The Night Before in Philly

It’s the night before the marathon, and I’m calm for the first time. I was a nervous wreck the night before the Marathon of the Palm Beaches, and I was just plain scared before Quebec. Tonight, I’m calm. I know I will finish, but the time is questionable.

Walking around the expo and registration, I heard a lot of nervous chatter and worries about proper gear and attire. The placement of your tag poses an interesting question given that there will be layers of clothing that may or may not be stripped during the course of 26.2 miles. A group of girls around my age were waiting in line behind me for our race tags, and I overheard their conversation regarding this matter, and what sort of clothing would optimize their comfort through the race. They eventually submitted that no matter what they wore, they were going to feel a lot of pain regardless.

I laughed a little to myself. For whatever reason, the pain doesn’t scare me, and I don’t really care to avoid it. I can certainly do without it, but it doesn’t bother me too much. I’m actually a bit curious as to how I will handle myself this time around. I’ve always approached the marathon with the thought in being slow and steady, and to run nowhere near my normal pace until the 20th mile. Well, each previous marathon, I got way too excited after the 5th mile. I'm thinking this time around, I will be smarter and just let the excitement pass.

Well, wish me luck and send a prayer. Take off is scheduled in 8.5 hours.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Fall Distance Running Gear:
Under Armour Cold Gear mock turtle neck and running tights
Columbia Breast Cancer Awareness fleece vest
CamelBak with 50 ounces of Gaspari's SizeOn sports drink
Asics Gel GT-2120 Trail

The Delaware and Raritan Canal stretches along Central Jersey all the way down to the New Hope area of Pennsylvania. Along side the canal is a tow path, and that is usually where I find my distance runs.

I have a love-hate relationship with this tow path. The gravel and rock hurts the feet, and I have suffered from numerous ankle twists and sprains due to the highly irregular surface. When I see a big pile of leaves, I will come to a complete stop and walk because underneath the colorful and seemingly even surface can be a jutting tree root, a large rock, or a big hole looking to shell out some unmerciful pain after an inevitable fall. Oh, and did I mention the mud puddles? Those puddles can cover such a wide expanse of the path that there is no possible way to continue forward without stomping into that thick organic brown liquid, soaking your socks through, and being rewarded with some lovely blisters for your pursuit of more miles.

And then you have to endure every last one of those obstacles again on the return trip.

The tow path itself is beautiful, especially this time of year. Right before the red and yellow leaves started to fall, there was an amazing spread of wild purple flowers all over the landscape. The view is calming, but the run can be maddening especially if it had rained. If the path was dry, then the problems are not quite so numerous.

On Sunday, I decided to buy a new pair of running shoes. I think my form suffers as I fatigue, so I have been eyeing the Asics Kinsei’s (to the left) for its motion control feature. In all honesty, I’ve been coveting them because it’s just a hot looking shoe, but my rationalization is that the motion control will prove beneficial for this weekend’s marathon in Philly.

Am I ready? No, I probably won’t finish with a Boston qualifying time as I had originally hoped in the beginning of this year. Will I finish? Hell yes, and I’ll be happy with anything near 5 hours.

So while I was at my favorite running store, I asked the cute sales boy who is about all of 15 years of age regarding their selection of trail shoes. I ended up sticking with a stability shoe from Asics that is made for trail running, the Asics Gel GT-2120 Trail (below and to the left), and took them out that afternoon for a ride. What an amazing difference.

The first couple of miles were on the road en route to the path, and my toes fell asleep. I had a moment’s hesitation and thought that maybe these girls were going to be returned. When I hit the path, everything changed. I felt completely in control, and I can tell that my ankles were secured in place. Midway through my run, I realized that trail running is an entirely different sort of running. I felt the smaller muscle groups (ankles, calves, hip flexors, even a bit in the adductors) working harder than they ever had before. By the time I was finished with the 15 mile run (I know … not a good idea for a taper week, but I couldn’t resist), I felt sore in places that I didn’t think could be touched by running. I welcomed the discomfort, and found the soreness refreshing.

I do believe that this marks the beginning of a whole new running experience, and I do look forward to chronicling every single one of them.

