A 2-Day Marathon

My combined mileage running on Saturday and Sunday was a bit greater than the marathon. It took therefore about 26-1/2 hours to run the 26.2 miles. Unfortunately on Marathon Monday, they stop the Marathon officially after 6 hours...so 2 days doesn't quite work.

I ran Saturday due to a schedule glitch on my part, showing up for my group run Saturday, which was scheduled for Sunday this week...oops. But I was near Boston on one of the warmest days of the year so far...why waste it. So I took the flat course by the river I used to run all the time I lived in Cambridge...10.3 miles. I only hope I didn't deplete my reserves, knowing I had a much longer run the next day.

 

Sunday

Same starting point different direction: run the 2+ miles to get to the actual Marathon course, and head in reverse for 8 miles, then turn around and run back through the toughest part of the course: the Newton Hills, around 4 miles where 3+ hills await, once you've spent your energy reserves.

 

I was running with a small group on the way out. Talking and keeping about a 9 min pace on the way out, both of which probably were spending my energy greater than my usual loner running. I paid for it when returning through the Newton Hills, where I slowed to a crawl, especially finishing up the final heartbreak hill.

 

About 18.5 miles in I started seeing the spots/aura I had 2 weeks earlier. I stopped running at 3 hours and about 19 miles, even though I hadn't completed the return. This was a pre-run plan because of the "spot-seeing" 2 weeks earlier. I did run/walk back to the starting point at the Mount Auburn club. Where I replenished with bagels, fruit, yogurt and juice. But there was no doubt I was wiped out. On top of that there were a couple places on me where my own clothes rubbed my skin off. Very painful in the shower...think sunburn.

 

Our trainer thinks I have to keep an eye on my fluid, electrolytes/salts, and glucose/sugar levels. Perhaps I'm hitting a wall of sorts as I get up into these mileages. The total number of miles seem close to being able to complete a marathon...but there is so far to go.

 

Our joke is that the spots is a pre-historic human defense mechanism: Your body telling you, "Hey, if you've been running for 17-18 miles, and if you haven't gotten away from whatever it is that is chasing you, perhaps it's a better idea if you stop and go hide instead."

 

Alright, I should be sleeping; not typing this blog....Goodnight.

Skiing...no, the kind you have to do work

We went cross-country skiing Sunday.
We haven't had the chance to go in 3 years so there was a bit of rust there.
Add to that a sled called a pulk, so little Ellis could ride along.
After some testing we were off. I didn't realize how choppy my skiing style is...think someone learning a stickshift the first time. Ellis was getting banged into her seat a bit, and I think she didn't like it. "All Done!"

Then she battened down the hatches and fell asleep, allowing us to ski and me to pull for a total of about 1-1/2 hours. Then I went out unfettered for 45 minutes later after lunch. Still, my novice form makes me have to work very hard.

My legs (quads) are still sore 2 days later.

By the way, XC skiing is great cross-training exercise. Cheaper, no lines, lots of time alone...and you get warm, not cold!

In love with…a burrito?

A different slant on love on Valentine’s Day.


Long-Distance running requires at least one non-athletic activity to sustain performance:
Eating! Eating lots of carbohydrates.

What’s a good inexpensive way to eat lots of carbs? Well, make yourself a lot of rice, beans, and pasta. But if you’re out and need a quick fix: Burritos at Chipotle.

I sincerely hope that the Food, Inc. and other works that depict Chipotle as a buyer and supporter of sustainable agriculture are truthful, because a lot of food is served there.

Yesterday, after my long-run, I found myself ordering a burrito, stuffed to the gills…in fact, upon rolling it, the tortilla broke. I said they could just wrap the entire thing in another tortilla. I wish I had a picture of this thing…if you were to take a standard bottle of wine and knock the neck off…that was the size of this behemoth. I thought for sure I’d take half home, then reminiscent of Coney Island hot dog eating phenom “Kobayashi” I polished this thing off.

So to those who love…love to eat…running does have a desired side effect.

About a Half

I'm having a hard time finding time to workout balancing work/commute/family, but I managed to get in a decent 8.5 mile run on Thursday. It seemed like I was going slow, but I have to remember that the runs that start and end at my house have steep hills. I'm sure there are studies on this, but to me it seems like going up a steep hill taks about 30% more effort and going down only gives you back about 15%.

