Denouement

Happy new year everybody!  

AM: 5k easy run.  Didn't want to run longer since workout was starting at 2:30pm. 

PM: Had a really hard workout scheduled for today.  It was 3-4 x 2 mile reps, 5 min rest between.  That is hard enough but its the pace that was freaking me out: 11:20 target, so 5:40.  That is really tough, esp since if coach says 3-4 that means "4 unless you are partially injured or a sissy".  Not either.  So, I recruited Curtis who very generously met me in the middle of the day (worked before and after--that's right on New Year's Day).  Warmed up 2.25 miles (switched to miles for this workout--novel and a bit foreign) then first 2 mile segment was into the wind (Fo Tan to University bathrooms). There were about 30 bikes parked around the twin bridges intersection and we lost a couple of seconds there, but made them up. 11:21.  Sweet.  I would have been happy with 11:30 with headwind and it being the first one.  We turned around for #2 but went over the twin bridges to ma on shan side toward tai wai (to avoid bad intersection): 11:09.  During this rest we ran to a vending machine and bought water and I had a gu.  Already tired.  Did 11:26 on #3, not sure why since there was tailwind, but we did lose a couple of seconds when I didn't communicate the direction I wanted to go and Curtis went a different way than me.  Curtis had to get back to work so I was on my own for #4, and I turned around.  Headwind and tired, but got 11:20 exactly.  Some tears at the end, because effort was so hard and so happy to have completed the workout and to have evidence that I am in great shape.  A confidence booster going into the half marathon this Sunday.

This Sunday's half marathon is the Hong Kong marathon championships.  I know Yiu Kit Ching is going to try to unseat me (I won last year and beat her for the first time in a 10k the last time we raced).  The course is HILLY and the course record is 1:19:30, so will be tough but possible.

Stretching when get home :D

Day 1 of no sweets. Will be sweet - free through Standard Chartered on February 24th. 

4.57 ave pace

AM: assumed 5 mile tm run, don't remember 

PM: Did a 400m workout, goal was 84-85, launching on the 2:30.

4.65k warm up

400's were: 80, 84, 82, 85, 83, 82, 83, 83, 81, 83, 83, 83, 84, 83, 85, 82

5.35k cool down  

12.4k, 4:44/k ave pace 

8:03k at 4:50 ave pace

The Mizuno Half Marathon is the first race where I met Yiu Kit Ching last year.  She had run a 10k the day before, and I was somewhat out of shape after plunging myself mouth-first into the holidays after Yokohama, but I won that race in 1:22:55.  Then she beat me in the next four times I raced her, up until December, where we both posted PRs in the Shek Mun 10k.  So our rivalry is making us both better, and I came into this race 2-3.  I also come in with the momentum of two big half marathon PRs.   But she is the terrible combination of a strong runner and a great race tactician and the local favorite, so I knew she would fight for the championship.

Meanwhile, I had the runs the night before the race and poor sleep.  I felt ok race morning, though I earned four stars, and was afraid that my antidiarrheal medicine, which I normally take before a half, would not be enough because it didn’t seem to be working. 

The first 15.5k of this race is large hill rollers.  Not ideal course for a half marathon championship if you ask me, but no one did.  Coach Paul advised me to push the last flat 5k hard, and to be in the lead (without YKC drafting) before the last big uphill (which was about 14k).  The course record was 1:19:30, so I thought if I got 38:30 for the first 10k (hilly and net up) then did 3:45/k (6:00 pace) the rest of the way I could shave 15 seconds somewhere and get the course record.  Unfortunately I split 38:30 in correctly while running, thought it was 19:45/19:45, obviously it is NOT. 

First 5k: 19:44 (last year was 20:22, so right where I should be) I lead up the first uphill which is so steep and quite ridiculous.  My breathing was so hard 1/3 the way up so I backed off, YKC caught up, I let her take the lead and followed.  We were about 4:00 at the 1k, just right.  I let her lead for the next k, just drafted off her and other guys, let her pull me along.  Then I led for the 3^rd k, then she led again starting 4^th k and I was just fine with it.  I felt like I was not mentally sharp and just waking up, but I also felt it was smart to let her be the one to push the pace.  This 5k is net uphill but lots of rolling

Second 5k: 19:18, YKC led most of this, there was a long downhill that she just hammered from 6-7.5k and I just tried to stay close, knowing it was going to get both of our legs very sore, then there is a flat bit out and back.  She seemed to rest here, I take the lead, we turn around then face the same hill we just screamed down.  She catches me (she is so smart, taking a breather before the big hill) I almost let her go on this hill, but I keep in contact with guys who are between her and I and just will myself to keep with her.  The hill ends at about 9.5k, and I am up with her by the 10k mark.

Third 5k:  We have a short out and back (perhaps a k each way), and I surge at perhaps 10.5k and try to catch up to guys ahead of us, simultaneously trying to bring distance between YKC and I.  At the turnaround she is perhaps 4-5 seconds back.  So by 11k I am leading by 5 seconds! Now it is rolly but downhill for a while, and I push the pace, running scared because she pushed the last downhill hard, and the next uphill I am supposed to be in the lead and alone.  I feel good, though.  As I incline, though I am feeling fatigued and feel like I need to go to the bathroom!!!! So distracting.  The 15k mark is somewhere before this crests hill and I got 18:02

Fourth 5k: About a minute before cresting the hill I hear in my mind, “Charlie, we’re going to candy mountain, Charlie!  Charlie, come with us to candy mountain!”  This is from a silly viral video on youtube my kids made my husband and I watch over Christmas.  It reminded me of my kids and made me smile and I made it over my candy mountain.   Then there is the terrible starting hill in reverse, which is pretty much too steep to fully take advantage of, I am just trying to get back into sub 3:45 pace.  By the flat part I get to 3:45, hit a water stop, then there is a short hill at around 17k then we hit the finish line (but have 2k out and back).  I hear them announce me and then announce Yiu Kit Ching so I know she is close (it has been over 5k since the last turn around and since I have last seen our positions).  I am so tired but tell myself I don’t have to run the last 4k faster than her, just as fast as her.  I see the clock and realize I had done some miscalculations and would not be able to break the record which is a bit demoralizing.  When I am up the hill to the flat dyke 2k out and back my watch says I am at 3:50/k pace, so I lost time on the hill, and YKC is close!  I try to inch that pace down, and it gets to 3:47 eventually.  I see her at the turnaround and she is perhaps 10-15 seconds behind.  I need to push!  My  time for this k is 19:01. 

Now just 1.1k to go.  At about 800m to go I tell myself to try to run a 2:30 800m, like I do on the track.  This did not happen, but it was good to try :D  I ran 3:41 pace for the last 1.12k per my watch.  I see the clock register 1:20, and the official time ended up being 1:20:10. Yiu Kit Ching finishes about 15 seconds later with a PR.  A PR on this course is super impressive.  She and I both fought hard.

I gave two interviews within the first few minutes of finishing the race, and I was supposed to run 8 more kilometers. I ran straight to the bathroom, and had the runs so had to hit a portapotty a couple more times, but then ran more than 5k straight at a fast pace 4:35/k. 

So in retrospect, it was a solid race.  I raced well.  I didn’t get the best time result, but that was a combination of not feeling my best and a tough course.  Glad it is over and I posted a good time for 2013. Unfortunately, there are not many good ½ marathons in Hong Kong and I don’t think I will race another one before my two spring marathons.

Legs very sore from Sunday's race.  So started in the pool. 

Pool running 50 minutes.  Got really homesick thinking how much more fun it would have been with MacK and or Josse and the good times we have had.  Then I told myself to buck up and I have good friends here and that marathoning is somewhat lonely no matter where you are because it is hard to convince people to do YOUR workout, though I have been blessed with so much help over the years.

Right after pool running I changed and did an 8.03k run.  My legs felt somewhat frozen at the start but they defrosted. 4:48 pace.

Foot/calf massage.  Hurty. 

Core workout in the PM 

It seemed like most of my day was spent on running related stuff, the remainder on obsessing about food :/ 

AM: 5 miles on the TM and rolling and stretching.  Quads and front of calves still sore from Sunday.

PM: went to Aberdeen for my workout.  SOOOOO grateful they agreed to do my workout.  It was 10-12 x 1000m, 3:30-3:45 (quite a spread) per rep, 200m jog rest.  It would have been ideal to do them Thursday perhaps, but doing them alone would have been so much harder.  So coach told me to take it easy and not make any boys cry by beating them in the workout.  There were three men who did the workout with me.  I knew one well but two were new guys to me.  Nice and consistent these men were.  One was chinese and was always a bit ahead, sometimes close enough to draft on.  The other two were always right around me.

