My marathon race day began about 5:30 AM. I woke without an alarm clock (I set 2 though). I have a knack for knowing what time it is, and I think a bit of that helps with running. I slept pretty well really. After getting up I quietly donned my race gear while eating a banana and a soy bar that was in our race packet. I drank a plenty of water too of course, but was careful to go overboard.
The starting line was within walking distance of where we stayed. As soon as I walked out the door, I saw runners gravitating toward the starting line and the adrenalin started to flow. The weather was stunning. It could not have been better. I wore a long sleeve shirt, but a short sleeve one would have been fine.
The starting line for the race was in front of Hayward Field and the University of Oregon was kind enough to open the track to public use. I took a warm-up lap around the hollowed track, where both Steve Prefontaine and Alberto Salazar ran and then stretched off to the side. It was very cool.
Next came the restroom lines, which I am sure that any runner it all too familiar with. I managed to wait through the lines twice before it was time to head to the starting line. I barely got to the starting line in time too. In fact, I couldn’t make it to the pace marker I wanted, because it was all the way up in the chute. I was a bit off to the side of the road too, so I knew it would be a squeeze trying to get past the starting line.
After setting my IPod and GPS watch I was definitely ready to go. I don’t hear very well… so I really didn’t hear a gun or anyone yell go or anything like that, but the mass of people started to move. There was all this pent up excitement and then we started slowly walking forward and I was grinning inside like a child taking his first steps. By the time I hit the starting line, we were jogging, and shortly thereafter I was on my pace.
I had vowed to stick to 8:30 miles for at least the first half of the race. If for some bizarre reason I felt good at this point, I would consider upping it a bit. The first few miles snaked around Eugene neighborhoods, and there were quite a few hills (easy ones though). The people were fantastic. One guy was standing in his yard clapping and telling everyone ‘thank you for coming to Eugene’. Now that is hospitality.
Mile 1 8:20
Mile 2 8:15
Mile 3 8:39 (trying to get back on pace)
Mile 4 8:26 (that’s more like it)
Mile 5 8:49 (hill?)
Between miles 5 and 6 my wife and two boys were at the side of the road. I was going to give my wife a kiss (which would have been the only time I planned to break stride for the entire race) but she had the camera up, so I just smiled and waved (and said something stupid) My youngest son (3) was yelling ‘Go Daddy!’ ‘Go Daddy!’ ‘Go Daddy!’ over and over. My eyes got misty and I filed that gem of encouragement for use throughout the race.
Mile 6 8:20
Mile 7 9:04 (woah GPS burp or I slowed up too much)
Mile 8 8:05 (didn’t run this fast so GPS burp) (ate some GU)
For miles 9-13 I was really in a grove. I was running very comfortable and relaxed. Somewhere along the way I noticed my GPS watch hitting mile markers before I actually did, which was a bit of a concern. Was I actually running slower than I though? It wasn’t by much, and since I can’t hear the beep from the watch when I hit a mile marker, it is dumb luck that I’d be looking at it to catch a mile pass.
Mile 9 8:28
Mile 10 8:30
Mile 11 8:28
Mile 12 8:23
Mile 13 8:27
Decision time. I was feeling very good at this point. I decided to give myself the green light to giddy up… knowing perfectly well that this decision could come back to haunt me later. Someone much wiser than I said ‘respect the marathon’. I did not know if I was making a mistake at this point. I had no idea what the dreaded last six miles would be. I worried that any increase in speed would just be given up at the end of the race, but I also thought that I had a secret weapon… ‘Go Daddy!’
Mile 14 8:15 (GUed)
Mile 15 8:47 (not exactly speeding up now am I?) =)
Mile 16 8:22
Somewhere around here I pass the 4:00 hour pace runner. 4:00??? How could that be? I was averaging about 8:30 per mile, how the heck was the 4:00 hour pace runner in front of me!!! At this point, I figured the pacer must plan on slowing down during the last six miles. I figured my watch couldn’t be off that far.
Mile 17 8:22
Mile 18 7:42 I am starting to feel it now
Mile 19 7:55
Mile 20 7:56 (GUed)
This is it. This is what it all comes down to, the last six miles. I put a bulls eye on this point when I named my blog. I knew it was the point where I would learn something about myself. I felt I put in the training to deal with whatever it would do to me, but would 3 straight sub 8 minute miles come back to haunt me?
