Unplugged

Social media use can lead to depression. You heard me right--that mindless scrolling, looking at your friends' pictures, political postings, and status updates can leave you depressed. According to an article from Forbes.com, "Research Links Heavy Facebook And Social Media Usage To Depression," researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found a link between a high amount of social media use and depression.The study states that, "highly idealized representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more successful lives."

One thing I enjoy about running is the ability to be unplugged. Sure, I sometimes listen to podcasts, recorded books, and watch T.V. on the treadmill, but for the most part I run sans technology. Running unplugged takes me away from the informational stream of social media--Facebook in my case. I wouldn't call myself a heavy user, but I use it often enough that it definitely affects me.

Running unplugged helps me clear my head. I'm not reading news articles posted by Facebook friends. I'm not scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook feed, looking at people's status updates and photos. Instead, I'm spending time in motion, enjoying the outdoors, and being able to think without the "noise" of technology.

Regardless of whether you run or not, I encourage you to spend some time unplugged. It's nice to have a mental break.

Run well.

Running Books: Fiction and Biographies

Though I've written some posts about running books before, I thought I'd share some books runners (and non-runners) may enjoy. For my non-running readers, I'll share some fiction and biographies, and memoir first. Though avid running readers would most likely enjoy all of these books, non-runners would likely enjoy several as they are well-written and tell good stories.

Once a Runner series
by John L. Parker Jr.
These books include "Once a Runner," "Again to Carthage," and "Racing the Rain." "Once a Runner" is a cult classic among runners--a well written novel about a collegiate runner, Quenton Cassidy, striving to reach the top of his sport.

"Again to Carthage," the sequel, follows Cassidy several years after his collegiate career as he tries to make the Olympic team in the marathon.

"Racing the Rain," the prequel to "Once a Runner," chronicles Cassidy's athletic endeavors in middle and high school as Cassidy moves from basketball to running as his primary sport.

You don't have to be a runner (though it helps) to enjoy these well-written novels. The characters are believable and the story is engaging. I read the novels in order of when they were written, but it may be more interested to read them in chronological order, starting with "Racing the Rain" and ending with "Again to Carthage."

The Perfect Mile
by Neal Bascomb
"The Perfect Mile" tells the story of three runners racing to break the four minute barrier in the mile. It follows Wes Santee, Roger Bannister, and John Landy attempting the break the elusive four minute mark, less than 60 seconds around a track four times.

Duel in the Sun
byJohn Brandt
"Duel in the Sun" tells the stories of Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar, framing the story leading up to and after the 1982 Boston Marathon, know as "the duel in the sun." This book is very well-written, and you'll enjoy it whether you know who one the race or not.

Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall
"Born to Run" is a story both of adventure and of barefoot running. The author, along with several friends and acquaintances, head to Mexico to visit and run with the Tarahumara, a native Mexican tribe known for their distance running. This book sparked the barefoot running phenomenon, and though barefoot running has somewhat faded from the trend of "barefoot" running shoes, it still enjoys a popular niche in the running (and walking) communities.


http://running.competitor.com/2015/10/lists/the-25-greatest-running-books-of-all-time_138463

Favorite Running Movies: Dramas/Comedies

This category is tough. Unlike the biopics and documentaries, running is not the main component of all these films. There are a few films that some include in running movies where I don't think running is an important enough part of the plot to include them like, "Marathon Man," where although Dustin Hoffman's character is a runner, that part of the plot doesn't seem very important.

There are others, however, that might not come to mind when you think about running movies, but I included them because I don't think they'd be the same movies without running. Feel free to comment on those I left out or those I included.

Saint Ralph
I thought this one was funny and somewhat heartwarming. Ralph is a troubled boy whose mother is in a comma, and he basically lives alone while attending a Catholic school. He finds running as a way to cope, and becomes connected with a former marathon-running priest. The priest trains Ralph to run the Boston Marathon. While the plot is a stretch at times, especially in the race itself, and though parts of the film are crass, "Saint Ralph" is definitely entertaining.

