Sick September

I'm about to throw myself a huge pity party, so get out now if you don't want to read something negative and downbeat.

I've essentially been sick all month long with some random chest virus that I got around the time of the VA Beach half marathon. Apparently, a virus can stay in your system for up to three months, and attack at anytime. So just when I thought I was getting better, I hit a relapse the weekend of the 13th. I rebounded within a few days, was able to run a 19-miler which felt decent, and a relatively fast set of intervals a few days later. And then, another relapse starting on the 26th. I had to leave work, despite having no sick time remaining, and I spent the rest of the day in bed. Saturday, Sunday and Monday have been rest days, too tired to even leave the house. Forget about running!

When you live alone, being sick means you don't interact with anyone. Thankfully, my mother came a few times, but aside from that, I've just spent way too much time alone. Which then of course leads to me "thinking" about the situation, and then my life in general, and a complete downward spiral.

I started thinking about how I'll be 30 in less than two months and I'm just not happy with how I spent my 20's. I know that you're not "supposed to" have regrets. I don't know what I would have done differently, but I just feel like my life has been going in circles and circles for the past 10 years. I'm learning a lot, and I'm growing and changing. But yet my actual lifestyle is the exact same. I want some sort of change-- I want to move. But I don't know where, when and how. I don't feel like I am maximizing my potential, and that I am far too "comfortable" in my lifestyle. Being comfortable makes it very difficult for you to want to make any dramatic changes to your life.

I run because it keeps me motivated and it gives me something to look forward to. I feel like I am working toward something every day! There are always new frontiers to reach. New races to experience, new PRs to set. When I can't do that, my whole world feels so pointless. Until I can figure out what major life change I need to make, I have running to keep me going. To keep me moving forward, when everything else in my life just goes in circles and circles.

My one goal for the year (to qualify for Boston) is now down the tubes, and the marathon itself doesn't even look possible at this point. This was the one thing that motivated me every single day-- since the day I registerd for the race back in February. Even when I was running marathons in the Spring I knew that those weren't really the "A" races. And then, just six weeks away when everything was going perfectly, I get hit with a chest virus that has now lasted a full month. Is this supposed to be the grande finale of an entire year's worth of work?

I just wish I had some answers here because I am extremely confused.

Post-Viral Fatigue

I went to the doctor today for the third time since I got sick. Only this time, I saw my regular sports medicine doctor, who I trust a lot more than the on-call doctor I had seen the past two times.

I got a chest x-ray and he listened to my heart and lungs. Everything was normal, thankfully. The bad news is that he didn't think I would be fully recovered in time for my marathon on October 11.

He said that I had post-viral fatigue when can last for 8-12 weeks! This would explain my slightly elevated heart rate during runs, and my overall sense of tiredness that I feel throughout the day. He told me that I could probably run the marathon, but I need to not have a goal time. I also have to be prepared to walk off the course if I feel fatigued (beyond "normal" marathon fatigue). In the meantime, I should train "as tolerated".

At this point, I still plan on running Hartford. The only way I wouldn't run it would be if the majority of the runs in the two weeks leading up to the race felt crappy. Which is a real possibility. I won't have a time goal, and it will simply be another marathon to cross off my list. I know it could be worse, and I need to be thankful that my heart is healthy.

But this entire year has been a struggle for me running-wise. I love this sport so much and yet I can't seem to catch a break. Once my injuries finally went away, then I got this stupid virus. I certainly regret doing the VA Beach half marathon. The doctor said that the heat exhaustion put extra stress on my body, and is the likely culprit of the extended recovery time.

I've heard a lot of horror stories from runners this summer about their races in the heat/humidity, so I think I seriously need to consider running a race in those conditions, and I hope my readers will do the same.

Heartache

The goal I set for myself nearly a year ago of qualifying for the Boston Marathon this fall is officially washed out. I had to shave 11 minutes off of my personal best from March, and since I was injured throughout April and May, it was contingent upon me following my training plan to the letter. I've now missed over a week due to a viral infection that I caught during the VA Beach half marathon, and the runs I was able to do last week weren't all that great. Missing all this time might have been acceptable back in June or July, but not at this critical time. With just six weeks to go, training is critical, and even my book says to revise my goal if I miss 10 days or more. Which I have.

I knew I should have stopped running at mile 6 of the half marathon. Something felt really "off" and yet I kept going. Mainly because I knew I had to get back to the finish line, and I only had 7 more miles to go. But it really did me in, and I haven't felt the same ever since the race.