Mile 21 8:02 Still feeling good. Amazing. But I was expending quite a bit more effort.
Mile 22 8:22 My right quad is cramping. I am starting to feel my energy drain.
At mile 22 I realized I was losing it. My whole body was becoming comfortably numb. Oh who am I kidding, it wasn’t comfortable at ALL, but I kept thinking ‘I like pain’ in my head. (Which is a lie, but maybe my body wouldn’t know that) Like a dying insect making its last flutter for life, my next mile was shocking.
Mile 23 7:25 My fastest mile in the race, and at mile 23 no less.
I am passing people left and right at this point. Many are stopping to walk or stretch. At this point have not broken stride once during the entire race… not even at the water stations. I grabbed the water, pinched the cup in half to minimize the splashing, and drank on the run. Whenever I felt really bad I just kept repeating over and over and over and over in my head, ‘Go daddy! Go Daddy! Go Daddy!’
Mile 24 8:56 I am losing it now. My body is screaming ‘STOP!’ but I am trying to distract my mind with ‘Go Daddy’ and the energy of the crowd.
Mile 25 8:37 Almost back on pace
Mile 26 8:27 Perfect!
GPS Mile 26.2. My clock beeps that my run is complete at about 3:37, which was my goal when speeding up. EXCEPT, I still have over a mile to run. Back to mile 25. This little piece of news could have broken me… but I drove on and finished strong, with a chip time of 3:44:25.
It wasn’t until I arrived home and check the marathon website for my times that I realized I ran the 2nd half faster than the 1st half, and I ran my last 10K faster than my first 10K. Wall, what wall?! I CRUSHED the last six miles. =)
The GPS screwup bothers me a little bit, but if that was what I was training too, then it would have been off during my training so it is a good thing that I did run by it, because I may have ran out of juice otherwise. I think a new GPS watch is in order. =)
Overall, even though my time may have been a bit slower than I thought when I was running it, I am thrilled with my race. I came out injury free, and wiser. I do a great deal of respect for the immense challenge a marathon is. It is more than a race… it is a journey of epic proportions. What I found on my journey is nothing I imagined when I started. I learned that even after 40, I can still do amazing things. My life isn’t almost over, and sometimes, the 2nd half can be better than the 1st. =)
I was part of a mass of people, each on their own individual journey, but at the same time together… connected… sharing pain and encouragement, flowing through the streets generating electricity to power one foot in front of the other… again and again and again. It was amazing, yet bittersweet, like the birth of a child… pain joy fear excitement… all blended together into a straight shot concoction of lightning in a bottle.
It was nothing, and yet it was the most amazing thing in the world.
To someone who has not run a marathon, reading this may not make sense. I lived 4 years in Fairbanks Alaska, and before arriving I had seen pictures of the northern lights in books and on TV (nothing special)… but when I experienced them up close, I was in awe at the green glowing lights dancing through the sky. There are some things that reading about and TV can’t do justice. Running a marathon is one of them.
During training, some friends at work kept telling me I was crazy… like a mesmerized bug floating toward the zapper in a back yard… some were yelling ‘don’t follow the light! don’t follow the light!’ I will be the first to admit that the marathon did zap me to the core. Pzzzzatttt! But the thing is… when the energy in my batteries started to recharge, I immediately started planning my flight back into light… next time maybe faster.
I ruined the Eugene marathon. Boston, you are still on the radar.
Eugene Marathon 2007 - Marathon
date: Apr 29th, 2007
location: Eugene, OR
Summary
number of finishers: 1496
number of females: 659
number of males: 835
average time: 04:21:33
Brad Stark
bib number: M1122
age: 41
gender: M
location: Hillsboro, OR
overall place: 438 out of 1496
division place: 55 out of 112
gender place: 342 out of 835
time: 3:44:25
pace: 8:34
10k: 53:54
half: 1:52:48
20mile: 2:50:58
last10k: 53:27
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Bib # 1122
I just noticed that my bib number is 1122. Nice and easy to remember. Tomorrow just 4 short miles. I will head to the local high school to run on the track, where I will calibrate my iPod for the marathon... and run in my new shoes that I broke in a few months back and then put away. I won’t run with the headphones on, but I have been using the Nike+ website to log my miles. Right now my iPod is off by at least 5% on long runs… which really isn’t that much unless you are running 15+ miles, which can be over a mile off! LOL… good thing I have the GPS watch too… which is what I use to gauge my pace. I have a pretty good tune in on my pace naturally, but the GPS is reassuring. I don’t run a slave to the GPS like I used to… instead I let my body run fast when it feels like it. Sometimes I push it… but not too much, as I focused almost solely on endurance for this first one.
