16 Week Blue Cross Broadstreet Run Training Plan

2012 is here and with a new year, comes new goals. A few of my friends are looking to run the Blue Cross Broadstreet 10 Mile Race for the first time and asked I put together a plan for them to get ready for the race. I complied and created a sixteen week schedule that mixes running workouts along with supplemental workouts such as general strength and core. I really believe that running is a combination of different aspects outside of just hitting the pavement everyday. Building up strong muscles and an iron core will make you a better runner, help prevent injuries, and also have you looking great.

As context, the plan is geared toward beginners who can easily complete a 5K as a prerequisite. It is also a great plan for someone who hasn't run consistently in awhile and are looking for a structured plan to get back into the swing of things. Outside of the schedule of runs, I've included various resources I've come across over the past years to include in the training such as different strength exercises, core workouts, plyometric drills, and various other tips/thoughts to ensure a successful and injury free Broadstreet Run.

Let me know if you have any questions and best of luck as you conquer the Broadstreet Run in 2012!

Download Link to 16 Week Broadstreet Run Plan

Who's Coming With Me? My Race Schedule for 2012

(The "village" in the center of Mont Tremblant)

The 2011 season is in the books and it looks like the major races planned for next year are already pretty much set. I have been planning my 2012 season over the past few weeks to get an idea of time commitments, vacation scheduling, and "life events". The other advantage of registering for the races ahead of time is that there is a clear goal to train towards. 2012 is shaping up to be a great year in terms of travel with races planned in New Orleans, Mont Tremblant (Quebec), Cambridge (Maryland), and Portland (Oregon).

Deals: Fully Waterproof GPS Watch for $123

Over the past few years, I've really seen the rise of personal fitness devices and along with it, a gradual decrease in pricing that is really starting to make it affordable to own something like a GPS watch to help optimize your training and log your workouts. Timex recently released the Ironman Run Trainer which is targeted as a direct competitor to the Garmin 210 watch. Based upon functionality and price point, this watch will be more than adequate for 90% of the people I know. The value of the watch goes further if you get the heart rate strap so you can measure the intensity of your workouts to see if you are pushing it enough on an interval workout or a CrossFit WOD. The best part is that you can get it for a reasonable price of $123 through a combination of sales and rebates.

Race Report: Philadelphia Marathon 2012

My 2011 season came to a close with the completion of the Philly marathon. I didn't intend to do any marathons this year but somehow ended up signing up for both the Baltimore Marathon and Philadelphia marathon which are within a month of each other. I agreed to do the Philly Marathon so that my brother and I could race each other on a relatively flat course. The outcome of the race was not exactly how I wanted due to the lingering plantar fasciitis issues. In a nutshell, I felt great the first half of the race (1:41 half marathon split) but struggled through the second half when the planter fasciitis flared up (4:08 finish). Unfortunately, other circumstances at the marathon gave me perspective that there are more important things to dwell on than an undesirable race result. I originally wrote a detailed post with race preparation, nutrition, mile splits, heart rate charts, etc. I decided to scrap all of that this morning and do something different.

My Reflective Wear Set-Up for Night Time Running

Figuring out ideal training conditions is always a trade-off depending on what season of the year you are in. During the Fall season, the weather is more conducive to running outside from a temperature perspective but the major disadvantage is the lack of day light to train in. At this point, you are pretty much forced to run in the dark before work or after work if you prefer to run outside.

Earn It to Own It and Other Race Apparel Etiquette

I've been on the fence about whether or not I'll go ahead and gut out running the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend due to my ongoing struggle with Plantar Fasciitis. It's frustrating knowing that I have the aerobic capacity and strength to run a marathon but am limited by an injury. In conversation with friends about dropping out and eating the $125 registration fee, someone mentioned that at least I would get a nice long sleeve tech tee out of it. Therein lies an interesting point. I don't think I would pick up and wear a shirt for a race I didn't do. Coincidentally, I saw this list of informal race shirt etiquette rules posted on the forums on slowtwitch.com. Personally, I’ve never worn a shirt or apparel for a race that I did not run or complete and I don't think I'd make an exception for the upcoming Philly Marathon. In a way, I feel like it would be disrespectful to the actual participants that were in the race. Earn it to own it.

The Most Incredible Home Cooked Steaks Courtesy of Sous-Vide

"Whoa...is that a blow torch cooking the steak?" Yes, that's a blow torch but it is only for "finishing" the steak. To further your confusion, the steak was cooked in a crock pot of water for about six hours and the finished product is hands down the best home-cooked steak I've ever had. All of this is courtesy to the Sous-Vide method which cooks the meat evenly throughout, not overcook the outside, and retain more of the food juices. This kind of cooking used to be limited to high end gourmet restaurants but now there are ways for us non-professionals to enjoy foods cooked Sous-Vide.