March 29th: Mind Over Matter

Week 2 of the Richter plan is complete. One week -- 5 runs -- to go until the taper.

The story of today's long is about pushing through when everything is working against you. I fought fatigue, a sore foot, bad weather, a cranky dog... There was nothing fun or interesting about my run this morning. This one was about the end result. And the end result was worth it.

Let's start with last night. Actually, let's start with all of last week. This five-runs-per-week schedule

This is actually Jackie's photo -- I'm stealing it.

is definitely taking its toll. I've been to bed before 10:00 more in the past two weeks than I have since junior high. And with my penultimate long coming up today, I really wanted to be sure I was rested, fueled, hydrated and ready to rock. One little thing: Carol was one of the stars of her school's fashion show last night, a fundraiser for the photo club. It was a lot of fun -- the kids were cute, they really worked hard to put on a good show, and the house was packed. However, it was warm in there with the crowd, and I couldn't resist donating a little bit of extra money by chowing down on some baked goodies. So instead of rest, fuel, hydration, etc., I got fatigue, dehydration and bad-for-me food. But, much like my adventure on Sunday night, this one was worth setting aside training concerns. And Carol was really something on the runway.

That was one half of the inadequate-rest equation. The other issue was today's forecast. As I type this, it's raining. The weathermen said the rain would probably start around 11:00 a.m., so I was looking to get up and out early. So much for sleeping in and logging a little extra rest. And more on the weathermen in a bit.

I got up around 6:30 so I could get out early and beat the rain. The dog normally sleeps with Carol, and on the weekends I can generally slip out the front door before she sees me in my running gear. But Carol slept at a friend's house after the fashion show, and Lily decided to stay downstairs all night. Which meant she saw me in the morning and knew what I was up to. So of course, I felt guilty and leashed her up. Mistake. She was a complete nudge, yanking at the leash from the moment I opened the front door. It didn't help matters when three little dogs came running up to her to try to scrap -- the owner kept apologizing, but those dogs would have gotten seriously hurt if Lily had gotten into them. After a bit more than a mile, I had to deposit her back at home -- she was just to hyper for me to deal with, and I didn't want to expend too much energy that early in the run.

Looking southwest over the Matawan Creek marsh.

I decided early on that since I was kind of tired, and there was a threat of rain, I'd keep it in the neighborhood today. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, except that it's the same old stuff I've run past dozens of times. I tried to get a few new shots -- here's one looking back over the marsh toward Cliffwood Beach.

I wound up doing a lot of loops and circling blocks to add in extra tenths wherever I could. I made it over to the Old Bridge part of Cliffwood Beach, but I never ventured out of the neighborhood at all. Given the distance, you can imagine how repetitive that got.

But not feelin' it soon moved well down on my list of concerns. Around mile 6 or 7, my foot started to hurt. It's a localized pain on the outside of the right foot. I've felt it before, but never really enough to register more than a raised eyebrow. However, today it really hurt. I tried adjusting my sock a couple of times, thinking maybe it was out of kilter. That helped a bit, but not entirely. By mile 12, I was concerned I was going to have to cut it short.


Terrible pic -- that's a still flag to show the lack of wind

And, right around mile 12 is when it started to rain. At first, it was just a light shower, which really didn't bother me much at all. The one saving grace: No wind to speak of. But it got steadier and steadier as the run progressed, and between that and the foot, as I headed back to the house to get a swig from my water bottle, I seriously entertained the idea of packing it in.

But I didn't. The main reason I didn't was that, aside from the foot, all systems were pretty much go. The early morning malaise was gone. (By the way, I am a convert and now swear by GU packets.) I had lots of energy, and the real gains in a long run don't come by stopping when you're still feeling good. So I gritted my teeth a bit and headed back out.

And an odd thing happened -- or maybe it's not so odd. The pain started bothering me less. I think this was definitely one of those instances where the mind overrides the body so that you can soldier on. So I soldiered on. I decided to stick really close to home: In case it got really bad -- or if the rain got really hard -- I could get back without too much issue. So that meant a lot more circling and looping and backtracking. But I was feeling much better -- yay!

I hit mile 16 back out on the waterfront walkway (where I'd already been a few times today), and there was another runner maybe 100 yards in front of me. It was kind of fun blowing past him, knowing that the odds are he was in like mile 2 of his planned 4. I was polite and all, and mentioned the rain when I passed him again after the turnaround. But yeah, there's a little bit of a competitive snob in me, and I like that feeling when I'm well into a run.

I should mention that at this point, the showers had turned to rain. It wasn't pouring, but it was steady. I was wet. My shirt was chafing because it was waterlogged. In the home stretch, I passed a friendly lady who'd just left her house with an umbrella. She said, "You're getting wet." I replied, "I'm already wet."

What was left was to achieve my distance. Hey, guess what? I did it. I cleared 20 miles! 20.27, according to MapMyRun. Woot! Double-woot!

I've mentioned this a couple of times before, but today's run really drives home the point: The runs where you're fighting it the whole time are actually the best ones. When you get to the other side, and you know that -- despite whatever challenge was in your face -- you hit your goal, it's just a great feeling of accomplishment. Hey -- it'd be awesome to run 20 miles in the most optimal of circumstances. But to get it done today? I'm just over the moon.

And for those keeping score at home: That's 48.3 miles for the week.

I'm still hoping to get to WOW tomorrow for some strength training. I was better on the hills today than I've been, but I could still use some core work. The Richter plan would put me back on the road on Monday; I'll have to monitor my foot a bit. Given that I've already hit the peak of the Higdon plan, I can probably afford to dial back to 4 runs this week if I need to. I'll just have to see how it feels. Right now, I'm going with RICE.

