Toronto Marathon is in the books

I have completed my second, and perhaps final marathon of my career! On Sunday October 18, I finished the Toronto (GoodLife Fitness) Marathon with a time of 3:23:39. That's an improvement of 20:14 from my Honolulu time.

Though I may be 'retired' from marathons in the Brett Favre sense of the word, I said that this was it for marathons if I didn't reach Boston Qualifying time, so I am now a half marathon or less runner. For now 5 and 8k's sound great, as they are easy to train for and maybe I can enjoy a beer afterward!

How it went:

First off, marathons are so difficult to analyze, because there are so many variables and you can't pin down a single point of failure.

The first lesson from Toronto is stick to your game plan. I came upon some "seasoned" Toronto vets both on the course and prior to the start that had all sorts of suggestions. I probably went a little hard for the first half as a result. Many of my first 14 Garmin miles came in in the 7 'ohs'.

Once I hit the flats I was cruising, passing by the 3:15 pace rabbit easily. As I was approaching mile 18, I could feel my calves get cold. We were running along the lake, exposed to any wind coming off it, and there were a fair amount of shady spots. It was a sign that my race was about to take a turn. My calves cramped and I decided it was finally time to take a break. From there on out I walked all of the water stops getting a healthy drink of both water and Gatorade. Eventually the walking became more painful than running as my quads tightened above the knee.

The last mile I lost track of the pain, perhaps due to the crowd, or maybe the hydration finally hit my legs. If that's the case, my downfall may have been drinking too little at the prior water stops which I cruised through.

Another thing I can point to is the trip to Vegas, which took away from my running schedule, and added to my alcohol consumption at the wrong time. If that's the case, it was worth it, and I don't care :-)

I wonder how many of the volunteers were wearing the water/Gatorade they were handing out. One stop I blasted cups out of two peoples hands and barely grabbed the last Gatorade cup.

Some guy thought he was hilarious as he heaved a CRT TV on the railing of a bridge and yelled "Catch" as I ran underneath. Good thing he wasn't a klutz, but not funny...

The day after the marathon Noble and I hobbled around Toronto like old men to the CN Tower. We drove down to Niagara Falls where we hopped aboard the Maid of the Mist for a wet and windy ride boat ride to get up close and personal with the falls. Oddly enough the last thing I did the day after Honolulu was see some falls, after which I became violently ill. Thank goodness it didn't happen this time around!

This week I've been battling some foot soreness as a result of the marathon. It's possible the Racer STs were pushed beyond their limit.

The next adventure awaits... or I'll just enjoy some solid rest :-)

Read More...

Game Time!

I've been shirking my duties here, so soon I'll be posting a bunch of back-posts. But for now, I'm prepped and ready to head to Toronto! This is the big weekend, and a cold one it will be. Who signed me up for this madness?

Read More...

Week 13: An intense weekend

Today's 20 miles, following a 10 mile marathon pace day was tough. I learned today that Noble is intending to run the marathon at the pace we've been training at on our long runs. So A.) I'm probably partially killing him and B.) He's got more in him than he thinks. Hopefully not too much of A and more of B. Anyhow, we were a little low on our water, and I think plotting out a route with more than 1 water stop is a must for any other such long runs. We took several walk breaks in the last 6 miles.

The trip out seemed fine, no troubles, but the return trip was not so smooth. Both Noble and I ran out of water earlier than hoped, causing us to conserve too much. We also had the sun beating directly on us for much of those miles. Some may be amused by the white strip across my sun burned torso from where my HRM strap was.

The 10 mile pace run was smooth, and I completed it @ a quick 7:02 pace, which I now know is 15 seconds faster than the minimum pace to qualify for Boston.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
10.00	1:10:19	7:02	169	188

That is my goal, to beat the Boston Qualifying Time of 3 hours and 10 minutes (+59 secs). That's a pace of 7:15-7:17. If I reach my goal, I will consider running another marathon. If not, I will concentrate on 5k, and perhaps run a few miles at open track meets. Those are some fun races that I miss.

Tomorrow will be a day of healing...

Read More...

Week 13: On the mend

After a steady dose of R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) over the course of three days, I got back on the horse and 9.5 miles on Tuesday. Even the hill workout on Thursday went off without any trouble. I finished 7 intervals, the last at a 5:32 pace. Though I felt some weakness/tenderness for toward the end of the 9 miler. This weekend has a 10 mile race pace run and a 20 miler scheduled. These will be the real test of the ankle

Read More...

Week 12: Ending on a low note

ARGH!!

Everything was going great this week:

After my Garmin died at the end of week 11, I sent it to Garmin who promptly sent me a new unit which arrived Thursday evening.

My Brooks order arrived Thursday before my track workout, loaded with 2 pairs of trainers (Adrenaline 9), a pair of racing flats (Racer ST 4), a singlet, a training T, and a pair of socks (Burn PED). Having joined Brooks ID, I got a nice discount on all of this.