3 days and 11 hours left, not that I am counting. =)
3 days and 11 hours left, not that I am counting. =)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Tapering cont...
It just occurred to me after reading runliarun’s blog, that I also don’t have a re-fuel plan. I just sort of assumed they’d have some GU or something like that at the water stations. Stupid me… the website doesn’t say anything about any type of fuel other than some gleukos? ARGH! I know I am not supposed to change anything during the race… but I have never tried gleukos and not even sure what it is. Will it be enough to keep me going? Usually on a long run I will stop and eat part of an orange or a banana or a powerbar. I’m not sure if I need to buy a little pouch to carry something or what.
Sunday was my last long run (medium really) of 10 miles. I ran it at the marathon pace I am considering… 8:30. My splits were:
8:28
8:35
8:31
8:16
8:35
8:30
8:32
8:29
8:34
8:29
My legs didn’t feel as good as I hoped. I am considering running 8:35 or 8:40 instead, but I think I will wait and see how my legs feel. This is my first experience at tapering, so I am not really sure what to expect. I do think that last Sunday I would have struggled over 26 miles. I just wasn’t in a grove. Not a huge confidence builder to say the least. And honestly, though I know I am supposed to be in a 100% confidence grove, I still have some doubts. I don’t really know what those last six miles will do to me. I worry that I am losing my edge because of tapering. I wish I would have trained more on speed so I could run faster.
But then… just as quickly as the doubts came… I pushed them away. This is my first and only first marathon I will ever have… and I will be darned if I taint it by worrying. I have prepared the best I could… err… the best I ever will for my first marathon =). I am sure I will present myself with some ‘opportunities for improvement’ as they like to say where I work. Maybe even some big ones…. but they are just part of the journey… part of my training as I move forward. Now it is time to relax and enjoy the run.
Sunday was my last long run (medium really) of 10 miles. I ran it at the marathon pace I am considering… 8:30. My splits were:
8:28
8:35
8:31
8:16
8:35
8:30
8:32
8:29
8:34
8:29
My legs didn’t feel as good as I hoped. I am considering running 8:35 or 8:40 instead, but I think I will wait and see how my legs feel. This is my first experience at tapering, so I am not really sure what to expect. I do think that last Sunday I would have struggled over 26 miles. I just wasn’t in a grove. Not a huge confidence builder to say the least. And honestly, though I know I am supposed to be in a 100% confidence grove, I still have some doubts. I don’t really know what those last six miles will do to me. I worry that I am losing my edge because of tapering. I wish I would have trained more on speed so I could run faster.
But then… just as quickly as the doubts came… I pushed them away. This is my first and only first marathon I will ever have… and I will be darned if I taint it by worrying. I have prepared the best I could… err… the best I ever will for my first marathon =). I am sure I will present myself with some ‘opportunities for improvement’ as they like to say where I work. Maybe even some big ones…. but they are just part of the journey… part of my training as I move forward. Now it is time to relax and enjoy the run.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
One week to go
I am definitely getting nervous about the race already. I spent the morning printing out maps, and marking off the locations I will need to visit on race weekend. I am lucky in that I will be able to walk from my motel to the starting location about ¼ a mile away.
After looking at the advice from Sub (thank you) I have decided to run at 8:30 miles. The pace will feel very slow to me at first, but as Sub mentioned… I am sure I will be grateful during the last 6 miles. Could I run faster? Probably… probably. But again, I need to live to train another day to reach my ultimate goal. My guess is that my pace will still fall off quite a bit at the end.
On August 6th last summer when I began this blog, I really didn’t know if I would be able to run a marathon, and qualifying for the Boston marathon was not even thinkable. I struggled through 5 and 6 mile…. LONG runs. LOL. I can remember the day I finished my first 5 mile run. I limped into the kitchen, I am sure with a smile beaming ear to ear and showed my wife the miles on my GPS watch, as if to validate the fact. Now… 5 miles is a very short run for me. I can also remember collapsing on the floor under the ceiling fan after 3 mile runs!
