Week #7 - Day 4

I'm halfway there. I completed my own personal half-marathon this morning, doing about 13.1 miles on the towpath. The plan had called for only 12 miles, but since I had totally missed run #3 for this week, I decided to tack on the extra mile and change (not to metnion it was a big mental boost to know I've reached this landmark). I used my heart monitor and tried to stay around the 75-80% range for most of the run (though I think my max is a little higher than average, so it was probably more around 70-75%). I finshed the 13 miles in 2:09:20 (a 9:57 mile pace). This is about a 9 second improvement over last week's long run. I think the weather really helped this week since it was a little cooler and a lot lower humidity. I really felt good most of the run until the last 2 miles or so when I started to just get tired. My knees have been bothering me, but I hope they can recover and make it through a couple more months.

I'm always pretty much halfway through my 16-week training program (before you fault my math, let me explain). After week 14, the last two weeks are "taper" weeks, where I cut back and basically that last week I'm down to a few 3 milers and some walking before the marathon at the end of the week. So I'm halfway through the hard stuff. Only 5 miles from the most I'm scheduled to do before the marathon (though I am considering adding a couple miles to one of the 18 milers and going for 20). 61 days and change until the Akron Marathon!

Week #7 - Day 2 & 3 (sort of)

Well, unfortunately this is going to be the week of my first missed run. I left Ohio this past Wednesday morning to help my brother who is moving to St.Louis. We stayed at a hotel on Wednesday night and I was able to get ahold of a nice treadmill and complete my scheduled 6 mile run. I did it in 53:48 (8:58 mile pace) and smashed my previous record of 3 miles of running on a treadmill. I didn't think I could do it, but luckily I had the little workout room all to myself and some baseball on the TV.

But Thursday night I was out late, and we checked out of the hotel Friday morning and I spent that night at my brother's apartment. I fly back to Ohio in a few hours, and I plan to wake up early on Sunday and get in my next scheduled long run of 12 miles. Hopefully this is the last time I have my schedule thrown off like this, but I guess it's not the end of the world. In the long run, I'm sure it won't make any difference.

Week #7 - Day 1

Began the week with a 4 mile run in the tropical conditions which have overtaken NE Ohio. The dewpoint was something ridiculous today, and made it feel like a sauna even when it was cloudy. But, I have a schedule to keep to, so I did my run. Went north on towpath. Finished in 34:16 (8:34 mile pace), which is just a few seconds slower than my last two four milers. Not exactly the improvement I was looking for, but given the conditions I feel pretty good about it.

I did wear the heart rate monitor today, though I didn't really follow it too closely. The first mile I think I stayed below 80, but it slowly crept up throughout the run. I did some hard sprinting at the end of the run and saw my heart rate peak at 98%, so I wonder if my rate is a bit on the higher side of my "estimated" max of 194. They say you should flat-out sprint as hard as possible for 3 minutes, but I was only doing so for a minute before I peaked that high. I really need to try to measure my resting heart rate sometime, but it is not too often that I wake up "naturally" (without the help of an alarm) these days. Maybe next weekend.

Week #6 - Day 4

Today was the long run for the week, 11 miles. While I am happy to report that I did not stop once or walk at all, I did run at a rather slow pace. This was my first long run with the heart rate monitor, and I tried to stick to a good pace so that I don't overtrain myself. When I got to thinking about it, it seemed kind of silly that I was racing against the clock like every run is a race itself. It's just training!

So, for the first 6 miles, I tried to stay around the 80% mark. After that, I slowly let it creep up to the low and mid 80s. The last mile and a half or so, I got back up to my more normal pace and had a strong finish. In the end, it took me 1:51:14 (10:06.7 mile pace). Not exactly the time I was looking for, but I feel nowhere near as exhausted as I did last Saturday. Sure, my knees still hurt and my legs are pretty tired, but I don't feel like I should go sleep for the rest of the day. So while I was not excited about the time, I think in the end that it is what is best for me. Now I just hope I can improve a lot in the next 9 weeks. That four hour marathon would still be nice.

