And that was the theme that the Rome Marathon organizers used... loosely translated to: I run, therefore I am. Cheesy, I know. But I like it.
Having had trouble breathing in a failed attempt at a long run two weeks earlier had me humbled and I consequently lowered my expectations for what was originally planned as a training run for B*ston. I managed to run a couple of times in Madrid, once in Barcelona and once in Venice. All four runs were completed sans breathing problems and this brought the sub-3:30 expectation back onto the table.
I had planned to do one last run before the big day, but the ten days in Europe was full of sightseeing and my feet saw a whole lot of work and me figured that it was not going to help any; I was just too tired on Friday. That was too bad as I was really looking forward to run in the circo massimo which happens to have what appears to be a .7 mile loop.
On Saturday, and as I was playing tour guide to my brother, I took him to the Vatican Museum, where I separated as I did not want to spend too much time on my tired legs. I waited for him outside; people watching... sitting down. Two hours later he came out. I took him to other sights while using public transportation as much as possible. I think I did a fairly good job of staying off my feet... on Saturday anyway.
Race day is here and I wake up a bit earlier than planned. I shower and have a banana. I don my ipod shuffle and head out the door just before 8 am. My brother and I make it to the starting control area with about half an hour to go. He was to run the 4k that was to start 15 minutes after mine. He wishes me good luck. I smile, hoping that luck does indeed help my lungs.
I sit on the curb right next to a 60ish woman. She asks me in Italian what I expect to run. I reply: three thirty. She wows. I smile. She expects to complete it in 4:30. I can only hope I will be in similar shape when I hit that age.
It's five minutes to go. I stand up and start getting mentally ready. I have packed three hammer-gels in the backside pocket of my shorts; they feel a bit heavy. This guy decides that he has to make his own porta-john out of an empty water bottle, even though there were four female runners in close proximity. Only in Europe.
The race starts and it only takes me about 30 seconds to cross the starting arch. I am right behind the 3:30 pacers and I intend to keep them close. The weight of the gels are pulling on my shorts. I reach behind and pull one and decide to leave the other two. We turn left around the monument to the unknown soldier. The road is paved with cobble stones. My breathing is cooperating. Right before the first Km marker I get bumped on my arm and my ipod comes out flying. I immediately stop and go back to pick it up. I almost get run over by two runners, one who looks really annoyed; I don't blame him. It costs me about 20 seconds. No matter, the 3:30 pacers are 'carrying' blue balloons so they easy to spot. I slowly reel them in before the 3rd Km. I am feeling good, yet a bit timid about the sub 3:30 goal. First 5K goes by in 24:35, with a few seconds banked. My confidence grows.
I get to the first aid station and I make sure I grab enough gatorade. I drop back a few seconds. This would repeat every time I would reach aid stations. Because it was a bit warm for a 'thon I used the soaked sponge provided at 7.5Km to cool my body by poring quite a bit of water on my head. The water soaked my top and bottom. I could feel my shorts ride up-and-down. I fear I will get chafing but I plod on. The plan is to ingest the gels at the 10, 20 and 30 Km marks. I reach the 10K mark in 24:51 (49:24).
I am still feeling good. I know once I go over the distance of my longest run (14 miles) I will feel even better. The course is fairly flat with a few inclines. I play with my gait from time to time to ensure I use different muscles. 15K, 24:32 (1:13:58)
The half way point would come in another 30:31 (1:44:29), or roughly 30 seconds faster than last year; and I feel stronger this year. I think I can break 3:29; all I need is a one second positive split or faster. Definitely doable. I can feel chafing around my wait, on my back... and right below my armpits; the chafing would only get worse.
The next segment would have me see something I never expected to see. I casually glance to the right and I see a female runner taking care of business... mind you it was not number one. I might have seen it all now. 25K, 19:00 (1:53:29)
I was slowly slowing down, but I stayed right behind the pacers. 30K, 25:13 (2:28:42)
It was getting harder and harder to keep pace with the pacers. I am holding on though. I hit the 20 mile mark and I know I only have a 10K to go. Alas, my legs start feeling heavier, and my quads are really tight. I just try to hold to pace as much as possible. I notice I am hardly bending my knees: the marathon shuffle. The 3:30 pacers drop me. I try to keep them in sight. I am really struggling. I think the culprit is all the walking I did sightseeing. I do the math as to what would happen if I slow down to 9 minute pace and I can live with a sub 3:35. It's a training run after all. Interestingly enough, the last seven Ks are the most scenic ones, together with the first two Ks.35K, 24:57 (2:53:39)
I reach 40K feeling really, really tired. The chafing only makes it worse. I now know that I will not run sub 3:30. 25:39 (3:19:18)
I make it to the final hill of the course, on a cobbled road, right by the Colosseum. I try to pick up speed by the legs are not responding. I know this last stretch as I pick up speed on the decline. I look at my watch and think that I may be able to break 3:30 after all. 600 meters to go and I hammer it as hard as i can. Too bad I am not a sprinter. I see the clock and it reads 3:30:30... I know it's over; I have not been able to break 3:30. I run the last stretch in 10:52 (3:30:10). I am not disappointed though. I am pleased. No discernible injuries. It was a succesful training run where I miss my goal by a mere 11 seconds.
Ciao Roma.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
How not to run long distance
Today's long run was supposed to be 'easier' than normal because it would take place during the LA Marathon. A friend of mine would provide fluids at predetermined mile markers. Even with the support, it was a total disaster. I planned on 18, and had to quit at 14 (17 mile marker). I jumped at the three mile mark and started running the first five miles at 7:35 pace; my breathing felt a bit out of sync, but I had hopes to continue at this pace for ten miles, ease up for five and speed up for the last three. My legs did not cooperate. I am not sure if it was the speed work on friday, or the upper respiratory infection I believe I have or just that I am not in shape to run long decently. My longest run during this cycle has been 14 but even those have not felt as 'hard' and I did not have trouble breathing as I did today.
This run does not predict a good result in two weeks, in the Rome marathon; it would be asinine to even attempt a sub-3:30, my original goal. Why sub 3:30? Because the three 'thons I have run in Italy have been sub 3:30 and I would hate to run slower than that, but at this point I have to accept I am not ready; I will take a 3:45, I am that desperate. Argh. Boston will have to be run at substantially slower than I had hoped. Hopefully by then I will be in able to run sub 3:21, but I may be setting myself up for disaster.
On another somewhat related note, there was an event that took place this morning; it was a relay for an LAPD SWAT member who recently became the first casualty since SWAT was created. I happened to catch up to them and as they were carrying a torch, and its fumes were causing me discomfort, I sped up a bit. Right before the 13 mile marker, there were about 50 (wo)men in blue standing right next to each other on the sidewalk. As the torch carrier was a few steps behind me, the (wo)men in blue all stood at attention and proceeded to salute the incoming relay member. This sight caused my skin to immediately get goose bumps. It was quite the sight.
Last week I actually had a good running week. I only ran 36 miles but they were relatively fast. I averaged 7:40 pace. Two of the runs left me quite pleased. One included a five-mile segment ran at 7:08 pace, the other had 3X4X400 with a 60 second standing rest between repeats and they averaged 91 seconds on what I consider a slow dirt track. Alas, today's run brought me back to reality. :-(
Tomorrow I am scheduled to fly to Madrid along with my brother. It will be difficult to run during the trip, but I will attempt to run a few times before the actual marathon. I don't want to bonk as badly as I did today. The moral of the story? Do your long runs... and... make sure they are long enough though. :-)
Saludos.
This run does not predict a good result in two weeks, in the Rome marathon; it would be asinine to even attempt a sub-3:30, my original goal. Why sub 3:30? Because the three 'thons I have run in Italy have been sub 3:30 and I would hate to run slower than that, but at this point I have to accept I am not ready; I will take a 3:45, I am that desperate. Argh. Boston will have to be run at substantially slower than I had hoped. Hopefully by then I will be in able to run sub 3:21, but I may be setting myself up for disaster.
On another somewhat related note, there was an event that took place this morning; it was a relay for an LAPD SWAT member who recently became the first casualty since SWAT was created. I happened to catch up to them and as they were carrying a torch, and its fumes were causing me discomfort, I sped up a bit. Right before the 13 mile marker, there were about 50 (wo)men in blue standing right next to each other on the sidewalk. As the torch carrier was a few steps behind me, the (wo)men in blue all stood at attention and proceeded to salute the incoming relay member. This sight caused my skin to immediately get goose bumps. It was quite the sight.
Last week I actually had a good running week. I only ran 36 miles but they were relatively fast. I averaged 7:40 pace. Two of the runs left me quite pleased. One included a five-mile segment ran at 7:08 pace, the other had 3X4X400 with a 60 second standing rest between repeats and they averaged 91 seconds on what I consider a slow dirt track. Alas, today's run brought me back to reality. :-(
Tomorrow I am scheduled to fly to Madrid along with my brother. It will be difficult to run during the trip, but I will attempt to run a few times before the actual marathon. I don't want to bonk as badly as I did today. The moral of the story? Do your long runs... and... make sure they are long enough though. :-)
Saludos.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Nada
I am gumption-less. No desire to run whatsoever. So much for concrete goals.
Last week I ran a grand total of 29 miles in three outings... yikes. This week, I have yet to go out and hit the ground once.
I did get to visit the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum yesterday. It was not as well designed as I had hoped. It does have this large elevator with glass/plexi-glass?? walls that was nice to look at, but inside it gave me a feeling of claustrophobia. Go figure. The 'temporary' exhibit was a-okay. Nothing to get excited about. I did enjoy three stained-glass-like pieces made of butterflies, and with almost perfect symmetry.
I hope y'all are doing better than me. In fact I know you are :-) The end.
Cheers!
Last week I ran a grand total of 29 miles in three outings... yikes. This week, I have yet to go out and hit the ground once.
I did get to visit the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum yesterday. It was not as well designed as I had hoped. It does have this large elevator with glass/plexi-glass?? walls that was nice to look at, but inside it gave me a feeling of claustrophobia. Go figure. The 'temporary' exhibit was a-okay. Nothing to get excited about. I did enjoy three stained-glass-like pieces made of butterflies, and with almost perfect symmetry.
I hope y'all are doing better than me. In fact I know you are :-) The end.
Cheers!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Superbowl Sunday
Yesterday was to be one of my 'goal' races for the year. Coming into this 5K I knew I was not ready for a 19:15, so I came up with a lesser goal.
I drove to the site in light rain, hoping that it would subside before the start of the race. I parked the car less than 1/2-mile away from the start and it was still raining. It was 6:30, an hour to go. I still had to go and pick up my bib. I decide to wait until 7:10 to retrieve the T-shirt and the bib/chip envelope. All this time I struggle deciding whether to run it or not. I almost left. The rain was not the issue, it was waiting until the race started 'in the rain' that did not appeal to me.
I exit the car and head to get my bib, jogging the distance. The envelope is handed to me and I make my way to get my long-sleeve shirt, getting my shoes completely soaked.
Five minutes or so to go... I have to go relieve my bladder. No one is lined up at the porta-potties; a rare sight. I come out with three minutes to spare. The start is but a few steps away. The new, more conservative goal is just to break 20. It should not be that difficult.
