Timm's Training Log

Houston

2010-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Houston on F riday evening and I was instantly at home. I love Maryland, but I love the South. I schedule this trip about six months ago and wasn't going to miss it for anything despite the last week being a little crazy with a surprise trip to St. Louis for my Grandmother's funeral. It was sudden, but reminded me of Psalm 90 and how we should number our days. I'll publish my note on her soon. So, I ran into Caroline White, who used to train in the DC area. My former teammate, Hannah, picked me up from the Airport. It was raining, but it was nice to be on vacation. I've read a lot about Houston, but this is the start of a journey. I've learned a lot over the last few years, and I'm finally ready to train at a high level and do my job well. Sunday is one step in that direction, Here's to taking 2010 - one step, one mile, one day, one race, and one chance at a time. I haven't been this exited about my own running since college. I feel like the main character in the movie, The Rookie. There will be growing pains, but I'm ready to face them this time around. Time for bed. The big show is on deck in the morning.

2009 - Part 1

2009-12-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

2009 was a very strange year. Most of this won't be about running, but there will be some running related stuff for my two followers of my blog that I haven't updated since September. And, on paper it might not be seem to be too successful. I just turned 29 this month and I've had a lot of maturing to do. This year started off with a hard lesson in relationships, but this situation taught me so much about myself and people. I'm thankful I learned the hard way and moved on.More on this may be covered in my book I'll be working on this spring. I stepped down from head outdoor track coach at Magruder to bring more balance into my personal life. I love teaching and coaching, but after many years of considering this and the past six months of re-considering - I still stand by my decision. I had more fun coaching my cross country team than ever before. We didn't steal any headlines, but this team really taught me more than I could ever imagine teaching them. Here are two big lessons these kids taught me.

1. Relationships matter more than any accomplishment. (GIRLS TEAM) While everyone in the world believes in human accomplishment. These accomplishments are merely fleeting. My girls' team dramatically improved this fall, but two injuries crushed our state dreams. The relationships between these girls are so caring and generous - it makes taking the spring off very difficult. While elite coaches would say that I have no pure talent or national level runners in the girls distance - these girls inspire me by how hard they work. They are so healthy, fun, full of life, and even made me a cake for my birthday. Several seniors will graduate and my sophomore class will no be leaned upon to lead the team. I've never cried so much at an event as I did at our banquet this year. This team is such a special groups of kids. While I'm looking forward to next fall - I know it will be a huge adjustment for me. They taught me that relationships and quality time matter than any victory, record, or title.

2. Boys need guidance in dealing with adversity and it's not your fault when life isn't going so smoothly for kids you coach. (BOYS TEAM) In August, my top runner came down with an injury and all I was getting asked at my invitational, practice, school, and friends. When is Nick going to run? While this might not seem like a big deal to most people and even runners. I've been coaching Nick since his freshman year and I was so excited about his senior year. But, sometimes life takes a turn, but in the end we learn a lot from failure. When I talked about Nick at the banquet - I could have listed accomplishments or times, but his story of returning from injury and dealing with the pressure of being our top runner was what I focused on. The conversations, texts, discussions, tears, and joys with Nick are things I'll remember the most. And, his anchoring victory of the distance medley relay at the FIT Invitational. :) We all need help when life takes a turn and I'm hoping I have more of these interactions with kids in 2010. They taught me that coaching is more like really mentoring and being a father-figure and role model - then making someone fast.

For these two lessons, I'm very thankful.

Part 2 coming soon - my own running in 2009 and looking forward to 2010.

Interview with Nick Escobar on mocorunning.com:
http://www.mocorunning.com/article.php?article_id=569

VA Beach - Marathon Prep Workout

2009-09-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I took a nice road trip with some friends to run the Virginia Beach Half Marathon and relax at the beach. The plan was to run the race controlled at my goal pace for the Marine Corps Marathon(2:40-2:44). Mission was accomplished (1:20) and I felt relaxed. Ran an easy 12 with Mark today. I'm trying to keep my mileage up while I prepare for my 32-team Cross Country Invite this Friday afternoon.

