Week ? - Veni Vidi Vici

Monday, April 26, 2010

What can I say? The 25th annual Big Sur International Marathon lived up to and even exceeded all the hype: terrific organization, great volunteers, interesting workshop speakers, pristine weather, killer hills, brisk headwinds, and unmatched energy. If the agonizing hills don't take your breath away, the scenery will. You'll basically find those same exact things written in blogs and race reviews of The BSIM every year.

I showed up in Monterey at about 4 PM and immediately went down to the expo to pick up my bib number and sweats bag. The place was full of vendors and booths featuring other upcoming racing events. The Cliff Bar pace team had bracelets with mile split times for different paces. I picked up a 3 hr 40 min bracelet... and my wife just gave me a look like "get real dude!". That's when I also grabbed the 3 hr 50 min bracelet, which was what I eventually went with.

The next day I spent several hours roaming among the vendor booths and sitting through workshops featuring various esteemed speakers. Dean Karnazes was the headliner and I found him to be a genuinely nice and down to earth guy. He receives some flak from other elite runners, but I bet it's mostly due to sponsor envy mixed with bitterness that they can't properly ingest pizza while running 100 miles like Dean boasts about. The speaker who really stood out to me was Charlie Engle. I could write an entire blog entry on how he successfully kicked a cocaine/alcohol addiction and replaced it with ultra running and other more healthy, yet potentially destructive, habits. Charlie hit "home" with the crowd when he mentioned how great it is to hear everyone say "you're crazy" when you tell them that you're running a marathon. Can't wait to see his movie Running the Sahara.


On Saturday evening, we had about a dozen people come by the apartment for a pre-race feast. My wife made delicious byrani, and her friend from MIIS (Jorge) made 3 giant pans of gourmet lasagna. Before I knew it I eaten so much food that I appeared to be in the 3rd trimester. The meal was so delicious that I forgot about the bread being toasted under the broiler.... that was until someone said those famous words "Do I smell smoke?" The bread was literally on fire. Flames were flying out of the oven and I had to throw a damp towel over the molten magma that was once a buttery french roll. After that I also managed to break the upstairs window in an attempt to let out all the smoke. Was this to be taken as an omen? I came way too far to even consider giving clout to such a ridiculous idea.

The buses took off right on schedule at 4:15 AM on Sunday. I was excited to ride in a nice charter bus with a restroom and reclining leather seats. Jose later told me that his bus was of the shorter yellow variety. Deanna from Atwater sat down next to me we spoke for the duration of the hour long journey. By speaking, I mean that I listened to her for about 80% of the time. She took up running marathons after a doctor wanted to fuse a few vertebrae in her back together. Rather than deal with a lifetime of rigidness, she decided to give exercise a shot. Now she claims to be pain free and more motivated than ever.

We stepped out of the bus at 5:30. The sun hadn't even considered rising yet and I needed to find coffee for warmth and a jolt of caffeine. Several announcers were already running their mouths at marathon pace. Among the interesting facts they mentioned, I was surprised to hear that there was someone there who would be running their 3rd marathon in 6 days. Psycho. I began to zone out when the aging speakers started up their anti-i-pod rant and proceeded to state how barefoot running is too dangerous for most people. Jose was nowhere in sight, so I just stood there staring at thousands of shivering runners hoping to pick him out of the crowd. Eventually my coffee was gone and my bladder was full. The lines for the green rooms were ridiculous, as with most races. When I was finally nearing the front, I heard Jose shouting my name. Turns out that he finished his 3rd cup and was also in need of relief.


After taking care of business, I stripped down, slathered on some sunscreen (turns out that I should have used more), and tossed my sweats-bag on the pile. It was GO TIME! Man... somewhere around 4000 people were packed into a very small section of highway 1. Jose and I found the 3:40:00 pace group and placed ourselves nearby. I think this is when I told him that it'd never be the same. Meaning that any future marathons won't have this epic aura about them. Not only were we attempting our 1st, but we were also running in one of the most acclaimed marathons out there. This was special. Charlie Engle touched on this yesterday when he said "there's always something special about 1st times"... first car and first love were among specific examples.

The starting gun sounded like a golf clap from where we were standing. Slowly the crowd began to inch forward, and we were off! Starting with a downhill was nice and I was pleased to notice that our first mile (8:20) didn't suffer at all from the congestion. Jose and I located ourselves close to the 3:50 pace team and locked into cruise mode. Many runners were already jumping off into the woods to relieve themselves. Must have been nerves.

I was amazed to exit the redwoods as quick as we did. The weather was already warm, so I took off my t-shirt and dumped it at an aid station. Pinning my number to my tank-top and wearing it over an old shirt worked like a charm. Each mile seemed to be going by faster than the previous. The rocky coast was gorgeous, and so far the dreaded headwinds were nonexistent. Jose took out his i-phone and snapped a few photos. I managed to get a nice one of him in front of the Point Sur lighthouse. Our mile pace was in the low to mid 8 min mark.


Knowing that the 2-mile climb up to hurricane point was imminent, I pushed the tempo a little to avoid being left behind by the 3:50:00 pace team. This is about the time when I slurped my first gu-pack. The Taiko drummers were beating out an ominous rhythm as we neared. Despite the goosebumps and adrenaline, mile 1 on the hill took 10 minutes. My legs were in good shape, however, and the second mile was rolling and less steep. Reaching the top was a remarkable feeling. Runners were stretched out ahead of me for miles. I don't remember any winds at the point, and certainly not the hurricane force gusts that were expected.

