Japanese Gulch Trail, Mukilteo

With one week away from The Last Chance Marathon I wanted my last long run to be on trails as I have limited experience off road.  So this run was not about mileage, but time in the trenches so to speak.  I have heard about the "Gulch" for a while among the ESNW Google Group emails.  So I decided to check it out.  The Japanese Gulch trail system has two parking entrance area.  The gulch is small wood plateau, with a road / Railroad track system to the north, houses to the south, industrial complexes to the east and over the railroad.  And the Puget Sound to the West.  Here is an overview of the trails (in white).

There is another Gulch trail system called the Big Gulch of Mukilteo blvd (I think).  I may check it out at some point but for now the focus is on the Japanese Gulch ...  I started at the 44th street entrance, in Mukilteo.  It's the top entrance.  Since I was unfamiliar with the area I looped around the top trail once.  That is, I kept right at all forks and at some point I realized I had looped back lol ... I did venture off a couple of times... but when the trails off looked like they go back and down towards the the railroad road I got back on what I though was the "main" loop.  I could still see the Sound not so far out trough the leave-less trees ... I stopped a moment to enjoyed the view:

Once I completed the first loop though I felt more confident to go off track.  I followed a trail down the side which lead me to this creek.  On the other side is the service road running parallel to railroad track on the background:

Once over the creek I headed downhill the towards the water:

About five minutes downhill the service road and the railroad track merged.  The road went over the track (bridge) so I decided to continue along the track towards the water ... I was heading under the bridge with anticipation, a reminder why I love to run:

It was another five minutes to near the Mulilteo waterfront.  Being back on a flat route if somewhat uneven I was able to pick the pace up.  I followed a path carved by previous runners and bikers in the surface ... The railroad finally crossed a road which I followed for another quarter mile.  In the background I could see the Whidbey Ferry, a "Mukilteo" railroad sign at the passenger station ... And the other direction I could see the large blue structure from the Everett port.  Cool sight!

I noticed a couple on the other side of the train station.  They were walking their dog towards the North.  So now I am wondering about running there some other time and see if I can make it back to Everett along the waterfront.  Well that's for some other time.  For now it was time to head back so I turned around and started the climb back to the Japanese Gulch ... On the way down I saw an elaborate bridge structure, I had decided I will cross into the Gulch on the structure.  Once up the service road I scanned the side for the bridge.  I recalled the bridge to be larger than it was really ... Never less here it was   ... 

And here I go ...

 

I crossed the bridge hoping the way up wouldn't be too painful ... cause it looked pretty steep and muddy lol ... And it was treacherous too.  Very muddy.  There were plank laid in the mud to help passage.  I walked the muddy parts.  That led to another bridge about one third the way.  The view looking down ... You can see the creek and the first bridge in the upper left corner of the picture ...

Upstream the bridge the trail was much steeper.  Getting to the top seemed to take forever.  Once I did though I was happy as I recognized the view I took the first picture of the Sound from so I was back on the loop.  Starting running the loop feeling pretty confident about myself yet pondering the overall pace of the run ... 15 - 16 min per miles.  That is worrying me a little for the marathon.  That's what, a 7 hours marathon?  

It was definitely a tough run.   Ten miles in under 2:30 hours is not the norm for me.  The only trail event I ran was the Steilacoom Half, in about 2:15 hours.  The Gulch are reminiscent of the terrain I encountered there so I was surprised I ran so slow.  However since I ran 8.32 miles yesterday and 7.41 miles the day before, and considering the steep descent to/ascent from the water I think a part of the slowness was just good ol' tiredness.  On the plus side I could say that DESPITE having ran 8.32 miles yesterday and 7.41 miles the day before, and considering the steep descent to/ascent from the water I still was able to run couple of hours around the Gulch (oh and yeah that fondue I ate for Christmas' Eve lol) ...

So ... It was sluggish run today ... but I enjoyed the run all the same.  Elevation change 1374 ft over 10.09 miles.  So a good elevation change over a (relatively) short run so i'd say not bad.  Taper week ahead leading to the Last Chance Marathon (and my first trail marathon).  New year's Eve: a stepping step to my trail running.  Happy running everyone :)

A Merry Christmas Kinda Run

I haven’t blogged in a while.  I will admit right now that I have done a bad job to follow up on actual races for my readers.  I never commented on the mud run or the Seattle half Rock and roll.  I have yet to comment on the Las Vegas Rock and roll.  Usually on race day after the race I am tired and even though I feel I have so much to write about, so many different feelings or sights to describe ... I don’t.  Later the week other priorities come up, I get behind and I will move along with the new topics ..

I will try to be a better blog then and keep my reader updated.  And so it goes for today, as I ran the 12k of Christmas in Kirkland, WA.  That’s the name of the event.  It was an unplanned run that replaced my customary Sunday six miler training run.  I registered a day before the close of registration, BIB4543.  It’s was an enjoyable Holiday Fun run near the Kirkland marina.  There were about 2,500 runners split between two events, the 12k, and a 5k.  I ran the 5k and placed 114 overall.  But this article isn’t about my race.  This article is about BIB 4544, who finished right in front of me, at 113 overall.  Her name is Michelle Fouard.  She is my daughter.  This was her first run.  And I was blessed today to run this 5k side-by-side with Michelle.  

I felt her anticipation at the start.  I held her back as she wanted to go all out right of the start yet followed her lead as she wouldn't give up through the entire course ... Showed her how to regulate her breathing at mile marker 2, while telling her to sprint her heart out to finish under 28:00 as she was turning into the finish chutes.  She worked through it.  She never gave up.  For 3.1 miles won't come easy to anyone.  It didn’t for me when I started running.  Yet Michelle ran the whole course at a solid sub-9 pace but she never trained for it.   Today I saw in action what I had though for a while.   She has the potential to become a great runner.  Stride, breathing, form and strategy ... Acquired skills that a runner will spend his life mastering ... But no one will take away that she is a born runner :)

More amazing yet ...Here I sit blogging I am watching Michelle playing indoor soccer just mere hours after her first 5k finish, like the run wasn’t much at all today.  I am very proud of you Michelle :) 

Michelle’s 12k of Christmas Stats:

Overall - 113/746

F0115 - 14/39

Female - 51/494

Time - 27:28

Pace - 8:51

Las Vegas RnR Training ... Mar -1

Day 55 last training before the marathon. 2 miles on the treadmill to loosen up my legs before the bigvrace tomorrow ... After one day travelling to Vegas and two days of rest it felt good putting the running shoes on. I ran on random hills the whole ... So a short averagely powerful run to conserve my energy for tomorrow. I was dragging a little but that may be because of the large amount of pizza i hate three hours earlier ... So this is it ... Hanging my shoes until tomorrow evening when I will make my way with another 5,999 to the start line of the Vegas Rock and Roll marathon !

Las Vegas RnR Training - Week 6 and 7

Today is Turkey day.  Today is also mid-week seven.  Las Vegas RnR is ten days away ...  The last couple of weeks I focused on running not much else.  I think my bootcamp experiment last Saturday wasn't the brightest idea because although the soreness is gone, the legs feels tighter than they had.  I ran them too hard the last couple of weeks I think.  I read a post from Hal Higdon today about how a lot of people believe they have to train hard all the time.  I am probably one of these people lol.  I played dodgeball at the gym this morning it was a lot of fun.  My gym closed early for turkey day so when the game was over I found myself wondering where to go for my scheduled 4 miler ... I settled on the Everett marina and off I went.

