Tuesday, July 31, 2012
5/23/12 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 8 miles in 1:01:59. It was just an easy run with strides in the last mile. I know I need to recover, but I also don't want to lose my conditioning.
5/22/12 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 7 miles in 54:18. Another easy run with strides during the last mile. Even in recovery, it is difficult to take it easy : )
5/21/12 (Monday) Activities
Today is the beginning of my recovery from the marathon. Today I ran 4 miles in 31:09. Today was just an easy run with first mile at 7.5 mph, the next 3.75 miles at 7.6 mph, the next .15 miles at 8.1 mph, and I ran the last .15 miles at 8.8 mph.
In the evening I cycled for one hour.
In the evening I cycled for one hour.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
5/19/12 Ogden Marathon
The day began at 3:00 am as the alarm went off. Last year we arrived at 4:30 for busses leaving at 5:30 and had trouble finding a seat (last year my wife and I did the half...this year she is doing the half while I do the full). Had my usual pre-race meal which is oatmeal with brown sugar and a little milk. Finished getting ready and we were out the door by 3:45. I always have everything ready the night before. You don't want to have to do much thinking or looking for things on race morning. I only got about 3 hours of sleep though. I never sleep well the night before a race.
Arrived at the loading site at about 4:05 am. While not the first ones there, we were almost the first ones there. (Note to self, arrive 15 minutes later next year.) I was able to board after about 10 minutes, though my wife was unable to board her bus. I felt a little bad leaving her there alone. But with all the activity around I figured it had to be safe. I was on the first bus and we left probably about 4:45.
For those unfamiliar with this marathon, it begins in the mountains, 8 miles east of Pineview Reservoir. By bus it is about a 30 minute trip. We arrived all too soon and had already been informed that the current air temperature was 34 degrees F. Luckily, they do a great job at setting up fire pits, many fire pits. I found the one furthest away, figuring people would cling to those closest to the road (I was right). Not too long before all the other busses began to arrive. For this race they do a full marathon, half-marathon, and a 5k, bussing everyone to a different start. This year it took 128 busses to ferry everyone to their various destinations. That is sort of mind boggling. They close off Washington Blvd in Ogden and all the busses double park. Kind of an amazing sight.
Anyway, before too long other people joined me at "my" fire pit. Four people, all friends, that were so very nice, were amongst them. It made the time go by quicker and they were very enjoyable company. In my usual customary fashion, I was quiet most of the time and just listened to their stories. They all used to live in Las Vegas and used to race together when they all lived there. Several have moved away, to various parts of the country, and they still get together 2-3 times a year for races such as these. There are more than just the four and they have done several different Ragnar Relays. They call themselves "Sin City Saints." I admire friendship that runs so deep. It is very fun to meet people like this.
Soon enough the time came to start the race. They were great about starting right at 7:00 am. The countdown began...10, 9, 8.....3, 2, 1 and off we went. The sun was up and it was probably around 39 degrees. I love this type of weather for running. I overheat so easily that in about a quarter mile I am as comfortable as can be. I purposely went out at a slower pace and committed to myself that the first five miles, and maybe more, would be done slower so that I would have more energy to complete the second half. The second half has quite a bit of downhill, my speciality, and I wanted to do well. There were pacers and I thought I would just keep close to the 3:25 (completion time for the whole marathon) pacer to ensure I did not go too fast. That is a 7:47 average. I quickly found problems with this strategy as many others hung close to the pacer as well. The problem with that was when we came to the water stations. If I traveled in the back of this pack then everybody else would get the drinks first. I don't care about that part, but it means the volunteers were not immediately ready to hand out more to the next person. Not their fault, just a circumstance. So I started running about a minute before them. This worked well for the first 10 miles. But this is when I noticed that I was becoming more tired by this point then I should have. I was not exhausted and could still run without problems. I just had a feeling I would not be able to keep up this relatively slower pace. I still kept the 3:25 pacer in my line of sight and he was never more than 200 yards ahead of me until we hit the canyon.
Through mile 18 I was just fine. My overall pace was a 7:47 pace. But then something happened. Did I hit the infamous wall? Sort of. I have only hit the wall one other time in a race and that did feel like hitting the wall. This was different. I knew my legs were still strong, physically, as far as my muscles go. But my energy had left me. I had taken in my GU every 40-45 minutes as planned. And here I was the at the start of the canyon, which is the best downhill part of the race. I looked forward to this whole part. But I had no energy to run it like I wanted. I ran the first mile of the canyon in a pitiful 8:10 and the second mile in 8:14. I am not trying to insult runners who have this as a fast pace, it's just that for me I am capable of much better. Last year, for the half, I was registering 6:15 miles down the canyon. I did not expect the same pace for the full, but I did expect around a 7:00 minute average pace. I somehow found the energy to go a little bit faster. I managed to run the third, fourth and fifth miles of the canyon 7:51, 7:48 and 7:30. respectively. Not great, but much better.
