Well it is just a few more days until the race and I am feeling pretty good. I am still fighting a nagging cold, hopefully, it will keep at bay. I am not getting enough sleep, but will have to make a concerted effort to get more sleep tonight and tomorrow night.
I have really tapered this time around. I last ran on Tuesday morning (6 X 400's) and am looking at running a 3 miler (1 mile warm-up and 2 miles at marathon pace) tomorrow morning in my last run prior to the race. I am itching to get the event on and am feeling a bit like a caged tiger at the moment - hopefully, this is a good sign.
One thing I will have to watch is to start out under control as I have had a history of breaking out too fast and abandoning my plan. This means keeping myself somewhere 7:15 and 7:25 min / mile to start. I have 3 goals in mind for the race. My minor goal would be to simply qualify for Boston - at my age that is a 3:20. My medium goal would be to go sub 3:10. This is a time that would qualify me regardless of age and is my true target. I have also created a stretch goal, however, that one I am keeping to myself as I don't want to put undue pressure on myself. Stay tuned post-race - I will share it if I make it.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Less than 2 Weeks to go
It has been a while since I last posted. This is probably due mostly to a series of less than ideal runs I have had in the couple of weeks since my last post.
My long run last week (my final 20 miler) was not quite what I had anticipated. Running more slowly than I intended, I found myself still having a difficult time around 18 miles - my body started to slow down and I had some cramping in my legs when I finished the run. Since that time I have felt quite sluggish - energy levels have been low as well as my overall desire to run.
I have decided to take this as a sign, rightly or wrongly, that it may be time to back off. And, as a result, I am tapering for the big race on Oct 12th. This past week I only ran 33 miles, down from 40, 41 and 51 in the previous 3 weeks. I have always felt that getting to the line healthy is half the battle. I don't have the miles under me that I would liked to have had due to the issue with my feet. That said, with such little time left, I am not going to stress about not getting as many miles in as I would have liked. The workouts I have had have, for the mostpart, been of less intensity than I would have liked as well. At this stage, it is what it is and we'll just have to see what happens. Right now the plan is to head out at about a 7:15 min / mile pace on race day and dial it down from there if things don't feel right. If things feel great, I may increase by 5 seconds per mile, but right now I don't think the likelihood of that happening is too strong.
As an aside, I feel compelled to comment on Haile Gebrselassie's new world record in the Marathon: 2:03:59. As my friend Keith pointed out, if I have the race of my life I have a shot at coming in just 1 hour slower than Haile. Absolutely insane how fast this is. For some perspective, those of you who have treadmills, just think of the following. A 2:03:59 converts into 12.68 miles per hour. Most treadmills on the market only go up to 10 miles per hour. Not only is he running at that pace, he is able to sustain it for over 26 miles!!!!! Try cranking your treadmill up to 10 mph and seeing how long you can hold it there... it will really provide some perspective as to how fast the elites are running. Sometimes it is easy to forget this as their form is so good that they do not appear to be moving as fast as they are. Anyway, it is an incredible feat.
My long run last week (my final 20 miler) was not quite what I had anticipated. Running more slowly than I intended, I found myself still having a difficult time around 18 miles - my body started to slow down and I had some cramping in my legs when I finished the run. Since that time I have felt quite sluggish - energy levels have been low as well as my overall desire to run.
I have decided to take this as a sign, rightly or wrongly, that it may be time to back off. And, as a result, I am tapering for the big race on Oct 12th. This past week I only ran 33 miles, down from 40, 41 and 51 in the previous 3 weeks. I have always felt that getting to the line healthy is half the battle. I don't have the miles under me that I would liked to have had due to the issue with my feet. That said, with such little time left, I am not going to stress about not getting as many miles in as I would have liked. The workouts I have had have, for the mostpart, been of less intensity than I would have liked as well. At this stage, it is what it is and we'll just have to see what happens. Right now the plan is to head out at about a 7:15 min / mile pace on race day and dial it down from there if things don't feel right. If things feel great, I may increase by 5 seconds per mile, but right now I don't think the likelihood of that happening is too strong.
As an aside, I feel compelled to comment on Haile Gebrselassie's new world record in the Marathon: 2:03:59. As my friend Keith pointed out, if I have the race of my life I have a shot at coming in just 1 hour slower than Haile. Absolutely insane how fast this is. For some perspective, those of you who have treadmills, just think of the following. A 2:03:59 converts into 12.68 miles per hour. Most treadmills on the market only go up to 10 miles per hour. Not only is he running at that pace, he is able to sustain it for over 26 miles!!!!! Try cranking your treadmill up to 10 mph and seeing how long you can hold it there... it will really provide some perspective as to how fast the elites are running. Sometimes it is easy to forget this as their form is so good that they do not appear to be moving as fast as they are. Anyway, it is an incredible feat.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
16 Mile Marathon Pace Trial
I was reading recently about the Brooks - Hanson running group and their approach to Marathon training. One thing that interested me was finding out that many of the runners on the team run a simulated marathon about 5 weeks out from their race. In this simulation they run 26.2 Kilometers as opposed to 26.2 miles and they run the distance at anticipated race pace. The thought behind this is that the distance is an excellent test of your marathon fitness, however, the distance is not too long to run a high risk of injury.
