The Final Countdown (to the Sac Cowtown Marathon)

Onwards and upwards

2008-10-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

After a few days off my feet, I'm ready to hit the road/pool/trails again! Follow my training at my new blog:

http://triharddavid.blogspot.com

and thanks for reading!

David out

Day 0: Race day!

2008-10-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

I won my age group!

http://capitalroadrace.com/results/08_CTM_FULL_AG.HTM#%204

Distance: 26.44 miles

Time: 3:18:55

Avg Pace: 7:31

Ascent: 3047 ft

Calories: 3137

Place: 18/244

First place in age group M19-24

Race report:

At 5:45 am on Sunday, the alarm went off. I must be used to early race starts because really, 5:45 didn't seem all *that* bad. Especially considering that the race was only 15 minutes away and I didn't have a bike or wetsuit to take care of! 1 powerbar and 1 banana later, I smeared on my bodyglide, took my BCAAs, and tied my shoes.112 days of training had prepared me for this- I was so ready!

The weather on Sunday was beautiful. My worries that it would still be hot in Sacramento in October were literally washed away with some uncharacteristic rain on Saturday. As a result, the weather on Sunday was pretty much perfect- I'd estimate between 60-72 degrees during the race. We arrived at the starting line at about 6:30, plenty of time for a 7:30 race. The mood in the air was excitement mixed with anticipation. Everyone was checking gels and flasks while greeting old and new friends. A "quick" trip to the bathroom and to the gear check tent and I was ready to go. My warmup was pretty brief (I was going to run a good long while, after all) but I made sure to stretch out well. Five minutes before race start, I sidled up to the 7 minute mile pace mark, looked askance at the 3:10 marathon pacer (Boston!) and prepared to go. No anxiety- I was feeling too excited and a bit relieved to make it this far!

[Mark switch to present tense for added dramatic emphasis]

Buzzer goes off and the race starts. My first few miles are consumed by avoiding elbows and worrying that I'm running too fast. My first mile clocks in at 6:30 and I'm feeling great! I'm near the front of the pack and I'm surprised to note that my shins feel absolutely fine. We're winding our way through the park at the moment, all on hard surfaces. We shift to neighborhoods, then to the waterfront. I'm at at steady 6:45 ish pace by now. I'm feeling great, matching paces with half marathon folks and hitting up all the water stops for Cytomax (which I notice is mixed much less concentrated than at the SF marathon). Miles 4-8 find me hiding behind larger runners on the straightaway as we parallel the Sac River. I slam a gel at mile 7, make some quips at the nearby runners and forge on. As we wind through neighborhoods and return to the park, I'm feeling fine and pacing with the half folks. I cross the finish/2nd lap line at about 1:27. I am, quite frankly, amazed- my SF 1/2 time was 1:25:40 and I was quite shaky then. None of that today, though- this is my day and if I'm tired, I certainly don't show it to the crowds.

The number of runners drops to a handful after I pass the finish line. It's down to sparse bunches of high school volunteers...and I'm starting to feel it. I put another gel down at mile 15, but my legs are slowing and I'm definitely losing enthusiasm at this point. I estimate that I'm at or near the top 10 runners. It's at this point that the 3:00 train (this words) blows by me. The pacer gives me some much needed advice (short steps!) as I become very aware of the passage of time. I make sure to hit every cytomax stop- some even twice. I try to think of things to pass the time- lyrics, conversations, seeing how many times I can actually hit a trash can with my cup.

It's a losing battle. My times creep up in 10 second increments, but I can still make Boston. I think. I hope. I'm starting to lose it near mile 20. At this point, my pace has risen to about 8 minutes/miles and I'm starting to hate the world. I have to dodge in between folks walking the 1/2 marathon. This does not improve my mood any. At this point, I'm starting to cramp pretty badly in my legs and my confident stride has become a shuffle. This hits home at mile 23- I try to move faster, but my left quad and right calf immediately threaten to cramp. I have no juice left and my body is on strike- it cannot physically move any faster despite haranguing from my brain. This must be THE WALL. I briefly consider walking, but stubbornly keep shuffling. I watch the 3:10 pacer blow past me about 2 miles out (oh well, maybe next year) and then a good 7-8 folks who have much more juice than me (so jealous!) Finally I reach the 1/2 mile left sign- and I actually cramp, with a muscle spasm hard enough to stop me for half a second or so. Somehow I reach the end, limp past my loving girlfriend with a grimace, and haul myself across the finish line.

3:18:55- not bad. Not bad at all- and because I didn't stop and walk, I beat the next contender in my age group by about 2 minutes. Certainly doesn't feel like the glory of finishing- it feels like burning in my muscles. It takes me a few tries to get my leg up on a stool to cut off my timing chip, then I limp to get some recovery food. Woohoo! My legs took the main beating- I really wish in retrospect that I had taken that third gel. Oh well, PR and an age group medal are mine! The toll on my body: an upset stomach, sore, sore muscles, and a bloody toenail (but my shin splints feel fine!) Small price to pay.

A few days rest are in order, I think, then back to training. Ironman someday. Someday.

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations and support!