After a major setback into the illness on Sunday, and a failure to complete even half of my long run, I decided to stop running until I can get a proper diagnosis from the doctor. My heart rate was 10-12 BPM too fast and I was completely fatigued by the end of it. I spent the rest of the day in bed. At this point, I will be thankful to simply complete the marathon. I've been to the doctor twice and yet I'm still having pressure/tightness in my chest. Specifically, on the left side around the area of my heart. At first, the doctor suspected it was a virus of the heart, but she ruled it out through my EKG, which was normal. It's not overtraining, because that wouldn't involve chest pressure-- and people who "overtrain" typically lose their motivation and desire to run. (And I haven't!) I won't speculate anymore in this blog as to what I have, because I don't want to un-necessarily frighten my blog readers. Hopefully I will have some answers on Wednesday when I go to see my sports medicine doctor.

My mother and many others have reminded me that my overall health is much more important than running. Somehow, this concept isn't so easy for me to grasp. Really, the main reason I want to be well is to be able to run. I'm more passionate about running than anything else in my life. I don't have a husband or a family like most people my age, so this is what I have devoted my heart to. It's probably hard for non-athletes to understand this passion, but for me, it's been the organizing principle of my life for a long time.

My personality suits me perfectly for running. I'm extremely motivated, goal-oriented, passionate, perfectionistic, with a strong belief in the "effort-result" system. I have a need for structure and control in my life, and running every day provides me with that. Even when I wasn't running because of my knee injury, I still was able to exercise, and now I am not.

I've had a lot of disappointments in life because I believe that I should be acknowledged for my hard work and dedication. I can name quite a few examples of it now, but I won't go into it. I thought that with running, I would be exempt from that. Since the judge is 100% objective (the clock) and I'm only competing against myself, really, then dedicated marathon training should yield results. So far, it always has. And it's provided me with a huge sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

But now, I feel like all I really got out of it was this illness that could potentially prevent me from running this marathon, or worse, marathons in the future.

No wonder my heart aches.

Sick, Sick, Sick

I have been sick ever since the half marathon on Sunday.

I felt like I was possibly coming down with something the day before the race, with a slight sore throat and feeling more tired than normal, but I just took some Airborne (immunity booster) and ignored it. I expected to feel badly the next day (which I did), but then on Tuesday, I was completely fatigued and so lethargic that I could barely move around my house. I figured it was the after effects of dehydration, but now I think it was probably a combination of dehydration along with a really nasty bug.

I never did understand the difference between a cold and the flu, but whatever this is, it has knocked me out pretty badly. I am on day 5 of no running, and I am hoping to salvage a long run on Sunday. That's probably wishful thinking, though, given how I feel at the moment.

We only get five days of sick leave a year at my job, which I think is far too few. I think that if you are sick and you have a full-time, salaried position, you should be able to take off work. You are getting paid a yearly salary to do a job-- not hourly wages! Anyway, I used two of my sick days in June just as the training program was starting. And then I used the last three Tuesday-Thursday. So, I am here in the office today, feeling very sick and tired. My main symptoms are body aches (upper back and chest), major pressure behind my ears, and extreme fatigue. The sore throat has diminished to some extent.

I don't think I will be very productive at work today, but at least I'm following the rules.

I am worried that this will affect my marathon in October. I have less than six weeks to go. On one hand, I did complete the program flawlessly up until now, hitting all of the proper paces, getting all the miles in, etc. However, endurance is my strong point anyway, and what I really need to work on is speed, which is what this last phase focuses on. This week called for intervals of 1000m, a medium-long run of 12 miles, and a marathon-pace run of 14 miles. I think I will just take my long run easy on Sunday (if I am well enough to actually get out there). And then do this week's schedule next week. Comparing this week and next week, it seems that this week is more intense and would yield better training benefit than next week. This means I will have to drop out of my 5K next week, though.

But all I can do is my best!

93% Humidity + 78 Degress = BAD RACE!

The title of this blog pretty much sums up my experience at the VA Beach Rock 'N Roll half marathon yesterday. I've now run this race three times (2005, 2006, 2008) and each time, I have not managed to finish under 2:00. Yet nearly all of my other half marathons have been well under 2:00.

I have a love-hate relationship with this race for sure! I love the hype, the beach, the flatness, the expo, and the relative proximity to my house. I hate the weather!!!

The D-Tag
I am very skeptical about how reliable this Chrono Track system is. At the 20K a few weeks ago, there was a large group of finishers whose results didn't appear until four days after the race. At the expo, they had a test station set up to test the D-Tag, and lo and behold-- it wasn't working! "You'll be fine tomorrow," they assured the runners. "We just can't get the test system working."

I also don't like how this tag doesn't really work with elastic YANKZ laces. The way the laces are shaped, you can't really put the tag underneath them without the laces falling incorrectly. So, I used the cable tie that was meant for the gear check bag to affix my tag to my laces. I later learned that my splits were recorded incorrectly (I certainly did not run the first 5K at a 7:50 pace), and that my finish time is also off (I was actually 8 seconds faster, according to my watch). I don't care enough to have them correct it, though.

