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.

Come What May

May has been quite a unique month for me. There was no single big "event" but rather a lot of changes and adjustments.

Injury Recovery
Instead of my traditional "running" training, I have been training for overall fitness this month. My main focus has been injury recovery and prevention. Injury recovery (from patellar tendonitis) has involved cutting way back on my mileage and slowing down the speed of my runs. Additionally, I have been icing my knee several times a day and going to physical therapy weekly. As for prevention, I have been stretching every day, and doing a lot of strengthening exercise. It's possible that weak quad muscles caused my injury, so I have been doing a lot of exercises for my quads.  My recovery is coming along well. I would say that my knee is about 90% healed, with some days being better than others.

Strength Training
To prevent other kinds of injuries, I have also been doing a lot of lower body strengthing, with a major focus on the abs, lower back, glutes, inner/outter thighs, calves, and hamstrings. After a month of hard work, I think I have established the strength needed to begin marathon training in June. My hope is that my strength training will also result in the ability to run faster. It will be a challenge to maintain this strength as a pack on the miles, mainly because I only have a limited number of hours in the day to dedicate towards working out-- but I need to make it a priority.

Cardio/Endurance Training
On top of all of this, I have been swimming and biking (stationery bike). Due to "plica" I discovered during last summer's bike ride in Italy, I know that my maximum bike ride is about 20 minutes. Otherwise, the inside of my knee hurts. I have mainly been using biking to warm up prior to my stretching and strengthening. The bulk of my cardio has come from swimming. It was amazing to see myself improve so quickly with the swimming! Back in April, I could only swim for about 15-20 minutes before I needed to stop and take a break. And now I can go for nearly 45 minutes non-stop. I've also increased swimming speed. My waterproof iPod case and headphones have really helped make swimming more enjoyable, as well. Here are the monthly totals:

Miles Swum: 14.7
Miles Biked: 33
Miles Run: 39.2
Strength training sessions: 17

It's been disheartening to watch my mileage go from 91 in March, down to 66 in April, and now 39 in May. My monthly totals for last year were all well above 100! (I typically average around 150).  Anyway, I do feel really good about what I have accomplished this month in terms of balancing my workouts. I really, really hope my knee is ready for the rigorous training program I have planned for it. I guess that all serious runners need some down time and these past three months have been mine. True-- I did run two marathons. But only one of them was at full effort, and my monthly mileage has been an all-time low. 

June, here I come!

Pesky Little 5K

Every time I run a 5K, about halfway through, I ask myself why I registered for this race? What am I doing here? Why do I subject myself to such torture? My lungs ache almost the entire way as I struggle for oxygen. At the end I am always gasping for breath, and I have to wait a few minutes to even be able to remove my chip from my shoe.

But then I ask myself when the next one is. 

The 5K is a very frustrating distance for me. My key strength or "sweet spot" in marathoning is the pacing strategy. I always run even splits, with each mile being run at about the same pace. I've also run negative splits, both in full and half marathons. When it comes to the 5K, though, I cannot pace myself. In my marathoner's mind, I think "Only 3.1 miles- I should be able to run this way faster than marathon pace!" So I go out at a pace that feels fast, which I can only maintain for about 1.5 miles, before slowing down.

This morning I ran the GW Parkway Classic 5K. I was not expecting a PR because I am still recovering from the two marathon I ran, just four weeks apart. I've also spent the past six weeks with knee issues, so my training has been at an all-time low. What I was expecting was a sub-24:00 race, and a possible age group award, based on last year's results.

This was a point-to-point race. They bus you to the start and then you run back to where you parked your car. The race has a 10-mile event, which I ran back in 2006. The 5K is the last 5K of the 10 miles. I knew what to expect, but I had forgotten about the major hill in the third mile. Additionally, we were running into a headwind the entire time. It wasn't a significant amount of wind, but any little bit can have an impact in such a short race.

I warmed up for about half a mile at an easy pace, also including some quick sprints to tune up my legs. I lined up near the front of pack and started chatting with the runners. The race started and I began to run at what seemed to be a "comfortably hard" pace. I would have estimated my pace at about 7:45. However, when I passed the first mile, the clock read 7:20, and I was worried that I made my classic pacing mistake: going out too fast.

During mile two, I paid for mile one. I clocked an 8:04, which really, really should not happen for me during a 5K! I have run faster miles in half-marathons! I tried to pick it up for the last mile. I was pushing really hard, but I felt so extremely tired. I wanted to stop and walk so badly! I ran up the steep hill at a snail's pace, and then down again at a much faster pace. Aboout 200 meters from the finish line, two girls who seemed to be in my age group came from behind me and attempted to pass me. Oh no! I wouldn't let them. I started to sprint, giving myself a nice lead over them. With about 100 meters to go, I eased up on my sprint, and they caught up again. We were neck and neck until almos the finish, but ultimately, they finished first.