Things I wish I had done before the race:

Stronger base -> more mileage

Softer surfaces for running -> no shin splints

Things I wish I had done during the race:

Gone out slower

Taken a third gel

Day 1: Rest

2008-10-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

FINALLY.

This is it. No more worries about training, taper, tapirs, injuries, ideal conditions, blah blah blah now all I have to do is run 26.2 miles. SWEET.

Jim: So what’s your strategy for this race?
Pam: Well, I’m going to start fast. Then I’m going to run fast in the middle. Then I’m going to end fast.
Jim: Why won’t more people do that?
Pam: ‘Cause they’re stupid.

David out

Day 2: rest

2008-10-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

I ate 4 bowls of pasta thanks to Olive Garden and the Never Ending Pasta Bowl. We were getting weird looks by the end.

David out

Day 3: 2 miles

2008-10-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Distance: 2.32 miles
Time: 16:00
Avg Pace: 6:53

2 miles out and back. And...that's all she wrote. It's complete rest time. I'm most concerned about my shin splints and the temperature, but things should be just dandy come Sunday.

David out

Day 4: 3 miles

2008-10-01T11:39:00.001-07:00

Distance: 3
Time: 20:56
Avg Pace: 6:58

Endgame territory. Another day, another run around the chip trail where it's nice and soft. Don't want to aggravate the shins.

One more left.

David out

Day 5: 3 miles

2008-09-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

Distance: 3.00
Time: 20:29
Avg Pace: 6:49

Chip trail today. Just git out and git 'er done.

David out

Day 6: rest

2008-09-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

David out

Day 7: 5 miles

2008-09-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Testing my leg after a period of rest. No twinges, no soreness, feels fine. But I'm keeping it shorter and slower today and on softer trails.

Distance: 5.06
Time: 35:53
Avg Pace: 7:05

My race is one week out. I've got no concerns about finishing. Finishing fast- well, we'll see. It looks like it's going to be sunny on hot on Sunday...drat. Plus I'm worried that I tapered a bit too drastically. Well, if things turn out well, I'll push for a Boston qualifying time: 3:10. Otherwise, I'd be quite satisfied with <3:30 for my first run.

David out

Day 8: rest

2008-09-27T17:23:00.001-07:00

Expect to see a lot of these rest days as I near the end.

David out

Day 9: Cross

2008-09-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm in the single digits for days left!

Swim practice today, various drills and such adding up to about 1700 m. My 50m freestyle time is around 40 s. Felt good.

Hope my shin keeps recovering. Onwards!

David out

Day 10: rest

2008-09-25T22:05:00.001-07:00

David out

Day 11: 5 miles

2008-09-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 33:03
Avg Pace: 6:36

Did campus loop today, pretty fast.
Just a few more training sessions left (which is good, because my shin splints are flaring up a bit again)

david out

Day 12: 4 miles

2008-09-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Did most of campus loop today. 4 miles is just enough to get me warmed up and out there, but really more of an annoyance than anything else. Guess I should run them faster, then.

12 days left! Steady on there...make it through taper.

Distance: 4.01
Time: 27:09
Avg Pace: 6:46

David out

Day 13: Cross training

2008-09-22T08:51:00.001-07:00

Distance: 13.23
Time: 58:05
Avg Speed: 13.7

Went out on a (cold) early morning ride with Ron. (Hi Ron!) We did the Arastradero preserve via old page mill and tacked on Golden Oak. That was a good healthy climb in the morning.

David out

Day 14: 10 miles (long?)

2008-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Distance: 10.09
Time: 1:08:48
Avg Pace: 6:48

Standard long run. Down Stanford Ave, Old Page Mill, through the preserve, back on Alpine and past the Oval onto Serra. I'm happy that what once counted as a long run is now just a good workout for me. 1185 calories later...

I'm a bit off my training calendar. I'm definitely into taper, but due to my injury pre-taper, I'm a bit off. Oh well.

Did a long-ish run today. Felt great, actually- a little stiff, but otherwise pretty fast. I'm still playing it safe with some reduced mileage, but this was my first long, fast, hard surface run that was pain free. I don't even have a good idea of where to ice now that I'm done! Truly a relief. Now that I'm pain free, I can finally....taper. Oh well.

Two weeks. Two weeks! I'm so ready.

David out

Day 15: Rest

2008-09-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

David out

Day 16: 5-6 miles

2008-09-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

I ran campus loop (extended) today which is about 5-6 miles. My watch wasn't charged (oops!) so it was completely open loop today. Took about 40 minutes, so roughly 7 minute miles. I think.

Leg felt fine during the run. Still icing and tossing back ibuprofen, but I'm not worried.

David out

Day 17: Cross training

2008-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Distance: 28.94
Time: 1:49
Avg Speed: 15.9

A jaunt up Canada and back does the body (and spirit!) good.

David out

Day 18: 10 miles

2008-09-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Distance: 10.00
Time: 1:14:45
Avg Pace: 7:28

Total Ascent: 1428

My first real run in a while. Didn't feel too fast, but then again I blame soft trails, heat, and smog. Oh well.

