SLOW DOWN!

"Good things come slow - especially in distance running." --Bill Dellinger, Oregon coach

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." --Lilly Tomlin

I am waiting for it to get above 10 degrees. I keep going back and forth on this knee thing. Gonna head out there and try it when Kath and Julia get back from ballet. I'm going to try the 10-miler LSD in loops: 2-3-3-2. This gives me 3 chances to bail if the knee is bad. I will also need to re-fill my H2O bottle.

3PM

Well, I'm back, and I think I may have pulled it off. Here are the splits (no even mile markers, so I timed the loops which are fairly accurate):

• 2 mi @ 19.07 [9:33/M]
  
• 3 mi @ 30.11 [10:03/M]
  
• 4.21 [H2o refill/toilet]
  
• 3 mi @ 29.15 [9:45/M]
  
• 2 mi @ 18.32 [9:16/M]
  

Factor out the pit stop, and my pace was 9:45/M which is a significant improvement in slowing down. Still, I need to be at that pace I had during miles 3, 4, & 5. I paid close attention to the knee, and here are some reflection:

• My legs were tight during the first two miles, and that right kneed kind of complained. I thought about bagging it after 2 miles. Then I tried to slow down even more.
• Things calmed down during the second loop--I think I really did a good job going slow during this part of the run. I did the King's Pointe loop, so it was nice to get out of the neighborhood. I also stopped to cross the intersection at Perry Rd., and I think that stop maybe helped a bit. I should stop or walk short segments if I want to on these long runs.
• During the third loop (miles 6, 7, & 8) I felt the need to stand up much straighter--this really helped things. I felt that the speed and knee discomfort was "teaching me something" about form--stand up straighter, open your stride behind you.
• At one point, I got a little knot or soreness in the back of my right leg: slightly above the knee and in the back, almost like a charley horse. It never felt painful--just a little knotted up. It went away.
• I wore that Ace bandage thing on my right knee; not sure how much support it gives, but it might keep that ITB from sloshing around too much. Again, it's not PAIN I am feeling; I call it softness or discomfort. It's a feeling that something's not right, so that's why I am paying attention to it.
  

After the run, I drove to the gym and did my hot tub/cold plunge water circuit. Fantastic! I was able to stay in the cold plunge for 10 min! I went in twice more: once for 2 minutes, and another time for 1 minute. Right now I feel good.

Reflection on the loops: My loop system here in the neighborhood actually works. 100 minutes of running, and I didn't get bored. Only one repeat, and I used that as bookends. The loops actually break things up; psychologically, it makes the thing seem more doable. I liked it.

Follow Up

I think I should make a point of recording how the knee feels over the next 36-48 hours. Record your times here for future reference.

• 5HRS: I feel great; I expected to be really hurting now. Almost nothing. Slight tenderness in the R knee, and a little in the front below the kneecap (new). But almost nothing.
• 18HRS: Still feels really good. A little "tight" and a tinge of that "soft/sore" feeling from before. Nothing severe, shooting, or intense. It's been 10 hours since any Ibuprofen, and I just took some. I think it's going to be okay--it's not any more sore than other parts of me (my back, for example) which I know are not hurt.
• 24HRS: Still fine--just a bit tender. I went to the track and bagged it after a lap; it felt a little odd, and I thought "this is stupid." My guess is that nothing good was going to happen with my knee during that run. I went and did 6 minutes in the cold plunge and babied it in the sauna and hot tub. I'll take a couple of days off.
• 33HRS: I am about to head off to bed the day after the 10-miler. This morning's lap on the track wasn't fun, but I have not had any pain to speak of today. I can tell there is something with my knee on a rare occasion--when I move it in an odd way or something. It will be interesting to see what happens during my next run. I don't think I'll run until Tuesday or maybe Wednesday to see what happens. Well, it should be Tues.
  

I love that cold plunge--my legs feel great. I have this sinking feeling that the knee is going to be sore later, but we'll see. Right now I am really glad I did the 10 miles. Article about cold plunge or ice bath.

