Injured?

I think I might be injured. During the last three weeks of marathon training I had some pain where my leg muscles attach to my core. In fact, I couldn't stand on my left leg and wash my right foot or put on a sock. It hurt too much and I couldn't support my weight. But it didn't really bother me when I ran, so no  problem. Well, I ran on Sunday. I pushed Levi in the stroller. Apparently I am too weak for that. I ran home from work today and the injury was worse. Is this a mild sports hernia? Whatever the case, it is clear that not running was the cause of the injury.

Recap

During the national anthem before the race, two jets flew overhead, ripping the sky open. It was spectacular. According to Paul, that's the sound of freedom. A good way to start. The weather was sunny and warm, but favorable considering the previous day the marathon's medical director issued a red flag warning indicating a high risk of heat stress. "Slow your pace. There will be other races." Thanks for the positive message. The conditions could have been worse. Higher humidity, thrashing thunderstorms, a wind from the south. Thankfully this wasn't the case. Unfortunately, the cloud cover did not roll in until we were in Duluth and the intense sun took a toll over the first 18 miles. I felt good from the beginning. Effortless. Light. This is always the goal. The magic of the taper evidently worked. I locked into a steady pace next to one of the elite women and the miles clicked by. At 15 there was a hint of fatigue. I was hoping it wouldn't appear that early. At 18 I knew things were going to be difficult. All of Duluth was a struggle. Lonely, long London Road. Then Lemon Drop Hill to slow me down. Then I got sloppy on the downhill into downtown. Arms all over the place. Staring at the ground. A little minor weaving. Thoughts of walking entered my head. Two miles to eternity. Pick them up, put them down. Pick them up, put them down. Could I walk and be satisfied. As my Congress of neurons deliberated, the finish line got closer, but rather slowly. I was grinding to a halt. The circuitous last mile and elusive finish line were not helping. In the end, I can say with confidence I could not have gone much faster. Maybe a few seconds. But I was wobbly and almost a little light-headed. There was nothing left. It hurt. Bad. Of course, it is always possible to go faster. Another day. Different weather. A better last month of training. Perhaps a little more conservative pacing. A few things here and there. These possibilities instill a restlessness, one that can only be calmed temporarily by mass quantities of meat and beer. So, that's the race. The best part was hanging out with peeps. The next step is to pool our collective knowledge for our pre-race seminar at a future marathon expo. Most people don't know about the marathon hierarchy of goals. Many more have never seen or heard of the Ukrainian shuffle.

Splits

1. 6:10
2. 6:09
3. 6:04
4. 6:13
5. 6:13
6. 6:05
7. 6:09
8. 6:10
9. 6:08
10. 6:01
11. 6:13
12. 6:06
13. 6:06
14. 6:06
15. 6:03
16. 6:08
17. 6:09
18. 6:13
19. 6:06
20. 6:29
21. 6:29
22. 6:29
23. 6:32
24. 6:47
25. 6:37
26. 7:04

0.2 at 1:23

Total: 2:44:36

On the Road Again

The fourth phase of the JD plan has coincided with work related travel to some challenging locations. New Orleans (hot and humid), Newark (no good places to run), and Phoenix (110 degrees, bone dry, and nowhere to run from downtown). Its hard enough to find time to run while traveling -- and the weather and lack of routes saps all motivation to try. As a result, I missed a few days of running over the past month (although only one workout). The weather at home has also been less than optimal. The last 15-mile marathon pace workout was on 80 degree and humid day. I barely managed to run 7:05 pace. Overall, I've been feeling inconsistent down the home stretch. Also, I have a few little annoying aches that have decided now is the time to make themselves know. OK, enough whining. Let's hope that everything clicks next Saturday.

Banana Slug

Couldn't even do the 3x1 tempo yesterday. My tempo pace is rapidly approaching my easy run pace. I think I may be a little fatigued. Other causes may include gaining 50 pounds or giving blood multiple times. Come on taper!