The run itself was pretty decent. I just strung together lake extended, courthouse, and top of the world. My shin is feeling stronger; it definitely didn't impede my progress. It's been downgraded from "possible injury" to "annoyance" at this point. Feels good to get back into the swing of things.

David out

Day 19: 3 miles

2008-09-16T18:07:00.001-07:00

Distance: 3.28
Time: 27:29
Avg Pace: 8:22

Today's workout was with Charles (hi Charles!) along the La Jolla Shores beach. You know how I was complaining about the difficulty of running on soft surfaces? Yeah, the sand is a great energy absorber. Plus I think I stepped in puddles 2-3 times.

My shins, thankfully, feel better. Especially after I upped my ibuprofen dose to 600 mg (which takes me from the realm of painkiller to anti-inflammatory) I'd say right now I'm at 85-90%. Tomorrow I'll do a medium length run on a hard surface....carefully.

David out

Day 20: 4.5 miles

2008-09-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Distance: 4.76
Time: 34:40
Avg Pace: 7:17

I did Delgado today. I was straining to get up those hills, but I blame socal smog.

David out

Day 21: 6.5 miles

2008-09-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Distance: 6.56
Time: 46:13
Avg Pace: 7:02

Lake extended today. Still on reduced running load, though feeling better. It's quite a different beast running on soft surfaces; good for the joints isn't necessarily good for the pace.

David out

Day 22: 4 miles

2008-09-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

Home today, so good old Lake Loop.

Distance: 4.11
Time: 28:43
Pace: 6:59

You may have noticed, gentle reader, that my mileage has dropped precipitously recently. That is because being injured really is no fun at all. After my long run on Saturday I felt...relatively fine. But during my speed workout I could feel a twinge below my right knee. Eventually, it developed to the point where I would notice it when I was walking up stairs, or sometimes just walking. I'm sure it's shin splints; classic symptoms. I've been keeping an eye on it the last few days and resting/biking. Today was the first time I got out (not feeling 100%, but a lot better) and stuck to soft trails. Strangely, it felt a lot better after I got back (and no pain during the run)

More reduced mileage, but I'm on the mend. Feels strange to be training back up to taper.

David out

Day 23: Rest

2008-09-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

David out

Day 24: Cross training

2008-09-11T11:16:00.002-07:00

Distance: 30.14
Time: 1:49
Avg Speed: 16.6

A nice ride out canada today.

I'm worried about shin splints. My right leg is still not feeling significantly better. This is actually not too catastrophic...it's almost time to taper, anyway. And I can maintain cardio fitness with cross training. Just...crap.

David out

Day 25: rest

2008-09-11T11:16:00.001-07:00

David out

Day 26: Cross

2008-09-09T08:45:00.001-07:00

Distance: 15.19
Time: 56:56
Avg Speed: 16.0

A nice morning ride, even with traffic. Did the Portola Loop with Jon and Andy today

Leg feels fine today.

David out

Day 27: Track

2008-09-08T21:45:00.002-07:00

Running in circles by myself today.

4x 200 R pace (200 recovery between each) (34-36)
2 x 400 R pace (400 recovery) (77)
1 x 1600 T pace (1 minute rest) (6:17)
2 x 400 R pace (400 recovery) (77)
4x200 R pace (200 recovery) (34-36)

The creepy thing is that I ran all of my 400's right on the dot. Flashbacks to school and 400's with Bryson Igarta, Philip Bliss, Kridner, and Jason. Ah...memories.

I sure hope I'm not getting shin splints. It's intermittent soreness beneath my kneecap. Oh well, ice it, ibuprofen, and cycling tomorrow and I should be just fine. SO CLOSE TO TAPER.

David out

Day 28: Rest

2008-09-08T21:45:00.001-07:00

Rest (and pastries and ice cream and whiskey and burritos the size of your forearm)

A very good day.

David out!

Day 29: 20 miles (long)

2008-09-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Distance: 20 miles
Time: 2:34
Avg Pace: 7:42
Calories: 2390
Total Ascent: 2590 ft

Ouch. Just...ouch. That was the hardest physical thing I've ever done. So much more difficult than 18 miles. Not sure if I hit the wall, but I faced down cramps (right calf, left hamstring) and general fatigue. Need more glycogen.

Two laps around the Arastradero preserve. Highlight was a "Good job" from a passing cyclist at about mile 15.

It is now 83 degrees. Not scorching, but hotter than I'm used to. At least I took the 30 seconds in the middle to refill my water and cytomax...heat exhaustion/stroke is no laughing matter. 2 much needed gels- one at 8 miles, the other at 16. I think egels are the winner; cherry bomb is the least offensive way to get 150 calories of maltodextrin and electrolytes.

Mistakes (and rebuttals)
1. Old La Honda, The Dish, 20 miles (have to learn to run tired...)
2. Starting late in the heat (Sac might be hotter than I'm used to)

Tomorrow is recovery day.

David out

Day 30: 8 miles

2008-09-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

Distance: 8.00
Time: 58:01
Avg Pace: 7:15
Total Ascent: 1100

Took it easy today, after OLH yesterday. Well, easy on the time, anyway. Did the back of the Dish and came back on page mill. Felt very, very tired in the legs...need more glycogen!