Total miles since starting the blog: 530.9

March 27: One Month to Go

Light on the horizon!

Tomorrow's rest day is welcome. Even though I did a slow 5 today, I was really pretty wiped by the end. Sure, I could have gone longer -- after all, that's what I do -- but it's now time for some recovery before the weekend long.

They're open 24 hours...

There's really not much to tell about today's run. Fourth straight workout on the belt. It's beyond getting old. Finished in 48:11 -- an easy 9:38 pace. But I'm keeping an eye on the forecast now. It's supposed to pour on Saturday, and I refuse to do 3 hours on the dreadmill. Right now, it looks as though there's a small window of clearing in the morning. If I have to push till Sunday, it'll throw my whole schedule off, with the best solution to start the taper a day late.

I know I've been a bit fixated on the countdown, but today is a day worth noting -- it's exactly a month till race day. I've been working at this and thinking about this for so long, and ish is about to get real. Its amazing to consider how far I've come, and terrifying to think about how far I have to go. And it's also a little weird to think about a life without 26.2 on the radar. It has defined me for seven months now. Will I feel accomplishment, emptiness, both, or something else?  I just don't know.

What I do know is that I won't be running tomorrow. By tomorrow morning I'll have ants in the pants, but right now, that sounds good. Then I'll have an eye on the sky -- need to clear 20 this weekend.

Total miles since starting the blog: 510.6

March 26th: A Subdued Milestone

Today was "kinda long" day. Three months ago, we would have just called this "long."

The snow moved through without too much bother last night -- a little coating on the grass, but that's it. However, the wind was picking up this morning, and it has gotten progressively harder throughout the day so far. Even though the temps were OK for an outdoor run, I'm glad I didn't do it -- I think the wind would have killed me.

There's really not much to tell about my treadmill run. I've been looking for accumulated fatigue, and I certainly found it. Since yesterday's run was a real push, I was definitely not on fresh legs. And I'd say I was feeling a little tired even before I hit the 5k mark this morning. But there's no use in punting now -- I have just a week and a half until the taper. And I know I have it in me to go, so I went.

This is how I felt after 11.1 miles.

The second half of the run was just a slog, and I'd like to believe that the last few miles were similar to how I'll feel when I get into the 20s in the marathon. I kept the pace reasonable except in the very last few minutes, and when it was all done, I'd logged 11.1 miles at a 9:31 pace -- that's right around 6.3 mph. I gave some thought to getting to 11.25 -- not exactly a huge amount more -- but I was done done done. 17.6 miles in two days and 23 for the week so far is puh-lenty.

Tomorrow will be a junk 5 -- nice easy pace. It'll be on the belt, since we're expecting record low temps and still some wind. It will also be exactly one month until the race. Still need a game plan for Saturday, and I have to get to WOW on Sunday for some core work. I am really feeling weak in the mid-section, and that just won't do.

Total miles since starting the blog: 505.6

March 25th: Surprise Speedwork

Another entry where I complain about the winter. Well, not exactly. 

Last night, I looked at the hourly forecast, and it said the temp would be around 29 or 30 at running time. That's the very bottom of what I'll tolerate, but with basically no wind, I was hopeful. And then I woke up and it was 23. Ties the record low.  Jeebus. Off to Planet Fatness.

It was supposed to be tolerable this morning...

Damn weatherman.

Of course, Carol's bus didn't get there until 6:30, and then I wound up spending a couple extra minutes in the locker room (had to pee). So I was 7 minutes behind where I wanted to be.

And all of that turned out to be a good thing.

Getting in the miles I wanted today was going to require a pace run -- actually, quicker than race pace. And I'm simply better at speedwork when the treadmill tells me how fast I'm going. So I started out at a 9:13 pace and then went progressively quicker. By 2.5, I had it up to 8:57s, and by 4 I was doing 8:33s. I eventually cranked up to below 8:00s, and I blasted the final 3 tenths at a 7:30 pace. Why? Because dammit, I was getting to 6.5 miles today.

So the late start pushed me in a direction I might not have gone otherwise. If I'm going to hit my pace over 26.2, I can't just jog. Yay lateness!

Tomorrow is double digits -- 9:20s will be fine, but I'm likely back on the belt. Saturday is looking good for a long -- have to decide where to do it. And I have to get the photo taking figured out.

Total miles since starting the blog: 494.5 (which makes tomorrow a milestone day!)

March 24th: About Last Night...

Week 2 of the Richter plan got going this morning. I'm looking to exceed last week's beast output and maybe even get to 50 mikes this week, and I'm off to a reasonable start: 5.6 on the belt in 52:51 -- a 9:26 clip.

These were definitely not the easiest miles I've ever logged. First of all, why the hell am I on the belt on March 24th? 21 degrees at 6:00 a.m.? Ridiculous. But the real challenge was short rest. Saturday night, there was a critter on the roof above my bedroom, and I didn't sleep well. Even went outside with a flashlight to try to find it. But that wouldn't have been a big deal had I not had the plans I did on Sunday.

Ira Robbins (left) and Handsome Dick Manitoba (right)

Jackie and I drove into the city on Sunday evening for a very special celebration: the 40th anniversary of Trouser Press magazine. My boss, Ira Robbins, and his best friend Dave Schulps published the first issue of the Bible of Alternative Rock in 1974. Over the next decade, they interviewed and wrote about just about everyone in the rock world. And though Trouser Press never became the kind of household name that Rolling Stone is, it unflinchingly persevered and influenced a generation of musicians and music fans. The number of people who turned out last night to celebrate with Ira is a testament to how much of a mark he and the magazine have left, even three decades after its final issue.

