It's still hard to believe that after 4 months and almost 600 miles of training, it's over. I completed my first-ever marathon yesterday, running with 23,000 of my closest friends through Arlington, Virginia and the streets of our Nation's Capital.
All week, it was the threat of Hurricane Sandy and how it was going to affect the race - was it going to be pouring down rain? Was it going to be windy as all get-out? How would we handle it? As it turns out, we got no rain at all. The temperature at race time was about 58 degrees, and it was overcast. Negligible winds at the start, so it was all good.
The race started off ominously for me - my Garmin had powered off during the wait to cross the start line, and I didn't hear the beep with all of the commotion around me. So when I went to hit the "Start" button as I crossed the line, nothing happened. I had to power on again, wait for it to capture the satellite, and then start. As a result, my first 2 miles was run just by feel. Which was OK, since I wanted to start it off very easy.
They said there was a nice big hill in mile 2, but because I train in this area, it wasn't that daunting. I took it easy going up, and was rewarded with a nice downhill until the next little hill in mile 5. We crossed the Key Bridge into Georgetown and went up Canal Road. I passed the 10K mark in 10:02, just about according to plan. Once we passed mile 7, we were rewarded again with another nice downhill back into the heart of Georgetown. I was settling into a nice groove - not breathing hard, conserving energy, and going with the flow.
We entered Haines Point around mile 11, and that's when the winds picked up. Haines Point is flat, but the winds coming out of the north as we were exiting the peninsula made it tougher than I thought. Still, through 20K, I had speeded up to a 9:51 average pace, and was still running rather easily. But I was starting to feel the effects of relying on aid stations for my hydration.
[I had brought a water bottle with me filled with Nuun. That bottle lasted me through mile 6, which was about what I expected. My fueling plan was to drink once a mile until my bottle ran out, then to rely on aid stations afterwards. I took a GU at mile 4, and then another one every 3.5 miles or so afterwards, or at the closest water stop to 3.5 miles. In between, I was taking Gatorade. I avoided the crowds at the first tables and waited until I got to the last table to grab my Gatorade, but the cups weren't filled enough for me - I wasn't taking in enough electrolytes, but was doing OK...for now.]
We exited Haines Point and were greeted by litereally thousands of spectators as we ran along the National Mall. I was still doing fine, although I started to feel a little tightness in my quads at around mile 16. A high-five from Bart Yasso as I made the U-turn back down Independence Avenue was a welcome sight. As I approached the US Capitol, my left quad started getting tight. I passed through the 30K mark still at a 9:51 pace, and was still hoping for a 9:45 finish.
I passed the hydration stop just past mile 19, and the quick burst of electrolytes helped my quad. But after I made the turn to the 14th Street Bridge, it felt as if I had a softball in my thigh, and slowed considerably to about an 11:00 pace. As we came off of Route 27 and went into Crystal City at mile 22, I had had enough. I switched at that point to a 5:1 run/walk, just to relieve some of the pain. I kept that up until mile 25, at which point I decided I wanted to finish this thing running. I passed the 40K mark at 4:15, a 10:16 pace, and was just puttering along.
The run up the hill to the finish line was tough, especially since now my calves were now barking at me as well, but I picked it up the last 1/10 mile, and made it through the finish chute with my head held high. 4:30:47 was my finish time. My goal was simply to finish my first marathon, but in the back of my mind, I was gunning for a 4:15. Didn't quite get that, but I am not at all displeased with my performance.
The entire environment surrounding the Marine Corps Marathon was unbelievable - from the crowd support, to the course, to the professional way this race is run - I am thrilled that my first marathon was MCM.
So now it's some rest, and back to normal training runs for now. I may try for a 10K on New Year's Eve, but my next focus will be trying to get into the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in April via lottery. Wow, a ten miler? That should be a piece of cake!!
Showing posts with label Marine Corps Marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marine Corps Marathon. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Taper Week #2
Thirteen days away from calling myself a Marathoner. I've heard all of the stories about "taper madness", and always wondered how I'd handle it. After one week, I'd say "very well".
Last week didn't start off too well, though. On Monday, I was battling a recurring calf problem after my 22 mile run the day before, and I was starting to worry that it would negatively affect me at MCM. But luckily, thanks to advice I received from all my great contacts on Daily Mile and Twitter, I was able to determine that it wasn't an injury that I had, but rather severe calf cramps due to inadequate electrolyte intake. I was hydrating with water very well, but I wasn't taking in enough salt & electrolytes to balance out what I was sweating away. I also determined, through researching the issue, that a major cause of this could very well have been my not taking a magnesium supplement I had been taking for over 5 years. I stopped taking the supplement about a month ago when I stopped taking my daily multi-vitamin, and coincidentally, my calf problems started shortly thereafter.
Apparently, a magnesium deficiency leads to leg cramps from poor electrolyte absorption, which is exactly what I was suffering. So I started drinking Nuun during the day and on the nights before my runs last week, took a GU right before my runs, and restarted my magnesium supplementation. My Wednesday & Friday 6 milers went off without incident. Friday afternoon, I took in a 60-minute lower body massage, and felt like a champ when I went out yesterday morning for my 14-miler.
In fact, I felt so good that I ignored the prescribed training plan for yesterday (8 miles easy, and the last 6 at marathon pace), and did all 14 at marathon pace. I felt that I needed to do that after a few weeks of scaling back the intensity due to my calf issues, with the promise to myself that the next 2 weeks would be all easy runs.