I gave the workout a try today out of curiosity and found it to be quite good. I ran the distance in the pace I hope to run (7:15 min / mile) and do not feel any worse for wear this evening. The great thing about it is that I didn't feel on edge at any point in the run so I find that having run this has increased my confidence about running the real race in about a month. I had found myself questioning my fitness recently and the pace I would strive to run. It is nice to now have the confidence that my plan is achievable.
I gave the workout a try today out of curiosity and found it to be quite good. I ran the distance in the pace I hope to run (7:15 min / mile) and do not feel any worse for wear this evening. The great thing about it is that I didn't feel on edge at any point in the run so I find that having run this has increased my confidence about running the real race in about a month. I had found myself questioning my fitness recently and the pace I would strive to run. It is nice to now have the confidence that my plan is achievable.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The A.R.T. of Running
As time was a ticking and I hadn't heard back on my bone scan, I decided to go back to the less orthodox route to healing, Active Release Techniques. I had my first treatment on my feet on Wednesday and already can feel some improvement. It isn't perfect yet, but I did a 19 mile run this morning with very little difficulty. As to the issue, my Chiropractor feels that it is due to a weak muscle in each foot. So I have exercises to strengthen them and he is administering the treatment. Things are finally starting to look up.
Considering how little running I had been doing as a result of the foot issue, I have had a pretty big week. I didn't run my long run on Sunday last week as we were having a torrential downpour and ended up doing 17 miles on Labor day Monday. I took Tuesday off, ran 6 with intervals (3 X 1 mile) on Wednesday, 3 miles on Thursday, 6 miles with 4 at tempo pace on Friday and 19 this morning. I normally would have taken today off, but we are expecting a tropical storm tomorrow and I didn't think I would likely get out for my run, so I moved it up a day. If my addition is not failing me, that would be 51 miles in the last 5 days which considering how things have been recently is quite heavy. I will wait until tomorrow to pass judgment as to lingering effects, however, at this moment things seem fine and not a moment too late.
Buoyed by how I have felt the past few days, I have finally signed up for the Valley Harvest Marathon. All I need to do now is get to the start line healthy and have a good day. If that happens, hopefully, I can qualify for Boston.
Considering how little running I had been doing as a result of the foot issue, I have had a pretty big week. I didn't run my long run on Sunday last week as we were having a torrential downpour and ended up doing 17 miles on Labor day Monday. I took Tuesday off, ran 6 with intervals (3 X 1 mile) on Wednesday, 3 miles on Thursday, 6 miles with 4 at tempo pace on Friday and 19 this morning. I normally would have taken today off, but we are expecting a tropical storm tomorrow and I didn't think I would likely get out for my run, so I moved it up a day. If my addition is not failing me, that would be 51 miles in the last 5 days which considering how things have been recently is quite heavy. I will wait until tomorrow to pass judgment as to lingering effects, however, at this moment things seem fine and not a moment too late.
Buoyed by how I have felt the past few days, I have finally signed up for the Valley Harvest Marathon. All I need to do now is get to the start line healthy and have a good day. If that happens, hopefully, I can qualify for Boston.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Laboured Day
Well I finally got a long run in - at least distance wise. I ran 17 miles yesterday and, while I could feel my foot, it wasn't bad enough that I had to shut things down early. Recently 13 miles was about the extent of what I could muster without having to give things up mid-run.
A few weeks of low mileage, low pace running have definitely had an impact - which became painfully obvious during yesterday's run. While I wasn't pushing things, my 8:00 min/mile pace was a lot worse than I had been able to do recently. It is now a mere 5 weeks until the Valley Harvest Marathon and I feel woefully prepared. If you would have asked me about a month ago how I was feeling about it all, I would have responded enthusiastically as everything was going just about perfect. Today, however, I am questioning my ability to do well in the race - essentially, well for me would be to run between 3:05 and 3:10. Right now, I am adjusting my expectations with the hope of just beating my time last year, which as long as it is by 11 seconds would give me a Boston Qualifier.
