Last Saturday was supposed to be my final 20 miler of this training cycle, but I've been still struggling a bit with my shin splints (or whatever they are) so I was very cautious. I ended up running 13 and then biked another 30, which got me to the right amount of time and calorie burn anyway. I have two actual 20 milers and an 18 under my belt as it is, so I'm thinking I'm okay.
I took yesterday off (still wary about the ankle) but today I headed down to the track at my local high school to do one last final hard workout. One of the editors at Runner's World - Bart Yasso - came up with a workout that has come to be known as "Yasso 800s". The idea is that you run 10x800m intervals, with your slowest interval's pace in minutes and seconds being a great predictor of your marathon ability in hours and seconds. That is to say, if you can run all 10 800m intervals in 4 minutes (4:00) or less, you should in theory be able to run a marathon in 4 hours (4:00:00) or less.
It was a windy, hot and humid evening tonight, and I was feeling sluggish after eating a bunch of crap for lunch (I lied to a number of coworkers and told them that I was just doing it to start off my taper; the truth is that I can't pass up fajitas and cookies and birthday cake sometimes). So not ideal for my intervals. But I still managed to get in an awesome set - my slowest interval was done in 3:26. That means that (in theory) I can run a 3:26 marathon. That's a 7:51 mile pace the entire way, which is actually something I think I could do on a perfect day right now.
So that's a good mental boost going into the taper. And the other set of good news is that my ankle/shin - the one I've been nursing along - is also feeling incredible. I'm excited and ready for this race.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Cycling, and other things
So as I mentioned before, I've been using this break from running (and a little bit of leftover bonus money!) to get into cycling. Wow. I had no idea it was this much fun or I would have done it a few years ago. My new bike (named Lola, at the request of my life - I'm unsure if this is a Copacabana thing or a Kinks thing, but I'm assuming the former). Cycling combines all the awesomeness of motorcycling and most of what I love about running. Running will always be my first love, but it now has a mistress to deal with.
In other news, my Garmin 305 bit the dust this morning. Dead. Won't turn on at all, won't charge, no nothing. I certainly got my use out of it (over 2000 miles of running and 100+ cycling).
I've always said that if it ever died I'd replace it same-day, so I did. The newest Garmin model, the 610, is well reviewed and has a nifty touch screen, but it's impossible to find. Everybody is backordered for 3-5 weeks, including online shops. Or so I thought. I called up Luke's Locker, a favorite local running store of mine, and it turns out they got six this morning. Off my son and I went to buy it. The employees at the store were openly jealous. Here's hoping for at least another few thousand miles on this baby.
In other news, my Garmin 305 bit the dust this morning. Dead. Won't turn on at all, won't charge, no nothing. I certainly got my use out of it (over 2000 miles of running and 100+ cycling).
I've always said that if it ever died I'd replace it same-day, so I did. The newest Garmin model, the 610, is well reviewed and has a nifty touch screen, but it's impossible to find. Everybody is backordered for 3-5 weeks, including online shops. Or so I thought. I called up Luke's Locker, a favorite local running store of mine, and it turns out they got six this morning. Off my son and I went to buy it. The employees at the store were openly jealous. Here's hoping for at least another few thousand miles on this baby.
 |
| Love the sleek lines |
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Things are healing up nicely
or at least it feels that way. I ran a mile the other night on a treadmill - just enough to get warm. Still some soreness there, but nothing worse than I've dealt with already.
In the meantime, I've spent a lot of time swimming. And cycling. I managed to talk my wife (thanks dear!) into not complaining too loudly about a new bike (actually, a bike, period, since I didn't have one until now). It's a great workout and is filling in nicely as far as cardio is concerned.
In the meantime, I've spent a lot of time swimming. And cycling. I managed to talk my wife (thanks dear!) into not complaining too loudly about a new bike (actually, a bike, period, since I didn't have one until now). It's a great workout and is filling in nicely as far as cardio is concerned.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Injured, part II
So it turns out I actually am injured. Ran my second 20 miler in as many weeks yesterday, and ended up in a not good way. The shin splints (a generic description of symptoms, not problems) is caused by a soleus strain, like I suspected. And it's strained enough right now there's some visible bruising around the affected area. Couple that with the general soreness of my left achilles area and it's time to take a break from running.
So swimming it is. The good news is that I have plenty of time to rest before the marathon. The better news is that I am in great shape and if I can keep my cardio up with swimming (and cycling, something I'm planning on starting as soon as I can sell my motorcycle) until June I should be in great shape. I've got two 20 milers under my belt already. Even if I don't get any more I should be able to turn in a pretty good time.
So swimming it is. The good news is that I have plenty of time to rest before the marathon. The better news is that I am in great shape and if I can keep my cardio up with swimming (and cycling, something I'm planning on starting as soon as I can sell my motorcycle) until June I should be in great shape. I've got two 20 milers under my belt already. Even if I don't get any more I should be able to turn in a pretty good time.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Injured!
Well, not really. I'm currently suffering through shin splints (running related, and I'm pretty sure that I don't have a stress fracture) and hip pain (not running related; has to do with a genetic condition). So I've taken the week off from running. I'm doing a lot of swimming and cycling instead, both of which I really suck at. I'll try to run a 20 on Saturday and then we'll go from there.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I feel the need for Speed!
In October of 2009, when I was early into my first marathon training cycle, I decided to do a short race to get some experience with race day jitters. I chose the Susan G. Komen 5k - a rather large race here in Houston that happened to start within walking distance of my office at the time, meaning I had an easy base from which to get changed, drop off stuff, etc.
