I'm not flying. I'm falling with style.

October 8 – October 14          Total Mileage: 32 Miles

I should have listened to myself.  “Take the weekend off, you are not feeling it, it’s supposed to be fun not work…”  By the time Sunday came around I just was not feeling it.  It felt like I was about to handle a chore that was on my to do list.  This partially may have been due to the fact that it was 16 miles and roughly 3 hours of running that was ahead of me.  I have read that this happens when you train for a long time and you just have to push through.  I grabbed my gear and set out for a run.  I should have stayed home.

I had a tough start getting going and was over a minute off my pace through 5k.  By the time I hit 10k I was over 4 minutes off.  I was burning through water pretty quickly even though it was 65-70 degrees outside.  I pounded an energy gel around mile 8 with no noticeable effect.  I was coming down the trail near Veterans’ Park when the unthinkable happened.  I caught a small defect in the concrete and went flying. 

It all happened in slow motion.  You have that moment when your brain lets you know that you are totally screwed and you better act fast.  I have no idea how, but I had the wherewithal to tuck and roll.  I hit right shoulder first and did what felt to be a somersault before coming to rest flat on my back.  I was able to get to my feet, and then my body started to go through the self check. 

Breathing…ok.  Labored but ok.

Concussion…nope.  I did not hit my head. (Don’t know how)

Shoulder…not separated.  No popping noise and I could lift it a good distance without screaming.

Hip…not broken

Knee and ankle…ok.  I still can flex them.

Toes…not broken.

I tried to continue but my pace slowed to a nearly walking pace of over 16 minutes per.  I thought about calling for a ride being that I still had 5 miles to go, but I am nothing if not stubborn.  I figured that I was 11 miles in and I was not going to waste it. I finished around three and a half hours, but I feel that if I can make it through that, not much should be able to stop me. 

Other than a torn shirt, some bruising to my shoulder and ribs it seems like I’ll be ok.  I did notice the return of shin pain on my right side (I had almost forgot what it was like to have it since it had disappeared for a few weeks).  Hopefully the shin pain will go away quickly.  This week is a taper week (the long run is only 12 miles…I still find it hard to say only 12 miles). 

Now its getting really serious

October 1 – October 7   Total Mileage – 29.1
Weight - 212.25

Coming back after a week off was rough.  The 5k hurt, the 7 miler hurt, the 4 miler was ok ( I ran that one as a speed workout) and the last 3 miles of the 15 mile run were painful.  15 miles…as a training workout…no aid stations, no medal, no cheering…

I could not have asked for better weather yesterday.  It was 55 degrees outside when I started and 65 degrees when I finished.  I have discovered that I have a few different distance “walls” that I have to contend with.  For no apparent reason miles 2 and 3 are rough.  Does not matter how fast / slow I go out; those two miles are always a pain.  By mile 3 I get into a good rhythm and find a pace.   All goes pretty smooth until mile 11 or the 2 hour mark.  I’m not sure why, I’m not entirely sure how to correct it (other than to continue to add onto mileage) and I can only hope that the adrenaline that comes with race day will be what gets me through. 

Yesterday’s run came with an additional challenge, allergies.  The pollen count is high here in the Sacramento area and brings me nothing but sinus pressure, a stuffed up nose, and itchy eyes.  (That and my voice drops another 4 octaves – very Barry White.)  Running with a decreased breathing capacity probably is not the best idea but I figure that since I’m running a race in December, there is a good chance that I am not going to be 100% healthy.

Anyway, all was well for the first 11 miles and then I could feel my pace start to drop off.  By 13.1 miles, I was up over 12 min per.  Miles 14 and 15 were above 13 min per.  I labored through those last two and am glad to say I have a new distance PR.  If all goes according to plan I will have a new distance PR next weekend too (16 miles is the next distance).  It’s pretty much going to be like that from here on out. 