The mile-long drop from the point to Bixby bridge was quick. I focused on making short choppy steps to avoid injury, but also tried to gain some of the ground lost during the climb. Upon crossing the bridge and passing the grand piano, I glanced over my shoulder to see thousands more runners still coming around hurricane point. This view was more enjoyable than the one from the top. My legs/shins were still feeling great. I stopped to refill my water bottles around mile 14 and lost sight of Jose. This convinced me that he must have surged ahead, so I hit the road to cover any lost ground.

Most the next few miles are just a scenic blur. There were finally some powerful gusts of wind in spots. Throughout the journey, I consumed a gu-pack every 45 min or so along with plenty of water. I came across an older man wearing a "grizzled vet" shirt somewhere around mile 15. He confirmed that this was his 25th consecutive BSIM. I exclaimed "Impressive!" He returned the gesture after I told him it was my first marathon ever. This was also about the time that we passed someone playing the theme from Chariots of Fire on their electronic keyboard. Thanks for another needed boost of adrenaline.

My quads began to get tighter from mile 17 onward. Each rolling hill proved more painful to summit, yet I kept the motor rolling. Something else happened around this mark as well. A voice behind me started getting louder. Some annoying clown was not satisfied with running, but had decided it was his role to tell everyone else how to run as well. That was my first impression, but then I still had enough sense about me to consider other possibilities. Oh crap! It donned on me that the cushion between me and the 3:50:00 pace team must have eroded. Sure enough, when I glanced over my shoulder my suspicions were confirmed. The guy was just doing his job, but I found his encouragement unbearable after so many hard fought miles. The only voices I wanted to hear were the ones inside my own head.

I pushed myself beyond earshot of the guy who I despised for trying to help everyone out. In a crazy way he was extremely motivating. My quads were seriously tight now as I entered the Carmel Highlands around mile 22. Most the other BSIM bloggers and runners all talk about this portion of the course as the real test and I was determined to overcome the challenge. With mile splits around 9 minutes, I slogged through the section. I kicked it up a notch each time I heard the voice behind me.

Somewhere along mile 23-ish was "strawberry hill". The locals set up shop here every year and dish out fresh strawberries to the weary runners. It's difficult to imagine that they're this friendly. I'm sure they get some sort of sick pleasure at seeing our pain... but anyway, those were the best tasting strawberries that I've ever devoured.

The Carmel Valley came into view a short while later. I convinced myself that the mile 25 hill must be a myth. I must have already completed the final hill and the glory of finishing was just a few lighthearted steps away. Yeah right. The course dropped back down and I could see that final hill staring me right in the face. This was it! My water bottles were empty so I made a B-line to the final aid station. Tossed a cup of water over my head before making my way to the BYOB (bring your own bottle) table for a refill. What!?! The poor volunteer had just emptied his water jug and saw my look of desperation and rage building up... No WATER! ME ANGRY! Actually I couldn't help but feel bad for the kid despite my own pain at the moment. Too stubborn to walk 10 steps backward, I decided to charge on without H2O.

Mr. Helper was back again and chirping in my ears as I pathetically walk/jogged my stiff quads up the hill. He encouraged me. I grunted some sort of response and slowly built up a little momentum which carried me over the crest. Finally, no more uphill! I shuffled as quickly as I could down the slope glancing around for the few hundred supporters that must be in attendance. Didn't recognize a face. Truthfully, my vision was pretty blurry and I had difficulty focusing on much more than the inflatable finish banner ahead.

As I crossed the bridge, I managed to pass the 3:50:00 pace runner. Some familiar voices yelled out and I saw it was my wife's friends Elizabeth and Jorge. Ironically it was those two who ran the Big Sur Half Marathon last November which motivated me to sign up for today's run. I raised my arms high as I crossed the Finish.... holy cow, I just ran 26.2 miles!


Staff members gave me a sweet medal and emergency blanket. A young woman who I had noticed run/walking at about the same pace as I was cruising at came up and high-fived me. She said she was trying to beat me, but came up a little short. We exchanged congratulations and I waived at my wife and parents who seemed genuinely thrilled to know I was still alive. After downing a few cups of water, I stumbled over and enjoyed a free massage. There was beer and plenty of food to be eaten too. Jose was just behind me and he opted to skip the massage for a cold brew. Both of us had a blast. My only gripe is that we may have started with the best Marathon out there and now everything else is likely be a let-down in comparison.

Week 22 - Final Pre Race Entry

Friday, April 23, 2010
Welcome to my very last blog before race-day. After planning for and thinking about the BSIM for over 5 months, I can hardly believe the moment of truth is just days away. At night I lie awake trying to recall every turn and hill of the course, thinking this will lull me to sleep while mentally preparing me for the long run. All it does is slowly take my resting heart rate up to fight-or-flight pace. Each morning this week I've woke up prior to 5 AM to adjust my body for Sunday's 3:30 AM wakeup. I'm thinking that I'll let myself sleep in on Saturday.