I immediately strapped on my new Racers and hit the track for an excellent mile repeat workout (6:18, 6:17, 5:59, 5:48). The racers were excellent. A lightweight shoe weighing in at 8.6oz, the Racer ST 4 was very comfortable with enough cushioning for a long race. They are rated up to marathon, and at my weight, I think might put that to the test.

So, to the calamity... I was having yet another great run yesterday. I was supposed to run 6 miles at marathon pace. Not bad, I can handle that. 5k in, as I ran through the Reston Town Center, I caught my toe on a brick and BONK. Reston has these fancy crosswalks with brick set into the pavement. For all you city planners/developers... Why?

A) They require extra maintenance
B) They are hazards (at least for a select few clumsy folks as I have demonstrated)
C) They don't really stand out like your typical painted cross walks

I'll give them credit for style points, but in the grand scheme of things, who cares? Anyways, there's my rant. I should have been more careful. I was cruising just below my intended 7:10 pace and I was left to hobble a mile+ back home on a right ankle that is now very swollen. It looks like today's 12 miler is out of the question.

Read More...

Week 11: A 20 miler under my belt

Once again I moved my Sunday long run to Saturday for convenience. This was my first of 3 20 milers before the marathon. I chose to run on the W&OD starting from Old Town Herndon. I staged my car at the 20 mile marker and ran toward Leesburg for 5 miles, returned to the car and ran toward Reston/Vienna and back for the final 10 miles.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
20.03	2:44:59	8:14	146	178

It was a decent morning for a run, plenty of cloud cover, but humid and warm. Brenda, who ran 14, and I got off to a late start (9:00) much to our chagrin as the sun poked through the clouds around 11 heating up the trail and giving me a good burn. The last 2 miles were brutal and I was toast by the time I reached the 20 mile mark for the last time.

An 8:14 pace w/ 3 minutes of walking a ~5min break in the middle might have been a bit overboard. It helps when I have a running partner to mellow the pace, but on my own, with all sort of traffic on the road, I was sucked into a quick pace.

At the mid-point I stopped to top off my water and changed my socks (No blisters... YAY!). I finished with a sore right hip and rear of the knee (above the calf). Both were alleviated by my Body Glide Warm-Fx, the product that caused recent shenanigans. At least it's making up for the pain, but it did manage to transfer to some spots I wouldn't have wanted it to.

After today I'll have run over 200 miles for the month of August, and put nearly 300 miles on my month and a half old shoes. That order from Brooks can't come soon enough... I look forward to this, a lighter week.

Read More...

Week 10 Wrap-up

Despite being the first week over the mid-program hump, week 10 did not relent! All told, I put in 48+ miles at an average pace of 8:02. That includes a 9 mile marathon pace run Sunday to cap off the week. Though I ran it @ 10 seconds over Boston pace which is my lofty goal, the terrain in Reston is much wilder than i'll see in Toronto. That's a good sign past the midpoint, especially the day after a long run.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
9.02	1:06.06	7:20	155	173

That long run day did not go so smoothly... I showed up late to Noble's place in Arlington after a poor night's sleep. I was completely disorganized which led to my key fob falling out of my Fuel Belt pouch around mile 10. Of course I didn't realize this until 3 miles later. After completing a very hilly 18 miles (1 short of the plan) we tried to hunt down the fob to no avail. We had to drive the distance to Reston to get my backup key. Things smoothed out afterward and we had a good BBQ lunch at Rocklands.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
18.20	2:33:44	8:27	143	175

My training earlier in the week was a bit brutal due to the humidity. Finishing Thursday's hill workout was tough, as was Tuesday's 9 miler. I had a little blister trouble after the Sunday pace run including a tear in my right big toe callouses. I decided to take today off to heal. I'm going to be a little more cautious with the belt. I'm a bit disappointed that I can't secure my keys better.

This weekend is 20 miles. It's going to be a tough solo run.

So ends my first iPhone post!

Read More...

Week 9: Day 7: Great Balls of Fire!

Tonight I learned a very valuable lesson. It all began yesterday afternoon when I stopped in the local running store to pick up some Body Glide, a great little product meant to prevent Chafing, an unfortunate result of long runs. It's seemed like a simple enough task and I was quickly taken to it's place in the store by the clerk. After a 12 mile run, and working on 4 hours of sleep I blindly grabbed a package labeled Body Glide, paid, and left the store; no problem... right?

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
12.09	1:36:27	7:59	147	166

Tonight I was prepping for an 9 mile (marathon pace) run and applied the Body Glide product. I had noticed it looked different from what I was used to, but I just assumed they had made some changes. Companies are always "New and Improving" their product. It wasn't 5 minutes later, that as I stepped out the door I felt a gradually increasing burning sensation...

It turns out Body Glide has branched out into products other than Anti-chafers. Apparently I picked up their new Icy-Hot style product. Now what does "Body Glide" have to do with a product meant to relieve muscle soreness? I think they need a change in brand name... I'll be headed back to the store tomorrow to educate them on their own products.

