tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40129235743286253222024-02-08T06:43:23.297-06:00Run for SpeedRamblings about my quest to run a 3:00:00 marathon.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.comBlogger378125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-62064743030497642522011-04-08T14:04:00.003-05:002011-04-08T14:50:18.682-05:00A Lesson in HumilityA few samples from <a href="http://www.quotegarden.com/humility.html">http://www.quotegarden.com/humility.html</a><br /><br /><blockquote>People that put themselves above others will fall longer and harder. ~Gina Lindley<br /><br />Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple. ~Barry Switzer<br /><br />If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect. ~Ted Turner</blockquote><br />I'm concerned with my upper body strength, or more accurately, my LACK of upper body strength. On long runs my shoulders sag and ache. I'm sure it affects my speed because I can't pump my arms to maintain momentum. But mainly it wears on my mind. On a long run or marathon the last thing you need is yet another thing to make you feel miserable, so the lack of upper body strength probably hurts me most in the mental department.<br /><br />Of course I could just do a few push-ups and yoga exercises right after I finish running, but who has time for five minutes of exercise after an hour+ of running? (Sarcasm.) The truth is that I'm too lazy to do anything other than run if I'm going to do "exercise". The deeper truth is probably that I don't like to do things in which I'm not good, and I'm certainly not good at anything that requires upper body strength.<br /><br />So today I had what I thought might be a solution: a hybrid run/arm exercise regimen. I carried a 2.5 lb hand weight in each arm as I ran my normal 6+ mile route around the bayou. This is the point in this post where I tie into the title -- "Humility". Not only was it much hotter than recent days (85 degrees), I was running with tired legs thanks to two-a-days over the past two days and a hilly tour de bayou race yesterday evening. But I think the kicker was the weights. It's hard to say what portion of my excuses contributed to the higher heart rate and slower pace, but it was without a doubt my hardest "easy" run in many weeks. My heart rate hit the mid 150s late in the run, which is where I would like to be while running sub 7's as opposed to the 8+ I ran.<br /><br />5.84 miles<br />48:33.75<br />8:18 pace<br />141 avg HR<br /><br />I'm not going to abandon the weight idea, but I need to switch to some sort of weighted glove implement as opposed to clutching a mini barbell the entire way. My right hand "went to sleep" over the course of the run, indicating irritation to the nerve.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-5847807104479636172011-03-17T14:49:00.003-05:002011-03-17T15:25:43.620-05:00Cardiac Drift<blockquote>The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand - Robert Valett</blockquote> One way to measure fitness is to examine cardiac drift. I'll loosely define this as the tendency of the heart rate to increase as the length of the exercise session increases. If your heart rate doesn't change much over 10 miles then you're in great shape. If it steadily climbs to your maximum after only 5 miles then you may be able to improve your marathon performance by increasing your stamina.<br /><br />The key to an accurate measurement of cardiac drift are these keys:<br />1) A sufficient warm-up<br />2) Consistency during the run (pace, hydration, temperature, elevation, etc.)<br />3) Distance of the test run<br /><br />Today I ran 8 miles on the treadmill while I watched the first games of March Madness. I'll count my first two miles as a warm-up -- enough time to let my heart rate fall into a steady state. I kept the pace constant (7:41), the gym temperature didn't vary (although it was warm enough to leave me soaking wet with sweat). I kept the treadmill on a 1% incline the whole time. I did not drink anything over the entire hour run, which may negatively skew my results. Failure to replenish your fluids results in a higher heart rate in large part because the blood becomes more viscous, making it harder to pump. The heart increases the rate in order to maintain an adequate oxygen supply to the muscles.<br /><br />As far as point 3 goes, I ran six miles after my warm-up. I've read studies that your drift should be under x% for distances of y miles in order to be in shape for races of z distance. I can't remember any of those variables, but I would think that a 6 miles cardiac drift test would be a good indicator of half marathon fitness.<br /><br />This is how it played out, with each line representing an average heart rate for that mile:<br />7:41 pace throughout, 1% incline<br />124 BMP<br />132<br />135<br />139<br />141<br />143<br />144<br />145<br /><br />I'm not really sure what to do with this, but for simplicity sake I'll subtract the average of mile 3-5 from the average of mile 6-8 to get about 6 beats per minute. if I take that number and divide it by the average of mile 3-8 then I get a 4% cardiac drift. If I factor in my resting heart rate (about 45?) then the drift is about 6%.