Updated Running Diary

Dates	Week	Total Miles	Avg Pace	Notes
8/21 - 8/27	1	19.65	7:52
8/28 - 9/3	2	16.92	7:50
9/4 - 9/10	3	24.03	7:47
9/11 - 9/17	4	23	7:32
9/18 - 9/24	5	29.56	7:39
9/25 - 10/1	6	38.5	7:43
10/2 - 10/8	7	30.05	7:29
10/9 - 10/15	8	34	7:31
10/16 - 10/22	9	40.25	7:21
10/23 - 10/29	10	44.31	7:45
10/30 - 11/5	11	34	7:21
11/6 - 11/12	12	44.14	7:34
11/13 - 11/19	13	45.04	7:28
11/20 - 11/26	14	46.27	7:28
11/27 - 12/3	15	50.05	7:30
12/4 - 12/10	16	15.11	7:13
12/11 - 12/17	17	15.19	7:25
12/18 - 12/24	18	38.17	7:10
12/25 - 12/31	19	38.43	7:33
12/31 - 1/6	1	45.51	7:36
1/7 - 1/13	2	45.07	7:21
1/14 - 1/20	3	53.11	7:25
1/21 - 1/27	4	53.17	7:32
1/28 - 2/3	5	53.12	7:35
2/4 - 2/10	6	45.01	7:24
2/11 - 2/17	7	57.03	7:23
2/18 - 2/24	8	58.38	7:21	1st workout. Got sick afterwards. Failed 2nd workout.
2/25 - 3/2	9	46.32	7:30	O workouts. Basically took 2 days off.
3/3 - 3/9	10	68.26	7:31	1 workout. Went well, but was slower than 1st workout.
3/10 - 3/16	11	68.36	7:11	2 workouts. Both went well.  Feeling better again.
3/17 - 3/23	12	55.16	7:10	2 workouts. Both went well again. Starting to believe.
3/24 - 3/30	13	75.05	7:34	1 long run & 1 workout. Both awesome. Feeling good overall.
3/31 - 4/6	14	68.51	7:15	2 workouts. Both went well.
4/7 - 4/13	15	25.7	7:12	1 workout. Very sick for 5 days. 1st (M pace) workout was okay.
4/14 - 4/20	16	60.09	7:43	1 workout. Not good. Slowly recovering from my cold.
4/21 - 4/27	17	68	7:20	2 workouts. Better overall, but still not where I want to be.
4/28 - 5/4	18	53.62	7:19	2 workouts. Some of the worst overall. Feeling burnt out.
5/5 - 5/11	19	75.06	7:27	1 workout. This sucks.
5/12 - 5/18	20	60.66	7:19	2 workouts. 1 was a mistake, the other went well enough.
5/19 - 5/25	21	53.03	7:31	1 long run (terrible) & 1 workout. Best workout since Easter.
5/26 - 6/1	22	51.01	6:57	2 workouts. Awesome week overall.
6/2 - 6/8	23	44.92	7:20	2 workouts. Better than most, just not as good as last week.

Pride

So I was running errands on Sunday. Propane for the grill, a few ingredients at el supermercado, a stop at The Hub to look for kid's bike, shoes at Run N Fun. I knew exactly the shoes I wanted, the same as I have now: the New Balance MR10, size 11. Eleven is a popular size. She brought out the box and hesitantly said "We only have one pair left." She opened the box. "And it's rainbow." I said wow, thought for a second, and said "I have pride." She said "You go rock it!" End of story. Here they are.

Recap

Here's a recap of my workouts over the past five weeks.

Half marathon - excellent!
4x2 tempo - not good, not good at all
Long run - okay
3 easy, 3 tempo, repeat - off pace
4x1, 10 miles, 4x1 - not bad
8 easy, 6x1 tempo - okay
Long run - good enough
5 easy, 3 tempo, repeat - okay
Marathon pace - complete bust
4x2 tempo - slow

In a word, I am nonplussed. I am unsure how to interpret my performance. I haven't felt fatigued going into workouts but the results indicate otherwise. Is it my legs. My breathing. My "heart". My energy. The last two seem culpable. It has been difficult to get fired up and work really hard. The corollary is that I have had low levels of energy. I feel like the energy is there somewhere. Like a resource waiting to be tapped, a people yearning to be liberated ; ) But I don't know. In the past five weeks signs of progress have not been evident. The question on my mind is what pace should I run. Yikes.

It was long

These long runs are intimidating because your body starts thinking, wait, I have to run this far plus several more miles and run it at a faster pace. Who signed me up for this? I ended up running 23.4 on Sunday. I ran over to Dimitri's house and we ran the rest together, finishing at my place. It's great to run with friends. Afterwards, we had brunch with the Drekonja's and Anderson's. Feast!

FYI

I've taken the Friday before and the Monday after the marathon off from work so anyone with flexibility in their schedule is welcome to come early and stay late if that tickles their fancy.

Longest Run

Saturday morning here. Michelle and the kiddos have been out of town since Thursday visiting my sister and niece in Bemidji. She tells me I need to be finished with my run by 1:00 PM as they will likely be back by then. Today's run will equal my longest ever. If memory serves, I ran 22 in Central Park the summer before my senior year at Mac. I was visiting my brother in New York City at the time and rain, cold, and a failure to communicate conspired to stretch my run from 18 or so to 22 when Per wasn't where he said he would be at the end of my run. Brutal.

Anyway, it's been a while since I posted an update here. As Tim pointed out earlier, I got sick after we left Ashland on Easter Sunday. Truthfully, I knew it was all over for me when I couldn't stop shivering after our Sunday morning run even though I was practically sitting atop the fireplace. Bad news. I missed 5 days of running and two days of work after that.

