Where has the time gone?

Wow . . . I just realized that it's been more than two weeks since I posted anything. I have been running, but I haven't been giving my full attention to blogging about it. The family events of the Christmas season, the closing on our new house (yea!), finishing up the year at work, and my sister's upcoming wedding have all taken precedence over my blog.

So I'll try to catch up today and write a little bit about each run.

12/17/07 -- Hills at Kenyan Way. Warm up, Hills, Warm down. It seems like I haven't run hills with KW in quite some time. For the first time ever I was the fastest one in the group, after passing someone about eight minutes into the run. 3.75 miles total. 2.56 of Hills run at a 7:50 pace for 20 minutes.

12/18/07 -- Rice Run. 6.06 miles, 46:28, 7:39 pace, Avg HR = 148, Max HR = 164. Last mile in 7:04 -- starting to feel like I'm back 100%.

12/19/07 - 12/21/07 -- I'm not back to 100%. My knee is nagging me, and I decided to take three days off before attempting my 22 mile long run on 12/22/07. I'm hitting the Omega-3 fatty acids pretty hard (mostly in the form of fortified eggs) hoping the pain will go away. It's not too bad, and I don't mind running through the pain, but I'm worried about permanent damage and not being on top of my game for Houston so I think it's good to rest. That being said, I'm starting to worry that my recovery break between the two marathons will be so long that my fitness level will decline. We shall see how I feel after my three day break (the longest since I started running, I think). The 22 miler is somewhat of a make or break from a confidence perspective.

12/22/07 -- 19.02 miles, 2:31:52, 7:59 pace, Avg HR = 150, Max HR = 159. I wanted to run 22 miles at an 8:00 pace. I hate running that far by myself, especially since I'm on unfamiliar turf in Baton Rouge, visiting the family for the Christmas vacation. But establishing a pain-free 8:00 pace over that distance would prove to myself that I was back to my peak performance. Unfortunately I wasn't able to do so, casting further doubt into my mind about my ability to qualify for Boston during the Houston marathon. My knee pain started almost immediately -- a bad sign. But it went away after a few miles so I pushed forward. This is a tale of two runs. I did a loop of the lakes with Julie and then meandered through LSU's campus to the Mississippi River levee for about 7.5 miles -- average pace = 7:39. Then I took the levee down river over big rocks and a bit of mud. The rocks really punished my feet and made the run miserable. In addition, I was almost completely alone, without water, and unshielded from the wind since the levee is the highest ground around. I really started to hate it -- average pace over those 8.5 miles = 8:03. After I got off of the levee my feet were hurting, my knee was hurting and I wasn't enjoying life. I managed two more miles at an 8:58 pace and decided to cut my run off before I hurt myself and before my average pace rose above 8:00. Overall I finished this run with a feeling of worry that I'm running out of time to heal, yet be in top form for Houston.

12/23/07 -- 1.54 Miles, 13:55, 9:00 pace, Max HR = 152, Avg HR = 132. I ran with Julie through a painful knee along the neighborhood route she's been running for years. I tacked on an additional hundred feet or so in order to get my average pace under 9:00. The only good thing that came out of this run was a chance to run with Julie.

12/24/07 -- 5.52 miles, 44:46, 8:06 pace, Max HR = 169, Avg HR = 145. Julie and I around my mother's neighborhood today. The knee bothered me most of the run, but went away after about three miles. I'm still worrying about healing in time, but I'm not figuring that I'll put in my miles as scheduled and use the last week of taper to heal. I ran the last mile in 6:47, and the last half at a 6:24 pace. The highlight of this run was a tour of the homes around the area. It's fun to get decorating and remodeling ideas now that we own a house. After the run I did a few hard minutes of core exercises.

12/25/07 -- Merry Christmas! No running today, but I managed to keep the diet in check and not gorge myself. I spent about six hours in the car today driving from New Orleans to Houston.

12/26/07 -- 5.02 miles total, structured as 1.01 warm up, 3.01 threshold (6:32 pace), and 1.00 warm-down. The threshold run was supposed to go on for five miles, but I gave up early knowing I couldn't maintain the pace, and generally feeling out of shape. I came to the conclusion that my recovery period coupled with my knee injury has taken me way off of my game. It's a disappointment, but I had hoped to use this threshold run as proof to myself that I was close to my top form. I proved the opposite, and I'm feeling pretty down about this run. Threshold miles = 6:32, 6:40, 6:26

12/27/07 -- Treadmill run (2 miles at 8:20 pace and 2% incline), Max HR = 156, Avg HR = 146, Stationary bike for 30 minutes with HIGH turnover (90-110), medium to high resistance (7?), 9.2 miles, Max HR = 159, Avg HR = 146. I wanted to run 45 minutes on the treadmill today, but I was feeling too tired to run. I don't know if it was real fatigue or just mental weakness, but I got off of the treadmill and immediately hopped on the bike. I didn't want to let myself off the hook so easily, given my early exit yesterday as well, so I pushed as hard as I've ever pushed on the bike before.