<br /><br />(144-138)/(141.167 - 45) = 5.67%<br /><br />The thing is, I don't know if 4% is good, or if 6% is bad. And if I say that my warm up was four miles instead, then those numbers go down to 2% and 2.5%. And I also don't know the effect of not drinking during the run.<br /><br />I guess the answer is not so much the absolute number so much as how these numbers change when/if I ever do this same exact test again.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-15539957768454900772011-03-16T12:59:00.003-05:002011-03-16T13:27:55.939-05:00The Power of Mathematics<blockquote>Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises. –Samuel Butler</blockquote><br />At one point in my life I thought I might want to be an actuary. I am a firm believer that mathematics can be used to explain (and predict) events. Take for instance the heart rate as it correlates to fitness and ultimately race performance.<br /><br />Theoretically one could collect enough data in order to accurately predict a marathon time. Gather a history of the following training data: pace, course conditions (hills, wind, surface), distance, human conditions (health, fatigue, diet, weight, hydration, sleep, resting heart rate, running heart rate). Develop an equation or some artificial intelligence algorithms based on those factors, and then predict your race given the environment.<br /><br />One key is to note that most models do much better "interpolating" results as opposed to "extrapolating" results. In other words, if all of the data input distances range between 6 miles and 13 miles then my model will best estimate times between those distances. If I use the model to predict a 20 mile race then I am extrapolating and it's likely to be less accurate. This applies not only to distance but also to heart rate and every other factor for that matter.<br /><br />There's the rub. Since we so seldom work out at race pace, and never for race pace at race distances, the model will almost always be forced to extrapolate. Of course there are elegant mathematical methods to reduce this limitation, but they can only be so good. I think perhaps the biggest flaw in this approach is probably the general lack of data. If you ran every day for 100 years you probably wouldn't generate enough data to generate a comprehensive set that produced high r squared values. Which brings us to Mr. Butler's quote above. We all go through life making decisions aimed at returning the highest payout (however you choose to measure "payout"), with data sets far too small to be able to know definitively that our choice is correct. In short, we take risks based on our best knowledge. It's the same thing with our race predictions -- I'm going to pick a race goal pace at the beginning of the OKC marathon and hope I can hold on to it for 26 miles. It's risky, and I've almost always crashed in marathons, but I'm hoping this one will be different.<br /><br />Of all those factors I mentioned above I tend to believe that the heart rate (both resting and running) is the most significant variable that drives predicted performance. To that extent I'm fairly happy with results like I recorded today.<br /><br />8.29 miles, 1:04:48, 7:48 pace, 130 HR avgJonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-25102955976335977892011-03-15T14:10:00.004-05:002011-03-15T14:55:33.957-05:00In Sickness and in Health<blockquote>Health is not valued till sickness comes.<br />Thomas Fuller</blockquote><br />I <span style="font-style:italic;">try</span> to be keenly appreciative of my health. I consider it a blessing and a gift that I am nearing 40 with no major health issues yet.<br /><br />That being said, I often fail in my attempt to offer thanks for my health until I find myself sick. Like today. Right now I'm not feeling 100%. I don't know if it's allergies or a virus, but my throat hurts and I'm generally achy. It's just a speed bump compared to more serious diseases, but if you ask my wife I'm sure she would tell you that I'm unbearable when I'm feeling this way.<br /><br />So I looked forward to my lunchtime run for a different reason than normal today. I expected the achy feelings to ease after a warm-up and the heart rate to be generally higher at the same pace as non-sick runs. I wanted to analyze the correlation between sickness and heart rate during a run.<br /><br />My hypothesis of a slower pace for the same HR followed through 3.5 miles -- an 8:03 pace at a HR of 135 BPM. And then something happened like a switch flipping, and I felt perfectly fine. I ran the next 4 miles at 7:41 with the same HR. I'm not sure what to make of that except that perhaps increasing my HR over my resting rate helped to temporarily flush out whatever was causing my ailment.