for a variety of physiological and psychological factors that I don't have space to discuss at the moment. I ultimately decided it was easier to think about the segment as through mile 21 (where I'd be taking the last of my three GU energy gels, I take one every 7 miles in case you wanted to know).<br>
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I honestly don't remember much about this portion of the race with the exception of feeling my form breaking down and slowing slightly. The steps no longer came easily. They were labored and there was nothing I could do to loosen things up. I felt like the Tin Man with no oil. In fact for about 30 seconds or so the arches of my feet cramped up.<br>
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Despite all this, I was able to get past miles 21 and 22. I believe it was at this point that I did the math and calculated that as long as I didn't blow up, I'd be able to clock in under 2:35. This quick calculation lifted some of my anxiety. I did not feel very good and couldn't run any faster, but I also felt like the pace I had been more or less maintaining could be maintained through the finish. With this and the wind from the south in mind, I decided to make a go at a faster finish once I turned north on Michigan Avenue. Of course seeing my family near 33rd and my friend Mark Erspamer on the 33rd Street Bridge also helped keep me motivated.<br>
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<b>Struggling to maintain pace on 33nd Street.</b></div>
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<b>Also this photo proves that this is in fact the <i>Chicago</i> Marathon.</b></div>
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photo credit: Mark Erspamer</div>
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While I told myself turning onto Michigan Avenue would be a relief, in fact it was just the opposite. This nearly penultimate mile and a half long stretch would determine the result of the run. Anxiety mounted. I wasn't sure I could hurt all the way to the finish. I did my best to pick up the pace, but I was probably just maintaining if not just slowing ever so slightly. To battle doubt, I verbalized a few times, "I can do this" and tried to accept the shouts of encouragement. Corny, I know. In my head, I knew my body could run 5:59 pace or whatever for another 10 minutes, but my body was trying to convince me to relax and slow down.</div>
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I ran a terrible Mt. Roosevelt as my form had deteriorated into a wavy mess and the race was over.</div>
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I finished just 15 seconds off of my time at <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/06/race-recap-2014-grandmas-marathon.html">Grandma's Marathon</a>. I thought I was in slightly better shape this time around, however as I mentioned earlier, I've been having a difficult time running faster paces (5k and half-marathon pace). The improved running economy at marathon race pace that comes along with running at faster paces was one of the biggest limiting factors of my Chicago Marathon performance in my analysis.</div>
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Ultimately, I am very happy with my 2014 marathon season. I started in the Lincoln Square Athletic Club pool way back in January after not being able to run most of October, November, and December 2013. Boston snuck up on me, but it was also the first marathon in three attempts and three years where I arrived on the starting line without major lower leg pain. Grandma's Marathon reinforced the marathon segmentation strategy I had applied to Boston and resulted in my second fastest marathon ever and my first marathon negative split. Finally, this run in Chicago redeemed the past two years where I wasn't within 9 minutes of my best. My run in Chicago set a new standard of marathon performance consistency.</div>
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My goal for 2014 was to get in a full year of healthy running and racing, building a platform on which to break 2:30 in 2015. I feel like I got much more than I expected as I developed a better support structure (thanks, friends), learned an effective way to segment and execute marathons, and broke 2:34 twice. Looking ahead, I am hopeful for success and excited to find my speed again.</div>
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For the curious:</div>
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<a href="http://results.chicagomarathon.com/2014/?content=detail&fpid=search&pid=search&idp=999999107FA309000013BD68&lang=EN_CAP&event=MAR">Check out my splits here</a>.</div>
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I don't have Strava data because I don't use a GPS watch for marathons.</div>
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<b>Thanks again for your support! </b></div>
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<b>What are your goals for 2015 and how do you plan on achieving them?</b></div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-12806902660219154062014-10-08T20:31:00.001-07:002014-10-08T20:49:28.683-07:00Dan's Race Finish CalculatorHi all, have you ever broken a race in to segments in order to run your best?<br />
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My calculator takes all the arithmetic out of segmenting a race by pace. Simply entered the distances of your race segmentation (in miles or kilometers!) and the pace in minutes per mile you'd like to run each segment and the calculator does the rest! You'll get a segment split time as well as your total time.<br />
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This allows you see how running difference paces based on course conditions and other factors effects your overall total split times and finish time.<br />
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<iframe height="430" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/117rRZy41M8FhELONuqS6pgQMLG1OIvxbatTstk9yObE/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false" width="550"></iframe>
