Prince Edward County Marathon 2015 Race Report

So, it's time to try and recap my third marathon so that I can remember what all of this felt like before, during, and afterward and hopefully use this information to learn and improve for future races.

The first thing to note is that I am somewhat disappointed in my execution of the race, not necessarily the result itself. Yes, I am very happy that I was able to set a Personal Best by over 33 minutes, but I am not happy with the fact that I was unable to manage the race better while I was running it. I clearly have a lot to learn about "going for it" when doing so may not be the wise choice. It is my personality to do so I guess and with that I have to grapple. I also have a few things to take away that will inform my future training as well, and that is a very good thing.

So, the lead up to the race: it was a tough Saturday in the sense that I knew we wouldn't get out of town early due to some other family commitments and also that the highway was shut down in both directions due to a massive overnight accident. We managed to get through the family commitments and then waited out the highway blockage for a bit before hitting the road shortly before 2pm for the 2.5hr drive to Picton and the Race Expo. The drive wasn't too bad and I was a passenger the entire time thanks to my wife doing all the driving (thanks!). We arrived at the Expo a bit before 5pm and I was able to get in and out pretty quickly picking up two bibs for friends as well as my own. We then drove to the cottage and had dinner. By this point I was feeling a bit tired, but at least I was settled in for the night.

Having slept ok, but just ok, I woke up at 5:30am and slowly got ready by eating a bagel and a Clif Bar, washing these down with some water and a cup of black coffee. We left at 6:15am and on the way I drank more water to ensure I was hydrated. Arriving at the race staging area, which was mercifully indoors, at 7:15am I met my friends and passed on their bibs. I then used the washroom (twice) and had a eLoad gel along with some more water about fifteen minutes before the 8am start.

The day before had been a bad day weather wise with cold temperatures and a howling wind from the East. Given that the race was a point to point course heading East this was not good at all and had me worried. On the morning of the race the winds seemed to have died down a bit, but it was certainly not what I would call calm. However, I tried to put that out of my mind and attempted to focus on the task at hand.

When the start happened I was ready to go and set off with the rest of the small contingent of 167 marathoners. I immediately paid attention to my Garmin and tried to lock in on my dream goal pace of 4:35/km. This I managed to do well right away and, as a result, I was a bit concerned that this pace didn't feel as easy early on as I though it should have.

However, I just kept on running and kept telling myself to "glide" through the first 32k. The race is all about the last 10k and I wanted to make it through the first three quarters feeling as fresh as I could. Unfortunately, this would prove impossible on the day as I started to feel that the dream goal would slip away right around the time that my right quad up near the hip began to bark at the 16k mark. I think running on the edge of the road was too much to take and my right leg took the brunt of the impact on the sloped road surface. With a sigh I resigned myself to simply finishing the race on the run as best as I could while managing the pain.

I made it through the half marathon mark in 1:37.48, good for a 4:38/km average pace, and faced the second half of the run with the wind really starting to howl near the water. And boy did it howl! Right in my face or just slightly from the right. I had to really fight through it and it definitely messed up my rhythm. It also chilled me to the core at times, but I kept on plugging away as I watched my pace slow down kilometre by kilometres.

It was at this time that I began to wonder if I'd be able to break 3h20m for the race, and then at about the 28k mark I did the math in my head and felt that this goal was also too aggressive, but that breaking 3h25m was in the bag. Boy was I wrong!!! As I came to the 30k water station I walked through for the first time and my calves both twinged with that hint of a cramp that I dreaded all along. I made the decision to run between water stations, which were every two kilometres, and walk through for both a break and to get water into me. I had been sucking down eLoad gels since about the 5k mark of the race and by this time I was onto my sixth one. I had carried 12 with me knowing I would need a lot of calories, but I simply could not ingest them fast enough and my stomach was not accepting them any faster. This is one of the many things I still have yet to learn about marathoning...

In any case, I made it to the 32k water stop and walked through. This time I slowed before walking and that helped the calves for sure. I ran to the 34k water stop as well, but it was really, really tough going at this point. I also ran to the 36k stop, and then the fun really started. At the 37k mark my left hamstring twinged enough that I had to walk a few steps to ensure it wouldn't completely cramp up. A short time later, as I was mostly done the decent incline that comes up between 37k and 38k , my hamstring cramped and I had to stop for a short stretch. I walked a bit after the stretch and ran to the 38k water stop. After that I think I ran most of the way to the 40k water stop, but I did have to stop once to stretch quickly so it wasn't ideal.

