Breaking the Wall

A.M. Ran with the kids - 4 with Benjamin (1 with Joseph and Jenny), then 2 with Jenny and Julia, Jenny ended up with 3. Then 3.5 alone, and 3 more with Sarah on a bike. Did some pickups - 200 in 35, 400 in 72.5, 600 in 1:47.6, 400 in 67.7, and 200 in 33.3.

P.M. "Always on the run" mile.

A.M. Did an odd workout. Wanted to do 80-90 quarters for 5 miles. Did it for 1.75, 88-78-92-78-92-79-93 and then decided to just tempo the rest of the way in. So ended up with 28:53. Was not happy with how I felt. It seemed that I had to move my feet very fast to maintain 87 quarters, and yet for the life of me I could not go faster no matter what I tried. Total of 9.1 miles for this part of the run.

Then ran with the kids. 4 with Benjamin (1 with Joseph and Jenny). Did 0.75 pickup in 4:26. Then 2 more with Jenny and Julia. Total of 15.1 for the run.

P.M. "Always on the run" mile.

A.M. Total of 12.5. Jenny ran 3, Julia 2. I did 4 with Benjamin including 1 with Joseph. Did 8x200 pickups.

P.M. "Always on the run" mile.

A.M. Did a total of 15.2 with a 2 mile time trial of sorts. The goal was to maintain 5:20. I managed to do it for the first mile, and then started losing it slowing down to 83,83,84 quarters, and then kicked in 80 for the last one. The end time was 10:50. This is not bad as it could be, but it does highlight a problem. What I do not understand is the fluctuations that pop up seemingly for no reason. From time to time I have a better day, e.g last Thursday and last Saturday, then it is followed by a multitude of mediocre days like this one. I am starting to suspect a cumulative lack of sleep that accumulates a droplet at a time with the body entering a state where it does not want to take the sleep that it needs. Possibly in combination with glycogen depletion.

Did 4x200 afterwards. Another concern is the difficulty of hitting times as slow as 34.

Jenny ran 3, and Julia did 2. I did 4 with Benjamin, one of it with Joseph. Benjamin and I finished with 4:23 last 0.75.

Day of rest. Went to church. Had good lessons. In Sunday School we learned about the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then the Elder's Quorum lesson was on work. It was a Fast Sunday, so we had a testimony meeting after the Sacrament.

A.M. Did 2x100 strides, then 1000 in 3:02.6. The goal was to run anaerobically for a little bit as it supposedly stimulates glycogen production if followed up aggressive carbohydrate intake afterwards. I added a 30 minute nap later for good measure as I was feeling my body was capable of taking it. 

Total distance was 10.2. Added a test tempo at the end to feel the marathon pace - 0.75 in 4:23. The kids ran mostly on their own - I just joined Benjamin for about a mile. Benjamin did 4, Joseph 1, Jenny 3, and Julia 2.

A.M. Did 2.4 with a 0.75 in 4:08, then did total of 6 with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3, Julia 2, and Joseph 1.

P.M. Short nap.

A.M. 6 miles before going to the temple, did 1 mile pickup in 5:42. Felt decent. The children ran on their own - Benjamin - 4, Jenny - 3, Julia 2, and Joseph - 1.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Did 2.2 before running with the kids with 1000 in 3:00.3. The idea of this 1000 is to stimulate glycogen buildup. I also noticed, perhaps of more interest in my circumstances, that hard anaerobic running in the AM makes me want to take a nap in the afternoon, and I feel something different in my body when I wake up from that nap. I am suspecting that I am getting more than just glycogen buildup out of this if the nap is taken. There is some hormonal activity going on, possibly an increase in the levels of testosterone and friends.

 Then ran with the kids, total of 6 -  Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3, Julia 2, and Joseph 1.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. 6 with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3, Joseph 1, and Julia 2. I did a pickup for a mile in 5:29. Benjamin did the first quarter of it with me in 83. The mile felt very good, effortless, there was some zip in the legs. This was definitely an indicator that the naps did something. But the real proof will be seen in the race tomorrow.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Utah Valley Marathon - 2:33:23, 6th place.