12/28/07 -- 5.04 miles, 39:37, 7:51 pace, Max HR = 166, Avg HR = 151. I wanted to run my Rice route today to see how I felt. My time wasn't too bad, and I felt pretty good. The knee didn't really bother me, so I was pretty happy in general. But I checked out my heart rate later on and compared it to some of the other times I've run the same route. For the same distance and speed my, my heart rate was higher for today's run than prior runs. I think this is absolute proof that I've lost my fitness level. It's disappointing because I still want to use the Houston Marathon to qualify for the Boston Marathon. If that happens, it will have to lean more heavily on guts and less on my fitness. But this run felt easy, so I'm feeling confident that qualifying is possible. Miles = 8:22, 8:06, 7:50, 7:42, 7:24

12/29/07 -- 12.02 miles, 1:28:26, 7:21 pace, HR info skewed but averaged about 160 and peaked at 170. I viewed this as my last chance to prove myself before the Houston Run. I wanted an 8:00 pace and no pain from my knee. If I could do that, it would be two solid runs in a row. I ran back in Baton Rouge because I went home for my sister's wedding. But this time I was able to meet up with the group from Varsity Sports. They only wanted to run an 8 mile route and they seemed to be reluctant to run 8:00 miles, preferring something around 8:30. But I decided that it would be better than running along, so we set out together. I don't know if it was because of me, but we ran the eight at a 7:27 pace. I didn't really want to run that fast, but I felt GREAT for the first time in days and I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I was talking and joking, we weren't stopping for water, and I felt like I could run forever at that speed (which is only slightly slower than my marathon pace.) I was nervous about running the final four miles by myself, but I didn't figure it would be much of a problem. In fact, I ran the final four at a 7:02 pace and I still felt great. This is exactly the confidence booster that I needed. I finished up the run with some core exercises and a work down with my Christmas present -- a massage stick. I've been using it every day since Christmas, and it makes a world of difference in terms of reduction in next-day muscle soreness.

12/30/07 -- 4.09 miles, 35:34, 8:41 pace, Max HR = 147, Avg HR = 136. I ran the big LSU lake with Julie today. We took it easy, which is a good recovery day from my run yesterday. The pelicans are in town, and I joked that they were following us the whole way. There aren't as many as I remember in years past, but it's still a beautiful sight.

12/31/07 -- 1.03 hill warm up, 2.39 miles of hills, 20:11, 8:27 pace, Max HR = 166, Avg HR = 152. Today is my sister Laura's wedding day. Thoughts of my speech dominate my mind, and a hill workout is a good way to clear the mind. Julie and I went out to Highland Park and found a hill loop. I didn't hit this as hard as I do sometimes, but I'm supposed to be tapering so it didn't bother me to let up a bit.


So that's the last 2+ weeks in a single blogging session. It's dull reading, I know, but it gives an accurate picture of the lows of knee pain and self-doubt, and the highs of a strong long run and the apparent end of knee pain. I think I'm ready to kick butt at the Houston Marathon.

As this is the last entry of 2007, here are some totals since I started tracking my outdoor miles with the Garmin on 3/29/07:

1188.36 miles
8 days, 1 hours, 32 minutes, 41 seconds
8:53 pace
Avg HR = 141

* The number of miles I ran is equal to running from Houston to Baton Rouge 4.4 times.
* I ran two miles at an 8:04 pace on March 29, my first tracked run, and my heart rate got up to 180 BPM. I ran those two miles as fast as I could as a baseline. Now I run my easy distance runs at that pace and wouldn't hit that high of a heart rate even if I ran a marathon at that pace.
* I ran an average of 4.25 miles per day (including days that I didn't run at all).
* On average I ran 2.9% of every every hour of every day since 3/29/07.

I can't measure it, but my quality of life has improved more than I could describe. Running isn't for everyone, but it is for me. And even if something should happen that makes it impossible for me to continue running, I'll always be a runner at heart.

Afternoon Run with Julie

3.27 miles, 27:28, 8:23 pace

Julie and I bundled up for a run in the cold weather after mass. I wore three shirts, gloves and a skull cap on top. Shorts are ok for me as long as it's not too cold. We found out quickly that we were overdressed because the sun was out in full force to provide some heat via radiation.

I wanted to do my normal route of five miles from home to Rice and back. My left knee had no pain this morning, so I though I'd run at least five and tack on some more if I felt up to it. But unfortunately my knee started hurting about a mile into the run, and I decided to head back home via Hermann Park.

8:54, 8:12, 8:17, 2:02 for .26 miles (7:49 pace)

Kenyan Way Long Run #6 - Running in the Rain

Appx 13 miles, Appx 8:00-8:30 Pace, No Heart Rate Information

My approximations are the result of forgetting to bring my watch to the run today. It wasn't that big of a deal because I wanted to make sure I didn't run too fast, and the watch usually causes me to pick up the pace rather than slow down. It's only been six days since I ran the Dallas Marathon, and I need to be very careful not to push myself too fast or too far.