Forrest Gump
Running is one of the most important parts of this film--don't even argue on this one. Forrest gets into college, becomes a military hero, and  gains national attention because of running. What would "Forrest Gump" be without Forrest's run across America? Without his famous line, "Ever since that day, I was run-en!" If you haven't seen it, watch it right now.

Run Fat Boy, Run
This film employs the quirky humor of Simon Pegg as he attempts to train for and complete the London Marathon--in a span of about three weeks. This film is entertaining, though parts are completely unbelievable. The race itself is pretty entertaining, so if you have ever run a marathon or want to know what one parts are like, this one's worth a watch.

Across the Tracks
"Across the Tracks" features a very young Brad Pitt as a half miler on a quest to win the county championship and earn a scholarship to Stanford. His younger, troubled brother has just returned from juvenile detention, and although Brad is initially met with hostility from his brother, his brother also joins the track team. This one is a little cheesy in parts, but the running scenes are actually pretty decent and the story is entertaining enough that you might enjoy it if you're a runner.

Running on the Edge
In this Bruce Dern film, Dern plays a runner unfairly banned froom an iconic mountain race.  Twenty years later., he sets his sights on winning the race. The race itself is based on the the famous Dipsea race, and Dern plays a compelling runner. There's a Jock Semple/Kathrine Switzer scenario with an angry director trying to remove a runner from "his" race, which makes it entertaining for running historians. The cinematography is also excellent, and I would enjoy watching this film just to watch the runners cross beautiful landscapes.

The Jericho Mile
This one's fun if not purely for the 70s lingo. Set in a prison, an incarcerated runner is spotted by prison officials who see his talent, set up a race for him, and try to get him entered into the Olympic trials. If you can get over the pure 1970s feel of this movie, the running scenes are well-done and the story is entertaining if you turn your brain off.

It's Goal Time 2017

Last year I didn't set any goals on my blog for the first time in several years. My lack of goal setting was partially due to my my lack of success in 2014 and 2015. Instead, I decided to set a couple of private goals, and I met one officially and another unofficially. The three goals I'd set for myself was running under 17 minutes in a 5k, and setting PRs in the marathon and half marathon.

I didn't meet the goal of running under 17 minutes for the 5k. I only ran one 5k in July, and though I likely would have run under 17 minutes if the weather had been more cooperative, my time off from running in June and the first week of July had me in less than peak shape. It was the only 5k I ran, so I never gave myself another chance to break 17 minutes.

My goal of setting a marathon PR was unofficially met. You can read all about the debacle that was the Milwaukee Marathon (parts one, two, and three), but suffice to say I ended up covering almost 30 miles. I took a split at the 26.46 mark, figuring that would be about right considering GPS correction and not running the tangents perfectly. My unofficial split at that point was a PR, so I unofficially met my marathon PR goal.

As for my half marathon goal, I officially met that one, running a PR time of 1:16:09. Everything came together at the City of Lakes Half Marathon. I was in good shape, had a good day racing, and the weather was almost perfect. It felt good to set a PR in the half marathon, especially since my last half marathon PR was over four years ago.

So there's the rundown of my 2016 goals. Three goals seemed like a good amount, so I'll do the same of 2017.

Goal 1: Set a PR at the marathon distance. I'll be running Grandma's Marathon in June, a marathon that won't be in danger of having a mis-marked course. I'm hoping for good weather since running in the heat is tough after training in cold and cool weather in Minnesota's winter and spring.

Goal 2: Break 17 minutes in the 5k. I'm looking to run a 5k in February, and if the weather is decent I'll have a shot. If it's too cold, I'll probably try to run a 5k in the fall.

Goal 3: Set a new indoor mile PR. I'm running a mile race in less than a week, and my training has been going pretty well. I'll have to break 4:52, and I think that based on my training I've got a chance.

These should all be doable goals. I'm looking forward to a great 2017!

Happy Running!

Year in Review

This year was the most eventful year of my life, and included the biggest life change ever--a new baby. Calvin is almost a year old, and it's been an amazing year. Being a father is sometimes challenging, but it's worth every minute. I won't break down every month with Calvin, and since this is a (mostly) running blog, I'll write a bit about my running and racing.

