Doctor Who Virtual Race Series

It is no secret I am slightly obsessed with certain sci-fi and fantasy books, movies, and shows. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Doctor Who are at the top of that list. So when the 50th Anniversary was up and coming for Doctor Who I poked around on the internet wondering if there were any virtual Doctor Who themed races.

My Nerd Credentials from a 3D Theater Showing of the 50th Anniversary Show

If you are wondering what a virtual race is you are not alone. Simply put you sign up for an event, pay your registration fee, and agree to certain terms like how far you'll run, when you'll run. Ultimately, it is on the honor system that you actually get out there and run the good run and with most races there is a sweet race medal that is sent to you via mail.

I came across the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Virtual fun run/walk group page on facebook and signed up right away.  There are different options on how far you'll choose to go. I selected the Half Marathon.  I received this great Doctor Who 50th Anniversary themed medal and better still, much of the proceeds benefited the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing. 

50th Anniversary Medal

There is a great sense of community on that group page. I've found runners and walkers to share a bond that I haven't seen elsewhere. I guess it is because we are all a little crazy and it's more fun to be crazy with friends. Add that with shared enthusiasm bordering on obsession about the show and you get a good time. I had the chance to talk with Queenie Zook, one of the organizers for the virtual race series, and learn more about how it all came about.


RL:How did you and Princess Seven come up with the idea to start these virtual races?

QZ: The virtual running was my idea. I had seen a couple online and wanted to do my own series, focusing on peace, love, pay it forward. acceptance. etc. I had mentioned it to Princess Seven once (she is not a runner) and she said if she were a runner, she would do a Dr Who medal. I said who?? Hahaha. Told her she might sell 10 if she was lucky. We originally ordered 50 medals. I was quickly sucked in to the world of Whovian. You all are great, but I am Seussian to my core. 

RL: I think we are all Seussians on some level Queenie. So it started with the Doctor Who 50th anniversary virtual race. I love the medal from that one! It is proudly displayed in my home. That first race benefited the Boston Marathon bombing victims correct? 

QZ: Yes

RL: What other organizations have the races benefited?

QZ:  Neads Service Dogs for Boston, One Fund, Back On My Feet (Great organization-check it out) Currently, (the) Lifelong Aids Foundation out of Seattle. Also $300 for yearbooks for the homeless graduates in our school system and we adopted 10 students who we clothed and (bought) shoe's for the first day of school. We work closely with our soup kitchen and Spin Café who feeds and does laundry for homeless and special needs youth. We are often spur of the moment. If we see a need in our community or are contacted about a need, we give it if we have it. 

RL: The race medals are fantastic! Who does the design work?

QZ: The 50th anniversary was designed by Ruby Dee via Crown Awards. The rest have been designed by us via Crown Awards.

RL: There have been 5 races so far with the latest being the 50mile and 100 mile Ultra-Whovian Challenge. What else is on the horizon?

QZ:  Weeping Angel is the next in line. We are working on copyrights for (a) Dalek (medal), and a few have asked for Adipose. Who knows, we make it up as we go.

RL:  Just like the Doctor. Anything else you'd like to add?

QZ:  Well I have had a blast getting to know the Whovian culture.

RL: Thank you for your time and all the hard work you and Princess Seven have put in. 



Here is the link for the page. Sign up links are located in the pinned post:

Doctor Who Virtual Race Series 

Getting it back via R&R

I started this post a while back and got busy and let it hang in limbo. So .........

After the Mangler 50k on Saturday smart recovery was at the top of my to do list. I'm still figuring out the best ways for my body to recover after a major endurance event.

Immediately after the race I like to mix a Vega recovery drink up and slam it down with a banana. I didn't have my Vega after this race and despite the tough run I had I finished feeling better than either of the two marathons I ran previously. I had energy and, aside from destroyed leg muscles, felt pretty darn good. So after the race I had a cup of chicken noodle soup and two slices of pizza, which were provided at the race. Carbs and some protein. Good recovery meal, right? I think I ate a CLIF bar on the way home too.