I started out with the 3:30 group, but left them within a few minutes. Sometimes I think running too slow can be just as bad as running too fast, because it forces an unnatural gait. I caught up to the 3:15 group and ran with them for a while. Gio, a friend from Kenyan Way, started out a little late and caught up to us. At about mile 8 we broke away from the 3:15 group and clicked off a few miles at a 7:45 pace, if I had to guess. Gio is a pretty cool guy with a laid back attitude, and it was good to get to know him a bit better while we ran together.

A blinding rain storm passed through about the time we broke off from the 3:15 group. I like running in the rain because I feel hard-core. A casual runner won't run in the rain, but the serious runner won't let the precipitation slow them down. And it is crunch time for serious runners, because the Houston Marathon is just around the corner. Runners are getting in their miles all over town, and it's a neat sight to drive around Saturday morning and see all of the groups. The rain halted the run at mile 13 (as opposed to the scheduled 24), but I didn't have plans to run more than 15 anyway, so it worked out well for me.

Overall I felt good during the run, but my left knee bothered me for the rest of the day after the run. It didn't help that my shoes were extra heavy because they were soaked with rain. I iced my knee for an hour or so and took some NSAIDs.

On another note, I practiced eating gel during the run, and I think I'll carry about four during my next marathon. Also I ran with a new pair of shoes, Mizuno Wave Inspire. I picked them up for $40 since they are last year's model. I wanted to give them a spin today to determine if they would be my wheels for the Houston marathon or just training shoes, but the rain voided the test.

Health Check 1

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I intend to update my health information from time to time. I tracked down my latest checkup from work the other day, and will list the data from that.

You may recall me mentioning that I had an appointment a few weeks ago to measure my VO2 Max. A typical, comprehensive test includes an oxygen mask to measure the percentage of oxygen and carbon dioxide generated while you are exercising at your maximum capability. The free test I signed up for was not a comprehensive test. They put you on a treadmill to run 1.5 miles as fast as you could, and then doubled that to get a 5k time. From that, they used your age and sex in a look up table to find your predicted VO2. I was disappointed when I found out their methodology, and I ended the test early.

Tests taken on 9/26/07:
Height 5'11"
Waist 33"
Blood Pressure 126/78
Fasting Glucose 81
Pulse 62
Total Cholesterol 178
HDL 48
LDL 119 -- "near optimal"
Triglycerides 54

Weight/% body fat today:
145#
10%

VO2 Max, per 19:18 5k at 11/22/07 Turkey Trot
51.92

There is some great info on VO2 at http://www.brianmac.co.uk/vo2max.htm.

Hampered by the Hammys

2.52 Miles, 23:48, 9:27 pace, Max HR = 132, Avg HR = 126

I took off today for a leisurely run around the neighborhood with Julie as she rode the bike. After no more than 100 feet I could tell this wouldn't be a fast run. My hamstrings have been tight all day, and the fact that they didn't immediately loosen up made me decide to reign in the horses and take it easy today. The last thing I want is a hamstring pull that bothers me for the next six months, a la Terrell Owens.

So, for those of you who wonder if I run too hard all the time, and for those of you who DO run hard all the time -- this is what I do when something doesn't feel right. Today I cut my intended run in half and ran it about two minutes slower per mile than I was expecting.

Now, for the more important question: what caused this? I'm going to point fingers to that darn elliptical machine I used on Tuesday. I think I exercised my hamstrings in a way that they don't normally get used, and they are a bit sore and tight because of it. The long term solution is to hit the elliptical (or some similar hamstring exercise) more often, but the short term solution is to not go within 50 feet of that elliptical beast until after the Houston Marathon.

Unless I feel like Jesse Owens when I wake up tomorrow, I'm taking tomorrow off and pondering how far and how fast I'll run with the Kenyan Way long run group on Saturday morning.

9:21, 9:29, 4:53 (.51 miles for 9:34 pace)

Not Quite Back

5.02 miles, 38:35, 7:40 pace, Max HR = 160, Avg HR = 148

This evening I hit the normal route not knowing what to expect. I didn't know if I would be able to finish it or how fast if I could. (I'm not above stopping if things don't feel right.)

Overall I'm feeling fine, but my legs feel flat. I don't have the spring in them that I had prior to the marathon. I'm sure a few more days of easy to moderate running should get me back to where I need to be.

Despite the flat feeling, I managed some decent mile splits.

8:13, 7:40, 7:47, 7:34, 7:11

Double Shift

PM - 30 minutes on the elliptical (with incline)

This is my second workout of the day. This morning's "Back on Track" workout felt so good that I decided to give it a go with another low-impact workout. Both of the bicycles were occupied, so I tried the elliptical machine. It has a standard workout that has some serious incline, so I opted for that. The machine has lights corresponding to the different leg groups that are being worked out at any given time. (butt, quads, hamstrings, calves). But I never really felt the isolated strain indicated by the machine. I tried to keep the RPMs up to about 180 (just like running), but in general I'd say my average was closer to 165-170.