Week #6 - Day 3

Today was my second time with the heart rate monitor, and I basically did my normal pace to see what my rate normally is. And if everything I read is true, I'm training way too hard. I started in the mid 70% range, and slowly climbed up until I was in the low 90%s for most of my last mile. But I keep seeing improvements, so I might keep it up. It took me 34:07 (8:32 mile pace) to complete my 4 mile run today. It was hot and humid, and by the time I finished the sweat was just rolling of me. And there is no real relief in site. The local weather person said Cleveland normally has 8 days of 90 degrees each year. We've already had 16 this year, and it's only mid-July!

Next up is an 11 mile run on Saturday. Going to try to get an early start and avoid some of the hot weather. I think I'm going to try to start at a slower pace and gradually increase over time. I'm still in the habit of having my fastest mile first. Saturday's run will push me past the 100 mile point since I began training 6 weeks ago. Hard to believe.

Week #6 - Day 2

Today's run was not so great. I had been looking forward to what the local weather forecasters were saying was a "cool front" coming in. Ha! It's just as hot as it's been the last month, with just slightly less humidty. Anyways, my big excuse for the day's poor performance was that my new heart rate monitor arrived (the Polar S120) and I was messing with it the whole time. Well, halfway into the first mile the chest strap was too loose and it was falling off. Instead of stopping to fix it, I kept running and eventually got it fitting a little better. So my first mile, despite messing with the strap, I finished in just over 8 minutes. The second mile, when everything was adjusted, I tried to stick around 145 bpm, which is about 75% of my max heart rate, and is around what I should be training at. Well, when trying to stay around that rate I was doing about a 10+ minute mile. It felt like I was crawling!

After trying to stick to a lower rate for the first three miles (which took me nearly 28 minutes!) I gave up and just ran what felt like my normal pace the last two miles, with a little extra push at the end (which actually got my heart rate up to 189, which is pretty darn close to my "estimated' max rate of 194. I finally finished my 5 miles in 45:33 (9:06.5 mle pace). That's almost 3 minutes more than last week's day 2 run. Not exactly what I was hoping for.

So, in the coming days I'm going to try to read up on all of this heart rate stuff and how to incorporate it into one's training. I've been seemingly fine doing what I've been doing the past 6 weeks, so I don't think I should suddenly drop my pace just because of what a book or website says (though I'm sure they know much better than I). But we'll see. If you go to 10 different sites and look at their marathon training programs, you'll get 10 totally different routines. But when it comes to this heart rate stuff, it's pretty well agreed upon. But at this point I think it requires more research before I go and change everything up.

Week #6 - Day 1

Today was my first increased distance "short run", going from 3 to 4 miles. Conditions were just as crappy as they have been the last few weeks. I think the heat index hit 95 today, and it felt like the rainforest with the humidity. I was looking for a little variety, so I headed north on the towpath. I made an effort to slow myself down the first mile as I have a tendency to run my fastest mile on the first. So I think I finished the first in around 8:30, and then was a little slower each mile, with a slight improvement on the final mile because of running to the finish line. In the end, I finished in 34:09 (8:32 mi pace). Not great, but almost 2 minutes better than the last 4 mile run I did a few weeks back.

Week #5 - Day 4

Well, I hit two milestones with today's run. It was my first 10-mile run (yeah, double digits!) and my first week over 20-miles (21 to be exact). I managed to roll out of bed at 7am and get down to the park a little after 8 before it got too hot. Unfortunately, it was still wicked humid that early. But today was the first day I had my new Camelbak, so I was ready for good hydration.

I headed north on the towpath, so my 5th mile was run in territory that was new to me which is always cool. I was feeling alright though I was really getting hot because of the humidity and the rising temp. I slowed down briefly at the 5 mile point to get some water down. The Camelbak isn't quite as efficient as I had hoped. It takes some good effort to suck the water out of there, and it doesn't really come all that fast. And I found I was not so good at doing it while running, so I had to walk when trying to get water. After my brief water break (about 30 seconds), I started back up though my body was less than enthused. During miles 6 & 7, I slowed a couple times to get water down and hope for my second wind. Well, the second wind never really came, but I managed to go the last 3 miles without stopping, though those last 2 miles seemed to last forever.