Knee Strategy

The National Half Marathon is in 50 days, and there is a good chance that I am at potential turning point this week. My schedule calls for a 10-mile LSD this weekend. I ran 9 last Saturday with no problems; afterward, I've had this "softness" in my right knee along the ITB. I've backed off a bit. I listened to my knee, but I am not sure what I am hearing. I don't feel pain so much as I feel the potential for pain. Am I being a wimp? Should I cool it, delay the 10-miler and use this time with 50 days to go to get everything in order? Should I cautiously move forward? What should I do?

As goofy as it sounds, I like this thought process. I am not going to get hurt--I have learned enough to listen well enough to back off. But this week could make a significant difference in my performance during the Half.

Here's my thinking now. My 3-miler went well this morning. The knee felt better as the run went on; it was almost normal during that 3rd mile, but it almost seemed to soften up again right at the end. I think I can explain that--I almost always speed up at the end of runs. So it must have been the speed. Well, let's figure that out... I just ran up to get the watch for the split times:

1. 2.28
2. 2.17
3. 2.13
4. 2.08
5. 2.16
6. 2.09
7. 2.09
8. 2.09
9. 2.10
10. 2.06
11. 2.06
12. 2.09
13. .45

TOTAL: 27:11

That's a pace of 9:03/M which is NOT SLOW ENOUGH!!!! How am I going to do this??? I was really trying to back off, too. I had these cross country kids on the track--I see them most mornings. They fly around doing fartleks and 800s; they stand in the 48F cold plunge for 10 minutes afterward. They ran with someone who might be their coach--a guy my age or younger who looks like a running machine. I have a blast watching these kids. When they were leaving the locker room, I heard the coach tell them about the schedule at 4PM (mind you, this was at 6:30 in the morning). "Six easy," he said. Wow.

So, one thing I can do is slow down. That first lap of 2:28 was a pace of 10:10/M. That's closer to what I should be doing long runs at. It's what I need to do for training purposes, and it's what I need to do to keep my knee from going south. Or is it? I've read that some people have fewer knee problems running fast. Who knows, man?

Well, if we put stock in Craig's Running Calculator, my training pace for long runs should be 10:20/M or slower! That is based on my fastest finishing time (5K-25:40). So here are some thoughts:

1. Baby this knee: compression, Ibuprofen, rest.
2. Play it by ear
3. Start the long run if you feel you can
4. Do some exercises for ITB
5. Check out non-running cardio in case you decide to bag the run
   
6. Perhaps you should attempt it on the track. It would be boring as hell, but you could monitor splits to keep your pace low. The padded track can't hurt.*
   

*Well, the padded track is one of the few new variables for the knee. You never know.

If you do run the 10-miler at the 10:10/M pace, it will take you 1:41, which is longer than you've ever run. You should really try to do this.

I can go either way on this. I think I am far enough out that I could deviate from the long run schedule and be okay. I also might be taking this too slow and being too cautious. Who know?

ITB Stretches & Exercises
Brian J. Boyle, PT, DPT, CSCS

1. Side Lunge
2. Single Leg Step Down
3. Wall Banger
4. Iliotibial Band Stretch (lying down)
5. Piriformis Stretch
6. Iliotibial Band Stretch (standing)

ITB and Goofy Socks

I got the indoor track at about 6am this morning; I'd been out with folks from work until late the night before, so I give myself points for showing up. I'd hoped to do a MM trial to see if I could get around the track four times in 6:51. Didn't happen. I decided to run an easy 5K. I only did 10 laps because I got some right lateral knee discomfort (ITB) and decided not to push it.

Discomfort vs. Pain

I am a wimp. This ITB thing has not hurt at all yet, and I never want it to get that way. I really wanted to the mile time trial this morning, but that just wasn't in the cards... so I moved on. I then decided to run 5K (13 laps) and decided to bag it after 10. I only ran 2 laps with a bit of knee discomfort. I could feel it for most of the rest of the day... it's gone now. I may try the same thing tomorrow. I am prepared to bag it if need be.