Looks like I'll be running in the Clydesdale division after all.  I've been holding right around 210 - 212 for months now and just can't seem to get below.  I'm going to try to switch things up and see if I can't jump start the old metabolism for one last push.

A Little Time Off

Sept 17- Sept 23          Total Mileage – 24.1

Sept 24 – Sept 30         Total Mileage – 0

Nothing like jumping right back into it one day after running the half marathon.  Although I guess this is how it is going to be from now on.  No more weekend “long runs” under 10 miles, with only a day or two to recover.  It actually went much better than I had expected and I was running pretty much pain free until Saturday.  The weekend was going to be crazy so the only way that I could get the 10 mile run in was to go really early (5:30 A.M.) on Saturday morning.  It proved that it would also be the only time that it was not going to be over 95 degrees outside. 

The run started out well and I set to pace at 11 min per.  I did not realize just how dark it is at 5:30.  Its one thing for it to be that dark when you are driving to the gym, but running on the sidewalks is a whole different story.  I made sure to wear my reflective gear and I was off.  You quickly become aware of every dog on the other side of a fence, every bicyclist, every car, and the three other runners that were as crazy as me to be out that early.  I finished up with an 11:04 pace which I’ll take since I was not going out to set any record and that my knee was killing me the last mile. I stepped off a curb and as I did so I felt a shooting pain up my left leg and into my knee.  I had a little bit of swelling but it does not appear to be anything major.  Finished up the run, packed up the car, took Luke to T-ball class, and then hit the road for The Bay.  We left from there for Disneyland on Sunday.

I had originally planned to take my gear and get a few runs in while in LA but decided that it since I was merely going to be re-running last weeks mileage and that piling that on top of walking all day at Disney may be a poor choice.  I did however make sure to rock a pair of KSO’s for the trip.  It is at the point now where even wearing a thick soled running shoe all day hurts my heels and arches.  I had a few employees stop me to make sure I was not wearing just socks, high fived one guy in line that was also sporting Vibrams, and had a 10 minute conversation with another guest while waiting for a parade to start about how Vibrams work.  (Not much too it, you put them on your feet, and you make sure not to walk on your heels).  He was trying to sell me on why I should swith back to a heavy soled runner like he had on, but no dice.  Oddly enough, they live about 20 minutes from us and his wife went to the same high school that my brother went too (small world). 

We had a blast, walked a ton (we were on our feet from 10 am till 9 pm with very little down time), and in true vacation fashion ate some great stuff.  My knee is back to feeling normal and I’m looking forward to jumping back in.  (I say that now, since next weekend is a 15 mile “training run”.  Yikes!)

Hot dog...check
Mac and Cheese...check
Bacon...check
Perfection

Hallowed Ground

Sept 10 - 17

Total Mileage - 26.4 (now I just need to do this in one day)



Totally worth it

This week was full of ups and downs.  Got a really good run in on Tuesday then flew to Portland later that afternoon.  Knowing that Voodoo Donuts was on the way to our meeting on Wednesday, I made sure to get my run in early.  Flying on Tuesday and Wednesday totally wrecked me and I had to move my Thursday run to Friday.  I was hoping to have two days rest before the half marathon, but such is life.

We rolled into the Bay on Saturday afternoon and I started to prep for Sunday.  We had the obligatory pasta dinner and I called it a night early.  I needed to be down at ATT at 7:00 and although the race day instructions said to utilize BART my dad pointed out that no train runs on Sunday before 8:00.  Major problem right?  Nope, Dad saved the day (as always) and drove me into the city, then went back to the East Bay to get the rest of the family. 

Dad dropped me off at 6:45 and I walked in from China Basin, along McCovey Cove (a homeless guy told me I had cool shoes) and toward the stadium.  I checked in at Willie Mays plaza and headed out to the starting corral.  This run brought out a lot of interesting people and some fantastic costumes.  Lots of Black and Orange, a ton of people in Tutu's (not all of them women), one guy dressed as a Banana (he finished in the top ten) and 3 guys dressed in full Dodger gear (idiots).  Lots of people stopped and commented on me running in Vibrams (how are people not used to them yet) and told me that I was crazy.