I looked at the clock, which read 24:00, and my chip time ended up being 23:58. 28 seconds slower than my PR, but not my slowest 5K ever. I wasn't particularly pleased with my time, but I wasn't devastated either. I was mainly mad at myself for my poor pacing, and was wondering how much time I could have shaved off if I ran that first mile just 10 seconds slower.



What frustrates me even more is that I have not made much progress in this distance in the past year an a half. In November 2006, I ran a 23:32. My PR is only two seconds faster, set in June 2007. Considering that I have brought my marathon time down from 4:24 in the Fall of 2006, to 3:51, you would think that my 5K time would come down with it. But nope, it hasn't budged!!!! I know that I am not in as good of shape right now as I was when I ran that Shamrock marathon, but still!

Nevertheless, I was satisfied with my placing. And just one place short of winning 3rd in my age group (the first and second place overall winners were in my age group, removing them from the "age group" competition).

Time: 23:58
Pace: 7:43

6 out of 177 women aged 20-29
65 out of 876 total finishers (male & female)

My knee didn't hurt during the race, but it hurt afterwards. I am going to take the next few days off, and log maybe a total of 15 miles this week. My goal is to let my knee heal so that I can begin training for my next marathon in early June. (BTW, this is a different knee issue than the one I was experiencing pre-London. That was a shoe issue. This new issue is patellar tendonitis.)

The London Marathon

It's 6:20am. I wake up without an alarm. Even though my body clock is likely still set to 1:20am, this feels normal. I take my time getting ready for the marathon. I affix two analgesic patches to the outside and top of my knee, covering them in an Ace knee sleeve. I have no idea what to expect from today's race. How far will I run before knee pain kicks in? Will I be okay with not getting a medal or shirt?

The one item I don't have with me is my iPod. This will be my first marathon without music. I want to savor the experience in full. I want to hear the crowds cheering, and I want to be able to talk to people. I also want to prove to myself that I can run a marathon without music, and that I don't use it as a crutch. Rather, it simply makes the experience more enjoyable for me. Except for when it's the London marathon. If I ever run Chicago or NYC, I won't listen to music. Ironically, the London marathon is very accepting of headphones, and they have no rules in place that don't allow them.

The sun is shining and it actually feels hot out. I walk down to the hotel lobby and board the bus that is taking us to the start line. The bus is full of Americans who used Marathon Tours to book the trip and receive a guaranteed entry. The ride takes an hour. I don't talk much to the other runners. Most of them have someone else with them, but I am alone. I stay calm, and just try to remember that this race is for fun. Having fun is most important.

I arrive at the start area. The race is so large that there are actually three different starting areas that meet up at mile three on the course. I try to catch a glimpse of Rosa with the elite women, but we aren't allowed to get that close to the start line. I check my bag and think to myself "now I really have to get to the end somehow-- I need my bag back."


I talk to a few random people. Whenever I say I am from the U.S., the first question they ask me is if I have run the New York City marathon. They all assume that American marathon runners have run that one. I make my way to the starting corrals, or "pens" as they call them in the U.K. I am in pen 5, based upon the projected finish time I provided in October. We wait in the pen for about 20 minutes. I talk to a woman from Scotland who is hoping to beat her 3:48 PR from the Edinburgh Marathon. I tell her that my goal is simply to finish.

The London Marathon Course

Miles 1-4
The gun goes off and it takes about three minutues for me to cross the start line. After crossing, I continue on at a snail's pace, as this race is very crowded. The first mile is painfully slow. There are times when the running stops, and I actually have to stand still. I can't even walk. These bottlenecks continue on and off, all the way up to mile 8 of the race. I am happy that I am not trying to "race" this one. This part of the course is boring. There is no crowd support, and it's basically residential areas. I remember from the course map that it's a point-to-point race. So we start in the suburbs, and we don't enter central London until nearly halfway.
Mile 1: 10:27
Mile 2: 9:19
Mile 3: 8:59
Mile 4: 9:02

Miles 5-9
The crowd support starts to show up at about mile 5, although the course is still boring at this point. Knee pain has not yet kicked in and everything is feeling good. I tell myself that I hope I can hold out until the course gets scenic. That's why I travelled all this way-- to see scenic London while running a marathon! Also, I don't think there are many tube stations at this point, so I hope to get to an area where there are more stations.

