Week update

I'll start off with my middle school coaching, We have are first meet this coming wednesday vs. Portland which should be interesting cause we really don't know how any of the kids are doing. It's really hard to share the track with the high school team doing workouts. I am doing the girls/guys distance coaching and I have two girls that are going to be pretty good. One of them I knew was going to be good, she's one of my high school xc runners sister and I got another girl that came out of no where that just doesn't want to stop running. Other then that the sprints/field events should be really interesting. I'll update about it next wednesday.
My training has been pretty good this week I upped it back to 60 miles last week and plan on going up to 65/70 miles this week. I've gotta start doing tempos and fartlek because all i've been doing is easy/steady runs everyday. I'm feeling "blah" the last 2 1/2 weeks so maybe i'll get a faster tempo in the next couple days.
Yesterday we had a SVSU reunion at Chris and meagans house in midland which was pretty fun. I got to see some people i haven't seen in a long time. We plays some word games and then later on in the night they played some drinking games. Some of the girls and a few guys made some cookies haha which were pretty good. So overall it was pretty fun, but didn't get out of control like I thought it may with some of the people that were there can make it real crazy. Run Happy....B. Johnson

Martian 10k

Yesterday I ran the Martian 10k down in Dearborn Michigan. I was signed up as one of the elite runners for the 10k race. I was almost going to not show up because it was so far away, but I did go and it took me 1 1/2 hours to get there so I had to leave at 5:30 am. I got there and didn't know where to park and where the sign in place was. So luckily it was right there by the park so I could find it easy. I went to sign in and I found out I was to sign in in the "Elite" tent, lol I was like ok, where is this at. I'm looking everywhere and I find it by the start/finish area. I get a tag that says "Elite Athlete" and I get a warm tent to get ready and they had free food. I was waiting and I was like holy crap theres 4 Kenyan runners and a bunch of D-1 runners and finally I find another "playmakers" runners and we get warmed up and we got to cut to the front of the race.
The start I am up with the top guys but I knew I was in trouble when I hit in 5:00 which is to fast for the shape I'm in right now. I fall back and I got lucky another guy was with me to help push myself most the race and we go through 5k in 16:00 which is to slow and I'm dying with 2 miles left I just can't go any faster, I could go forever but couldn't go faster. (I only done one speed work out in the past 4 months) I keep trying to drop the guy with me at the end and then I do on one of the up hills in the last 1 1/2 miles. We are within the last 1/2 mile now and I look and i have about 5-10 sec lead on the next guy so I wasn't to worried but the 5k/half marathon runners are finishing with us so i lost track of the guy behind me but luckily I had enough left to beat him by 3 sec. I felt great at the end and got in 5 mile cool down with playmakers guys and some other elite guys. winner was 30:20's which is flying, but the weather was awesome and very little wind. I was 14th overall and 33:04 (5:19 pace).
The next few weeks i'm going to increase my mileage and try some speed work and try to get in a fast 5k by may or june....I want to get my middle school kids going so hopefully some speed work will get them going.

Hope all is well and Run Happy

Quick Update

Hello everyone, hope you had a great easter weekend like I did. Now its time to get back at the hard training and get rid of all the candy you may have ate. Last week after my half marathon was pretty tiring because I wasn't use to all the hard pounding for 13.1 miles. It got better by the end of the week and now I feel back to normal. I only got 60 miles in with some 800 repeats at 10k pace but I feel pretty good for my upcoming race on Saturday April 10. The race is called the Martian 10k down by Ann Arbor Michigan, I was invited by the people running the event so I get to run it free for Playmakers Racing. I just hope I run a good race and not get blown out by the elite runners in the field. It's spring break so I get to get in some good runs this week even tho its a down week but I'm only having middle school track practice on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Well I'll write more on how the race goes on Saturday. Hope everyone's training going great and RUN HAPPY!!!! B. Johnson

Flushing Half Marathon

I want to start off by saying sorry it's been so long sense I last updated this. I been pretty busy now that I have started coaching the middle school track team and I live a boring life.

