FIT:
7.0 in 54:12, 7:45 ave. Nice... goal MP. Still had some left at the end. Had to keep speeding up to help keep my legs from nagging.
Kinvaras... probably helped, Oxysox, tv.
Splits> 8:13, 8:05, 7:56, (25:01), 7:43, 7:36, 7:26, (48:28), 7:15... brilliant.
It was supposed to be an easy run, but it was... medium. Couldn't help it. It felt good.
I rate it as a "very good" run, since it went well just for a run and super well, considering the 20.3 two days ago. Part of the reason it went well, besides the shoes, was probably that it was 5 degrees cooler than normal... 69 degrees... still 10 degrees above the ideal, so still a good bit of potential.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Nov 27
FIT:
First 20 miler! (20.3 in 2:56:28, 8:42 ave)
9xByd loop, 9am, 49-52-54-56 degrees. GTC singlet, Nike soccer shorts, Pak w/ Larabar tht I didn't eat and 11 jellybeans that I did eat, n1224 w/ arches, oxysox, shufflt (2 hrs podcasts, 1 hr music), 1/2 L h20 stuck in the mailbox - lasted the whole run - took some every 4.5 miles w/o issues. Varied the paths, so it's expected if the splits are different, but obviously, I slowed down.
Splits> 19:08, 18:35, 18:59, 19:30, 19:36, 19:46, 20:10, 20:13, 20:27. Last mile, my legs were tired, though they started getting a little tired from the third loop. Poor pacing. 8:13 for my fastest and 9:03 for my slowest.
Injury-wise, brilliant. Only issue was my tummy feeling like it had a rock or knot in it from mi 3 onwards, but not a biggie. Maybe made me desire food/drink less than I would otherwise.
Dad rode his bike w/ me the whole way, which is nice. 3 hrs on a bike!
First 20 miler! (20.3 in 2:56:28, 8:42 ave)
9xByd loop, 9am, 49-52-54-56 degrees. GTC singlet, Nike soccer shorts, Pak w/ Larabar tht I didn't eat and 11 jellybeans that I did eat, n1224 w/ arches, oxysox, shufflt (2 hrs podcasts, 1 hr music), 1/2 L h20 stuck in the mailbox - lasted the whole run - took some every 4.5 miles w/o issues. Varied the paths, so it's expected if the splits are different, but obviously, I slowed down.
Splits> 19:08, 18:35, 18:59, 19:30, 19:36, 19:46, 20:10, 20:13, 20:27. Last mile, my legs were tired, though they started getting a little tired from the third loop. Poor pacing. 8:13 for my fastest and 9:03 for my slowest.
Injury-wise, brilliant. Only issue was my tummy feeling like it had a rock or knot in it from mi 3 onwards, but not a biggie. Maybe made me desire food/drink less than I would otherwise.
Dad rode his bike w/ me the whole way, which is nice. 3 hrs on a bike!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Nov 25
FIT:
4.5 in 34:31, 7:40 ave.
Byd loop, 5pm, 74 degrees. Very tired b/c up very late last couple of nights, but had to get this in. Grass cambered and less even than what I've been used to. n1224's w/ arch, oxysox, shuffle. Slower 1st loop but pushed it during the 2nd loop b/c it was getting dark quick. Splits> 18:09, 16:21. Little bulldog/pug got free and looped my legs w/ his leash, but it was friendly. Knees a bit poundy during the first loop - scary, but it seemed to improve.
4.5 in 34:31, 7:40 ave.
Byd loop, 5pm, 74 degrees. Very tired b/c up very late last couple of nights, but had to get this in. Grass cambered and less even than what I've been used to. n1224's w/ arch, oxysox, shuffle. Slower 1st loop but pushed it during the 2nd loop b/c it was getting dark quick. Splits> 18:09, 16:21. Little bulldog/pug got free and looped my legs w/ his leash, but it was friendly. Knees a bit poundy during the first loop - scary, but it seemed to improve.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Nov 22
FIT:
Work's hard work. But I guess afterwards, you'e like "yes, finished it even though it was tough, and now I can rest for a little bit," just like you say after a tough workout. Whew.
Slept just 5 hrs last night... was up late cleaning the apt. I had a nice, deep nap after work and woke up really drowsy. I think I woke by my internal alarm clock... maybe... since it was just a minute before my cell phone alarm was supposed to go off. I was soooo out of it and so not in the mood to run. No injuries, just very tired. But I went out, just like you go to work even if you're tired.
Anyway, once I was set on going out, I was physically ready. Time to push the intervals. Shake things up. Keep the body having to adapt to new stresses. Did shorter and faster intervals for a change.
The workout: 1 mi warmup at about 7.3 mph... kinda fast for a warmup, but I didn't want the sudden shift up to 10mph to be too much of a shock, so I wanted to have a faster starting point. Then, 4x[1/4 @ 10mph, 1/4 @ 8mph], 0.1 mi "cooldown" at 8mph. It was tough going that fast. My right back was really tight, left over from yesterday's bike session (oh yeah... biked 50 min yesterday for 10.9 mi... stopped early b/c left knee issues that were okay afterwards). That bike seat or maybe me is asymmetrical. Boo.
Anyway, 3.1 in 22:30, 7:15 ave. Wore the Saucony Fastwitch for a change from the Kinvaras. Seemed okay. Wore UA calf sleeves... still good. Had tart cherry juice afterwards. I think my body wants more calories these days. Had trouble napping the afternoon after the 19.2 LR... I think it was because my body was hungry (even if my mind wasn't). I need to be okay with eating more if I really do need it. It's a bit scary to suddenly needing more, but I guess it should be expected and okay.
I really appreciate the healing powers of sleep these days. Sleep = recovery.
3.1 is kinda short... only 4 reps, but I guess I can't log too many this week anyway with the 20 this weekend.
Work's hard work. But I guess afterwards, you'e like "yes, finished it even though it was tough, and now I can rest for a little bit," just like you say after a tough workout. Whew.
Slept just 5 hrs last night... was up late cleaning the apt. I had a nice, deep nap after work and woke up really drowsy. I think I woke by my internal alarm clock... maybe... since it was just a minute before my cell phone alarm was supposed to go off. I was soooo out of it and so not in the mood to run. No injuries, just very tired. But I went out, just like you go to work even if you're tired.
Anyway, once I was set on going out, I was physically ready. Time to push the intervals. Shake things up. Keep the body having to adapt to new stresses. Did shorter and faster intervals for a change.
The workout: 1 mi warmup at about 7.3 mph... kinda fast for a warmup, but I didn't want the sudden shift up to 10mph to be too much of a shock, so I wanted to have a faster starting point. Then, 4x[1/4 @ 10mph, 1/4 @ 8mph], 0.1 mi "cooldown" at 8mph. It was tough going that fast. My right back was really tight, left over from yesterday's bike session (oh yeah... biked 50 min yesterday for 10.9 mi... stopped early b/c left knee issues that were okay afterwards). That bike seat or maybe me is asymmetrical. Boo.
Anyway, 3.1 in 22:30, 7:15 ave. Wore the Saucony Fastwitch for a change from the Kinvaras. Seemed okay. Wore UA calf sleeves... still good. Had tart cherry juice afterwards. I think my body wants more calories these days. Had trouble napping the afternoon after the 19.2 LR... I think it was because my body was hungry (even if my mind wasn't). I need to be okay with eating more if I really do need it. It's a bit scary to suddenly needing more, but I guess it should be expected and okay.