It was my first race since high school - 15 years, give or take - and it's the race I started the three goal system (one crazy, one reasonable, one non-time). My goals were completely unreasonable, but I didn't know it at the time because I'd never really done that exact distance as a training run.
I ended up having one of those days that only comes along once or twice a year and ran it in a 21:40. It was a superhuman effort. I didn't know it that day, but that time would become something unattainable over the next year. I tried several times over the next year to break that time, but I never even managed to get under 22:00 and eventually gave up. I focused on distance and ran two more marathons, leaving the shorter races to others.
This morning I didn't feel a whole lot like running, but that's pretty much how I feel every morning. Still, something felt a bit off today and I ended up sleeping in. Thankfully, today was only scheduled to be a simple 4 miler, so I still had the time to fit it in before heading to the office. In a somewhat groggy state I stumbled out on to the lawn and let my Garmin try to find satellites. It was a beautiful morning - blue clear skies, cool but not cold, breezy but not windy, refreshingly moist but definitely not humid. A perfect morning, even. So I decided to see what all of my training and extra miles and interval workouts and general effort has done for me over the last few months - I decided to try once more to break the 5k record.
I started out perfect - smooth stride, pace slightly slower than I wanted to run at first, consistent speed. And I felt good. I had on my loudest and angriest metal playlist and that fueled me right along. Mile 1 and Mile 2 both came and went. I got really tired and my legs started feeling heavy halfway through the third mile, but by that time I was sure I was going to beat my own record so I pushed through.
Ended up running it in 20:50. That's not just beating a PR, that's obliterating it.
The biggest thing, though, is that I feel that this run is repeatable. The October 2009 race was superhuman. This race was just human - I can do this again. I'm not saying I will be able to do it again on any given day - some days you feel better than others and I felt great this morning - but I do think I would be able to go sub 21 minutes on 7 out of 10 tries.
This also means that I have set a PR in all four of my major distances within the last four months. That tells me my training is having a major effect.
It was my first race since high school - 15 years, give or take - and it's the race I started the three goal system (one crazy, one reasonable, one non-time). My goals were completely unreasonable, but I didn't know it at the time because I'd never really done that exact distance as a training run.
I ended up having one of those days that only comes along once or twice a year and ran it in a 21:40. It was a superhuman effort. I didn't know it that day, but that time would become something unattainable over the next year. I tried several times over the next year to break that time, but I never even managed to get under 22:00 and eventually gave up. I focused on distance and ran two more marathons, leaving the shorter races to others.
This morning I didn't feel a whole lot like running, but that's pretty much how I feel every morning. Still, something felt a bit off today and I ended up sleeping in. Thankfully, today was only scheduled to be a simple 4 miler, so I still had the time to fit it in before heading to the office. In a somewhat groggy state I stumbled out on to the lawn and let my Garmin try to find satellites. It was a beautiful morning - blue clear skies, cool but not cold, breezy but not windy, refreshingly moist but definitely not humid. A perfect morning, even. So I decided to see what all of my training and extra miles and interval workouts and general effort has done for me over the last few months - I decided to try once more to break the 5k record.
I started out perfect - smooth stride, pace slightly slower than I wanted to run at first, consistent speed. And I felt good. I had on my loudest and angriest metal playlist and that fueled me right along. Mile 1 and Mile 2 both came and went. I got really tired and my legs started feeling heavy halfway through the third mile, but by that time I was sure I was going to beat my own record so I pushed through.
Ended up running it in 20:50. That's not just beating a PR, that's obliterating it.
The biggest thing, though, is that I feel that this run is repeatable. The October 2009 race was superhuman. This race was just human - I can do this again. I'm not saying I will be able to do it again on any given day - some days you feel better than others and I felt great this morning - but I do think I would be able to go sub 21 minutes on 7 out of 10 tries.
This also means that I have set a PR in all four of my major distances within the last four months. That tells me my training is having a major effect.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Morning troubles
I hate running in the mornings.
Every morning I get up decide I'm not going to run. Every morning (planned rest days excluded) I somehow make it out the door for just a few miles. Every morning those few miles somehow turn into the workout I'd planned in the first place. And every morning I come back feeling better.
I was reminded of this during my interval session yesterday. I was feeling generally blah when I woke up and didn't feel like running at all. So I told my wife I was going to go for a short 4 miler just to keep myself loose. After the first two miles, I found myself cruising along right next to my interval spot and figured, what the heck, I'll run an interval or two.
And then I not only ended up doing the full interval workout, I did it faster than I've ever done it before. And I felt great when I got home.
A journalist actually contacted me recently for a story he's doing about running the morning. I have no idea if anything I say will appear in the publication, but if it does I'll link to it here.
Every morning I get up decide I'm not going to run. Every morning (planned rest days excluded) I somehow make it out the door for just a few miles. Every morning those few miles somehow turn into the workout I'd planned in the first place. And every morning I come back feeling better.
I was reminded of this during my interval session yesterday. I was feeling generally blah when I woke up and didn't feel like running at all. So I told my wife I was going to go for a short 4 miler just to keep myself loose. After the first two miles, I found myself cruising along right next to my interval spot and figured, what the heck, I'll run an interval or two.
And then I not only ended up doing the full interval workout, I did it faster than I've ever done it before. And I felt great when I got home.
A journalist actually contacted me recently for a story he's doing about running the morning. I have no idea if anything I say will appear in the publication, but if it does I'll link to it here.
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