Coming back, I was resolved to take it slow, but didn't want to sacrifice my mileage entirely. The end result was a 60 mile week (ideally it would have been 75) with 3 runs early in the week where I averaged over 8:00 minutes per mile. Again, brutal. The good news is that my weekly mileage is now back up where it needs to be (the last two weeks were 68 and 53 respectively) and now I'm just waiting on the pacing to restore itself. Talking with Tim yesterday, it sounds like I'm not alone in feeling disillusioned about my last 2 workouts. On the positive side, I had splits ranging from 5:59 - 6:14 per mile in the 8x1 Mile workout with 30 second rests 10 days ago. On a less positive note, I only managed 10 miles at a 6:40 pace for my last marathon pace workout and stopped halfway through last Wednesday's workout because I feared spontaneous combustion. Both runs were completely demoralizing at the time. Luckily, the disappointment hasn't lingered and I mostly feel hopeful again. In my experience, "down weeks" (especially workouts in the middle of "down weeks") are often the hardest and these last two workouts did nothing to dissuade me of this notion. Mostly, I'm looking forward to the taper and feeling fresh again. 75 miles this week and it's all downhill from here.

Yo-Yo Ben

2:41 is definitely not within reach. This week has been arse. I came down with a cold Saturday night, courtesy of Levi. I have struggled with a sinus infection since Monday. I should probably give up hope of my body winning the battle against bacteria, but I would like to think I don't always need to resort to modern medicine. Sunday's run was slow. Tuesday was an easy run replete with snot rockets. Thursday was horrible. 4x2 mile tempo (5:50). Maybe I had more fatigue from the half than I thought. Maybe it was the 80 degrees that actually made me sweat. Maybe it was the kid germs. It doesn't matter. I figure I should be able to finish the workout at pace, just with more effort than usual. The first two miles were on pace, but the breathing was more labored than normal. The second two were +20 (uphill) and +17 seconds. Not good! What am I accomplishing here? Build character, toughness, iron will. Right? The next two where +17 each. Grind out a subpar performance. Refuse to quit. The first mile of the last set was +27. Then I bagged it part way into the last mile, completely enervated. Arse. It's amazing how variable the body's performance can be from week to week. I don't entirely understand why. It ain't easy.

And Now Crest

Okay, here’s a half marathon update. The morning started perfectly: two poops. This was very important considering I went to an Indian buffet for lunch the previous day and then ate empanadas along with an artichoke, fennel, and edamame salad for dinner. Saturday morning was chilly, low 40s. The sky was spitting a little sleet and then a little rain. These are conditions that make a runner hesitant about what to wear. I ended up deciding on short sleeves, shorts, and gloves. I settled into a pace of six minutes per mile. This was very comfortable. The 10k and the half marathon started at the same time and continued on the same course for about five miles. It’s strange not knowing who is running the half at first. When we separated from the 10k runners, I saw two runners just in front of me. After a while, I saw two more in the distance and I figured that was it – four people ahead of me. I thought maybe they would come back to me over time. This part of the course was an out and back, so I would get to see how they were looking. As I neared the turnaround point, I saw a fifth runner: the leader. He was far out in front and looking strong, looking like a St. Thomas All-American as it turns out. As he disappeared, three of us started to reel in the other two (second and third place). Now it was beginning to feel like a race and at mile ten I decided I wanted to race. I picked up the pace and it wasn’t too long before I realized the other guys were already maxed out. I was working hard at this point but I still felt relaxed and smooth. I felt great afterwards, with the exception of my calves. Ouch! I don’t know if I will be able to wear the New Balance Zero shoes for the marathon. It’s a shame, because they feel awesome during the race, but I can foresee them causing cramping. Anyway, it was a good run. I think a 2:41 may be within reach.

Marathon Pace

I never got comfortable during this weekend's 15-mile marathon pace workout. My goal was to run 6:45-6:50. Although I was on target for the overall time (1:42), my splits fluctuated between 6:30 and 7:00. I started out a little too quick (6:35 1st mile) and my splits were heading in the wrong direction toward the end (7:05 final mile). Marathon pace is tough to find. It's hard to strike the right balance between easy pace and threshold. Next time, I need to start out slower. Nice to be reminded of that now instead of in June. I also tried an energy gel at mile 14 just to see how it sat in the stomach. Not sure if I felt any immediate benefits, but it didn't do any harm. I am going to keep experimenting on the long runs.

Ben, looks like you found your running. Turns out it was on the Get in Gear half marathon course. Looking forward to the recap.

In other news, I am losing a toenail.

Where is my running

My running has been in a trough for the past week or so. My body is still a little stressed from the long run in California, I didn't hit my pace for the workout last Thursday, and the TLT-2 was brutal. I am doing a workout tomorrow and then I am running the Get in Gear half marathon (at marathon pace) on Saturday morning. There is no relief during this phase of training. When will things start to get easier? I was thinking back on my training for the first marathon. I remember it being incredibly difficult. I remember reaching the breaking point during several workouts. The marathon pace workouts tell the tale. The first, a 12-miler, was extremely challenging. The second, a 15-miler, I didn't finish because I fell off the pace. The third, another 15-miler was spectacular. I was fit. I remember all the training for Twin Cities 2006 being difficult. The run that shall not be spoken about. Oops, better stop here.