I'm so used to running motions that I wasn't very good on an elliptical machine. I try not to lift my feet too far off of the ground while I'm running (think "shuffling"), but the elliptical motion had me on an incline similar to shallow stairs. My feet kept sliding off and my knees would lock up from time to time when I fought against the repetitive motion. I had to hang on to the bar pretty much the whole time for fear of falling backward. Overall I probably looked like a crazy person, but the workout felt great. I'm feeling so good that I'm probably up for a 10-15 miler this weekend. This is very encouraging because I didn't know how well I could prepare for the Houston marathon with a long recovery and taper built into five short weeks.

Incidentally, I crossed a threshold a few weeks ago without even noticing it. I've run more than 1100 miles since I started tracking my runs with my Garmin watch on March 29, 2007. That's about four miles a day overall, and it doesn't even take into account the miles on the treadmill (since the GPS doesn't work there.) The watch can interface with a foot pod for indoor use, which uses an accelerometer to approximate distance. In other words I could work out inside, but still get my distance info for the data analysis that I love to do. That would be really cool, but I'll probably put that purchase off until after the Houston marathon.

Back on Track

3.21 miles run/walk, alternate .25 run/.25 walk, Max HR = 148, Avg HR = 109

I can't tell you how good it felt to run today. All marathon recovery programs will tell you to take it easy, which is exactly what I did today. I ran a quarter mile and walked a quarter mile twelve times. My legs feel sore, but without pain. I think this is going to be a quick recovery, but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

My soreness is pretty much isolated to the quadriceps. My calf muscles are only slightly sore. Interestingly enough my left quad is more sore than the right. If I had more time before Houston I would start a weight training regimen to strengthen each leg evenly to minimize this effect in the future. But I'm hesitant to make any late modifications to what's worked for me, particularly when there isn't going to be a lot of time to recover and then taper.

Quarter Mile Splits Measured in mile per minute pace(R=Run, W=Walk):
R 11:40, W 17:44, R 9:25, W 17:59,
R 8:20, W 17:04, R 7:49, W 16:52,
R 7:36, W 16:40, R 7:36, W 16:49

Overall Run pace = 8:44
Overall Walk pace = 17:08
Overall Pace = 13:08

Recuperate and Refocus

Today: 30 minutes exercise bike at moderate effort and appx 85-90 RPM

It's been a full day after my debut marathon, I have a few more thoughts about my marathon and the direction of my running. First and foremost I'm really happy I competed and I'm anxious to meet my BQ goal in Houston in about five weeks. I really had a great time.

With Julie's help I did a bit of research about my condition over the last 1.5 miles. It seems as though I had the classic symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar.) My experience was eerily similar to this person's attempt to qualify for Boston:

"I started out at a moderate pace and never went more than 4 seconds above or below my goal pace of 7:15/mile, staying slightly ahead of the 3:10 pace group. Near mile 19, I was passed by the pace group, but managed to stay with them with a little extra effort. By mile 22, I had to work hard to stay with the pace group, but I was focused on staying with them because my goal was to qualify for Boston with a 3:10 time."

I was passed by the 3:10 pace group at mile 21, but kept within 20 feet of them until I completed mile 24. I knew they were ahead of pace by looking at my watch, and I knew I'd qualify if I finished within 50 yards of them.

"By mile 23, I was still at the tail end of the pace group, but felt I was exerting myself as much as possible. I began to get a little dizzy and see some spots. I was concentrating hard and telling myself that I had to stay with the group, and that my discomfort was part of reaching my goal."

I started getting dizzy at mile 25.

"By mile 24, I began to fall about 50ft behind the group, and noticed my field of vision began to narrow. My pace slowed by about 5 seconds, but I was still running. I was concentrating so hard on keeping running that I forgot I had a Cliff Shot in my pocket."

I started getting confused and my field of vision also narrowed during mile 26. I remember seeing this crazy person riding a bicycle on the course shouting out commands. Even though I could hear him perfectly, I couldn't understand why he was there or what he was saying. Later on it dawned on me that he was a race official telling the marathoners to finish to the left, and the half marathoners to finish to the right.

"Shortly before mile 25, I got an extreme case of tunnel vision, and could no longer keep up a fast running pace. Suddenly, within a few hundred meters, my vision blacked out and I stumbled to the side of the road. A spectator or race volunteer had to help me from falling down. He kindly encouraged me to sit down, but I made a feeble attempt to keep walking. He said I was in bad shape, and that 'I should save myself for the next marathon.' Within about 20 seconds, I could no longer stand and I gave up. I did not lose consciousness, but I could hear myself slurring and I lost control of my bladder and could hardly move."

Thankfully I never progressed to the stage of collapse or blackout. But my pace slowed to the point that I missed qualifying. The Garmin is inaccurate due to GPS error and other factors, but through 24 miles it registered a 7:10 pace (probably closer to 7:12), and the remainder of the run registered an 8:01 pace.

Look here if you want to view my marathon on Motionbased.