I get myself right behind the first row. I am ready to run. The light rain keeps on dropping. It is annoying the heck out of me. Sound the darn horn for crying out loud. Then it is announced that America the Beautiful will be sang. The singer does a wonderful joy. Then I come back to reality. I am getting cold. It's only 48 degrees, so it isn't that bad.
Finally, the horn is blown. I take off with a bunch of teens. I reach the quarter mile and I ask this guy what he's thinking of running. 18, was his response. I immediately back off. I make a turn and get passed by one runner. The effort feels too close to tempo, but I discard the idea that I am not running 5K-effort (BIG mistake) and continue. The first mile marker, I hit the split button and my watch reads 6:30. Shit. I am already behind as this mile should have been not slower than 6:20. The next one is the most difficult of the three and I know it will be slower. I try to raise the effort, and I only slow down 12 seconds, 6:42. I am 15 seconds behind schedule. I need a sub-6:10 to make it close. My shoes keep getting soaked in the cross-gutters. I pass a couple of more runners, including a teen. I am on a nice descent, but my stride feels short, choppy. Sub 20, is not going to happen. The effort is just not there. I turn and see the third mile marker, 6:31. Damn. I don't even kick the final stretch, where the teen I had passed just after 2.25 comes roaring and gets in front of me inside the shoot, 0.44. 20:27 by my watch. 20:30 official time. I guess the rain impeded on using the flat-chip system and they went with bib tags. 42nd OA and seventh in my AG. The top three in my AG ran in the 16s; damn, they're fast. The winner did it in 15:01. Bastard.
At the end I was in disbelief. My mind could not fathom how I could run such a slow race. Two years ago, I ran this race and ran it almost a minute faster. I was in similar shape. I kept on feeling sorry for myself for the rest of the day. The Superbowl was a nice distraction to an awfully ran race. No effort, no guts... no glory... just disappointment.
In the afternoon, I rooted for the Patriots; I wanted them to get a perfect season. Besides i am not a fan of the Manning brothers. Eli because he dodged the draft (San Diego Chargers)... Payton because he is just too darn good. I have to hand it to Eli though; he held composure and drove his team when it was needed the most, during crunch time. I thought the pressure was going to be too much, and that he was going to be intercepted. Overall it was an excellent game, particularly the second half.
I drove to the site in light rain, hoping that it would subside before the start of the race. I parked the car less than 1/2-mile away from the start and it was still raining. It was 6:30, an hour to go. I still had to go and pick up my bib. I decide to wait until 7:10 to retrieve the T-shirt and the bib/chip envelope. All this time I struggle deciding whether to run it or not. I almost left. The rain was not the issue, it was waiting until the race started 'in the rain' that did not appeal to me.
I exit the car and head to get my bib, jogging the distance. The envelope is handed to me and I make my way to get my long-sleeve shirt, getting my shoes completely soaked.
Five minutes or so to go... I have to go relieve my bladder. No one is lined up at the porta-potties; a rare sight. I come out with three minutes to spare. The start is but a few steps away. The new, more conservative goal is just to break 20. It should not be that difficult.
I get myself right behind the first row. I am ready to run. The light rain keeps on dropping. It is annoying the heck out of me. Sound the darn horn for crying out loud. Then it is announced that America the Beautiful will be sang. The singer does a wonderful joy. Then I come back to reality. I am getting cold. It's only 48 degrees, so it isn't that bad.
Finally, the horn is blown. I take off with a bunch of teens. I reach the quarter mile and I ask this guy what he's thinking of running. 18, was his response. I immediately back off. I make a turn and get passed by one runner. The effort feels too close to tempo, but I discard the idea that I am not running 5K-effort (BIG mistake) and continue. The first mile marker, I hit the split button and my watch reads 6:30. Shit. I am already behind as this mile should have been not slower than 6:20. The next one is the most difficult of the three and I know it will be slower. I try to raise the effort, and I only slow down 12 seconds, 6:42. I am 15 seconds behind schedule. I need a sub-6:10 to make it close. My shoes keep getting soaked in the cross-gutters. I pass a couple of more runners, including a teen. I am on a nice descent, but my stride feels short, choppy. Sub 20, is not going to happen. The effort is just not there. I turn and see the third mile marker, 6:31. Damn. I don't even kick the final stretch, where the teen I had passed just after 2.25 comes roaring and gets in front of me inside the shoot, 0.44. 20:27 by my watch. 20:30 official time. I guess the rain impeded on using the flat-chip system and they went with bib tags. 42nd OA and seventh in my AG. The top three in my AG ran in the 16s; damn, they're fast. The winner did it in 15:01. Bastard.
At the end I was in disbelief. My mind could not fathom how I could run such a slow race. Two years ago, I ran this race and ran it almost a minute faster. I was in similar shape. I kept on feeling sorry for myself for the rest of the day. The Superbowl was a nice distraction to an awfully ran race. No effort, no guts... no glory... just disappointment.
In the afternoon, I rooted for the Patriots; I wanted them to get a perfect season. Besides i am not a fan of the Manning brothers. Eli because he dodged the draft (San Diego Chargers)... Payton because he is just too darn good. I have to hand it to Eli though; he held composure and drove his team when it was needed the most, during crunch time. I thought the pressure was going to be too much, and that he was going to be intercepted. Overall it was an excellent game, particularly the second half.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Priceless
"Start spreading the news, I'm leaving [in November]
I want to be a part of it - New York, New York"
Hotels and Rental Car = $400
Air Fare to Austin (from LAX) = $220
Entry to Austin 3M Half-Mary = $50
Qualifying for the NYCM = Priceless*
One of the reasons I picked this half was that I have been contemplating buying a home outside of the LA area and Austin was a contender. The fact that the course drops ~300 feet (net) did not hurt.
Unfortunately, I did not 'memorize' the elevation profile and 'that' ended up playing havoc with my mind.
The route is practically a point-to-point. I drove to the start with plenty of time before the race. I warmed up for two very easy miles with four strides at perceived half-mary effort.
After the brief warm up, I made my way to the start and went through the barricades to secure a place a few rows behind the really fast folks. There was this woman who looked to be in her 60s in front of me and I decided to move up a bit as I did not think she could run 7mpm or faster. A local high school choir sang the star spangled banner and they did a brilliant job.
Then it was time for the countdown... and the horn was blown. I immediately reached perceived effort. There was a brief time where my breathing became labored, like in a 5K, but I backed off back to pace. The first mile was a 6:53 (-1), and I was ok with it. There is a man in his 50s wearing orange shorts whom I target, but he slowly leaves me behind. The pace feels slow; it also feels hard. The lack of race specific training is making its mark. I am struggling. Yes, this early in the race. Mile 2 goes by in 6:58 (+7). Damn. I was hoping to bank time early on in the race. I did remember that the first mile or so was uphill. The slower second mile puts a dent on my fragile hopes.
I just keep reminding myself to go "one more mile." If all else fails, I will have a nice tempo run. The weather has been perfect. There seems to be a slight headwind but it is not so. It is just air resistance as two flags I happen to notice are as still as wood. Even the few turns are not that bad. My hip flexors are behaving, product of the core workouts I have been doing. Mile 3 is clocked in 6:41 (-4)... thank goodness. It gives me a brief, but needed boost. I have also managed to bank a few seconds. The course appears to be descending. I ran mile 4 in almost the same time as mile 3, 6:42 (-14). My confidence is growing, yet I am starting to feel tired. The reality of racing. I much rather 'run' 13 miles than 'race' them. Racing is hard. Racing is painful. Mile 5 includes a couple of 90-degree turns. I hit the split button in my watch and I peak to see what it reads... 6:18 (-48) WTF!!! It did not feel THAT fast. I suspect that mile to be short.
The next mile would support my suspicion as I did not think the course got much more difficult, 7:04 (-36). My struggling mind comes up with a plan: to run the next five miles in 7mpm and hammer the last two. I do not execute it though. My quads feel a bit sore; my right calf threatens to cramp. No way can this happen in a half. I am in denial. Mile 7 would bury any last hope I harbored, 7:09 (-21). I am even having trouble doing the math. All I can figure is that I have about 20 seconds in the bank. Not nearly enough if the 'race' continues like this. To make things worse, more than a few runners pass me. This was really tough as I am fairly good at sustaining my place; heck, I am supposed to pass runners, not the other way around. I try my last gear in an effort to get back into the race.
Mile 8, 6:44 (-29)... the added effort pays off. Right after 8, we turn east and the rising sun is right in front of us; it would remain this way for about 1.5 miles; not pleasant. I have been carrying my shades, but every time I put them on, they would fog up. This would be my last attempt as they fogged up again. The brief high I experienced at the end of 8, does not last long. I am sure I lowered the effort in the next mile as I was really tiring. Mile 9, 6:52 (-29). Damn. I beat myself up as I am running. I should have done this; I should have done that. An inner voice, however, tells me that it's okay, that this is just not my day, that there will be another race where I can race my goal, a day where I will show up better trained. Mile 10, 6:57 (-24).
At this point my mind is fried. I am done. I am toast. I press the display button in my watch to see the total elapsed time, and I press the split button instead. My feeble mind does not register the mistake and I keep on pressing the split button. It dawns on me that I am pressing the wrong button and I finally press the right one and see the cumulative time. I don't even try to do the math; all I know is that I still can manage a miracle.
Again, I did not remember that the last 5K was a nice downhill, otherwise i would have felt better, much better. Mile 11, 6:42 (-34). I also pass guy-with-orage-shorts. My watch reads 1:15:00 flat, and I know I am well within my goal. I could run the next stretch in just a tad over 7 mpm and still make it. My whole body is tense. I can not get it to relax. I am cutting the tangents. Mile 12, 6:43 (-43). I decide to cruise the last mile and not risk a cramp. Mile 13, 6:45 (-51). The last 0.1 is a continuation of mile 13, effort wise, 0:39 (-53). I raise my arms in triumph.
As I am approaching the finish line, I hear my number being called. The announcer does not follow up with my name. Hmm, that does not sound right.
I hang out to check the results. They are posted and my name is nowhere to be found. WTF! I come all the way over here and to not have an official time? I don't think so. If the NYCM was not on the line I would not have cared. I go over to the awards tent where I explain my situation. She takes my info and I am told that it will be fixed. An acquaintance tells me that these things do happen as he has worked the timing himself. He and I head over to the truck where the guy who works the computer is and tell him what happened. He tells us that he has already been told and that my time is in the system. Gun time: 1:29:15, Chip time: 1:29:07.
I'll see you in NYC :-)
Alas, I have a bunion on my left foot, on the fifth metatarsal. It hurts :-(
*I am assuming that the NYRRC will continue to use the same guidelines they have used in the last couple of years; but you know what happens when you assume... Oy!
Lastly, a few interesting bits about my last two races:
1.- They, both, were held at Capital cities.
2.- They, both, qualified me for other races.
3.- They, both, dropped ~300 feet in elevation.