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Here's a copy of my <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cOlJ3hQ1toHd4KhBCYU-06Fdwa2XzPep0WvfeWOPC48/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Race Finish Calculator</a> that you can save off for yourself.</div>
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What do you think?Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-5469224555937344252014-09-29T21:01:00.003-07:002014-09-29T21:01:35.416-07:00Happy Belated Anniversary! (Training 9/8-9/28)I totally missed any type of recognition on the actual date I first posted, however, I did want to take a moment to point out that I've been writing Kansai Kudasai for an entire year! If you are a newer reader, you should check out my first post, <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/09/whats-in-name.html" target="_blank">What's in a Name</a>, where I talk about the impetus for the blog and more!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAd4MRCeHjjc3DHArgNB1123yCUfIt1vTztzq_P_3gOuQpGw8v0z-9ASUI236iysw57iHpz54JjOQPi5xgYUsGs4o_bYShY3vCk4HTN7hUxJ64eQB1Tw4-cF7F9CCsYuQWwTRGcbRh42c/s1600/birthday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAd4MRCeHjjc3DHArgNB1123yCUfIt1vTztzq_P_3gOuQpGw8v0z-9ASUI236iysw57iHpz54JjOQPi5xgYUsGs4o_bYShY3vCk4HTN7hUxJ64eQB1Tw4-cF7F9CCsYuQWwTRGcbRh42c/s1600/birthday.JPG" height="120" width="400" /></a></div>
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Speaking of blog names, I'm going to plug my friend Eric's blog, <a href="http://baumtempleofspeed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Baum Temple of Speed</a>, which has a <a href="http://baumtempleofspeed.blogspot.com/2014/08/welcome-to-baum-temple-of-speed.html" target="_blank">name origin story</a> rivaling Batman's origin story. Eric, brings a unique perspective to the endurance sports blog-o-sphere by including concepts gleaned from expertise in Supply Chain Management and all things mechanical. His guide to spectating, <a href="http://baumtempleofspeed.blogspot.com/2014/08/take-your-spectating-to-next-level.html" target="_blank">Take Your Spectating to the Next Level</a>, is a chuckle-filled guide to the harder-than-it-looks sport/science of spectating endurance events.<br />
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Switching gears, I started to read about the training I was doing leading up to last year's Chicago Marathon. Clearly several weeks out, I felt like I was in good shape, but my left shin was a significant issue. In the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-cant-shake-him-training-930-106.html" target="_blank">week leading up to the race</a>, I wrote:<br />
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<i>At this point, it seems like I'm losing the battle to take the shin pain. On dailymile, my friend, Dan M reminded me to try nuking the shin with anti-inflammatory drugs for a bit. I'm taking Monday off and taking some ibuprofen in order hopes it will help me shake some of this shin pain as it is clearly causing me to change my form a bit and put more pressure on my right hip.</i><br />
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<i>One week to go!</i><br />
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Note to self and others: running a marathon with (lower leg) pain severe enough to cause irritation/imbalance is a bad idea. If it is bad enough where you're considering running in trainers like I did, take care! The marathon is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. It may sound simple, but it took me three years of injuries and poor performances to realize the value of showing up to the start line healthy. You may be able to BS a 5k while hurt (I did, <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/10/ready-for-boa-chicago-marathon-5-photos.html" target="_blank">setting a PR two weeks before last year's Chicago Marathon</a>), but there is no getting around the fact that a road marathon involves 26.2 miles of pavement pounding that will exploit your every weakness and prevent you from running to your expectations.<br />
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Marathons are then a great opportunity to apply the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints" target="_blank">theory of constraints</a> (TOC). The Theory is a management philosophy first described by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and is based around the premise that focusing attention on a few constraints that limit an entire system you can make that system more productive. What were my constraints? Based on my <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/10/race-recap-2013-boa-chicago-marathon.html" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon race recap</a> and further reflection here's what I'd say:<br />
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1) Mechanics constrained by<br />
a) injury to the lower legs<br />
b) muscular development due to the fact I didn't get in longer long runs that would have simulated marathon "time on your feet"<br />
2) Fuel, there are two parts to this one:<br />
a) Constrained by a haphazard fueling plan<br />
b) Constrained by aerobic development, that is to say my ability to run aerobically at my expected marathon goal pace, at the pace I thought I was fit enough to run I was burning fuel too quickly<br />
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So in the year following, I shifted my training accordingly, focusing on first running pain-free then on injury prevention, consistent longer long runs both for time as well as at or near marathon pace, practicing a fueling plan and developing trust in certain products, and increasing aerobic capacity.<br />
