Watt's Running

3/5/2011
John,

OK, here is what I did today. I started out immediately since I only needed 15 m. So no warm-up for me. Most everyone else went right at the corner and I went left – up the hill and into the wind. Without a firm pace my start-up set the pace, in other words, what will be will be. I was trying to keep it about 10 min/mile – slow I know and not BQ qualifying (@9:06), but that was my plan for today. I wanted to see how I’d do over the distance and at a consistent pace (whatever it was). I did stop at the restroom at mile 3, and at mile 10 for water otherwise I ran the rest straight. After the stop at mile 3 I missed up and forgot to start my Garmin for about .9 mile which frustrated me since I really wanted to know each mile’s split. I ran with my iPod so if I ignored you at mile 5 that’s why.
Here is my Garmin output

1 00:09:47 1.00 09:47
2 00:09:07 1.00 09:07
3 00:08:53 1.00 08:53

4 00:09:07 1.00 09:07
5 00:09:46 1.00 09:46
6 00:09:22 1.00 09:22
7 00:09:07 1.00 09:07
8 00:09:07 1.00 09:07
9 00:09:19 1.00 09:20
10 00:10:42 1.00 10:42 <== includes water stop at mile 10
11 00:09:50 1.00 09:50
12 00:09:25 1.00 09:25
13 00:08:59 1.00 08:59
14 00:09:23 1.00 09:23
15 00:01:14 0.14 09:01

My average pace was about 9:30 min/mile.

My ankle/heel didn’t really bother me. I took an Advil beforehand. My groin developed over time (a burning sensation) but I just tried to ignore it. I am worried that it will get worse and worse over the distance especially in Boston at the hills at the end.

I’m trying to do what everyone else is doing within bounds. Personally I think I’m doing it. Overall it was a good day even with the wind and the chill.
Bri

I’ve been worried about this one. I even took off yesterday in preparation. We were to do a 4 mile warmup, then 5 miles at MGP, then 1/2 mile recovery, then 5 more miles at MGP, then hills and more hills, then the Town Lake Trail, then 6 miles on the S. F. Austin track (2 miles MGP or 9:06min/mile, 2 miles HMGP or 8:42min/mile, 2 miles 10K or 8:13min/mile). Here is what came to pass (courtesy of my Garmin whose accuracy might be suspect): first MGP set: 8:39, 8:51, 8:46, 8:53, 8:43 (too fast); second MGP set: 8:45, 8:53, 9:21(?! Pecos hills maybe), 9:09 (Scenic hills maybe), 8:59 (just right); track MGP miles: 8:49, 8:34 (too fast); track HMGP miles: 8:18, 8:13 (too fast), and track 10K miles: 8:15, 8:09 (just right). So I’ve got to say that I did OK. Sigh. I’ve got to stop worrying! I’m in good shape and what will be will be.

Although I was at the far back of the pack trailing everyone, I did what was requested – 2×10 miles at MGP or better (9:06)

Here is the first set from the Garmin 101 geekometer (if that can be trusted). I really tried to slow it down. The mile at 9:00 is the water stop at mile 5. Note: The Garmin only said we did only 9.8 miles.

Split Time Dist AvgPace
05 00:08:37 1.00 08:37
06 00:08:53 1.00 08:54
07 00:08:42 1.00 08:42
08 00:08:40 1.00 08:40
09 00:09:00 1.00 09:00
10 00:08:49 1.00 08:50
11 00:08:34 1.00 08:34
12 00:08:58 1.00 08:58
13 00:08:53 1.00 08:53
14 00:07:39 0.86 08:51

Here is the second set. Again the 9:50 mile was the water stop at mile 5.

Split Time Dist AvgPace
17 00:08:43 1.00 08:44
18 00:09:09 1.00 09:09
19 00:09:20 1.00 09:20
20 00:09:00 1.00 09:00
21 00:09:50 1.00 09:50
22 00:08:53 1.00 08:53
23 00:08:43 1.00 08:43
24 00:08:48 1.00 08:48
25 00:08:32 1.00 08:32
26 00:07:10 0.85 08:27

There were a couple of miles on the second loop where I was over 9:06, but overall I felt satisfied with the results. I walked the last mile (mile 11) after completing the set and was very stiff and cramping in my lower legs so I’ll need to work on that.