HGH

TLT-2

was hard.  Who's with me?

Feelin' It Again

I will reiterate the pleasant weekend that was had two weekends now goneby. Paul, one day you must and will join us in festivities on the South Shore. As Ben so ably described, the weekend was filled with substantial, scenic runs, fine cuisine, and enjoyable conversation (note on the map the satellite imagery of the gorgeous field and forest at the intersection of Summit and Whipperfurth Rds). One unpleasant byproduct of the weekend, however, was an evil sickness that infiltrated the immune systems of 6 out of the 9 weekend revelers. The sore throat and snot that arrived last Tuesday noon and still afflict me today are, quite frankly, unprecedented in my medical history. Fortunately, the aches and chills and cold sweats (meat sweats?) have passed, but in its wake can be found a highly destructive path through my running logbook. Last week's workout--gone. A weekend 19 miler--gone. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday I attempted 5, 6 and 7 miles, which were slow, with many stop walks, and filled with farmer snot launches and general cringing at the outside world. Yesterday I bagged it before going out the door.

Today, however, I attempted 10 miles and, feeling much better, I averaged 6:46/mile to assuage my fears of lost fitness. Bring on some tempo workouts, especially now that I have these. Snot rockets notwithstanding, I'm Feelin' It Again.

Bay Area Running

Last Thursday I left our rental house in Oakland at 6:30am and headed south on Broadway toward Lake Merritt. 3 mile tempo, 3 minutes easy, 3 mile tempo, 3 minutes easy, 2 mile tempo. I ran for the first time in my New Balance Minimus Zero shoes, pictured below in red. These are lightweight! I had been running in what I think are called the New Balance Minimus 10, pictured in blue below. On Saturday I wanted to get out for a long run in the afternoon and I decided it would be a great adventure to run through Redwood Regional Park. It was uphill all the way to the park, from 200’ to 1200’. I ran the east ridge trail first. Soon I was by myself, with no signs of civilization except for the washed out, sun-baked path in front of me. The rugged beauty of the mountains stretched in different shades toward the horizon. Eventually the undulating path spit me out onto a road and I quickly descended to Redwood Creek. I followed the creek back into the park, looking for the west ridge trail. I stopped at a park ranger station to ask for directions. At this point I was 11 miles out and I didn’t want to get lost. She asked me where I came from and if I wanted to go back to the parking lot on the west side of the park. I told her I came from Oakland. She said, “Oh! Then you’re a maniac” [laughing with consternation]. I soon felt like a maniac as I climbed from 500’ to 1200’ in about a mile. The west ridge trail was more shaded. The terrain was rocky in places and in others it was covered by a mixture of muddy eucalyptus hummus and wet clay. As I was speeding down a hill around mile 14, I stepped on a rock and bruised my foot between the heel and mid-foot. This was painful and made it more difficult to brake on the downhills. I exited the park and knew the rest of the way was downhill. This is what they call a downer. I began to compensate by putting more weight on my right leg. I thought about stealing a kid’s scooter. But then I remember that I was a dirty, salt-crusted maniac. I cruised home. It was an epic 21 mile run. We traveled back to MSP on Sunday and I took a day off running. Yesterday I decided it would be in my best interest to take another day off and get on the bike instead, work out the kinks. My left calf is sore and my right calf is a hurting unit. My quads are a little pounded. The run today helped but the bruise still needs ice. I wouldn’t be surprised if I feel better than this after the marathon. Still, I would do it all over again. Awesome.

Ashland Part II

On Saturday morning we did the marathon pace workout. The weather was perfect. Cool and calm. The route was spectacular. Ashland High School, the medical center, country roads, trails, mud, Prentice Park wetlands, lake front, Xcel power plant, historic oar dock, Toyota dealership, Walmart, scrap yard, wastewater treatment plant, tri-county corridor through town, and lots and lots of lactic acid. Jude and I hit our expected pace. Tim was well under his 6:45 target. After cleaning up, we went to city hall for the big Easter egg hunt, which, for Levi, turned into a great tribulation. Moving on. Next we ate brats on main street and played at a park. During nap time, we took a tour of Northland College. Nice campus, strange school motto: a highway shall be there. In case you are wondering, this highway shall be called the way to holiness. After nap time, we had another Easter egg hunt in the backyard. The evening was devoted to the feast. Ham, scalloped potatoes, more ham, creamy green beans with mushrooms, a little more ham, killer blackberry sorbet, cheesecake, ice-cream, and a ham plate. This ham was by far the best ham I have ever eaten. Definitely in the top five of best meats I have ever eaten. It was a wild ham and affectionately called Ham Rove. Sunday morning we went for an easy run, which was followed by an egg loaf for brunch. Mmmm. Then it was time for adieu.

