Marathon Training - Week 8 of 30

Image by takomabibelot via Flickr

I'm training for my first marathon, which will be the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on December 4, 2011. My training week runs from Monday to Sunday. Today is Monday, which means the beginning of a new training week!

First, a quick review of last week (week 7):

• Monday - scheduled rest - completed
• Tuesday - 3 mile run - completed
• Wednesday - 5 mile pace run - completed
• Thursday - 3 mile run - completed
• Friday - scheduled rest - completed
• Saturday - 8 mile run - completed
• Sunday - 1 hour walking - did two days of fence repairs instead

Last week was a pretty good challenge. Both my mid-week run and my Saturday run both increased by a mile, plus the mid-week run was at the slightly faster "pace" speed. It feels good to have come through last week hitting all of my goals. Because it doesn't get any easier, with the temps getting hotter and the miles getting longer.


Now on to this week.

This week is week 8. The Saturday long run gets a bit longer again, pushing my weekly mileage to 20 miles for the first time in a long time. But I get a bit of a break because my mid-week run is an easy run this week instead of a pace run. 


Here's what's on the schedule for this week:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3 mile run
• Wednesday - 5 mile run
• Thursday - 3 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 9 mile run
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Have a great week!

Sweat Your Thorns Off Race Report!

Yesterday I participated in the "Sweat Your Thorns Off" virtual 5k hosted by The Boring Runner. Even though I had an 8 mile run on the schedule, I wanted to participate because I think the idea of a virtual race is pretty cool. So, the first 5k of my 8 mile run is dedicated as my entry for the "Sweat Your Thorns Off" 5k.


No good race report is complete without some photos, so here goes!

Here's a shot of some of my running gear, ready to go:

Yep, the gatorade in the Nathan bottles is frozen. This time of year, I'll freeze about half a bottle, then fill the rest just before I run (I'm not a fan of warm gatorade). Twenty minutes into my run, the ice was completely thawed.

Next, a photo I tried to take on my way to my run. I was out before dawn, trying to beat the heat and finish before my son's football game:

(it's hard to take good pictures while you're driving)

Finally, here's a picture of the pre-race crowd:

(Okay, it's an empty parking lot where I started my run) 

So, my time at the 5k point of my 8 mile run was 33:02. I'm happy with that, since it means my pacing was about where I wanted it to be for my long run. 


Hope everyone had a good run this weekend! 

The difference a year makes

Two 7mi runs, a year apart, under similar conditions:

Here's a 7mi run I did on June 26, 2010 (ave pace 13:02):


Here's a 7mi run I did almost exactly a year later, on June 18, 2011 (ave pace 10:47):

Tips for recovering from a run

Post-workout and race recovery can be a confusing topic. There seems to be alot of conflicting advice out there about it. As I come across various articles, I'm going to start posting them so that hopefully over time I can begin to get a clearer picture of how I should be eating/drinking post-workout to improve my ability to recover without over-indulging.

Here's a link to a recovery-related article that I'm summarizing and personalizing below:
Recovery Eating: Don't Let Your Energy Reserves Run Low | Active.com

The rest of this post summarizes that article and personalizes some of the advice for my situation.

Fluids

Weigh yourself periodically before and after a hard workout to estimate how much fluid you need to replace. 

My result: (reminder to self to weight before and after my next big run)

Every one pound lost during a workout reflects two cups of water loss. 

Options:

- Sports drinks (also provide carbohydrates and sodium)

- Fruit juices, low-fat milkshakes, and smoothies (provide both liquid and carbs)

- Plain water, unless your workout has been over an hour, in which case you'll need to consume some electrolytes and sodium as well.

Eat or drink carbs + protein quickly after workout

About half a gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight within the first 15 to 30 minutes after a long race or workout. It's also good to ingest protein in combination with carbohydrate at this time. The results of one study suggest using one gram of protein per three grams of carbohydrate.

Following this article's advice, this would mean that I should consume about 90 grams of carbs + 30 grams of protein, which is about 3 times what I thought was about right.