The Simple Plan

2009-08-23T15:30:00.001-07:00

Here's the general training plan for the next six weeks.

Monday - AM 6 PM 8
Tuesday - PM 10 including workout with xc team
Wednesday - AM 6 PM 8
Thursday - PM 6
Friday - AM - 10 Mile tempo PM - 6
Saturday - 10
Sunday - 20 Long Run
Total ~80 miles

Long Run

2009-08-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Mark and I headed out to the canal this morning for our long run. We didn't know till our arrival that everyone in Montgomery County was planning on doing the same thing. The parking lot at Riley's Lock was packed!!!!! We saw well over 100 people on the canal. It was pretty sweet and made for a lot of support on the long run. I felt great and relaxed for the entire 18 miles. Best long run of the summer. Mark desperately needs new shoes and his knee was hurting - so we stopped early. Looking forward to another great week of training. I'm looking to average 80 miles for the next 6 - 8 weeks. Marine Corps is coming soon.

75 this week

2009-08-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Another solid week of training in the books with a lot of medium long runs of 10-12 miles. Looking forward to a nice 21+ on Sunday.

Transition

2009-08-13T18:32:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy last couple of weeks and I've been mia on the blog scene. Don't worry, my running is fine, but I just had to ease down the running for almost two weeks due to a mild case of strep and a minor injury. I'm almost 100% and ready to kick the training back up into the 70s again. (I'll post mileage totals from the summer on the side in the next few weeks. )

I'm excited that I'll be cutting my hours at the second job down to almost zero by the end of August. Practice for xc starts on Saturday and I can't wait. It's finally here. Then Virginia Beach is right around the corner and I want to smash my pr for the half. Till then I'll be training with Mark (he returns from Mexico soon) and running with my high school team. I'll run Kentlands for kicks as long as I can handle some speed.

Transitions are always memorable. I love the summer, but fall is the best time of the year. :)

Good News and Epic Run in Ohio

2009-07-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

I've been behind on updating this blog after a weekend out of town. I'll fill in more of the details later. After a humbling race on Saturday where I basically crawled after about 8 minutes into the race following some severe pain below my abs, I took Sunday off completely and spoke with an expert on my recurring problem.His advice surprised me. No abs for a few weeks and run easy. Okay, very easy.

So, I took an easy 5 on Monday with my friend Mark and 4 former Eastern Illinois runners, and a Valpo alum in Ohio. No pain. One of them recently went sub 4 in the mile and another went 2:19 in the marathon. Then, on Tuesday morning, Mark, JJ, Adam, and I ventured out to a road alongside Lake Erie. Talk about sweet. I had flashbacks to Florida and felt relaxed on the entire run. Then in the final 3 miles the pace quickened and I held back and let them go. After the results from the garmin poured in for our ten mile run - I was glad I let them go the last 2 miles. They ran 5:20 on the final mile. No pain again on the run, but it's going to be tough to not do abs for at least a week.

Twilighter Weekend Wrap Up

2009-07-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

On a picture perfect evening on Saturday night at the Twilighter - I had a big agenda. You see, the Twilighter, has been home to two of my worst racing experiences ever a few years ago. I honestly had tried to stay positive and focus on how much fun this race would be. As I arrived in Rockville, everyone was out in full force. Kids, families, and I saw plenty of familiar faces and the buzz of the racing scene returned and adrenaline was definitely pumping.

