Olympic Trials are on tap

I lied.   I told you my next post would be a recap of my 2011 running year.   It's going to have to wait until the weekend as I've been too busy at work and home to do it justice.

Instead, I want to point you marathon fans toward Houston, Texas.    The Olympic Trials will be held on Saturday.   The top three finishers in the men's and women's race will determine who the US is sending to London.    It will probably be one of the most exciting races you've seen in a while.   No Kenyan sweep will be had in this race. NBC will show the race on tape delay in the afternoon.  But if you can't wait, Runners World will be blogging live here

   

My rooting interests on the Women's side:  Kara Goucher, Desi Davila, Shalane Flanagan and Deena Kastor.  Personally, I've run in the same race against everyone but Flanagan.   Of course, I cannot run one mile  in what they pace for an entire marathon.  Also, disappointed home town girl Tera Moody will not run due to injury

On the men's side:  Ryan Hall, Meb (Annoying Skecher's commercial) Keflezighi and Luke Humphrey.  

On Sunday the Houston Marathon will take place for mere mortals.  A friend is running and gunning to blast away my marathon PR.   (Go Ilana!).

The next post will be recapping my year.   I swear.

I've been away so here's my White Rock report

It's a new year.  I haven't been writing much due to some outside stress in my life.  As I work to resolve it, I owe a belated race report.   In the meantime, I have been following all of my favorite running blogs.  I'll be writing way more often.  2011 was a terrific running year for me.   I'll recap my year and goals for 2012 in my next post.

Dallas White Rock RR

After a disappointing October marathon in Chicago, I needed my revenge.  Literally, fifteen minutes after Chicago ended a friend told me, "you may not want to hear this right now but you should run again real soon."   He was right.    Intestinal issues, warm weather and back spasms at the halfway point of Chicago trashed my run.   

I decided on Dallas because I would have time to recover and get right back into top fitness without delaying it to spring. It was also inexpensive because we used points to fly and stayed at a friend's house. Almost like a hometown race except for the time travelling.   Pfitz's 8 week between marathons was used.  A piriformis issue flared after a hard 10k two weeks before race day.  But I was able to rest and stretch it enough to get back to healthy running after 8 days off.   My wife and I also have great friends that we had been promising to visit for two years.

My race really started with a change in my fueling.   I switched my energy replacement from Gu to ClifShots.   They aren't as thick to me and I also wanted to avoid a repeat of Chicago.  I also switched my pre-race carbo load to rice from pasta.   Our friends are Cuban and we ate a wonderful pre-race meal of arroz con pollo.   

Race morning I got up at 4AM to the sounds of thunder and lightning.  I drove the 20 miles to Fair Park and was one of the first cars into the lot.   It was 5:30 and I still had two hours before the start.   I sat in the car a while and finished up my bagel/peanut butter/banana breakfast.  There were several indoor building open to allow for an indoor bathroom stop.   It also kept us out of the rain.   I got the start line about 20 mins ahead of time.  The flyover had been cancelled due to the continuing rain and low cloud cover.   I was in third corral from the front based on a 3:30 guesstimation of my finish time. 

Some facts about the Dallas course:  Start elevation 472ft, Max Elevation 627ft, Total Gain 430ft.   Hill ascents run from Mile 6 thru 9 and 20.5 thru about 22.8. From 22.8 it is all slightly downhill to the finish.

Temps were in the low 40's and a mild N wind.  We were off at 8AM under a light rain.  The first mile always makes me anxious  as far as pace goes.  Usually a forward corral means you are running with others your speed.  Ah, the joys of running without a Garmin!   Suddenly I look at my watch and it reads 8:42.   Missed the first mile marker.   Have to judge pace on Mile 2.   My watch now reads 18:xx and no mile marker.  This isn't good.   I start to look for Garmin wearers and ask a guy how far we've run.  He said about 2.3.   I continue to run on feel.   I start to panic when listening to another runners say to their running partner, "right on our 9min pace."  Uh, oh.  More time passes as I ask another Garmin wearer.  The girl is unresponsive and I realize her headphones make me inaudible.    We're running through downtown Dallas and hit an area with cobblestones and trolley rails. I ask another guy and he tells me 4.6m in and he hasn't seen any mile markers either.   I quickly do some math in my head and look at my 3:25 pace band.  Very slightly behind pace but not horrible.  I avoided a too fast start at least. It turns out my first 5K split was 24:25 (7:51).   I saw the Mile 6 marker and hit my watch lap button for the first time.    It wasn't until this time that I finally relaxed. 