I actually started on my marathon journey two months prior on 6/6/6. At that time I was running 2 miles on the treadmill twice a week. I remember the pain when I headed off the treadmill a few weeks later and found that it was quite a bit harder running on the pavement.
My 2nd ever five mile run was at a 9:46 pace, and it wasn’t until my first 10k race, The LiveStrong Challenge, that I broke 9 minute per mile at 8:54. I hovered close to 8 minutes for a few months on my faster runs and finally clocked 7:46 on a 4 miler at the end of August. I ran my first half marathon on Sep 24th, at a 9 minute per mile pace. It felt very easy even though I wasn’t supposed to be running that far at that point. I got sick a few days afterwards and missed runs.
In October I ran a 15K race at 7:56 (which was a monumental struggle into the wind), then first 18 miler in December at a 9 minute per mile pace. In January I ran a 20.07 race at 8:17 per mile, then through late winter runs of 20 at 8:47, 21 at 9:17, and a 23 miler at oh… I stopped keeping track… probably 9:30. By the time I ran the 23 miler I realized I was running my long runs too fast and was not able to recover properly to continue with my schedule two days later. My fast long runs (for me) were definitely causing some knee problems. Two days later after my slow 23 miler I was able to run 7 miles at 7:57 and felt great.
One thing I learned early on in my distance running, was that it is much better to run at an even sustainable pace the whole run or race, than to run out of juice and crawl to the finish. Not only is it worse on your body, but I found that the amount of time I lost in the collapse at the end, was greater than if I would have just kept a consistent slower pace. For instance, take a 10 mile run with splits of 8:00, 8:10, 8:15, 8:20, 8:30, 8:40, 8:50, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00. This would give you a time of about 87 minutes. If you ran the same 10 miles at an even 8:40 pace, you would finish faster than the first example, and probably feel a whole lot better afterwards.
Anyway… back in August I said my stretch goal was under 4 hours, and 4:20 was realistic. Of course I shouldn’t be putting ANY time goals on my first marathon, just finishing is the best award, and honestly, why should I set myself up for disappointment after a 1000+ miles of training! Next Sunday I will run a marathon. I will try to run it at 8:30 per mile, but regardless… I will run a marathon.
After looking at the advice from Sub (thank you) I have decided to run at 8:30 miles. The pace will feel very slow to me at first, but as Sub mentioned… I am sure I will be grateful during the last 6 miles. Could I run faster? Probably… probably. But again, I need to live to train another day to reach my ultimate goal. My guess is that my pace will still fall off quite a bit at the end.
On August 6th last summer when I began this blog, I really didn’t know if I would be able to run a marathon, and qualifying for the Boston marathon was not even thinkable. I struggled through 5 and 6 mile…. LONG runs. LOL. I can remember the day I finished my first 5 mile run. I limped into the kitchen, I am sure with a smile beaming ear to ear and showed my wife the miles on my GPS watch, as if to validate the fact. Now… 5 miles is a very short run for me. I can also remember collapsing on the floor under the ceiling fan after 3 mile runs!
I actually started on my marathon journey two months prior on 6/6/6. At that time I was running 2 miles on the treadmill twice a week. I remember the pain when I headed off the treadmill a few weeks later and found that it was quite a bit harder running on the pavement.
My 2nd ever five mile run was at a 9:46 pace, and it wasn’t until my first 10k race, The LiveStrong Challenge, that I broke 9 minute per mile at 8:54. I hovered close to 8 minutes for a few months on my faster runs and finally clocked 7:46 on a 4 miler at the end of August. I ran my first half marathon on Sep 24th, at a 9 minute per mile pace. It felt very easy even though I wasn’t supposed to be running that far at that point. I got sick a few days afterwards and missed runs.
In October I ran a 15K race at 7:56 (which was a monumental struggle into the wind), then first 18 miler in December at a 9 minute per mile pace. In January I ran a 20.07 race at 8:17 per mile, then through late winter runs of 20 at 8:47, 21 at 9:17, and a 23 miler at oh… I stopped keeping track… probably 9:30. By the time I ran the 23 miler I realized I was running my long runs too fast and was not able to recover properly to continue with my schedule two days later. My fast long runs (for me) were definitely causing some knee problems. Two days later after my slow 23 miler I was able to run 7 miles at 7:57 and felt great.