Here are my results of my first Team Rogue Race Prep which included a 3 mile warm-up, then three 5 mile loops at MGP, and a 3 mile cool down for a total of 21 miles. This would be my longest run so far. So here is what happened.

Overall my results were mixed. Some good, some bad. Two good loops, one lousy one. Went out too fast on the first two loops which caused me to have a lousy last one. Was supposed to run 9:06 MGP (4:00 goal time). Reality was first loop: 8:38, 8:32, 8:31, 8:24, 8:22; second loop: 8:36, 8:37, 8:36, 8:34, 9:02. Much too fast. In the past I would pass a mileage cone, click my timer, look at it and adjust. However, with my new geekometer I just let it run and really didn’t focus on pace. What was I thinking? I dunno. Sure, a few times as I was running under a street light I would look at it and saw that I was faster than MGP, but for some reason I didn’t adjust and slow down. That’s all my fault. And this was a learning exercise wasn’t it. Because I had been running so slow on the earlier long runs I just wanted to see what I could do and I paid for it. So I was ‘fully cooked’ for my last loop: 10:25, 10:01, 10:29, 11:33, and 11:36. Another thing, the 3 mile cool-down was miserable, because I was already so exhausted and tight it was walk + run, but I needed to get the mileage in, however, they were junk miles. Sigh.

Overall I’m encouraged because I think if I do more quality workouts and manage my pace better, I should not burn out so fast. In other words, there is hope. Which is a good thing. Hope is good – right?

I haven’t written much about my training. I’ve been doing it and there are good days and not so good days especially in this summer heat. I find that Tuesdays typically are OK, and Thursdays are harder. I’ve not really gotten a feeling for the Saturday long runs. I’ve done them and survived. For all the runs I’m worried that I’m too slow (about 10:00 min/mile pace whereas I need to be 9:00 pace for CIM). But coach tells me that we’re to run easy, which is what I’m doing. So I think I’m following the ‘program’. Naturally only time will tell.

So here are some thoughts about today’s long run. In general it wasn’t pretty. The weather was warm (mid 70s degrees F), but not awful. I’ve been building up my mileage for the past 7 weeks and finally got to the peak of 60 miles this week. The culmination was an 18 mile long run called “Run from Hell North”. I’ve run this route before so I knew what I was getting into. It indeed is hell. However, it still took me by surprise, that is, it beat me down, way down, beyond what I expected, which is not good.

The run starts at Northcross Mall or what is left of it since it’s under construction with a Walmart being built there. The run is hill after hill after hill with two major ones. The first is near the beginning up Far West gradually, but the second is midway and is a killer straight up Ladera Norte. I ran the first, but then the next series of intermediate hills before the second one sapped my strength. Although we were told by Ruth that we should run all the hills I just couldn’t and walked more than I planned. Ones I had never walked before. What’s up with that? So when I got to Ladera Norte I just started walking. I remember past runs having got almost to the top before walking. Not this time. I walked almost immediately. Doing this was not good for my mental conditioning. From then on I would stop at every water stop as an oasis from running. I was no longer just walking the hills I was walking on the flats too. Finally near the end I just couldn’t run. Yet for the last half mile I shuffled along and I arrived back at the mall a beaten man. It took me 3 hours and 32 minutes to run 18.4 miles (11:30 pace). Awful, just awful. Making my goal of requalifying for Boston at CIM an impossibility.

And then when I arrived home my Garmin 110 GPS reset itself when I attached it to the USB and I lost all the data. Another insult to my weakened mental state. Yet maybe that was for the best, because I couldn’t see the miserable effort broken out mile by mile.