It was a busy day at work and my legs felt it on the warm-up. I hadn't been this tight all summer. I'm not sure what it was, but as I warmed up with the GRC crew I tried to relax. In the invited runner's room - I took plenty of time to stretch, hydrate, and tried to loosen up. I was still tight and felt it throughout the whole race. I felt strong physically and was focused mentally. I just couldn't move up throughout the race and finished in 29:02. (it didn't take me 30 seconds to get to the starting line, so I'm not sure what's up with my time on the net)

While I didn't have a the performance I was looking for - my GRC teammates killed it on the course. Everyone was flying and I was really pleased with the efforts of my high school kids who ran in the 8k. Despite my disappointing run, I now love this race. A great high school coach in Southern Illinois once told me something that I'll never forget after a tough race I had - "Nathan, there will always be another race." So, on Sunday - I slept 10 hours and took my first day off in a while. I heard a great message at church that evening that I resonated well with and kept my focus on what really matters. This morning, I slept in once again and ran 14 + with Mark on the canal. My legs and back felt strong again. Amazing what a day off can do.

Looking forward to the my first experience at the Crystal City Twilighter 5K on Saturday night. I'll need some speed for this one for sure:)

The Day Before

2009-07-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday - Ran just under 10 miles from my house with Mark on a newly created and quite random route through Montgomery Village and Germantown. It was quite the hilly run once again and we ran at a solid clip. It was nice to get in a strong run before a full day of work.

Friday - Ran 6 miles with Eric at Needwood. We caught up on the high school coaching world and ran at a relaxed and controlled clip down the path. Bumped into a parent of one of my former top runners who now competes for Elon following the run. It's always nice to bump into familiar faces. I'm looking forward to the Twilighter. Just looking to be patient for the first two miles and get tough racing during the second half of the course. And, of course, I want gun down some runners on the final mile on 355. Should be fun. This event is one of the summer racing highlights of any serious runner in the Metro area. The usual suspects and maybe some ringers from the Va area will come of out of the woodwork for the evening festivities in Dowtown Rockville.

Tired Legs and the walking legend.....

2009-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Early week report:
Monday - Ran quite the hilly loop through the streets of Germantown with Mark. 10 miles. Solid run.
Tuesday - Split up two runs of 7.5 and 4.5 with Mark at Needwood and the Kentlands. 12 miles total.
Wednesday - Ran 7 miles with Chris at Needwood. Chris caught me up on his weekend in New Jersey as we ran down the path. My legs felt dead today, but a nice ice bath should do the trick! On another note, I always see interesting characters on the Needwood path, but apparently this guy we saw on the path this morning could be a walking legend. Chris claims he's seen the same dude in Needwood in the morning and Silver Spring later in the evening passing by his work!! That's one heck of a hike or Chris is just full of it. I'm not sure which side I'm leaning towards just yet.

Looking Ahead to Twilighter

2009-07-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Week in Review:
Monday (8)
Tuesday (6)
Wednesday (8)
Thursday (8)
Friday (12)
Saturday ( 5)
Sunday (16)

63 Miles for the week.

Workouts:
Wednesday - 8 mile tempo/marathon pace. Averaged around 6 minute pace, but didn't feel strong at all.
Friday- I ran segments with Mark. Solid workout and gaining confidence. 1,2,3,4,5,5,4,3,2,1. Workout was 48 minutes with jog recoveries. 3 miles warm-up and cooldown.
Sunday - Long run at the Line with GRC. Had a strong pain where I had my hernia in high school for like 50 minutes of the run. Not a great day, but still got in the miles.

On another note, the Twilighter is almost here.

Recovery

2009-07-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

I had a relaxing 6 miler at Needwood this evening. Looking forward to a tempo run before I've got to take my car in on Wednesday.

Update

2009-07-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

More info on the last few days later. 66 miles last week and I start workouts on Wednesday. A bee sting on my long run on Saturday and a virus on my laptop have slowed my ability to update the blog. (Don't worry I'm not using the laptop to update this) Training continues to go well. Going to keep the mileage between 60- 75 through the summer despite urges to crank up the volume.