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Leading up to the 2014 Boston Marathon, I spent time in the pool, nursing my lower legs and scraping for aerobic development. A steady diet of long runs during this build up, got me comfortable running beyond 18 miles again. I was also able to find fuel that I enjoyed using on these long runs and began to trust gels again. Introducing a longer bike commute with my new job, padded my training with hours of additional easy aerobic activity, the foundation of one's aerobic capacity. Finally, racing marathons more frequently allowed for longer efforts at or near marathon pace. I believe I've mentioned this before but pace at Boston equated to about 95% of my marathon pace at Grandma's making the Boston not unlike one of Renato Canova's very long runs a close to marathon effort.<br />
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All of this to lead up to the past three weeks of training for the 2014 Chicago Marathon:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1gZLAJeD9A7enVGQ9WgYwLhQ830l1-szrss6Pmb0R-42pLhZO1sf-7vlYLQT_Febmcd7FqQkUxw0lCMZoYq8R_UGun1YnZlp0quS5coQKc3ghX_-yr1P-CTa4PKdwtgpwxGpHiQVMEo/s1600/stravalog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1gZLAJeD9A7enVGQ9WgYwLhQ830l1-szrss6Pmb0R-42pLhZO1sf-7vlYLQT_Febmcd7FqQkUxw0lCMZoYq8R_UGun1YnZlp0quS5coQKc3ghX_-yr1P-CTa4PKdwtgpwxGpHiQVMEo/s1600/stravalog.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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A good set of three weeks, there are three key workouts here, one in each week.</div>
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<b>9/8-14</b></div>
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<b>24 miles</b></div>
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Leading up to Grandma's I did this run by time, running about <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6101702293521920871#editor/target=post;postID=1454660555019484941;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=9;src=postname" target="_blank">20 miles in LA's Griffith Park</a>. This time around, I did it on the super fast Lakefront Trail:</div>
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This one was my second longest training run ever (the first being a 25 mile run I did back in 2009 leading up to the Chicago Lakefront 50k).</div>
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<b>9/15-21</b></div>
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<b>3 x 3 miles</b></div>
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This one was a bit funny as I had a lot of time between reps (15 minutes!), but it certainly gives me a bit of confidence to know I was able to run 5:30 pace or better for each effort.</div>
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<b>9/22-28</b></div>
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<b>10 miles alternating pace</b></div>
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This is a new workout for me. The goal here was to average marathon pace for 10 miles, but by running above and below goal pace alternating every half mile. If you've ever done Yasso 800s, consider this the next level as you're never really resting, but you end up running a total of 10 "harder" half mile segments. I was really thankful to have Austin with me for this one as it was mentally tough since you could never really settle in and focus on running an even, consistent pace. I'm taking a lot of confidence from this workout.</div>
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This one was quite a long blog, but there was a lot of ground to cover!</div>
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<b>Identify some of your constraints. What are some ways you can shift your training to address these constraints?</b></div>Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-49461544880947160332014-09-29T10:58:00.002-07:002014-10-01T11:02:35.390-07:00Long Run - Strava Embed Trial<iframe height='405' width='500' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://www.strava.com/activities/200085320/embed/fa1784038ed3afef83ff3595e32346c580c17b51'></iframe>
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f70OWVrKSryv2Ad4V4ahUxyYQmpB81NMHkkhzSDj7dI/pubhtml?widget=true&headers=false"></iframe>Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-51671621560396171422014-09-14T13:05:00.000-07:002014-09-14T13:05:29.676-07:00Stomach Bug (Training 8/25-9/7)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8epDzgmqfEi-gsNg3cbVCQd1ztvNfrY_k1HsGtaaNJ3RVKni8lcUBDZRw6LKDii-RisQzVRqv0ekdUsUcHO6oxPkL9kzufNBocNQBhsyW-ElpC_N85_OKJTbyvrnD4TXxU4zYoZbE9fA/s1600/sept.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8epDzgmqfEi-gsNg3cbVCQd1ztvNfrY_k1HsGtaaNJ3RVKni8lcUBDZRw6LKDii-RisQzVRqv0ekdUsUcHO6oxPkL9kzufNBocNQBhsyW-ElpC_N85_OKJTbyvrnD4TXxU4zYoZbE9fA/s1600/sept.JPG" height="143" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>A Quick, Hand-Updated Snapshot of Training</b></div>
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Due to difficulty getting Internet service set up at my new place of residence, I wasn't able to update my <a href="http://www.strava.com/athletes/4815751" target="_blank">Strava</a> account with this past week's data. I was able to upload most of the previous two weeks and have found a free moment as well as Internet-access so though I am rather uninspired (yet hopped up on caffeine) I will attempt to write a quick update.</div>
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<b>August 25-31</b></div>
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After a nice <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/08/7-weeks-in-infographics-training-772014.html" target="_blank">seven week segment</a> where I averaged about 73 MPW, I was forced to take a bit of a down week when some sort of stomach bug derailed my long run on Saturday the 30th. Of course this wouldn't be much of a running blog if I didn't talk at least a bit about my stomach troubles. Typically during training I don't have too many issues as long as I adhere to a few basic rules (Rule #1: Don't eat much within 2 hours of starting a run... that's about it). I noticed I was not feeling 100% on Wednesday or Thursday, but this didn't really effect my training much. So I was pretty surprised to find my intended hard 20 miler in Barrington terminated by stomach problems at about mile 8.</div>
