Today I ran 6 miles in 47:10. I ran the first two miles at 7.5 mph, the second two miles at 7.6 mph, the fifth mile at 7.7 mph, the first .33 miles of the sixth mile at 7.8 mph, the next .33 miles at 7.9 mph, the next .10 miles at 8.0 mph, the next .20 miles at 8.1 mph, then the last .10 miles at 8.3 mph.
I was highly cautious due to my hip. I was very much in tune with what my body was telling me. The good news is that my hip felt TREMENDOUSLY better than yesterday. Though not totally healed, it was still very tempting to not throw in a little speed work. I knew I could do it, my legs were feeling strong. But I just kept reminding myself that I have not fully recovered from my marathon and that I need to run slow today so I can run faster tomorrow.
Speaking of which, tomorrow I will run 10 miles. I will start out cautiously but I want to run most of it at 8.1 mph. We'll see how it goes.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
10/24/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 38:46. I ran most of it at 7.6 mph. I started out doing my usual Monday run, though I did not take the quarter miles at the end of each mile any higher than 8.3 mph. Then my left hip started hurting. I ran Friday for 3:20:25 and did my usual 6 mile run on Saturday and did not feel a thing. During my Saturday run I actually forgot about it. And now it started hurting today? What gives??? I even had a full day of rest yesterday. I was really afraid I would have to abandon the remaining part of my run today, but I backed it off to 7.5 mph (8:00 min/mile pace) and it started feeling better. We'll have to see how things go tomorrow.
This evening I cycled 56 minutes on my trainer. That would equate to roughly 17 miles.
This evening I cycled 56 minutes on my trainer. That would equate to roughly 17 miles.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
10/22/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I ran my usual 6 mile run in 47:22. It was only about 15 hours since I got done running 16.61 miles and being on my feet for 3:20. I did not want to run and was doing my best to talk myself out of it. I did get up to run and within a short time was already feeling better. My muscles were warming up and I was actually feeling better physically than when I started the run. I was really glad I did this run and think it helped immensely for my recovery from yesterday.
I set up my Kurt Kinetic trainer downstairs. Though it was a nice day, it was a bit cool and I just did not feel like being out on the causeway today. So I cycled for 1:35:00 on my trainer. I bought this trainer because it is the most realistic to an outside ride. And it was tough! I think it may have been a little harder than my usual outside ride, but that might be because my legs are tired from yesterday.
Total running miles for the week = 40.61
Total running miles for the week = 46.25 (this includes the equivalent of ~29 miles on my trainer)
I set up my Kurt Kinetic trainer downstairs. Though it was a nice day, it was a bit cool and I just did not feel like being out on the causeway today. So I cycled for 1:35:00 on my trainer. I bought this trainer because it is the most realistic to an outside ride. And it was tough! I think it may have been a little harder than my usual outside ride, but that might be because my legs are tired from yesterday.
Total running miles for the week = 40.61
Total running miles for the week = 46.25 (this includes the equivalent of ~29 miles on my trainer)
10/21/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 16.61 miles in 3:20:00. Now you might be thinking why did it take me that long to run that far (or, why did I even run that far)? The reason is because a friend of mine from work was doing a 50 mile ultra marathon. It runs along the Pony Express trail in the west desert, starting about 20 miles west of Faust, Utah. Another person from work, actually our boss, was acting as his support crew. I already knew how my friend, Zac, was doing after about two hours. He was blazing along, having run about 16 miles. That is a very fast pace for an ultra marathon, and is actually a marathon pace. I was a little concerned that perhaps he went out a little too quickly. It is easy to do on this run because it starts near the top of a mountain and immediately goes downhill for the next 5 miles. But, I was also hoping that, perhaps, he was just having an amazing day. I was a little worried that he would be almost done when I got there (not worried for him, but I wanted to support him and run with him and was afraid I would get there and would not be able to do that). This is also the same first half of the run that we are planning to do when we run the 100 mile ultra marathon in October 2013 (the organizer does a 50 and 100 miler), so to see this course and have some experience with it is also a big plus. If you read what I write, you know I am a big proponent of knowing the course. This course is SO far removed from anything it is difficult to go out there without it taking a whole day (if you include running) as it is two hours from where I live.
By the time I arrived he had been running almost exactly six hours. An ultra marathon has little to do with speed and a lot to do with endurance. It is ALL about conditioning. I seemed to arrive just at the right time. He had been going strong, but by the looks of things and the report from his support person (again, our boss who was great to do this), he was really starting to weaken. So, if you added correctly, I found him shortly after the mile 33 marker. There is one big hill on this course, and this was the start of it. It is a very gradual 5 mile climb until it gets to within about half a mile of the summit and then becomes fairly steep (about 8% grade). When you are out running that long, not to mention being in the sun that long, you do not always think very clearly. It now became my turn to do all the strategizing for him on how we were going to finish the remaining miles. Unfortunately, he began having hamstring cramps and, later, calf cramps (his hamstring cramps got better later) that were at times severe. He was taking in salt tablets with potassium very regularly, so I thought it might be something else (which it might have been), but when we got done I was able to get a good look at him and he literally had salt caked over his whole body (temperature was about 66-68, which is about 10 degrees too warm). We got up that hill by doing 1:1 runs; that is one minute run, one minute walk. That seemed to work for him pretty well. After we got to the top of that hill he was able to run a lot of the next 6-7 miles that was downhill. But we ended up going back to the 1:1 run as it became more level and ran this way all the way in. When there was 1.5 miles left, you actually pass the finishing point, and with the new addrenaline kicking in he was able to run the remaining distance (and did a final, impressive, 8:34 mile for the very last mile). He managed to actually beat his time from last year by almost 30 minutes and I give full credit to him for a well-run race. I know he wanted to give up when I first started running with him. But he kept in there, did not complain, and just kept at it. With all the issues he had leading up to the race and the last half of the race, this is not just a good time overall, it is highly impressive.
This was a great reminder to me, and I am not blowing my own horn here, of the importance of a good support crew. This race provides zero support and so your crew is everything. Our boss who agreed to support him is a four-time Ironman. He knows what it takes to get through a race, including ordering(basically) the runner to do this or that. Then I came along with my experience to help him keep on pace. Now Zac is an experienced runner. He has been running since high school. But as I said, you are not always thinking clearly the longer you are out. More than once he thanked me for taking on the job of thinking for him. He also commented that seeing me running in front of him was like a metronome; all he had to do was keep pace with my movement. There were a number of times when we would get to the support vehicle and either Tim (our boss) or I would tell him he was not going to ingest what he asked for but would be taking in something else instead. It was actually really great to run with Zac and a privilege to support him.
As for myself, this was not a particularly hard run as far as just running goes. Most of the time my heart rate was not even into my fat burning zone. However, the hard part was being on my feet for 3:20. Being just two weeks after my marathon, this was actually a much harder run doing it in 3:20 then if I would have run it in two hours. If you ever train for a marathon you will see that the plans tell you to not run fast on your long runs. The main purpose is getting used to being on your feet that long. It is a very different conditioning than getting your legs to run fast, equally as hard and valuable.
