Time Trials

My hip flexors and lower abs were severely sore today, while my glutes, quads and calves were just a bit on the tight side, and my ankles a smidge bit stiff. I can't complain too much, but I wasn't prepared to be sore in those particular places. Normally, it's all the other things that are sore, but I guess that's because of the hills and the fact that I wasn't pushing for speed.

I thought about not going to the gym tonight, but it was too hard to give up Arnold's (the cycling instructor) time trial. So I went, and it was like any normal Monday night. I went to Power (the strength class) and went a bit easy on the weights, and then to my first pseudo time trial.

Arnold and an assistant (who is also a cycling instructor) went around the studio every two minutes and recorded the wattages from each bike. I can't remember what my heart rate numbers were, but I know I was working well over 85% my max at the "all out" segments, and I kept my heart rate between 70 and 75% during the "moderate" periods. These are my stats:

Average Warm Up: 132 Watts
5 Minute All Out: 253 Watts - Apparently, I punked out on this one
10 Minute Moderate Pace: 170 Watts
20 Minute Time Trial: 300 Watts
10 Minute Moderate Effort: 120 Watts

For some sort of reference, Lance Armstrong cranks out something like 400 Watts and keeps it going for 5 hours. On the flip side, I'm pretty sure that I was the strongest woman in the studio tonight, and stronger than something like 75% of the men. For the 20 minute time trial, there was only one guy stronger than me. Just let me point out right here that I ran a very hilly half marathon yesterday morning. Then again, the guy was fighting a wicked head cold, so I may just have to admit defeat. We'll just wait five weeks and what comes of it. I think I can take him.

Lehigh Valley Half Marathon - The Second Try

I have been very nervous and anxious for this race. I was hoping to match my time in Philly, which would be quite an accomplishment given the topography of this course compared to Philly's flatness. Allentown has three rolling hills right before mile 9, a bunch of random slower inclines and declines, and one sever climb towards the track stadium at the end of the race. Given my recent toe problem, I restricted myself to endurance strength training with only an occasional treadmill run. I had to give up my goal and just try to beat last year's time, which I did.

Last year, I crossed the finish line at 2:21 and my chipped time was 2:19. This year, I crossed the finish at 2:12, and my chipped time was 2:09:53.

My Beau has been very supportive through this whole endeavor. All of yesterday while I was freaking internally, he was coming up with some of the wittiest things that I have ever heard from him, such as ...

"You know your old when your shits smell like death. Mine have a healthy, robust smell."

At the Pasta Dinner, Dottie Lessard-O’Connor spoke about her gruelling work outs in preparation for her lung transplant, and the importance of following your dreams. My Beau's comment - "Right now, my dreams are covered with extra cheese."

The race itself wasn't as bad as I had feared. I just remembered how awful I felt last year, but I believe I was better prepared this year. I knew the tricky parts of the course (where the climbs are, approximately when the gravel part ends, where the finish line ACTUALLY is, things like that) and I have an easier time dealing with hills now (thanks Janet!), so I had some semblance of a game plan.

7:58 AM Near the Starting Line

I was in the pack with the 2:10 Pace Setter for the majority of the run. She did a great job at maintaining perfect pace, and I told her so. I decided to break away around mile 7, which is the flat part of the course right before the hills because I thought I would be better off executing my own game plan for the rolling hills. Trying to maintain a steady pace up and down those suckers would probably be harder for me than dealing with it on my own terms.

So I approached the steep climbs with a tightened core, extreme control of the body, and I just powered through the climb with my legs - this maximizes efficiency in exerting all force forward, but it spiked my heart rate. I engaged in an active recovery on the declines by maintaining torso control and letting the legs loose. My heart rate fell slightly and I didn't have to give up my slightly accelerated pace. The tough part of executing this plan were the older ladies that blocked the path on the decline. They were afraid of falling, so they actually slowed down at the declines. There was this one particular pack composed of shorter ladies, and since their center of gravity is already pretty low, they seemed more precarious holding themselves back. They looked less balanced and I believe they would have better off if they had relaxed a little and followed momentum a bit. Then again, who am I to say what's right for them; fear sometimes can be a wise guide. In any case, they impeded my active recovery strategy, and I was annoyed.