Tomorrow is my 20 miler. One month to go- just gotta push it until taper!

David out

Day 31: Cross

2008-09-04T20:59:00.001-07:00

Went out riding with the Willow Garage Peloton today!

Hot, hot, hot at noon...perfect time to ride OLH, right?

Distance: 19.96 miles
Time: 1:29:53
Avg Speed: 13.3
Max Speed: 37.4
Total Ascent: 2451

Ken wasn't feeling to well, so we went up and back on OLH.

Stats for riding up:
Distance: 3.25 miles
Time: 24:42
Avg Speed: 7.9 mph
Total Ascent: 1512

I remember when it was such a hassle to get to the top. Now it's still a huge hassle, but at least it takes less time!

David out

Day 32: Track

2008-09-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

A repeat of an old goodie:

3x800, I pace
90 seconds rest in between

200 R pace
200 recovery

Repeat this set.

My 800's were clustered between 2:38 and 2:45...pretty consistent! I got some extra rest on the last 200 and Tim was pushing in the lane next to me (hi Tim!) so I poured it on on the last 100m. Result? My first 200 was at 33-35 territory, and my last 200 was at a 29. Haven't sprinted like that since high school!

David out

Day 33: Rest

2008-09-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

David out

Day 34: 4 miles

2008-09-01T21:27:00.001-07:00

Vacation time!

Today I ran around Pacific Grove. Beach run! Quite pleasant; would love to do it again, A++++. The triathlon sounds like loads of fun, but I'll be long gone.

Distance: 4.01
Time: 27:28
Avg Pace: 6:51

Day 35: 5 miles

2008-08-31T10:08:00.002-07:00

Ah, a short run!

Distance: 5.01 miles
Time: 33:09
Avg Pace: 6:37

Felt a little stiff, but otherwise fine

David out

Day 36: Rest

2008-08-31T10:08:00.001-07:00

David out

Day 37: Long (18 miles)

2008-08-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hoo boy.

Distance: 18 miles
Time: 2:04
Avg Pace: 6:53
Total ascent: 2305
Total Calories: 2126

The longest and most difficult yet. I felt awesome out to about mile 8, then pretty good past mile 12...then it was "gut it out" time. But I did 18 miles faster than race pace...that's an excellent sign! Mostly fatigue bringing me down...my legs felt pretty heavy near the end. I've started a hydration regimen- my watch beeps every mile and then I take a drink, regardless of whether I feel like it or not. Had an E-gel today, which sat pretty well (except for some gas at about oh mile 16)

2 more long runs before taper. One 18, one 20. Let's do this!

David out

Day 38: Pool

2008-08-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Change of plans. Last pool workout of the summer quarter!

5x100 warmup
6x50 kick
1500

A nice, nice long swim. I thoroughly enjoyed the Olympic distance part; didn't push too hard. Didn't look at my time either...35 ish?

David out

Day 39: Track

2008-08-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Time, not distance today.

2 minutes I pace
1 minute recovery
1 minute I pace
30 seconds recovery
30 seconds I pace
30 seconds recovery

Rinse, wash, repeat (4x)

It felt good to push in a different way (than just running long distances)

Speaking of which, tomorrow is my 18 miler before work. Half anticipation, half dread (though really, it's an incremental change)

David out

Day 40: 10 miles

2008-08-26T08:48:00.002-07:00

Distance: 10.08
Time: 1:09
Avg Pace: 6:53
Total Ascent: 1248

No longer a long run. Out and back along the Arastradero preserve (of course!)

Why do I love this run so much? Well, hills in the middle, and a nice, long uninterrupted stretch back (the designers were kind enough to put some tunnels under 280/Serra)

Still not enthused about CytoMax Preformance. Supposedly, I can get all my carbs and nutrients in liquid form...and it's supposed to help. Not sure about the first, skeptical about the second.

David out

Day 41: Rest

2008-08-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

Much needed.

David out

Day 42: 16 miles (long)

2008-08-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

That was a hell of a run. I think I ran out of oomph (glycogen) at about mile 4, thanks to OLH yesterday evening. Definitely the toughest training run I've done so far, but I've got to learn to run tired.

Distance: 16.09
Time: 1:55
Avg pace: 7:08
Total Ascent: 1900 ft
Total Calories: 1905

David out

Day 43: Cross

2008-08-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Powered up Old La Honda this afternoon! Felt great, had a time that wasn't my fastest, but was far from my slowest.

Oh, OLH...how I've missed you.

Distance: 21.35
Time: 1:25
Avg Speed: 15
Total Ascent: 2696 ft

David out

Day 44: Rest

2008-08-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

David out

Day 45: Long run (12 miles)

2008-08-21T08:13:00.001-07:00

Another 12 miler- around Gunn, through the Preserve, and back. Just wasn't feeling it today. Slow and cranky about losing my spare apartment key. At least I did it faster than on Day 80 (and did more climbing!) Still not as fast as day 59, but there always are these days in training.