Before the Race
In 2006, the pre-race drama of getting to the satellite parking lot was really what killed my spirit and motivation. But this year, I was able to park just a few blocks from the start line at my friend's beach condo. I got there nice and early and walked to the start line. I was hoping to meet up with a few Big Cats and other friends. Luckily, Dave (ADRNLEN) found me.

I've only raced without a tank top once before, but I frequently train in just the sports bra. I figured I needed all the help I could get with the heat/humidity combo. I said goodbye to Dave and then made my way to the corral. I definitely liked the "wave" system. In past races, there have been corrals, but it seemed like everyone started at the same time. This year, there was a minute and a half between when the corrals were released. As a result, I felt like there was no crowding on the course.

Miles 1-4
I started off at what felt like an appropriate, sustainable pace. There was a slight downhill here, so that contributed to me going out a little faster than planned. I was hoping to go out at an 8:15, but logged the first mile in 8:04. It felt good, though, and I figured I should try and maintain it before it became too hot and humid. I carried my own water bottle with me (a small one) so that I could skip the first three water stations.

Mile 1- 8:04
Mile 2- 8:14
Mile 3- 8:23
Mile 4- 8:25

Miles 5-9
During mile 3, I had poured water all over myself and some of it got into my shoe. In past marathons, I've had this same water-in-the shoe feeling, but it always dried out after awhile. This time, it wasn't. My left foot started to feel really wierd and numb-like, and I came to a point where I felt like I had to stop and take the shoe off. I did, and I shook the water out of the shoe and shook my sock as well.

Afterwards, that same sensation came back and about half a mile later, I was forced to stop again. When I stopped for the second time, I realized how completely tired and winded I was. And I couldn't get going at the same pace again. My upper back was hurting, I felt a bit crampy in my stomach and I was extremely fatigued. I walked a little bit, and then started running, but I felt horrible.

Starting at mile 7 I was thinking that I wouldn't be able to finish the race. I wanted to get off the course and sit down. I was wondering if it was the 55-mile week I had just come off of, or perhaps running 11 miles the Tuesday before the race. But really, it was just the humidity zapping me. I was drinking plenty of water, and I had pre-hydrated for two days with Electrolyte-enhanced Smart water. I also ate two packs of sports beans during the race, which contain electrolytes. And yet, something still felt wrong.

Mile 5- 8:43
Mile 6- 9:28
Mile 7- 10:34
Mile 8- 10:22
Mile 9- 9:35

Miles 10- 13.1 
I kept looking around me to see if the people running near me were in my same corral. There was a huge mix. I saw some people from corral 2. Some from corral 10. I saw the 1:52 pacers (I know-- an
odd finish time to have a pace group) and I knew there was no way they were going to finish in 1:52. All I wanted to do was get to the finish line.

I was incredibly thirsty, too, and was drinking multiple cups of water at each station. I felt sooo sluggish and awful. I was soaked in sweat and the water I kept pouring on myself. I was seriously predicting a finish time of 2:15, but luckily I was able to hold it together somewhat.

Mile 10- 10:25
Mile 11- 10:25 1
Mile 12- 10:02
Mile 13- 9:52
Last 0.1- 9:58 pace.

The Finish
It was kind of pathetic that the last 0.1 was a 9:58 pace and it felt like a sprint. But that's what it was! I was so happy to be done with the race. I felt awful afterwards, and it took me about 15 minutes to feel "right" again. I got to a point where I had to sit down and was seeing black spots. But that didn't last for long. I kept hearing runners say that they had never felt so awful after a race before. At least this validated that it wasn't just me who was having problems.

I made my way back to my friend's condo where I took an ice bath. I didn't understand how my legs could be so achy with that pace. I do training runs faster than that and my legs feel 100% afterwards, and the next day.

Stats
Finish time according to my watch: 2:03:36 (9:25 pace)
Finish time according to the D-Tag: 2:03:42
Average finish time: 2:31
Average finish time for women: 2:39
10K split according to my watch: 53:06
10K split according to the D-Tag: 51:59

I placed 3410 of 16016 overall finishers (top 21%)
I placed 1157 of 9224 women (top 12%)
I placed 279 of 1902 women in my age group (top 14%)

I'm pretty satisfied with how I placed. And I know I put out all the effort I could muster. Whereas in 2006, I just gave up mentally. I'm still going for a BQ in October.

Peak Week!

I "peaked" with my marathon training this week-- meaning that I ran more miles this week than any other week of the program. I'm definitely feeling it right now! Here is a recap of my week.

