WED, June 14, 2016

Tony and I woke up at 6:00AM to get in a short run.  We ran 3 including a half mile TM warm-up (9:51 pace).  When we got home, I ate breakfast and went on a 2.4 mile walk with my neighbor (pace: 18:59).  I tried to do some crunches, but I lost my will at 45.  I planned to do the yoga P90x3 dvd in the evening, but I was too sore.  I thought stretching would make it worse.

Tuesday, June 13, 2016

Started the day off with a 7AM hike with my neighbor.

About an hour after I got back, I did Agility X (P90X3), a 20 minute rope stretch, and I attempted AbripperX.  I did about 10 minutes of it.

At 6:30, I went to my first Zumba class at the Y.  It was much, much more difficult than I expected.  The music was blaring and the woman gave no verbal cues.  She just pointed to her tush and the direction she wanted to go.  I was terrible, but I'm going back.  I think it will be fun when I learn the routines.

First Day Back

I've been off for two weeks after running my first marathon.  When I say off, I mean I haven't done anything at all.  Today, I ran a quarter mile on the TM and did Total Synergistics P90x3.  Right after finishing, I did another quarter mile on the TM and ran 2.5 miles.  When I got back, I did a rope stretch for about 20 minutes.

Hansons Marathon Plan Review 2016

I’ve been keeping track of my miles since 2010.  I told myself that I would not train for a marathon until I had run 1500 miles the previous year.  Year after year I got close (I almost did it in 2012), but I didn’t manage 1500 miles until 2015.  With the mileage goal completed, I signed up for a Spring marathon.

I had a clear goal.  I wanted to qualify for Boston.  I wasn't convinced that I wanted to run Boston, but I definitely wanted to qualify.  I did a lot of research and decided on the Hansons plan, because I bought into the theory of cumulative fatigue.

I think that the actual plan started in February.  However, when I looked at the plan, I concluded that there was no way that I could jump into (12) 400, so I started doing one speed day a week starting with (2) 400s.  I landed on (12) 400s on the day it was called for in the plan.  I made a couple of other changes as well.  I ran the 400s at McMillian’s pace, rather than Hanson’s slower pace, and, at some point, I stopped doing the recovery jog and rested 60 seconds instead.  This worked out perfectly, and I ended up doing all of my speed days at McMillian paces, rather than Hanson paces.  I extended speed work one week in hopes of a sub 22 on a 5K in April, but the sub 22 did not happen.  There was a course change that I didn’t know about that made the course too difficult for me to sub 22.  I held out hope for a sub 22, so my only other purposeful training adjustment was taking an RD before a final 5K sub 22 attempt.  The preceding 200+ mile month must have done the trick because on May 14^th, I did sub 22 which something I have been trying to do again for almost two years.

Upon reflection, I really think that I would have gotten better marathon training by running my speed work at a slower pace.  However, I don’t think that if I could go back, I would have done it differently.  I really wanted to sub 22 in a 5K, and I did sub 22.

Although I didn’t get running injuries, I did get sick a couple of times which impacted my training.  Near the middle of the training cycle, I suffered from some intestinal problem.  My doctor forbid me to run, at all.  I had to take a solid week off.  Also, in the last three weeks, I got strep throat.  I took antibiotics, so I assume the strep throat went away, but the illness lingered until I took another antibiotic.  Hanson calls for a very moderate taper, but, in the last three weeks, I only did my SOS runs, and I tapered dramatically.  I did not sustain any cumulative fatigue in the last few weeks of training.  I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish the plan strong, but I was coughing and having asthma symptoms when I ran.  For the last week, I started taking and asthma pill and a Claritin to combat the symptoms.

Despite the problems that I encountered the three weeks before the race, I have never felt better about training.  I knew that I had given everything I could possibly give of myself during the training.  I ran more than I ever thought possible, even throwing in a 70 mile week.  I had a sense of accomplishment for having stuck it out.  I ran every run that my doctor would allow and some against orders.  I ran in the rain, in the wind, in the cold, in the morning, at night, when I felt like it and when I didn’t feel like it.    I actually felt like I had already won, no matter what happened.  That is really not like me at all.  I felt so good before the race, not because I thought I would qualify, but because it didn’t matter that much if I did or didn’t.  I couldn’t lose.

Maybe my new and improved attitude made a difference.  My first marathon was an amazing experience.  I ran Mountains 2 the Beach from Ojai, CA to Ventura, CA on May 29, 2016. The course consists of a 3 mile elevation climb in the beginning and rolling hills with a general declining grade until the 24 mile mark.  At mile 24, there is a moderate climb for about 1 mile, and it is flat for the last mile.  I felt fantastic for the first 20 miles.  At about mile 20, I felt like it was very difficult.  When I hit the last hill, I hit the wall.  My pace slowed tremendously; I felt a dull pain in every part of my lower body, and my body seemed to refuse to obey my commands.  I had a fantastic race, but my finish was very weak.  My overall time was 3:33, which subs my Boston qualifying time by over 20 minutes.  After the race was over, I was in bad shape.  I could drink, but I couldn’t eat.  I could hardly move.  My entire body was in pain.  I really couldn’t enjoy the after party, because I just had to get back to the hotel.  I was extremely sore for a couple of days, but, on Wednesday, the soreness completely subsided.