Once I made it through the 40k water stop I knew it was simply a matter to keeping going and not allowing my legs to stop me down the main stretch to the Finish in front of all the spectators. I hobbled along from 40-41k and then in the last kilometre I tried my best to pick up my pace while keeping my legs from cramping. I was also cramping a bit in the right biceps for some reason and had to keep an eye on that as well.

In the last kilometre I saw my family (who had also come to see me at that crucial 32k mark and were a big boost) and they were a big help in getting me through to the end. I was really not looking good by this point I'm sure, but I focused on the finish line visible in the distance and just kept telling myself that I was almost there. I also glanced at my watch now and then and knew I would have to fight to get under 3h25m, and so I fought.

Ultimately, I managed the second half of the race in 1:46:49 (a 9 minute positive split, so not horrible, but not ideal either) and finished with a huge Personal Best of 3h24m35.6s. I came in 18th overall and 5th in my age category, so not bad on that end as well.

After the race I stopped off at the massage tent and waited for a couple of minutes before pulling the chute on the idea due to the long line up, opting for a shower instead. The walk to the shower facilities, which one had to access through a freezing hockey rink!, was tough as both of my calves up near the knee felt about as flexible and rocks. The shower itself was totally ghetto and took forever to warm up, but I was glad to have the option anyway. Then we hit the road to get my son to his baseball team get-together that I initially thought we'd have to miss. Last note is that in my rush to get on the highway I totally did not manage to take advantage of the complimentary beer that they were serving to all finishers! Oh well...

And I suppose I should also be pleased knowing that this was not my best performance and that I still have lots of room for improvement. I am now 10 minutes away from qualifying for Boston, though likely 12-13 minutes from actually being able to register. I am a bit disappointed that the Hanson's Marathon Method, which I followed to a T for 18 weeks didn't result in the stronger finish I was hoping for irrespective of the time, but I have to also note that I started the plan on June 1st with what I can only call a minimum amount of mileage in my legs so perhaps this was the reason and not the plan itself. My initial assessment is that the plan was sound, but I would tweak it in two ways: 1. I think I need more than the 10 day taper (perhaps stretch it to two weeks), and 2. I think I need to practice marathon pace at the end of the longest of the long runs to ensure my legs are ready to run at goal pace when they are totally trashed.

Things are moving in the right direction! Now I am taking two weeks off from running and will think about next goals and races after that.

Getting Smarter, Playing it Safer?

Yet another week of trying to be smart about my running and I think the approach, for the most part, seems to be working. A couple of weeks ago, as noted, I took one run "off" and got on the stationary bike instead for a 40 minute spin. Last week I decided another test was in order and on Tuesday hit the treadmill for a speed session. The idea was to see if I would be able to run four repeats of 800m in 2:52 or 2:55 with 2 minutes rest interval. These goals correspond to the Run Less Run Faster paces for either the 3:10 marathon or 3:15 marathon, in order words my "A" BQ and "B" BQ paces.

Anyway, it was a very tough workout, but I made it! There is an asterisk to the session as I took one extra minute of rest prior to starting into the last repeat, but not on account of the heart rate (which duly came down to 130bpm within 90 seconds each time), but simply because I was overheating as the gym had the worst stale air ever; absolutely nothing moving around in there at all and warm, warm, warm...

Long story short, the test was passed. But afterwards, maybe an hour or so later, I started to feel a pain on the top and outside of my right foot. This was not debilitating, but definitely worrisome. It was marginally better by Thursday, when I was to hit the gym for another run, but I decided to play it smart and safe and so it was back onto the stationary bike for another 40 minutes. I alternated one minute hard, one minute easy after a 5 minute warm up, and finished it off with a 5 minute cool down. It was a good workout, even if it wasn't running.