I think I need a new word for pain. You see, there's pain at the end of a race, and you can tell it's not the kind of pain that will injure or kill you. I need to get better at dealing with that pain. One way has been to deliberately induce fatigue on the track. I'll run extra hard for a couple of laps and then try to run through the fatigue. Another way has been that cold plunge. Man, at 60 seconds that 48F water starts to tell you "get the hell out of here!" The mental game of staying in beyond 1, 2, and 3 minutes has been good exercise.

Goofy Socks

I found a pair of running socks in the dark this morning and neglected to put them in my bag. Got the the gym with no athletic socks, just these giant puffy black things I wear with my boots. So I bought a pair of those Injinji socks that have glove-like toe sleeves for your feet. Pretty cool. I think I'll conserve these for long runs. They might be the perfect race and long run socks.

Marathon Revisited

I know I'll stick with my plan for the National Half, but there doesn't seem to be any reason to train for a June marathon. With Renee out of the Stockholm thing, I think it would be better for me to go into base training for a while and focus on the Crim. Then I could think about doing the Free Press marathon. I'll have a much better idea of what I am capable of doing by then.

Frankly, I thought about coming up with a non-running Crim goal. Something like: on the morning of the Crim, I will weigh 175 pounds, have a waist size of 32" and feel comfortable leaving the house in a sleeveless running singlet. Now that's a goal.

January
Febraury
March 20: National Half Marathon
April
May
June
July
August
September
October 17: Detroit Free Press Marathon

6:51

I have no problem blowing off this week's MM time trial. The most important thing this week is the 10M long run, and if I need to go slow until then, that's fine. I continue to run a bit too fast during regular training runs. I am mostly going at about 8:25/M when I run on the indoor track. I should really slow it down. I really need to slow things on the 10-miler this weekend. Maybe I should select a series of loops that makes that easy to track, something like 2-3-3-2. I think that's a good idea. On these long runs, I should be shooting to get close to 10:00/M, but I don't think I'll do that. Still, strive to finish those 2-milers in 20 minutes, etc. That's a good plan: use the 2-milers as bookends and do your two favorite 3-milers in between.

But back to the 6:51 mile. How about this? Go to the gym in the morning and see how you feel. Go out for the first couple of laps and try it out. If you're feeling good, go for it this time. You can always bag it! The split time for a 6:51 is 1:39/lap. I ran a 1:37 at the end of my last 5K, so I think I can do it.

CWT: Contrast Water Therapy

In addition to really liking the indoor track at Genesys, I really like having the hot tub and cold plunge. The hot tub is kept at 104F and the cold plunge at 48F. In talking with the people who routinely use the cold plunge, I learned that serious guys get in there for a chilly 10 minutes. The most I could do the other day was 4.

I think that alternating is the key. From what I can tell, the benefit of contrast water therapy is vasodilation and vasoconstriction: opening and closing your blood vessels.

9 Mile Long Run

Today I did the 9 mile long run and experimented with eating and drinking. It went great. I did a 3 mile, 4 mile, and 2 mile loop. Here were my split times:

• 3 mi @ 9:26
• 4 mi @ 9:14
• 2 mi @ 8:17

I did a better job of keeping it slow at the beginning. Overall, a pace of 9:10. Need to get that up there a bit.

Water

The Amphipod handheld is fantastic. You barely even know you have it with you, and it's easier to take smaller drinks. It's only noticeable when it's 3/4 full because it sloshes around a bit. Otherwise, it's no big deal. I drank 12 ounces in the first 6 miles. I need to drink a bit more than that.

Eating

I think Chomps are the way to go. One every 10-12 minutes seems fine. They are easy to carry, don't require any messing about, and there's nothing to throw away. I think I found what I am eating.

Hand Me Some Water!

Stopped by Playmakers in Okemos today and bought one of these. I think this is going to be perfect. Tomorrow's 9-miler is my first experiment with eating and drinking on the road. Should be interesting. I am starting to keep track of the caffeine:

• Diet Coke 47mg
• Mountain Dew 54mg
• Elixir 37.5
• Gu Chomps / Strawberry is 20mg per serving (4 pieces, or 5mg per piece)

Carl at the Complete Runner told me that you need a little caffeine to stimulate your stomach to work--otherwise it can shut down.