I am a first time, middle age marathoner who qualified for Boston with a time that almost guarantees entry.  It is surreal, and I give all the credit to the Hansons plan.  I was remarkably prepared for the first 20 miles of the race.  I was less prepared for the last (6), but had enough training to hold on.  This plan, however, is not for the faint of heart.  You have to run 6 days a week, or there is no cumulative fatigue.  Your SOS runs have to sandwich your day off.  That took a mental toll.  For me, at least, the Hanson brothers had a way of taking the fun out of running.  I enjoyed my easy days, but I dreaded my SOS runs.  Every single one was difficult, and the prospect of having to run two a week was always weighing on me.  I wouldn’t recommend this plan for everyone, but I would definitely recommend it to a runner who is goal oriented.

I’m signed up for a fall half that I want to train seriously for, but I want to enjoy the training more.  I live about an hour away from a community that has weekly 5Ks during the summer.  I am going to race, instead of one of my SOS days for the first month or so.  Also, I have several trail-halfs that I am signing up for to take the place of a few of the long runs.  Hopefully, I will always have something to look forward to. 

I have decided to run Boston in April of 2017, and I intend to use a Hansons plan.  Maybe I'll try coaching, but if I use the advanced, I think that will try to add a little more overall mileage and increase the length of the last two long runs.

Mountains 2 the Beach 2016 Race Report

My Sunday race day prep started on Friday.  I never sleep well before races, so I wanted to make sure I had a good night sleep on Friday.  My husband and I had been saving a good bottle of wine, so we opened it on Friday and I had one good size glass.  I’m not sure if it worked or not, but I slept pretty well on Friday night.  I, also wanted to hydrate and get in extra carbs on Friday.  I put some carb powder in my juice in the morning, but it gave me a headache.  My body doesn’t process sugar quite right.  Candy bars sometimes give me a headache.  The carb juice gave me that same candy bar headache, so I’m pretty sure I’ll never take it again unless I’m about to work out.

On Saturday morning, it took us a while to get out of the house, but with the entire family finally on board, we headed to the expo in the afternoon.  The expo was fine.  There was plenty of parking, and I got my bib within a minute, and I got my shirt two minutes later.  I could have been in and out in all of five minutes, including parking time.  I really like the shirt.  I can see myself wearing it a lot.  There were a few vendors, so we walked around a little.

I picked up my free bottle of kool n fit that I had registered for.  It is something that you spray on your legs that is tingly like bengay or tiger balm.  The old lady selling it was very funny.  She handled me, ordering me to pull up my pant leg and sprayed it all over one leg only before I even had a chance to consider what was happening.  There is no rubbing it in, so I walked around the rest of the time with one pant leg pulled up.  It smelled awful initially, so I didn’t want stinky capris.

I brought spaghetti for dinner that I had made at home.  The kids and Tony (my DH) went to a Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks away.  They came back full and happy, and we all watched a Harry Potter movie.  I’m an expert at sleeping through Harry Potter, so I got some ZZZs during the movie.  The room was suffocatingly hot, but I think I slept better than anyone.  I set my alarm for 2:45 AM.  The race had a 6:30 start time.

At 2:45, I drank a water and ate an energy bagel with jam, a banana and I had some coffee.  I didn’t want to drink anything after 3:30.  I have serious pottie issues, and two hours liquid free before my last bathroom break is the only solution.  I didn’t bother going back to sleep, because I figured the coffee would keep me up.  It took a while, but eventually the coffee magic did its job.  At 5:30, I took a caffeine pill, and I ran down to the start (about .25 miles) to get a feel for what it was like and see exactly were the start would be. I wore a jacket, but it wasn’t cold.  I became a little concerned that it would be a hot day, but what I could I do?  I put that thought out of my mind.  

Accompanied by my husband, eventually, I made my way to the start, for real.  The weather was perfect-slightly cool and overcast.  We had about 15 minutes to spare.  I looked everywhere for the 3:38 pace group, but they were nowhere to be found.  Right before the start, my husband left me in the second corral, and two 3:38 pace groups moved up right beside me.  The pace leaders just started talking randomly to people trying to pump them up.  I heard one of them say that you should stay within 5 feet of the group.  If you let a group get more than 5 feet away from you the group will pull away.  I decided, at that moment, to try and stick close to the group.  Within 10 minutes of standing in the corral, the national anthem was sung, and the race started, on time. 

