Started off with a 9 mile run up to the horse ranch place that I stumbled upon in the canyons. Not a lot of cars which was nice but a good amount of horse dung which was not good. Ran in a pair of shoes that happened to be pretty old and didn’t see one of the piles so that was an awful 30 min run back to my apt. Luckily, it was trash day so the dumpster was right outside and I, very quickly, added my shoes to it. Now it was a pretty warm day so I decided to take my shirt off before the run. It was one of my favorite running shirts because it was given to me from a friend who runs for the same track club as one of the best American distance runners in the country, Ryan Hall. And the shirt was the team’s logo. Anyways, I tied the shirt to the bannister next to the stairs going out of my apartment and when I returned after tossing my shoes away, the shirt was missing. There happened to be some repair men working on the apartment and I asked if they saw it. They said they did…about 20 minutes ago until someone came along and took it. I asked if they saw who took and they said yes but didn’t know who it was. Awesome!

Then I came up to the apartment, shoeless and shirtless, and wanted to take a shower. I checked my phone and saw that I had a text from my building manager. He wanted to inform everyone that there would be men working on a leak in the building so the water had to be shut off. No shower for me.

So I decided to make breakfast. After spending about 20 minutes on a pineapple and bacon chicken sausage, egg, cheese, peppers and pesto breakfast sandwich, I was ready to transfer it over to the bagel. As I was lifting it with the spatula, it slid right off and onto the ground. Normally (not saying this happens a lot), I would just wash it off and continue on. However, the water was still shut off. So I may or may not have wiped it off with a paper towel and continued to put it on the bagel. It may or may not have still been very good.

After breakfast, I rubbed my legs down with Bengay. I had to answer my phone and forgot about having some bengay on my hands still. Ended up touching my eye and getting bengay in it. Quick! Run to the sink and wash it out…oh right….no water still. Have you ever had bengay in your eye? I do not reccomend it. So yeah, awesome morning.

Ran 5 miles in the afternoon. Some tightness in the lower ab area but nothing to painful. 14 total on the day. In the canyons tomorrow.

We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

I felt great in the morning and went for a 7 mile run. Got some dynamic stretches in and was still feeling very loose. Used the rolling stick to massage out for about a half hour. Did some exercises to strengthen my lower back and loosen up the hip areas. Need to start getting back into the hurdle work.

We were back at the track for a 3rd time this week. I figured it was going to be short but I didn’t know exactly what Coach had in mind because, like always, he never tells us. So we warmed up for two miles. Did 6 x 150 to loosen up. Jogged a lap. Then 6 x 200 at, basically, an all out sprint (26/27 per 200). It took me about 100 meters to even get my bricks, I mean legs, to move. Very tight, stiff, and felt like I couldn’t possibly get my legs to go any faster. We jogged a half mile afterwards where I jumped over two hurdles. I really need to get back into hurdle work.

Nice cold ice bath, as I type. Other than trying to keep the computer from falling into the water, its not too bad. It definitely helps keep the mind off the cold.

Til tomorrow…We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

6 miles in the am.

PM practice at the track:

2 mile warm up

I figured it was time to tell Coach about how I was going to be going back to New Hampshire for the holidays. I was putting it off because he does not want any of us missing any days. So I told him. And he was not happy. Then we started the workout.

10 x 100m strides

6 x 150m

2 laps easy

3 x 400 m

2 laps easy

4 x 400 m

2 laps easy. I switched back into my trainers (regular running sneakers). Right as I finished tying them, Coach looked over and said, “You’re not done”. I realized that although the other guys were on their cool down and closing 100m strides, I was not done due to that fact that I would be gone next week. I smiled at him and he said, “We are having fun today”. Mind you, the previous 7 400’s were all sub 60 so it was a bit faster than even the hard workouts. I finished the 2 laps easy.

3 x 400 m

2 mile cool down with strides

Surprisingly felt pretty good during and after this workout. Joints and muscles felt strong and pain free. No complaints. Another day on the track tomorrow. Literally no idea what we will be doing. 3rd day this week on the track.

Lots of cool gifts out there this holiday season for the beginner or advanced athlete. One, for example (http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10851182&emssrcid=GoogleBase:PS10851182), is the rolling stick that I use everyday to massage the muscles. This is a very useful loosening tool and its travel size. Long car rides, visiting family over the holidays, present for the stiff athlete…easy to carry and use.

Can’t wait to see the new design for the site! We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

Jim asks: I’m about to start going to a gym in Austin. I weigh a little over 200 pounds and want to get back in shape. What workout should I do to do this for an hour, 4 days a week?