We could hear the 5k runners take off and we started making our way down 4th street to the start line.  It took nearly a half an hour to get up to the starting line and then I was off.    You could not have asked for a better day in the city.  Foggy and 50 degrees for the first hour and then the sun broke through and it was in the high 60's / low 70's.  The run took us along the Embarcadero, underneath the Bay Bridge, and toward Fisherman's Wharf.  It was pretty crowded for the first 3 miles until we made the turn out of the Wharf and headed up the hill at Gharadelli Square. 

You could hear the runners ahead groan when they saw the hill.  It made you wonder what was up ahead and then - - BAM - - a giant hill.  I pushed hard on my forefeet and made it through.  Now it was down hill by the painted ladies and towards the Golden Gate.  The leaders were already on their way back and their course split off and headed up toward Fort Mason Green .  The crowd was starting to thin out now.  There will still plenty of people on the course, but you had enough room to move around.  One of the biggest surprises happened around mile 6 when we went from sidewalk to soft gravel trail.  WooHoo!  For some reason the concrete in the city felt harder than the concrete in the burbs.  The soft trail was fantastic and really helped save my legs for the last half.  It was pretty smooth sailing as I ran right along the water with the Golden Gate and The Rock in full view.  I wished that I could have taken a picture, but I had a PR to set. 

I got back to the base of the hill at Fort Mason and saw that the hill was insane.  There were plenty of people pulling off to the side to walk it, but I decided that this was where I would try to pick up some time.  I again pushed as hard as I could (my heart rate jumped up into the low 200's) and headed to the top.  Once there though, I realized that I then had to go back down the other side.  I hate running down hill as I have a hard time keeping a fluid stride.  I'm pretty sure I was saying "ouch" out loud with each step but as I hit the bottom of the hill I knew that I just achieved something I would not have been able to do in my last half marathon. 

10 Miles down, 3.1 to go.  "Just a 5k left," I thought to myself.  Back down through the Wharf and toward the park.  There were a ton of people on the street cheering (in many cases for no one in particular).  I ran under the Bay Bridge again and caught sight of the park.  The finish was in view.  The course pushed us up onto the sidewalk that runs along the back of the park and along the marina.  I entered the stadium through the right field arcade and the finish line was in sight.  I can't imagine what it feels like with 41,000+ fans cheering, but the 5-10k people that were at the stadium cheering was enough to boost my adrenaline big time.  I dug down and sprinted as hard as I could along the warning track and crossed the finish line.  2:24, a new PR.  My family was up in the left field bleachers holding a huge sign and it was great to see them.  I collected my medal and walked around the field.  Totally amazing.

I stretched over in the Giants bullpen (and stole some dirt) then walked over and grabbed a bagel (which Emily later stole) and took a pic at home plate.  Unlike the first go around, I did not feel like I had been hit my a truck.  I think I could have gone 3-4 more miles. 

Thanks to my family again for making the trek (its like herding cats trying to travel with 2 kids) but it is always great to see them at the finish line.  Now all I need to do is double that distance...yikes.

Dumbest Injury Ever

Sept 3 – Sept 9

Total Mileage – 25.5

Not a great way to start the week.  Remember the mini-van that I talked about last week?  Well, it may have just led to one of the dumbest injuries ever.  I was parked on an incline and was standing outside the driver door.  I left my wallet in the car and went to reach back across the driver’s seat into the passenger’s seat and the door attempted to close.  Unfortunately my foot was in the way and the door slammed right above the inside of my right ankle.  I have a hard enough time staying injury free week to week from just running, I don’t need any outside influences trying to bring me down.  I’m pretty bruised up and it hurts to run for the first half mile or so, but once I get past that I am good to go.