Ashland Part I

Paul, this post is for you. When two or more of us gather in your name, you are present. But I'll do this brief recap anyway. We took the scenic Wisconsin route up to Ashland on Good Friday. Almost immediately upon entering the quiet town of Ashland we came across a heavily bearded man wearing short yellow shorts who was on the verge of launching into a series of profanities to express his ravenous hunger. Elizabeth and the rest of us accompanied Tim to the South Shore Brewery for replenishment. After that we stopped on the cold, wind-swept shore of Lake Superior to listen to the water, enjoy the view, throw sand, and play trucks. Then we drove the back roads up to a fire lookout. Beautiful. On the way back to Ashland we stopped in Washburn and ate at Da Lou's Bistro. Wood fired pizza. Grazie mille! The Henningsgaards - my fingers almost cramped typing that last name - arrived that evening. This concludes episode one.

Charlottesville Half Marathon

This was one of the toughest long-distance courses I have ever raced. It was cold and dark when the gun went off at 6:30 AM. The race started in the historic downtown and headed out toward the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains. Miles 1-4 were a rolling climb, 4-6 were all downhill, then straight back up to the turnaround point. (Check out the elevation profile here.) The scenery at the halfway mark was gorgeous: the sunrise burning the mist off the farm fields and spring-green hills in distance. But the enjoyment was short lived. My quads took a pounding on the steep hill leading down to the 8-mile mark. Miles 8-11 were straight back uphill, followed by another painful dip-and-climb between 11 and 12, then (finally!) a mile-long downhill to the finish.

As a result of the elevation, splits were meaningless. My fastest mile was 5:58 and my slowest was 7:13. I eventually stopped paying attention. Despite the punishing downhills (they were far worse than the uphills), I felt the effects of all the recent threshold training. I was able to pick up the pace over the last 5K and maintain a quick turnover through the finish. Final time: 1:24:49.

After the race, Mary and I ate breakfast at a diner (huevos rancheros with sausage links), toured the University of Virginia campus (designed by Thomas Jefferson), had lunch (giant slice of pizza) and listened to the street musicians downtown, visited Monticello, ate BBQ (half a slab of ribs, coleslaw, fries and baked beans), and drove home (which included an ice cream cone pit stop).

Besides running and eating, I gained a new appreciation for Jefferson while in Charlottesville. He seemed like a intellectuality curious man, as evidenced by the experimental devices and design elements he included in Monticello.

Quote of the trip: two guys standing next to me at the starting line were discussing their goals for the race. The first guy mentioned his target time. The second guy said, "my only goal is not to crap my pants." I turned to him and said, "that is my goal every day." We all agreed that running or not, it is good to keep that goal in mind.

Also, I met a guy at the start who was running 50 marathons in 50 weeks. (The half and full marathons started together.) He is raising money for the Wounded Warrior program. This was week 14. Good luck!

Splits for Jude

Alright, Jude. Here are my splits from this morning's threshold workout (mile repeats with 1 minute rest). Based on this, it looks like my threshold pace is right around 6:20.

6:38
6:21
6:21
6:19
(5 minute rest)
6:18
6:16
6:17

Cuantas Millas

What are people doing for maximum weekly mileage? 70?

Recipe for Recovery To Be Loved by All

An Ashland friend forwarded this article to me the other day. Source: Men's Health, written by Markham Heid.

Hoping to bounce back quickly after your next big race? Stock your fridge, not your medicine cabinet.

Wheat beer reduces post-marathon muscle inflammation and respiratory illness, according to a new study from a group of German and American researchers. And no, we’re not messing with you.

Researchers recruited 277 marathoners, and asked each to drink 34 to 50 ounces of either non-alcoholic wheat beer or a specially designed placebo drink with the same amount of calories and carbs. The participants drank the test liquids every day for 3 weeks leading up to last year’s Munich Marathon (where else would scientists perform beer tests?), and for two weeks following the race.

After the marathon, the researchers measured the participants’ levels of muscle inflammation. They also kept track of whether the marathoners were experiencing signs of respiratory illness, a common post-race condition.

The results: The beer drinkers were more than three times less likely to experience upper-respiratory infection, and their markers for inflammation were 20 to 32 percent lower than the placebo group’s.

So what’s the explanation for this sudsy miracle? “Polyphenols,” according to David Nieman, Dr.P.H., a professor at Appalachian State University and one of the Munich Marathon researchers.

Polyphenols are an antioxidant chemical found in many plants and fruits. “Polyphenols have antiviral properties, they help regulate the immune system, and they help to down-regulate genes that are related to turning on inflammation and stress,” Nieman explains. “And beer has a lot of polyphenols.”

There’s a growing body of research that shows polyphenols can act as a more-effective substitute for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, which Nieman says is many marathoner’s post-race “drug of choice.”

Nieman says polyphenols are most effective when ingested in combinations. That’s why wheat beer, which contains many different types of polyphenols, was perfect for the study.