So I can say with confidence that my calf issues are a thing of the past. I know what I have to do to prevent a recurrence, and I can focus 100% now on having quality runs. I am actually glad for the taper, since the summer has been ridiculously humid, I believe I've worked fairly hard for this, and my body looks forward to the scaling back. All in the name of getting ready for October 28th.
This week, after finishing a 3.5 mile recovery run this morning, I've got easy 5-milers on Wednesday & Friday, and an easy 10-miler on Sunday. Marathon week, though, might be a different story. It may not be so much the taper madness than it would be the excitement and anticipation from being this close to reaching a life milestone.
Trust the taper!!
Last week didn't start off too well, though. On Monday, I was battling a recurring calf problem after my 22 mile run the day before, and I was starting to worry that it would negatively affect me at MCM. But luckily, thanks to advice I received from all my great contacts on Daily Mile and Twitter, I was able to determine that it wasn't an injury that I had, but rather severe calf cramps due to inadequate electrolyte intake. I was hydrating with water very well, but I wasn't taking in enough salt & electrolytes to balance out what I was sweating away. I also determined, through researching the issue, that a major cause of this could very well have been my not taking a magnesium supplement I had been taking for over 5 years. I stopped taking the supplement about a month ago when I stopped taking my daily multi-vitamin, and coincidentally, my calf problems started shortly thereafter.
Apparently, a magnesium deficiency leads to leg cramps from poor electrolyte absorption, which is exactly what I was suffering. So I started drinking Nuun during the day and on the nights before my runs last week, took a GU right before my runs, and restarted my magnesium supplementation. My Wednesday & Friday 6 milers went off without incident. Friday afternoon, I took in a 60-minute lower body massage, and felt like a champ when I went out yesterday morning for my 14-miler.
In fact, I felt so good that I ignored the prescribed training plan for yesterday (8 miles easy, and the last 6 at marathon pace), and did all 14 at marathon pace. I felt that I needed to do that after a few weeks of scaling back the intensity due to my calf issues, with the promise to myself that the next 2 weeks would be all easy runs.
So I can say with confidence that my calf issues are a thing of the past. I know what I have to do to prevent a recurrence, and I can focus 100% now on having quality runs. I am actually glad for the taper, since the summer has been ridiculously humid, I believe I've worked fairly hard for this, and my body looks forward to the scaling back. All in the name of getting ready for October 28th.
This week, after finishing a 3.5 mile recovery run this morning, I've got easy 5-milers on Wednesday & Friday, and an easy 10-miler on Sunday. Marathon week, though, might be a different story. It may not be so much the taper madness than it would be the excitement and anticipation from being this close to reaching a life milestone.
Trust the taper!!
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Homestretch
49 months ago, when I went out for my first run in over 20 years, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be attempting a marathon, much less even thinking about one. In fact, I distinctly recall a conversation I had with my running partner back then, saying I wasn't even interested in running a HALF marathon. I couldn't fathom running for 2-plus hours.
But here I am, 20 days away from lining up for the Marine Corps Marathon. Yesterday I completed a 22-mile training run, in just under 3 hours, 45 minutes. Two 20-milers within 4 weeks. a 173-mile month of September. And I've probably eaten more spaghetti, pancakes, and potatoes in the past 5 weeks that I care to think about.
It's almost here.
My whole lower body aches. My left calf has been screaming at me for the past 2 weeks now. My right foot, where I had a bout of plantar fasciitis a couple months ago, is reminding me to not forget about him. My right hip flexor wants my attention as well. But it's too close to let any of that affect me. This is within my grasp.
Going in to this, my goal was to just finish the race. A few weeks into training, with the stifling heat & humidity, I was wondering if it was all worth it. Monster Month came, and I regained my confidence. And yesterday's run, while it was excruciatingly difficult, affirmed the fact that, yeah, I can finish this thing. I have a time goal, but that takes a back seat to just finishing. My ultimate goal for MCM would be a 4:08:00, which is a 9:30 pace. Depending on how I come out of the hills early in the race, that could be doable. More likely, I'm looking at a 4:15-4:20 finish (9:45 to 10:00 pace). I'd be happy with that.
I've received tons of motivation & help from a lot of people these past 17 weeks, and for that I'm extremely grateful. It's helped me get through this. But I can see that finish line now. It's that close. When and if I cross that finish line, it will be my biggest personal athletic achievement of my 47+ years.
From 275 pounds and grossly out-of-shape in April 2007 to potentially being called "marathoner" in October 2012 is beyond words for me.
Tramps like us...
But here I am, 20 days away from lining up for the Marine Corps Marathon. Yesterday I completed a 22-mile training run, in just under 3 hours, 45 minutes. Two 20-milers within 4 weeks. a 173-mile month of September. And I've probably eaten more spaghetti, pancakes, and potatoes in the past 5 weeks that I care to think about.
It's almost here.
My whole lower body aches. My left calf has been screaming at me for the past 2 weeks now. My right foot, where I had a bout of plantar fasciitis a couple months ago, is reminding me to not forget about him. My right hip flexor wants my attention as well. But it's too close to let any of that affect me. This is within my grasp.