As for my run, I was able to relieve the pain enough to get out for my 9-miler.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
9.03	1:05:33	7:16	158	177

I'm a bit sore afterward. I guess that new "Body Glide" could come in handy... or I could just stick with Icy-Hot.

Read More...

It's Official: I'm running the Toronto Marathon

Maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but I'm at least registered (as of last week). I will have two fellow NoVA residents competing with me as Noble (full) and Alex (1/2) are registered. It's good to know I won't be out there on my own. It looks like there will be a support team/spectators for us. Now I've got to hunt for hotels and travel options.

Read More...

Week 8: Day 6 - Long runs are always better with company

I moved my Sunday run up a day to run with Noble who will also be running the Toronto Marathon. I can't deny the benefits of having a running partner when doing distances like this. We met up in Waterfront in DC bright and early (7:30 AM) where I met my training group for Honolulu a few years back. It's a great spot to run with fairly level terrain and lots of great scenery.

We ran around the mall and along the Potomac on our out and back. I learned of Noble's sour luck this summer, and hope that will turn around for him. He definitely had a lemons to lemonade outlook on the situation which is refreshing. We were able to carry on conversation throughout the run. The pace was steady throughout, though we sped up in the later downhill miles. I was able to run a comfortable 7:57 extra last mile.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
17.05	2:22:28	8:21	136	157

I've been running with my helium 2 Fuel Belt which has worked well, even up to 17 miles yesterday, but I've definitely pushed the limits. Now I wish I had gone with helium 4 and run with less bottles when I didn't need them, but it's a little late for that now. The question is do I try to find a way to reload my bottles late into these runs, or do I spring for the larger capacity belt??

My recommendation: Buy the helium 4 the first time around!

Read More...

Week 8: Day 2 - On the Road Again

Today I returned from a long weekend in Rochester and Fredonia, NY. I stayed on the wagon for the most part, though I missed yesterdays 3-miler for some recording sessions in the folks' barn with Jim. I even got Jim to join me for a run. On Sunday he joined me for the final 4 miles of my 16-miler in Fredonia. I ran the first 12 faster than recommended (8:20/mile), so relaxing the pace with my bro was a nice relief.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
16.29	2:21:35	8:41	132	146

Over the course of my run, I climbed a fair amount, and still kept the heart rate low. This is a good sign with 11 weeks to go. I experienced sharp ankle pain for a few moments prior to my brief stop to pick up Jim, but that subsided. I had run over 7 hard miles in Rochester with some difficult inclines and winding single track paths which might have led to the soreness.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
7.05	52:30	7:27	156	180

Brenda and I had stayed at the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa perched at the top of a steep hill for our friends' wedding (Congrats Ben and Lauren!) which made for an awful return trip on the run. I had "golfed" 9 holes earlier in the day as well adding a good deal of miles on foot Saturday.

Today I went out in Fredonia for 8 before hitting the road. I pushed the pace more and more as the run went on hitting a 7:32 mile at the end. It wasn't intentional, but it felt smooth, and I had a long day on the road ahead of me. Now I get to enjoy some time back home, and just maybe... I'll have a few relaxing days. It was great spending time with friends and family, but it's great to be home.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
8.05	1:02:43	7:47	146	165

Read More...

Week 7: Day 4 - Dogs with wheels

Today was my 2nd hill workout. I went once again to Soap Stone, a perfect place to get angry at an incline. You would too if you ran up it repeatedly at a nearly all out pace. I completed 6 intervals each of which was ~1/4 mile. My last and fastest was at a 5:55 pace, which was pretty much all I had in me by that point on a grade incline.

I think I went a bit too long on the remainder of the run. It clocked in at over 7 miles, whereas I could've probably cut it at 6 and been no worse off. I experienced some ankle soreness duing the 1.5 mile warm-up, and it was very tender walking around after the run tonight. I also felt some strain in my lower right hamstring. Though I was thinking about running tomorrow, It's definitely going to be a day of rest now.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
7.12	57:36	8:06	144	188

The interesting part of my run was coming across dogs with wheels. The first was wearing a harness and pulling a tire. Apparently he's weight training... One wheel dog wasn't enough for the day. I came across another dog, who wasn't as fortunate as the previous one. He had wheels because his hind legs apparently weren't cutting it. The dog above seems to be fairly content with his situation, so hopefully today's 2 legged/2 wheeled dog was too.

Yesterday's 4-mile run was fairly uneventful (no wheel dogs or people trying to run me down), but I kept up a comfortable quick pace.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
4.02	30:36	7:36	149	177

Read More...

Week 7: Day 2 - Hulk Smash Dumb Drivers

First of all, today was SUPER muggy. I ran at (of course) the peak part of the temperature curve at a nice 94 degrees, with a fair amount of humidity. It didn't help that I was nearly run over while running in a cross walk in a parking lot. Some jack ass decided that he was cool with running people over so he came barreling into the Safeway parking lot almost right through me. Luckily his mirror and rear tires remained a good 3 inches from me and my lead foot.