My workouts were predicting 2:35 or so. I  have struggled to understand this long sequence of troubled workouts with seemingly no progress, and finally after some prayer a thought occurred to me. The problem is not biomechanical, or fuel, it is hormonal, and it is  in some (possibly more than one) hormone that controls the power of muscle contraction. I did not have the resources to figure out which one it was. So I decided to assume testosterone and hope that the natural treatments of that problem will help with whatever hormone X is involved. I would call this a tentative shot in the dark that was lighted up by inspiration, so the dark was not quite as dark. I solve difficult computer problems like this all the time, so I figured apply the method to physiology and see what happens.

I decided to apply some natural remedies for boosting testosterone. One of them is naps. I spent last week napping. I feel the performance today indicated that I am on the right track with the naps and other things.  I was able to start at a pace I would have considered suicidal, or beyond that, impossible, a week ago, and in spite of that was able close only 3:27 slower in the second half (1:14:58/1:18:25), with a 5:56 mile from 25 to 26. I treasure sub-6:00 miles after 20, they are precious and dear to me, and do not happen unless I am doing something right.

It soon  became apparent that Clyde and Dave wanted to run like Steve Jones and Sammy Wanjiru today at least in the early miles. What was worse is that I did not recognize Ben Van Beekum at the start, and did not realize he was in the race. So in my mind my choices were to run aggressively with Dave and Clyde or to run alone. I did not want to run alone at all, so the choice was obvious.

Mile 1 - 5:47. Bryant Jenson, Hillary Kibet Cheruiyot, and another Kenyan pulled ahead, while Paul Petersen, Jake Krong, Clyde and Dave, and I were together. It was uphill, and at 5800 or so feet it felt hard. But I figured I'd hang in there while I can. 

Mile 2 - 5:29 (11:16). Downhill starts. I am happy with a sub-5:30 more relaxed but still too fast for a marathon effort. Still the same company. I am sure hoping that Clyde and Dave will wisen up soon because I do not want to run alone and I do not want to run that fast either. But it is a race, you cannot just say "Can you guys please be nice to me?"

Mile 3 - 5:05 (16:21) This was an odd mile. It did not seem like the downhill or the effort increased dramatically. Maybe there was a bit more downhill, and a bit more effort. Possibly a mistake was made in the calculations when the course was certified and the mile ended up being short. Which would mean another mile would be long to make up for it because you cannot certify a course without extensive documentation, etc, for the entire length, but you are not required to provide as much documentation for each individual mile. During this mile we had a spread - Paul and Jake started pulling away, and Dave made an effort to go with them while Clyde and I stayed back. I breathed a sigh of relief, as it gave me some hope for more reasonable pace.

Mile 4 - 5:31 (21:52). Dave pulling a way, Paul and Jake pulling away, but still visible, I am sitting on Clyde's tail hoping for survival. That is the only way I can survive this pace. This had a mild downhill, but we are still at around 5600 feet or so. The effort eased up, though, and I was finally able to talk. I told Clyde we were headed for 2:24, and it accounted for the hills later on if we maintained the effort. Of course, neither one of us had done anything lately that would suggest we would be able to maintain such a pace to the finish on this course, but it is nice to think with faith. It gives you boost to know that you can at least start the marathon like this. That is 70% of the battle.

Mile 5 - 5:30 (27:22). Essentially a repeat of mile 4. We got caught and passed by a Kenyan runner that looked like Jon Ndambuki, but I could not tell for sure.  He must have not been having a very good day as we passed him back a few miles later and he dropped out.

Mile 6 - 5:37 (32:59). Less downhill, reduced effort as well. I am starting to consider helping Clyde with the pace, but I do not want it to be faster, and he is doing a fine job.

Mile 7 - 5:54 (38:53). The downhill ended,  I think, and we eased off even more to prepare for the climb.

Mile 8 - 6:00 (44:53). Start of uphill. I am noticing that the effort is getting reduced on the uphill. So either  Clyde is struggling with the uphill, or maybe he is backing off on purpose which a smart thing to do. Either way, fine with me. I am all for taking a little break to recover from the aggressive start. This mile was just an appetizer, though, the main course was served in the next mile. Clyde asked me what we would hit in the half. I said anywhere from 1:14:30 to a low 1:15:00. We passed the Kenyan back.