Some Options suggested by the article:

- Sports drinks contain 14 to 20 grams per cup

- Fruit juices contain about 25 to 40 grams per cup

- yogurt, fresh fruit, an energy bar, or a bagel

Eat (or drink) an additional 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates every two hours until your next full meal. 

Options include whole grains, fresh fruits, dried fruits, pretzels, whole-grain cereal and non-fat or low-fat dairy.

Marathon Training - Week 7 of 30

Image by morberg via Flickr

I'm training for my first marathon, which will be the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on December 4, 2011. My training week runs from Monday to Sunday. Today is Monday, which means the beginning of a new training week!

First, a quick review of last week (week 6):

• Monday - scheduled rest - completed
• Tuesday - 3 mile run - completed
• Wednesday - 4 mile pace run - completed
• Thursday - 3 mile run - completed
• Friday - scheduled rest - completed
• Saturday - 7 mile run - completed
• Sunday - 1 hour walking - completed

Not much that was notable about last week's runs. It felt good to get in a 7 mile run. I hadn't run further than a 10k since January. My pace was about right for now. I was wanting to keep it easy - between 10.5 and 11 min/mile - and finished with an average pace of 10:46. Nothing to brag about, but I covered the distance, which is the most important thing right now. I'm trying to finish this marathon, not win it :) And I have to say, that slowing down a bit really makes these long runs so much more enjoyable than trying to push it faster and being miserable for the whole thing.


Now on to this week.

This week is week 7. The mid-week run gets a bit longer this week, and the Saturday long run gets a bit longer too. Here's what's on the schedule for this week:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3 mile run
• Wednesday - 5 mile pace run
• Thursday - 3 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 8 mile run
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Have a great week!

Good Things

Some of the good things on my mind today:

- I went in for a physical on Monday (a good idea if you plan to train for a marathon). Everything looks good. No reasons to quit the marathon training.

- I lost 3lbs in the last two weeks. I'm hoping to lose at least another 15 between now and December. Looks like I'm on the right track.

- Last night, on a whim, I did a pull-up. That may not sound like much, but it was probably the first one I've done in over 20 years. The last time I tried to do one, I was about 70lbs heavier, and I couldn't pull myself all the way up. But last night I pulled myself up, chin over the bar, and I was amazed at how easy it was. In my shock and surprised state, it didn't occur to me to try to do more. I wonder how many I can do? Maybe I'll try the 50 pull-ups iphone app.

- Last, but not least, how lucky I am to be a Dad to these three great kiddos:

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there! Have a great weekend.

Becoming a Morning Runner

Image via Wikipedia

I had another challenging run this morning. That seems to be a common theme lately.

I've thought it was due to the six weeks or so that I didn't run in March and April. I've also blamed the heat and humidity. I'm sure those are contributing factors.

But this morning wasn't too hot or humid, and I've been back to running consistently long enough now that it should be getting easier. So I'm starting to think that I'm just struggling to get used to running first thing in the morning.

When I started running a year and a half ago, I decided to run in the evenings instead of in the mornings. One of the main reasons was that I'm not a morning person. I thought that if I had to get up early in the morning and run, there was a good chance that I wouldn't stay consistent with my running beyond the first week or two. So I ran in the evenings.

My evening schedule continued through all of last year as I completed the Couch to 5k program, then bridge to 10k, and then training for my first half marathon. The only exceptions were Saturday long runs and races, which were my only morning runs.

Fast-forward to five weeks ago, when I started marathon training. I decided (for a variety of reasons) that I should switch to running in the morning. So for the past five weeks I've been doing my runs in the morning. The runs have been challenging, especially for the first 15-20 minutes. Then it gets easier and my pace seems to naturally speed up without me really trying to speed up. I just try to run at a constant effort level, and my pace gradually increases.

So I'm hoping that I'll eventually get used to running in the morning as I keep doing it. I'm also thinking about adding some kind of warm-up prior to my run to see if that makes the first couple of miles any easier.

Marathon Training - Week 6 of 30

Image by Tanel Peets via Flickr

I'm training for my first marathon, which will be the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on December 4, 2011.


My training week runs from Monday to Sunday. Today is Monday, which means the beginning of a new training week!