Well, some things in life are more important than marathon training, and this was one of them. So another night of short sleep (and McDonald's at 11 p.m. since we were starving) was just the way it was. And so that meant a sluggish run this morning, but so be it. It's done, and I'm on my way into week 2.

Tomorrow will likely be as far as I can get in an hour. Wednesday is supposed to be my kinda long, but snow is on the way, and the thought of 10+ on the belt is already turning my stomach. We shall see. At this rate, I won't be surprised if it snows during the race.

Total miles since starting the blog: 488.0

March 23rd: Restoring My Faith Amid Technical Difficulties

OK, now I feel better about things.

Yesterday was the first long of the Richter plan. I decided to go to Thompson Park -- where some of the half-marathon was a couple of weeks ago -- and invited Jackie to join me for the first few miles. I've been wanting to spend more time together doing our thing, and I also figured it would help me keep my pace down a little bit early on -- conserving energy for late in the run. Then we decided to bring the dog along for Jackie's portion of the run, which we figured would be about 4 miles. I hadn't settled on a final mileage, other than "long."

It didn't turn out as perfectly as I wanted to, but there was a valuable lesson to be learned. My heart rate was in a really manageable zone for those 4 miles, leaving plenty in the tank for the rest of the run. My early marathon pace will be a bit faster than what we were doing, but -- kind of like with the half -- a slow go in the first few miles will surely pay big dividends later on in the race. What I need to figure out now is how much time I can give away in the first quarter of the race and make up later on. For example, if I average 9:39 for the first quarter of the race, can I realistically go 8:59s the rest of the way?

After Jackie headed home with the dog, I was able to get into closer to my normal pace. As usual, I improvised some of my route, crossing into Cross Farm Park in Colts Neck a couple of times, and adding some distance on the roads near the park. I also followed the Thompson Park trail along Newman Springs Road across Brookdale and the Middletown portion of the park, all the way to Lincroft School and back. As I've mentioned before, I like to find different spots when I'm able to -- running is traveling, and nothing is more boring than taking the same route every day.

Not everything worked out as perfectly as I wanted it to. Those early miles weren't quite where I was hoping, pace-wise -- and I wound up holding the leash for most of that distance. And, as usual, it was hella windy. Everything heading west was laborious, and even crosswinds were somewhat uncomfortable. But the temperature was good, so I didn't have to wear extra layers. And I had a couple of GU packets, which I used around miles 8 and 13 -- and yes, they helped a bunch. Takes about a mile for it to kick in, but then you feel three or four miles fresher, for sure. And overall, I was just in better shape. Unlike last week, by the half-marathon point, I still felt good. And though I started tiring as the miles got up there -- particularly the miles into the wind -- I really had a lot in the tank.

And then, somewhere between miles 17 and 18, my phone died.

I know my splits from mile 5 through the end were all in the 9:00 range, and I estimate my distance to be 18.4 in an overall 3 hours. That puts the week at 45.65 overall -- by far my longest week.

Also, the new armband is great, but I wound up taking a bunch of pictures of the inside of it, because I can't wiggle it out easily, and I couldn't really see the screen in the bright mid-afternoon light. So you get a picture of my Friday night carb loading instead. Sorry.

I actually have an evening in New York planned tonight, so I'm hoping I'm good to go for 5-6 miles tomorrow. Not sure on temps, so it might be on the belt. Tuesday will be a pace run, or at least a "maximize distance in the amount of time I have until I have to head out to get the train" run. Wednesday is a kinda long -- looking at the snow forecast, that's going to be on the belt. Ugh. Enough already. I'm practically at the taper and still griping about bad outdoor conditions! Thursday is junk miles, and then Saturday will go long -- let's push for 20! Well, let's hope I can do it outside.

I've been looking forward to the taper, since I'll be able to ease off the life throttle more so than the workout throttle. But one thing that's been put on the back burner lately has been strength training, and I think the taper will be a good time to work on that without overloading the system in general. It felt so good during the half to be strong in my core and hips, and I want to have that feeling again during the marathon. Obviously, I have to be sure I'm resting and recuperating. And giving Jackie some relief from the grind of this training schedule.

Total miles since starting the blog: 482.4

March 20th: Junk

A mostly uneventful Thursday. I was on the fence about treadmill vs. outdoors -- it was warm enough but still wet out. But the decision came together as I walked out to the car to drive Carol to the bus stop (which has become our morning ritual): A passing car splashed water all over me.

That's how dark it was when I got there.

The problem with PF was that it was hot. I guess they had the heat on winter mode. I was doing an easy 5,so it wasn't a real problem today. But it sheds some light on a few challenges I'll face. First off, its been months since I ran in heat and humidity, and I have no idea how I'll adapt. The other issue is with hydration. I went to the water bottle a few times over the 5 miles, but I'm not used to drinking that much. In fact, I took no fluids during my recent half-marathon. So getting the balance right -- and not having to use a porta- john -- could be tricky.

I'm at 27.25 for the week. Assuming no setbacks or complications, I'll have my longest week ever after Saturday. Tomorrow is all about rest. Still not sure about strength on Sunday -- my back is better than yesterday, but there's still a ways to go.