I get excited about my long runs. I am really looking forward to the run tomorrow. I think I will do 2-3-4 to equal 9. I can see how the eating and water bottle work out.

James Brown! James Brown!

So, I made a 2nd 51-minute mix. If this one works out as well as the Stooges mix I use, it might just be my half-marathon soundtrack: Hour One = Iggy and Hour Two = The Godfather of Soul.

James Brown Running Mix (51:53)

1. Get Up Offa That Thing
2. Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose
3. Get On The Good Foot
4. Hot Pants
5. Papa Don't Take No Mess
6. Make It Funky
7. I Got The Feelin'
8. Super Bad
9. Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved
10. Soul Power
11. Mother Popcorn
12. Funky Side Of Town
13. Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine
    

Stooges Running Mix (51:44)

1. Down on the Street
2. 1969
3. I Wanna Be Your Dog
4. No Fun
5. Real Cool Time
6. 1970
7. Fun House
8. Raw Power
9. T.V. Eye
10. Loose
11. 1970 (Take 3--7 minutes of brilliance!)

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

This week I have my first really long run--long for me, anyway: 9 miles. While I can probably do it without a nutrition/hydration plan, I need to start experimenting with what to eat and drink on long runs. I have a few weeks to see what helps, what doesn't, what I don't like, and what doesn't like me.

So I stopped by Complete Runner on my lunch hour to chat up the staff and get some samples. I think I'll stop in a few times before I really dial in on what I'd like. Here's what I picked up:

• Standard Gu
• Gu Chomps
• PowerBar Gel Blasts
  
• Camelbak Elixir

The regular old Gu is what I see/hear most runners and competitive walkers using. It deserves a try. The Gu Chomps look more like gummy bears. I had read about the Gel Blasts, and Carl said these are great to eat before a run--I need to start doing that, because I usually go out without anything in my stomach. Finally, Carl strongly recommended the Camelbak Elixir--I do need an electrolyte replacement drink, and I don't need all the sugar. These are Alka-Seltzer-sized tablets designed to dissolve in a Camelbak pouch without leaving a messy residue. Sounds like it could be a good thing. Each pellet makes 24 oz., so I'll bet you can cut them in quarters and use them on the fly. It just depends on how long they take to dissolve. Just did a quick search, and it says 2 minutes on one site. Hrmmm. That might mean carrying a bottle. Stop at aid station, add tablet, run away... drink a few minutes later. That could work--then you're not drinking at the aid station.

Belt or No Belt?

Carl pretty aggressively pushed a fuel belt on me. I decided to wait a few weeks. They are about $40, so I want to make sure I'd use it. Part of me would like to find a way to go without. Perhaps one 8 oz. bottle in a pocket. It's not the weight I am worried about. He recommended the Amphipod belt.

[2010-1-3 UPDATE]. I have this figured out. Gu Chomps are the easiest fuel to eat while running. You need to eat more often, but you don't have to stop. Put one in your mouth and bite it in half. Then do this chew-with-your-mouth-open thing to break the two halves into popcorn kernel-sized pieces. Let them break down a bit and start slowly swallowing them a bit at a time. Then take a larger-than-normal swig of water. Do this every 15-20 minutes. It's perfect.

The chomps fit in my Amphipod handheld pouch. In the 12oz bottle I have H2O mixed with Camelbak Elixer. It's not syrupy or sweet; just a little tingly and orange-flavored. I take small swigs of water and barely swallow--there's a little movement where you can open your throat at just the right time and vacuum takes it down. Pretty cool!

"Soft"

I took it easy most of last week. Today, I went back to the track and did an easy 5K at a pace of about 8:35. Felt fine. I also sat in the hot tub and put the right foot/leg in the cold plunge. Probably a good idea.

I was able to take it easy on the soft leg without changing too many things. First, I bagged the magic mile time trial; then I bagged the race. I still want to do the 9 mile long run this coming Saturday... backing off this week will determine if I can do that or not.