I really appreciate the healing powers of sleep these days. Sleep = recovery.
3.1 is kinda short... only 4 reps, but I guess I can't log too many this week anyway with the 20 this weekend.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Nov 20
FIT:
Well, meant to do 18, but it turned out to be 19.2 Oh man. I added 0.5 because I needed to use the restroom at the beginning - didn't wanna have to carry around extra water for 18 miles. Then, I proceeded to do my planned route... discovered a calculation error just now, and it was really 18.7, not 18. So Ended up with 19.2.
Wore 2 belts. Shadow Pak to carry the iTouch b/c both my Shuffle and the Sensa ran out of batteries. The iTouch ran out as well, half-way into the run. It was okay... music in my head, ability to concentrate more on the run. It was nice having the podcast while it lasted. I had just read about the brain while running, how your higher level thinking parts of the brain kinda shut off so that more of what sustains the brain can be diverted to the sections that control motor skills. That's why it's so mind-clearing to run. Anyway, it was nice to just half listen to the podcast and otherwise zone out.
Besides that, I added my race number belt to hold a little capsule in which I placed 5 PowerBar Gel Blasts. Ate 1 before the run and the other 4 within the first hour. More hungry than normal for some reason. This was an 11am run, and I had eaten tortilla chips, salsa, and 75% light cheese beforehand. Dunno. Luckily, I had also packed a mini 100-Cal Clif Bar, which I spread over the next 1:45 by eating 1/3 of it every 4ish miles. Wore the UA calf sleeves... okay. A little tight at the top, but no real complaints. n1224's on my feet.
At first, the right outer knee that I had messed up a bit when running too close to the front of the treadmill would nag during uphills, but I was careful, and it went away. Towards the end, had moments of slowing down a good bit, but it usually passed. Good mental (and phys) training for the full. Visor. Used sunscreen this time, b/c I've been getting very tanned from just this one weekly long run.
That's about it. Afterwards, an apple, a carrot, protein powder. Then, once home, tart cherry juice to fight inflammation. Then a nice hot shower.
Splits... arg. Missed getting some. Don't really feel like typing it out, but I guess I just have to do it once, and it'll be saved foever. Better to do it than not to do it. 18:19 p short including bathroom, 7:29 c, 7:31 p, 7:26 b long, 6:14 p short, 7:35 c, 7:34 p, 7:28 b long, 13:34 c, 7:38 p, 7:15 b long, 6:05 p short, 7:28 c 7:31 p, 7:20 b long, 6:10 p short (slowed down... now 2:12 into the run), 7:42 c, 7:47 p, 7:23 b long, 9:44 car. I was taking baby steps up that last big long uphill. Couldn't manage much more.
Great run, though. 19.2 Whew!
// 11/21 addition:
A couple things to note. I drank water about every 4 miles... maybe 5 sips each time, yet in the last 2 of the 5 stops, I was getting pretty sick of water, like I had too much. It didn't seem like the quantity would've been particularly much, and I should have been sweating some, especially in the heat. Yet going by thirst, I'd guess that I'd had too much. I didn't do any of that weighing before vs. after, b/c then I have to count the food I ate afterward and during, and the bathroom break, etc, and it's just a lot of trouble. But I stumbled upon this http://sweatscience.com/dehydration-and-change-in-body-mass-not-linked-after-all/ from Sweat Science, and it's pretty interesting.
Also, it took me a while this time to get the right tightness of my left shoe. Bother. I'll have to maybe mark my shoelaces to get it right the first time at the full. I would not want to have to stop to adjust my laces 5 times during the full.
Well, meant to do 18, but it turned out to be 19.2 Oh man. I added 0.5 because I needed to use the restroom at the beginning - didn't wanna have to carry around extra water for 18 miles. Then, I proceeded to do my planned route... discovered a calculation error just now, and it was really 18.7, not 18. So Ended up with 19.2.
Wore 2 belts. Shadow Pak to carry the iTouch b/c both my Shuffle and the Sensa ran out of batteries. The iTouch ran out as well, half-way into the run. It was okay... music in my head, ability to concentrate more on the run. It was nice having the podcast while it lasted. I had just read about the brain while running, how your higher level thinking parts of the brain kinda shut off so that more of what sustains the brain can be diverted to the sections that control motor skills. That's why it's so mind-clearing to run. Anyway, it was nice to just half listen to the podcast and otherwise zone out.
Besides that, I added my race number belt to hold a little capsule in which I placed 5 PowerBar Gel Blasts. Ate 1 before the run and the other 4 within the first hour. More hungry than normal for some reason. This was an 11am run, and I had eaten tortilla chips, salsa, and 75% light cheese beforehand. Dunno. Luckily, I had also packed a mini 100-Cal Clif Bar, which I spread over the next 1:45 by eating 1/3 of it every 4ish miles. Wore the UA calf sleeves... okay. A little tight at the top, but no real complaints. n1224's on my feet.
At first, the right outer knee that I had messed up a bit when running too close to the front of the treadmill would nag during uphills, but I was careful, and it went away. Towards the end, had moments of slowing down a good bit, but it usually passed. Good mental (and phys) training for the full. Visor. Used sunscreen this time, b/c I've been getting very tanned from just this one weekly long run.
That's about it. Afterwards, an apple, a carrot, protein powder. Then, once home, tart cherry juice to fight inflammation. Then a nice hot shower.
Splits... arg. Missed getting some. Don't really feel like typing it out, but I guess I just have to do it once, and it'll be saved foever. Better to do it than not to do it. 18:19 p short including bathroom, 7:29 c, 7:31 p, 7:26 b long, 6:14 p short, 7:35 c, 7:34 p, 7:28 b long, 13:34 c, 7:38 p, 7:15 b long, 6:05 p short, 7:28 c 7:31 p, 7:20 b long, 6:10 p short (slowed down... now 2:12 into the run), 7:42 c, 7:47 p, 7:23 b long, 9:44 car. I was taking baby steps up that last big long uphill. Couldn't manage much more.
Great run, though. 19.2 Whew!
// 11/21 addition:
A couple things to note. I drank water about every 4 miles... maybe 5 sips each time, yet in the last 2 of the 5 stops, I was getting pretty sick of water, like I had too much. It didn't seem like the quantity would've been particularly much, and I should have been sweating some, especially in the heat. Yet going by thirst, I'd guess that I'd had too much. I didn't do any of that weighing before vs. after, b/c then I have to count the food I ate afterward and during, and the bathroom break, etc, and it's just a lot of trouble. But I stumbled upon this http://sweatscience.com/dehydration-and-change-in-body-mass-not-linked-after-all/ from Sweat Science, and it's pretty interesting.
Also, it took me a while this time to get the right tightness of my left shoe. Bother. I'll have to maybe mark my shoelaces to get it right the first time at the full. I would not want to have to stop to adjust my laces 5 times during the full.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Nov 18
FIT:
Took 2 whole days of rest... no strength as planned b/c too tired. A meeting til 2am on Monday probably did it. Considered doing the missed strength workout this morning, but my muscles/body was cold and not in workout mode. Safer to work out warm. Could've warmed up, I guess, but that would've taken time I didn't have. I slept at 8:30 and woke at 6:30. Seemed lke it would've been a lot... oh wait... that's 10 hrs, not 6 hrs. Still so tired! Ok.