It was a cold windy day out there.  I did the loop along the Navy base then via Grand avenue, Legion Park and back so the entire loop was about 6.5 miles ... It's a nice little route.  I ran it fast, under 56 minutes so it was close to my 10k pace.  I struggled some to keep the pace.  I didn't need to run that fast and I went over the schedule.  So yeah, I am one of these people that train hard all the time.  Could had use a easier run today.  Higdon advise recreational runners need days that they run short an easy, to run relaxed, to avoid burn out.  Seven weeks into the training I am starting to feel the strain.  I was wondering during my run if maybe I just need to train on a 6 - 7 weeks schedule rather than 8 to 12 weeks.  I seemed to be peaking at 8 weeks for the BBM and this time around it seems I have been the best at week 6 ... It'll be interesting to see how it goes for the Las Vegas marathon.  My goal is really for a strong finish.  That means not so much faster finish rather than finishing in better shape, stronger (less pain, less fatigue and less soreness afterwards).

Nevertheless I should  make sure I incorporate easy runs.  Maybe markup the scheduled easy days as a reminder.  Then if the day feels like a hard run then make it a hard one lol.  Now that I signed up for the last chance marathon Dec 31st, it'll be interesting to see how I feel with a 4 weeks training schedule.  Well ... Not much training in 4 weeks since the first is for recovery and the last for taper ...  But for now I should focus on Las Vegas, right? ... Run easy runs this week end ... easy runs next week ... Have fun in Vegas ... Meet people and run a great marathon !  

Well ta ta for now everyone ... Enjoy your Turkey day ... Happy feasting ... Happy running !

SBF-runs celebrates 1000 miles ran 127k cal burned!

De-Constructing JM ...

Today was my 4th therapy session and I took some time to reflect on how strong my body is growing.  Saturday morning I attended the Boot Camp class at Emerald City Athletic Club.   The format changed since the last boot camp I attended there a few months back.  We were herded on the basketball court instead of the group X workout room.  There were five or six instructors attending the entire group of 40 or so members of all shapes and fitness levels.  Throughout the class the instructors shouted they were gonna kill some quads and destroy some calves ... We did lunges, squats, jumps, laps and everything in between ... 100% legs.  I worked through the workout.  My knees held strong, my legs leapfrogged me through the last evolution ... Boot camp kicked my ass no doubt.  But I had more in me so I went out for my scheduled six miler.  Then later we went down to Seattle Pike's Market ... walked around a couple of hours, still I was standing strong.  That was Saturday.

Sunday morning came, I could barely move.  Couldn't recall when was last I had been so sore lol ... Nevertheless, with some encouragement from SGF I headed out for my 16 miler.  It was a slow start no doubt.  I worked out a local (flatter) route in my head.  The key to get me going and keeping me going the first few miles was ... small strides lol  I could feel my calves wanting to cramp, my IT band wanting  to snap out of my leg ... my quads yelling murder at me.  I stopped for stretching when the pain started to feel sharp and walk thirty seconds or so then started running again.   I will own up .. the last few miles I was singing along to some country songs ... there is so much drama in country songs even the pain of your legs falling apart is dull in comparison to 'em cowboys broken hearts lol  

Looking at the map of the run the route wasn't as flat as I expected ... 716 feet climb though which I maintained a good pace though throughout despite my legs' condition.  The average pace fluctuated more than my last runs yet I maintained marathon pace over the distance.  The run was hard because of the amount of soreness I had but the run didn't feel like a stretch either (no pun intended ... well yeah a little pun intended really ah ah) ... or maybe there was a stretch but I want to remember it less of a stretch lol ...  Strong body.  Stronger mind!

When the base of your sport is so mental can there be too much mind over matter sometimes?  I think this training cycle the highlight has been anti-climatic.  As it isn't my expected performance or some of the great runs I had, it's the strength I am recovering/building in my body, it is how a few weeks of therapy is improving the quality of my run.  Because I know I have that power in me to burry pain and discomfort at such a deep level and remain functional I keep looking past them, but to the people that love me it may look like recklessness.  I could had been running myself into the ground just dealing with my knee pain on a mental level and fine with it.  But I am glad that in a moment of clarity I listened to the people that love me and sought help for my knees !

So I dedicate my de-constructing JM run Sunday to you !

Running, P90x, Ultra ... all coming up in 2012 :)

I started planning my next few months as far as target, waypoints and how I do I get there ... Target?  50k around July 31st.  Waypoints? Heroes half marathon 4/29/12, Three sisters marathon 6/9/12,  Seattle Rock and Roll 6/19/2012 ... How do I get there?  well my heavy training will start in February.  Half and full marathon become my long runs ... seeking feet on ground rather than PR for these races ...

After my Las Vegas RnR recovery week I want to start a cross-training program that will improve my strength and stamina.  I have long been interested by the P90x program. Based on "muscle confusion" it's seem geared toward people already in shape wanting to improve their look, at least that's how I see it marketed.  Looking into the program and its components I thought that i could replace some of the cardio components with running to merge the two.  I am not seeking to loose weight.  I want to stay around 165 - 170 like I am now.  Loosing body fat would be a nice by-product but not a goal unto itself.  So my though is that the food and cardio components are the least important for my goal.

I did an internet search for running training with P90x and found this blog article.  The article present an a P90x schedule altered for running.  Designed to get the most out of the P90x for your running.  I have not compared it to the "normal" P90x but it looks like it does not replace the cardio portion with running rather it compliments the P90x program with an altered maintenance running schedule.

I am pretty decided with trying P90x up.  One downside .. The Last Chance Marathon Dec31 in Bellingham, WA.  The P90x runner schedule does not include any running the first three weeks of the program whereas to run the Last Chance Marathon would require me to maintain my level of readiness this December, thus starting P90x mid-January.  I need next to transpose my 50k training schedule with the race dates I wanna do.  Because it is still early I haven't yet selected a 50k race.  Not worried there cause there are plenty of ultra races in the summer.

Happy running everyone :)

Las Vegas RnR Training, week 5

I have not updated the blog for a couple of weeks.  First, it's mid-training week 5 ... heading into the longest long run the 20 miler.  I didn't do cross-training nor strength training, deciding to focus on feet on ground instead, with the long run on Saturday evening through the early night.  Two reasons for not running in the morning, I was was busy with the kids soccer games in the morning and in the afternoon, leaving no time to run, and also I though running an early night 20 miler would be a great emulation of the Las Vegas night event.  The though behind it all was to see how my body react to the stress of long runs at night.

Matt team's played at Lynnwood's High School so I mapped a route back along the Everett-Bothel hwy ... through Everett, downtown Everett then Hwy 529 to end up 64th/hwy 528.  I ran most the stages separately before but never together like that.  Here the route (snapshot from RunKeeper.com)

I headed from Lynnwood High School north ... it had just gotten dark.  After rolling hills in a residential area I was headed down a long drop on 164th to join up a 3-4 mile long ascent up Everett-Bothell hwy.  The Everett-Bothell hwy ends in south Everett by Silverlake lake.  I have ran down then back up this hwy, but is was the first I ran it up like that.  The run though South Everett took me through my lunch runs' neighborhood ... Instead of running up Evergreen though I decided to veer east to follow Beverly blvd to Colby.  Following a new leg made the cold and dark run definitely more interesting.  The pavement on Colby is pretty beat up and I wouldn't run it again though.  At about mile 10 I removed my socks.  I was wearing running socks over my compression socks because of the cold but my feet were killing me.  Removing the running socks the pressure went away and I was back running through downtown Everett.  Up Broadway then hwy 529 ... a familiar route I ran first when I was training for the Heroes' half, my first half marathon in May.  I turned my music on for the final couple of miles for a little inspiration.  I think the up and down hills at the beginning of the route had taken quite a bite out of me so that the last half mile up the 528 hill was quite challenging ... But I went to my happy place and finished the run ... I phased out thinking out about nothing really, just that I needed to finish.