I want to be a part of it - New York, New York"
Hotels and Rental Car = $400
Air Fare to Austin (from LAX) = $220
Entry to Austin 3M Half-Mary = $50
Qualifying for the NYCM = Priceless*
One of the reasons I picked this half was that I have been contemplating buying a home outside of the LA area and Austin was a contender. The fact that the course drops ~300 feet (net) did not hurt.
Unfortunately, I did not 'memorize' the elevation profile and 'that' ended up playing havoc with my mind.
The route is practically a point-to-point. I drove to the start with plenty of time before the race. I warmed up for two very easy miles with four strides at perceived half-mary effort.
After the brief warm up, I made my way to the start and went through the barricades to secure a place a few rows behind the really fast folks. There was this woman who looked to be in her 60s in front of me and I decided to move up a bit as I did not think she could run 7mpm or faster. A local high school choir sang the star spangled banner and they did a brilliant job.
Then it was time for the countdown... and the horn was blown. I immediately reached perceived effort. There was a brief time where my breathing became labored, like in a 5K, but I backed off back to pace. The first mile was a 6:53 (-1), and I was ok with it. There is a man in his 50s wearing orange shorts whom I target, but he slowly leaves me behind. The pace feels slow; it also feels hard. The lack of race specific training is making its mark. I am struggling. Yes, this early in the race. Mile 2 goes by in 6:58 (+7). Damn. I was hoping to bank time early on in the race. I did remember that the first mile or so was uphill. The slower second mile puts a dent on my fragile hopes.
I just keep reminding myself to go "one more mile." If all else fails, I will have a nice tempo run. The weather has been perfect. There seems to be a slight headwind but it is not so. It is just air resistance as two flags I happen to notice are as still as wood. Even the few turns are not that bad. My hip flexors are behaving, product of the core workouts I have been doing. Mile 3 is clocked in 6:41 (-4)... thank goodness. It gives me a brief, but needed boost. I have also managed to bank a few seconds. The course appears to be descending. I ran mile 4 in almost the same time as mile 3, 6:42 (-14). My confidence is growing, yet I am starting to feel tired. The reality of racing. I much rather 'run' 13 miles than 'race' them. Racing is hard. Racing is painful. Mile 5 includes a couple of 90-degree turns. I hit the split button in my watch and I peak to see what it reads... 6:18 (-48) WTF!!! It did not feel THAT fast. I suspect that mile to be short.
The next mile would support my suspicion as I did not think the course got much more difficult, 7:04 (-36). My struggling mind comes up with a plan: to run the next five miles in 7mpm and hammer the last two. I do not execute it though. My quads feel a bit sore; my right calf threatens to cramp. No way can this happen in a half. I am in denial. Mile 7 would bury any last hope I harbored, 7:09 (-21). I am even having trouble doing the math. All I can figure is that I have about 20 seconds in the bank. Not nearly enough if the 'race' continues like this. To make things worse, more than a few runners pass me. This was really tough as I am fairly good at sustaining my place; heck, I am supposed to pass runners, not the other way around. I try my last gear in an effort to get back into the race.
Mile 8, 6:44 (-29)... the added effort pays off. Right after 8, we turn east and the rising sun is right in front of us; it would remain this way for about 1.5 miles; not pleasant. I have been carrying my shades, but every time I put them on, they would fog up. This would be my last attempt as they fogged up again. The brief high I experienced at the end of 8, does not last long. I am sure I lowered the effort in the next mile as I was really tiring. Mile 9, 6:52 (-29). Damn. I beat myself up as I am running. I should have done this; I should have done that. An inner voice, however, tells me that it's okay, that this is just not my day, that there will be another race where I can race my goal, a day where I will show up better trained. Mile 10, 6:57 (-24).
At this point my mind is fried. I am done. I am toast. I press the display button in my watch to see the total elapsed time, and I press the split button instead. My feeble mind does not register the mistake and I keep on pressing the split button. It dawns on me that I am pressing the wrong button and I finally press the right one and see the cumulative time. I don't even try to do the math; all I know is that I still can manage a miracle.
Again, I did not remember that the last 5K was a nice downhill, otherwise i would have felt better, much better. Mile 11, 6:42 (-34). I also pass guy-with-orage-shorts. My watch reads 1:15:00 flat, and I know I am well within my goal. I could run the next stretch in just a tad over 7 mpm and still make it. My whole body is tense. I can not get it to relax. I am cutting the tangents. Mile 12, 6:43 (-43). I decide to cruise the last mile and not risk a cramp. Mile 13, 6:45 (-51). The last 0.1 is a continuation of mile 13, effort wise, 0:39 (-53). I raise my arms in triumph.
As I am approaching the finish line, I hear my number being called. The announcer does not follow up with my name. Hmm, that does not sound right.
I hang out to check the results. They are posted and my name is nowhere to be found. WTF! I come all the way over here and to not have an official time? I don't think so. If the NYCM was not on the line I would not have cared. I go over to the awards tent where I explain my situation. She takes my info and I am told that it will be fixed. An acquaintance tells me that these things do happen as he has worked the timing himself. He and I head over to the truck where the guy who works the computer is and tell him what happened. He tells us that he has already been told and that my time is in the system. Gun time: 1:29:15, Chip time: 1:29:07.
I'll see you in NYC :-)
Alas, I have a bunion on my left foot, on the fifth metatarsal. It hurts :-(
*I am assuming that the NYRRC will continue to use the same guidelines they have used in the last couple of years; but you know what happens when you assume... Oy!
Lastly, a few interesting bits about my last two races:
1.- They, both, were held at Capital cities.
2.- They, both, qualified me for other races.
3.- They, both, dropped ~300 feet in elevation.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sundry and MMM Half
The other day I went on a 10-mile run and as I was coming down the ramp from the top of the dam, I see what I think are two kids sitting by the top of the man-made channel; the odd thing was that it has a chain-link fence and I just did not see how they could be sitting on that 'wall.' As I got closer the silhouette resembled a 50-lb dog. But as I got to about 30 yards I was finally able to see what it was. It was a HUGE eagle... the biggest one I have seen, even bigger than the ones in zoos... and this happened in an urban setting. The sad reality is that my eyes are going... :-(
One run of late that deserves to be noted happened on Sunday. What made it noteworthy was the fact that I did not look at my watch once during the run. I have attempted to do this several times but have failed. Not this time. It felt liberating; not bound by what pace I might have been running. I am, admittedly, a slave of time. When I run, I am in constant need for feedback, and my watch does that. I think it is insecurity. Surprisingly, the seven miles went better than I expected as I stopped enjoying running on the dirt track half a block from my house; too many loops. The splits got progressively faster and averaged on the faster side of easy pace, or about 30 sec slower than MP.
Music has always helped me through rough patches during a training run. I have been training with an ipod regularly. I don't carry one if I am to race though. I will wear one if I will use the race as a training run. On Monday, I actually left without the ipod and was a thoroughly refreshing run; it reminded me why I run. I enjoyed the sights and sounds of this mega-polis unimpeded.
I am currently in Austin as I hope (pray really) to break 1:30 on Sunday during the 3M Half. I am one of those guys who second-guesses himself quite often. In fact, I almost did not come. I had bought my plane ticket in early December, before I would be scheduled for an interview for a Structural Engineering position hours after my plane was to depart. Instead of paying for the change, I decided to standby for a later flight.
I guess the fact that I was to be interviewed and my knowledge of SE is minimal, as it has been a long time since I took SE courses, had me worried and I failed to check my registration before leaving LA. When I went to pick up my race packet today, the volunteer tells me that I am good to go. I ask: where is my chip? She said: "you're using your own chip" and looks at me like if I am retarded. I look at the envelope and realize it has the number of my personal timing chip. I had to go see the trouble desk and get a black chip; I was issued a new number; all because of my negligence... argh! The volunteer had to, essentially, re-register me. I hope that this is not a prelude of what will happen on Sunday. Better yet, I hope I am wearing shorts :-) I will be wearing my favorite shoes, Adidas Rats...
One run of late that deserves to be noted happened on Sunday. What made it noteworthy was the fact that I did not look at my watch once during the run. I have attempted to do this several times but have failed. Not this time. It felt liberating; not bound by what pace I might have been running. I am, admittedly, a slave of time. When I run, I am in constant need for feedback, and my watch does that. I think it is insecurity. Surprisingly, the seven miles went better than I expected as I stopped enjoying running on the dirt track half a block from my house; too many loops. The splits got progressively faster and averaged on the faster side of easy pace, or about 30 sec slower than MP.
Music has always helped me through rough patches during a training run. I have been training with an ipod regularly. I don't carry one if I am to race though. I will wear one if I will use the race as a training run. On Monday, I actually left without the ipod and was a thoroughly refreshing run; it reminded me why I run. I enjoyed the sights and sounds of this mega-polis unimpeded.
I am currently in Austin as I hope (pray really) to break 1:30 on Sunday during the 3M Half. I am one of those guys who second-guesses himself quite often. In fact, I almost did not come. I had bought my plane ticket in early December, before I would be scheduled for an interview for a Structural Engineering position hours after my plane was to depart. Instead of paying for the change, I decided to standby for a later flight.
I guess the fact that I was to be interviewed and my knowledge of SE is minimal, as it has been a long time since I took SE courses, had me worried and I failed to check my registration before leaving LA. When I went to pick up my race packet today, the volunteer tells me that I am good to go. I ask: where is my chip? She said: "you're using your own chip" and looks at me like if I am retarded. I look at the envelope and realize it has the number of my personal timing chip. I had to go see the trouble desk and get a black chip; I was issued a new number; all because of my negligence... argh! The volunteer had to, essentially, re-register me. I hope that this is not a prelude of what will happen on Sunday. Better yet, I hope I am wearing shorts :-) I will be wearing my favorite shoes, Adidas Rats...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Of Mini and Me
It's funny how I draw inspiration from that book, Of Mice and Men... after all it is such a sad book...
My running, as mentioned in my last post, has hit a snag and I barely ran a pitiful 31 miles last week... and this week is not looking much better :-(. I am ashamed of such low mileage, particularly when I 'screamed' to the world that I would run in the 60s... ha, wasn't that laughable.
This blog started more as a photo-album back in 2005... before flicker (at least I was not aware of it)... for a while, and for good reasons (take it from me)... I stopped posting photos... then in 2007, and after reading a couple of really good running blogs I attempted to do the same, albeit unsuccessfully :-]
And so I post a couple of pictures of Iris and Me :-)
Iris and I in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle
Iris and Moui
Now to the astute observer it will be noted that I am wearing a Georgetown-Law sweatshirt, and on the second photo I am wearing a plain dark-blue G-Shirt. I swear, that was a coincidence. I have been to G-Town U twice and having been one of those hobbies of mine (that is to collect College memorabilia) I bought them in two different occasions. I have sweaters/T's from Harvard, MIT, Cal, G-Town, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Princeton, UCLA, USC, Northwestern, and others.
But in order to make sense of the title of this post, you have to look at the picture below... my newest toy :-)
Mini Me :-)
My running, as mentioned in my last post, has hit a snag and I barely ran a pitiful 31 miles last week... and this week is not looking much better :-(. I am ashamed of such low mileage, particularly when I 'screamed' to the world that I would run in the 60s... ha, wasn't that laughable.
