Notes from a high mileage experiment

If you've been following my recent training on facebook.com or dailymile.com, you'll know I've been doing more miles than usual. I decided to document this experiment, partly to answer your questions, and partly to reinforce the lessons I've learned. Sometime I can be hard of thinking ;}

http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Notes_from_a_high_mileage_experiment

I've also started a page of links to barefoot/primal running pages at http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Primal_Running_Links so let me know if you have any to add.

I've updated my race calendar at http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Races

Upcoming Articles

o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Product Review - Theratherm

I believe ice is much better for healing than heat, but I do use heat treatment occasionally. When I do use heat, I use the Theratherm electric blanket.

http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Theratherm

Upcoming Articles

o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Fellrnr has moved to fellrnr.com

The fellrnr tips site has moved to http://fellrnr.com, so update any bookmarks you have. I won’t be taking down http://fellrnr.info (http://fellrnr.pbworks.com) any time soon, but it won’t be updated. Now I’m done migrating to the new site, I can focus on writing some new tips ;}



Technobable: If you are curious about the technical details here they are. I chose pbworks.com because it was free, has no adverts and is easy to use. The site has worked pretty well, but some of the options (custom domain support, CSS, etc) require you to pay for access. The cost of paying for a pbworks premium account is significantly more than having a flexible hosting account from someone like godaddy.com. Also, pbworks is not a true Wiki, but a simplified HTML site, which I found frustrating.

After some research I decided to go with a hosted server from godaddy.com, which costs $5/month and allows you to install a wide variety of software. I used the godaddy simplified install of MediaWiki (the software behind Wikipedia.org), which was remarkably easy.

Advanced configuration of MediaWiki involves editing PHP files, which is not for the non-technical. I set things up so that I’m the only editor, though I may open this up in the future.

Converting the pages from pbworks to MediaWiki involved half a day’s C# coding. The pbworks format is really based around HTML, not Wiki, so there were a lot of ‘oddities’ that crept in. (Email me if you need a copy of the code.) I was surprised just how many pages there were to convert and validate. Everything is not perfect, but it is pretty close.

The option of hosting a forum or blog within the same godaddy site is a bonus.

If you have any questions, just email me or ping me on facebook.

Product Review - Thumper

While the Thumper looks like a vibration massage device, it is not. It uses a much stronger, slower force to treat muscular problems.

http://fellrnr.info/Thumper


Upcoming Articles

o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Weight Loss and Performance

Will being thinner make you faster? For many, weight loss can lead to improved running. There are some important caveats with that idea, but there is also some simple math that can give some hints.

http://fellrnr.info/Weight-Loss-and-Performance

Upcoming Articles

o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

VDOT Based Intensities

This page gives some background to the VDOT paces that have been discussed in recent updates. To fully understand, you need to read the book 'Jack Daniels Running Formula', but this page should give you a grounding.

http://fellrnr.info/VDOT-Based-Intensities

I've also updated the VDOT calculator page with some notes on the quantities and limits - http://fellrnr.info/VDOT-Calculator


Upcoming Articles
o Weight Loss, Performance and VDOT
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

VDOT Calculator

Finding your VDOT is not rocket science and an online VDOT calculator can make things even easier. This page follows on from yesterdays http://fellrnr.info/Jack-Daniels-Running-Formula and today's earlier http://fellrnr.info/VDOT



http://fellrnr.info/VDOT-Calculator


Upcoming Articles
o Weight Loss, Performance and VDOT
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Jack Daniels' VDOT

The idea of VDOT as a measure of performance and a way of determining training paces is at the heart of Jack Daniels's training plans. This page follows on from yesterdays http://fellrnr.info/Jack-Daniels-Running-Formula

http://fellrnr.info/VDOT

Upcoming Articles
o Jack Daniels VDOT calculator
o Weight Loss, Performance and VDOT
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Jack Daniels Running Formula

No, not Jack Daniels the distiller, but Jack Daniels the coach! As many of you will know, I am a big fan of the Jack Daniels training plans. I've tried a lot of different plans over the years, but Jack Daniels is the best I have found.

http://fellrnr.info/Jack-Daniels-Running-Formula


Upcoming Articles
o Jack Daniels VDOT
o Jack Daniels VDOT calculator
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints
o Tabata high intensity interval training
o Cucumber for post race nausea
o The broken 5k workout
o Chocolate milk drink for recovery
o Camelbak for icing hamstrings



(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Tips for training for your first 100 mile race

The 100 mile race is a brutal distance, and compared with shorter distances, there is a lack of good training advice. These tips aim to give some general direction to someone preparing for their first 100 mile race. I am also hoping to record some of the expertise of some of the experienced ultrarunners out there; it you have suggestions to augment this article, please let me know.

http://fellrnr.info/Training-for-your-first-100-mile-race

Upcoming Articles
o Jack Daniels running formula
o Jack Daniels VDOT
o Jack Daniels VDOT calculator
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Running your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Slowing up at Weymouth Woods 100K