Looking back a week later, this was a pretty good run.  My elevation change was 1280 ft which is the most change I ever run, and my average pace of 10:32 was dead on for the Las Vegas RnR time target.  As they say a picture is worth a thousand words so here is the elevation map ...

The green represent the elevation change while the blue line represent my pace.  My pace is pretty regular throughout ... the spikes are tell tell sign of my walking breaks ... Most the elevation change occurred in the first half of the run thus the added fatigue at the end.  The early dropped killed my quads and the uphill butchered my calves lol ...   The route is not representative of Vegas which I expect to be flatter since it is a Rock and Roll series run (usually easier, flatter course).  However looking to the future, I am eying doing the Three Sister marathon in Redmond, OR next June, a course similarly challenging so this was a good introduction to what to expect in such course.  Given that I must run the first half of the Las Vegas under 2:15 to beat the time limit cut off at mile 13, it is also a good idea what I may feel like towards the end of the marathon as I won't have the opportunity to run slower than pace at the beginning of the Las Vegas RnR like I did at Bellingham ... 

If you followed my training regularly you probably wonder why this run was not on Sunday.  Great question!  I modified my training schedule to run the longest runs on Saturday and follow by a six miler on Sunday.   This is closer to the ultra training philosophy to train one's muscles when they are tired.  It isn't an approach Hal Higdon may recommend I think, but most trainers that are out there do recommend to experiment what works with your body.  Each individual recovers differently.  I was very surprised I had quite an explosive run the following morning of this long a$$ run :)  I revised my training schedule to reflect the 6 milers on Sunday instead of Saturday for the 4 last weeks of the training.  This approach I believe is strengthening my legs quite a bit.  I hope that I won't be over-trained by the time the marathon comes ... but that's why one experiment different philosophy ...

My final take away from that week and that run Saturday in particular is ... eat more ... more carbs (can you say more pasta ? lol)!!  I was hungry by the time I started and the hunger never went away.  I needed to eat more than a regular day to support this run but had just a regular breakfirst and a Subway sandwich (albeit ... a big one) for lunch.  And I should had had that oatmeal cookie I was too lazy to go get on the way to the game ... I think I need to have like a full dinner sometimes around noon for the Las Vegas RnR rather than a lunch lol

Well that concludes the highlights of week 5.  Coming up soon I'll cover week 6 that concluded today with another great 6 miler :)

Run Acrross America ...

Running acrros America, from the Pacific coast to the Ocean, from Washington State to Delaware ... this would make for such an unbelievable bucket list item to complete.  This foot race is described as a 80 stage foot race across trails and 2000 miles of road ... averaging 42 miles a day ... wow

iRun ... Cadence

On October 27th I commented about a cadence to Mrs Cindie.  I downloaded the app to check it out shortly after that.  I didn't expect it would work much for me ... So here is my evaluation Mrs Cindie.

I was confused a little at first how to use it.  I didn't find the interface very user friendly.  Some other functionality has a twitter button although I am not quite sure what that does since I don't use Twitter myself.  I still don't know how to get back to home screen and the icons are not intuitive as far as their function.

But I did figure out that you have to choose between streaming music or your Ipod music.  When you use the app the first time it will require several minutes to scan your entire music library.  The music BPM is analysed then songs are organized by BPM.  I'd say 2/3 my library had no BPM found but considering I have over 2000 songs that still leaves 600+ songs for which the app did find a BPM.   Once that's done you can select you BPM using the slider and music starts playing.  The slider is actually a cool feature I love it.  Here is a snapshot of the slider:

The first time I used the app to play my music I was running a 6 miler.  I selected 160 and went with it.  I was surprised at the selection of songs ... Metallica, Josh Groban, Eminen, Nicki Minaj to name a few.  As wild as the line up was the music flowed really good with my run and I was impressed.  I tried different beat settings on subsequent runs.  I even did a run where I changed the BPM in the middle of the run.  The app created a new playlist immediately ... 

I streamed music the next run.  I selected 160 bpm.  The app gives you only one channel choice.  I was surprised it took a few minutes for the stream to start.  Once it did start it played only house music, which is fine but I like variety so I switched back to the music on my iPhone.  There is a genre filter you can use to limit the genre from which the music is selected, same genres as on your iTunes.  

So poor GUI, great functionality.  For a couple of bucks I say it's worth giving it a shot.  It will taker the thinking out of selecting your music so that you can concentrate and the more important "running stuff" !!

Can

What makes an athlete is more than just his physical conditioning, it's deep inside him he will go to the end and then some ... You don't stop because you are tired, or don't feel like training, or because it hurts.  You keep pushing ... Sometimes you push against all odds.  I was gonna blog about my 21 miles long run yesterday night and a follow 6 milers today ... Then I read this article about a dad and his son.  Just read this article.  The link doesn't work but an acquaintance had the video posted on her wall, which I shared on my FaceBook [i don't know how to share the link on the blog lol ... No all that tech savyy after all lol) ... You have to see watch it!  Whern the going get tough on my next marathon I bet you I will think of them ...

Tired :(

Long day today ... I wanted to blog a little but I think i'll be better off getting some sleep ... Rest is an important part of training as well ... So happy dreamin' everyone !

So Many Miles, So Little Time .... What Is a Beginner Runner to Do ???

I read this FaceBook post from Hal Higdon’s page this morning as I was going through the last few days of FaceBook while I was gone to the Bahamas ... 

“Elite runners average more than 100 miles a week, but recreational runners need not run that far to achieve success.  Each person has to determine what’s important to him and use that as a guide to dictate training level.  Dr Ken Cooper suggests that 15 miles a week will get you all the fitness you need to maintain good health and insure longevity.  Run more than that, Ken claims, and you’re doing it for other reasons.”

This post stood out when I read it.  Different people run for different reasons.  Most recreational runners start running for the health benefits though.  And the likelihood is you are considering or started running for the same reason ... maybe to loose weight or enjoy more energy that comes with exercising or even because you want to fight off the onset of sedentary lifestyle ... But often time beginner runners worry about how long or how far to run.  Whatever your drive is do not get caught up in time, or distance when you get started.  Nowadays there are several easy to use mobile apps that will structure you walk/run intervals with vocal prompts that takes the thinking out of getting into running.  But more importantly how do you build running from a chore to an enjoyable habit in your life?

It is important that you start by scheduling your runs into your day to day schedule to get because this will help you making an habit of running.  Pick a time during the day that will be beneficial to you and also a time of the day where your are the most alert if that is possible.  If you are not a morning person schedule the time in the afternoon or evening.  If you work a 9 to 5 type office job, see if you could run on your lunch.  This will help you starve off the habitual 2 pm crush by revitalizing you and offering a nice break from the job’s boredom or the stress of the office.  If you like your weekends free or have not set days off then run only during your working week ... A lot of runners like running on week ends however it may make more sense for you to run during the working week.  Week ends can be used for an added break in your running week.  If you plan three runs a week ... then  a good schedule could be Monday / Wednesday / Friday for example.  This will offer you a day of recovery for each day you run plus Sunday can be an extra rest day.