Distance: 12 miles
Time: 1:24:57
Avg Pace: 7:04
Total Ascent: 1612 ft

Tried out an "e-gel" today. 150 calories, no caffeine, funky flavors. Went down okay, but required lots of water chasers.

David out

Day 46: 8 miles

2008-08-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Felt tired today, but have to learn to run through it. No hills of note, just stringing runs together. Tomorrow is my makeup long run...really!

Hey, look at that picture! It's like a gripping hand...if you kind of squint at it. (Grabbing at the dish?) Any requests for pictures I can run on the map? I think I just invented a new Google game...

Distance: 8.14
Time: 55:23
Avg Pace: 6:48

David out

Day 47: 4 miles

2008-08-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Distance: 4.46
Time: 29:29
Avg Pace: 6:36

Campus loop...and then some.

David out

Day 48: 5 miles

2008-08-18T19:39:00.003-07:00

Run went fine today. Migraine headache afterwards, though, ruined the rest of the day.

Don't know what it was. Wasn't especially bright, or hot, or ....anything. I guess it was just my time.

Distance: 5.04
Time: 33.28
Avg Pace: 6:38

David out

Day 49: Rest

2008-08-18T19:39:00.001-07:00

Head cold. Will have to postpone my 16 miler for mid-week.

David out

Day 50: Cross

2008-08-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

A nice jaunt out on Canada road on my bike with Ron today. (Hi Ron!)

My left calf was quite tight today, but some pedaling, stretching, and ice did it a world of good.

Distance: 28.74
Time: 1:50:30
Avg Speed: 15.6

David out

Day 51: 8 miles

2008-08-15T08:36:00.001-07:00

Ran the back of the Dish today with some extra mileage tacked on.

Not a soul in sight on that climb. Just the misty morning, the ground squirrels... and the labored sound of my breathing.

Distance: 8.02 miles
Time: 54:52
Avg Pace: 6:50
Total Ascent: 1279 ft

David out

Day 52: Cross

2008-08-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

I hit the pool today.

5x100 warmup
6x50 drill
3x300 (freestyle, sighting, pull)

David out

Day 53: Track

2008-08-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

I ran too fast today.

(Goal times)

4x200 R pace (40) 32-34
200 recovery between each

2x400 R pace (1:21) 1:11 ish
400 recovery

1 x 1600 T pace (6:36) 6:15
1 minute rest

2x400 R pace(1:21) 1:11 ish
400 recovery

4x200 R pace(40) 34-36
200 recovery

I really need to get back in the pool/on a bike. For my sanity's sake!

David out

Day 54: 4 miles

2008-08-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

Old route, new shoes. At least I pulled a massive negative splits there at the end (final mile: 6:07)

I love that all my runs are done at my old 5K race pace.

Distance: 4:16
Time: 26:31
Avg Pace: 6:22

David out

Day 55: 4 miles

2008-08-11T08:24:00.002-07:00

Distance: 4.19 miles
Time: 27.19
Avg Pace: 6:31

Ho hum. I did campus loop for my short run today and pushed the pace.

I had another tri dream tonight. I'd better cross train again soon!

David out

Day 56: Rest

2008-08-11T08:24:00.001-07:00

David out

Day 57: Track

2008-08-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

for (int i = 0;i<2;i++)
{
for(int j = 0;j<3;j++)
{
run(800,'meters');
rest(45,'seconds');
}
run(200,'meters');
recover(200,'meters');
}

Output:
2:30
2:45
2:45
0:36
2:46
2:50
2:49
0:36

//Nice long warmup to a new track. Hot today, but pushed through.

David out

Day 58: Rest

2008-08-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly not sore!

David out

Day 59: Long run (15 miles)

2008-08-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Distance: 15.00
Time: 1:44:30
Avg Pace: 6:58
Total Ascent: 2022
Total Calories 1774

I can

climb this hill-pass that runner-go faster-choke down this shotblok- go just a bit faster- finish this mile- run *just* 5 more miles (or 3 or 2 or 1)- relax my shoulders-kick it here-finish this run- keep up this pace -make it to Boston.

Whew. That was tough, but good. If I can maintain this pace, I'll be set. I ran around Gunn, down Arastradero, through the preserve, up Alpine, and on Campus back home via Lake Lag. There were some good hills! Legs felt a bit heavy going out, but had a fast pace coming back (splits are waaaaaaaaaaaaay negative). If I can keep up this pace in training, I'll be golden come race day.

I had a dream last night that I was riding a subway on my way to the SF half. (I was even excited in my dream) Guess that beats the last one where I couldn't find transition and I was lugging my bike everywhere, haha.

Rest tomorrow. Speed on Saturday. 16 mile run next week.

David out

Day 60: 7 miles

2008-08-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

No hills. Also, late for work so no extra data until tonight

Edit: Felt a little under the weather today, so no hills. Decided to up the normal pace to my marathon pace; I'll aim for running at 7 minute miles from now on.

I ran campus loop and added on oak creek. The "trail" run was pleasant, but the traffic lights were annoying.