This blog started more as a photo-album back in 2005... before flicker (at least I was not aware of it)... for a while, and for good reasons (take it from me)... I stopped posting photos... then in 2007, and after reading a couple of really good running blogs I attempted to do the same, albeit unsuccessfully :-]
And so I post a couple of pictures of Iris and Me :-)
Iris and I in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle
Iris and MouiNow to the astute observer it will be noted that I am wearing a Georgetown-Law sweatshirt, and on the second photo I am wearing a plain dark-blue G-Shirt. I swear, that was a coincidence. I have been to G-Town U twice and having been one of those hobbies of mine (that is to collect College memorabilia) I bought them in two different occasions. I have sweaters/T's from Harvard, MIT, Cal, G-Town, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Princeton, UCLA, USC, Northwestern, and others.
But in order to make sense of the title of this post, you have to look at the picture below... my newest toy :-)
Mini Me :-)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Echo Mountain
My running has hit a rut of late. So much that I have trouble getting my arse out the door, even though I have concrete goals. Methinks the reason is that I do most of my runs along the same route... and obviously it gets boring.
On Sunday, attempting to break the spell, I drove to Altadena at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The streets were full of cars and I had to park a few hundred yards away from the start of a single-track trail that leads to the 'top' of echo mountain. The trail is full of switch backs and gains 1600-feet in elevation and it is purported to be 2.7 miles long. It ended up being a 'blessing' that I parked about .15 miles down the road for the trail ends in a straight-away that is at least .15 miles. The round trip would be a nice six-miler as I am annal about running distances that result in integers.
As I was making my way to the head of the trail I hoped/prayed I would not regret wanting to change sceneries. I used to 'run' this trail regularly with an ultra-friend and got to do the ascent in just over 30 minutes. It was pure hell then. It is still pure hell now. I made it to the one mile marker in blistering time, 11:25 (insert ironic emoticom here)... my lungs had began burning half-a-mile before, and my quads were tightening. The irony is that if you were to hike it, the trail does not seem all that steep; in fact, it averages to an 11% grade. And I was 'forced' to take a walking break. I would 'run' the mild climbs/flat sections and I would 'hike' the steeper, shorter sections. From the moment my lungs started complaining to end of the trail, the unpleasant feeling that one gets during the third-mile of a 5K was ever present. I made it to the top and was elated to see the mild straight descent. I stopped my watch in 36:03. At 3200-feet, the top of Echo Mountain rewarded me with a hazy but still beautiful view of the Los Angeles Basin.
One would think that the return would be a breeze. And while it was a breeze to my humbled lungs, it was not easy. The narrowness of the single-track trail, the switchbacks and the uneven terrain all combine to make it quite hazardous if you venture to speed up. I managed just under 9 min pace as I found myself constantly breaking.
All in all I am glad I did it; however, it was a vivid reminder why I hate hills so much.
On Sunday, attempting to break the spell, I drove to Altadena at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The streets were full of cars and I had to park a few hundred yards away from the start of a single-track trail that leads to the 'top' of echo mountain. The trail is full of switch backs and gains 1600-feet in elevation and it is purported to be 2.7 miles long. It ended up being a 'blessing' that I parked about .15 miles down the road for the trail ends in a straight-away that is at least .15 miles. The round trip would be a nice six-miler as I am annal about running distances that result in integers.
As I was making my way to the head of the trail I hoped/prayed I would not regret wanting to change sceneries. I used to 'run' this trail regularly with an ultra-friend and got to do the ascent in just over 30 minutes. It was pure hell then. It is still pure hell now. I made it to the one mile marker in blistering time, 11:25 (insert ironic emoticom here)... my lungs had began burning half-a-mile before, and my quads were tightening. The irony is that if you were to hike it, the trail does not seem all that steep; in fact, it averages to an 11% grade. And I was 'forced' to take a walking break. I would 'run' the mild climbs/flat sections and I would 'hike' the steeper, shorter sections. From the moment my lungs started complaining to end of the trail, the unpleasant feeling that one gets during the third-mile of a 5K was ever present. I made it to the top and was elated to see the mild straight descent. I stopped my watch in 36:03. At 3200-feet, the top of Echo Mountain rewarded me with a hazy but still beautiful view of the Los Angeles Basin.
One would think that the return would be a breeze. And while it was a breeze to my humbled lungs, it was not easy. The narrowness of the single-track trail, the switchbacks and the uneven terrain all combine to make it quite hazardous if you venture to speed up. I managed just under 9 min pace as I found myself constantly breaking.
All in all I am glad I did it; however, it was a vivid reminder why I hate hills so much.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The Core of the Problem
Actually, this post should have been tittled: The Problem is the Core. Lemme 'splain. I have been 'suffering' from sore hip flexors and from the thorough research I have done (thank you), it appears - no, it is due to a weak core. You see I do not do sit-ups, crunches or any strength exercises. I just run. For crying out loud, I don't even stretch (I know, this is part of the problem)!
The obvious answer to my 'problem' is to strengthen the abs, and so I have vowed to do a daily routine that will see me do alternating sets of crunch/sit-ups and push-ups. Nothing harsh, 10 reps each but non-stop for 10-minutes.
My wishful mind hopes that a strong, I mean less-weak, core will help me drop my 'thon time into 3:05 territory, and why not? my 5k time into submission- I mean sub-19 :-)
On another related note, I am hoping to do a double today, as that is the only way I can see 60 miles per week.
Ciao Mon Ami
The obvious answer to my 'problem' is to strengthen the abs, and so I have vowed to do a daily routine that will see me do alternating sets of crunch/sit-ups and push-ups. Nothing harsh, 10 reps each but non-stop for 10-minutes.
My wishful mind hopes that a strong, I mean less-weak, core will help me drop my 'thon time into 3:05 territory, and why not? my 5k time into submission- I mean sub-19 :-)
On another related note, I am hoping to do a double today, as that is the only way I can see 60 miles per week.
Ciao Mon Ami
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
1999
Back then I was running barely above 1000 miles per year. I dreamed of one day being able to accumulate running miles to match the year. Much more so when several runners made their pledge to run 2000 miles in 2000. Well folks, that day has finally come. Today I ran eight, giving me 2007 miles for the current year. It is not an achievement in itself, but rather it is one running milestone that I can say I have reached.
The interesting thing about today's workout is that I have been plagued with strained abductors (probably strained them in the CIM) and have been hesitant to start speed work knowing how tender those suckers are. In fact, last week I attempted to run six 400s on, six 400 off. The "on" sections were ran at barely half-mary pace... and I was struggling. At the time, I chalked it off to having lost some fitness since the 'thon. AND to the sore hip-flexors.
Obviously, that work out did not bode well for my already published intent of running sub 3:10 in Boston. The thought of just maintaining fitness, and thereby scratching Boston as a GOAL marathon, started sounding as the plan to follow. As luck would have it, today was another BEAUTIFUL day in southern Cal and my three-mile warm up was rather enjoyable. Somehow I knew my legs were ready to be tested... and to break the already committed Boston training cycle... or not. Eight repeats of 1/4-mile with 90-seconds rest seemed reasonable. I aimed for anything under 90 secs, hoping for 88s. I run these repeats on a marked paved bike trail. This trail is fairly flat and rather straight; and it is relatively fast.
The first four would have me running into a ~10 mph wind. I motored on for my first repeat. Boom. 82.1 secs!!! WTF? Too fast. I am NOT going to be able to complete the work out. Second repeat: 84.3, much better but still too fast. Next one: Boom. 82.1, AGAIN - WTF? Have I lost sense of pace? Now, you have to consider that I am running against the wind so taking the wind out, I am 'running' them around 81, or so I think. I force myself to slow down on the next one. 86.7. Wow, this one felt slow. I rest for the 90 secs and change directions. I will be having a tailwind this time. Boom. 80.8!!! Either I am in much better shape than I thought or my watch is playing tricks on me (It's the wind stupid!). This one, incidentally, felt tough the last one hundred meters or so. Sixth repeat, 84.7 and I feel much, much better. Seventh one, and consciously trying to control the pace, comes in in 82.9. Damn. I am dumbfounded. Or just dumb. Last one is clocked in exactly 82.9 secs, just like the previous repeat. Wow. The runner's high is HIGH! I averaged 83.3 s/quarter, which translates to 82.8 s/400... I cooled down with three easy.
Interestingly, before this calendar year, the most I had ever ran was 1537 miles... and that was last year :-). My most successful marathon (before CIM) was Boston last year with an average mileage of 42.1 (I had ran faster 'thons but they were gravity aided). For CIM, I averaged 49.3. It is clear that volume makes one faster... but to what extent? It is also clear not everyone "responds" the same. My question is: what can 60 miles per week do for me?
I think one of the things I did wrong prior to 2005 was that any running I did was HARD. If I did an easy run, I would always try to speed up as I went along; IOW, I would race against myself. And I would often find myself injured. Now I do NOT run more than three quality runs per week. The other runs would be considered "junk" runs. But those junk miles have been proven to aid the aerobic process in the cellular level. What's more, they have helped me avoid injury... and that my friends makes "junk" miles be worth GOLD.
Finally some interesting numbers from my last 'thon.
Splitsville: 7:31, 7:29, 7:17, 7:08, 7:20, 7:22, 7:22, 7:30, 7:28, 7:08, 7:09, 7:23, 7:14, 7:14, 7:32, 7:21, 7:17, 7:24, 7:10, 7:19, 7:23, 7:18, 7:15, 7:13, 7:13, 7:07, 1:25
I don't remember where I read it, but this guy liked to 'analyze' the race in chunks of five-miles because he claimed 'true' even efforts should not spit out even splits; on the contrary, they should have some variance; he was a statistician and I am sure could explain it better than me. Here they are: 36:45, 36:50, 36:32, 36:31, 36:22... One word comes to mind: Amazing. Amazing how close they are.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, Hannukka, festivus, or whatever holiday you celebrate. And may you have a happy and successful new year.
The interesting thing about today's workout is that I have been plagued with strained abductors (probably strained them in the CIM) and have been hesitant to start speed work knowing how tender those suckers are. In fact, last week I attempted to run six 400s on, six 400 off. The "on" sections were ran at barely half-mary pace... and I was struggling. At the time, I chalked it off to having lost some fitness since the 'thon. AND to the sore hip-flexors.
Obviously, that work out did not bode well for my already published intent of running sub 3:10 in Boston. The thought of just maintaining fitness, and thereby scratching Boston as a GOAL marathon, started sounding as the plan to follow. As luck would have it, today was another BEAUTIFUL day in southern Cal and my three-mile warm up was rather enjoyable. Somehow I knew my legs were ready to be tested... and to break the already committed Boston training cycle... or not. Eight repeats of 1/4-mile with 90-seconds rest seemed reasonable. I aimed for anything under 90 secs, hoping for 88s. I run these repeats on a marked paved bike trail. This trail is fairly flat and rather straight; and it is relatively fast.