You could start on the treadmill or find a short route that you will enjoy near your house.  I enjoy running outside myself but beginner runners might find the treadmill a great option to start running in the privacy of their home and be protected from the elements (rain ... cold etc...)  Of course without a treadmill at home you would have to join a gym to use their equipment where I recommend just running outside then.  One fun thing to do is drive around your neighborhood and chart a route.  You will now the distances of the major waypoints.  You will find passing waypoints is always a great booster when you run.  

Most importantly don’t get stuck on how many miles you can run now, or how many you have to run.  Once you are in an habit of running this will just “fall into place”.  Even if it seems daunting now that Doctor Cooper recommends to run 15 miles a week to get the health benefits your are sinking, when you run 3 or 4 days a week regularly think it’s only 4 to 5 miles a day.  I suggest that you will get great benefits just being out there running 9 - 12 miles ... and you could be easily reaching that level within a few weeks of having started running by running just 3 miles three to four days a week !

So get out there and just do it!  happy running ya’ll ! 

Las Vegas RnR Training day 23

Wow ... Day 23 already? Yesterday was rest day. Well not really wouldnt call 12 hours in a plane rest ... My legs are sore from a boot camp class i took on the ship ... So today is 4 miles run and strength training ... Its 30F outside and fog is just now lifting up ... Quite a change from the 77f 80% humidity from the Bahamas .., i am all bundled up and will tryout my new Brooks running jacket :)

iRun ...

On 10/24/11 Mrs Cindie commented “I often wonder how the music we choose to listen to effects or ability to push ourselves or how quickly it changes the cadence as we move... Have you any thoughts on music choices? Of course these must be catered to our own personal music tastes, and at times I wish I was more musically inclined so as to better understand what beats/ rhythms work best for pushing a newbie such as myself... But what say you?” on my article Strides Intervals Walking Cadence.

I am having technical difficulties answering the comment directly so I will post my answer here instead.

Tunes will have a Beats per Minute (BPM), the tempo of the song.  Just like you have a tendency to tap to the music your body will have a tendency to want to hit the ground at that tempo when you run to music.  That tempo will generally not be the same as your body's cadence so listening to a fast song will have a tendency to wreck havoc on your regularity.  On the other hand listen to a song that's "too slow" and you will find it harder to "get in the grove".  My personal experience I find pop music fit pretty good my cadence.  Techno works for more focused run and most Metallica songs' will make for a sublime fast albeit shorter run.  I enjoy listening to "cyanide" and "unforgiven I, II or III" when I run.  Rap doesn't work at all, I don't know why the beat seems just out of sync with running.  A notable exception to this is Niky Minage which makes for an excellent hill climbing background lol.  When you choose a playlist for running the most important is to find music of similar tempo so that the music helps your cadence stay the same thru your run.  Don't use "random" feature on your master library files as it could mix and match fast, slow songs and songs that just don't work with running.  Advanced runners use apps such as "Cadence DJ".  The app scans the cadence of your target library.  Knowing what cadence you wanna run at then you can choose song that will support more consistent cadence.  I never used the app myself but I downloaded it and I am messing with now :) I know that for example for extreme races such as marathon some runners will build their playlist very specifically, targeting inspiring songs at those key miles they expect they'll need it most.  The key to choosing music at your level is finding music that will make the run "fun".  Other thing to consider a "neutral" bpm that is, that will promote your body running not "so fast nor to slow" which will promote your aerobic workout (60 - 70% max heart rate to loose weight, 70 - 80% to to increase heart and lung capacity). Why don't you put list of candidate songs and run once with it ... Then pick 2 or 3 you felt worked best, then refine a new playlist that includes similar artists/songs.  Experiment and find what works for you !  Create a slower playing for distance and a faster playlist for speed and a happy running running playlist for well ... just fun runs ... Let me know how what you playlist end up being like.  Sharing them can inspire other runners.  Happy Running Ms. Cindie !

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 17

 I haven't blogged for a few days.  I completed the Steilacoom Half marathon trail race on Sunday.  Did good placement-wise (2:04:54 11/18 age group and 47/132 overall).  But as a training run I didn't push it.  Still it was a difficult course with comparison of most the routes I ahve done with a 1000 ft elevation gain.  My legs got a workout !

I did some strides yesterday day 16 per my schedule but with the Bahamas cruise upon us in 2 days I need to shuffle the training schedule some this week.  The most important thing being I complete a 16 mile run this week.  My original plan was to begin the run on the ship's running track then finish that with a few miles off the shore ending at the Queen's staircase in historic Nassau.  I have been doing some more thinking I don't think this would work out as good as I think it would.  Running in Nassau will be fun but my training is serious business and there is no guaranty that indeed I will find the time to make it work.  For that reason I am gonna break the rule on have my long run in the middle of the week instead.  This afternoon.  Also I am worried about the high humidity in the Bahamas.  In reality Las Vegas will be dry and mild so there is no need for me to run in high humidity.  I may pass out of heat exhaustion running that many miles for all I know ... Not cool !

In a way it will let me experience what a long run feels like in less than ideal conditions.  It will be a tough run considering 1) this is Wednesday and all my runs on Wednesdays are tough for some reason and 2) I just ran a half Sunday.  But, I think I can manage.  I will run a local route in Marysville.  I can always drop out if I feel the run is too tough and will be not too far from home.  So per the revised week6 schedule Thursday (tomorrow) is the day we fly is day of rest.  I may workout tomorrow but no running.  I can enjoy leisure runs on the ship track with the ocean around me without the pressure of the training on my mind that way.  I figure I will run 6 milers the rest of the week. 

Happy running everyone !

Route notes ...

Check out Norway Hill

Strides - Intervals - Walking - Cadence

I think the articles I have read the last couples of days have been simmering in my sub-conscious to the point I was dreaming about running last night and had BBM flashbacks on the way to work this morning ... So I figure I would put these random thoughts down before getting the work day going.

Strides vs. Intervals:
Read more about strides and intervals yesterday.  Seem what I did yesterday (day 9 Las Vegas Training) would be considered more an interval training than a stride training ... Hal articles suggest 8x400m for both ... Hal suggest that strides will shave seconds off your time ... While intervals will increase your speed endurance and overall race performance.  To me it's confusing.  I found a more refined description of strides where strides are performed on say a 400m track, where you speed up rapidly to race pace or faster on the straights and slow down on the corners.  There are still recovery lap between strides and they still suggested 6-8 strides for the total workout like Hal, so there must be some magic to number 8 ... Strides are great to work on form as well.

On the other hand an interval can be defined differently.  Could be a distance interval, a time interval.  The speed on the interval can be varied.  The interval improves your speed, your speed endurance as well.  So where as strides might shave off a few seconds off your 5k and make the difference between being first and second, interval would enable you to run a little faster a little longer (that's what I take out of what i read).  Considering my current goal to run the Las Vegas RnR in under 4:30 what I need is run fast enought to shave off 9 minutes or more my time ... Consider it's at least 540s/26.2miles = 20.6 s/mile ... So really my goal is to have a more efficient run so that i shave a mere 21seconds off my av pace ... Running in the 10:17 min/mile ... Intervals can help me get there along with a better race strategy and i still have time for a potty break !