Mile 9 - 6:14 (51:07). Now the main course of the uphill meal. Survived with a reasonable measure of dignity. Clyde asked me for an effort estimate. I thought this was worth 5:50 on a flat mile.

Mile 10 - 5:34 (56:41). Downhill. With Clyde's help got going after the uphill quite well. Was very pleased with this mile.

Mile 11 - 5:32 (1:02:13). Downhill. Clyde's support crew lead my Mik'l showed up and cheered him on, so the effort increased a bit into the red zone again. I told him it was not time to push yet. At this point I knew enough about his condition to offer advice. Earlier I did not say anything about the aggressive pace because it may not have been aggressive for him. At the same time Dave, who has been in front of us since mile 4 by about 20 seconds started to  come back.

Mile 12 - 6:07 (1:08:20). A rich dessert served in the uphill meal. I forgot about this dessert, but I remembered when I saw it. Two years ago it was the first mile, and I ran it in 6:07. So 6:07 on mile 12 was quite acceptable. 6:00 AM is too early of a start for me in terms of emptying the stomach completely before the race. So I started to feel it and to make plans for a quick stop.

Mile 13 - 6:05 (1:14:25). This mile was quite eventful. It was still rolling, so it was not very fast. Dave really started to fall apart and we passed him. My need for a bathroom stop intensified, and I was faced with a problem. This race has gotten too big, too many spectators. No virtual privacy for a VPB. So I had to jump into a port-a-potty. Set a port-a-potty PR of 16 seconds, at least Clyde's official half split is 16 seconds faster than mine. I may have been inside for a bit more as I surged a bit right before the stop, and maybe a bit more right after, but it could not have been more than 20. I got out right when Dave had caught up, and he commented on my efficiency.

Half - 1:14:58. Technically sub-2:30 is still possible, but not quite. I am creating different plans dreaming of 2:33, optimistically hoping for 2:35, and disaster control of 2:38-2:40. Which one will it be? The first half depends on you. But the second half is a gift of God.  Some people think you can improve your second half dramatically by taking it easy in the first half. You can to a point, but not really. You can help it with training, but even then you can get a surprise.

This is when the real suspense begins. Now is the moment of truth. Have I been a good boy? What is in my Christmas stocking? A toy I was hoping for, a toy beyond my dreams,  a toy I would not be unhappy with, a really crummy toy, or just coals?

Mile 14 - 5:55 (1:19:20). Clyde is not coming back to me, and no wonder. If I am going this slow, he is not coming back unless he blows up royally. This split concerned me. I know things get worse for me around 18. So I am starting to mentally prepare for damage control.

Mile 15 - 5:53 (1:26:13). I have not crashed yet. How many more sub-6:00 do I have, and how bad is it going to get after that? It does not look like I will have any sub-6:00 after 20, but can I hit a couple of 6:10s? If so, let's say 1:56 with respectable change at 20, and then last 10 K in 39:00, so 2:35. I will not be unhappy with that given all the troubles I had before this race. But maybe it will get worse? Can I really do 39:00 for the last 10 K today? It has been worse. Then be humble, be thankful you can run at all, and take the best you can get.

Mile 16 -  6:15 (1:32:28) . Second serving of the uphill dessert. The pace is a cause for serious concern. Mentally preparing to deal with the upcoming crash. Said a prayer that I will not lose the strength in my muscles at 18 miles more or less with the idea - "Please let me make it to 20 before I blow up, and maybe, if I have been a good boy, to 21".

Mile 17 - 5:58 (1:38:26). Still sub-6:00. One more mile to see if my prayer will be answered.

Mile 18 - 5:42 (1:44:08). The downhill helped, but  I am still encouraged. When you are seriously blowing up, you stop being able to use the downhill to go faster. At least I am responding to the downhill some. So maybe I can live another 3 miles. Started passing half-marathon runners that started at the same time as the marathon.

Mile 19 - 5:54 (1:50:02). My prayer was answered - I am thankful for the strength that I was able to maintain for one more mile.