<br /><br />Overall: 7.38 M, 58:12, 7:53 pace, 135 avg HRJonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-20807830611035967042011-03-13T21:56:00.004-05:002011-03-13T22:06:03.947-05:00Stinky Face6.01M, 46:27, 7:43 pace, 134 Avg HR<br />No noticable residual effects from yesterday's long hill run.<br /><br />I saw a skunk today about fifty yards short of my normal turnaround point. He was running away from me. A friend told me he stepped on a dead skunk while doing some night running and the stink was so bad that he had to throw away his shoes despite several attempts at cleaning them. No thanks. I made a 180 and got out of there.<br /><br />If you have a child then I'd recommend this book:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-You-Stinky-Face/dp/0439634695">I Love You Stinky Face</a><br /><br />Our copy was a gift from my fellow Tornados.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-16242911926131419852011-03-12T09:47:00.003-06:002011-03-12T09:57:40.169-06:00The Hills of Conroe24M, 2:50:41, 7:44 pace, 135 avg HR<br /><br />I went to Conroe with The Kenyan Way today. It's as close to hills as Houston gets. Sean Wade (KW coach and olympic marathoner) said the route had more hills than Boston. I think I'll join them again in a couple of weeks when they go back. <br /><br />The legs feel great and the heart rate stayed really low . . . not really sure why, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-34885872735587515312011-03-11T13:16:00.003-06:002011-03-11T13:36:34.854-06:00What a day<blockquote>"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." --Abraham Lincoln</blockquote><br /><br />Although the majority of my waking hours today will be spent at work, I feel as though today is a vacation day. It's one of those days I like to call a "top 10 day". My lunch time run was as good as it gets -- no clouds, a gentle breeze and the perfect temperature, 6M, appx 7:35 pace. My outdoor companions included canoeists, cyclists, Segway riders, dogs and pedestrians/runners. We collectively soaked in the ideal conditions. Perhaps this is what Abraham Lincoln had in mind when he spoke of having "life" in our years.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-73143377733703346892011-03-10T13:37:00.004-06:002011-03-10T14:09:54.123-06:00Lenten ReflectionsI stumbled upon a treasure trove of quotes at http://www.tentmaker.org/Quotes/lifewisdomquotes.htm<br />I'll try to post a few here and there during this Lenten season.<br /><br /> <blockquote>In this life <br /> Be kinder than necessary,<br /> for everyone you meet is<br /> fighting some kind of battle.</blockquote><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">derivation of this quote:<br />Author James M. Barrie, of Peter Pan fame, said “Be kinder than necessary.” But his advice stops there. Plato is quoted as saying “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”<br /></span><br /><br />One time I was running two abreast along a narrow path and an older lady (50s?) approaching from the other direction stuck out her elbow and hit me in the rib cage, despite my attempt to make room as she passed. Unfortunately I'm too quick to anger so I got upset. After a while I was able to see that she was fighting her battle with the end of a long run. We've all been there -- everything stinks and you just want it to be over. And ultimately I was ok being the target for some of her frustration, because I probably was taking more than my fair share of the path.<br /><br />My training is going well right now. I ran a 24M long run yesterday (an easy 7:52 pace) and my normal 6M lunch time run today without any residual effect.<br /><br />I won't attempt to catch up from the last time I posted a blog, but I will say that right now I'm training for the Oklahoma City Marathon on May 1, 2011. If all goes well I'll post a Boston qualifying time in order to run Boston in 2012. I'm also training for the NYC 2011 marathon. If (big "if") the next three marathons go according to plan (OKC, NYC, Boston) then it's likely that I'll hang up my marathon shoes. Only time will tell.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-31735340762485241102010-09-28T13:35:00.000-05:002010-09-28T14:08:12.182-05:00Nice Weather<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/TKI9HTZ2WYI/AAAAAAAAANM/ry4xS7xyU6c/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAxMDYuanBn%3F%3D-792184"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/TKI9HTZ2WYI/AAAAAAAAANM/ry4xS7xyU6c/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAxMDYuanBn%3F%3D-792184" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522043288786721154" /></a></p>This run brought to you by a cold front and a couple if successive 40+ mile weeks. It's been a while since I ran this speed without worrying about a heart attack.