I followed this punk to his parking spot to see what his deal was and it turned out "He didn't see me." Didn't see the bright white dude running nearly in front of him? My guess is this jerk-off does not pass the vision test for his driver's license next time around.

This is the first time I've looked at my HRM data to see the effects of emotion on my workout. It should be no surprise that this incident was the peak of my run (despite being only 1/3 of the way into the run) at 180bpm. There are a couple smaller peaks near 171 cresting a few hills near the end of the run. On top of that, that period after the incident is somewhat erratic.

Perhaps this guy had something on his mind distracting him from the task at hand, but this is not the first time I've dealt with drivers who didn't care about nearby pedestrians. As long as I have to run on road, there's always that slim chance that some absent minded, or malicious fool is going to plow me over... That's part of the risk of running outdoors.

Despite the heat and shenanigans, I had another spirited run, negative splitting the last several miles.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
8.08	1:03:20	7:50	153	180

Read More...

Week 6: Adventure Racing

This weekend I participated in my second Adventure Race, the Odyssey Sprint AR, near Roanoke, VA. Like most of these races, this AR consisted of orienteering, treking, mountain biking, and canoeing. We must have covered 25 to 35 miles in the course 0f 6 hours. We strayed off course from the get go, taking the high road, which turned out to be a bad idea. After trudging through some heavy foliage, we reached the canoes at the first check point.

The canoeing seemed to drag on forever, and it didn't help that we were spun around 3 times by other boats. We resumed right where we left off on foot going way off course, and eventually learned that we were making this event harder than it needed to be. Every checkpoint was on some major trail or road. It seemed like smooth sailing once we hit the bikes, but we ran into some technical problems when Stas' Chain guard broke off and wedge into his gear hub. We were able to cut it away and get back on track leaving Stas with out his low gear.

This years Odyssey Sprint was overall a great time. Despite our misguided methods of navigation, everyone on our teams (John, Stas, Sergey, and I; Mike and Ian) had so much fun. I look forward to future ARs with these guys!

Despite an exhausting day, followed by an outing in Staunton that last until 2pm, I went for my 10 mile run to cap off week 6. I had been speaking to Kevin Shirk earlier in the day, and being humbled by his run times, I encouraged myself to step up the pace for the run.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
10.02	1:17:24	7:44	153	175

I have thought about approaching the coach for South Lakes HS Cross Country about assisting him this fall. The only hang up is the ability to get to practices with my work schedule... It turns out Sergey is going to be running for the team. The kid had a motor and was cranking this weekend, running when everyone else wanted to rest and barreling up the hill on bike. It would probably be a good time to get involved since I know one of the athletes... Maybe I can find someone who has volunteered and had an office job like mine....

John pointed me out to the Brooks ID program which supposedly could get me a 40% off discount. I'm excited!

Read More...

Week 6: Day 4 - Back to the track

This week I continued full speed ahead. I'm not just talking about training, but life. Last night was a marathon poker night going pass 1pm. This after a quick 3 miler (7:49/mi). Tuesday after an equally fast 7 miler (7:48/mi) I thought I was in for a relaxing night when Alex asked me to join him for a Mets @ Nats game. The Nats won with a complete game shutout by John Lannan. It was a good time, but truthfully the game was average at best. The only play I can remember is when the Mets right fielder biffed on an easy fly ball with bases loaded and then with an easy force at second nearly blew it as the second baseman couldn't handle the throw.

I passed on Monday's run to meet up with Josh who was visiting from Bean Town. We went to The Counter which has some of the best burgers I've ever had.

Tonight I went to South Lakes H.S. for a track workout. I was scheduled for 5x800 (~3:00) repeats. I tacked on a quick 400 (1:21) , 200 (0:33), 2x100 (0:15) on the end. With warm up and cool down the workout totals:

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
6.44	50:03	7:47	156	194

For lunch today I went to Tropical Smoothie with some of the coworkers. It seemed like a good way to get some calories in before a hard workout while still getting some decent nutrients. I had a buffalo chicken wrap and an orange smoothie. I give this place a nod and will add it to my lunch spots.

Read More...

Week 5: Day 7 - Pain train boarded

After failing to do the whole long run last Sunday I decided that was not an option today. This evening I returned from Brooklyn around 6, stretched and fueled for 30 minutes and set out for a 14 miler. Not only did I sit in the car for 4.5 hours today, but I also played basketball for my brothers team who were severely short handed.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
13.72	1:53:33	8:17	146	170

We played the whole 40(?) minutes: 5 on 5 with no subs. I should stick to running... I had several opportunities to shoot, but I couldn't buy a bucket... the rims and backboards were straight street with absolutely no give. Anything that hit the rim went flying out. Sorry to Jim for my Shaq-esque performance (minus the strong play in the paint).

My run took me to new territory. I ran down to the Franklin Farm area of Herndon where people clearly throw plenty of dough around. I imagine some of the houses have rooms that aren't used for months. I almost got run over by a BMW and a Mercedes. At least I'd be going out in style :-P

I have my first blister in a while. It's that darn long second two. It's not an unusual place for me to get them, but hopefully it'll toughen up after a few more distance runs.