The first four would have me running into a ~10 mph wind. I motored on for my first repeat. Boom. 82.1 secs!!! WTF? Too fast. I am NOT going to be able to complete the work out. Second repeat: 84.3, much better but still too fast. Next one: Boom. 82.1, AGAIN - WTF? Have I lost sense of pace? Now, you have to consider that I am running against the wind so taking the wind out, I am 'running' them around 81, or so I think. I force myself to slow down on the next one. 86.7. Wow, this one felt slow. I rest for the 90 secs and change directions. I will be having a tailwind this time. Boom. 80.8!!! Either I am in much better shape than I thought or my watch is playing tricks on me (It's the wind stupid!). This one, incidentally, felt tough the last one hundred meters or so. Sixth repeat, 84.7 and I feel much, much better. Seventh one, and consciously trying to control the pace, comes in in 82.9. Damn. I am dumbfounded. Or just dumb. Last one is clocked in exactly 82.9 secs, just like the previous repeat. Wow. The runner's high is HIGH! I averaged 83.3 s/quarter, which translates to 82.8 s/400... I cooled down with three easy.
Interestingly, before this calendar year, the most I had ever ran was 1537 miles... and that was last year :-). My most successful marathon (before CIM) was Boston last year with an average mileage of 42.1 (I had ran faster 'thons but they were gravity aided). For CIM, I averaged 49.3. It is clear that volume makes one faster... but to what extent? It is also clear not everyone "responds" the same. My question is: what can 60 miles per week do for me?
I think one of the things I did wrong prior to 2005 was that any running I did was HARD. If I did an easy run, I would always try to speed up as I went along; IOW, I would race against myself. And I would often find myself injured. Now I do NOT run more than three quality runs per week. The other runs would be considered "junk" runs. But those junk miles have been proven to aid the aerobic process in the cellular level. What's more, they have helped me avoid injury... and that my friends makes "junk" miles be worth GOLD.
Finally some interesting numbers from my last 'thon.
Splitsville: 7:31, 7:29, 7:17, 7:08, 7:20, 7:22, 7:22, 7:30, 7:28, 7:08, 7:09, 7:23, 7:14, 7:14, 7:32, 7:21, 7:17, 7:24, 7:10, 7:19, 7:23, 7:18, 7:15, 7:13, 7:13, 7:07, 1:25
I don't remember where I read it, but this guy liked to 'analyze' the race in chunks of five-miles because he claimed 'true' even efforts should not spit out even splits; on the contrary, they should have some variance; he was a statistician and I am sure could explain it better than me. Here they are: 36:45, 36:50, 36:32, 36:31, 36:22... One word comes to mind: Amazing. Amazing how close they are.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, Hannukka, festivus, or whatever holiday you celebrate. And may you have a happy and successful new year.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sideways
Right after the CIM, I went to Napa and Sonoma Counties. The drive, albeit short, was tiring. Got to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of Sunday's evening.
Next morning woke up quite sore and decided on three very, very easy.
After that I went wine tasting to three different wineries in Napa and one in Sonoma. Now, I am basically a beer kinda guy, but I do enjoy a glass of wine here and there. Surprisingly, my taste buds are leaning towards wine more and more.
A few years back I tried a rather inexpensive pinot noir by Castle Rock and really enjoyed it. I had forgotten all about it until I went to Florida early November. While there I saw it and bought a bottle. The flavors, even though from a different vintage, were all there, berries, prunes, caramel... AND I knew I had to get more of it, but how to get it back to Cal-ee-fornia... I figured I could find it here. BUT I was wrong, I could not find it anywhere.
So, being that Castle Rock is in Sonoma, I headed - with the help of my GPS - to the Castle Winery (as it was the only one that popped up on the system). But it was not the one I was looking for; it was a so-called boutique winery, meaning that they produced less than a 1000 cases, or so the guy said. I chatted with the fellow there and he stroke my ego by telling me that I seemed to know about wines, to what I responded: the only knowledge I have about wines, I learned in sideways - with a smile.
I then added how Miles hated Pinot Noir, and this fellow corrects me saying that it was Merlot. He then tells me that he read the book and that the movie left out a lot (as is often the case). He went on to explain that the reason Miles hated Merlot was that his ex-wife LOVED it. And I just went, AHHHH, that explains it (duh!). I enjoyed the conversation so much, I ended up buying a bottle of their syrah (which did not really taste like a syrah - it was too oaky)
And there it is... if you liked sideways and you wondered why Miles hated Merlot :-)
Next morning woke up quite sore and decided on three very, very easy.
After that I went wine tasting to three different wineries in Napa and one in Sonoma. Now, I am basically a beer kinda guy, but I do enjoy a glass of wine here and there. Surprisingly, my taste buds are leaning towards wine more and more.
A few years back I tried a rather inexpensive pinot noir by Castle Rock and really enjoyed it. I had forgotten all about it until I went to Florida early November. While there I saw it and bought a bottle. The flavors, even though from a different vintage, were all there, berries, prunes, caramel... AND I knew I had to get more of it, but how to get it back to Cal-ee-fornia... I figured I could find it here. BUT I was wrong, I could not find it anywhere.
So, being that Castle Rock is in Sonoma, I headed - with the help of my GPS - to the Castle Winery (as it was the only one that popped up on the system). But it was not the one I was looking for; it was a so-called boutique winery, meaning that they produced less than a 1000 cases, or so the guy said. I chatted with the fellow there and he stroke my ego by telling me that I seemed to know about wines, to what I responded: the only knowledge I have about wines, I learned in sideways - with a smile.
I then added how Miles hated Pinot Noir, and this fellow corrects me saying that it was Merlot. He then tells me that he read the book and that the movie left out a lot (as is often the case). He went on to explain that the reason Miles hated Merlot was that his ex-wife LOVED it. And I just went, AHHHH, that explains it (duh!). I enjoyed the conversation so much, I ended up buying a bottle of their syrah (which did not really taste like a syrah - it was too oaky)
And there it is... if you liked sideways and you wondered why Miles hated Merlot :-)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
2008 Agenda and Running Goals
I don't like to state goals too far in advance for fear of 'jinxing' them. In this case I will break with my protocol.
January 27 - Austin 3M Half - To break 1:30 and qualify for NYCM
February 3 - Superbowl 5K, Redondo Beach, CA - sub-19:15
March 16 - Rome Marathon - Training run, sub-3:30
** I found a terrific fare to Madrid (one week in Spain) and coming back from (one week in Italy) Rome in Lufthansa... $550!!!
April 21 - Boston Marathon - Sub-3:10
May 18 - Greenbay Marathon - Training Run, 3:30-3:35
September 6 - Marathon du Medoc - Fun run, sub 5:00 (two weeks in France, of which five days will be in paree`)
October 4 - St. George Marathon, Utah - Sub- 3:21 (subject to lottery acceptance)
November 2 - NYCM - sub-3:20 (having ran five NYCMs and not being able to break 3:40 makes this the GOAL!)
And... drum roll, I intend to ramp up mileage into the 60s.
January 27 - Austin 3M Half - To break 1:30 and qualify for NYCM
February 3 - Superbowl 5K, Redondo Beach, CA - sub-19:15
March 16 - Rome Marathon - Training run, sub-3:30
** I found a terrific fare to Madrid (one week in Spain) and coming back from (one week in Italy) Rome in Lufthansa... $550!!!
April 21 - Boston Marathon - Sub-3:10
May 18 - Greenbay Marathon - Training Run, 3:30-3:35
September 6 - Marathon du Medoc - Fun run, sub 5:00 (two weeks in France, of which five days will be in paree`)
October 4 - St. George Marathon, Utah - Sub- 3:21 (subject to lottery acceptance)
November 2 - NYCM - sub-3:20 (having ran five NYCMs and not being able to break 3:40 makes this the GOAL!)
And... drum roll, I intend to ramp up mileage into the 60s.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Where is the Champagne?
I arrived at my hotel just before midnight on Friday. Slept for about six hours, showered and drove to the Expo where I was to fix a couple of discrepancies; mainly my name was misspelled and to register my own chip.
I collect my bib number and although I am not superstitious, I have a tendency to believe I will have a good race if the number rings true – I know, I am a running nerd. The number printed was 3443, a nice number as it is almost symmetrical and it has two fours (four is my ‘lucky’ number).
Coming into the expo I knew that the weather was going to be almost perfect, with the exception of a SSE wind of 13mph, with gusts up to 25mph…. Ouch! Knowing that the course ran SSW, it meant that we were going to have crosswinds, that –as some of you know- is not nearly as bad a headwind, but it would slow us down nonetheless. Being the insecure runner that I am, I wanted to back off my A goal – once again- and try to stay with the 3:15 pacer for the whole race rather than pick it up at ten as previously planned.
After we picked our bib numbers, Andres, his girlfriend (they had started their journey on Tuesday… from Madison, y’all, over 2000 miles of driving… Ouch!) and I headed to the Spaghetti Factory where we had a delicious lunch, which included – of course- a cold Sierra Nevada. There happens to be a Noah’s NY Bagels across the street from the restaurant and I bought a bagel for further carbo-loading. I am not sure if they have these bagels in your area, but they are GOOD; so good, I recommend you go out and buy a dozen as it will probably increase the price of the stock, which I happen to own thank you (just kidding).
The young lovebirds and I bid farewell right after lunch. Andres and I agreed to meet at the host hotel at 5:45 so that we could ride to the race together.
I drove back to my hotel and just kicked it for much of the afternoon. But I was antsy. I wanted to take a nap, but just couldn’t. So I decided to drive over to a local market and buy a gallon of spring water, two bananas, another bagel (and a muffin) from Noah’s and called it a day.
I drank half a gallon of water during the evening, as I wanted to be well hydrated in spite of the cooler weather expecting me. Water and Gatorade were alternated and I felt I was good to go. I was so well hydrated I ended up getting up THREE times… argh!
Having taken a couple of benadryls, I slept pretty well. The alarm went off at 4:30 and I quickly got up took care of John, and showered. My clothes were all lined up; I decided with a short sleeve neon lime Asics tech shirt (this shirt feels so smooth against the skin that you almost don’t feel it), black Adidas shorts, socks and shoes (supernova classic), black NB fleece gloves, and a black Nike cap.
I drove to downtown and parked close to the host hotel. I waited and waited for Andres and did not connect. It was close to 6:00 when John called me yet gain. Now, being a veteran marathoner sure helps, as I knew this was a good opportunity to take care of business rather than wait ‘till I got to the start.
The bus ride was inconsequential. When we got there, only with about 15 minutes to spare, I had an overwhelming feeling that I was unprepared for the distance; that I had not run long enough; that I had not run enough longish runs; that I pushed the faster workouts too much; man, do I have respect for the distance?
Enough nonsense. Lets get into the race details.
I line up close to the 3:15 pacer. We are packed; so packed that I felt I was inside a crowded elevator. And we are off. I just hope that my decision to use my own chip will not backfire on me as when I went to register it, the volunteer did not seem to have much of a clue as to what she was doing. If my chip was not registered correctly, it would mean I would not have an official chip time.
