Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013 - Wisconsin Marathon!
This was actually my second fastest marathon in over 20 years, and I backed way, way off in the second half.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday through Friday, May 1-3, 2013
Easy run Wednesday, travel Thursday.
I feel like crap. My head was pounding much of the day, I was nauseous (why the FUCK can I not spell this word?) this morning, and my clams are swollen. My back and neck are in chronic hard spasm, I'm emotionally distraught and socially challenged. I do not see how I can possibly up to this. I'm doomed. Hopelessly doomed, if those two words go together. It's cold and damp and rainy and windy and I feel sick!
Don't you get it?!? I just want to curl up in bed and sleep through the weekend, not wake up three hours before dawn to freeze in a tee shirt and shorts on some frozen midwestern shore. OK, not quite frozen, but it was just a few weeks ago. fuck you fuck you fuck you. I'm not doin' it.
This is going to be the best marathon ever! (It's already the cheesiest!)
I feel like crap. My head was pounding much of the day, I was nauseous (why the FUCK can I not spell this word?) this morning, and my clams are swollen. My back and neck are in chronic hard spasm, I'm emotionally distraught and socially challenged. I do not see how I can possibly up to this. I'm doomed. Hopelessly doomed, if those two words go together. It's cold and damp and rainy and windy and I feel sick!
Don't you get it?!? I just want to curl up in bed and sleep through the weekend, not wake up three hours before dawn to freeze in a tee shirt and shorts on some frozen midwestern shore. OK, not quite frozen, but it was just a few weeks ago. fuck you fuck you fuck you. I'm not doin' it.
This is going to be the best marathon ever! (It's already the cheesiest!)
Tuesday, April 30
Last T workout, and a pretty short one at that, as I'm well into my taper. All easy running after today.
5 miles with 2 x 1/2 mile @ T pace with 1 minute active recovery. I was feeling all sluggish and logy throughout the day, but felt strong, light and quick on the run.
1 828
2 748
2.5 3:31 (T)
- 100
3 338 (T)
4 819
5 734
I admit the last mile wasn't entirely easy, but it wasn't very hard. I feel good about my training. My base (1 1/2 miles) was a little thin, but I feel healthy and managed to avoid the agony of overtraining.
5 miles with 2 x 1/2 mile @ T pace with 1 minute active recovery. I was feeling all sluggish and logy throughout the day, but felt strong, light and quick on the run.
1 828
2 748
2.5 3:31 (T)
- 100
3 338 (T)
4 819
5 734
I admit the last mile wasn't entirely easy, but it wasn't very hard. I feel good about my training. My base (1 1/2 miles) was a little thin, but I feel healthy and managed to avoid the agony of overtraining.
Monday, April 29
Very easy recovery day. 3 miles, no HRM, no splits. except mile three, which was 7:30. Sue me, it wasn't totally easy, but it wasn't stressful, either. In fact, I don't feel any stress from yesterday's run or from the last week of jumped-up training (0 to 48 miles). Except for a little matter of the no. 2 toe on the number right foot, which will be a problem. I may have to take a belt sander to it.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Time for one last marathon pace long run. I'm going for 2 minutes easy walking every three miles, keeping the HR under 130. I'm hoping to manage 8:30 pace, but effort and HR come first.
...running...
HRM numbers:
Total time (including 10 min. post-run): 1:58
Avg. HR: 117 !!
Peak HR: 139
Min. HR: 34
12 miles, total time running: 1:48:29 (3:57 marathon pace, exactly what I'm looking for next weekend)
This was run a a pretty hilly route, especially miles 3-9. It was a very comfortable pace, too easy, even. With the walking, it comes out to 9:00 pace, give or take a second or two, and at an average HR, while running, of about 121 on a hilly route. If I can do 9 at 120 then 126 should get me 8:40 and 133 8:20.
...running...
HRM numbers:
Total time (including 10 min. post-run): 1:58
Avg. HR: 117 !!