The ol' Garmin went screwy on me, or more likely user error kicked in. My watch stopped for 5 minutes, and my mid-run math was a little off leaving me slightly short of 14, but I can more than live with 13 3/4 after the week I've had. I hurt. I should have passed out hours ago. Time to make it happen...

Read More...

Week 5: Slight derailment due to travel

It's a fine day in Brooklyn, NY. Today I ran 7 miles at Prospect Park, half of which I ran with my brother. The park, which was is shutdown to traffic during the day, had plenty of room to roam around on it's 3.5 mile loop, and was well shaded. There were a few lengthy inclines and declines, but nothing too steep. There was a bike race supposedly going on at the time, but anybody riding by appeared to be taking it easy.

This week I was shipped off for some business travel to Houston, TX. This isn't the ideal place for a runner... The intense sun was not often obscured by clouds, and the heat was on. My Tuesday run was bypassed due to a day of travel and planning. I ran 7 miles on a treadmill Wednesday at the hotel, which reminded me why I hate running on treadmills. First off, in order to maintain sanity, I watched the Sotomayor hearings (in which it seemed no one really cared to explore the knowledge/experience of this candidate). This required me to use headphones, the cable of which frequently got in the way of hand swings causing a huge nuisance. This particular treadmill had some issues, and as I pushed it to 8mph, it started sticking on my left footfalls... I could see someone getting a bum knee from that.

Thursday morning I took to the Houston streets, running a 4.3 mile/32 minute tempo run. The graph looks good with a mostly continuous decline to a max pace of 6:27. The whole run I was trying to find a sprinkler or some water to run through. I passed a guy watering a lawn, and asked him to turn the hose toward the road, but he looked blankly back at me and continued his work. I got the impression he didn't speak my language. The one sprinkler I ran across was shooting at no more than knee height leaving me with some slightly soggy shoes near the end of the run (not quite what I was hoping for).

It's time I spend some time with Jim, Jenny, and Annea. It's been fun being Uncle Matt for the weekend. Annea giggled for me this morning as I made a fool of myself and played with her toys. It's a good way to cap off a long week...

Read More...

Week 4: A little change of plans

This weekend was my buddy Ben's bachelor party. Aside from a few overzealous Philly cops unruly behavior, we had an excellent weekend. My training didn't go as prescribed, but you can't let a training program prevent your life...

Friday night was a day off. We took off for North East, MD where we camped on the Chesapeake Bay. We attempted to catch crabs in the Bay using chicken drum sticks and string (which according to Clay works), but we didn't spy a single claw. Defeated, but spirits up, we got the fire going and had a good time telling stories over beers and hot dogs.

Saturday I missed out on a 6 mile @ marathon pace workout. Instead my workout was an afternoon of Paintball... and THAT is a workout! We played various styles of games including an "Escort the President" game. Ben and "Goose" were too quick for us, and those games ended quickly. There was a lot of time spent sprinting, diving, and sliding or rolling. Everyone had their shining moments, especially Ben who is a wiley paintballer. Being 5' nothing worked to his advantage ;-)

That night, after driving up to Philly, we went out on the town to paint it red... by the end of the night, the only thing that was red was Painter's ear. He was hit with pepper spray in a random skirmish with the police we stumbled upon. I received collateral damage as well, being knocked over by a billy club. Wrong place, wrong time... Philly... you're not on my favorite place to be list yet... We mistreated Ben last night too. He was three sheets to the wind by midnight thanks to our generosity.

After a long ride home, I once again switched up the workout plan. Clay came out to Reston and ran with me. He needed to run 8, and I was to do 13. Eight turned out to be enough for me, and I decided I should give my body the chance to recover from the weekend festivities.

Read More...

Week 4: Day 4 - Hill Workout

Today was my first hill workout. I staked out a continuous slope on Soapstone Dr with a lentgh of 400+ meters. I ran a mile and a half to the base of the hill, stretched, and ran 4 intervals capped off by 2 miles of cool-down. Each interval was a run uphill @ 6:00-6:15 pace for ~400 meters and a jog downhill. The intervals went smoothly though the heart definitely was pumping good at the end of each climb. Some of the drivers weren't too friendly today since I was running in the road. Despite there being two lanes, a handful of cars decided it would be better to swerve toward the guy running in the bright yellow shirt than to swerve away. People in the DC Metro area are so curteous..............

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
5.36	42:20	7:54	144	183

Read More...

Week 4: Deer Crossing

I think it's only a matter of time before I run into a deer at full speed. No, not in my car, I mean literally run into one. Last week it was on a bike ride that Mead, who was riding only a bike length and a half ahead of me came within a few meters of hitting a deer.

On Sunday during an 8 mile run, I was running on a path parallel to the W&OD and cresting a hill I came face to face with a deer. Startled, it bolted toward the W&OD where a bike narrowly passed by before the deer took off.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
8.03	1:05:57	8:13	143	168

Today during my 3 mile run in some dense, narrow forest trail I came upon 3 full grown deer, one with very large antlers. I had to halt and let them pass. The largest Buck contemplated his move carefully before he fled.