Today was my first half marathon down in Flushing , Michigan which is close to Flint Michigan. It started at 9:30 in the morning it was a brisk 32 degrees out which is not my favorite running weather. Also the wind decided it wanted to show up also, most the race was either into the wind or at the side of us. I wasn't to nervous at this race, I just wanted to get it over with and see if I like it or not. This is the longest race I have done so far.
I get warmed up with two miles nice and easy and then do some strides and I am freezing with the wind and cold weather. I wore my Brooks ID jersey with a pair of arm warmers and my new Brooks T6 road shoes. We start off and the first mile I feel great it goes out and do a out and back in a small sub division and then we rejoin the 5k loop. I was leading up till the mile then a local kid who now runs for Eastern Michigan university joins me at the front of the race, I feel good till we get to the 3 1/2 mile mark and we are running average 5:22 /mile pace and it's a little to quick for me so I back off because I have no idea if I can keep this pace or am I going to "die" at mile 11. I fall back around 15 sec back from the leader and just chill and I am a little a head of pace then we get to the 2 loop finish. The course finished with two 4 mile loops which I do not like, I get to bored and I fall into a relaxed pace and never can get out of it. Which was the case plus we had to watch out for cars that didn't want to move or stop. The second loop I have to contend with the other runners and cars which wasn't very much fun. I end up 2nd overall with a unofficial time of 1:13:18, the computer didn't want to work I guess so the official time I might never know. Cool down was only 2 miles...calf/solus very very sore. Overall I was happy with my race, the conditions were cold and next time I will know more of a pace I can run and not be scared I might "die' towards the end of the race.-Run Happy
Brandon

Brooks ID

Today was my first race as a Brooks member. It was a decent sized field of runners, but I think I was the only crazy person to wear running shorts and a jersey. It was very windy out 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Then it kept spitting rain off and on throughout the warm up. I didn't see anyone that I knew so I wasn't worried about getting beat until 2 min before the race. I've raced this guy 2 times, once in a mile run on the track where he it was windy and he just sat on me and kicked with 200 meters left. The second time I just wasn't in shape and I died hard, so I was thinking well I'm in ok shape I'm going to push it hard and see if he goes with me. Well another guy from University of Oakland shows up which has recently ran 15:xx low for indoors and my recent 5k was low 16:xx. So I kind of knew I was in trouble from the start.
The start of the race I take off decently fast and I look around and I'm all alone, I look back on one of the corners and they are just chilling about 10 sec back. I just keep pushing hoping I could put enough distance between myself and them, First mile I come in 5:08 which wasn't bad, not tired so I kept on pushing and I was still the same distance from the 2nd and 3rd place guys. Second mile I was 10:28 going partly into the wind and the rain picks up a little bit and still I'm up on the other guys, so I knew they have to start coming anytime now and we hit some little hills and I push up them and I start to feel little tired, so I though. Finally right before the 3rd mile the guy from Oakland is coming he already made up a little distance on me. I though well maybe I'll just keep the pace and if he gets me I'll try to stay with him and maybe he'll be to tired at the end and I can out kick him. I get to the 5k and he's right behind me and I let up a little bit and he passes me and I feel ok not to tired so I go with him and I don't know anything about this course so I look at my watch and see 19:30. I figure we should be between 1/2 to 1/4 left in the race. I push past him and push it one last time and he stays right behind me and we get to the last turn and he must of knew the finish was right there cause he took off and I try to go but I haven't done any speed except long tempos, so he out kicks me by maybe 2 feet. I finished with 21:20 time (5:20 pace) not real fast but with that wind and now its pouring rain and I'm freezing I'll take it. Until next time
Brandon

Sunny Day's

The last few days have been great for running. It's amazing how the sun and mid 50's make it feel like 70's when you get used to 20 degrees and with wind chills in the teens. I've decided I'm going to run a 4 miler this Saturday, so the last few day's I've been getting in the mileage, and resting toward the end of the week to be a little fresh for the race. This is the last week at 80 miles and my legs are telling me. I am pretty sore from the long run last Sunday (15 miles) and last two days of 13 miles. I wanted to get a workout in today (Tuesday) but my calf's were pretty sore so I guess I'm going to have to just go with easy days the rest of the week. Well until after my race this weekend. Later....

P.s Can't wait to wait the new Brooks ID jersey....I'm almost more excited to wear that then racing haha...

Brandon

Leadup to Half Marathon

Today was the last Long run before my half marathon at the end of March. So far I've been building my mileage for 7 weeks (almost 2 months) at 70 or more per week. I've got my long runs up to 15 mile today, and I've been doing either a fartlek or a tempo run per week. I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in sense 2006 when I ran 15:03, 31:12, and 25:38 for the 8k xc. I haven't raced very much leading up to the half marathon, I've only did 2 races, one being a 5k (16:3x) and a indoor 5k. I may do a 4 miler next Saturday to see what kind of shape I'm in. Last Wednesday I got in a really good tempo with Kierran one of the high schoolers, I pushed the run a few times and I felt great, around 5:50 pace for 4 1/2 miles. I was dropping Kierran so I had to back it down a few times, he just got done with wrestling season and already in pretty good shape after a week of running. This will be the last 80 mile week, the next 2 week before the Half I will go 60 miles then either 50-55 taper with a short quicker work outs and no long run. That is all, until next time...