And so, as this past weekend came up, my foot was feeling better. However, coaching my little basketball team at the provincial championships had me focused elsewhere and a bit more than busy. Therefore, I decided to not run at all on Saturday. I woke up thinking I would get out there for an easy 4km, but the temperature had plummeted and it didn't seem like it was worth my time so I gave the foot one more day of rest. On Sunday afternoon, after coming home from the tournament, I hit the road for a general aerobic run where I managed a decent 10km in 50 minutes or so at an average pace of 5:02/km. My diet had been less than good over the weekend and this effort felt a loss worse than it should have, but I was happy that the foot was feeling 100%!

Today I hit the gym again at lunch and got on the treadmill for another general aerobic effort. I felt well enough after the first kilometre that I decided to do some faster sections, but not too fast. I alternated  1 minute at about 4:14/km with 2 minutes at about 4:52/km until I had run 9km total, then put in one more kilometre easy for a cool down. The total was 10km in 47:05 for a 4:43/km average pace. This was so much easier than my Sunday run and I am convinced that my diet affects me very clearly when training so I guess I'd better be good ;)

Anyway, things are going well. Another test is coming up on the training plan so we will see how I manage that. But for now it's play it smart, play if safe, and run healthy. I hope...

First Test

The first test of what will hopefully be a series of attempts to ascertain what type of training paces I will be trying to hit on training runs as I prepare for a Fall Marathon occurred today. Alas, it was on a treadmill, but nevertheless, at least it WAS...

The goal is to follow the Run Less Run Faster plan for setting up test training sessions and base these on the A goal of a 3:10 marathon finish. I figure that if I can manage a good number of test runs, of all three "Key Run" varieties, and then analyze the paces that I was able to accomplish over the course of these attempts it will allow me to better prepare a proper pacing strategy for training and racing.

As such, today was one such test. The plan called for a 9km run, split into 3km easy, 3km at Short Tempo pace, and 3km easy. Based on a 3:10 marathon finish the Short Tempo pace is 4:04/km. Easy pace is 5:04/km...

The first 3km was, as planned, easy. Given that I was on a treadmill the pace didn't vary all that much as the Garmin foot pod read out splits of 5:06, 5:01, 5:00. Then it was straight into the Short Tempo section so I pushed the treadmill up to what I thought would be the right setting, 9.1mph, only to find that the foot pod indicated that my actual pace was 3:57/km. Yikes! Dropped it to 9.0mph, but that was still too quick, so settled on 8.9mph. That lead to a first kilometre in 4:00.3, and then splits of 4:01.4, and 4:02.9. Mission accomplished! It wasn't easy, but it wasn't deadly either. Guess I could have paced it closer to the intended 4:04/km, but am still pleased with how close this was to that target.

Finished the run with 3km once more at the easy pace and it was all done. Nice to have managed to pass this test!

Moving Forward, Learning from the Past

As I attempt to go after the ultimate goal in this running thing (the almighty BQ) it's become apparent to me that this journey has already taken much longer than I ever thought it would. I first became aware of the whole BQ and Boston Marathon thing about six years ago and it didn't take long for me to set my sights upon this goal. And yet here I am still struggling through injuries and running much too slow to make such a lofty achievement ultimately "realistic".

As such, I have been resigned to two very important lessons learned:

1. I cannot handle daily running no matter how much I would like to think that I can muscle my way through it.
2. I have trained much too slow and, in periods of relative health, all that I've become adept at is running slow.

Therefore, two changes to my running philosophy/practice must necessarily accompany the above epiphanies.

1. I must take days off and likely will top out at four running days per week.
2. I must practice running fast enough to make BQ pace feel easy.

So that's what I've been doing since the start of the year. I have moved from three days per week to four days per week of running, and I'm gently pushing the pace by varying the types of runs that I do in an effort to make BQ something that my body can manage for a little over three hours on race day.

Nothing to report other than that, which in and of itself is likely a lesson I should have learned years ago. I am certainly hoping that my plan leads to success and, more to the point, success in much less time than it's taken me to absorb these lessons...

That being said, I do enjoy the act of running and want to enjoy it for its own sake for years to come. But at this point I am not willing or able to enjoy the act of running absent a worthy goal. The two go together in my mind, though I recognize that at some point in my life I will have to either achieve the philosophy expressed in this article, or find another pursuit. I do agree with the author, however, about running still being "the best part of my day."

Crunch Time

Things are getting close, and by that I mean the Toronto Waterfront Marathon is not that far away and yours truly is a bit nervous about his fitness level. After a full month off (July) due to issues with the Achilles I not only am really behind in terms of training, but I continue to deal with soreness in the left Achilles, which is worrisome to say the least.