10K split 48:27 (7:47 pace) Race Rank #479

We're now running through an area of residential mansions.  The mile marker dilemma continued throughout the race and I could not monitor my mile to mile pace.  Instead I was forced to run on feel.  A benefit of not owning a Garmin is that I run on feel a lot.   It continued to rain for the entire race.  Mile markers would show up intermittently or be turned around due to the wind.   When one did present itself I would check the pace and see I was about 2 mins slow of a 3:25 pace.   

About Mile 9 nature began to call but I fought it off.   Mile 10 nature said it was time to sit down in a porta a potty and as luck would have it one appeared.   I've never had to do this in a marathon before so I knew it would cost me some time.   But running through it was never gonna happen.  Mile 11 we entered the loop around White Rock Lake.   Through 13.1m at 1:45:36 (8:03 pace) Race Rank#588.  I estimated it might have taken up to two minutes at my pit stop.  The first hill section might have accounted for some lost time as well.  It seemed like every intersection had a giant puddle we had to leap or run through.  I chose to leap and mentioned to someone next to me that I didn't think we had signed up for a steeplechase.

By Mile 14 the exposed trail (read wind and rain)around the lake was getting to me a little and I had picked up my pace a little so I was brething heavier.   Suddenly my wife son and friends appeared.   It gave me a boost as the loop continues around the lake until Mile 21.  I did enjoy the views and would be a great place to do long runs if it weren't in Texas' summer heat!

Running downhill at about Mile 23 or 24

Mile 20 split is 2:39:41 (7:59 pace).  I've passed moved up 110 places since the half.  The Clif Shot station has Hooter girls...completely covered up from the rain/cold.   I've been stalking a bald guy in a neon green shirt for half the race now and I pass him here.   Legs begin to fatigue, but that is my only problem.  No pain or other issues.  I fight off the urge to walk through any stops the rest of the way.  The Dolly Parton hills appear but there are not overwhelming.   Just that they appear at Mile 21 of the course.   The last four miles are slightly and sweetly downhill.   I just keep the legs moving as fast as they will let me.   I pass a ton of people (which inlcudes half marathoners) and cross the finish line at 3:30:25.  I've passed an additional 89 marathoners in the final 10k and was only passed by 3.

I'm fully satisfied with my effort.   A tougher course than Chicago and remove that porta stop and who knows what might have been.   I loved the course, the State fair start/finish and even the weather.   Dallas also has one of the the coolest finishers stats sheet I've ever seen.  BQ can't be far off now.   A news video of the day can be seen here.

Still Runnin'

It's been a while since I've written.   I am still running and feeling fitter and stronger than ever.   Recently, I have started running six days a week.   I think my body is responding better to only one rest day after my long run.
The Chicago debacle is in my rear view mirror.   Looking forward to crushing some PR's very soon and attempting to run 2000 miles this year.  My current total is 1793 so I'll only need to average under five miles a day.

I did want to alert anyone who reads this to the Brooks promo on the right hand side of my page.  You have a chance to win your Brooks Wish List!

Heat Is Not My Friend

I have run five marathons.   The two warmest were the Chicago Marathons of 2010 and 2011.   They are also my worst performances.

 My cousin Pete and his wife Terri graciously let my family use their house in the city for the night since they were away overnight at a wedding.   Thanks guys.  My pre-race meal was a simple pasta with marinara and some mozzarella with friends.   I got to bed about 9:30 and slept straight through until just after three.   I laid there for another hour before it was time to get ready.  I organized my gear bag and had a two block walk to the El stop  and rode the train into the city.   I brought a bagel with PB and a banana to eat on the way.  I met up with my friend Ed by accident near the Congress Hotel. A race of 45,000 people and I run into him in the dark.