So why was this run so bad. I have no clue. I was relatively well rested. I was fueled with breakfast before, and CarboPro and Clif Shots during. The Clif Shots was Mocha with caffeine and I had it at mile 14 but I never felt the pick up. It might be the little extra food I ate yesterday night. It might also be the temperature since I was a dripping sweat-bag after it but that’s nothing new. It might be just the mileage build-up taking its toll since this is the longest we’ve run so far. I just don’t know. All I can do it keep up the training and try to get my head around the mental anguish that occurs when things like this happens, which causes me to question: why, oh why, am I doing this?

Today was the last long run before the marathon on February 14, 2010. We were to run the final 20 miles of the marathon. We’ve already run this path a few times. The pacers were to run with us too. I arrived before 6 AM (an especially early start) and we were to run between 3.0-3.5 hours but no more. I met my 4:00 pacer. Several of my running class buddies were also there with the pacer including Alvin, Angie, Chase, and Diego. We were to warm-up from Rogue to the Mopac bridge (the Rock) before starting MPG. We started and it seemed that our pacer was running faster than 9:10 during the warm-up. I cranked up my iPod and had it talking in my ears throughout. At the Rock Angie showed me her Garmin saying that the pace had been 8:36 – what! So our pacer was not doing his job at least during the warm-up – ugh. So we started out down Lake Austin Blvd and I stayed with the pacer and group. Things were OK, and I think we were running on pace, but without any mile markers or my own Garmin I couldn’t be sure. Right on to Entfield where the rolling hills begin, and then left on Exposition. At the first water stop the pacer stopped too long IMHO so I did my typical thing and took off early. It was the last time I saw the pacer for the rest of the run. I knew the route and when we got to Great Northern I stopped for water and two cookies at the ball park. I took my time there, and Angie and Chase arrived just as I was leaving. Oh, Oh. They are typically faster than me. Later some of the runners got confused on how to get to Red River and I accidentally followed them on 47th, but quickly got to 48th and Red River. However when returning back to Duval on 41st street I saw that some runners had taken a shortcut and skipped Red River altogether by heading directly down Duval. Somehow I caught up to Angie and Diego on Duval at the water stop (weren’t they behind me?!) and I assumed they had taken the shortcut. Instead of stopping I ran past them and kept going through campus. Am I competitive or what? I was getting pretty fatigued around the capitol but kept hoofing it down Congress to 8th. I thought about calling it quits at the “finish” then but I kept going all the way back to Rogue. I thought it would best simulate the real marathon. When I got back to Rogue my watch read 3:21. Phillip was there smiling like a Cheshire-cat. Angie and Diego arrived a few minutes later. At home I plotted my path and got 22.5 miles. Given that information I calculated my pace was 8:53 minutes/mile and this included a long stop at the Rock, and on Great Northern. Am I happy with the result? Well yes. Since I still have about 4 more miles to complete to get to 26.2 do I have it in me? I think so. Do I trust the pacer? Hmmm, that’s to be seen.

It was colder this morning than expected at 28 degrees F so I put on long-johns and tights at home. The group took off at about 6:30 AM. During the first 2-3 miles my ankle was tight again. Ugh! People would pass me especially some of my running classmates. I just couldn’t run any faster. I was struggling. This tightness really messes with my mind. I was thinking about quiting the class and skipping the marathon, but I kept going. At the first water stop I was just beginning to feel a bit better. My ankle was loosening up. I didn’t stop, because I wanted to pass my running mates. However, shortly they came blasting by me and still I couldn’t keep up with them and they went ahead. However, I kept them in sight this time. Finally around Northcross Mall one stopped for a bio-break, and I passed the other two. I kept going now with my ankle not bothering me. Taking the turn to head south I stopped for water at Arroyo Seco, and the two of them caught up to me, but I started out early and it was the last time I saw them. I won’t say it was an easy run, but I just kept digging deeper and getting it done. I ran and ran and ran. Down Duval, through Campus, up MLK, around the Capital, and down Congress. I thought about walking after where the marathon finish line would be, but I kept going. I kept running. I completed 19.6736 miles (based on Gmaps Pedometer) in 3:10.13 or 9:08/mile. What especially surprised me was my final pace is the speed I need to run the entire marathon in 6 weeks. Now if I can only figure out this tightness.

