Skin Care

Why I Run

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:51:13 +0000

Leave a comment Go to comments Rather than foolishly attempt some over-reaching pronouncement about why I lace them up most everyday, I thought I would briefly chronicle the reasons as they come to me:

1. Me Against Me

2. Running. It’s cheaper than therapy.

3. Rational, I am not. No rational person runs 18 miles and is happy about it.

4. To keep up with my wife and daughters.

5. Central Park.

6. For that puzzled, shocked look I receive when asked how many miles I run.

7. An effective way to channel a fierce competitive streak.

Monthly Running Review – March 2010

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:51:13 +0000

April 8, 2010 a marathoner6 comments

	March	February	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	25	19	31.58%
Total Miles:	171.1	171.1	0.00%
Miles per days run:	6.84	9.00	-23.96%
Total Running Time:	24:23:44	25:14:15	-3.34%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:33	0:08:54	-3.38%

Observations: Not a typo on the miles … exactly the same when I shut it down to taper for the 10k. Maybe the takeaway from March is quality over quantity? Although that implies February included junky miles, which it did not. The increase in pace is likely the result of better conditions in which to run. I was lucky not killing myself on the ice and such in February. If I were to decide between the two, I would guess April will look more like March with a focus on more progression runs and hill work. I will assume the progression runs (and rest) helped in the later stages of the 10k.

Monthly Running Review – February 2010

March 2, 2010 a marathoner6 comments

	February	January	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	19	23	-17.39%
Total Miles:	171.1	175.1	-2.34%
Miles per days run:	9.00	7.61	18.27%
Total Running Time:	25:14:15	24:59:43	2.22%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:54	0:08:34	2.39%

Observations: Goodbye and good riddance February. My view is principally driven by the weather we experienced … at least 2 full on snowicanes, which made it nearly impossible to run for a few days. Couple the conditions with the fact that February is a short month and there is the reason for the huge reduction in number of days run. You know I am not a slacker. That said, I was only off of the 175-mile/mo. target by 4 miles as a result running more miles per day. It’s kind of annoying to know that if I added .5 miles a day here and there, I would have easily surpassed the target. Oh well. Over the course of the year, I’m sure I’ll make up those 4 miles (hello NYC Marathon training)! I’m pleased that the pace slowed down overall … (despite an increased focus on speed work) … which means I am respecting the recovery and LRs. I actually feel strong. No burn out, etc. Nonetheless, the biggest takeaway from February is that the days are finally getting longer and sun coming up earlier. Spring is trying to spring.

Monthly Running Review – January 2010

February 1, 2010 a marathoner2 comments

	January	December	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	23	22	4.55%
Total Miles:	175.1	175.3	-0.11%
Miles per days run:	7.61	7.97	-4.48%
Total Running Time:	24:59:43	24:35:12	1.66%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:34	0:08:25	1.76%

Observations: Solid start to the New Year. I hit the monthly miles target (barely) despite a taper week of sub-30 miles. Pace per mile will have less currency going forward assuming I lock in on recovery runs being in the 9:00+ range, and not force a faster pace to satisfy my ego. Intervals and tempos will take care of pace. Those recovery runs will be critical to rebalance the body after such intensity. I’ll need to think of other metrics to track … I’m sure I’ll come up with something. With no planned races in February, I’ll be able to concentrate on speed in preparation for the Coogan’s 5K in early March.

Monthly Running Stats – December 2009

January 1, 2010 a marathoner6 comments

	December	November	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	22	22	0.00%
Total Miles:	175.3	176.4	-0.01%
Miles per days run:	7.97	8.02	-0.01%
Total Running Time:	24:35:12	25:26:04	-0.34%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:25	0:08:39	-0.16%

Observations: I have to pat myself on the back for the December results. By and large the weather was definitely not conducive to running, much less running well. However, I was able to maintain the same number of days running as the more weather-friendly November at 22, while basically keeping total miles the same. My pace continues to drop, albeit at a slower percentage versus last month. Maintaining the 5 days on / 2 days off regimen seems to be the sweet spot for me. This was the first month with a sub-8:30 pace! Making progress!! December was definitely a character building month and a fine way to close 2009.

Rejecting Distance

December 3, 2009 a marathoner6 comments One day of grinding is understandable. Two days in a row means I’m overtraining. No need to go into too much detail about today’s run, because it was the mirror image of yesterday’s grinder, with one exception. After 3.5 miles I accepted that today was another slugfest. Therefore, I decided to cut it short, but kick it up a notch see if I had anything left and to end on a positive note. Surprisingly, I did have some giddyup left and I walked away in better spirits than I thought I would. Thank goodness for See Jess Run and her Last Mile Party! This week (and even towards the end of last week) my body seems to thrive on speed, but is rejecting (or strongly resisting) distance. Totals for the run: 5 miles @ 8:25.