Last week was when most the marathoners probably began to taper off their training. Even though I haven't been able to accumulate loads of miles, I backed off a bit myself by ending the 3 hr cardio circuits. Continued Yoga, ran a handful of treadmill miles, and powered up a 1 mile hill next to wifey's apt in Monterey.

This week I focused on staying injury free and maintained a healthy diet. I ran a brisk 45 minute treadmill session on Monday without any issues. The weather was cool and windy on Wednesday, so I was inspired to run outdoors in the Big Sur-like climate. Several months have passed since my legs felt this strong and pain free.

My parents are now beginning to get excited about spectating. Just as I was getting comfortable with the 26.2 mile challenge, and thinking that I'll just give it my best shot... Dad calls up saying how proud him and mom will be to see me run across the finish line. Stupid loving parents with all their added pressure! Oh well, guess I shouldn't complain... ha. Hopefully I'll be back to give a post race assessment. Looking forward to checking out the Vibram booth at the expo and maybe getting a photo with Dean Karnazes.

PS: I've developed this genius strategery to handle increasing temperatures along the course. Going to wear an old t-shirt beneath my fleet feet tank-top. Will affix my bib to the tank and ditch the t-shirt somewhere along the course. Who cares if I look like a clown for the first 10 miles?

-Apr 12: 20 min run on treadmill, half hour bike.

-Apr 13: 1 hr Yoga.

-Apr 14: 20 min run on treadmill, half hour bike.

-Apr 15: 1 hr Yoga.

-Apr 16: Ran from Monroe St up to Veterans Park twice. Hill has roughly 350' gain along the 1 mile route.

-Apr 19: 45 minute run on treadmill. Maintained 7:30 min/mile pace.

-Apr 20: 1 hr Yoga.

-Apr 21: 2 mile run along the levees. Cool, windy, felt fast and smooth.

-Apr 22: 1 hr Yoga.

-Apr 23: Plan on running a short 2 miler along Monterey Bay.

Week 21 - Holy S***, It's April Already!

Thursday, April 15, 2010
The days and weeks are flying by at a blinding pace... If only I could run 26.2 miles so fast. By now it’s too late to really make any measurable endurance gains before the April 25th race-day. Last week I was driving all over Northern CA again, but did manage to get some cardio work in.

Friday was my big workout: 1 hr 10 min of running, an hour on the elliptical hill trainer, and another 40 minutes on a stationary bike. I pressed the throttle down pretty hard to make sure my heart rate stayed at or above 160 BPM (my planned BSIM HR). To my surprise, I didn’t hit any kind of a wall, and actually wanted to keep going during the final running session. The powerbar goo packs that sucked down every 45 minutes must have really done the trick. I had so much energy left over that the missus and I headed straight to the MIIS follies talent show afterwards.

This next week will be full of pampering, preparing, sleepless nights, and some short bouts of physical activity. I’ve already begun to wake up earlier each morning so that the 3:30 AM wake-up call for the marathon won’t be too big of a shock. Oh yeah, and I ordered a shorter pair of shorts (5” inseam instead of 6”) for the big day. If my calculations are correct, a 15% decrease in shorts length should translate to a 15% reduction in my finish time.

-Apr 5: Sparticus circuit, 20 min on treadmill, and 30 min on bike.

-Apr 6: Sparticus circuit, and 30 minutes on bike at hotel in McKinleyville.

-Apr 7: Poked around Willow Creek and didn’t get much of any workout in.

-Apr 8: 1 hour yoga.

-Apr 9: 3.0 hr cardio circuit at gym. Two 20 min treadmill sessions, a 30 min treadmill session, two 20 min bike sessions, and three 20 min elliptical sessions. Still sweatiest and stinkiest guy at gym.

Week 20 - Gym-athon

Sunday, April 4, 2010
T-minus 3 weeks and counting now. The cycle of nerves that I have experienced since registering for the marathon has been notable:

•I was scared 's'less in November.
•December and January that fear was turned into motivation.
•February and March were filled with ups and downs between decent race performances, and battling shin-splints.
•Now I've come full circle, and April's emotions closely match those of November.

I find myself lying awake at night wondering what I got myself into, and what led me to register in the first place (other than Jose's jab about Oprah and P-Diddy being able to pull it off). There's no single answer to the question. Bravado, testing my physical abilities as well as my wits, clinging to youth, wanting to achieve a long term goal, the BSIM being a world-class event, and insanity all played some part in the decision.

I put in some decent mileage again this week and my legs are feeling strong. I had planned on doing a 3 hour cardio circuit at the gym on Friday in an attempt to keep my HR above 160 for the duration. That workout was shifted to Saturday when scotched-up Keith agreed to go for a 5 mile run with the MIIS running club. Grad students are fast. They took it pretty easy on me too. Despite half the run being on Del Monte Beach, our pace was somewhere around the 7 min/mile mark.

My cardio circuit had another setback on Saturday when I neglected to notice that the sports center closed at 5. I was only able to get in 2 1/2 hours of the scheduled workout consisting of 20 min treadmill, 20 min elliptical, and 20 min bike (repeat). I forced myself to maintain at least 160 bpm heart rate while eating/drinking consistently. All systems were functional throughout. The last 10 minutes were a slight test, but I pushed through to keep up pace. Sunday brought very little muscle pain. I will try to get the full 3 hour circuit in next Friday before beginning to back off leading into race-day.