First, a quick review of last week (week 5).

Overall, things went pretty well last week. The temps are starting to really heat up now, and my pace is starting to slow a bit because of the heat. But I'm not too concerned about my pace. My focus is on covering the prescribed distance at whatever pace feels about right. Lately that's been roughly 10-10.5 min/mile. I'll be happy if I can keep that pace going. Besides, my goal is to finish the marathon regardless of time. Although I would like to finish under 5 hours. But if I finish over 5 I'll still be thrilled to have just finished. I'll worry about my time when I run my 2nd marathon some day.


One cool thing about Saturday's run was that it was my first chance to do a group run with Team Northwood, which is a running club that is just starting up at my church. There was only a handfull of us there, but I suspect the numbers will grow based on the level of interest in the group. Plus, to be honest, I probably would have missed my Saturday morning run if it hadn't been for the group. My wife and I had a late night on Friday night as we were attending a high school reunion. So getting up early on Saturday was tough, especially knowing that I was getting up to go run 6 miles. But I was committed to being there for the group run, and that commitment was the only reason I got up and got in my run. I guess it just goes to show how important accountability can be in our lives in helping us achieve our goals! 

Now on to this week.

This week is week 6 of my 30 week program. For those experienced marathoners who are used to 18 week programs, 30 weeks may seem unusually long. Well, since I'm training for my first marathon, I'm actually doing a 12-week build-up program, which is designed to prepare you for a marathon training program. The 12-week build-up is followed immediately by an 18-week marathon training program. So, together they make a 30 week training program, which is how I refer to it in order to keep things simple. But since this is week 6, that means that I'm at the half-way point of the 12-week build-up program this week! 


So here's what's on the schedule for this week:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3 mile run
• Wednesday - 4 mile run
• Thursday - 3 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 7 mile run
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Oh, and one more note - 

Way to go, Mavs!

Marathon Training - Week 5 of 30

Image by ◄Kentigern► via Flickr

It's Monday, which means the beginning of a new training week!


This week is week 5 of my 30 week program. Here's what's on the schedule for this week:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3 mile run
• Wednesday - 4 mile run
• Thursday - 3 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 6 mile run
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Last week was a bit of a step-back week in terms of mileage because I ran a 5k race on Saturday instead of doing a long run. Looking ahead, last week will be the last sub-16 mile week of the program.  The weekly miles really start to ramp up now, mostly because the Saturday long runs will ramp up at a rate of about a mile a week over the next several weeks.


I'm glad I did the 5k last Saturday. I made a significant improvement over my 5k from one month ago, which gives me confidence that my training program is working. 


I think it's a good idea to work races into a training program, especially if it's an extended program like this one. Races break things up and add some fun to the program. Races can also allow you to see that you are making progress and give you confidence in your training program.  Not to mention, I think a race for a good cause really adds deeper meaning and motivation to your running.

Run the Rails race report

This morning I ran the "Run the Rails" 5k. I finished with a time of 26:56, which just barely beat my top goal of 27 minutes. It also beat my time from one month ago by about 1.5 minutes. So I'm very happy with my performance this morning.

I did a couple of things different this race. First, I had coffee this morning, which I've never done pre-race before. I had one cup with my usual two special-K cereal bars about 2 hours before race time. I think it helped me wake up, but I'm not sure it had any affect on the actual race. I also had a gatorade g1 about 20min before the race, which has become another pre-race tradition.

Also, this was the first time I did my packet pickup on race day. I usually don't do that because I like to show up ready to run. But it was a busy week, plus I anticipated that I'd be able to park close to the event area. That was important because there was no bag drop and I didn't have any friends or family there this morning to watch my stuff while I ran. So I just picked up my number, bag, shirt, etc., and dropped it off back at my car.

The race started at 8am. Considering the heat and early sunrise this time of year, I think they should consider moving the start time up a bit to 7 or 7:30. It was sunny and upper-70's at the start. The open, un-shaded course offered no relief from the sun. I was grateful for the water station at the half-way point. I took a small sip and dumped the rest of the water over myself.

