26.2 Goal Setting

Starting to think about goals for the next marathon. I know that I will need to ease through this training. I think I've turned a corner with the R knee, but I don't want to take any chances. There will be some time off. There will be a week in Utah; I am traveling to Indianapolis in Feb, but I think I will run there. Not sure how much running I will do in Hawaii. Might as well--it's a great place for that.

Even Pace

I think my biggest goal is going to be to keep an even pace. For some reason, 9:45/M pokes out at me as doable. If I were to manage that, I'd have a finishing time close to 4:15:00, which would be shaving more than 20 minutes off my first marathon. It would also leave room to improve in the Fall. I like this idea, so I am going to kick it around.

Another idea I like is having a weight loss goal for the race. The idea would be to commit to weigh a certain amount on race day--something like 175 lbs.

On The Road Again

Today, I ventured out onto the road for a slow 3-miler. R knee got soft at the end. Dang! Still, it was nice to be out in the snow with my 2010 screw shoes. These were the alternate pair of Ghosts that I bet up after the half marathon. Lots of training miles on these puppies. Stopped wearing them when I got the Ghost 2s and started breaking them in for the marathon. Then I got the Launch, and these guys never felt right again. They were tearing up my heels for some reason. Well, different story with the screws--these guys are great. Perfect Winter running shoes, and they'll make great lawnmowing shoes in the Summer.

But what about that knee? I'm supposed to do 115 minutes tomorrow, and I think I'll do it in the pool. I don't want to push it at all.

I put in far fewer screws this year. 10 on each shoe, and I think that's more than enough. I think four in front and four in back would do it. But they're cheap, so... what the heck.

99 Days to Go

All this knee anxiety has me worried. Today is an "off" day, and while I was tempted to get into the pool or something, I decided to really take the day off. Tomorrow, I will head to the gym and do the regular 30min pool run. Part of my is curious about trying to DWR in the deepest lane. Not sure if 5' of water will be deep enough. In theory it should be. My head will be out of the water--that's 10"-12" right there. Then you have the leaning forward, which should mean that you are not touching. Who knows?

Perhaps the resistance pool is deep enough? I've never seen anyone in there. I guess I will just have to check it out.

And then there's the elliptical trainer.

And then there's the diet. Could this be the time to do a radical experiment? Three months of diet?

A Brief History of Time

I'm digitizing an old cassette copy of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. It belonged to my grandfather. I think it will be good listening during pool runs.

Next Day

Well, the pool lanes were all busy, so I tried the track. Good news: 45 minutes without pain. I listened to Side One of the Hawking and made a point of not pushing it. Feels great to be on the road to recovery!

Genesys SWR by the Numbers

Okay, SWR is getting to be part of the routine. The new AQx shoes arrived today, so we'll see how they do. Part of me is sad that I can't try the DWR, but there's just no place for it. The main thing I miss, I think, is the core exercise. I'll just need to work out.

• The lap pool is 25 yards per length
• A lap is "out and back," or 2 lengths (50 yards)
• A mile is 72 laps (so said the lifeguard today)
• The lap pool ranges from 4'9" on the stair end, to nearly 5' on the deepest end. Today I tried to do SWR in 4'9" water, and that doesn't work; the water is too deep
• I saved a few minutes to run in the therapy pool on the theory I might need to do that some days when the lap pool is full. Well, that pool is 90 degrees, so it's really too hot for exercise. It's also only 4' deep at the very edge--running in circles is fine, but you get into shallow water if you're not hugging the far wall.
  

My knees are a little sore today; I wonder if I am being too paranoid about them.

Anxious to try the new shoes.

[That's not the Genesys pool in the photo, but it is a 25-yard pool]

SWR Bibliography

Here are the resources I find as I find them:

• Koury, J.M. (1996) Aquatic Therapy Programming.
  
• Puelo & Milroy (2010) Proper Technique to Water Running (from Running Anatomy).
• Town & Bradley (1991) Maximum Metabolic Responses of Deep and Shallow Water Running in Trained Runners.
• Dowzer, et. al. (1999) Maximal Physiological Responses to Deep and Shallow Water Running.
  

New 16-Week Training Program

I am pretty psyched to have a new training program for the marathon #2. It comes from Mastering the Marathon by Don Fink. SWR is going to be a big part of this one. I've adapted it to fit my "off" days and preferred "long run" days.

LRPM

Long Run Pool Marathon.

The acronym just leaped off the page. Earl Fee's The Complete Guide to Running has a whole section called the LRPM method. In it, he extols the virtues of DWR as a supplement to long runs to build the equivalent mileage to 26+.

I love this idea. Now, I am unlikely to work on DWR. The best fit for me is SWR, but I had already thought about something similar to this.

Given my finicky ITB, I think I am only going to do SWR this week and see how I feel. I don't want to be sidetracked for too long, so maybe I can nip this in the bud. By the time the really long runs come, perhaps I can work the SWR into long run combinations to simulate marathon-length sessions.

You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back.
--Steve Prefontaine

Update: SUN, 2010-12-19

Did the equivalent of 8 miles in the pool today. My right ITB feels "warm," but no pain. We'll see how this works. I plan to do all running as SWR in the pool this coming week. The way I am doing is seems fine. 9 laps = 1 mile. Each lap takes appox. 1 minute, so this seems about right. I did 72 laps today.

AQx Water Shoes

Right now I have a $9 pair of Speedo pool shoes that I have used for SWR. Today I ordered a decent pair designed just for this purpose. They were on sale in my size so I said "what the heck?" Sometimes a gear purchase can motivate you to do something. So even if the shoes aren't demonstrably better than the cheapos, if they get me into the water every Wed for SWR, they will have been worth it.

Some good info on SWR workouts:

Run in water that's waist- to midchest-deep, slicing your hands through the water as if you're running on land (but avoid making a swimming motion with your arms). For a serious challenge, try this: Run for 2 minutes at a moderate intensity, rest for 30 seconds (or do an easy jog to stay warm), then repeat for 5 times total. Next, run for 1 minute at a high intensity, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for 8 times total. Finally, repeat the 2-minute moderate-intensity intervals and 30-second rest periods 5 more times. Wear cross trainers (dark-soled running shoes will scuff up the pool) or water shoes.

Source: Super Cool Water Workouts.

I have yet to think through what my SWR runs might be like, but I think that swapping out Wednesday morning runs is a great idea. That's the longest weekly mileage, and if I get to the pool early enough, it will be a perfect fit. Tracking in distance makes no sense. I will go by time, either using 10:00/M or 9:00/M as the yardstick. For example, the plan tomorrow is to do 50 minutes of SWR in place of a 5 mile run. I think 45 minutes would count, particularly if intervals were a part of it.

Another idea for SWR would be to incorporate it into race simulations. Seems like a perfect way to "pre-fatigue" muscles without overloading/stressing knees, PF, etc. For example, maybe I could do 25 minutes of very intense SWR and then transition to the track to get my body to feel like it did at mile 19.

Final note: I did enough SWR to know that it is boring as hell. I think the interval training will really help. Hard to be bored when you're getting your ass kicked. If this goes well, it should also give a real sense of accomplishment.

Four Tweaks

The next marathon is 2011-04-02, so we need to start thinking training strategy. I crossed the finish line in Detroit thinking that I would only change a few things about my preparation. I've decided that I will use the same mileage schedule with a few tweaks. I've been thinking about it for about a month, and here are the four tweaks:

1. Overall Conditioning. During the end of the race, I was convinced that if I had more general fitness and strength in my non-running body I would have done much better. That means core muscles, arms, back, and general cardiovascular fitness. Bottom line: three days per week at the gym with an overall strength training routine.
   
2. Lose 10 Pounds. At the finish line, I had the sense that if I had managed to lose 10 more pounds that the entire race would have been easier. I read once that each lost pound should reduce your marathon time by about one minute. Bottom line: eat better during training and don't use the extra calorie burn as an excuse to indulge!
   
3. Race Simulations. Just before running the marathon, I read a few articles about race simulations. The folks at Marathon Nation are big into this. Part of this tweak includes going faster on my long runs. I just wasn't prepared to keep a pace in the 9:00/M range by the time I got past 15 miles. Bottom line: devise some scenario-based race simulations around your long runs.
   
4. Shallow Water Running. Because I am a member at Genesys again, I can use the pool. Believe it or not, the pool has empty lanes before work, so it's perfect for SWR, or Shallow Water Running. I ordered a pair of water running shoes. I think this could be the secret weapon as long as I can combat the boredom. Bottom line: do every Wednesday run in the pool and really crank up the cardio intensity.
   