Mile 20 - 5:46 (1:55:48). Now that is quite a bounty of blessings. I would have been thankful for 6:05. Very thankful to still feel strong. The density of the half marathon crowd has increased, now passing more people per minute. That is both a plus and a minus. Plus because you can focus on visible targets that can be reached within a minute but are not as trivial as landmarks. When you are starting to struggle it becomes very important to break the big task into multiple easy-to-reach goals. The importance of having a target to focus on can be appreciated by the fact that we tend to slow down by 5-10 seconds a mile in the dark at the same perceived effort when such targets are not available.  The minus comes because you have to swerve.

Mile 21 - 5:58 (2:01:46). Sub-6:00 after 20! A sigh of relief. Now I know that the worst statistically likely is 6:30, and it is not coming until after 24. Ben Van Beekum passed me on this mile and he was moving fast. I considered latching on, but decided not to disrupt the rhythm as it did not appear likely that I would be able to hang on for more than half a mile. I did not recognize him, though, but my thoughts were - this is a collegiate runner doing his first marathon, his PRs are around 2:00 in the 800, 4:25 in the 1600, and 15:00 in the 5 K. He was too scared to start faster, and now he is full of energy.

Mile 22 - 6:00 (2:07:46). Another 6:00. Only 4 miles to crash over. The last one can be saved some with the "smell the barn" effect. I am still feeling strong to run one more mile respectably. So only two miles to really lose time on. Encouraging.

Mile 23 - 6:05 (2:13:51). Expected, but thankful that I am still following a reasonable slow-down curve. Particularly thankful that there are only 3 miles left. Ran through a portable shower. It was very nice.

Mile 24 - 6:23 (2:20:14). Uphill mile, but not enough to justify 18 second drop. So there was some slippage. Still thankful to be moving.

Mile 25 - 6:05 (2:26:19). Recovered from the slippage. Two factors helped. Knowing I had only 2 miles left, and Clyde appearing as a reachable target. I was still not sure if I'd be able to deal with him once I caught up because if it took me too long by then I might crash myself, and he might start benefiting from the "smell the barn" effect. But now I was mentally racing a competitor rather than just the clock. I could have tried this earlier, but I think I made a wise decision earlier to not worry about catching Clyde and just let it happen naturally if it was meant to happen.

Mile 26 - 5:56 (2:32:15). Caught up to Clyde, He picked it up. I ran with him. Then we approached another portable shower. I did not want to lose contact, but I knew I needed to cool off. So I went for the shower. Two girls of considerable size who were in the half marathon were going through it at the same time. I warned them and managed to go through it without collisions. When I got out, Clyde was not with me, or ahead of me. So the only other possibility was that he was behind. I stepped on the gas and started running scared. The fear was irrational, if you closed 20 seconds in a mile on somebody that late in the marathon, there is a mathematical expectation that you will gap him by 40 in the next mile, which is essentially what happened. But I threw math out the window, and used this irrational fear to get a faster time. With the finish approaching, and with the knowledge that Clyde has run a 4:15 mile at one point, the fear of being caught and outkicked was greater than the fear of blowing up.

Kick - 1:08 (2:33:23).  I wonder if it was a bit short as this comes out to 5:11 pace. I was kicking as hard as I could, but it was 5:30 pace at the fastest. As I was approaching the finish I was happy to be done with the race, I was happy that I avoided the expected slump at 18 in spite of the early signs of trouble, and I was happy to have finally demonstrated a semblance of form that gives me hope for the future.

After I finished, Benjamin raced in the 5 K and finished 10th overall with 19:36. That is his new record. Now we have two people in the family that can break 20:00 in the 5 K.

Hillary Kibet Cheriuyot won with 2:19:18, then Paul 2:19:29, Bryant 2:21:24, Jake 2:21:47, Ben 2:31:59, then me, Clyde 2:34:16, Dave 2:42:06, and Jeff Shadley won the masters with 2:42:15.

Jenny and Julia did 2 in the AM, then Jenny did not want to run more because it was getting too hot. I ran a mile in the evening with Joseph and Jenny. The legs felt a bit sore, but I could run without a limp, so I was happy with that.

