Oct 28, 2007

1st work out since..

Yeah I know the nike marathon race report is a week overdue but I have been sick ever since I got back in town. Monday was by far the worse of it and it just added to how sore I was. The rest of the week it was more manageable but I had to take cold medicine to get to sleep. So I bailed on all workouts in an effort to get better which mostly seemed to work. Today it is mostly just an annoying cough and low energy. I tried to go on a bike ride yesterday because it was so nice out but instead took a 3 hour nap in the middle of the day...
Today I made it out for a run with Col, Bryan and Piper. It was really hard because I had no energy - mostly I just tried to keep Bryan and Col with in sight. At least it was a really nice day - the weather was perfect for running, not to hot or cold, no wind. I did not cough to much during the run, just every so often, my heart rate was high but it always is sort of that high. My left hip started hurting around mile 3 and is still sore now but not much else as far as residual aches and pains from the marathon. In all we ran 4 miles and I finished in about 35 min - which was still a sub 9 min pace overall. But I was very happy to be done. Of course after not having to much trouble cough while running when I stopped all I did was cough - for a good 5-10 min.
Hopefully this coming week will go better and I will kick this dumb cold.

Oct 22, 2007

Nike Marathon

After sitting at the airport in Seattle for 2 extra hours I finally made it to San Francisco and found Col and Bryan before noon. Bryan had picked a great hotel right next to the expo so they showed me around and we waited in the line to go into Niketown which was filled with pink gear. It was rather crazy but they also had some fun free "activities" - photos, you could have a message put on a shirt, and a dj. We decided not to buy anything mostly because the lines were so long and pink is not my color. I met up with the gal that I bought the race spot from - June Fujimoto - which made me feel better - I had been a little worried about not really having a spot and traveling all the way and stuff. But I got my bib - 4702 and timing chip. We wandered around town some, checked out the expo which also had really long lines, and went on a search for bagels. It turned out to be a long walk - luckily while I was on the verge of bonking we found a place and ate. I think we went back to nike store and they were out of anything in a small or medium size in everything - it was just crazy.
I was also starting to feel the fact that I really had only slept about 4 hours the night before. We hung out at the room some, prepped our race stuff, had to go to two stores in search of gatoraid and bagels for breakfast and had dinner in the room so we could stay in comfy clothes. I had a hard time deciding exactly how many gels I would need or want - I think mostly because I was so tired I had a hard time doing the math of when I would want one. Bryan was nice enough to let me sleep on the bed while he slept on the floor. I passed out around 8:30p and slept like a rock.
I woke up only once and it was because of a dream that I had left my shoes at home and I was wandering around the transition area looking for running shoes. The alarm went off around 5:30a or 6a - the hotel was very close to the start so we did not have to get up to early. I took a quick wake up shower, nibbled on a bagel (to tired to deal with cream cheese) and got ready to go.

The start was really crowded - it was hard to find the dry clothes drop off area but some one pointed us in the right direction. After dropping our bags off we weaved our way through the crowed to find a good spot to start from. We lined up in the 9 to 11 min mile pace section, not to far back or forward.
We did not hear the gun go off for the start but we did hear everyone cheer but we did not even move. It was strange there was no pushing or anything like at other races. I mean a group of girls next to us still had starbucks cups in hand. Once our group started moving it was more of a walk than anything else until we got to the start line then some people at least started to run/jog. I think a lot of people did not really pay attention to the paces groups, I mean there were a lot of walkers in front of us - which made it hard to get going.
The course was the best way to see the city.. I saw Fisherman's Wharf and smelled the sourdough, ran past the marina, saw the Golden gate bridge basked in the morning sun. By far my favorite sight was rounding a corner and seeing a huge beach with layers of waves crashing. It was amazing.
The amazing views helped distract from the challenging hills and I felt pretty good. Though my legs were defiantly feeling tired and heavy. By the half mark my stride had shortened and Col was pulling away from me constantly.
The lucky (smart) half marathoners then turned off towards the finish while the (crazy) marathoners continued 3 miles out and back in a park. I was so jealous of them. The course became less crowded but it seemed that 95% of the people left were part of team in training - it was a sea of purple... It was a bit much actually. Then they run the half marathoners back in with the marathoners to go though the nike+ tunnel which was very cool - it had large images, music, inspirational quotes... Then they make the marathoners see the finish for the half while you have to keep going out the opposite direction. At this point I only catch up with Col while she walks the aid stations - and she tells me she has a secret goal of beating Bryan's Portland Marathon time from the week before (sub 4:30).. I was not feeling it. By Mile 18-19 I just let her go and I was glad to see she did not wait for me. My hips were really tight which made it really hard to stride out but I just kind of chugged along. I only walked the aid stations and kept up on my nutrition plan and sort of slipped into the same mind frame I had during IMC where I knew if I kept moving I would finish sooner. I still wanted to finish under 5 hours so I focused on that and not how tired or tight I was.
The loop around Lake Merced was just plane painful - there were not as much to look at so I just focused inward to keep moving. I also ran along the side of the road on the softer trails or even in the grass just to be nicer to my feet and joints. I was releaved when I headed back on to the great Highway along the beach - I knew I was coming into the finish and there was something to look at. Around mile 25ish or so Bryan was cheering - he took a pic and told me that Col was probably 10 min or more in front of me (which I sort of assumed). Then he was really nice and ran with me the last mile till I got really close to the finish. It was a nice distraction to talk to him and I was just happy to be almost done.