I wanted to do the first one at 3:45 and ease my way to 3:38-3:40.  Here were the reps:

Rep	Time	Rest	Illuminating commentary
1	3:45	1:20	I remember 800m split was 3:01
2	3:39	1:15
3	3:42	1:24
4	3:34	1:56	pace got a little giggy, drink of water
5	3:34	1:30
6	3:36	1:35
7	3:35	1:29
8	3:30	2:02	This is one guys last one so went a bit fast, hard to resist the pull, drink of water in rest
9	3:35	1:31
10	3:34	1:23	Another guys last one, now just me and tough chinese dude (his name is John, at least his English name is)
11	3:35	1:20
12	3:28		Nice to let it loose a bit

3:35 ave 

 Did I mention this workout is over two hours long with warm up/cool down and Mickie and Johnny came with me.  They were being little monkeys all over the bleachers, high jump mat, guard rails, you name it. 

So excited for my 1.5 hour massage I have booked for tomorrow. My legs will love/hate me :D 

Ran really easy, accidentally overshot my 12k run (13.16k). 5:02 ave pace/k.

1.5 hour massage. Hurt! but legs felt better afterward. 

Core workout in the PM 

AM: did 24 x 2 min on /1 min off,  Started by doing 4 into the wind, then did the ma on shan loop (rolly hills on the backside, seems like got all the uphills on the hard part and downhills on the rests), then because I still had 10 reps and I felt like a glutton for punishment I did the ma on shan loop again.  3:40 ave pace for hard parts.  Not a stellar workout, but the hills challenged my sore legs (recalled all the pain on the up and esp downhill).   

I was supposed to do 25 but like a dummy thought I was done at 24 and didn't realize I missed the last one until the last 2 minutes beeped off on my watch, but I was already 3 minutes deep into the cool down slog and didn't feel up to resurrecting my legs.  I weighed 126.0 tuesday morning after 5 miles on the tm, and weighed 121.2 after this workout.  Shows what a nice workout can do toward making you very dehydrated.  Had a protein shake and big chicken sandwich when I got home.  I weigh 121.2 no more :D

4:45 pace easy run, then 8 x 80m strides

Ran Bowen Road up to Petrol station, back to bowen road back to petrol station, then to Sir Cecil's Ride (a trail, big hills to get there).  A hillier first twenty miler than I expected.  Had a couple of fast 5ks in there (pace in 4:20s), but some slow ones too, and some stairs, some getting lost and not stopping watch, so 4:59 ave pace overall for 34.75k.  Coach gave me permission to go 32k but I went out a little too far on the trail and got a bit lost, so that's what made the distance long. My legs felt tired but I overall didn't feel as thrashed as some 20 milers in the past.  First one in the bank.

Went to lunch with a friend and then we went to Tokyo Sports and spent some GC's won in races:  I got two pair of kids cleats, two pairs of kids tennis shoes (for when Mickie and JJ grow, will probably use in 1-2 years), two pairs of wave riders for Paul, and myself 4 sports bras (New Balance doesn't make these).  I still have more vouchers to spend but had to get home and was tired of looking at stuff. 

Will do core tonight!

AM: 16k easy (4:36/k pace) then 8 x 80m strides

PM: 8.35k easy run (4:49/k pace), core workout

AM: 8.18k at 4:58/k

PM: Hardest workout to date. 3-4 x 5k at goal HM pace.  Since my Taipei HM was so fast that makes this workout faster because goal HM pace needs to be faster than Taipei, right? In Taipei did 3:41/k pace overall, so goal today was theoretically 3:40/pace or 18:20/5k, but that sounded so hard, I thought I would try for 18:45 for the first one and be to 18:20 by the last one.  Curtis was supposed to join on #2-4.  I showed up early to do #1 on my own so I would finish with everyone else because we were going out for dinner afterward.  Felt good on the first one, 18:19, people starting to show up for their warm ups, waving hi, no sign of Curtis.  Saw Curtis during my break, he was just arriving, not warmed up yet, so I told him to jump in when he could.  I started #2 after 5:00 break exactly, after 3 or so laps Curtis jumped in.  He as angsty and telling the dozens of people to move out to lane 2 and he was running fast, so we got 18:08.  5:12 rest, I asked to slow down the next one, so we got 18:15 (fast first two miles, then made 88/lap seem easy for the last one).  5:08 rest, and did 18:19 for the last one.  Felt tired and wasted on one hand but on the other Curtis was holding me back (because I told him at the start I wanted to go no faster than 88).  So this workout went much better than I thought it would.  I felt the inside knee, starting on the third rep, but not bad.  I could have really used an ice bath.  Will run easy Wed for sure!

AM: 12k run then 8 x 80m strides will do core tonight

AM: 25.74k total.  schedule is upbeat tempo my choice, so wanted to help someone else.  Met viola and did about 17k with her, then did 7k at my marathon pace (3:50). Very tired.  Almost vomited on the mtr (had no gu during run but did have half an aquarius).

PM: 8.1k @ 4:57 ave pace

AM: 12k, then 6 x 80m strides

PM: core workout 

Ran 4k on my own around the track (5:00 pace), then stretched a bit and Curtis joined.  Did another 1.3k warm up, then started into the 26k of hardish stuff, in a progressive fashion, wanting to end up at 3:50-3:40 pace.  First 5k was 21:35 (4:19 ave), then 19:54 (3:59 ave pace), then 19:44 (3:57 ave pace), then doubled down, stopped talking, 18:52 (3:47 pace), 18:35 (3:43 pace), and last k was 3:40.  This workout was hard, but I felt like it was good marathon training, I told myself with 4k to go, "would you run sub 6:00 pace or above 6:00 pace if you felt like this at the end of your marathon?"  then pushed myself to keep under (3:44 pace is basically 6:00 pace).  I will have an even bigger and badder version of this workout in two weeks.  Another 3.75k at the end of cool down.

4:39 ave pace/k

AM: 

Had a fartlek workout: 16 x 2 min on/ 1 min off, then 8 min at 10k-HM pace.  Only 40 min of hard running, but it seemed like quite a hard workout by the end. Part of the reason is it was hot by the end of the run, perhaps 22C.  Anyway, did 3:36 ave pace for hard bits (and did loop around Ma On Shan, did better up the big hill), abt 3 min rest before doing the 8 min push at 3:35 pace

PM: 8.2k at 4:50 pace 

Did 60 minutes of elliptical then 8.1k at 5:15 ave pace, very slow.  Felt a bit under the weather (had horrible sleep, sore throat).

PM: core workout 

Had a 40 minute tempo run scheduled, with 30 min easy running on either side.  I hate straight up tempos, was tight on time, so thought the TM would be the way to go.  I was hoping to start at 9.8 mph and increase eventually to 10.1 or 10.2 by the end.  Well, still had a sore throat and felt awful starting into the tempo.  45 seconds in at 6:07 pace I thought I might as well just give up, then told myself to hold on through three minutes, that perhaps it would get better, then I got myself to get to 10 minutes, eventually did a potty break after 20 minutes, then did the other 20 minutes, with 10 minutes to go I went to 6:03 pace, then with 5 to go I went to 6:00 pace but was feeling gross and dropped back to 6:07 pace after 1:30 minutes at 6:00 pace.  Barely held on to finish the tempo.  It was brutal and paces weren't brilliant, but on a day of feeling off, I will take it.

PM: 8.1k very easy, 5:11 ave pace 

Ran 12k, including 6 x 80m

Massage 

Ran just under two hours easy.  Watched for my husband who was finishing his first ever 20 miler.  I saw him at his 13.4 mile point and gave him a gu and some encouragement. 4:36 ave pace for me.

Core workout in the PM 

Plan was 20-25k easy, started feeling pain behind right knee at around 6k.  Initially radiated into lower calf but then lower hamstring got more and more hurty.  Turned around at 10k, but threw in the towel at 14k as the pain got form-changing.  

60 min elliptical.

Got emergency foot massage and sports massage. Rolling, stretching, hot salt baths, etc. Being injured sucks alot of time.

Core workout 

Skipped morning run.  Did 30 min elliptical, then rolling, stretching midday.

In the PM went to aberdeen for 12 x 800m workout.  They chose the workout to fit my schedule, so I hoped the pain yesterday was a one-off.  During the warm up I could feel some stiffness but not form changing, but I knew the workout would be one rep at a time, and the victory would be just getting through the workout.

