Mayhem, a week before NYC!
By Kevin | October 31, 2011
As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Here’s how my last weekend before the NYC Marathon went down.
On Friday, I played indoor soccer with my team. I managed to get in the way of a defensive clearance with my thumb…probably fracturing it in the process (I’m actually waiting for X-rays at the hospital as I type this, now Monday). Can’t wait to see how it feels to swing it back and forth on a 26.2 mile run!
On Sunday, my family and I loaded up the car and headed to the Colorado Rapids playoff game! On the way, we came upon a road closure, and followed the detour. Another guy, who was already lost, also followed the detour, which confused him even more. He ended up rear-ending me at an intersection because he didn’t see all the brake lights ahead of him, especially mine.
No injuries, thankfully, but kinda sore all over today, and the car is pretty smashed up in the tailgate. It’s one more thing to deal with during a week that I was hoping would be calm, and would allow me to get mentally prepared for NYC.
Today is Halloween, so how do I turn a weekend like that into lemonade? Well, I become the “mayhem guy” from the Allstate Insurance commercials, of course!
Now, being in the hospital dressed like this is getting me some interesting reactions! Either people are recognizing it and chuckling, steering clear of me, or just looking at me like I’m really some kind of weirdo.
So, how do you protect yourself from mayhem like me? Just have a positive attitude and a good sense of humor, I guess! Happy Halloween!
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Orange Lake run
By Kevin | October 12, 2011
Yesterday, I went out for a tempo run while on vacation in Orange Lake, Florida. My sister-in-law, Suzanne, and I planned to head out together, but my alarm malfunctioned, and I ended up missing our 7:15am departure. She had a nice run by herself, and was very gracious about me standing her up.
I finally got out the door around 8am, and trotted off on my own, frustrated and chagrined at my missed run with Suz. It was already warm out, and definitely more humid than I’m used to, but I figured on a short and quick tempo run of about 5-6 miles, with a slower first-mile and last-mile, and middle ones faster than my planned race pace.
About a mile into the run, I saw another runner ahead of me merge into my path. He was making light and quick strides, a clear sign of a current or former marathoner. He stopped and turned towards me as I approached, and invited me to join him. I was happy for the company, and we trotted off together, doing intros as we ran.
Bill, visiting from Kentucky, had just arrived on Sunday too. He was out for a short run (a couple miles), and was moving at a quicker pace than I was. We both adjusted and found a happy medium around 7:00-8:00/mile pace.
As we ran, Bill shared that he was indeed a marathoner, with a 2:20 PR at the Boston Marathon, and he ran with winner and legend Bill Rodgers no less! Though it was years ago, Bill still had the look of someone who was effortlessly floating forward…a stride worth emulating. I, on the other hand, was bobbing up and down like I was trying to smash grapes into wine, all while still working on that mid-foot strike.
We had a nice run, covering just over five miles together in 39 minutes before we parted ways. I had close to a mile before, and about a half-mile after, for a total of 6.5 miles in 56 minutes…a pretty quick 10k tempo run for me. Considering my first and last miles were at a 10-min/mile pace, we were cruising those middle miles.
Thanks Bill, for the good company, and for pushing my pace too! It turned into a good quality run! Hope to see you on the paths again on Friday morning! This time, hopefully with Suzanne too!
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Flagstaff jog-a-thon
By Kevin | October 8, 2011
Yesterday, I had the unique privilege of actually participating in my school’s jog-a-thon, an annual celebration of healthy activity, and a fundraiser too. Every single grade, from preschool through 8th grade, had a designated time on the uber-organized course outside the school (special thanks to Redline Running Co. and Fast Forward Sports). Everyone had timing chips, and laps were counted towards a wide variety of cool prizes for each grade. It ended up evolving into a wonderful 20-mile training run, unlike any I’ve ever had!
Mrs. Gudmundson's Kinder class
I had planned to accompany my son and his Kindergarten class during their assigned running time. The preschool was up first, so I went with them, then stayed outside for the Kindergarteners. The energy right from the start was infectious, with lots of parents there to cheer on their kids around the 0.1 mile oval course on our grassy field.
I loved running “with” Garrett, despite the fact that he seemed to have only one speed – all out! He finished the first lap a good 100ft. ahead of the closest runner behind him, and then crashed to a walk until I caught up to him again…at which point he sprinted ahead again, and the cycle continued.
Garrett's in his first-lap sprint!
Soon, the announcer proclaimed, “Hey, the Principal and the Dean are dueling it out! Who’s going to run more laps?” Of course, that was all it took for Mr. Moore and I to feel a bit of competitive spirit. This was about the time I had wished I had a better dinner the night before, and a better breakfast that morning! By that point, we had each run about 30 laps, several of which were at 7-min. pace! As we went on, and Mr. Moore acknowledged that the only time he’d run farther than 8-miles was last year’s jog-a-thon (he ran about 14 miles), his relentless forward progress became downright inspiring! He finished with over 21-miles of laps, and a huge smile on his face!
