Distance Running Tips from Bart Yasso

A few days ago (Oct 20th to be exact), I logged onto twitter to see a great chat topic going on. THEE Bart Yasso was starting to take questions and talk about anything related to running.

I wasn't able to take part, but I checked back after the event was over, and I learned a few good tips! Here's a number of things from Bart Yasso's twitter page:

Next he was on to a topic that I've wrestled with myself:

Over the last 2 years, I've really come to believe his next 2 points on this thread:

(I've only completed one marathon [as part of an Ironman], but I'm thinking about these tips in terms of any longer-distance race. These ideas have worked for me in 10 mile races and half-marathons.)

Someone asked how FAR the "race pace runs" should be. Here's Bart's response:

Next he went on to talk about something I HATE: 800s on the track. Specifically, HIS 800s workout: "Yasso 800s."

"...in your goal time" meaning if you're shooting for a 4-hour marathon,
you do 4-minute 800s.

He even mentioned a half-marathon version of the Yasso 800s. In this case, he has people run 400s:

That sounds like a horrible workout, but something I WILL try sometime.

Before going on to the next topic, he had 2 funny tweets regarding Yasso 800s:

Ha! Love that! :)

It's the end of the summer running season (... OK, it's been ended for some time now...), and Bart had a question about how to handle these upcoming months:

Good to hear, because (1) I think so too and (2) I know
I'll be doing a lot of cross-training this winter




Sure, I'm injured a lot, but I TOTALLY agree with this

So I hope you can use some of these tips from Bart Yasso. And follow him on twitter to be updated on future #BartChat topics! Thanks Bart!

Happy training, everyone!

p.s. If you missed my weekend post on my training / racing goals for the winter, scroll down or click here.

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Racing / Training Goals for the Winter

Tuesday, I blogged about new dad issues. Thursday, I blogged about 4 runs with Henry (and had a lot of photos of the cute guy), and I mentioned that I'd be back with my goals for the winter.

Well... here's my goal:

To be fit.

Yep. That's the crux of it.

Not "run 80 miles / week."
Not "run a 1:25 winter half marathon."
Not "run a sub-17:30 5K."
Not "swim 2x / week."
Not "hit the gym 3x / week."

Just "be fit."


What this means is this: I might not get in the quality of swim / bike / run training that I'd like, but maybe I can spend part of an evening at home doing lunges and body-weight squats. Maybe I can fit in a quick "crossfit-style" workout in my garage over 20 minutes when Henry and Pharmie are napping. Maybe Pharmie and I can do intervals at the Metrodome this winter where we take turns running 2 laps hard and then holding Henry while the other one runs (I think that could be a fun workout!).

If I can get out for a quick walk with Henry, I'll do it. If I can do some good core exercises while Henry is playing on his playmate next to me, I'll do that. I'll fit WHATEVER in WHERE EVER I can. I will just "be fit."


What this DOESN'T mean is this: This DOESN'T mean I'm NOT going to be racing! I'd like to race some of the Charities Challenge indoor track meets like I've done in the past (probably the mile or 5000 - and I think I've talked Pharmie into trying her hand at the mile too!). I'd love to do the Winter Carnival Half Marathon in January if I can keep my mileage up over the winter. I won't be shooting for any PRs, but I can STILL HAVE A GOOD TIME!!


The point of this is that I must be aware that with a little guy in the house, I can't (for example) just hop off to the pool for 90 minutes as easily as I once could. BUT, I still can get in SOME sort of a workout! On that note, I had to pick Henry up from daycare yesterday because Pharmie was having a long day at work. We could have just hung around the house at 4 pm, but instead, I took him for an easy run along the river. We were out for an hour, and he just looked around the WHOLE time! Here he is learning to suck his thumb about 4 miles into our run:

And here he is near the end of our run (around mile 6.5) where he WAS sucking on his finger, but then he quickly turned the other way to look at a loud car driving up the hill next to us:

Cute little dude! :)

(Oh, and I should mention that this "just be fit" post was partially prompted by a post-TC-10-mile-weight-gain. Yep. I spent the summer floating under 154 pounds. Then, leading up to the TC 10, I was around 150-151 pounds. Shortly after, I jumped up to 154+. I'll gain a few more pounds over the winter, but I want to hold it off as much as possible!)

So that's it. We'll see if I can "be fit" this winter. Stay tuned....

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Friday Funny 238: Blunt Cards

Here are some great cards from BluntCard.com.

Warning: foul language.

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Friday Funny 237: How to Tip Like a Boss

Super nerdy? No, super awesome.

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Friday Funny 236: The Safest Way To "Lock" Your Bike

Yep. That bike ain't going anywhere...

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Four "Henry Runs"

RUN #1: 8 miles on Oct 11th.

This was my first run after OVER a week COMPLETELY off after the TC 10 Mile. I thought I'd just take it easy, but I ended up feeling OK part way through. So I picked up the pace and ran the middle 3 miles in well under 20 minutes. And Henry SLEPT through those 6:30 miles!

Loading up at home


Wide awake and looking around at mile 1


Getting HEAVY eyes at mile 3
(he passed out just after I took this photo)


Sleeping at mile 4 (which was a 6:30 mile)


Back at home after 8 miles, still asleep

RUN #2: 6.1 miles on Oct 16th.

I wanted to do more, but Henry got a little cranky after about 2-2.5 miles. As I was heading home, he fell asleep, so I ran a LITTLE more before figuring I should just get home before he woke up and got REALLY pissed.

Starting our run


Looking around on this bright day


Starting to look a little concerned, THINKING about starting to scream
(which he started to do shortly after I took this photo)


Still asleep in the dining room post-run


He woke up a half hour later and was ALL SMILES!


Henry in the Baby Bjorn stretching with me post-run
(Pharmie was at work, so we were hanging out all day together)

RUN #3: an easy 4 miles with Pharmie and Henry on Oct 18th!

Believe it or not, but this was the FIRST RUN THAT THE 3 OF US WENT ON TOGETHER!! (Well, at least with Henry outside of Pharmie.) We got ready for a chiller evening run, and Henry did NOT like the snowsuit we put him in. See?....

Not. Impressed. At. All.

We realized that the snowsuit was overkill for a 50 degree evening, so we took off some of the layers and we were ready to go:

Happier in a hoodie and hat


Running behind Mommy


Wide-eyed at mile 1


Starting to get sleepy
(he slept for the last half of the run)


Me and Henry running along River Road
(I normally don't wear pants until it's in the mid 30s, but this
was an EASY run, so I knew I wouldn't be too warm on my own.)

RUN #4: a long 12 miler on Oct 23rd!

This was the LONGEST run that Henry and I went on together! Pharmie was heading out on a long run with a friend, so I figured Henry and I would go for our OWN run. He was ready for a nap, and he fell asleep after 1 mile and slept for the final 11! (Well, his eye's popped open for about 2 seconds 3 different times when I would take a curb too aggressively [or something along those lines] and there was a little bump.)

I didn't think this was going to be a "hard" run - I had just planned to keep it easy. But I found myself wanting to pick up the pace a few miles into the run. So I did the last 6 miles all around 6:30 / mile! That felt GREAT (and horrible at the same time). And Henry wasn't awake for any of those speedy miles.

With heavy eyes as we started out
(under 1 block into the run)


Asleep before hitting the first mile marker


STILL asleep (sans hat) back in our yard after 12 miles with Daddy!

These have been my last 4 runs, and they've all been with Henry. This brings me to thinking about my training and racing goals for the winter and spring. I'll be posting about those in the next couple of days...

Related post: The Truth About Being a New Dad.

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