Now that I was out of the canyon, I was on the park trail which meanders and has ups and downs. I could feel my energy completing leaving me. The 24th mile I ran in 8:10. The 25th mile I ran 9:00, which included a one minute walk break. I was bound and determine to run the rest of the race, no matter how slow. The 26th mile was the hardest mile I have ever run. I struggled with every footstep. Again, it was not the muscle power, it was the total lack of energy. My legs did NOT feel like lead; I was just completely zapped of energy. I did not look at my watch, convinced I was running somewhere near a 10:00 minute pace (turns out I completed the 26th mile in 8:46). The finish line was now just two-tenths of a mile away. I like to finish strong but just could not do it. I did manage to run slightly faster at an 8:32 pace. When I crossed the finish line It was sheer joy just to be done. It was a highly enjoyable race, one I will probably do again next year. But the fatigue I felt was not enjoyable. It is horrible to know your legs are strong but you don't have the energy to make them go faster. Though my watch read 3:28:09, which I do trust and I made sure to start and stop it right as I passed over the starting and finishing line, my official time was 3:28:20. Only 11 seconds. Does that matter? You bet it does! But I have to go by the official time, which is still a PR : )
I quickly found my sweetheart and learned that she had an amazing half-marathon. She set her own PR of 2:33:44. That is about 6 minutes faster than her previous best. She is just amazing and I know if she continues to condition herself she can break the two hour mark.
Nutrition for the race: One pack of Green Apple Gu every 45 minutes for a total of 4 Gu packs. I also ate about two-thirds of a banana between two different aid stations. I also took in two glasses of water at each aid station.
Lessons learned from the race: I really think this was a combination of electrolyte and hydration problem. Even though I took in two glass of water at each aid station, I only did so through mile 22. I don't think not taking the water in the last four miles (two aid stations) affected me nearly as much as not having enough water overall. Not sure how I will overcome this as I do not want to run with the extra weight of a camelbak. Also, I sweat so much I need more salt, but not too much as the Layton marathon proved and I ended up having lower GI issues (i.e., extended porta-potty breaks). And finally, arriving at the start nearly 1.5 hours before the race meant being on my feet for that long before the race started. Ground was wet from previous rain. It was cold and I (and everyone) wanted to be closer to the fire. I did not even think about the effect standing on feet for that long would have until I spoke with a fellow runner afterwards and he called that to my attention.
How do I feel about the race? I have mixed feelings. I did well in regards to time and many people would love to finish in the time that it took me. And don't get me wrong. I am very thankful for this time and the body that Heavenly Father has given me and even when in an exhausted state I could still do relatively well. But I also felt I could have done better. It took me only ten minutes longer to finish the Layton marathon, which is a much harder marathon. You don't have nearly the downhill in the Layton that you do the Ogden. Also, for much of the last 9 miles of the Layton, there is a .5-1% grade (uphill) with some level parts. That isn't much, unless you have already run 17 miles. And, due to lower GI problems which resulted in a longer than expected potty break during the Layton marathon, I would have finished the Layton in about the same time as it took me for the Ogden. So that is why I have mixed feelings. I know I can do better. How much is anybody's guess, but I am confident I could go sub-3:20 and maybe even sub-3:15.
Overall stats:
Official time: 3:28:20 (7:57 pace)
Overall Place: 228 out of 2,402 runners (Top 9.5% of runners)
Overall Place amongst male runners: 180 out of 1,215 (Top 14.8% of male runners)
My age division (Males 50-54): 14 out of 116 (Top 12% of runners)
Age/Grade Equivalent: 66.95% (for more about age-graded scoring go here http://www.runraceresults.com/AgeGrade.htm)
Arrived at the loading site at about 4:05 am. While not the first ones there, we were almost the first ones there. (Note to self, arrive 15 minutes later next year.) I was able to board after about 10 minutes, though my wife was unable to board her bus. I felt a little bad leaving her there alone. But with all the activity around I figured it had to be safe. I was on the first bus and we left probably about 4:45.