This marathon has many, many costumed runners and stunt runners. For example, one runner is trying to set the world record for longest scarf knitted while running a marathon. I see a man running the marathon in nothing except for a thong and running shoes. On his back is written: "Does my bum look good in this?" I see a group of six runners chained together. I see someone running as a banana, someone as a butterfly, and someone as Minnie Mouse. I see Brett Favre running with a football.
Instead of cups of water, they give mini water bottles at each station. This is nice because you can carry the bottle with you and you can drink it quickly without the water going all over your face. However, I know that drinking the entire mini bottle would cause cramping, so I drink no more than half the bottle at each station. I'm actually really hot during these miles, and glad I am in a tank top as opposed to long sleeves.

Mile 5: 9:10
Mile 6: 9:51
Mile 7: 9:36
Mile 8: 8:52 (fastest mile of the race- my PR pace!)
Mile 9: 9:20

Miles 10-13
I can't believe I have made it this far without my knee hurting. Everything feels good, actually. The pace is easy and I am enjoying the run. I can't go any faster than I am going because it's still too crowded. I don't want to waste energy weaving through people, so I just stick with the pace that the crowd is going. I do feel a bit sluggish, and I attribute that to jet lag. Also, it had been about two weeks since I ran anything that was 5 miles or more.

It suddenly starts pouring down rain. Out of nowhere! It had been in the forecast, but I wasn't sure when it would start. I am drenched. It pours really, really hard, and I the water tastes salty as it washes away the sweat from my face. A little rain is fun, but this amount of rain is tough. I feel badly for the spectators who are getting soaked and aren't in dry-wicking clothing like the runners.

Running across the Tower Bridge just before the halfway point is an amazing experience. The bridge is quite grand and there are tons of people cheering wildly. I feel like a rock star. Just before crossing, I hear someone call out "Elizabeth!" I look, and I see that Zoe is cheering for me! How wonderful to see a friendly face. Even though I don't live in the UK, I still have my support person cheering for me. Zoe had run the marathon last year, but did not get into the lottery this year.

Mile 10: 9:00
Mile 11: 9:18
Mile 12: 9:08
Mile 13: 9:19

Miles 14-17I cross the halfway point at 2:02 and I think of my mother tracking me online. She must be relieved to know that I at least got halfway. The rain stops and the sun comes out again. I am thoroughly drenched. Surprisingly, my knee still feels ok! I am having some minor aches in my quads, but nothing out of the ordinary. Now that I am in central London, I know that there are tube stations all around and I can drop out at any time if need be. But I then tell myself that if I made it halfway, I should be able to make it to the finish.

During this part of the course, I the elite women running at miles 21-22. I look for Rosa. I later learn that if I had been just a few minutes faster, I would have seen her. But Rosa had passed the mile 22 marker before I reached that area. As I run, I am fixated on the elite women, and some of the elite men. They are going extremely fast, and it's very motivating. Their side of the course is empty, while my side is still too full to choose my own pace. At this point, the pace is still being dictated by the crowd.
Mile 14: 9:16
Mile 15: 9:33
Mile 16: 10:00
Mile 17: 9:39

Miles 18-22
These miles are the hardest for me. I hit a bit of a wall at mile 19, and I just don't feel like running anymore. I slow down and I feel a lack of energy. My carb-load hadn't been very significant because I honestly didn't think I would be finishing the race. My lack of training for the past 4 weeks is beginning to show itself.

At this point, I know I am going to finish, but I picture myself walking the last six miles. I think of how much walking I can do to still get my time under 5:00. I tell myself that walking is acceptable, because I don't want to push myself too hard and risk further injury. But I don't actually walk until I hit mile marker 20. I walk for about a minute, maybe even less. It's almost impossible to walk because everyone is cheering "you can do it!" and I feel like a wuss if I walk. I decide to do the "survival shuffle" which is a very slow run. I think that a 4:13:08 is still possible, but I am perfectly happy to accept anything under five hours.
We run through a tunnel for about 1/4 a mile. I have never run a race through a tunnel before, and it was interesting.

Mile 18: 9:19
Mile 19: 9:47
Mile 20: 9:50
Mile 21: 10:27
Mile 22: 10:49 (slowest mile of the race)

Miles 23-Finish
I become energized once again as I approach the 35K mat. They are tracking 5K splits, and I know that my 30K-35K split was by far the slowest. The sports beans I took just before mile 22 are beginning to kick in, and I tell myself if I run a 10:00 pace for the last three miles, I make my goal of 4:13:08. But I can't walk, and I can't go slower than a 10:00 pace. It's just three more miles, and that should be very easy. Easy. Easy. Easy. I repeat it over and over again.