Meanwhile, I discovered that I have gone down 2 waist sizes. I keep some old 34" jeans around for messy projects--I always had to smash myself into them. Wearing them now--they are the right size.

That's never happened to me... I've never gone down a waist size!

NEXT MORNING: Feel pretty good. Leg is not as "soft" and I am going to do 5M on the track today to try to step it up a bit. Well, I went and did 5K instead. No need to push it. I felt good and went along at a fairly quick clip.

1. 2.05
2. 2.08
3. 2.03
4. 2.02
5. 2.02
6. 2.03
7. 2.02
8. 2.00
9. 2.00
10. 1.54
11. 1.54
12. 1.56
13. 1.37

25:53 or 8:19/M. Not bad for a hurt paw.

Cold plunge. One thing I need to take greater advantage of at the indoor track is the cold plunge. I did it before years ago when I threw out my back. If I could get in there for 1 minute, or perhaps 2 minutes, I think I could really speed recovery for my legs.


Saginaw Marathon: Renee is probably going to bail on the Stockholm Marathon in May. That was too soon for me anyway. But I wonder if I could do this marathon up in Saginaw on July 25, 2010. It's USTAF certified, and it's 3 laps on on 9.08 mile route. I like the fact that it's a 6am start and that it's so close to home. I could get back to Grand Blanc and recover at the gym--soak in the hot plunge, use the steam room, hot tub, etc.

Listening

The mark of a good listener is how you chose to react when you hear something you don't like. I've been trying to listen to my body to make sure I don't get hurt; it's been working. The past few days, I have felt a "softness" in my right leg/foot. I've backed off, babied it. Today, I thought I could go all out. Nope.

So my foot was telling me "don't push it" and I had to listen. I only ran 2 miles: one at 8:50 and the other at 8:20. I had planned to time a Magic Mile, and even started one: the first lap was 1:36, which is a pace of 6:36/M. Apart from going out too fast, my foot felt squishy. So I had to make a decision on the fly.

I think I could have made my goal time of 6:59 for that MM. But at what price? I thought to myself, "better to push it now to get a good mile time, or push it Saturday to PR in the 10K?"
That's an easy choice.

Working out at the indoor track has an added bonus--the cold plunge and hot tub. I'm a wimp about that cold plunge, but I was able to stick my foot in it for 30-40 seconds at a time and alternate hot/cold. Quality time massaging the foot with my thumbs in hot water. An easy 3 miler tomorrow should do the trick.

Then I want to beat my previous time in the 10K. Looks like the weather is going to be great--sunny and mid-20s.

MM tomorrow?

This is an MM week, meaning I have to try to shave 8 seconds of my fastest mile time. Should I do it tomorrow morning? Why not?

My goal for this week is 6:59 for the mile. That means a pace of 1:41 per lap on the indoor track. I think I can do it. Here's the old record:

MILE: I ran a mile in 7:07 seconds. That's the fastest I have ever done. Splits:

1. 1:43
2. 1:47
3. 1:44
4. 1:40
5. 0:11*

*that's the last little bit to make the full mile.

So, if I hit the tack tomorrow, perhaps I do one mile really, really slow and then give the 6:59 a rip. I should probably try tomorrow in case I fall short--then I can try later in the week.

Remember: you are running a race on Saturday.

Physical Inventory

For some reason, I feel like doing a brain dump of things I notice physically. I am getting better at jotting down the important stuff in my running log. Here goes, from the feet up.

• R Plantar Fascia. This is an old shovel injury, and I need to baby it. It's been fine, but perhaps a little sensitive. I feel a small "bump" and a little tenderness. No pain.
• R Lower Leg. Feels "soft" is the best I can say. No pain, just something not right. I make sure to relax it as I run--I think that helps.
  
• R Upper Chest. Around my collarbone, I sometimes have a sense of compression or tightness that is not painful, but does concern me. Usually if I back off, it goes away. It does not feel cardiac, but what do I know? Perhaps it's Thoracic Outlet Syndrome? Probably not--does not impact my arms or hands. It's never bothered me when I am really pushing it.
• For some reason, I have a sense that my legs are getting used to the pounding.
• Next morning, very slight soreness "inside" my elbows. Nothing about the joint is sore--just feels like muscle soreness, but very slight. Perhaps shaking my arms out a few times will work.
  