Nevertheless, I continue to work with a massage therapist to relieve the tension on the tendon, I've started to stretch more religiously than ever before and attempt to do at least one solid 20 minute routine per day, and I am also doing my best to train as my body will allow.

Case in point, after running either to or from work every day last week I woke up Saturday morning and my Achilles was having none of it. In the past I would have toughed it out and trained anyway, but this time I decided not to beat myself up too much and took the day off. I knew that with just 5 weeks left to go I had to do my first of three test runs the following day. Test runs? Yes, I need to test my ability to cover 42.2km by doing a few longer runs over the next three weekends so that I can both build confidence, test my injury, and give my body some time to recover in the three weeks prior to race day. Yesterday was the first of these test runs and my plan was to run "at least 20km". Next week I will run "at least 25km", and the week after, "at least 30km". If I can get through these three, I figured, I'd be in a good place to manage the full marathon distance on race day.

So, I went out with more than a bit of trepidation as my Achilles was still barking a bit. These days I make sure to walk the first kilometre as a warm up as I am getting "old", and this time I was definitely unsure of what the run would be like as the walk wasn't exactly pain free. It was ok, but that's the best I can say about it. The other tough thing about this run was the mental boredom of the route I chose. Given the Achilles situation I thought it prudent to stay close to home and simply ran laps of a large city block relatively near my home. Boy is that boring!!! The lap measured a little more than 2km and it is not what one would call "picturesque". Anyway, I started off easy and settled into a good rhythm after a few clicks. I ran this way for what seemed like forever! (Though it certainly WASN'T and feeling this way about the distance I did cover makes me a bit worried about being able to complete the Marathon.)

In the end, the results were rather positive. I will reserve judgement on whether or not I will be able to complete the race until after this series of test runs are complete, but the first went rather well especially when compared to the Half Marathon I ran in early May in Pittsburgh:

Onwards and upwards I guess. After all, it's crunch time!

Sleepwalking

Week 2 of Pittsburgh Half Marathon training completed. I was a bit of a suck yesterday and decided to skip the outdoors to avoid the wind and cold, choosing instead to head to the gym and the dreadmill. Have decided to run/walk my way through this training plan and re-evaluate after the race so doing  4 minutes run / 30 seconds walk from now on.

Happy to report that the treadmill still sucks ass. What a boring pursuit running becomes when done on one of those things! I don't care what's available for distraction, the bloody thing just slows down time like nothing else. If I lived on a treadmill I'm certain I'd make it to 150...

Hatching a Plan

Well, it's been a while and yours truly has been ruminating and contemplating and riding the roller coaster of general malaise that comes with one ever so partial to injuries both small and less than small. In short, I've been thinking about running. In brief, I actually have been running, but it's been so pathetic that I've found it difficult to document said running attempts.

Nevertheless, the Earth has not stopped spinning as, as per my one and only resolution, I shall keep trying.

With that in mind, behold a new Training Plan! It's a beginners plan with much easiness built in that I stole off of the first site that popped up on Googler when I did a search with some things called "keywords" that I have since forgotten, but I'm sure included "for the injury prone", which is just super. Although it is not clear, this plan also comes with a (yet to be registered for) race!

Pittsburgh Half Marathon, May 5, 2013!

I figured another trip to PNC Park for some baseball was in order after last year's great experience, and since this fine weekend coincides with the above Half Marathon it was a natural fit, like boxers, and very unlike boxer briefs, which are most decidedly the Devil's work...

Now I just have to pull the trigger on the registration. I've booked the hotel, but that can be cancelled for free, so...

Onward, and blah blah blah...


UPDATE: Disregard that statement about still having to register (and everything else, for that matter). I am now $108USD poorer! Lousy service charges...

Questioning My Training Methods - Putting the "S" in LSD

The recent announcement about Boston's qualifying standards got me thinking about how I'm currently approaching my training. Clearly my goal is the all mighty BQ, but in a bigger picture sense my ultimate goal is to run injury-free for as long as possible no matter what. If going after the BQ, whether the old or new standard, jeopardizes the bigger goal then I am left wondering, "What's the point?"