I see Zoe at mile 23 and she again calls out my name. I get excited to see her. At this point, the crowd support has gotten even more massive and the course has finally thinned out. About half a million people have come out to watch this race, according to a radio report I had heard on the bus that morning. I look to my left and I see the London Eye.

I seem to be on track for a perfect 4:13:08. I pass the mile 25 marker and it begins to pour down rain again. Couldn't it have waited a few minutes until after I finished!? The rain only motivates me to go faster as I pass Buckingham Palace. There is no mile marker for 26, but there are signs that say "800 meters to go" and then "400 meters to go", and I can't think in terms of meters at this point.

I turn a corner and the finish line pops up right in front of me. Much sooner than expected! Usually I can't wait to approach the finish line, but this time, I am a bit disappointed that I had reached it faster than predicted. I am on track for a 4:10, and I figure I can just wait to cross. I start to walk slowly, but then a woman passes me and says "come on, you're almost there!" But I am intentionally walking to get my perfect 4:13! Then I see the race photographers, and I don't want a photo of me walking, so I start to jog. My watch time is approaching 4:12, so I have to decide if I want my 4:11, or if I am really going to wait for 4:13. This all happens in slow motion.

The rain is coming down in buckets and I want to be done with the race, so I make a strong finish, crossing in 4:11:57.


Mile 23: 9:35
Mile 24: 9:41
Mile 25: 10:20
Mile 26 + 0.2: 12:11

After The RaceI am supposed to meet Zoe and Rosa in the Overseas Runner area, but the rain is coming down so heavily, that all I want to do is collect my medal, finisher's bag and go back to my hotel. I don't see them anywhere, so I head for the tube.

Usually, when I finish a marathon, I am extremely sore and still immediately afterwards. It was not the case with this marathon. It felt more like a training run than anything. When I train to qualify for Boston, my long runs will be done at a pace of about 9:30-9:35, so this was like a long run.

I simply cannot believe how well my knee held up. And that I managed to pull off a 4:11:57 with such little training. It was really a miracle. I had my finisher's medal, my finisher's shirt, and I can now say that I completed a marathon without listening to music. What a fantastic and memorable experience!

Results & Statistics

• 14,559 of 34,212 total finishers
• 2,689 of 10,638 female finishers
• Average finishing time: 4:26:09
• My finishing time: 4:11:57
• Rosa's finishing time: 3:10:44
• 7 marathons completed-- 3 have been faster, 3 have been slower

4.13.08

As many of you know, I am running (or plan to run) the London marathon on Sunday. Yes, that’s London, UK. I bought a package through a travel agency last October, so I have been planning this for quite some time. I have always wanted to do an International marathon, and since I have friends who live in London, who are runners, I figured it would be the perfect choice.

I leave on Thursday evening and I will be back home by Tuesday. Just a quick trip, because I don’t get much vacation time with my job. I’ve only been to London once before, back in the fall of 2003.

The Shamrock marathon really took a toll on my body. It took nearly a week for all the muscle soreness to go away, and when it did, I noticed that I also had knee pain. I didn’t run at all for the week following the marathon. The next week, my total mileage was somewhere around 25. And I haven’t run since. So, my total mileage for the 4 weeks in between marathons will amount to around 28 (I plan to run 3 tomorrow).

I’ve been to a physical therapist, a sports massage therapist, a sports med doctor, and an orthopedic doctor. And all of their diagnoses conflict. The shin pain that I was feeling prior to Shamrock has suddenly come back, after a week of no running, and I have no clue what could be causing it. It’s not a stress fracture. There is a small chance it could be compartment syndrome, but the test for that is pretty extensive. I don’t know if my knee problems are related to that or not. It could be IT Band syndrome, or something else.

After all of this, I think I will be okay in London. The pain in my knee seems to have gotten better, although I haven’t run on it in over a week. My shin pain is still present, but I managed to run through that at Shamrock.

Considering that my level of fitness has decreased with such low mileage, and that I am recovering from an injury, I don’t expect a fast time at this marathon. I have just one goal: to not make my injuries worse. I realize I will probably aggravate them, but If I have to change my gait or something, then I’m walking the rest of the way, or even stopping the race completely and taking the tube back to my hotel. 

That being said, I really would like to finish the race, just so I can say "I ran an international marathon". If this were any other race, I would simply drop out. But I’ve made too much of an investment to do that. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

If all goes well, I do have a goal time. Goal times are fun, and they give me a pace to stick to. If I do have ITB issues, running fast is actually better than running slow, anyway. My goal time is 4:13:08. The date of the race. I think it would be a cool "souvenir". This would require an average pace of 9:39. This pace is very comfortable for me, so it will simply be a matter of how my shin/knee feels. The race starts at 9:45am, London time. My race number is 54646.