Peak HR: 139
Min. HR: 34
12 miles, total time running: 1:48:29 (3:57 marathon pace, exactly what I'm looking for next weekend)
This was run a a pretty hilly route, especially miles 3-9. It was a very comfortable pace, too easy, even. With the walking, it comes out to 9:00 pace, give or take a second or two, and at an average HR, while running, of about 121 on a hilly route. If I can do 9 at 120 then 126 should get me 8:40 and 133 8:20.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
April 27, 2013
Only a week left until the marathons, and I've now got a full week of training behind me. All I have left is one more long run, one tempo workout, a little tapering and sharpening, and my training will be complete. As complete as could be in 12 days. Except for all the things I'm not doing. A couple good massage sessions would work wonders, and if I gave grades for strength and core training, I'd give myself a D-, and that would be an unearned gift. I should be sitting less and working my back more. It's really ready to herniate again at any time, and then all this marathon fun would come to a screaming halt. I haven't done any strides or form drills. No dead bugs awkward turtles.
Monday, April 29, 2013
April 24, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Recovery day. As usual, my goal is to run as quickly as possible for the desired effort. It's not about running slowly, it's about running easily. Quick and easy beats slow and easy and isn't any harder. Today I got in some quick and easy running. My legs are feeling much better than they did a week ago, the daily running actually seems to take the aches out of my legs. Of course, I'm only a few days into it, and I'm sure that by Sunday I'll develop an overuse injury, maybe that horrible-sounding one about planetary fascism. I'll rehab it on Monday morning and it'll be good as new by nightfall. At least, that's the plan. One of the plans; it's a big alphabet.
April 23, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Time for a little tempo (threshold) training. This is probably the one thing I've neglected most, so I should be able to reap some benefits with three T workouts before the marathons start. Today is 2 x 1 mile at T pace (~90%) with 1 minute active recovery. My T pace should be somewhere around 7:15/mile. I'm having some doubts about the veracity of the HRM data from Great Bay. Looking at today's workout, the first T mile was 7:05 (144 bpm at end) and the second was 7:42 (146 bpm). The effort was the same, but the first one was generally downhill, while the second was up, so the times and the perceived effort both squared with T pace. But if the Great Bay data are to be believed, my T HR should be 166, and I've only hit 166 at the end of a 5k several weeks ago. It was a nice little run, the weather is warm but not hot, and running is fun.
Time for a little tempo (threshold) training. This is probably the one thing I've neglected most, so I should be able to reap some benefits with three T workouts before the marathons start. Today is 2 x 1 mile at T pace (~90%) with 1 minute active recovery. My T pace should be somewhere around 7:15/mile. I'm having some doubts about the veracity of the HRM data from Great Bay. Looking at today's workout, the first T mile was 7:05 (144 bpm at end) and the second was 7:42 (146 bpm). The effort was the same, but the first one was generally downhill, while the second was up, so the times and the perceived effort both squared with T pace. But if the Great Bay data are to be believed, my T HR should be 166, and I've only hit 166 at the end of a 5k several weeks ago. It was a nice little run, the weather is warm but not hot, and running is fun.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
April 22, 2013
Journal Entries for April 21 and 22
I have a confession to make. Although I trained sparingly ("slugged out") from October through March , I did manage to fit in three marathons and a handful of halfs, including back to back marathons in January. I was severely undertrained, but ran 4:17 and 4:40 with no ill effects. I ran a bit too conservatively in the second one, and my fastest running was the last 10k of the second marathon. This is what it looked like:
I've also been training fairly consistently Since March, except for the last week. But the time for not running is over, it's time to do some really amazing shit.
My resting HR is about 35, max 185. I can maintain 180+ for just about 5k. I put in a 48 mile week several weeks ago, but nothing over 15 mpw until this week. In a half marathon a month or so ago I ran at sightseeing pace until the last 5k, which went down in just a whisker over 21 minutes (about 6:51 pace) and feeling strong and relaxed. The overall time was something like 1:48, but I think I could have easily gone 1:42. Not near mid-season racing form in the low 1:30's, but great for not having trained. So a couple weeks after I ran another local half (both within 20 minutes, one went from the maine to the mass border - exactly 13.1 miles, and the other finishes directly in front of my son's home). Anyway, the plan there was to run about 1:40. I even had a plan.
I'm offering a special prize to the first person to post results for every race I've run this year. It's an awesome tech shirt from a distant marathon or running school, your choice from several!
I've also been training fairly consistently Since March, except for the last week. But the time for not running is over, it's time to do some really amazing shit.
