My running background.

I'm currently on my second running career.

I started running in my 30's, July 2002. I was 45 lbs heavier then, 185 lbs on a 5'8" frame. My first race was a half-marathon in early 2003. Dec 2003, I ran my first marathon. Between 2003 and 2007 I ran 4 marathons (4:22, 4:15, 3:54, 3:36) and a number of other races of shorter distances, but I was regularly having issues with both of my achilles tendons and was often having to take 1-3 week breaks. For a runner, taking breaks is frustrating to say the least. I'd done the whole shoe-fitting thing and different shoes didn't make a difference. At some point, I saw a podiatrist, who prescribed custom orthotics. I ran with those for a couple years, but orthotics didn't help either. (I'd like to point out: I probably had close to 1 lb on each foot in gear. I wear size 12 shoes, and those running orthotics were not light. By comparison, the shoes I wear now weigh ~ 6 oz.)

In 2009, I was in my best running shape to that point and pacing a marathon group, when at mile 17 my achilles took me out of the race. It hadn't recently been sore, and wasn't bothering me at all up to that point in the race. Just boom, it felt like something took a chunk out of my lower calf. After it didn't improve with a few days rest, I ended up at a PT. The PT had me run on a treadmill, evaluated my muscle strength, and diagnosed me with particularly weak hip muscles and prescribed various exercises for that.

Now I had never cross trained at this point. I had literally never been inside a gym. It was about 2 months of going to the PT every week before my achilles was no longer sore. But I'd also started a new demanding job at this time, and so I ended up not running very much from 2009-2012.

So that was my first career. I no longer have detailed logs from then, but I was probably running 1000-1200 miles/year. I ran okay, made steady improvements, but was often injured. Wanted to run Boston someday, but never imagined I could run that fast. (For those not aware, to run the Boston Marathon -- marathoners' Mecca -- you first have to qualify for it by running a certified marathon course sufficiently fast according to your age and gender.)

My second running career begins in late 2012. I needed to start running again, but knew I had to do something different. I had read Born to Run by this point, and decided to toss my orthotics and stability shoes, and just work toward the most minimal shoe I could comfortably run in. I also knew I needed to cross train, but wasn't disciplined enough to do that on my own. So I ended up at Crossfit, which I'd been hearing good things about.

(Let me apologize here as the Crossfit part of the story begins. Let me also remind you I had never been in a gym before 2013, much less Crossfit.)

Throughout 2013, I went to my Crossfit gym 3-5 days a week, and ran whenever I felt like it, mostly by feel. My goal, besides get back in shape and not suck at everything in Crossfit, was: enjoy running. But then another runner I met at the gym encouraged me to run a fall marathon, confident that I was running really strongly on a few runs we'd shared together. So that fall, off an improvised training plan and my fitness improvements from Crossfit, I ran a 3:22 marathon.

This was a gigantic improvement off my previous 3:36, really surprised me, and gave me hope of a BQ the following year. I finished out 2013 at ~ 1500 miles for the year, and importantly, no injuries.

For 2014, I continued with Crossfit and building my mileage, and trained for a fall marathon BQ, which I achieved with a 3:12. I finished 2014 at ~ 2000 miles. And still, no injuries.

For 2015, I set myself a goal of running a 3:05 marathon. I failed to achieve it at Boston (3:26) nor a fall marathon (3:16), due to it either being an overly aggressive goal, poor race strategy, or just having two bad race days (it happens). Nonetheless, I was really enjoying running at this point, and I allowed Crossfit to fall by the wayside as I no longer had time for it and running. This is probably a mistake that will at some point come back to bite me. But so far, knock on wood. The strength I gained from 2013 - mid-2015 has given me a body which can sustain vastly more miles than my pre-2013 self. I ended 2015 at 2500 miles and no injuries.

Now, this year is the year I've gone running crazy. I have a goal of 3000 miles, which I'm ahead of at 900 mi YTD. I have a second goal of running a marathon each month, and I'm ahead of that too. Each marathon I'm taking what the course, weather, and my body give me that day. January gave me a 3:16. February gave me a 3:08 (new PR). March gave me a 3:22 trail marathon, and a week later, a 3:42 on a warm humid day, where I just enjoyed the race and helped another runner I met on the course get in under her 3:45 goal.

So that's my running story so far.

TL;DRs:

- You need sufficient hip and core strength to run w/o getting injured.

- The back squat and deadlift are the most efficient exercises for gaining hip and core strength.

- You will gain aerobic capacity faster than you gain strength.

- Your aerobic capacity will allow you to run faster and more than your strength justifies.

- Especially tendons, ligaments and bones take a long time to get stronger.

- Patience grasshopper. Take time building your strength and allowing your body to adapt. Running is stressful!

- With sufficient strength, you can run as much as time allows.

- More running will make you a more efficient runner.

- Being a more efficient runner will make you a faster runner.

Last point: the body is amazingly adaptable. On Wednesday, I ran 48 miles in 24 hours across three runs (17, 18, 13). My 2007 body, that ran a 3:36 marathon, would have exploded trying to do that. I'm about to head out to a local ultra to pace folks for a few laps in the dark that are completing 100 miles in under 30 hours, some in under 15 hours. They've been running since 6 AM. They are all shapes and sizes, but I'll tell you what, they have resolve.

BTW, if you do decide to give Crossfit a try, a bit of warning. Key is finding a good one with coaches who know what they are doing. It's an affiliate model with no quality control at all. Anyone can open a Crossfit w/o really having a clue. Crossfit isn't perfect, but I enjoyed it (and need to get back...) for the supportive community, generally knowledgable coaches, and for how it benefited me as a runner.