Run like a horse

Time 1:44:11

Avg pace 6:57

I really didn't want to push this run so I was surprised when I ended up with a sub 7 average. I was not very happy with the gels that I used on this run, but I'm glad that I did. Now I know not to use the same gel on my marathon.

During this whole morning all I could think about was the Saint George Marathon what was going on down there, where people were in the race, how everyone was doing. I ‘m so jealous! I can’t wait to read all the race reports. Congratulations, to all those who ran SGM today!

Time 43:13

Avg pace 7:12

Well this is two weeks to go till the SoJo Marathon. I'm deep into the taper this week. I only have 56 miles scheduled. That is about a third less than my peak mileage week. After reading all the race reports form SGM I can only hope that it is not going to be hot. Somehow I think it is just as likely to snow vs being too hot. My mind is going through all the issues and potential problems that could come up on race day and what can I do to prevent or mitigate them. It is two weeks out and I am already nervous.

To all of you who ran SGM, well done and congratulations.

Time 1:14:40

Avg pace 7:20

My wife was kind enough to drop me off for a rare one way run from down town SLC to Midvale. I probably could have chosen a better day for it though. I was facing a stiff head wind the entire way. That's OK though I had a good time. I love the runs that are low pressure and just more or less for fun.

Time 55:34

Avg pace 6:57

I ran the first 4 miles nice and easy, then I dropped the pace down to marathon tempo, or a little bit quicker, then I pulled back on the last two miles to coast in.

Mile 5- 6:22

Mile 6- 6:21

The rest were in the 7:05-7:15 range.

I'm really enjoying the taper, but it definitely does take a bit of confidence not to go out and do some hard solid running.

AM

4.01 miles w/jogging stroller

Time 29:23

Avg pace 7:20

Pushing the stroller into the wind on the first two miles was like pushing a bus, but on the way back I hardly had to touch the thing. In fact I had to speed up to catch it a couple of times. The wind was crazy this morning.

PM

6.21 miles

Time 44:33

Avg pace 7:10

I started to notice a light pain in my left calf this morning. On the run tonight it seemed to be a bit worse. I have no idea how in the world I could have developed a calf pain in the taper phase of my marathon training, but it appears that I have managed to do just that. I haven't done any hard work for some time. My mileage has been cut and it has all been easy, that is except for 2 miles at marathon pace yesterday. I guess it is a good thing that it is happening now, because I can spend the time to take care of it without losing any valuable training. I just don't know were I developed this.

Today I let my cautious side win. I had an AM 4 miler and PM 7 miler on the schedule. But, I decided to do some cross training on the elliptical. My left calf has been acting up a bit and I wouldn’t get much more if anything form the run that I wouldn’t get from cross training. So I went to the dreaded gym and did 45 min on the elliptical machine.

Today was a rest day on my schedule. I would like to “make up” the mileage that I didn’t do yesterday because of the cross training, but I know that won’t help me taper for the marathon.

Time 1:23:07

Avg pace 6:55

every time I looked at my watch I noticed that my pace was creeping down faster and faster. I would slow down and then it would happen again. 6:30 pace just felt like 7 min pace. I'm sure this is all because of the marathon taper. I just hope that feeling lasts through the enter marathon.

This is the last week before the first marathon of my life. I am so excited, anxious, nervous. Do I have enough to make my goal? One way or another I'm pumped to become part of the .1% of Americans that have run a marathon. This is going to be good.

Time 38:30

Avg pace 6:59

Nice easy Sunday afternoon run. I threw in 4 100m turnovers at about 1600m race pace. Every thing feels good and on track for the race.

Time 28:00

Avg pace 7:00

I put on my compression sock for this run, and my wife says that I look like a cute little soccer player. I'm not sure how to take that.

Time 40:07

Avg pace 6:41

Today was my “dress rehearsal” for the marathon this Saturday. I had all my race cloths and gear set up the night before. I woke up early to get it all done before my Wife went to work. I will be doing all my runs in the early morning to get used to it for race day. I dressed just how I would for the race to see how my cloths would do with the cooler temperature. It was a bit cold but I would prefer that to getting too hot. I ran the first two miles at warmup pace. 7:12 and 6:54. Than I ran marathon pace or just a bit faster for the next three, 6:24, 6:23, 6:12. Than I finished up with a mile cool down at 6:59.

I learned that my race shoes are just too tight for a marathon. I went out and picked up another pare of race flats that has more room in the toe-box. I think this will give me a much better chance of finishing without bleeding too much. I am liking that.

Time 28:25

Avg pace 7:06

Nice and easy cool morning run.

No running today, Just prepping things for the race. 

Just an easy 3 mile shake out run.

WOW! What a day!