Week #2

I think I pretty much missed Week #1, but Week #2 was 85% there.

Monday 10/01 - Power Session

Tuesday 10/02- 6 miles at 5.8 MPH

Wednesday 10/03 - Power Session

Thursday 10/04 - Late night at the office, brought home a pizza and watched Grey's Anatomy.

Friday 10/05 - Should have gone to the gym to make up the missed 5 mile tempo, but ended up vegetating at home.

Saturday 10/06 - Power Session

Sunday 10/07 - 12 miles between 5.8 and 6.5 MPH pace (got a little cocky after the 10th mile)

I was geared up for a run outside when a few drops of rain and some scary clouds sent me packing for the gym. Do you have any idea what it's like to spend over two hours on a treadmill? Because I did take my run indoors and spent that amount of time on a treadmill, the clouds decided to move on to other places. I know if I had continued on my run out on the trail, the sky would have immediately split open with rain the very second I reached the farthest point from home.

So, for all of you people out there that enjoyed the afternoon outside in the Jersey sunshine on Sunday, you're quite welcome.

Tonight, we got some more Power in store.

Here I Go

This is the itinerary up through the Philadelphia Marathon, compliments of Runner's World. I will definitely maintain the milage, but I may tinker with the pace a little.

I wasn't entirely back at the gym and doing my full load of work, but I do believe I'm ready for a full return this week.

I did go for an 8 miler on Sunday, and went to a Power session last night. I'm definitely looking forward to the Easy Run tonight.

Almost Back Entirely

Tuesday Night

6 miles on treadmill at a leisurely 10 minutes per mile pace - heart rate did not exceed 80% max

Half an hour on a machine that's like part elliptical, part stair climber - hear rate did not exceed 75% max

Wednesday Night

Power Session

6 miles on treadmill at the same 10 minutes per mile pace - wasn't wearing heart rate monitor

Thursday & Friday Nights

In Little Italy for the Feast of San Gerrano

Saturday

Deep tissue massage and a facial

This sort of treatment will definitely be part of a regularly schedule program. I think the massage is what made me return to being human. Well, the massive quantities of the uber doughy zeppola helped a bit as well.

Sunday

What an absolutely gorgeous pre-fall day. I was worried about the type of distance I would cover, but I simply couldn't not head out there for some sort of run. I was pleasantly surprised a bit after an hour and having completed my typical seven mile loop, I was able to resist heading home and continue on to finish ten miles in 1:40.

As for today ... there will be a Power Session and some time on a treadmill.

I hope I'm back for good. I didn't like not having any go in me. Thanks Gotta Run for your advice in my previous entry. I think you were right about the recovery and my need to clear the head.

The Day Before

I have fully accepted the possibilities of a DNF. I have not been loyal to my training schedule for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I have not been very successful at the balancing act. I have allowed myself to commit too much of my emotional and mental resources to things that are entirely beyond my control. As a means of compensation, I've been letting go of my training. I'm not sure if this was a good solution to my problems, but it was a solution.

Some times I wonder if I'm going about this whole thing from the wrong angle. I'm not a professional athlete, but it almost seems that I'm trying to live like one between my meal plans and training schedule. The mental effort and physical discipline it takes to execute those two agendas on a daily basis does not allow for much auxiliary stresses, such as overtime commitments of work, battling evil that is NJDMV, and contending with rampant stupidity.

I don't know how people like IronWil and GottaRun do it. Especially IronWil. One of her training session is likely to land me in the hospital with an IV drip in the PSYCHIATRIC WARD because they would be convinced that I was, in fact, trying to commit suicide. Why else would a seemingly sane person continue in a five hour workout if she's already seeing stars after only an hour and a half?

So anyway, here I am. In the middle of a truly beautiful city (an entry about my jaunts in Quebec is forthcoming ... I forgot to pack the cable that connects my camera to the laptop), I sit at my hotel desk, looking out into Place George V and Menege Militaire. The weather hasn't been the best, but the grey skies, fog and mist lends a certain character and mood to this city that is both haunting and regal.

View from my window at the Chateau Laurier

I'm incredibly nervous and scared for tomorrow. I know I can cover 15 miles without any problems, and possibly even 20 if I hold back enough, but 26.2 may just be a bit more than I can handle.