Walking breaks
Hal almost chastised a runner asking for advice on his blog for thinking to go the distance without walking breaks ... He asked why would you not work walking breaks into your marathon BEFORE the onset of fatigue?  Fair enough question I though.  Hal like most other experienced I runners favor walking breaks through the aid station as that makes hydration easier and maximize fluid intake (i.e. you don't spill your cups all over you).  All good advice.  Then I had a revelation this morning when I realized that there was a significant difference between my walking breaks during my 24 milers on the BBM course and the actual marathon.  I had the same potty break at mile 9, but I got lost a couple of times on the training run, first around marker 15 - 16 and another time around 17-18 ... The first time it was a branch, the map showed kinda one route so I decided to follow over the bridge.  Not even half a mile down the bridge the branch re-joined the main road so either way would had been fine however ...I stood there, say 30s walking in place trying to decide which way to go.  The other I was supposed to follow the airport road heading northeast but at that branch, I think past mile 17, I was just in awe at the beauty of the bay and I just flew by the split ... maybe a half a mile down on the wrong path I suddenly realized I may be off course.  Of course I managed to find my way back on course but again ... I walked some as I consulted the map printout and the iphone trying to figure out how to get back on course ... I had a couple more breaks later as I got lost I was nearing the waterfront then when I met SGF for a hug at mile 24.

For the actual marathon I ran through the first 18 miles.  Besides the potty break at mile 9 I didn't stop or walked.  I was carrying my own water so there was no need to slow down at aid station for water.  I didn't think much of it until this morning when I realized how different the cadence of my walking breaks was.  On the training route, I walked not as a result of fatigue onset but as a result of a need ... During the marathon I ran until the fatigue set.  Bad strategy if one thinks about it as once fatigue is set, it is set.  I am glad I had that revelation this morning because I will be more aware of walking breaks strategy during the LAs Vegas RnR.  I built up enough endurance to run 18 miles straight without breaks.  But, taking breaks will likely spread that endurance over the 26.2 miles course so that my overall performance on my second marathon is improved.  Couple with that I think for marathon race I should stop carrying hydration with me and rely instead on the water provided by the race then I think there is a real potential for subtle improvement there.  Think that I start the race carrying 24 ounces of water plus the hydration belt ... How much more energy did I spent on carrying that extra weight around ?  How much more impact did my body endure as the result of this extra weight?

Cadence:
First time i really even think about cadence ... Thats the number of time a single leg hit the ground per min. Elite athletes hit about 90 times/ min ... For amateurs athletes ... 85 is great if you get there ... Me ? Well i don't know my cadence ... I will evaluate mine during my training run this afternoon ... Cadence has to do with efficiency. Sprinter cadence is only about 10% greater than a marsthoner ... The difference there is stride lenght ... So cadence has to do with efficiency ... Good form also helps protect against injury. Cadence along witn form can all be worked on during strides or interval training ... And with sufficient repeats it builts into muscle memory, which will reflect in your race performance.

so it all connects back somehow ...

Las Vegas Training RnR - Day 10 thru 13

Day 10 was a six miler.  I ran it at lunch I didn't feel too good.  It's a cold that comes and go.  I measured my cadence at different point of the run.  I was curious to know what mine is.  The route I selected had a long straight, flat stretch, incline and decline where I could measure cadence.

Right before mile 2 ... 74/min ... decline
Right after mile 2 ... 83/min ... decline?
At mile 4 ... 82/min ... slightly upcline?
Passed mile 6 ... 77/min ... incline?

Recall from my 10/19/11 article Strides - intervals - Walking - Cadence  elite runners' cadence is about 90/min.  Well to do amateur runners' cadence about 85.  Maintaining 85 is tough for me.  Comfort zone seems to be around 75-80.  I can work on my cadence while interval training.  In addition to speed I would be keeping track of my cadence and training my self to maintain my cadence the same whether through the interval laps or the recovery laps ... More interval training Tuesday or Wednesday probably.

Day 11 was only three miles.  Easy enough.  I felt aware of my cadence.  I usually don't.  Interesting.

Day 12 was day of rest but I went strength training at the gym.  I worked out pretty hard.  Today (Saturday) my chest and shoulder are quite sore lol.  Did a little cool down run after the upper body workout, leg movements with the elastic band (not sure what these exercise are called), hamstring push-ups and planks.  Well yeah far from a day of rest I know.  But it really felt good.

I didn't feel as great this morning though lol.  I put the alarm at 6am because I was short on time to day to do my 6 miler.  It was raining and looked cold outside.  I went back to bed lol ... I fell asleep then woke up at 6:47 ... This time I put my gear on and braved the elements.  I did a somewhat slower run around the neighborhood, in the 9 min/mile range.  My energy level was definitely lower but he run was pleasant.  I completed 5 miles.  I cut the run short by one mile to conserve my legs for tomorrow's half marathon ... That's right. day 14 has a 12 miler scheduled.   I will run the Ft. Steilacoom half marathon from the Evergreen Trail Runs series for this week-end long run.  It's the last race in the series, cheap registration and a chance to experiment trail running: "the course has little elevation and the trails are non-technical, making it a great race if you're trail running for the first time."  A nice break from road races.  I plan on running it easy.

If the run goes great it will boost my confidence.  The longest I ran since the Bellingham marathon is just shy of 8 miles so this is the first time I am getting back in the double digits!

Well ... I am gonna lay down and get some rest.  Early wake-up tomorrow the race is in Lakewood, wa which is south of tacoma, about 82 miles from here.  Wake up 5:45.  Leave by 6:45.  Get there for registration and BIB pick at 8:15.  Half starts at 9:30.  Like any self-respecting obsessive runner I checked my gear by laying it out on the bed, folding the clothes, then putting it back in my bad int the order the item will be required :)   OCD has its upsides !

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 9

As I mentioned it in my article yesterday I did strides at today.  This is the first time I put that much sciences into strides.  Strides are mentioned a lot in the articles I read.  Professional runners and amateurs alike seem to enjoy this type of exercise.  I have done intervals many times where one sprints for a fixed amount of time then recover for a multiple of that amount of time (2x ... 4x ...)  thus the name intervals LOL.  Strides are different in the sense you sprint a fixed distance at a target speed.  In my article yesterday I calculated that my 400m strides are about 3 laps on the gym's track.  Before going to the gym I figured out that at 8:15 min/mile (10k pace) I would cover 400 feet (one gym lap) in about 35s so three laps at 105 seconds or 1 min 45 seconds for a 400m .  I clocked myself each lap (A & B).  Here is the Lap summary:

1A / 1:14.6 / 25s per lap
1B / 1:35.2 / recovery
2A / 1:07.7 / 22.6s per lap
2B / 2:24.1 / recovery
3A / 1:06.5 / 22.3s per lap
3B / 2:07.8 / recovery

Total workout time was 9:36.3.

At the end of the strides I cooled down with 5 min on the stationary bike.  I did not have a specific exercise to do on it, I just did some stuff I remember from the Shift and Lift class, alternate low and high intensity for 30s to 60s.  When I got off the bike my quads were stiff like a rock ...

All in all it was a relatively short but fun workout.  I actually enjoyed it!  It was challenging in unto itself.  I never figured that I would enjoy it but I did.  The purpose of writing this down is more to document for now.  The times I clocked show I can run faster than the 10k pace for a limited number of strides so I can baseline that for my next stride workout.  Also i think that in the more advanced schedules from Hal Higdon's strides are scheduled on Wednesdays with easy / longer runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  So I am not sure how to integrate the strides with the 8 weeks schedule for now.  Will work toward increasing the number of strides.