Going in to this, my goal was to just finish the race. A few weeks into training, with the stifling heat & humidity, I was wondering if it was all worth it. Monster Month came, and I regained my confidence. And yesterday's run, while it was excruciatingly difficult, affirmed the fact that, yeah, I can finish this thing. I have a time goal, but that takes a back seat to just finishing. My ultimate goal for MCM would be a 4:08:00, which is a 9:30 pace. Depending on how I come out of the hills early in the race, that could be doable. More likely, I'm looking at a 4:15-4:20 finish (9:45 to 10:00 pace). I'd be happy with that.
I've received tons of motivation & help from a lot of people these past 17 weeks, and for that I'm extremely grateful. It's helped me get through this. But I can see that finish line now. It's that close. When and if I cross that finish line, it will be my biggest personal athletic achievement of my 47+ years.
From 275 pounds and grossly out-of-shape in April 2007 to potentially being called "marathoner" in October 2012 is beyond words for me.
Tramps like us...
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Runner's High
Well yesterday was a milestone Sunday for me. Not only did I complete my first-ever 20 mile run, I also logged my highest weekly mileage (42.2 miles) in the 4 years I've been running. I am now in the meat of marathon training, with just under 6 weeks to go, and even though I said I'd seen it before, I really experienced the "Runner's High" after the run.
My goal yesterday was to go out very conservatively, hoping to keep a 10:15 pace through 20 miles. I was concerned more about finishing rather than posting any kind of amazing pace. My recent foot issue, along with the general overwhelming task at hand, was the catalyst for my caution.
And it didn't get off to a rousing start. As soon as I started running, my foot really started to ache, to the point where I was concerned that it was going to be a washout. But about a tenth of a mile into the run, the foot settled down and I was able to get into a rhythm. But that was short-lived, as I heard a PA system in the distance - apparently, I was going to be running on the trail where a group was conducting the bike part of a sprint triathlon. For a few miles, I was listening for bikes passing and trying to stay out of the way of the inevitable large pack of bikers that would be approaching. I eventually made it to the horse path part of the trail, which also helped because it got me off the asphalt for about 5 miles.
My original plan was to start on the W&OD Trail at mile marker 20, run to mile marker 25, then backtrack to mile marker 15, and circle back to my car at mm 20. The tri, though, changed my plans. Had I turned at mm 25, I would have been right back in the bikers' path, so I made the decision to continue to mile marker 30, and make it a true out-and-back. Doing this also removed any thought, however minute, of cutting my run short because I was running past my car at mile 10.
As I got closer to mile marker 30, I was keeping about a 10:10 pace, some miles slightly higher, some closer to 10 minutes. I purposely hid the Heart Rate function on my Garmin so as to not let that dictate my pace. As I approached the turn-around, I passed a familiar face, my friend Jess from the Pace Of Me blog. Only, I didn't recognize her, since I didn't expect to see her that far away from Reston. I only knew it was her when she yelled, "Heyyy!!!" as we passed (Sorry, Jess!).
When I got close to the turn, I saw another familiar face, my Team McGraw teammate Erin, who estimated that I'd be at mile marker 30 at 8:30 am (judging by my pace), and I was right on time! She was doing 20 miles as well, prepping for the Chicago Marathon, so we ran a few miles together. A few minutes into our run, my brother-in-law passed us on his bike - he's training for a 50-mile charity bike ride.
Erin runs a bit slower than I do, and the 2+ miles we ran together were about a 10:45 pace, but that helped me a bit. When we parted, I picked it back up slightly, as I was now going downhill. But wait, isn't that Ed C. from Daily Mile approaching? We chatted briefly, and I was on my way, only to see another Daily Miler, Chris M. coming up. I didn't know it was Chris until we passed, so I missed the oppportunity to say hello. But this is the way it was going - I rarely see anyone I know on my long runs, except for today.
At that point, I was past 15 miles, and still going strong. But I had a tough 2-mile stretch coming up. I made it through that stretch with no problem, and as my Garmin beeped for 19 miles, I made the command decision that I was going to kick it in and see just how much I had left in the tank. My final mile was 9:05, and I was very happy that I had that much in me to do that. My first 20-miler was a success. Time was 3:22:11 (10:07 pace), and my heart rate, which I neglected to track, came in at 136, which is 67% of my max.
So I'm on Cloud 9 now. I stretched out, gathered all my gear, and hopped in the car. Flipped on the radio, and I had a CD in - and how ironic that the song it was on was the last song I heard at 2 AM on Saturday morning as I returned home from the Bruce Springsteen show - "Born to Run". Windows down, stereo cranked. Yeah, I'm on a high. And the responses I got on Daily Mile and Twitter after I posted my results only made it better. THIS was the Runner's High I've heard so much about.
Tramps like us, baby...
(Note: that's not my Born to Run video - the video I took on Friday has me singing at the top of my lungs; I won't subject you to that disaster!!)
My goal yesterday was to go out very conservatively, hoping to keep a 10:15 pace through 20 miles. I was concerned more about finishing rather than posting any kind of amazing pace. My recent foot issue, along with the general overwhelming task at hand, was the catalyst for my caution.