By the time I arrived he had been running almost exactly six hours. An ultra marathon has little to do with speed and a lot to do with endurance. It is ALL about conditioning. I seemed to arrive just at the right time. He had been going strong, but by the looks of things and the report from his support person (again, our boss who was great to do this), he was really starting to weaken. So, if you added correctly, I found him shortly after the mile 33 marker. There is one big hill on this course, and this was the start of it. It is a very gradual 5 mile climb until it gets to within about half a mile of the summit and then becomes fairly steep (about 8% grade). When you are out running that long, not to mention being in the sun that long, you do not always think very clearly. It now became my turn to do all the strategizing for him on how we were going to finish the remaining miles. Unfortunately, he began having hamstring cramps and, later, calf cramps (his hamstring cramps got better later) that were at times severe. He was taking in salt tablets with potassium very regularly, so I thought it might be something else (which it might have been), but when we got done I was able to get a good look at him and he literally had salt caked over his whole body (temperature was about 66-68, which is about 10 degrees too warm). We got up that hill by doing 1:1 runs; that is one minute run, one minute walk. That seemed to work for him pretty well. After we got to the top of that hill he was able to run a lot of the next 6-7 miles that was downhill. But we ended up going back to the 1:1 run as it became more level and ran this way all the way in. When there was 1.5 miles left, you actually pass the finishing point, and with the new addrenaline kicking in he was able to run the remaining distance (and did a final, impressive, 8:34 mile for the very last mile). He managed to actually beat his time from last year by almost 30 minutes and I give full credit to him for a well-run race. I know he wanted to give up when I first started running with him. But he kept in there, did not complain, and just kept at it. With all the issues he had leading up to the race and the last half of the race, this is not just a good time overall, it is highly impressive.
This was a great reminder to me, and I am not blowing my own horn here, of the importance of a good support crew. This race provides zero support and so your crew is everything. Our boss who agreed to support him is a four-time Ironman. He knows what it takes to get through a race, including ordering(basically) the runner to do this or that. Then I came along with my experience to help him keep on pace. Now Zac is an experienced runner. He has been running since high school. But as I said, you are not always thinking clearly the longer you are out. More than once he thanked me for taking on the job of thinking for him. He also commented that seeing me running in front of him was like a metronome; all he had to do was keep pace with my movement. There were a number of times when we would get to the support vehicle and either Tim (our boss) or I would tell him he was not going to ingest what he asked for but would be taking in something else instead. It was actually really great to run with Zac and a privilege to support him.
As for myself, this was not a particularly hard run as far as just running goes. Most of the time my heart rate was not even into my fat burning zone. However, the hard part was being on my feet for 3:20. Being just two weeks after my marathon, this was actually a much harder run doing it in 3:20 then if I would have run it in two hours. If you ever train for a marathon you will see that the plans tell you to not run fast on your long runs. The main purpose is getting used to being on your feet that long. It is a very different conditioning than getting your legs to run fast, equally as hard and valuable.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
10/19/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 8 miles in 58:21. I warmed up for the first mile to where I was running at 8.1 mph by the end of that mile, and for the next 3 miles continued at the same speed. Miles 5-7 I ran at 8.3 mph and then I started the last mile at 8.4 and increased as usual, running the last 100 meters at 10.0 mph.
I was particularly vigilante of my left hip muscle, due to my muscle twinge yesterday. Though it never really hurt after the run, I could feel it the rest of the day and was worried it would prevent me from running today, particularily at the speed I wanted to run at. All was well and I did not even feel it during my run. However, I did run the last 100 meters just a little slower than I would have normally.
I could feel that my legs are still somewhat fatigued from the marathon. Nothing surprisingly, of course. However, the faster I ran, the better I actually felt.
I was particularly vigilante of my left hip muscle, due to my muscle twinge yesterday. Though it never really hurt after the run, I could feel it the rest of the day and was worried it would prevent me from running today, particularily at the speed I wanted to run at. All was well and I did not even feel it during my run. However, I did run the last 100 meters just a little slower than I would have normally.
I could feel that my legs are still somewhat fatigued from the marathon. Nothing surprisingly, of course. However, the faster I ran, the better I actually felt.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
10/18/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 5 miles in 35:19. After my usual one mile warm-up at 7.5 mph, I ran 12X200 meter intervals with a one minute recovery in-between each. I ran the first 10 intervals at 10.0 mph, the 11th interval at 10.3 mph and the 12th interval at 10.5 mph for 300 meters. After all the intervals were completed I ran a tenth of a mile at 7.5 mph and then at this point (the 4.30 mile marker) I increased it to 8.3 mph and then increased as usual, finishing the last 100 meters at 10.5 mph.
Something to keep an eye on: In the very last quarter mile I felt a twinge in my left, front hip muscle, right near the bone. It actually started feeling better after a little while and I was able to finish out the run without slowing down. However, I will have to keep an eye on it for my run tomorrow and see if it acts up. It is not injured at this point, but it was reinforcement to not push my body too hard yet.
Another potential variable to this is that yesterday I changed my weight workout rountine. Normally, I work my legs on Thursday. However, after my run last Friday I realized how taxing that is to my legs so I am experimenting with doing it on Mondays.
Something to keep an eye on: In the very last quarter mile I felt a twinge in my left, front hip muscle, right near the bone. It actually started feeling better after a little while and I was able to finish out the run without slowing down. However, I will have to keep an eye on it for my run tomorrow and see if it acts up. It is not injured at this point, but it was reinforcement to not push my body too hard yet.
Another potential variable to this is that yesterday I changed my weight workout rountine. Normally, I work my legs on Thursday. However, after my run last Friday I realized how taxing that is to my legs so I am experimenting with doing it on Mondays.
10/17/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 37:30. I ran the first mile as a warm-up at 7.5 mph, the second mile at 7.6 mph, and the third and fourth miles at 7.8 mph. However, for each quarter mile of the last mile for the first four miles I ran that at 8.3 mph. I increased the last mile as usual, running the last 100 meters at 10.5 mph.
In the evening I cycled 17.21 miles in 54:14. That is a 19.0 mph average.
It is getting much cooler in the evenings. I might have one more evening to ride outside next week, but that will probably be it. I should still be able to ride on Saturdays as long as it is not too cold. I did buy a Kurt Kinectic Trainer based on a recommendation from my wonderful sister-in-law Shelley : ) Just arrived yesterday so I have not used it yet.
In the evening I cycled 17.21 miles in 54:14. That is a 19.0 mph average.
It is getting much cooler in the evenings. I might have one more evening to ride outside next week, but that will probably be it. I should still be able to ride on Saturdays as long as it is not too cold. I did buy a Kurt Kinectic Trainer based on a recommendation from my wonderful sister-in-law Shelley : ) Just arrived yesterday so I have not used it yet.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
10/15/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I did my usual 6 mile outside run. The first half is mostly uphill, just a very slight incline at first but ending in about a 4% incline. Of course, that means that all the way back it is downhill, my favorite. I finished the run in 45:15, a very good time, all things considered. My legs did not feel overly tired. After yesterday's run I was concerned that my legs would be tired today but they actually felt relatively fresh.
I know this concept of "active recovery" is not well known neither is there scientific merit behind it at this point (there is evidence that overall an active recovery to injuries is better than just lounging around on the couch though), but I think it is going very well so far. We will see how the next two weeks go, but thus far I am quite optimistic.
After a quick change I cycled 29.08 miles in 1:31:42. A 19.1 mph average.