Tomorrow 6 miler at marathon pace :)

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 7 & 8

Yesterday per the 8 weeks schedule was a 1-2 hours anything but running kinda day. I felt energized to do more and my legs didn't feel much sore from Saturday "strong legs" routine.  So also considering the 8 weeks between marathon schedule assumes it is the second week following the marathon that i had an extra week of rest (this is my third week since the completion of BBM) I felt ready to run a second run.  I ran my South Everett 5.8 miles route around the gym.  That run gave an idea what it will feel like to run the long runs following the 6 mile runs on Saturday in the following weeks of the training.  I felt my legs were pretty tight actually.  The run was much less energetic than it was saturday.  I though the strong leg routine diminished my potential for Sunday.  I figured during that run that I shouldn't strength train my legs on Saturday.  I think the best time for Strength training will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Day 8, today Monday 10/17 was a day of rest.  It was a bright crisp autumn day today so I went out for walk at lunch.  I loosen my legs up a little and broke a little sweat with 4930 steps.  We figured the walk itself might have have been 1.5 miles.

Tomorrow I have a 3 mile run.  I want to practice strides.  Strides help a runner run faster pace.  Hal Higdon recommends starting strides at a 10k pace and aim to reach a 5 k (from a FaceBook post a couple of weeks ago).  I copied down his recommended approached and developed my little training here:

5-10 min warm-up
8x400feet strides @ 8:15 - 8:30 a mile (my 10k pace)
Start with 2-3 repeats ... work to 5-6 with an ultimate goal of 8 ...

Lap 1a 400m fast
Lap 1b 400m slow
Lap 2a 400m fast
Lap 2b 400m slow

depending on how I feel attempt a third stride

Lap 3a 400m fast
Lap 3b 400 m slow

Add a cool down to that.

Total up to:
Warm up 1 mile (that's roughly 10 minutes)
3600m total strides that's 10,800 feet or roughly 2 miles (2.05 miles to be exact) which accounts for the distance for the day.

The track at the gym is 400 feet or 133 meters per lap.  So 399 meters for 3 laps.

Wow that's a lot of math and conversion and shit for just running lol .... Let's how it goes tomorrow ... I am looking forward to it !  Actually as I proof read I realized that I won't have my GPS signal to tell me how fast I am running (the gym has an indoor track) so I will need to calculate how fast to run the 3 gym laps at the required pace.  The cool thing is that I could also customized a workout on RunKeeper once I know how fast I need to go I can program an interval workout in RunKeeper.  I have not used that functionality before since I just discovered last week it exist ... More food for thoughts ...  I'll figure out the timings tomorrow morning.  Happy running :)

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 6

Per today's plan I completed a 6 mile run this morning.  The run felt great.  I ran 6.7 miles actually but I felt eager for more miles.  I had to held myself from running more.  I did the 3/1 tempo on this run followed by the customary burpees.  At the end of the run I also performed the strong leg routine.  The soreness of my legs was almost gone.  I did the workout outside the gym:

Single Leg squats - 3x10 (target 3x12)
Balance run none - should try with a narrow board next time (target 3x30s)
Heel raises - 3x8 (target 3x15)
Hamstring push-up - 3x8, but recommended starting at 1x8, , should had started lower last time probably why I was so sore ah ah (target 3x12)

And last but not least ...

Plank+lift - 60s + 15s hold, break 60s (target 3 minutes)

I figured even though tomorrow is 1-2 hours cross I could squeeze another 6 miler instead followed by some upper body workout.  Since part of the training is about experimenting, why not?

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 5

Friday is a rest day.  Although at times I have cross-trained or did weights on Fridays when I was training for BBM I plan to just enjoy the day today.  As I predicted yesterday the soreness is much less … I was thinking on my way to work that today would be a great day for a massage to help out my calves so I may look into that for later. 

Either way I woke up fuller of energy today more than any other day since I completed BBM.  I feel great.  Maybe because it’s Friday lol … For the first time since in a couple of weeks I don’t feel like I am running around like a chicken with it’s head cut-off.  I feel I have a purpose again.  Regardless of the questions and doubts I may be having about completing Las Vegas RnR in under 4:30 I have registered for it so I will run it.  The question really becomes I am ready to give it my best shot.  I am.  I think writing day by day about my training has helped re-focus me as well.  Even if I am not out there running 20 miles for now I am back in training in full swing.  Each action I take has a purpose, an expected outcome.  Predicting these outcomes is part of experimenting, learning about my body, blowing through my limits.

So thank you Humboldtcindie for your words of encouragements.  Thank you SGF for your words of reasons.  Thank you Michelle for going to the Y with me yesterday.

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 4

Today was a 4 miler run on the treadmill ... yuck that's right the boring treadmill.  I broke the run in 1.5 miles segment with a series of pushups at mile 1.5, then hanging windshield washers at mile 3.0 and completed with some lunges.  I did not perform the stronger leg routine today due to the soreness still quite present in my legs... I used the random hill feature on the treadmill instead for the second 1.5 mile stretch and powered through slopes ranging from .4% to 1.5%.  I think that strategy worked quite right.  I don't expect more soreness as a result of battling the treadmill tonight.  As I continue strengthening my legs I should be able to incorporate the stronger legs routine after Tuesdays and Thursdays run.  In the mean time tomorrow is a day of rest, before the schedule 6 miler on Saturday ...

Stats ... Distance 4.5 miles ... about 7.0 mph average.  Heart rate at the end of mile 4.5 was 152 bpm.

Las Vegas RnR Training - Day 2 & 3

The eight week training started Monday 10/10 with a day off ah ah ... Day 2 had a two miler scheduled.  Easy enough one might think.  It was.  I ran a little extra still.  I tried out the new strength routine I describe on my earlier article "Stronger legs".  That was the focus of day 2.  I tried the routines.  I had the most difficulties with the hamstring push-ups.  I felt like a knots below the knee and had a hard time keeping my stability.   My legs and knees shook quite a bit through each exercise, a clear indication that my legs are weaker that I though they were but the knee pain wasn't flaring up either.  So I think it's all a good signs.  First the knee pain isn't consistent nor chronic.  The soreness in my legs shows that there is potential to develop my legs ...

I could feel quite a bit of soreness in my calves the next day (Wednesday).  Short 3 miles run today.  I kept a good pace despite the soreness.  I waited for signs of knee pain flaring but the pain seemed more focused in my sore quads and calves.  I felt a sort of tightness around the knees, not so much like the pain and inflammation I have been feeling since the end of BBM.   Since these exercise re-inforce not only the different leg muscles but also their connection I am hoping I am experiencing a strengthening of my ligaments too, which with proper stretching should help alleviate the inflammation and pain on the outside of my knees ... And support me though my next marathon.

Long runs mile limits ?

I found an interesting question on askhalhigdon, from a person training for his first marathon asking if he could go 22 miles on his first 20 miler ... Then 24 on his second ... I smiled because i did just that ! Hal feedback .,. Could you? Yes ... Why would you? Hal suggest the 20 miler is enough for a first timer ... And it may be even too much a strain to go over 20 for a first timer. Looking back i can see some of the logic now ... Considering that 24 miles is almost a full marathon ... The recovery from such distance the first time you reach it is gonna be intense even if reaching that distance itself may not seem like such a stretch ... It raises the risk of injury and may also result in "overtraining" which will make the first marathon more difficult than it needs to be.

But Hal also suggest that second and third timer marathoners should be able to adjust the mileage to what feels right based on their marathon experience. As one runs more mararhon Hal even suggests to experiment with other training schedules. So Really i shouldn't feel so locked in the mileage ... I already committed the rookie mistake ... But now that i am a marathon runner i can call it simply "experimenting" lol

Questions and Doubts ...

I completed a 2 mile jog today followed by some burpees and some hanging windshield washers.  On the burpees I complete a wide pull up each burpee.  I noticed more difficulty doing the wide pull-ups.  On the windshield wipers my butt hanged low ... It probably does each time I do them but for some reason I noticed that today lol ... Anyway I feel like I have lost some of my shape during my recovery from the BBM.  So it was good hitting the gym today.