I am not worried about a DNF - I know that there is no shame in it. Everybody needs to fail once in a while, and it isn't so bad to fail here. There's always some Poutine and a lovely collection of Patisseries to provide some comfort either way. In the meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed and pray for me. Maybe a full rosary ... or two.

Uh-oh

Skipped the gym last night because I had to work late ...

I might not go tonight either on account of the drowsies. This isn't good. I should go, but I just KNOW it won't feel too good.

Tempo Run #9 and Finding My Go

I have no idea what I did or how I did it, but I found the go last night during my tempo run. It showed up completely by surprise too. The warm up was more difficult than I would have liked it to be, and within the first mile, my heart rate went up to 88% of my max at tempo. It felt like getting 2.5 miles out would be the most I could do, so I just started to adjust my thinking. I knew the pace was a bit fast, but I kept repeating to myself the remaining laps on a track that I had to complete. For whatever reason, thinking I have 7 laps to go is far less intimidating than knowing I have 1.75 miles remaining.

When I had completed 1.5 miles at tempo, I noticed my heart rate had dropped down to 85%, and it felt like I was actually hanging out down at 83%. That was when this thought came to mind: Maybe I can go another mile at this pace? Maybe I can do 4 miles? I know that I can do more than 3 … and that’s when I knew that I had found my go.

Crossing the third mile, my heart rate had climbed up to 91%, but it fell back to 88% when I had only a quarter of a mile remaining. The only thing I did differently this time around was consuming about half of the SuperPump half an hour before the run, and the rest about 10 minutes before the run. Maybe the element of time released magic was what gave me the go?

Tonight - Power with Debbie. I know not to plan on running or doing anything else tonight ...

15 Miles and Some Cross Training

On Sunday, I decided to head to the gym for my distance run instead of taking it outdoors on account of fear of the eminent thunderstorms. On my way there, I saw three cyclists making an evenly paced break away in the opposite direction of where I was traveling. It was odd to see them riding in such a way, they weren't riding in a draft/pull configuration but more of an each man for himself sort of mentality. I soon understood why - they were riding to save their lives.

The sky had ripped open, and visibility was none existent about half a mile down the road. It was scary, but I was pleased with my treadmill decision because being caught in that storm would not have turned out well.

I intended to run a total of 20 miles, even though I was slated for 15. I felt strong enough to cover about 30 at my relatively slow pace. I started off at a mild 5.8 MPH, where my heart rate stayed between 75 and 78% of my max for the first ten miles. When I crossed over to the 11th mile, I turned it up to 6.0 MPH, and my heart rate held steady at 80%. Unfortunately, I had to get off the treadmill by mile 14 because I had ran out of water. The water fountain was off in another corner of the gym where the temperature was a lot cooler, and I felt my legs starting to tighten up.

By the time I climbed back on the treadmill, my leg muscles felt locked and I had lost my go. I tried to get it all started again, but after a mile struggling with the 6.0 MPH pace with a heart rate up at 85%, I knew the day was over.

In total, I covered 15 miles in about 2:45 ... and the best part? It felt good.

Last night, I struggled my way through Power and a cycling class. I was considering going home for a rest as I was on my way to the gym. Once I showed up, I was hardly energized to even consider putting two hours of work, but somehow ... I made it through.

Tonight is a Tempo Run. I hope I can find my go tonight.

Tempo Run #8 & Power

Done and done.

I was a bit ambitious and started last night's tempo run at 7.3 MPH, but a bit after a third of a mile into the work out at that pace, I knew I wouldn't be able to hang in for three full miles. So I reduced my speed to 7.2 MPH, which is basically about right given that my speed work is at 7.4 MPH and I do cross past 90% during the third set of speed at that pace. The impact of just a tiny tenth of a mile per hour or 13 seconds per mile faster is simply amazing.



After the tempo run, I peeled myself off the treadmill and proceeded to Power with the cutest fitness instructor I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I was hopeless in his class, even sat down on the bench during one of the breaks in between sets, but I still stuck it out for the entire hour. The extra fatigue on the legs is what makes them shapelier ... right? He was worth every minute of the pain though.