This might be paying dividends, for the run today, I chose to run about a half-marathon (13.1 miles).
A typical training plan varies long run lengths each week, building toward the race. (for example, my weekly long runs have been about 10.5, 10.5, 7, 12, 15, 10, 18, 13)  

Lexington on the rail trail bikeway has long steady, only slightly up and downgrades. (There were however several ice patches that required careful stepping) Overall, the run felt good, with the ability to take longer strides when I felt the need to change it up.

And that's the idea: Run 15, so the next week's 10 miles seems easy; run 18, so the next week's 13 seems easy.

Boston Marathon: Line

The sleepy rural town of Hopkinton. No Starbucks, no McDonald's, no Dunkin' Donuts, no chain of any kind.

All year long, the start and finish lines of the Boston Marathon remain on the street; repainted freshly each year. You can see them from space here.

In Hopkinton, the Start is across the street from the town green, where there's a gazebo where a band sometimes plays and Santa comes to visit children at Christmastime.

In Boston, the Finish is on the long stretch of Boyston St., amongst the shadows of the Prudential Center and John Hancock towers, a block from the Back Back shopping district of Newbury Street, and feeling about a million miles (26.2 to be exact) from the Hopkinton town center.

Almost 18 Miles - Complete Exhaustion

I was too exhausted yesterday to think about and write this passage.


Saturday, the DFMC group met in Waltham at the Boston Sports Club, where the Celtics have their training facilities. Another good turnout, about 100 runners. About 19 degrees, with a light breeze. I dressed adequately for the cold, except I didn't cover my face or smear it with vaseline and the windchill caused my face to go numb. When talking to others, I was slurring all my words. The course wound through some great scenic roads in Lincoln with lakes, historic homes. There were also some killer hills, the steepest of which always went down first, and you knew that you would just have to climb back up them upon return.

It felt kind of natural to run a bit faster than the 15 miles I ran last week, except that at about 17 miles, I started seeing "blue spots" around the corners of my eyes. I knew I was reaching my limit with just 1 long hill left to climb. I made it up the hill almost back to the start and walk it off to the finish, running a total of 17.9 miles in 2hours, 47minutes.

The bad news is that I felt completely spent, kind of ill when done; the good news is that after about 15 minutes of cooling down and stretching I felt half back to normal.

And within a couple hours the appetite returned, eating muffin, pasta, juice, then burger, fries, potato chips, fries, onion rings, salad, and finally ice cream. If you like eating, which I do, then running does enable a bit of splurging...but I'm looking to eat plenty of the right foods to re-fuel.

Embracing the Cold

My training plan is starting to call for 7-8 mile runs mid-week (which was scripted for novice marathoners by 1976 Boston Marathon winner, our coach, Jack Fultz). So I have to figure out how to get these in, especially with limited daylight. Working from home tends to give me the ability to start work early and finish with enough daylight to get out there for a long run.
Today's run started at 4:15 and I went through the nearby state park and back.
A really tough course. 7-2/3 miles; this descends 250 feet from my house with lots of hills, and then return, making up the 250 feet. The goal wasn't to get faster, it was to get in miles, and enjoy it as much as possible. 31 degrees, light wind, wearing enough layers to be warm, but not overheat. The lake at the park is frozen over and the ice fishermen are coming in from the day. One of the areas was still snow covered so I could feel the crunch of snow underfoot. There were no cars, and the silence, except for the wind through the trees. This is what winter running is all about. Cold, but clean.

Reflections on icicles

Pictured here you can see the icicles I referred to in the previous entry from my run in the low teens last Sunday. The tewk is a great hat to keep ears warm and cultivate icicles.

Cold Chicken...then strengthened resolve

The forecast for Saturday at 8am was 5-10deg, wind chill -10. Well, I have all this cold-weather gear. I thought, hey, I could write about what it's like to run in the cold. I don't care if I'm miserable. At the same time I thought, but if I'm writing that I pulled something because I couldn't effectively warm-up...that wouldn't be good.