Pretty basic starting point for anyone who is trying to get into shape. Very important note. You need to be careful when you’re first starting out. For anyone who pretty much never had to worry about health or your body whenever you go out for athletic activities; consider the added weight and time spent out of a healthy lifestyle.  It would be in your best interest to start off slow. Even if your condition is really not that bad, if you were to go out and start doing 30 minutes of cardio followed by weight lifting and some other exercises, your body is not used to that type of action with the added body weight. Going all out right off the bat can cause injury and prevent you from accomplishing your goals sooner. Here’s a good plan of attack for starting out and getting back into a routine:

Day 1: 20 minutes cardio (run, elliptical, spin, bike, lessening the amount of impact on the knees is key because that is one of the more vulnerable areas for injuries when working out with added weight), followed by some core work (sit ups, planks, push ups, lunges, squats) and some very light lifting (no more than 25 pounds for curls or upper body work), ending with 5 to 10 minutes of cardio (walking) to cool the body down

Day 2: 15 minute cardio, 15 minute lifting (still light), 10 minute cardio

Day 3: 30 min cardio (total time…so take breaks if needed, encouraged actually), light core (3 sets of 10 push ups/pull ups/sit ups etc)

Day 4: 15 minute cardio, 45 minute lifting session (still light for starting out), 5 cardio cool down

Rest days in between (but make sure to listen to your body). That’s just a basic breakdown for a beginner getting back into working out. Attacking one particular activity or part of the body can be very risky and sometimes dangerous. Much better to have a much wider range of focus and work on all areas of the body.

Today I ran 3 miles in the morning and 7 miles at practice with an 8 mile bike ride and both body clinics. We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

I ran an easy 5 mile run in the morning followed by a good session of dynamic stretches and massaging of the calves and quads afterwards. Wasn’t sure what the workout on the track would entail or if I was even going to do it due to my Achilles.

Warmed up 6 laps on the track and my foot felt alright so I decided to continue.

3 mile fartlek run with every 150 meters alternating between fresh, good, and hard pace. 50 meters in between. About 16 minutes for those 12 laps.

3 x 800 (finally!!!…good pace, fresh, good pace) The first and third one just over 61 seconds per lap. 400 meter recover in between each 800.

1200 meter jog followed by a fast 400 (around 56 seconds)

Mile cool down with 10 x 100m strides. Body felt pretty good after all of that which is a good sign since I raced on Saturday. Also, this was this first workout that actually felt like a distance workout since we got to do 800’s. Need to work on my mechanics and form a bit but glad the speed is there.

About 15 total for the day.

We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

If you can’t tell, I’m a fan of alliteration. Anyways, today was a pretty big day of rest for me. I really want my ankle/Achilles to recover from whatever its been going through. Since the fall racing season has basically come to an end, I want to hit the track season up nice and strong with no minor injuries. Next race will probably be towards the end of January, hopefully on an Indoor Track. Next up for training is in New England for 2 weeks working out with my brother, a member of the crew team at Cornell. Always a great guy to work out with. At the end of our respective sessions, we play a little one on one basketball but rarely finish the games because one of us ends up getting a little too upset. Isn’t that right, Alex?

Today’s run with Louie at the track was great. 30 minutes (about 4 miles) went by pretty quick and his questions are always so entertaining. They make me think so much about my own training and why my technique and idiosyncrasies are for warm ups, cool downs, starting line jitters, etc. Achilles felt alright but definitely needs to be strengthened. Will start some physical therapy sessions this week at a sports clinic in addition to incorporating massages into my schedule.

Glad that the Patriots got their 10th win and that Aaron Rodgers posted big numbers for my fantasy team.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

After getting pumped up by watching Cowboys and Aliens the night before, I woke up at 6:15. Stretched a little. Ate some oatmeal and put some Bengay on my calves. Got all geared up and headed to Santa Monica for the race. Warmed up about 3 miles before the race and did 10 strides alternating fast sprints and jogs.

First mile was way too fast. I hadn’t done speed work in over a week so I wasn’t sure how it would feel. It was slightly downhill so it was quicker than I thought. Not sure how accurate the splits are but the first mile was in the ballpark of 4:20. Ran with Yermie for about 2.5 miles and then he faded off a little. Great to have him there pushing the pace and me. Finished with a high five from Santa right before the finish line in 14:28. Had about 4 miles to cool down post race.

No real pain in the Achilles until after the race. Will ice and do a bike ride this afternoon. Pretty happy with the result since I defended my title and was about 30 seconds faster than last year. Good benchmark for now but definitely have a lot of work to do. 14:28 on the road, this early in the season, with little competition is not a bad way to end the cross season and go into the track season. Just have to stay healthy.

Thanks to my Aunt and Uncle  and injured teammate, Andrew, who came out to support and take pictures. We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

I love pre-race day. I get wicked excited. All my teammates have an extra burst of energy (maybe because we didn’t run as much as we normally do). I’m constantly thinking about strategy and times. But the best part is, the most important thing to do is nothing. Rest, recover, relax. I’m ready to get back into the hard work tomorrow morning but in order to do that, rest is key. An easy 3.5 mile run this morning, Egoscue in the afternoon, 4.5 at practice with strides. Feeling good for tomorrow’s 5k.