I just need to figure out a way to pull myself together before going to his class. Seriously, I looked like a train wreck with puffy out of control hair. Life will be so much easier when the sucker finally grows out. If it's one thing I've learned in the 26 years of my existence is that long hair is easy points on the hot chick score card.

For extra credit, I managed to wake up about twenty minutes after my alarm went off this morning, which was set at 4:45 AM. I got started on my run a bit later than I normally do, at 5:20, and it was just a miserable morning. It was hotter than normal and incredibly humid with overcast skies. I was actually cramping up a bit and the run itself was just not enjoyable. I only covered about 2.5 miles, but today was suppose to be my day off, so I'm not feeling bad about it. The main reason for the early morning run is because I have an appointment with my nutritionist tonight. I know that a twenty minute run first thing in the morning probably isn't going to do much for me in terms of my body composition, but I think it may have some sort of impact on my numbers tonight. I hope it does, at least.

Merciless Power Session

Good Lord that was painful. I really wanted to go for a run last night, but I was far too tired and my arms wanted nothing more than to fall off my body.

It's amazing the things that can happen when you modify a count or deny even just three seconds worth of a break. Debbie - if you ever come across this site ... KNOW that you slaughtered my biceps last night. SLAUGHTERED.

Because I couldn't make last night's run, I intended on grabbing a few miles this morning. That really didn't happen. I woke up at 7:20 this morning, which is about 10 minutes before I need to leave for work. Needless to say, I'm not looking too pretty today.

So tonight I have a tempo run and I may go to another Power class. Because I am in fact, a bit crazed.

Speed Work #4 and the Pursuit of Balance

I do believe I am out of my little funk. I had a great work out last night, though breathing is proving to be somewhat tasking these days. I choose to do my speed and tempo sessions on the treadmill, but I don't feel comfortable spitting into a tissue when the machines next to me are occupied. I even rarely spit when I'm running outside, so my indoor inhibitions are even greater.*


I originally wanted to head home right after I was done, and try to persuade H into running a couple of miles with me. I was a little anxious to do something active outside considering a lot of the summer seemed to have slipped right by me. Instead, we decided to meet up at the local bar for a beer and a quick dinner. I was hoping to land a spot at the tiki bar, but it was probably the humidity factor that made H drop anchor at the bar stool directly in front of the Mets game. I didn't mind too much - having a close up few of David Wright made up for it.

Although I was a little smelly and looking incredibly not cute sitting at the bar in my post work out state (short hair with curling tendencies that was cut for a straight style after a sweaty work out is not exactly a fabulous look), we definitely needed the little mid-week jaunt. I was concerned that my return to my training would consume my conscious hours, so I wouldn't have any time to share with H. Well, last night, the bar acted as a balance. If it should happen again, I'm definitely getting a quick rinse and real clothes to change into after the gym.

The only negative aspect of the jaunt is the stromboli we had for dinner, which is not a prescribed item on my meal plan. So, to balance THAT out, I got up early this morning for a quick four mile run. It felt great. Harder than it was before, but it still felt pretty damn good.

Tonight, another Power session and either a light evening run outside, or I hop back on the treadmill. It depends on the weather and my mood I guess. We shall see.

* For the non-runners in the world who deign to read my humble blog - spitting is about as normal as breathing and sweating when you're running. Gross, but true.

Star Power Mario with Gaspari

Last night's work out involved some severe ass kicking. I'm taking the pre-work out supplement called SuperPump by Gaspari, and it feels like being Star Power Mario with fireball capabilities in Super Mario Brothers I. During the Power session, I cranked out the following wieghts

Squats = 55 lbs
Chest, Clean & Press and Back= 38 lbs
Triceps and Biceps = 22 lbs (I think I can probably go up to 27 lbs)
Lunges = 49 lbs
Shoulders = 22 lbs

After the Power session, I went in for a cycling class that included a few hills, two sets of isolations, and one series of interval sprints. By the time I got home, it felt like I had hit up a goomba just as my Star Power was fading, and I had shrunk down to little Mario.

I killed 900 calories and I think I lost a quarter of an inch in circumference. At least, it feels like I lost a quarter of an inch in circumference.