<br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-46760919740148777952010-04-16T12:42:00.001-05:002010-04-16T12:42:48.220-05:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8ihmGKSOsI/AAAAAAAAAM0/6kymFAQ7af8/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwODEuanBn%3F%3D-768221"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8ihmGKSOsI/AAAAAAAAAM0/6kymFAQ7af8/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwODEuanBn%3F%3D-768221" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460792224047577794" /></a></p>Slower than normal with similar effort...must be some residual from yesterday's spin workout. It was my first one ever. I wasn't very good at it.<br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-2386564233330502532010-04-14T13:14:00.001-05:002010-04-14T13:54:21.601-05:00Morning, Noon and Night?This morning I ran with Will's Hills for (I think) the longest workout they do. 22 minutes one direction around the Waugh/Shepherd,Allen cloverleaf, and then 22 the other direction with no break. Will took off and I couldn't keep up with him. In my heyday we were neck and neck, so I have some work to do. I'm sure he's chomping at the bit to beat me this year at the Heights Fun Run 5K in June since I beat him last year. I didn't bring my watch but I'm going to be conservative and guess a pace of 8:30<br /><br />5.18 miles, 44 minutes, 8:30 pace<br /><br />This picture below shows my lunchtime run. The legs weren't responsive based on this morning's hill workout, but it was good to get out of the office.<br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8YGUWRObOI/AAAAAAAAAMs/ohnMLShye00/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwODAuanBn%3F%3D-745284"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8YGUWRObOI/AAAAAAAAAMs/ohnMLShye00/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwODAuanBn%3F%3D-745284" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460058544878284002" /></a></p><br /><br />Will I make it a three-a-day by running this evening? I've only done that a few times before, but it won't be based on how I feel so much as how much I have to do at work and home. We will see if I have time.<br /><br />Sent from a mobile device.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-54894107395685300962010-04-13T13:18:00.002-05:002010-04-13T13:39:26.025-05:00Winds of ChangeI'm a big complainer of the wind. Too cold, too fast, wrong direction, amd I making ANY forward progress . . . you get the point.<br /><br />A really fast runner mentioned to me the other day that he sometimes chooses his route based on the wind direction. I think he gets to a fork in the road and goes right or left based on the wind direction. That made me wonder how he makes his choice -- delayed gratification by starting off running into the wind for the "out" portion and reaping the benefits on the "back" section? Perhaps he likes to run into the wind on the way back since the combination of the second half fatigure and wind makes you "tougher". Whatever his choice, I can pretty much guarantee you that his reasoning does not revolve around what is "easier".<br /><br />I don't have any running routes that offer directional options, so I guess you can say that I'm at the mercy of the wind. Today I ran with the wind on the out and against the wind on the back. I think I prefer it that way -- not because of the logic above but because I typically start sweating around half way and it's nice to have the wind in your face as you get hotter and hotter finishing the run. It's like sailing with the wind at your back -- it gets really hot because the wind is at a standstill relative to your motion.<br /><br />I forgot the Garmin today, but my GPS-enabled phone has a runner-friendly application that takes measurements for me. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I assume it's at least as accurate as the Garmin since the GPS chip is better. I finally found out that my normal lunch route is 6.25 miles. The Garmin would never synchronize until I left downtown so I never knew how far it was, but the phone syncs up as soon as I step outside.<br /><br />6.25 miles<br />46:10 minutes<br />7:23 pace<br /><br />I ran the whole way without knowing the pace and I was pleasantly surprised that I was faster than the 7:45ish I was expecting.<br /><br />Oh yes, I almost forgot to tie the title into this post -- those winds are bringing in 90 degree weather. I'm enjoying seeing my times drop right now as I get back into shape, but it won't be long before that is counteracted by the heat of the summer. Are you ready?Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-39068813467412621202010-04-12T12:39:00.000-05:002010-04-12T12:40:39.380-05:00Altitude Training<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8NbF-J4vQI/AAAAAAAAAMk/rb4FzADY0F4/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNzEuanBn%3F%3D-739380"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8NbF-J4vQI/AAAAAAAAAMk/rb4FzADY0F4/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNzEuanBn%3F%3D-739380" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459307331445112066" /></a></p>I stayed inside today for some "altitude training" (my gym is on the second floor). It seems like a waste to hit the treadmill when the weather is so nice, but it helps me to moderate my pace and I needed to be sure that I didn't overdo it today since I beat myself up over the weekend. <br><br>Just under eight minute pace and I'm feeling great.