Yesterday's splits according to the Garmin:
1 - 7:15 -- started close enough to the starting line to see the elite men. It's windy and a few drops of rain are falling here and there, but I'm wearing a ridiculously looking pink skull cap and a long sleeve tech shirt and I'm not too cold
2 - 7:00 -- Ryan catches up with me and taps me on the shoulder. We were supposed to run together, but I was nervous when I never saw him. Turns out he got there late and had to sprint to catch up. Knowing he is there makes me feel better. The streets are wet, and I'm feeling my shoes slip just a bit with every step.
3 - 6:52 -- Feeling great, but I feel overwhelmed and nervous about the fact that I still have 23 miles left. This split is fast because there was a downhill near Breadwinners on McKinney, a great breakfast restaurant.
4 - 7:12 -- Running Along Turtle Creek, looking at the beautiful houses. I think Jerry Jones has a house somewhere around here. The Christmas lights around here are worth the trip to Dallas.
5 - 7:12 -- Significant uphill as we veer off of Turtle Creek and near the highest point of the course. I'm only three blocks from the old alma mater, SMU, but I can't see it from my vantage point. I take off my pink skull cap and hold on to it in case I need to put it back on.
6 - 6:59 -- Cross over US 75 (aka I-45) and ditch the cap to a cute spectator. I can only imagine what she must have been thinking.
7 - 7:00 -- I pass the Grenada half way into this mile as we turn onto Greenville, and I joke that I'm going to stop by to see what band is playing and catch back up to the group.
8 - 7:06 -- Now I'm really close to where I used to live, and I've forgotten how beautiful it is this time of the year. Trees line the street, and the leaves are in full color. At this point I quit worrying about my run and had fun the rest of the way. I started to hi-five the kids, wave at the spectators, and thank the race volunteers the rest of the way. This mile marked the point where I knew I would run another marathon. Just when I don't think it can get any better, I see Julie for the first time and she looks beautiful. I ditch my long sleeve running shirt, and now I have on only a running tank, shirt, and gloves. The temperature is perfect, despite the occasional very light precipitation.
9 - 7:13 -- I pass some spectators with a sign that says "Free beer for runners." I'm having fun, but not that much fun. I think back to how I drank a mid-race beer at the Crescent City Classic last year, and how I'd be all over it today if it weren't so early in the race.
10 - 7:18 -- This is where I got lost the night before the race while trying to drive the course. I get my first look at White Rock lake which will provide background for me for the next 10.25 miles. Just before I get to the lake there is a sharp incline, which, coupled with a water station, contributed to a slow split. It's been windy all day long, but running next to a lake makes it worse because there are no trees to dissipate the force of the wind.
11 - 7:10 -- I'm really in the groove now. I don't want to go out too fast, but I'm really enjoying this and I start to whip off series of fast miles. I've been running with the 3:10 pace group but it's difficult to navigate the water stops with so many people, and there are a few lanky runners who make it difficult to bunch up. I decide to run in front of the group, and I follow Ryan.
12 - 7:02 --
13 - 7:04 --
14 - 7:03 -- I hit the half way point at 1:34:01, for a 7:11 pace and a 3:08:02 predicted finish. I programmed my watch to look only at overall time and last half mile pace, so the half way point kinda snuck up on me. In fact, most of the race I couldn't have told you what mile I was on because I was so focused on running according to how I felt that I didn't become a slave to my watch like I usually do during training runs.
15 - 7:08 --
16 - 7:05 -- The boy scouts have an aid station here, and I grab a gatorade.
17 - 7:17 -- I think this is where I saw Julie again. Ryan is looking strong and made a move ahead of me. I decide to conserve some energy and roll back the pace. This comes as the wind is really slowing me down, averaging 11 MPH at the airport and possibly higher at the lake. Somewhere around here I hear a girl with two guys catching up to me. I'm not sure where they came from, but I'll end up just ahead or just in front of them for the next four or five miles before they get away from me.
18 - 7:16 -- Will this lake ever end? I'm pretty sure there was some sort of mistake and either 1) this is my second lap or 2) we were accidentally routed around one of the Great Lakes. I run by the White Rock Waterfall, which has always captivated me despite the fact that it's man-made and not particularly beautiful.
19 - 7:12 -- The Hooters aid station is here, and a slightly obnoxious DJ is cheering us on, but I'm digging it. I'm still feeling strong, but I make my mistake here and pass on the opportunity to get gatorade and gel packs. The Hooters aid station has a "Start" line, complete with balloons. I guessed correctly that they were referring to the "wall" at mile 20. There is a common adage that a marathon is composed of two races . . . the first twenty and the last six. I'm still feeling strong, and I scoff at the sign referring to the "wall".
20 - 7:41 -- This split is slow because it's all uphill. Even though my legs are tired, I'm feeling fine and excited to be headed down the home stretch. There is a sign saying that you're entering the "Dolly Parton Hills." I'll let your imagination take over for a second . . . welcome back. There were a couple of guys dressed in drag with baloons in strategic locations. I ask and get permission to touch the balloons for good luck. Shortly thereafter I see another sign saying "free beer for runners." I declined the fist go-round, but I'm not going to be so foolish as to decline twice. I grab about two ounces of beer to the delight of the two guys handing them out. They probably don't get a lot of takers in the 2:30-3:30 groups.
21 - 7:25 -- The 3:10 pace group catches up with me and catches me off guard. I'm upset that I'm being passed, but I don't give it much thought and I step up the pace to make sure they don't leave me.
22 - 7:08 -- Down Swiss Avenue, and I'm kicking butt to stay up with the 3:10 group. Although I'm not looking at my watch to gauge the pace, I have this feeling that we're running too fast. Based on this split I guess we were running slightly fast since our target was 7:15 miles.
23 - 7:08 -- I pass by Baylor Hospital, Julie's old workplace. I picked her up from work many a day when we lived in Dallas. Downtown is in the background and I'm way ahead of schedule to qualify for Boston. I'm really tired at this point, but not unlike the end of any of the other long runs I've done in the past. I haven't taken any fluids or nutrients since mile 18 or 19 (2 oz. of beer excluded), but nutrition and hydration are the last thing on my mind right now.
24 - 7:21 -- I get my first look at the half marathoners, who join us at the end of 24/beginning of 25. I prepare myself for some problems because they started the half an hour later than me, but will be finishing about the same time. My pace = 7ish per mile, their pace = 10ish per mile, and we're about to merge.
25 - 8:20 -- I've already written a bit about my collapse. I lost a full sixty seconds during this one mile. Had I been able to maintain a 7:15 pace on this mile I would have qualified for Boston. But it wasn't a question of willpower or desire -- I didn't have anything left.
26.2 - 7:48 pace -- I saw Julie about 100 yards from the finish, but I was concentrating on not falling on my face at that point and didn't muster much of a response. She must have screamed at me to get my attention because there were hundreds of people. I felt so terrible that I couldn't enjoy the most enjoyable part of the race where everyone is cheering you on. But I saw the finish line and managed to cross it.