Once Bryan left me I tried to pick up the pace for the last little bit to/through the finish. And I finished in 4:45:43. I was really happy I finished a full 15 min under my (loose) goal time.
The finish was swarming with people everywhere. I got my tiffany box with necklace and a finishers shirt (later discovered that I messed up and grabbed a Half Marathon shirt). They had ran out of Jamba juice which really bummed me out but had plenty granola and yogurt(so not the same). I found Col and Bryan and we checked out the finishers merchandise tent - both Col and I got a long sleeve shirt. We found our dry clothes, changed then went down on the beach to stand in the water to "ice" our legs for a bit while trying not to be pulled out to sea.

I spent a few more hours in town before heading home that night. I got home late and took Monday off from work because I could not really move with out pain of some sort. My abs and hips were especially sore. I spent most of Monday asleep or on the verge of sleep. Amazingly on Tuesday I woke up and was able to walk with minimal pain or soreness - still moved slow but not as bad. I wound up with a cold for most of the week after so I did not work out and just focused on getting extra sleep. In all I'm happy with my time and I know I have a lot of room for improvement but the race went well for just coming of of IMC recovery and not really doing much training for it.

Oct 20, 2007

stuck on a plane

I'm heading to San Fransisco to run the Nike Marathon tomorrow but instead of being there already I have been sitting on the plane - still at the gate in Seattle for the past 2 hours...
A update on work outs. Hmmm Thursday was my day off and yesterday instead of running 3 miles I got a massage - which I really need to keep up on so that my legs and back don't get so tight. I'm having some weird tightness by my hip bones so it was great to have that worked on for a while. I'm sure sitting on plane for so long is not really helping right now.
I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow - I don't have any real goals other than to finish and have fun. Luckily the weather is way nicer there then here at home.

ok so they are saying that we will be taking off soon.. wish me luck hopefully I will finally be on my way.

Oct 17, 2007

transitioning indoors

Last Friday I ran 5 miles after work - of course I forgot my garmin so I did the greenlake 5 mile route because I know the mileage. I just kind of cruised though it - no pain during or anything. Though later in the evening my hips were sore - which seems to be a common thing these days - I don't really get it though before IMC they were never really sore after a run.
Saturday and Sunday were perfect fall days weather wise but instead of playing outside I kind of hung around the house, did a few random chore type stuff, took a bunch of naps and felt horrible. I also watched the live online coverage of the Ironman Championships most of the day and updated the crew.
Monday I got back into it and did a swim - just 2000 yrds in 55 min or so. I made sure to focus on good form and stayed away from the pull buoy. It always feels good to get in the water - gives my legs a break.
Tuesday night I met Col for a run around greenlake - luckily the rain stopped before we got started. It was a good run, she always manages to push me a bit harder than I would myself. She made me do the hill and met me at the bottom though so that I would work a bit harder. In all we did 4 miles in about 33 min then stood in the cold talking about stuff.
Then this morning I got up and went to spin class - it has been ages since I have been. I had to find my bike shoes that has spd cleats on them... It was an endurance day which I have always liked - no recovery just long intervals - however I don't like the spin bikes as much as my bike. I can never get the fit right - the handle bars does move far enough in and it winds up pulling on my left shoulder (maybe that is were my shoulder issue all started from)... I go through class and even wore my garmin on indoor use to record my heart rate which is always fun to look at. I don't remember sweating so much before but today I felt soaked afterwards (good thing I had extra towels).

So that is it for now.. I'm working on some goals to keep motivated - it is strange though after IMC they all seem small and less motivational in comparison (I need to work on that perception). This weekend is Nike Marathon which should be fun - my only goal is to finish and enjoy the experience (no challenging time goals).

Oct 11, 2007

still training

but not blogging as often... It may be because I'm not doing as much or just don't have as much to say since IMC but it seems I only seem to find the time to blog maybe twice a week. I guess at least I'm still training consistently.
Sunday while Kyle went fly fishing in sun Valley I went for a hike - of course I wore my garmin and it wound up being about a 1.5 miles up the mountain and then back down.
Monday I was supposed to do a strength work out but instead I worked on my portfolio since I need to have it updated and done by the end of the week.
Tuesday night I met Col and we did the masters swim at Helen Madison pool. Luckily we got a lane all to ourselves because I just did not really have a stellar night. My left shoulder and arm went numb for a while (which really hurt actually) and I was just kind of slow. The work out was interesting and some what confusing - mostly because how they wrote it on the board but since there is no direction we kind of did our own version. In the end we got about 2200 yrds in before the adult swim started and I sort of found a groove.
Wednesday after work Kyle joined me for a 4 mile run with a few 60 second tempos. I mostly felt good and running with Kyle always challenges me just to keep up with him. The first 2 miles were down hill and felt fine on the way back up it was a challenge but I still did a tempo even when I did not really want to.
Today (Thursday) I did a strength training session - just the usual circuit - upper body, lower body, core. I went easy on the legs because my hips were already sore from the run yesterday and I did not want to be to sore tomorrow since I have another run to do.