I went to bed last night at 8:00 with the plan to wake up at 4:00 AM to make my 5:15 bus time. I get a good nights sleep despite being super excited and anxious. I woke up ready to go. I had all my gear laid out in order of what needed to go on first so getting ready went fast. I had a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. I made a conscious effort to not drink too much water and get water logged. It was big fear of mine that I would have to use all the port-o-potties along the race course.

I ended up arriving early at the race at about 4:55. I couldn’t see any point waiting for my assigned 5:15 bus time so I got on the next marathon bus. The race started in Copperton which is a small town on the North side of Kennecott Copper mine. The Bus driver drove up the Old Bingham Highway and took a left at US-111. This would have been fine, except for the fact that we were supposed to go straight. So now we are driving away for the start along the race course. I’m looking around the bus and see a lot of confused faces. I decided that someone needs to let the driver know that we would prefer to go to the starting line. I made my way to the front of the bus and told the driver “unless you know of another way to get to Copperton”, and there is none “I think you are going the wrong way.” He assured me that we were going the right way to get to Kennecott, and he was right, we were headed to Kennecott. I then did my best to explain to him the difference between Kennecott and Coperton without sounding demeaning or condescending. After all, our race and very lives were still in his hands. The fun continued into the small town as we took another wrong turn and drove down an impossibly narrow street with overgrown trees scraping the top of the bus. Eventually we made it to the race start and with time to spare, despite taking the scenic tour. I saddled down to go over the race plan in my mind, and wait out the time to start. After a while I decided to take a crack at lighting a propane heater that didn’t appear to be working. After getting the heater lit I warmed up for a bit and went over to use a hidden port-o-potty that was in an adjacent parking lot. All was going to plan so far. I ran a very slow mile to get warmed up. After a good stretch I was ready to go.

I found Walter at the starting line and chatted for a moment. We started out together for the first half to 3/4 mile. I knew that I shouldn't spend too much time with him because he is a much faster runner than I am.

Mile 1-5:53 This was a bit faster that the course tool said that I needed, but it was still very comfortable and felt slow. I let Walter go and ran in second place.

Mile 2-5:47 Walter was still fairly close and holding steady. I ran this mile about 15 seconds fast. I could hear someone making up ground behind me. I took a look back at the turn just after the mile mark and saw Steve who won this race last year. I knew it was to early and to fast for me to start being competitive for positioning.

Mile 3-5:57 Steve closed the gap on me somewhere on this mile and suggested alternating the lead every mile. I started to reconsider my race plan. I had been targeting a 2:50, but this pace was so easy and smooth. I thought I should be looking at a 2:45, or maybe a touch faster.

Mile 4-6:22 Steve and I start taking turns leading into the wind. This was really helpful, especially climbing up the hill to the entrance of Kennecott.

Mile 5-6:31 This mile kicked off the biggest climb of the race. I’m was not all sad that it was Steve’s turn to lead. I was still feeling fantastic though. I focused on lifting the knees and shorting my stride.

Mile 6-7:19 This was the guts of the climb, and once again Steve’s turn to lead. For the first time in the race I started to feel like I was going to work, not too hard, but definitely work.

Mile 7-6:25 I took the lead back to finish out the climb. When we started down I let the legs roll as fast as they wanted to go. It felt nice to pick the pace back up from the slow climb.

Mile 8-6:01 Steve had the lead when he darted to the far side of the road and grabbed his shorts with both hands. I was sad to see that he was having some troubles. I was also bummed to be running solo.

Mile 9-6:11 Well no longer running solo. Trevor, the eventual winner, caught up to me, and we chatted for a bit.

Mile 10- 6:14 At this point in the race I am convinced that my goal of 2:50 is just not going to cut it. I should be shooting for at least a 2:45. Steve had caught back up with us, and everyone was looking strong.

Mile 11-6:17 I wanted to run a bit more conservatively than Trevor and Steve and decided that it would be best to let them battle for 2nd and 3rd. I hung back to make sure I was not going to blow my race that had been going so well to this point. My family was waiting for me at the mile 11 aid station and that was AWSOME to see them. My wife explained to my 4 year old son Jace, that it was polite to cheer on the runners as they pass. So Jace said to Walter, “So how you doing?” I think we need to work on his race etiquette.

Mile 12-6:32 I eased back to my original race pace plan over the next few miles to make sure I didn’t crash in the later stages of the race. Still feeling good aside from the blister that I could feel under my left foot, but this was just a blister, no big deal.

Mile 13-6:30 I could see Steve make another run for the port-o-potties. I felt bad for all the time he was losing. I was still within reach of Trevor and feeling strong.

Mile 14- 6:36 I think I feel asleep just a bit in this mile. I had a problem getting the two drinks that I was looking for at the aid station, but I didn’t think it slowed me down that much.

Mile 15- 6:39 I started to feel some thing in my right knee. Nothing alarming, just a twinge.

