Running For My Life

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 02/27/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00

My ability to run tons of miles the past several weeks and my seemingly endless energy level on weekly long runs have given me renewed hope for a great time in the Boston Marathon.  However, my tempo runs have been a cause for concern the past several weeks.  I just can’t seem to get comfortable at a hard pace.  This morning I did a 12 mile run and was going to do 6 of the miles at a 6:30 pace.  But I could only hold that pace for 4 miles, and I don’t know why.  The same thing happened two weeks ago.

Last fall I was doing 5Ks at a 5:55 pace, 8Ks at 6:15 and 15Ks at 6:23.  Now how is it that I can go 9 miles (15K) at 6:23 four months ago, but now I can’t hold that pace for 4 miles?  Maybe it was because I was on the treadmill this morning and it’s more difficult because you don’t get a chance to slow down and rest.  Or maybe it’s because my legs are fatigued from running so much.  All I can say is that I better not be getting slower!!  I guess we’ll find out in two short months when I attempt to hold a 6:50 pace for 26.2 miles in Boston…..

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/26/2008
• Time: 04:30:00
• Total Time: 1:35:22.00
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 7:56.82/mile

In my previous post I mentioned that marathon training can be a journey - one that often ends with personal growth in addition to all of the wonderful physical benefits (unless you get injured, then you don’t get either).  That personal growth tends to take place on runs like I did this morning, where I went 5.5 miles down a dark and hilly street, then turned around and came back 5.5 miles on the same dark and hilly street.  You can only focus on your running form for so long when you have nothing to look at but the occasional headlights from an oncoming car.

As I often do, during my run this morning I got to thinking about my miserable Boston Marathon experience (or I should call it a “non-experience”) from last year.  For those of you who are new to these pages, I achieved one of my life’s goals of qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2006, and trained for it all last winter.  Then on the way out to Boston, I got very sick and had to withdraw from the race.  I came back home, defeated and depressed, and then started running my way out of my depression.  And while I feel much better now (2,000+ miles later), I don’t think that depression will be completely lifted until I run this year’s Boston Marathon.

So back to this morning.  The thought that continues to appear to me is that something good will come out of last year’s misery.  I’m not sure what it is….it could be a sub-3:00 finish at Boston; it could be perfect weather on race day; who knows.  But I am certain it will happen.  I have hope.

As I thought of the word “hope” this morning, that instantly led my mind to one of yesterday’s readings in church (yes, my kids are finally old enough that I can pay attention to those things in church instead of nagging them to be quiet or sit up straight!).  The second reading was from Romans and there was a sentence that went, “we rejoice in our suffering knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint.”  Now tell me that is not a perfect way to look at my situation (and anybody who has suffered but not given up hope)?  I can also relate this line to the many other times I have suffered in my life, but gotten through it with hope…….and lots of running!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/25/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:32:02.00
• Distance: 11 miles
• Average Pace: 8:22.09/mile

I try to refrain from talking about running with non-runners unless I’m asked. Yesterday, however, I found myself in a few situations during and after my 22-mile run where I told a someone how far I had run, and then got an interesting reaction.

First, when I stopped for water at Mile 5, the owner of the gas station asked me how far I was going. When I answered, “22 miles”, he had a look of shock, then disbelief, until I told him that I was training for the Boston Marathon. I got the same reaction when I stopped at a grocery store at Mile 10 for more water. I saw a friend who was also curious as to how far I was running, and when I told him, I got the same strange reaction.

Finally, my run ended at a school where my son was playing a basketball game……or so I thought he was…I later found out he was sick and didn’t play. When I saw one of my wife’s co-worker’s, Sue, at the game, she suggested that I just run home (6 more miles) since I didn’t have a ride (my wife was going to drive me home, but she never showed up). I told Sue that I had just got done running 22 miles and that 6 more would be a bit much. And for a third time I got one of those “you are crazy” looks!

These reactions lead me to believe that these long training runs may be borderline insane. To us marathon runners, 20+ mile runs don’t seem all that crazy, but maybe we are a bit stranger than we think we are.

I will say that I thoroughly enjoy these long runs and they tend to be physical and mental journeys. And since this is likely going to be my last marathon, I am trying to appreciate every step of the way.