-Mar 29: Sparticus circuit, 20 min on treadmill, and 30 min on bike.

-Mar 30: 1 hour yoga during lunch. Sparticus circuit, 20 min on treadmill, and 30 min on bike after work.

-Mar 31: 1 hour run on soccer fields in riverfront park.

-Apr 1: 1 hour yoga.

-Apr 2: 5 miles with MIIS running club along coastal trail and back to campus along Del Monte Beach. Fast, 55 deg, headwinds on return, and had a decent hill.

-Apr 3: 2.5 hr cardio circuit at gym. Three 20 min treadmill sessions, and two 20 min bike and elliptical sessions. Sweatiest and probably stinkiest guy at gym today.

Week 19 - Ian's B-Day

Friday, April 2, 2010
This week was mostly comprised of cross training again. I may not be able to control when my shins will be back to 100%, but the rest of me is going to be prepared for 4 hr of pain when we line up on April 25. My lovely wife was home for spring break, but she let me get a couple 2-a-day workout sessions in. She's probably going to be happy when the BSIM is over and I am a little less obsessed. There was also an opportunity for work to interfere with training when I had to travel to Eureka for a field review. I made the best of the situation,though, by busting my tail in the hotel fitness area.

My buddy Ian had a get-together for his upcoming 27th B-Day on Saturday. Part of the extravaganza was a 4 mile jaunt through Clearlake State Park. Jose was there too and three of us ran at an easy pace and discussed the meaning of life and stuff. Running with other people always seems to make the time fly by for me. I have to admit that the hill winded me, but recovery was quick on the long downhill section. Weather was gorgeous. Afterward I celebrated with beer, burritos, and some good bullshitting.

-Mar 22: Spartacus circuit at gym, followed by 1 mile on treadmill, 16 min on elliptical, 30 min on bike.

-Mar 23: 1 hr yoga during lunch. 20 min on treadmill, 30 min on bike after work.

-Mar 24: Spartacus circuit, 16 min intervals on elliptical, and 30 min biking.

-Mar 25: Drove to McKinleyville for work, circuit training in weight room, 30 min biking.

-Mar 26: Walk/jogged up and down 3 miles of State Route 96 in Humboldt county while taking inventory of damaged pavement to address on project.

-Mar 27: Ran 4 miles through Clearlake State Park with Ian and Jose. Run was easy compared to the drive from Eureka to Monterey that day.

Week 18 - Freakin' Out

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Only 5 weeks left till D-Day as I write this. I hit the gym with a vengeance these last few days. Monday was supposed to be a short run, but I felt the shins tingling and cut it off after 5 minutes. Walked my sad sack butt to the club and put in about 1 1/2 hours of hard cardio work. What began as another epic shin failure turned into a victory for Team Keith. Weight is down to 173 lb, and I'm wearing size 32 waist shorts for the first time since 2004. At this point I'm going to call the marathon training a success even if I wind up in a mangled heap somewhere along the climb to hurricane-point (see image).

Legs are feeling good. Plan to do some running around the grass soccer fields here in Riverfront Park. Doing another long distance run before the marathon may not happen. Instead, I am conjuring up a plan to run some middle distances (6 milers or so) followed up immediately by lengthy cross training at the gym. This should keep my shins in top shape leading into the 26.2 mile course, help me shed a few more pounds, and get my cardiovascular system prepared to endure 4 hours of headwinds and hills.

-Mar 15: Ran to gym, 30 min biking, 20 min on rowing machine, 16 minutes of interval training on elliptical machine.

-Mar 16: 1 hr yoga during lunch. Jogged to gym after work, dumbell bench/flies, medicine ball crunches, sidebends, pullups, 30 min on bike, 16 min intervals on elliptical.

-Mar 17: Wussed out at lunch, ran to gym after work, 30 min biking, 20 min on rowing machine, 16 minutes of interval training on elliptical machine. Downed Irish-car-bombs, green beer, and way too much deep fried bar snacks in celebration.

-Mar 18: 1 hr yoga during lunch.

-Mar 19: Bosu dumbell curls and military press, medicine ball squats on Bosu ball, leg curls, leg lifts, calf raises, 20 minutes on bike, and 5 min on elliptical. Plans to swim were cut short by running around trying to score GaGa tix for the better-half.

-Mar 21: Kicked my own butt with the Spartacus lifting circuit from Men's Health, 30 min on bike, 25 min rowing, 16 min intervals on elliptical, 20 min on reclined bike.

Week 17 - Recovery

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Following Saturday's half marathon, my first, I decided to take most of the week to recover. My plan was to run a 4-miler on Weds and then put in a nice 6-miler in Monterey on Friday.

I began to feel the familiar twinge of shin splints less than half a mile into Wednesday's run. The pain was mild, so I finished the course at an easy pace. Was I disappointed? A little bit. However, I did just surpass my personally longest distance ever ran by more than 3 miles. The realist in me dealt with the facts and decided to ease up on running for the rest of the week.

Friday's run turned into 1.5 hours of playtime at the Monterey Sports Center. That place is awesome. Great cardio and lifting equipment, not to mention the huge pool. Next week I plan on taking a dip while Sabina works in the morning.