<br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-6425808755247011762010-04-11T15:38:00.001-05:002010-04-11T15:38:08.122-05:00Congratulations to these Angie's Crazy Half Marathon Finishers<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8IzMEcsPiI/AAAAAAAAAMc/9iyd8slSMb8/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNzAuanBn%3F%3D-788123"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8IzMEcsPiI/AAAAAAAAAMc/9iyd8slSMb8/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNzAuanBn%3F%3D-788123" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458981980771991074" /></a></p>Jenny and Adam also just recently became engaged!<br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-45288749428032462632010-04-11T08:28:00.001-05:002010-04-11T08:28:57.344-05:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8HOmY1XI8I/AAAAAAAAAMU/E4Y6ULUow8k/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNjQuanBn%3F%3D-737345"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8HOmY1XI8I/AAAAAAAAAMU/E4Y6ULUow8k/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNjQuanBn%3F%3D-737345" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458871382246368194" /></a></p>I joined the Bayou City Road Runners on their River Oaks route and they gave me a beatdown. Saw Anne and Sim afterwards ... its good to be back and see all of my friends on the trail. <br><br>I'm TIRED. Not sure of the weekly mileage total, but you can bet the books advise against coming back so quickly. <br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-3623373150439260272010-04-10T09:14:00.001-05:002010-04-10T09:14:23.961-05:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8CHwBL5QGI/AAAAAAAAAMM/HQq6ZGf7Xz4/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNjEuanBn%3F%3D-763962"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S8CHwBL5QGI/AAAAAAAAAMM/HQq6ZGf7Xz4/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNjEuanBn%3F%3D-763962" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458512007394836578" /></a></p>Nice run through River Oaks with Stephanie, Augie, Josh and Randy. We hammered it for a mile at the end for my first fast mile in a while. Good to catch up with the crew.<br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-3884237328180687412010-04-09T12:47:00.001-05:002010-04-09T12:47:29.101-05:00Happy Friday<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S79oMd-yCUI/AAAAAAAAAME/FUtz8ZK8LNE/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNjAuanBn%3F%3D-749102"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S79oMd-yCUI/AAAAAAAAAME/FUtz8ZK8LNE/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNjAuanBn%3F%3D-749102" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458195836812003650" /></a></p><br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-47534794531155738422010-04-08T20:04:00.001-05:002010-04-08T20:04:45.589-05:00Missed Tour de Bayou ...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S759LVAlLQI/AAAAAAAAAL8/3bL1XYsVswA/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNTcuanBn%3F%3D-785590"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S759LVAlLQI/AAAAAAAAAL8/3bL1XYsVswA/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNTcuanBn%3F%3D-785590" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457937431991233794" /></a></p>... but got a run in around the course after dinner.<br><br>Beautiful weather.<br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-46250816296730874842010-04-08T12:36:00.001-05:002010-04-08T12:36:05.018-05:00Mobile Blogger Made This Easy<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S74UBYVGPsI/AAAAAAAAALY/joV_u804e0s/s1600/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNTYuanBn%3F%3D-765019"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l5o-eBEPP4o/S74UBYVGPsI/AAAAAAAAALY/joV_u804e0s/s320/%3D%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1BRzAwNTYuanBn%3F%3D-765019" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457821812362985154" /></a></p><br><br>Sent from a mobile device.<br><br>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-69688752564050606972010-04-07T19:39:00.002-05:002010-04-07T19:42:36.374-05:00Ying and YangFull "belly" of Chinese food slowed me down (Ying)<br />"Alive" by Pearl Jam sped me up (Yang)<br /><br />In the end the Yang had the last punch as it started raining with one mile to go and I didn't want my phone to get wet.<br /><br />6M, 7:57 paceJonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-58205254542622470302010-04-07T16:29:00.004-05:002010-04-07T16:46:22.535-05:00A Year Without BloggingA lot can happen to a person in the course of a year. You can have a baby. You can set a PR at the 5K distance (17:46) without speed workouts. You can get laid off from a job, start a new one and then get transferred to another department. You can stop running seriously for about five months and bomb the New York City Marathon (3:37:10) in the process. Then you can run a half marathon in New Orleans with your wife for one of the most enjoyable races of your life, and hear the road calling you back. That faint sound can guide you to “cram” a few weeks for a race, the Crescent City Classic 10K in my case (40:58). Finally, like the springtime explosion of the verdant running trail along Buffalo Bayou, the fire is rekindled.