My resting HR is about 35, max 185. I can maintain 180+ for just about 5k. I put in a 48 mile week several weeks ago, but nothing over 15 mpw until this week. In a half marathon a month or so ago I ran at sightseeing pace until the last 5k, which went down in just a whisker over 21 minutes (about 6:51 pace) and feeling strong and relaxed. The overall time was something like 1:48, but I think I could have easily gone 1:42. Not near mid-season racing form in the low 1:30's, but great for not having trained. So a couple weeks after I ran another local half (both within 20 minutes, one went from the maine to the mass border - exactly 13.1 miles, and the other finishes directly in front of my son's home). Anyway, the plan there was to run about 1:40. I even had a plan.
I'm offering a special prize to the first person to post results for every race I've run this year. It's an awesome tech shirt from a distant marathon or running school, your choice from several!
Friday, April 26, 2013
April 21, 2013 - Another Beautiful Day to Run
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Hello again. A lot of water has gone over the bridge.
I'm going to start twice-daily posts, to create a record of my current adventure. It is sure to be a tale of terrifying danger, unfathomable decision-making and harrowing escapes from the depths of despair to the alpine vistas of euphoria. That's the best-case scenario. Anything else gets much, much more interesting.
I'll start with a little background, recounting my ruminations last Sunday afternoon, when this story begins.
Last fall I had a pretty good summer of training, and an excellent fall, leading to some decent racing, including a BQ 3:34 marathon in early October in Chicago. I've pretty much taken off since then, running maybe once or twice a week and gaining about 7 pounds (my normal weight, as opposed to racing weight which is about 10 pounds less, or 148). My health is excellent, can't even remember the last time I was sick, and I take no medications, vitamins or supplements. The only pharmaceutical I've taken in years is ibuprofen last fall, but again, nothing since about October. Diet includes no red meat and rarely chicken or pork. If it comes from the sea, though, I'll eat it every time. No HFCS, no processed grain, negligible bread. Minimal alcohol. Sleep - excellent, my forte. Stress - way too much at work. Oh well, work is better than no work, and home is less stressful than homeless.
So that's where I am last Sunday, thinking about getting in some marathons, considering starting training for the busy fall racing season, just kind of ruminating on running. Then I remembered that, sometime back in January or February I actually entered some marathons, nice and early to get the early registration discounts, because this 50 state marathon crap can get kinda spendy if you enter the races and make airline reservations at the last minute. Ask me about Louisiana sometime. Hooo-eeey. Good thing they had a casino where I could win back the cost of the hotel. Another story, another time.
Thinking quickly, I checked my email, and sure enough found registrations and reservations for four marathons! And they're all in the same month! Actually, they're all within a 16 day period, 2 one weekend and 2 more two weekends after! And the second two are trail marathons! Yay!
No problem, all I need to do is devise a training schedule for doing four marathons in two weeks. So, how much time do I have? Let's see, There's Kenosha, Wisconsin ("The Cheesiest Marathon") on the 5th and Pittsburgh on the 6th, then Chattanooga (trail) on the 18th and Alabama (trail) on the 19th. May. Oh Crap.
Alright, take some deep breaths and relax. I can do this. All I need is a plan. I've got 13 days to train, including today. I was planning on doing a small 5k for a small local library, but couldn't find the dang race and ran about 1.5 miles meandering aimlessly about Dunbarton. I'll call that my base and rest the remainder of the day.
OK, phase 1 of training complete! That leaves me with 12 training days. Well, 11. I like to rest completely the day before a marathon (except for 2-3 miles walking). And the last two of those 11 days are easy rest days, so that leaves 9 days for quality training. More than enough. I'll need 3 long runs, 3 tempo runs, 2 days speedwork (relatively speaking, that is) and 1 easy day. Man, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be!
There is a little catch. I have to finish each of the first two marathons in under four hours. My flight between marathons leaves Chicago's Midway airport at 1:30 (the marathon in Kenosha starts at 7 and it is about 1.5 hours between the marathon and the airport). That's tight. Once I get to Pittsburgh, though, I'm meeting up with a high school track teammate who I haven't seen in 37 years. He's running his first marathon, after having gone vegan and taken up running again (he was a gymnast/pole vaulter in HS, and a good one too). I told him I'd be honored to run with him in his first marathon, and his goal is to run under four hours. His training has been solid this winter, 22 mile runs and other such marathon training goodness. I'm confident he'll get that 4 hours, and I'd like to be able to be there with him.
So day 1 is complete. I have a nice solid training base in, I still feel healthy, no signs of overuse injuries, my visualization exercises have been going well - all trends are up! I also have a new heart monitor that will ensure my training and racing success.
I'll post again tonight (it's Friday now) with scans from my training log, an outline of my magic (almost) two-week multi-marathon training programme, and shocking revelations from my secret spring racing season.