One thing I learned early on in my distance running, was that it is much better to run at an even sustainable pace the whole run or race, than to run out of juice and crawl to the finish. Not only is it worse on your body, but I found that the amount of time I lost in the collapse at the end, was greater than if I would have just kept a consistent slower pace. For instance, take a 10 mile run with splits of 8:00, 8:10, 8:15, 8:20, 8:30, 8:40, 8:50, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00. This would give you a time of about 87 minutes. If you ran the same 10 miles at an even 8:40 pace, you would finish faster than the first example, and probably feel a whole lot better afterwards.
Anyway… back in August I said my stretch goal was under 4 hours, and 4:20 was realistic. Of course I shouldn’t be putting ANY time goals on my first marathon, just finishing is the best award, and honestly, why should I set myself up for disappointment after a 1000+ miles of training! Next Sunday I will run a marathon. I will try to run it at 8:30 per mile, but regardless… I will run a marathon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
7 miles at Boston pace
Finally! I have finally completed a single run at a pace that, if for some miracle I could continue for 26.2 miles, would qualify me for the Boston marathon! =) Yeah… it is only 7 miles… BUT it is a start. Is it smart to be upping my speed with a little over a week left before my first marathon? No… probably not. But it just feels good. I will back off for now. I will take that little tidbit of good news and stick it in my back pocket and focus on my task at hand… the Eugene Marathon.
I still haven’t decided what pace to run. At first I was thinking 9:00 minute miles. Then 8:47. Then… 8:30. Now… I just don’t know. I am new at this… I am not really sure what pace I should run. I know I can run much faster now than last fall when I was running in races… I broke my 10K record on today’s training run! But a marathon is a different story, and I know from my 23 mile run how much hurt is in store for me during those last 6 miles. I think I will just wait to see how I feel. I don’t want to run so fast I damage myself and ruin my chance at my ultimate goal, but I also need to feel like I gave it my best. Why? I don’t know. Isn’t ‘because’ a good enough reason? My 3 year old gets to use that… why not me?
I still haven’t decided what pace to run. At first I was thinking 9:00 minute miles. Then 8:47. Then… 8:30. Now… I just don’t know. I am new at this… I am not really sure what pace I should run. I know I can run much faster now than last fall when I was running in races… I broke my 10K record on today’s training run! But a marathon is a different story, and I know from my 23 mile run how much hurt is in store for me during those last 6 miles. I think I will just wait to see how I feel. I don’t want to run so fast I damage myself and ruin my chance at my ultimate goal, but I also need to feel like I gave it my best. Why? I don’t know. Isn’t ‘because’ a good enough reason? My 3 year old gets to use that… why not me?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Rest day, and thoughts on Boston
Today was a day off for me… but I was thinking of the hearty runners braving the blustery weather in Boston. See Ryan’s Blog, Running Down My Dreams for my hero who had dreams of Boston, and today... ran down those dreams! WTG Ryan! Good lord that must have been a challenge. Hopefully for all who braved it… it will be that much more special. I know a silly thing like weather can’t tarnish the gem of elation one must feel after reaching an amazing goal. Someday… somehow, I want some of that too. I hate large cities with a passion, but still… I want to run in Boston. I want to do it, because I don’t think I can. I want to do it because it is a challenge unlike any other. I want to do it, because I am a slowpoke marathon ruining runner. Heck… two weeks from ruining my first marathon.
I mentioned in one of my last blogs that I don’t recall when I crossed the threshold of ‘being a runner’. I still don’t feel like one. I know I am NOT one of those elite runners that live breath and sleep running. (As if my times were not an obvious reminder of that... though yeah… I have done some running while asleep in my dreams) I will never look cool in running gear. I still have a lot to learn about running. I really am not sure what intervals, fartleks, tempo runs and repeats are. I have read about them… but until I implement them in my training the info just slides away. But for some strange reason I have an itch to run.
When I started my marathon journey I thought something would be different by the time I ran my marathon. Something that I could put my finger on and say ‘that is it!’, but as of yet… I haven’t found what that would be. Is it something I will discover during the run itself, is it something I already have and don’t understand the significance of… or will the marathon be my sportscar, not solving anything, but just acting as a blaring reminder that I am near midlife, and I still haven’t figured out what this is all about. I hold out for something a bit more optimistic than that, but I am not sure what it would be.