Once the rolling hills were over, I regrouped and slowed down a bit for more of a recovery because I wanted to finish "like a rock star," as Dottie had put it. I saw the pace setter pass me a mile or two after the hills at a water station around mile 10, but I kept an eye on her pack. I was making plans to meet up with her at mile 12, when my Beau showed up and started to run next to me to take pictures. Yes, it was obnoxious. It was impossible to smile and chat with the boy while coming up with and simultaneously execute a strategy to take down the pace setter. He eventually left me alone, and I had a mile to meet and beat my intended pace.

These pictures are the product of my Beau's annoyance.

So I just picked up the tempo and kept at it through that last climb to the stadium. That climb was a nightmare and a half, and there was another half a mile of flat road (not a decline) before the finish line. It took a lot of will to turn it up after that last climb, but I did, and I passed the pace setter around this juncture.

I tried my best to sprint it in, but it felt like a slow motion sprint. My legs and feet were not being cooperative at all. It was worth it though, beating last year's time by nearly ten minutes, not feeling like death, and actually parttaking in some of the post race food. There were chocolate chip muffin tops!

After crossing the Finish Line, and before getting my eat on

Overall, I am pretty pleased given the circumstances. And this officially marks the beginning of my running season.

Game ON

I started my new gym this Sunday, and the only thing I can say is holy goodness.

The cycling studio is equipped with the Keiser M3, including the computer panel that can read your heart rate monitor. Arnold is one of the instructors and pointed out that we are probably the only studio in the state that has the M3s. He is very excited in sharing his training philosophy, which is modeled after Chris Carmichael 's program. It emphasizes using a percentage of your maximum wattage as opposed to your maximum heart rate, and he will have his cyclist monitor the increase of their maximum wattage every five weeks.

The multitude of conditioning classes is also great. I can get the recommended three strength sessions per week, and do a toning or some other type of endurance strength class on the other days in combination with my own cardio work. If I still don't get the cuts that I want, I don't think anything will.

The studio rooms are in and by themselves fantastic. The ventilation and sound systems are great - screeching head set microphones and thermal issues are entirely not present. The flooring is quite special because of a layer of shock absorption that lowers the impact on your joints, without a bounce back feel. Jumping around in the studio made me think that my toe had completely recovered, but I discovered that wasn't true at all after half an hour into one of the cycling classes.

My toe still bothering me slightly, and I'm a little worried that I may not finish this Sunday's half marathon in Allentown. Oh well, whatever happens happens.

Random Thoughts

Jaw droppingly crazy. They started in St. Louis, Senegal and ended at the Red Sea. This is an ultra marathon through the Sahara.

To my Beau
Don't worry Hon, I have no aspirations to do ANYTHING remotely similar to this. Some type of test of endurance and strength on that rock in the middle of the Pacific (his reference to Hawaii) is still game though.

So I was suppose to start my intense training regimen a few weeks ago, but the efforts have been more of a sputter on account of my still swollen toe. I'm afraid of going out for a long run due to the intense pain of a few weekends ago. Because of this, I haven't been consuming as many carbs as I normally would when in training (loading up the day before a long run, depleting on recovery days, and things of that nature). In turn, my treadmilling has not been strong, which damages my confidence. I don't know what kind of distance I can cover at this point in time, and I refuse to consume extra calories and carbs because I may not burn it up.

This is the sort of pattern that makes me think that I won't be able to get to Boston next year. To qualify, I have to finish one of the three marathons I have slated for this year in 3 hours and 40 minutes, which is 8:23 minutes per mile. Right now, 9:14 is my max speed for distance run, but I know I can't sustain that for more than four or five miles. It's a bit odd because I know I can run for hours on end at 10 minutes per mile ... under the right conditions.

Maybe on of the trainers at my new gym can help me out. My first day over there is this Tuesday, the 17th. If they don't think it's possible, then I guess Boston will have to wait till 2009.

Tempo Run #4

It wasn't an authentic Tempo Run, but it wasn't a easy run either. It felt like my heart rate was between 80 and 85%, which indicates that it does qualify as a Tempo Run, but I really wouldn't know since I was without my monitor. I guess the lack of authenticity can be forgiven since it was my first hard run after my toe problem.

800 Approximate Calories Burned
4.0 - 6.0 mph warm up for ten minutes
6.5 - 6.8 mph (8:50 - 9:14 minutes per mile) until the end of the first half hour
7.0 mph (8:34 minutes per mile) for the last half hour
Cool Down - To busy restraining myself from singing along to Question of Heaven (Iced Earth with Barlow) to recall pace, time, distance, or anything else
A bit over 6.5 miles total distance by the end of one hour

I thought I was going to lift tonight, but I doubt it. The bed beckons.