All four of these require some fairly serious commitment over the next few months. I am convinced that these will make a great deal of difference.

2nd MARATHON!

Well, I signed up for my second marathon: the Martian Marathon in Dearborn on 2011-04-02.

Getting Better

My right knee and plantar fascia have been bothering me this week; today I did 13 laps at the Genesys track (5k) and that felt pretty good. Both were starting to complain a bit during the last two laps, but I felt fine. I think I have taken it easy enough to rehab things quite a bit.

Maximal metabolic responses of deep and shallow water running in trained runners.

Maximal metabolic responses of deep and shallow water running in trained runners.
Town GP, Bradley SS.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1991 Feb;23(2):238-41.

Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Wheaton College, IL 60187.

The purpose of this study was to compare the maximal metabolic responses of competitive runners during treadmill running (TMR), deep water running (DWR), and shallow water running (SWR). Seven male and two female members of the Wheaton College varsity cross country team served as subjects. Maximal measures included oxygen consumption (VO2max), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HRmax), and lactic acid (HLA). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed treadmill running to elicit higher VO2max and HRmax than both water tests (P less than 0.05). VO2max was also greater for SWR than for DWR (P less than 0.05). VO2max values for SWR and DWR were 90.3% and 73.5% of TMR, respectively. HRmax for SWR and DWR were 88.6% and 86% of TMR, respectively. RER and HLA did not differ among tests. These data suggest that shallow water running is capable of eliciting metabolic responses comparable to treadmill running. Shallow water running elicits higher metabolic responses than deep water running.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2017021

First Indoor Track Workout

Well, I did 6 miles on the indoor track. Ran in the NB 790s and did lots of Chi focuses. On the last lap, I tried to lean and extend my stride as much as possible. The result was an off the charts lap time: 6:48/M pace.

NB 790s

Those are good shoes for indoor workouts. You can really feel your impact, and they are perfect for ChiRunning. I think I might get another pair of racing flats for indoor workouts.

26.2 Finish Photo

Finish photo arrived today.

Had a decent 3-miler just now; Right PF hurt from doing the lawn all day; it calmed down by the end of the run. I plan to do 8 tomorrow. Bought a cheap headlamp to be seen in the dark.

2010 Races

I thought I'd re-post the last three races of the year:

• Grand Blanc Road Race (5K). 2010-11-20. This race takes place in my neighborhood, in the city where I am a City Councilman. Gotta run it! My current PB in the 5K is from this race, and I think I could have done better last year. I've also run my own DIY 5K course and done better. My best 5K time in a race is 25:40 (8:17/M) and I want to beat this by a good margin. GOAL: 23-something.
  
• Run Like the Dickens (10K). 2010-12-11. I three 10K races last year, including this one, and this was my worst time (56:01). My current PB in the 10K is 52:46 (8:30/M). That PB was set on a really hilly course. The problem with this race is the cold and the snow. For some reason, I just dragged in it last year. I want to improve significantly; this might not be the best race for a personal best, but I want to do it more than the Roseville 10K. GOAL: 51-something.
  
• New Year's Resolution Run (8K). 2010-12-31. The 8K is an odd distance, but it's kind of special for me because it was my first serious race (the 2009 8K Crim). There are only a few 8K races per year. My current PB for this distance (44:11 or 8:54/M) is from this race, where I shaved a measly 11 seconds off my previous 8K finish time. This race will also have the snow/cold issues. I ran this race in "screw shoes" last year because there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. I may do that again. GOAL: 39-something.

Show Me Where It Hurts

Mile 21. My calf muscles have gone into full "taser-mode" spasm. You're looking at it.

For me, this is what suffering looks like. I do not want this to happen again. Had a great stretching session with Sarah Young today; going to write about it later.

Target Pace Training

For my next marathon, I plan to use the same training program with three changes:

1. Lose 10 more pounds. Aim for being 175 lbs on race day.
2. Better physical conditioning. Work out 3x/week with an upper/lower body strength training routine.
3. Do more long runs at marathon goal pace.

Number 3 above is the only real change to the actual training plan. It's no coincidence, I think, that my overall pace in the marathon was equal to the pace I ran my long runs. A great article on active today confirmed this hypothesis. This quote is worth repeating here:

If you're training for a marathon, it's best to integrate your target pace training into your long runs. In the early weeks of training, scatter a few marathon target pace segments lasting a few minutes apiece into one long run every other week. As your long runs become longer, make the marathon-pace segments longer, too (1-2 miles). During the final weeks of training, do marathon target pace segments that are as long as 5K apiece. Also, do one or two moderately long runs (10-15 miles) entirely at this pace. [Source: Target Pace Training]

This is something I can do.

If I really do the Martian Marathon in April, it will be interesting to see what kind of time I can get with these three changes. From there, I think I might select a totally different training plan; perhaps something from Marathon Nation, or a custom plan developed by a local running shop, etc.

One Week Post-Marathon

Today's 4-mile run, exactly one week after the marathon, felt pretty good. I kept a fairly even 9:06/M pace, but my perceived effort was much higher. I set the 9:00/M pace early, and I was breathing harder than I usually do at that pace. I still think it's going to take a few weeks to get past the fatigue of the marathon.

The good news is that nothing hurts. I do have some "awareness" or perhaps a twinge of "discomfort" in my upper legs--deep inside them in places I've never hurt before. This feels like tendons or something. Again, they don't hurt; I don't have a sense that anything is injured. It feels like recovery from stress, which would make perfect sense.

Do Something

My motto for the rest of the calendar year is going to be "do something." There are three races I want to do before the end of 2010, and in each one I want to earn a PB. I think of this as "something," as in "I want to finish in 23-something." The races are 3 weeks apart, and the first one isn't for 4 weeks. Perfect timing. I have run all three of these races.

• Grand Blanc Road Race (5K). 2010-11-20. This race takes place in my neighborhood, in the city where I am a City Councilman. Gotta run it! My current PB in the 5K is from this race, and I think I could have done better last year. I've also run my own DIY 5K course and done better. My best 5K time in a race is 25:40 (8:17/M) and I want to beat this by a good margin. GOAL: 23-something.
  
• Run Like the Dickens (10K). 2010-12-11. I three 10K races last year, including this one, and this was my worst time (56:01). My current PB in the 10K is 52:46 (8:30/M). That PB was set on a really hilly course. The problem with this race is the cold and the snow. For some reason, I just dragged in it last year. I want to improve significantly; this might not be the best race for a personal best, but I want to do it more than the Roseville 10K. GOAL: 51-something.
  
• New Year's Resolution Run (8K). 2010-12-31. The 8K is an odd distance, but it's kind of special for me because it was my first serious race (the 2009 8K Crim). There are only a few 8K races per year. My current PB for this distance (44:11 or 8:54/M) is from this race, where I shaved a measly 11 seconds off my previous 8K finish time. This race will also have the snow/cold issues. I ran this race in "screw shoes" last year because there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. I may do that again. GOAL: 39-something.

I think I should be over the marathon fatigue by these races. They are short enough where I can really give it my all. Again, here are the new PB goals:

• 5K - 23:59 - 7:43/M
  
• 8K - 39:59 - 8:02/M
  
• 10K - 51:59 - 8:21/M

I think these are doable for me with maximal effort. There is a chance, however, that I will fall short. In that sense, these are stretch goals. Which is fine.

Back to Base

Here's the reverse taper recovery schedule coupled with the 3-week base schedule.

This is designed so that you can drop back into an 18-week marathon training program at Week 7. For example, after completing week "C" of the base schedule, instead of dropping back to "A" you can pick up Hal Higdon's Week 6: 3/5/3/6p/9 = 26 miles. Then you just continue on to Week 7.

I am thinking that I will use the HH schedule for the next marathon.

Speaking of the next marathon, I know I will do Detroit again in October of 2011. The question is should I do one in the Spring? I had thought I would do a half in the Spring and a full in the Fall. But part of my is thinking that it might be cool to do an April marathon. The Martian Marathon in Dearborn is small, close, and inexpensive.

If I do the base training above, I could start training for the April marathon in Week 13; I would need to start training in the 2nd week of 2011 (January 10). That's 11 weeks away.

Martian Marathon

In 2010, this marathon had 417 finishers. The half marathon had 1,800. Even if everyone starts at the same time, that is much smaller than the Crim or Freep. It only takes an hour to get from here to there; in the past, they have had a later start (8:30am), which would make it very easy to drive down there.

Base Training?