On my condition: I usually chew on shot bloks, but it was too cold throughout the race to get them out of my pocket while wearing gloves. So I didn't get the sugar I needed and I crashed during mile 25. After you stop running (or when you start running slower) your body is used to generating so much heat, and all of a sudden you're not generating as much heat by exercising. So your body continues to give off heat, but not generate it. That's why they meet you at the finish line with those metallic blankets to help keep your core temperature up. In my case I slowed down significantly and stopped at the end of course. Right as the course entered the downtown finish the wind amplified (as they always do in downtowns.) And hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) accelerates hypothermia because of some biomechanical things that Julie understands but I don't.

so, hypothermia set in b/c
1) hypoglycemia
2) slowed down my pace at end
3) as I slowed down the wind really picked up

The good news is that this is a learning experience, and that it didn't have to happen to me if I had been more diligent eating the shot blocks or gells that they pass out, or even drinking more gatorade during the run. I like to believe that I would have finished better than my goal time if I had taken the proper nutrients throughout the race. I'll know better next time.

And next time is Houston, which is five weeks away. I wanted to run Dallas hard and qualify so I could run Houston easy with some friends. But now H-Town is my qualifying race and I'm excited. I'm sore, but everything is muscle related and I have no joint pain. My toes (which have been my weak point) feel fine, and my IT band must have rested duing the taper period because I didn't have any pain from that area. Basically I feel the way I felt after the first time I ran 13 miles back on July 14 at a 9:05 pace. I'm sore, but I'll get better in a few days and I'll probably do a long run this weekend. So I started the road back today by biking 30 minutes.

Humbled by the Rock

26.2 miles, 3:11:54, 7:19.5 pace

I'll break down and analyze the race later, but right now I'll share my general thoughts.

This was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life. At the start of the 1956 Olympic Marathon, running legend Emil Zatopek said “Men, today we die a little.” The White Rock Marathon humbled me today. I left everything I had on that course, and I am a changed man because of it. Today I died a little. But rather than the typical understanding of death as a reducing agent, I feel as though I’ve gained instead of lost. I’m a better person now that I’ve paid the marathon price.

My result was not what I wanted. I hoped to meet or exceed the Boston Marathon qualification time for my age group of 3:10:59. Instead I missed the qualifying time by 55 seconds. I felt strong through about 24 miles until I could no longer keep my pace. I felt dizzy and disoriented during the last mile. After crossing the finish line I could hear people talking to me, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. It was like I was drunk and trying to understand a foreign language. All I wanted to do was eat anything in site, but I could barely will myself to take a single step and I couldn’t speak a coherent sentence.

After I picked up my finisher’s medal and took my race photo, I was tapped on the shoulder by a good friend. Unfortunately I wasn’t much of a conversationalist so I couldn’t catch up like I wanted, but he helped me out by letting me lean on him. After that I headed straight for the food inside, taking a tremendous amount of time negotiating a long stairway. I had an insatiable appetite for anything, and ate like a pig. After I got some nourishment I found a chair and sat down, tightly wrapped in my metallic blanket handed out at the finish.