Total running miles for the week = 32
Total cycling miles for the week = 47.08 (including 18 miles on the stationary bike)
I know this concept of "active recovery" is not well known neither is there scientific merit behind it at this point (there is evidence that overall an active recovery to injuries is better than just lounging around on the couch though), but I think it is going very well so far. We will see how the next two weeks go, but thus far I am quite optimistic.
After a quick change I cycled 29.08 miles in 1:31:42. A 19.1 mph average.
Total running miles for the week = 32
Total cycling miles for the week = 47.08 (including 18 miles on the stationary bike)
10/14/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 10 miles in 1:15:13. After a warm-up mile, I ran the next mile at 7.7 mph and then the next three miles at 7.8 mph. I then ran miles 6-8 at 8.1 mph, mile 9 at 8.3 mph, and then began increasing as usual at mile marker 9.25, finishing the last 100 meters at 10.5 mph.
I was pleasantly surprised by how good my time was. I can tell that my legs are still in recovery mode, as today's run FELT much harder than it normally would have. We see how tomorrow goes though.
I was pleasantly surprised by how good my time was. I can tell that my legs are still in recovery mode, as today's run FELT much harder than it normally would have. We see how tomorrow goes though.
10/12/11 (Wednesday) Run
Due to finding it too easy to run fast outside yesterday, I thought I would run on the treadmill this morning. I ran 6 miles in 45:28. I ran most of it at 7.7 mph, but increased the last 200 meters of each mile. I did not increase as much as usual. I did increase the last mile as usual though.
Since I would normally take tomorrow off, I will continue to do that. I still want to work back up to a long Friday run, probably about 17 miles.
Since I would normally take tomorrow off, I will continue to do that. I still want to work back up to a long Friday run, probably about 17 miles.
10/11/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I was in Tacoma, WA and so a friend and I ran outside. We were near the shipping canal and ran along the sidewalk there. It was a light rain (surprise, surprise) and the sun was not up yet. I ran 5 miles in 39:02. Being at sea level, after training at altitude, results in an immensely easier run (all things being equal). We just ran out 2.5 miles and ran back the same way. On the way there I thought I would just take it easy, and for the most part was averaging a 7:45 mile pace. I figured I would let myself go a little faster on the way back. However, at one point I looked at my watch and I was running at almost a 6:00 mile pace and so slowed down. I cannot be running that fast just yet and really need to focus on my recovery, but found it all too easy to go faster. I finished it off with a quarter mile run up a very steep hill, at least 8% incline.
Monday, October 10, 2011
10/10/11 (Monday) Activities
I have read a little about "an active recovery" which basically asserts that a person do a reverse taper. So whatever I did the week of my race I would do this week (except for the race, of course). The person asserted that this helps blood flow to the various muscles, joints, and ligaments to aid in recovery. He cited reasons for this other than just his opinion. It made sense to me so I thought I would try it.
With that in mind, today I ran 5 miles in 39:13. I kept it at 7.5 mph almost the whole run, speeding it up to 8.1 mph for one quarter mile and another 200 meters. I increased the last mile as usual, but ended at 8.6 mph. It felt good. I did not feel like my legs were shaking, nor were they sore. I could tell that my legs had a great workout on Saturday and there were little indications, things I felt from my legs, that gave me good feedback that I was doing the right thing in running this speed and not taking it faster.
Now because I am leaving town on business this afternoon, I will not be able to get my bike ride in tonight. So I rode the stationary bike for 51 minutes, which equated to 18 miles on it. I know this equates to almost 21.0 mph average, but I do not know how this equates to cycling outside. This was a Lemonds RevMaster Pro and it is better than the average spin bike. This workout was more strenuous than my run. Not horribly so, but I could feel it in my quads when I was done, but recovered quickly.
Also, since I am unsure what, if any workout I will get while I am gone (a very busy schedule - all work), I did my complete upper body workout today. So that means I worked out for a total of 2 1/2 hours.
With that in mind, today I ran 5 miles in 39:13. I kept it at 7.5 mph almost the whole run, speeding it up to 8.1 mph for one quarter mile and another 200 meters. I increased the last mile as usual, but ended at 8.6 mph. It felt good. I did not feel like my legs were shaking, nor were they sore. I could tell that my legs had a great workout on Saturday and there were little indications, things I felt from my legs, that gave me good feedback that I was doing the right thing in running this speed and not taking it faster.
Now because I am leaving town on business this afternoon, I will not be able to get my bike ride in tonight. So I rode the stationary bike for 51 minutes, which equated to 18 miles on it. I know this equates to almost 21.0 mph average, but I do not know how this equates to cycling outside. This was a Lemonds RevMaster Pro and it is better than the average spin bike. This workout was more strenuous than my run. Not horribly so, but I could feel it in my quads when I was done, but recovered quickly.
Also, since I am unsure what, if any workout I will get while I am gone (a very busy schedule - all work), I did my complete upper body workout today. So that means I worked out for a total of 2 1/2 hours.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
10/8/11 (My First Marathon)
As expected, I slept horribly last night. Even worse than usual. It really felt like this was my first race for how anxious I was about it. It took me a long time to fall asleep, and a long time to fall asleep again after I woke up (several times). I finally settled into a deep sleep about 2:00. When my alarm went off at 3:30 I was in such a deep sleep, my wife had trouble waking me up. I probably got somewhere between 3-4 hours of sleep. Glad I got all that sleep Thursday night. Luckily, I wake up pretty good and am not usually groggy.
I got ready and left by about 4:10. It just takes about 7-8 minutes to get there. Parking was a bit of an issue due to all the rain we have received in the past couple of days. The field was too soggy for cars. Luckily, we were able to park at nearby schools (very close). The busses arrived at 4:30, just as scheduled. Just the marathoners were loading at this time. We all piled on the busses. On my bus some welcome laughter came when on of the last guys on said (jokingly), "Is this the bus for the 5k?" Everyone had a good laugh.
We were soon off. The starting point is about 30 mins from the park where we loaded. I sat way in the back and just practiced some deep breathing exercises to calm me. I was not feeling particularly nervous now, but I knew that would help overall. Once we got on the island, the first bus missed the turn-off for the ranch, and like good little ants, all the following busses missed it, too. Luckily, you can only drive so far on that road before you realize you missed it (the road does not go very far). We all turned around and were soon on the road to Garr Ranch. The starting point is a little more than 9 miles down that road, and just like the road to Garr Ranch, we flew right pass the starting point. I was thinking they were just going to the ranch to turn around (which is as far as you can go), but once we got to the ranch the bus driver made it obvious that none of the bus drivers knew where they were going. People in the front of the bus informed him, and once again we were on our way. This was okay by me because it meant less time out in the cold.
We all piled out of the busses and, of course, hit the porta-potties. That is just a fact of life, or races : ) We then had about 45 minutes to wait. Luckily they did have a heater, but only one, and we were all crowded around that. One tent was set up and I was glad I managed to find a spot in it because it was lightly slushing most of the next 45 minutes. Not enough to soak anybody, thank goodness, but good not to be in it. As luck would have it, it stopped by the time we went to line up for the race.