The race was super crowded.  I assumed that the crowd would thin out, but it never really did.  There were just too many people trying to run with the 3:38 pacers.  The route started with 3 miles uphill. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the most scenic part of the race.  The course meandered through what seemed to be an orange grove.  I felt strong, so I sped up just to get some space to run.    I was running alone, but I could see the 3:33 group in the distance.  I knew that I would catch up if I kept up the pace.  The question was whether or not I wanted to keep up that pace.  I knew a long stretch of rolling hills with an overall downhill grade was coming up.  I decided to pace with 3:33.  There were a lot fewer people pacing with that group.  Even so, it was difficult maintaining an actual comfortable spot to run, because I stopped to drink water at every station.  Everyone else ran and drank, but I actually stopped.  Each time, I lost my spot and had to find a new spot to run.

There wasn’t a whole lot of crowd support, but my DH, kids and a friend found me on the course multiple times.  They even had signs.  Seeing them was so much fun and very motivating.  I felt fantastic most of the race.  Throughout the race I chatted a little.  I asked whoever was running next to me what their name was, if they could hear me.  I sang a little bit.  Maybe a got a weird look or two on “Uptown Funk.”  I felt great and I was in an insanely good mood, almost giddy.  The weather was perfect throughout the entire race.  It was pleasant, maybe even cool, and there was no sun whatsoever-just the familiar coastal overcast.

Around 15 miles there was a hill, and I thought it was getting a little difficult, but I wasn’t worried.  At 22 miles, I was scheduled tot take a gel.  I was getting really tired, and for some reason I didn't take it.  There was a hill at 24 miles and that is when I hit that wall, completely out of the blue.  My body fell apart.  My pace went from about 8:05 to 9:15.  Nothing I said to myself could make my legs go any faster, and a dull pain set in everywhere.  I saw my friend at this point happy and waving, but I couldn’t manage a smile.  People were passing me left and right.  I was running into walkers from the half hogging up the entire lane with their backs to me.  It was difficult to avoid them.  My husband was screaming my name when I crossed the finish line, but I didn’t hear him or see him.  For such a magnificent race, it really was a sloppy, sad finish.  When my husband finally caught up to me, I wanted to cry (happy tears), but I didn’t have the strength or air to let it out. 

If I were alone, they would have had to take me to the medical tent, but my family and friend took care of me.  I never imagined that I would feel so terrible, especially considering how good I felt for most of the race.  I could hardly walk.  I couldn’t eat.  I couldn’t enjoy the after party which was such a shame, because I was so happy deep inside.  No one could tell, because I was on the verge of collapse.  I finished with a time of 3:33.47.  I never even hoped to run that fast.  I give all the credit to the Hansons’ training method.  It worked incredibly well for me.

After the race, my entire body was in pain.  I thought about ringing the Boston gong, but there were too many people.  I couldn't focus or walk without help.  I had to get back to the hotel.  I went directly to sleep in the hotel, but my kids were starving.  I wasn't hungry, but I knew that I had to eat.  After about an hour nap, I hobbled down the street to the Mexican restaurant.  My appetite appeared as soon as I started eating, but I didn't have the strength to sit upright in a chair and chew.  We were hoping to go out for dinner in the evening, but I couldn't manage to get out of the bed after my initial rally.  We ordered pizza, and, luckily, there was more Harry Potter to entertain the kids while I slept.  The next day, I was fine, but extremely sore.  The soreness lasted a couple of days, but, on Wednesday, the soreness completely subsided

This marathon was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life.  I didn’t take the buses, but I don’t have a single complaint about the start, finish or expo.  I thought that course was a little crowded, and I wasn’t crazy at all about the new addition of a hill at mile 24.  If I weren’t doing Boston in 2017, I would definitely do this marathon again, next year.

Bull Canyon Run 2016 Race Report

The Bull Canyon Run has suffered from declining entries for a few years.  I can't figure it out.  It is a great race.  The weather is always fantastic.  The course is amazingly fast, and the race is always well organized.

Unfortunately, I ran while I was sick this year.  The race started on-time, as usual.  I can’t remember how I felt while I was running, but I couldn’t have felt too terrible, or I would remember.  The only thing I really remember about the race is that I tried to encourage a young racer on the home stretch.  I told him to stick with me or something like that.  He said OK and did stick with me for most of the last mile.

I finished second female, which competitively is the best that I’ve done in this race. Below is the info from athlinks.

After the race, the AG winners stand on a podium, get plaques and are recognized.  Everyone is happy and chatty.  The ladies tried to chat with me.  I fear that they think that I was stand-offish.  I didn't want to say anything, because I knew that the moment I spoke, I would start coughing uncontrollably.  After the race, initially, I couldn't stop coughing.  While I was on the stage, I happened to have 2 minutes of relief, but I knew if I spoke I wouldn't be able to control the cough.

The woman standing next to me told me that she was glad when she heard that I had moved up in my age group.  That made me smile.

I have been trying to sub 22, again, for a long time, but I was, honestly, so sick I couldn't enjoy it much.