Monday- 6 mi The week started off easy with six miles at a "recovery" pace of 10:30. As I approached the end of the run, I did six 100m strides. The purpose of this type of speedwork isn't to get your heart rate up, but to improve your form. The faster you run, the better your form needs to be. So, I ran these strides as fast as 6:55/mile pace. When this was done, I did some core work and upper body strength training. No matter how many miles I am running, I do not want to abandon my core training-- I believe it is crucial to injury prevention. On Monday evening, I went for a sports massage. I have been getting sports massages every two weeks since June, and I think they are helping to keep my muscles loose.

Tuesday- 12 mi w/7 at tempo There is some controversy as to whether or not 7 miles is too long for a tempo run. Especially when embedded inside a longer run of 12 miles. I did this run on the treadmill. A 3.5 mile warmup, 7 tempo miles, and then a 1.5 mile cool down. The tempo miles felt challenging, but they actually got easier as the run progressed. I increased my speed throughout the course of the run. The tempo miles were: 8:18, 8:16, 8:09, 8:05, 8:03, 8:03, 8:00. Average 8:08 pace. I was tired at the end, but felt like I could have gone for longer if I had to. This run has helped me set a half-marathon goal pace of 8:10 for the VA Beach Half next weekend.

Wednesday- Rest! I was pleasantly surprised that I had no lingering soreness or aches from Tuesday's run. I never used to recover so quickly.

Thursday- 12 mi Another mid-week 12-miler. I started this run on the treadmill, because it was still dark at 5:00am. And then after 6 miles, I took the run outside for the second half. I started out at a pace of 9:50, and sped up to a pace of 8:48 by the end of the run. The average pace was 9:23.

Friday- 5 mi Another recovery run at a pace of 10:30. I didn't feel like I could go much faster. My legs felt like bricks. They were so heavy and tired. The two 12-milers had really taken their toll. Apparently, this is normal for intense training. I am training my legs how to run when they are tired. After the run, I spent about 15 minutes stretching and using the foam roller. Afterwards, my legs felt better. I also did some core strengthing exercises, and upper body weights. It's not good to do too much weight lifting on recovery days, because then your body uses some of its "resources" to re-build the muscles you worked. But, I want to maintain a minimum of 2 times per week with weights.

Saturday- 20 mi As I set out on this run, I was not too optimistic about how it would go. My legs felt heavy and tired. 8 miles into it, I simply couldn't imagine completing the full 20. But I kept reminding myself that I was supposed to feel this way, and the this run was supposed to be slow. Thankfully, the weather was nearly perfect. Upper 60's and cloudy. The parts of my run that are typically hellish due to the sun were really nice because the clouds were out. The run averaged a pace of 9:32, which is perfectly within range for my marathon goal pace.

Miles 1-5: 9:50, 9:48, 9:53, 9:51, 9:41 Miles 6-10: 9:49, 9:38, 9:32, 9:23, 9:25 Miles 11-15: 9:28, 9:21, 9:21, 9:23, 9:25 Miles 16-20: 9:32, 9:25, 9:28, 9:07, 9:07

During the last section, I was thinking: I can stop at mile 17 and take a break. (Arrive at mile 17 and keep going). Okay, 18 miles is good, I know that I will have to stop then for a break. (Arrive at mile 18 and keep going). Okay, 19 miles is all I can do. Once I get to 19, I am walking. (Arrive at mile 19 and keep going). Hell, I'll just finish the damn run!!!

The last time I attempted 20 miles, I started having ITB issues at mile 16. I was only able to run 19 miles instead of the full 20. I am pretty sure it was because of the shoes. I love my Nikes, but I have found that they aren't supportive enough for runs longer than 12 miles. Today I was in the Adrenaline GTS 8, and everything was pain-free. I never take a pain-free run for granted. And I am happy to say that this entire week was pain-free and injury free. Just some really tired legs!

Total Mileage: 55

Next on tap is the VA Beach RNR Half marathon on Sunday, August 31. You can track me live, and I will be providing details for that in a bulletin later this week. I am bib 5257, and I expect to finish around 1:47:00.

 

The Leesburg 20K

This morning I ran the Leesburg 20K. My first 20K ever! The weather was abnormally nice for this time of year with very low humidity and temperatures in the lower 70's. The majority of the course was shaded, which also helped.

As many of you know, I am closely following a prescribed marathon training plan for my BQ attempt in October. This weekend, the plan called for 15 miles, with 12 of them being at my marathon goal pace. I ended up running 16 miles, with 12.4 of them being at my marathon goal pace exactly: 8:25. An 8:25 marathon pace equates to a 3:40 marathon, which is a BQ!

Before the Race The race was located about 30 miles west of me. I picked up my friend Lauren on the way (she's run this race every year for the past few years) and she briefed me on the course. I did NOT use my iPod for this race. I knew that it would be a crowded course, run on a narrow trail, and I wanted to be sure I could hear people around me. I can hear even with my iPod, but for some reason, I just thought it would be better to leave it at home.