Once I get through the 4 week reverse taper, I think I am going to design a 3-week rotation for base training; something that simulates the marathon step-back training I liked to so much. Five days per week was really good, and I got used to that. So I will definitely stick with 5 days. I think the next step is to think of what to do. Here is an idea:

That goes easy/medium/hard. It also keeps the T/R runs short enough to do at the indoor track. I hope to get on a workout schedule at Genesys, and 4 miles is a perfect warmup for strength training. On that first Thursday I could do a benchmark 5K.

Deep Blisters

Two of my marathon infirmities were hiding on me. After the marathon--several times--I did a very close inspection of my feet for blisters. Nothing. Wow! Those Injinji socks worked! Well, they still worked great, but I discovered two "deep blisters" on toes.

Left foot = middle toe
Right foot = pinkie toe

I discovered the left toe first. I thought that the nail was hurt because I had this dull sensation of something not being right. Nail was fine. So I tried to trim it just to make sure, then all kinds of water spilled out. I accidentally nicked the blister, which was so deep that I couldn't tell it was there. I removed the little "hat" of skin and moved on. Doesn't hurt, even though that area feels a little raw. Then the same thing happened on the right foot with the pinkie. They are both a little raw, but they are going to be fine.

I Hate Race Photos

These are the photos where I don't look super fat. I still look fat, I just don't look super fat. It's true: the best thing I can do for my running is to lose another 15 pounds. What a difference that would make. If I worked on general fitness and conditioning, and dropped another 15, I'd be in much better shape for another big race.

What Went Right

Okay, I am sore, fatigued, and a little depressed. This seems to be very normal. Here's an idea: list the things that went right.

• The new Nike shorts are perfect--just the right length and weight.
• The Injinji toe socks were fantastic. Not a single blister.
• NipGuards worked great. A must for any run over 8 miles.
• Brooks Ghost 2 shoes were excellent--they had 62 miles on them at the start.
• GuChomps are still the perfect food. Easy to carry, easy to eat.
• Disposable sweats worked great; why do anything else?
• BodyGlide. I put it on my feet, in my shorts, and around my waist. No friction problems at all. This stuff works.
  
• Watch and split timing; got every split, had all the right settings.
  

Now, a list of things you would do differently:

• The water bottle seemed unnecessary. I was filling it up, but it rarely got anywhere below half empty. In a race with water stops every 1.5 miles, I think I will skip the bottle next time.
• Not sure about the electrolyte replacement. I think I might try to switch to pills.
• iPod. I am leaning toward not taking one with me during races.
• Must get the calf muscles under control. Strengthen them. Learn new stretches.
  
• Do race simulations. I am going to experiment with this.
• More long runs at race pace; my marathon pace turned out to be my long run pace. Makes sense, right?

First Post-Marathon Run

This morning, I headed out for a 2-miler. It was a very interesting run. I kept an even pace of 9:30/M, which is on the slow side for my normal weekly pace. I was a little sore, but nothing hurt. I was tired, but not exhausted. My lungs were working harder than normal, and the pace felt challenging, which was a totally new experience for such a moderate pace and short distance. I ended the run with a sense that it is going to take a while to bounce back from the marathon. But I could also feel some newly-developed strength in my legs. I think that following a post-marathon recovery schedule is really going to help. I'll get back up to 10 mile long runs within 4 weeks.

The Next Day

Went to work today and went fine. I am sore. My calf muscles ache inside (not painful, really) and my quads really burn. It's difficult to go down stairs, and I am walking funny. As my colleagues at work say, I am walking without my "bounce."

Apart from that, I feel really good. There's nothing structural at all about the pain. Feet feel fine. Bones, joints, all fine. There's a bit of tenderness around both knees, but not even pain. Gonna pay close attention to this.

Thoughts

I am still disappointed with my time, but I am delighted that I am not letting it get to me. Part of that comes with talking about it. The people who congratulate me about the marathon would think I was a snotty jerk if my first reaction was to be bummed out about the time. From their perspective, it's an accomplishment just to have completed one. And it is.

I think the best thing I can do for my running is to improve my overall fitness and lose more weight. Looking at those photos from the marathon is hard: I am still very heavy. I am going to re-join the Genesys gym and get a full strength training program. I'll use the track, and maybe I will do some swimming.

Having a great time without getting a great time...

2010 Free Press Marathon Analysis

I'm going to keep tweaking this post until it's the official version of my first marathon. I am psyched about finishing, but determined to do better next year.

Official Time:

Here's a graphic representation of my mile splits. This picture really tells the story of my calf problem from mile 17 onward. But for this problem, my time would have been 4:12 or something. That's not an excuse: I did have this problem, and I got the time I got.

Mile-By-Mile Race

I took the list above and copied it so I can type in memories of the race. Despite the calf muscle problem, I really did have an awesome run. I enjoyed it incredibly, and I am hooked. I will do this again.

1. [9:43] Todd hung with me in corral "F" until a few minutes before the start. We were right in front of the Anchor Bar. I took off the Goodwill sweat pants and handed them off to Todd; they've made it through 2 big races now without being discarded! The wave start took a while, but you can really see why they need it. The waves left in 2-min intervals. The music that played when the horn went off was Eminem; then it was KISS with "Detroit Rock City."
   
2. [9:50] Fort street was really crowded and dark. It was just starting to get light as we did the loop toward the bridge. I ran for a while with the sweat jacket on, but tossed it pretty early. I saw Todd standing on a concrete barrier looking through his camera, but he didn't see me. It was dark. I was playing my Joy Division play list.
   
3. [10:41] This was the Ambassador Bridge. Wow, was that crowded. The bridge is four lanes; two were taken for traffic, one was closed for construction, and the remaining lane was for us. Serious bottleneck. Runners kept darting under the tape into the construction lane, only to be blocked by equipment or gaping holes in the bridge. They got yelled at by race officials and police. Where did they think they were going? The 5k mark was in the middle of the bridge. The field of runners slowed to a walk several times during this mile. Some people were freaking, but I kept thinking: "this is good... it's a long race." The view of Detroit from here was spectacular.
   
4. [9:27] Going through the customs lanes on foot felt funny. The border guards just smiled and said "hi." I could hear them making jokes about declaring items, etc. I am sure they got tired of cracking the same jokes. Lots of Canadians welcomed us to Canada. I love Canada. It's such a friendly place. It's like Michigan, but more friendly. We didn't pass a single Tim Horton's, which seemed odd. The view of the Detroit skyline on Windsor's Riverside Dr. was very nice. The sun was up by this time. It made me realize how far west the bridge is from Downtown.
   
5. [9:23] More of the same as Mile 4. Had I not encountered problems later in the race, this is the pace I would have chosen for the rest of the run; just below 9:30/M felt great.
   
6. [8:52] Really felt strong here. Got a little carried away, but I felt fine. I honestly don't think this fastest mile hurt me. I did hours of training runs at this pace. I was also motivated by the 10k split; I didn't want it to be slower than 10:00/M. Another reason I was going faster is that I really had to pee! The bathrooms weren't right where I could see them at the previous water stops.
   
7. [10:15] Stopped to pee in this mile, hence the decrease in speed. I had been waiting to find a good place and had to go pretty badly. This was the only time I managed to go during the race. Inside the tunnel, the pace was lightning. I am sure it was faster than mile 6; the tunnel feels mostly downhill. It's also pretty hot. There was a huge chant of "Go Green!/Go White!" in there, and you could tell it was getting to these Michigan fans running next to me.
   
8. [9:03] I felt really great coming out of the tunnel. The view of the RenCen is really inspirational, and I think I felt the strongest of the race. This was a hopeful mile for me. I was determined not to gun it, but I seriously considered sticking with a pace in the low 9-min range.
   
9. [9:41] I consciously backed off here. Still felt confident. I let the 4:00 pace group go, figuring that I'd reel them in later... or not. I was having a great time and didn't care about time. I kept pausing the iPod to pay attention or hear things that were going on during the race; sometimes I forgot to turn it back on. Listened to a Led Zeppelin play list for a while.
   
10. [9:21] The turn from Lafayette to 18th was great, and it was cool to run by Mexican Village. How many family dinners did I have there as a kid. I loved to get a Super Nacho there. Fond memories. More pausing of the iPod, because I couldn't miss the Mariachi band in Mexican Town!
    
11. [9:17] Another strong mile leaving Mexican Town into Corktown. Cool old houses, lots of people. This was one of my most confident miles.
    
12. [9:45] Things got a little congested here as we crossed the 20k marker. Great to see all the buildings I remembered from my first job as a foot messenger at HMS&C. Looked up at the Buhl building where Marti had her office.
    