The race started 8 minutes late, but the countdown was soon upon us. Once at the race site, I am always ready for that countdown. I was not planning on starting near the front, but I found out the timing company's chips were not working accurately for the start of the race and so it would be strictly a gun time. We were soon off and I had already decided that I did not want to go out too fast. I wanted somewhere between a 7:15-7:30 first mile. As I started running, I felt the best I have ever felt at the beginning of a race. Everything was smooth and I was thinking that my training had really paid off. I finished the first mile in 7:23 and felt like I was just going along at a comfortable pace, and that I could sustain it forever. The sun was not even beginning to come up yet, there are no street lights out there, and with full cloud cover if there was a moon, we had no benefit. I always run with my sunglasses on, they actually keep my eyes from watering, so that made it even darker. It was actually a bit of a strange sensation. People who know me know I love darkness and seem to be able to see better than most people in the dark. But, admittedly, with my sunglasses on I could not see much of anything. I found this strangely calming. My eyes could not see far enough ahead of me to determine if I was going up or downhill. I had to rely solely on the sensations I was actually feeling to give me that information. And I welcomed it and wished that the whole race was in the dark (and actually was a bit disappointed when it started getting light later). I just kept my eyes focused on anybody ahead of me. I don't know how many went out ahead of me, but almost immediately I began passing people. My plan was to walk all the aid stations and take in two cups of water. I was still concerned about dehydration. The weather was perfect, no wind, and as I said, I just felt like I could run like that forever. The miles passed quickly and soon I was to mile 6, which is the beginning of the very long uphill. There are a few places where it levels out before you get to the final, no respites, half-mile climb, but not many and they are short-lived. With that half-mile climb my goal was just to not lose any ground on those in front of me. Not only did I manage to do that, but I also gained a little on them.
Getting to the top of that hill I knew would be a wonderful feeling. The descent soon began and I soon passed the people that I had gained a little on coming up the hill. I love running downhill. My body is made for it. If I could find an all downhill marathon nearby, I would race it. Anyway, by mile 10 I was at the Antelope Island marina and there found my lovely wife along with my inherited daughter (Bekah) and her friend, cheering me on. For being a little before 8:00 am on a Saturday, and realizing that they had to get up early just to get to this point, I was very appreciative. I threw my long-sleeve shirt to my wife (I had a sleeveless shirt on underneath) and began the 7 mile trek across the causeway. The causeway has always been a bit of a struggle for me. It is mostly flat, and I actually enjoy the run, but there is just nothing out there as far as markers. It is harder for me to gauge how fast I am going. Shortly after beginning mile 12, I began having lower GI distress. It was soon very obvious that I would not be able to wait until the end of the race, I need a porta-potty and I needed it now. I struggled to make it to the halfway point, which is where the half-marthon started and knew there were plenty of porta-potties. I arrived with no problems, but unfortunately it proved to be a very extended stop and took about 7 minutes off of my time. I listened as various runners were passing me by. I was soon out again, and knew that I wanted to gain back some of that ground I had lost. I did so and soon began passing runners again. At about mile 15 I began passing the very last of the half-marathoners. Even though they were walking, it was a wonderful feeling to catch up to those people. However, even though they were walking, it just did not seem right that I caught up to them so soon. My wife later told me they begun about 20 minutes late due to some busses being late. Soon, the ranger station was in view to pay the toll to get onto the island. I love this point because for whatever reason, I always feel faster and run faster once I am off the causeway.
Now I was passing the half-marathoners literally every few steps. Most of them were walking, some were running. (I am always glad to see people out participating, regardless of how they are doing it. At least they are not home sitting on the couch.) By mile 20, I knew that the best I could hope for would be a 3:30 time, and that would be pushing it. My legs did not have much more energy. I did not hit the wall. I have hit the wall, luckily only one time, and I know what that is like. This was not like that. I simply did not have the energy. I did have some stomach cramps, which are highly uncharacteristic for me. I was sort of confused by the whole thing. This did not feel at all like my 24 mile runs. Yes, those were all on a treadmill, but they were also all on tired legs. What was the difference? I don't know and I started to feel what you do not like feeling as a runner...I just wanted it to be over. But I still had basically the distance of a 10k left to run. By mile 22 I felt I was doing all I could to keep going. I finally swallowed my pride and allowed myself a walk break of 2 minutes. However, in an effort to not lose too much time I kept it at a 5 mph pace. I did this for miles 23, 24 and the very beginning of mile 25. I was not excited about doing this as I knew I was throwing my now hoped for 3:30 time out the window. Would I finish in what would be a very embarrassing 3:45? That may not mean much to those reading, and you may even be thinking that to finish under four hours is very respectable. But I was confident at the beginning that I would be able to finish in 3:15, and maybe even faster. So, to be a full half hour slower than what I predicted for myself would not be a time to be proud of. But then as luck would have it, along about mile 23 I caught up to a person who I thought was in my age group. Funny enough, I made this determination because his hair looked a lot like mine: plenty of natural color thrown in with plenty of grey hairs. We were almost on the same pace, but I was slightly faster than him. However, I needed those walk breaks for a brief respite, but each time I kept him in sight. I would catch up to him each time (he was never more than 0ne-two-tenths of a mile in front of me by this point). I had already planned to run the final mile. Nothing would stop me from doing that. In that final mile I paced myself with him. I knew that if he was in my age group, and if I was to beat him, I had to beat him now. I could not wait until the end to see who had more left in the tank. I already knew I did not have much. So with about a half mile left in the race I passed him, and I passed him fast enough to hopefully discourage him from trying to keep up with me. My strategy worked, and now I was on the straightaway home. My GPS sounded off that mile 26 had just been accomplished. Only two-tenths of a mile left to go. At this point you never know who may be coming up from the rear. Many times people wait for this moment to make their move. So with whatever I had left in me, I gave it all I could. I could feel my body whimper as somehow I managed to go faster. I passed several runners in that final stretch. There was a male runner that I was catching up to but I was sort of resolved that I would not be able to catch him in time. I assumed he had more left than I did. But within about 150 feet of the finish, I thought I would make my move and see what he did. I knew I had to run past him as fast as I could. Every runner knows this strategy and never wants to be on the receiving end. I have been on the receiving end plenty of times. You go by them so fast they either have to a lot left in the tank to even have the confidence to keep up with you, or they just let you go. I can only tell this now as I look back at my GPS, but somehow I managed to sustain a burst of speed at 6:06 mile pace (which equates to about 9.8 mph). A little bit to my surprise, he just let me go. I ended up beating him by about 2.5 seconds. And it turns out the one runner I thought was in my age group really was. I beat him by an even 36 seconds.
The race now over, the first words I said to my wife were, "I'm so glad that is over." My body was weak. I have never felt that weak, not even after my ultra (though close to it). I could barely stay on my feet. I was stumbling around, bumping into people, apologizing each time I did. I knew I could not sit down, nothing is worse for your body than doing that immediately following a workout of this magnitude. I was just trying to get to some open space. But with all the rain we had received the normally restricted area for runners to go to post-race, which was on the grass, was not being used. It seemed like everybody was in my way. I finally got through and had open space to just walk. Looking back now I can honestly say that I was not 100% coherent. I was not totally out of it, but this race had taken a toll on me more than any other race. I did "leave it all out there". I did do my best. I gave it all that I had, and somehow at the end managed to dig up just a little bit more to pleasantly surprise myself.
Final time 3:38:42
Placed first in my age division (by 36 seconds : )
Placed 31st out of 237 participants (an amazing 56 more that were registered did not start)
Total running miles for week = 43.2
Total cycling miles for week =
I got ready and left by about 4:10. It just takes about 7-8 minutes to get there. Parking was a bit of an issue due to all the rain we have received in the past couple of days. The field was too soggy for cars. Luckily, we were able to park at nearby schools (very close). The busses arrived at 4:30, just as scheduled. Just the marathoners were loading at this time. We all piled on the busses. On my bus some welcome laughter came when on of the last guys on said (jokingly), "Is this the bus for the 5k?" Everyone had a good laugh.