On Sunday I was hanging out with the missus at Borders. While thumbing through the UK version of Runner's World, I came upon 10 Must Do World Races. Guess which California Marathon was on the list? The one and only BSIM. Everyday I become more amped-up to test myself against the 26.2 mile set of hills and headwinds. Hopefully next week I can plunge back into some serious road work.


-Mar 8: Legs tight from Saturday's race. Limited to 30 minutes on stationary bike, dumbell flies/bench, and crunches.

-Mar 9: 3 sets of 20 step-ups (each leg) with 20 lb dumbells, 10 minute hill routine on elliptical, 30 minutes on stationary bike.

-Mar 10: Lazy slug at lunch. Drank some coffee in the afternoon and did a 4 mile "recovery" run around the levees before sundown.

-Mar 11: 1 hr Yoga.

-Mar 12: 15 min elliptical, 20 min biking, bosu dumbell curls and military press, calf raises, leg curls, leg lifts, dumbell bench and flies.

Week 16 - "Disciprine Come From Within"

Sunday, March 7, 2010
... to quote a South Park episode. I ran my first half-marathon on Saturday. My buddies Ian and Jose ran their inagural halves as well. They smoked me, but we all ran solidly.

I took it very easy this week because I wanted to have healthy shins for the 13.1 mile trek. My personal goal was not to run hard and set a grand PR. I actually wanted to hold myself to 8:30 min/mile. The idea was that maybe mileage wasn't tearing up my legs: maybe the injuries were more to do with effort. Sabina laughed at this idea and reminded me that I say that almost every race and then end up killing myself. The comment from my smart-ass wife steeled my resolve this time. Of course I forgot to wear my watch and had no way to know what my pace was during the event.

Ibuprofen is a terrific friend on race day. The 3 little pills that I doused with coffee in the morning kept any pain at bay through mile 6. Although my speed and running form were in check, the clock at the halfway mark showed I was running several minutes faster than anticipated. Seeing this, I began to make grand plans to push myself around mile 10 or so. Those plans began to deteriorate with each mile:

○ Mile 7 - Slight shin pain (never progressed).
○ Mile 10 - Quads began to feel heavy.
○ Mile 11 - Felt blister like pain under ball of right foot (actually just callused).

Despite over thinking things in the 2nd half of race, I didn't have to dig very deep to reach the finish line. The final mile was a little test. Could I have kept going for another 13 miles? Doubtful. My time was 1:42:15 (7:48 min/mile). Running such a controlled pace and still running sub 8's is a huge confidence booster. There are 7 weeks left before the BSIM. Nine minute miles and a sub 4 hr marathon time seems entirely achievable. I just have to be smart and avoid any more setbacks. Today is the day after the Bidwell Classic. My quads and calves are tight with the type of soreness that sets in after a good workout. My plan is to rest a few days and then pick things back up on Wednesday.

-Mar 1: 0.5 mile run on treadmill, biked for 30 min. Ran on grass field for 20 min after work.

-Mar 2: 1 hour yoga.

-Mar 3: 2.5 mile run on treadmill, biked for 30 min.

-Mar 4: 1 hour yoga.

-Mar 6: 34th Annual Bidwell Classic Half Marathon (01:42:15, 7:48 min/mile).


ADDENDUM: Downed a couple gel packs while running (@ mile 4, and @ mile 8). Both were warm and nasty. The Powerbar one tasted better and had a more tolerable consistency than the Cliff brand. I should refrigerate them before the marathon. I fooled around with my form during the race too. Tilted my pelvis in slightly and it seemed to make my upper legs perform more of the work than my calves. Working on this may reduce future pain from shin splints.

Week 15 - Mack Armstrong

Monday, March 1, 2010
The rest taken this week may damage my half-marathon pace, but I didn't really have a choice. Every source of information that I found regarding shin splints stated that they only get worse without taking some time off the beaten path. At this time last year, who would have known how batty I would go without being able to run several miles?

-Feb 22: 0.5 hr biking, pull-ups, dumbell flies/bench, crunches.

-Feb 23: warmup on bike, 1.0 hr yoga at lunch.

-Feb 24: 0.5 hr biking, high-steps, heel kicks, sidebends.

-Feb 25: 1.0 hr yoga at lunch. Jogged to gym and back for 0.5 hr bike action after work.

-Feb 26: Jogged to gym and back for 0.5 hr bike action.

-Feb 28: Gorgeous day. Tested out calves/shins by running in between 9 holes
of disc golf in Oroville.

Week 14 - Fine Line

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My first run of the week was on Tuesday. The weather was perfect and instead of sticking with the short dirt trail run I had planned, I was inspired to lace up and head out for a 10 miler. Longest of the year so far. Despite running a hard race on Sunday, my legs felt strong in the beginning. I hit a little bit of a wall at mile 6, but my second wind soon followed. Mile pace for the run was 8 min 15 sec. While running longer distances now, I have noticed that my form becomes very compact. Each stride is short and quick. It must make me look like a hobbling old man. My knees were immediately sore, shins not so much. I was shot for the rest of the evening after dunking my weary legs in ice.

In retrospect, I should have listened to my body and cut the run short. Motivation to run 26.2 miles is at a maximum... even overflowing at times. My legs ability to withstand impacts involved with that distance and the amount of time necessary for me to carefully increase mileage is marginal. This lethal combination causes a rift between me and my shins. Running was out of the question for the next 2 days due to an all-day work trip and my journey to Monterey. It's not like I could have ran anyway with the throbbing pain shooting up through my lower legs with each step.