Much needed day of rest after the marathon. Went to church. The stars aligned and I taught both in Sunday school and in the Elder's Quorum. I get to do this due to being the ward mission leader and the Elder's Quorum instructor at the same time. I do not get to teach the Elder's Quorum that often, but I am in charge of the new member class. And, of course, I forgot to delegate, so I got double blessings, which I could use. The lesson in Sunday school was on the ordinance of sacrament. The Elder's quorum lesson was on obedience. During the lesson my phone, which had the lesson manual on it started to malfunction somewhat. I figured it must have happened for a purpose and used the incident to illustrate the importance of being obedient to God's commandments with exactness. We should not malfunction when asked to do good things, and God never asks us to do anything that is bad. Of course, we are at a much higher level than just a gadget. We have God-given agency. He gave us the ability to disobey His commandments to give us a chance to develop our faith. Thus, when we obey, we choose good over bad, and our faith grows, or, in fact, actually has a meaning. Tools or mere creations cannot have faith because they cannot make decisions. We can. What an irony it is when we begin to insist that to prove our ability to choose we must choose bad. 

Benjamin and I often study chess games of grandmasters using a games database. And there are times when out of let's say 30 games, in all of them the same move is made in the same position by 30 different players of high caliber. Sometimes it takes us a while to figure out why. Why not be original and make some other move?  After some analysis, and sometimes with the help of a computer, we are able to see why not. It loses the game. How interesting that out of 20-30 possibilities there is only one that works. But it takes a high skilled player to notice that. To me, this is a powerful lesson in not trying to be different for the sake of being different, being humble enough to recognize that there is only one reasonable choice in a particular situation, and you must not be afraid of uniformity.

A.M. Ran 6 with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3, Julia 2, and Joseph 1. Then 2 more, did a pickup for 0.75 in 4:24. Felt like I had done something on Saturday, but not too terrible.

A.M. Total of 10 including 6 with the kids. Jenny and Julia did 2, Benjamin 4, Joseph 1.

A.M. Total of 10 including 6 with the kids.  Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3, Julia 2, and Joseph 1.

A.M. Ran 12.5 including 6 with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny, Joseph and Julia 2, Joseph ran 2 miles for the first time, and it was a good start. His time was 17:08 and he earned a prize. Being a little scientist he decided he wanted a digital pH meter. I did a mile pickup in 5:23.6 to test the legs. They did not feel as fresh as before the marathon, but OK.

A.M. 12.5 including 6 with the kids. Jenny did 3, Joseph 1, Benjamin 4, Julia 2. I did a mile pickup again in 5:20.7. Felt a tiny bit stronger that yesterday.

A.M. A repeat of what I did 2 weeks ago. 15 mile run including a 2 mile time trial. Pleased to observe that the time trial went better one week after the marathon that one week before: total time 10:45.7 with the splits of 79, 79, 81, 80.5 (5:19.5), 82.5, 81, 84 (a car was parked in my way in the fishermen parking lot, lost probably a second from the extra distance and the loss of rhythm), 78 (5:26). Two weeks ago the time was 10:50 and the splits were the more or less the same through the first mile, but I lost more time in the second mile. I am happy to note that even post-marathon, I am seeing a slight but noticeable gain in strength.

Next week I hope to succeed in luring Fritz with a post-run breakfast and whatever else he can be lured with and have him pace me through this workout.

As part of the run, ran with the kids. Benjamin and Jenny did 3 (Benjamin had a sore throat), Julia and Joseph 1.5. At the end of my run I did a 0.5 pickup in 2:52.

Day of rest. Went to church. The Sunday school lesson was on the law of the Sabbath, then a lesson on families in the Elder's Quorum,. The sacrament meeting talks were on the role of fathers. Then a short nap, followed by a meeting, and missionary visits.

A.M. Total of 12.5 including kids runs. Benjamin ran 4, Jenny 2, Julia ran 4 with Sarah, Joseph ran 1.5 in 12:42. I did a pickup for 0.75 in 4:13.7.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Did a warm-up, 2x100 strides, then ran 1000 on the trail in 3:01.6. Was running steady to 600 (1:46), then a bear jumped on me. That is actually good. The idea was to fight the bear for a little bit so I would want to take a nap in the afternoon.

Ran with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 1.5. Joseph set a record for 1.5 with 12:06 and the last mile in 7:58.