It's Just Temporary!

I ran the Shamrock Marathon yesterday morning in Virginia Beach.

The Start Line
I was optimistic as I approached the starting area. The winds didn’t seem to be as heavy as forecasted. I was expecting constant winds of 20 mph, but it was more of an occasional breeze, at least at the start line. It also wasn’t as cold as I had expected.

As I was walking around the start area, a photographer asked to interview me for his TV newscast. He asked me about my marathon experience, and my expectations for this race. I basically said that there were a lot of unknowns due to the wind, but that I was prepared and ready.

Miles 1-6
I started the marathon at a pace that felt relaxed and comfortable. Starting at mile 2, my shin began to hurt. I tried not to panic. I tried to ignore it. I was not about to let this muscle strain affect my running. I held steady. At around mile 3, I realized I was running around the 3:50 pace group. I was running a bit faster than them, though, and passed them after about half a mile. I wasn’t going for a sub-3:50, but I figured I would try to stay ahead of them for as long as possible, in case there was any shot of a 3:49. By mile 4, my shin stopped hurting. Or, I stopped noticing it. There was a timing mat at mile six, and my split was 52:46, for an average pace of 8:48 for the first six miles.
Mile 1: 8:41
Mile 2: 8:41
Mile 3: 8:52
Mile 4: 8:38
Mile 5: 8:44
Mile 6: 9:11

Miles 7-13
I started to feel really good, and I started to have hope that maybe I would run a good race and PR. A stretch goal was sub-3:50, because the 3:50 pace group still had not passed me by mile 13. There was a two-mile stretch on the boardwalk where the wind was just awful. There were headwinds at probably 15-25 mph (my estimate) and I tried drafting off of other runners. It helped, but then the person would either speed up, or I would want to go faster than the person I was drafting off of. I reached the half marathon marker in 1:54:50, averaging a pace of 8:46 for these miles.

Mile 7: 8:34 (fastest mile)
Mile 8: 8:40
Mile 9: 8:43
Mile 10: 8:51
Mile 11: 8:39 (I toughed it out through the wind!)
Mile 12: 8:54
Mile 13: 8:41

Miles 14-20Just before mile 14, the crowd thickened. I found it hard to maintain a pace because the course had gotten really thin, with only room for 4 people across. I realized that it thickened because the 3:50 pace group had caught up with me, and it was a large group. The winds were still heavy from mile 13-17, so I used this to my advantage to draft off of these runners. The problem with running in such a tight pack was the water stations and being able to get water when I needed it. I hit the mile 18 timing mat at 2:37:42, for an average pace of 8:46. Things started to hurt at mile 16, and I started to worry a little. Usually in a marathon, nothing bothers me that much until mile 20 or even mile 21. I wondered how I would make it 10 more miles, but I quickly stopped that line of thinking. It’s much easier to take the race mile by mile. Just focus on getting to the next mile marker.

The 3:50 pace leader was amazing. He kept encouraging me and helping me along the way. He was entertaining and got my mind off the race.

Mile 14: 8:39
Mile 15: 8:42
Mile 16: 8:43
Mile 17: 8:36 (not sure how I pulled that off!)
Mile 18: 8:51
Mile 19: 8:44
Mile 20: 8:56

Miles 21-26
I reached the 20 mile marker in 2:55. This was about 5 minutes faster than Richmond. I told myself that if I stayed on pace, I could get a 5 minute PR or even better. I started to fade. As I approached mile 21, the 3:50 pace group started to get ahead of me. I could still see the 3:50 flag in the distance, but I was no longer with the pack, and I was running alone.
I came up with two new mind games on the spot. The first one was to visualize the mile marker pulling me toward it. I thought "the mile marker wants to get me. The mile marker needs me! I have to get to it! It’s tugging at me!" And that really helped as I convinced myself not to stop running in my pursuit of marker 23, 24, and 25.

It was tough. I had to dig really, really deep. Another thing that I started telling myself was that this pain was temporary. It wouldn’t last long. The race glory would last forever, but this pain and this situation was very, very temporary. And if I stopped, it would only prolong it. So, I just kept repeating to myself over and over "temporary. temporary. temporary." And it really helped! I persevered. I allowed myself to slow down a little bit, but I would not let myself walk. At this point, it was mainly just a mental struggle of stopping versus continuing. My legs were killing me!