Mile 16- 6:32 This mile started out with a steep down hill leaving Day Break. I wanted to take advantage of the hill, but just then alarm bells started to go off in my head. My knee was no longer twigging. It hurt! I took it easy down the hill to no avail. The pain was starting to get worse and worse.

Mile 17-26.2 9:42/mile avg. The wheels came off! I stopped to stretch a bit in hopes that it would help. Steve passed me as I did and asked if I was OK. I told him I was fine. I was lying. I was not fine. Started back running thinking It would ease up. If I could get things under control I could still salvage a 2:50. This hope faded fast. I passed a photographer when I was climbing up the hill to the temple. I was hoping that he would not take my picture. I didn’t want to remember this moment. I considered dropping out for the next couple of miles. Came across two women running beside the race and asked them if they had a cell phone. If they did I was going to ask my wife to come and get me. I continued to stop and stretch with periods of walking and hobbling. I steeled my nerve by mile 19 and decided I was going to finish even if I had to walk the rest of the D@^^& thing! I had someone at the next aid station call my wife so that she wouldn’t worry too much about me.

Right about the time when I was starting to really go to work and race, I couldn’t. When I read all the race reports and disappointments from St. George I thought that somehow I would beat the odds and have a good first marathon. I knew the risks, I knew all the things that could go wrong, but I was going to have a great race. I hope there weren’t any kids around me when that dream came crashing down. If there were then they now have a more colorful vocabulary.

I finished the race. Slowly, but I finished. I have never been one for finisher medals. I want an over all medal, but today am glad to get a finisher medal. This one actually represents something for me.

I think I am going to take it easy for the next few days. I have to get my knee healed for the ARMY PT and 2 mile time trail in two weeks. There is no medal for that, but it has far more consequences on my Warrant Officer Packet that I will be submitting in November.

Damage Report

The first day after the marathon. I’m more sore than I thought I would be having ended racing at about the 16 mile mark. Though thinking about it, I did hobble for 10 more miles, that can still take a toll. The calfs and quads are feeling it, though no more than if I would have ran a good 10K race. My left foot feels a bit sore, but I think that is mostly a secondary injury form the change in my form over the last 10 miles. I am mostly concerned about how my right knee will feel when I run tomorrow. It feels better than it did when I woke up, however the pain seems to come and go in waves. Because of that I believe the problem to be inflammation or nerve related. I had my AWSOME wife give me a deep tissue massage to work out the sore mussels. That has always cut days off my recovery in the past.

No running today, but I am looking forward to getting back to it. I’m scrapping my plans to run the Halloween Half because of my knee problems, but I am hoping to jump in the Cottenwood Heights Turkey Trot 5K. I hope to run a little tomorrow if the knee will let me. Otherwise I will have to get in some time on the bike.

I ran one mile on a treadmill to start out my workout, more for diagnostic purposes than anything else. This was the first mile after my marathon. The knee and foot are still problems, however I don’t think the problems will last. I then rode a stationary bike for 45 min. Defiantly not my favorite thing to do, but it got the job done. I think I will play it by ear tomorrow.

Time 56:18

Avg pace 7:10

I wanted to do 8 today but my right knee started shooting pain around mile 6.5. I slowed down to recovery pace and than decided to walk the last little bit back home. #*$& knee is starting to make me mad! Or maybe I'm over reacting and should give it some more time to recover, nah.

Running

6 miles on the treadmill

Time 41:40

Avg pace 6:56

Stationary Bike

25 Min

I started out on the treadmill to give my right knee a softer surface to run on. My plan starting out was to do 9 miles, but I thought I should stop at 6 and finish on the bike.

In the absence of an injury I would have liked to do some sort of speed work today, but with my knee giving me problems that is just not going to happen today. I have to get this thing better before Wednesday because that is when I plan on taking my Army physical fitness test which includes a 2 mile time trial.

Time 42:09

Avg pace 6:54

Avg HR 152

I took a loop course around my house so I could stop just in case my knee started acting up. Thank goodness it didn't seen to mind the run today. I think it is starting to get a bit better. I have resigned my self to the fact that I won't be able to get any speed work in before I have to do my Army 2 miler. I still think it will turn out OK.

Time 40:56

Avg pace 6:48

Avg HR 147

Peak HR 170

Just an easy 6.

Time 42:04

Avg pace 7:00

Avg HR 145

Peak HR 175

The knee still feels like it could go either way. GRRR.

Time 46:22

Avg pace 6:58

Avg HR 149

Peak HR 178

I ran almost all of this on strictly residential roads. I made 30 turns to do it, but it was kind of fun. I had no idea where I was going to go next. I haven't done a run like that since high school. However it did keep me close to home in case my knee started to act up.

OFF

I took today off to make sure that my knee would be in good enough shape for the Army PT on this Wednesday.