Dear deer, If you are reading this, I am not trying to hunt you down, nor do I care to collide with you. Please stay off the running paths.

Read More...

Week 4: Lagging Post

I am lagging a little as time has become a rare commodity.

On Monday, Matt and I met up with Tony, Bill, and Russel for a ride at Wakefield. I was supposed to run 3 miles, but instead rode 10+ miles at a hurried pace. Russel and Tony were hammering. The ride was broken into multiple loops on a couple different trails, the second loop took my onto new territory and we all lost each other for a while. I wish I could find more time to sneak riding in so I could be a little more confident on obstacles and turns.

Yesterday was a 6 mile run. It was mostly uneventful, but by trying to blaze new trail I ended up on a 4-lane road with a narrow shoulder for a short stint. The drivers weren't very careful, but I survived.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
6.03	47:41	7:54	144	186

Read More...

Week 3 Days 6 "Race Pace"

Today I was to run 6 miles at marathon pace. I still haven't quite figured out what that's going to be, but I decided to set out at a pace hovering around 7:10-7:20. I was definitely feeling it near the end of the run, but I held the pace to the end.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
6.07	44:10	7:16	161	184

I think flexibility is something that might hold me back a bit. I definitely had some tightness today that was distracting throughout the 2nd half of the run. I could use some stretching routine knowledge.

We saw the fireworks at Lake Fairfax Park. The show was a nothing spectacular, but we had a fun time anyhow. I want to check out this park in the future for training.

I need new shoes!!

Read More...

Week 3: Day 4 "The Zone"

It's been a while since I've set foot on the track. I have randomly done it over the course of my time here in Reston, but it'll be a bit more "regular" during the course of my training. I have to be cautious of over-training as I sometimes absorbed in the moment when I train, especially for speed work. You might call this "the zone". I now have the fever to run an open track meet, but that would probably be unwise...

I ran a ~1.5 mile warm-up, 5x800 meters with 1:30 rest, followed by a mile cool down. I decided to be overly ambitious and shoot for 3 minute (6 min/mile) intervals. Not only did I get them up to speed, but I ran too fast, clocking in at 2:55 for a pair of them. I might pay the price for this as I struggled to get the legs moving as I set out for my cool down. I think adding 10 seconds per interval, taking another 30 seconds rest, or both might have been wise. I'll know in the morning, but for now I am sore and ready for relaxation... Tomorrow's workout: Rest/Golf

distance	laps	Avg Time	Max Time	HR Avg.	HR Max
800m	5	2:57	2:55	174	186

Read More...

Week 3 Days 2 & 3 Need More Calories

I think I've started to reach a mileage that is outpacing my intake of fuel. I definitely am finding myself to be a bit more hungry than usual. I've debated about keeping track of my diet as I train, but that's starting to push my threshold for the amount of data I want to spend recording in a day. I'd be happy to hear anyone's stories of doing this.

Last night I was to run an easy 6 miles. I was content to take it easy this run, but my watch decided to pretend the battery was low. As a result, I pushed myself to beat the power off, which never happened. I was plenty sore by the time I had hit the trail, and I didn't get that relaxing run I'd hoped for.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
6.03	48:17	8:01	145	170

While I could have run another 3 today, I decided to take it easy. Brenda and I set out to play tennis. After several days we finally hopped on our bikes and rode to the courts. Of course as soon as we set our feet on the pedals the rain drops began to fell. I'm stubborn and decided we would chance it. One of the beautiful things about yesterday's run was the soft rain that fell for about 20 minutes, and luckily today it was much the same. The courts quickly dried up.

We still have a ways to go, but Brenda's skills have greatly improved as a result of the tennis class she took here in Reston. We just need to work on that serve ;-)

Read More...

Week 3: Day 1 Night Ride

Tonight Mead brought me out on a night ride on Difficult Run, and I made a mess of myself. Mountain biking is one of those things that I never get very comfortable with and when I take time off I become very shaky. Tonight all seemed fine until a creek crossing. My attempt to ford the river failed leaving me covered in mud and blood (not bad, on the knee). I think I also lost an oxen, 225 lbs of food, some ammo, and Timmy.

There were tons of critters, especially deer, on the trail and Matt almost ran into one.

Somehow I failed to start my GPS at the beginning of the ride. The ride took about 45-55 minutes and cover roughly 9 miles of trail. The second half of the route which tends to be sloppy after rain was a bit muddy, but not too bad.

Another product endorsement tonight, my Light in Motion Seca 400 produces excellent, bright light and is extremely light-weight. The battery pack was completely unnoticeable after I got riding. The only complaint I had was that it was constantly shaking due to a poor mount. Now that's partly my fault, and I can probably shim it to make it sturdy, but I was definitely disoriented by it. Also, the white light produced by the L.E.D.s might have caused a loss in definition of some obstacles, but I need to take it for another spin to be certain.