We arrived at the race, picked up our bib numbers and "ChronoTrack" RFID tags.

New Timing System This new RFID system was being debuted at this race. I wasn't particularly pleased about this. I have my own personal timing chip, which saves me a dollar off of my entry fee. But now with the RFID, I don't get that discount. But what bothers me more is that this technology has not been tested and used as much as the ChampionChip system. In fact, when the Houston Marathon announced that they would be using the RFID tags instead of chips, so many people complained, that they decided to use the chip after all.

The RFID tag is called the "D Tag" and it's a piece of paper that comes attached ot your bib. You make a "D" shape with it and attach it to your shoe. It's much bigger and bulkier than the timing chip, and with my YANKZ laces, it took me awhile to figure out how to affix it. Luckily, Lauren did it for me and she made it secure.

Currently, the online results show that anyone who finished between 1:58 and 2:23 was not timed. There is a huge gap in the results, and I am suspecting it's because of this new timing system. I hope they get it figured out and that all those runners don't go un-scored.

Anyway, after putting the tag on my shoe, I ran a warmup mile on the course. I then met back up with Lauren and we headed to the start.

The Course This course is an out-and-back. When you go out, it's a gradual incline the entire way. I don't recall any part of the course that was flat. And of course, on the way back, there is a gradual downhill the entire way.

Miles 1-4 I knew that the first half of the course would be much more challenging than coming back. One of my friends said to me "If you can't negative split on this course, then you'll never be able to." I almost always try and negative split, so with these conditions, I expected a very heavy negative split.

My strategy was to run the race based on effort. I had my watch and I was recording my mile splits, but I didn't let that dictate my pace. I wanted to practice putting out an effort that "felt" like marathon pace. So I pretty much ignored what my watch was saying and I ran based on effort. I was going for an effort level that was just slightly slower than my tempo pace.

Mile 1: 8:28 Mile 2: 8:34 Mile 3: 8:35 Mile 4: 8:36

Miles 5-8 After four miles, I was really wanting the turnaround to come. I was really getting tired of this uphill battle. There was just no relief. Not a single area that was flat! At mile 6, there was a steep downhill, which was a nice change, but I knew that it would become a steep uphill on the way back. Meaning, I wouldn't be quite "out of the woods" after the turnaround.

I ate my sports beans at mile 5. After eating those, I finally felt "good". I don't necessarily think it was the extra energy that helped. I think it was that I finally got into the "groove" of running this race. Speed is not my thing-- endurance is. I typically feel more comfortable during a run once I am 4-5 miles into it.

Finally, I reached the turnaround and breathed a sigh of relief. I figured that my shot at averaging goal pace

was lost. Most all of my miles had been slower than my target and I figured there would be no way I could make that up on the way back. But I told myself I still needed to run based on effort level.

Mile 5: 8:48 Mile 6: 8:07 (steep downhill) Mile 7: 8:21 Mile 8: 9:00 (steep uphill)

Miles 9-12 This was the best part of the race. I literally felt like I was flying through the miles. It felt so easy. I think I could have even pushed harder, but once again-- I wanted to base my effort on perceived "marathon pace". It was such a nice reward to finally be running fast and feeling strong. I started to get a bit of my ache on the side of my knee near the IT Band insertion point. But it held out pretty well until the end.

Mile 9: 8:25 Mile 10: 8:05 Mile 11: 8:07 Mile 12: 7:54

The Finish I knew that to be at Marathon pace, I had to finish in about 1:43. I looked at my watch and I figured I could finish in 1:44, and still average my BQ pace. The last 0.4 was actually uphill, so I slowed down a tiny bit, and finished in 1:44:26. I don't know how I placed because there are probably 100+ runners who did not get scored. (At least for now, there is a huge gap in the results).

As soon as I realized that I did hit my marathon goal pace average, I was very pleased. I also had "gas in the tank" to go run another 2.5 miles after I dropped Lauren off at her home. Totaling 16 for the day, 47 for the week. At this point in my training, marathon pace should feel challenging, but not like a full-effort. That's how I paced myself, and I ended up meeting my target. Of course, this would yield a 3:40:40 marathon, but hey. . . if I do BQ, I am expecting it will be by the skin of my teeth! If this race had continued for another 0.7 miles and I had maintained my pace, I would have set a half marathon PR.

In terms of injuries, the run was pain free for the most part. At one point, I felt a slight ache on the outside of my knee, so I stopped to tighten my PAT strap and that took care of it. The knee issue that I was dealing with at the beginning of this program seems to have disappeared 100%.

Congratulations to Lauren, and it was great seeing you today!!!!!