30 minutes on a stationary bike.

I wanted to do something that would keep me from feeling stale during Wednesdays PT but still give my knee a chance to rest. I’m a little nervous about how it is going to hold out on the two mile run.

APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test)

This is not a conventional race. For those who are not familiar, the APFT is required for the Warrant Officer Packet that I am assembling for a Warrant Officership as a helicopter pilot in the US Army. Because of potential implication the results of this test and the fact that I flat out raced it, I chose to mark it as a race for blogging purposes.

The goal for the test was to score at least a 300 score. That is to say 100 in each of the three events, pushups, sit-ups, and the 2 mile run. I thought I could score as high as a 370 on the no longer used “extended scale.” The Army is currently caping the PT scores to 300, though the selection board still gets to see you individual event performances.

I was a bit concerned about how my right knee would hold out in the run. If it went well I should do just fine. If it gave out like it did in my past marathon....I would be extremely disappointed to say the least.

We started with the pushups. I had 2 minutes to do as many as I could. Passing would be 36, but to get a 100 I needed 75. I was confident enough in this portion of the test. I ended up doing 124 which earned me 149 points in the event.

Moving on to sit-ups. I was given all the time I wanted to rest for the following sections of the test, but it was cold and my family came to cheer me on, so I didn’t want to keep them waiting/freezing any longer then I had to. I was also given 2 minutes to do as many sit-ups as I could. The passing mark was 42, but I needed 76 to earn 100 points. I ended with 90 earning 114.

Now on to the main event! I took a bit of time to relax after the sit-ups. The sit-ups can really burn your hip flexers and quads. My goal for the 2 mile was 10:45. I arrived at this goal with the help of the McMillan running calculator. It was a conversion of my marathon goal of 2:50:00. It has only been a week and a half since my marathon attempt, and I have been struggling with an injury so I had a B goal of sub 11:00.

I had done a 1.8 mile warmup before starting any of the events. So I took a few strides to loosen up. I was running the event alone so I was a little concerned about my pacing. This was a concern that turned out to be valid. In my usual fashion I started out too fast.

My first lap clocked in at 1:15.0, not the goal of 1:20.6 that I was looking for.

1-1:15.0

2-1:20.6 Nice pacing

3-1:20.8 Dialed in now

4-1:20.8 Now its time to go to work

5-1:21.0 Or start letting it slip...

6-1:22.1

7-1:22.8

8-1:23.3

Avg HR 178

Peak HR 185

I had a choice to make on the last 3 laps, go faster and puke, or hold it in and let it slide. I’m ashamed to say I chose the latter. I can’t blame that on my knee, it held out just fine in the run. However, I could feel my lack of LT work. I couldn’t puke on that nice new track at Jordan High! I ended up with a 10:46.3 earning 126 points for the run. My grand total was 389. This was better than I thought I would do. I think It will be enough to convince the Warrant Officer board that I am in good enough shape to be selected.

I ended the workout with a 5.0 mile jog

Time 40:45

Avg Pace 7:19

Avg HR 136

Peak 146

My knee started acting up in the last mile, but that’s ok, it held up when it counted.

Time 50:31

Avg Pace 7:13

I went to the gym so I could use a tread mill for this run. I wanted to be close to a bike in case my knee started acting up. It seems to be good for about 6-7 miles and then starts to bonk like it did at the end of this run. I would have liked to go further but it wasn't in the cards today.

I have decided to take a couple of days off to give my knee a chance to really heal. I am tired of fighting this problem. I just hope I don't get too rusty while it heals.

OFF

OFF

Starting to get the get running withdraw symptoms. The shakes are coming on fast now. I always told myself I could stop any time I wanted, I guess that was all a big lie.

Despite the time that I took off form running my knee is still giving me problems. I have come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interest of my long range running goals to take the time to revamp my running form. I need to fix some inefficiencies that are also making me more injury prone. I have made the change before during my collegiate running career. But, when I took up running again I reverted to my natural poor form.

I expect the process to take about a month. During this time I will not be doing much conventional running. I will focus on form drills, strength training, and supplementing my workouts with biking.

My goals for the form change are:

1 Raise the knees

2 Land on the ball of the foot

3 Strike the ground under the center of mass, not forward as I have been.

4 Bring the heel closer to the glut after push off.

5 Shorten the stride.

If I can relearn how to run then I think I have a good chance of becoming injury free, and reaching my ultimate potential. It would be so cool to train without a thought of injury, to be concerned only about what will make a better runner! That's where I want to be.

So for now I have put all my racing plans on hold and joined a gym.

For today's work out.

20 minutes of form drills

30 minutes stationary bike, at 100 RPM. This is to train for a shorter stride.

Pushups

Sit-ups

Weights for back, traps, shoulders, and triceps.

I miss running!