I think today's training can readily extrapolate to marathon success. Nothing can possibly go wrong.
Hello again. A lot of water has gone over the bridge.
I'm going to start twice-daily posts, to create a record of my current adventure. It is sure to be a tale of terrifying danger, unfathomable decision-making and harrowing escapes from the depths of despair to the alpine vistas of euphoria. That's the best-case scenario. Anything else gets much, much more interesting.
I'll start with a little background, recounting my ruminations last Sunday afternoon, when this story begins.
Last fall I had a pretty good summer of training, and an excellent fall, leading to some decent racing, including a BQ 3:34 marathon in early October in Chicago. I've pretty much taken off since then, running maybe once or twice a week and gaining about 7 pounds (my normal weight, as opposed to racing weight which is about 10 pounds less, or 148). My health is excellent, can't even remember the last time I was sick, and I take no medications, vitamins or supplements. The only pharmaceutical I've taken in years is ibuprofen last fall, but again, nothing since about October. Diet includes no red meat and rarely chicken or pork. If it comes from the sea, though, I'll eat it every time. No HFCS, no processed grain, negligible bread. Minimal alcohol. Sleep - excellent, my forte. Stress - way too much at work. Oh well, work is better than no work, and home is less stressful than homeless.
So that's where I am last Sunday, thinking about getting in some marathons, considering starting training for the busy fall racing season, just kind of ruminating on running. Then I remembered that, sometime back in January or February I actually entered some marathons, nice and early to get the early registration discounts, because this 50 state marathon crap can get kinda spendy if you enter the races and make airline reservations at the last minute. Ask me about Louisiana sometime. Hooo-eeey. Good thing they had a casino where I could win back the cost of the hotel. Another story, another time.
Thinking quickly, I checked my email, and sure enough found registrations and reservations for four marathons! And they're all in the same month! Actually, they're all within a 16 day period, 2 one weekend and 2 more two weekends after! And the second two are trail marathons! Yay!
No problem, all I need to do is devise a training schedule for doing four marathons in two weeks. So, how much time do I have? Let's see, There's Kenosha, Wisconsin ("The Cheesiest Marathon") on the 5th and Pittsburgh on the 6th, then Chattanooga (trail) on the 18th and Alabama (trail) on the 19th. May. Oh Crap.
Alright, take some deep breaths and relax. I can do this. All I need is a plan. I've got 13 days to train, including today. I was planning on doing a small 5k for a small local library, but couldn't find the dang race and ran about 1.5 miles meandering aimlessly about Dunbarton. I'll call that my base and rest the remainder of the day.
OK, phase 1 of training complete! That leaves me with 12 training days. Well, 11. I like to rest completely the day before a marathon (except for 2-3 miles walking). And the last two of those 11 days are easy rest days, so that leaves 9 days for quality training. More than enough. I'll need 3 long runs, 3 tempo runs, 2 days speedwork (relatively speaking, that is) and 1 easy day. Man, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be!
There is a little catch. I have to finish each of the first two marathons in under four hours. My flight between marathons leaves Chicago's Midway airport at 1:30 (the marathon in Kenosha starts at 7 and it is about 1.5 hours between the marathon and the airport). That's tight. Once I get to Pittsburgh, though, I'm meeting up with a high school track teammate who I haven't seen in 37 years. He's running his first marathon, after having gone vegan and taken up running again (he was a gymnast/pole vaulter in HS, and a good one too). I told him I'd be honored to run with him in his first marathon, and his goal is to run under four hours. His training has been solid this winter, 22 mile runs and other such marathon training goodness. I'm confident he'll get that 4 hours, and I'd like to be able to be there with him.
So day 1 is complete. I have a nice solid training base in, I still feel healthy, no signs of overuse injuries, my visualization exercises have been going well - all trends are up! I also have a new heart monitor that will ensure my training and racing success.
I'll post again tonight (it's Friday now) with scans from my training log, an outline of my magic (almost) two-week multi-marathon training programme, and shocking revelations from my secret spring racing season.
I think today's training can readily extrapolate to marathon success. Nothing can possibly go wrong.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Maine Marathon Report
Monday, October 3, 2011
About three miles total, running to BB with a loop of the field for easy form drills and strides. Hung around a bit visiting xc team, then a quick! run to White Park with the kids. It felt good to wear the fivefingers, and the legs felt fine, if a little tired with some soreness in the hamstrings. But really, I felt good, better than yesterday even. The only residual soreness, other than the hammies, is in my feet, but that's only a minor discomfort, and fading quickly.