I have a hard time finding a balance between running and the gym.  When I started running, it was to support my training, work on my stamina and endurance.   Of course the marathon distance was just an idea.  I read that most runners at some point will wonder about the marathon distance ... The challenge of it, whether they can do it ... Join that club.  Not all runners will attempt that distance.  Of those who do,  they find out what kind of a runner they are ... Some will give up ... Many go on to run more ...  

I guess that's where I am at now.  I wondered about that the 26.2 ... I completed a 26.2 ... In the process I found a passion.   In the beginning leading up to committing to a 26.2 I was still spending 3-4 hours at the gym exercising in addition to my weekly mileage throught most of 2011.  It's difficult from a schedule point of view to keep these hours and taxing from a physical point of view as well when you ae also running 30 - 40 miles a week.  Maybe it's because I have greatly reduced my weekly mileage in my taper and recovery ... but I feel fat and lazy.  I miss the energy and excitement that came with training for my first 26.2.

The gym gave me back a little of that excitement today.  it also reminded me that if I choose running I must let go of some of the routine I became used to at the gym over the last 3 years ... There are new routines I can develop now to support my running, such as cross-training my legs more ... or this winter after the Las Vegas RnR I could still attack the P90x program ... I need to accept now that other form of exercise are a mean to an end.  It's "cross-training" not "training".  I discovered I can run ... Now I need to live like I run ...

According to the Hil Higdon's 8-week training schedule I started today there isn't a long run until Sunday 10/15, a 12 miler ... Which is terrible, I wanna hit the road again NOW.  I need to prove to myself I can get back the distance, and better.  I am looking forward to doing longer runs ... I am also anxious about them.  I worry my knee will bother me too much.  Then what?  What if I have to drop out from Las Vegas marathon ... I tried out the "stronger leg" routine after the jog this afternoon to get an idea where I was at.  My legs were shaking which indicate weaknesses in my muscles.  My harmstrings had a tendency to cramp up when I was doing the hamstring exercise.  This was a very revealing session to me.

Yet right now my biggest worry is will I even be able to complete the Las Vegas RnR?  How humiliating would it be if I get scouped up to the finish because I could not finish under the 4 hour 30 min time limit ? ... How much my knee is going to be a factor in my training?  Questions and doubts that just linger in the back of my mind ...

Stronger legs

Well yeah I stole the title from this article but what else call an article dedicated to tips to strengthening legs?   this runnerworld.com article mentions how when you have an imbalance of muscle you tend to overuse  certain muscles which can inflame the tendons.  With my knee issue coming and going, I continue to think imbalance is part of my problem.  The recommendation is to piggy back these exercises 2-3 times a week after my easy runs ... I also like the setup ... 5 exercises 15 minutes.  Minus the stability ball I can do these pretty much anywhere ...

So I am thinking Tuesday - Wednesday and Thursday.  The hamstring push up is recommended to correct imbalance.  From a pure fun standpoint the plank+lift looks hella fun.  Planks are ALWAYS fun ... 1:30 to 2:30 sweaty minutes of fun lol ...

Let's not forget the upper body though ... I'll keep doing the burpees after the longer run probably.  Under my 8 weeks program for the Las Vegas RnR I have 6 miles runs schedules on Saturdays then long (paced) runs on Sunday.  Burpees would be fun after 20 miles ... they surely were fun after 13 :)  Maybe I'll try to run the 6 miles near my gym or the Y in Marysville to incorporate some upper body workout.

Anyway ... Looking forward to going running today ... even if only 2 miles ...

Kick It In High Gear !

(Written originally a week ago)

I read [this morning] how runners can over-develop their hamstrings as compared to their quads ... Which can cause a slight twist of the knees when the quads are too weak ... One possible cause of "runner's knee" ... I have been wondering if that is part of what is bothering my knee ... Then i realized how since the end of the shift n lift class a few months back i have not really done much for my quads ... So quite possibly my quads have not devepopped as much my hamstrings throughout the marathon training ... So ... Figured i would warm-up on the cycle machine this morning ... And it felt great ! I felt the burning :)

Adding more stretching not only before and after a run but also in the morning ... In the hot shower as the muscles in my body are relaxing ... And stretching in the evening ... my knee pain seem to be alaviating ...

I am thinking (when possible) to hit the cycle machine after my runs to help my quads get stronger. I think this time around i need better emphasis on my lower body as i know my upper body has now the stamina to run a full marathon ... "this time around" being the Las Vegas RnR :)

Back to the Aesics !

I found the greatest deal ever at Finish Line in Bellevue Friday ! Aesics Nimbus for $55 ... I ran with Nimbus last before switching to the Brooks Trance 9 in June ... I used a special pair of knotted elastic laces i bought at the seattle RnR Sports Expo with the Trance 9 which helped eliminating a lot of the pressure points in the shoes somehow. So Can't complain much about the Trance 9 they provided extra support and were comfortable enough to put in 428 miles on them so far in 3 months ! They are not as cushioning as they used to. I ran the BBM with them. I though about switching my shoes a couple of weeks before the marathon but since it was my taper i wouldn't get to try any new pairs on a long run so i settled for the devil i knew. This decision may have been a contributing factor the pain i felt during the marathon ... I think the Trance 9 are passed their prime ... They had 391 miles on them at the start of the marathon ...

The Aesics Nimbus look slick ! I love the bright orange color of this pair. The Nimbus provide my foot with enhanced cushioning but less side support. Arch support feel great. The shoe is slightly wider so it allows my foot to expand over long runs. I don't recall since last time i ran how much stability i felt with the Nimbus ... I think they are kinda loose ... Then again There has been times my ankles kinda hurt with the Trance 9 too, i recall that happening on crowned roads mostly though. It will be intetesting to compare how the Nimbus feel on similar roads.

My overall impression with the Brooks wasn't bad but i have to say that after trying 2 different brands (a no name that turned out real bad running shoe then Brooks) i have missed my aesics Nimbus ... It has been the most confortable shoe i can remember running in ... I couldn't wait to put the Aesics on for my run this morning !

I ran a Marathon today ...

Well really, I ran a marathon Sunday 9/25/11, the Bellingham Bay marathon ... This was my first marathon.  This is no new news to anyone that has been following my blog of course, as I have been writing about training for this marathon for the last three months.  And although my first though was to write a mile per mile report, as I snooped around some of my unpublished  drafts I found one article dated 8/5 titled “crisis of confidence” I never published.  I had all forgotten about the day I felt I lost the will to see this through.  So here I am a day after I ran a marathon reading about the day I though the goal I set was unreachable ... Unreal ...

I was a little sore in my quads but much less than just following the finish when I could barely walk-up stairs following the race lol.  There are rumors pictures were taken while I was hunched over the steps one steps at a time carried by SGF ...  The soreness in marathon runners isn’t from the accumulation of lactic acids but from the tearing of the muscle during the event.  Unfortunately ... I also caught a cold while running.  This isn’t uncommon for runners as the intensity of the training and the race itself lowers the immune system.   So four days later, after the soreness is gone, the tenderness in my bones is gone, and now that I am over this cold, I am feeling great physically and mentally.  The human body is an incredibly complex machine that rebuilds itself ready for a new challenges ...