January
Our lives changed forever when we were blessed with a healthy baby boy on January 22. Calvin seems to be doing something new nearly every day, and though it's been almost a year, I still feel like a new parent.

February and March
February and March brought a lot of visitors eager to meet Calvin. We were also blessed with a lot of support from friends and our young adult group through church who brought us lots of meals. In March we got to see lots of friends and family at Calvin's baptism.

As far as running goes, I ran the Lake Johanna 4 Mile. I wasn't in as good of shape as I was at the beginning of 2015 and was over two minutes slower than the year before, but I still had fun.

April
In April my running started to pick up. I trained pretty consistently starting the end of February, and I came up just short of a PR at the 25k distance on a terribly cold and windy day at the Ron Daws 25k. I got to enjoy going out for drinks and talking to a couple running buddies after the race.

In March I ran my first ever Mudball 4 Mile race, and took second overall. Even better than that, Laura and Calvin came to watch me run.

May and June
May was a busy month for running. I paced the Valley Fair, Minnetonka, and Fargo half marathons. I also got in the most running I had for the year, logging 276 miles. In June, I paced the Lake Waconia Half Marathon. At the end of June, I took it a little easier with running and reduced my mileage and took some extra days off. I wanted to be fresh going into my marathon training.

July and August
July brought a lot of fun. We had a Hill family reunion (my mom's side of the family), a trip to a lake house with Laura's side of the family, and Calvin turned six months old.

Hill cousins

Calvin also got his first haircut. He was completely calm during his haircut, and he sure was handsome when it was finished.

As far as running goes, July started my official training plan for the Milwaukee Marathon. I also ran a 5k, Juliette's Race, with goal of running under 17 minutes. The weather didn't cooperate as it was very hot and humid, and I missed my goal by just under 10 seconds.

August brought me into the thick of marathon training. I ran every day of the month besides the first, and put in over 260 miles, averaging over 60 miles a week.

September and October
In September I raced my one half marathon in 2016, the City of Lakes Half Marathon, and came away with a shiny new PR of 1:16:08. It felt pretty good to set a PR as my previous PR was over four years ago in 2012.

October brought my low of the year, being hospitalized for symptoms of bipolar just over a year after my last hospitalization. Though it was a bummer, it resulted in some adjustments to my medications which have now become even more effective. It also led me to a therapy skills group where I learned more strategies to manage and prevent future bipolar episodes.

November and December
In November I raced my first marathon in over a year, the PNC Bank Milwaukee Marathon. I had high hopes for the race, but due to a turnaround that wasn't well-marked I ran over three miles extra, and I missed out on an official PR. My unofficial split when I had run 26.46 miles was good enough for a PR, but since it wasn't official I'm going to try for a PR again this spring at Grandma's Marathon.

Though the race was disappointing, we did have a good time in Milwaukee visiting some friends.

December brought some nice holiday fun including our annual Christmas party with Laura's side of the family in Eagan. Unfortunately we were unable to make it to Rochester on Christmas Day due to weather, but we did get to stay with her family for several days after Christmas and celebrate then.

December also brought me to my second highest mileage total for the year. I ran over 2,300 miles in 2016, only about 100 miles short of my all-time highest year in 2011.

All in all, 2016 was a great year. A new baby has brought so much joy to our lives, and we got to do many fun things with friends and family. I'm looking forward to another great year in 2017.

Looking Ahead to 2017
We don't have any big trips or vacations planned for 2017, but I know it's going to be an eventful year. Calvin will turn one in January, and soon he'll be walking and talking. He'll also start going to Laura's school in September--another big change.

As far as blogging goes, I'm planning on writing more about my challenges and successes with bipolar, sharing a bit of my story.

Happy New Year!

Race Report - Milwaukee Running Festival Marathon - Part 3

As I covered in previous posts, the Milwaukee Running Festival Marathon was a big disappointment. Though I was in shape to run a new PR, a critical error and a mis-measured course took that chance away from me.

This leads me to a strange spot. I had planned on this race being my last shot at a PR, but without this race even being an official 26.2 miles, it's hard to settle on this being the last marathon I train for a PR. After thinking about it and talking with Laura, I think I'm going to try for another PR race. The question is, which one?