Training Mishaps

 

When I began this training cycle, I thought that the only thing that would get in my way would be me getting too sore from too many miles. I was wrong. In fact, I am significantly less sore with this training than I have been in the past. I think the key factors are that I am purposely running slower, and I am keeping up with the strength training. My knee is not perfect, but it's been holding up pretty well, with some minor twinges here and there.

There have been two rather painful and frustrating roadblocks this week. This week was my first 50-mile week, and all 50 miles are complete! But not without some drama.

On Monday, after that insanely hot/humid weekend last weekend, my gym's air conditioning was broke. I walked in and the place felt so hot. I would have taken my run outdoors, but it was still dark, and I hadn't planned on that mentally. It was really hot and humid outside, as well. This was the worst possible day of the week (actually the worst possible day in the past two weeks) that the AC could have died-- a speed workout! The program called for 10 miles with five of them at "tempo" pace.

My strategy was to start with the fan on low and my shirt on, and then when the fast miles started, I would turn the fan to high and remove my shirt, to run in just a sports bra. This strategy didn't work, because the tempo miles were still extremely hot. I began at a pace of 8:16, which normally would be on the slow end of things, with the hopes of speeding up. I only held that for two miles and then gradually had to slow down. I averaged 8:23 for the five tempo miles, which isn't too off-base, but I felt like I was putting out an 8:00 effort. When I was done with the tempo, I still had a few slow miles left, which felt virtually impossible. Finally, I was finished. I was literally drenched in sweat, and my face was beet red. My face stayed red for the next two hours-- even at work! I drank two 24-oz sports bottles of water during the run, and still somehow managed to lose two pounds.

The next day, when I only had to run 4 very slow miles, the AC was working again. Figures!!!

Yesterday, I headed out for 18 miles. I was a bit nervous about this run, because these 18 miles would bring me to 50 for the week-- territory that I hadn't approached since last October. The run went fine, and I was amazed how my legs didn't get sore or anything. But at the beginning of mile 15, a bee flew underneath my sunglasses and stung me right below the eye!!!  I let out a scream and tossed my sunglasses onto the ground, breaking them. (It's okay- they were cheap). With my runner's instinct, I immediately stopped my watch, too!  

I was sort of crying, but I couldn't tell because there was so much sweat on my face! There were quite a few runners and walkers around, but no one stopped to see if I was okay. After a minute or so, I asked a walker if she could tell me what it looked like under my eye. She said it was red, but it didn't look too awful. I tossed some water on it from my bottle, and waited a few minutes, and then continued on. It hurt though. Badly! I hadn't been stung by a bee in over 10 years. I forgot how much it hurt. Especially right under my eye. I ran those last three miles at a much faster pace than I had been going just to get the darn thing over with. I ended up averaging 9:23 for the 18 miles-- exactly one full minute slower than marathon goal pace.

I only live 2 miles from the trail, but it took me 10 minutes to get home, because I literally hit every single red light. The sting lasted a good 9-10 hours and I was miserable. But today, it's fine and I am here to tell the tale!

This coming week, I am planning on running 54 miles!  I'm a bit antsy about Thursday's 11-mile run, with 6 miles at tempo pace, but let's just hope the AC doesn't break again!

Treadmill Marathon World Record Attempt

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of watching Michael Wardian attempt to break the world record for the fastest marathon run on a treadmill.

The event was held at Pacers running store in Fairfax. My good friend Michael Hayden is friends with Wardian, and he flew into town just to support Wardian in his efforts! Michael Hadyen and I got a chance to hang out and catch up while watching Wardian's treadmill efforts. It was really amazing to watch. He needed a 2:21, which is a treadmill pace of between 11.3-11.4 MPH. I can't even get the treadmill up to 9.0 MPH when I do my speed intervals! Anyway, I took quite a few photos of Wardian, as well as some video footage. One of my hobbies is video editing, and here is what I came up with.

And a photo:

Shoe Acquisition Syndrome

I'm a shoe whore.

In my closet, I currently have:

4 pairs of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6 (two brand new, one in-use, one "dead")
1 pair of Brooks Adrenaline Trail Shoes
1 pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7 (gave me lateral knee pain, I don't wear them.)
1 pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8 (these are okay, but the fit isn't quite right)
1 pair of Brooks Trance (thanks Mike Hayden)
1 pair of Brooks Axiom (for racing)
1 pair of Asics Gel Evolution (because my PT recommended them)

Most of these shoes are fairly new, with less than 50 miles on them. This is because I have been in search of the "perfect" shoe ever since my GTS 6 was discontinued, and it takes about 50 miles to determine if a shoe will work or not (once you decided you liked it enough in the store to buy it). I track shoe mileage in my training log, so I know exactly how much each has been used. The typical life of a shoe is 300-500 miles. But mine typically only get 250 before they lose their support.