We were soon off. The starting point is about 30 mins from the park where we loaded. I sat way in the back and just practiced some deep breathing exercises to calm me. I was not feeling particularly nervous now, but I knew that would help overall. Once we got on the island, the first bus missed the turn-off for the ranch, and like good little ants, all the following busses missed it, too. Luckily, you can only drive so far on that road before you realize you missed it (the road does not go very far). We all turned around and were soon on the road to Garr Ranch. The starting point is a little more than 9 miles down that road, and just like the road to Garr Ranch, we flew right pass the starting point. I was thinking they were just going to the ranch to turn around (which is as far as you can go), but once we got to the ranch the bus driver made it obvious that none of the bus drivers knew where they were going. People in the front of the bus informed him, and once again we were on our way. This was okay by me because it meant less time out in the cold.
We all piled out of the busses and, of course, hit the porta-potties. That is just a fact of life, or races : ) We then had about 45 minutes to wait. Luckily they did have a heater, but only one, and we were all crowded around that. One tent was set up and I was glad I managed to find a spot in it because it was lightly slushing most of the next 45 minutes. Not enough to soak anybody, thank goodness, but good not to be in it. As luck would have it, it stopped by the time we went to line up for the race.
The race started 8 minutes late, but the countdown was soon upon us. Once at the race site, I am always ready for that countdown. I was not planning on starting near the front, but I found out the timing company's chips were not working accurately for the start of the race and so it would be strictly a gun time. We were soon off and I had already decided that I did not want to go out too fast. I wanted somewhere between a 7:15-7:30 first mile. As I started running, I felt the best I have ever felt at the beginning of a race. Everything was smooth and I was thinking that my training had really paid off. I finished the first mile in 7:23 and felt like I was just going along at a comfortable pace, and that I could sustain it forever. The sun was not even beginning to come up yet, there are no street lights out there, and with full cloud cover if there was a moon, we had no benefit. I always run with my sunglasses on, they actually keep my eyes from watering, so that made it even darker. It was actually a bit of a strange sensation. People who know me know I love darkness and seem to be able to see better than most people in the dark. But, admittedly, with my sunglasses on I could not see much of anything. I found this strangely calming. My eyes could not see far enough ahead of me to determine if I was going up or downhill. I had to rely solely on the sensations I was actually feeling to give me that information. And I welcomed it and wished that the whole race was in the dark (and actually was a bit disappointed when it started getting light later). I just kept my eyes focused on anybody ahead of me. I don't know how many went out ahead of me, but almost immediately I began passing people. My plan was to walk all the aid stations and take in two cups of water. I was still concerned about dehydration. The weather was perfect, no wind, and as I said, I just felt like I could run like that forever. The miles passed quickly and soon I was to mile 6, which is the beginning of the very long uphill. There are a few places where it levels out before you get to the final, no respites, half-mile climb, but not many and they are short-lived. With that half-mile climb my goal was just to not lose any ground on those in front of me. Not only did I manage to do that, but I also gained a little on them.
Getting to the top of that hill I knew would be a wonderful feeling. The descent soon began and I soon passed the people that I had gained a little on coming up the hill. I love running downhill. My body is made for it. If I could find an all downhill marathon nearby, I would race it. Anyway, by mile 10 I was at the Antelope Island marina and there found my lovely wife along with my inherited daughter (Bekah) and her friend, cheering me on. For being a little before 8:00 am on a Saturday, and realizing that they had to get up early just to get to this point, I was very appreciative. I threw my long-sleeve shirt to my wife (I had a sleeveless shirt on underneath) and began the 7 mile trek across the causeway. The causeway has always been a bit of a struggle for me. It is mostly flat, and I actually enjoy the run, but there is just nothing out there as far as markers. It is harder for me to gauge how fast I am going. Shortly after beginning mile 12, I began having lower GI distress. It was soon very obvious that I would not be able to wait until the end of the race, I need a porta-potty and I needed it now. I struggled to make it to the halfway point, which is where the half-marthon started and knew there were plenty of porta-potties. I arrived with no problems, but unfortunately it proved to be a very extended stop and took about 7 minutes off of my time. I listened as various runners were passing me by. I was soon out again, and knew that I wanted to gain back some of that ground I had lost. I did so and soon began passing runners again. At about mile 15 I began passing the very last of the half-marathoners. Even though they were walking, it was a wonderful feeling to catch up to those people. However, even though they were walking, it just did not seem right that I caught up to them so soon. My wife later told me they begun about 20 minutes late due to some busses being late. Soon, the ranger station was in view to pay the toll to get onto the island. I love this point because for whatever reason, I always feel faster and run faster once I am off the causeway.
Now I was passing the half-marathoners literally every few steps. Most of them were walking, some were running. (I am always glad to see people out participating, regardless of how they are doing it. At least they are not home sitting on the couch.) By mile 20, I knew that the best I could hope for would be a 3:30 time, and that would be pushing it. My legs did not have much more energy. I did not hit the wall. I have hit the wall, luckily only one time, and I know what that is like. This was not like that. I simply did not have the energy. I did have some stomach cramps, which are highly uncharacteristic for me. I was sort of confused by the whole thing. This did not feel at all like my 24 mile runs. Yes, those were all on a treadmill, but they were also all on tired legs. What was the difference? I don't know and I started to feel what you do not like feeling as a runner...I just wanted it to be over. But I still had basically the distance of a 10k left to run. By mile 22 I felt I was doing all I could to keep going. I finally swallowed my pride and allowed myself a walk break of 2 minutes. However, in an effort to not lose too much time I kept it at a 5 mph pace. I did this for miles 23, 24 and the very beginning of mile 25. I was not excited about doing this as I knew I was throwing my now hoped for 3:30 time out the window. Would I finish in what would be a very embarrassing 3:45? That may not mean much to those reading, and you may even be thinking that to finish under four hours is very respectable. But I was confident at the beginning that I would be able to finish in 3:15, and maybe even faster. So, to be a full half hour slower than what I predicted for myself would not be a time to be proud of. But then as luck would have it, along about mile 23 I caught up to a person who I thought was in my age group. Funny enough, I made this determination because his hair looked a lot like mine: plenty of natural color thrown in with plenty of grey hairs. We were almost on the same pace, but I was slightly faster than him. However, I needed those walk breaks for a brief respite, but each time I kept him in sight. I would catch up to him each time (he was never more than 0ne-two-tenths of a mile in front of me by this point). I had already planned to run the final mile. Nothing would stop me from doing that. In that final mile I paced myself with him. I knew that if he was in my age group, and if I was to beat him, I had to beat him now. I could not wait until the end to see who had more left in the tank. I already knew I did not have much. So with about a half mile left in the race I passed him, and I passed him fast enough to hopefully discourage him from trying to keep up with me. My strategy worked, and now I was on the straightaway home. My GPS sounded off that mile 26 had just been accomplished. Only two-tenths of a mile left to go. At this point you never know who may be coming up from the rear. Many times people wait for this moment to make their move. So with whatever I had left in me, I gave it all I could. I could feel my body whimper as somehow I managed to go faster. I passed several runners in that final stretch. There was a male runner that I was catching up to but I was sort of resolved that I would not be able to catch him in time. I assumed he had more left than I did. But within about 150 feet of the finish, I thought I would make my move and see what he did. I knew I had to run past him as fast as I could. Every runner knows this strategy and never wants to be on the receiving end. I have been on the receiving end plenty of times. You go by them so fast they either have to a lot left in the tank to even have the confidence to keep up with you, or they just let you go. I can only tell this now as I look back at my GPS, but somehow I managed to sustain a burst of speed at 6:06 mile pace (which equates to about 9.8 mph). A little bit to my surprise, he just let me go. I ended up beating him by about 2.5 seconds. And it turns out the one runner I thought was in my age group really was. I beat him by an even 36 seconds.