Can I just say it really sucks to shift from seeing workouts as an opportunity to push yourself and improve, to praying to make it through the workout, and trying not to lose fitness?  I did plenty of stretching. After 200m of the first rep I knew the workout was not happening.  Did just the first lap, and bailed.  Went behind the bleachers and just screamed.  Hong Kong is not a very good place to get aggression out.  There are people everywhere.  If I scream and cry at home I worry my family and my neighbors.  And there are people everywhere in public.   Anyway, I timed the guy group that I would have been with and tried to hold it together.  Went home and did 60 minutes easy on the elliptical.

Hurty massage.  Adductor also very hurty top and bottom.

45 min pool run.

Will do core now.  No plans to run this week.  My coach has dropped off the face of the earth and is no help.  But what is there to say?  Have an ortho appt on Saturday, after begging and pleading to not be shelved til next Tuesday. 

AM: 30 - 40 on the elliptical, I don't remember

PM: Had a chinese lunch and hit the pool way too soon after gorging.  So spent a full 30 minutes warming up, burping quite a bit, really feeling on the edge of an up chuck.  Then did 20 x 2 min on/ 1 min off.  Took so long.  Only did 5 min cool down.  So 1:35 total in the pool.

Evening: core workout , doing one every day, switching out the hardest new exercise with dropped old exercises (also hard) every other day

55 min pool running.  Did I do other cross training?  I don't remember.

PM: core workout 

40 min of elliptical, then very thorough stretching, then 5 minutes of easy running, pain in lower hamstring appears after 2-3 minutes, not bad but there (pain 1-2).  Ramped up speed to see if it increases, and it does, perhaps to a pain level of 4 by the time I hit one minute fast.  Turn off the tm.  Well, that was fun.  Testing it because had an orthopaedic specialist appt and felt lame saying, "well on monday got pain in my hamstring from out of nowhere, then also felt it during the 6k I ran tuesday night, but I haven't run on it since so not sure if still there. . . "

Another 50 min on elliptical after running test.

Ortho appt, 12noon:  very nice man, ordered an MRI which is very rare in HK for an injury that is less than a week old and doesn't inhibit general mobility.  I called the MRI clinic, full today, I told them I might die if they make me wait until Monday, but their first appt is Monday at 5pm.  I tell them that I can come if they get a cancellation.  They said I need to have fasted for 2 hours in case they needed to do a contrast.  So I go home and don't eat.  I am cleaning, and I think a couple of times, I should get on my knees and pray, pray that if someone will cancel, that they will call and let the clinic know.  I ignore this prompting for a couple of minutes, but then get on my knees.  I ask Heavenly Father, that if He wills, if someone is not going to go to their appointment, that they call and cancel so that I can take their slot.  Five minutes later, I get a call, there was a cancellation and could I get there in 25 minutes.  How far away to I live from Jordon?  25 minutes!  So I throw on my shoes, hop in a cab and get there in exactly 25 minutes.  This may seem like a small thing, but getting the MRI on Saturday saved a couple of days on the diagnosis, and I am very grateful for this gift.  

PM: core workout.  I did 6 core workouts this week! 

1 hour on elliptical, then did 40 minutes on an adjustable motion machine, can be more like an elliptical or a stairmaster, it is much more bouncy than the other elliptical, but I think it will work well on my next day's hard workout (and it did work well).

PM: core workout 

Sorry!  Will need to update the last week.  Still not running- going to doc in a couple of minutes for review of MRI.  

AM: 31 min warm up on elliptical (actually an adjustable motion machine- precor, orange edges), then 16 min/ 12 min/ 8 min/ 4 min fartlek ladder with 2 min slow in between.  Warm up is 12-13 calories per minute, fast bits tried to keep above 17 cal/sec, started at level 15 then moved to level 16 in the first rep, then level 16 for second, level 17 for third, level 18 for fourth.  Felt good!  Wistfully looking at treadmill next to me occasionally.  Will never call it a dreadmill again.  (who am I kidding, of course I will!).

40 min elliptical, then stretched, then 30 min on the TM, started really slow and never got fast (7.3).  Right leg felt weird but no pain.  A bit of tightness on the top ham attachment.  But no pain!  

So tomorrow schedule is 20-24 400m at 82, 200m recovery, so I will do 90 sec on/ 90 sec off in the pool.  

My tentative plan is to run 40 min really easy on the TM Thursday night, cross train Friday, and then run 20k Saturday, this is all assuming no pain.  Then do next week's workouts on the road (Tuesday fartlek) and on the track (Thursday 1,000m but not very fast, HM-M pace), then do a 32k easy run next Saturday, then do the Standard Chartered Marathon 8 days later (hard workout pace, not racing).  I hope this all works out.  The real goal is PR in Boston April 15th, but I need to get back on track.  Does this sound like a good plan for this week and in general?

PT appt in the AM.  

12:30-2:30, did a pool run.  I was going to do 90 sec on/ 90 sec off (to mimic a 20-24 400m workout) but I was concerned about all the start and stop and the 90 seconds would have to be pretty fast so the transition would be more intense.  So I thought I would play it safer and do a 10 x 4 min on/ 2 min off, this cuts down the transitions and they also aren't as jolting.  I treated each 4 min block as if they were the last 10k in the Standard Chartered marathon.  This actually makes a  lot of sense because pool running with longer segments (longer than a minute or two) is alot like trying to keep strong at the end of a marathon.  It is hard to stay focused, you have to keep up effort though measurement makes less sense.  It was actually fun visualizing the marathon and I hope hope hope I get to do it.  

PM: core workout

8pm: 40 min jog on treadmill.  Kept pace at 7.3.  It felt slow but I told myself that my goal was to get through the 40 minutes, it was a recovery run.  I felt a bit more tightening and fatigue on the problem leg than Wednesday, but still not like the pain before, I would put it at a level 1 for pain/discomfort.

big stretching session, 30 min elliptical, hike with the kids, paddle boating with the kids, more walking with the kids.

AM: Stretching/rolling session, then PT appt (e-stim, magnetic therapy, ultrasound).

PM: 20k on the treadmill.  Ran .75, then stopped and stretched, then ran the rest.  I ran 7.5 pace until half way then gradually increased to 8.0.  No pain!  The right side feels different, but the closest way to describe it is just like there is a piece of tape on the back of my leg.  Lower pain/soreness than Thursday :D !!!!

Core workout, stretching/rolling 

Ben rode a bike with me as I ran my first outside run.  Couldn't run very fast, got below 5:00/k pace toward the end.

Ran with Curtis, 6.2k warm up, then 3 x 5k.  The goal was to slowly ease into 3:50 pace and not go faster than that.  3:50 pace is 19:10/5k, and is roughly my marathon pace.  I felt quite discomboblulated in the first rep, like fast running was foreign to my legs.  Had one or two twinges in my hamstring but ok.  We jumped right into 3:50 pace, but ended up at 19:20 (3:52 pace, 4 min rest).  2nd rep was 19:11 (with one shoe fully untied for 3k, so annoying!, 5:11 rest), and third was 18:50 (3:46 pace). 

Honestly, I felt smoother with each rep, but I was disturbed by the amount of effort needed to sustain 3:50 pace.  It did not feel like marathon pace, but more like 1/2 marathon pace.  I didn't like how labored my breathing is.  I am sure I have lost a bit of fitness, perhaps just 5% but when it is from your top fitness, you can feel the difference.  Plus I am a couple of pounds up.  I am very happy to be back into training, though, and hope my legs can continue to handle it. 

Massage after workout

PM: core, walk with hubby, stretching

Stretching warm up.  Ran 11k without watch, went to New Balance in the afternoon and got new training shoes :D

PM: core workout 

AM: leisurely 20k bike ride with my kids from Tai Po Market to Tai Mei Tuk and around Tai Mei Tuk.  Very fun.

PM: plan was 10 x 1,000m @ 3:45 launching at 6 min, didn't want to run alone, but the only group that was running was doing tempo intervals around the track.  I felt like a track workout is still risky because it is my outside leg that is the "problem leg" and this is only my second fast workout.  So I decided to stick with the 1k reps but do them on the road.  I felt much more snappy during my warm up than I did on Tuesday so that was nice.  Warmed up 6k, and my reps were going back and forth along a stretch of bike trail.  Going one direction was harder (the odd ones) than the other direction (even reps), and I set my watch to have exactly 2:15 rest

1	3:46
2	3:41
3	3:48
4	3:40
5	3:44
6	3:44
7	3:45
8	3:42
9	3:45
10	3:41

 My quads were sore by halfway into the workout, perhaps some fatigue from the biking?