Part of me wants to get it over with and go for a spring marathon, but the other part of me knows it's easier to train for a fall race. Training for a winter race means more time on the treadmill and more runs in the dark--two things I don't look forward to. And, if the race is hot, it puts one at a big disadvantage after training in cold or cool weather.

A fall race means a lot of training in hot weather, which is a big bonus in getting ready for a race that may be warm. Running in hot weather also means increasing blood plasma level, an advantage similar to that of training at high elevation.

Despite the disadvantages of training for a spring marathon, I'm leaning toward doing one anyway. I was already thinking of running Grandma's Marathon in June, so that may be the race where I chase a new PR. After about a month of running easy, I can start some base building and move right into another training program. Carrying my fitness from this training cycle into the next one will be at least one advantage in training for a spring marathon.

I will admit that I also looked at marathons in December, but there are two reasons I don't think that will work out. First, there's nothing close by. Second, I'm not confident in my ability to recover and come back to run another PR pace marathon.

A big thanks to all the support from my readers. Though this race was mainly a huge disappointment, I've still received a lot of encouragement and sympathy. In the great scheme of things, a disappointing race is relatively minor.

Happy Running.

Part 1
Part 2

Race Report - Milwaukee Running Festival Marathon - Part 2

Though this race was a disappointment as far as the big error on the course (and having to cover over
29 miles because of that error), I have to be happy with how I ran the actual marathon distance.

I started out with the first mile being right about where I wanted--around a 6:35. I needed to run just a hair under 6:30 per mile if I wanted to PR, and the last thing I wanted to do was go out too fast.

After that first mile, I stayed consistent, running between 6:20 and 6:35 throughout the first half of the race. The halfway point on my Garmin had me right around 1:25--right where I needed to be to have a shot at breaking 2:50.

Around mile 17.5 was where the trouble took place. I had been running off and on with a pack of four other runners, and at the point I was feeling pretty good, so I ended up passing all but one. I was running with that runner when we missed the turnaround. I did see a small spray painted arrow on the course, but I thought for sure that such a critical turnaround would have a course marshal, or at the very least a large sign.

On the bright side, I saw some fans after running off the course. It was super cool seeing Laura and Calvin at what was supposed to be right before mile 20. Fortunately, Laura heard from other runners and volunteers about how the turnaround was not properly marked, so she knew I had run significantly off the course. Since she knew, she didn't have to worry at the finish line when I showed up about an hour and a half later than I was planned.

When I figured out I'd run much farther than I should have, I had a decision to make--I could dial back my pace and try to finish as fast as I could for the rest of the race, or I could keep my pace until I'd run an unofficial marathon distance. I opted on the later, and my unofficial marathon time (I estimated it at 26.46--about what my Garmin would say for a full marathon) according to my Garmin was 2:49:27--an unofficial new PR.

Besides the huge turnaround debacle, the course was pretty nice. It looped through Milwaukee, and it was cool running by Miller Park Stadium, the Miller Brewery, and finishing along Lake Michigan (though at that point I was walking, having already covered 29 miles).

The finish line area was decent. The food wasn't the greatest, but there were food trucks where food was available for purchase, and they gave out one free hard soda and one free beer to the marathon finishers. There were also some activities for spectators--a climbing wall and a bounce house, so that would be cool for spectators who brought their children.

This race has a lot of potential, but next time they definitely need to get their act together. Besides the turnaround error, the course was also mis-measured, and the race issued a statement saying the course was about 0.4 miles too long. Kudos to them for admitted their error (they're also working with the USATF to adjust runners' times accordingly). Though I applaud the race for taking responsibility for their errors, if they plan on making this a premier event, next year they need to be much more careful with their course measurements and markings.

Overall, this race leaves a very bittersweet feeling. I was in shape to run my first sub-2:50 marathon, and while I unofficially did, it would have been an amazing feeling had that time been official. In my next post I'll write about how I'm going to deal with this disappointment.

Happy Running.

Part 1
Part 3