<br /><br />I won’t try to “catch up” in one encyclopedic entry because if I’m going to start blogging again then it’s going to have to be easy and can’t be time consuming. Life-changing events like having a baby (actually my wife technically had the baby – I just sat there hopelessly) can have the effect of altering priorities. Running fell down the scale a bit and blogging fell down a lot. Tracking and analyzing my runs almost fell completely off the chart . . . at least for now. Philosophizing gained ground, if you can believe that's possible for me.<br /><br />Suffice to say there have been some welcomed and unwelcomed twists and turns, but lately I’ve been as happy as I’ve ever been in my life. And things keep getting better. I think I’ll go for a run now. I don’t know if it will be fast or slow, but I’ll probably enjoy it!Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-15663981929041818832009-03-29T19:19:00.006-05:002009-03-30T16:08:06.934-05:00Redemption<a href="http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7897815">http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7897815</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MJHgMD1S0bg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MJHgMD1S0bg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7897815">http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7897815</a><br /><br />I finally put all of the elements together today and ran the best race of my career. I debuted in the half marathon distance today with a 1:22:30 (unofficial) in the Angie's Half Crazy Half Marathon in Clearlake, Texas.<br /><br />I feel as though I redeemed myself for a sub-par performance at the Houston Marathon, and a few poor races since that time. I'm finally healthy, and I was very pleased with my results today.<br /><br />My goal was 1:23:00 because that equates to an automatic bid to the New York City Marathon. Most people know that you have to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but it's less known that you can qualify for the New York Marathon and bypass the lottery selection process. I wanted to paste the Q-Times below, but the website isn't agreeing, so check out the site directly: <a href="http://www.nycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/guaranteed_entry.htm">http://www.nycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/guaranteed_entry.htm</a>. The men's open division (under 40) requires a 1:23:00 half or a 2:55:00 full. Unlike Boston which gives you an additional 59 seconds, you don't get a single second of grace period for NYC.<br /><br />My race equivalent full marathon time from a few sites is:<br />2:55:20 : <a href="http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6765">http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6765</a><br />2:54:00 : <a href="http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm">http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm</a><br />2:53:20 : <a href="http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm">http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm</a><br />2:52:25 : <a href="http://www.runworks.com/calculator.html">http://www.runworks.com/calculator.html</a><br /><br />VDOT = 56.31 <a href="http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp?dist=13.1&units=miles&time=12230">http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp?dist=13.1&units=miles&time=12230</a><br /><br />I don't think I can hit any of those times, but I really believe that a sub-three marathon is mine for the taking, provided the conditions are right. And speaking of that, who could have asked for better conditions today!? The temperature was great, the sun wasn't too bothersome, and the wind was calm.<br /><br />Garmin splits:<br />6:13, 6:10, 6:05, 6:04, 6:11, 6:10, 6:07, 6:12, 6:13, 6:19, 6:25, 6:20, 6:17, 1:36 for .27 miles<br /><br />The course measured long on my watch by more than a tenth of a mile. I wonder how they made this mistake twice in a row (it measured 13.5 miles last year).<br /><br />I finished fifth overall, but was in third as late as about mile 10 when I started to tire. With a little more than a mile left to go I realized that the course would probably be long and that I might miss my qualifying time, despite having the sufficient 6:20 overall pace. I kicked it in gear, but as you can tell by the split times, I didn't have much left as far as speed.<br /><br />I won 1st in my age group, but that's because the top three in my age group got bumped up to overall winners.