The workout felt much better than Tuesday, my pace generally felt like HM pace, but I sometimes started slower and accelerated, sometimes started too fast then cruised in, it was quite a mix. 23.1k total 

40 min elliptical, stretching, 5 mile run on TM, core workout, making 5 dozen sugar cookies, 6 batches of frosting and eating none of it.

4:47 ave pace for 32.22k (20 miler).  I was 8 days out from Standard Chartered Marathon, an important but not goal marathon.  I thought the fitness gains and confidence from a 20 miler would be better than rest since I had an early unplanned taper.  Felt good and pace increased towards the end, had to hold back, but quads were a bit sore and the legs felt like they had run 20 miles by the end.  Felt good after, hiked up to the top of Sharp Island with the boys in the afternoon.

Core workout and stretching at night. 

Ran Ma On Shan side in the am, and who should I see on the way back, but Coach Paul and Angela Hau (his assistant).  So I stop and talk to him, run to HKSI and have a meeting with him.  I knew he was coming back but didn't expect to see him on the bike trail.  also 6 strides

1.5 hr massage

Core in the PM 

AM: 30 min elliptical then long stretching session, then AM nap 

PM: after a long hiatus, an evening workout with Ali and Coach Paul in attendance, in town visiting for the Standard Chartered Marathon. 4.25k warm up, then lots of stretching.  We did mile repeats at goal marathon pace, on the seven minutes, so not much rest at all.  The goal was 94/lap, but felt good and had a hard time keeping it there. Mile times were: 6:14, 6:15, 6:14, 6:12, 6:15 then I had to go to the bathroom so they gave me 1:45 rest instead of :45, and then last mile was 6:14.  3.31k cool down

Pool running 40 min, then 8.67k run (4:49 pace).

PM: core workout 

AM: light core workout and stretching

PM: met Coach and Ali for a fartlek workout.  This is the first time he has run a workout with me (he's done this with Ali many times before).  It was funny because he was telling us to calm down our pace, and you couldn't be quite sure if it was because he didn't want to make our legs sore for the race Sunday, or if it was because he was suffering a bit.  He got quiet as he needed every breath during recovery.  It was sweet!  In fairness, he had played two hours of badminton before running with us.  

I wish Ali and I could race together, but she has been out of training most of January and February, so she is not coming into the race as fit as she was in 2011/2012, so we have different paces for the race.  I will be going for 4:00/k pace (about 2:50), Ali will be a bit slower.  Of course, best laid plans have a way of getting mixed up once the gun goes off :D  So I better be ready to race.  There are plenty of HK ladies that would love to beat me. 

10.28k @ 4:56 ave pace, 75% core workout

30 min easy jog plus 4 strides

Race start was 6:40 so I had my alarm set for 4:40 but woke up at 2:38am and tossed and turned until race time.  I thought I had plenty of time to get ready starting at 4:25, leaving at 5:20am, but didn’t get a chance to stretch at home.  Stretched on the MTR (subway) and then at the start.  16-17C for the start temperature, about as good as we could have hoped for.  A bit windy though.  At the start I saw Curtis and Coach talking, and I told Curtis that it was too bad he wanted to run faster than me, because I would love to have him to pace me, and they had been talking about just that before I arrived, and Curtis had agreed to run with me for 10k at 4:00 pace.  The plan was 4:00 pace, trying to break 2:50, but up to 2:52 would be ok, since this race is just an intense workout in preparation for Boston.  I went into the elite starting area, and there were over 100 people in the small area, so I couldn’t find Curtis for about 8 minutes, but we found each other with a couple minutes until start time.  We saw Chris, another Italia Running Club member and convince him to run with us. 

We start a bit fast, and after a k I have a cramp in my high rib cage.  I tell the men I have it, and they give me some advice.  I am glad I got the cramp early, because I think I was able to keep calm and get rid of it (blowing out strongly a couple of times a minute) after about 6 minutes.  At 3k, I saw my kids, who had traveled to an unfamiliar MTR stop to cheer me on. I yell at them back, “Go team Lowry!”.  From 3k to 9k it was gradual uphill, up an overpass then a big bridge.  Curtis is going a bit faster than I want to, but I just hang back, and figure it is better to go 5 sec/k too fast with help, than to go 4:00/k pace on my own.  First 5k was 19:59, perfect.  The 10^th k is downhill off the bridge into a tunnel, and Curtis says the time is 39:47 I think, the 2^nd 5k was about 19:48.  I have the 5k-15k stretch as being 39:30, so 3:57/k.  I am still running with Curtis, and he indicates that he will probably speed up at By this time we are close to one 180 turn and see a huge lady pack way ahead of me, about 8-9 ladies, a couple of straggling ladies, and a secondary pack with a couple of ladies and some men.  My 4^th 5k was 19:42 (3:57 pace) then the ½ marathon split was 1:23:21.  I was panicking a bit about going out too fast. The first half felt a bit too fast, not as comfortable as I planned, but I was comparing the experience to Yokohama, where I went out too fast and crashed and burned bad.  At Yokohama I think I came in the half at 1:22:30, felt worse (already lactic build up), this time I knew I was in better shape, and came through the half slower, and felt better, so I hoped I would be able to continue the race strongly.  By the ½ way point, I knew (from a second 180 turn) that I was 3 minutes behind the nearest lady, and was far enough ahead of the ladies behind that I would not get passed unless I slowed significantly.  We went into a second tunnel at about 23k, and at 24k we were still in the tunnel and Curtis took off.  This 5k was net downhill and I got 19:19.  25k down, and I thought:  I have 17k to go.  Not a good thought.  I was feeling the need to go to the bathroom and took the 29k portapotty, got 20:07 for that 5k including the potty stop.  I think about 3-4 guys passed me.  I reeled in two guys in red singlets and black bandanas (how cute—racing twins) and we traded leads for the next several k.  This section is downhill, and then more downhill into a tunnel that goes below the Hong Kong Harbor, a 2k tunnel that takes us from Kowloon side to the Island.  So the downhill into the tunnel is steep and I am thinking, man I have to come up this on the other side!  No garmin in the tunnel so I try to keep in contact with the two red singlet twins, who are running stronger than me now.  I try to run efficiently, even though I am tired.   I reach 35k in the middle of the tunnel: 19:36 for the 5k, good, so 3:55/k.  36 k is 4:09 coming out of the tunnel, not bad. As we go uphill out of the tunnel, I try to just keep in touch with the red guys and other guys that are with them. One red guy breaks away and passes two other men.  The other one fades.  After the 36k marker, I continue uphill and turn, and hit some bad headwind with no one to block me.  The hill levels, then I have another uphill.  There are guys ahead of me but I am having a hard time getting back sub 4:00.  I try to throw down a “hammer” or surge, but only cut the distance in half between me and the guy ahead, so I continue to battle the wind alone.  I am headed for a 4:20 for about half a k but settle down into a bit faster pace. The 8^th 5k (including the 4:09 36^th k) is 21:00, so 4:12/k. I am trying to just slow the bleeding because I know I am headed for sub 2:50. Last 2.2k is 9:00, which was more like 4:12, then sub 4:00 for the last k. It was very inspiring to see the 1k to go sign.  I picked it up, but knew I had more in the tank, but thought, “this is good enough for this race”.

My watch said 2:48:16, but official time listed was 2:48:17.  My second best marathon to date, on a challenging course (perhaps two minutes slower than a pancake flat marathon).  I don’t feel sore all over my body this evening, though I am tired, so I think I did a good job balancing the desire to race well, but not race-race this.  I didn’t want to kill this race then be too depleted and beat up to continue my training for Boston.  I will be taking it easy this next week but then will continue on with my training.

Paul ran his first marathon and had a hard time, foot hurt from 12 miles on, almost quit twice, but he finished, I think because he was afraid of my scorn if he didn’t.  He could have gone sub 4:00 if he had had a good day, but he got about 4:35. 

Official results are not in, will fill in my place when they are released tomorrow.

40 min pool running then 60 min very slow jog 5:35 ave pace/k

36 min elliptical then 10.25k @ 5:27 ave pace

Core workout this evening 

Ran around the park waiting for my son's track meet to start.  I am sure I did some crosstraining in the am.