Total miles since starting the blog: 464.0

March 19th: Gotta Keep on Pushin'

Day 3 of the Richter plan was a success. 10.5 outdoor miles, bringing me to 22.25 for the week so far.

Red sky in morning...

I got going a little later than I'd planned, because Carol's bus never showed up and I had to drive her over to the high school. That actually wasn't the worst thing, because it meant that there was plenty of light by the time I did start.

Site of Ye Cottage Inn, destroyed in Sandy

I knew what kind of run I had in mind today, but I didn't know where I'd be going. I started out on one of my normal Cliffwood Beach routes, but then I decided to take it into Keyport and the Henry Hudson trail. One of the great things about getting off the belt is that you actually get to experience something. If you just keep running the same streets again and again, you lose that.

Of course, it was windy again. I think it's just always windy. Or maybe the wind knows when I am running outside. But it was generally out of the east today, and so I wound up doing most of the into-the-wind miles on the front end of the run. That's a big help. When you start getting bushed, it's tough to keep going into a stiff breeze -- as I found out on Saturday.

Even when everything's gone, there's still hope.

I turned back at the washed-out bridge on the trail in Union Beach -- the one I first encountered on Super Bowl Sunday. That was about 4.5 miles into the run and seemed like a good spot. As I wrote then, UB is still recovering from the storm, and the still-standing holiday tree near the trail really symbolizes the town's struggle.

My goal this week is for the accumulated miles to start piling up, and they certainly did. By mile 6, I was pretty tired -- the kind of tired I normally don't feel on a long until I hit at least 10. I hit 8 miles on Front Street near Matawan Creek, heading back for home, and boy was it tempting to turn down Gulden Street and cut it short, rather than go out to the water and back to get into double digits.

But that's not part of the Richter plan. This 3-week crash course is going to be about heavy mileage and pushing past previous limits. I will be ready for this marathon, and I will have done my homework by the time I hit the taper. Period. Normally, I advocate rest days, switching things up to do weight training, and even extra rest. But for this short amount of time, I plan to push myself to go as big as I can. Once I hit the taper, it will be time for rest and even to catch up on some of life -- the stuff you put on hold so you can train. That's a good goal for me: Get to the taper.

So I went out to the water and even did the big hill coming back. Checked MMR as I was getting close to home, and saw I was at 10.4, so I figured there was no point in not evening that out to 10.5. Total time: 1:36:34. A 9:11 pace, which is a little faster than I'd planned for. But I wasn't pushing VO2 max, so I'm really starting to think that my race pace is going to be below 9:00. Generally, I ran negative splits, but it wasn't an exact science today.

I tried out my new armband today, and it worked well. The phone wedges in there pretty tightly, so I used the camera on the screen side so that I wouldn't have to take the phone out. Still got some decent shots.

Also, my back doesn't seem to be improving. It doesn't affect my running and doesn't seem to be affected by my running, so I'm not concerned from a training standpoint, but I do think there's a doctor's visit in my future. It's worst when I'm lying down, which is making sleep less fun than it should be. The challenge is finding a time to go.

Tomorrow, I'm doing a nice slow 4-5 miles, almost certainly on the belt. Rest on Friday, and then Saturday is a big day: I'm going to see how I do in more optimal conditions than this past week.

Total miles since starting the blog: 459.0

March 18th: My Shoes Know What You Did in the Dark

Day 2 of the Richter plan. So far, so good.

Today I was going for time, not distance. I had exactly an hour on the belt. I've promised myself no pace, interval or tempo runs -- this week, and likely the two after it, are all about miles. I did most of the run at 6.4 mikes an hour, but cranked it a little bit just in the last mile to get to 6.5. Felt great afterward, like I had plenty more miles in me.

Then I got to the locker room, where I stretch. I began to do my calves when I saw that I had mismatched shoes on -- my left was my crappy old shoe. When I dress for the gym, I leave the lights off because Jackie's still in bed. And I never noticed. Fortunately, it was the left -- the "good" leg. Still, I must've looked pretty dumb.

Last week when I was home sick, I wrenched my back something good. It's not a problem for my running, but I think lifting is out for a while -- which is just as well during my crash three-week sprint to the taper. The roller we bought over the weekend helps, and I'm going to do an ibuprofen regimen for a couple days, but it really hurt last night in bed. Don't know how I slept at all.

So double-digit miles tomorrow (outside) and five on Thursday. Right now, they're calling for rain on Saturday. I don't mind a little bit but don't want to run 18+ in a driving rainstorm, so I'll have to keep an eye on that. If my back improves, I'll lift Sunday, then do the whole thing again next week. I'm also cutting out beer for these three weeks -- maybe I'll have one Saturday after my long, but that's it.

Total miles since starting the blog: 448.5

March 17th: Rough Draft Is Due in Three Weeks

I'm starting to get a little nervous. I hit the wall at 15 miles on Saturday -- at least 2 or 3 short of where I need to be at this point.

In hindsight, a few things were working against me:

• I took the dog along for a good portion of the run, and I think that actually sucks more energy than you realize at the time. 
• Although I had some Chia Fresca when I dropped the dog off at home (around 9.75 miles), I didn't use any energy gels.
• I'm probably still not quite at 100 percent after not feeling well mid-week.
• I wore a sweatshirt early on, because it was a bit cool. I should have shed it when I dropped off the dog, but I was afraid I'd get a chill because I was sweating underneath it.
• It was hella windy, and trying to run into the headwind on tired legs was just impossible.
• I still need to learn to slow down.