Tonight, speed work on the treadmill. I'm hoping that I can get that done super quick, so I can head home and squeeze in a relaxing run. It's a beautiful day, and I don't want to miss the chance to enjoy days like these.

Week in Review

Monday 7/16

Power
Cycling
I'm having a hard time in crossing past the mid 80's in the profiles when standing. It's actually easier to test my heart rate in a seated climb, than standing. Although we are supposedly in 3rd, it feels more like a standing run on the M3 bikes.

Tuesday 7/17

Speed Session
I completely punked out on this one. I ran two sets of one milers at 7.4 MPH. I covered a total of four miles, but I was hoping to get at least three sets in.

Thursday 7/19

I took a serving of a pre-work out supplement that was incredibly effective. I felt like a car spinning out of control - all sorts of kinetic energy unleashed, and I was having a hard time controlling my mind. It was the most intense work out I have ever had, but it was a little scary at the same time.

Tempo Run












Power


This week was a bit of a slow restart, but hopefully, this coming week will be better. I tried to go out for a distance run today, but it had failed miserably despite two attempts at covering some semblance of distance. The first try resulted in a pace that was slightly faster than 12 minutes per mile, and I had to turn around after two miles. Nothing felt right, and I really needed to pee. So after using the bathroom, I ditched my water belt (I think hearing the water swishing around my mid section made me think I needed to go more so than I actually did), and tried again. The pace was a bit faster, around 10:45 per mile during the first mile, but by the time I crossed over into the second mile, the special go, go, go feeling just wasn't there.

I am feeling a little discouraged and distressed. I'm tempted to give it up, and just live like a typical person without any real athletic commitments. I know that's not the sort of person that I am, but being this emotional wreck just isn't working out for me.

Out of the Haze

I am pleased to announce that I am back, entirely. I didn’t realize that I was making a departure, but I found myself in a self induced haze brought on by a dietary supplement, the consumption of which was the result of a soul search down dark mental alleys. I will now elaborate on both components of my self induced haze.

Ironwil had described with great ease the burdensome personality traits of endurance athletes. Although I feel that I am far too much of a novice to be able to dignify myself as even an amateur endurance athlete, I do feel that I can uphold the label of endurance enthusiast. With this title, I can say without hesitation that I fit her description of the mentality of ther endurance sport enthusiasts.

The timing of her post could not have been better because I was in the midst of what I perceived to be a great struggle. My training schedule had become oppressive, and difficult to answer. The misstep between total energy expended against the amount of calories consumed had triggered weight and body fat difficulties. I wasn’t meeting the mileage and speeds mandated by the schedule, and I wasn’t happy with my body composition and measurements.

As a means to contend with my body composition issues, I started to take an appetite suppressant that also functioned as a fat burner. This is a very effective and exceedingly potent supplement, but it made me feel tired. It felt like there was a perpetual cloud in my head that made my thoughts fuzzy and unclear. I had started to trim down in less than a week while taking these pills, but I was also very sluggish and unable to finish my workout sessions.

That was when the internal berating started. I questioned why I should even bother doing what I’m doing. Why can’t I just be like the other women at the gym who show up for their one hour sessions and be pleased with herself? Why can’t I just be satisfied in maintaining a low carb, low cal diet and have the lean and cut body that can’t handle anything more than two hours worth of work?

The answer to these question is actually quite simple – because I want to be an athlete. I want to be able to say that I am an athlete without being shy about it. I want to be able to say that I am, more specifically, an endurance athlete. I want to be able to validate that statement by providing a litany of events that I’ve COMPLETED. There is pride and confidence in being such a thing, and not just because of the competition of the events, but really all the training (emotional, mental and physical training) it took to get there.

With that in mind, I stopped taking the supplements, and I’m reevaluating my training schedule. In addition to chucking the goal of qualifying for the Boston this year, I’m just going to do what I want to do – be an athlete. I’m not quite sure what the means yet, and I know I still have to do the strength training and speed work, but I need to find that joy again. The joy for running, and the joy for exercise in general. I remember when it didn't seem like any sort of obligation as it is as of late. There was a time not too long ago when three hours of intense work would fly by unnoticed if not simply for the feeling of being content. I want that joy back, and I will be an athlete once again.