The morning of the event was cold, rainy and dark ...  The ride to the start line at the Lummi Community Center felt never ending.  SGF dropped me off at the pick up point around 5:45 am ... I was now seated with 50-60 hardcore runners of all skills and ages and as we twinned through the course on back country roads I suddenly felt over-whelmed by a feeling of panic in the deafening silence that surrounded us in the bus.  I though to myself how nearly similar to what I felt on rides to altitude when I skydived.  The feeling quickly subsided as we reached the Lummi community center.  I felt everyone’s energy and excitement, and couldn’t wait to get to the start line!  Here is a picture of the pre-race blessing ceremony:

The first few miles along the Lummi Bay are just visually stunning.  For one can get lost in the scenery for many miles, helping clearing the way mentally to the challenge ahead.  Windshear from the strong winds from the East made for a cool start.  The race continued along the same country roads I ran on a few weeks back so I was cruising along going through the next waypoint from my memory of the training run I did on the course.  I was focusing a bit on my pace too.  Race pace wasn't as important for this race.  As my first marathon my ultimate goal was to finish the race.  I let my body dictate pace.  I didn’t listen to music.  I had to held myself from running faster than 10.5 min a mile, my target pace, until my body reached a comfortable pace at about 10:20 min a mile.  I was impressed that fatigue or pain had not settled in for about 14 miles ... I guess my endurance at slightly faster than training pace has increased quite a bit.  In the past long runs fatigue settled in anywhere between 8 to 12 miles.   

A striking memory from this marathon is surely when as ran across a guy just before mile marker 12 running barefoot ... I was in awe ... I mean ... Barefoot, on a county road?  Barefoot for 26 miles? no way!  Oh and not only was the guy barefoot, he was ahead of me lol ... Later on the trail portion I ran pass a half-marathoner that was wearing Vibrams 5fingers ... Impressive, crazy, yet still not as impressing as barefoot guy.  It provided a good distraction ... I needed a good distraction ... Strong head winds impeded the run since mile 11, the “crowned” country road was starting to take it's toll on my ankles.  At one point I even dared thinking that the event wasn’t “that” tough ...

By miles 16-18 I had eclipsed any doubts about the toughness of the event lol ...  Pain in my knees ... pain in my feet ... I soldiered on ... By the time we had merged back on the half-marathon course I was surrounded by yellow BIBS (race number on yellow tags for half-marathon ... Blue for full).  In the sea of yellow a blue stood out at times ...  Past mile 19 on Cedarwood avenue, a by-stander wearing a red wig called out “way to go marathoner! Mile 18!” and It was a huge boost to be singled out like that.  By now I started to feel my body breaking down and by Squalicum Creek Park I decided to take my first 30s walking break.  I knew, from this point on, it was gonna be a run/walk deal.  It was mile 20.  SGF was waiting for me at mile 22.  Before mile 22 I needed to get out this park, reach the waterfront ... Then run along the waterfront to the bridge into downtown .,.. then a couple of turns and it would be mile 22.  With the next couple of miles broken down in manageable chunks I soldiered on ...

At mile 21 my Runkeeper app started going crazy on me.  The GPS output indicated I was at mile 25 when I was at 21 and all I could think is “I wish ...”   Finally I was closing in on mile 22 and SGF.  

After a quick hug and a big smile, I re-booted the race in my mind.  It was now a four miles run to the finish instead of mile 22 from the start ... Behind SGF was the entrance to the S Bay trail ... Little did I know that the coolest part of the run was yet to come ... At about mile 25, on S State Street, running on the left side opposite traffic there was three road bikes coming up on me when I saw one rider extend his hand out for a high five ... I extended my hand out and relaxed my arm to absorb the impact ... we high-fived, then went our separate ways ... the coolest high five to date I though ... There was a definitive degradation of my physical abilities in the last mile yet it wasn't that I was out of stamina rather it was that I was suffering physically more.  I placed 269/443  [See the detailed stats of my race here, BIB 419.]  The winner took the race in 2 hours 31 min.  He is 39 years old ... I was struggling at mile 15 when the winner crossed the same finish ... 

But I think most of us out Sunday were not out to race against each others.  We were out to race ourselves.  Over-achieving runners  ... Why do we put ourselves though this ordeal ? There has been several studies dedicated to studying the experience of the marathon runner.  I am participating in one for this marathon.  I can’t discuss its details yet.  For one I don’t recall contemplating the why before when it comes to running while I have for other things I have done.  Like this summer when I was working toward my skydiving A-license ... I know I wanted to jump ... but earning my license?  Going through it each time?  Was what I though I wanted an over-extension of what I really wanted?  In the end I did jump several times and the experience was unparalleled.  I realized   a 19 years-delayed dream.  I have no regrets, but in the process of pushing the envelope jumping became a chore ... I needed to convince myself that it was what I wanted to do, each jump.  I didn’t need to keep doing it.  In contrast, a mile out to the finish, I knew I would make to the finish ...  As I worked through the pain of the last few miles, I never doubted what I wanted was to complete this marathon and run more after this one.  No doubts or hesitation I just did what I had to do to finish.

And that is how I ran a marathon, four days ago.  I was already signed up for my next marathon before even starting my first one:  Las Vegas Rock and Roll :D

Three Days to Bellingham Bay Marathon ... Racing Thoughs in my Head

It's been a while since I blogged.  It's three days only to my first marathon.  In my head I am going over strategy, what may go wrong, where I think I lack and how I will deal with it during the race.  My though right now?  What's the best massage strategy?  Should I do it today?  For the Heroe's Half in May I did it three or four days before the race.  After a Google search I find really that there are different strategies for massage as well.   I haven't had a massage since May, that's an error on my part.  My legs feel real tight the first few miles of any run.  Considering I haven't had a massage in several months I am really looking for re-conditioning my legs rather than a general maintenance massage so the massage after the race makes almost sense to me right now.  I saw mentioned that deep tissue massage have different recovery times in individuals so if taken too close to the race such massage may not be the best.  A post race massage I could also direct the massage therapist to sore point highlighted by the race.  A lighter massage may be of order with plans for a deep tissue on Tuesday ...   

I found a 2007 post by Uta Pippig with excellent last minutes tips broken up by equipment, nutrition and last minute tip.  They recommend eating oatmeal 4 hours before the race.  Interesting ...    I don't eat like regular oatmeal and have no idea how my body would react ... So I made a mental note of it, but since the biggest tip of them all is not to try anything new before a race I'll stick to bread, eggs, yogurts trail mix, OJ ... fruits ... Oh I just realized !   I did experiment with an oatmeal cookie about an hour before starting my 24 miles training run on BBM course !  So I'll a couple oatmeal cookies too LOL 

http://www.takethemagicstep.com/coaching/beginners/training-exercise/two-days-before-the-marathon/

My other worry is that my Brooks won't cushion me enough.  I completed the Seattle RnR half witht and have been wearing exclusively my Brooks since.  The window to try new running shoes out on a couple of runs has closed and passed.  It's not a good idea to try a brand new pair of shoes now.  My mistake here I knew better and didn't act.  That said I wouldn't say that the shoes are cushionless.  I will transition to a new pair after the race I think, alternating the rooks and my new pair.  I was thinking about getting a new pair of light weight Aesics, that I would use primarily on my long runs, and keep using the Brooks for the shorter runs.  I would define a "long run" as 10+ miles.  I am also thinking why not trying some Nike or Adidas however these are design for Neutral, near perfect stride so the shoes wouldn't necessarily work best for me since I pronate a lot :(  Well I'll be thinking about it more on the run I am sure ! 

Right now I am just rejoicing in the moment, reflecting on the journey, a though training program to get here.  I have flashbacks of the instances I almost gave up as I broke through my training milestones ... I relax my mind even knowing the monumental meaning of Sunday's run to me.  Complete a marathon.  Run 26.2 miles ...