In November of 2009 I got back into running after a major setback suffered while training for my first marathon, which ultimately did not happen. While recovering (with a calf surgery thrown in for good measure) I not only gained 25lbs, but also had plenty of time to reflect on how I would train once my body allowed me to return to the streets. My decision, in retrospect, was easy to make given my history and ultimately the right one. I began to run based solely on Heart Rate and completely ignored pace. My aim was to do all of my running below 140bpm and slowly increase my weekly mileage throughout the year until I was, hopefully, ready to tackle the Marathon in the Fall of 2010. Given that I made it to the starting line, and also finished the race, I have no regrets about this strategy.

Then, having completed my post-Marathon recovery phase and reached the one year mark since my return, I began to experiment with pace in the middle of November 2010. First, I caught onto the whole turnover rate (cadence) thing and realized that mine was way too slow. As I focused on this aspect of running technique I was shocked at how much my pace improved! What once were 6:00/km training runs became 5:00/km training runs with not that much more effort exerted! Not only that, but I felt like the stress on my body was also negligibly higher.

I also started to sprinkle in more speed work and tempo runs and things have been going well other than for one setback in January where I felt a twinge in my right calf while doing some speed intervals on the treadmill.

Things were moving right along nicely. In fact I continued to surprise myself with my ability to maintain (what is for me) an aggressive pace while increasing my weekly mileage. This past Sunday I really nailed a good long run at a pace that last year I would have thought was only possible in a race situation. But all things come at a price and I've been more sore this week than I'd like. I made the decision after Sunday's run that I would not do any speed work or tempo stuff this week because I could anticipate that I'd pushed a bit harder and would likely be a bit drained. However, I didn't know just how sore I would be.

Now it's Friday and I'm still sore. I ran a nice easy 5km this morning and wore my heart rate monitor for the first time all year to, once again, keep me honest. My average worked out to 133bpm, which was perfect, and I will start using this important feedback tool more regularly. That being said, I also don't want to impair my ability to someday BQ, and I'm still hoping that this Fall will allow me a chance at this most worthy of goals.

All that being said, I've been reading a lot about how slow ones long run should be before it gets to the point that it's too slow to be doing you any good. There is no real consensus out there, but the one thing I am realizing is that working on speed during long runs is an invitation to injury. Therefore, I am going to do my best to stay in the right pace range and heart rate zone from now on when doing my long Sunday runs. For me this works out to a pace range of 4:50 - 5:27/km and a heart rate range of 138-152bpm. Clearly, given my long run this past Sunday as noted above, 4:50/km is much too aggressive at the moment. I was likely well above 152bpm for most of the second half of that run, but I wasn't wearing my monitor so I can't say for sure.

It's going to be tough. Slowing down will take a lot of mental fortitude and I will do my best to ignore my ego, which will constantly be telling me to get going faster, to get under that 5:00/km barrier, to see just how much I can push myself. Like I said, it won't be easy. Writing down my intentions here on this blog is one way I am trying to keep myself accountable. We'll see what happens starting this Sunday...

But first, I have a date with the treadmill this afternoon (going for 10km) and another recovery paced run tomorrow (5-8km).

Next up is my re-evaluation of racing goals for the Around the Bay 30k...

Going with the Flow

This morning I woke up early enough to fit in a nice 10km run at a recovery sort of pace before work. It was another nice weather type morning with no humidity and I am absolutely loving it when I open my front door and am not met with a wall of stickiness. Although I like the heat and enjoy the challenge of running in tough conditions it is a treat to run in near perfect weather because it makes everything seem that much easier.

My legs felt a little stiff after yesterday's leg weights, but that is to be expected. My pace started off really slow and then picked up as the run progressed even though my perceived effort never wavered.

In other news I am shaking things up a little as far as the training plan goes. Given that my ankle felt a bit wonky shortly after I ran my first 30km training run I am now building in recovery weeks right after long runs of this distance. This will allow me to run the number of 30km+ training runs that I want to prior to the marathon and hopefully get me to the starting line healthy and ready to go. It actually works out quite well on the calendar anyway and gives me a proper taper and good rest heading into the race.