The race now over, the first words I said to my wife were, "I'm so glad that is over." My body was weak. I have never felt that weak, not even after my ultra (though close to it). I could barely stay on my feet. I was stumbling around, bumping into people, apologizing each time I did. I knew I could not sit down, nothing is worse for your body than doing that immediately following a workout of this magnitude. I was just trying to get to some open space. But with all the rain we had received the normally restricted area for runners to go to post-race, which was on the grass, was not being used. It seemed like everybody was in my way. I finally got through and had open space to just walk. Looking back now I can honestly say that I was not 100% coherent. I was not totally out of it, but this race had taken a toll on me more than any other race. I did "leave it all out there". I did do my best. I gave it all that I had, and somehow at the end managed to dig up just a little bit more to pleasantly surprise myself.
Final time 3:38:42
Placed first in my age division (by 36 seconds : )
Placed 31st out of 237 participants (an amazing 56 more that were registered did not start)
Total running miles for week = 43.2
Total cycling miles for week =
Friday, October 7, 2011
10/7/11 (Friday)
No run, no exercise today. I was on my feet more than I should have been, but it is hard to just sit and watch TV.
Just wanted to jot down a few of my thoughts the night before the race. I have laid out all my gear for the morning. I will get up at 3:30 and need to be at where the busses are no later than 4:30. Luckily I live close by. I took today off mainly so I could sleep in. I never sleep well the night before a race, and I read somewhere the sleep you get two nights before the race is even more important than the night before the race, so I slept in. I did manage about 10 hours of sleep, so that is good.
So what are my thoughts now? Mainly wondering how well I will do, what my overall time will be. Did I prepare enough (the answer is "yes", but I still wonder)? Are my legs rested enough? Not sure about that. I certainly have tapered but today my left glute was a little sore-ish. Not really sore, but felt more like I had done interval work today. Not sure what that is about. And when you taper you can't help but wonder if you have lost any conditioning. The scientific answer to that is no. You do not make significant gains the week of the race. But emotionally that goes through your mind. Even some elites have a hard time tapering. Ryan Hall is a good example of that and it is only recently that he reports he has begun to enjoy resting.
Am I ready? Ready as I will ever be. In the end it all comes down to this: Tomorrow will be whatever it is.
Just wanted to jot down a few of my thoughts the night before the race. I have laid out all my gear for the morning. I will get up at 3:30 and need to be at where the busses are no later than 4:30. Luckily I live close by. I took today off mainly so I could sleep in. I never sleep well the night before a race, and I read somewhere the sleep you get two nights before the race is even more important than the night before the race, so I slept in. I did manage about 10 hours of sleep, so that is good.
So what are my thoughts now? Mainly wondering how well I will do, what my overall time will be. Did I prepare enough (the answer is "yes", but I still wonder)? Are my legs rested enough? Not sure about that. I certainly have tapered but today my left glute was a little sore-ish. Not really sore, but felt more like I had done interval work today. Not sure what that is about. And when you taper you can't help but wonder if you have lost any conditioning. The scientific answer to that is no. You do not make significant gains the week of the race. But emotionally that goes through your mind. Even some elites have a hard time tapering. Ryan Hall is a good example of that and it is only recently that he reports he has begun to enjoy resting.
Am I ready? Ready as I will ever be. In the end it all comes down to this: Tomorrow will be whatever it is.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
8/6/11 (Thursday) Run
Today I ran 3 miles in 22:38. I ran at 7.8 mph until mile marker 2.50 then did four strides (100 meters) with a 30 second recovery in-between each stride. I ran the first stride at 9.3 mph and the other 3 at 9.6 mph; however, I ran the last stride for 200 meters. These were not difficult, nor were they designed to be. It is an exercise to keep the muscles sharp, so to speak.
I do not usually run on Thursdays, but with the race this Saturday I will not be running tomorrow. I continue to be nervous about the race. We have had a big cool down in our weather. It only got to the mid-40s today and might reach 50 tomorrow. Rain today and more rain forecast for tomorrow. It is not supposed to rain on Saturday, though should be mostly cloudy during the race. I welcome the cooler weather. Running when it is 40-50 degrees is ideal for me. I overheat very easily and so require more fluids than the average person when it is warm. This will help with that. It will probably be around 37 degrees (Fahrenheit) when the race starts, and may not get above 45 by the time the race ends (the high for the day is forecast at 60). I just hope it is not windy.
A big thank you to my lovely bride. She is amazing. She continually supports me in my crazy endeavours. Reason 4,763 why I love her so much : )
I do not usually run on Thursdays, but with the race this Saturday I will not be running tomorrow. I continue to be nervous about the race. We have had a big cool down in our weather. It only got to the mid-40s today and might reach 50 tomorrow. Rain today and more rain forecast for tomorrow. It is not supposed to rain on Saturday, though should be mostly cloudy during the race. I welcome the cooler weather. Running when it is 40-50 degrees is ideal for me. I overheat very easily and so require more fluids than the average person when it is warm. This will help with that. It will probably be around 37 degrees (Fahrenheit) when the race starts, and may not get above 45 by the time the race ends (the high for the day is forecast at 60). I just hope it is not windy.
A big thank you to my lovely bride. She is amazing. She continually supports me in my crazy endeavours. Reason 4,763 why I love her so much : )
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
10/5/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 4 miles in 31:15. I ran the entire run at 7.5 mph until I reached mile marker 4.40. At this point I did 6 strides (100 meters) at 8.8 mph. However, I did the 5th stride at 9.0 mph and the 6th stride at 9.3 mph. Also, the first and fourth mile I ran with a 1% incline. For the third mile I never went below a 1% incline, but the last .15 miles of each quarter mile I increased the incline to 5%. I just wanted to practice having some rolling hills. This may have been a bit harder of a run this close to the race then I should have, but I needed some confidence for my nemesis, the hills.
10/4/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 5 miles in 34:50. After my usual warm-up mile at 7.5 mph, I did 12X200 meter intervals with a one minute recovery at 7.5 mph in-between each interval. I did each interval at 10.6 mph (5:39 mile pace), and actually ran 300 meters for the final interval. There was about .75 miles left to run after I finished the intervals, and after a brief recovery at 7.5 mph, I increased it to 8.1 mph and then increased it as usual for the remaining mileage, finishing the last 200 meters at 11.0 mph.
10/3/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 36:50. I just did my usual Monday run, but actually did it a bit easier than normal. I ran most of it at 7.5 mph, but increased just the last .12 miles of each mile to 9.6 mph. I increased the last mile as usual.