Don't look back

2009-07-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

My dad has always been involved in my running since my first days of high school practice. I asked him early in my career the following question: Should I look back in a race? He needed no time to respond when he said, "No, there is a never a a need to look back in competition. The race to win is in front of you." So, that's one area of racing that I always remembered despite seeing kids, elite athletes, and olympians doing it on a regular basis.

In racing, I've followed his advice, but in moving on from past disappointments in running - I haven't grasped that concept as well. Whether it's not making the top 7 in college or getting the chance to run cross country in my senior year following a stress fracture in my femur just weeks into the season. Now, I'm thankful for these moments and cherished my time in Tallahassee. I've learned from each of them. My second college coach, Bob Braman, always reminded me to train and not strain. Now, several years after college it's sinking in.

So, the point of this rambling post is that I'm loving every run and not taking it too seriously. This is such a fun sport, but so many runners burn out because it becomes a chore. I met up with GRC teammate Peter Silverman for a nice 7 miler in Rock Creek Park. I ran some trails I've never experienced before and found out that Beach Drive is actually open during the week. We caught up on life and just took in an epic day for running. It was nice and cool beneath the shaded trails. Just amazing.

Now, that it's July I'm planning on keeping the mileage in the 70s throughout this month, August, September, and October with two quality workouts( one track and one tempo) and a long run. For someone who used to be obsessed with mileage in college- this is an adjustment.

Patience

2009-06-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

Ecclesiastes 7:8

"How are you so patient with kids?" - is such a familar question I get asked on a regular basis. In a lot of my life, I'm a patient person, but when it comes to my running - I've been far from patient from the beginning. As a high schooler, I would make impatient race decisions only to lose the race. In college, I trained so hard in the summer and early in the season that I just ran out of gas. Again, again, and again. And I became frustrated when I never reached my goals. So as a coach, it's easy for me to be patient because I've lived the opposite. But, as a much more experienced runner - I know better now.

That's why this marathon is so special to me and for the kids of Jill's House. I want to use my gifts for much more than just running a marathon. So, today I ran my first of many marathon pace (6:00 minutes) workouts on the track. Just three miles (18:00) and a few light 200s. Yes, it wasn't too hard. It's still June and I'm being patient. My IT band was a little tight today, but I spent a lot of time stretching before and after the workout.

9 or so miles on the day. On pace for 70. :)

Crystal Rock Path

2009-06-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

Woke up late this morning to a text from Mark. Run? Perfect. We hit up the Crystal Rock Path across the street from his house. It reminds me so much of Needwood, but it was so nice to run around a lake on a gorgeous morning. We took it easy for the first few miles and loosened up. 9 miles and a lot of stretching.

Never Say Never

2009-06-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

Every runner has days were things click and running is effortless. But, that only happens every once in a while. This morning while running along the canal on it's most scenic section - Great Falls - I pondered my first real marathon in October. Yes, I've finished a few, but I've never raced a real marathon and been ready. I took a couple of gels throughout the run, but it wasn't flowing. Sometimes it's just about going and finishing. Despite thoughts of stopping - I just kept on going with Mark. 2o miles and a little extra for the day. Under 2 hours and 18 minutes later the run was completed. Most of my friends who aren't "hardcore" as they tell me think I'm crazy. I turned down a few parties, but saw Transfomers to be able to make the run possible. Ten to Fifteen solid long runs like this and I'll see what I can do at Marine Corps.

I guess I'm supposed to write a goal here. That's what I tell the kids I teach and I coach. Okay, I have a goal for Marine Corps. But, for now - I want to do what I'm doing for the first time in a long time. I love running every single day and I miss it when I don't. Enjoy this season of my life. I'm not going to miss anything. The last year of my life has been crazy - I took a second job to pay off my car, I'm working on my masters, teaching, coaching, maintaining my running, and trying to stay keep up with my friends and stayinvolved at my church. I could list more about I'll stop for this one. I'm sick of being busy. I'm slowing down in life, but speeding up on the roads. :) I say no quite a bit and said no to quite the teaching and coaching offer this spring. I even stepped down from coaching in the spring. Yes, it's actually official. It was just the perfect time and I'm very excited about next year in the classroom and coaching. But, for the first time I've realized that Maryland now feels like home. It's taken me a long time to realize that. Sure, I love Illinois and Michigan. Okay, I don't really love Michigan. And, of course, there are dozens of days in February alone where I would love to be in Florida, but as seasons change so do each of us. My heart is here in Maryland.