I love that I got to run with Garrett!
So, grade after grade came out and rotated through the event, bringing with them a constant recharge of energy, support, and Flagstaff spirit, as well as a new batch of fans around the course. During 3rd grade’s time, I distinctly remember hearing someone yell, “Go PuggerRunner!” I’m guessing that was from Mrs. Reh’s class (thank you!). At a couple points during the day, I was even accompanied by my 3-year-old daughter, Gillian, who ran 3 laps with me, wearing her black frilly skirt and Halloween shirt.
It was the first 20-mile training run I’ve ever completed in 0.1-mile laps (all the left turns ended up giving me a blister!) and that included my family, friends and co-workers, students, water stations, a live DJ and announcer, chip timing, fan support, a dancing mascot, and LOTS and LOTS of high-fives along the way! Thank you Flagstaff Dragons and volunteers for a memorable and amazing day!
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Dr. Doolittle Run
By Kevin | October 2, 2011
This morning’s run was downright euphoric! The weather was gorgeous, sunrise perfect, and the run felt smooth and effortless. I did 14-miles in 2 hours and 30 minutes, with 60-second walk breaks at each mile. At times, I found myself running sub-8 pace and was surprised at how much it felt like a relaxed cruise. I had to really stay tuned-in to my pace to slow down and keep to my target pace of 12-minute miles. I ended up ahead of my target pace anyway, with an average pace of 11-minute miles.
Around mile 12, I turned up my music as “I Can Only Imagine”, by Mercy Me, came on. Every time I hear this song, I think about Dick and Ricky Hoyt’s adventures, and this video, which uses the song behind it. Dick and his son Ricky have become very well known for competing in many, many marathons and Ironman triathlons together. What makes this noteworthy, is that Ricky is in a wheelchair, and his dad pushes him the whole race. In the Ironman, he pulls him on a raft during the swim, then has a specially outfitted bike that has a place for Ricky to sit up front, then he pushes him in a running wheelchair in the marathon. Totally inspiring, as you’ll see when you check out the video.
So, yeah, I cranked this song, and it was like a magical cue. All of the sudden, I felt total euphoria, and somehow I also became Dr. Doolittle on the trail. I was heading around the edge of a lake, and the whole landscape suddenly awoke with wildlife all around me. A couple horses started running across the field towards me. A few cows looked up from their breakfast, and waddled over to the edge of the fence ahead of me. A huge herd of geese took flight in the field to my left, flew within 5 feet of my head, and landed on the lake to my right. There must have been 200 of them. All of this while the sun was rising across the lake, and mountains glowing the other way.
After that, a bunch of bright orange butterflies crossed the trail in front of me, and an eagle screamed overhead. There was even a snake on the edge of the trail. As I’m writing this, I’m realizing how unbelievable all of this really sounds. In the moment, however, it seemed like it was all supposed to happen, with this music as the soundtrack. I seriously couldn’t stop smiling, and I think I was actually singing out loud too while I was running. All of this happened in the span of about 2 minutes, and then it was done…again on cue, as Eminem’s 8-mile happened to be the next song in the shuffle. I’m lucky I didn’t get whiplash.
Now, to Lucile’s Creole Cafe for brunch!
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White-lipped return
By Kevin | September 25, 2011
Despite oversleeping this morning, I got out there for my long run of 17-miles. For the most part, the run went well. The weather was beautiful, and the Coal Creek trail wasn’t too crowded. I felt good, stayed relaxed, and kept my pace on target easily until about mile 15.5.
I had been drinking plenty of water, and had two Clif Shot blocks, but they weren’t enough to keep me out of electrolyte depletion, and it hit me all of the sudden with a mile-and-a-half to go. All I could do was walk the rest of the way home…and that was a struggle.
Once home, Bethany noticed my lips were white, and I noticed that the way I felt was going from bad to worse. I tried to make myself some lunch, but couldn’t stand up in the kitchen. I felt lightheaded and a bit disoriented. I sat on the floor of the kitchen, as Bethany put a wet towel around my neck, and brought me some Gatorade.
About an hour later, I was able to get some lunch, and then a shower. I’m still feeling a bit out of it, but coming around as I continue to replace my fluids and salt.
This was a tough reminder about how important it is for me to have about 100 calories per hour during a long run.
Without it, I got myself into trouble that came on fast. I know better, but fell into the trap anyway.
Now, to recover, and prep for the week!
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Alternative training?
By Kevin | September 23, 2011
This Sunday will mark 6-weeks remaining until the NYC Marathon! So far, I’ve not been able to stick to my training plan as well as I normally do. However, I’m discovering new and creative ways to keep myself headed in the right direction, and acknowledging that there are lots of other cross-training pieces that are getting thrown into the mix that weren’t part of the original plan. The fitness benefits of those cannot be ignored.