Due to the Sacramento heat and the general time constraints of life, I have been doing a lot of my training the past few weeks on a treadmill.  Last weeks 7 mile run was the first in a long time on the street and boy was I sore Monday morning.  I ventured out yesterday for what was supposed to be a 12 mile run.  I was really planning with sticking with that, but then the unthinkable happened.  I got lost in a neighborhood that I have run through a million times (ok so maybe 25 times, but a million sounds better).  I was going to run through Del Webb and cut through a pass-way that leads out to the trail.   I don’t know what happened, but I could not find it.  I ran through that section of the neighborhood twice figuring that I must not have been paying attention.  Still could not find it.  I knew where I was so it was not a big deal, but I could feel anxiety building up.  I ended up running back out of the neighborhood and catching the trail a little further up.  I passed the pass-way that I was looking for from the trail side, so I know that it still exists.  By the time I got back towards the house I was at 12.7 miles, so naturally you may as well run the extra half mile.  I came in a few minutes short of my last half and I’m hoping that adrenaline will take those minutes off my time this coming Sunday. 

There is no real reason for any anxiety but I am starting to get stressed that I will be slower than my last half (incidentally my first half) and that was an off road trail.  I am still grappling with the 26.2 distance for the December race as well.  I cannot imagine running another 13.1 miles after the first 13.1 miles that I ran yesterday.

Running is supposed to be a stress reliever right?  I know that by Saturday I’ll be feeling ok and will be ready to go.  I am traveling to Portland tomorrow and Wednesday (looking to get a run in just to say that my training has now been in multiple states).  Time to focus on breathing, getting a few extra carbs (hello pasta), and making sure that I am almost to the point of being over hydrated before the weekend.  See you at the finish line…

Coasting...ok not "coasting" per se...

Aug 20 - Aug 26          Total Mileage: 21.2

Aug 27 - Sept 2            Total Mileage: 18.2

Not all that much new to report over the last two weeks.  Continuing to build on base mileage and trying to make sure that I listen to my body.  My nagging Achilles soreness is back and I am doing all I can to keep it at bay.  I have come to the realization that it is just something that I am going to have to live with. 

I am at that point in the training program where I am finding it really hard to limit my mileage.  I want to extend my shorter runs to 4 or 5 miles, but I know that there is a reason that the training program wants to limit and taper mileage.  I'll just keep plugging along and continue to build on my base.

In other news I have officially became a sensible adult.  I now own a mini van (technically my wife will be driving the mini van) but it is still a very sobering thing to say.  I hate to admit it, but it is really cool and so dang convenient. 

As a Giants fan (beat LA) do you have any idea how cool it is to get a package from 24 Willie Mays Plaza in your mailbox?  My race tag for the SF Giants half arrived.  Just a few weeks to go...

Let the countdown begin

August 13-19               Total Miles – 19.2       

Things returned to normal (somewhat) this week and I did not dread putting the running shoes on.  I had a super hectic schedule this week (with a crazy weekend to follow) so I had to juggle some things around.  I ran 4 straight days (which is generally not a good idea) but my last run of the week went very well. I started the week with a 9 miler followed by 4 the next day and then two 5k runs to end out the week.  My best average time was my last 5k.  I held my own on the nine miler averaging under 11 minutes.  I hope to run the half at an 11 min/mile pace overall (and hopefully run the marathon at a 12:30 pace).  This would shave about 4 minutes off my last half marathon.  Not super lofty goals, but for a running newbie, I think that those goals are in line.  Truthfully if they aren’t, who cares?  They are my goals anyway.

Less than a month to go before the SF Half.  I have 10, 11 and 12 mile runs staring me down over the next few weeks.  I don’t want to run too cautious since this is merely the halfway point, but I also want to be sure that I do not DNF the half.  I probably won’t push it too hard on any of the long runs in the next few weeks, but run the 5k’s as tempos in an attempt to keep lung capacity used to the stress.  Let the countdown to SF begin.