Also, I am contemplating something a bit stupid. Given that I had to skip one of my long training runs this month the only way that I will be able to meet my monthly mileage goal for July is to move my long run for this week from Sunday to Saturday (since Sunday is August 1st and annoying as hell). I know that in the grand scheme this doesn't matter, and blah blah blah all that smart listening to your body crap and don't be tied to the stats etc. etc., but to me it is an important metric. Therefore, what I am planning on doing it running on Saturday evening instead and shifting the long run by a matter of hours and now a full day. Of course, this does depend on how I feel on Saturday and I retain the right to pull the chute on this plan at any point.

Recovery Weeks Piss Me Off

On my new and improved training plan (insert sarcasm on the heavy side here) I am not even two months in, still feeling pain in the ole right knee, and am finding it really hard to hold back during the recovery weeks. What's up with that?

Am I not training hard enough in the three weeks leading up to recovery time? (My answer is clearly NO!, but I do think I am training as hard as my body will allow without being sidelined with major injury or injuries.) Or, more likely, is my brain continuing to try and write cheques that my cannot cash?

Don't know how others do it, and based on the running sites and blogs that I've read over the past year or so, taking recovery seriously and actually doing it right is not an unusual issue. That being said, I am trying my best and have laid out a plan for the entire year that has me running three weeks "on" followed by a fourth week "off". And "off" is the right word, because recovery weeks are pissing me off.

Today I walked to work 6.2km, did upper body weights at lunch, and ran 8.2km home (well, to get Owen at school actually). Now that's what I call recovery! Though I must say that these recovery runs, slow and easy as they are, leave me more stiff and sore than I would like. Perhaps it's the leg weights that I've been doing that has led to this because I have not been including weight training as part of the whole recovery plan. Or maybe NOT running isn't particularly good for me, just like running too much.

Anyway, tomorrow I have leg weights on the agenda and I might actually take it down a notch and do an easy workout for a change. Things always seem to change once I'm at the gym and I end up doing more than I'd planned, but I am seriously thinking of holding back a bit. Here's hoping...

Reading and (hopefully) Learning

As I try and get "back" to the type of running that I was doing in the summer I find the process tedious and frustrating. I am not running nearly as much as I thought I would be more than a month into my return to running. My right knee continues to bother me a bit, though nothing like what I was feeling at the end of August when I was sidelined with this ailment as well as calf strains galore.

Anyway, I am really really trying to be more conservative and have set no goals for the year other than wanting to run a marathon next Fall. Even this goal is not set in stone, and I am not registered for any races whatsoever. In between the little bit of running that I have been able to accomplish I have been reading books on running like never before. The two most useful ones I've found are Hal Higdon's "Marathon: the Ultimate Training Guide" and Timothy Noakes' "The Lore of Running".

I am not, at this point, interested in any training plan per se, but I am very much in need of reinforcement of the concepts of not over training, listening to your body, setting realistic goals, etc. Both of these books do a great job of describing the common mistakes that rookies make, which ultimately lead to burnout or injury, and I have found more than a few that either I've already experienced or can relate to. As such, I am continuing to stay positive no matter how often, or how far, I am running on a weekly or monthly basis.

Case in point: Last week I ran 4km on Monday, then took the rest of the week off because I was fighting off some sort of throat ailment. On Saturday I went out for what turned out to be an awesome feeling 6km. It was easy, and I had a great time.

Sunday morning I was hoping to run again, but decided that my right calf was still feeling a bit too sore after Saturday's run and stayed home. Instead, I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes and did some stretching.

I've also started doing a few new exercises that I found in the Noakes book, especially ones with stretch cords that work the hip flexors in a variety of ways. A particular one that I've never done before works out the front of the hip, where you have to lift your leg up until the thigh is parallel with the floor while having a stretch cord attached to the ankle. It's amazing how weak those muscles are and I immediately feel the difference in my knees after only a few days of this activity.

Anyway, I would love to be out there running 20+ kilometres every Sunday, but it is simply not possible at this time. Instead, I have to think super long term and get back to that sort of mileage when my body allows. I just hope that all of this new found wisdom doesn't leave me as the Spring racing season approaches and I am tempted, perhaps against my better judgement, to enter a race or two. I hope that I can race a few, but will not bank on it just yet.

I have also signed up at a gym around the corner as part of a reduced monthly rate plan through my work. The membership doesn't start until the middle of January, but I am doing this to have access to treadmills again, and to specifically work out my core and legs in order to get rid of these "swimmers legs" once and for all. Must strengthen to absorb shock better!

