Sept 13, Week 4: 3-5-3-8
Sept 20, Week 5: 3-5-3-10
Sept 27, Week 6: 4-5-4-11
Oct 4, Week 7: 4-6-4-12
Oct 11, Week 8: 3-5-3-8 (taper week, normally week 15)
Oct 18, Week 9: 3-3-3-13.1 (race day)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Livin' on a Prayer
I shouldn't be posting right now. I'm supposed to be spending time with my sweetheart in Santa Monica, but instead I'm at home blogging about a run I shouldn't have had the time to take. Sorry to say my streak of stupidity continued today as I managed to take a routine turn in to a gas station too short and manage to clip the curb just perfectly to tear a chunk of my tire's sidewall out at 5:30 PM on the Friday going in to a four day weekend. Long story short, I don't feel comfortable driving on it and I can't get it fixed until 10 tomorrow morning making me very late for what was supposed to be a very lazy drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. As one might imagine this infuriated me, and after a bit of cooling down I decided to take out my frustration on the pavement. I initially set out to just do the three miles I'd need to leave only the big run for the week, but not long out the door I realized that I hadn't run yesterday and I certainly wouldn't be running tomorrow, so I might as well go for it. The goal was set: six miles. I've never made it further than five.
This was a reasonably optimistic goal considering that my run on Wednesday had been a near-disaster. After doing 3 miles the day before (sorry, no data for that one, the Forerunner crapped itself again), I made the mistake of eating too much at lunch and my side stitched up very early in the run and would not go away, even when I walked for a quarter mile. I finished the four miles, but it took me nearly as long as five miles had taken me on Sunday. I felt a bit discouraged, but like so many things lately it was my own damn stupid fault and I could have avoided it.
Tonight there would be no failing. I set out up the hill, starting on a wide loop to leave myself an out if my body wasn't up to the task tonight. By the time I made it through the office complex loop I was barely tired at all, so I chugged up the next hill to the Pacific Life building. Near the top the stitch in my side threatened to make a comeback, so I shortened my steps significantly, remembering the story from Born to Run of trying to pace a metronome at 180 beats/min. This didn't eliminate it, but it did buy me enough time to go on a long downhill stretch on Pacific Park (past the $#^@ curb) before settling in on the run I'd also done a couple nights ago. Finishing the loop across Alicia, Moulton and finally Aliso Viejo Parkway took me to just shy of six miles. I probably should have felt exhausted, but at some point my body had just given up fighting so I did an intentional extra jaunt to the 73 onramp before turning around and running back to my door. This little extra bit of distance put me up and over 6.2 miles, meaning tonight I ran a 10K in a hair over an hour and a half only stopping for traffic lights. I started this blog fifty days ago and it's now fifty days to the race, and I've made it to the halfway point of the distance I need to run the race. It's a good sign, but I can't let up now.
This was a reasonably optimistic goal considering that my run on Wednesday had been a near-disaster. After doing 3 miles the day before (sorry, no data for that one, the Forerunner crapped itself again), I made the mistake of eating too much at lunch and my side stitched up very early in the run and would not go away, even when I walked for a quarter mile. I finished the four miles, but it took me nearly as long as five miles had taken me on Sunday. I felt a bit discouraged, but like so many things lately it was my own damn stupid fault and I could have avoided it.
Tonight there would be no failing. I set out up the hill, starting on a wide loop to leave myself an out if my body wasn't up to the task tonight. By the time I made it through the office complex loop I was barely tired at all, so I chugged up the next hill to the Pacific Life building. Near the top the stitch in my side threatened to make a comeback, so I shortened my steps significantly, remembering the story from Born to Run of trying to pace a metronome at 180 beats/min. This didn't eliminate it, but it did buy me enough time to go on a long downhill stretch on Pacific Park (past the $#^@ curb) before settling in on the run I'd also done a couple nights ago. Finishing the loop across Alicia, Moulton and finally Aliso Viejo Parkway took me to just shy of six miles. I probably should have felt exhausted, but at some point my body had just given up fighting so I did an intentional extra jaunt to the 73 onramp before turning around and running back to my door. This little extra bit of distance put me up and over 6.2 miles, meaning tonight I ran a 10K in a hair over an hour and a half only stopping for traffic lights. I started this blog fifty days ago and it's now fifty days to the race, and I've made it to the halfway point of the distance I need to run the race. It's a good sign, but I can't let up now.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Half marathon course announced
Short update today, the course for the half marathon was just announced. Thankfully the elevation change looks pretty minimal, so the Aliso hills should provide more than enough training in this regard. The time limit to run the race is 4 hours, and even at my slow-roll pace I should be able to beat that handily.