And it didn't get off to a rousing start. As soon as I started running, my foot really started to ache, to the point where I was concerned that it was going to be a washout. But about a tenth of a mile into the run, the foot settled down and I was able to get into a rhythm. But that was short-lived, as I heard a PA system in the distance - apparently, I was going to be running on the trail where a group was conducting the bike part of a sprint triathlon. For a few miles, I was listening for bikes passing and trying to stay out of the way of the inevitable large pack of bikers that would be approaching. I eventually made it to the horse path part of the trail, which also helped because it got me off the asphalt for about 5 miles.
My original plan was to start on the W&OD Trail at mile marker 20, run to mile marker 25, then backtrack to mile marker 15, and circle back to my car at mm 20. The tri, though, changed my plans. Had I turned at mm 25, I would have been right back in the bikers' path, so I made the decision to continue to mile marker 30, and make it a true out-and-back. Doing this also removed any thought, however minute, of cutting my run short because I was running past my car at mile 10.
As I got closer to mile marker 30, I was keeping about a 10:10 pace, some miles slightly higher, some closer to 10 minutes. I purposely hid the Heart Rate function on my Garmin so as to not let that dictate my pace. As I approached the turn-around, I passed a familiar face, my friend Jess from the Pace Of Me blog. Only, I didn't recognize her, since I didn't expect to see her that far away from Reston. I only knew it was her when she yelled, "Heyyy!!!" as we passed (Sorry, Jess!).
When I got close to the turn, I saw another familiar face, my Team McGraw teammate Erin, who estimated that I'd be at mile marker 30 at 8:30 am (judging by my pace), and I was right on time! She was doing 20 miles as well, prepping for the Chicago Marathon, so we ran a few miles together. A few minutes into our run, my brother-in-law passed us on his bike - he's training for a 50-mile charity bike ride.
Erin runs a bit slower than I do, and the 2+ miles we ran together were about a 10:45 pace, but that helped me a bit. When we parted, I picked it back up slightly, as I was now going downhill. But wait, isn't that Ed C. from Daily Mile approaching? We chatted briefly, and I was on my way, only to see another Daily Miler, Chris M. coming up. I didn't know it was Chris until we passed, so I missed the oppportunity to say hello. But this is the way it was going - I rarely see anyone I know on my long runs, except for today.
At that point, I was past 15 miles, and still going strong. But I had a tough 2-mile stretch coming up. I made it through that stretch with no problem, and as my Garmin beeped for 19 miles, I made the command decision that I was going to kick it in and see just how much I had left in the tank. My final mile was 9:05, and I was very happy that I had that much in me to do that. My first 20-miler was a success. Time was 3:22:11 (10:07 pace), and my heart rate, which I neglected to track, came in at 136, which is 67% of my max.
So I'm on Cloud 9 now. I stretched out, gathered all my gear, and hopped in the car. Flipped on the radio, and I had a CD in - and how ironic that the song it was on was the last song I heard at 2 AM on Saturday morning as I returned home from the Bruce Springsteen show - "Born to Run". Windows down, stereo cranked. Yeah, I'm on a high. And the responses I got on Daily Mile and Twitter after I posted my results only made it better. THIS was the Runner's High I've heard so much about.
Tramps like us, baby...
(Note: that's not my Born to Run video - the video I took on Friday has me singing at the top of my lungs; I won't subject you to that disaster!!)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Leesburg 20K Race Report
In previous years this was a 20K/10K race, but permitting problems necessitated changing the 10K to a 5K. I've run the 10K twice before, and both August races were stifling hot. Not so yesterday - the weather at the 7:30 start was overcast and 64 degrees, just about perfect conditions.
For race prep, I used the carb loading/fueling strategy I referenced in my previous post. I'd be running 80% of what I ran last week, so I didn't carb load as heavy as I did last week. Also, my breakfast was a tad bit smaller. For in-race fueling, I used my Fuel Belt, drinking lemon-lime Gatorade, and planned on consuming 3 GUs during the race, at 3 mile (or so) intervals). My race plan was to do the first 10K at a 9:30 pace (my MCM goal pace), then on the downhill return, seeing how I felt and taking what it gave me. I hoped to finish in about 1:58.
At the start line, both the 20K and 5K runners started simultaneously, so there were over 1200 runners lining up on Harrison Street in Leesburg (about 60% were 20K runners). And as the gun went off, my pet peeve again came to fruition - slower runners/walkers lining up way too far forward in the queue. It was very congested until about a mile into the race, and really didn't thin out until just after the 2 mile mark, when the 20K and 5K runners split. At this point, the race continued on the Washington & Old Dominion (W & OD) Trail, a multi-purpose path for bicyclists, runners, walkers, etc. The next 4+ miles were not as difficult as it looked on the elevation chart. It was indeed a gradual incline, but much flatter than I expected or remembered. My pace was steady at about 9:22 as I passed the 10K mark in 57:57 (by my Garmin).
The only difficult stretch was at mile 5 of the race (mile 38 on the W&OD), where the trail goes over Route 7 at the Route 9 interchange (Clark's Gap). This stretch of trail turns almost 180 degrees, and then back again as it winds its way steeply up the overpass. This was the hardest part of the race, but on the positive side, coming back was going to give me a nice downhill to get some momentum for the final 5 miles.