Distance: 7.03
Time: 48:03
Pace: 6:49

David out

Day 61: Cross

2008-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Pool workout today
4x100 crawl
2x50 kick

6 x 200 crawl

Stretching and swimming is definitely the way to go for recovery.
Hills tomorrow!

David out

Day 62: Cross

2008-08-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

A nice sedate bicycle ride today to stretch my legs. Actual stretching will definitely be on the menu later today.

Distance: 10.4
Time: 44:13
Avg Speed: 14.1

David out

Day 63: SF Half Marathon

2008-08-03T18:59:00.001-07:00

Bad news: That was a *hard* race near the end.
Good news: I ran the fastest race of my life.
Better news: Stanford Triathlon wins the SF Marathon team division!

Congrats to all the folks that came out today!

First, the stats:

Place Overall:	38	out of 1980
Men:	30	out of 837
M 20-29:	8	out of 172

AgeGrade:

69.14%

Place: 38

FINISH:

1:25:40

pace: 6:33

According to my GPS
Distance: 13.33
Time: 1:26:41
Avg Pace: 6:30
Total Ascent: 2250

My goal today was to start with 7:30 miles, then work up to 7:15 and perhaps even 7:00. That um...didn't work out too well. Special thanks to Carlos for pep talk, pacing, and recovery advice.

I woke up today in the Mission district and slipped out of the apartment onto a Muni bus. After a 10 minute ride, our bus driver stopped dead at the course blocking the road and kicked us out- 5 miles from the starting line. I hailed a cab with some fellow runners and we made it without incident. The starting area was...small. Perhaps I'm too used to transition areas with bikes and wetsuits as far as eye can see, but it definitely did not seem like room for 2000 people (or that there were even 2000 people, for that matter).

The first part of the course went fast. Carlos and I blasted out of the gate with a 6:12 first mile and were feeling great as we watched the 1:30 pacer recede into the distance. Highlights in the early part of the race included the folks handing out beer for those who wanted it at the first aid station. The course started flat, then hit some hills, but we pushed on through. Supposedly there was a herd of buffalo somewhere there, but I didn't see anything except the tunnel of race vision.
I kept up with him until mile 5, when a 100 ft lead became a 200 ft lead, and then a red figure up ahead that I tried to chase down. The folks running the full marathon were simultaneously a huge confidence booster and mobile obstacles, as our pace was much faster at this point.

Mile 6 or so broke out onto Haight Street. The miles flew on by as I tried to keep up the pace through the streets of the city proper. Mile 9 definitely started weighing heavily on me, and when I had "just a 5K left" I definitely could have used more energy. For me, it was light stomach issues and heavy legs. I had been alternating cytomax and water at aid stations, but I probably should have eaten more than the one shotblok I threw down.

Miles 10-13 were tough. I had to mentally maintain my legs moving as the hopes of negative splits faded. It didn't help that there were definite ups and downs in the course and that the folks around me were slowing down majorly. The ending chute was a welcome site, as I tried to kick tired muscles into high gear. Afterwards, I was pretty wobbly, with tired legs. But I got a nifty SF marathon foil blanket and plenty of recovery food and drink.

Regular readers of this blog know that my long runs have been pushed down towards 7:00 on good days, so 6:30 miles are *fast* for me. I'm proud to say that this shows how far I've come; I can now maintain my 5K race pace over 13 miles! I have surpassed my modest expectations and ran an awesome first half marathon. Thanks, Stanford Tri- best shape of my life! Plus my VDot has been upped from 52 to 54. Not a bad day's work!

Racing was fun! There's an energy about running with thousands of runners that sorely lacking in training runs. Kudos to the SFM team, the course was well staffed, well marked, and I had decent luck with the aid stations. My legs are a bit sore, but nothing out of the ordinary for hard training.

Lessons learned:
1. Don't go out too fast, but go with the flow if you feel good
2. There's no need to carry fluids on the run
3. Get in and out of the aid stations
4. Be sure to eat and drink!
5. Best prerace dinner ever (thanks Matt!) http://www.sporksf.com/home.htm

Here's a look at the triathlon folks
Full Marathon
42 Kevin Lohner 2:57:35 6:47 M 30-34/10 43 2:57:35 50:54 1:27:48
53 Mammen Jacob 2:59:45 6:52 M 40-44/5 54 3:01:21 51:06 1:28:28
663 Martin Nagel 3:47:16 8:41 M 35-39/122 766 3:53:29 1:02:26 1:48:06
181 Alison McGuigan 3:58:36 9:07 F 30-34/44 1184 4:54:07 1:10:28 2:02:09

Half marathon

23 Carlos Melo 1:23:44 6:24 M 20-29/7 28 1:23:47 10:46
30 David Li 1:25:40 6:33 M 20-29/8 38 1:25:43 10:46
10 Sarah K 1:27:46 6:42 F 20-29/2 49 1:27:48 10:51
28 Kath Boyer 1:33:53 7:10 F 20-29/7 118 1:33:55 11:59
38 Friederike H 1:37:18 7:26 F 30-39/12 172 1:37:23 12:37
259 Shawn Morel 1:46:41 8:09 M 20-29/56 361 1:46:46 12:37
392 Sryan Ranganath 1:56:54 8:56 M 20-29/82 622 2:03:11 14:11
266 Christine M 1:58:48 9:04 F 20-29/109 693 2:05:02 14:40

New goal: qualify for Boston! 63 days of training left!