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I'm not sure what I was dealing with as my stomach has only recently (2 weeks later) begun to return to normal.</div>
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That said, despite not running more than 12 miles on any given day, I was happy to very comfortably run over 60 MPW and get in a decent 1000m repeat workout. My body probably needed the break as I was able to get in a 20+ mile long run five of the seven prior weeks.</div>
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<b>September 1-7</b></div>
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I continued to be plagued by stomach issues throughout the week, only able to run stop-free when taking medication (TMI, I know).</div>
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Despite this, I was able to get in two key workouts for this training cycle: 3, 2, 1 mile ladder and 18 miles at 95% marathon goal pace.</div>
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The first workout, I did with Austin and a bunch of other guys (you know who you are) a the Fleet Feet Racing Wednesday Night Workout. It was a big help to have company for this one! I ran 16:23 (4:00 jog), 10:59 (3:00 jog), and 5:23. I went out too hard on this one, but I really did want to make this one a tough/fast one. My <strike>conservative</strike> goal was to average 5:30 (~goal marathon pace - 10 seconds) or faster for the workout which I was able to do (albeit not by cutting down) averaging 5:28 or so.</div>
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We'll see how my planned 3 x 3 mile workout goes this coming week as I'm substituting the first repeat with the <a href="http://www.oktoberfest5krun.com/" target="_blank">St. Michael's Oktoberfest 5k</a>. So I'm guessing I won't be getting faster as the workout progresses.</div>
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For the second workout, we were blessed with unbelievably pleasant running weather (sunny, low-60s, and breezy). Austin, Cam, Andrew, and I set out to run 18 miles at about 95% marathon pace; 6:10s or so. Excluding our single stop for hydration at the 31st Street <a href="http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com/hydration-stations-event-1752.php" target="_blank">Fleet Feet Hydro Station</a>, Austin and I averaged about 6:05 pace for the run, well below my targeted goal.</div>
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So despite stomach issues and struggling a bit to handle paces faster than 5:30, my key, marathon workouts seem to be going quite well. As stated earlier, 3 x 3 miles is the next key workout on the docket, with 15 miles at marathon pace the following week.</div>
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<b>What are your key workouts/key metrics that you use as checkpoints during marathon training?</b></div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-45407018314975278522014-09-01T13:06:00.002-07:002014-09-02T20:36:56.034-07:00Tread-iquette alt. Tr-etiquetteYeah, I just made up a word; it's etiquette for treading the track.<br />
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With the recent addition of a real 400m track and synthetic soccer pitch to the lakefront (between Wilson and Montrose) I thought it might be helpful to write a blog about <i>track etiquette</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1szMu72lCaXcOmXbWEwc3SWUEc0fhm6z9ftzW5Kj2h6yrX4V0Oij9biSrSKOTOY8KSESBnD1-w1sAcEawulbKrKNemrur5DrBE27B5utStgO92X5xdvvg2Eb3bvbUePIwiU0seShpa4U/s1600/track-jefffine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1szMu72lCaXcOmXbWEwc3SWUEc0fhm6z9ftzW5Kj2h6yrX4V0Oij9biSrSKOTOY8KSESBnD1-w1sAcEawulbKrKNemrur5DrBE27B5utStgO92X5xdvvg2Eb3bvbUePIwiU0seShpa4U/s1600/track-jefffine.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Isn't it pretty?</b></div>
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Thanks for the photo, Jeff Fine!</div>
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I wanted to start by defining etiquette as it helps inform the full purpose of this blog (which probably started with fear that this new facility would be overwhelmed with track n00bs, but has grown in to something more).<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette" target="_blank">Etiquette</a> is a set of expectations for behavior based on a group's norms. It changes and shifts over time, however it provides structure for interactions. This structure helps facilitate interactions among the group, curbing misunderstanding and conflict. On a more positive note, knowledge of this structure is empowering as it builds of foundation for consistency and comfort particularly for new group members.</div>
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After working out on one of the only <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/River+Park/@41.9734,-87.70231,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x30d88b599be76352" target="_blank">public 400m facilities</a> on the Northside for over a decade, I have come away with my fair share of stories of misunderstanding and conflict around the oval. Emotions run high when runners focused on hitting goal paces collide with kids running wild, soccer players on the infield, and fitness runners. Since this new facility is in a higher profile location than the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/River+Park/@41.9734,-87.70231,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x30d88b599be76352" target="_blank">North Park/River Park track</a>, it is my fear that it might become a pain point instead of the training asset that it should be.</div>
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Beyond minimizing conflict between existing facility users, I believe it is in our best interests as track clients for many people to feel comfortable about using this new facility. If usage is good, perhaps the CPD will see the value of such public facilities. Doing a workout on the track could be a foreign, uncomfortable concept for some runners. Exposing as many clients and potential clients to track etiquette basics creates a more comfortable environment making Chicago an even better place to run for everyone.</div>