Registering and Planning

I've decided to change my original plan and register for the 5k during the Ottawa Marathon Weekend races in May instead of the 10k. I figure that variety is a good thing, and my time from this race will also allow me to better use the FIRST Run Less Run Faster program to train for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in September since all of their training paces are based on your best 5k result (I find this a little puzzling because throughout the book they keep repeating that the 5k is the worst predictor for marathon finishing times, for obvious reasons). I also think that running a 5k will be a blast - just giv'r and it's over so quick!

Also, I reworked my training plan based on a Monday-Sunday week. I've always thought of weeks as starting on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday, but apparently running plans do not view calendars the same way I do. Now I have a training plan that is taking shape for the entire calendar year based on this more acceptable convention. If all goes well I will run over 1600km this year, which translates to just over 1000 miles. That will be a good milestone for sure on top of any racing achievements.

And lastly, I am rethinking my original goal for this year (that being to run a sub 45 minute 10k). Now that I am trying to (slowly and carefully) increase my mileage I can't concentrate on both distance and speed all that much as that would likely lead to more injury. If I happen to run that fast in one of the two 10k races I've signed up for, great! If not, I won't worry about it since it is more important for me to run healthy and long this year. I'll think about my goals a bit more, but it's looking more and more like my main goal will be to finish a marathon and not to run fast(ish) in a 10k.

Oh yeah, my wife has registered for the 10k in Ottawa, and I've also registered Owen in the Kids Marathon (which traces the last 1.2k of the marathon route and lets the kids finish in the same spot as the main event, making for some exciting times to be sure). This should be a fun weekend for all of us, though it is still a bit of a ways off.

R'n'R, and it's not cool kind...

I don't mean rock'n'roll, but rather the much more geriatric rest'n'recuperation, and that's what I am continuing to do as I await the healing of the foot to run its course. It's actually quite pathetic the pain that this seemingly simple 10k has left me with, and I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like after running a marathon. I am not yet bouncing off the walls, but I sure am starting to itch to start running again. I am not interested in speed or anything, but rather the slow buildup of mileage that I am looking forward to.

I figure that the winter will be taken up with adding one kilometre per week starting at something fairly short and manageable. This strategy, coupled with maintaining strict heart rate and pacing in the nice'n'easy range (we really should use 'n' more often, don't you think?), promises to keep me on my feet while minimizing the chance of any overuse injuries.

So, I will try and relax and keep this foot on the healing path. I did manage another swim this afternoon, and that is helping to keep me sane. 2000m in 29 minutes. No weights tonight, though, partly because I am writing this week off, and mostly because it is Owen's

7th BIRTHDAY!

... and that kept me busy for the evening, as you can imagine. Now it is late, and I am still to do some stretching and some foot maintenance stuff, so it's time to sign off. I've been so busy this week that I haven't really had a chance to catch up on all of the blogs out there, but things should get back to normal after this week at work, or at least I really really hope that they do!

Rethinking the Plan

Today was spent doing homework, buying a new bike for Monica, setting it up, and rethinking the training plan. On the school front, all I can say is motivation continues to be lacking in this last course of the program. .......and enough about that.

On the bike front, I had bought Monica a bike three and a half years ago to replace an ancient ten speed she had been using for probably twenty years. That old Raleigh was so undesirable that she had left it outside of her apartment in Montreal for a full winter, with the lock through the spokes of the front wheel only, and nobody took it. Montreal, for those that may not be aware, is a major bike theft capital. Anyway, I remember also that when she tried to unlock it in the Spring the lock was seized, so we just took the rest of the bike and left the wheel. I think within two days someone stole the wheel!