The turnaround was at the 6.75 mile mark of the race, and almost immediately felt the ease of going downhill. Again, the incline was very shallow, but my hill training must be paying dividends, because I wasn't struggling. (Editorial comment - at this point of the race, we were doubling back, and there was two-way traffic on the trail. Why recreational bicyclists felt it necessary to ride their bikes between the two lanes of race traffic was baffling. And to get belligerent when you couldn't get through is the typical attitude of many of the bicyclists on the W&OD). I felt the speed picking up for the next 4 miles, and my paces showed it - I was down in the low 9's/high 8's with my paces as I approached the last aid station.
By mile 11, I was still feeling fresh, so I decided to up the pace a little. I was running by myself at this point, and did mile 11 in 8:38. The final .4 was a little tougher as it was uphill to the finish, and I was at an 8:40-ish pace for the final mile when I crossed the line. My official finish time was 1:54:12, almost 4 minutes under what I had hoped, and a 9:13 pace. Heart rate was 150, or about 80% of my max.
What I learned from this race: A proper carb-loading and in-race fueling strategy is of the utmost importance. I never used to pay attention to that, and as a result, bonked at mile 10 or 11 in 4 of my previous 5 half-marathons. Also, running smart at the start of the race, not expending any extra energy trying to get free of the misplaced runners is vital. I had plenty of energy left to do that climb at mile 5, and much more energy at the finish.
So. with 10 weeks left until MCM, this race left me with a very optimistic feeling about hitting my goals in October. As my old pal Jack told me yesterday, "The key now is to just stay healthy".
Ain't that the truth.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Fueling Plan
If any of you follow me on Daily Mile, you'd know that my Saturday long runs on July 28th and August 4th did not go very well for me. Those runs were 13 and 14 miles, respectively, and in addition to the oppressive humidity on both days, I also "hit the wall" around mile 10 in both runs. After examining all of my data from those runs, I came to the conclusion that my fueling plan for my long runs was woefully inadequate.
Since I'm part of the Runner's World Challenge for the Marine Corps Marathon, I decided to ask the question on the discussion board about fueling and hydration. The response I got back from the RW nutritionist, Pamela Nisevich, instantly set off the light bulb above my head. The carbo loading can begin the day before my long run at lunch, which would be Friday. High carbs, low fat, low fiber, but not so much food that you're weighed down. Dinner that night would be the same, but the lunch carb load was in case I didn't get the chance to do a nice carb intake at dinner. Lunch on Friday was a baked potato (plain), with some pasta & sauce, some fruits & veggies, and some Chobani. Dinner was pancakes. Lots of pancakes.
On my long run day (Saturday), Pam's advice was to take your weight, and at breakfast:
I'm 207 lbs. right now, and I eat an hour or so before my run, so I need about 103 grams of carbs. OK, that seems like a lot of food, but this is how I divided it out: 1 serving of Trader Joe's steel-cut oats (25 grams), one sesame bagel (46 grams), one banana (20 grams), a glass of orange juice (22 grams), and one cup of black coffee. That's 113 grams of carbs, and I didn't feel weighed down.
Pam also suggested that since I take GU during my runs, to make sure that I took 2 GU's per hour, washed down with water. I was taking only one per hour previously. Pam said that I needed to aim for about 45 grams of carbs per hour.
So, all carbed up, with my Nathan hydration vest filled with lemon-lime Gatorade (the on-course beverage of choice for the Marine Corps Marathon) and 4 GU packets, I set out for my 15 mile run. Luckily, the weather was not as heinous as it had been the previous 2 weeks. I started out more conservatively than I had before, running the first 4 miles in exactly 40 minutes. I try to run by effort, using my Garmin to track my heart rate; this week's run was a combination goal of a heart rate below 75% and a 10-minute/mile pace.
The results were astonishing. I didn't bonk at mile 10, like before. In fact, I actually had enough energy stored to where I ran my fastest mile of the day in mile 14 (9:41 pace). My final totals were 15 miles in 2:29:43 (9:58 pace) and an average heart rate of 143 (73%), both figures right on target.
It's exactly what I was looking for: smart advice about how to properly carb load for a long run to prevent the dreaded "bonk". Combined with a conservative running strategy, it made for a very successful run. I plan to use this going forward through October 28th, in hopes of a very successful first marathon experience.
Since I'm part of the Runner's World Challenge for the Marine Corps Marathon, I decided to ask the question on the discussion board about fueling and hydration. The response I got back from the RW nutritionist, Pamela Nisevich, instantly set off the light bulb above my head. The carbo loading can begin the day before my long run at lunch, which would be Friday. High carbs, low fat, low fiber, but not so much food that you're weighed down. Dinner that night would be the same, but the lunch carb load was in case I didn't get the chance to do a nice carb intake at dinner. Lunch on Friday was a baked potato (plain), with some pasta & sauce, some fruits & veggies, and some Chobani. Dinner was pancakes. Lots of pancakes.
On my long run day (Saturday), Pam's advice was to take your weight, and at breakfast:
multiply this number by the hours you have until your run begins.For example, say you weigh 190 lbs and you roll out of bed an hour before the run (or race) is to begin.190lb/2 = 9595 x 1hr = 95This means that you need 95 grams of carbs for breakfast.
I'm 207 lbs. right now, and I eat an hour or so before my run, so I need about 103 grams of carbs. OK, that seems like a lot of food, but this is how I divided it out: 1 serving of Trader Joe's steel-cut oats (25 grams), one sesame bagel (46 grams), one banana (20 grams), a glass of orange juice (22 grams), and one cup of black coffee. That's 113 grams of carbs, and I didn't feel weighed down.