That all said, the 26.2 I need to cover 40 days from now don't accept excuses. The marathon organizers are not going to push back the date just because I've had a few hiccups in my training. I really have just three weeks left before I start tapering, so it's seriously go time right now. I have a plan for this week; more on that later.

Looking out over Raritan Bay toward Perth Amboy and the Driscoll Bridge

Before I started tiring, it was actually a pleasant run around Cliffwood Beach. As I mentioned, I brought Lily with me; actually, I decided to run closer to home specifically so she could come along. She just hasn't gotten much exercise this winter, and I felt bad. We hit a bunch of our usual spots, and I got a couple of nice shots.

Keyport in mid-morning

I felt good after dropping Lily off and cleared 10 miles no sweat. Then I headed for Keyport and the Henry Hudson Trail. Crossing Matawan Creek -- right where the real Jaws struck 98 years ago -- I saw this really neat little boat that I assume is owned by the marina. I'd imagine they use it as a mini-tug to move small boats around as needed. Not long after, I saw one of those pedal-powered reclining bubble thingies. I didn't get a good shot of that, because it was headed in the other direction, but it just goes to show that every outdoor run is an adventure.

Here's that tiny tugboat.

Around 12 miles, I started really tiring. I was headed into the wind on the HHT, toward the trailhead so that I could turn back and log my miles without getting into too much trouble. Cleared the half-marathon point not long after the turnaround, and I was bushed -- but I was going with the wind at that point, so it wasn't quite as bad. However, I realized that once I cleared NJ 35, I'd be running away from home again -- meaning the last leg would be back into the wind. I turned back at the Keyport-Union Beach town line, managed to get to 15 miles (15.06 according to MMR), and then just had to stop. I did something I haven't done over the entire course of this adventure -- I called Jackie to come get me.

I'll get to my plan going forward in a little bit, but first, I did have a little pick-me-up later Saturday. I finally persuaded Jackie to go to Roadrunner Sports to get proper running shoes. I am a kid in a candy store there. We got her a nice pair of Brooks Ravenna 5s, plus some other goodies: a 13.1 magnet for my car, some GU gels for my next long, a new armband for my phone and a roller stick for working out muscle issues.


Unfortunately, the other issue with this weekend was that Saturday night, I hung out with my good friend Nick and let beer beat Gatorade. That put the kibosh on strength training Sunday. That has to be the last time that happens between now and April 27th.

Here's the deal: I have 6 weeks to go until the race. The final 3 are the taper, so that leaves me with 3 weeks until my rough draft is due. There are no extensions. And really, who's handing out the grades? Me.

So it's time to leave the Higdon plan behind in favor of the Richter plan. The plan has gotten me to a point that I couldn't even imagine a year ago, or even nine months ago. But now I have to get the work in, period.

I started the 3-week Richter plan this morning with 5.25 on the belt. Monday is normally a rest day, but that's not going to be the case again until the taper. This week, my goal is to log as many miles as I can, without regard for intervals, pace, tempo, etc. I kept the pace on the belt manageable (9:19 average), and that's going to be my MO all week. I'm aiming to have a full marathon's worth of miles this week before I hit my long. I'm going to rest on Friday and run long on Saturday, and do everything I can to try to optimize my performance. The weather should be OK, so I won't need to bundle up. I'll have the GUs in my pocket. I won't have the dog. Hopefully the wind won't be awful. And I should be as close to 100 percent physically as I've been in a while. I won't pre-determine how far I'm going, but it'll definitely be more than 15.

Tomorrow on the Richter plan is 6 or so, probably on the belt. Wednesday I'm shooting for 10, and then Thursday is a junk 5 or 6. Friday rest and Saturday long as I described.

Total miles since starting the blog 442.3

March 12th: ...And One Step Back

I've been putting off writing this entry all day, because my heart just hasn't been into it.

Today at Planet Fitness was supposed to be interval day, as I mentioned yesterday. What I didn't mention, because it didn't seem like a big deal, was that the post-nasal drip sore throat. Well, I guess it was more of a big deal than I thought.

It was really just the accumulation of the crazy weekend driving to North Carolina and back, stress at work and yesterday's run, plus I've been around a couple of sick people of late. I woke up this morning feeling run down, but I wanted to keep consistent, so I headed to PF.

I've used this pic before, but I need some good feelings today.

OK, so you can probably figure out the narrative. Got going into my intervals and felt crappy. Sometimes things get better once I get going, but not today. 25 minutes in, I was cooked. I slowed the belt to 6.2 to finish out a 5K, and that was it.

I felt so bad I wound up calling out of work so I could rest. I'm throwing in the towel on tomorrow's run, too. After missing my long this past week, I want to be sure I can do it on Saturday. I'll even push it to Sunday if I need an extra day of rest.

While I've been lying around today, I've been having a pity party. I've been feeling like maybe I bit off more than I can chew. Not that I can't get ready for a marathon, but what if this really just didn't fit into my life? My day is long -- I don't get home until after 8:00 most nights, and I'm out of bed at 5:30 a.m. I just want to be well, so I don't have these kind of days anymore.

OK, enough of that. As Jackie pointed out, I've really come a long way already. I'm not going stop training. And though I may not have advanced too far since the half-marathon, I certainly have done enough that I haven't lost any fitness. So if I can just get myself back on track with a few more days of rest, I'll be good to go.

Total miles since starting the blog: 422.2.

March 11th: A Tale of Two Runs

Got a rare treat today -- an outdoor run. Or, as the case may be, two runs.