I looked at my running log and realized despite scaling back to what I considered a reasonable mileage total in November (176.4), I noticed a couple of things: (1) for the last 3 weeks I’ve averaged 50+ mpw and (2) I’ve run 6 days a week during those 3 weeks. For now, that’s probably a bit aggressive. Therefore, the prescription for grinding is a cut back week. I’ll throw in another rest day between now and the end of the week. Also, it probably makes sense to skip the long run this week and do something in the range of 10-12. Lastly, I’ll also replace next Tuesday’s intervals with another easy run. Keep me to this new plan!

I’m not bummed over this realization. It is, what it is. Legs want more, but the rest of the body is saying no. That’s cool. I’ll deal with it.

Monthly Running Stats – November 2009

November 30, 2009 a marathoner2 comments

	November	October	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	22	23	-4.35%
Total Miles:	176.4	200.1	-11.84%
Miles per days run:	8.02	8.70	-7.84%
Total Running Time:	25:26:04	30:32:20	-16.71%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:39	0:09:09	-5.52%

Observations: Normally, if I see that many negative percentage changes associated with my running I would be disappointed (at least w/ respect to the first 4 categories). However, I’m feeling pretty good about November as (1) October was an off the charts month in terms of mileage and (2) October is not sustainable on a month-to-month basis. After suffering burnout for the first week of November, I decided that the maximum mileage for November would be (drumroll please) … 175 miles. I was also committed to reducing pace. I am very pleased on both fronts. 175 miles per month puts me on track for an annual total of 2,100. That base mileage supports my “3:30 or Death” fall 2010 marathon mission. Also, incorporating intervals or hill repeats once a week seems to have helped from a speed standpoint.

December may hover a bit above 175-miles as I am getting ready for my first half marathon of the 2010 season (January 24^th). I just gotta keep it rolling.

Monthly Running Stats – October 2009

November 1, 2009 a marathoner4 comments

	October	September	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	23	20	15.0%
Trails	9	12	-25.0%
Asphalt	14	8	75.0%
Total Miles:	200.1	171.6	16.6%
Miles per days run	8.7	8.6	1.1%
Total Running Time:	30:32:20	29:00:38	5.27%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	9:10	10:09	-9.69%

Whoa! I knew the miles were escalating, but I am most pleased with dropping my pace nearly a full minute per mile! I ran for three additional days relative to last month (and left a couple more on the road), which accounted for the 30-mile increase. In the last few weeks, I have decreased my LR to a 15-mile max until I am closer to racing season, thereby forcing the LRs to constitute a lower percentage of my weekly run.

As you have heard me complain, it was a surprisingly raining October in Gotham. As a result, I ran a lot more on asphalt … not terribly pleased about this occurrence. I know when the trails freeze over for 2 solid months I will be running exclusively on asphalt … any break for the legs is welcome.

It will be interesting to see if the trends from September continue. Most notably, faster pacing. I intend to continue with hill repeats and intervals, but will also throw in a few more tempo runs as well. I have a LOOOOONGGGGGGG way to go before I am even within the same time zone of my goal marathon pace, but I am seeing signs of progress. I don’t set monthly mileage goals, but I’m feeling comfortable with the results from September and October. If I think about the 1,800-2,200 miles suggested to support a 3:30 marathon, I am on track for NYC 2010.

I said last month that I wanted to find a running club in November. I have yet to put things in motion on that front, but it’s only November 1^st. I need a couple of things to fall into place before I jump into a club.

Bring on November!

Monthly Running Review: September 2009 (Personal Record)

September 30, 2009 a marathoner4 comments September 2009 is the month when I stepped up my game to where it needs to be to really get serious about this running business. Drumroll please …. the results:

	September	August	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	20	18	11.1%
Trails	12	13	-7.7%
Asphalt	8	5	60.0%
Total Miles:	171.6	108.3	58.4%
Miles/week	42.9	27.1	58.4%
Miles/days run	8.6	6.0	42.6%

I cannot expect a near 60% increase in total miles every month … not without injury. I’m still maintaining my 5-day a week running frequency. Building the foundation. As I get closer to events, I will increase that to 6 days … with more speed and hill work. For October and probably even November, I will keep emphasizing endurance and slowly integrate quicker pacing.

I dropped another 6 pounds this month (189 lbs. this morning) due principally to the increased mileage, which in turn is probably another reason why pace has improved. Without intending it, I am at sophomore year college weight … bizarre and amazing at the same time. If it makes me run faster and longer, I’ll take it.

I am setting a goal to find a running club / coach in November. Why not now? I want another month to build the base before I start running with others. I feel good with where I am headed, but want to replicate September to keep building confidence.

Bring on October!

Race Report #2: 2010 ING New York City Marathon

admin — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:58:07 +0000

So, let’s answer a few questions?

After you crossed the finish line, what happened? What did you do? How did you feel?