I ran the first 20 of the marathon course. A few weeks back I accidentally ran the last 20 miles instead of the first, so this time I decided to do what I was supposed to do. Overall it wasn’t fun. I ran, I slogged, I walked, I fussed, but I got it done. Right away my ankle got tight up the South Congress hill. So that wasn’t the best way for me to start. I carried water and my hands ached from the cold. I did make it to Ben White and headed back down South First. I took the Carbo-pro along the way, but I didn’t feel it. Then along the trail and down Lake Austin went by pretty quickly listening to my iPod, but I was just running slowly. I did the Entfield and Exposition hills with a few walk breaks. Although I had debated earlier that I might cut the route short, I decided to head up Bull Creek to Hancock and do the full 20 mile route. On Bull Creek I had a Choco Clif Shot. I switched the route when I came down Shoal Creek to head over 38th to Duval to follow the official finish route. Then it was back to Rogue. It took me 3:37 which is over 10 minutes a mile – not very satisfying. When I got done my lower stomach was aching. And I stretched it out leaning backwards on my car. On the way home my legs were throbbing, so I stopped for a chocolate milk which helped. After I got home I reviewed by route and found I actually did 21.3 miles at 10:18/mile. So although afterwards I’m walking around, that is, I’m not crippled, I’m deeply worried in my ability to complete the marathon in 4 hours. I think my body, my mind, the weather, the sun, the moon, the stars will all have to align perfectly for me to do it. Here’s hoping!

The long run yesterday was tough. I woke up 30 minutes late having thought I set my alarm clock, but hadn’t. I rushed and I got there on time though because it was nearby at NorthCross Mall – whew. I did remember to bring my iPod, but forgot to synch before I left so I didn’t have much to listen to – ugh. My right ankle was OK throughout which was good. I’ve run this route in the past with Celeste D, and I remember that Glenn K charged up the first few hills only to get burned out later. So I took it slow and easy. Although I forgot to start my watch I felt later this was a good thing. I really didn’t want to run against the clock or know how slow I was. Also I was to do 22 miles, the longest distance, where most were doing 18 or 20. It included the monster hill Ladera Norte. I met Diego just before it and we ran down Far West together chatting, but soon I was walking and he and Philip were way ahead of me. I never saw them again. As I slogged through it I tried to keep my spirits up. Last week’s Decker race was tough, but it was an overall positive experience knowing how comfortably I ran the first 10 miles. Yeah, I know, the last few miles were awful, but I put those behind me blaming them on the weather and the lack of water and fuel. However, this week all the miles were awful, and I just kept pushing to get them done. I’d get lost at various points, but just took each as a short break to orient myself. I feel I took a lot of breaks. My highpoint was coming down Greystone after most of the big hills and as my iPod played a buoyant up-tempo song which sent chills down my spine I passed some of my running groupmates happy to know that I get to do this – I get to run. Soon however I was back in the death-march. At the end a group of three women were running near me and one broke off from the rest and moved ahead. I tried to keep up, but she had more legs than I did. Yet as soon as she got 50 feet ahead she would pull over and stop and wait for her friends. I would pass her, but soon she would blow by me again. Somewhat frustrating, but I keep running, and I got back to the mall before her last burst. Afterwards I was so very glad it was over. Now when I think back on this run I wonder why it was helpful to me and my preparation for the marathon. It sure burned me up, stressed every muscle in me, and made me feel really down.

I buried my father this week. I traveled to Buffalo, New York with my entire family for the funeral. He had lived a very long and productive life. Nevertheless it was a tough thing to do. It was also very tough to do any running. I tried, but just didn’t have it in me. I walked a bit, I ran a bit, I thought a lot, and I remembered a lot. I returned yesterday, and ran Lady Bird Lake trail slowly this morning. Weather was good. The ankle was again tight for the first 3-4 miles – had to run and walk several times. Then it loosened up at Longhorn Dam and then I met Ed B and Kevin K at mile 5 at IH35. We ran and chatted to the end at mile marker 0, which helped make the time fly by. Thanks guys you helped me more than you know.