P.M. Nap.

Some thoughts. I have been assuming for years that the biggest hangup that keeps me from running better is biomechanics. But perhaps I was wrong after all. I am starting to think that the hang up is the lack of muscle power relative to body weight. In other words, the problem is that the muscle needs to be this big to produce only so little power, and when it does get this big, then we are in a vicious cycle because now that it has more power it has to carry its increased weight. It manifests itself in bad biomechanics, and poor speed at the same time. The supporting evidence for this explanation is this - I have observed that the average 120 lb male that does not do weight training can lift more weight than me even if I do lift weights. My weight is 145 lb. Now, of course, this is just arm strength, so there are flaws in the argument. But this does point to a problem of some kind that could very well apply to the legs. Another argument to go with it is that my quads are quite large for a guy that struggles to run 100 in under 14.

A.M. Ran some my myself and some with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3, Julia 1.5, and Joseph 1.25. I did a mile pickup in 5:13.8. On the positive side I volunteered it. On the negative side I felt like I was carrying a bear after the first quarter or so. On the positive side again I did not seem to mind carrying the bear and in spite of the bear I did not slow down - the splits were 78, 78, 80 (bridge), 77. I am wondering if the path to improvement involves some interaction with the 800 meter - 1 mile race bear. After all, how do you make your slow twitch fibers strong enough to run sub-5:00 without a lot of help from the fast twitch? Not by running 5:40 tempo runs for sure. You may build the aerobic plumbing for sub-5;00 by running 5:40, in fact, by running 7:00 - 7:30 for a lot of miles, and that is a necessary step, but you will still lack the power. But the power will not come from sprinting because the fast twitch fibers steal the show. So the idea is that we disable them first by running for a couple of minutes at a good speed, we know they are dead when the bear jumps on the back, and then we run as fast as possible for some more. This should give the slow twitch fibers maximum recruitment which will hopefully give them a kick to become stronger. To actually make them stronger in response to the stimulus we need a solid recovery - the right foods, maybe some magic herbs, and of course a nap.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Did 2x100 strides, then 1000 in 3:00.9. The splits were 35, 1:47 (72), then a high 73. Almost there at the target. The plan is to get it to the point where it is under 3:00 with the last quarter no slower than 72, then extend it to 1200. The bear did not feel as heavy as he used to, and he jumped with about 200 to go instead of 400.

Ran with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny, Julia and Joseph did 1.5. Total of 12.5.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Total of 12.5 . Benjamin and Jenny were spending the night at the grandparent's house, and ran on their own - Benjamin did 4, Jenny 3. I did 1.5 with Joseph and Julia. Sarah also rode with me on a bike for 5 miles. I did a 0.5 pickup in 2:29 and felt very strong.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Total of 15. The demon of reduced muscle strength is visiting me again. I tried my routine 2 mile time trial and did 78, 79, 80, 81, 83 - after that I felt it was not necessary to continue as it was apparent that something was wrong, so I stopped and jogged for the rest of the run. Towards the end I was curious, and did another pickup for 0.75 to catch up to another runner who I've run with a few times - his name is Ryan. I did 78, 80, and then 85, but it had a 100 in 24 while I was getting through the puddle under the bridge, so it was more like 82. Exact same pattern, and same feeling. After about half a mile all of a sudden I feel a loss of strength.  Did 1.5 with Joseph and Julia as part of the run.

P.M. Benjamin and Jenny came home and still needed to do their run. Jenny did 3 by herself, while I ran 4 with Benjamin. I wanted to understand the reduced strength demon problem better, and decided to do my 2 mile time trial again with the idea that I go only for as long as needed  and only finish it if 80s feel comfortable after the mile. Benjamin joined me for the first 500 meters or so. It went like this this time: 77, 79, 80, 83 (5:19 for the mile). After that it was again apparent was was going on so I discontinued the tempo. OK, so at least it is not worse at the end of the day after running 15 miles in the morning. So it appears that I enter this odd state of fatigue from where it just does not get any worse, I suppose. I would compare this to being perpetually in the second half of a better than embarrassing marathon.