13. [9:33] Went through Cadillac Square and saw the First National Building. How many years did I play in my Dad's office as a kid. That part of town is awesome now.
    
14. [11:04] Met Todd along Lafayette to get my stuff. I took my time and talked--I could use the rest, and Todd was so cool riding his bike with me. When I left him, I turned onto Lafayette and saw 1300, where Dad & Marti lived for so many years.
    
15. [9:17] This was another great mile. I felt strong on this long, flat street. Saw Todd and Jon Rabin, who was waiting for his leg of the relay to start. Got sick of the Zeppelin and transitioned to a James Brown play list.
    
16. [9:51] The turn north into Indian Village didn't feel right. My legs were getting heavy, and I stopped to stretch them. I stopped to shake the hand of a very old fellow in a folding chair wearing a UAW sweatshirt. We exchanged the greeting of "Solidarity, brother." Here I paused the iPod and never turned it back on. Not only was I not paying attention to the music, I was feeling kind of disoriented. I had to pay a lot of attention to the runners around me and the road. Believe it or not, I wasn't interested in the music. There is a good chance that my next marathon will be without an iPod.
    
17. [10:47] First serious tingles in my calves. Tried to slow down, stretch, and keep this from happening. Maybe I was holding it off, I thought. I tried to give them enough room to recover, knowing it would cost me time. I figured it was worth the investment--get them under control now before the difficult final 10k after mile 20. By now I was running totally on feel, not thinking of the splits.
    
18. [10:18] I thought that maybe the calves would be fine here; I disciplined myself to take it slow. I had the sense that they were at some kind of tipping point, like a car getting ready to overheat. I felt determined not to let them get the best of me, so I really put the brakes on and did a 1-min walk break. I kept a positive attitude, but it seemed like it was inevitable that they were going to go. I put the whole thing out of my mind--just get to mile 20, I thought. If the rest of my miles are at at 10:00/M pace, so what? Who cares?
    
19. [10:58] Here we crossed the bridge to Belle Isle. The calves were really complaining then; during this trip on the bridge, I thought that perhaps I had found the sweet spot--pushing it just to the brink of spasm, but not letting it get there. That seemed to be at about 11:00/M pace. As you can see from the next few miles, this trend line didn't hold. Passed the Detroit Boat Club, and... wow. How sad. That place is basically falling into the river. I felt an odd connecting with it given the state of my legs.
    
20. [11:06] Belle Isle is beautiful. I was able to hold the 11:00/M pace until mile 20, but it wasn't going to stay. More walking. How many summers did I see gigantic family reunions and hipsters riding around with the hatchbacks open here?
    
21. [12:27] This is where the wheels fell off. Tried to stop at a Port-a-John to go to the bathroom; figured I could use it and the rest might do me good. No dice. I leaned my head against the plastic wall of the box and said "get out there and finish." Stepped out of the box and made a go of it. Todd rode up behind a while later and caught me walking. He was great, very encouraging. I started running again and saw the beautiful Scott fountain where Marti and I kicked off the 2000 Supreme Court bike tour. Todd said he'd be taking photos on the bridge, so I made sure I ran.
    
22. [12:46] The trip back on the bridge was the worst. That's not just an expression: it was the worst part of the race for me. I ran and attempted to run through some of the calf spasms. It started to work, but then they just increased in intensity. I stretched, walked them off, and started up again. When I saw Todd, I was running well--spasms were gone. He took some photos. About 20 strides beyond him, it all fell apart. I felt like an angry inmate had pierced my left calf muscle with a shiv (see note below for a detailed description of the calf pain). I fell against a concrete barrier and alarmed another runner: "Are you all right?" she asked. I was fine, except for that pain in my leg. I watched it quiver with electrical pulsation. It hurt like hell, and it wouldn't stop. I think a few years ago this would have frustrated me or made me break down or something... but it didn't. It was such a beautiful day, and I was nearly done with a marathon. Nobody was going to die. I was going to keep moving, and if I ran, or walked... who cared? When the spasms stopped, I started running again.
    
23. [13:03] Believe it or not, I never got depressed or upset during all this. If I couldn't run, I walked. The minute the cramps were gone, I stood up straight, relaxed my leg muscles as best I could, leaned forward and took very short strides. When this was working, I felt strong. The Riverwalk section here was very pretty. A guy who didn't look too bad, but was walking, got an offer of a ride back from a race official. I took the fact that I didn't get a similar offer as a good sign. I guess I didn't look like I was in bad shape.
    
24. [12:27] Things got a little better here. We were getting closer. I tried to run through the spasms again. Bad idea. They got worse.
    
25. [13:26] Running through the spasms in the previous mile was a really bad idea, but I kept trying it a little bit. Here I decided to really give them a rest--walking more frequently. The 26 mile marker came up on me faster than I thought.
    
26. [11:58] I am pretty sure I ran more than I should have here. I was trying to minimize the damage. I didn't want my time to be longer than 4:40. Because of the wave start, my watch already had 12 extra minutes on it. I didn't like the way that 4:40-something looked on my watch. For the most part, I was beyond caring about time, but hey... So I really did my best during this mile. That 11:58 was the most I could do.
    
27. [2:38] The finish line actually startled me a bit. You turn the corner, and bam!, there it is. So I picked up the pace and paid for it with my legs. At this point, I felt like I could run through the spasms. The worst that could happen was that I'd get the shiv again like back on the bridge, but that didn't come. As I crossed the finish line, both calves were in full "Taser mode." Didn't care. I was almost done, I could see the finish line, so I just stood up straight and ran confidently (if a little stiffly) toward the finish line, and ignored the pain. My only moment of heroics for the entire race. Todd yelled out for me, and he had Kath and the kids right there. I went over and got big hugs and high fives. Finished!
    

* Detailed Calf Pain Description: This seems like the best place to record an exacting description of the pain. Back in the March half marathon, I had calf spasms in mile 9. Like during this race, they blew my time to hell in the final miles. The two big differences: a) in the half, I logged a bunch of 8:30/M miles and had time to burn, and b) there were only a few miles left at the end of the race. I had thought that one reason my calves blew up in March was the faster pace and lack of training. I really wasn't worried about this coming back in the full marathon because I controlled the early pace and because I had trained so much harder. At any rate, there was a marked difference in the pain. In March, the spasms felt like localized "charlie horses" about the size of superball, right in the middle of my calf. It was very central to one point in the middle of the calf muscle. In some ways, these hurt more than the ones I experienced in the marathon (with the exception of that stabbing pain on the bridge). In the marathon, the calf pain rippled out in little diagonals. The pain seemed to slash across the calf muscle in ribbons, like that terrible feeling when you get a cramp in your foot, a kind of radiating, electric wave feeling. So in that sense they were different. The left leg was far more intense than the right, but they were both painful. Had both legs felt like my right, I might have tried to push through it.

Raw Splits

And here are the raw numbers from my watch, which worked just perfectly:

1. 9:43
2. 9:50
3. 10:41
4. 9:27
5. 9:23
6. 8:52
7. 10:15
8. 9:03
9. 9:41
10. 9:21
11. 9:17
12. 9:45
13. 9:33
14. 11:04
15. 9:17
16. 9:51
17. 10:47
18. 10:18
19. 10:58
20. 11:06
21. 12:27
22. 12:46
23. 13:03
24. 12:27
25. 13:26
26. 11:58
27. 2:38

Disposable Warmups!

One of my favorite race prep things is getting disposable warm up clothes from Goodwill. They cost about $6; you leave them at the start and the race organizers launder them and give them to charity. So there's no waste, you donate to Goodwill by purchasing something, and donate again by getting rid of the clothes.

This outfit is cool. The jacket is 40% poly, so I might run with it for a mile or so. The pants are the same. I actually got these pants for the National Half but didn't use them. I wore a pair of Dad's sweatpants that he wanted to get rid of.

Feeling even better

Bib # 7370

7am 43F
9am 46F
10am 51F
11am 56F

I am headed down to the Expo tomorrow. Staying over at Todd's.

9:10 Pace Group

After agonizing over what kind of pace I am going to attempt in the marathon, I have come to a conclusion that I am very happy about. I will begin with the 4-hour pace group, which will be keeping a pace of 9:10/M. Here's why:

• This is one pace group slower than the marathon pace I trained for. This is prudent and will give me confidence.
• I can do my walk/water strategy and still keep up with this group.
• It's not so slow that I can't step things up just a touch at the end of the race if I am able
• It's not so fast that I will blow myself out if I need to back off and go slower at the end
• It is 11 seconds slower than my Crim pace, and that pace felt great for all 10 miles; I felt like I could have kept going for quite a while at that pace.