Then something else happened to me. I broke down and started crying. I’m not sure if it was disappointment at missing my finishing time, or relief and/or despair that my journey has come to an end, or elation for completing my task, or just random stress-released hormones rushing through my veins. But I sat there at the table shivering and crying.

I girl saw me there and asked if I needed any help. I declined a few times, but she kept insisting and I broke down and let her take me to the medical area because I was very cold and couldn’t warm up. She told me she was a lifeguard and that she had an eye for people in distress. I am very fortunate that she recognized my distress and took action.

At the medical tent they took my temperature, and their digital oral thermometer wouldn’t register. So they put something under my arm which also wouldn’t generate a read-out. My body temperature was too cold for their thermometers to work. They stuck me under some blankets and a bair hugger (hot-air blanket) and took my temperature a few minutes later. It read 92.3 degrees. I spent about an hour there and finally got up to about 96 degrees before I left -- still shivering, but in a state that my body could finally generate its own heat. My nurse, Kendra, took great care of me, and I am thankful for her gift of volunteering her healing hands.

I greatly appreciate the help and support I’ve received from all of my friends and family through my training. The phone calls, the text messages, and blog comments and the unspoken support were greatly appreciated. Thank you for being there.

After I left the medical area I found my way back to the post race party and did a few laps looking for Julie. At this point it had been at least 1.5 hours since I finished, and I still hadn’t seen her since she cheered me on about 100 yards from the finish. Then I saw my lifeguard friend again, and she checked up on me. I thanked her for her help and she loaned me her phone so I could call Julie. Minutes later I was reunited with my wife, and ready to make the drive back to Houston.

If I wrote a hundred pages of prose I could never accurately describe the joy I get when I see Julie after we’ve been separated for any amount of time. She lifted my spirits with her smile and support four times during the race, and I got a spring in my step each time. She was a sight for sore eyes.

Julie is my inspiration, and the reason why I was able to accomplish what I did today. Her support never wavered when I was grouchy and tired from running too much, and antsy from running too little while tapering. She stood through cold and hot to catch a few short glimpses of me during multiple distance races. She pushed back her hunger countless nights because I worked late and had to run before dinner. She was the first to offer encouragement when my spirit waned, and advice when my spirit waxed too high. I could, and probably should, go on and on. But I’ll leave it at this – I am a better person because of Julie, and for that I am forever indebted to her. I’ll pay her back with a lifetime of love.

Countdown . . . One

2.31 miles, 20:02, 8:41 pace, Max HR = 145, Avg HR = 135

Today's 20 minute run was the last time I'll run before Dallas. I ran to Julie's work to get something from her, and I took the train back home. All in all it was uneventful.

I did some errands geared toward the race . . . bought shot bloks, picked up a rain poncho (more on that later), got some peanut butter and bagels for breakfast on race day, got a haircut, booked a hotel room in Dallas, printed out the course map, checked the starting time and signed up for a 3:10 pace group. While I was on the White Rock website I noticed that it sold out!

So about the poncho, or more specifically the weather forecast for Dallas on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM. I've been eyeing http://www.weather.com all week long, hoping for some divine intervention. You know what they say . . . if you don't like the weather in Texas, then wait five minutes. And sometimes the weather forecast did shift dramatically over a five minute period. But what I know, as of this very minute, is that the temperature is projected to be 67 degrees at 8AM and rise to 70 degrees by 11AM. There is a 90% chance of thunderstorms, 90% humidity (isn't rain 100%?), and 14-15 MPH sustained winds. This is far from ideal.

While the weather report is a bit discouraging, I'm glad it's not the 70-80 degrees forecasted earlier this week. As you may recall, I've been preparing myself for the wind and rain. I'm not worried about precipitation, and I'm hoping the wind won't cut me down. I just wish it was about ten degrees cooler.

Some random thoughts:

If you want SMS or email messages tracking my marathon splits, you can go to: http://www.runtherock.com/news/1028_runner_tracking.html.

You can find a course and elevation map at http://www.runtherock.com/race_info/pdfs/TheRockMap2007.pdf

My schedule looks like this:
Tomorrow I’ll drive to Dallas and arrive at the expo around 11 or 12. After the expo I’ll take in a large carbohydrate lunch, and swing by an old neighbor’s house afterwards to check up on him. From there I’ll go to mass at St. Thomas Aquinas, and then go to visit Julie’s cousin for an authentic Italian pasta dinner, and more importantly, a visit with Ollie Julie’s one year old cousin. After dinner I’ll head to the hotel for a low key evening and an early bedtime. On race day Julie will drop me off at the train station where I’ll commute to the race start. She will join some friends to watch my racing partner and me along various points of the course. After I cross the finish line I don’t really care what happens. I usually have an irrepressible urge to sleep after a long, hard run, but I’m sure the adrenaline will push me back along the course to cheer on my fellow competitors, and onward to take in some post-race festivities.