Tired, but you probably knew that. J In all seriousness, the 26.2 was not nearly as punishing as the additional 1 mile walk UPHILL on West Drive to the UPS truck to pick up my bag. It was 42 degrees, I stopped sweating at 22mi and was full-on teeth chattering and shivering. I was thankful for the mylar wrap, but it was wholly insufficient as my body stopped regulating temperature and was just pissed off. After devouring whatever food/drink they gave us while we staggered like boxers in line, I thought about jumping into the ambulance for warmth, but it was occupied. I finally made it to the truck and threw on warm clothes. I received a ton of congratulations, and for the life of me could not figure out how strangers knew I just raced … ummm, I forgot about the medal around my neck. The neurons stopped firing somewhere in the Bronx. Next, I walked thru CP to meet my family and we took one of the better pics ever … the girls were all smiling:

My ING NYC Marathon pace setters.

On the walk home, my wife kept asking me, “What do you want to do now that it’s over?” [more on this in a minute] Once we returned home, I forced Endurox down my throat and ate the food of champions … McDonald’s. Horrible, I know. But I had no interest in food at this point. I showered, dressed and left to celebrate with CPTC at a local pub. Of course, I couldn’t get a taxi so I had to actually sprint to catch the bus as it was pulling off … so ridiculous.

Adrenaline was still coursing thru my veins as I went to sleep at 9:30pm and awoke (for good) at 3am. Awful. At this point, the first signs of soreness hit me. Nothing terrible, but not great given that I always get delayed soreness 48 hours after a hard workout. Meaning, if the Monday after was bad, Tuesday would be crippling. As it turned out, Monday my quads were absolutely shredded. I wobbled around like an egg for about 4 miles to get any kind of circulation going. I was a mess. Today, I’m 50% better. I can walk slowly and you would not otherwise know I ran a marathon, unless you ran one too. The only trouble spot is the side of my right heal, which I’m icing.

What did you learn about the experience?

I’ve adjusted expectations so many times for this thing, it’s honestly difficult to benchmark what I set out to do vs. what I internalized during training and the race. Some folks are verbal learners. Others are visual. Still others are experiential or some combination of the three. I tend to be on the extreme visual and experiential side. According to everyone except my now famous wife, I’m a decent listener, but I internalize only after seeing and doing. What does this mean for the marathon? I had a tremendous training cycle and built a great base. More importantly, I was 100% physically healthy as I crossed the start line. However, mentally, I was probably at 60-70% of what was required. I believed I did all that I was capable of doing to physically tackle the distance, but significant doubt remained whether I would actually cross the finish line. As a CPTC legend (51 marathons, 53 years old and still a sub-3:00 marathoner) told me in the aftermath, “26.2 miles is a long f***** way.” Many folks reminded me that the halfway point is at 20 miles. I disagree. There is no halfway point. There is the start and then the finish. That’s it. Contrary to the view of the enthusiastic fans, I didn’t feel like I was going to “make it” until I crossed that line. The point is that I was carrying a burden that hung on my back like a gorilla … not a sense of doom or impending failure, but a nagging “Can I really do this?” That pressure was increased by the reputation and visibility of our club. Wearing the CPTC singlet brings a tremendous amount of pride (certainly to me) and lofty expectations. A DNF or walking would have been horrendous and unthinkable. Frankly, since August 2009 (when I started this blog), my entire existence has been 11.7.2010. I had a picture of the finish line on my phone and as laptop wallpaper. I even had 11.7.2010 as the screen saver at work. That’s motivating and, in hindsight, very dangerous and unhealthy. In the days before the race, teammates asked me, “So what are your plans after the marathon? Brunch? Family dinner?” My wife basically asked the same thing on the walk home. Hmmm. Since August 2009, I never visualized life in ANY form after 11.7.2010. I had no idea what post-marathon life would be like. Now that, my friends, is tunnel vision. Not good.

Any lessons learned?

Most competitive marathoners, including the elites, employ a bottoms-up approach to training and racing. They would start with say, 1500m, work their way up to 5k and then 10k, etc. Like most “bucket list” folks, I went for the brass ring and tried to hit the projected times to prove that I could achieve a certain time in the marathon. That’s just not how it should be done. At some point in 2010 (with the help of teammates and coaching), the light went on and I realized, that to run a great marathon, you need to master the shorter distances first. Also, along the way, I realized that I’m not too bad on the track either. The irony is compelling here … I started out as hopeful marathoner … became an ok runner … and completed an ok marathon. A lesson for the kids out there … crush, not run, but really crush a few 10k’s before you stick your neck out on the most challenging course among the 5 marathon majors. A number of folks commented how hard I worked. Relative to “bucket list” folks, sure … I put 55-60 mpw for 4 months. However, when I joined CPTC, I stopped being a “bucket list” guy and started laying the foundation to becoming a runner. With no base, I tried to jam in 2 years worth of required work into 10 months to achieve a fairly aggressive goal (3:30, 3:20 debut). That is just too much to ask too soon on too difficult a course. That said, I still finished 8,181^st out of 44,829 or among the top 20%, which does not suck for an old guy making his debut who completely blew up in the final 10k. Funny, when I get away from my teammates (who I love) and mention “debut” and “3:42,” my non-CPTC friends nearly pass out with praise. Talented group I run with … btw our top guy placed 24^th with a 2:25, in his debut. A 2:28 debut from another guy with who had a pinched nerve in his foot after mile 1.