Pam also suggested that since I take GU during my runs, to make sure that I took 2 GU's per hour, washed down with water. I was taking only one per hour previously. Pam said that I needed to aim for about 45 grams of carbs per hour.
So, all carbed up, with my Nathan hydration vest filled with lemon-lime Gatorade (the on-course beverage of choice for the Marine Corps Marathon) and 4 GU packets, I set out for my 15 mile run. Luckily, the weather was not as heinous as it had been the previous 2 weeks. I started out more conservatively than I had before, running the first 4 miles in exactly 40 minutes. I try to run by effort, using my Garmin to track my heart rate; this week's run was a combination goal of a heart rate below 75% and a 10-minute/mile pace.
The results were astonishing. I didn't bonk at mile 10, like before. In fact, I actually had enough energy stored to where I ran my fastest mile of the day in mile 14 (9:41 pace). My final totals were 15 miles in 2:29:43 (9:58 pace) and an average heart rate of 143 (73%), both figures right on target.
It's exactly what I was looking for: smart advice about how to properly carb load for a long run to prevent the dreaded "bonk". Combined with a conservative running strategy, it made for a very successful run. I plan to use this going forward through October 28th, in hopes of a very successful first marathon experience.
Friday, July 20, 2012
99 Days
99 days. Just a little over 14 weeks. That's the countdown to the 37th Marine Corps Marathon, on October 28th. My first marathon, and with any luck, not my last.
My training has been going surprisingly well, knock on wood. I'm keeping my heart rate in check on my easy runs, my long runs have been productive, and I'm throwing in some cross-training for good measure. Last night, I took it up another notch.
The distance training group I belong to has a weekly track session on Thursday nights for speedwork. The sessions are optional, but I was finally able to have my schedule accomodate one of these sessions last night. The prescribed workout was 2 to 4 sets of the following workout: 800 meters at Threshhold pace, a 400 meter jog, and then 400 meters all out. Our coaches say your threshhold pace should be 10-20 seconds slower than 10K pace, which for me would be an 8:45-ish pace, or 4:22.
After a 4-lap warmup on the track, we got to it - and the results were surprising. I ran my first 800 in 4:17, which was not that far off from my plan. After my 400 jog, it was all-out for the next 400. I ran that 400 in 1:45, which translates to a 7:00/mile pace. Now, if someone had told me 4 years ago, when I started running, that I would be able to break off a 400 in 1:45, I'd have said you were crazy. But there it was, the pace on my Garmin read "7:00".
After the set, we were told to recover for 2-4 minutes, then start the next set. I broke off a 4:08 on my next 800, which was much faster than I had planned. I jogged a 400, then ripped a 1:52 for my all-out 400, a 7:28 pace. Man, I'm liking this speedwork. The paces for my final set mirrored set #2, almost to the second.
What does this prove? For one, it's that I'm more fit (and faster) than I imagined. Second, how much faster could I be if I dropped the few more pounds I need to get my weight under 200? And third, I don't hate speedwork - really, it was nothing more than sucking it up for 8 minutes before taking a short blow, and repeating it. This was my first "official" speedwork session (previous ones had been by myself, unstructured). I know that this is going to benefit me in 99 days.
I know that there are some out there who fear the marathon, especially the "what have I signed up for??" reactions, but not me. I am very much looking forward to this new challenge. And this is all because I'm training right, training smart, and training well. My confidence is brimming right now - these next 99 days are going to go slowly, but I need to keep this adrenaline in check and continue to train the right way.
99 days.
My training has been going surprisingly well, knock on wood. I'm keeping my heart rate in check on my easy runs, my long runs have been productive, and I'm throwing in some cross-training for good measure. Last night, I took it up another notch.
The distance training group I belong to has a weekly track session on Thursday nights for speedwork. The sessions are optional, but I was finally able to have my schedule accomodate one of these sessions last night. The prescribed workout was 2 to 4 sets of the following workout: 800 meters at Threshhold pace, a 400 meter jog, and then 400 meters all out. Our coaches say your threshhold pace should be 10-20 seconds slower than 10K pace, which for me would be an 8:45-ish pace, or 4:22.
After a 4-lap warmup on the track, we got to it - and the results were surprising. I ran my first 800 in 4:17, which was not that far off from my plan. After my 400 jog, it was all-out for the next 400. I ran that 400 in 1:45, which translates to a 7:00/mile pace. Now, if someone had told me 4 years ago, when I started running, that I would be able to break off a 400 in 1:45, I'd have said you were crazy. But there it was, the pace on my Garmin read "7:00".
After the set, we were told to recover for 2-4 minutes, then start the next set. I broke off a 4:08 on my next 800, which was much faster than I had planned. I jogged a 400, then ripped a 1:52 for my all-out 400, a 7:28 pace. Man, I'm liking this speedwork. The paces for my final set mirrored set #2, almost to the second.
What does this prove? For one, it's that I'm more fit (and faster) than I imagined. Second, how much faster could I be if I dropped the few more pounds I need to get my weight under 200? And third, I don't hate speedwork - really, it was nothing more than sucking it up for 8 minutes before taking a short blow, and repeating it. This was my first "official" speedwork session (previous ones had been by myself, unstructured). I know that this is going to benefit me in 99 days.