I really have no definitive explanation for what happened today.  Here are the raw stats:
Mile 1 7:56                  Mile 14& 15 17:08 (8:34 avg)
2  - 7:45                      16 - 8:42
3 - 7:35                       17 - 9:19
4 - 7:32                       18 - 9:29
5 - 7:37                       19 - 9:09
6 - 7:55                       20 - 9:39
7 - 7:34                       21 - 10:42
8 - 8:04                       22 - 10:10
9 - 7:50                       23 - 11:46
10 - 7:49                     24 - 10:06
11 - 7:42                     25 - 10:31
12 - 7:46                     26.2 13:52 (11:33 avg)  Final Time 3:51:43
13 - 7:55
Half Time 1:41:57  (Projected Full 3:23:54)

I got the corrals in plenty of time and sat down until we were ready to go.  I love the corral system at Chicago.  Since I qualified for the B Corral, it allowed me to run without any interference from the gun.   I do remember being a little too excited at the start. Most likely because other than today my training was great except for the chest cold in the first week of taper.  Almost every race this year was PR.  All outside indicators pointed to a sub 3:30 race.  66F at the start.

As you can see the first 13 miles was right on target for my attempted 3:25.   I was shocked at how easy it was feeling.   The 8:04 was not an aberration.   I forced myself to slow and watch people pass.    Then it happened.  Just before Mile 14 I took my second Gu and drink water.  Almost immediately I almost lost my breakfast.  I decided to walk a short distance to let the feeling pass.  I began to run and a cramp popped up in my upper abdomen just under my bottom rib.  Mile 14 and 15 were combined because I was occupied and didn't notice the mile marker.  I attempted to walk through the aid stations and run the balance.  Then my lower back began to seize up.   As I walked the muscles relaxed and I began to run again.  Only to slow to a walk when it became too tough to run again.   At one point during Mile 22 a woman came up next to me when I was walking and asked if I wanted company as she was hurting as well.  Then she told me I wasn't walking fast enough.  C'mon, I didn't ask for the company so don't demand me to walk faster.

I slowly watched all my goals go out the window.    It was in the 70's at the finish.  I have no idea why my day was so bad.  Was it the heat?  Was it the cold from two weeks ago?  Did I eat too much for a warm day?  Where did the back cramps come from? None of this has ever happened during races or training.  I will never know and that is frustrating.   I was mad for a couple of hours but I'm over it now.  It was a single opportunity missed.  I'll be back.

Big Day Tomorrow

Race day tomorrow.  The weather won't be ideal for a perfect run.  Low 60's at the start but the good news is that humidity will be low.   Still debating my pace.   I think I'll go out at a 3:27:00 pace and we'll see how I react to the weather.   3:25 is still the goal but I don't want to crash and burn and miss a chance at sub 3:30.

I went to the race expo to get my number and freebies. A massive race like Chicago always has some interesting booths.

Massive foosball table at the Volkswagen booth

Brooks booth complete with live harp music

  I got my stride analyzed at the Brooks booth.   Turns out over the years I've become much more efficient.  I am a neutral runner now.  So do I try the Ghost 4 or the Pure Project Pure Flow next?

Official race shirt

 

 

RW Forum friends Hoosier Ted and Runner X

Since tomorrow will be such a nice day the crowds should be insane.   As of right now, I expect to see family and friends at Miles 4, 5.75, 10, 11, 18 and 21.   Will it be a BQ?  To quote Steve Prefontaine, "A lot of people run to see who's the fastest.  I run to see who has the most guts"

Chicago Marathon Pace Goal

My motivational coffee cup.   I plan to drink out of it all week.   Yes, I'm weird.

The Chicago Marathon is one week away and the excitement is starting to build.  I'll be honest, laying around last week because of a respiratory infection was depressing. It was also necessary.  If you're gonna run a marathon, it's a lot easier if you're not coughing up a lung.  I finally got back on the roads this week and it's a good thing because my lungs need it.   Slowly but surely I'm returning to form.  I'm not that concerned about fitness loss. Only psychological loss!   This week I ran 25 miles with a 12 miler scheduled tomorrow per Coach Pete.  I've put in 5 MP miles and a couple of sub MP miles to get the intensity up to compensate for last week.