Mile 21: 8:53
Mile 22: 9:02
Mile 23: 8:52
Mile 24: 9:03
Mile 25: 9:34 (slowest mile)
Mile 26: 9:21

The last 0.2This was the best part of the race. This is where I surprised myself and became my strongest racer. Maybe ever. I looked down at my watch as I passed the mile 26 marker and looked ahead at the finish. I told myself if I picked up the pace, I could sneak in under 3:52. I said "Your job, is to get to that finish line before your watch reads 3:52. Go for it now!"

My eyes were on the Finish Line arch. I kept my running form strong. I told myself that I really, really wanted a 3:51 and not a 3:52. And I did it!

I finished the race in 3:51:49. A Personal Record by 4:52 off of my Richmond time in November. This is an average pace of 8:51.

First half: 1:54:50Second half: 1:56:59
I placed 632 out of 2319 total finishers
I placed 148 out of 886 women
I placed 31 out of 211 women ages 25-29

After crossing the finish line, I received my medal and finisher’s hat. I waited for Brent, who came in about 7 minutes later.


Out of all of the races I have ever run in my life, I would have to say that my final sprint for the last 0.2 was the toughest effort I have ever put out. I was in so much pain, and I didn’t think I could go any further, but I told myself that I had to get in under 3:52, and I did so comfortably.

I have now set a personal record in each of my six marathons. The next marathon I am running is only four weeks away-- the London Marathon! I will probably not try for a PR there because I won’t be fully recovered from this race, and there are 50,000+ runners, making it hard to run at your own pace. So, I expect that my PR streak ends here. However, I do plan on qualifying for Boston in the fall, which would require a 3:40.

The Best Training Advice: Don't Train!

As many of you know, I was very torn on my decision to drop my Houston Marathon registration down to the half marathon. But because I was injured for three solid weeks and only ran once during that time, I thought that I wouldn't be prepared to run a full marathon on January 13. I decided to run the half marathon instead, because I already had my plane ticket to Houston, I was excited to see my friends Randi and Susannah, and I wanted the experience of such a large, well-known race.

Susannah picked me up at the airport on Saturday morning. On the plane, I met a wonderful woman named Valerie, who lives in DC and was running the marathon. This would be her 15th, and she was trying to beat her 3:28 PR. I was very impressed with her, and I was inspired because she said she had been running marathons for five years before she qualified for Boston. When Susannah and I got to the expo, we met up with our friend Randi. Susannah wouldn't be running, but Randi was going for her second marathon, with her first being Chicago. (I was supposed to run Chicago with her last year, but I was injured.)

Susannah, Randi and me

We also met up with Michael Hayden. It was great to see him! Mike has been at my past 4 races, so it's not a race without him there! I slept well that night. Very well. I typically sleep horribly the night before a race, especially if I am not in my own bed. But I wasn't nervous or anxious or anything. I didn't have a time goal, and I wasn't expecting to be anywhere close to my PR. I was just looking forward to a fun day.

Before the Race
I woke up early, as usual, and got dressed for the race. They were forecasting for the upper 40's, which means long sleeves, but once we got to the race, it felt like it was in the lower 50's, which meant a tank top and gloves. I did get a little hot during the race, so that ended up being a good choice. Mike Hayden found me among all the people and we proceeded to walk to the half marathon start, and Randi walked to her marathon start. I stopped to go to a porta-potty, but I didn't lock the door. Typically, the lines are so long, that everyone assumes the porta potties are full until someone comes out. So, of course, this guy opened the door on me as I was doing my business! I screamed, and he apologized. But it was really my fault. And it was pitch black in there at 6:45am.

Mike and I tried to get close to the front of corral, but we were later than most people, and we didn't get up very far. I was worried about having to weave through a lot of people. There were two waves, and we were in the first wave. But inside the wave, there was no corralling so that the faster runners would be in the front. Once again, this didn't bother me too much because I wasn't trying to get a PR, or even a specific time goal. I just wanted to do my best, and see what would happen.

Miles 1-4
The first few miles were really rough. I felt like I was walking through some of mile 1. The crowd was so tight. I didn't want to waste energy weaving through people, but I had no choice. I had to pass the slower runners if I wanted to maintain a good pace. I missed mile marker two. Some time after the third mile marker, I noticed my watch stopped.

Mile 1: 9:22
Mile 2: Unknown
Mile 3: Unknown
Mile 4: Unknown

Miles 5-8
Typically, having my watch stop like that in the middle of the race would have really upset me and discouraged me. I NEED to know my time! Or so I thought. But I only panicked for a moment, because I wasn't even going for a time goal. In fact, I thought it would be kind of neat to run a race "blindly". I decided that from then on, I would track my mile splits, but I wouldn't know what my actual time for the race was.