As the crowd was rather large I could not tell if my chip beeped. The pace feels right and I am just behind the 3:15… but he is ahead of the 3:10 guy, WTF? Soon after the 3:10 pacer passes us with his herd, but our guy stays right behind him… for close to FOUR miles! These four miles went by so quick I almost did not feel them, but I felt this guy was a bit aggressive with his pace. He was ahead a good 30 seconds at this time. The course was rolling, but was full of mild rolling hills. In fact, they were so mild it felt as though we were descending. At this point I knew it was going to be a good race. The opposite is true when you’re running a flat course and it feels as though you’re constantly climbing.
The advantage of running in a pack, particularly during windy conditions, is that the pack blocks the wind quite nicely.
I stayed about 15 meters behind the pack and the forecasted wind was not present or it was well blocked by the 3:15 group. In miles 7 and 8 I felt the pace slow down a bit, and next thing you know, I found myself close to the front of this pack. It was here that I decided to make my move. We had been averaging 7:21s, and I wanted to drop to 7:15s. I try passing them through the right but the pack is too tight. Then I see a curve coming up and start making my way to the left, trying to cut the tangent. But the pace leader had the same idea and before I could exit the pack, they had boxed me in gain. Bummer. I then started running on a heavily cambered portion of the road as runners tended to avoid it.
I finally exited right after mile marker (MM) 9, and the course has open space for the first time. I run the next two miles in just under 7:10. Now, winds don’t behave linearly; they shift direction from time to time, and sometimes they stop. During those two miles father wind (or is it mother wind) was kind to me that I can almost bet I had a mild tail wind. But then I started feeling a not too strong wind – this in itself would be enough to slow me down about 10 seconds per mile, but coupled with a couple of challenging rolling hills saw my pace drop into the 7:30s. I am okay with that though. It was either that, or sit back and relax behind the 3:15. I crossed the halfway point in 1:36:08. All I need to do to accomplish my A-goal is to run even splits. Easier said than done.
The second half is purported to be faster as it drops most of the course’s 300 feet in this half. I am feeling sporadic crosswinds and I’d like to draft off of someone, but that would mean running at his pace, or constantly shift positions, neither one appealed to me.
Right around 14 I notice a female runner who’s running strong and about my pace so I ask her if she wants to work together, shielding the wind one mile and tucking in for the next. She is not sure she can sustain the pace though. I insist and she gets behind me. Half a mile later the winds subside and I drop back right next to her. She innocently asks me if it is her turn to block the wind. I say no, there is no wind to block. We chat for while and find out she want to run sub-3:20. I tell her we’re on pace for 3:13, to which she responds with: ‘I better back off then; it’s too fast for me.’ I tell her that her body can do more than it thinks it can. I keep on blabbering and it must have gotten on her nerves as she pulled ahead at the next water station and I decided to skip it, so I ended up dropping her.
The course is pretty wide open now. I notice more yellow (relay) bibs than white ones.
I feel the wind from time to time and wish, again, I could draft off of someone, but the field is so sparse it not worth pursuing. I reach mile 20 in ___, and I am feeling tired but in control. My hip flexors have been tight for the last couple for miles and I hope they will loosen up. They don’t. I have a painful blister in my right small toe; I try to ignore it. 10K to go.
At this point it is more psychological, at least for me, than physical. I tell myself I can run 7:30 miles and I will be happy with the result. I pass MM 21 and it is now just over five miles. I am passing thousands, hundreds, okay – dozens of runners per mile and the adrenaline stays put. I reach 23 and the hip flexors are not protesting anymore. The pace now feels closer to half-mary pace. I am working; but this is what it’s all about, no? Hard work.
Mile 24 comes and goes. About 16 more minutes to go. I can keep this pace for that much longer. Mile 25, and contrary to those times when I struggle at the end, I am not looking at my watch every minute or so. One more mile and change. I can see the Capitol and I know I am close. The 26-mile banner is on my sight. I concentrate on form. I run this mile in 7:07!!! This almost makes me tear; I feel choked up with emotion. It looks as if I will meet my A goal. I run the last stretch passing a few more runners. As I make a couple of more turns I encourage the crowds to cheer louder. Damn it, I am going to get a PR! I hear my name; the choked-up feeling comes back with a vengeance. Whoever said macho-men can’t cry? :-)
I cross the finish in 3:11:32 by my watch; a one-minute PR. I hung out a couple of minutes and see Allyson come in 3:14 and change. She was full of emotion and I go over to congratulate her. I give her a hug. She takes it and returns it with sincerity; because we runners have that connection, we understand what it means to breaks PRs --- even if we’re total strangers.
I collect my bib number and although I am not superstitious, I have a tendency to believe I will have a good race if the number rings true – I know, I am a running nerd. The number printed was 3443, a nice number as it is almost symmetrical and it has two fours (four is my ‘lucky’ number).
Coming into the expo I knew that the weather was going to be almost perfect, with the exception of a SSE wind of 13mph, with gusts up to 25mph…. Ouch! Knowing that the course ran SSW, it meant that we were going to have crosswinds, that –as some of you know- is not nearly as bad a headwind, but it would slow us down nonetheless. Being the insecure runner that I am, I wanted to back off my A goal – once again- and try to stay with the 3:15 pacer for the whole race rather than pick it up at ten as previously planned.
After we picked our bib numbers, Andres, his girlfriend (they had started their journey on Tuesday… from Madison, y’all, over 2000 miles of driving… Ouch!) and I headed to the Spaghetti Factory where we had a delicious lunch, which included – of course- a cold Sierra Nevada. There happens to be a Noah’s NY Bagels across the street from the restaurant and I bought a bagel for further carbo-loading. I am not sure if they have these bagels in your area, but they are GOOD; so good, I recommend you go out and buy a dozen as it will probably increase the price of the stock, which I happen to own thank you (just kidding).
The young lovebirds and I bid farewell right after lunch. Andres and I agreed to meet at the host hotel at 5:45 so that we could ride to the race together.
I drove back to my hotel and just kicked it for much of the afternoon. But I was antsy. I wanted to take a nap, but just couldn’t. So I decided to drive over to a local market and buy a gallon of spring water, two bananas, another bagel (and a muffin) from Noah’s and called it a day.
I drank half a gallon of water during the evening, as I wanted to be well hydrated in spite of the cooler weather expecting me. Water and Gatorade were alternated and I felt I was good to go. I was so well hydrated I ended up getting up THREE times… argh!
Having taken a couple of benadryls, I slept pretty well. The alarm went off at 4:30 and I quickly got up took care of John, and showered. My clothes were all lined up; I decided with a short sleeve neon lime Asics tech shirt (this shirt feels so smooth against the skin that you almost don’t feel it), black Adidas shorts, socks and shoes (supernova classic), black NB fleece gloves, and a black Nike cap.
I drove to downtown and parked close to the host hotel. I waited and waited for Andres and did not connect. It was close to 6:00 when John called me yet gain. Now, being a veteran marathoner sure helps, as I knew this was a good opportunity to take care of business rather than wait ‘till I got to the start.
The bus ride was inconsequential. When we got there, only with about 15 minutes to spare, I had an overwhelming feeling that I was unprepared for the distance; that I had not run long enough; that I had not run enough longish runs; that I pushed the faster workouts too much; man, do I have respect for the distance?
Enough nonsense. Lets get into the race details.
I line up close to the 3:15 pacer. We are packed; so packed that I felt I was inside a crowded elevator. And we are off. I just hope that my decision to use my own chip will not backfire on me as when I went to register it, the volunteer did not seem to have much of a clue as to what she was doing. If my chip was not registered correctly, it would mean I would not have an official chip time.
As the crowd was rather large I could not tell if my chip beeped. The pace feels right and I am just behind the 3:15… but he is ahead of the 3:10 guy, WTF? Soon after the 3:10 pacer passes us with his herd, but our guy stays right behind him… for close to FOUR miles! These four miles went by so quick I almost did not feel them, but I felt this guy was a bit aggressive with his pace. He was ahead a good 30 seconds at this time. The course was rolling, but was full of mild rolling hills. In fact, they were so mild it felt as though we were descending. At this point I knew it was going to be a good race. The opposite is true when you’re running a flat course and it feels as though you’re constantly climbing.
The advantage of running in a pack, particularly during windy conditions, is that the pack blocks the wind quite nicely.
I stayed about 15 meters behind the pack and the forecasted wind was not present or it was well blocked by the 3:15 group. In miles 7 and 8 I felt the pace slow down a bit, and next thing you know, I found myself close to the front of this pack. It was here that I decided to make my move. We had been averaging 7:21s, and I wanted to drop to 7:15s. I try passing them through the right but the pack is too tight. Then I see a curve coming up and start making my way to the left, trying to cut the tangent. But the pace leader had the same idea and before I could exit the pack, they had boxed me in gain. Bummer. I then started running on a heavily cambered portion of the road as runners tended to avoid it.
I finally exited right after mile marker (MM) 9, and the course has open space for the first time. I run the next two miles in just under 7:10. Now, winds don’t behave linearly; they shift direction from time to time, and sometimes they stop. During those two miles father wind (or is it mother wind) was kind to me that I can almost bet I had a mild tail wind. But then I started feeling a not too strong wind – this in itself would be enough to slow me down about 10 seconds per mile, but coupled with a couple of challenging rolling hills saw my pace drop into the 7:30s. I am okay with that though. It was either that, or sit back and relax behind the 3:15. I crossed the halfway point in 1:36:08. All I need to do to accomplish my A-goal is to run even splits. Easier said than done.
The second half is purported to be faster as it drops most of the course’s 300 feet in this half. I am feeling sporadic crosswinds and I’d like to draft off of someone, but that would mean running at his pace, or constantly shift positions, neither one appealed to me.
Right around 14 I notice a female runner who’s running strong and about my pace so I ask her if she wants to work together, shielding the wind one mile and tucking in for the next. She is not sure she can sustain the pace though. I insist and she gets behind me. Half a mile later the winds subside and I drop back right next to her. She innocently asks me if it is her turn to block the wind. I say no, there is no wind to block. We chat for while and find out she want to run sub-3:20. I tell her we’re on pace for 3:13, to which she responds with: ‘I better back off then; it’s too fast for me.’ I tell her that her body can do more than it thinks it can. I keep on blabbering and it must have gotten on her nerves as she pulled ahead at the next water station and I decided to skip it, so I ended up dropping her.
The course is pretty wide open now. I notice more yellow (relay) bibs than white ones.
I feel the wind from time to time and wish, again, I could draft off of someone, but the field is so sparse it not worth pursuing. I reach mile 20 in ___, and I am feeling tired but in control. My hip flexors have been tight for the last couple for miles and I hope they will loosen up. They don’t. I have a painful blister in my right small toe; I try to ignore it. 10K to go.
At this point it is more psychological, at least for me, than physical. I tell myself I can run 7:30 miles and I will be happy with the result. I pass MM 21 and it is now just over five miles. I am passing thousands, hundreds, okay – dozens of runners per mile and the adrenaline stays put. I reach 23 and the hip flexors are not protesting anymore. The pace now feels closer to half-mary pace. I am working; but this is what it’s all about, no? Hard work.