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<b>Tread-iquette for n00bs and Veterans Alike</b></div>
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<b>1. Be Cognizant that the Facility is Public</b></div>
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Conflict arises when competing parties assume more ownership of a facility than is reality. It can be difficult to share a space however as long as the other parties are abiding by the law and following posted signage, they have just as much right to use the facility as you do.</div>
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In other words, your ability to perform your key workout on the track has as much validity as the pickup game of soccer that is occurring on the infield of a public facility.</div>
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<b>2. Be Aware of Your Surroundings at All Times</b></div>
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Treat the track like you would a busy street; look both ways before crossing, move with traffic (counter-clockwise), and if you're slowing or stopping, move out of the way. </div>
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Assume objects (human bodies) will be moving at high velocities around the oval and unless you want to experience the effects of Newton's first law (objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force) make sure you're aware of what is happening around you. This can be particularly difficult after a hard repeat, when it feels like your head is going to explode and you're trying to catch your breath, but if you don't have enough awareness to move to the infield or outer lanes, I would suggest reevaluating the intensity of your workouts (you're probably working too hard).</div>
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<b>3. Stay in Your Lane</b></div>
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The inner lane is typically reserved for faster running (for distances longer than 400m). If you plan on warming up or simply running easily on the track, tread-iquette dictates you must use an unoccupied outer lane. If there is a significantly faster party using the inner lane, consider using another lane and the marked staggered start lines for your workout. </div>
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Unlike on a road or path, runners pass on the right instead of the left. Wait until you are clear of the person you are passing before merging back into your original lane. The person being passed should not have to break their stride.</div>
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Keep in mind that it is probably safer and more efficient to pass on the straightaways.</div>
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There are lots more <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/River+Park/@41.9734,-87.70231,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x30d88b599be76352" target="_blank">rules and regulations codified</a> by the sport's international governing body, IAAF, but those principles are the basis for a safe, productive time on and around the track.</div>
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<b>What tips do you have for track newbies?</b></div>
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<b>Also, anyone have a nice photo or two of the new facility that you'd like shared? I'm looking for a photo to add to this blog.</b></div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-201775095510613282014-08-27T21:29:00.002-07:002014-08-27T21:35:37.776-07:007 Weeks in Infographics (Training 7/7-8/24)It's hard to believe that it has been almost 10 weeks since I ran <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/06/race-recap-2014-grandmas-marathon.html" target="_blank">Grandma's Marathon</a>! I've been pretty busy with work and moving apartments. I've still been thinking about blogging and have number of posts floating around in my head. For now though, I'll just be posting some pretty, <a href="http://www.strava.com/athletes/4815751" target="_blank">Strava</a> generated summaries of my training since Grandma's.<br />
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If you want to see more frequent (daily?) updates on my training, feel free to follow me on <a href="http://www.strava.com/athletes/4815751" target="_blank">Strava</a>. I've migrated from DailyMile to Strava for a variety of reasons the most important probably being better data management in particular upload/download capabilities. I also started logging my regular bike commutes to give better visibility to all of my aerobic activity. I believe these commute minutes played a key role in developing aerobic capacity during my build up for Grandma's Marathon.<br />
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Feel free to ask questions via the comments section below or <a href="https://twitter.com/danielkittaka" target="_blank">on twitter</a>. Here are three images summarizing the past 7 weeks of training:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LHeoV4eep3N1z-7FuJg9TJrbys-dfPpI99gc5TvaBToQHIVaW57vS00QYUQVMr6Si8GlzARKrv_AXfr2G_Yaqzw7M0npbbVa1SR7DphuHLfzxuVS2lnZHsBG4eIhiXUiXfNAHrGvjBY/s1600/Running+Miles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LHeoV4eep3N1z-7FuJg9TJrbys-dfPpI99gc5TvaBToQHIVaW57vS00QYUQVMr6Si8GlzARKrv_AXfr2G_Yaqzw7M0npbbVa1SR7DphuHLfzxuVS2lnZHsBG4eIhiXUiXfNAHrGvjBY/s1600/Running+Miles.JPG" height="640" width="453" /></a></div>
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Nothing fancy here, just consistent miles with a workout (in yellow) and a long run (dark green) each week. This segment is capped by a 56:17 10 mile at the <a href="http://crimfitness.org/" target="_blank">Crim 10 Mile</a> in Flint, MI (red). </div>