Let me recap my last year of training: very sketchy
September-December 2010 - fairly consistent training, low mileage, good job getting back into a running lifestyle. Some good racing in late November and December (~41 min 10k).
January-April 2011 - good maintenance training early on, but more inconsistent once outdoor track began, resulting in a lot of lost fitness. I ran the Boston Marathon after taking off most of late March and early April, with the first half in about 1:45 and hamstring spasms throughout the 2:25 second half. The tips/tops of three toes were very badly blistered. I was certainly not in marathon condition, but what the hell, I had a chance to run Boston again (first time since 1993, I think) and it was a ton of fun!
May-June 2011 - I took all of May off to let the toenails heal properly, and the first half of June concentrating on coaching and working. I started some good cycling in June after buying a nice road bike, including several rides to/from work (about 40-45 hilly miles) and one or two half centuries. Running fitness decreasing, but cardio fitness still high.
July 2011 - 0 miles running. 0 miles biking. 0 miles walking. I spent virtually the entire month lying on me left side in excruciating pain from a herniated lumbar disc. Any residual fitness fades into a vague memory. My right leg is numb and very weak, maybe about 20% strength, and one of my two goals every day is not to fall down. I can stand for about 30 seconds before the pain forces me to get back into my safety position. On the positive side, though, I finally got down to a serious racing weight, under 150 pounds for the first time in about 30 years (so it's due to malnutrition, boo-hoo). An epidural cortisone injection at the end of the month works wonders, though, and I decide to start "training" to get "ready" for The Running School. At the end of the month I can walk, but my right leg is still very weak and somewhat numb, particularly on the inside of the knee. I can probably do a mile in 20 minutes, if I could do a mile. Frankly, I think July sucked ass, and I'll probably repress any remaining memories.
August 2011 - Some light running, but the funky right leg breaks symmetry and causes all kinds of secondary problems, so I spend most of my time on the bike, getting in some pretty good rides. The leg still feels way off on the bike, but I can hammer pretty good anyway. My back is very achy, as is the right hip flexor. I only did one three mile run at The Running School, other than that it was all bike. Fitness and mobility greatly improved, but actual running still negligible.
September 2011 - Very inconsistent running and somewhat less biking. After almost two months of being substantially disabled, I really needed to concentrate on work. My mobility and pain are improving, but the right leg still isn't right.
I signed up months ago, before the injury, for the Reach the Beach relay (200 miles, 12 person teams, 3 legs per runner) in the middle of the month. I was scheduled for a total of 23 miles, with a longest leg of about 9 miles. Crap, I didn't think I could even run 9 miles all at once, so a week before the relay I ran 9 miles. It hurt, but I could do it, and at about 8:30 pace, so I didn't feel like a total scrub. Fortunately, Hurricane Irene washed out one of the roads on the route, and my first leg was shortened from 9 to 3 miles. It was downhill, running southeast from Cannon mountain, and I cranked out a 22 minute three mile, the fastest I've run since about February. My second leg was about 10k in the middle of the night, and I ran very slowly and felt like doggy doo. I was probably shuffling at close to 10 minute pace by the end. My third leg the next morning was about 5.5 miles, and in the first mile my right calf (soleus) tore, and I was reduced to a combination of painful walking and very painful gimping. Not even close to 10 minute miles. Luckily, we get to the beach before nightfall and I soak my legs in the ocean.
I didn't do any running in the last two weeks of the month, except for a six miler last Monday, mainly to see if I could run on the calf without pain. And I could! My right leg is still improving, but much more gradually, almost glacially. I'm beginning to worry about the numbness being permanent. That would really suck. I was originally scheduled for four epidural injections, about 3-4 weeks apart, but I canceled all the follow-up injections in favor of more conservative treatment (pt only). Perhaps I should have gotten one more, just to calm the nerve. So I called my orthopedist. During the epidural procedure back in July, we had a long discussion regarding my usual activity levels and expectations - marathons, triathlons, cycling, mountain climbing etc. He recalled this and reassured me that he thought the chances were low of the numbness being permanent and that he also would prefer a more conservative approach. He said that as long as I didn't "overdo" it, I should be fine. Overdo it? Moi? I didn't mention the RTB relay. Or the 45 mile bike rides. But I did mention in passing that "I'm entered in the Maine Marathon this weekend." His response? "Don't tell me that."