In the evening I cycled 27.15 miles in 54:12. A 19.2 mph average.
In the evening I cycled 27.15 miles in 54:12. A 19.2 mph average.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
10/1/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I ran 6 miles in 45:20. My final mile was completed in 6:41. I was pretty happy about that.
After a very quick change, I cycled 29.10 miles in 1:31:15. A 19.2 average.
After a very quick change, I cycled 29.10 miles in 1:31:15. A 19.2 average.
Total running miles for the week = 37.5
Total cycling miles for the week = 46.68
9/30/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 12 miles in 1:25:30. I warmed up to 8.1 mph by the end of the first mile and then ran the next five miles at 8.1 mph. I then ran the final six miles at 8.8 mph, though I did increase it for the final .25 miles to 8.9 mph, then 9.3 mph, then 10.0 mph for the last 100 meters.
This was another time that my assignment did not call for this, but the second half was slightly faster than marathon pace and so it is a psychological boost.
This was another time that my assignment did not call for this, but the second half was slightly faster than marathon pace and so it is a psychological boost.
9/28/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 8 miles in 56:21. I ran my usual warm-up to 8.1 mph, then ran the next 3 miles at 8.1 mph. I ran the last four miles at 9.0 mph (6:39 mile pace) but did not increase it for the final mile until the last 200 meters.
Today was a good run. I needed that faster than marathon at a sustained pace for confidence. It is not what my assignment was, but I knew it would be helpful to me in the race.
We are ten days from the race. Normally I never get nervous until the day before the race, and usually the evening before. But I have some nervousness creeping in. It is not overwhelming, but it is present. It is just a race, and people who do not have a clue will say, "Why worry about it, just have fun." Well, while I do want to definitely have fun, I want to do well. True, as my first marathon no matter how I run it will be a PR. But in this race I am not satisified with just getting a PR. I picked this race because it is, on average, mostly flat. Nothing to say, "the hills were really hard" or something else. It just me against the course. Nothing in my favor and nothing against me (though the first half is far more hilly than the race organizers let on, including an almost 1 mile hill climb at mile 7...but I get to run down it on the other side). And though I have run a 50 mile ultra marathon previously, that just is not the same thing. Endurance is the main battle there. With a marathon, it is endurance AND speed. Not 5k speed, but speed nevertheless. It really shows just how good of a runner you are. It proves you as a runner. Will all my training pay off? Will I be able to perform as I have trained?
(My fellow runners at work all have guesses as to my overall time. The most generous is 3:10, while the least optimistic is 3:25. 3:25 is not a bad marathon time, but it is not what I have trained for.)
9/27/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 6.5 miles in 45:38. I did my usual warm-up mile at 7.5 mph, then ran 10X400 meter intervals with one minute of recovery at 7.5 mph in-between each interval. I ran the first 8 intervals at 10.0 mph, the ninth interval at 10.1 mph and the 10th interval at 10.2 mph for the first half of the interval and 10.5 for the second half of the interval. I did the final mile as usual.
9/26/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 36:14. I did my usual Monday run but increased the first two quarter miles (at the end of each mile) to 9.0 mph and 9.6 mph, the next two to 9.3 mph and 10.0 mph, and then increased the last mile as usual, finishing the last 100 meters at 11.5 mph.
In the evening I cycled 17:58 miles in 54: 49. A 19.2 mph average.
9/24/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I ran 6 miles in 45:53. I was able to complete the last mile in an exact marathon pace of 6:52 : )
After a quick change, I cycled 29.07 in 1:31:57. That is a 19.0 mph average. Considering part of the ride was into a nice headwind, not too bad.
Total running miles for the week = 45.25
Total cycling miles for the week = 66.66
Hmmmm......another 100+ mile activity week...and this week even more than last week for the total miles. I did not really mean to do that. Even though I ran 10 miles less, I cycled about 20 miles more. Not sure I should have done that during this taper, but luckily this is only the first week of the taper so hopefully it will not negatively impact my overall taper.
After a quick change, I cycled 29.07 in 1:31:57. That is a 19.0 mph average. Considering part of the ride was into a nice headwind, not too bad.
Total running miles for the week = 45.25
Total cycling miles for the week = 66.66
9/23/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 17 miles in 2:02:05. After my usual warm-up to 8.1 mph (by the end of the first mile), I did the next three miles at 8.1 mph and the following 4.35 miles at 8.8 mph. I then did the next 4 miles at 8.1 mph, then started increasing it by .1 mph each mile for the remaining miles. However, for the last mile I increased each quarter mile by .1 and finished at 9.0 mph.
My legs seemed more tired than they should be during the run. It was not until after the run that I remembered that I did that strenuous bike ride on Wednesday, which I normally do not do. Now it makes sense : )
My legs seemed more tired than they should be during the run. It was not until after the run that I remembered that I did that strenuous bike ride on Wednesday, which I normally do not do. Now it makes sense : )
9/21/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 10 miles in 1:11:27. I did my usual warm-up to 8.1 mph then did miles 2-4 at 8.1 mph, then miles 5-8 [four miles] at 8.8 mph, then the 9th mile at 8.1 mph, then the final mile I increased as usual, running last 100 meters at 9.6 mph.
I am down in St. George at a conference and brought my bike. So I cycled 21.16 miles in 1:16:53. That is only a 16.5 mph average. I biked from St. George to south Snow Canyon entrance, and then about halfway up the canyon. Anybody who has biked (or run) this knows that from St George to Snow Canyon it is uphill almost the entire way, with some really fun, steep hills thrown in for good measure. I made it back to St. George extremely fast (all downhill, with the exception of one 8% hill climb of about 1/3 mile).
I am down in St. George at a conference and brought my bike. So I cycled 21.16 miles in 1:16:53. That is only a 16.5 mph average. I biked from St. George to south Snow Canyon entrance, and then about halfway up the canyon. Anybody who has biked (or run) this knows that from St George to Snow Canyon it is uphill almost the entire way, with some really fun, steep hills thrown in for good measure. I made it back to St. George extremely fast (all downhill, with the exception of one 8% hill climb of about 1/3 mile).
Monday, October 3, 2011
9/20/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 7.25 miles in about 50:00. I say "about" because I did not record the 7.25 mile time but did hit the 7 mile mark at 48:09. I was very happy with that. I did 7X1000 meter intervals with a one minute recovery in-between each. I did the first five intervals at 9.6 mph. The sixth I ran at 9.0 mph but finished the last .12 at 9.6 mph. The seventh I also ran at 9.0 mph but with .25 miles remaining I increased it to 9.3 mph and then finished the last .12 at 9.6 mph. I recovered for .20 miles at 7.5 mph then increased it at the 6.5 mile mark to 7.7 mph, then to 8.1 mph at the 6.75 mark, then gradually increased the speed until I finished the last 100 meters at 10.5 mph.
9/19/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 36:34. It was the same run as last Monday. That has been one constant in this training; all my Monday runs have been the same.
In the evening I cycled 16.43 miles in 50.49. This is a 19.4 mph average.
