In answer to a question that came up from the last post, what time do I run? It depends on the day and my class schedule, but I usually run once in the morning to start my day and once in the evening, preferably before dinner. Occasionally that balance gets thrown off, but I make sure to run twice a day except for my long run day, where I do more miles in one run than in my usual two-a-day. Now on to today’s entry:

Keep a Log!

Keeping a training log will help you chart the little improvements along the way and help you see how you are progressing towards your goal. It is good to chart the distance you covered, the time that it took, the weather, the course, and anything else that you think is notable. I prefer to keep a very basic log because otherwise I wouldn’t keep one at all.

The key is to have a running log and to keep it up to date (if my coach reads this, he will laugh because I have been really bad about keeping my log updated recently). What is really neat is being able to look back at years past and to see your progression. Since a healthy lifestyle is something I strongly promote, your log will be a huge motivator for you down the road long after the 2010 Run for Hungry Children has come and gone.

There are some good online running logs if you are interested in keeping your log digitally: flotrack has the one I currently use or athleticore also has a good one as well. Those sites make it easy to enter in much of the information that I mentioned you should include in your log, and you will never lose it or misplace it :)

Question o' the Week: What kind of cross training do you think is beneficial for improvement in distance running? Post has no comments.

We all know that if you want to accomplish something in life, you have to set goals to get there. Running is no different. Whether your goal is: to finish the Run for Hungry Children 5k, to run a fast time, or if this race is a step along a journey to run a longer race such as a half marathon or a marathon, setting goals gives you benchmarks to reach along the journey.

I am going to highlight two helpful tips that I have picked up since I started running that are essential to accomplishing running goals: have a plan and keep a log. Today I will cover the plan. Next time I will cover the log.

Have a plan – Decide at least two weeks in advance what your training schedule will look like. By training schedule I mean: what days you will run, how far you will run on those days, what your pace will be or the ratio of walking to running you will do, and what time of day you plan to run. Your average training pace and distance should not make you sore for days. By gradually building the number of days per week you run (and/or walk) and distance you cover on those days, you will see improvement.

Having a plan also helps you to keep yourself accountable. Without a plan it is easy to get to the end of the day and say, “Oh well, I wasn’t able to run today. I will do it tomorrow.” Then the same thing happens and 1 day becomes 2 becomes 3, and a week later you realize that you have lost significant training time.

Putting in the miles is the most important part of distance running for beginners and elites alike. You need to put in the miles to see the results. Speed is great, but if you haven’t trained yourself to handle the distance, that speed is worthless. When you plan your run, plan it at a time of day that fits into your schedule. Soon it should become part of your schedule. If you keep it up, your day will not feel complete without getting in your workout.

Where do you keep your daily or weekly schedule? Phone, computer, planner, calendar, or the old fashioned palm pilot (Sarah Palin style)? Post has no comments.

I am going to answer my own question from the previous entry. Do I use the weather as an excuse not to get outside and run in the winter? ....absolutely!

I know there are some running purists out there who run outside when the windchill is twenty below, but I find the treadmill to be quite a nice alternative, especially when running 18+ miles a day. It prevents me from cutting my runs short or doing the bare minimum. If you don't have access to a treadmill, though, running is probably one of the warmest things you can do out there if you are dressed appropriately.

What to wear when running in the extreme cold: a warm hat, maybe even a ski mask, wind resistant pants or running tights (guys, make sure to wear a pair of briefs or two... I'm just sayin'), a base layer of a long sleeve t-shirt or a light jacket, an outer layer that offers some wind protection, and a good pair of gloves or mittens.

The biggest thing for me when running in extreme cold is to have wind resistant mittens or even socks over a pair of gloves to keep my fingers warm. Your toes stay warm because they are moving, but you have to keep your fingers warm. If you have some latex gloves lying around, those work wonders as a base layer under a pair of gloves.

Today's question: What is your goal for the Run for Hungry Children 5k? To finish? To run the whole way? To run a good time?

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Hello all! My name is Chad Ware. Bright Hope and I teamed up around this time last year when The Run for Hungry Children Race Director, Mike Wiersema, asked me to partner with them. Bright Hope does some incredible things all over the world, bringing hope to people living on less than $1 a day, so I was definitely on board, and was proud to be a part of the Bright Hope Marathon Team for the 2009 Chicago Marathon. This blog is an outworking of that partnership between Bright Hope and I.

Just as an introduction, I am going to highlight a few areas of "the life of Chad" that may (or may not) interest you.

I'm a Christian: this is the most important part of my life, so it has to come first.

I'm a newlywed: I married my beautiful wife, Katie, this past August and LOVE being married to my best friend.

I'm a runner: I have a marathon personal best of 2:20:45 from the 2009 Chicago Marathon where I finished 24th Overall. Despite a slower time, I was 18th and the fastest Illinois runner at the 2008 Chicago Marathon. The goal for my next marathon (Green Bay in May) is to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials by running under 2:19.

I'm a student: In my third year seminary at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois and a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, training to be an Army chaplain.

I am a coach: I recently became the men's and women's head cross country coach at Trinity (which previously did not have cross country) and am working on building the team from scratch for the 2010 season.

The purpose of this blog will be to share some running tips to help you train for the Run for Hungry Children and to promote a healthy lifestyle. If you are nervous about running, don't be! If you keep up with this blog and incorporate the concepts into your training, you will be just fine.

O ya, one last thing, at the end of each entry I will leave you with a question.

Today's question: Do you use the nasty Chicago weather as an excuse not to run outside in the winter?

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