Well, did 4.5 today. Progression run on 1 degree tread, 75 degrees. Wore the Saucony Paramount. My right outer lower knee was hurting, maybe b/c for the first mile, I was using the iTouch, which rested on the treadmill console. I had to stay kind of close to the console due to the headphone cord. I was pretty close, afraid of hitting my arms on the treadmill, which probably messed up my form. I put the iTouch away because of that, and the knee stopped having issues. I had to do some form tweaks throughout to keep things rolling okay, but it was fine.
4.5 in 34:54, 7:45 ave. Splits> 15:58 for 2, 7:43, (24:29), 7:37, 3:34 for 0.5.
Afterwards, some new recovery products! Tart cherry juice! Usually, I take no juice, which is just a sugar spike. But this stuff is supposed to do a lot to keep down muscle soreness and inflammation. The studies involved drinking it before the run, but it probably wouldn't hurt too much to do it after. We'll see. I also used the Cryo Cup, which... melts and leaves you in a puddle. I used it while icing with two reusable cold packs. I'm like eh about the product. Something to mix in, but the packs take less work and is less messy. I couldn't apply that much additional pressure with the Cryo Cup, so eh...
Took 2 whole days of rest... no strength as planned b/c too tired. A meeting til 2am on Monday probably did it. Considered doing the missed strength workout this morning, but my muscles/body was cold and not in workout mode. Safer to work out warm. Could've warmed up, I guess, but that would've taken time I didn't have. I slept at 8:30 and woke at 6:30. Seemed lke it would've been a lot... oh wait... that's 10 hrs, not 6 hrs. Still so tired! Ok.
Well, did 4.5 today. Progression run on 1 degree tread, 75 degrees. Wore the Saucony Paramount. My right outer lower knee was hurting, maybe b/c for the first mile, I was using the iTouch, which rested on the treadmill console. I had to stay kind of close to the console due to the headphone cord. I was pretty close, afraid of hitting my arms on the treadmill, which probably messed up my form. I put the iTouch away because of that, and the knee stopped having issues. I had to do some form tweaks throughout to keep things rolling okay, but it was fine.
4.5 in 34:54, 7:45 ave. Splits> 15:58 for 2, 7:43, (24:29), 7:37, 3:34 for 0.5.
Afterwards, some new recovery products! Tart cherry juice! Usually, I take no juice, which is just a sugar spike. But this stuff is supposed to do a lot to keep down muscle soreness and inflammation. The studies involved drinking it before the run, but it probably wouldn't hurt too much to do it after. We'll see. I also used the Cryo Cup, which... melts and leaves you in a puddle. I used it while icing with two reusable cold packs. I'm like eh about the product. Something to mix in, but the packs take less work and is less messy. I couldn't apply that much additional pressure with the Cryo Cup, so eh...
Monday, November 15, 2010
Nov 15
FIT:
Movin on up. Another speed session in my Kinvaras.
Progression:
1. Couple sessions of 6x[1/4 @ 9mph, 1/4 @ 7.5mph]... 1.5mi quality
2. Couple sessions of 4x[1/2 @ 9mph, 1/4 @ 7.5mph]... 2 mi quality
3. Today a session of 3x[3/4 @ 9mph, 1/4 @ 7.5mph]... 2.25 mi quality
It's great b/c there's more quality work over time, on top of reduced rest.
It went well. No cooldown of 0.5 like I had initially planned b/c someone was waiting for the treadmill, but it's okay. 3.5 in 25:09, 7:11 ave. Great. Even better considering the 79 degree heat.
Movin on up. Another speed session in my Kinvaras.
Progression:
1. Couple sessions of 6x[1/4 @ 9mph, 1/4 @ 7.5mph]... 1.5mi quality
2. Couple sessions of 4x[1/2 @ 9mph, 1/4 @ 7.5mph]... 2 mi quality
3. Today a session of 3x[3/4 @ 9mph, 1/4 @ 7.5mph]... 2.25 mi quality
It's great b/c there's more quality work over time, on top of reduced rest.
It went well. No cooldown of 0.5 like I had initially planned b/c someone was waiting for the treadmill, but it's okay. 3.5 in 25:09, 7:11 ave. Great. Even better considering the 79 degree heat.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Nov 13
FIT:
After 2 years, I've finally gotten back to doing 16.6, with a 16.9er! It went well... no big drop in pace at the end, like I used to have in Pton. I was going slower, which is part of the reason, but it was hotter, too, so the slower performance was understandable. The best part - no injuries! Even the knees were fine. Looked kinda red when I checked about halfway through, but never poundy!
FUEL:
Ate 5 Powerbar Gel Blasts, which I really like. I still think Gels are more convenient... faster, easier to swallow b/c you don't have to chew. But the Gel blasts are probably my favorite of the solid running fuels I've tried... The Banana Strawberry Gel Blasts were surprisingly not sickeningly sweet like the Shot Bloks, Gu Chomps, and Jelly Belly Sport. It was muted and tastey. It was also not sticky... more solid than the others, which meant you got more of it into your tummy, rather than all between your teeth. It was like it had a powdered coating, too, so no mess on your fingers. Ate the 5 about 40% into the run, gradually. Since it wasn't sickeningly sweet, it didn't make you feel like you had to have water immediately afterwards. I could wait a mile or two before the water without any real discomfort.
FIT:
Back to the run... umm... went out at 11am-ish. Chilly at first. Temps climbed gradually. It was hotter at the end, but since I was lower on energy, too, my body didn't mind. So if it is mid->upper 60's at the marathon, I at least won't be uncomfotable. I may be slower, but it won't be painful due to the heat. I did sweat a fair bit... I was powdery with dried sweat salt. Very powdery. My arms chafed against my body a lot. Don't know why it's bee chafing the last couple of runs - never really happened before in my entire life. Need to invest in lube, since it was burning uncomfortable. But I wonder... a layer of Vasaline would clog up your sweating mechanisms, so that's a drawback... or you may still sweat, but it'll be mixed with Vasaline and just get kinda messy.
Wore a visor, n1224's w/ arches, shades, Oxysox. 16.9 in 2:24:12, 8:32 ave. Above the goal 8:23, but it was hot, and just a day's rest after a not-easy workout. Decent temps... can't complain.
Splits> 8:52 b, 6:22 p s, 7:33 c, 7:33 p (haha, perfect, even with the downhill/uphill), 7:24 b l, 6:13 p s, 7:33 c (woah!), 7:30 p, 7:25 b l, 6:06 p s, 7:28 c, 7:20 p (speeding up!), 7:03 b l, 5:55 p s, 7:13 c, 7:09 p, 7:10 b l, 6:01 p s, 7:03 b l, 9:08 car. Nice... neg split for sure. Best part... no injuries!
Afterwards, had a protein shake, a grapefruit, and a carrot. Back at home, I started really craving salt (must've lost a lot), so I had tortilla chips with as much salsa as each chip cold hold, plus some shavings of 75% light cheddar. So good. Mmmm... salt.
Oh, I forgot! A bee stung me in the tummy after mile 1! I was like "what in the world?" at the stinging that suddenly started. Then I saw the stinger in me... hard to pull out, maybe b/c it had hooks or something, but got it out and went on. For the next few miles, it kept stinging, especially when my Nathan Shadow Pak would touch it. I totally forgot about it after mile 6 or something, though.
After 2 years, I've finally gotten back to doing 16.6, with a 16.9er! It went well... no big drop in pace at the end, like I used to have in Pton. I was going slower, which is part of the reason, but it was hotter, too, so the slower performance was understandable. The best part - no injuries! Even the knees were fine. Looked kinda red when I checked about halfway through, but never poundy!