Core in the pm 

10.77k at 5:14/k pace

Core int he PM 

5:05/k pace

8:30 pm:  11.61k.  Ran in the evening after going to an amusement park with the family.  Miserable running because I had eaten a calzone about an hour before.  Then did a core workout.

AM: 6 miles easy on the tm, then 1.5 sports massage

PM: 5.3 miles on the TM including 4 one minute pushes at 6:00/mi pace

Core workout 

Ran a medium run, 18k, with three pushes of abt 200m each.  Was depleted and tired by the end, 4:45/k ave pace.

PM: 6.5k run @ 4:40/k pace, core workout 

AM: 5 miles easy, legs feeling much better and even

PM: 10.97k at 4:43/k ave 

4:42 ave pace, med long run, PM: core workout

10.9k with a friend at 5:12/k pace.  Stretching and rolling at night

AM:  I met Curtis and ran up to Bowen Road (miserable stairs and climb for 4 minutes), then ran to the far end of Bowen Road for a warm up.  Plan was 3 x 5k.  He has led me in some fast workouts and I was thinking I would not be so fast, still shaking the cobwebs of the marathon off my legs, since this is my first workout back.  On the track we did 4 x 5k before my two week injury in the low 18's.  This is marked road.  I was hoping for 3:50 pace for the first two (19:10) and 3:45 for the last (18:45).  We went out at a blistering pace on the first one and never quite settled into a slower pace, until perhaps the last k. 18:26.  A TAD faster than I wanted.  We slowed it down for the second one.  We were trying for 3:55 for the first k, but came through at 3:50, and we stayed at that or faster for the rest of it: 18:57.  On the third one I wanted to beat my first 5k rep time (18:26). Because if I couldn't, it meant the first one's pace was a mistake.  If I could, then perhaps it was ok (though more even would have admittedly be better).  Each rep had a turn around since Bowen Road is 4k long, so this one had a turn around at 2k, so we decided to go out conservatively for the first 2k then pick it up the last 3k.  That's how it went: 3:45, 3:47, 9:21 (2.5k split), then were sub 3:40 til the end: 18:23. Just over 2k cool down.

PM: 7.6k really easy while boys scootered and skateboarded. Core workout 

Ran 12.06k at 4:48 in the am, did a 6.6k run in the PM, core workout

Son with sore throat on Sun/Mon, other kid with stomach flu on Mon = mommy gets both on tuesday 

AM: ran 5 miles on the TM

PM:  Met Ali and a crew of chinese runners and Curtis at the Wan Chai track.  3.08k warm up at 4:49 pace.  Workout was to do 12 x 800m on the 4 min, with a goal pace of 4:40.  I have done 10 of these at 2:38 ave, but I should have backed off my goal because of the way I felt, but I ignored it.  In addition to feeling sick, have my monthly visitor and weighing in heavier so just feel yuck.  Here's how it went:

Rep	Time	Rest	Note
1	2:43	1:17	didn't feel easy, tell myself have to ease into these workouts, usually first is slowest
2	2:40	1:18	felt better
3	2:40	1:20	felt better but needing potty break and rests are not long enough, Curtis encourages me to do one more rep before potty break
4	2:40	1:25	rest time includes quick potty break
5	2:41	1:20
6	2:45	5:15	wheels falling off, lack of energy/stamina, decide to rest out one then see how the rest of the workout goes, potty break
7	2:40	1:19	taking another stab, tell myself 2:40-2:45 is just fine
8	2:39	1:20
9	2:42	2:38	Curtis and Lo Lo's last time, I am on my own so see if Ali is doing more, but she is done, so I have three on my own
10	2:41	1:19
11	2:41	1:18
12	2:42
Ave	2:41.2

 So I was persistent if not brilliant in this workout.  I am a bit stubborn, because I should have perhaps adjusted the whole workout, but I will adjust my plans for my next workout (long run Friday).

Ran to Ben's school and watched him run a 1500m race at the Ma On Shan track. 4:52 ave pace.  Still feeling half sick. Core workout in the PM

AM: 12.55k at 4:49/k ave pace

Met Curtis for a long run.  Still not feeling well (head cold, some stomach issues).  I scaled back this run then to just be a long run with hopefully a fast 5k end.  5k paces for this run were: 4:42,4:28, 4:28, 4:28, 4:30, 4:28, 3:48.  

Ben had a track meet for his school.  Got 1st in his 200m heat in 35 seconds (there were no semis or finals).  Then he ran an 800m run and got 2:55, which is better than his 1500m of 6:09 predicted (it predicted 2:59).  So I was chuffed.  Also it is great to get times for him so I can suggest workouts for him.  I just wish I could get him to run daily to build a base, but base-building isn't sexy enough for a 13 year old. He just wants to do intervals.  Can't force wisdom on your kids :D 

5 miles easy, have a 10k race tomorrow.

5k warm up.  Still feeling my head cold.  And Yiu Kit Ching is here.  So a bit sick, tired legs from long run on Friday, and my nemesis is ready to go.  I start off pretty well, about 3:35 for the first 3k, take the lead at 1k from an african who is training in HK (she got fourth in the Shek Mun race in December).  At the turn around I was 18:21, not bad, but not great either.  The course record was 37:10 so I wanted to beat that, but also didn't want YKC to beat me.  She was perhaps 10 seconds back at the turn around.  I try to push but am slowing down, the next 3k was 11:08, about 3:43 pace, and I am still in the lead.  I decide to make the 9th k like the last k and I pick it up, but then we take a curve and she takes the inside and passes me (the inside is a bike path and we are not supposed to be on the bike path).  So I am on the sidewalk like a doofus and she takes advantage, cutting the course a bit in the process.  I should have gone with her, but instead I basically fold.  7:34 for the last 2k.  37:06. Pathetic.  I just stopped caring, but I cared alot after crossing the finish line.  Very upset at myself.  But this is a good lesson to RELEARN.  Why do I have to relearn this again and again?  Even if you think you don't care in a race, you will care as soon as you cross that finish line, so leave NOTHING in the tank.  Be gutsy and race to potential.  At least this lesson will be fresh as I race Boston.  So my nemesis beats me again.  I have excuses.  Good for me.

6k cool down. 

AM: 45 min elliptical.  Reading Pickwick Papers -got it for free on my Ipad.  I am a little late on this, but so excited to be able to get free books where the copyright has expired.  This is my first one.  I love Dickens.  He his hilarious.  

1.5 hour massage, then 1.5 hour nap--time to get rid of this cold

PM:  7.75k run, then after dinner core workout and stretching/rolling 

AM: 8.15k at 4:48/k ave, feeling normal

PM: 6 x 1600m reps planned for tonight.  It starts to rain in the afternoon, then pour, then I get an email that it is an Amber rain storm (meaning heavy rain), and there is thunder.  I am bent on doing the workout, though it takes 45 minutes to get there.  I email runners to tell them I am still going.  It is raining moderately when I get there, and the track isn't flooded, but within 10 minutes it is raining hard with lightening (though it is not close, still scary).  Everyone else is under cover, and eventually a loud speaker requests that everyone get undercover.  Not a great sign. The first runner from my group comes at about 15 minutes to workout start time and we laugh because the rain is now coming down hard and sideways.  I put in a long warm up (7.25k) because I am not so sure the workout will actually happen but with 5 minutes til the workout start time the rain pretty much stops, and the track gradually drains (it was partially flooded during downpour).  A small valiant group is there for the workout, but unfortunately I am the fastest.  Still, it is great to have witnesses and people to start with.  I haven't been very sharp with VO2 max type stuff since my injury, so I have some trepidation coming into the workout, but there is plenty of rest (400m jog).  I decide to start at 5:45 and hope I can drop from there, but given my 10k on Sunday and being on my own in this workout, I would have been happy (maybe not happy, but OK) just maintaining 5:45. 

 

	Time	Rest	Philosophizing
1	5:43	2:36	Started out too fast on first lap
2	5:41	2:58
3	5:41	3:30	Went to the bathroom between 3 &4, and took a non-caffeinated ANS gu (a sponsor of Italia Running Club--shameless plug)
4	5:41	2:57	took my shirt off for this one, not sure if feel better because went potty, or bc shirt is off, or bc more than halfway done, but this one felt easier (22-23C and humid)
5	5:38	3:04	A guy named Anson jumped into this mile after one lap, so did 1200m, ran beside me but a little ahead on the outside of lane 1, helped me push a bit harder
6	5:36		This one was hard and I did an 80 sec last lap to practice caring when tired (when I write up my yucky 10k from Sunday you will understand)

So I felt not sick all day, but after warming up I felt a bit of sore throat, but didn't feel it really in the workout.  I am happy with this workout and I think it shows my legs are coming back, especially since this workout is on the heals of a long run (last Friday), then 10k (last Sunday).  6k cool down

AM: ran 12.5k, felt better than I thought I would, 4:50 ave pace.  It is starting to get toasty, 25F, 75-80% humidity, but mostly cloudy so that was good.  Almost dripping-on-the-MTR hot, but not quite.  

