track fan

3:17:10.  Probably longer than 22 ... maybe 23.  I did the hilly loop course in the mountains ... each loop is about 400 meters - 1/4 mile short of 6 miles.  So, 3 loops + a little "mountain view" area I usually tag on is about 18 miles.  Since I needed to add miles anyway, I decided to add 5 miles at the beginning out from my parking spot toward the visitors center and beyond.  I guess it was probably longer than 5 miles since it took me 47:47 to run it (pretty much uphill out and downhill back).  Then I did my 3 loops.  51:35, 49:56, 47:51.

I was so tired today ... probably not surprising since I had just done 20 miles 4 days ago, had the highest mileage I have ever done in a week and did 16 miles at "faster than marathon pace" this week.  About 2.5 miles into the last loop I crested a 23 min hill and felt like I was going to throw up -- in hindsight it was because I was running the hill too hard (but I wanted to be finished so badly) -- then I got this horrible side-stitch.  I did not actually stop running but I was trying all these weird breathing exercises, was pushing on my side and even tried some bizarre stepping thing I had read somewhere (lead with a different foot or something) ... finally it sort of went away, but it was a painful 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile.   I couldn't believe the last one was so fast, I was really tired.

I did treat myself to a root-beer float today ... it was very good.

Interesting discussion with Greg last night that sounded a lot like my discussions with Dean.  Dean has had to listen to all my stress, worries, and "thinking way too much" about my upcoming marathon for the past month.  Poor guy, he is a sweety for being so patient. 

Anyway ... it is unanamous from everyone (but me until last night) that even though it is likely I am in 3:25-3:26 "shape" I most likely won't go out any faster than 3:30 pace for the first 16-18 miles.  Since this is my first marathon I have to keep my priorities in view: 1) finish the race, 2) run under 3:30, 3) learn a lot so I can run at least one more marathon (finish happy so I want to run another marathon). 

I hope to be able to negative split by a whole lot, but I need to make sure that I am able to hit at least two of my goals.  Greg says it is hard to learn from a marathon when you confound the experience by going out too fast and dying at the end.  You can't really tell what were your strengths and weaknesses were in the race and where you would like to modify your training ... speed?  endurance?  So, I will be trying to "smell the flowers, enjoy the experience, etc.".  He hopes I am antsy by the 1/2 -- but not to actually start to move ahead until 16 or 18.  My hope of all hopes is that I hit the finish line, pleased with my performance (under 3:30?) and wishing I had started out faster!!  Regardless, if I hit the finish line and it is slower than I would like, I need to be pleased with my performance (since I have done everything I could possibly do to have a good race) and work harder for next time!

There, it is in writing, now I just have to implement it!

We also modified my upcoming weeks of training to work less on VO2 max stuff and more getting me to find MP better.

Happy Monday bloggers. 

 I am very happy enjoying my full day of work without worrying about how I am going to fit two runs in ... though I generally don't feel "good" on these days, I find recovery days to be pretty hard.

AM: (9+ miles, 1:16:53) 23:40 (2.5 miles) wu 15 x 1` w/1` recovery and 22:49 (2.5 miles) cd.  This workout was a little different from my usual in that I did not jog the recovery but kept up a "brisk" pace.  I ended up doing more than half into a stiff (10 mph) headwind, which I liked better than the tailwind which always seemed to make me overstride a bit.  I would estimate about 6:50-7:00 min pace with 8:00-8:15 recovery.  The first 10 I felt like the recovery was still "fast" but I still was pretty much recovered before going into the fast bit -- by the last 5 I never did recover between them ... it was a fun pace really. 

PM: (4 miles easy).  Very busy day today ... most likely this run will be in the dark -- maybe even into the 8PM hour.  

Have a great day bloggers. 

1:05:41.  Beautiful day.  A little windy (15 mph) -- but it will be much worse later in the day (another "red flag" day with 40-45 mph winds expected - called red flag because if there is a fire we are in big trouble with the winds being this high).  

Still swamped at work.  My job is almost always stressful but because of the "stimulus package" things are actually really overwhelming these days.  Extra money at NIH means many more grants.  April 27th is the deadline for some special grants that are available and the U of Arizona could be submitting over 200 grants on this day; I am writing the methods and analysis sections for 8 grants right now, and every day I get  emails requesting help on more.  I have heard from my friends from all over the country that their institutions are submitting the same approximate numbers!  ... fun times.

Have a good day bloggers!

AM: (11 miles, 1:29:25).  8 miles @ MP. 14:40 wu, 8:02, 7:46, 7:45, 7:43, 7:40, 7:47, 7:48, 7:44 12:26 cd (I had a hard time getting back to easy pace!).   First of all, the last 5.5 miles were into a stiff headwind that really started pissing me off - I tried to imagine that this was a race and if it were a race I would have to rethink my race expectations for conditions (e.g., I would have to run slower than if it were ideal)  - it really helped me (after the first 7:40 mile after the turnaround) keep the pace under control.  I was much happier with today's run than last weeks MP runs.   I really tried to keep it a comfortably hard pace.  I wanted to make sure I was running at conversational pace, so I said some sort of complete sentence to everyone I passed (good morning, that is a very handsome dog you have there ;-) ).  And, when there wasn't anyone around I was alternating:

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers"  3 times outloud and then

"The rain in Spain falls mostly on the plains" 3 times outloud

 Pretty silly, but it really helped keep me from speeding up, especially the last 3 miles. I really wanted to get out of the wind, so if I hadn't tried to keep myself on pace I would run much harder just to finish. 

These winds have brought in some cooler temperatures, it was 38 when I started this morning and about 45 when I finished (though into the wind it felt a little chillier). 

PM: (4 miles, easy).  Will be running in Reid Park on my way to the airport to pick up my Mom.
 

1:03:32 (31:58/31:34).  Recovery run ...

Early morning meeting.

Have a great Friday bloggers! 

AM: (8.5 miles 1:14:28).  Easy run - I was only going to 8 this morning but I had to run back to the house and put a band-aid on my ankle -- it was a bloody mess, I think I have an infected blister.  Felt oh so much better today.  Last night I went to my Egoscue clinic for the first time in two months (I missed my last appointment because of travel).  I explained all the problems I have been having with my hips/piriformis/lower back ... well, it was pretty obvious (they took pictures) that the problems were stemming from my mid-thoracic region of my back.  I got a new set of exercises, practiced them in clinic last night, did them again this morning and it has made a big difference in my biomechanics.  I felt better today than I have in a couple of weeks -- even though my back is sore from the exercises.

PM: (4.5 miles) ... my favorite run.  

I have to work for another few hours today and then I am taking my Mom to the Botanic gardens and out to dinner.

I was thinking positive (and hopefully energetic) thoughts for the racing bloggers today (GO ALLIE, GO BARRY!!!).

Happy weekend.