FUEL:
Ate 5 Powerbar Gel Blasts, which I really like. I still think Gels are more convenient... faster, easier to swallow b/c you don't have to chew. But the Gel blasts are probably my favorite of the solid running fuels I've tried... The Banana Strawberry Gel Blasts were surprisingly not sickeningly sweet like the Shot Bloks, Gu Chomps, and Jelly Belly Sport. It was muted and tastey. It was also not sticky... more solid than the others, which meant you got more of it into your tummy, rather than all between your teeth. It was like it had a powdered coating, too, so no mess on your fingers. Ate the 5 about 40% into the run, gradually. Since it wasn't sickeningly sweet, it didn't make you feel like you had to have water immediately afterwards. I could wait a mile or two before the water without any real discomfort.
FIT:
Back to the run... umm... went out at 11am-ish. Chilly at first. Temps climbed gradually. It was hotter at the end, but since I was lower on energy, too, my body didn't mind. So if it is mid->upper 60's at the marathon, I at least won't be uncomfotable. I may be slower, but it won't be painful due to the heat. I did sweat a fair bit... I was powdery with dried sweat salt. Very powdery. My arms chafed against my body a lot. Don't know why it's bee chafing the last couple of runs - never really happened before in my entire life. Need to invest in lube, since it was burning uncomfortable. But I wonder... a layer of Vasaline would clog up your sweating mechanisms, so that's a drawback... or you may still sweat, but it'll be mixed with Vasaline and just get kinda messy.
Wore a visor, n1224's w/ arches, shades, Oxysox. 16.9 in 2:24:12, 8:32 ave. Above the goal 8:23, but it was hot, and just a day's rest after a not-easy workout. Decent temps... can't complain.
Splits> 8:52 b, 6:22 p s, 7:33 c, 7:33 p (haha, perfect, even with the downhill/uphill), 7:24 b l, 6:13 p s, 7:33 c (woah!), 7:30 p, 7:25 b l, 6:06 p s, 7:28 c, 7:20 p (speeding up!), 7:03 b l, 5:55 p s, 7:13 c, 7:09 p, 7:10 b l, 6:01 p s, 7:03 b l, 9:08 car. Nice... neg split for sure. Best part... no injuries!
Afterwards, had a protein shake, a grapefruit, and a carrot. Back at home, I started really craving salt (must've lost a lot), so I had tortilla chips with as much salsa as each chip cold hold, plus some shavings of 75% light cheddar. So good. Mmmm... salt.
Oh, I forgot! A bee stung me in the tummy after mile 1! I was like "what in the world?" at the stinging that suddenly started. Then I saw the stinger in me... hard to pull out, maybe b/c it had hooks or something, but got it out and went on. For the next few miles, it kept stinging, especially when my Nathan Shadow Pak would touch it. I totally forgot about it after mile 6 or something, though.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Nov 11
FIT:
I slept 10+ hours last night. Luxurious. Overnight, my swollen, a bit poundy legs recovered. Sleep = recovery. I need to do it more. Like magic.
I felt good about being able to hit today's 6 without issues, since my legs were a lot better after the good night's rest. My inner left ankle had a little achilles tendinosis going on at work, but... either I ignored it or didn't notice it during the run.
The run went fairly well. My right butt feels a tad numb now, the right TA was a little screamy during a couple (only a couple) of extensions, and my right TA got a little numb during the last couple miles when things got fast. But no show-stopping issues.
Progression run. 6 is about right, since I plan to hit 26.8 for the week as it is, and I don't want to go any more than that. I'm icing now. The last couple miles were tough cardiovascularly, maybe largely from a side stitch I got on my left lung b/c I ate microwaved romaine right before the run, and it was digesting.
6.2 in 49:53, 8:03 ave. Splits> 8:24, 8:17, 8:07, (25:37), 7:56, 7:50, 7:47, 1:27 for 0.2.
Icing now. Gotta get recovered for Saturday's 16.6. Maybe rest tomorrow, to be safe. Maybe bike... eh, most likely, PT. That always helps things feel good and seems to keep injury at bay.
My Shuffle died a mile in, so from mi 3 onwards, I counted down the miles in 0.05 mile increments... helped to pass the time.
I slept 10+ hours last night. Luxurious. Overnight, my swollen, a bit poundy legs recovered. Sleep = recovery. I need to do it more. Like magic.
I felt good about being able to hit today's 6 without issues, since my legs were a lot better after the good night's rest. My inner left ankle had a little achilles tendinosis going on at work, but... either I ignored it or didn't notice it during the run.
The run went fairly well. My right butt feels a tad numb now, the right TA was a little screamy during a couple (only a couple) of extensions, and my right TA got a little numb during the last couple miles when things got fast. But no show-stopping issues.
Progression run. 6 is about right, since I plan to hit 26.8 for the week as it is, and I don't want to go any more than that. I'm icing now. The last couple miles were tough cardiovascularly, maybe largely from a side stitch I got on my left lung b/c I ate microwaved romaine right before the run, and it was digesting.
6.2 in 49:53, 8:03 ave. Splits> 8:24, 8:17, 8:07, (25:37), 7:56, 7:50, 7:47, 1:27 for 0.2.
Icing now. Gotta get recovered for Saturday's 16.6. Maybe rest tomorrow, to be safe. Maybe bike... eh, most likely, PT. That always helps things feel good and seems to keep injury at bay.
My Shuffle died a mile in, so from mi 3 onwards, I counted down the miles in 0.05 mile increments... helped to pass the time.
Houston Hype 2 - Race Reviews
Very exicited, so I'll just find something to post about, just so that I can talk about it, haha.
Went onto Marathonguide.com to look for notes about the race experience:
FUEL:
- I think that I counted over 15 families that had cut up oranges and bananas along the way. If you for get your GU/PowerGel, no worries!
- There was lots of fruit on the course and plenty of fluids.
- My only complaint would be that the hydration tables were too short. Twice I couldn't merge quickly enough to get a cup of water/Gatorade. (2009)
- I was disappointed that there was no GU handed out at mile 20 this year, but the beer stop at 21 still remained. (2009)
TEMPS:
- Houston weather in January is a crapshoot, but this year it was pretty perfect.
- Some have mentioned the heat. I don't know what the temperature was, but we were kept abreast via the large signage. Maybe high 60's? There was a bit of a breeze and I personally had no problem with weather. I think the two years prior have been cooler, so I wouldn't dismiss this race due to temps. (2009)
- Although it is relatively cool in Houston, the weather can be tricky and tends to be on the hotter and clear sky-side. (2009)
- What made it more disappointing was that there were several cold fronts for the entire past week and possibly more to come next week. Somehow the marathon had to be run during the two-day heat wave. From a starting temperature of 55 it the high 60's, but the sun just would not quit. At the end, many of us discussed over our nice, warm, free breakfast over how the adverse weather affected our times. (2009)
COURSE:
- It starts off with more of an incline than you expect from the elevation chart, which is surprising, and the overpass somewhere along 15 or 16 was kind of brutal, but for the most part it is flat as billed and should be a PR course if the weather cooperates.
- The course was flat - the only grade could really be felt as you cross bridges.
- Only negatives would be that the course is a bit dull and there is a wicked camber on the roads, something like 2 feet in height between the median and the curb. Felt like I was running on a banked track; I am sure one leg is now shorter than the other!
- The mile splits were incredible - tall banners that could not be missed and officials reading out average split times.