Oct 6, 2007

focusing on running

On Wednesday I did a 4 mile run with some hills after work. Luckily it stopped raining right before I got home so I stayed dry. As usual these days it took almost 2 - 3 miles to even warm up but even so I felt pretty good. No issues with my legs or feet which was really nice. Since it was such a short run I tried to keep the pace up a bit higher than I usually do - in the end it took me 32:39 min which was a nice 8:08 min/mile pace.

On Thursday Kyle and I flew out to Sun Valley for a mini vacation and visit with his Dad so I did not do a work out. Friday we woke up to it snowing pretty hard so we hung out in the kitchen and had a relaxing breakfast. Later we went into town and found out that most of the bike shops had already sold most of their rental bikes... Not to mention it was still snowing till the late afternoon. We considered running but instead we wondered around town and took it easy. It was probably for the best anyway since we are up at elevation and another day to acclimate could only help.

On the other hand this morning we woke up to sun... and oh 23 degree temps and snow still on the ground. So we waited till it warmed up to go for a run. By 1pm it was only 40ish but still sunny which worked. Kyle and I headed out and Kyle's dad came with us on his bike. I wore capris, a wind jacket, long sleeve shirt, a beanie hat, and gloves. It was perfect for the first two miles and slowly I started getting to warm, so first the gloves came off, then the jacket even though the first 5 miles were into a headwind.
We headed from the house down to the trail that run through the entire valley. the trail is amazing, perfect asphalt and an amazing view the entire way. We headed up the valley and into the headwind so that we could run down hill with a tailwind on the way back. This made mile 2 through 5 a challenge. The first couple miles I had a bit of hard time keeping my breathing under control - it was hard to talk. Luckily by mile 3 to 4 I got into my groove and my breathing evened out. I ran out to mile 5 and then headed back - I felt good - no foot or leg pain.
The rest of the way back was good - I just cruised along at my pace - though I did do a couple really short pick ups just for fun and to keep things interesting. Though I had a hard time maintaining very long before I ran out of breath. I felt good all the way back up the hill to the house even though on the final hill my heart rate reached my max and I had to walk a few steps to drop it - but only a few steps before I got back to running.
In all I'm happy with the run - 10 miles in 1:34:39 which was an average pace of 9:24 with elevation, some hills, headwind and cold temps. The best part is no real pain to speak of for the entire distance :) I feel good.

Oct 3, 2007

a marathon in 2 weeks

First a quick update on training - I took the weekend off because I got distracted by other things going on with work, family stuff and house projects. So Monday morning I got a 6 mile run in before work - it was very dark but I had a head lamp and lots of reflective stuff. I also wore way to much clothing - which only came in handy when there was a head wind that was a bit chilly. I still felt kind of tired - maybe because it was 5a but who knows. It took a while to get warmed up and I just felt off but I got the mileage in. I was rather surprised that even though I did not feel fast my average pace was around 8:46 min mile which for 6 miles I'm happy with.

Last night Col and I went to the lap swim at Helen Madison pool it was great till the open swim started - during the masters swim we had our own lane it was great. Then at one point we had 5 other people in our lane all of which had no clue how to swim laps or lap swim curtsies. It was nuts. The only way we could even get a work out in was by doing 100s. The only benefit was it forced me to swim harder that we would have on my own. I pretty much had to stay right on Col's feet or risk being caught up with the crazy people in our lane - it was better if we stuck together kind of thing. I also manage to get kicked by people in the lane next to us a couple of times to make it the perfect work out... I was tired before getting to the pool but once we started I actually felt pretty good _ no shoulder issues and my form felt comfortable with out using the pull buoy. My average time for the 100s was 1:47 which was great and in the end we out lasted the crazy people and managed to get 2100yrds in. I'm mostly proud that I stayed so close to Col usually she blows past me and can even lap me - I know here shoulder is still not perfect but still I can think I'm making progress. Next time I'm pretty sure we will do the masters work out earlier in the evening instead...

Now for the news. I managed to get a place in the Nike Marathon down in San Fransisco on October 21st... Col is also doing the race so it should be fun. We are not setting any time goals and plan on just enjoying the day - no pressure. Luckily I have been keeping up my running to some extent so I feel ok about the whole thing. The trade off is I'm 90% sure I'm not going to do the Seattle Half Marathon. I'm going to focus on the Vancouver Half for my sub 2 hour goal and then of course Hawaii 70.3.