And here’s the best news: Regular, alcoholic wheat beer includes double the polyphenols of non-alcoholic wheat beer. So, Nieman explains, you could theoretically get the same benefit from drinking half the amount prescribed by the study—or about one pint per day for three weeks leading up to your next race. Cheers!

Not a beer guy? Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole wheat, and legumes are also good sources of polyphenols.

The Grind

Amid all this talk of fast paces, anyone else feeling the grind from the 100% week? I was reduced to a shuffle during yesterday's easy 8 miler. It was a total system failure. I ended up bagging it early and walking up the hill out of Rock Creek Park. Some days, it's a good day to die. Other days, it's a good day to eat breakfast.

Today's workout was also a slow killer, although I rebounded somewhat in time for the final 20 minute threshold. Maybe I need a rest day...

Tempo

Today's tempo workout.

Out the door at 6:15am

4 x 2-mile, 2 minute rests

1. 6:02, 5:47

2. 5:47, 5:47

3. 5:49, 5:49

4. 5:47, 5:45

The four days a week training plan is really working for me. I don't have a goal for the marathon, but right now I'm looking at 6:09 for marathon pace workouts. I think that's where I'm at. We'll see. I have contemplated signing up for the Get in Gear half marathon at the end of April. It coincides with a marathon pace workout.

In other news, I heard this on The Current today.

Rock 'n Roll McDonalds

Lots of Running. Lots of Eating.

Jude, I too have a harder time figuring out what pace to run on longer tempo runs. JD of course says tempo is to run "comfortably hard." I try to push myself, but to still feel decent after each segment, with the goal of feeling fairly fatigued by the end of the last tempo due to the sum of all the segments... I don't look too much at pace; I just go for a feel. Others may have more helpful advice.

I think next weekend's marathon pace 12 miler should be run at 6:45 to 6:50 pace? 1 mile easy warmup (8 min pace) and 1 mile easy cooldown (8 min pace). Thoughts on that?

Today, in order to reach my goal of 70 miles this week, I went for 2 runs. I started with 8.6 miles this morning, which was longer than planned due to a dog following me, and whereby I had to run through a cemetery, out a gate, then in the opposite direction of home and through a farm field in order to keep the dog from following me onto busy roads where it could have lost its life. Then I ate at the Northland cafeteria for lunch. Think Kagan, $5, all you can eat, and a stack of 7 plates from 70 minutes of grazing.

I finished the late afternoon with a 5 1/4 mile easy run, during which a fellow runner caught up to me, and we proceeded to run together. He also is running Grandma's; we exchanged numbers and we may run together in future.

Then I went to the brewery in town and was pleasantly surprised to find an all you can eat pizza buffet. I ate salad, wings, a meatball, 7 slices of pizza, a quarter of a burger, and 4 waffle fries.

Lots of running. Lots of eating.

Questions Regarding Pace

Having not raced in several years, I often find it difficult to decide how fast a particular workout should be. Yesterday, for example, I was tasked with deciding how fast my threshold pace should be while running 4 x 10-12 minutes w/2 minute rests (+ warm-up & cool down). As it turned out, I ran the first interval at 6:20 pace, the second at 6:13 pace, the third at 6:03 pace, and the fourth at 6:12 pace. Of course some of these intervals were wind-aided, while others were wind-adled, but I always tried to expend the same amount of energy throughout.

So here are my questions. How fast have your threshold runs been? Do I need to dramatically speed up? Slow down? I know, I know. We're all at different fitness levels, but some idea of where y'all are at would be helpful to me. Last question, how fast are we aiming to run our marathon-pace workout over the Easter weekend?

How I Got My Groove Back

By the sounds of it, I haven't been the only one working on his best Stella impersonation. Paul, nice work on the 18-miler. Those are impressive splits, especially late in the run! Tim, you may not realize it, but your turnover while running intervals has always been sweet. Ben, well, you're just a machine that apparently doesn't even require fuel anymore. How sweet is that!

Last Saturday I finished my first feel-good long run. So good, in fact, that I had to repeatedly talk myself into slowing down in the early going and then, later, to accept company on miles 12 - 16 when my sister-in-law's boyfriend pulled a switch-a-roo on me and convinced Maggie to run with me instead. In the end, it was probably a good thing as I ended up running 14 the next day over several hills and have been feeling burned out since. Here are the mile splits from my Saturday long run.

Oh, one more thing: Miles 1-4 were slightly uphill while miles 4-6 were downhill, miles 6-18 were flat, and miles 18-20.5 were sharply uphill.