What’s next?

No running this week. I may start shuffling again on Saturday.
4-week recovery, building up from 3 days a week to maybe 4 days.
Press the delete button on 2010 and anything before it. Not a typo in that previous sentence. I’m not using 3:42 as the benchmark for my next marathon (other than stating the obvious – it is waaaaay too much time on your feet – more on this in a bit) or any other past performance. Notice that race results and PRs are gone from this blog. I’m starting over. Complete reset. When I fully recover and I rejoin my teammates indoors in mid-December, I intend to go out with the fastest group I can without literally passing out and thrash. I’m not anchoring myself anymore. Whether coach says 3k or 5k pace, I’m going out harder. The only way you run a fast 5k or 10k is to run much faster than both. Same deal with tempos. More hill sprints and bridge work on my own. And when I start the next training cycle, no more “easy” runs, per se. Easy means warming up properly, and then join up with the A group and run at their “easy pace” i.e., 7:15-30s. In time, that will become easy to me. What will really change is the emphasis on distance. In the “off season,” 30-35 mpw at high intensity with 2-3 rest days is moving the ball further down field than 45 mpw at slower pace. I’m blowing up my training program completely. More on this in the future.
In keeping with the speed theme, I will not be running 26.2 in 2011. I’m giving myself at least 12 months of complete focus on short distance … save for 1-2 target HMs (not sure which or when yet). Regarding the next marathon, it’s very early in the aftermath of NYC, but I’m thinking either Houston or Miami in January 2012. Houston might be fun as it’s a completely different scene 6,000 runners vs. 45,000. I might be able to meet up with See Jess Run, too. Miami is even smaller <3,000 finishers. The timing is great because I can start training in the fall along with the crews getting ready for (2011) New York, Philly and Boston, recover in time for Spring/Summer racing season and still leave myself open to do NYC 2012 in November.

In total, I feel good. Happy with how much I pushed myself and given all of the lessons learned, I can live with the result. In time, I will savor what I just did, but it is still too fresh. That said, I can now turn the page and start over.

I may now be “a marathoner”, but I just started becoming a runner.

Race Report #1: 2010 ING New York City Marathon

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:58:02 +0000

Note: Below is the recap from my training log. I will offer something more probing and thoughtful in a bit, including lessons learned, what’s next, etc. … right now, I’m a little tired. Oh yeah, 3:42:34. I am a marathoner.