David out

Day 64: Rest

2008-08-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Time to head up to the city!

David out

Day 65: 3 miles

2008-08-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Easy taper today

Distance: 3
Time: 23:07
Avg Pace: 7:43

David out

Day 66: 7 miles

2008-07-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Did the back of the Dish today.

2 things of note:

1. Picked up a new Stanford branded underarmor heat gear sleeveless jersey yesterday. It will be my racing jersey (for once, I want a giant STANFORD on a piece of clothing) It was a bit tight today and clingy once it got sweaty, but it seemed to do a good job in dissipating heat. Check.
2. I tried some cytomax pre-formance (liquid carbs + protein!) along with my banana today. Wasn't too impressed. My legs felt a bit heavy (perhaps because of yesterday?) ; my theory is that I didn't drink enough water with it. It's on probation; I'm gonna eat a powerbar for Sunday

Distance: 7.24
Time: 50:35
Avg Pace: 6:59 (just squeaked by 7 minutes!)

and that's my last major run before my 1/2

David out

Day 67: 3 miles (track)

2008-07-30T19:34:00.001-07:00

Track workout today felt pretty easy, to be honest (mostly due to the
fact that we ran 2/3 of it at T pace, allowing for conversation)

1 minute rest between everything

2x1600 T pace (6:36, 6:40)
2x800 I pace ( 2:45, 2:49)
2x400 R pace (79,81)

I like the feeling of faster and shorter. Negative splits, anyone?
Definitely was feeling those last 400's (and getting flashbacks to
high school where I ran the 400)

Calf feels fine. I'm so ready for the SF 1/2 marathon.

David out

Day 68: 4 miles

2008-07-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

I felt fast today! (and stiff in the left calf. But I made sure to warmup and stretch sufficiently)

My nominal pace ("aka a good clip"), if I'm not paying attention or looking at my watch, is 7:30/mile. I'd like to push that down to 7:15, or even 7:00. That would be fabulous. I can sustain the faster speeds over short distances (4 miles today, especially felt good at about mile 2.5) but I wonder if I can push myself over longer runs.

Distance: 4.00
Time: 26:18
Avg Pace: 6:34

David out

Day 69: Cross

2008-07-28T21:58:00.001-07:00

In other words, recovery day. Pool was open today at 8 since the Olympians are on their way.

It felt awesome to get back in the water and stretch. I felt slower than usual, but perhaps that's because I was wearing my blue drag shorts (as my speedos mysteriously disintegrated...)

4x100 freestyle
4x100 Kick and pull
4x100 freestyle
3x50 butterfly
2x100 freestyle

and then I rushed off to work.

David out

Day 70: 13 miles (long)

2008-07-27T15:53:00.001-07:00

Did a training run with Alice today (hi Alice!) . Though it was the longest I've run this season, it was by far the most pleasant

Distance: 13.20
Time: 2:28
Avg Pace: 11:13/mile
Total Calories: 1569

There's something quite satisfying about completing a set distance, like a half marathon. Mostly because you can drop it in conversation casually. (e.g. "Oh yeah, I did a half yesterday to train. No problem. Yeah, that's half of the distance that killed the original runner, but no biggie")

Also, I'm going to miss having company on my everyday runs.

Right now, I am bushed. I think I'm going to go rest my eyes...

David out

Day 71: Ride to the coast!

2008-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Can you find the hills to and from the coast?

Hal Higden suggests cross-training for about an hour a week to let the running muscles recover.

Well, I've got my own brand of relaxation, it seems.

First, the stats:

Cycling
Distance: 60.55 miles
Time: 4:30
Avg Speed: 13.4 mph
Total Calories 4435
Total Ascent: 7951 ft

Our route was to climb Old La Honda, then ride down Pescadero road to the coast. We'd stop in Pescadero for artichoke bread (artichoke bread!) and then climb 84 to descend woodside.

Translation: 2 big climbs and lots of fun!

Fellow riders: Bob, John, Cissy, Magda, Alicia, (and Michael, briefly)

Narration: The first stretch to OLH was warm up, as usual. Ah, Old La Honda, my old friend. 3.21 miles with 1641 feet of climbing and -no- flat spots. I did it today in 24:47. Not great (definitely 1-1:30 slower than my PR) but not bad for not having cycled for a bit. I was struggling in granny gears, though, to be honest. The descent was breathtaking and made it all worthwhile. The climb through Sam McDonald Park was beautiful, marred only by the hordes of motorcyclists out today.

Pescadero came just in time at about the 30 mile mark. 6 hungry triathletes tore through 2 of these delicious artichoke garlic herb loaves

We pressed on, as the day was getting hot. The climb up was pretty painful, and the descent was like a blast furnace, but we all were feeling pretty good. Congrats to those on their first coast rides (this was my 2nd)

Nutrition tally: 2 bottles of Cytomax, 2 bottles of water, 1 pack of shotbloks, 1/2 a powerbar, 2 strawberry banana gus (they really helped!), and a good chunk of artichoke bread. mmm.