I haven’t been very motivated about this race over the past couple of weeks. When I put in my two high mileage weeks, it seemed as though I was running all the time, and I was perpetually tired. During the taper period I had to fight the urge to quit altogether. I resorted to my old TV & couch routine. But for whatever reason, today I snapped out of that funk and I’m geared up for a big performance. So . . . 3, 2, 1, blastoff!

8:56, 8:28, 2:35 for .3 miles (8:36 pace)

Countdown . . . Two

3.76 miles, 33:27, 8:37 pace, Max HR = 148, Avg HR = 130

I have two more runs until Dallas (including this one). Today's run was just what I needed. Julie's schedule finally matched up with mine, and we ran together today. It doesn't matter how much time we spend together, I still appreciate the opportunity to spend an extra few minutes with her. That's the reason why I rode with her to work the other morning, and ran back home. She's very competitive, and if I run side-by-side with her, she will always pick up the pace. So I have to either be completely ahead of her, or slightly back. Otherwise it's just a matter of time before we're sprinting!

8:54, 8:42, 8:38, 6:08 for .76 miles (8:04 pace)

Countdown . . . Three

4.10 miles, 30:02, 7:19 pace, Max HR = 153, Avg HR = 143

I have three more runs before my marathon. Today I felt strong as I ran around my 'hood, and the pace reflected it. I'm having to do everything in my power to convince myself to get off of the couch and run. I'm lacking motivation and this key time.

7:36, 7:11, 7:13, 7:17, 0:40 for .09 miles (7:24 pace)

Marathon Pace Miles and Goal Discussion

6.05 miles (warm-up, three at marathon pace, warm-down)
Warm-up, MP1, 7:08 pace, MP2, 7:09 pace, MP3, 7:16 pace, warm-down

The theory of this workout, if I am guessing correctly, is to get the body acclimated to the marathon pace. Since most of my running is significantly faster or slower than this pace, it's a good idea to find my "groove". It wasn't particularly easy to do one mile at this pace, and to be honest I can't imagine doing 25 more at the same speed. But I did run them a bit faster than my target of 7:15.

So I guess the cat is out of the bag. I have been hesitant to proclaim a "goal" because it just didn't feel right to have any expectation whatsoever. The marathon distance is daunting to me, and I couldn't wrap my mind around a target time.

When I started my marathon quest I hoped to finish with an 8:00 mile pace. That equates to a 3 hour 30 minute marathon. I tried my first long run with the Kenyan Way 3:30 group, and I did well enough to give it a shot with the 3:15 group the next week, where I struggled. I did better the next week, and ended up running quite a few of the next long runs alone for one reason or another. When I came back I decided to give it a go with the 3:00 group, and shocked myself with a strong performance.

Four events led me to a specific goal time:
1) A 6:48 pace over my 10 mile race in Chalmette which is equivalent to a 3:08:45 marathon
2) A 7:02 pace over 25 kilometers in the Houston Masters Race which is equivalent to a 3:10:28 marathon
3) My Yasso 800 reps with a 3:08 average, implying a 3:08 marathon
4) My 19:18 Turkey Trot 5K which is equivalent to a 3:04:46 marathon.

I should mention that the Kenyan Way race predictor calculator is aggressive, and other calculators tack on a minute or two more for the marathon time.

And perhaps more than anything else, what drove my goal is the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon for my age group: 3:10:59. This should matter the least, since it's an external factor not under my control, but it's a target right in the vicinity of my current performance.

To be honest, I don't believe that I'm capable of that time. But I'm hoping that I'll be able to dig extra deep on race day and perform above my capabilities.

I will need some help in order to overachieve, and so far the weather is disagreeable. An ideal running temperature would be about 45-50 degrees, and it's been projected to be between 70 and 80. If that's the case, a 3:10 marathon is probably out of the question. But I'll be keeping an eye out as the forecast is updated, and update my goal if necessary.

Let's be frank . . . finishing upright is enough to make me happy. But you only get one chance to qualify for Boston on your first marathon, and it motivates me. This goal isn't like some of the others I've set, where I was pretty sure I could take care of business. I genuinely think I'll fail in my marathon goal. I hope to harness that primal fear of failure, and turn it into speed. We shall see.

10 With Stephanie's Group

10.39 miles, 1:22:37, 7:56 pace (9:14 including breaks), Max HR = 155, Avg HR = 130

The bulk of the Kenyan Way runners are training for the Houston Marathon, and this is their longest run weekend similar to the 24 mile run I did in Birmingham. But since I'm only scheduled for ten miles today, I joined Stephanie and her group. Stephanie was my coach at Power in Motion, and she's been there for me ever since to offer encouragement and advice. So I was particularly excited that it worked out for me to join her.

The one drawback to her group runs is that everyone takes extended water breaks and my legs sometimes get a little cramped. I like to take a few ounces of water and push forward. It makes me feel a little more confident that I can handle the long distance since I don't really stop, but in reality I'm pretty sure a two minute break every three or four miles has a negligible effect from a fitness perspective as compared to running continuously.

8:37, 8:06, 8:20, 8:11, 8:12, 7:51, 7:47, 8:03, 8:09, 8:09, 1:08 for .15 (7:33 pace)