At about mile 5, I caught up with the 3:45 marathon pace team. I decided I would try to keep them in sight because that was approximately my half-marathon PR pace. I wasn't expecting to maintain it, but I was going to try as long as possible. And it felt good at that pace! This course was very boring. Not scenic at all. Some buildings. Some stores. Some residential areas. Really nothing exciting at all.

And surprisingly, the course was not flat. The course advertises itself as being almost entirely flat, so I didn't expect any hills. And there were some! The New Jersey marathon is a flat race. The Delaware marathon is a flat race. Houston, in comparison to those, is not flat! Richmond was hilly, but I was mentally prepared for the hills and I knew where they all were. Every time I had even the slightly incline in Houston, I got frustrated. It was supposed to be flat!!! I was able to track my splits on my watch:

Mile 5: Unknown
Mile 6: 8:10
Mile 7: 8:21
Mile 8: 8:22

Miles 9-13.1 
By mile 9, my left foot started to hurt--right under my big toe. This was where my physical therapist said my leg problems were stemming from. My foot had been out of alignment. Aside from that,
though, the rest of my leg felt great. I was really enjoying the race and the pace was easy.

In fact, I was surprised at my watch splits. I couldn't believe I was averaging around 8:20-8:25 for my splits. My PR pace was 8:37, so starting at mile 9, I realized that there was a chance I could actually PR! I had no concept of the pace of the first few miles, but it seemed like I was going the same pace throughout.

At mile 9, I saw Michael Hayden in front of me. He was injured, so he was running this race for fun and not for time. He had said in the beginning that he was going to go out at an easy pace (for him) and then see what happened. He looked like he was hurting, so I stayed back and ran about 15 feet behind him until around mile 10.5. We ran side-by-side for about half a mile, and I enjoyed the comraderie.

And then he started to pick up the pace just before mile marker 12. My pace started to feel tiresome at mile marker 11. But I needed to maintain it for two more miles in order to secure my PR. So, I repeated in my head, over and over: "Houston is my PR, Houston is my PR". (There is an advertisement in Runner's World that says this- promoting the race as being fast and flat). I kept repeating it over and over until the finish line was in sight. It really worked!

For the first time, I was not super into my iPod. I did have it turned on, and I was listening. But I was really not using the music to my advantage. It was more background noise as I coasted through the streets. It actually felt easy. And so good to run-- after three weeks off!

Mile 9: 8:23
Mile 10: 8:31
Mile 11: 8:27
Mile 12: 8:30
Mile 13: 8:23

Finish time: 1:50:43, a PR by 2:00.
Average pace of 8:27

I placed 976 out of 8303 total finishers.
I placed 262 out of 4902 women.
I placed 67 out of 791 in my age group.
I placed 1 out of 42 Elizabeths!!!!!!!! I love it when I win my name!

After the Race
After the race, I got a finisher's t-shirt (yes, you get two shirts in the race, and the finisher shirt is from Under Armor). The post-race food was excellent for such a larger race. The Marine Corps Marathon has really horrible food. They offered bagels in a variety of flavors, bananas, muffins, breads, sausage, eggs, muffins, hash browns, yogurt, juices. Yum!

I re-united with Michael Hayden, who finished a little bit ahead of me. I met back up with Susannah, and then we went to watch for Randi to finish the full. Last spring, Randi and I ran in New Jersey together. I did the full marathon and she had run the half. After completing the half, she came back to cheer for me, so I was glad to return the favor. She finished in 4:18! Great job on her second marathon!

Lessons Learned
I think the biggest lesson I learned was to relax more during races. I didn't have my watch keeping track of the elapsed time, and I didn't freak out about it. I didn't have a goal time in mind. I just went into the race with an attitude of doing my best and enjoying it, and it really worked for me. I took three whole weeks off from running (with the exception of a 4.5 mile treadmill run one day) and I still PRed by two full minutes. This goes to show you that sometimes rest really is in order. And that it won't kill you to take some time off. I also learned that my iPod is really not my savior. Yes, it motivates me, and yes I will continue to use it. But for this particular race, it was more of an accessory than a critical part of the race experience. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't that "in tune" with the music.

Thank you for everyone who tracked me and texted me to wish me good luck and/or congratulations. I was really shocked by this race, and now I am uncertain as to the best approach for the next one!

2007 Recap

2007 was a good year for me running-wise. Since I started racing in 2005, I know that my "gains" will be less significant as time goes by, so having another year like 2007, with major PRs at every distance, will be unlikely. While there are still many good things to come in my running career (or so I hope) I'd like to take a moment to reflect back on 2007.