Friday I made a pitiful attempt to run along Carmel Beach. After about a 100 yards, the morning ended up as a half mile soul search along the Pacific. Result: take the weekend off and ease back into the next week. I also seem to have noticed a relationship between my shin pain and race efforts. During the last few months of training, I have only been sidelined after running mile-repeats and races. Forcing myself to run at a slower pace while concentrating on technique may allow me to log more miles.

-Feb 16: 1 hr yoga during lunch break. 10 mile run on Marysville levees after work (8:15 min/mile).

-Feb 19: Beach run cut short by throbbing shins.

Week 13 - Love In The Air

Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Despite running an 8 miler last Friday, I wanted to get my longer run out of the way on Monday so I could recover for the upcoming 10k. The "Together With Love 10k" in Pacific Grove was supposed to just be another training event on my way to The BSIM. Achieving a PR is a huge motivational boost, though, and I wanted to give myself a decent chance to run sub-7's.

Marysville is literally a huge bowl. The rim of this bowl is a 35' tall levee system. I ran from my apartment up the levee and around the entire perimeter (7.75 miles) on Monday. My first intention was to just put in the miles. As I began, I decided it would be smart to run one song hard and slow it down for the next song, etc... That lasted for about 10 minutes. I gradually ramped up my speed to where it was just bearable. All systems were functioning great. The congestion in my sinuses has gone down considerably. Relating to dogs more so than most humans, I was happy to pet 4 or 5 of them running on the trail too. I ended up running 7 min 15 sec pace. Maybe I should count the minute spent stretching while waiting for a train to pass at mile 4... maybe not. Also of note, I have been wearing my helium2-fuelbelt for almost all runs these days. A little bit of water goes a long way and the pocket is just the right size for my zen (mp3) player. Very snug and comfortable fit.

I attended yoga class on Tuesday and Thurs. Each session is an hour long and almost too relaxing. Much of the soreness in my legs from Monday's and Wednesdays runs managed to melt away. I have done more challenging yoga routines at home, but usually can't make myself stick to it for more than half an hour. There were a few cohorts from work who were surprised to see me there, even my boss' boss' boss was in attendance. It would probably be smart to keep going just for the schmooze factor.

With 3 days of rest leading up to the Valentines Day 10k, I hit the ground running. Mile 1 split was 6:50. Mile 2 was 13:45. From then on I slowly faded and finished with a time of 44:10. I didn't achieve my goal, but did crush my previous PR by nearly a minute. Next Race: The Bidwell Classic - Half Marathon.

-Feb 8: 3/4 mile on treadmill wearing VFF's, 2000 meters rowing, pullups. 8 mile levee loop after work (7:15 min/mile).

-Feb 9: 1 hr Yoga.

-Feb 10: Lunch meeting therefore no gym. 4 mile run after work (7:45 min/mile). Legs pretty sore from running hard on Monday.

-Feb 11: 1 hr Yoga.

-Feb 14: Together With Love 10k in Pacific Grove. Chip Time 00:44:10 (7:07 min/mile).

Week 12 - Back In The Saddle

Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday proved to be a real test. I had to start putting in the miles again after taking 2 weeks off from running. In addition, some jerk contaminated me with some type of flu/cold over the last weekend. During my lunch break, I put in a fast paced half mile in the gym wearing my VFF's. My legs felt great again. Played things safe and cut the run off early. Did a few more piddly things before leaving. After work I went for a brisk 4 miler through River Front Park. No pain in my shins. The pain didn't begin till about the 2nd mile and it was felt in my lungs. Mucus buildup from my illness was making me feel pretty sluggish and sloppy. I even walked around mile 3 for a minute before finding a comfortable gear to shift into for the last bit.

After the run I stretched my legs and back religiously... Focusing on holding each one for at least 10 seconds. Next came the ice bath. I had forgotten how damn painful this process can be for the first few minutes. Maybe the benefits of ice treatment are more mental toughness than anything. Regardless, I bumped up the machismo while the little guy was surely doing a shrivel job in my shorts. The last 13 minutes were easy as my attention was directed to "Where Men Win Glory". Excellent book btw. Not just about Tillman, includes a good background on events in Afghanistan over the last 30 yr or so.

I put in another 5 miler on Wednesday. This time I finally took Jose's advice and listened to some tunes along the way. I had been avoiding this because my thoughts become more active during runs and music might interfere. To my excitement, I was still able to think about random stuff. The doubts that slowly creep in towards the 2nd half of a run, and the countdown that plays in my head (2 more miles to go... 1.5 miles left..) were dulled to a whisper. The opening to 'Till I Collapse provided me with a much welcome surge of adrenaline. Everything around me became part of my own movie montage: the soundtrack playing in my ears, trains rumbling by next to the levee, 3 juvenile delinquent girls whistling and hooting at me, and even the graffiti along each bridge. Despite being stuffed up and recuperating from whatever ailed me last week, I still finished in 37 minutes. Afterward it was stretching and ice again. The nards seemed to have toughened up and didn't hate me near as much this time.