Another 22-week plan

This one seems like a compromise between going all the way to 26 and stopping at 20 or 22.

Not sure if I should modify what I have. The good thing is that the crucial changes I would need to make take place after the 1/2 marathon. So I think I can stick with my plan for the next 11 weeks. It will be interesting to see how well I do in the half.

I will get a little preview a week from today: my first of two 10K races here. My performance in races has been spotty. I really want to push it on Saturday--think of it in the same way I did the long run today. Today, I thought "finishing 8 miles is important today; if I can't do this, I won't be able to do this plan." So next Saturday, I think I can say "really going to the wall and giving it all my effort is important today; it's vital to my plan to do as well as I can today."

I would love my time to be 23:something--that would be about a minute faster than my effort in the Big Bird race. I think I can do it. That Holly 10K was hard for me--not sure why.

Long Run #1

Did the first long run in my 1/2 marathon program: 8 miles. It was 8 degrees outside, and a bunch of it was over packed snow and slick ice. I had to force myself to slow down several times--I am used to clipping along at my regular pace. My goal was to run at about 10:00/M per mile. I should be going a little slower than that.

My right leg feels a little "soft" after the run, but everything seems fine. Took 800mg Ibuprofen--I almost never do that anymore for running, but it seemed like a good idea. The next long run is two weeks from today (I am taking next week off to race).

I did my regular 3M loop 2x, then tagged it with the local 2M loop. This means I had 2 excellent opportunities to bail out, as I ran by the house 3 times. This will be good for the first bullet point below:

• Toward the end of mile 6, I really had to pee. This is a first for me. I've never really had the urge to go on a run--this is going to be an issue with future long runs. That's why my system is really good. If I were doing any more than an additional 2 miles, I could have stopped off and used the potty.
• Psychologically, there were times when 8 seemed too long, like I really didn't want to do it. One thing that helped was "this is the long run," meaning it's the centerpiece of my training program, and it's only once per week. I also thought that if 8 is hard, what is 16 going to feel like? I only thought about 26 for a little while.
• I estimate my pace to be about 9:45/M on today's run. I think I need to go slower. That's the whole concept behind "LSD" runs. I thought about taking walk breaks, but it was way too cold--it was only 8 degrees out there, man!
• Sunglasses are going to be a problem for me. In the cold, they fog up instantly if I am breathing into the balaclava. They spent the whole run in my pocket. With the visor, I really don't need them. I am not much of a sunglasses person, anyway--it was just very bright out there today (I am used to running before dawn), and the snow reflects and magnifies that brightness.
• I remain really impressed with my winter running gear. Those Saucony Boston pants are the best--right down to 8 degrees, my legs are not cold. At the start of the run, my feet felt a little drafty, but that went away. By the middle of the run, my hands were downright hot in the "dollar gloves" I picked up at Complete Runner. The balaclava is still the coolest.
• As I write now, I am kind of bummed that there's no long run next week. The race will be enough--I need to learn to push it at races. It would be super cool if I could finish this 10K in 53:something (i.e. under 54 minutes). I should be able to do that--it's 8:41/M.
  

Dr. Scholl's Heel Liners

So, my first serious pair of running shoes (Saucony Jazz 12) have about 260 miles on them. I turned them into my winter running "screw shoes," and there is only one thing wrong with them: the heels are totally torn up. This happens in nearly all of my shoes. But it's terrible with these, and they cause some nasty callouses and blisters. In fact, after yesterday's 8K, my left callous fell off. Ouch! This is not on the heel itself, but just above it near the Achilles tendon.

Enter Dr. Scholl's heel liners. I put some of these in today--we'll see how they hold up. If they work in the screw shoes, I might put them into my other running shoes just to prevent that kind of wear. Easier to replace $5 heel liners than complete running shoes!

I Am A Member!