The weather was great for a run this morning -- above 40, little wind, no rain. The downside: Sunrise today wasn't until 7:15. I don't own any reflective clothing. I'd meant to buy some, but then I've had so few outdoor runs, especially during the week, that I haven't needed it. So I decided to leave the dog at home (easy enough, because she stayed in bed with my sick daughter) and forgo the headphones.

One other advantage of an outdoor run, aside from the obvious, is that there's no driving time involved. Those minutes can be devoted to running. So I decided to flip my "kinda long" and interval days, and went for some distance this morning. As you know, I'm also hoping to get my mileage back up after two short weeks.

I started on my usual route, which gets me down by the waterfront in the second mile. The first mile was slowish -- in the 9:30s. That surprised me, because I thought I was running pretty well. Mile 2 was even worse -- the first 10:00 mile I can remember running in a long, long time. In fairness, I think I stopped for all four of these pictures during mile 2.

The Freedom Tower - 1 WTC

Keyport waterfront over the harbor

This Loyal Son lives right on the water.

The Outerbridge Crossing

Mile 3 was better -- a 9:11, much of it on the waterfront walkway. (For those of you who've been reading since the fall, no, it's still technically closed due to storm damage.) But my average pace was still in the 9:40s, and at this point in my training, that's just not getting it done.

Coincidentally, I decided to kick it into gear just as it was getting light out. And that's why this is a tale of two runs. There was a sluggish early run in the dark, and then a much higher-tempo run in the daylight.

Miles 4 and 5 were in the 8:30 range. 6 through 8 were an 8:00 average. The last 2 tenths I threw in, I must've slowed down a little bit - 8:20 pace. I looped the waterfront walkway and the big hill a second time to add some distance, then headed for home. The last mile was a zig-zag near my house. As I've said before, I often find it easier to tack on distance at the end, when I know I can cut it short at any time.

I was pushing my aeration, but my legs felt good, and I definitely could have kept going if I'd had more time. All in all, I covered 8.2 miles in 1:11:48 -- an 8:44 pace. I think it's safe to say that my race pace is squarely below 9:00/mile, at least for as long as a half-marathon and probably a few miles past that. Now the challenge is to be able to get to mile 20 at that pace, and see where the chips fall in the final 10K.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a drenching rainstorm, so that's a good day for intervals on the belt. Thursday is going to be cold, so back to PF again. Looking ahead, Saturday's weather looks pretty much optimal for a long. I'm not sure how long I should go, since I wasn't able to do my long this past weekend. I'm thinking of setting a goal of 20 miles, but simply pushing it as far as I can realistically go and calling it a workout.

One other thing I'd like to throw out for some advice: From time to time, I get a very acute pain on the outside edge of my left foot, about midway between toe and heel. Last night, it was really radiating, and it woke me up. Two ibuprofen took care of it, and it didn't bother me at all during my run. The odd thing is that it flared up after 48 hours of mainly being off my feet, and felt fine when my feet were slamming pavement. I know there's a ligament in that area; I'm wondering if that's it, and maybe I should look into taping it. Ultimately, if it doesn't impede my workouts and it doesn't get worse, I'm not going to worry about it. But I was wondering if anyone else has had that experience.

Total miles since starting the blog: 419.1

March 10th: Checking in After a Grueling Weekend

One of a marathoner's great fears is that life is going to get in the way of training. As big a deal as 26.2 is, sometimes there are just bigger priorities in life. This weekend was one of those times.

One of Jackie's favorite relatives, her Aunt Nancy, passed away last week in North Carolina, and Jackie needed to be there for the funeral, along with her mother and her cousin. It was important for me to go, too -- both for moral support and to be the main driver. It's 10 hours each way.

Driving days were Friday and Sunday. Friday would have been a rest day, and Sunday would be cross, so no major losses. But the accumulated fatigue and stress -- and the mostly packed schedule -- pretty much ruled out my long on Saturday. But in the mid-afternoon, there was a little bit of a window to get out in the North Carolina hills, so I figured I'd give it a bit of a go.

I knew I wasn't going 18, as was on my schedule. I was still pretty wiped from 10 hours' driving the day before, and I didn't have a handy place to stow a water bottle like I did on my Henry Hudson Trail run. It was in the 60s, so I knew I couldn't go forever without taking some fluids. Plus, I really didn't know the area too well and didn't want to get myself too far from home base and then not know the way back. So I told Jackie I was going to go for an hour or so and see what happened.

This pic doesn't do this hill justice.

Jackie's cousin's home is on Lake Norman, a man-made lake in Statesville, and the area is very hilly. In fact, the run started out with a climb as big as any in the half-marathon the previous week. So right off the bat, I was closer to VO2 max than I wanted to be. Then there was a quick downhill and another climb. 

It took me until about 3 miles to really get back to a point of not breathing heavily. My legs felt OK, but aeration was simply poor. (I realized later that 800 feet elevation probably had something to do with this.) The worst part was going down a long hill and knowing, eventually, that I'd have to turn around and go back up it. As you know, I like hills. But these hills were for real.

That small dock sticking out in the distance is Jackie's cousin's.

I bopped around various back roads looking for a bridge over to a small island, and eventually found it at the very end of a subdivision. The homes on this lake are all palatial, with amazing views, docks and lots of trees. The small island is basically a gated community, though you're able to get around on it. It also has -- you guessed it -- a big hill going down from the bridge to the east end of the island. Oh, and back on the other side, the bridge is at the bottom of a half-mile hill.