I continue to train without a schedule and I must say that, as difficult as it was at first, it’s now turned out to be fun. When I decided a few weeks ago to tear up my Boston Marathon training schedule, I was going to keep it simple and shoot for 10 mile daily runs and 20 miles on Saturday. However, that turned out to be too easy, so now I have increased my mileage and last week went 63 miles, including a 22-miler this morning. I mainly worked on pacing, shooting for 7:50 miles (which will turn to 6:50s in the marathon). I was able to maintain that pace for most of the run and only a 1/2 mile stretch of heavy snow-covered path around mile 19 caused me from staying at 7:50. I ended up doing the 22 in 7:56, but still felt very strong at the end.

So I think I am going to continue to increase my mileage until my body tells me not to. What the heck, right? Life is short and I only have 8 weeks until the race and 5 weeks until I begin to taper. This week I will see if I can run 65-66 miles….maybe do some 11-mile or 12-mile daily runs and go at least 20 next Saturday. I figured that by now I would have some sore calves or a tight hamstring, but everything feels great. Who knows….maybe I can get my mileage up into the 70s in a few weeks if I can stay healthy.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/23/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 2:54:38.00
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Pace: 7:56.19/mile

Marathon training gets tedious at times and motivation is sometimes hard to come by, especially at 5 a.m. in the dead of winter when you have to bundle up and go outside in the pitch black and run 10 miles like I did this morning.  So lately I have often found motivation in dreaming about finishing the Boston Marathon in under 3 hours.   I picture myself crossing that finish line, then looking at my watch and seeing a “2″ as the first digit.

My marathon PR is 3:19:26.  That was 2 years ago in San Francisco. Since then I have worked my tail off and gotten much faster.  So now my goal is to run Boston in under 3 hours.  However, I am being realistic when I say that it’s a long shot that I can accomplish this goal.  Boston is a difficult course and old slow guys like me don’t often run sub-3 hour marathons, let alone the Boston Marathon.  Working in my favor, though, is that two of the final races I ran last year were done at sub-3 hour marathon equivalents (I did a 5K in 18:23 and a 15K in 59:26).  So I have some hope.

Also in my favor is that I have worked extremely hard the past few weeks and will continue to do so until the marathon.  I am certain that I am faster than ever.  I am now running over 60 miles a week and have already gotten three 20-mile runs in so far, and will do at least 5 more before the marathon.  Tomorrow morning I am going 22 miles at a goal pace of 8:00.  Two weeks ago I ran 20 miles at a 7:27 pace.  I am doing speed workouts, tempo runs, cross training workouts and lifting weights.  So I am doing what I need to do to improve.

So is a sub-3 hour effort possible?  Yes.  However, the more likely scenario is that I finish the race in the 3:00 to 3:15 range.  That would still be a PR and I would still be pleased.   But to break the magical 3-hour mark would be a dream come true……a dream that is helping me get through these cold, dark winter days.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/22/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:26:10.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:37.24/mile

Running and listening to music are two of my very favorite activities. My ramblings on this blog show my love for running, and ever since I was a wee little kid I always had a fascination with music. Ironically, I do not like to listen to music while running. I never understood the appeal. I don’t mind watching TV while on the treadmill, but I don’t enjoy TV very much. Music, however, is different.

This morning I decided to change things up a bit and listen to some songs on my Zune while on the treadmill. This was because I had recently downloaded a bunch of new songs and was excited to hear them. After listening to a few songs I realized why I don’t like running to music; I can’t fully enjoy both at the same time.

I think some people listen to music while running because they don’t particularly enjoy running so the music helps them pass the time. Others probably aren’t huge music fans so it is more of a background thing. Not with me. When I am running, I like to stay in touch with my thoughts, my body and my running form; I don’t like to “escape” into music. And when I am listening to music, I don’t want to be doing anything else (although driving is a good thing to do with music playing).

I also think it is foolish when people listen to music during races. I know this is a controversial subject these days, but it can be dangerous. I was recently running in a race and, while in second place, I noticed that the leader was about to take a wrong turn. I yelled at him, but he kept going. I later found out that he was listening to an iPod and never heard me (and yes, I did finish ahead of him). I can think of several other times during races where it was necessary to have my “ears on”.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/21/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:21:40.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:09.8/mile

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 02/20/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:19:30.00

3 miles easy pace, 6 x 800 intervals with 400 rest intervals, 2.5 miles medium pace, 1 mile at marathon pace (11 miles total)

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/19/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:27:16.00
• Distance: 11 miles
• Average Pace: 7:56.19/mile

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 02/18/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:26:50.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:40.98/mile