I intentionally started at a relatively easy pace. I kept it at about 8:45 for the first mile. A couple of guys passed me early on and then slowed in front of me, so I followed those two for a while. We ran along single-file and kept a pace that ranged from about 8:15 to 8:45 until the water station at the half-way point. That's when the guy in the middle of our pack took off. I guess it got to the first guy who was in front of both of us, because right after he got passed he stepped off to the side and started walking. I didn't see him again. Around that time I got passed by a guy pushing a stroller. I let him go, but kept an eye on him and the other guy that took off, thinking I may catch them later. And sure enough, by about the 2.5 mile point, the stroller guy had slowed a bit, and I had started to pick up my pace a bit, and I managed to pass him. But I never could catch the other guy. Then with about .2 miles to go, the stroller guy caught up to me. He was really moving and so I hung with him as long as I could. We were moving at about a 7:20 pace I think. But as hard as I tried, he had me and I couldn't hang that last bit. I let him go, but was still happy to see the clock just under 27 minutes as I crossed the finish line.

The preliminary results showed me in 9th place in my age group. Apparently this race has really gained in popularity this year, because last year my time would have got me 2nd place in my age group. But I think it just shows how these events are continuing to gain in popularity, and how more people are really getting into pretty decent running shape in our area. That's a trend that I really hope continues!



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Race Goals for Tomorrow's 5k

I've got a 5k race on the calendar for tomorrow, which means it's time to set some race goals!

Tomorrow's race is "Run the Rails," and it benefits a local school district's scholarship fund. It seems like a timely cause considering the financial challenges many area school districts are struggling with right now.

I didn't run this 5k last year, and I've never run near the race course, so it's a good opportunity to explore a new area. The weather forecast is looking good, albeit a bit warmer than I'd prefer - should be sunny and mid-70's at race time. As for the course, most of it winds through a park area along paved walkways, and it looks to be pretty flat. So conditions seem right for a good run.

So now to write out a few goals. Here goes:
1. Beat my time from last month's 5k of 28:23
2. Finish under 28:00
3. Finish under 27:00

I have to say that I'll be disappointed if I don't beat last month's time. When I ran that 5k, I had only really been back to running for less than 2 weeks after about 2 months of almost no running. Since then, I've been running very consistently four times per week. Also, tomorrow's course is much flatter. Last month's 5k was up-hill for the entire mile 3, which can be (and was for me) mentally and physically defeating. Tomorrow I can pace myself without being concerned about tackling a hill at the end of the course.

As for goals 2 and 3, those are the same as goals 2 and 3 for last month's race, which I didn't achieve. So, why not try again?

A Day at Sea World as Seen by Garmin

Our family went to Sea World in San Antonio over the Memorial Day weekend. Since I was planning to run a couple of times over the long weekend, I had my Garmin Forerunner 305 with me. Being the technology geek that I am, I decided to wear my Garmin to Sea World on Monday to see how much walking I did over the course of the day (4.5 miles).

Well, one cool thing about the Garmin is that it keeps track of your location and lets you plot your course on a map. The picture below shows our day at Sea World.

But even more fun is to follow the link to the player, which has play/pause controls that let you watch an icon trace our course.  Bonus points if you can tell me which ride we rode three times in a row!

LINK TO PLAYER

Marathon Training - Week 4 of 30

Today I made it official and registered for my first full marathon! Now that I have money riding on this, I really have to follow through! 


So, here's the training schedule for this week, which is week 4 of the 30-week schedule:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3 mile run
• Wednesday - 4 mile run
• Thursday - 3 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 5k race
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Last week's training went great. The most challenging day was Saturday. Not just because it was the longest run (5 miles), but because I was traveling and on vacation - two things that make it more difficult to get in a run. Traveling adds to the challenge because I'm in an unfamiliar area and there's always the chance that I may not have packed all of my running gear. Also, being on vacation means I want to stay up late and sleep in. But I'm proud to say that I sucked it up and grinded out the 5 mile run on the hotel treadmill. By the way - running on a treadmill is NOT my thing at all. If running on a treadmill was my only option, I would not be a runner. Part of the appeal of running for me is being out and about, exploring. 


Happy National Runner's Day!