Mile Split
1 7:32
2 7:25
3 7:19
4 7:22
5 6:58
6 7:03
7 7:03
8 6:57
9 7:14
10 7:09
11 7:04
12 7:00
13 8:01
14 8:08
15 8:13
16 8:06
17 7:04
18 7:13
19 7:25
20 7:40
20.5 7:29

Proper Running Form is Important

C and O Canal

Mary dropped me off at the foot of the Key Bridge in Georgetown this morning. From there I followed the C and O Canal towpath for 18 miles past Great Falls to the Pennyfield Lock. The towpath follows the Potomac River, is pancake flat, and has mile markers - ideal for Grandma's training. It was cool and overcast, and even though the water fountains along the path weren't working, I felt good. In fact, a little too good out of the gate. I had to force myself to slow down after quick miles 6 and 7. I started feeling the pace and the fluid loss during the last half hour (foggy brain and dead legs), so I was really glad to come around the final bend and see Mary sitting outside the lock house. Now I have no plans to leave the couch for the rest of the afternoon. March madness was created for this very purpose.

Mile	Split
1	7:49
2	7:26
3	7:04
4	7:15
5	7:16
6	7:00
7	7:01
8	7:29
9	7:17
10	7:14
11	7:04
12	7:08
13	7:08
14	7:15
15	7:00
16	6:59
17	7:16
18	6:39
Average	7:11
Total	2:09

Ah, snoring roommates. Reminds me of college.

I also did my last intervals workout - following the Jack Daniels plan. I have enjoyed the difficulty of intervals, a completely different beast than tempo workouts. Tempos and long runs require patience and hanging on. Intervals require intensity, maybe even aggression. I find this aggravating, mostly because intervals get the best of me. I am left wanting another opportunity to avenge my loss to lactic acid. The effect on the body is quite a contrast to tempos. The bright side is that intervals make tempo pace feel leisurely. I am a man of leisure, but I was thinking it would be fun to train for a 5k. Although, it would feel a little strange to dedicate so much time to such a short race. And I am probably too old to run a mile under five minutes.

So far I am pleased with the results of my training. I am steadily getting in better shape. One way I know this is because I no longer have the hunger within. There was a time period where I was seriously ravenous. My fourth meal every night around 9 o' clock was a bowl of granola with fatty yogurt and a banana - short of banana cream pie, but less effort. In the past two weeks I have felt oddly full. This makes me think I now require less energy to run. My body has become more efficient. Running is easy. That said, the upcoming tempo runs are crazy. It will be a challenge.

Tim, any ideas where we will do our 12-mile marathon pace run in Ashland?

A Joyous Day

I blog this early morning at 3:15 am because I can't sleep, which is rare for me. The incredibly and unusually loud snoring of our housemate could be the problem---I am now downstairs in the dining room and I can still hear the racket from the upstairs opposite end of the house.

In any case, I declare this day a joyous day because yesterday was the last of the interval workouts before the marathon. According to the plan, from now on it is longer and slower tempo runs for workouts, and of course the dreaded marathon pace long runs. But these I can handle. My quick turnover and foot speed on interval workouts leave something to be desired. Long tempos will be hard, but won't require the fast rate of turnover that I lack.

So yesterday for the final interval workout, I chose to do 5 x 1200m with 4 minutes rest between. I was aiming for 4:18 each, which equates to a VDOT of 56. The first was 4:23, then the final 4 came in at 4:13-14, for a surprisingly better VDOT of 57-58. 3 of the intervals I ran on the Ashland Oredocker track, and two were completed on a 0.75 mile loop around the schoolyards on a paved bike trail.

In the end I was pleased with the effort: tired, but not exhausted. The 4 hot and humid days in the high 70s earlier in the week and last weekend had me concerned that I was breaking down. Turns out it's just that I'm not used to the hots and humids yet.

Wow. That man can snore.

What's a Billiken?

I was watching March Madness earlier today, and saw St. Louis fall to Michigan State. Naturally, I wondered 'what is that thing dancing around behind the St. Louis bench?' Turns out, the University itself doesn't really know. Or at least they don't know why the Billiken is their mascot. It looks like a pale Yoda.

Sundry Thoughts

As you probably know, there was a lot of pack running in the Twin Cities about three weeks ago. Roscoe, Tim, and I met on a Wednesday evening to do intervals. The next Wednesday we added Jude. Then on Saturday we had five people when Dimitri joined us - enough to score. It is definitely easier to do workouts with a group.

For about the last week and a half I have been bothered by a cold and subsequent sinus infection. I finally went to the doctor on Saturday. When I picked up the prescription, the pharmacist made a point of telling me not to drink alcohol with the antibiotic. Does this guy know me? He also told me the medicine would cause loose stools. Any questions. Hmmm. How loose? On Sunday we went out to brunch with Liz and company at Pizza Luce. About two hours later it was time to do a workout. It's easy to see where this is going, right. I did a tempo run along river road, which was without incident. Good. Then I started on an 8-mile run through St. Paul. Easy, for a while. At Highland and Fairview I was in trouble. Not too many opportunities in that area. Fortunately, I saw a porta-pot when I glanced down an alley as I walked down Fairview. Is there a patron saint of well-placed porta-pots?

The training continues to progress. This week will be a difficult one. Actually, this seems to be where things really start to ramp up. The weather this week is supposed to be beautiful. Maybe even a little to warm for running this time of year.