<br /><br />Pros of this race:<br />* Great pre-race communication and organization<br />* Copious packet pickup locations<br />* Nice course, loop instead of out and back, great road conditions<br />* Good road management by the police#<br />* Great volunteers<br />* Plenty of good food<br />* <a href="http://www.koalacenters.com/">Koala</a> massage was the best I've ever had<br /><br />Cons of this race:<br />* #One large intersection was unmanned, and I was completely in the middle of it before I noticed I had no protection<br />* $70 for a short sleeve cotton t-shirt . . . How much more could a tech T cost? People are willing to pay that extra amount!<br />* 10 year age groups instead of 5 year<br />* no finish clock or any clocks along the course, nobody calling time<br />* long course twice in two years<br />* Despite having the chip times squared away very quickly, the awards took forever to announce and I had to remind her that she didn't call out my age group<br /><br />Overall I'd do this one again in a heartbeat.<br /><br />Look out New York City Marathon (November 1, 2009). Despite the tough course I guess this will be my next attempt to break three hours since I have no desire to race any long distances races in the near term.<br /><br />Congratulations to my fellow competitors and teammates, including:<br />Jeff Nunn, who finished his first half marathon in years. His training was inspiring, and I'm glad to see him in such good shape.<br />Dynegy Running Club -- we cleaned up with Manfred's third place finish, my fifth place finish, Chuck's second place Clydesdale finish, and several other great times posted by our other runners. I can't quote any times or age group winners because times aren't posted yet.<br />Leno Rios -- Thanks for helping me get to where I am<br />Katrina Stilwell -- A fellow Tornado, and the first place female at 1:26:45. This followed up a 1st place age group finish of 30:49 in the 8K the day before!<br />Mike Lowe -- a good friend from LSU who had an ironman-esque fall and spring by running multiple marathons and distance races. Anybody who knows Michael knows he doesn't do anything half way.<br /><br />Thanks to my wife, mother and step brother for providing support and a nice pick-me-up at mile 7 (a figurative "pick-me-up", not literal.)Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-65754643288696303712009-02-22T04:38:00.007-06:002009-02-22T22:05:16.780-06:00The Phoenix from the FlamesI never intended to stop blogging, but a week turned into a month, and then three months . . .<br /><br />It's been a period of relative stagnation. It was difficult to handle being sidelined by the Achilles injury, particularly since it came just as my marathon training miles should have been peaking. I raced the 25K on 11/9/08, and I didn't even try to run again until 11/27/08. That lasted all of one mile. As a last-ditch effort, I tried the Tornado 20M run on 11/30/08 -- the last 20 miles of the marathon route. I only lasted 8 miles. But it was enough to convince me to run the full instead of the half.<br /><br />Two days later, on 12/2/08, I ran four miles at a 6:30 pace, and it was everything I had in me. It was obvious that I'd lost some conditioning by not running for essentially three weeks. But I still had a few weeks left before tapering, so I was going to give it a go. I ran 35 miles the second week of December, 76 miles the third week of December, and 69 miles the fourth week of December. My heart rate was through the roof and I struggled physically and psychologically during those weeks. But I toughed it out with a 23M run on Christmas morning, and a 20M run two days later.<br /><br />And then, as luck would have it, I collapsed into bed after that 20M run on December 27th with a fever. I spent the next week in and out of bed without running a single mile. Just as I was coming back from injury, I was sidelined by sickness. And it was the whole nine yards -- nasal infection, fever, achiness, fatigue, lung congestion, coughing of rainbow-colored phlegm.<br /><br />If you're doing the math at home, you know that the missed week was the last chance to train for the marathon. The next two weeks were spent tapering at 38 miles and then 16 miles.<br /><br />But STILL, being the hardheaded person that I am, I wanted my 3 hour marathon. I worked so hard in September and October -- so what if November and December were bad to me. I was standing at the starting line, still coughing up fluid as I had ever day since December 27th, right next to the 3:00 pacers in 57 degree weather, ready to go to work.<br /><br />Well, I didn't get it done. My official time was 3:05:18 -- which is respectable but still disappointing. I fought the good battle -- hitting the half in under 1:30, coughing all the way. I held up through about 21 miles with a 6:53 pace (needed a 6:52), but my next few miles were 7:28, 7:29, 8:02 and 8:11. I found some reserve strength to finish out the race at a 6:12 pace for .86 miles, but it was obviously too little too late. That last boost was due to a remarkable stream of cheers by my friends over the last half mile. I really appreciated (and needed) their support.