I mentioned in one of my last blogs that I don’t recall when I crossed the threshold of ‘being a runner’. I still don’t feel like one. I know I am NOT one of those elite runners that live breath and sleep running. (As if my times were not an obvious reminder of that... though yeah… I have done some running while asleep in my dreams) I will never look cool in running gear. I still have a lot to learn about running. I really am not sure what intervals, fartleks, tempo runs and repeats are. I have read about them… but until I implement them in my training the info just slides away. But for some strange reason I have an itch to run.
When I started my marathon journey I thought something would be different by the time I ran my marathon. Something that I could put my finger on and say ‘that is it!’, but as of yet… I haven’t found what that would be. Is it something I will discover during the run itself, is it something I already have and don’t understand the significance of… or will the marathon be my sportscar, not solving anything, but just acting as a blaring reminder that I am near midlife, and I still haven’t figured out what this is all about. I hold out for something a bit more optimistic than that, but I am not sure what it would be.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
T minus 2 weeks and counting
I know my long runs are supposed to be slow. My training schedule says they are supposed to be about 60-90 seconds SLOWER than my marathon pace. Well… who the heck really knows what my marathon pace is since I have never ran one… but I am thinking 8:47. So my long runs are supposed to be at a 9:47, 10:17 per mile pace. BUT… there are TWO weeks before the marathon… and I am getting antsy.
At about the 7 mile mark of my run today… I noticed I wasn’t too far off 8 minute miles. (8:10 or so) I figured… what the heck… lets see if I can break 8 minute miles for the entire 14. I really didn’t feel like I was running that hard. I wasn’t breathing hard… I had no unusually aches or pains… I was just on cruise control.
When I crossed the finish line… my watch read exactly 8 minute miles. ARGH! You see… there is a huge psychological difference between 7:59 and 8:00 minute miles. One starts with a 7… and the other an 8. =) Somehow it just seems bigger than 1 second. That one second is a milestone just waiting to be shattered… much like the epic struggle for milers to break the 4 minute barrier... except well… it is twice as slow… and just me. =) .
My ½ marathon time was 1:45:00. I am not really sure if the is my fastest half marathon or not. I think so though. I January I had a 20K race that I finished at an 8:17 pace, but the weather was really bad.
Just two weeks! Two weeks from now I will be an official marathoner. Strange thing is… I don’t know when I even became a runner… but I guess somewhere along the way I passed that threshold.
At about the 7 mile mark of my run today… I noticed I wasn’t too far off 8 minute miles. (8:10 or so) I figured… what the heck… lets see if I can break 8 minute miles for the entire 14. I really didn’t feel like I was running that hard. I wasn’t breathing hard… I had no unusually aches or pains… I was just on cruise control.
When I crossed the finish line… my watch read exactly 8 minute miles. ARGH! You see… there is a huge psychological difference between 7:59 and 8:00 minute miles. One starts with a 7… and the other an 8. =) Somehow it just seems bigger than 1 second. That one second is a milestone just waiting to be shattered… much like the epic struggle for milers to break the 4 minute barrier... except well… it is twice as slow… and just me. =) .
My ½ marathon time was 1:45:00. I am not really sure if the is my fastest half marathon or not. I think so though. I January I had a 20K race that I finished at an 8:17 pace, but the weather was really bad.
Just two weeks! Two weeks from now I will be an official marathoner. Strange thing is… I don’t know when I even became a runner… but I guess somewhere along the way I passed that threshold.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The magic mile
Today I decided to let loose for 1 mile on my six mile run and see how fast I could run. I have read that this one mile time trial can be a predictor of your marathon time. I really haven’t trained for speed at all during my training… instead focusing on endurance, as my goal is just to finish the darn thing… and hey… under 4 hours would be nice. So I started out my six miles at an OK pace… 7:30 per mile or there about… then at the 1 mile mark I took off. It became evident very quickly that it probably isn’t best to start a time trial on an up hill portion of a run… ah well. =) (I’m such a genius sometimes) I run very hard for 1 mile (no puking hard… because I still had 4 miles to run) My time for the mile? 6:50. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. I know I could have run faster, but even on a very good day and only running one mile… I doubt I could break 6:30. Argh. STILL though… for someone who hasn’t been focusing on speed at all… I guess I should be happy.