On Friday, I drove Sabina to work and immediately headed for the coastal trail in Monterey for my longest training run so far. I won't lie. Running in the morning isn't my forte. The weather was clear and rain was forthcoming, so I sucked it up. Every bit of the 8 miles was a struggle. I was coughing up phlegm, my nose was completely clogged, and nothing in my headphones seemed to provide a motivational boost. Also, I forgot to wear my toe socks and came away with a couple blisters. My pace for the run was slow: 8 min 14 sec/mile. In the end, I was pleased to have pushed through and ran 18 miles while recovering from illness this week. With 2 rest days coming before the next run, I should be back in quality form in no time. Next Sunday I run in the "Together With Love" 10k in Pacific Grove. My very ambitious goal is to run less than 7 min/mile.

-Feb 1: 0.5 fast miles on treadmill wearing VFF's, 5 minutes elliptical, 1000 meters rowing. 4 mile run following workday.

-Feb 3: 0.5 mile controlled warm-up on treadmill, dumbbell flies & bench, pullups, upright rows. 5 mile run following workday.

-Feb 5: 7.7 mile run from fisherman's wharf to Asilomar beach and back.

Week 11 - Royal Family Flu

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Not much training to report this week. More active rest. Moved the Missus down to grad school to begin her spring semester over the weekend. I came down with a sore throat and stuffed up sinuses on Friday after some intense gym cardio. Felt like crud clear through most of Saturday as we made our way to Monterey. Thankfully I was able to shake the illness off quickly without real training setbacks. We even had a decent party that night to kick things off properly. My diet should soon improve with less chocolate and ice cream around. Some long runs by the bay sound pretty appealing compared to the scenic views of Marysville. I am contemplating joining the noon yoga class on Tues and Thurs to increase flexibility and hopefully reduce leg soreness after long runs.

Jose (see week 1 where he convinced me to register for the marathon) discovered my blog this week and got busy making his own. That bearded wonder is planning on putting in 500 miles over the next couple months. Guess I better step up my own mileage a bit. My intention is not to become a marathon runner, though. I just want to run one so that I can boast and shout... then go back to the more hospitable 10k races. People claim that addiction runs rampant through the marathon crowd. We'll see.

Sunday was a remarkable day along the central coast. Perfect weather. My wife and I drove the entire length of the BSIM course: making several stops to take photos along the way. The 2 mile run up to hurricane point is gonna be a doozie. What's worse is that you can see it coming, and the climb sits right in the middle of the race when morale is likely to be at the lowest. I'm looking forward to the challenge. Another point of interest is going to be the start. In shorter races I prefer to start towards the rear and pass people throughout the event. There's supposed to be 5000 registrants in the BSIM. My time will be plenty slow enough without added minutes spent weaving in and out of that many runners. I plan on starting nearer the front of the pack if possible and trying to hang with the 3:45 pacer up to hurricane point. From there on... we'll see.

{SIDE NOTE:I recently discovered (through Runner's World) another reason to detest England's royalty. Mind you, this is on top the endless movies, books, articles, and sappy nonsense about Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth that I must endure each year. The real marathon distance is actually somewhere around 25 miles. According to Greek legend, 25 miles is roughly the distance that Pheidippides ran between Marathon and Athens in 490 B.C. Why is the official distance now 26.2 miles? You can thank the royal family for this. King Edward, with the help of official governing bodies, decided that the 1908 Olympic marathon should start at Windsor Castle for their viewing convenience. Participants were also forced to run an additional lap around the stadium, so that nobility could enjoy an extended finish, before crossing the line directly in front of the royal box. Eventually this became today's standard and now I have to run another mile + thanks to a group of wealthy inbreds. At least it was an American who claimed the gold medal that day.}

-Jan 25: 12 minutes interval training on elliptical machine, rowed 3000 meters, biked 8 miles (20 min).

-Jan 26: Rowed 5000 meters, biked 8 miles (20 min). Pullups, lat pulls, crunches.

-Jan 27: Rested on the cardio for a day. Dumbell bench press and flies with high reps and low weight, crunches, leg lifts, and stair climbers.

-Jan 28: Rowed a fast 5000 meters (21:56), biked 8 miles (20 min).

Week 10 - "Active Rest"

The first run this week (following Saturday's 6 mile jaunt) brought back some painful memories of my initial year of cross country in high school. The first signs of shin splints arose with a dull pain along the front of my lower legs. This motivated me to take a brief break from pounding the streets. After all, I have been running consistently now for 2 months after not putting in any real mileage for at least 7 years. Rather than just let myself lose all the cardiovascular progress made in previous months, I increased other forms of lower impact endurance training and core exercises. My planned 8 miler was nixed, and I am not sure if I will run next weekend either. Choosing not to run at this stage has been more difficult than all the mileage I have put in so far.

In addition to the active rest, I went out and bought a garbage can just large enough for me to soak my legs in. My intention is to fill the container with ice and water, then dunk my legs in there for 15 minutes after long runs. This was a daily routine for me in college, but instead of a trash can we did have a nice stainless steel tub with a circulating pump. I will be increasing time spent stretching following future runs as well. These measures should make the next 2.5 months of training a little easier.

-Jan 18: Killer cardio at the gym. 2 fast miles on the treadmill, 5000 meters rowing, and 8 miles (20 min) on upright bike.