At 7 sure enough, weather.com said that Lexington (the group-run meeting place) was 7 & -10.
So whatever I have that passes for wisdom, led me to go to the gym for a long indoor workout.
As I got out of the car and was about to cross the street to the gym, I noticed, hey, it's cold...but where is that 10-15 mph with gusts wind they were talking about. Calm and still. And just then a runner passed in front of me.
The hair stood on the back of my neck and I think I could hear the distant sounds of chickens clucking at me.
The workout in the gym was good, 7miles on a treadmill, 30minutes elliptical cross-training, then 75minutes in a yoga class. I thought the yoga would be a good stretching motivator...but it was half strength poses...and besides my muscles shaking...my brain was actually getting tired. If anyone ever tells you that yoga isn't tough, tell them to go workout an hour and a half and then take a class.

But Sunday is usually a rest day...but I got 3 rest days this week already, so I resolved to run outside regardless how cold.
At 8:30am Hopkinton temperature was 11, 3windchill when I went out. I wanted to do about 8 miles, with lots of hills, mostly downhills. Downhills are "easier" than uphills from a cardio perspective but they work different muscles: the front of the leg (quads), more than the back of the leg (hamstrings). And the Boston Marathon is a net -460 vertical feet, so downhill training is recommended becuase the quads take a beating.

So for the cold, I warmed up on the elliptical before going out. The run starts at my house and goes down 200 vertical feet and then climbs back up 175 feet to the starting line 3 miles later. Then down the marathon course for the the first 3.8 miles which drops 300 feet to the center of Ashland where I finished. Rolling hills but plenty of downhill to punish the quads. The cold felt good and icicles formed on me. I love the icicles. There's nothing better to feel than your 100 degree sweat freeze solid within an hour.

Running meeting; Some Interesting Links re: Dana-Farber

Last Tuesday, I attended a runner's meeting at Dana-Farber. There were about 200 of the runners in attendance and the main focus was injury prevention, training, and stretching. They also had a poster signing for about a dozen children with cancer at Dana-Farber. I haven't met any of our "running partners" yet, but I expect to meet them at a future meeting, and Dana-Farber has a stand at the 25th mile of the race where some patients, big and small, will be watching the race and cheer us on to the finish.

I have noted a couple stories regarding Dana-Farber:

"CBS Evening News with Katie Couric"
On Jan. 28, anchor Katie Couric interviewed Ronald DePinho, MD, director of Dana-Farber’s Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science, for an in-depth report on where the U.S. stands in terms of cancer care today and the progress toward personalized medicine. See the cbsnews Video clip
 
Valerie Bertinelli on the Team
In January, actress Valerie Bertinelli sat down with Meredith Vieira of the “Today” show and Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa of “Live!” to announce her plans to run the Boston Marathon® as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team.
Dana-Farber research yields new agent for some drug-resistant, non-small cell lung cancers
A team of Dana-Farber scientists has halted non-small cell lung tumors resistant to the drugs Iressa and Tarceva with a newly constructed compound that was designed and formulated in an Institute lab. Read More Here

Charlie Horse

I woke up in the middle of the night Saturday from pain in the legs. It was a bit scary at first, but once I realized what was happening, I just knew the muscles were trying to tell me they were repairing...or maybe I was running in a dream. haha. Later I woke up because it was just uncomfortable to lay with my own body weight.
Is it sick, that I'm starting to find these sensations kind of cool?

A lot of running

I am exhausted. Perhaps the 2 workouts on Friday before running 15 miles on Saturday took its toll.
I'm aching in several joints, knees, hip, back. 400mg/ibuprofen a couple times after (and a couple before the long run).

So the run this morning was a good, but lengthy experience. The group run was at the Longfellow Club in Wayland, MA, and again a good turnout. The wether couldn't have been better for a January run - low 20's, Sunny, zero wind. The course wound through several scenic roads behind the club. Gentle hills ensure that plenty ups and downs are just commonplace.

My pace was slower than I expected, but it very much felt like my body was setting its own pace so that's a good thing.

At the end, I met a guy who was running at about my pace. He said he wanted to run the marathon because he wasn't a runner, and therefore a challenge. He got interested in Dana-Farber when a former colleauge died of cancer, and participated in the Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Walk in support of a child with Leukemia.
Too tired, I have to go to bed and get some rest.