Which brings us to October having run about 50 miles over the past 5 months. Let's math that out. Hmm, it's about 10 miles per month. Almost 3 miles per week. I feel good about my marathon training! My injuries have been healing, my weight is good. My visualization has been splendid. I decide to go for a world record. The marathon WR was broken last week at Berlin, 2:03:38. All I have to do is run each 5k in about 14:40. I like to run the first half of a marathon about a minute or two faster than the second, so I plan to hit the first 5k in 14:20 and the 10k in 28:45, then settle down to 14:30 pace until the half, which I should hit at about 61 minutes. All I have to do then is back off the pace a little bit and cruise in at about 2:03 even. If I don't hit the first couple splits comfortably, I'll just shift to plan B.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Maine Marathon, Portland
First of all, and to complete my October training log, I have to admit that I took yesterday off. The day before a marathon you should stick to what you know. Dance with the one who brung ya, right? I could tell that I was ready for a fast marathon, hopefully a world record, because my right hip flexor would spasm just by moving my leg as I tried to rise from reclining on the sofa. And my calves, and ITB, and piriformis were all sore without me having bothered overtraining! Oh yeah, this is gonna be great! I AM READY FOR THIS!
7:30 in the morning, with the race starting in 15 minutes. Rain is pouring down like a tropical storm. It's not cold, maybe mid-50's, but the wind is stiff from the NNE, the prevailing direction along the shore for the first half of the race. I decide to make sure I stay warm and overdress, and I'm glad I did. Keri and I start together near the back of the field and I'm comfortable with the pace as we walk to the starting line. I suggest to Keri that she aim for 5k splits just under 27 minutes. I look for the 5k split, but they only have markers at the mile splits, so I assume that I'm right on pace. I feel as if I ran a 14:20 5k, so it must have been close. There is no 10k marker either, so I estimate it based on the 6 mile marker, and it's about 52 minutes. That second 5k must have been a lot slower, so I move on to plan B, which is to pace Keri at 27 minute 5k pace for as long as possible. Seeing as we reached the 10k mark 2 minutes early, I decide to walk for two minutes until 54 minutes rolls around. The walking feels good, and I reluctantly resume running at 54. I consider turning around at the half marathon turnaround, but only for a small fraction of a second. I pass 15k in about 83 or 84 minutes, and by then it seems like a good idea to walk a little bit every couple miles. The half moseys by in 2:02, and I know that 4:24 is out of reach. My hams and calves are sending out warning signals, and I want to make sure I don't let them go into hard spasm (I'm looking at you, Boston), so I spend much of 13-18 walking. I run a bit more over the last 6 miles, though. The right hamstring tried to cramp up with about 20 meters left in the race. Seriously?!? It was the first time in the race that I actually stopped. It was only for about two seconds, just long enough to prevent the spasm, but still …. Anyway, it was 4:40 something, between 10 and 11 minute pace, with a lot of walking. I deserved that. But nothing is hurt, and nothing is particularly sore, either 24 or 48 hours afterward, and that is kind of amazing. I had absolutely no business running that marathon. Totally stupid. But it was fun, and the torrential downpour/nor'easter didn't bother me in the least. Much nicer than bright sunshine and heat. and no problems with the toes!!!!! Yippeee!
So I've decided to do the 50 marathon/50 state thing. And one more for DC, and I'll be happy to add Canada and Europe when appropriate. So Maine is out of the way. I've previously done NY (Champlain Valley 1978 or '79 3:11, Wineglass '82 2:54 and '92 2:47), MA (Boston '93 and '11) and CT (Nipmuck 1994). I'm thinking about the Cape Coral marathon in early December, maybe one in early November after the Hairy Gorilla half Halloween weekend, then try for one every 2-3 months, or more often if I'm really enjoying them and not getting hurt and have the money and time necessary.
Perhaps I should revisit my training, though. I thought everything was is place for the world record, or at least a big victory, but I wasn't even close. It's not that I mind running marathons in over four hours. All marathons hurt, it's just that slow marathons hurt longer. And I really ought to be running under 3:30, easily. Maybe I'll try adding more running to my training. I'm considering switching from 3 miles a week to 3 miles a day. Let me think on this
About three miles total, running to BB with a loop of the field for easy form drills and strides. Hung around a bit visiting xc team, then a quick! run to White Park with the kids. It felt good to wear the fivefingers, and the legs felt fine, if a little tired with some soreness in the hamstrings. But really, I felt good, better than yesterday even. The only residual soreness, other than the hammies, is in my feet, but that's only a minor discomfort, and fading quickly.