- Half marathoners keep separate from full marathoners... real nice!
- The corral system was ok, either faster or slower, but it worked out fine, since the streets were plenty wide. Lots of porta-potties - I counted at least 300 throughout the race, some 2 miles apart.
- Also, the fact that in the last few miles the half-marathoners and full marathoners were on separate sides of Allen Parkway made finishing much more enjoyable than other races (i.e. ING Georgia), which have both trying to ply the same roads in the last few miles. (2009)
- Concrete almost all of the way, but it's better than running on some of our city's badly potholed streets. (2009)
- The only negative is that the streets were pretty rough in the first half (a lot of patches and uneven surfaces), and of course, you have to run on concrete. (2009)
- The course was spacious and well marked. There was never a time that you questioned if you had made a wrong turn. The spectators were fabulous. Every foot of every mile there were crowds of people lining the streets, giving encouragement to the runners. (2009)
- Bibs were HUGE this year - annoying. VERY crowded for the first 3-4 miles. (2009)
- Houston is very spread out, so you don't really run through downtown, but you get to experience all of the great and interesting neighborhoods here. Read up on all of the neighborhoods in your program. Houston is very spread out, so you don't really run through downtown, but you get to experience all of the great and interesting neighborhoods here. Read up on all of the neighborhoods in your program. (2009)
- There are a few minor hills and one big over pass, but for the most part, it is very flat. You start off running through a not-so-great neighborhood, but by mile 3, the scenery really picks up and you run through some neat areas of town and have pleasant views. (2009)
- The course? Just a small number of minor bumps - they can't even be considered hills. There's one at the start, one just past halfway and then a few between 21 and 23. The rest of the course is flat, flat, flat. (2009)
SUPPORT:
- Lots of entertainment on the course.
- Somehow, this years' spectators stand out - both the volunteers and sideline crowds were all super friendly and energizing.
- The course is interesting, with lots of fans and music, and the volunteers are excellent.
- The organization is unbelievable and there are spectators throughout the course encouraging you because the bibs are personalized. (2009)
- You want spectators? Try over 200,000 over the entire course. There's never a dead spot. (2009)
PRE-RACE:
- Only problem I had was parking.
- Plenty of lodging options all within walking distance of the start/finish.
- I parked less than 1/4-mile from the finish and was able to exit downtown with NO problem. (2009)
- It is great to be able to wait inside prior to the race and not be crowded, and it's nice that you end in the same spot. (2009)
- We stayed in the hotel that was at the start line. It was nice to roll out of bed and be there with no wait!(2009)
POSTRACE:
- They didn't give you a medal until you passed the picture station and I never found another one in the recovery area.
- The finisher shirt, medal, and mug were great.
- After the race you get funneled back into the convention to pick up your medal, shirt and food. They even provide dining tables where you can sit to eat your post-marathon food. Wow!
- The post-race event makes the Houston Marathon a standout. With a large medal; free finisher shirt; free finisher mug; warm breakfast with an egg and sausage, biscuit and salsa; and bananas, cake, bagels, cookies, and ice cream
- OH, and three days later, the pictures are already posted. (2009)
- Big, honking, silver, dinner-plate-sized medal. (2009)
- The post-race food deserves 5 stars. (2009)
EXPO:
- I have completed 7 marathons, and this is one of my top 2 favorites. The expo was huge!
- I don't think the expo is as good as San Antonio, though. You got a lot more free stuff in S.A. and a lot more variety of vendors. This one had too many vendors with the same stuff.
OVERALL:
- The organization of this marathon was absolutely the best I've seen (compared to Baltimore, Twin Cities, Myrtle Beach, National Marathon).
- Super organization that sets the standard for other marathons.
- The organization in Houston - from the expo, to the start line, the potties, the course marshals, medics on bikes, aid stations all the way to the finish line, medal, t-shirts and family reunion area - was exceptional.
- So many little extras: food was outstanding, finisher's T-shirt terrific, President George Bush at mile 19, plenty of toilets, good water stations, outstanding volunteers... on and on.
- You must do this at least once. (2009)
TAKEAWAYS...
FUEL: I'll be fine with the plentiful water and gatorade, but I need to bring my own gels.
TEMPS: I'll have to just get lucky here. Plan for it to be warm and hope for the best.
COURSE: Be prepared for concrete. Minimal hills. Perhaps camber. Lots of potties if I need, although I probably won't need them.
SUPPORT: Something to look forward to.
PRERACE: Parking... hard to say. Lodging... since I have a friend there, may stay with them anyways, although the hotels near the start sound nice.
POSTRACE: Nice swag.
EXPO: Should be pretty nice, very efficient.
OVERALL: Expect top-notch organization and an overall awesome experience.
Went onto Marathonguide.com to look for notes about the race experience:
FUEL:
- I think that I counted over 15 families that had cut up oranges and bananas along the way. If you for get your GU/PowerGel, no worries!
- There was lots of fruit on the course and plenty of fluids.
- My only complaint would be that the hydration tables were too short. Twice I couldn't merge quickly enough to get a cup of water/Gatorade. (2009)
- I was disappointed that there was no GU handed out at mile 20 this year, but the beer stop at 21 still remained. (2009)
TEMPS:
- Houston weather in January is a crapshoot, but this year it was pretty perfect.
- Some have mentioned the heat. I don't know what the temperature was, but we were kept abreast via the large signage. Maybe high 60's? There was a bit of a breeze and I personally had no problem with weather. I think the two years prior have been cooler, so I wouldn't dismiss this race due to temps. (2009)
- Although it is relatively cool in Houston, the weather can be tricky and tends to be on the hotter and clear sky-side. (2009)
- What made it more disappointing was that there were several cold fronts for the entire past week and possibly more to come next week. Somehow the marathon had to be run during the two-day heat wave. From a starting temperature of 55 it the high 60's, but the sun just would not quit. At the end, many of us discussed over our nice, warm, free breakfast over how the adverse weather affected our times. (2009)
COURSE:
- It starts off with more of an incline than you expect from the elevation chart, which is surprising, and the overpass somewhere along 15 or 16 was kind of brutal, but for the most part it is flat as billed and should be a PR course if the weather cooperates.
- The course was flat - the only grade could really be felt as you cross bridges.
- Only negatives would be that the course is a bit dull and there is a wicked camber on the roads, something like 2 feet in height between the median and the curb. Felt like I was running on a banked track; I am sure one leg is now shorter than the other!
- The mile splits were incredible - tall banners that could not be missed and officials reading out average split times.
- Half marathoners keep separate from full marathoners... real nice!
- The corral system was ok, either faster or slower, but it worked out fine, since the streets were plenty wide. Lots of porta-potties - I counted at least 300 throughout the race, some 2 miles apart.
- Also, the fact that in the last few miles the half-marathoners and full marathoners were on separate sides of Allen Parkway made finishing much more enjoyable than other races (i.e. ING Georgia), which have both trying to ply the same roads in the last few miles. (2009)
- Concrete almost all of the way, but it's better than running on some of our city's badly potholed streets. (2009)
- The only negative is that the streets were pretty rough in the first half (a lot of patches and uneven surfaces), and of course, you have to run on concrete. (2009)
- The course was spacious and well marked. There was never a time that you questioned if you had made a wrong turn. The spectators were fabulous. Every foot of every mile there were crowds of people lining the streets, giving encouragement to the runners. (2009)
- Bibs were HUGE this year - annoying. VERY crowded for the first 3-4 miles. (2009)
- Houston is very spread out, so you don't really run through downtown, but you get to experience all of the great and interesting neighborhoods here. Read up on all of the neighborhoods in your program. Houston is very spread out, so you don't really run through downtown, but you get to experience all of the great and interesting neighborhoods here. Read up on all of the neighborhoods in your program. (2009)
- There are a few minor hills and one big over pass, but for the most part, it is very flat. You start off running through a not-so-great neighborhood, but by mile 3, the scenery really picks up and you run through some neat areas of town and have pleasant views. (2009)
- The course? Just a small number of minor bumps - they can't even be considered hills. There's one at the start, one just past halfway and then a few between 21 and 23. The rest of the course is flat, flat, flat. (2009)
SUPPORT:
- Lots of entertainment on the course.