In other news, a good friend of mine, Maxim Willwerth, helped organized an event at Plymouth State College in New Hampshire. The Plymouth St Hockey Team will honor local Military members and their families at Salute The Troops Night tomorrow, December 10th at 6:00 P.M. They will host the Fitchburg State Falcons. The Panthers will be raffling off game worn camouflage jerseys, with all the proceeds benefitting The Scott Milley Foundation. The foundation is set up to help the families of army ranger graduates afford accommodations to attend their son or daughter’s graduation. As well,the foundation provides a scholarship to Lincoln-Sudbury High School for one male and one female. It also assists families in the area that have lost a loved one in battle. If you happen to be in the area, come out and support a great cause. If you want to make a donation go to this link (http://www.facebook.com/events/136785069763816/) for more info.

The Hockey game will welcome the family of Lieutenant Scott Francis
Milley and the family of Captain Doug Dicenzo.

Scott Milley, a Lieutenant with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division was
killed in Combat last November. Scott is the younger brother of 4-year Panther defenseman, Steven Milley of Sudbury, MA. Scott was
the captain of his High School varsity team at Lincoln-Sudbury high
in Massachusetts and had a passion for hockey matched only by his
passion for his country.

Joining Steve is the family of Captain Doug DiCenzo, Cathy Crane and
Mark Burzynski. Doug, a Plymouth native, was company commander
for C Company in the 1st Armored Division 2nd Brigade; he was killed in
combat in 2006. In 2008, the Holderness Bridge was dedicated to Doug
for his commitment to this Country.

Definitely right up We Are One 365’s alley. Have an awesome start to your weekend everyone!

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

After an hour and 20 minute bike ride with some big hills in the middle as well as a mile run on the beach, I was happy with my effort for the morning workout. The beach run felt good on the Achilles because it forced my whole foot to bear the work load since the ground is uneven, unstable and I was barefoot. I had a great session at Egoscue and really focused on engaging my lower back muscles to loosen my hip muscles. A brief break in the afternoon until practice where I biked down to our meeting spot, ran 4 miles, and then biked home. All around, great effort day. With a rest day tomorrow before race day, I should be in good shape for the 5k.

I was talking with Richard, an 800 meter runner who ran at LSU, and asked him how he ended up where he is right now since he could go anywhere in the country to run. Basically, he said that just because everyone does one thing doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the best route to take. Richard spoke with a confidence that could have stemmed only from a belief so powerful and genuine that gave me my answer. Here’s a kid that could literally run for any club in the country and has run with the best of the best and he is about two weeks younger than me and running with a club in Los Angeles that is a little off the recent elite runner route. His drive, his passion, his beliefs are so powerful that listening to him always quiets any reservations that I have about my training. Richard said that he was working harder than ever because he truly believes that he can be one of the fastest in the world. That type of mentality is rare. That type of attitude is never more than surface deep. Because you don’t know your future. But he spoke like his running form. Calm, smooth, and controlled.

I know most of people who read this blog are not training for the Olympics. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t apply these principles and beliefs towards your everyday life. Whether its in your own training to get in better shape, to get that promotion at work, or study the material that will get you the highest grade in the class, its so crucial that you believe in the steps you take every day to make you better at what your doing. It takes patience and time to accomplish your goals but having that checklist of the daily tasks that will help you get there makes you believe in yourself that much more when you can check them off.

Keep working hard. Don’t get frustrated. Enjoy the things your doing everyday because if you believe in what you’re doing and work hard at it everyday, it will pay dividends. We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick

The biking, instead of a morning run, is definitely giving my Achilles a break. I got some dynamic stretching in after the ride and some foam rolling in the am.

Ran about 8 miles in the afternoon and felt good. Dropped a quick mile in the middle of the run. Running on solid surfaces decreased the twinge of pain significantly. 10 x 100 meter strides and some mobility drills afterwards.

Getting pumped for Saturday’s race. I know I’m in some sort of shape but the 5k is my jam so I don’t want to get psyched out. Having a strategy for this race and hitting the times, at least through the first 2 miles will be key. Since it’s more of a family oriented run, I doubt there will be any real competition. Plus, Tony is running the 10k. Next week training increases as well as demand.

Remember that muscles need more time to warm up and massaged down in the cold weather so be sure to give yourself an extra 5 minutes before workouts and massage a little longer from the quads down. Once you’re warmed up, doing some dynamic drills to get the muscle fibers to engage is important. Keep working hard. We Are One 365.

AR. NF. NR.

Nick