Someone recommended that I try Nike shoes, because they run narrower than most. My problem with the new Adrenaline GTS 8 is that the fit is sloppy, particularly in the heel cup. Additionally, it has far too much cushion, like running on a mattress. I like the shoe enough that I am going to continue to wear it, it's just that it's not quite right.

I had no intention of buying new shoes anytime soon because I have plenty! But I passed by a running store yesterday and could not resist the urge to just try a pair of Nikes, or even another pair that the store recommended. The guy at the store pulled out a pair of Nike Air Zoom Structure Triax +11.

I put them on, and they fit like a glove! I ran up and down the block while the guy at the store watched. He said that I looked well supported in them. They felt amazing. The fit was perfect. The ride was smooth and responsive, with just the right amount of cushion. I had no pain in my feet or legs.  As it turns out, these shoes are 0.3 ounces lighter than the Brooks Adrenaline, and every little bit adds up over a long distance, such as 26.2 miles. In other words, these shoes have the potential to make me go a little bit faster.

This morning, I took them to the gym for a treadmill run. My plan was just to test them out and break them in for 2-3 miles, and then switch the the Brooks Adrenaline. Even with the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6, I have to do a few short runs to break them in and prevent blisters the first few times. Well, to my surprise, I just didn't want to take these babies off my feet. I loved how they felt. I ended up running 8 pain-free miles. No chafing, blisters, or anything. I can't even do that with my beloved GTS 6 on the first run! I even did some 100m strides (per my training program), accelerating to a 7:00 pace, and the shoes were very responsive and supportive.

I'm in love! When you run as many miles as I do, a good running shoe makes all the difference in the world. So, I would rather have a closet full of barely-used shoes than a bunch of injuries and/or uncomfortable runs. I do, however, plan on using all my Brooks Adrenalines, including the GTS 8. But as part of a rotation with my new Nikes.

 

"Let's Just See What Happens" is NOT a goal!

Today I ran my 4th consecutive Lawyer's Have Heart 10K in Washington DC. I was in no shape to race a 10K this morning, but seeing as I have never missed a year of this race since I started racing, I figured I should still get out there.

On Wednesday morning, I woke up extremely fatigued with muscle aches. I had to cut my workout short, and I felt so tired that I didn't even go into work. The same thing on Thursday and Friday. It felt like I had the flu, or mono even, because I was so extremely lethargic and exhausted. Only there was no accompanying sore throat or congestion. I didn't work out Thursday or Friday, and I was fairly sure that the 10K race wouldn't be possible for me on Saturday. This was really de-moralizing because it was my first "official" week of marathon training with my knee recovered, and I spent it sleeping.

I woke up this morning thinking I would do the race. I didn't feel fatigued like I had the past few days. Then I checked the weather and learned that it was already in the mid 70's and humid. I decided that it would probably be best to just do a slow long run on the treadmill. But then I stepped outside and it didn't seem too horrendous, so I decided I should do it.

And then I told myself that no real good could come of the race. I knew I would get tired quickly in the heat and not even come close to a PR. So what would the point be? It was a disaster waiting to happen, that would only end in me feeling badly about my time. Well, this went back and forth at least 10 times until I finally decided that I wanted to go to the race. I would stop by the gym for a 1.5 treadmill warmup, and then do a 1.5 cooldown on it afterwards, so I could make up for some of the miles I missed earlier in the week.

I decided not to wear my iPod for this one. And I'm not sure why. I think that if I had it, it might have actually helped motivate me. A few weeks ago, I was thinking that my target goal would be a course PR: sub-50:59. Not a distance PR because I have been doing almost no speed work, thanks to my knee injury. But now with the mystery illness and the muggy heat, my plan was simply to use the race as a tempo workout. And my goal: "let's just see what happens."

"Let's-just-see-what-happens" really doesn't motivate you when times get tough in a race. I went out at a pace that I considered conservative (8:30) with plans to speed up later in the race. I clocked an 8:20 for the second mile, so I was on target for getting faster. But then the heat really started to get to me, my back began to ache (like it had been earlier in the week), so I slowed back down to an 8:30 for the third mile. I have to add here that I saw a woman running in velvet pants. Yes, navy blue velvet pants. My only thought was that she was using this race as some kind of hot weather conditioning.

After the third mile, I sort of decided that I was done with the race. I was really tired, I knew I wasn't going to get a course PR, and I didn't even have a goal other than "let's-just-see-what-happens." I clocked an 8:49 for the 4th mile, and told myself that I just had a nice 4-mile tempo run. (Actually, my "tempo" pace should be a lot faster, but given the heat, it was certainly tempo effort).