This allows me to have a plan, but also to have the flexibility to increase or decrease my effort when I need to. It also keeps the hope alive of a sub-4 finish, which would be super cool.

Water/Walk Strategy

I've been struggling in my mind with race execution all week. I go back and forth between being extremely confident to extremely worried. Which pace should I go? Should I just have a great run, or should I try to do the very best I can do on this day? I'm so confused!!!

Well, last night I think I arrived at the winning combination of elements to my race strategy. I'll put it all together in a paragraph soon, but here's the final piece.

There are 16 water stops on the course. Here's how I will approach them:

• Walk through every water stop
• Refill your bottle, which should be half empty
• Place a 1/4 electrolyte tablet in your bottle
  
• Continue to walk for 1 min during every other water stop

Let me explain what this does. First, it maintains my way of keeping track of how much water I take in. In previous races, I have passed water stops when I have water in my bottle, letting the bottle go empty before I stop again. I drink 12 oz of water for every 3 - 4 miles. I didn't think I could fill at each station and maintain this "monitoring," but if I use the half empty rule, I can. Another thing that kept me from considering this is the size of my tablets. I cut 24 oz tablets in half to 12 oz size. Now all I need to to is cut those in half so I have 6 oz tablets. This allows me to keep the same concentration of electrolyte stuff. Intake and dosage solved. Second, it gives me regular walk breaks. I had planned to take a 1-min walk break every 3 miles anyway. Due to the location of these stops on the course, I can use the even-numbered water stops as my mileposts for 1-min walk breaks. I won't have to keep track of them, either... just do the 1-min break at every other stop. Third, I will only have to catch up with the pace group every 3 miles. Walking through the stops long enough to fill my bottle will not put me behind the pace group, which is going to slow down for every stop anyway. The odd numbered water stops are just gravy--a little rest and added boost of confidence. Fourth, the more frequent filling of the bottle means I need to add less water; this makes a big difference, as it takes several cups to fill a 12 oz bottle. During the National Half in DC I was able to ask volunteers to pour directly into my bottle from jugs, but even then that wasn't always an option. By stopping at every station, I can add a cup or two each time. Finally, this strategy allows me to stick with the exact amount of water and electrolyte that I have been used to during training. I think it's going to be perfect.

On a larger scale, having this strategy will give me tons of confidence. I don't do well "winging it" in situations like this, so I will have the security of knowing there is a plan. If I need to deviate from this plan a bit, that is fine--I am not rigid. I just like to know what is happening next. It gives me a sense of control.

This means that I won't really need Todd for any water, but I will have him carry some just in case. I will also have him carry my second-half dry goods: the Gu Chomps and electrolyte stuff. How much of that will I need? I will be drinking 8 12oz bottles of fluid and eating 16 Gu Chomps on the course. That's two packets of 8 each--one packet for the first half, one packet for the second half.

Dehydration vs. Hyponatremia

I've heard about people drinking too much water in a marathon; Mike Worel had this problem, and it can be very serious. I just did some Internet surfing and found a great article on this. My hydration rate, which has worked well for me in the past in races and in training, is just fine. 12oz every 3 miles gives me a total intake of about 96 ounces during the 4-hour race. This is within the recommended amount of water intake. Cool.

Signs?

I suppose that it is, at the very least, a good omen that my friend Michele was coming down the hallway just when I needed someone who lived in Ann Arbor to pick up my electrolyte tablets at REI. Later that afternoon, I turned the corner thinking about my marathon pace and what my finishing time would be, and this is what the clock said.

Last Long Run

Well, I didn't treat this like an LSD. Here are the numbers:

8 Mile Long Run
Total Time = 1:14:57
Overall Pace = 9:22/M

2 - 17.11 - 8:35/M
4 - 39.37 - 9:54/M
2 - 18.09 - 9:04/M

5K Good News/Bad News

So, I ran that 5K. The bad news is I totally screwed up my plan of going at marathon pace. I was very unaware of pace and hit the 1M split at 8:00. Tried to go much slower in the 2nd mile, but did an 8:48 for the 2nd. Finished in 25:50, which is an 8:20/M pace. Not my plan. I went too fast.

This has me worried about pacing. I need to be conservative.

Good news: pinning the race number to my shorts is much more comfortable.

Here we go...

Well, tonight I am feeling pretty good. I was worried at work today because my ankle hurt a little bit. Normally I would not have noticed this. The previous night I rolled on my ankle on the front walk. It didn't hurt at the time, and it wasn't until this afternoon that I felt a little twinge down there.

There isn't much running between now and the marathon. I just finished my 4 miler for today. Took this one fairly slowly: 9:39/M pace. Here's the rest of the running:

W: 5
T: 4
F
S: 3
S: 8
M
T: 3
W: 4
T
F
S: 2
S: 26.2

Look at the Medal!

Penultimate Pace Run

I love that word, penultimate.

Today was the next-to-last pace run before the marathon. The rest will either be at weekly run pace (9:30/M) or long run pace (10:30/M+). Today Owen rode his bike with me for the 5 miles and tried to lock it in on a 8:59/M pace just like the Crim. I came pretty close.

Overall: 43:57 (8:47/M)
First 3: 26:50 (8:56/M)
Last 2: 17:07 (8:33/M)

So one lesson from today is that it's easy to go faster; don't. Of course, I knew I would be stopping in 18 minutes when I sped up, so...

DIY 5K Benchmark

Okay, so I mapped out a fairly accurate 5K. I can use this as a consistent measure for the VDOT calculations I've just started using. Last night I did my very best on this course and timed it. First, the excuses:

• I ran this at the end of the work day; I was pretty tired
• I had run 4 miles that morning (they were crappy, slow miles, too)
• I've got a bit of a cold
• This route is about .1 km too long.
  
• Anything else?

Still, the excuses aside, the best I could manage last night was 24:48, which is actually better than I have done in a 5K race. Plug that into the VDOT formula, and you get the following:

5K: 24:48
PACE: 7:58/M

VDOT: 38

Marathon Goal: 3:59:35

E (easy) / 10:35
M (marathon) / 9:08
T (threshold) / 8:33

Run Description

The good thing about this route is that I know it really well. Don't have to think about it. It's my regular 3-mile loop with the ending of my 2-mile loop. Ends with a bit of a hill. There are very specific places to check pace at 1km and 3km. Basically, Chausser is the 1km split and coming out of the Moceri loop is the 3km split. This helps me gauge pace because I usually figure that out based on miles and longer distances.

I was tired when I started, and I was sucking wind after only a couple of minutes. I found the pace I needed early, and I could tell it would be a struggle to keep it. I ran until I got to the 1km split, which I needed to reach by 4:40. Got there ahead of time, so I walked for 30 seconds. Then I kept it up. I gave myself a few of those 30 second walk breaks during the time; one was after I exceeded my goal pace for the 3km split. I was pretty tired during the last kilometer, but I was pretty sure I'd at least get close to the 24:30 time I was aiming for. I got very close, actually: within 18 seconds.

My right ankle hurt a bit as I was going to sleep, but it's fine now. My leg muscles are a little more sore than usual after a run, but it's fine. I think doing this 5K benchmark from time to time won't hurt me. In many ways, I think it's better than doing all-out efforts for the mile. Man did I get hurt trying to get my mile under 7 minutes last year.

Based on the VDOT calculations, I would need to be able to do a 5K in 21:50 to attempt a 3:30 marathon. 3:30:59 is the BQ time for the 45-49 age group. If I persist in this silly idea of running the 120th Boston Marathon on my 48th birthday, that's the time I need to shoot for. My first 5K race time was 28-something back in 2009. Now it's 3 minutes shorter; can I really shave off another 3 minutes?

One last thing: I noticed a few interesting "feelings" about running faster. One was how much harder it was; my lungs and muscles felt like they were working so much harder. My percieved effort was so much higher--an 8 or so on a 10-point scale. But I noticed that I could "lean" much more. I could feel the speed that came from standing up straighter and leaning into my stride. I came away thinking that the ChiRunning thing might help even more at faster paces. That is, if I can get strong enough to keep paces like that. The 7:59/M is the perfect pace for a 3:30 marathon finish. I could barely do it for 3 miles; could I really do it for 26.2?

Marathon Shoe Found!

Ran a speedy (8:13/M) five miles in these last night and decided: this is the marathon shoe. I ran in a pair up in Canada, and I've been through 2 pair of the regular Ghost. My new Launch are too minimal for 26.2, so I tried these. Bang! They're perfect.