I was near 6 miles as approached the turn back into the cousins' neighborhood -- the road with all the really steep hills. I decided I wanted to get to 7, so instead of turning, I ran up the main road in the other direction. Go figure -- that way was relatively flat. And of course, I started getting into a rhythm. So by the time I turned around and turned into the neighborhood, I was starting to feel really good. Started really motoring up and down those last few hills. 

Here's a small marina shot from the bridge.

I guess I could have turned back around for a few more miles, but again, there were a lot of factors in play here that I didn't want to mess with. I was at 6.8 as I approached the house, so I went up and down their street to get the total to 7 even. My average pace was 9:02.

But, especially given the scheduling issues, I've been kicking myself, thinking that maybe I should have pushed the distance a bit. Maybe I just needed to acclimate to the elevation and the hills, and at least get into double digits. Who knows. I had in mind that maybe I'd sneak an extra run in this morning, but the second 10-hour drive in three days put the kibosh on that -- I barely made it out of bed to work from home.

Tomorrow, it should be warm enough to get an outdoor run in. That affords me a little extra time, since I won't be driving to the gym. Downside: Spring Ahead means it'll be dark when Carol gets on the bus. Wednesday's looking yucky, so that's 9 miles on the belt. And then we'll see. I guess on Saturday, I'm just going to have to skip ahead to 20 miles.

Total miles since starting the blog: 410.9

March 6th: A Smaller Tire Adventure

Don't have a lot of time to post today, but here goes nuttin'.

I was looking to make up some miles this morning, since my interval run on Tuesday was a little shorter than prescribed, and then yesterday's got cut off when Jackie got the flat. I figured if I could get 6 in, that would balance things out.

This isn't from today, but that's the tire in question

So of course, my right front tire was low this morning -- low enough that I needed to go over to Wawa and fill it.

That put me a few minutes behind schedule, and getting to 6 miles and still making the train isn't easy even on normal days. I suppose the smart thing to do would have been to let it go and top out at 5 or 5.5. But two problems: 1) Last week was a low mileage week, and I don't want this one to go the same way, and 2) I'm stubborn.

So I pushed the pace a little bit more than I probably should have. Started at 6.3, but I ramped up quickly. And the last half of the run was at a big pace, under 9:00 pace -- under 8:00 in the last 1.25, with a sprint at the end. Yeah, I got my 6 miles, but I've been dragging since then.

I'm very much looking forward to my rest day tomorrow, and I'm bushed enough that I may well push my long till Sunday. The weather is supposed to be clearer, and the NJ Marathon is organizing a group run in Long Branch.

Total miles since starting the blog: 403.9

March 5th: Life Happens

Today's kinda long didn't go as I'd hoped. There was nothing wrong at the gym: life simply got in the way.

First off, I need to be in the office today for a call. So I arranged with Jackie to get Carol out the door so I could leave earlier for PF. I got there about 15 minutes ahead of my normal schedule, which gave me time for 8 miles at race pace. A little less than I wanted to do, but OK.

At about 6.5, Jackie called, and I snapped at her. I hate being interrupted during a run, but I was over the line here. She had a flat tire. So I jumped off the belt -- no cooldown, no stretching -- and ran home. But she wasn't there, and she'd already called AAA. Argh.

A few minutes later, she came home to switch cars so she wouldn't have to drive far on the donut. If we could have taken 5 minutes to review our options, we might have come up with a better plan. But she was both in a rush and mad at me (rightfully), and stormed out. So the one we worked out was for me to use the car during the day and then for us to deal with it later. She said she'd try to take it to Costco.

I wanted to fix things -- both the car and my screwup -- so I revised the plan and turned into Bayshore Auto. $100 later, we'll have a new tire tonight. But so much for getting to work on time -- try 11:15.

So to sum up: crappy workout, did wrong by my wife, and got to work crazy late. 

Miles since starting the blog: 397.9

March 4th: Soreness, But Not in My Muscles

Well, I had about 48 hours to bask in the glow of my half-marathon success. It's Tuesday -- interval day.

The thing about intervals is that if you're doing them right, they're hard. As I mentioned in my post on Sunday, intervals are one component of the program that is making me strong on hills and strong at the ends of runs. I'd love to be able to do some Yasso repeats or other interval track work, but for now, I'm designing my own interval program. This week was even tougher than last: I went farther (4.3 miles), faster (minimum of 8 mph on the fast intervals) and longer (2 minutes on, 1:30 slow the entire workout). And the speedwork is at a 2 percent incline.

It's March freakin' 4th, for God's sake!

The great thing about intervals, besides their training value, is that they make the time fly by. 36:22 felt like 20 minutes. Especially on mornings like today, when outdoors isn't an option and you're stuck on the dreadmill, its nice to have the time blink by.

On Sunday, I mentioned that niggling sore throat. It's still around. I reached out on Facebook -- I'd prefer to avoid a doctor's visit, but I also don't want a small issue to become a huge problem. I can't afford to lose more training time to illness. But thanks to Cheryl Larned, Joe Bongiovanni, Matt Frey and Chris Starke for their advice. I think the thing to do is see if I can't just dry this thing out. I have some

OK, so it's store brand.

Zyrtec on hand, so I'm going with that for now, along with some ibuprofen to take down the inflammation. It obviously isn't hurting my performance, so I will hold on a few more days before going to the doc.

Tomorrow is my kinda long (might clear the 400 total mark), and Thursday is recovery-run day. Saturday I'm going for 18, and as of now, the forecast looks good. 

Total miles since starting the blog: 391.3.

March 2nd: This Is Why I Run

Oh man, did I have some fun today.

This is why I don't do selfies.