Let me recap my last year of training: very sketchy
September-December 2010 - fairly consistent training, low mileage, good job getting back into a running lifestyle. Some good racing in late November and December (~41 min 10k).
January-April 2011 - good maintenance training early on, but more inconsistent once outdoor track began, resulting in a lot of lost fitness. I ran the Boston Marathon after taking off most of late March and early April, with the first half in about 1:45 and hamstring spasms throughout the 2:25 second half. The tips/tops of three toes were very badly blistered. I was certainly not in marathon condition, but what the hell, I had a chance to run Boston again (first time since 1993, I think) and it was a ton of fun!
May-June 2011 - I took all of May off to let the toenails heal properly, and the first half of June concentrating on coaching and working. I started some good cycling in June after buying a nice road bike, including several rides to/from work (about 40-45 hilly miles) and one or two half centuries. Running fitness decreasing, but cardio fitness still high.
July 2011 - 0 miles running. 0 miles biking. 0 miles walking. I spent virtually the entire month lying on me left side in excruciating pain from a herniated lumbar disc. Any residual fitness fades into a vague memory. My right leg is numb and very weak, maybe about 20% strength, and one of my two goals every day is not to fall down. I can stand for about 30 seconds before the pain forces me to get back into my safety position. On the positive side, though, I finally got down to a serious racing weight, under 150 pounds for the first time in about 30 years (so it's due to malnutrition, boo-hoo). An epidural cortisone injection at the end of the month works wonders, though, and I decide to start "training" to get "ready" for The Running School. At the end of the month I can walk, but my right leg is still very weak and somewhat numb, particularly on the inside of the knee. I can probably do a mile in 20 minutes, if I could do a mile. Frankly, I think July sucked ass, and I'll probably repress any remaining memories.
August 2011 - Some light running, but the funky right leg breaks symmetry and causes all kinds of secondary problems, so I spend most of my time on the bike, getting in some pretty good rides. The leg still feels way off on the bike, but I can hammer pretty good anyway. My back is very achy, as is the right hip flexor. I only did one three mile run at The Running School, other than that it was all bike. Fitness and mobility greatly improved, but actual running still negligible.
September 2011 - Very inconsistent running and somewhat less biking. After almost two months of being substantially disabled, I really needed to concentrate on work. My mobility and pain are improving, but the right leg still isn't right.
I signed up months ago, before the injury, for the Reach the Beach relay (200 miles, 12 person teams, 3 legs per runner) in the middle of the month. I was scheduled for a total of 23 miles, with a longest leg of about 9 miles. Crap, I didn't think I could even run 9 miles all at once, so a week before the relay I ran 9 miles. It hurt, but I could do it, and at about 8:30 pace, so I didn't feel like a total scrub. Fortunately, Hurricane Irene washed out one of the roads on the route, and my first leg was shortened from 9 to 3 miles. It was downhill, running southeast from Cannon mountain, and I cranked out a 22 minute three mile, the fastest I've run since about February. My second leg was about 10k in the middle of the night, and I ran very slowly and felt like doggy doo. I was probably shuffling at close to 10 minute pace by the end. My third leg the next morning was about 5.5 miles, and in the first mile my right calf (soleus) tore, and I was reduced to a combination of painful walking and very painful gimping. Not even close to 10 minute miles. Luckily, we get to the beach before nightfall and I soak my legs in the ocean.
I didn't do any running in the last two weeks of the month, except for a six miler last Monday, mainly to see if I could run on the calf without pain. And I could! My right leg is still improving, but much more gradually, almost glacially. I'm beginning to worry about the numbness being permanent. That would really suck. I was originally scheduled for four epidural injections, about 3-4 weeks apart, but I canceled all the follow-up injections in favor of more conservative treatment (pt only). Perhaps I should have gotten one more, just to calm the nerve. So I called my orthopedist. During the epidural procedure back in July, we had a long discussion regarding my usual activity levels and expectations - marathons, triathlons, cycling, mountain climbing etc. He recalled this and reassured me that he thought the chances were low of the numbness being permanent and that he also would prefer a more conservative approach. He said that as long as I didn't "overdo" it, I should be fine. Overdo it? Moi? I didn't mention the RTB relay. Or the 45 mile bike rides. But I did mention in passing that "I'm entered in the Maine Marathon this weekend." His response? "Don't tell me that."