Finally the big 82 bridge came into site and I finished my 10 miles in a time of 1:33:35 (9:21.5 mi pace). A little slower than my target time of 1:30, but not too bad. I'm thinking that the marathon conditions in October will be much better than the hot, humid days of the summer. My body is the sorest it has been since I started my training, so I am really looking forward to some rest. I might try to go biking some tomorrow, though no hills for me this week. I don't need sore legs for Monday's run like I had last week. So now 5 weeks down, 11 to go!

Week #5 - Day 3

Went from a great run yesterday to a not-so-great run today. I had a rough day at work, so I was not in the best of spirits which I'm starting to honestly believe has a big impact on how I do. The weather was humid and overcast again today as a thunderstorm was approaching. But of course, being the idiot I am, I still went running. I finished my 3 miles in 24:30 (8:10 mi pace). I was disappointed because I wanted to match (or beat) last week's 24:01, but alas I did not. However, that is my 2nd best time.

I avoided the storm while running, but when I started my mile walk back to where I started (I run 2 miles out, and run 1 back) it started raining, harder and harder until it was a total downpour. I ran some of the way back, but I was pretty gassed and I learned, with my rain soaked clothes, what it would be like to run if I was about ten pounds heavier....not easy. Good incentive not to gain any extra pounds. I think I've lost a couple pounds this week. I'm not really looking for much in the weight loss department since I know I need to keep up on my eating to keep my body up to the challenge. But I know I have gained some muscle, so I think some of that fat has disappeared. Rest on Friday and hit the double digits on Saturday with a 10-miler!

Week #5 - Day 2

Today was my best run to date. I felt good when I started, never encountered any back pain, and never really got wore out. It was also the first time I ran in the rain. When I got to the park and started stretching, I noticed it was getting dark towards the south. So, I started running north. After the first mile (which I finished in about 8:11), it started rain. The rain gradually increased and came close to downpour level at one point, before tapering off. It was nice to get relief from the sun, and the rain was nice and cool, but eventually my shirt got completely soaked and felt like I was wearing a heavy vest.

I finshed the 5-miler in 42:39 (8:32 mile pace). That is 21 seconds better than my pace from last week's 5-miler, which I am very happy with. I'm not sure why I felt so good running today. It might have been the pasta lunch I had, or the cool weather, or just the extra day off yesterday. Whatever it was, I hope it continues. My last 3-miler is tomorrow, and my first 10-miler is Saturday.

Week #5 - Day 1

Headed to the rec center today to do my last Day 1 three miler...well, until weeks 15 & 16. Switched up my routine a bit today and went later in the evening, after dinner. Unfortunately that seemed like a mistake as I started getting some stomach cramps late in my run. I started about an hour and a half after my dinner, but I either should have eaten less or started later. But I managed to get a decent time of 25:25 (8:28 mile pace). When I'm running at the pace I think I run outside, it seems much faster on the treadmill. I kept a good pace (about 8:30) for the first couple of miles but had to slow down as I was getting worn out, before I sped up for the last .2 miles. Tomorrow or Wednesday I will probably do my 5 miler, then do the 3 miler on Thursday.

Week #4 - Day 4

This week's "long run" was an 8 miler which I headed to the park to attempt. I was kind of looking forward to it since I'd be running further in one direction on the towpath than I ever had. But unfortunately, it wasn't the perfect run that I had in mind. Only a few miles into it, my thighs were getting tired which had never happened to me, and it was extra surprising since it was so early in the run. And during mile 3, the back pain kicked in hard again, but only lasted for about a half mile. I hit the four mile mark and started back. It was a hard run back. Unfortunately I walked for the first time, albeit for only about 20-30 seconds at a time, but I found myself doing it 3 or 4 times. The first few were to get some water down, the last couple were because my stomach wasn't doing so great and I felt as if I was going to get sick. It was hot, mid 80s with all sun and no clouds, and my water bottle got emptied early than I had hoped (can't wait for the Camelbak which should arrive Monday). Despite the walking, I actually finished in a decent time of 1:13:13 (a 9:09 mile pace), which is interesting because that's exactly a 4 hour marathon pace.

After the run was over, I drank a lot of Gatorade which I decided to start drinking after I read about the benefits of electrolytes and how you need sodium to sweat. Plus the marathon has Powerade during the race, so I should get used to drinking a "sports drink". I drove through the park a bit in some very nice air-conditioning, and then found a nice shady stretch of path to walk and walked for a little over a mile. Felt pretty good though my legs (now 3 hours later) are pretty wore out.