Week in Review

It feels like I've been taking a bit of a breather this week. After the unintended quick 10.5 miles followed by another 10 miles that was actually suppose to be 16 miles, I haven't been able to come back mentally. My diet has been random, mostly healthy, but random.

Tuesday
4 miles at 5 AM

Wednesday
Power

Thursday
5 mile Tempo Run
2.6 miles @ 7.3 MPH just under 90% max
Power

Friday
4 miles at 5 AM

Saturday
Power

Well the week has past, and a new week is coming. This coming week SHOULD be better. I have a few new tricks up my sleeve, including Cytolean and a possible new drink supplement that can help power my work outs. I hope to cover 18 miles on Sunday. I have a twenty mile PAVED route planned, and I'm fully intend on taking it slow and steady. Wish me luck.

So It Wasn't the Cheese

Tried for 16 last night, got all of 10.3 miles in.

I knew it from the very beginning because I wasn't using my quads as much as I was using my calves. Needless to say, the pace was UBER slow, something like 11:30 minutes per mile.

The gravel trail I do my long distance runs is insufferable. It takes every last grain of joy out of running. Before I even hit the 8 mile turn around, I was thinking maybe I should just do my typical 10 - 12 mile paved loop everyday instead of doing this marathon training stuff. I would have more fun, and I really don't need to do marathons. It's just ... cool to run through cities ... the closed down 26.2 miles worth of road for the sake of pedestrian traffic.

Okay, so I need to do marathons. That's one of the best ways to tour a city. I just have to figure out some other place to go to cover the heavy mileage days.

Was it the Cheese?

Yesterday, I went out for a run without really knowing what to expect. It was later in the day, and I had about two hours of daylight remaining. I was suppose to cover a 16 mile run, but I knew that that couldn't possibly happen last night. So I was thinking either a fast and mildly shorter run, but I wasn't feeling up for that either AND I wanted to spend as much time running in that beautiful day as I possibly could. So I just ventured out with my Garmin, hoping for the best.

Knowing that I've been eating pretty much randomly since Thursday, I wasn't expecting much. The only thing that had been consistent was the cheese ... it started off with some Apple Smoked Gouda and it ended with Sharp White Cheddar.

So I headed out, feeling as though I was trucking along. My body felt heavy and lethargic, but I felt confident that I can continue on for at least 10 miles. I was focused on my form - although my upper body was a little wriggly, I felt my foot plants had improved. After the first three miles, I finally looked at my Garmin. I was expecting to see an average pace that was slightly higher than 10 minutes per mile, but I was completely shocked by what I saw.

9:17 Minutes Per Mile.

Keep in mind, the first portion 6 miles of this course is mainly downhill, but still ... I have NEVER covered any distance greater than 7 miles at a pace like this.

I guess the speed work and tempo runs are finally paying off. Either that, or it was the cheese.


In total, I covered 10.5 miles in a bit over 98 minutes. The return trip uphill killed my average pace down to an overall average of 9:27 minutes per mile ... which is still pretty fast. I didn't even feel as though I had left a chunk of my midsection out on the course this time.

And now, in about half an hour ... I'm going to try to cover 16 miles. I'm hoping for some divine intervention right about now.

Bump It Up ... Just a Little

I added just under five pounds of weight for the leg exercises for the Power class on Monday, and increased the speed for the tempo run last night. I was surprised that I was able to handle the additions, but I suffered through both.

More Power to come tonight ...

The Fifth 5 AM Run

What a fantastic morning. For the first time since I've started my marathon training endeavors, I went out for a run this morning, without a heart rate monitor, my Garmin, or even a digital watch. I don't know how long it took me to do the four miles, but I was back at home drinking some water before 6 AM. This extra little bit of time combined with a rather easy morning and getting ready, I had almost 45 minutes before needing to leave. So how did I spend this extra bit of time? I took a half hour nap cuddled up with H. It was absolute bliss.

Tonight, I'm taking the Power class and I may skip the cycling class depending on how I'm feeling. I have a hunch that I'll be yawning up a storm no later than quarter after 7.