I layered up heavily, so Fort Wad was not uncomfortable at all. No issue with logistics, irrigation or corrals. In fact, thanks to @GCass and @mpatent, I was completely prepared for race week and marathon Sunday. Lost the 2 layers of sweat pants and heavy jacket just before crossing the start. Went out with Kinvaras, Nike splits, CPTC singlet under thermal long-sleeve top w/ t-shirt over it, beanie and 3 layers of gloves. V-N bridge (and most of Brooklyn) was very windy (~14mph). Made it up and down in control 8:29 up, 7:20 down (really put on the breaks on the decline). Had my own bottle of Cytomax, so no need to stop at the stations until Mile 5 when I thru out the bottle. Overall, hydration was never an issue – hit most of the stations alternating between G and water. 1 Gu before race, 4 during every 6 miles. Used Nuun tabs. Sufficiently warm, I discarded the thermal, t-shirt and heavy gloves. 10-10-10 plan was 7:45, 7:35, and then gut it out. Felt in total control and holding back from thru Mile 7 (8:29, 7:20, 7:47, :46, :46, :47, :46). Beginning at Mile 8 my lack of experience on the terrain started working against me. The grade of the hill along LaFayette Ave in Brooklyn was surprising. That and my left quad started acting up like it did at Grete’s. I tried to lock into thinking about anything else, but it was a struggle as Mile 8, 9 were 8:10, 8:12. I remember teammates saying you will alternate between feeling horrible and decent and it’s just a matter of fighting thru the episodes. I pulled it back together on Bedford Ave into Williamsburg w/ Miles 10, 11, 12 at 7:49, :54, :48 and feeling pretty decent heading into Pulaski Bridge. Overall, I stayed in the moment and didn’t think about the next bridge or hurdle coming up. I’m not certain what happened at Pulaski. Maybe it was the cumulative effect of the wind from the start that caught up to me. Given where I started (Wave 1, corral 14) I expected more shielding from the crowd of runners, but was not so lucky. I did too much work on my own … I guess. I don’t remember Pulaski being horrible as I went over it, but the splits after it tell the story – Mile 13 (8:35), 14 (8:18). I didn’t feel like I expended a ton of energy, but couldn’t get any turnover (recurring theme here). Queensboro Bridge was rough. All the mental tricks in the world didn’t help, so I just grinded and held on until the crown – Mile 15, 16 (9:37, 8:57 – ugh – hoped the Garmin signal was broken at this point). Coming on to 1st Avenue was a nice pick me up. It was here that I let go of “I’m racing” and tried to enjoy my first marathon … slapped hands with the crowd, looked around a bit and still managed to put the wheels back on (temporarily) Mile 17 (8:01). Mentally, I was very much in the game, but the turnover slowed dramatically as we went further along in the 80s and 90s – Mile 18 (8:35), 19 (8:44). I was clearly approaching “the Wall” but it did not feel like what I expected … never a sense of “I want to quit” or “I can’t move another step”. Rather it was extreme frustration at not being able to generate even easy run turnover. The Bronx did not help my mood, either. Miserable scenery. Sparse crowds. I may start hating the Yankees because of it. Bleh. Miles 20, 21, 22 (9:07, :24, :34). The only good coming out of the Bronx and Harlem was @robgill, @GreggLemosStein and especially @almadelcorno who chased and primal screamed at me for 50m. At this point I started doing real mental math and knew I had a punchers chance at something 3:3x:xx. 5th Ave pretty much killed that notion entirely as I passed the Wall of Orange. I heard everyone especially @mpatent who just said keep grinding. I wasn’t upset as much as I was trying to will every fiber to pull out some 9:00 miles (Jesus, I just wrote 9:00 miles) to get me sub 3:40. I felt like I couldn’t waste an eyelid of energy acknowledging anyone at Mile 23 (9:17). I did slap hands a blow a kiss to my wife and kids at Mile 24 (9:18) and then commenced to grinding, pushing, fighting, clawing anything near 9:00. Didn’t happen. Mile 25 (9:03), Mile 26 (9:27 – realized the jig was up at that point). Some how eeked out 7:51 pace for the final quarter and done. This is not the place to go thru lessons learned, but I did not have a sense of jubilation or relief at the finish … more so a laundry list of what I will do to adjust my training and race execution. I believe in my fitness and relative to folks I trained side-by-side who finished sub-3:30, I know my goal was rational. I lack experience and certainly underestimated the challenge of the course. Also, you can train all you want, but until you run 26.2 miles at any pace, there remains mystery and doubt. That mystery and doubt weighed on me for a long time before and during the race. Still, given where I started in February 2010, I’m more than pleased with the effort. I can take this experience into 2011 (no marathon) and focus on becoming a good overall runner. Maybe TR let’s me run another in 2012. Funny that the marathon started as a “bucket list” item, moved to an albatross and has now become the catalyst for me to become serious. Thank you to all of the Orange who sent well wishes and cheered … I heard you all, but was battling. It was a good day. Bringing the heat on the track in December.

1

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 18:58:02 +0000

A fairly ho-hum morning. I did my 2mi shakeout and ran opposite of this guy on the Reservoir. You may heard of him …

Umm … 2008 Olympic and 2x Chicago Marathon winner. Sammy Wanjiru.

So if you have followed me this far, you might be interested in how I manage during tomorrow’s race. Below is the tracking info to help you … if you want to help me, please scream at me on the course or at your phone, computer screen or anything else. I will feel the vibes …

Bib: 14242

Team: Central Park Track Club – New Balance

Tracking Site: ING New York City Marathon Athlete Alert

Live Coverage at Universal Sports

Race Strategy. Yes, it’s my first marathon. Yes, I’m supposed to enjoy the experience, the spectacle of it all. Blah, blah, blah. I did not suffer thru freezing temperatures in December, or get completely humbled at my first CPTC workout or trash myself thru intervals in 98 degree weather to “enjoy the experience.” Does that mean I expect to do something special tomorrow? No. I expect 3 things beginning at 9:40am ET tomorrow in Staten Island. Control. Believe. Compete.

Control. Start – Mile 10. Goal pace: 7:45. I intend to go out 10 seconds slower than MP to preserve energy for the balance of the race. Even though my starting corral is only among the 1^st 20% of participants, it will be a blessing in disguise to go out slower in a crowded setting [Note - peak into 2011 goals: get fast enough to qualify for local competitive corral]. After the spectacular and likely very emotional start, the hill that is the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge will provide a nice reminder to ease into this thing. The other key here is fuel, fuel, fuel.