A few weeks of low mileage, low pace running have definitely had an impact - which became painfully obvious during yesterday's run. While I wasn't pushing things, my 8:00 min/mile pace was a lot worse than I had been able to do recently. It is now a mere 5 weeks until the Valley Harvest Marathon and I feel woefully prepared. If you would have asked me about a month ago how I was feeling about it all, I would have responded enthusiastically as everything was going just about perfect. Today, however, I am questioning my ability to do well in the race - essentially, well for me would be to run between 3:05 and 3:10. Right now, I am adjusting my expectations with the hope of just beating my time last year, which as long as it is by 11 seconds would give me a Boston Qualifier.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Long Tempo - No Troubles
I ran a pretty long tempo run yesterday morning - 10 total miles - 1 warm-up at 8:30 min/mile, 8 at long tempo pace 7:13 min/mile and a cool-down mile at 8:30 min/mile. I wanted to test things out a little and see if my feet would handle the stress. I must say that things went relatively well. Thus far, the issue has only manifested itself at about mile 12 or 13 of long run - that said, it was good to be going at a faster pace for a fair distance and not have any issues pop up.
One thing I have to watch is weight gain in the next little while. I have ticked up about 5 pounds over the Summer and need to take these off if I am going to run a good marathon in the Fall.
Hopefully, I can get back to training with consistent intensity and distance soon. For the past few weeks, my long runs have been pretty short (13 - 15 miles) and pretty slow pace-wise as a result of the injury. If it continues, it will be tough slogging come marathon day.
One thing I have to watch is weight gain in the next little while. I have ticked up about 5 pounds over the Summer and need to take these off if I am going to run a good marathon in the Fall.
Hopefully, I can get back to training with consistent intensity and distance soon. For the past few weeks, my long runs have been pretty short (13 - 15 miles) and pretty slow pace-wise as a result of the injury. If it continues, it will be tough slogging come marathon day.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Agony of De-Feet
I haven't been blogging for a while. It has been a combination of a couple of things actually. Vacation actually proved to interrupt the normal flow of my days which meant that I didn't report to much of what was going on from a training standpoint. As well, I have been putting up with some pain in my feet that has really put a damper on my training - to the extent that I haven't been able to train as I would like... which gave me a whole lot less to report on.
So the problem. I have had pain that starts out as what feels like a cramp on the bottom of my foot during a run and then transitions to a pain on the bone on the outside of my foot. This started in my left foot only, however, recently has been starting to appear in my right foot as well. I have been to my doctor and was sent to get a bone scan on Friday. I am not sure what the issue is, but it comes right as I was getting serious about my marathon training. For example, yesterday, I ended up stopping my long run after 13 miles as opposed to the 20 I had intended. As I am feeling great from a cardiovascular point of view, this is really frustrating.
I did run a race I didn't report on earlier this month. I actually ran Natal Day 6 Miler on the morning of my return from vacation. The journey to the race is almost a marathon in itself. We left Corner Brook, Newfoundland to head for the ferry back to Nova Scotia at 7:30 am. After a 2 hour drive we got to the ferry terminal, waited for 2 hours and then boarded the ferry. Seven hours later we arrived in Nova Scotia and started our drive to Halifax. After a slow drive from the ferry terminal (eating and car troubles got in the way) we arrived home at 10:30 that night. Unpacked the car, got to sleep at around midnight and was back up at 6:30 am to get ready for the 8:15 race start. It was an exceedingly humid day and I have to admit to not running very well finishing the 6 mile race in 40:08 - it may have been the hardest 6 miles of my life. I have an issue with starting races too quickly.
So, all in all, training has been frustrating lately. I am being cautious toward running right now, running slower and decreasing my distance in an effort to protect myself. That said, my attempt at a Boston Qualifier may be in jeopardy as it is extremely difficult for me to train like I would like.
So the problem. I have had pain that starts out as what feels like a cramp on the bottom of my foot during a run and then transitions to a pain on the bone on the outside of my foot. This started in my left foot only, however, recently has been starting to appear in my right foot as well. I have been to my doctor and was sent to get a bone scan on Friday. I am not sure what the issue is, but it comes right as I was getting serious about my marathon training. For example, yesterday, I ended up stopping my long run after 13 miles as opposed to the 20 I had intended. As I am feeling great from a cardiovascular point of view, this is really frustrating.
I did run a race I didn't report on earlier this month. I actually ran Natal Day 6 Miler on the morning of my return from vacation. The journey to the race is almost a marathon in itself. We left Corner Brook, Newfoundland to head for the ferry back to Nova Scotia at 7:30 am. After a 2 hour drive we got to the ferry terminal, waited for 2 hours and then boarded the ferry. Seven hours later we arrived in Nova Scotia and started our drive to Halifax. After a slow drive from the ferry terminal (eating and car troubles got in the way) we arrived home at 10:30 that night. Unpacked the car, got to sleep at around midnight and was back up at 6:30 am to get ready for the 8:15 race start. It was an exceedingly humid day and I have to admit to not running very well finishing the 6 mile race in 40:08 - it may have been the hardest 6 miles of my life. I have an issue with starting races too quickly.
So, all in all, training has been frustrating lately. I am being cautious toward running right now, running slower and decreasing my distance in an effort to protect myself. That said, my attempt at a Boston Qualifier may be in jeopardy as it is extremely difficult for me to train like I would like.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