- Somehow, this years' spectators stand out - both the volunteers and sideline crowds were all super friendly and energizing.
- The course is interesting, with lots of fans and music, and the volunteers are excellent.
- The organization is unbelievable and there are spectators throughout the course encouraging you because the bibs are personalized. (2009)
- You want spectators? Try over 200,000 over the entire course. There's never a dead spot. (2009)
PRE-RACE:
- Only problem I had was parking.
- Plenty of lodging options all within walking distance of the start/finish.
- I parked less than 1/4-mile from the finish and was able to exit downtown with NO problem. (2009)
- It is great to be able to wait inside prior to the race and not be crowded, and it's nice that you end in the same spot. (2009)
- We stayed in the hotel that was at the start line. It was nice to roll out of bed and be there with no wait!(2009)
POSTRACE:
- They didn't give you a medal until you passed the picture station and I never found another one in the recovery area.
- The finisher shirt, medal, and mug were great.
- After the race you get funneled back into the convention to pick up your medal, shirt and food. They even provide dining tables where you can sit to eat your post-marathon food. Wow!
- The post-race event makes the Houston Marathon a standout. With a large medal; free finisher shirt; free finisher mug; warm breakfast with an egg and sausage, biscuit and salsa; and bananas, cake, bagels, cookies, and ice cream
- OH, and three days later, the pictures are already posted. (2009)
- Big, honking, silver, dinner-plate-sized medal. (2009)
- The post-race food deserves 5 stars. (2009)
EXPO:
- I have completed 7 marathons, and this is one of my top 2 favorites. The expo was huge!
- I don't think the expo is as good as San Antonio, though. You got a lot more free stuff in S.A. and a lot more variety of vendors. This one had too many vendors with the same stuff.
OVERALL:
- The organization of this marathon was absolutely the best I've seen (compared to Baltimore, Twin Cities, Myrtle Beach, National Marathon).
- Super organization that sets the standard for other marathons.
- The organization in Houston - from the expo, to the start line, the potties, the course marshals, medics on bikes, aid stations all the way to the finish line, medal, t-shirts and family reunion area - was exceptional.
- So many little extras: food was outstanding, finisher's T-shirt terrific, President George Bush at mile 19, plenty of toilets, good water stations, outstanding volunteers... on and on.
- You must do this at least once. (2009)
TAKEAWAYS...
FUEL: I'll be fine with the plentiful water and gatorade, but I need to bring my own gels.
TEMPS: I'll have to just get lucky here. Plan for it to be warm and hope for the best.
COURSE: Be prepared for concrete. Minimal hills. Perhaps camber. Lots of potties if I need, although I probably won't need them.
SUPPORT: Something to look forward to.
PRERACE: Parking... hard to say. Lodging... since I have a friend there, may stay with them anyways, although the hotels near the start sound nice.
POSTRACE: Nice swag.
EXPO: Should be pretty nice, very efficient.
OVERALL: Expect top-notch organization and an overall awesome experience.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Nov 8
FIT:
It feels good to nail a workout. Knees felt like they needed a strength session for the hips today. I think that'll help. But my heart was wanting some cardio by evening. The training plan calls for 2... that's low. It also calls for 8 Wed and 16 Sat. There must be something to having something relatively high, that they'll go as low as 2 on Monday. Or the formula/optimizers that they use could be under such unreasonable constraints (3:40 marathon on 25-30 mi/wk at the peak) that it's just throwing out workouts that may be unreasonable... it's been the most doable and seemingly effective marathon training plan that I've seen so far, though. BTW, it's the Runner's World iTouch app sponsored by New Balance. SmartCoach I think is the name. The Hanson's beginner program had crazy mileage... up to 47, and ridiculous increases... totally breaking the 10% rule. Other plans weren't as bad, but they were still too high in mileage. Jack Daniels' probably works, but the workouts are tough... like I'd be doing race-effort workouts three times a week. With RW, it doesn't really specify paces, so I just do what's comfortable, and I feel fine about modifying the distances... I keep the weekly total about where they want, I just shuffle mileage around a bit in the first two workouts.
So this is like the last interval session I did, which I was very excited about, since it was a decent step up from what I could do previously. It's been 9 days since the half, so it's almost safe for me to do intervals again... it went fine. Wore the Kinvaras again... oh, it was b/c of that that I remembered that I could do a speed session. I was originally going to do a short base run. Speed was perfect to do instead. The shorter runs are the perfect op to do something intense, and I was wanting cardio.
1 mi warmup, 4x[.5 @ 9mph, .25 @ 7.5mph]. 4.0 in 29:54, 7:29 ave. Nice. Tread 1 degrees.
Had to make my steps smaller... kinda hard when you're going fast... to keep that knee from complaining during the end of the pushoff phase. My right leg is stiffer than my left leg. It's bad that it' stiff, but that probably makes its form better than the left foot's, which kind of lands with the toe turned out too much, I think. Eh, nothing really hurting, at least.
Calves were sore today. Means I'm doing something! The last rep was a challenge... the rest were okay. That's probably a good place to be, if one wants to keep it safe. Just realized (maybe I realized it last time, though), that this workout is the start of the Yasso 800 test! 4/10-12. Could I finish it off if I wanted to? Maybe. Let's see... if I could hold it for another 6, it would predict a 3:21 finish... perfect! That is precisely what the charts predict. And normally, you wouldn't have to run these in 75 degrees. That may balance out my optimism about being able to do another 6. And I normally probably wouldn't need to do 7.5mph for the rest intervals... that's pretty fast for rest. Yay. Happy.
It feels good to nail a workout. Knees felt like they needed a strength session for the hips today. I think that'll help. But my heart was wanting some cardio by evening. The training plan calls for 2... that's low. It also calls for 8 Wed and 16 Sat. There must be something to having something relatively high, that they'll go as low as 2 on Monday. Or the formula/optimizers that they use could be under such unreasonable constraints (3:40 marathon on 25-30 mi/wk at the peak) that it's just throwing out workouts that may be unreasonable... it's been the most doable and seemingly effective marathon training plan that I've seen so far, though. BTW, it's the Runner's World iTouch app sponsored by New Balance. SmartCoach I think is the name. The Hanson's beginner program had crazy mileage... up to 47, and ridiculous increases... totally breaking the 10% rule. Other plans weren't as bad, but they were still too high in mileage. Jack Daniels' probably works, but the workouts are tough... like I'd be doing race-effort workouts three times a week. With RW, it doesn't really specify paces, so I just do what's comfortable, and I feel fine about modifying the distances... I keep the weekly total about where they want, I just shuffle mileage around a bit in the first two workouts.