After the fast mile I slowed to a crawl while I tried to catch my breath and regroup. Then I got the itch to try to finish the whole run in faster than Boston pace for me… but alas… it wasn’t to be. The pace for 6 miles was 7:52 (not much faster than most of my runs last week) It really would have been a nice boost to know I could finish a simple 6 mile run at Boston pace… but it isn’t to be yet. I am not giving up though. The 6:50 mile projects to a 3:50 marathon, a little over the best I could expect, but probably about what I finish at. With a goal that now extends beyond just finishing one marathon, there is no need for me to injure myself in my first attempt.
I knew the last month before the marathon would fly by… but it is REALLY flying by. In just a few weeks it will be time for 26.2.
After the fast mile I slowed to a crawl while I tried to catch my breath and regroup. Then I got the itch to try to finish the whole run in faster than Boston pace for me… but alas… it wasn’t to be. The pace for 6 miles was 7:52 (not much faster than most of my runs last week) It really would have been a nice boost to know I could finish a simple 6 mile run at Boston pace… but it isn’t to be yet. I am not giving up though. The 6:50 mile projects to a 3:50 marathon, a little over the best I could expect, but probably about what I finish at. With a goal that now extends beyond just finishing one marathon, there is no need for me to injure myself in my first attempt.
I knew the last month before the marathon would fly by… but it is REALLY flying by. In just a few weeks it will be time for 26.2.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
46 mile week
I just finished the highest mileage week of my training... 46 miles. Not only that... but I ran most of them pretty fast. The 23 miler I took it easy, but 3 of the next 4 runs were sub 8 minute miles. Then today... a relatively easy long run of 12 miles, at a pace of 8:30. I am thinking my marathon pace will be 8:47... but I really am not too sure.
Everything is looking good. My arches started to drop a bit this week, but I don't anticipate they will be a problem. My knee feels super, as does pretty much all my other parts. Well... except I rushed out on my run today without coating up with body glide, and after a few rain showers, my... um.... nipples got rubbed raw. OUCH! (Especially ouch in the shower after the run) Ah well... just another humbling and embarrassing lesson on the road to the last six miles.
Everything is looking good. My arches started to drop a bit this week, but I don't anticipate they will be a problem. My knee feels super, as does pretty much all my other parts. Well... except I rushed out on my run today without coating up with body glide, and after a few rain showers, my... um.... nipples got rubbed raw. OUCH! (Especially ouch in the shower after the run) Ah well... just another humbling and embarrassing lesson on the road to the last six miles.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
7:57
Just a mere two days after my 23 mile run… I feel great! In fact… for today’s 7 miler I decided to give it a little speed. I can’t believe how good my legs feel! I was cruising along at 7:30 pace through 5 miles and then I felt a twinge in my foot. Strangeness. I decided so soon after my long run, best to slow down a bit and not blow a gasket. I still finished at 7:57 pace, which isn’t too bad for me. Amazingly though… it STILL isn’t at Boston pace. =( Good lord, what am I getting myself into.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Shaking off the cobwebs
Looking back on my first marathon training… there are definitely some things I would have done differently. For one, I will never run in hurricane like weather. I also think I should have done more cross training and weight training, specifically for my thighs. I think parts of my legs got too strong and others didn’t get enough work which might have led to some nagging injuries. I pretty much took the ‘just go out and run’ approach, and while it worked… I might have been a bit lucky. Next time though… lol… I think I will try to be a little more prepared. I’d like to try some speed work, which is something I couldn’t do much of this time because it felt like parts were falling off each time. I did like the feeling of speed though… and the wonderful sweet exhaustion afterward. I have never been a super sprinter… I am quick… and have quick reactions, but I ran cross country not track.
This morning was my first post 23-mile run workout. It was torturous getting out there. It was below freezing. When it was finally light enough that I could see, there were fields of frosty grass. Normally I would be running in the afternoon, but my schedule is a bit turned around right now. When I run in the AM I am right in the middle of the traffic rush to work. In my road running I have discovered the two most likely times to get run over are… 7-8 AM and 5 PM. I can sense drivers frustration with traffic when I run near 5. Sometimes traffic is backed up ½ from the nearest light… and I can sometimes hit the intersection before cars I pass. Craziness… and that craziness leads to drivers who are willing to mow you down just to get to their driveway a few minutes earlier. There was once when I was crossing an intersection and I had eye contact with a driver who was going to turn. They were not going to stop though… but hey… I had eye contact so they couldn’t possibly run me over when I had the walk (lol RUN) sign… but yep… I had to dodge their bumper as they gave me the cold stare from hell.