Believe. Mile 11-20. Trusting the training will be the theme. I intend to drop to 7:30-7:33 pace. I imagine mile 11 might be challenging to get comfortable with that turnover, but if I hydrate smartly during that those first 5 miles (water, Gatorade, GU), I should be encouraged by others around me slowing down because they hammered to early. Nothing is more energizing that passing people. I will likely draw up the 2 x 4 mile tempo which gave me the confidence that I can recognize pace and get quicker when I need to. This portion of the course is tough as it includes 2 hilly bridges, but does end with the explosion of noise on 1^st Avenue back in Manhattan. Believing in the training and all the 20s and tempos and speedwork. Believe.

Compete. Mile 21-Finish. Guts. Guts. Guts. I have no idea what I will have at this point. Hopefully something. Given all the sacrifices and time invested by others in me, this is just about digging deep and competing against the pain. Compete.

So what are the goals? I respect the distance too much to toss out a number. I’ve trained at a certain pace, feel good about my race strategy and have tapered well.

IT IS SHOWTIME.

2

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:54:52 +0000

Scheduled rest day. And when I mean rest, I mean that I have spent a total of maybe 2 hours on my feet. You would think I’m bed-ridden with as little physical activity as I’ve undertaken today. I managed to pack up the marathon bag 95% complete … need to add food, my special drink (Cytomax) for the wait at Fort Wadsworth and extra bottle for the first 2-3 miles. Given all the advice about how cold it will be while waiting (high 30s), I will look like an Eskimo. Once I discard the multiple layers, the core racing look will be the following …

Kicks by Saucony Kinvara Pro Grid. I had a great post (trust me) about racing flats written and Word Press somehow ate it … seriously. Anyway, I love these shoes and wore a previous pair to death during training. They are like slippers on my feet.

Otherwise, I’m relaxing. Did I mention I hardly moved all day? I’ve been carbing up and hydrating consistently. Tomorrow hydrating will become more like an obsession until later in the evening. I imagine it being a tough night to sleep and I don’t need to exacerbate it by popping up every 20 minutes … if you know what I mean.

Last thing, I’ve mentioned my wife fairly often on these pages. But as you have seen over the last 14+ months there is no way I could attempt to do what I’ve done with out her help. She’s the backbone of the family and I’ve been planning Operating Marathon Makeup for a couple months now. In fact I’ve started to put it into effect in the last few weeks … to some success. As fortune would have it, a CPTC teammate approached me recently to ask whether she would be interested in being interview for a piece in the Wall Street Journal on marathon families. I thought it would be a nice way to bring her into the process even more directly and give her a much deserved moment in the sun (to fillet me, of course). Here’s the link.

Tomorrow … tracking info, the race strategy and goals. We are down to 2 …

3

admin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:57:51 +0000

What did I do today? Like most hygienically-friendly folks, I took a cold shower to wake myself up this morning. Wait. That was my 4-mile jog, which included the final 2.2 miles of the marathon course. It was 46 degrees with wind and rain … awesome marathon weather … if you are sadistic and live in Wales. Fortunately, the forecast for Sunday still looks favorable. Despite miserable conditions, I was in high spirits … 3 days away! I noticed as I turned into CP that the actual mile markers (signs) are up. I’d be lying if that did not incite quicker turnover on what was supposed to be a steady state run. I wound my way south down Cat Hill to briefly exit the park and run along Central Park South (still on course) and turned back into CP when I saw the bleachers outside of Columbus Circle. [Whoa … it’s getting real.] I made my way up the final 400 meters near Tavern on the Green and in all its resplendent glory …

Oh yeah, today was also Expo Day. Really Expo 20 minutes because that is about all the time I spent at the Javits Center. My mission was to get the bib, bag and make a quick swing thru with my wife. I was specifically looking for items for her and the kids (for putting up with this marathon stuff), but neither of us was inspired enough to make a purchase (nor wait in the insane lines). I’m a bit jaded on the Expo as this is my home turf and I am fortunate enough to see gear year around. Expos are important but generally for out-of-town folks looking to take a piece of the event back home. All good, just not my thing. More importantly, I wanted to get off my feet. I got me some running to do soon.

It’s almost time … 3.

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admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:57:49 +0000

This morning I shuffled around the Reservoir for a slightly longer easy run (6 miles). The international contingent is definitely here … their excitement (and bright colored gear) is palpable. The temps creaped up slightly from yesterday … 44 degrees, which meant that a double layer of thin gloves did the trick … no frozen fingers. Unless another severe cold front hits us, I would imagine low-40s for a 9:40am start on Sunday. BTW – other than a minor flare up, I have not obsessed over the weather much. [Side note: I seem to be in the habit of brief moments of anxiety that go away forever … I had 10 minute a marathon freak out about a month ago, but have been calm since. Same deal with weather.] The forecast for Sunday does look favorable:

On the food front, I have not yet begun “carbo-loading” … I hate that phrase. I have not necessarily been depleting, per se, either. Since late last week, I have reduced my normal intake of carbs (no rice, pasta at all, but eating bananas, popcorn, some candy) while increasing protein (chicken, eggs) and all the goodness from my everyday spinach salad. I’ll slowly start introducing carbs tonight (Cheerios) and ease into them more tomorrow and the succeeding days.