Today was the E. Murray Todd Half-Marathon, run by the Monmouth County Park System. The course starts and finishes at the Collins Arena on the Brookdale campus, and wends through Lincroft, Holmdel, Colts Neck and Thompson Park back in Lincroft. It's a really beautiful run through farmland and horse country, and it's also really challenging -- more on that later.

The last couple of days, I've had a little scratchy throat. As you know, I just got done being really sick, so this latest thing has had me concerned. And in particular, I didn't know if I would be ready to do today's run. But I woke up this morning feeling OK, took a cold pill and a couple of ibuprofen just for some insurance, and drove down to Brookdale.

One thing I noticed right away is that given the early-in-the-year date of the race, it attracts pretty much only serious runners -- or at least semi-serious runners. There were a few people that I wasn't sure were up to the challenge, but 90 percent of the runners looked to be at least at my general level of fitness. And that was confirmed as I was driving home later -- the trail through Thompson is close to the road, and I thought maybe I'd stop for a few minutes and cheer on the stragglers. We were talking about 2:15 since the start, roughly, and as I looked into the park, I couldn't see anyone left on the course.

People warming up on the indoor track at Collins

The other thing I'd been concerned about with this race was the weather. The snow isn't forecast to arrive until later, but all week, they've been warning of temps in the low 20s, which is stretching the limits of my willingness to be outside. But though it was a bit raw, it was into the 30s by start time (9:00 a.m.), so I didn't have to go to any great lengths to bundle up. There was, however, a period of light mixed precipitation about midway through the run.

When I did my half marathon in the fall, my plan was basically just to run. To that point, it was the longest distance I'd gone, and I really didn't have much of a plan, other than to try to run comfortably and get to the end. This time around, I went into it with a much better plan, and it really paid off. I carb loaded last night, and then reinforced in the morning with coffee, a couple of Kashi waffles and, in the parking lot at Brookdale, half a bottle of Chia Fresca. I also carried a Gatorade G1 packet for mid-race. The one thing I'd do a bit differently is wait a little longer to use the G1. I took it at about 3 miles, thinking that the sugar would need a little time to get into my bloodstream. But I probably should have held off another mile or two. Nonetheless, my glycogen levels were good throughout -- and that was key.

The other part of my plan that I executed well: starting slow, being patient and not expending tons of energy early in the race trying to get around people. Now, I mentioned that most of the people in this race were serious runners. But I also think a lot of those runners a) top out at 13.1, and b) don't really plan for it. The first couple of miles, I let people go by me, and when I found runners going at roughly my pace, I stuck with them for a stretch until they either took off or fell back. That paid a lot of dividends toward the end.

I also mentioned that the course was challenging. This is probably the toughest course I'm likely to run. There are four or five serious climbs, starting with a really long one in the fourth mile. This is where the training pays off. This is where not leaving the treadmill flat pays off, where doing intervals pays off, and where strength work pays off. Lots of people were really laboring up the hills. I learned today that I really love hills -- well, uphills, anyway. I'm strong in my core, in my quads and in my glutes, and I can keep my pace pretty well, so I went past a lot of people on hills. The worst hill, actually, was on Newman Springs Road in Holmdel. We were coned off to about a yard-wide track on the right side of the road, which made it really tough to get around anyone.

My goal was to get in under 2 hours, and through 5 miles, I was roughly on pace to do that -- maybe about 15 or 20 seconds behind, but that's nothing to make up in 8 miles. Somewhere not past there, I hooked up with a guy named Frank who was also looking for that general finish. We were able to chat for a few miles, and I think we probably helped each other with our pacing, too. It was during this stretch that the weather started weathering, too, so it was kind of nice to have a distraction from that. At about 9 miles, Frank took off. I wasn't yet ready to get into my serious kick, so I let him go.

The turn into Thompson Park happens right around the 10-mile mark, which is really perfect. That's where I wanted to turn on the jets a little bit, and the entry into the park was a good psychological threshold, kind of in the way that entering Central Park is for NYC marathoners.

This is the other area in which the training really paid off. Although I was a little unsure that I could sustain it for a full 5k, I started just blowing past people. I mean, seriously just running right by people who were probably having pretty good races. The glycogen was good, the aeration was excellent (though I was clearly getting closer to VO2 max), the legs felt great, and everything was going just how I'd imagined it. It was just a great feeling, in miles 12 and 13 especially, to just leave people in the dust. Not to take anything away from their races -- the people I passed in the last mile surely finished in a very good time and should be proud. But man, when you see someone really laboring, and you know you've got plenty in the tank, that's just awesome. The only regret I have is that, with my really quick final 5k, I didn't have an all-out sprint in me at the end. The last mile was probably under 8:00, or close to it, and the final 5k was about 26 minutes, which isn't too far off from my top 5k pace.

No medals, but a pretty decent shirt that will come in handy for St. Patrick's Day

So...drumroll...an official finish of 1:56:36. That beats my fall 13.1 by 4 minutes, on a much
tougher course. According to one calculator I found online, that portends a 4:04:12 marathon -- not too far from my dream goal. And the NJ Marathon will be an easier course, too, so between that and some more speed training, I may well get there.

Well, tomorrow's supposed to be a rest day. But it's also supposed to be a snow day, and I may not be able to resist the temptation for a couple of slow miles with Lily. Then back into the grind, topping out on Saturday with 18 or 19 miles. Man, I hope I can get some cooperative weather -- I really don't want to spend 3 full hours on the treadmill.

Total miles since starting the blog: 387.0