The cold hard stats:
Pfitz's 18/55+ has been good to me.
I averaged 51.2 mpw for the previous 8 weeks prior to the week off in the first week of taper.
My half time of 1:34:46 from four and half weeks ago has me encouraged.
McMillan predicts a marathon of 3:19:52 based on my half time
GMaclin predicts a marathon of 3:22:30 based on a moderate prediction and 3:26:59 based on a fairly conservative prediction
14 runs of 11m or more midweek
One 20m and two 22m LR's at 8:52, 8:59 and 8:52 average pace respectively. I have the time on my feet covered.
My May marathon in Green Bay was 3:35:55 on an insanely windy day.

So I'm declaring an A goal of 3:25 BQ at Chicago in a week. Based on this year's Boston registration, I think it would guarantee me a 2013 Beantown debut
The B goal is sub 3:30.  It would still get me a PR by 5+ minutes and I'd make a final assault for Boston in the spring.
There is no C goal.  Do or Do Not  There Is No Try.

If you disagree, I would love to hear your thoughts.

I Surrender, Cold Wins

It occurred to me that I haven't really updated my training progress since the half marathon at the end of August.   Sure there was the Fort2Base pacing gig but that equated to no more than a general aerobic run.  Training has been solid until now.

The week after the half I put in a 53 mile week.   Then I began to get a head cold.   Nothing serious, just general stuffiness.  I started popping vitamin C and zinc.   I found that running actually cleared it up and I would always feel better until it returned the following morning.   I figured I better cut back and hopefully I would be healthy from then on out.   The week of September 5th I only ran 41 miles.    The coughing started but I pushed on but at no point did I feel sluggish.  I never ran a temperature above normal despite my obsessive double checking.

Then came last week.  All of my runs were easy. I did not want to do any speedwork and push my cold beyond the breaking point.  Tuesday and Thursday were longer runs of eleven miles.   The week would end on Sunday as I took part in the Final Fall 20 at the Fox Valley Marathon.  Basically, it is a supported 20 mile course within a marathon (highly recommended if you can ever run one).  The goal was to do 22 by re-running one of the miles.  At one point a woman yelled at me that I was going the wrong way.   But during the first 11 I was going to run with my friend Tom.  Tom was running the full marathon and was attempting to break 4 hours for the first time in seven attempts.  It drizzled the entire run and it was perfect marathon weather.   Tom and I ran 9:10 miles before I left him.   I picked up the pace and wound up averaging 8:53 for my entire run.  I was on my feet for three hours and fifteen minutes.   Just short of my intended marathon time of 3:25.   A perfect long run before taper.   They even gave me a medal which was a little odd for a training run.  Tom didn't have such luck but it wasn't from a lack of effort.   He had a bad cycle hampered by PF and couldn't get in the necessary miles.   He finished just under 4:15.

Monday night I felt like crap. I surrender, the cold wins.  Tuesday morning was even worse and I missed work running a fever of 100 degrees.   The Sunday run finally must have dropped my immune system to the brink.   Coughing and a stuffy head accompanied my fever.   By Wednesday my temp was back to normal but I still felt like crap.   I had missed two runs and it was time to get professional help.   Naturally, when I called my doctor I was told that he was out of town until next week.   My wife found me the nearest immediate care center that was associated with my doctors hospital.   It just makes it easier paperwork wise.   Thankfully, the doc prescribed me some azithromycin.   Let the healing begin.

Today is the first day I have even contemplated running.  I am feeling better and sleeping better at night.   There is still 2 1/2 weeks of taper left.  I probably won't return until Sunday at the earliest.   I want to get to the start line healthy.    Missing a few runs doesn't concern me yet.   I've only missed three for a total of 17miles.  Although, I haven't done any speedwork in three weeks.   My half marathon time of sub 1:35 a mere 3 1/2 weeks ago tells me I have the fitness.  Hopefully, I'm back on the roads for some fine tuning soon.