My plan is to put about 30 more miles on these. Maybe wear them for half of my next 20 miler. I'll probably do this weekend's 12 miler in them.

5K Benchmark Test

If I can run the 5K in under 24 minutes, I will proceed with my goal time of under 4 hours for the marathon. This is actually a high hurdle to clear: that means a 7:43/M pace for 3 miles. Recently I ran a 7:40 mile, and I have done it as quickly as 7:10, but finishing in under 24 will mean that I have shaved quite a bit off my 5K time. Perhaps I should revise to say:

If I can comfortably run the 5K in under 24 minutes, I will proceed with my marathon goal time of under 4 hours.

If not, I will move to a sub 4:10 marathon plan. This would mean doing mile splits of 9:30/M, which is quite doable for me. I think I would end the race fairly comfortable if I did it that way. After all this training, however, it would be cool to put up a nice time. I like the idea of having to earn it by getting the sub-24 5K.

Craig's formula for 23:59 in the 5K predicts a marathon time of 3:54. I would be delighted with that time.

Sub-4 Plan

• Splits as close to 9:00 as possible
• Any splits below 9:00 = immediate 1 min walk break
• No more than 3 miles without a walk break

First 10 miles

• Keep splits at 9:00 like the Crim; NO FASTER!
• At least 3 walk breaks
• At least 3 water bottles
• 4 GuChomps
• Stretch at the end
• Goal time = 1:30 (no faster!)

Second 10 miles

• Keep splits at 9:00 like the Crim; NO FASTER!
• Bathroom break when you can
• At least 3 walk breaks
• At least 3 water bottles
• 4 GuChomps
• Stretch at the end
• Goal time = 3:00 (no faster!)

Final 10K

• Try for 9:00/M pace
• At least 2 walk breaks
• At least 2 water bottles
• 2 GuChomps
• Goal time = 59 minutes or less (pace can increase to 9:30)

20 MILES!

UPDATE: I did it! I ran 20 miles!!!! Ran with Townes from work, and it was great to have company for such a long run. I feel so much better than normal because we did a slower pace than I usually use for long runs--which is GREAT! Quite a feeling of accomplishment.

Well, things are mostly back on track, and tomorrow I will run 20 miles. I was back on the regular schedule for the entire Week 13 program. And I even had a cold! But I did bag it a couple of times: I shaved 2 miles off an 8 miler (only did 6) and 1 mile off a 5 miler (only did 4). That's compensation for being sick, I suppose. I also was really dogging it until this morning.

My 5 mile pace run this morning felt great. I did it with 8:40/M pace, and I took 3 walk breaks. While doing the pace run, I came up with a walk break strategy for the marathon. I think this one just might work.

• Take a 1-minute walk break at least every 3 miles.
• Take a 1-minute walk break after every mile that is faster than 9:00/M.

Practically, I can see this working. First, it means I won't go any farther than 3 miles without a walk break. Second, it means that I will compensate for overdoing it if that ever happens. I don't think it's very likely in the first part of the race.

NOTE: I like the way the default setting on my Chrono shows the splits. The total elapsed time is the big one, current splits are counting below in small. Going to be perfect for the race; I am just going to leave it.

20-Miler

Tomorrow, Townes is coming over to do that 20 mile run. She runs at 11:20/M, which is going to be a real adjustment for me. I have never run this slowly. But it will be good for two reasons. First, I lost a lot of training time in August, so I really need to be conservative. Second, it will lengthen the workout significantly, and I think total time is a huge thing for me: after tomorrow, I will know that I can run for 4 hours. In addition to those reasons, it will be less boring.

ChiRunning w/ Danny

There's a ChiRunning all-day workshop with Danny two weeks from today. Cost = $250. I think it could be very worth it, especially with 2 weeks to go before the marathon. Hard to be away from the family for an entire day, but I have been wanting to do one of these with Danny. The following day would be my long rune (20 miles again). I might want to start that super early so I don't miss Sunday with the family. Or, I could take Monday off and do it then. That's a great idea, actually!!!!

Zombie Run

So, thinking back to my last 14-mile run, I think I have coined a new phrase. These really long runs don't easily fit into a morning. In fact, they will probably result in wanting to take a big long nap during the day, which is no fun at all. So the Memorial Day weekend presents an interesting opportunity: try another zombie run.

For me, a zombie run is an LSD run that you start after the kids go to bed. That would be 9PM or so. For this 18-mile run (gosh, it seems strange to even type that), you get moving on your loop system and finish past midnight. This--in theory--does less damage to your regular sleep patterns. During the 14-mile zombie run a few weeks ago, I talked to Marti and my Dad. They were trying to get out of the hospital for the first time, and I took my cell phone (don't usually do that) so I could stay in touch with them.

We have Dad's burial service on Saturday. We'll stay over that night and come home Sunday. I'll do the 18-mile zombie run after we put the kids to bed. Luckily, Monday is Memorial Day, so I get an extra day to rest.

Kid Miles

The first thing Julia said to me at the Crim finish line was: "Can I go running with you?" Both kids wanted to run today, so we did a mile.

Owen = 10:34
Julia = 10:55

If either one of these kids can kick it up a notch, they will beat me in 6 months.

Crim/Rebuilding

My father's death was obviously a priority for me: helping him before he died, being there for my family after he died, etc. So I lost about 3 weeks of training. I ran during each of those weeks, but I didn't get my long runs or scheduled workouts in. My plan was to just keep my head above water until the Crim, run my marathon pace for that race, and re-assess the situation after the Crim.

Well, the Crim went very well. I set a goal of 90 minutes, and tried as hard as I could to get exactly that time. My thinking there was to finish with lots of gas in the tank--hopefully enough to feel like I could do it again right afterward. 10M is an important distance for me in how I perceive the marathon: I am going to approach the marathon as 3 races: 2 ten milers and a 10k. If I can do the first 2 ten milers at 9:00/M, I will be in striking distance for a 4:00 finish. That means my average speed could go down to nearly 10:00/M at the end and I would still finish in under 4 hours. So, I finished the crim in 89:54, which is about as close to 90 minutes as you can get. My splits were exactly 8:59/M the whole race. Very even pace, very consistent. Exactly what I was going for. I finished feeling strong; maybe I couldn't have done the same pace for another 10 miles, but I know I could have gone 5.

Another important thing is that my logistical stuff continues to work. The hydration/nutrition strategy I used for the half marathon worked perfectly in the Crim. The only downside was some nasty-tasting hose water in my handheld. I need to see if I can get better water. It wasn't so bad. It just had a nasty taste, and it was gone in 3 miles and I got some additional water. I didn't crash or bonk, so I must have done okay.

For the record, I've been doing 8oz of fluid every 3 miles, and one Gu Chomp every 12-15 minutes. My stomach handles this much better. For the Crim, I did 3 mile splits, mostly because the watch I was using is a piece of crap. I will have a replacement for my watch in a few days.

But one thing I need to remember: a time goal is probably not a good idea for me given my interruption in training.

Rebuilding

So the big fork in the road is what to do with the long runs on my schedule. I have no worries about going to the longer weekly runs. They only go up to 8, and I have been doing runs as long as 6 while out of town. But this coming weekend calls for an 18 mile run. Is this a good idea? My last long run of 14 miles was 4 weeks ago. It might not be advisable.

So one option I am considering is just using the schedule with modified long runs. Right now, I am scheduled to do two 20 mile long runs. Perhaps I revise that down to just one. Here are the remaining weeks (the one that starts tomorrow is Week 11):

11: 18
12: 13
13: 20
14: 12
15: 20
16: 12
17: 8
18: RACE

Here's an option that keeps the two 20s:

11: 13
12: 15
13: 20
14: 12
15: 20
16: 12
17: 8
18: RACE

The Monday of the following week is Memorial Day, so perhaps there is a creative way to use that to catch up.

Still Struggling

Trying to get back in. While in the hospital, I really wrenched my R plantar fascia in an odd place. I was moving my dad in bed and put all my weight on a terrible spot. The good news is that I don't run on this part of my foot at all. During yesterday's 7 miler it hardly hurt at all (well, at the end it really hurt, but I felt comfortable running through it). I just did some CWT with the double bucket. Today I am supposed to do a 14 mile LSD, but I was really out of it this morning. Since dad has been sick, I've been really depressed in the morning, something I really need to shake. Look, that's not going to help anything--get moving.

So I wonder about today's 14 miler. If I do it, I am back on track with the PLAN, and that would feel good. I could do it tomorrow. I know it's going to take 2.5 hours or so with a slow training pace. So maybe I do it after the kids go to bed. I could go CWT on my R foot again.