PM: core workout, 20 min walking on the TM at 3.6 pace and 15% grade, then 20 min elliptical 

AM: 22k at 4:30 ave pace/k.  Went on the back side of Ma On Shan for a rolling hill run, and came back the same way.  Trying to prep for the Boston rollers in a modest way.

PM: ate lunch with a friend at a Vietnamese restaurant, then hit the TM an hour later.  Thus started slow (7.0 pace) but gradually ramped up to 7.8 pace.

easy run, 5:00/k pace, felt a bit dizzy first half, but felt better coming back

will do core workout tonight 

Was planning a long run with a marathon tempo with Curtis, but he had to bail late Friday night, so I had nervous sleep and was on my own.

The plan was 35-36k with 26k tempo toward the end.   I wanted the first 5k of the tempo to be 4:20-4:25, then drop down below 4:00 pace for the remainder, getting faster as I went.  This workout was truly a test of grit.  I have never done a long tempo like this alone, and it was hard.  I went out 9k warming up.  At 7k or so I heard what sounded like a biker yelling at me but I ignored it.  I don't really want to "hear" "get out of our bike lane" anyway.  The bike lanes here are generally asphalt, and the sidewalks are cement when you are lucky, brick when you are not.  So I generally run on the bike path.  At around 8k, who comes up on me but Roberto on a bike.  He hasn't run in about three months and it is has been sad losing him as a training buddy, but here he was.   Though my running pace and his biking paces don't mesh well.  He had already biked 60k so he biked along side me for 4.5k.  Here's how my tempo went:

	Pace (k)	Pace (in miles)
1st 5k	4:16	6:53	Roberto was with me for part of this, so far so good
2nd 5k	4:04	6:35	Wanted to be a bit faster, but was just easing toward 10k
3rd 5k	4:00	6:28	This had some hills, so happy to hit 4:00
4th 5k	3:58	6:25	Wanted to quit by now, but tell myself to try to bring the pace down as I go and I can quit at 20k if needed
5th 5k	3:56	6:20	really wanted to quit in the first 2k of this 5k but told myself even if I just keep 4:05 the workout will improve my fitness.  Was 4:01 ave pace at 2k, then picked it up for the last 3k

 So I allowed myself to stop at 25 instead of 26k, but had about 2k of cool down. Though my paces were not stellar, I have never done a tempo this long by myself, and I battled my demons and negative splitted, and if I can do this on my own without taper (and I had heavy shoes on) imagine light shoes, taper, race magic, and people with me.  I think a great marathon is possible (please let there be good weather!).

Ran from home, 12.3k at 4:58 ave pace.  Started really slow then picked it up as I woke up.

PM: 40 minutes on the elliptical, core workout, stretching, rolling 

AM: warmed up just 3.75k then did 20 x 2 min on /1 min off fartlek.  Wanted to keep 3:40 pace and ended up at 3:38.2 ave pace for the fast bits.  I wanted to bag the workout after the first one, and again at about rep 11, but got through it and felt strong in the last 5.  A good lesson for the marathon, you might feel better in another 8 miles!

PM: Ran with my kids Mickie and Ben to Kowloon Tsai Park.  I run there often and it takes me 3.2k the way I go, but we went more direct which was more hilly, and 2.3k.   They went the whole way only stopping at two lights.  Then Mickie rested and I put Ben through his first true track workout.  We did a ladder.  I wanted him to do 200m (42s), 400m (90s), 800m (3:00), 400 (90s), 200 (42).  This turned out to be rather too challenging for the uninitiated.  He just got a 2:55 800m, so I was trying for the 400m and 800m to be at goal mile pace, then the 200m at goal 800m pace.  He's just so new to this that he hated the workout and whined about not being a distance runner (like any lazy kid he thinks he's a gifted sprinter).  So here's how it went, with me running along side him or in front of him:

200m (45s, 2:11 rest), 400m (93s, split as follows 43, 50, 2:35 rest), 800m (3:21, something like 96, 105, 3:04 rest), 400m (93s, at least he is consistent!, 2:57 rest), 200m (33s--him showing me who is boss, he even slowed significantly in the last 10m, I was more like 36-37) so he was not happy after this and I think I set unreasonable goals for the workout, but it is hard to know.  I am learning!  It is frustrating because I could be an awesome coach to my kids, but try telling an 11 year old (or a 13 year old) that training for a long race can be "fun".  Only hard core kids would agree.  My kids are soft, like little marshmallows.  I love them for trying to please me :D, 

Jogged back so got 6.6k (4.1 miles) 

In the evening I went to the HKAAA awards banquet and got one of six excellent women athlete awards for 2012.  There was a bigger award ("Best Athlete") and I didn't win that, but the woman who did was an Olympian, so there you go.  

AM: met Michael Lam for an easy run, nice conversation. 4:59 ave pace.  

PM: 50 minutes on the elliptical 

AM: ran 8.58k easy (4:57/k pace)

Midday: core workout

PM (start warm up 6:30), ran 3k warm up with lots of stretching.  Today is the last big workout before Boston.  It was 4 x 5k at goal marathon pace.  So not too aggressive, but long, trying to dial into goal pace.  Curtis joined me which was pretty essential for a workout like this.  His goal marathon pace is 3:45 and mine is 3:50 (well actually more like 3:53 but for the workout, it is much easier to keep round numbers).  So he was able to chat quite a bit, and I was able to eek out half sentences some of the time, so it was much better than being alone.  3:50 pace makes for 19:10 5ks. 5k's were 19:04 (about 3:30 rest), 19:10 (4:46 rest), 19:08 (5:12 rest), 18:53, picked it up a bit the last few k of the last one.  This workout is pretty good at mimicking the fatigue you feel in a marathon.  I turned to Curtis after the last one gave him high five and said, "Time to Taper!" He has a marathon a day before me in Korea.  I am excited and so happy I haven't gotten injured between these two marathons.  Just 664m cool down 

Dressed up to do elliptical but the gym was closed (Good Friday).  So I did amazingly little today.  1.5 hr massage, 7k run with my son and husband and two younger kids biking, so slow. Stretching at night.

Went to a church easter activity with the two youngins, then did my long run, starting just afternoon.  I took my oldest son Ben, rented a bike, and he gave me water support in the tempo bit at the end.  It was raining when we started, and windy most of the way.  The rain ended perhaps at around 10-15k.  I wanted to do the last 10k in marathon pace, but I was soaked and there was stiff headwind, so I decided to wait until the headwind stopped, which I knew would be around 6k to go.  Turns out there was still some headwind at that point but it was swirly wind, so sometimes tail wind, sometimes head wind.  5k in 3:51, the last k in 3:42.  My true marathon goal pace for a high 2:43 is about 3:53.  My real goal in the marathon is to break 2:45.  That would be sweet. 

Ran 12.37k at 4:50 ave pace.  Had horrible sleep the night before and no food before the run so a bit tired.  Core workout and stretching at night.

AM: 7.04k at 4:52 ave pace, stretching

PM: Went to aberdeen for a track workout.  It was 5 x 1600m with 90 sec rest, 10k pace.  So the kind of workout that sneaks up on you.  I rested a bit more than 90 sec because the guys I was running with finished a few seconds behind, until the last 2.  6.91k for a warm up, stretching. My goal was to start at 5:45 and not slow down.  I would be tickled pink if I could run a 10k at 5:45 pace.

	1600m	Rest
1	5:43	1:32
2	5:42	1:38	Way too fast in first lap, 82, slowly allowed myself to take some of that time back
3	5:43	1:36
4	5:37	1:34	Felt fatigued from the start on this one, thought I just ran as fast as I wanted to in #5, but I still needed to do #5, Ultramarathon guy keeps up with me on this one
5	5:31		Ultramarathon guy takes off right from the start on this one and gets a 5:19, another guy keeps up with me and pushes me in the last lap
Ave	5:39.2

So I was able to go faster than I thought I could.  My left SI has been a bit niggly when I am not running, but when I run it is fine, including in this workout.  I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow so will have him work on that. 