Ran 3 miles last night that were kind of tough due to a full stomach and a bitchy left ankle that loosened up later in the run. No stats update as the Forerunner didn't pick up reception for the first 3/4 of a mile.
Ran 3 miles last night that were kind of tough due to a full stomach and a bitchy left ankle that loosened up later in the run. No stats update as the Forerunner didn't pick up reception for the first 3/4 of a mile.
Monday, August 30, 2010
54 days to go
Although I haven't made an update in nearly a week, it hasn't been because I've been slacking. been worth the wait.
Last Wednesday I managed a good but uneventful run down the trail and back.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45289562
After a few days off for recouperation, last night I did five miles down Wilshire.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46935378
This was a really good run for me, as I made it nearly the entire way without stopping for traffic lights. As a result my overall time was extremely good. I've discovered it's a lot easier on my legs to run at around a 12 minute pace, so it will be a challenge to train my lungs up to pushing enough oxygen to make this happen.
These two runs mean I finished week one of the marathon training program. For week two I'll need to stretch that five miles in to six, which will likely be a tall order given that this is a holiday weekend and I'll be out of town. I'm going to ensure I get my 3/4/3 in first so that I keep up the stresses on my body and it keeps adjusting itself to being more and more used to running.
Last Wednesday I managed a good but uneventful run down the trail and back.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45289562
After a few days off for recouperation, last night I did five miles down Wilshire.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46935378
This was a really good run for me, as I made it nearly the entire way without stopping for traffic lights. As a result my overall time was extremely good. I've discovered it's a lot easier on my legs to run at around a 12 minute pace, so it will be a challenge to train my lungs up to pushing enough oxygen to make this happen.
These two runs mean I finished week one of the marathon training program. For week two I'll need to stretch that five miles in to six, which will likely be a tall order given that this is a holiday weekend and I'll be out of town. I'm going to ensure I get my 3/4/3 in first so that I keep up the stresses on my body and it keeps adjusting itself to being more and more used to running.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
60 days to go
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45909074
I went for a late run last night due to both the heat we've been having and the fact that I forgot to plug in my ForeRunner until about 8. After letting it charge up, I geared up and went out to tackle a longer run. This week I'm going to make it through week 1 of the training program (for real) which means I need to run 3-4-3-5 miles this week. That's really quite a lot for someone who couldn't make it two miles without dying for the longest time. I didn't run much over the weekend, so I decided to take the 4 mile run on while my legs were still relatively fresh. Of course, since it was so late by the time I went out it would have been a poor idea to run the trail since it's unlit. That means I'm left with one option: hills.
It had been a couple of weeks since I had tried to take on the big hill near the office, so I decided to do that instead of going directly up to the office complex where there's a flat half mile-ish loop that I can run over and over. I mistimed the light right before the hill and had to sprint across the intersection - not a good start. As the angle started becoming more steep, I remembered back to just after I had moved here and started walking to work once in a while. The first day I walked up the hill I had to stop part way up because my legs hurt. I was so un-used to that physical exercise and especially hills, so I was going to show the hill who was boss. And I did. And then I kept going. I took the short downhill before the office loop to recover my legs, then padded my distance on flat terrain before heading back down the hill overlooking the parks. As I got closer to home I realized I was going to come up short of 4 miles unless I ran the very steep hill near the apartment, and that wasn't going to happen since I was starting to feel tired. Instead I ran down to the ball fields and in front of the school before turning around and heading back up. By the time I stopped running and walked I was at about 4.3 miles.
I ran the whole thing, except where stoplights made me pause. Since I was out so late I only had to wait once, so this was essentially a continuous run. It was not only the furthest I've made it without stopping, I did it conquering a pretty mean hill. I'm getting somewhere, and it feels damn good.
I went for a late run last night due to both the heat we've been having and the fact that I forgot to plug in my ForeRunner until about 8. After letting it charge up, I geared up and went out to tackle a longer run. This week I'm going to make it through week 1 of the training program (for real) which means I need to run 3-4-3-5 miles this week. That's really quite a lot for someone who couldn't make it two miles without dying for the longest time. I didn't run much over the weekend, so I decided to take the 4 mile run on while my legs were still relatively fresh. Of course, since it was so late by the time I went out it would have been a poor idea to run the trail since it's unlit. That means I'm left with one option: hills.