Read More...

Week 2: Day 7 A long run to cap it off

Despite the race Saturday night, I decided to stick to my training plan last night. At 6:30 I set out for a ?? supposedly 11 mile run. I set out initially unsure of how this would turn out after going all out at the 4-miler. I also decided to experiment with a new Fuel Belt brand water belt I bought along with some new "Frictionless" socks. It turned out to be a pretty solid run.

I ran to the Fairfax County Park way and gave my self several outs in case I thought I'd have to cut the run short. I had initially felt some mild tightness in my mid-section, and some soreness under my left quad. As I approached north Reston I was running out of escape routes, and thus I was locked into a long run. I felt a general fatigue in my legs, around 7 miles in, but some significant downhills helped me to relax and coast in.

It's difficult to find a flat course around Reston. This particular run had my climb and descend ~650 feet. Not bad since it's spread out over the course of 10 miles, but there are some steep parts.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
10.57	1:27:39	8:18	146	166

I am definitely happy with the Fuel Belt. It's a two bottle (8 oz+ each) belt with room for some food. I put about 6-7oz of Propel in each bottle and emptied them before the last mile, drinking about every 2 miles.

The socks were excellent with no blister troubles or associated pains over a fairly long run.

Read More...

Week 2: Day 6 Twilight Festival 4-miler

Last night I ran my first race in over a year and a half. The Twilight Festival 4-miler, held in Leesburg, was a nearly flat 2 loop road race. I hemmed and hawed about how hard I'd run it, thinking I could just pace Brenda since I'm supposed to run 11 today. Instead I decided to race it.

I went out at a steady pace between 6:15 and 6:45. I had started behind 100-200 runners and slowly worked my way through the pack. Throughout the race I was dealing with a dry mouth again, but the water station just beyond the 1/3 mile marks was enough to alleviate that problem. For a brief moment I wanted to just relax at the end of the race, but I decided to tough it out, holding off one runner at the end. The guy was in his 40's and definitely competitive. We exchanged congrats with what little breath we had left.

I ended up 75th out of 1053 runner and 10th in my age group with a time of 28:50. According to my Garmin, my weaving put me at a tenth over 4 miles. I decided to go unencumbered by the HRM this time around.

distance	time	Pace
4.10	26:50	6:32

Brenda had a goal to finish faster than a 10m/mile pace, and not only did she succeed, but she ran 38:50, a fantastic time for her. I'm really proud of her; she ran hard all the way through the finish.

We met some cool people at the post-race party. One couple I had picked out pre-race as being contenders were in fact excellent runners. Both ran last year for Longwood University in VA. Matt ran sub 23 minute, putting him near the front of the pack, and Jacquelyn was right behind me. Her shoes had something on the toe that kept clicking every step. It was like I had a metronome pacing me.

They were hanging with a 57 year old man who ran sub 6m/mile. The guy, Chuck Moeser, turns out to be a legend in the running masters division. That's the kind of drive and determination that we'd all like to have while nearing our golden years.

Read More...

Week 2: Day 4 Tempo Run

Today was my first tempo run. I'm sure I've done workouts like this before, but this is the first time I've tried to do a by the book tempo run. I'm not quite sure I understood it, and I'm pretty sure I didn't run it as hard as I should have, but I ramped up from an easy pace all the up to the peak which is supposed to be ~10k race pace.

The peak which lasted roughly 7:30 minutes, and was the majority of my climb for the day was a little over a mile long with an average pace of ~7:15. It's difficult to find a flat route around here, and I was far from one today. I felt like I could've ran harder, but I didn't want to over do it the first time around. Anyone who has some tempo run expertise, I'd be glad to hear it.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
3.95	31:01	7:51	155	182

Tonight Brenda and I walked with Vic Mike, and Melissa along with their dogs. Our fierce looking ;-) gang of 8 wandered the Hunter Woods trails. We came across a few gang tags which is awesome... I guess this is our little neighborhood watch. Reston is made up of two worlds which seem very distant from each other. Whether it's language barriers, or class issues, it's unfortunate. I think some of these kids just need attention and a positive outlet.

Read More...

Week 2: Day 3 - Plan altered; Cycling

Today I broke ranks with the Hal Higdon school of thought and spent the day cross training. I went out with Mead for a Mountain Bike ride on Difficult Run today. It was my first time on the bike in a while, and only my second ride since the Greenhorn Adventure Race in late April.

Every time I get back on the bike after a break from riding it takes me time to get the feel for it again, whether it's shifting on inclines or going over obstacles. Matt took me on some parts of the trail that were new to me, one spot which totally psyched me out, but I'll get there soon enough. It was a incredibly steep decline with a creek crossing and a barrier to hop.