To make a long story short, the bike I purchased for her birthday did not really work out. It kept having problems, and finally, after about five flats in the space of two weeks, we decided to replace it. I found her a nice bike, but had to venture pretty far to pick it up. I did so today, and managed to get everything set up except the basket at the back. That's a minor thing... If anyone wants a really shitty bike, let me know! As far as the new one goes, it is inexpensive and rides real nice - perfect for Toronto, where bikes get stolen all the time. Since we both ride year- round to work and back, and pretty much everywhere else, it's imperative that our bikes work well, but are not too nice to be targets for theives. Mine is a total Frankenbike, but Mon needs something more conventional:On the running front, I have been reworking the training plan to take into account the mileage I've missed as a result of my ankle setback. Originally, this week I was supposed to run 11k on Monday, the usual 5k on Wednesday, and then another 10k on Saturday for a weekly total of 26 kilometres. Now, since I missed a week of running my mileage for the last two weeks went down considerably, 14k and 16k respectively. I think it would be unwise to jump straight up to 26k and so I am wondering what to do. I'd like a balance between decent mileage and low risk of aggravating the ankle. For now I plan on 8k tomorrow, 5k on Wednesday, and 10k on Saturday. However, that adds up to 23k, a jump of 7k from this past week's total. What would you do?

In positive news, I procrastinated a bit today looking back at the last month of training and notice that I've progressed quite a bit. No longer does a 5:30ish pace per kilometre spike my heart rate into the mid 90% range! It's getting pretty close to the point where my training runs will be going over the 1 hour mark, and given that when I started 10 minutes was a workout in and of itself I am simply amazed. Of course, I realize that the marathon runners out there do a heck of a lot more, but still it is gratifying. I've never been able to run for that long a period of time before, both due to physical limitations and, for the better part of my life, mental blocks. I used to hate running! So weird to think that now...

Sugar Sweet Weekend, and 9k LSD

So, this weekend was definitely not of the nutritionally sound variety. Malcolm's birthday brought many treats, not the least of which was his Geo Dude cake, and then on Sunday my Mom brought us a huge slab of my favorite cheesecake from a Polish bakery across town. It's a good thing this place is across town or I'd be partaking of the cheesy goodness much too often! In short, Monday was much more sluggish than usual, and with my 9k run set to go in the evening I was wondering what the after-effects would be. Of course, there is still a decent piece of cheesecake left in the fridge with which to drown my sorrows...


Mid-day training thoughts:

I am still not sure how to proceed with this week's training. The plan calls for the 9k tonight to be LSD-ish (6:00/k pace, or about 9:39/mile). Tomorrow I'll be swimming, but may miss my usual weight workout on account of a conference call that is scheduled (in)conveniently at 8pm. Wednesday I will do another 5k "maintenance" run, but may back off a little and keep the pace slowish, somewhere in the 5:30/k (8:51/m) range. Thursday is another swim day, and weights. Friday is off. Then Saturday... Saturday calls for a 10k at a fast pace, and that is what I am considering modifying. I may do this as an easier run just to get the distance in, but I am afraid of pushing myself again. Cardio-wise the gains from these tempo type runs can't be discounted, but my leg muscles are feeling the effects. I may have to decide day-of rather than plan to slow it down in advance. I'd love to be able to do this 10k under 50:00, though!


Tonight's 9k:

Back to the business at hand - what would be the consequences of my sugar intake over the past two days? I thought that I would most likely feel sluggish, especially as the run progressed. However, and I have no experience to draw from when making this conclusion, the result was something else and totally unexpected. Instead of feeling sluggish I felt fine, except for the bowel pains I began to feel at about the 2.5k mark and only got worse. Yes, I've finally got something of this variety to post about. I've read more than a few things in the blogosphere on gastrointestinal issues as they pertain to running, but have never experienced anything negative until tonight. As I ran I wished a toilet had been strapped to my ass and it became harder and harder to keep going and maintain my pace. Although walking would have likely relieved some of the "discomfort", this was not an option since running meant I was getting closer to home and the bathroom contained therein. What the hell did I eat? I don't remember anything funky, but it sure feels like I drank a quart of curdled milk or something. I really hope this is a very temporary thing, but sitting here I am not exactly totally recovered, and this is now two hours after my run!

As far as the run went, I was quite pleased. I kept my heart rate under 150 for the most part and on the perceived effort front I'd say this was pretty easy, perhaps a 5 out of 10. My pace surprised me a bit since I was aiming from something in the 6:00/km (9:39/m) range, or maybe a tad faster. Instead, I managed to hold 5:30/km (8:51/m) pace for the entire run and it felt really easy. I'll have to re-evaluate my training since this type of pace was supposed to be more difficult... It was a bit chilly out, and I'm thinking that had something to do with it.

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my route.