So this is like the last interval session I did, which I was very excited about, since it was a decent step up from what I could do previously. It's been 9 days since the half, so it's almost safe for me to do intervals again... it went fine. Wore the Kinvaras again... oh, it was b/c of that that I remembered that I could do a speed session. I was originally going to do a short base run. Speed was perfect to do instead. The shorter runs are the perfect op to do something intense, and I was wanting cardio.
1 mi warmup, 4x[.5 @ 9mph, .25 @ 7.5mph]. 4.0 in 29:54, 7:29 ave. Nice. Tread 1 degrees.
Had to make my steps smaller... kinda hard when you're going fast... to keep that knee from complaining during the end of the pushoff phase. My right leg is stiffer than my left leg. It's bad that it' stiff, but that probably makes its form better than the left foot's, which kind of lands with the toe turned out too much, I think. Eh, nothing really hurting, at least.
Calves were sore today. Means I'm doing something! The last rep was a challenge... the rest were okay. That's probably a good place to be, if one wants to keep it safe. Just realized (maybe I realized it last time, though), that this workout is the start of the Yasso 800 test! 4/10-12. Could I finish it off if I wanted to? Maybe. Let's see... if I could hold it for another 6, it would predict a 3:21 finish... perfect! That is precisely what the charts predict. And normally, you wouldn't have to run these in 75 degrees. That may balance out my optimism about being able to do another 6. And I normally probably wouldn't need to do 7.5mph for the rest intervals... that's pretty fast for rest. Yay. Happy.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Nov 7
FIT:
Aaaah. Intended 10 plus change, but it turns out it was a 12er. Nice. 8:25 ave. A touch above BQ pace. BQ. Mmmm.. 12 is good, b/c I have 16, then 18, then 20 planned. Racing 13, doing 10, then jumping up to 16... might've been a big leap. 6 over.
Yesterday, went hiking w/ my Sunday School. 3.5ish, relaxed, enjoying photo ops in the fall scenery. The Table Rock trail has nice big rocks, which are unique. Turned around at the overlook. Carried an extra pack, making my shoulders a wee bit sore... almost not noticeable, though. Going downhill, totally somehow stepped on the top of my foot (oooh, they addedthe underline font option in Blogger!), but my oft-damaged ankles are now really flexy, and although the first few steps were like oooh, oooh, it was okay. Also, one of my knees would have some connective tissue scream when I took larger downhill steps, but I tried to keep the steps small after that, and it seemed to help.
Was itching to run at times during the hike, but once we stopped for an early dinner and then a separate Dunkin Donuts stop, I got really tired. The sun going down so early contributes, I think. Man, going out to eat messes up my internal metabolic clock. Feeling pressured to eat when I'm not hungry, I gotta get something anyways. And then deep fried food makes me feel a little sick afterwards. And when the quantities are over what I need, or if I'm craving or needing something due to macronutrient balance or just cravings and I don't, boo... not satisfied til I do get it, and no matter how much other stuff I take in, still not satisfied.
Anyway, the run... the knees were fine. Still a tiny bit bangy, tiny tiny, but fine. Wearing sox, they scrunched up at the toes in the left foot, which was uncomfortable... the tighter-fitting Oxysox are what I'd want to go with in a long race like the full, to avoid this kind of issue. Took 2 water breaks. Skipped the third, since I was close to finishng the run anyways.
Splits> 8:36 b, 6:02 p short, 7:18 c, 7:24 p, 7:11 b long, 5:54 p short, 7:29 c, 7:26 p, 7:12 b long, 5:54 p short, 7:19 c, 7:12 p, 7:12 b long, 8:48 car. Pretty consistent! Yeah, didn't feel any slower at the end than I did at the beginning, which is good. Good pacing, good fitness.
Very hungry last 2 miles, but I didn't eat the bar I brought w/ me b/c I was close to finishing the run anyways. Hey, it's the 11 mile hunger! Still there. Didn't feel the 7 mi chills... maybe it's not cold enough.
Aaaah. Intended 10 plus change, but it turns out it was a 12er. Nice. 8:25 ave. A touch above BQ pace. BQ. Mmmm.. 12 is good, b/c I have 16, then 18, then 20 planned. Racing 13, doing 10, then jumping up to 16... might've been a big leap. 6 over.
Yesterday, went hiking w/ my Sunday School. 3.5ish, relaxed, enjoying photo ops in the fall scenery. The Table Rock trail has nice big rocks, which are unique. Turned around at the overlook. Carried an extra pack, making my shoulders a wee bit sore... almost not noticeable, though. Going downhill, totally somehow stepped on the top of my foot (oooh, they addedthe underline font option in Blogger!), but my oft-damaged ankles are now really flexy, and although the first few steps were like oooh, oooh, it was okay. Also, one of my knees would have some connective tissue scream when I took larger downhill steps, but I tried to keep the steps small after that, and it seemed to help.
Was itching to run at times during the hike, but once we stopped for an early dinner and then a separate Dunkin Donuts stop, I got really tired. The sun going down so early contributes, I think. Man, going out to eat messes up my internal metabolic clock. Feeling pressured to eat when I'm not hungry, I gotta get something anyways. And then deep fried food makes me feel a little sick afterwards. And when the quantities are over what I need, or if I'm craving or needing something due to macronutrient balance or just cravings and I don't, boo... not satisfied til I do get it, and no matter how much other stuff I take in, still not satisfied.
Anyway, the run... the knees were fine. Still a tiny bit bangy, tiny tiny, but fine. Wearing sox, they scrunched up at the toes in the left foot, which was uncomfortable... the tighter-fitting Oxysox are what I'd want to go with in a long race like the full, to avoid this kind of issue. Took 2 water breaks. Skipped the third, since I was close to finishng the run anyways.
Splits> 8:36 b, 6:02 p short, 7:18 c, 7:24 p, 7:11 b long, 5:54 p short, 7:29 c, 7:26 p, 7:12 b long, 5:54 p short, 7:19 c, 7:12 p, 7:12 b long, 8:48 car. Pretty consistent! Yeah, didn't feel any slower at the end than I did at the beginning, which is good. Good pacing, good fitness.
Very hungry last 2 miles, but I didn't eat the bar I brought w/ me b/c I was close to finishing the run anyways. Hey, it's the 11 mile hunger! Still there. Didn't feel the 7 mi chills... maybe it's not cold enough.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Houston Hype 1 - Pace and Fuel and Hot Taper
I'm 86 days out and starting to make plans. The course map has been on my office wall for a while, but planning really helps. I knew the course of Spinx really well, with its water stations, turns, roads, elevation changes, and mile marks, and I started studying that only a few days before.
GOAL PACE:
To BQ, I need a 3:40, or an 8:23 pace.
To achieve my potential, I need a 3:23, or a 7:45 pace.
Big difference. But I think the smart thing to do, to guarantee and not sabotage my BQ, is to stick with the 3:40 pace group until maybe mile 20, then turn it up after that. I'll end up finishing slower than my potential, since making up 17 minutes in 6 miles requires about 3min/mile of speeding up... 5:23 for 6 miles... not possible. Thought about maybe starting to pick things up before that, but I'll really have no idea what to expect after 20 miles. Hmm... We'll see. I could probably go to 7:30... 6 minutes off... so 3:34. Dunno. Okay, so maybe this isn't fimed up yet. Or I could just take the BQ (look how confident I am now, ha... what a fool).
FUEL:
Seems like they don't provide gels. That's okay. Gelling at my own pace may be best anyways... maybe a packet every 5 miles... so 5, 10, 15, 20... 4 packs. That's a lot of gel. On top of that, whatever combo of water and Gatorade I'm in the mood for. Going by taste seems to work well for me.