Races & Places
The furthest I traveled for a race this year was the Miami Marathon in January. Other interesting locations were the NYC half marathon, the Philadelphia Distance run, and the New Jersey Marathon. I got a nice view of my home city during the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, and a crappy view of the same city during the National Half Marathon.

Marathon Mania
ING Miami Marathon, January 13, 4:13
New Jersey Marathon, April 29, 4:05
Richmond Marathon, November 10, 3:56

Training Miles The year is not over yet, but I have currently run 1580 miles this year. If I can do some short runs through my injury, I think I will run at least 1,600 for the year. It's a little bit less than I had hoped for, but still good enough to help me meet my goals. In the first half of the year, most of my training runs were done at a relatively fast past. I almost always ran a "tempo" run, and my long runs were done at marathon goal pace. About halfway through the year, I decided to follow the "Veteran's" program in Runner's World, which had me run most of my miles a lot slower. It clearly worked for the Richmond marathon, but it wasn't easy to hold back so much in training.

I logged the most miles in October (168) and the fewest miles in August (72).

Injuries Even though I have been running since 2001, this was my first year with injuries. It all started in July with two Morton's Neuromas in my left foot. Other injuries have included: - Plica Syndrome in my right knee - Bone Spur in my right foot - Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot - IT Band Syndrome in left leg - Pes anserine Bursitis in right leg I have overcome all of these except for the IT Band Syndrome (which I am still not certain I have-- but that could just be denial), and the bone spur, where the pain comes and goes randomly. I guess I must really love running to keep doing it after all this!

Bad Racing Experiences
In 2006, the VA Beach half marathon won the prize for the worst race. This year, I would have to give that award to the Marine Corps Marathon 10K. Complete Flop. You remember the blog. It was a mixture of external factors and then my own mindset that made me fail. Second prize would have to go to the Cure Autism Now 5K on July 4. Even though this 5K time was better than the Turkey Trot, the July 4 race was much more of a letdown. I fully expected a PR and didn't anticipate any of those hills.

Awards
I won three awards this year: - June 3: 1st place in my age group (second overall) in a 5K - June 23: 2nd place in my age group in a 4-mile race - December 1: 1st place in my age group for a half marathon

PRs I set a PR at every distance this year, and I ran 3 new distances: The 4-mile, the 8K, and the 20-mile.

5K	23:30	7:35	6/3/07	Herndon, VA
5 Mile	38:41	7:44	3/10/07	Ashburn, VA
10K	49:23	7:57	12/9/07	Washington, DC
10 Mile	1:21:23	8:08	4/1/07	Washington, DC
1/2 Marathon	1:52:43	8:37	9/16/07	Philadelphia, PA
20 Mile	3:01:20	9:04	9/30/07	Alexandria, VA
Marathon	3:56:40	9:01	11/10/07	Richmond, VA

Running Buddies
Jenny and I ran most of our races together until she got injured. After the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April, she found out that she had 4 stress fractures and has not been able to run ever since. I miss her and hope to run more with her in 2008. I really enjoyed the NJ Marathon with Kimberly and Randi, while having Jenny and Jenna come out to cheer us on. I also enjoyed the Philly Distance Run with a bunch of Big Cats, including Abby, Brent, Kevin, Michael H., Matt, and Bob.

Power Songs
1. Fall Out Boy- Fame < Infamy (The whole CD, actually!)
2. Foo Fighters- The Pretender
3. Jimmy Eat World- Let It Happen
4. Finger Eleven- Paralyzer
5. Anberlin- Reclusion

2007 Races
January- Miami Marathon: 4:13:54
March- Van Metre 5.2 mile Race: 40:17
March- National Half Marathon: 1:54:18
April- Cherry Blossom 10-Miler: 1:21:23
April- New Jersey Marathon: 4:05:44
May- Capitol Hill 10K: 49:55
June- Herndon 5K: 23:30
 June- Lawyer's 10K: 50:59 J
une- Ashburn 4-miler: 30:18
July- Cure Autism 5K: 24:07
August- NYC Half marathon: Dropped out, Injured
September- VA Beach Half marathon: Dropped out, Injured
September- Philadelphia Distance Run: 1:52:43
September- National Captial 20-Miler: 3:01:20
October- Chicago Marathon: Dropped out, Injured
October- MCM 10K: Too awful to mention
November- Richmond Marathon: 3:56:14
November- Turkey Trot 5K: 24:19
December- Seaside Half Marathon: 1:53:22
December- Jingle All The Way 10K: 49:23

2008 Goals
I am not sure if I will write a separate blog about this or not. My main goals are to keep setting PRs, avoid injuries, see new places, and have fun!