Peace

Workout

Ever sense last post, I've been a little bit sore for the long run. I took Monday ,Tuesday really easy and then yesterday I decided to get a short fartlek in. A fartlek is when you do short or long burst of speed during the run with short active recovery between each interval. My fartlek was 8 by 1 min hard with 30 sec (active recovery) It was pretty short workout only taking 11 min total during the 6.5 mile run but I feel It help me with the start of a race and the burst of speed you may have to use to drop someone or try to catch someone. Fartlek I feel get me in shape the fastest and ready for races. This is my last week at 70 miles and I have to go up to 80 miles for 3 week then I'll start to try to peak for my half marathon I plan on running at the end of March. The rest of my lead up to the half marathon I want to run one or two 5k's or possible a 8k/10k if I can find one. I was going to run another 5k indoor but I think it would help me more, if I do a race outside with the cold/wind. If anyone has any comments on half marathon training or workouts that helped you please let me know!!!

Thanks Brandon

Long Run

Today was long run day, I always dread Sunday morning. I knew this meant I have to run alone and I have to go at least 11 miles. Then once I get done I feel the great. Well today I wanted to get in 13 miles, so I did my 6 mile loop that goes by my house then continued into my 7 mile High school loop. I felt great half way, so I decided that I would get a tempo run. The tempo was a 2.5 miles and I must of been going 5:45/mile or so. I was feeling the lactic acid build up , so I think it was a little to fast. I want to get ready for my half marathon for the end of march. I got up by the high school and then I hit the windy part and I just wanted to be done with the run. I remembered the article I read in Runners World about Kara Goucher the other day and how Salazar her coach tells her different words like fighter , and I actually though of that on my run and it helped me fighter past the pain of the tempo and wind. Once I got to were I new I could finish all the mental part was easy. I've always trained like a half-marathoner while in college with averaging 70-90 early season and 80-110 during summer but now that I am getting to actually race a half, It's pretty tough getting in the hard V02 workouts.
I finished the run and felt great, probably could have done another 2-3 more miles but I didn't want to force anything so I ended it at 13 mile (1:21:25) Pace 6:16. I wore my Playmakers jacket and Brooks switch shoes.
Later
Brandon

Me, Myself and I

Hello everyone, this is my first blog and I'm going to dedicate it to get back to running fast. I plan on writing about my training goals, training runs, races, my daily workouts and the difficultly I may I have. I'm going to let everyone know right now I am a terrible speller so there will be spelling errors so I apologize right now.

I want to start off with a little info about myself. My name is Brandon Johnson, I am from around Lansing Michigan. While in high school I was ok runner for averaging 20 miles a week. I really didn't care till my junior year of high school when I broke 5 min in the mile. My Personal records were 17:10 (5k cross country), 800 (2:04) Mile (4:40) and 2 mile was 10:55. Then I went off to Saginaw Valley State University were I feel I didn't deserve to run because a 4:40 miler should be running in college but I guess I improved and by my junior year I got a scholarship for running and ended my college running with a 4:25 mile, 8:41 (3k) 15:03 (5k) 25:38 cross country 8k, 31:10 outdoor track 10k personal records. My junior and senior year we qualified for cross country nationals and placed 5th and 11 th as a team. Now I've been injured the last 2 1/2 years and i'm trying to get back into it slowly and hopefully healthy. I've been slowly getting up the mileage and doing tempos and fartlek and trying to get up the strength. (I'll talk more about that later in a different post.)

I also am a Cross Country coach at my local high school and I love it. I want to help these kids improve and hopefully they will get to experience what I got to in college athletes and possible get a running scholarship. I've been at OHS for two years now and I've had 3 different student athletes qualify for states one being All-State two straight years. Last year the girls team was 1 point away from qualifying for states which was a killer but hopefully it will give them a huge goal to go after. It's been at least 5-7 years sense the girls made states and it's been 15 + for the guys. I just got offered the Middle school Assistant coaching position also, so that will help with getting them ready and stealing them from other fall sports haha ...at least I hope I can !!!.

I also run for a few different stores/companies the last couple years. First Playmakers shoe store in Okemos Michigan , It's been in runners world and few other magazine as a top running store in the country. I recently been getting some help fro Gu energy and Brooks ID program. Oh, I almost forgot, I wear test shoes for Runners World which is awesome because you all know shoes are really really expensive.

Well I think that pretty much everything about me in terms of running, Got to get some rest for tomorrows long run.
Peace Brandon