Day of rest. Went to church. Had a lesson on fasting in Sunday school, then another lesson in the Elder's quorum on Elder Uchdorf's talk in the Priesthood session about reaching your potential. Then talks on reverence in the Sacrament meeting.

Went with the missionaries to a missionary discussion in the evening. They were reaching a 9 year old boy and his mom. She just got out of the battered women shelter into a house. The discussion was on the Word of Wisdom, part of which is staying away from alcohol. The boy told about his experience witnessing his dad's DUI arrest.

A.M. Did my strength test again. See how long I can hold 5:20 without having to sprint. So I did 79, 80, 80, 82 (5:21). Not good. Jogged some, decided to try again to see if the failure comes sooner. 80, 80,80, 80 (5:20), 83, 82 (8:05 for 1.5). Hmm... That is the oddest pattern. How does that work? You would expect that after getting to the point of not being able to run another 80s quarter without a significant effort I would not be able to return to the same condition after only 10 minutes of jogging. A possible explanation is that my slow twitch fibers cannot go faster than 5:30. So if I want to run 5:20 I have to recruit fast twitch, and they fatigue after about a mile. Fast twitch recover pretty fast, and are ready to go again after 10 minutes of jogging. Slow twitch are not fatigued, in the meantime, they just cannot go fast enough.

The feeling is also rather odd. At 80 the stride feels relaxed, like I am only recruiting a fraction of power. Then when I slow down, all of a sudden it feels like I am recruiting every fiber there is to recruit, like I am trying to squat with maximum weight. That does go along with the fast twitch fatigue explanation. It takes only a fraction of fast twitch power to run 5:20 pace. But it does take all of the slow twitch power to run 5:30 if the fast twitch are not helping.

Ran with the kids Benjamin did 4, Jenny did 3, Julia and Joseph did 1.5.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Decided to run a little less today. Here is the theory behind it. There are three important factors to be aware of when trying determine the optimum length of the run. Aerobic stimulus, fatigue hormones, and strength hormones. Aerobic stimulus increases in proportion to the length of the run. The fatigue hormones increase in proportion to the length of the run as well. If the fatigue hormones overpower the strength hormones, you may get stronger cardiovascularly, but it does you no good because the muscles are too weak to use the aerobic power. The tricky question is at what point the fatigue hormones begin to overpower the strength hormones. I am suspecting this critical point varies not only from individual to individual (obviously), but also within the same individual based on his level of strength at any given time. So if the strength hormones are doing well, you can throw a few more miles at the body, and you will do fine. If not, they get overpowered.

I did notice over the last month that running only 8-10 miles in one run compared to the normal 12.5 correlated with the increase in strength, and then returning to 12.5 gave me a decrease again.This was rather odd, I thought, because in the past I did not notice any such difference. In fact, in 2007 I ran 13 miles in one run followed by another run in the evening with no loss of strength. So I thought if anything, I would only get a reduction in the aerobic power from running only 10 instead of 12.5. But solutions are often found by exploring odd possibilities. A good rule of thumb is that a solution to a difficult problem often involves an odd move. If it did not, you would have seen it already, and the problem would not be difficult.

So I decided to see if that was a coincidence, and ran a bit less today - 10.25 including kids runs. Benjamin did 4, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 1.5. I did a couple of pickups on the trail just for fun.

A.M. Repeated my 5:20 pace test. This doubles as a workout, but I am more interested in using it to see if how my naps, magic foods and herbs, mileage variations, and other forms of magic affect the muscular performance. So here is what happened: 79, 78, seeing the pace was drifting upward I eased off, 82 too much, but now I could not quite get it back up, 81 (5:20), then I said if the next quarter is slower than 81 I am going to 1.5 otherwise full 2, 81, 82, 82, 80 - 10:45.4 for 2 miles, which is the fastest time and the best split (5:20, 5:25) since I started doing those tests. So apparently I did something right between Monday and today. Will try another 2 days of 10 miles instead of 12.5, and see what happens on Saturday.

Ran with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny 2, Julia 1.5, Joseph 1. Total of 15 miles.

P.M. Nap.

A.M. Easy 10. Ran with the kids - Benjamin 4, Jenny 3, Julia and Joseph 1.5.