I don't have to be at work at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Perhaps doing the run tonight is a good idea. I don't usually like to run at night, but getting back on track is a strong motivator.

Also, I am having my GC drained on Tues. Hopefully that helps.

Marathon Training Plan Rebuild

So, I tried. And I did a fairly decent job. I've made two trips to Utah to be with my dad, who is very sick, and I've done most of my runs... nearly all of them. But I think it's fallen apart a bit too much, and I need to rebuild. So I had an idea. This is week 7, and today is the first day I need to run. Here are some scenarios:

1. Run the Week 6 schedule this week, and follow along until the step-down week in Week 9; skip the Week 9 schedule and get back on track at Week 10.
2. Run the front end of Week 6 schedule this week, but do the weekend schedule for Week 7; you're back on track.
3. Go ahead and run the Week 7 schedule, just take more breaks.

I did hurt my R plantar fascia in the middle of the night while moving my dad; I was standing on the hard hospital floor in bare feet and helped a nurse boost him up the bed. I put all my weight (and a good portion of his) on that lateral part of my PF and felt it riiiiiiip. Ouch. I've been doing Motrin and I've been trying to give it a rest. I wonder if a 3 vs. 4 mile run would matter much today. Only one way to find out.

Update:

Okay, this might just be fine. I did a nice 4-miler on the Old Ranch Road trails here in Park City. Man, is this a great place to run!

Marathon Training Underway

Well, I have started the 2nd week of training for the Free Press Marathon. It starts out slowly, so I don't feel any major impact yet.

MARATHON TRAINING PACES

Long runs = >10:00/M
Weekly runs = @9:30/M
Pace runs = <8:50/m style

Weekly

Attempt to get as close as possible to the following finishing times. Slower pace of approx. 9:30/M

3 - 28:30
4 - 38:00
5 - 47:30
6 - 57:00
7 - 1:06:30
8 - 1:16:00

Pace

Attempt to finish at these times or less. Moderate pace of approx. 8:50/M

5 - 44:10
6 - 53:00
7 - 1:01:50
8 - 1:10:40

Long

Make sure that your times are at least this long or longer. Slow pace of 10:00/M or higher.

8 - 1:20
9 - 1:30
*
11 - 1:50
12 - 2:00
13 - 2:10
14 - 2:20
15 - 2:30
*
17 - 2:30
18 - 2:40
*
20 - 3:20

10-17-2010

I think it's important that I take a little time to paint a realistic picture of myself as a runner. Above you see me doing my very best in a local 10k. My finishing time was 52:46, and I was pretty happy with that. Still, this photo tells me a few important things.

First, and I don't say this to be self-deprecating or cute, but I am still pretty fat. I need to lose another 15 pounds to run harder, otherwise I am just going to get injured. The other photos from this race make me look even bigger. True, running clothes don't hide very much, but let's face it--you have packed on the pounds over the past several years, and they aren't going to come off overnight.

When I started running I was about 200 lbs, and depending on the day I would poke just north or south of that. Now I am almost exactly 10 lbs lighter, weighing in at 190 lbs with the same up and down. I have not made any changes to my diet at all over the past year; in fact, I may have been eating more.

So, before I engage in any self-flagellation, I need to celebrate the fact that I have reversed the trend of gaining weight every year. Hell, if I lost 10 lbs a year for the next couple of years, I'd be in great shape. But actually, I want to lost 12-15 more pounds so that my weight is between 175 and 180 on an ongoing basis. I was 165 when I was 16, and I think about 175 at 25, which seems like ideal weight for me.

My marathon strategy is really a weight loss strategy. Run the distances, walk when you need to, and don't get injured.


Well, why not? I think my goal for this race will be: get the first marathon out of the way.

I'm getting there

The counter says I've been running for 320 days. Two days ago, I ran my 3rd 10K and met my goal of 52:something. I am seriously thinking of training for a marathon. I run regularly and don't get injured. I think I'm a runner.

2010 10K Goal Setting

Just now thinking about the time goal for tomorrow. I'd love to finish under 50 minutes, but that's a bit of a stretch. I've been officially timed in three races for the 10K distance:

Run Like the Dickens [12-12-2009]
56:01
9:01/M

Roseville Big Bird Run [11-08-2009]
54:32
8:48/M

National Half Marathon 10k Split [3-23-2010]
54:46
8:48/M

Run for Autism

GOAL:

match previous 5K pace:

<51:30 = 8:17/M

<49:59 = 8:02/M

<54:30 = 8:46/M

The Last Fifteen

I've come to think of them as my running buddies. I either have 15 of them, or just two depending on how I count. For 15, I'm counting pounds. For two, I am thinking ST and OM (those are nicknames, of course--the real names are Spare Tire and Omentum). I'm talking about the weight I'd like to lose to get to an "ideal" weight for me, which I guess to be about 175 pounds.

Apart from running regularly, I have done absolutely nothing in an attempt to lose weight. Nothing. I think that if I made some sensible adjustments to my diet and increased the running and/or other activities slightly, these 15 would come off pretty easily. I dropped the first 10 pretty fast, and I have stabilized at about 190, which is still too heavy for me. My current BMI is 26.5, just inside the "overweight" range. Getting down to 175 would take me to a comfortable 24.5.

Again, that would fit my personal fitness goal, which goes something like: always have a normal BMI and be able to pass the Navy PFT for your age group. (I do fall within the maximum height/weight standard for the Navy, which is 196 for me).



Today I went on a 12-mile bike ride here in the neighborhood.

12M / 47min / 15.3mph / 714cal

12 miles seems like a great distance for a run replacement. It appears to burn a similar amount of calories. One idea would be to alternate running and biking during the week, which could look like this:

S / off
M / run
T / bike
W / run
R / run
F / bike
S / long run

-----

S / off
M / 5M run
T / 12M bike
W / 5M run
R / 5M run
F / 12M bike
S / 8M long run

TOTALS: 23M run / 24M bike

Strech Benchmarks

I have no plans to try this, but an interesting stretch goal for various distances would be the pace required to qualify for the Boston Marathon as a 45 year old Male. That pace is exactly 8:00/M. Here are the finishing times at that pace for various races:

• 3:30 Marathon
• 1:45 Half Marathon
• 1:20 10M (Crim)
  
• 49:46 10k
• 24:53 5k

I think my next race should be a 10k, and it would be great to run one on the same day as my pals in Manchester, UK. That's May 16, and there is one at Oakland U just south of here.

For giggles, here are the dates of the next several runnings of the Boston Marathon (my age on race day is in parenthesis):

• Monday, April 18, 2011 (43)
• Monday, April 16, 2012 (43)
• Monday, April 15, 2013 (44)
• Monday, April 21, 2014 (46)*
• Monday, April 20, 2015 (47)
• Monday, April 18, 2016 (48)

*this is the first year I will be eligible for the 3:30 qualifying time; note that two of these races are on my birthday!

Chicago/Left Knee

Had a nice 6 miler on the Chicago Riverfront Trail and Lakefront Trail. Walked a little. My left knee continues to hurt on the side near the ITB. Not sure about it--weight does not seem to bother it.

Another Running Dream...

So, I had another running dream. This one was about balance.

It was a transition from some other dream sequence where I was reunited with a high school friend, Jason, and we were talking. Then I went for a "walk" along the Lake Michigan shoreline with someone who was supposed to be my mom but wasn't my mom. The person reminded me of Jason's mom, but it wasn't my her either. In the dream, it was my mom... but it wasn't.

So the "mom" sort of floated in front of me, leading the way toward the shore. I was wearing my running shoes, and I could really feel them (my current shoe, the Brooks Ghost, is just a wonderful match for my foot). So part of the run--the part toward the shore--was over scrubby undergrowth and sandy soil. For part of it, I was floating. Then there was a sequence on the beach, feeling my feet go into the sand. Then, suddenly, I was on the deck of a large cottage going down stairs. The stairs were angular and filled with small pebbles. I could feel my forefoot land on each stair; I was keenly aware of gravity and lean. I felt myself stand up straight and recall my balance.

This dream took place between my first waking up and taking my actual run. As I ran, I could feel the kind of balance I felt in the dream. I kept my shoulders back and together; I stood up very straight and swung my legs back. For the first time, I could really feel my stride opening up behind me. I returned to my "stand tall/step small" mantra and realized something was missing, but I could not put my finger on it.

Building A Base

Okay, it's time to start building a base of running. New rules:

• No watch
• 4 runs during the work week
• 1 long run on the weekend

I think the above will force me to moderate my pace and listen to my body.