5.5k warm up.  I got diagnosed with tonsillitis on Saturday, but only feel under the weather, so I am doing this race!  Also the weather was unseasonally cool (about 15C), so it was a good race day.  I ran this last year in 37:30.  This year I wanted to break 37 minutes, but not kill myself doing it, since my marathon was 8.5 days out.

My friendly neighborhood nemesis Yiu Kit Ching was not here, but Ali Chow was.  She is not really a threat though since she is more of a one-pace marathon specialist, and has never broken 38 on a road 10k.  The race is out 2k, back to the start, then out 3k, then back to the start so I will record the splits and compare to the prior year (I had them in my head and so was comparing in the race).

	This year	Last year
2k	7:26	7:31	I started out really mellow, Ali right by me, about 30 guys ahead of us, and I was using to draft as there was headwind, I started to surge to frog hop to guys ahead after 750m
2nd 2k	7:20	7:30	I thought there would be tailwind, and the splits say it is so, but it felt like headwind, after the turn around I had to surge to catch a guy pack to draft but the lead guy slowed and I had to take the lead to make pace, have a pic on my FB of me leading the guys at around 3k
3rd 2k	7:31	7:32	The headwind probably a factor for this and the next k
7th k	3:47	3:46
8th k	3:38	3:50	I felt like the 8th k killed my chances of a sub 37:30 last year so I wanted to run this strong, and was able to :D
last 2k	7:07	7:20	About 3:37, then 3:30 for the last 2k
	36:52	37:30

About 3k cool down. I was happy that no men passed me in this race after about 750m.  That was cool.  Ready for Boston!   

AM: 15 min elliptical, stretching, then 4 miles on the TM in 31 minutes,

PM: 1.5 hour massage, core workout, then stretching.

Detoxing off of Coke Zero in preparation for Boston in one week! 

Last night my son woke me up in the middle of the night because his throat hurt really badly.  So I had a nice 2 hour sleepless period.  So in the morning I got up at the normal time and got the two younger chickies off to school, then did 15 min elliptical and some stretching, then took my son to the doctor, then took a 1.5 hour nap, then did some work around the house, then got a 45 min oil massage--so nice.  Then off to the kids school to volunteer for the athletics club.  Finally got to my workout at 6:20pm.

Met Ali at HKSI.  I thought I might be able to meet the new track coach, but he was not there.  He is a sprint specialist anyway, so meeting him is just a nicety.  Anyway, Ali and I warmed up about 3k, then we did 4 x 1600m at goal marathon pace, launching on the 7 minutes.  I felt pretty bad during the warm up.  It was very humid, though not hot (87-92% humidity) and my throat felt constricted.  I felt ok during the day (just half awake), but felt worse in the warm up than when warming up for the 10k.  I don't thing my antibiotics are helping, it must be viral.  I felt much better after starting the workout, and envisioned the four miles as the last miles of the marathon.  Miles were 6:14, 6:10, 6:12, 6:08, Ali went on to do 2 more.  She was scheduled to do a North Korean marathon this week, but HK pulled the trip due to safety concerns.  2k cool down.  Felt good afterward, but now I am fading.  Day 2 w/o coke zero and I am feeling it!

Used mapmyrun to see how I ran after running with a battery-drained watch.  It was not as cold as Saturday morning, about 44F, similar to race-start conditions.  Lots of stretching, but also a bit too much walking around.  

I went the the elite technical meeting, and found out that I had been bumped up to having water support, so spent time in the evening going back into Boston with my bottles and gus. 

First of all, I feel awkward writing about my marathon when such a tragic event happened associated with this event, which affects many families negatively.  My race didn't go well, but my disappointment was promptly tempered by the tragic bombings at the Boston marathon today.

Last night I just got 4 hours of sleep, but that is not too uncommon, got a good night of sleep the night before.  I took 2 antidiarreheal medicines at around midnight.  For more rest laid in bed resting from 2:15 to 5am, though I couldn't fall asleep, I felt pretty rested.  I went to the elite buses early and at around 7:15 I took 75 mg of indomethacin and a third anti diarreheal.  This is what I normally do before a marathon. 

I met a girl named Kelly who had the same time goals as me yesterday at the elite meeting, so we rode up together and lined up together.  I had written on my arm my splits for each 5k for 2:44 at even effort, which was 19:25 per 5k, I was fine going under a bit in the first half, though it needed to feel easy the first half.  

I realized with about 7 minutes to the start that I forgot to put on glide.  Am I an amateur or what?  I also forgot something else that I still can't remember now.

Here are my splits and description:

Mile	Mile split	5k split	Comment
1	6:16		The front pack starts out SLOW, and most women were in that pack, I back off after perhaps 800m, wanting to keep it easy, and Kelly is in the back of that slow front pack. So we ran together for about 3 min!
2	6:11		There is a headwind, not bad but persistent, so I draft of ladies as much as possible, I feel by now that though I haven't felt my tonsillitis for days, that I felt off, like I was a bit sick
3	6:08	5k 19:10 or 19:11	I continue to draft in a small second pack, about 5 ladies
4	5:57		I start feeling better and pull out from the second pack, trying to chase some stragglers from the 40 person front pack which has started to fall apart
5	6:14
6	6:07	38:12	Feeling good but trying to hold back
7	6:08		Somewhere around 7 miles I start to feel like I am going to need to go to the bathroom early in the race, but I try to hold off
8	6:22
9	6:17
10	6:28
11	6:21
12	6:12
13	6:36		Right after the 12 mile marker I went to the portapotty, took a bit longer than a normal break, but not bad, probably cost me 30 seconds.
14	6:23
15	7:06		Right after the 14 mile marker I had to go to the bathroom again, not a fast experience, I have a bit of a cry in the marathon, because I feel bad, like this is going to be a miserable experience, stomach is upset, and I spend time trying to decide if stomach is strong enough for my 5 hour energy drink which is in my 25k water bottle stop, diluted by water (about 15.6 miles), I am upset about the time lost but feel like I could still be sub 2:45 if I go strong (had a 1 min cushion)
16	6:08		I get my pace back on track, stomach settles and I drink most of my 5 hour energy drink
17	6:40		There is a hill in here, and I don't take it as strong as I should, I am not focused on my watch but on my effort, I try to stay relaxed, a blond chick passes me and attacks the hill, another girl passes me whose goal was 2:46, another girl joins me and we trade off
18	6:44		The girl who I trade off with pulls ahead then falls on the asphalt, she seems to be ok (I talk to her) but falls behind for a bit, a little dazed, first Newton hill here
19	6:21		This is supposed to be a downhill mile, right? I feel like I need to go to the bathroom, but I try to hold off, because the men are about to pass, and no bathroom is close to the road
20	6:35		Small newton hill, men pass me right at the 20 mile mark
21	7:36		I find a bathroom at this mile and obviously spend some quality time in it, because this is a downhill mile!!
22	6:21		Try to get back into the race, legs killing, stomach sour
23	6:53		A bit of downhill, feeling deflated
24	8:03		I am considering how awful it is, all the effort I put forth to get in my best shape and to not get a PR (2:47:08), let alone the sub 2:45 I hoped for, I pass my mom and she takes pictures, I beg vocally for the downhill to stop, it is torturing me. I frantically search the side of the race for a bathroom, I find one and spend some more quality time there. People everywhere, and they noticed me hopping in the john, so when I get out there's some faint cheering, so I raise my hands and I get a large cheer and I get going again
25	6:52		I get into the groove in a limited way
26	6:49		An Asian dude passes me (I think from Japan) but he is going slow, so I keep with him for a while.  He doesn't like it and slowly breaks away.  What is with the hill out of the underpass.  I was going 6:35 pace before that
.22	1:24 (6:33 pace)		I hope no lady will zoom past me and none does, so grateful it is over

 So normally in a marathon I lose 25-90 seconds on bathroom breaks.  This time it was more like 4 minutes.  That only counts the actual potty time, not the overall effect of the abdominal upset.  I was also thrashed from the hills, and have a new respect for this course.  I should have trained more specifically for this course, more hills and downhill training, if I wanted to have my magnum opus here.  But I think I could have totally PRed modestly without the stomach issues.  When I crossed the finish line, there was more relief than disappointment.  I did not break down, I knew the issues were out of my control.  Kelly finished right before me and was really disappointed because she struggled with tunnel vision the last three miles.  I did perhaps make a mistake in taking so much indomethacin so close the marathon.  I have taken 50 mg without any stomach issue, but 75 was more uncharted territory. I did not cry until about 40 minutes after the race, and that was when I was trying to explain to my mom the work and emotional effort I put into the training for this race, because she doesn't really understand running.    