I know that there are some out there who fear the marathon, especially the "what have I signed up for??" reactions, but not me. I am very much looking forward to this new challenge. And this is all because I'm training right, training smart, and training well. My confidence is brimming right now - these next 99 days are going to go slowly, but I need to keep this adrenaline in check and continue to train the right way.
99 days.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
The "Daily Mission" question on Daily Mile this morning was this: "Cardio. Strength. Flexibility. What is your weakest link?" Very timely, because on my run this morning (and before I saw the question), I thought about my current training plan, and what I was missing.
Some quick background: when I was serving in the Navy back in the late 80's, I would strength-train regularly, to the point where at my peak I was bench-pressing 275 lbs. and squatting close to 400. My downfall came when I failed the Physical Readiness Test in late 1987 - I couldn't complete the 1.5 mile run in 18 minutes. I look back on that and think how bad my cardio was that I couldn't sustain a 12 minute pace. But I refused to run.
Fast-forward to 2012, and a complete 180-degree turnaround: I am addicted to running, and I couldn't care less about strength training. That's detrimental to my overall training, and the area in which I need to drastically improve.
So after a lot of thought this morning, I have decided to alter my training schedule and to supplement my running beginning this Monday with 2 mornings of strength and core training. I have 10 weeks until the official start of training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I have lost 15 pounds since my run streak started on Thanksgiving Day 2011, and I want to tone that up. And I have another 10-15 pounds to go to where I want to be, weight-wise on October 28th. Running alone isn't going to do that.
For the time being, my run streak will continue; I'll warm up before my strength/core with a mile on the treadmill. But once MCM training begins, there will be complete rest days from running.
And this blog serves as my motivation; if I have it in writing, I'll be less likely to wander off - and I'm hoping my DM friends hold me to it.
Strange fascination, fascinating me/
Changes are taking the pace I'm going through
And now, Mr. David Jones:
Some quick background: when I was serving in the Navy back in the late 80's, I would strength-train regularly, to the point where at my peak I was bench-pressing 275 lbs. and squatting close to 400. My downfall came when I failed the Physical Readiness Test in late 1987 - I couldn't complete the 1.5 mile run in 18 minutes. I look back on that and think how bad my cardio was that I couldn't sustain a 12 minute pace. But I refused to run.
Fast-forward to 2012, and a complete 180-degree turnaround: I am addicted to running, and I couldn't care less about strength training. That's detrimental to my overall training, and the area in which I need to drastically improve.
So after a lot of thought this morning, I have decided to alter my training schedule and to supplement my running beginning this Monday with 2 mornings of strength and core training. I have 10 weeks until the official start of training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I have lost 15 pounds since my run streak started on Thanksgiving Day 2011, and I want to tone that up. And I have another 10-15 pounds to go to where I want to be, weight-wise on October 28th. Running alone isn't going to do that.
For the time being, my run streak will continue; I'll warm up before my strength/core with a mile on the treadmill. But once MCM training begins, there will be complete rest days from running.
And this blog serves as my motivation; if I have it in writing, I'll be less likely to wander off - and I'm hoping my DM friends hold me to it.
Strange fascination, fascinating me/
Changes are taking the pace I'm going through
And now, Mr. David Jones:
Monday, April 2, 2012
Run Club...Fun Club??
I run by myself. All the time. Training runs, races, whatever. Mostly because I can choose to go out when I wish and finish when I wish, but also because I don't have friends around who are runners.
When I signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon last month, I realized that this was going to have to change, especially if I wanted to do well in the race. I couldn't see doing 20+ mile training runs by myself. 3 1/2 hours on the W&OD Trail by myself on a Sunday morning in August wasn't going to be fun. So I've been looking around for running groups.
I looked at the Reston Runners club, but it appears that they have some kind of sadistic person creating their long run routes, since it appears that all of their 10 milers are extremely hilly. I run Reston's hills every day of the week; I want a bit of a break. But I also noticed, through the power of Twitter, something on a local runner's feed called, simply #runclub. I messaged Jessica and asked her about the club, and she told me to come on out - they meet at Reston Pilates at 8:30 each Sunday morning (approximately the time I run), start out with 15-20 minutes of mat Pilates, then they all go out to the W&OD for a run. Sounds like fun, right?
Except for the fact that I've never attempted Pilates, and was wary of it. Not so much that it was hard, but that I would embarrass myself with my lack of flexibility.
But last week, as I was attending a Tee Ball meeting (I'm coaching my son's team), I found out that another coach is Jessica's husband. We got to talking, and he convinced me to give it a try. So yesterday, I ventured out for my first #runclub.
And it wasn't that bad (the Pilates, that is). As a matter of fact, it was difficult, but I got warmed up better yesterday than I usually do. Luckily, the group was small so I didn't feel so self-conscious. But the run was fantastic; the chats made the run go by so much quicker.
But I am sore today - Pilates really works your core, and although it is difficult, it's not as difficult as I expected. So yeah, I'm going back to #runclub again on the 15th.
Sometimes, you just have to give it a try.
When I signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon last month, I realized that this was going to have to change, especially if I wanted to do well in the race. I couldn't see doing 20+ mile training runs by myself. 3 1/2 hours on the W&OD Trail by myself on a Sunday morning in August wasn't going to be fun. So I've been looking around for running groups.