Which brings us to October having run about 50 miles over the past 5 months. Let's math that out. Hmm, it's about 10 miles per month. Almost 3 miles per week. I feel good about my marathon training! My injuries have been healing, my weight is good. My visualization has been splendid. I decide to go for a world record. The marathon WR was broken last week at Berlin, 2:03:38. All I have to do is run each 5k in about 14:40. I like to run the first half of a marathon about a minute or two faster than the second, so I plan to hit the first 5k in 14:20 and the 10k in 28:45, then settle down to 14:30 pace until the half, which I should hit at about 61 minutes. All I have to do then is back off the pace a little bit and cruise in at about 2:03 even. If I don't hit the first couple splits comfortably, I'll just shift to plan B.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Maine Marathon, Portland
First of all, and to complete my October training log, I have to admit that I took yesterday off. The day before a marathon you should stick to what you know. Dance with the one who brung ya, right? I could tell that I was ready for a fast marathon, hopefully a world record, because my right hip flexor would spasm just by moving my leg as I tried to rise from reclining on the sofa. And my calves, and ITB, and piriformis were all sore without me having bothered overtraining! Oh yeah, this is gonna be great! I AM READY FOR THIS!
7:30 in the morning, with the race starting in 15 minutes. Rain is pouring down like a tropical storm. It's not cold, maybe mid-50's, but the wind is stiff from the NNE, the prevailing direction along the shore for the first half of the race. I decide to make sure I stay warm and overdress, and I'm glad I did. Keri and I start together near the back of the field and I'm comfortable with the pace as we walk to the starting line. I suggest to Keri that she aim for 5k splits just under 27 minutes. I look for the 5k split, but they only have markers at the mile splits, so I assume that I'm right on pace. I feel as if I ran a 14:20 5k, so it must have been close. There is no 10k marker either, so I estimate it based on the 6 mile marker, and it's about 52 minutes. That second 5k must have been a lot slower, so I move on to plan B, which is to pace Keri at 27 minute 5k pace for as long as possible. Seeing as we reached the 10k mark 2 minutes early, I decide to walk for two minutes until 54 minutes rolls around. The walking feels good, and I reluctantly resume running at 54. I consider turning around at the half marathon turnaround, but only for a small fraction of a second. I pass 15k in about 83 or 84 minutes, and by then it seems like a good idea to walk a little bit every couple miles. The half moseys by in 2:02, and I know that 4:24 is out of reach. My hams and calves are sending out warning signals, and I want to make sure I don't let them go into hard spasm (I'm looking at you, Boston), so I spend much of 13-18 walking. I run a bit more over the last 6 miles, though. The right hamstring tried to cramp up with about 20 meters left in the race. Seriously?!? It was the first time in the race that I actually stopped. It was only for about two seconds, just long enough to prevent the spasm, but still …. Anyway, it was 4:40 something, between 10 and 11 minute pace, with a lot of walking. I deserved that. But nothing is hurt, and nothing is particularly sore, either 24 or 48 hours afterward, and that is kind of amazing. I had absolutely no business running that marathon. Totally stupid. But it was fun, and the torrential downpour/nor'easter didn't bother me in the least. Much nicer than bright sunshine and heat. and no problems with the toes!!!!! Yippeee!
So I've decided to do the 50 marathon/50 state thing. And one more for DC, and I'll be happy to add Canada and Europe when appropriate. So Maine is out of the way. I've previously done NY (Champlain Valley 1978 or '79 3:11, Wineglass '82 2:54 and '92 2:47), MA (Boston '93 and '11) and CT (Nipmuck 1994). I'm thinking about the Cape Coral marathon in early December, maybe one in early November after the Hairy Gorilla half Halloween weekend, then try for one every 2-3 months, or more often if I'm really enjoying them and not getting hurt and have the money and time necessary.
Perhaps I should revisit my training, though. I thought everything was is place for the world record, or at least a big victory, but I wasn't even close. It's not that I mind running marathons in over four hours. All marathons hurt, it's just that slow marathons hurt longer. And I really ought to be running under 3:30, easily. Maybe I'll try adding more running to my training. I'm considering switching from 3 miles a week to 3 miles a day. Let me think on this
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