My stomach woes have continued to wipe me out this afternoon and evening (9 trips in 9 hours).  Watched a lot of coverage on the bombing, which occurred when I was in the shower.  Tired and emotionally drained. I am grateful that my mom and my friends are safe, but those injured and killed are someones family and friends.  I wonder how his bombing will affect race logistics at Boston and other races in the future?

Taking a week off of running.  Legs quite sore.  Walked alot around Boston though.  Visited China town (lame, but fun to see how overpriced their goods/massages are), Beacon Hill, the Massachussets State House, Little Italy.  

Flight home.  But first walked 25 minutes to a grocery store and found some pink and white frosted animal cookies for Mickie, his request from America.  Also brought home: handisnacks, fiber one bars, granola bars, trident, teddy grams, wheat thins, cinnamon toast crunch, easter candy for next year, candy for Ben's junk party.

Lost day--got home 5 minutes before midnight.

60 min elliptical, oil massage for $12 USD.  Commiserating lunch with Roberto.  He suggests doing Yokohama again in November.  I will think about it.

60 min elliptical.

60 min elliptical

40 min elliptical in the AM

Wanted to run 12k between Ben's events at a track meet in the afternoon, but they ended up being a bit closer together.  This is my first run after the marathon, I checked out my watch after running about a k and it seemed screwy, 7 something pace, then 8 something pace, and the distance wasn't right, etc.  It took me about 2k to realize my watch was still set to miles/min and miles distance because of the marathon in the US.  So then it all started to make more sense :D  I tried to run faster to get in 6 miles by the time Ben did his second event.  Unfortunately only got 9.32k (watch is now reset to k's) at 4:45/k ave.  And I still missed his last event.  So sad.  But I went to his track meet the next morning (an hour travel each way to watch him do a 200m sprint). 

5:09 pace, woke early and ran around home, slow

4:48 ave pace

Woke up early so stayed up and caught the 5:30 to Tai Wai, started out slow since I basically rolled out of bed and ran to the MTR, so first k was 5:40, then dipped below 5:00 after 3k and fully awake.  Cooler today, 22.5C, 91% humidity

Today was Ben's big "JUNK" party, which means we rented a junk boat for 8 hours, and hung out with Ben's friends and some family friends while visiting a couple of beaches on close-by islands.  So I woke up early and ran close to home. Swam with the boys a bit (it was a cold day so didn't spend as much time in the water as we planned).  The party was a success and I am so glad it is over :D

Easy run, 4:50 pace

First core workout since marathon, at about 90% 

AM: 30 min elliptical then stretching

PM: Arrived at the track with just enough time to jog a single k, then 4 x 1600 (5:40-5:45) at 5k pace.  I thought I might go more like 10k pace (5:50ish), but I am in somewhat of a no-mans land.  I had the choice of going with two guys, one of which would be ahead 10-15 seconds, or with the second group, then I would be ahead 10-15 seconds.  So I started with the faster guys, and just stuck with them.  Only 90 seconds rest, which meant less rest for me.

1 - 5:39, fast guy took off, second guy close, 1:21 rest

2 - 5:42, 1:15 rest

3 - abt 5:38 (was 4:13 at three laps, but didn't lap watch in error), longer rest 2:24 - needed bathroom so jumped in with the second guy at the 300m mark of the last rep, so had to keep going when he finished

4 - 5:39

So happy to be able to go so fast, even though I haven't done fast work in a long time.  It was a short workout, and we were blessed with good weather (it was 28C before a storm that rolled in at 3pm, then dropped to a merciful 22C), so I can tell I am not 100%, but I may not be again, and that has got to be ok.  

Ran around Kowloon Tsai, 4:52/k pace

Woke up early for a run before breakfast before fasting for 6 hours, minor surgery on lip at 12:30pm, and then an enforced night at the hospital.  

Day after minor surgery.  Tried to get out of the hospital, delayed until 10am.  Stretching in the hospital in the am, then nap mid morning, then 1 hour easy elliptical midday.  Core workout at night.

Met Ali and some guys at Shatin sports ground, felt gross as we started running, even though we were going about 5:00/k, barely made it the 4k to the toilet, and she said to catch up to her, but I felt sick, so started back home, but then felt ok, so ran along Ma On Shan, close to toilets, hit the bathroom 7 times in 25k, mediocre run but glad I was able to do the long run, 4:53/k ave

Felt good 12.4k at 4:46/k, by nighttime though my stomach is quite upset

AM: 30 min elliptical and stretching session

PM: Aberdeen workout.  I was there late last week so I compensated and got there 55 minutes before workout time today.  I was starting to get stomach cramps before the workout.  I thought I had eaten conservatively enough during the day and had no coke zero, trying to calm this stomach bug down. But workouts do not help stomach bugs.  I took a pepto chewable before warming up, and started warming up really slowly, 5:40 for my first k.  Ended up doing 6.5k for a warm up.  Then plenty of stretching.  I am not big on drills, but I did some today because today's workout was fast (3k pace) so I needed to be ready to rock and roll when I hit the line.  My stomach felt fine by the end of warm up, thanks to a potty break.  Workout was 4 sets of (600m, 60 sec rest, 600m, 60 sec rest, 300m) with 3 min rests between sets, all at 1500m-3k pace, which is really 3k pace, because how could I do 6k of work at 1500m pace, and what is 1500m pace anyway?  My goal was to try to keep close to 80/lap pace. 

Set 1: 2:00, 61s rest, 1:59, 50s rest, 58, 2:57 rest before set #2  I was with a group of 5 guys, with three ahead and one just behind, two of the guys were quite ahead, so they consistently cut short my rest (other than the first rest, they accidentally did 700m on the first rep!)

Set 2: 1:57, 51s rest, 1:59, 52s rest, 57, 2:53 rest before set #3

Set 3: 1:59, 52s rest, 1:58, 49s rest, 56, 3:17 rest (guys waited for me, I had to hit the bathroom)

Set 4: 2:00, 51s rest, 1:59, 59s rest, 56, this fourth set was so hard, the rests were not nearly long enough, and the guy behind me decided to play with the big boys and was with the front group so I was the caboose.  

I am pretty happy with being able to hold onto that pace.  This should help the 5k pace on Saturday feel much more manageable.  I would like to break 18 but not sure if I have it in me, and it is likely to be quite hot (4:30pm race start time).

24C tonight, not too hot but quite humid, about 80% so I got sweaty.  A couple of bathroom stops during the cool down, and on the way home, and at home, I really have some type of stomach bug.   I was going to run 6k cool down but just got to 3.75k and on my second bathroom stop, thought that I was done, whether I wanted to be or not.

AM: 45 min elliptical, had the runs still this morning

PM: at 1pm I did my run, hoping that going later would mean my stomach would be better.  And it was. 4:55 ave pace for 10.81k, around Kowloon Tsai Park, not too hot, 23C, 91% humidity, overcast

I will do core workout tonight 

Got just miserable sleep last night.  Was hoping to do 25k with a fast finish, but with the bad sleep and high temps I adjusted to easy long run expectations. 

Ran 25k in 4:44 ave pace, with temps rising from 24-28C by 10:30am, started at 90% humidity then dropped down to 80 or 75% by the end.  Some sprinkles.  Weighed 125 by the end, so I know I sweat a lot.  No toilet issues.

Took a nap and got more sleep meds today.  

Paul woke up at 5:10am so I did too, caught the first train and was able to run an hour before getting home and starting the morning ritual with the boys.  Slow run, esp at the start, where I felt quite rickety.  Now it is time for a nap!

Will get my first sports massage today since the marathon.  My back has been acting up, and my right hammy is tight again. 

5:01 ave pace

60 min cross training?

pathetically slow, 28.5C and 80% humidity.  A bit dehydrated and drained.

5:06 ave pace.  Mercifully let hot and rained/sprinkled most of the time so I kept my shirt on. 24.5C, 95% humidity

I don't know what I did this day, honestly.

Cross training

4:52 ave pace

cross training

5:11 pace early morning run

crosstraining

Went out to Tung Chung to run with Curtis for a change.  I had a couple of spider scares. No water as we went through villages, up and down hills.  5:20 ave pace.