Kathy signed me up at Genesys, so now I can work out on this sweet 426.6 yard indoor track. I did my first real workout there today. Details:

MILE: I ran a mile in 7:07 seconds. That's the fastest I have ever done. Splits:

1. 1:43
2. 1:47
3. 1:44
4. 1:40
5. 0:11*

*that's the last little bit to make the full mile.

On a previous visit to the track, the fastest pace I could do and make it all the way around was 6:11/M. I wonder if I could ever go around 4x and hit that time for a mile... As I work out on this track, I will try to do Galloway's Magic Mile Prediction Formula at least once a week. I'll try to get those mile times down.

I also ran another 5K @ 8:30/M pace. This is going to be a great track to use. I also determined my normal walking pace, fastest walking pace, and slowest running pace with a cadence of 90. Should be interesting. Actually, my 3K was a DNF--I went out too fast and decided I could not finish the last lap without really pushing myself. Because I had done that fast mile and did a race the previous day, I bagged it. Splits:

1. 2:16
2. 2:05
3. 2:04
4. 2:05
5. 2:04
6. 2:02
7. 2:02
8. 2:02
9. 1:58
10. 2:03
11. 2:03
12. 1:58
13. 0:18* [QUIT]

Other Details

15:24/M is my normal, slow walking pace
12:59/M is my fast walking pace [much respect to my race walk friends after calculating that!]
10:10/M is the slowest I can run with a cadence of 90

Two Workout Ideas for the Track

1. Straight 10K. Run 26 laps and try to get the time down. I might experiment with this cool graphing tool I developed--I could simulate different things, including increased fatigue at the end of a run.
2. Magic Mile + 5K. I could run one warm-up mile at a very slow pace, do a Magic Mile, then recover for a bit. Then do a 5K. That's basically what I did today.

Each of the above will take approximately one hour. Add a shower and there's enough time to get home and see the kids before I go to work.

Next Ideas

1. What is the fastest I can run with a cadence of 90?
2. How can I determine "gears"? Clearly 10:10/M is first gear. My guess is that 6:50/M is 5th gear. I need to do the math sometime.
   

Marathon Buddy

So, one project for 2010 will be to find a marathon buddy. My idea is that I could find someone who would like to run the Sunburst in the 8:45/M - 9:00/M range. This person could live anywhere in a 4-5 hour radius. My idea is that we would keep in touch via e-mail and telephone and do a a few long runs together before the marathon.

Also, here are two more benchmarking events (read: races) in preparation for the half marathon. Both are in Flushing:

• Snowflake 10K Run [2010-1-16]
  
• Sweetheart 10K Run [2010-2-13]
• National Half Marathon [2010-3-20]
  

This would be a good way to stay in "race mode" during the next two months. This is one per month--probably no need to do anything more. Perhaps I should do extra running at the end of these 10K races.

Running Into 2010

Well, for one half of 2009, I was a runner. That feels pretty good. I'm the kind of person who starts and finishes hobbies pretty quickly. I chose running because I wanted it to last. I am still very focused and excited about it.

I must admit to being a little down about my last couple of races. During my second 10K, I added about 90 seconds to my time. As I told my step mom, that was not the trend line I was going for. Today I ran my second 8K, and I ran pretty much the same time--only 14 seconds faster. I really wanted to shave off a few minutes.

But I didn't start running to get good times in races. And for many people, these would be very good times, indeed. As I often think in my head, the races are really benchmarking exercises. It's a great time to get out and run a professionally-measured course with a precise timing and record keeping. The races are also interesting events where you can people watch, look at shoes, and generally see what other runners are up to: this includes the elite runners who finish with a pace of 5-something per mile, to the folks who are running much slower than I am. The funny thing about races: there are people who look to be in better shape than me who finish far behind me; likewise, there are people who look to be in worse shape than me who finish far ahead of me. Go figure.

Which brings me to the whole point of this running thing: staying healthy. I think I am on the right road here. Have I radically transformed my health? No. But my health was not in need of radical transformation. It was in need of a corrected course--the trajectory was not looking good.