It had been a couple of weeks since I had tried to take on the big hill near the office, so I decided to do that instead of going directly up to the office complex where there's a flat half mile-ish loop that I can run over and over. I mistimed the light right before the hill and had to sprint across the intersection - not a good start. As the angle started becoming more steep, I remembered back to just after I had moved here and started walking to work once in a while. The first day I walked up the hill I had to stop part way up because my legs hurt. I was so un-used to that physical exercise and especially hills, so I was going to show the hill who was boss. And I did. And then I kept going. I took the short downhill before the office loop to recover my legs, then padded my distance on flat terrain before heading back down the hill overlooking the parks. As I got closer to home I realized I was going to come up short of 4 miles unless I ran the very steep hill near the apartment, and that wasn't going to happen since I was starting to feel tired. Instead I ran down to the ball fields and in front of the school before turning around and heading back up. By the time I stopped running and walked I was at about 4.3 miles.
I ran the whole thing, except where stoplights made me pause. Since I was out so late I only had to wait once, so this was essentially a continuous run. It was not only the furthest I've made it without stopping, I did it conquering a pretty mean hill. I'm getting somewhere, and it feels damn good.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wherein we crack a barrier.
Last night I went out for a run before heading up to Santa Monica. I took this as one of the lighter 2 mile runs for the week and hit the pavement hard so I could get back and get showered before I had to be on the road. Since I knew I was only running two miles, I pushed myself to see how fast I could knock those two miles out.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45289562
23 minutes for two miles isn't amazing by runner standards, but it's important to me for a big reason. What this one doesn't tell you is that my first mile took me almost exactly ten minutes. If you cut out the time where I stopped to re-tie my shoe, I ran a mile in under ten minutes. When I started, I couldn't run a mile without stopping period, and so my time was more like 15-17 minutes for a mile. I didn't think I'd actually crack the ten minute mark at any point during my training. Granted, that pace isn't sustainable, but a ten minute mile is something that has always eluded me going back to the Presidential Fitness Tests in grade school.
It's a sure sign progress is being made, and it's encouraging.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45289562
23 minutes for two miles isn't amazing by runner standards, but it's important to me for a big reason. What this one doesn't tell you is that my first mile took me almost exactly ten minutes. If you cut out the time where I stopped to re-tie my shoe, I ran a mile in under ten minutes. When I started, I couldn't run a mile without stopping period, and so my time was more like 15-17 minutes for a mile. I didn't think I'd actually crack the ten minute mark at any point during my training. Granted, that pace isn't sustainable, but a ten minute mile is something that has always eluded me going back to the Presidential Fitness Tests in grade school.
It's a sure sign progress is being made, and it's encouraging.
Monday, August 16, 2010
68 days to go: wherein we learn to be like Chun Li
... and lead with your heel.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/44886875
To this point I haven't been concentrating on where my foot was striking on the ground, so tonight's focus was making sure I landed heel-first or more flat. The marathon training guide says that you shouldn't be running on the "balls" or front of your feet when doing long distances, and it turns out I've been doing just that. The difference in foot fatigue was very significant, though I was stretching some other parts like my calves more than I was used to. It will take some getting used to, but the reduced fatigue is well worth it.
I didn't get any running in over the weekend, primarily due to the horrendous sunburn I got on the back of my knees that made it hard to stand on Friday. I do feel like I'm finally at the point where I can do 30 minutes of running each training day, so that means I'm out of the warmup program for the marathon trainer's guide. I'm going to try and make it through the first week of training this week, with tonight counting as a 3 mile run. I'll need to do 2x 2 miles and one five mile (ulp) before the week is out to meet that goal. If I can manage to stick to the progression I'll hit week nine by the time the half marathon rolls around and I should be in really good shape to tackle it.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/44886875
To this point I haven't been concentrating on where my foot was striking on the ground, so tonight's focus was making sure I landed heel-first or more flat. The marathon training guide says that you shouldn't be running on the "balls" or front of your feet when doing long distances, and it turns out I've been doing just that. The difference in foot fatigue was very significant, though I was stretching some other parts like my calves more than I was used to. It will take some getting used to, but the reduced fatigue is well worth it.
I didn't get any running in over the weekend, primarily due to the horrendous sunburn I got on the back of my knees that made it hard to stand on Friday. I do feel like I'm finally at the point where I can do 30 minutes of running each training day, so that means I'm out of the warmup program for the marathon trainer's guide. I'm going to try and make it through the first week of training this week, with tonight counting as a 3 mile run. I'll need to do 2x 2 miles and one five mile (ulp) before the week is out to meet that goal. If I can manage to stick to the progression I'll hit week nine by the time the half marathon rolls around and I should be in really good shape to tackle it.
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