TAPER:
Just now read a verrrrry interesting article on Hot Tapering... so I may be wearing sweats throughout my January runs, even though I usually go with a sports bra even in the snow.
http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/2010/10/oct-17-new-study-a-hot-taper-can-improve-endurance-performance.html
Okay, so that's all I've thought about so far.
GOAL PACE:
To BQ, I need a 3:40, or an 8:23 pace.
To achieve my potential, I need a 3:23, or a 7:45 pace.
Big difference. But I think the smart thing to do, to guarantee and not sabotage my BQ, is to stick with the 3:40 pace group until maybe mile 20, then turn it up after that. I'll end up finishing slower than my potential, since making up 17 minutes in 6 miles requires about 3min/mile of speeding up... 5:23 for 6 miles... not possible. Thought about maybe starting to pick things up before that, but I'll really have no idea what to expect after 20 miles. Hmm... We'll see. I could probably go to 7:30... 6 minutes off... so 3:34. Dunno. Okay, so maybe this isn't fimed up yet. Or I could just take the BQ (look how confident I am now, ha... what a fool).
FUEL:
Seems like they don't provide gels. That's okay. Gelling at my own pace may be best anyways... maybe a packet every 5 miles... so 5, 10, 15, 20... 4 packs. That's a lot of gel. On top of that, whatever combo of water and Gatorade I'm in the mood for. Going by taste seems to work well for me.
TAPER:
Just now read a verrrrry interesting article on Hot Tapering... so I may be wearing sweats throughout my January runs, even though I usually go with a sports bra even in the snow.
http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/2010/10/oct-17-new-study-a-hot-taper-can-improve-endurance-performance.html
Okay, so that's all I've thought about so far.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Nov 3
FIT:
Today, I got the feeling that I work, run, sleep. While working, I'm tired, and I always want to take a nap after work before I run. But I'm also hungry, so I eat after work, and by the time I'm done, I have to get ready to run before the gym closes. Then, blog, log, and eat some more. Do dishes, a bit of TV, look how late it is. Wake up and do it again. Can't complain. I enjoy running. Work is hard, but it's satisfying to do a good job and to do your best, if only unto the Lord. Tired, but not nearly as bad as college.
Today, ran... glad to get a little farther today. A sign of recovery. I was still tight today at work, but at least no real kinks. During the run, had to concentrate on keeping high knees and butt kicks to keep my knees from banging. Kept good arm form, with the swinging also helping my legs turning and preventing knee banging. Right butt and maybe other parts of that leg got numb as I got faster in the second half, but nothing terrible.
6.2 in 51:38, 8:20 ave. Just under BQ pace. Oh BQ, you're within grasp! I'm so excited. Still have no idea how I kept up 7:20's for 13.1. Splits> 8:46, 8:24, 8:20, (26:21), 8:20, 8:17, 7:56, 1:31 for 0.2.
Today, I got the feeling that I work, run, sleep. While working, I'm tired, and I always want to take a nap after work before I run. But I'm also hungry, so I eat after work, and by the time I'm done, I have to get ready to run before the gym closes. Then, blog, log, and eat some more. Do dishes, a bit of TV, look how late it is. Wake up and do it again. Can't complain. I enjoy running. Work is hard, but it's satisfying to do a good job and to do your best, if only unto the Lord. Tired, but not nearly as bad as college.
Today, ran... glad to get a little farther today. A sign of recovery. I was still tight today at work, but at least no real kinks. During the run, had to concentrate on keeping high knees and butt kicks to keep my knees from banging. Kept good arm form, with the swinging also helping my legs turning and preventing knee banging. Right butt and maybe other parts of that leg got numb as I got faster in the second half, but nothing terrible.
6.2 in 51:38, 8:20 ave. Just under BQ pace. Oh BQ, you're within grasp! I'm so excited. Still have no idea how I kept up 7:20's for 13.1. Splits> 8:46, 8:24, 8:20, (26:21), 8:20, 8:17, 7:56, 1:31 for 0.2.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Nov 1
FIT:
Recovery run! A fast one. Was it due to better conditioning following an awesome training cycle? or is it the usual speediness after the long run phenomenon? In any case, I'll take it!
Recovery has been going surprisingly well, considering the out-of-nowhere performance from two days ago. My ankles finally stopped feeling overused today, to the point that I felt safe enough to try running again. It doesn't feel that bad to go down stairs now. I've stretched once daily. Right now is the first time I'm icing, to keep the effects of pounding at bay. I can feel it coming on a little bit, but it's not bad. Good quality food. Not as many fruits and veggies as I'd like, b/c my mom's been feeding me a lot of rice and protein, leaving less room in my tummy for my usual produce and skim milk.
So my run... speedy, progression. 4.0 in 30:44, 7:41 ave. That's actually my new goal marathon pace. My mile, 5k, and half marathon PBs are now in PERFECT ALIGNMENT in the race performance predictor at mcmillanrunning.com. I used to be super fast at the mile, slower at the 5k, and super super slow at the half. But now, I'm reaching my potential in all. Time to raise the bar, haha.
Splits> 8:20, 7:50, 7:24, (24:19), 7:08. Right leg may be a little out of alignment... some numbness, but not bad considering the postrace body. Wore oxysox and n1224's w/ stab... should try the arches next time. Was really pushing it at the end and was proud to manage a 4.0 instead of just the 3.1 as originally planned... actually had considered a 6.0 before I got started, but too much. Keep it real.
Recovery run! A fast one. Was it due to better conditioning following an awesome training cycle? or is it the usual speediness after the long run phenomenon? In any case, I'll take it!
Recovery has been going surprisingly well, considering the out-of-nowhere performance from two days ago. My ankles finally stopped feeling overused today, to the point that I felt safe enough to try running again. It doesn't feel that bad to go down stairs now. I've stretched once daily. Right now is the first time I'm icing, to keep the effects of pounding at bay. I can feel it coming on a little bit, but it's not bad. Good quality food. Not as many fruits and veggies as I'd like, b/c my mom's been feeding me a lot of rice and protein, leaving less room in my tummy for my usual produce and skim milk.
So my run... speedy, progression. 4.0 in 30:44, 7:41 ave. That's actually my new goal marathon pace. My mile, 5k, and half marathon PBs are now in PERFECT ALIGNMENT in the race performance predictor at mcmillanrunning.com. I used to be super fast at the mile, slower at the 5k, and super super slow at the half. But now, I'm reaching my potential in all. Time to raise the bar, haha.
Splits> 8:20, 7:50, 7:24, (24:19), 7:08. Right leg may be a little out of alignment... some numbness, but not bad considering the postrace body. Wore oxysox and n1224's w/ stab... should try the arches next time. Was really pushing it at the end and was proud to manage a 4.0 instead of just the 3.1 as originally planned... actually had considered a 6.0 before I got started, but too much. Keep it real.
Thank You (the cool Stats button!)
Today, I accidentally clicked on my Blogger dashboard's "stats" button. I never really noticed it before, but it has all this info about who reads my blog and how they come to it. It just lists numbers by country, but it's so funny! I had no idea. Thank you to all my readers out there. I realize that many "readers" may have just looked at it and gone on their way when they saw that there was nothing interesting here... just me recounting my workouts, naps, etc, haha. But it does warm my heart to know that there are people reading this. Thank you. Thanks for making me part of your life and for allowing me to share my joys with you.
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