Here Goes Nothing

Well, I had a great day with my Dad today. I think I'm ready for a race! Let's go out there and see what we can do.

Official Results

Are posted here, but the highights:

• 10k Split: 54:46 (8:49/M)
• 13.1 Chip: 2:02:56 (9:23/M)

Done. Splits:

1. 9.31
2. 8.55
3. 8.29
4. 8.33
5. 9.02
6. 9.19
7. 9.19
   
8. 9.54 * bathroom break *
   
9. 9.02 // charlie horses //
   
10. 9.05
11. 9.46
12. 11.05
13. 11.33 (includes .1)

Analysis

00-05M | 43:30 (8:42/M)
06-10M | 46:39 (9:19/M)
11-FIN | 32.24 (10:25/M)

Replay

Remember to write about the following:

The night before the race, my Dad and I walked down to Dupont Circle to grab some takeout from Al Tiramisu, which is a fantastic Tuscan restaurant. I got some grilled salmon with a nice orange glaze and polenta, which was too good not to enjoy with a glass of wine. I hit the sack and set 3 alarms for 5:15 the next morning.

I got up before the alarms after some real sleep--I actually got some rest! It only took me a while to get dressed and ready; I put on my $3 Goodwill hoodie and Dad's 1980s black velour Fila sweatpants and headed out to Dupont. When I got to the Metro station at 5:40, the place was packed with runners. I barely got on the Red Line train. When I swtiched at Metro Center to go to the Stadium, I was the very last person who could fit in the train! It was a packed ride to the race.

Once I got into the Armory, it was easy to check my bag and make my way to the start. I put myself in the 8:40 corrall and waited for the start in my raggedy sweats. I took them off, folded them, and tossed them neatly next to a tree. When the starting gun went off, we waited and waited. It took 5 minutes for the line to start moving.

The first mile was slow!

• Metro ride down to the race area
• Starting line
• First mile (slow--traffic)
• Guy with two hats
  
• Strong feeling in first 5 miles
• Logistics of drink/eat/pee
• Water @ M5
  
• Bathroom break after M7
• 4:00 pace group
• Howard Univ.
• The first charlie horse (higher in the leg)
• The feeling of the calf charlie horses and your reaction
• Mental calcuations about goal time
• Poweraid fill @ M9
  
• Foil wrapper
• Ride home with DNF man
• Five Guys!!!

Another bite at the apple on 4/24? Borgess Run for the Health of It Half Marathon.

Or this one on April 10: Martian Half Marathon.

Future Races

I may have found my next races. I thought it would be cool to run a race on my birthday; well, there's a very cool 6K in Midland that is part of a world-wide initiative on potable water. Then there is this awesome-looking trail marathon/half marathon on April 25, 2010.

I have been intrigued by this 3-loop half marathon in Saginaw on July 25, 2010.

It would be cool to do another half marathon. A trail half would be great. Not sure about the marathon. That would be before the Crim (Aug 28), which I am obviously going to do. And I had thought about the Free Press Marathon, too.

13.1 Strategy/Tactics

GOAL: To finish in under 2 hours, and as close to 1:50 as possible.

To do this, I need to beat a pace of 9:09/M. I am confident I can do this. To finish in 1:50, I need to beat a pace of 8:23/M, which seems much harder. The best pace I have had in a race is 8:17/M for a 5K. My 10K best was much higher at 8:48/M. Based on my best race time, Craig's Running Calculator predicts a finish time of 1:57:04 for me. That's a pace of 8:55/M. I think I can do this.

STRATEGY: 5M+5M+5K. That's here.

I am going to break the race down into 3 separate runs.

[1] Pennsylvania Ave. The first 5 miles, I need to be smooth and relaxed. I am going to try to do a "negative split" on 8:30/M pace. The first run ends at Pennsylvania Ave, and I hope to get there by 43 or 44 minutes. I need to focus on not being freaked if it's a little longer than that.

[2] New York Ave. The second 5 miles, I need to be strong and steady. If I hit my mark during the first 5, I need to kick it up just a hair. This is the part of the race I think I should be doing 8:30/M even. If I feel better, I can go faster, but not too much faster. Any splits in the 8:20/M range should be cause for concern; back off a bit. I hope to get here by 1:27 or so. Even 1:30 would be acceptable.

[3] K Street. Just before I turn East onto K Street, I can think about the rest of the race as my training run at home: 3 miles. I'll be running through Gallery Place-Chinatown near Dad's office, and I should be excited. I do think that this part of the race is really going to suck--it will be painful. During my 13 mile run, I did finish the last 5K at an 8:30/M pace; however, I had run the previous miles very slowly--above 10 minutes per mile.

TACTICS: Where to Drink/Eat/Pee

There are lots of aid stations and places to pee on this course. They occur at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. That's great. I will need to change this plan as I go, but I plan to fill my water bottle at mile 3 and 7. That means I'd drink 36oz of fluid for the whole race, which is fine. I plan to eat as I go--no need to plan this. I think I should pee at 5 and 9 unless I need it before then. If I can go at mile 3, I should. The good thing about all those porta-potties is that I won't be anxious about not having a place to go!

Goodwill Tracksuit

For $6 I bought myself a cheap used track suit at Goodwill. I can wear it to the starting area and leave it on the side of the road, where it will be collected and donated. Perfect solution!

Good Weather


Looks like the weather is shaping up to be perfect for the race. Awesome!

Endgame

A black toenail is apparently a runner's badge of honor. It's called a subungual hematoma. I'm hoping the thing doesn't fall off. It doesn't hurt. I'm actually glad I put this photo up here--I keep looking at the toe to see if it has changed/progressed, and it's really staying the same. I think I'm actually going to keep the nail.

TUE: Did 2 quick miles at work during a break. Wore the new blue Ghosts. Some soreness in the front lower legs--not pain, just sore. Mostly a test of what to wear. Prelim results:

• You will bake in your Saucony running pants. It was 47F and I was toasty. Ran the last half mile in shorts only and it was fine.
  
• The new Nike top is almost too much. Consider that blue Addidas (worn in previous 5K/10K races in the high 40s/low 50s) or use the short sleeve Nike.
• Headband = not necessary.

WED: Did a 3-mile tempo run at about 8:28/M pace. It was hard. A little less soreness in the front lower legs. No pain in knees. My legs just felt spent, but not as bad as Tues. This run was on the indoor track at Genesys, and it felt pretty good at the end.

THU: Today is a day off. I see that tomorrow morning will be in the mid 40s with a 30% chance of rain. I think I'll do an outdoor 3-miler at race pace to see how the clothing feels. Right now I am going back and forth on shoes. I've only put a few miles on the Blue Ghosts, and since the Red ones only have about 150 miles on them, I think I might just use them. It's new cushion vs. broken in. Since I don't think the Reds are shot, I think they are the safer bet. I'm also thinking Reebok shorts instead of the Nike ones.

FRI: Did a nice 3 mile tempo run on the usual route. I wore exactly what I think I will wear during the race. It was about 42F when I left, and I was fine in shorts and short sleeves. The first half mile was a little chilly, but no problem. I will find some pants and a shirt to wear to the race that I can ditch later. I went a little fast this morning: 8:13/M. I need to take it down a bit in my next few runs and really watch myself during the first 5 miles of the race.

SAT. Decided against doing a 4-miler today and stuck to 3. Wore the new Goodwill Track Suit and shed the top after 3/4 of a mile and the pants at 1.5 miles. That is going to work fine--I went back in the car to pick them up. On race day, they'll be gone. Did the first mile at approx 8:30/M but backed off; a slight pain in lower front left leg. I think that's from going fast yesterday. Take tomorrow off, then do the Minnesota 4-milers super slow. Sounds like a plan. Overall pace was 9:08/M. No running faster than that until next Saturday!

SUN: Off.

MON: Ran an easy 4 here in Minneapolis--great route around a lake. 9:09/M pace, so I wasn't pushing it too much; I consciously backed off. Felt much better this morning than last night when I scouted out the route. I am tempted to do 6 tomorrow, rest on Wed, then do an easy 4 on Thurs. Hmmmm. Maybe I just do 4-4-4. Who knows.

TUE: Resisted the temptation to do 6 this morning, and just did the 4. Not really enough daylight to get it all in before the conference started anyway. Besides, the lower L leg is a little soft in the front outside. I didn't even take the watch, but I guess my pace was in the high 9:00/M range, maybe even 10:00/M, which is good. Going to take tomorrow off. I'm debating what to do about THU. My guess is that a 4-miler will be fine for that day; maybe just take it super easy.