I was feeling some knee pain during the ride when pedaling hard. Mead suggested I keep my heel down which not only helped eliminate the knee pains, but also seemed to provide more powerful strokes.

distance	time	Avg. Speed	HR Avg.	HR Max
6.88	50:36	8.2	138	168

Jays watch:
Scotty Richmond tossed a good 7 innings today allowing 2 runs. The offense scored early and often getting a nice cushion for the rest of the game. Vernon Wells, whom deserves much scrutiny due to his excessive salary hit a solo bomb and a RBI double. I got to take this all in over a few good brews and some excellent chicken tacos with home grown jalepeños curtousy of Mr. Mead. It was a good day.

Read More...

Week 2: Day 2

Today the plan called for a 5 mile run. The run felt good with new hiccups. I kept a fairly steady pace, except in the middle when I had to race to beat a light at a main intersection. I live dangerously...

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
5.05	39:59	7:56	147	181

The heat in the sun was up today, so much that the car AC didn't want to work too effectively. I had a bit of cottonmouth. I felt like I was hydrating properly; perhaps it was the weather. I also felt a little bit of knee pain under the knee cap when cooling down. It didn't last, so I'm not concerned.

Read More...

Forget about week 1... Training Week 2: Day 1

Tip #1: If your heart rate monitor is failing you, especially a Garmin, apply saliva to the chest contacts.**

I wasted time/money getting a spare battery when it just needed a lil moisture. For reference, water did NOT work.

I jumped straight into week 2 of the training program today. I don't know that I'll strictly adhere to the plan from here until race day, but I ran the prescribed 3 miles today.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
3.13	24:10	7:44	149	173

Or at least that's the information from my robo-runner brain (aka Garmin Forerunner 305). I've been running with the forerunner for 3 years now, and despite its bulky appearance, it is a fantastic tool for serious runners, especially those who like to geek over training data like me.

I passed a large group of women (or several related packs) running on the trails and gave them words of encouragement. I suppose it's not the most sensible thing to say "great pace" or the like when I'm flying by (I blame oxygen deprivation to the brain at the time) but for the most part the women were positive in response anyhow :-)

I think I may forgo the Monday runs for cycling or swimming, but we'll see...

** - If that fails, find your favorite volt meter and make sure the battery is supplying the proper power.

Read More...

Toronto Marathon 2009 in my sights

Just back from the last softball game of the season. It was a great effort, but defense won out in the 6-4 loss. I love playing, but the trouble is it definitely interferes with marathon training when games are on a Sunday. That coupled with the onslaught of weddings this summer, I will be missing the summer league sadly. On the bright side, the Jays finally won a game here in DC!

Yes, I'm training for the Toronto Marathon. Note to self... register soon... I won't be alone as my good buddy Alex and his former marathon training buddy are going to Toronto to, Alex to do the half. I intend to loosely follow Hal Higdon's advanced training, but I have a feeling I will miss some of the workouts due to work and other commitments... I'll do my best, and truth is there are so many formulas one could follow which lead to similar results...

My goal is not firmly established yet... Boston qualifying is 3:10. It's a bit steep so I'm thinking 3:20-3:30 might be a bit more realistic. When I ran the Honolulu marathon in 2006, I was on pace to run 3:20 before my failure to hydrate caught up with me. I ran a 3:43 and some change, completing a novice training program that aimed for completion. Perhaps I'll set an ambitious pace for the first couple weeks of training and gauge how my body handles it. I'll already have to skip week one of training. Week 2 begins tomorrow!

Read More...

My journey to today

Ahh... the traditional first blog post. This is a project that has been long in the waiting, so it's time to put my good intentions into action.

My journey as a runner began back in my freshman year of high school. When I signed up for the track team I swore I would not put myself through the punishment of cross country. I joined the track team in the spring where I said I could run the half and the mile, but I wanted to dabble in pole vault. The latter dreams were dashed pretty quickly as I was neither built, nor had the drive to become a great vaulter.

It was through Tommy Calcaterra, a man to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude, I began to realize the potential I had as a distance runner. I soon established myself as a serious contender in NY section 6 track and cross country. Looking back, I can see how a flirted with serious drive, but my ambition had its limits.

My freshman year of college was an awakening for me. I realized what serious training was through Ed O'Goreman, a man who didn't understand me at all, but knew his workouts. I peaked that year in the 5k at 16:08, not where I wanted to be, but a signficant improvement over my barely sub 18 minute high school 5ks. At this point I let personality differences wedge me off the team. I maintained an excellent fitness level and miles in the summer of 2001 running a 27:30 hilly 8k run for charity, but it was after that I put running on the back burner and focused on the rest of my life.

8 years later, I still have a hunger for competition that comes and goes. After moving to northern VA for work, I somehow developed this reputation... this lore of how great a runner I am. I realize now that these things are relative, and what I can still do today due to the great base I built up in the past puts me in the upper half of the running spectrum. I am by no means a fantastic runner these days, but I will not deny I have the wisdom of many miles.

I have received a lot of fantastic advice over the years, and have developed my own take on training and diet. I am no expert, I just know what works for me, and I will try to keep track of that here. I will refer to Buffalo Sprocket for cross training as he is the biking expert in my world.

And so begins my blog...

Read More...