You'll Never Guess How Many Times I Fell

Running in LA

Just got back from a week-long conference in LA. I stayed downtown, where there were no good running routes. Lots of wide roads, cars, litter, and freeways. I eventually found a loop through Chinatown to Elysian Park, which offered some nice views of the city from the hilltops. But despite the scenic vistas, the park seemed underutilized and a little run down. I also found a small state park near some railroads and an underpass that had a circular dirt path -- good enough for Wednesday's 1,200 meter repeats. If I had rented a car, I could have taken advantage of some of the other area parks. (Like Griffith Park, where I hiked up the hill to the observatory on Sunday afternoon. In the observatory rotunda is one of the coolest murals I have ever seen: The March of Science Through the Ages by Hugo Ballin. ) I heard that planners are working on a scheme to make the LA river more of a welcoming public space. In general, they need more greenways to connect the core to the outlying parks. That's really hard to envision in a place that is so spread out and auto-dependent (and in a state that is flat broke).

Hostess with the Mostess

Watched a little of the MIAC track and field championships at Macalester this evening!

Yeah, yeah.

I'm Here. Lurking mostly. Although, truth be told, I spend a great deal of time moping as well. It seems getting back into shape is tougher than I expected. To make matters worse, you effers always seem to have good news to report. Big miles, fast runs. Damn you. I kid. I'm happy for you. Well, sort of.
The good news is I'm healthy (minus the quarter-sized blister I tore off the bottom of my foot last week) and I finally had a good run last Saturday - the first of its kind (the good kind) in two weeks. Michelle and I ventured south to Albany last weekend where the terrain was flat, the roads were snow-free, and the sun shone brilliantly. Oh, and there was virtually no wind for my long run. It was glorious. I ran 14.5, which is nice in its own right; however, it was the pace (7:03) that I was most happy with.
I'm not sure if any of you remember, but the last time I offered an update on my weekly mileage totals, the posting highlighted pleasing and linear trends. My mileage was steadily climbing and my average pace was steadily descending. Unfortunately, that trend came to a screeching halt several months ago. More often than not, when I calculate my pace at the end of a week, it averages out to somewhere between 7:20 and 7:30. I know the marathon is still 4 months away and I also know I respond well to workouts and a taper, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.

Jude?

Jude?

I'm Back and A Difficult One

I'm back from 12 days in New Zealand. Northern Wisconsin decided yesterday to say "welcome home, tim" on my 13 mile run by lovingly providing 14-degree temps and constant winds of 27 mph. Perhaps, hopefully, it was the last of the really unpleasant conditions for this winter/spring training season, because in future I'm hopeful the double blast of cold and wind will split and appear individually rather than in concert. Seems we should be on the slope in the proper direction for that.

The run turned out to be quite a success though, all things considered. Gmaps pedometer said that my mazing of the country roads equalled exactly 12.92 miles and my watch, when depressed as I met my car, read 1:30.58. So 7-minute miles on the nose, 2nd longest run in 5.5 years, biting head (and tail) winds and some pretty decent gradual hills, both up and down. And it felt alright.

I am especially pleased with this effort yesterday because in New Zealand my running mileage took a nasty downward spiral. Turns out when you are traveling with non-runners in their car, you can't just ask them to sit on the roadside for an hour while you go out for a run. Well, to be fair, they would have happily done so, but I wouldn't want to ask them to do it. And 40+ hours of traveling each way added to the difficulty of achieving weekly mileage goals that should have been in the 50s.

Nonetheless, I did get out for 4 runs over 13 days, and I had an excellent 2-day hike between, around and over some mountains that certainly didn't put me in worse shape. The most pleasant run was a reunion with a 10-mile route that I ran daily 13 years ago on study abroad---an outstanding route that I was still able to navigate by memory: first, edge around the rugby fields bordered by towering trees, then zig-zag through an ancient hillside cemetery, float along quietly on the woodchipped trails of the botanical gardens, hit some street running and more gardens, then tread forested trails along a river's edge up to the circumnavigation of a reservoir, and finally trace along steep bluffs that lace the edges of the city to finish with a steep decent thus making the circular route complete. It was great to be back. New Zealand does it right. All 4 of my runs were trail runs through either pastoral farmland or forests, often with views of the ocean.

On a completely different topic, my right leg iliotibial band has been bothering me ever since I had to drive 18 hours RT to Chicago with no cruise control 22 days ago. Stretching has been helpful. I hate stretching. But it turns out I'm not as spry as I used to be, so I best get used to spending 15 minutes a day focusing on flexibility. During the 13 yesterday the IT bands felt pretty good, so I hope to have turned a corner on the problem.

What's next in the training regiment, fellas? When do the, gulp, hard workouts start? And how's everyone else feeling? I start class tomorrow, so maybe Ben and I can run in the Cities, or Jude, perhaps we can meet for a weekend long run?