12 Miler: First Group Run

This is the level and timing of workouts where it seems to count for marathons. 12 miles in the relative cold (although 30-35 is above normal for this time of year), running in Boston, and running in a group. Running in a group has some challenges and some benefits. You get "inspired" to push yourself, but you have to be true to your own abilities and not accidentally over do it.
This run started/finished at the Boston Running Company apparel store in downtown Lexington, a few steps from the historic Battle Green site of 1775. There were at least 50 -75 runners crmmed into this little shop.
There is a great "rail trail" bikeway a few paces from the shop. I've been on this 11 mile railroad-turned-into-bikepath several times when I used to live in Cambridge, but only on bike and never in Winter. Certain sections are plowed in winter and some diehards pedal to work all year long. For running, a good portion is unfortunately covered in packed snow and even worse, black ice.
I wonder how many footfalls I wasted "spinning my wheels" over ice. Regardless, it is refreshing to be able to run a long distance without having to think about cars all the time.
The path is mostly downhill from Lexington 6 miles almost to the end at the Alewife T stop. Dana-Farber had water and gatorade stops at 3,6,9 miles. I chose the red gatorade, and I intend on drinking it during the marathon (they have stops every mile during the race, and they serve orange, red and green gatorade). I don't even bother trying to name the actual flavors, because its just chemicals, but for some reason I get sick to my stomach when drinking the green Gatorade...but not the others. I need the sugar calories when running and it is essential to train with the same sustenance you'll use in the race.
For the run, kept pace with some folks that were running a bit faster than my normal pace, and felt fine. I was thinking to myself, this running path was great, ice aside, except it had no hills, which the marathon course has about 5 notorious hills...then when it was time to turn around, I realized that the path had been gradually decending this whole time and that it was going to be a gradual climb the whole way back. A very good course because normally I'd have more gas in the tank to pick up the pace the last mile, this way I was pushed to the very end and used most reserves trying to keep a steady pace.
Back at the store, I took the time to stretch and cool and warm up. A woman introduced herself, and told me that for her, running for Dana-Farber provided a support network that she didn't have when her father had cancer a few years earlier.
I hope to meet more people and hear stories of how having a cause, fundraising, running, and marathoning help transform people's lives.

Chickened out of the cold

When I woke up it was 1deg out; Watertown was 7deg at 7am; and dropped to 2deg by 7:30am. Not worth it.
So I went to the gym for over 2-1/2 hours to make it up. 3 miles on the treadmill, followed by a full hour in a spinning class (for the uninitiated, Spinning is a bunch of people on stationary bikes, being motivated by an instructor and blasting loud music.), then another 3 miles on the treadmill. Not as good as getting out there and running 2 hours straight, but much wiser, I believe. Definitely lower impact on the joints, too.

Preparation for cold weather running

Tomorrow (Sun, 1/10) forecast for 8am is in the mid teens with wind chills around 0.
I plan to be running with the DFMC team in Watertown starting from the Mt. Auburn Athletic Club.
The run is planned for 14-16 miles but where I am, it's prudent to stick with my plan and run between 12-13 miles.
I hope to combat the cold with some new gear Santa (Alicia) got for me. My concerns are for head and hand warmth, with just the right amount of arm and leg coverage to protect the skin, but not overheat, and allow wicking. My core burns hot, so I have no concerns there.
In 2000, I had several runs where I grew icicles off of me...I'll share if that happens again.

In my shoes, I have padded long-distance running socks, which should be fine.
The legs will be covered in 2 layers. Skin-tight "Pepper Skins" and a lightweight running pant for a little wind protection. 3 layers for the top: Skin-tight, hand covering layer, a fleecier thermal layer shirt, and my old trusty Gore-Tex Holy Cross Crew shell for wind protection (and convenient pockets). The hands with have skin-tight cross-country skiing gloves and light-weight mittens for wind protection, that I can easily remove one to drink water, adjust clothing, etc.

I will start training with Gatorade and PowerBars. The Marathon serves Gatorade and PowerBar Gel. It's essential to train with the same sustenance as race day. The body can be unforgiving to changes when under stress.