Mile 24 comes and goes. About 16 more minutes to go. I can keep this pace for that much longer. Mile 25, and contrary to those times when I struggle at the end, I am not looking at my watch every minute or so. One more mile and change. I can see the Capitol and I know I am close. The 26-mile banner is on my sight. I concentrate on form. I run this mile in 7:07!!! This almost makes me tear; I feel choked up with emotion. It looks as if I will meet my A goal. I run the last stretch passing a few more runners. As I make a couple of more turns I encourage the crowds to cheer louder. Damn it, I am going to get a PR! I hear my name; the choked-up feeling comes back with a vengeance. Whoever said macho-men can’t cry? :-)
I cross the finish in 3:11:32 by my watch; a one-minute PR. I hung out a couple of minutes and see Allyson come in 3:14 and change. She was full of emotion and I go over to congratulate her. I give her a hug. She takes it and returns it with sincerity; because we runners have that connection, we understand what it means to breaks PRs --- even if we’re total strangers.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
CIM - Update
A quick cliff-notes result for all my loyal readers (and I mean A.L.L. of you... well you know there are at least two or three :-)
My watch time: 3:11:32, negative splits (44 seconds), qualified for B*ston... :-D
This is definitely a FAST course... details to come later on.
QS
My watch time: 3:11:32, negative splits (44 seconds), qualified for B*ston... :-D
This is definitely a FAST course... details to come later on.
QS
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sacramento - here I come...
Okay so I am less than five days away from a date with destiny. I know, I am a drama king, aren't I?
Training has been going well; too well, I'll say.
As for the trip up north, I was planning on driving, BUT forces of nature - not really - are making me fly. You see, a friend of mine was to help me with the driving, but she dropped out last week so I was to fend the I-5 by myself. Not that I am afraid of driving for just over five hours but I am running/racing a darn marathon for crying out loud. People have mercy on me, please ;-)
Being the engineer that I am (some people would call me a ding-ineer) I searched far and wide in the world wide web for a reasonable fare to the bay area. Now, gas alone would cost me roughly $50 each way, making it $100 roundtrip - as my basic math seems to be working fine - thank you! I found a SW fare for $98!!! I actually paid that much 20 years ago!!! Isn't life something???
The problem with not driving is that I am left w/o a car, so to speak. So the frugal person that I am, I went to priceline and bid for what else? an economy car for $12 a day, and lo and behold i got it. So I will be driving a Yugo to Sacramento at the ungodly hour of 11 PM... so it goes. Oh, and this is happening on Friday, BTW.
Wish me luck... as I will need it. I have done the training, but like anything else in life I believe that I could have worked harder... and so it goes.
Training has been going well; too well, I'll say.
As for the trip up north, I was planning on driving, BUT forces of nature - not really - are making me fly. You see, a friend of mine was to help me with the driving, but she dropped out last week so I was to fend the I-5 by myself. Not that I am afraid of driving for just over five hours but I am running/racing a darn marathon for crying out loud. People have mercy on me, please ;-)
Being the engineer that I am (some people would call me a ding-ineer) I searched far and wide in the world wide web for a reasonable fare to the bay area. Now, gas alone would cost me roughly $50 each way, making it $100 roundtrip - as my basic math seems to be working fine - thank you! I found a SW fare for $98!!! I actually paid that much 20 years ago!!! Isn't life something???
The problem with not driving is that I am left w/o a car, so to speak. So the frugal person that I am, I went to priceline and bid for what else? an economy car for $12 a day, and lo and behold i got it. So I will be driving a Yugo to Sacramento at the ungodly hour of 11 PM... so it goes. Oh, and this is happening on Friday, BTW.
Wish me luck... as I will need it. I have done the training, but like anything else in life I believe that I could have worked harder... and so it goes.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Florida IS as flat as a Pancake
It's been a few days since I last posted. Lemme 'splain: I was in warm and beautiful miami, fl. While there I had a couple of decent quality runs. [I ran in Boca Raton, Miami Beach, South Beach and other rather nice locales] The quality runs begged the question: what is my current potential time at CIM?
Back when, when I decided to run this 'thon, I envisioned running it in sub 3:10, but as I found out soon after, it is easier said than done. Shoot, I couldn't even run a couple of miles at the prescribed pace of 7:15, how could I expect to run 26 and change at THAT pace??? I was out of my mind. So I backed off the goal to a more doable sub 3:16.
Well folks, after this training cycle I am now in 3:10 shape, or racing calculators indicate so. I raced a half two weeks ago and my predicted time for the full is a NOT too shabby 3:08:XX... or a 7:12 pace. The training plan I am following, which it is worth noting - I often change, called for 13 miles at goal MP. I went at what felt MP pace and while I did struggle at the end I finished the run in 1:33:31, or just a hair under 7:12 pace. The struggle was due to the lack of rehydration during the long run. Simple.
Back to the question of what I plan on racing in less than 13 days... I just do not feel confident enough to aim at a sub 3:10. I have ran plenty of these suckers to be so wise as to know that I would be setting myself up for failure. BUT I think the sub 3:16 is a bit soft, so I have compromised with my wussy self and will aim for 3:12. Now, that will be my A goal. My B goal will be to break 3:16, and my C goal will be to break 3:20. The plan is to run the first 10 miles with the 3:15 pacer - from the elevation profile, those appear to be the hardest in the course. Then, depending on how well I feel, I will slowly pick it up to 7:15 pace and hold on, hopefully until I cross the finish line.
Stay tuned.
Back when, when I decided to run this 'thon, I envisioned running it in sub 3:10, but as I found out soon after, it is easier said than done. Shoot, I couldn't even run a couple of miles at the prescribed pace of 7:15, how could I expect to run 26 and change at THAT pace??? I was out of my mind. So I backed off the goal to a more doable sub 3:16.
Well folks, after this training cycle I am now in 3:10 shape, or racing calculators indicate so. I raced a half two weeks ago and my predicted time for the full is a NOT too shabby 3:08:XX... or a 7:12 pace. The training plan I am following, which it is worth noting - I often change, called for 13 miles at goal MP. I went at what felt MP pace and while I did struggle at the end I finished the run in 1:33:31, or just a hair under 7:12 pace. The struggle was due to the lack of rehydration during the long run. Simple.
Back to the question of what I plan on racing in less than 13 days... I just do not feel confident enough to aim at a sub 3:10. I have ran plenty of these suckers to be so wise as to know that I would be setting myself up for failure. BUT I think the sub 3:16 is a bit soft, so I have compromised with my wussy self and will aim for 3:12. Now, that will be my A goal. My B goal will be to break 3:16, and my C goal will be to break 3:20. The plan is to run the first 10 miles with the 3:15 pacer - from the elevation profile, those appear to be the hardest in the course. Then, depending on how well I feel, I will slowly pick it up to 7:15 pace and hold on, hopefully until I cross the finish line.
Stay tuned.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
NYC was not to be, BUT...
Because I was so close to NYC I thought it would be nice to spend the weekend there. I was bumming a ride from a fellow soldier; I had previously changed my flight from Sat morning to Monday evening. The logistics were not simple as I was to ride the train on my way back from Penn Station to as close to the Philly airport as possible. I tried priceline hoping to land a decent price and no luck. So I decided to visit NYC another time and re-schedule my flight back to Sat (one nice thing of having a govt ticket - as you're allowed to make changes sans any fee).
As I was browsing the web at the USO, I went to the United site to input my frequent flier account and choose my seat. While there I decided to try to upgrade to first class using miles.
It was nice to fly first class. Breakfast was pretty good and I probably drank a bottle of wine... the result of not being allowed to drink while on CBS. Suffice it to say that the flight was quite pleasant.
At 10 AM I was back in lala land. My feet were itching to run but I felt nauseous, part of it was jetlag and part of it was all that drinking I did. The week had been low in volume (25), my last run having taken place on Wednesday, where running four of the seven miles at 7:30 pace felt fast, but obviously not so. This 'forced' taper had my legs feeling fresh. I knew about a local half and full taking place today, so I checked their website and saw no race day registration, so I drove there - registered for the half and my itchy feet would get to race after all.
Many moons ago, seven years to be more accurate, I bought what i think are the best flats ever made, or Adidas RATS. These shoes fit my feet like gloves. I like them so much I only wear them for shorter races. I wanted to race the half wearing them but I could not find them. I had to run in brand new flats. I was not too happy about it so I kept on looking. You see, I have more than 10 pairs of running shoes (new in their boxes) and had to go through each box. Finally i found them. Things were looking up. Now it was time to repair the damage I had caused by drinking all that wine. I began to aggressively hydrate. Being that I was in EST I felt sleepy but could not fall asleep with the anticipation of my upcoming race. I ended up sleeping about four hours... not too bad.
Jumped in the shower and got dressed. Drove for 40-45 minutes to Santa Clarita and made it with half an hour to spare. It was surprisingly chilly and did a two mile warm up with some accelerations thrown in. McMillian's calculator predicted me running the half in 1:29:28... hmmm, sounds doable. So that was the goal, to break 1:30. To make it easy on my foggy brain, I figured 6:50s would be a slam dunk to keep track.
I line up in front and, as in many races, I see people who should not be there, but I really don't care, I just want to run well. A woman sings the anthem and sings it rather well.
The director counts down and we're off. I start at what feels like tempo pace. I look at my garmin and it reads 6:24 pace. It's okay, my breathing is not labored so I keep the effort. A nice incline is just ahead of us and I climb it strongly, the legs are fresh indeed. First mile is 6:40, right on target.
The next mile is downhill and I expect a faster split, and sure enough - 6:35. I am pleased to be banking some seconds. A few runners pass me. They're better runners; that is just the way it is. I don't worry about it. I am here to race the clock, not them. Third mile seems to be downhill and the thought of having to run uphill in the latter miles does not appeal to me at all. I did glance at the elevation and it seemed fairly flat. Fourth mile seems to be downhill and I keep on banking time. We are now running on a paved bike trail. The course has several turns that force me to slow down and turn my feet in awkward angles. My right foot begins to hurt on the outside. My stomach is protesting; jetlag? I feel nauseous. Will I be able to keep what to this point has been a really good race? 33:19, hmm, too good to be true. I'll take it.
I am still feeling strong in spite of the stomach issues. I do not lose my placing. Next mile is right on target 6:50. Then I get all demoralized as the next split is 7:15, WTF? I try to increase the effort while paying close attention to my breathing. 6:57?? And I am getting really tired and I am already hurting. 7:05, and I am really, really disappointed. It's just not in the cards today - or is it? Then we exit the bike trail and hit the road for about 30 meters, the we enter the other side of the river where, to my delight, I see that we had been going up and now it is time to hit mild downhills. This split brings a smile to my tired face, 6:44 -(34:51 for the second five - 1:08:10 cumulative). I am hurting but I try to hit 6:50s.