Weymouth Woods 100K provided an interesting opportunity to analyze split times in an ultra. This is an exercise in intellectual curiosity, which I found fascinating even if it did not provide any revelations.

http://fellrnr.info/Slowing-up-at-Weymouth-Woods-100K

Upcoming Articles
o Jack Daniels running formula
o Jack Daniels VDOT
o Jack Daniels VDOT calculator
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Tips for training for your first 100 mile race
o Shin Splints

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Arm Position

Arm position is one of the factors that determines your cadence. Having the right arm position is part of having good form and good biomechanics.

http://fellrnr.info/Arm-Position

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

The end of overeating'

I recently read 'The end of overeating', a book that looks at weight loss from the psychology perspective. I found the book useful, a little overly long, but highly recommended.

http://fellrnr.info/Book-Review-%E2%80%93-The-end-of-overeating

As an aside, I am working on a number of articles, including
o Jack Daniels running formula
o Jack Daniels VDOT
o Jack Daniels VDOT calculator
o Arm position
o Gear review - Theratherm for heat therapy
o Gear review - Thumper
o Golden rule of training
o Tips for training for your first 100 mile race
o Fartlek

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Popping Blisters

I believe that most runners should not get blisters in races shorter than 100 miles. If I can avoid blisters with genetically weak skin, runners with normal skin should be fine! However, blisters do occur and the decision to pop them or not is never easy. This article talks about the pros and cons, as well as techniques.

http://fellrnr.pbworks.com/Popping-Blisters

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

A brief guide to ultramarathon distances

Each race distance is very different, with its own characteristics and challenges. This article gives an overview of the common ultramarathon distances and, for want of a better term, their 'flavor'.

http://fellrnr.pbworks.com/A-brief-guide-to-ultramarathon-distances

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

In a race, walk before you have to

One of the more common mistakes I see when I pace marathons is running until forced to walk by exhaustion. This is a rather more emotive subject than is should be, but taking walking breaks can be the best strategy for many runners.

http://fellrnr.info/In-a-race,-walk-before-you-have-to

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Essential Ultrarunning Tips

Most of my tips are intended for most runners, but I wanted to pull together some tips specifically for ultrarunning. This article covers what I believe are the most critical tips that are specific to completing ultramarathon distances. They are by no means the only ultrarunning specific tips, and I will include other tips in the future. I think different runners would include different tips as 'core', but I think these are the tips that can separate success from DNF for many people.

http://fellrnr.info/Essential-Ultrarunning-Tips

(This tip was renamed from 'core ultrarunning tips', as that sounded too much like it was about core training.)

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Practical Aerobic Intervals and Aerobic Interval Training 101

This pair of articles gives a simple introduction to aerobic interval training. The 'Practical Aerobic Intervals' give advice on how to start doing aerobic intervals. The '101' article gives a little more background. These are not intended to be comprehensive guides, but rather a starting point. As always, I would highly recommend reading "Jack Daniel's Running Formula."

http://fellrnr.info/Practical-Aerobic-Intervals and http://fellrnr.info/Aerobic-Interval-Training-101

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Supercompensation and why exercise does not make you fit

This maybe obvious to most people, but I thought it was worth stating clearly and explicitly. I wrote this note after replying to multiple forum queries with this same information; it was obviously time to write it once and reference it ;}



I suspect that many problems runners have are due to not fully understanding this most basic of principles.

http://fellrnr.info/Supercompensation-and-Why-exercise-does-not-make-you-fit


(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Practical Interval Training

The second installment in the series on interval training gives some high level advice on injury prevention and where to start. I hope to have more detailed articles on aerobic interval training very soon.

http://fellrnr.pbworks.com/Practical-Interval-Training

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)

Oops

I've just found out that my posts to this blog have been getting the URLs wrong. The software I use has been including the period at the end of a sentence with the URL, so you get a 'not found' type of error.

I believe I have corrected this on all of the blog entries going back to when I first started using the Wiki approach.

My apologies for the inconvenience.

Jonathan

Introduction to Interval Training

This is the first in a series of articles on interval training. Over the years I have come to believe that interval training should be used by all runners of all abilities. To plagiarize Sun Tzu and add a little hyperbole, "It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."


http://fellrnr.pbworks.com/Introduction-to-Interval-Training

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P.S. If you've not read Sun Tzu, you really should. It's not just about war, but about how to succeed, regardless of how you define success.

The importance of a training log

The changeover of the year is a good time for looking back over your training log. For instance, I put together some statistics for last year at http://fellrnr.info/2009-Statistics.If you don't have a training log, they are a great idea and this is a good time to start one. I've put together some notes on the various options in http://fellrnr.com/wiki/The_importance_of_a_training_log. My top pick for training log is dailymile.com (http://fellrnr.info/Dailymile)

(This entry is posted to http://fellrnr.us, http://fellrnr.tumblr.com and to Facebook)