For those unfamiliar with this marathon, it begins in the mountains, 8 miles east of Pineview Reservoir. By bus it is about a 30 minute trip. We arrived all too soon and had already been informed that the current air temperature was 34 degrees F. Luckily, they do a great job at setting up fire pits, many fire pits. I found the one furthest away, figuring people would cling to those closest to the road (I was right). Not too long before all the other busses began to arrive. For this race they do a full marathon, half-marathon, and a 5k, bussing everyone to a different start. This year it took 128 busses to ferry everyone to their various destinations. That is sort of mind boggling. They close off Washington Blvd in Ogden and all the busses double park. Kind of an amazing sight.
Anyway, before too long other people joined me at "my" fire pit. Four people, all friends, that were so very nice, were amongst them. It made the time go by quicker and they were very enjoyable company. In my usual customary fashion, I was quiet most of the time and just listened to their stories. They all used to live in Las Vegas and used to race together when they all lived there. Several have moved away, to various parts of the country, and they still get together 2-3 times a year for races such as these. There are more than just the four and they have done several different Ragnar Relays. They call themselves "Sin City Saints." I admire friendship that runs so deep. It is very fun to meet people like this.
Soon enough the time came to start the race. They were great about starting right at 7:00 am. The countdown began...10, 9, 8.....3, 2, 1 and off we went. The sun was up and it was probably around 39 degrees. I love this type of weather for running. I overheat so easily that in about a quarter mile I am as comfortable as can be. I purposely went out at a slower pace and committed to myself that the first five miles, and maybe more, would be done slower so that I would have more energy to complete the second half. The second half has quite a bit of downhill, my speciality, and I wanted to do well. There were pacers and I thought I would just keep close to the 3:25 (completion time for the whole marathon) pacer to ensure I did not go too fast. That is a 7:47 average. I quickly found problems with this strategy as many others hung close to the pacer as well. The problem with that was when we came to the water stations. If I traveled in the back of this pack then everybody else would get the drinks first. I don't care about that part, but it means the volunteers were not immediately ready to hand out more to the next person. Not their fault, just a circumstance. So I started running about a minute before them. This worked well for the first 10 miles. But this is when I noticed that I was becoming more tired by this point then I should have. I was not exhausted and could still run without problems. I just had a feeling I would not be able to keep up this relatively slower pace. I still kept the 3:25 pacer in my line of sight and he was never more than 200 yards ahead of me until we hit the canyon.
Through mile 18 I was just fine. My overall pace was a 7:47 pace. But then something happened. Did I hit the infamous wall? Sort of. I have only hit the wall one other time in a race and that did feel like hitting the wall. This was different. I knew my legs were still strong, physically, as far as my muscles go. But my energy had left me. I had taken in my GU every 40-45 minutes as planned. And here I was the at the start of the canyon, which is the best downhill part of the race. I looked forward to this whole part. But I had no energy to run it like I wanted. I ran the first mile of the canyon in a pitiful 8:10 and the second mile in 8:14. I am not trying to insult runners who have this as a fast pace, it's just that for me I am capable of much better. Last year, for the half, I was registering 6:15 miles down the canyon. I did not expect the same pace for the full, but I did expect around a 7:00 minute average pace. I somehow found the energy to go a little bit faster. I managed to run the third, fourth and fifth miles of the canyon 7:51, 7:48 and 7:30. respectively. Not great, but much better.
Now that I was out of the canyon, I was on the park trail which meanders and has ups and downs. I could feel my energy completing leaving me. The 24th mile I ran in 8:10. The 25th mile I ran 9:00, which included a one minute walk break. I was bound and determine to run the rest of the race, no matter how slow. The 26th mile was the hardest mile I have ever run. I struggled with every footstep. Again, it was not the muscle power, it was the total lack of energy. My legs did NOT feel like lead; I was just completely zapped of energy. I did not look at my watch, convinced I was running somewhere near a 10:00 minute pace (turns out I completed the 26th mile in 8:46). The finish line was now just two-tenths of a mile away. I like to finish strong but just could not do it. I did manage to run slightly faster at an 8:32 pace. When I crossed the finish line It was sheer joy just to be done. It was a highly enjoyable race, one I will probably do again next year. But the fatigue I felt was not enjoyable. It is horrible to know your legs are strong but you don't have the energy to make them go faster. Though my watch read 3:28:09, which I do trust and I made sure to start and stop it right as I passed over the starting and finishing line, my official time was 3:28:20. Only 11 seconds. Does that matter? You bet it does! But I have to go by the official time, which is still a PR : )
I quickly found my sweetheart and learned that she had an amazing half-marathon. She set her own PR of 2:33:44. That is about 6 minutes faster than her previous best. She is just amazing and I know if she continues to condition herself she can break the two hour mark.
Nutrition for the race: One pack of Green Apple Gu every 45 minutes for a total of 4 Gu packs. I also ate about two-thirds of a banana between two different aid stations. I also took in two glasses of water at each aid station.