At nine this man who I was about to pass stays with me. It's good to have company. We give each other strength. We're both struggling. He is 50 years old and his stride is short but quick. His goal is also to break 1:30. I point out that all we need to do to break 1:30 is run 7s for the remainder of the race. We hit the next mile in 6:50 and pass a struggling runner. We continue and my legs feel weak, 6:47 and I am so glad we're still on a mild decline. The next and final mile would have one of those underpasses and I lengthen my stride on the short decline, and climb 'strongly', the short incline. I drop my partner, he struggles through the incline. I want to pull him but I have to run my own race. There are two bridges with minor uphills, but at this stage they feel like mountains. When I crest the short hills my legs feel wobbly and my pace feels soooo slow, 6:52. I am still holding pace... hard to believe. I now know I will break 1:30. I enter the final stretch. I make one last turn. I see the finish mats. The announcer says my name and my hometown. I open my arms as a sign of triumph. My legs don't feel tired anymore. Each stride I take is taken with conviction, with confidence; my legs feel stronger than ever. I cross the finish and I pump my right fist a-la tiger woods. 1:29:25 chip time, 1:29:26 clock time.
How about that McMillian calculator? The predicted time was within three seconds!!!
The Final Turn
As I was browsing the web at the USO, I went to the United site to input my frequent flier account and choose my seat. While there I decided to try to upgrade to first class using miles.
It was nice to fly first class. Breakfast was pretty good and I probably drank a bottle of wine... the result of not being allowed to drink while on CBS. Suffice it to say that the flight was quite pleasant.
At 10 AM I was back in lala land. My feet were itching to run but I felt nauseous, part of it was jetlag and part of it was all that drinking I did. The week had been low in volume (25), my last run having taken place on Wednesday, where running four of the seven miles at 7:30 pace felt fast, but obviously not so. This 'forced' taper had my legs feeling fresh. I knew about a local half and full taking place today, so I checked their website and saw no race day registration, so I drove there - registered for the half and my itchy feet would get to race after all.
Many moons ago, seven years to be more accurate, I bought what i think are the best flats ever made, or Adidas RATS. These shoes fit my feet like gloves. I like them so much I only wear them for shorter races. I wanted to race the half wearing them but I could not find them. I had to run in brand new flats. I was not too happy about it so I kept on looking. You see, I have more than 10 pairs of running shoes (new in their boxes) and had to go through each box. Finally i found them. Things were looking up. Now it was time to repair the damage I had caused by drinking all that wine. I began to aggressively hydrate. Being that I was in EST I felt sleepy but could not fall asleep with the anticipation of my upcoming race. I ended up sleeping about four hours... not too bad.
Jumped in the shower and got dressed. Drove for 40-45 minutes to Santa Clarita and made it with half an hour to spare. It was surprisingly chilly and did a two mile warm up with some accelerations thrown in. McMillian's calculator predicted me running the half in 1:29:28... hmmm, sounds doable. So that was the goal, to break 1:30. To make it easy on my foggy brain, I figured 6:50s would be a slam dunk to keep track.
I line up in front and, as in many races, I see people who should not be there, but I really don't care, I just want to run well. A woman sings the anthem and sings it rather well.
The director counts down and we're off. I start at what feels like tempo pace. I look at my garmin and it reads 6:24 pace. It's okay, my breathing is not labored so I keep the effort. A nice incline is just ahead of us and I climb it strongly, the legs are fresh indeed. First mile is 6:40, right on target.
The next mile is downhill and I expect a faster split, and sure enough - 6:35. I am pleased to be banking some seconds. A few runners pass me. They're better runners; that is just the way it is. I don't worry about it. I am here to race the clock, not them. Third mile seems to be downhill and the thought of having to run uphill in the latter miles does not appeal to me at all. I did glance at the elevation and it seemed fairly flat. Fourth mile seems to be downhill and I keep on banking time. We are now running on a paved bike trail. The course has several turns that force me to slow down and turn my feet in awkward angles. My right foot begins to hurt on the outside. My stomach is protesting; jetlag? I feel nauseous. Will I be able to keep what to this point has been a really good race? 33:19, hmm, too good to be true. I'll take it.
I am still feeling strong in spite of the stomach issues. I do not lose my placing. Next mile is right on target 6:50. Then I get all demoralized as the next split is 7:15, WTF? I try to increase the effort while paying close attention to my breathing. 6:57?? And I am getting really tired and I am already hurting. 7:05, and I am really, really disappointed. It's just not in the cards today - or is it? Then we exit the bike trail and hit the road for about 30 meters, the we enter the other side of the river where, to my delight, I see that we had been going up and now it is time to hit mild downhills. This split brings a smile to my tired face, 6:44 -(34:51 for the second five - 1:08:10 cumulative). I am hurting but I try to hit 6:50s.
At nine this man who I was about to pass stays with me. It's good to have company. We give each other strength. We're both struggling. He is 50 years old and his stride is short but quick. His goal is also to break 1:30. I point out that all we need to do to break 1:30 is run 7s for the remainder of the race. We hit the next mile in 6:50 and pass a struggling runner. We continue and my legs feel weak, 6:47 and I am so glad we're still on a mild decline. The next and final mile would have one of those underpasses and I lengthen my stride on the short decline, and climb 'strongly', the short incline. I drop my partner, he struggles through the incline. I want to pull him but I have to run my own race. There are two bridges with minor uphills, but at this stage they feel like mountains. When I crest the short hills my legs feel wobbly and my pace feels soooo slow, 6:52. I am still holding pace... hard to believe. I now know I will break 1:30. I enter the final stretch. I make one last turn. I see the finish mats. The announcer says my name and my hometown. I open my arms as a sign of triumph. My legs don't feel tired anymore. Each stride I take is taken with conviction, with confidence; my legs feel stronger than ever. I cross the finish and I pump my right fist a-la tiger woods. 1:29:25 chip time, 1:29:26 clock time.
How about that McMillian calculator? The predicted time was within three seconds!!!
The Final Turn
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Lucy...
I am home!!!... Not really, I am in NJ... hoping to be able to go over to NYC to catch the NYCM over the weekend, then fly to lala land :-)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I left my soles in the Balkans
There were times that I felt the day would never come, that the day to part would never materialize. That day is approaching quite fast and I am glad it is. 15 months of not being in my turf is TOO long.
You all have made this experience bearable during the past several months. Reading your trials and tribulations, your ups and downs, I lived vicariously through you. I even got inspired to run more than I have ever ran (Thanks Salty).
It all started when I was searching for a discount code for the US Half Mary in San Francisco. I googled it and found Mike's Running-with-Lydiard's blog and I was hooked. I started reading the comments section and 'found' Sempre Libera whom I instantly liked for her incisive writing and for her natural and easy-flowing running form.
While following Sempre, Uptown Girl came up and I had to read all of her posts, and I mean ALL. It took me a while but I did it. Her blog was instrumental in 'cheering' me up when life got insipid and I was feeling down.
I believe next was Chelle and I was so impressed with her progress in the marathon. She had just broken three at Columbus the previous October. It was in the comments section where I found the Salty One and again, I HAD to read ALL of her previous posts as her blog was/is full of witty comments and hilarious observations. Salty, you should write a book one day :-)
Love2Run is a frequent contributor to Running with Lydiard and while looking at his race times, I was instantly envious of SO many that were BQs. Another Canadian, and very astute runner is Fran who makes running a marathon look easy.
There is also Lance, who is in Uptown Girl's links. While Lance tends to write a bit too much about his sexual escapades, his posts make for some entertaining reading. Now, don't get me wrong; I have enjoyed his running related posts; I feel Lance knows quite a bit about running and regularly gives good advice. If anything I think he trains too hard, way too hard.
Ahh, and then there is the Professor who once weighed over 300 lbs and recently was able to race a 5K in the 17:30s. He did not come up with that moniker, I gave it to him. The reason is simple... he teaches English at UofA (better known as 'Bama). His blogspot is actually called Tuscaloosa Runner. This guy, man - this guy knows a LOT about running.
Of course, this post could not exclude Emma who is as hilarious as a person can be. Sure it takes a while for me to read... ONE post y'all. She definitely takes the cake. She is not a runner now, but she may be a cheetah-in-hiding.
To all of you... thank you for bearing with my un-insightful (is that a word?) comments and/or for allowing me to come into your homes. If I ever insulted you because I made a tactless observation, it was because I tend to be too eager to help and I often forget that I am not the best suited to give advice and I apologize for that.
May we get to meet one day... oh and if you're ever in the Los Angeles area, post a comment and when you get there, I'll take you out and I'll buy you a good, tasty, cold ale :-) Or, we'll go for a run and then have that ale.
Respectfully,
Quinto Sol
You all have made this experience bearable during the past several months. Reading your trials and tribulations, your ups and downs, I lived vicariously through you. I even got inspired to run more than I have ever ran (Thanks Salty).
It all started when I was searching for a discount code for the US Half Mary in San Francisco. I googled it and found Mike's Running-with-Lydiard's blog and I was hooked. I started reading the comments section and 'found' Sempre Libera whom I instantly liked for her incisive writing and for her natural and easy-flowing running form.
While following Sempre, Uptown Girl came up and I had to read all of her posts, and I mean ALL. It took me a while but I did it. Her blog was instrumental in 'cheering' me up when life got insipid and I was feeling down.
I believe next was Chelle and I was so impressed with her progress in the marathon. She had just broken three at Columbus the previous October. It was in the comments section where I found the Salty One and again, I HAD to read ALL of her previous posts as her blog was/is full of witty comments and hilarious observations. Salty, you should write a book one day :-)
Love2Run is a frequent contributor to Running with Lydiard and while looking at his race times, I was instantly envious of SO many that were BQs. Another Canadian, and very astute runner is Fran who makes running a marathon look easy.
There is also Lance, who is in Uptown Girl's links. While Lance tends to write a bit too much about his sexual escapades, his posts make for some entertaining reading. Now, don't get me wrong; I have enjoyed his running related posts; I feel Lance knows quite a bit about running and regularly gives good advice. If anything I think he trains too hard, way too hard.
Ahh, and then there is the Professor who once weighed over 300 lbs and recently was able to race a 5K in the 17:30s. He did not come up with that moniker, I gave it to him. The reason is simple... he teaches English at UofA (better known as 'Bama). His blogspot is actually called Tuscaloosa Runner. This guy, man - this guy knows a LOT about running.
Of course, this post could not exclude Emma who is as hilarious as a person can be. Sure it takes a while for me to read... ONE post y'all. She definitely takes the cake. She is not a runner now, but she may be a cheetah-in-hiding.
To all of you... thank you for bearing with my un-insightful (is that a word?) comments and/or for allowing me to come into your homes. If I ever insulted you because I made a tactless observation, it was because I tend to be too eager to help and I often forget that I am not the best suited to give advice and I apologize for that.
May we get to meet one day... oh and if you're ever in the Los Angeles area, post a comment and when you get there, I'll take you out and I'll buy you a good, tasty, cold ale :-) Or, we'll go for a run and then have that ale.
Respectfully,
Quinto Sol
Thursday, October 18, 2007
How to race the NYCM
I have been quite busy of late, and have not had much time to post. However, I ran (pun intended) into this post that I think some of you will enjoy.
new-york-city-marathon-course-strategy
Cheers!
new-york-city-marathon-course-strategy
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