I looked at the Reston Runners club, but it appears that they have some kind of sadistic person creating their long run routes, since it appears that all of their 10 milers are extremely hilly. I run Reston's hills every day of the week; I want a bit of a break. But I also noticed, through the power of Twitter, something on a local runner's feed called, simply #runclub. I messaged Jessica and asked her about the club, and she told me to come on out - they meet at Reston Pilates at 8:30 each Sunday morning (approximately the time I run), start out with 15-20 minutes of mat Pilates, then they all go out to the W&OD for a run. Sounds like fun, right?
Except for the fact that I've never attempted Pilates, and was wary of it. Not so much that it was hard, but that I would embarrass myself with my lack of flexibility.
But last week, as I was attending a Tee Ball meeting (I'm coaching my son's team), I found out that another coach is Jessica's husband. We got to talking, and he convinced me to give it a try. So yesterday, I ventured out for my first #runclub.
And it wasn't that bad (the Pilates, that is). As a matter of fact, it was difficult, but I got warmed up better yesterday than I usually do. Luckily, the group was small so I didn't feel so self-conscious. But the run was fantastic; the chats made the run go by so much quicker.
But I am sore today - Pilates really works your core, and although it is difficult, it's not as difficult as I expected. So yeah, I'm going back to #runclub again on the 15th.
Sometimes, you just have to give it a try.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
And The Award For...
...most anal-retentive runner goes to...ME!!
I just completed working on my training schedule. For the Marine Corps Marathon. Which is in October. 31 weeks away.
And not just that, I have my entire training schedule mapped out from March 26th to October 28th. I did up a 15-week "pre-marathon training schedule" training schedule. Normal weeks, easy weeks, days when I can race, etc. It's quite ridiculous, if you think about it, but I have my reasons.
First, my son is signed up for both soccer AND baseball this Spring. His soccer games will be early Saturday mornings, and baseball will be sometime from mid-morning to late afternoon on Saturday (with me as the coach). So that day is full for me. I have resigned myself to the fact that I would have to rise with the birds on Saturday to get in my 4 miles before trekking to the soccer fields.
Second, we're buying a house and settling on it in late May. We haven't set a move-in date yet, but I'm guessing early June - just not on a Saturday (see above). I've got to work my runs around that.
Third, there aren't many races between now and July 9 (marathon training day #1) that I'm going to be interested in running. Since I do 10 mile training runs on Sundays, I want to leave my easy weeks open for any 10K's that might pop up. I'm not going to race during marathon training except for a half-marathon tune-up race sometime in September.
I've also come to the realization, looking at the schedule and taking into consideration my committments, that my current 120-day running streak is in jeopardy. I suppose I could still get up early on Saturdays and run a mile or so just to keep it alive, but is that what I really want to do? I mean, I proved to myself that I could do it without injury, I feel great running every day, but the streak is bordering now on obsession. And I can see myself, some Saturday in May, with a 9 AM soccer game and a 10:30 baseball game, with me up at 6 AM going for a 40-minute run, and being dead tired by lunch time.
Or worse, being in total freak-out mode at 4:30 that I haven't put my miles in yet for the day. If I schedule a rest day for this hectic day, that's one less thing to worry about.
My marathon training is 5 days a week with 2 rest days, and I'm going to keep hard & fast by that schedule, so the streak will end; it's just a matter of when. Just don't be surprised if it's in early April.
I just completed working on my training schedule. For the Marine Corps Marathon. Which is in October. 31 weeks away.
And not just that, I have my entire training schedule mapped out from March 26th to October 28th. I did up a 15-week "pre-marathon training schedule" training schedule. Normal weeks, easy weeks, days when I can race, etc. It's quite ridiculous, if you think about it, but I have my reasons.
First, my son is signed up for both soccer AND baseball this Spring. His soccer games will be early Saturday mornings, and baseball will be sometime from mid-morning to late afternoon on Saturday (with me as the coach). So that day is full for me. I have resigned myself to the fact that I would have to rise with the birds on Saturday to get in my 4 miles before trekking to the soccer fields.
Second, we're buying a house and settling on it in late May. We haven't set a move-in date yet, but I'm guessing early June - just not on a Saturday (see above). I've got to work my runs around that.
Third, there aren't many races between now and July 9 (marathon training day #1) that I'm going to be interested in running. Since I do 10 mile training runs on Sundays, I want to leave my easy weeks open for any 10K's that might pop up. I'm not going to race during marathon training except for a half-marathon tune-up race sometime in September.
I've also come to the realization, looking at the schedule and taking into consideration my committments, that my current 120-day running streak is in jeopardy. I suppose I could still get up early on Saturdays and run a mile or so just to keep it alive, but is that what I really want to do? I mean, I proved to myself that I could do it without injury, I feel great running every day, but the streak is bordering now on obsession. And I can see myself, some Saturday in May, with a 9 AM soccer game and a 10:30 baseball game, with me up at 6 AM going for a 40-minute run, and being dead tired by lunch time.
Or worse, being in total freak-out mode at 4:30 that I haven't put my miles in yet for the day. If I schedule a rest day for this hectic day, that's one less thing to worry about.
My marathon training is 5 days a week with 2 rest days, and I'm going to keep hard & fast by that schedule, so the streak will end; it's just a matter of when. Just don't be surprised if it's in early April.
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