Tomorrow? Pick up the bib, etc. at the Expo. I went last year to take it all in … tomorrow I want to get in and out quickly and get off my feet. I’ll post bib, wave and tracking info later this week. Until then, 4 …

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marathonmaiden November 3, 2010 at 5:00 pm | #1 Reply | Quote 44* on your run? jealous. it’s been pretty cold here lately. interesting thought about the non-carb loading at the moment. is that something your coach is having you do?

a marathoner November 3, 2010 at 5:10 pm | #2 Reply | Quote Not really. I’ll definitely be sick of pasta by Saturday. I don’t want to bloat up early in the week. I experimented by going heavy with carbs a few weeks ago and did not like the heavy feeling while running. It’s more about timing. Trust me, I’ll crushing carbs before Sunday.

Stephanie November 4, 2010 at 8:00 am | #3 Reply | Quote You are going to have great weather, and I am so excited for you that this weekend is finally here!
I agree with you carb-loading or lack there of strategy. I minimized the first 3 days of race week and then picked up more on 3 and 2 days out. I didn’t go too overboard the day before because like you I hate that heavy feeling, and it seemed to work well. Good luck with it all!
Harold M November 4, 2010 at 10:01 am | #4 Reply | Quote E, I will be cheering at 94 and 1st. Hope to see you when you fly by. I added you to my tracking app for Iphone.
Good luck Champ. You’ve put in the work, the hours, the miles, and the weather seems to be on your side too.

Have fun, enjoy it.

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admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:54:58 +0000

And the excitement builds …

Thursday: I had been waiting for that “I’m ready” moment for the last few weeks. I’ve had great workouts, but more of the check the box variety. In the final tempo of this cycle (and last hard workout), I had my moment. We ran a simple 5mi tempo at HMP finishing the final 2.5 along the actual marathon course. Our coach prohibited warned us against sprinting or striding those last few miles in hopes of creating muscle memory for 11.7.2010. At the time, I just wanted to execute the workout properly and fall near the HMP range (7:15-7:20) without doing anything stupid … yeah, I’m defensive. So I started off … well behind Runner’s Kitchen, who I knew would be hammer this one. Some of her speed must have rubbed off because with zero effort I was at 7:23 after the first mile. Feeling good I fell into the downhill on Mile 2 (7:09) and at that point realized I had something going. When I glanced down at the watch after Mile 3 (7:13), I decided that I needed to pull back, because I was getting loose and itching to hammer it. I eased up during Miles 4 & 5 (7:17 each) and then could not resist opening up a tad for the final 200m as we passed the bleachers at the finish line 0:44 (5:38 pace). When I stopped, I had a subtle fist pump going as I knew I was ready for NYC. Overall 7:13 pace.

Friday: Scheduled rest day.

Saturday: I took another reconnaissance mission at 7:45am and 45 degrees along the final 10 miles of the course. While it was definitely productive and time well spent, I can’t take too much away from the experience. Why? I had fresh legs on Saturday, while on race day I will have 16 at race pace under the belt when I start the final 10. Still, I did observe that miles 16-22 are relatively flat, including Willis Ave. and Madison Ave. bridges. The world changes when you hit 110^th and 5^th Avenue. The hill is not so much steep as it is relentless. A solid 20 blocks of grinding up hill. I did my best to imagine feeling like crap and grinding thru this stretch. We’ll see how it works this Sunday. Once you re-enter CP at 90^th, it is all too familiar and I, without, thinking quickened the pace from sheer excitement. The workout ended up being a progression … 8 miles at easy pace with the final 2.5 at MP, again finishing at the NYC finish line. 10.5 miles.

Sunday: Uneventful 3 mile shakeout.

Before I forget, October results:

	October
Days Run	22
Total Miles	200.2
Mi/Day	9.1
Running Time	27:49:31
Avg. Pace	8:20

200 miles is not bad for 2 weeks of taper, plus a mini taper for the tune up race in the middle of the month.

Monday: Scheduled rest day.

Tuesday: No CPTC track workout for me tonight. The camaraderie is always great, but at this point, trudging down to the track to run a few easy miles in the dark seemed risky. I’m still defensive. Instead, I opted for a dawn cruise + 4 x 300 w/ 100m recovery. As I was warming up (in 38 degree temps) on the Reservoir, I was very happy to run into Runner’s Kitchen who was doing the same thing. We jogged for a loop and then I begged off to get to the intervals. Our coach told us these were to just get the heart rate elevated and generate some pop in the legs. Results – :62, :66, :63, :63. I felt relaxed and in control. It was the last chance to get some turnover before Sunday. I finished up with another spin on the Reservoir and ran into an elite decked out in hot Nike gear. I did not recognize him … not one of the profiled elites, but clearly someone near the top of the heap on Sunday. 5 miles.