Friday marks my first race in a long time. It's just a 5K, but this could be the start of something. Running means a lot of more to me than when I first began fourteen years ago. It's now my ministry and evey run teaches me something. This run reminded to never say never and now I can't get the fray's song out of my head. I'll touch more on this later, but it's 9 now. And, well, the only bad thing about running 20 miles is that I'm just about out right now.

........You can never say never to a dream that is still unfinished.

Off on Friday, 8 easy on Satuday, and 20 + on Sunday for a total of 63 Miles this week. 70 next and then a recovery week. :)

Inspiration of the Week - Amy Yoder Begley and Chicago Marathon Stories

2009-06-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/index.ssf/2009/06/amy_yoder_begley_resets_her_go.html

http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/inspiration/index.aspx?id=8431

Another 10 in the Bank

2009-06-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

Met up with Mark and Chris for another 10 at Needwood. We dipped down to 6 minute pace in the final few miles. This run felt controlled and I'm getting stronger every day. I'm going to head to the canal early in the morning on Fridayfor a marathon paced tempo before a busy day of heading into school and work all day. Another short entry today, but I'll add more when I have a little more time.

Solid Ten +

2009-06-24T06:49:00.001-07:00

I met up with Mark and Chris today at Needwood for another picture perfect running day. We cruised down the path catching up and running a nice pace. Chris and Mark cranked it up a notch before the turn around and gapped me. They were probably clipping off 5:45s on the way back. I kept it at marathon pace on the way back (6:10) or so. Solid run and felt strong. Although my instincts wanted me to go with them - I'm trying to refrain from making distance runs into tempos. We are meeting up again on Thursday, so that should be yet another good run with two great guys.

I'm looking at going 18 or so on Sunday. July racing is just around the corner. It's going to be a blast!

Picture Perfect Running Day

2009-06-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

I slept in a little bit this morning and headed over to Needwood. Ran with one of former runners who will be heading to Liberty in the fall. Just soaked in the amazing weather and enjoyed myself. I'll be running with my friend Chris for 10 on Wednesday morning, so an easy 6 was a good choice for today. I'm trying to be patient as I'm gradually increasing my mileage this week. Can't wait till I'm back in the 70s and 80s again by mid-July.

It was nice to hit the trails again after I heard some sad news from one of my friends in the running community. The trails are a great place to clear my mind and pray.

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-06-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Friday - Easy 4 Miles. Recovery Day.
Saturday - Easy 8 Miles in Vienna with Jill's House Training Group.
(57 Miles this week)
Sunday - 16 Miles with Mark on the canal. Two months of long runs with Mark and I'm going to be in serious shape.
Montday - Hilly 9 miles with Mark in Germantown.

Mileage Goal for this week: 64 - 67

Staying Consistent

2009-06-18T18:40:00.001-07:00

Wednesday - 6+ miles in Germantown with Mark. Nice run.

Thursday - 8 miles at a nice clip 6:15-6:20 at Lake Needwood. I'm a few weeks away from getting back into shape. I'm debating on a nice tempo on Friday, light run on Saturday, and a solid long run on Sunday. The key is staying consistent and getting rest.

Tuesday

2009-06-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

Easy 5 Miles through the Kentlands after work. This was the first time I've ran through a neighborhood in a while. Sweet change of scenery. Wednesday is the final day of school for the year. Just trying to finish off all the little things.