Before I left North Park I wrote Tara and told her I was done and coming home which means one thing...Indian meal! After each major race Tara has hooked us up with a gigantic spread of Indian food. I'm talking $50-60 worth for just the two of us. This is reason enough for me to run a race!

The next few days were spent eating and foam rolling and eating and stretching and eating and eating and ......eating. Also, at least 3 sessions of foam rolling a day.  Sunday I took a short walk on the treadmill, washed laundry, and knocked out the dusting and glass cleaning. Keeping moving really seems to help for a quicker recovery.

I had scheduled Monday off of work knowing that I'd probably need it. I dropped Tara off at work (we work together) and was surprised by my friend, and coworker, Nick. He had just moved and had a spinning bike that he offered up free of charge! We loaded it in my car and I headed home for a mostly relaxing day. Throughout the day I foam rolled and watched some quality TV; Walking Dead while taking a cool epsom salt bath and a whole lot of Doctor Who.  I also managed to clean the bathroom, sweep and mop floors, and finish laundry. Fairly productive rest day!

After that it was time to get going again. I had signed up for a 100 mile challenge. Run and/or walk 100 miles and the first 3 finishers would get a prize of an undisclosed nature. I began logging a lot of miles walking and started tracking my walking at work. There was a bit of light running as well with a 14 miler in the city one week after the Mangler and more than a few shorter runs.

100 miles in 10 days and a solid 3rd place finish! After this effort I will be ramping down for the remainder of the year taking a break until January 5th when 9 months of training starts for the Pine Creek Challenge 100k!

Taking a break means something different to runners than most I think. For me it is planning about 20-25 miles per week with all easy effort runs. No tempo, no speedwork, no farteks (hee hee ha ha ho ho, I said fartlek). I also got a gym membership at planet fitness so there will be plenty of crosstraining, stretching, and foam rolling. A break from challenging running.

The next post will feature an interview with Queenie Zook, one of the creators of the Doctor Who virtual race series, which included the 50 and 100 mile ultra-Whovian challenge.  Until then stay warm and run happy!

 

So you want to run a 10k

In this "So you want to run" we will talk about transitioning from a 5k to a 10k; What it takes and how to prepare.

Basically, the same slow build up for going from 0k to 5k is in play when preparing for a 10k. 10 kilometers is 6.21 miles. Though it may seem very far right now it is definitely achievable with a training plan and some good old fashioned persistence.

Plan your training time. I would suggest 3-4 days of running per week with one of those days reserved for the long run.  As you might have guessed the long run should be longer than your usual runs. If you regularly run 2 miles then 3 or 4 miles would be a good starting point. Keep your pace slower than what you normally run. You really can't go too slow with a long run so keep it feeling easy.  You should be able to easily have a conversation with someone at the long run pace. The ultimate goal here is to build up endurance and spend more time on your feet. 

The long run has a number of benefits and is a staple of training for distance running. However, you don't need to be a half marathon runner or marathoner to benefit from the long run. The long run strengthens the heart and opens capillaries up.  It increases the size and number of mitochondria, strengthens muscles and tendons, and helps bring your fast twitch muscles in to help in slow twitch tasks.

Fast twitch muscles are used in quick, intense efforts like sprinting. The slow twitch are your endurance muscles for long distance running. The long run will make you faster over short distances too! Start by doing the long run once every two weeks, but no more than once a week and reap the mental and physical benefits.


As you build up your miles training a good general rule of thumb is to add no more than 10% to your distance each week. If I run 10 miles this week the next week I would plan 11. If I ran 25 miles for the week the following week I can add roughly 2.5 miles or run 27-28 miles. This guideline will help keep you running and lessen the chance of over training injuries.

Cross Training

As you are increasing your distance now is a good time to implement some cross training. What is cross training?  Simply put, it is exercising muscle groups that you do not use at all or do not use heavily when running.  Cross training will help build a strong body and it will benefit your running tremendously. Additionally, it can help make you less prone to overuse injury.