Over the past several months, I have made running a regular part of my life. That, I think, is the major breakthrough. For about 10 years, I really didn't have a physical activity I enjoyed. Through part of my 20s I enjoyed cycling; I rode long distances on my bike and really enjoyed it. As I got busier with work, and then with family and kids, I found that really didn't fit anymore. It took too long. When it was just me, I could go out on my bike for 3 hours in the middle of the afternoon. I played hockey for about a year; that doesn't fit either. Ice time is hard to get and who wants to run the risk of getting hurt all the time?

The more I thought about it, the more running seemed to make sense. I watched Marti jump off the sailboat in the middle of the Chesapeake and knock off a 6 mile run. For me, that is the definition of "no excuses." I talked with Carlos at work, who lost all kinds of weight while running. I explored it with Bill, who is exactly 20 years older than me--he's made running a big part of his life, and he's really healthy. If I am in the kind of shape he is in at 60, I'll be very happy.

No, between 1999 and 2009, I had slowly gained about 20 pounds. That was easy because I didn't do any kind of physical activity. 2 pounds a year is kind of normal for a guy my age... but I don't like where that graph is going. I also didn't like the thought of getting more and more out of shape. Male clothing hides being out of shape pretty well, and the clothes are second only to your own mind in hiding the pounds. Because the weight came on slowly, I didn't really notice it.

So I've lost 10-12 honest pounds running. That is good. I feel more fit and that is a really good thing. I look forward to running and I think it helps me in my life. I enjoy getting up early in the morning to go for a run. I like working toward a goal.

And there's the goal part. You see, I am still a little disappointed. I think early in this running thing, I would be thrilled to know that I had gotten this far. But part of me revised my goals upward (a good thing, I know) and made them harder to reach. In August of 2009, I wrote the following:

My running goal is simple: I want running to be my primary fitness program, and I want to be able to sustain it injury-free into my 60s. I am not in a hurry to get anywhere in particular; I want to develop myself as a runner in a slow and steady fashion. By April of 2010, I would like to be a moderately serious 10-K runner logging 25-30 miles per week. I hope to run 4x per week and have a pace of approximately 8:30/M.

I am ahead of schedule for this. If all goes according to plan, I will have completed a half marathon by April of 2010. To do that, I think being "a moderately serious 10K runner logging 25-30 miles per week" will describe me accurately. It almost describes me now. In fact, if I can manage to do a 10K just a couple of minutes faster by April, all of this will be true.

And I've made significant progress on the "injury free" front. I was getting hurt at the beginning, and I took that very seriously. I studied and practiced and took a lesson with a professional. I ran an 8K race today, and I feel like I could do another one tomorrow. I have no pain at all. After that same distance back in August, I limped for a week. Big difference.

I need to make sure I don't get discouraged by not meeting my lofty goals. I addressed these lofty goals here. Check out these "dream times" I fantasized about:

• 5K: 23:30 or 7:30/M [-2:30]
  
• 10K: 49:30 or 7:55/M [-5:02]
  
• 8K: 40:10 or 8:05/M [-4:15]
  
• 10M: 1:21:40 or 8:10/M [?]
  
• 13.1M: 1:50:20 or 8:25/M [?]
  
• 26.2M: 3:50:17 or 8:47/M [?]

I can tell you that these seem very ambitious after my effort today. The idea that I could have shaved four minutes off my race today is really hard to believe. The idea that I could run a marathon at a faster pace than I ran 5 miles today is even harder to believe. But again, these are sort of "lifetime" goals that I have thrown out there for myself. They are something to shoot for. They are not going to happen overnight.

Or, they are not going to happen at all. And, so what? The point is to stay running, stay healthy, keep from being injured, and to enjoy the whole thing. Right?

Looking Forward

The big focus now is the National Half Marathon. That is going to be cool. I have to re-evaluate this Galloway run/walk/run strategy. I used it today and didn't do much better. My best times have come in races where I ran the entire way (with some brief, unplanned walk breaks). I think I can do the half in under 2 hours, which is my goal. But the super serious runners I talked to when I bought my shoes have never run a half in under 2. Who am I to bust out of the gate with that kind of goal?

I don't know. But I've got 78 days to try.