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I will say that some of my long runs were actually workouts. I did a pretty nice 2-3-2-3-2 (mile segments) workout with Kyle on August 16th. We also did a good 4-3-2-1 (mile segments) workout on August 2nd.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wdMhHQw7QYareeTUs03dvc7aOq5eVmrlyRTXQ9jEn349UFRWxsXzAIUoxgYLb0DvYfjuUGm4paG9cEHNuKbi1uU7RSyWtneBHJYqLMc9uOc3odF4cDRC3ustyNtvl6tr2NfmmyuTfsQ/s1600/Bike+Miles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wdMhHQw7QYareeTUs03dvc7aOq5eVmrlyRTXQ9jEn349UFRWxsXzAIUoxgYLb0DvYfjuUGm4paG9cEHNuKbi1uU7RSyWtneBHJYqLMc9uOc3odF4cDRC3ustyNtvl6tr2NfmmyuTfsQ/s1600/Bike+Miles.JPG" height="640" width="462" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned, one reason I started using Strava (and the <a href="http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/04/suunto-ambit2-review.html" target="_blank">Suunto Ambit2 S</a>) was to track my cycle commutes which I believe is a key factor to aerobic development and injury prevention. More on this at some later time...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m-GDFJx_FTeQEMzNzNxbgqYl1AuuSHHBDx3Jw0YmyZbDuTK7hABXMaHn-h5Jrpr5YFRy8y_8IO0gnzgGRb9OnnkD5nJg-vIq70PrF3SHJ6A3FXnO19gVO7hVk6t7R4BOOansfoD6rz8/s1600/Time.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m-GDFJx_FTeQEMzNzNxbgqYl1AuuSHHBDx3Jw0YmyZbDuTK7hABXMaHn-h5Jrpr5YFRy8y_8IO0gnzgGRb9OnnkD5nJg-vIq70PrF3SHJ6A3FXnO19gVO7hVk6t7R4BOOansfoD6rz8/s1600/Time.JPG" height="640" width="458" /></a></div>
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Finally, I really like this view. It is essential that you wear some sort of time keeping device and log your workout time regularly (this is where an endurance sports watch comes in handy as Strava can automatically be updated with this information), but it provides a really good top level view of your overall training. I will add that Strava uses your GPS data and only credits you for moving time. This will hurt your overall time spent but help your average paces as they calculate average pace based on moving time only. </div>
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I disagree with using moving time, but I'm not sure if you're able to present the data in another format on Strava. I'll also say that I don't like that Strava doesn't show any of the splits you take during an activity. It will only show mile splits. This adds an additional couple steps if you want your Strava record to include splits for segments not run mile to mile. For example, the splits I took during our 4-3-2-1 workout aren't reflected in Strava as the segments didn't start exactly on a mile split. I could be just a Strava n00b, but this lack of inclusion seems to me a rather annoying omission.</div>
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<b>How has your training been over the last 9 weeks?</b></div>
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<b>Are you using Strava?</b></div>
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<b>Read more about logging training in this guest post by Dan Clay McDowell titled "<a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2013/11/guest-post-logging-in-pacific-northwest.html" target="_blank">Logging in the Pacific Northwest</a>."</b></div>
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Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6101702293521920871.post-34025441980241323722014-07-07T20:29:00.000-07:002014-07-07T20:29:00.925-07:00Aside: Three Floyds Brewery RideOne of my "goals" for the summer was to bike to <a href="http://www.3floyds.com/" target="_blank">Three Flyods Brewery</a> in Munster, IN. Particularly after talking with my friend Javier about the Austin to Shiner ride (I guess it's called <a href="http://shiner.com/shinergasp/" target="_blank">Shiner GASP)</a> while we were training through Chicago's Polar Vortex for the <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/04/race-recap-2014-boston-marathon.html" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a>.<br />
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Since the prospect of doing a long run and an 80 mile bike ride on the same weekend didn't sound too appealing, I decided to schedule the ride after <a href="http://kansaikudasai.blogspot.com/2014/06/race-recap-2014-grandmas-marathon.html" target="_blank">Grandma's Marathon</a> while I would take a break from running. Props to <a href="https://twitter.com/lamarino" target="_blank">Lyndsey Baum</a> for completing her scheduled 16 miler AND our Three Floyds ride!<br />
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Considering the apparent popularity of this ride there weren't really that many good resources to help plan the ride itself (that said, it isn't rocket science), so I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to write a little aside covering some of the important details for fellow Chicago riders.<br />
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<b>Where should I start?</b><br />
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Meet your friends on the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lakefront+Trail/@41.881052,-87.617183,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x10ee906f6c204761" target="_blank">Lakefront Path</a> (I can't stand calling it the Lakefront Trail). Did you know you can check the conditions of the path by following <a href="https://twitter.com/activetransLFT" target="_blank">@activetransLFT</a>?<br />
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We rode from the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/W+Ardmore+Ave+%26+Lakefront+Trail/@41.9873678,-87.6543453,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x880fd1772038febf:0xe4394e4a5cad155c" target="_blank">0 marker at Ardmore Ave</a> (5800 N). Actually, I got on at Lawrence and rode up to meet the Baums:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7t4KSXdTt1o7eQAsYHIkozsEwC2gLulxS8ORLDBMsdoIga_9g1b2PcvVOOnt3LHt2pOrcP-B1Q7y7lJ_7wIP5-h6O0w83ZVBpvZlJi906btZE4w_eWN2M5XYXKaRhb1AQSCjdWnJQuRI/s1600/IMG_20140705_104243_263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7t4KSXdTt1o7eQAsYHIkozsEwC2gLulxS8ORLDBMsdoIga_9g1b2PcvVOOnt3LHt2pOrcP-B1Q7y7lJ_7wIP5-h6O0w83ZVBpvZlJi906btZE4w_eWN2M5XYXKaRhb1AQSCjdWnJQuRI/s1600/IMG_20140705_104243_263.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meeting anywhere on the LFT is probably a good bet no matter where you live in the city. During the summer there are public bathrooms and access to water fountains from 5800 N to 7100 S (the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/Lakefront+Trail+and+south+shore+cultural+center/@41.767341,-87.566298,17z/data=!3m1!4b1" target="_blank">South Shore Cultural Center</a>, where the other 0 marker is).</div>