Lessons learned from the race: I really think this was a combination of electrolyte and hydration problem. Even though I took in two glass of water at each aid station, I only did so through mile 22. I don't think not taking the water in the last four miles (two aid stations) affected me nearly as much as not having enough water overall. Not sure how I will overcome this as I do not want to run with the extra weight of a camelbak. Also, I sweat so much I need more salt, but not too much as the Layton marathon proved and I ended up having lower GI issues (i.e., extended porta-potty breaks). And finally, arriving at the start nearly 1.5 hours before the race meant being on my feet for that long before the race started. Ground was wet from previous rain. It was cold and I (and everyone) wanted to be closer to the fire. I did not even think about the effect standing on feet for that long would have until I spoke with a fellow runner afterwards and he called that to my attention.
How do I feel about the race? I have mixed feelings. I did well in regards to time and many people would love to finish in the time that it took me. And don't get me wrong. I am very thankful for this time and the body that Heavenly Father has given me and even when in an exhausted state I could still do relatively well. But I also felt I could have done better. It took me only ten minutes longer to finish the Layton marathon, which is a much harder marathon. You don't have nearly the downhill in the Layton that you do the Ogden. Also, for much of the last 9 miles of the Layton, there is a .5-1% grade (uphill) with some level parts. That isn't much, unless you have already run 17 miles. And, due to lower GI problems which resulted in a longer than expected potty break during the Layton marathon, I would have finished the Layton in about the same time as it took me for the Ogden. So that is why I have mixed feelings. I know I can do better. How much is anybody's guess, but I am confident I could go sub-3:20 and maybe even sub-3:15.
Overall stats:
Official time: 3:28:20 (7:57 pace)
Overall Place: 228 out of 2,402 runners (Top 9.5% of runners)
Overall Place amongst male runners: 180 out of 1,215 (Top 14.8% of male runners)
My age division (Males 50-54): 14 out of 116 (Top 12% of runners)
Age/Grade Equivalent: 66.95% (for more about age-graded scoring go here http://www.runraceresults.com/AgeGrade.htm)
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
5/17/12 (Thursday) Run
Today I just ran 2 miles in 16:14. Just my last run before the marathon.
So am I ready? Well, my training has gone well...my taper seems to have gone well...I have been amazingly good at limiting my refined sugar this week (supposedly, according to some elite runners, this is very helpful- of course, they talk about it being helpful overall, not just the week of a race, but it will be flushed out of my system by then), while still maintaining close to 60% carbs in my diet (gylcogen replacement).
Not sure I feel as rested as I would like to be, but don't know what else I would do differently. Race day will tell.
So am I ready? Well, my training has gone well...my taper seems to have gone well...I have been amazingly good at limiting my refined sugar this week (supposedly, according to some elite runners, this is very helpful- of course, they talk about it being helpful overall, not just the week of a race, but it will be flushed out of my system by then), while still maintaining close to 60% carbs in my diet (gylcogen replacement).
Not sure I feel as rested as I would like to be, but don't know what else I would do differently. Race day will tell.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
5/16/12 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 5 miles in 36:48. The first 1.5 miles I warmed up at 7.5 mph then increased at the one mile mark to 7.6 mph. I did run the last quarter mile of the first mile at 8.1 mph. I then ran two miles at marathon pace, which is (a hoped for) 8.8 mph or 6:48 mile. I also increased the incline to 1% to compensate for it not being on the road. I then finished out the last 1.5 miles at 7.7 mph though I ran the final .15 miles at 10.3 mph.
Though I felt good, I felt a little more tired because yesterday's run was in the later afternoon. I was supposed to have a fitness test, but the person who was supposed to do it cancelled. But I still had to get my run in. So that was only 14 hours before this. Not too bad : )
This evening I do have some soreness in my lower calf, upper achilles tendon area. I will have to watch it closely as that could have a great affect on Saturday.
Though I felt good, I felt a little more tired because yesterday's run was in the later afternoon. I was supposed to have a fitness test, but the person who was supposed to do it cancelled. But I still had to get my run in. So that was only 14 hours before this. Not too bad : )
This evening I do have some soreness in my lower calf, upper achilles tendon area. I will have to watch it closely as that could have a great affect on Saturday.
5/15/12 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 5 miles in ~38:45. The first four miles was just another easy run. Then for last mile I once again ran the last 100 yards of each quarter mile at 11.1 mph and ran the last .15 miles at 11.1 mph. I increased it from the usual 10.3 mph just because I was pretty sure my body could handle it. That last .15 miles felt pretty good and I could have gone a bit longer, so that is encouraging.
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