-Jan 19: 20 more minutes on bike, rowed 2000 meters, crunches, sidebends, pullups.

-Jan 20: 30 minutes on bike, 12 minutes interval training on elliptical.

-Jan 22: Rowed 5000 meters, 12 minutes interval training on elliptical, pullups, bench press, crunches.

Week 9 - Hobo Hill

Saturday, January 16, 2010
With a little more than 3 months of preparation left, I am finding myself reluctant to increase training mileage. Instead I have replaced my weights in the gym with extra cardio time, and have begun running shorter more intense routines.

On Thursday I went out to River Front Park and ran 10 hill repeats on the bike trail that runs up the levee below 5th St Bridge. The route runs parallel to the levee at bottom and then shifts into a S-curve up the slope. According to the Yuba County Water Agency, these levees stand roughly 35' above street level. If my google map measuring tool is correct, that'd give me about a 5.8% slope for the 600' long course: only slightly steeper than the 2 mile long hill that begins at mile 10 of The BSIM. The only unfortunate aspect of this location is that it appears to be a homeless person hot-spot. No harm was done, however, and having a few prying eyes on me actually forced me to run a little harder than was intended.

My long run of the week was a 6 mile out and back between the north and south ends of Plumas Lake. I didn't keep an exact time, but the run was somewhere around 45 minutes. For some reason I developed a blister on my right pinkie toe. I can imagine the pain I would have been in if I needed to run 20 more miles with that thing tore open. Also, my practices are getting long enough that I should be carrying some water. Next weekend my plan is to run an 8 miler to get my legs more accustomed to longer treks. I believe that I will buy a field belt to carry some small bottles along and wear my wool toe socks for blister prevention.

-Jan 11: Took it easy on the cardio after my weekend 10k. Bench press, crunches, sidebends, lat pulls, and 2000 meters rowing.

-Jan 12: Ran 2 miles on treadmill wearing VFF's. Rowed another 3000 meters.

-Jan 13: Rowed 5000 meters, dumbell flies, pullups, upright rows, situps, and sidebends.

-Jan 14: Did 10 consecutive repeats up and down what I am calling "Hobo Hill".

-Jan 16: 6 mile run through Plumas Lake subdivision. Roughly took 45 min.

Week 8 - My First 10k

Monday, January 11, 2010
Following last Sunday's 5 mile run around town, I rested my running legs couple days. My workouts consisted of rowing, biking, and mostly core strengthening exercises.

On Wednesday I decided to see what these crazy "mile-repeats" are all about. Multiple running sources cite repeats as a real test. My mistake was running the second mile in my VFF's and not taking them off after the first signs of tightness in mile 1. After sitting down to change into my Asics for the third and final mile, I could barely even walk. After a half lap around the track with the missus, I decided to push through and endure the final repeat. My calves were so tight for the next 2 days that it was a serious task just climbing a flight of stairs.

Looking back, doing the repeats was a great way to increase running pace. I would have done them a day earlier if I had known in advance that my 10k was on Saturday and not on Sunday as I had been anticipating. However, ibuprofin does wonders and I not only came in under the 50 minute goal of mine, but crushed that mark by nearly 5 minutes. The chip time was 45:02 and I have to say that my personal photographer (wife) was caught so off guard that all she captured was my backside in the pictures. Now I am thinking that sub 7 minute miles are a possibility at the upcoming valentine's day 10k in Pacific Grove.

-Jan 4: Rowed 5000 meters, and did 24 minutes of interval training on the elliptical machine in gym.

-Jan 5: Rode bike for 8 miles (20 minutes), situps, sidebends, pullups.

-Jan 6: Mile repeats at Yuba College track. Mile 1 - 6:30, Mile 2 - 7:00, Mile 3 - 7:20. Note that the first 2 were in VFF's and the third was more of a hobble due to tight calf muscles.

-Jan 9: Lou Gehrig 10k in Roseville. Chip Time = 45:02.

Week 7 - New Years

Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The week leading up to 2010 was full of sweets around the office as well as a smorgasbord of goodies at my buddy’s New Years Eve party. The cigars and scotch probably didn’t assist my fitness level, but some things cannot be sacrificed… even in the pursuit of marathon glory.

There were some training ups and downs over the past few days. Thursday my attempt at a barefoot mile on the Yuba HS track ended prematurely after a lap due to the seriously sharp all weather surface killing my pampered footsies. I did manage to complete that lap in 5 min mile pace because I wanted the pain to end as soon as possible. After the barefoot fiasco, I limped around the track and did a few more 400 repeats before ending the disappointing day. On Sunday I more than made up for the lame track performance with a strong 5 mile run around the Marysville Levee system. Next week is my first 10k (6.2 mi) in preparation for the BSIM. My goal is to come in under the 50 minute mark.

-Dec 28: Rowed 5000 meters, completed 24 minute interval training on elliptical machine at gym.

-Dec 29: Ran 2 miles in VFF’s on treadmill, situps, sidebends.

-Dec 30: Biked for 20 minutes (8 imaginary miles), dumbbell flies and bench press, pullups, and upright rows.

-Dec 31: Ran four 400m repeats at Yuba HS track.

-Jan 3: Ran 5 miles around Marysville levee system, through riverfront park, to the old cemetery north of town, back through Ellis Lake Park.