What would happen if you took a Ferrari engine and dropped it into your old Ford Pinto? The power of the motor would likely tear a car like that apart! The body is the same. You may have legs of steel from running, but unless the support structure has strength then it is only a matter of time before you are sidelined from an injury.

Great cross training activities for runners include bicycling, swimming, elliptical, yoga, and core strengthening work. Weight training can help tremendously too.  

When I started running I had a number of minor injuries. When I did, I immediately went to the internet and read up on strengthening the damaged muscle. As I increased my mileage from the 5k towards the 10k distance and beyond I had pulled a groin muscle on more than one occasion. So I went to Marshalls (great resource for affordable running clothes/gear) and got myself a thigh master for $10.  I started using it a few times a week and within 2 weeks no more groin pain on longer runs. I'm glad to say it has been a very long time since I had that injury.

Change it up!
 
Another activity I can not say enough for is incorporating some trail running. Though it is not cross training in a strict sense running trails uses more muscles than road or track. Particularly it will strengthen your calves, Achilles tendon, and foot muscles. Also, trail running is easier on the feet in some ways. While it is tougher on the muscles and will make you stronger, the trail will be considerably softer than asphalt or concrete putting less impact stress on the bones.  If the trail you select is very hilly be prepared to go much slower. A seasoned trail runner may cover 6 miles in an hour while us mere mortals may cover 3-4 miles in that time. 

Changing up the terrain you run will make you stronger. Run some road, some trail, take a day at the track.  There are a number of workouts to target speed, endurance, and strength. Runners World online is a great resource for information and workout ideas for the newbie and the pro alike.

For now we will stay focused on a simple plan to increase distance in preparation for your 10k.  

Dreams + Action = Reality

I spent three summers working at a camp which functioned as a training program for high school aged mentors and as a mentoring program for elementary school aged at-risk youth. Two of those years were through Americorps,  essentially the domestic Peace Corps. General Jones, USMC started the camp as a way to give back. He was a troubled kid and a person stepped in, mentored him, and set him on the right track. The General is a man full of sound, caring advice. One thing we learned and taught the kids was this simple formula: Dreams + Action = Reality. If you want something you have to take action. You have to create what you want.

A dream, a goal of yours is to run a 10k? Great! Make an action plan,a training plan and stick to it. Running is an exercise in perseverance and persistence. Here is a rough outline for how I went from 5k to 10k distances. No one plan will be the ideal for everyone so be flexible without sacrificing training.

Train

I mentioned above planning for 3-4 days of running per week. That is a good starting point. Is the long run necessary? In short, no. You can run a 10k without doing weekly or bi-monthly long runs. I prefer to do them and I take great enjoyment in tackling new distances. Just like training for the 5k start slow and if you are doing hard workouts (ie long runs, hill workouts, track speed repeats) make sure to sandwich your hard workouts between easy effort runs and/or rest days. Easy effort means a little faster than you run your long run. A pace you can speak a sentence or two while running before you get winded as opposed to the conversational pace of the long run.  Every 3 weeks I put an active recovery week in. This just means stepping down mileage a little to let your body acclimate and rest.

Your schedule might look something like this:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	Rest	2 mi	CT	2 mi	Rest	3 mi	1 mi EZ
2	Rest	2 mi	Rest	2 mi	CT or Rest	4 mi	1 mi EZ
3	Rest	2 mi	CT	1 mi	CT or Rest	3 mi	1 mi EZ
4	Rest	3 mi	Rest	2 mi	CT or Rest	4 mi	1 mi EZ
5	Rest	3 mi	CT	2 mi	CT or Rest	4 mi	2 mi EZ
6	Rest	4 mi	CT	3 mi	CT or Rest	3 mi	2 mi EZ
7	Rest	3 mi	CT	3 mi	CT or Rest	5 mi	2 mi EZ
8	Rest	3 mi	CT	2 mi	CT or Rest	10k Race!

CT = crosstraining

The same race week and race day prep apply from the So You Want to Run a 5k post. Get out there and enjoy the race!