For example, last weekend, although I didn’t get my long-run in, I pushed myself pretty hard in “The Amazing Race”, an annual event organized by the school where I work. It is modeled after the TV show, and was really well put together. I competed on a teacher-team, and we were the only team to do the race on bikes (all other teams used cars).
The challenge involve 10 checkpoints, with challenges at each. When we found the correct checkpoint, and completed the challenge, we got the clue for the next checkpoint. Some of the challenges were physical, some were logic puzzles…all were fun!
Competing against teams using cars meant that we biked really hard throughout the race, which covered about 30-miles, and took us about 3-hours to reach the finish. I was definitely sore the next day, and decided to count that as a valuable cross-training day.
Then, this week was our annual outdoor-education program for the middle-school. We took 204 middle-school students, along with 36 teachers and parents, to the mountains for 3-days of science discovery, ropes course challenges, hiking, and team building. It was a fantastic trip, although it was a TON of work for the teachers, parents, and I.
As the one who was overseeing the trip, I spent a lot of time getting from one group to another (there were 10 different groups, rotating between different activities all around the valley) in order to monitor progress, and help to solve problems. I was on a mountain bike to help me respond quickly, and probably ended up biking about 8-10 miles each day, sometimes over rocky or steep trails.
Again, although I didn’t do any training runs on those days, I think there’s a training benefit from all the biking I ended up doing, especially at altitude.
Looking back, I think the “substitute” training may serve as a good way to bridge the gap in my training, but now it’s time for me to get back on track with running-specific training!
This weekend will be a long-run of 15-17 miles, and it will be interesting to see how my body responds, since the longest run I’ve done so far in this training cycle is 13.2 miles. Check back here for the update of how it went!
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Halfway there
By Kevin | September 5, 2011
With 9-weeks until the NYC Marathon, today was a nice confidence booster. After a great weekend camping in the mountains with my family, I completed my long-run today and hit the half-marathon mark!
It was a gorgeous morning, kicked off by 5 hot-air balloons over the mountains. A cool breeze and blue sky told me it was going to be a great run. I headed throughout downtown Lafayette and onto the Coal Creek trail for an out-and-back 13.2 miler. My pace was slow and relaxed, aiming for a solid two-minutes slower than my race-pace, with a 60-second walk-break at each mile.
Training entry:
8am, 65-degrees and sunny
13.2-miles in 2:40
12:30/mi avg
Fastest mile was mile 8 in 10:23
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Sunrise run
By Kevin | August 29, 2011
Got myself out the door for an early morning run today. It was nice to be out under the stars before sunrise, the cool and quiet Colorado morning and trail all to myself. It was a quick jaunt, but turned into a good-quality tempo run:
5:30am, 65-degrees
3.0 miles in 30:48
10:16/mi avg.
Mile 1 = 11:00
Mile 2 = 10:24
Mile 3 = 9:24
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Back into double-digits
By Kevin | August 27, 2011
It’s been a while…a long while…but I’m back into double digit long-runs. The last run of double-digit miles I completed was probably the New Jersey Marathon in May of 2009! Today’s run was a relaxed 10-miler, with a conservative pace of 11:30/mi (including 60-sec walk-breaks at each mile).
With some known hills coming up in the NYC Marathon, my route included several long hills. In all, it was a good training run, except for my pre-run routine. I didn’t get the early start I wanted to, so I bolted out the door with an empty stomach and no water to bring. By mile 8, I was feeling the bonk, but was able to maintain my pace.
It had also gotten pretty warm, and I was definitely fighting some cotton-mouth. It’s a mistake I haven’t made for a while, and a good reminder to stick with the things that work for me!
Training entry:
7:30am, 70-degrees (85 at finish)
10mi. in 1:55*
Fastest mile was mile 5 in 10:02 (with 60sec walk-break included).
*Overall time included a 10min stop to chat with a neighbor who was out on her bike.
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Cross-training conflicts
By Kevin | August 25, 2011
It has been said that the hardest advice to follow is your own. How true it is for me these days! My training consistency is weak lately, yet I have been known to evangelize the value of training consistency in my advice to others. Recently, the choices I’ve been making about cross-training activities have not been “runner-friendly”.
The “experts” say the best cross-training activities for runners are biking, swimming, elliptical, or other similar repetitive, non-pounding, non-sideways-cutting, non-collision activities. In other words, NOT soccer.
Alas, I’m not only playing soccer on a competitive adult team, but now I’m also helping to coach my son’s U7 team. Any of the players I coached at Baldwin-Wallace College in the mid-90s will tell you that I’m not the kind of coach who stays on the sidelines. Add to that the fact that my games are on Sunday mornings, when I should be doing my long runs!
So, my advice to myself? Time to bow out from Sunday-morning soccer, stick with the long-runs, get the consistency back, and recognize that there are now less than 12-weeks to go until the NYC marathon…and my longest run has only been 8-miles! Commitment, consistency, choices…c’mon!
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