In the evening I cycled 16.43 miles in 50.49. This is a 19.4 mph average.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
9/17/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I ran about 4 miles. I say about because I ran a 5k in Salt Lake City, partly sponsored by my work. I then ran back to where my wife was in the race and ran with her to the finish. So it was roughly 4.0 miles. It is called "Run for Recovery" and I am on the run committee so I figured I better run it : ) However, other than my marathon work, I have done no specific preparation for it. I felt my marathon training too important and that whatever I did on this 5k would be good. I knew the first half is a steady uphill but I was not going to go at race speed and risk unnessarily tiring myself out. Nothing too bad, except in one spot less than 1/2 mile into it, but all downhill coming back. I figured I would let loose on the way back. You might think it does not make sense to take it easy on the way up and then pick up the pace on the way back. But for me, running downhill is something I love to do and it affects me much less than running uphill. The turn around for the race course, unfortunately, was not marked properly. It was a tenth of a mile too short. But, at least everyone got the same advantage. My finishing time for the 5k was 21:04. I came in seventh place overall and first in my age division. The course was only 2.91 miles long. For the final nine-tenths of a mile I averaged a 6:08 mile pace, and even had a short-lived burst of 13.2 mph. I was very pleased with this run because I just ran 24 miles yesterday and that 13.2 mph came AFTER the course leveled out within a quarter mile of the end.
My wife and I stayed for the award activities and then I biked home from SLC. My total cycling mileage was 36.04 in 1:59:56. This only averages out to be an 18.0 mph average, but I was please with the ride.
Total running miles for week = 53
Total cycling miles for week = 52.42
Hmmm, not bad...my first 100 mile activity week : )
Total cycling miles for week = 52.42
Hmmm, not bad...my first 100 mile activity week : )
9/16/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 24 miles in 2:55:43. After warming up to 8.1 mph by the end of the first mile, for the next 4 miles I ran at 8.1 mph. Then I ran at 8.8 mph for miles 5-8. At mile 9 I decreased it back to 8.1 mph for the next mile and then at mile 10 I increased it to 8.3 mph for the next 1.5 miles. At mile 11.5 I increased it to 8.6 mph, then to 8.8 mph at mile 11.75, finishing the last 200 meters at 9.3 mph. For the second 12 miles I ran miles 12-17 at 8.1 mph then I increased it by .1 mph for every mile therafter. I did increase the speed in the last half mile, but less than usual. This averages out to a 7:19 mile pace. I was happy to have shaved a little time off of last week's time.
Normally, I do not look forward to tapers. But this one that starts next week will be a welcome relief.
Normally, I do not look forward to tapers. But this one that starts next week will be a welcome relief.
9/14/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 11 miles in 1:18:43. I ran my warm up mile at 7.5 mph then ran the next four miles at 8.1 mph, then the next four miles at 8.8 mph, then the next mile at 8.1 mph, then started the next mile at 8.3 mph and increased to 8.6 and 8.8 mph after each quarter mile, I then increased by .2 mph each tenth of a mile thereafter finishing the last 100 meters at 10.5 mph.
9/13/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 9 miles in 1:01:41. I did my usual warm-up of 7.5 mph then did 6X1 mile intervals at 9.3 mph with a 2 minute recovery at 7.5 mph in-between each interval. I was at mile 8.35 when I finished the last interval and recovered at 7.5 mph for .15 miles. At mile 8.50, I increased it to 8.1 mph, then 8.6 mph at mile 8.60, and at mile 8.70 I increased it to 9.0 mph, then at mile 8.78 I increased to 9.6 mph and at mile 8.88 I increased it to 10.0 mph finishing the last 100 meters at 10.5 mph.
9/12/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 36:34. I did my usual Monday run but for the last couple of miles I increased it to 9.3 mph then 10.0 mph for last quarter mile of each mile.
In the evening I cycled 16.38 miles in 50:43. That is a 19.4 mph average. Amazing what a day of rest can do for tired legs : )
9/10/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I ran 6 miles in 49:11. My last mile was completed in 7:28. I could really feel the effects of yesterday's run. It was a bit of a battle with myself to just go running today, but I am glad that I did.
After coming home and changing, I cycled 29.03 miles in 1:35:30. I was cycling into some good headwinds today, which only adds insult to injury on tired legs. This is an 18.2 mph average.
Total running miles for week = 55
Total cycling miles for week = 29.03
9/9/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 24 miles in 2:56:39. My goal was just to come in under 3:00:00. I ran the first 12 miles as usual for Friday, which is I warmed up to 8.1 mph by the end of the first mile then ran to mile 4.75 at that speed. At that point I increased it to 8.6 mph for 1.25 miles, then had a .5 mile recovery at 8.1 mph, then ran at 8.6 mph for 2.5 miles, then did the next mile at 8.1 mph, then the next 1.25 miles at 8.3 mph, then at mile 11.25 I increased it to 8.6 mph to finish out the 12 miles. The second 12 miles I ran through mile 6 just as I did the first 12, but then decreased it to 8.1 mph until the end of mile 8, whereupon I decreased it to 7.7 mph for the next 3 miles, and for the last mile I increased it by .1 mph starting at mile 11 and every .25 miles there after, finishing the last 100 meters at 8.6 mph. This averages out to a 7:21 mile pace.
So you might notice that I talk about the "first" 12 miles and the "second" 12 miles. Though the treadmill will not let a person run the whole distance (has a time limit), I obviously can break up a run however I like. I find it helpful to at least break it in two. 24 miles, psychologically, is tough. But I have run 12 miles many times before. And I always like getting to the halfway point : )
9/7/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 11 miles in 1:26:35. We are back from our trip but I took today off as well, so this was an outside run. I was just trying to average an 8:00 mile pace.
9/6/11 (Tuesday) Run
Today I ran 9 miles in 1:03:07. After my usual warm-up at 7.5 mph, I did 5X2000 meter intervals at 9.0 mph with a two minute recovery in-between each. I had started the first interval at 9.3 mph but after .25 miles I knew I would not be able to sustain it. As I said yesterday, the gym was very warm. I did find the thermostate and luckily they did not have it locked so I turned it down a few degrees, but without some real air movement it was just very warm. For those who may not be aware, when it is warmer than 60 degrees your performance starts to deteriorate. Obviously, the warmer it gets the more it deteriorates.
9/5/11 (Monday) Activities
Today I ran 5 miles in 36:30. I just did my usual Monday run.
As I said, we are celebrating our anniversary away from home so I could not do an outside bike ride. However, I did use a stationary bike and was on it for 50 minutes, the time of my normal ride. It was hard only because of the warm environment (no fans in the gym). But I have no idea to how it equates to my outside ride.
9/3/11 (Saturday) Activities
Today I ran 6 miles in 45:56. I was able to run the last mile in 6:43.
After coming home for a quick change I cycled 16.36 miles in 52:05. That is an 18.8 average. My legs are tired! I did not have time for my usual Saturday ride of 28 miles because we are leaving to celebrate our anniversary and we need to get to the airport.Total running miles for week = 55.10
Total cycling miles for week = 32.70
9/2/11 (Friday) Run
Today I ran 23 miles. Unfortunately, I forgot to record my time, but I know I did pretty good and it was a similar overall pace to last week, if not a little better. I was just going to run 22 miles, but since I will run 24 miles next week I figured maybe this will help prepare me a little bit.
8/31/11 (Wednesday) Run
Today I ran 13.1 in 1:35:00. I ran my usual warm-up mile, then the second mile at 8.6 mph, then miles 3-5 at 8.1 mph, then miles 6-8 at 8.2 mph, then miles 9-10 at 8.3 mph, then miles 11-12.25 at 8.4 mph then increased it for the last mile as usual.
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