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<b>Where do I go after the Lakefront Path ends?</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG0ezPuT7oiOqUJuJIpW2vr8uaUhGCM88yg47jaxsUu3EHcLx4owQWmkwc22TmNv1nNV2mTAZjKXDQMdTj9nvFwybvvL71Btnx0CCLQo_TtrHa_sUlR58NMd7Cj_VdimEzbCdQYVTk7E/s1600/theend.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG0ezPuT7oiOqUJuJIpW2vr8uaUhGCM88yg47jaxsUu3EHcLx4owQWmkwc22TmNv1nNV2mTAZjKXDQMdTj9nvFwybvvL71Btnx0CCLQo_TtrHa_sUlR58NMd7Cj_VdimEzbCdQYVTk7E/s1600/theend.JPG" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
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Actually, if you've never been to the 0 marker on the Southside, it's actually not that easy to find. Up until this point, it is pretty clear how to follow the Lakefront Path south, Once you get to 71st/E South Shore Dr, it may not really be clear that you'll need to turn east and continue until the two streets split (you should Google Streetview if you really want to see what it looks like, in fact here's a <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/2529+E+71st+St/@41.765961,-87.562956,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x880e284895321c33:0xfe22e96e66f6a5f0" target="_blank">link</a>).</div>
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Once you've made it to The End (the marker is at the northeast corner of the intersection), you'll want to continue down South Shore Drive until you get to 79th Street (1.25 miles). At this point, you have the option of riding on what looked like the recently reclaimed S Lakeshore Drive (which was very beautiful) or continuing on South Shore Drive (which does wind a bit) to 95th Street:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO_J7Z9VLS15objgaC6XtPvTEInXJSffeiJp4CnlUdg9FUl7g1BO4t2endwRrLPHgEHJCCKKpe3mwIasOf_vj2IkYQWZJSbP3wiPuyope-6PJY_64WtDIsxkIUlNA7CE8OSiiG5z0JrA/s1600/eitherway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO_J7Z9VLS15objgaC6XtPvTEInXJSffeiJp4CnlUdg9FUl7g1BO4t2endwRrLPHgEHJCCKKpe3mwIasOf_vj2IkYQWZJSbP3wiPuyope-6PJY_64WtDIsxkIUlNA7CE8OSiiG5z0JrA/s1600/eitherway.JPG" height="206" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>I'm getting hungry...</b></div>
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For the full experience, you'll want to refuel at <a href="http://www.calumetfisheries.com/" target="_blank">Calumet Fisheries</a>, a Chicago dive which has been critically acclaimed by the press for years. Be forewarned you won't find any bathrooms here so do you business elsewhere! Also it's cash only...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3x4ic_nRgrQoey3cSu2FTJzIDLwvSqXxvpkaFQqkyBKc6gjFVnPks0Yr8Xui3o1S_NKd3KFeXbyMmxx7Yka3jVEQBKNzFT-T4sOs17S50HdwlHOHOoDt90zj3leUG-vdMHpvntR8rSrI/s1600/IMG_20140705_123333_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3x4ic_nRgrQoey3cSu2FTJzIDLwvSqXxvpkaFQqkyBKc6gjFVnPks0Yr8Xui3o1S_NKd3KFeXbyMmxx7Yka3jVEQBKNzFT-T4sOs17S50HdwlHOHOoDt90zj3leUG-vdMHpvntR8rSrI/s1600/IMG_20140705_123333_025.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Anthony Bourdain and the ATM</b></div>
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Regardless of what you do at the earlier fork, you can easily get to Calumet Fisheries as long as you're paying attention for 95th Street, both Harbor Ave and Ewing will get you to 95th:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz_Rl2e19ynL69Qvi3-WGYWXDr6qMFhk-VN10wxM9SvxKedCVudDBvNa7cfs_n5CgafxEkIr6A96vHsqQ73bKC0wSdPHy0ZhLQ24XrF2TC6MCvpzJqFPHDB7elBozgdX2URD9PAI2hjo/s1600/calumet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz_Rl2e19ynL69Qvi3-WGYWXDr6qMFhk-VN10wxM9SvxKedCVudDBvNa7cfs_n5CgafxEkIr6A96vHsqQ73bKC0wSdPHy0ZhLQ24XrF2TC6MCvpzJqFPHDB7elBozgdX2URD9PAI2hjo/s1600/calumet.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The Burnham Greenway</b></div>
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If you don't like traffic and underpasses, I would suggest taking the eastern route, outlined as it will connect you to the Burnham Greenway with minimal bustle. The more direct route is to ride Ewing to Indianapolis and get on immediately after crossing under the Skyway:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_d7WKTU7BRHc3WvopeHfLt16NgNh93ClsEkxdUHVYOywLHjSHunG53tABYMsCUK2nYVl9SEzdKql9_A89g5Kfg9pl2wYZDUwYzlPQRHlruOCZ8lDOU-ZN2tR8ZZxfwTQJl22Xx7Ces4/s1600/burnhamgreenway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_d7WKTU7BRHc3WvopeHfLt16NgNh93ClsEkxdUHVYOywLHjSHunG53tABYMsCUK2nYVl9SEzdKql9_A89g5Kfg9pl2wYZDUwYzlPQRHlruOCZ8lDOU-ZN2tR8ZZxfwTQJl22Xx7Ces4/s1600/burnhamgreenway.JPG" height="320" width="309" /></a></div>
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It may look a little funny presented here, but the X marks where you'll be getting on the Burnham Greenway which lies just south of the Skyway and runs parallel for a half mile before turning directly south.</div>
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Follow the Greenway (this is dummy-proof) past Eggers Woods Forest Preserve for about 2 miles. This section is literally flat and straight with a handful of street crossings. Once you enter Eggers Woods, pay careful attention for the only fork in the path (again about 2 miles from where the Greenway departs from the Skyway). Take this left (east) turn immediately to get onto Wolf Lake Boulevard:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9i3N4hIYBrNoA9Q5oExGnNkyfY_BskZlaw37UK74DXyNVB2w4YHLlgesjv04tWIaZrWe0p3MWhD_bWuV5t90q3wA2UipJu8IkqqnK6_svxsQmErDaA6nZt0Dcle_jPoV-105fsbZhvM/s1600/wolflake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9i3N4hIYBrNoA9Q5oExGnNkyfY_BskZlaw37UK74DXyNVB2w4YHLlgesjv04tWIaZrWe0p3MWhD_bWuV5t90q3wA2UipJu8IkqqnK6_svxsQmErDaA6nZt0Dcle_jPoV-105fsbZhvM/s1600/wolflake.JPG" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