So I'm now officially 25% done with my marathon training. It's hard to believe that I've gone from barely be able to do 3 miles just four weeks ago, to doing 8 miles (and at a faster pace!). So hopefully I can keep getting my workouts in on a regular basis, keep getting them done, and improve my pace a little more.

Week #4 - Day 3

Another 3 miler today. Was a little short on time so I just headed to the rec center and hopped on the treadmill. I ran at my fastest treadmill pace, but it was still much slower than my run outside on Tuesday. I finished the run in 25:30 (8:30 mi pace). Pretty boring run. Fortunately there was no pain today. Taking Friday off and looking at Saturday for my 8 miler.

Week #4 - Day 2

This week was the first increase in my Day 2 run, going from 4 to 5 miles. I headed to the park and it was partly sunny and in the upper 70s, but still humid. I headed north on the towpath and finished my run in 44:27 (8:53 mi pace). The back pain did strike again today, though not until the end of the 4th mile. Not sure why it strikes early some days and later other days. Seems to be no pattern to it. I have another short 3 miler tomorrow, and then an 8-miler on Saturday.

Week #4 - Day 1

I got out of work early today and made it down to the park which was nearly deserted. It was overcast and only about 75 degrees, but it was rather humid. Today was just a simple 3 mile run (funny how I now consider 3 miles "simple"), and I finished in my best time yet, 24:01 (8:00 mi pace). That is 1:40 off my last 3 mile run on Saturday, and nearly 3 minutes better than last week's Day 1 run! I know it's bad to focus on time, but it's nice to see improvements and it gives me a good way to challenge myself on these shorter runs. Surprisingly I was not very sore today after yesterday's 15-mile bike ride from Brecksville down to Pennisula and back. I know I should ease myself into riding, but it's hard to restrain myself because it's fun to be riding again.

While my time was good, the run itself was not that great. Just after finishing my first mile, I had some very sharp pains in the left side of my lower back which almost stopped me. They did improve over the course of the mile, only to come back almost as strong near the end of the mile. Eventually they faded, but they had me very concerned at times. I need to read up more on some exercises I can do, along with some extra stretching to hopefully prevent this from becoming a recurring problem.

Week #3 - Day 4

Today was this week's long run, and is the first time I did not completely finish the scheduled distance. The book called for a 7 mile run today, but I managed to complete about 6.3 miles. There are two reasons for the shortfall: 1) I was really pressed for time since I had plans that I would have been late for if I went that extra distance (odd miles suck because I end up walking a mile back to the start) and 2) I needed water. The only time I have is from the 6 mile mark, and that is 53:24. So I managed to stay under a 9:00 mi pace, which is good.

So while this is the first time I missed my distance, it's really not because I could not handle it, so I'm not feeling too bad about it. I just need to be more careful with my time and not make commitments that I know will be hard to keep (or just get up and get going a little earlier). Also, I do plan to order one of those Camelbak things to help keep hyrdrated when running since it's only going to get hotter and I'm going to be running much further distances.

Week #3 - Day 3

I had hoped to get my 3rd run of the week in yesterday, but I did not get out of work early as I had planned, and did not want to put in the time. So, I did run 3 today and (despite my book advising a day of rest before and after the long run) am planning to get my long run in tomorrow. So I headed down to the towpath as it was a beautiful day outside, 75 degrees and mostly sunny. Headed south and finished my 3 miles in 25:41 (8:34 mi pace), my best time yet. I didn't feel that great, but I got it done. For the first time, my thighs hurt while running, so I'm wondering if that was because of bad stretching. I did some sprints while walking the 4th mile, and actually felt better than my regular run, so I guess I should think about doing more to warm up and get loose.

After my run, I walked back to my car and busted out my brand new bike for my first ride in I can't even remember how many years...and it was fun! I got in a leisurely 6 mile ride and managed to not fall over, hit anybody, or run off the towpath. It was hard to supress the urge to ride longer, but I knew my legs would probably not be too happy tomorrow if I did that. So I'm hoping to start mixing in some bike riding with the running as some "cross training").