<br /><br />I made my way outside of the convention center to look for my family. Thanks go to my mother and Jeff for their support who drove in to track me, and who always had a genuine interest in my training. Thanks also go to my wife, who sacrificed perhaps more than I did by delaying dinners, modifying weekend plans, cutting trips short -- all so I could train. She weathered my emotional roller coaster, carried more than her fair share of the weight, and understood when I wasn't available physically because I was on the road or emotionally due to exhaustion. Without her I could not begin to contemplate, much less achieve, what I have done.<br /><br /><br />I continued to cough up fluid quite a few more weeks -- into February. Then Julie convinced me to take Zyrtec, the allergy medicine, and I was healed within a week. Who knows if the medicine has a placebo effect I finally kicked it on my own, or if the solution was right in front of me all this time. But as of the past couple of days, I'm starting to feel like I'm back to where I was before the injury. Hence, the title of this post -- The "Phoenix from the Flames".<br /><br />And other than the fact that the song below uses that phrase, it has no other relevance to this post. However, I should comment that I really like this song, but I'll bet that nobody else does. It never charted, it's not exactly mainstream, and it takes some effort to enjoy. But the emotion that it takes to perform, much less write, wins me over.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeIHZvZTJTg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeIHZvZTJTg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-53611823412568397512008-11-17T09:32:00.004-06:002008-11-17T09:41:07.956-06:00This Is OverTrindon Holliday taking it to Ole Miss:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0YgGylLHmq4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0YgGylLHmq4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />My Tigers are down this year, relative to recent seasons. But I can promise you they will be rocking this weekend as we take on the University of Mississippi. Colonel Rebel is shaking in his boots.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012923574328625322.post-58874010032894039222008-11-16T20:57:00.000-06:002008-11-17T09:19:30.204-06:00Weekly TotalsM - Nothing (total rest & recovery from Achilles injury)<br />Tu - Nothing (signed up for UT Medical School gym)<br />W - 15 minutes aqua jogging in the outdoor pool (interrupted by the weather), 45 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes getting acclimated to weights<br />Th - 60 on the bike (pool still closed due to weather), 20 minutes of weights<br />F - 60 minutes aqua jogging, 20 minutes weights<br />Sa - 60 minutes aqua jogging, 30 minutes weights<br />Su - 90 minutes aqua jogging, 60 minutes bike, 0 weights<br /><strong>Totals - 3:45 aqua jogging, 2:45 bike, 1:20 weights</strong><br /><br />Minute Totals:<br />M - 0 minutes<br />Tu - 0<br />W - 70<br />Th - 80<br />F - 80<br />Sa - 90<br />Su - 150<br /><strong>Total - 7 hours, 50 minutes</strong><br /><br />Notes:<br />1) I figured out that wearing shoes in the pool increases resistance and helps get my heart rate up a bit higher<br />2) The best I can do (and sustain) is about a 130-135 heart rate on the bike an din the pool. My body might be getting a good workout, but my cardio is lacking.<br />3) I got sunburned on Sunday. I must be the only bonehead in the contiguous 48 to get a sunburn in the middle of November.<br />4) I'm using the weights to concentrate on my stomach, my hips (which never get a good workout but are always sore after a long run), and my legs (leg curls and leg extensions.)<br /><br />It's difficult for me to follow this routine because there is no immediate feedback. I can't see what my time was on the last split, and I can't compare it to prior runs. So, being a numbers junkie, I'm having a hard time coping. I tried to count calories but that got old quickly.<br /><br />W - 1803 calories, 31g fat, 349g carbs, 40g protein, B+<br />Th - 1156 calories, 15g fat, 200g carbs, 49g protein, A-<br />F - 2561 calories, 76g fat, 405g carbs, 45g protein,A-<br /><br />http://caloriecount.about.com is helpful in tracking caloric and nutritional intake if you have the patience to enter your meals. It has lots of common food and serving sizes, plus it allows you to enter custom food. It will grade your diet and give you a nutrition report. Over those three days, plus half of Saturday, my ratios were:<br /><br />18.0% fat<br />9.2% protein<br />72.7% carbohydrates<br /><br />Looks like I need a little more protein in my diet. <a href="http://www.indoorclimbing.com/Protein_Requirement.html">This web site</a> recommends a ratio of:<br />Carbs = 40-60%<br />Fat = 20-30%<br />Protein = 10-15%Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738034863585994793noreply@blogger.com1