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Follow Wolf Lake Boulevard to the southern most exit by the Ranger Quarters on to Avenue N. At Avenue N and 134th turn left (east) again. This gets a bit sketchy, but should be fine if you ride smart.</div>
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You'll come to a T (there is a Luke's Gas Station on the northwest corner). At this point you'll have unceremoniously crossed from Illinois into Indiana and 134th will be 136! The T intersects 136th with Sheffield. After turning right (south) onto Sheffield continue right at the fork which should keep you on Sheffield which has much less traffic than Hohman though when Sheffield dead ends at Hoffman, you'll want to get on Hohman which will take you through downtown Hammond, IN!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCtSSCSuUBHyUK_NvUg69fuI0g1D_KV26miZI6wKkGrRcvRgzVAURo7c1YRTYM8wxCU6LhunT6cq6wLNzZ-IHaO6i7i51fLgks-d_vAjkYeYQ2rFijVmLpy6YNAy5AfKcWlmDDHHlmUc/s1600/sheffield.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCtSSCSuUBHyUK_NvUg69fuI0g1D_KV26miZI6wKkGrRcvRgzVAURo7c1YRTYM8wxCU6LhunT6cq6wLNzZ-IHaO6i7i51fLgks-d_vAjkYeYQ2rFijVmLpy6YNAy5AfKcWlmDDHHlmUc/s1600/sheffield.JPG" height="305" width="320" /></a></div>
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Riding south down Hohman for about a half mile, look for Sibley St and turn left (east). On Sibley you'll be looking to turn right (south) onto the Erie Lackawanna Trail. If you pass the First Baptist Church, you've gone too far!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41vAc9g92qtIyPJ_sUvqbXqQbD8osJwbPtul0oFeKK6JyxfWkuKrl_kqFZ6dyZH8RasyQ3C6k1rwRY8JJYlY1Ec3C35xt8Bl0pWMrhFYS4e-nhmkL6I71fpGoEjxQRf7yWQW_TpsanyU/s1600/douglas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41vAc9g92qtIyPJ_sUvqbXqQbD8osJwbPtul0oFeKK6JyxfWkuKrl_kqFZ6dyZH8RasyQ3C6k1rwRY8JJYlY1Ec3C35xt8Bl0pWMrhFYS4e-nhmkL6I71fpGoEjxQRf7yWQW_TpsanyU/s1600/douglas.JPG" height="320" width="307" /></a></div>
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About .25 miles after getting on the trail, south of Douglas, you'll want to take the right (western) path which is the Monon Trail.</div>
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<b>You're Almost There!</b></div>
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Following the Monon Trail for 4.4 miles will get you to Fisher St, cross Fisher and turn left (east) towards the Walgreens and Calumet Ave. Staying on the west side of the street (the sidewalk is nicely divided for bikes) turn right (south) onto Calumet Ave.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YVzOhY-amdGaYI_fh8-DZMyyVJpUE6eoJlDeZE947vlOuefCn-wV-U4XTfVuUdT7maEeKUZd4veGRjawJgtUMs6hZV0m3wwuI6tDLeKL9UGmaSO266hr_j6OEuo9ERRlPFYFMC0QKp0/s1600/Fisher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YVzOhY-amdGaYI_fh8-DZMyyVJpUE6eoJlDeZE947vlOuefCn-wV-U4XTfVuUdT7maEeKUZd4veGRjawJgtUMs6hZV0m3wwuI6tDLeKL9UGmaSO266hr_j6OEuo9ERRlPFYFMC0QKp0/s1600/Fisher.JPG" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ride a single mile south on Calumet, looking for Superior (there's a Speedway/White Castle just before Superior, if you're thirsty you should buy stuff to drink at this Speedway). Take Superior to Indiana Parkway and you'll have arrived:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kHEuUn5mft8icRjUGXWOHCuYIDd8n5wvBURjY09yhxmjYw_j3UpayDuKk8fAPi2cxSLb2VBiePr5yRSqmS6SirPIUBEf9rZyHXI-uLUamHrxZO5YWn-1i6xpXBtHkXZuKb92GrLqLks/s1600/IMG_20140705_145932_829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kHEuUn5mft8icRjUGXWOHCuYIDd8n5wvBURjY09yhxmjYw_j3UpayDuKk8fAPi2cxSLb2VBiePr5yRSqmS6SirPIUBEf9rZyHXI-uLUamHrxZO5YWn-1i6xpXBtHkXZuKb92GrLqLks/s1600/IMG_20140705_145932_829.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Glorious, isn't it?</b></div>
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Once you've arrived, you'll probably have to wait as you can observe in the photos above and below. But that's why you ride with friends (thanks Eric and Lyndsey)!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfCGdpmYbUzclf7rZuat6jEVW-FquJeRLYArGCVlrH5PmfA_m1X0Bdp4DpTcLxK0X7jF51Y3Rrsg3q3RlceceAe_oI7li3vbK0P0GNbxD4OdR7fJsle5tHYhnweuIkOl1ATqJzs5hAlI/s1600/Br3rZN5CEAA384X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfCGdpmYbUzclf7rZuat6jEVW-FquJeRLYArGCVlrH5PmfA_m1X0Bdp4DpTcLxK0X7jF51Y3Rrsg3q3RlceceAe_oI7li3vbK0P0GNbxD4OdR7fJsle5tHYhnweuIkOl1ATqJzs5hAlI/s1600/Br3rZN5CEAA384X.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Eric and I planning our meals.</b></div>
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(photo credit: Lyndsey Baum)</div>
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We arrived around 2:00pm and waited for a good couple hours to be seated (We ate, drank, and were on the road again around 5:00pm). I think you might be able to mitigate some of the wait time by arriving closer to 4:00pm of course this would push back your departure time.</div>
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Ultimately, it is rather astounding the number of miles you can bike on paths, away from car traffic. This ride was also done in rather mild weather for July and with a nice tailwind out of the south, expediting our return trip a bit. For complete route information of our trip, check out my Strava posts: <a href="http://www.strava.com/activities/162191435" target="_blank">to Three Floyds</a> and <a href="http://www.strava.com/activities/162191416" target="_blank">Back Home</a>.</div>
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<b>I hope this was helpful for those planning a similar ride. </b></div>
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<b>Do you have any questions about the ride?</b></div>
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<b>What are some rides you would recommend?</b></div>
Dan Kittakahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221891671207683369noreply@blogger.com0