Observations on Running and the Family Vacation

Happy is the trail runner who plans a vacation to the mountains. Fantasies of new trails, waterfalls, and miles of mountain views populate his mind while choosing which shoes to bring along.

There are other ways besides running to enjoy trails during the family vacation.

But, as those of you with families, especially families comprised of small children, know; a vacation is never as relaxing and fancy free as you hope. You're having fun with family, after all. And, when work demands your attention, too; you find that you have little time to actually drive over to that trail that looks so cool on the map.

Yes, your running time during family vacations is just as precious and subject to inconvenience as it is in real life. So, you'll probably find that the best laid running plans, as far as vacations go, are best left to runners who have the freedom to do whatever they want to do while traveling. (Lucky dogs)

In my mind, the best way to ensure that the family vacation affords a dedicated runner that special run is to incorporate a race into the vacation schedule. In fact, this is ideal.

You'll have paid to register for the race, which obligates the rest of your family to encourage you to have fun with it. And, the race will usually be on a cool course. If the race is at the beginning of the vacation, you'll spend the remaining days recovering and not missing your runs as much. Or, if the race is towards the end of your vacation, you'll spend the preceding days tapering and not missing your runs as much.

So, there ya go, family-oriented runner: Plan a race during your next vacation with the spouse and kids if you really want to get in a good run. Otherwise, just expect to take a cut-back week, which is a good thing too, usually.

New Balance Minimus Trail shoes on vacation — spending more time beside the wall than planned.

Mileage Base Buildup: Winter Running Has a Purpose

I'd been wishing for a stronger foundation, mileage wise, since beginning the Higdon marathon training program over this past summer. And, with the dearth of appealing distance races scheduled this month, I finally outlined a training schedule for me that will help me establish some decent base miles.

For those of you who are newer at this than me, base mileage is important because these added miles facilitate a boost in aerobic conditioning, develop muscle fibers, increase blood volume and glycogen storage, strengthen connective tissue, and enhance the body's ability to burn fat. Essentially, base miles help you become a better runner.

A Runner's World Online article, Build a Better Base, conveys the following pointers for base building:

1. Know your base pace. Base miles should be run at a comfortable, conversational pace.
2. Plan your increases. Jack Daniels's rule for increasing mileage, in which he mandates that a runner should never add more than one mile per week for each running workout you do per week, is a popular method for adding weekly mileage. So if I run four times a week, I'll add up to four miles to my weekly training. But it's important to keep in mind that, once those new miles are on the weekly schedule, one must train at the new weekly total for three weeks before adding more mileage. A ten to twelve week base training program often allows for maximum benefits.
3. Don't forget quality training entirely. When base training, the majority of workouts should be made up of steady aerobic mileage. But, it's also beneficial to throw in a 20- to 25-minute tempo run once a week. Hills or strides once or twice a week will be helpful, too.

So, with those points in mind, my mileage buildup plan is in effect for the winter.