And now, the countdown really begins. 5.

So … How’s Taper Going?

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:54:58 +0000

Meh. I know enough not to magnify minor aches and pains, but they are still annoying. I try to avoid the disease cocktail that is the subway, but it’s a challenge as the buses are crazy crowded after work and I’m impatient. While full on hypochondria has not overtaken me (yet), I do walk around with a bottle of Purell like it’s the magic potion. I will say that I was more excited about the race a couple of days ago (I’m certain that it will come back). I’m finding taper is not some otherworldly elixir… “then poof you feel great”. Runner’s Kitchen posted an interesting article about tapering. The point is that taper is more like rehab. Beating up the body for 4 months requires a few weeks of repair before the big day. Even though I’m about 50% thru the taper, I’ve given up on “feeling amazing”. If it happens, great. In reality, if I can avoid doing anything stupid in the remaining workouts, stretch and eat properly, then the physical is about is good as it’s going to get … which is all you can hope for come race day. It’s 200% psychological now.

A few workouts have passed since my last post:

Sunday: I mentioned to a couple of CPTC teammates that I’m not great with heights and not necessarily fired up about running the bridges during NYC. I don’t have any storied history with fearing heights, so it was kind of a surprise when I was driving over Bay Bridge in October and nearly started convulsing. That experience unleashed a fair amount of anxiety about 4 months of training potentially getting flushed down the toilet if I freak out on any of 5 bridges greeting runners on marathon Sunday. In an effort to work thru any potential issues and to see unfamiliar parts of the course, a teammate graciously agreed to accompany me. To top it off, it was his birthday. I felt bad that I would be shuffling along at turtle-like long run pace when he is a 2:39 marathoner. He’s a good friend.

We started at the SE corner of Central Park (60^th & 5^th Ave) and zig-zagged thru midtown until we reached the FDR path along the East River. This is principally the same route I take to the track for Tuesday night speedwork. Once we reached south of 6^th street we veered west to begin the ascent up and over the Williamsburg Bridge (connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn). I’m sure I complained as we went over it, but in hindsight, it was not horrible. That said, my thoughts about WBurg really do not matter since it’s not on the marathon course. Still, I felt no anxiety at all crossing the bridge. In fact, I kept looking around and marveling at the spectacular views … so that’s a good thing. We touched down in Brooklyn and proceeded to traverse Miles 11-16 of the course. The signs detailing the route were already up, which is exciting. We worked our way thru Brooklyn, cruised over Pulaski Bridge and then scaled Queensboro bridge (connecting Queens and Manhattan). The latter is a beast. No sense in kidding you or me. At that point in the race it’s just accepting punishment and grinding thru it. In fact, aside from now being able to visualize the completely foreign portions of the course, the run was important in the sense that my teammate gave me advice regarding the quiet spots (e.g., Hasidic section of Williamsburg in Brooklyn + pretty much most of Queens + the bridges) and the need to really focus. We finished up on 72^nd and 1^st Avenue back in Manhattan. A very educational and enjoyable 14.5 miles. This upcoming Saturday, I plan to run the final 10 miles of the course which includes both familiar and unfamiliar territory. More reconnaissance work.

Monday: Normally this is a scheduled rest day, but with plans for a day trip on Tuesday, I needed to get the speedwork done. Our coach distributes our weekly workouts on Monday night. Therefore, I would be my own coach so to speak. I researched the type of workout assigned 2 weeks before NYC 2009 and Boston 2010 and decided to go with it. 8 x 600 @ cruise interval pace (with 200 recovery). Since I was not heading down to the track at 6:45am, I took my talents to the East Drive of Central Park and got to it. Results: 2:21, :19, :19, :19, :20, :20, :17, :10. In effect, 6:31 pace down to 6:01 pace, which is fine. I felt in control. After a brief cool down, I called it a morning at 6.4 miles.

Wednesday: 5.5 mile slog in 70* and 90% humidity. Eff you summer. This was a slog. Felt like garbage. But for all the great advice I’ve received about recovery runs, tapering, etc., I might have been worried about my fitness and 11.7.2010. And I’m not even going there about the weather and what if’s. Instead, I was just glad to turn the page. On to the next one.

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Why I Run

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Monthly Running Review – March 2010

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Monthly Running Review – February 2010

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Monthly Running Review – January 2010

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Monthly Running Stats – December 2009

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Rejecting Distance

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Monthly Running Stats – November 2009

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Monthly Running Stats – October 2009

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Monthly Running Review: September 2009 (Personal Record)

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Race Report #2: 2010 ING New York City Marathon

Race Report #1: 2010 ING New York City Marathon

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So … How’s Taper Going?