This morning was my first post 23-mile run workout. It was torturous getting out there. It was below freezing. When it was finally light enough that I could see, there were fields of frosty grass. Normally I would be running in the afternoon, but my schedule is a bit turned around right now. When I run in the AM I am right in the middle of the traffic rush to work. In my road running I have discovered the two most likely times to get run over are… 7-8 AM and 5 PM. I can sense drivers frustration with traffic when I run near 5. Sometimes traffic is backed up ½ from the nearest light… and I can sometimes hit the intersection before cars I pass. Craziness… and that craziness leads to drivers who are willing to mow you down just to get to their driveway a few minutes earlier. There was once when I was crossing an intersection and I had eye contact with a driver who was going to turn. They were not going to stop though… but hey… I had eye contact so they couldn’t possibly run me over when I had the walk (lol RUN) sign… but yep… I had to dodge their bumper as they gave me the cold stare from hell.
Monday, April 02, 2007
23 mile run
Yesterday was the longest run in my training so far... 23 miles, and I am officially tapering for the marathon! Well... not really. Not until after this week is complete... which will by the way... be my all-time high at 46 miles. I think I am injury free too! I am as good as at the starting line. Thank God.
There was at least one scary moment on the run. I was stretching against the back of my car after getting a drink at the 15-16 mile mark. I heard the screech of car tires and I jumped thinking I was about to get hit. When I realized I was in one piece, I turned around and there a car with smoke trailing the tires stopped partially in the road. (Busy road too) There was a man in the drivers seat and a women in the passengers seat looking at me. Once I regained my wits I walked over to the rolled down window because I figured they were trying to ask for directions or something."I thought you were pushing you car" the man said. I said nope... just going for a run or something like that and they drove off. Obviously they were just trying to help... albeit a bit strange they would think I was pushing my car in running gear, right up against a barrier. (I was park head first into a parking spot off the side of the road) At the very least… it pumped up my adrenalin for the start of my 3rd and final lap.
On my training plan, yesterday's run was 22-23 miles. So there… I could choose which to run. Originally I set my watch for 22 miles, figuring it would be best not to injure myself. But then after 22 miles, I set it for one more to reach 23. Why? Enjoying the pain too much I guess. Partially it is because my Ipod reached 23 miles before I turned it off because the calibration was a bit off… and I didn’t want that 23 mile run on my Ipod if I really only ran 22. So I ran the last mile. Or shuffled it. Old man shuffle I will call it.
Now I just have to get my legs warmed back up to move again, however unlikely that appears at the moment. Less than one month away!!! I can’t believe it. Here is something even MORE unbelievable. I am going to run the Boston Marathon someday too. I am going to RUIN it. =)
SEE
Why I want to ruin the Boston Marathon (October 15)
There was at least one scary moment on the run. I was stretching against the back of my car after getting a drink at the 15-16 mile mark. I heard the screech of car tires and I jumped thinking I was about to get hit. When I realized I was in one piece, I turned around and there a car with smoke trailing the tires stopped partially in the road. (Busy road too) There was a man in the drivers seat and a women in the passengers seat looking at me. Once I regained my wits I walked over to the rolled down window because I figured they were trying to ask for directions or something."I thought you were pushing you car" the man said. I said nope... just going for a run or something like that and they drove off. Obviously they were just trying to help... albeit a bit strange they would think I was pushing my car in running gear, right up against a barrier. (I was park head first into a parking spot off the side of the road) At the very least… it pumped up my adrenalin for the start of my 3rd and final lap.
On my training plan, yesterday's run was 22-23 miles. So there… I could choose which to run. Originally I set my watch for 22 miles, figuring it would be best not to injure myself. But then after 22 miles, I set it for one more to reach 23. Why? Enjoying the pain too much I guess. Partially it is because my Ipod reached 23 miles before I turned it off because the calibration was a bit off… and I didn’t want that 23 mile run on my Ipod if I really only ran 22. So I ran the last mile. Or shuffled it. Old man shuffle I will call it.
Now I just have to get my legs warmed back up to move again, however unlikely that appears at the moment. Less than one month away!!! I can’t believe it. Here is something even MORE unbelievable. I am going to run the Boston Marathon someday too. I am going to RUIN it. =)
SEE
Why I want to ruin the Boston Marathon (October 15)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)