During the 5th mile, I walked through a water station, and just couldn't get going again. I didn't really want to. I couldn't believe I was walking during a 10K, but it felt so good to walk! After nearly a minute, I reminded myself that I was in a race. Oops. I began to run again, but at a very easy pace. I was so hot and tired that I just wanted to get to the finish line.

My last two miles were both at a 9:38 pace (including the walking). This doesn't really make sense to me because I walked during mile 5, but not mile 6, so the pace shouldn't be the same. But it was. I crossed the finish line in 55:25 for an average pace of 8:55. Yeah, I ran the Shamrock marathon at a faster pace. It was pretty upsetting to make the realization that I couldn't even run 6.2 miles at the same speed as I ran 26.2 in March.

I know that I lost two months of solid training because of injuries and am just now getting into it. And that I had been sick for most of the week, But still. This is the slowest I have ever ran this race, by over two minutes.

To regain some confidence I have registered for a 4-mile race next weekend. It's an evening race, and I typically don't have much energy at night, but I need to redeem myself! I'm not terribly disappointed because I did end up running a total of 9 miles today, 4 of which were at a tempo effort. Additionally, my knee was pain free! I used the taping technique that my physical therapist showed me, as well as the patella strap. I'm feeling pretty good now, so I hope to be on track with week two of marathon training.

The Road to Boston Passes Through Hartford

Hartford, CT, that is. In order to run the prestigious Boston Marathon, I must first qualify, and I plan on doing that at the Hartford Marathon on Saturday, October 11, 2008. I need to run the race in 3:40:59 or faster.

Why do I think I can qualify?
This will be my 8th marathon, but my first attempt to qualify for Boston. I'll need to shave 11 minutes off of the time I ran last March-- the 3:51:49. Looking back on my training log leading up to this race, there was only six weeks of consistent training. I was injured for the second half of December and the first part of January. I only trained from late January to early March, and then I tapered. If I extend that out to an 18-week training program, I think I will see a faster result. Additionally, my weekly mileage (a large factor in marathon performance) was about 40-45 when training for Shamrock. The program I plan to undertake has me running an average of 45-55 miles per week.

Why Hartford of all places?
At first, I thought I would use the Steamtown marathon to qualify. It has a net decrease in elevation, and most of the race is downhill. But then I thought twice about that. I would have to do a lot of downhill training, and there isn't really proper terrain for that around here. Additionally, all of my marathons have been flat or slightly hilly. I know what I am getting into with a flat course, so I figured I should veer away from Steamtown and find something flat.

My next thought was going to Chicago. About as flat as they come! I earned myself a position in one of the faster starting corrals, so I wouldn't have to worry about weaving through people in the first few miles. Plus, I was supposed to run that last year but I ended up dropping out due to injury. But then I realized that Chicago would be somewhat of a "production" with the travel, getting to the start line, etc. And I wanted something a bit lower key.

So, I did my research and I discovered Hartford. It's a quick flight (which I assumed would be inexpensive, but it's not) and I was able to get a hotel right next to the start/finish area. It's a small enough for there not to be crowding on the course, but large enough to have crowd support (about 1500 runners). It's flat, and has a great reputation. I convinced my friend Jenna to run this one with me, and we are hoping that our friend Randi will join us as well. Also, the race is on a Saturday, which I prefer to a Sunday race. Hartford in October should be ideal race weather (upper 40's - lower 50's in the morning), but I guess you can never be sure!

What are the possible roadblocks?
Injury. My knee is about 99% recovered (I ran 8 pain-free miles yesterday). In order to stay injury free, I plan on monitoring my resting heart rate in the morning when I wake up. I will continue with my core strengthening routine, as well as lower-body strengthening. Most importantly, I will listen to my body for signals that I am doing too much. If I don't get injured, I am fairly confident I will qualify.

What about a training philosophy?
I'm approaching this marathon very differently from those in the past. In the past, I was very goal-focused, and now I plan to focus more heavily on the training, itself, as its own reward. I am only doing two races between now and the marathon (one of them is next weekend) so I won't have that kind of "high". Instead, I am highly enthusiastic about my training, acknowledging the benefits of training-- not just the "reward" of getting a good time. I'll probably blog more about my training than I have in the past-- simply because training will take the place of all the races I used to run. And I need support from you all! Anything can happen on race day, so if I focus all my energy on that particular day, I could be really let down (bad weather, illness, injury, etc.) So I need to stay focused on the benefits I am getting from simply training.

Track my Training!
If you go to the right hand colum on the page, there is a link to view my training log. You can click on that and get an up-to-date view of what I've been doing. Right now, all you will see is someone who's been gradually ramping up miles with short/easy runs, accompanied by a great deal of cross training. A month from now, this will be a bit more exciting!

The program starts tomorrow. I'm standing at the unofficial start line of my BQ journey. Wish me luck.