1/2 marathon tomorrow, and the SF 1/2 marathon a week from Sunday.

I'm actually feeling pretty good! Legs aren't even that sore.

David out

Day 72: Rest

2008-07-25T09:09:00.001-07:00

Gonna have a busy weekend.

David out

Day 73: Cross training

2008-07-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

I did the Alpine/Portola loop today on my bike. Felt great to stretch my legs.

Distance: 16.06 miles
Time: 55:16
Avg Speed: 17.4 mph
Total Elevation: 1005 ft

David out

Day 74: Track (3.5 miles)

2008-07-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

A progression of last week's workout.
3x 800 (90 s rest, I Pace) 2:41-2:42
200 (R pace) 31 s
200 rest

Repeat
3x800 2:39-2:46
200 ? (but certainly felt fast)

Spent most of my time chasing after Carlos. He's got quite a kick!

David out

Day 75: 6 Miles

2008-07-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

The good ole' Dish for today. Much faster on the way down than the way up...

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 42:33
Avg Pace: 7:05

David out

Day 76: Cross training

2008-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, my training this week is a little off, just because I did my long run early. Today I relaxed with a nice bike ride through the Arastradero Preserve. It's funny that my intense long run translates to a quick, easy bike ride.

Distance: 10.36 miles
Time: 38.45
Avg Speed: 16.0 mph

David out

Day 77: 4 miles

2008-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

No satellite data from today, but I ran for 30 minutes at a good clip. I figured it was about 4 miles, but I very much prefer running a set distance, rather than time. (It gives more of an incentive to run fast!)

Hot day today in Chico. I need to train more in the heat; definitely saps my strength. I estimate that I sweated out 1.5 lbs of moisture. Didn't feel too bad afterwards.

David out

Day 78: Cross training (swim)

2008-07-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, not really a workout. More like a dip in a cold creek on a hot day.

David out

Day 79: Rest

2008-07-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Did a lot of stretching yesterday. A day off will do me a world of good.

David out

Day 80: 12 miles (long)

2008-07-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

A word to the wise: cycling jerseys = great for cycling! For runners, they don't wick nearly enough sweat away and cause some chafing in unpleasant spots.

In other news, today was the hardest training day thus far. Legs felt really dead midway through; OK at the start and end. That's what I get for stacking my training poorly- hills, track, then long workout is...punishing. Time to ease off for the weekend; cross training, anyone?

Distance: 12.42 Miles
Time: 1:29
Avg Pace: 7:13/mile
Elevation change: 1794 ft
Total Calories: 1475

David out

Day 81: Track (3 miles)

2008-07-16T09:25:00.001-07:00

Today was 6x800 with 90 seconds rest. My goal time was 3:01; my actual run times ran the gamut from 2:50 to 2:39 (negative splits!) I'll have to upgrade my VDot from 52.

I've always dreaded the calm before the storm. It's a peculiar feeling to be gasping between sips of water and trying to calm your heart rate down, knowing that you'll be leaving in 45 seconds...44...43. Once I'm going, I'm fine. All I have to do is convince my body that "no, this amount of discomfort is normal. you're fine" and let the festivities commence.

Why do I run? Singularity of purpose. That's the phrase that I'm tossing around in my head these days. On the track or on the trail, your world narrows from the whirlwind of stress down to "trying to make the next split." It's like utilizing the immediacy of physical sensation to drag you into the moment. The trick is learning to enjoy it; I'm certainly learning to. Having an upcoming race gives me a point to focus on, and a reason to push hard each day. Singularity of purpose- often times a luxury that's missing in the rest of my life.

I'm getting faster. Thanks to Sherry and the team for the encouragement; sorry for the distant demeanor on the track. I'll use the excuse of focus for now.

David out

Day 82: 7 miles

2008-07-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

I think my performance is very much correlated with the amount of sleep I get the night before.

Distance: 7.27
Total time: 52:19
Avg Pace: 7:11

Well, it certainly felt slow on those hills, but the numbers say otherwise.

David out

Day 83: 3 miles

2008-07-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

Felt good today. It's 64 degrees and overcast: my kind of weather.

Distance: 3.01 miles
Total time: 20:43
Avg Pace: 6:52/mile

Hey, that didn't feel too bad; I must be getting faster!

David out

Day 84: Sea kayaking!

2008-07-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

Went down to Monterey today to sea kayak! Monterey was overcast, but quite pleasant. We saw dolphins, sea otters, jellyfish, seals, and sea lions (oh my?) Kayaking was fun! Falling over was pretty hard in these open top models, and so I could concentrate on hauling myself through the water. Fun times!

Sailboats are big and can move quite fast. That is my lesson for today.

Distance: 3.05 miles
Time: 1:46:47
Speed: 1.7 mph = 1.4 knots

Pictures when they get developed.

David out

Day 85: Brick 30/5

2008-07-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Couldn't take it anymore. Had to get out on my bike, so I turned today's workout into a brick.

Bike portion was out and back along Canada with Alicia (Hi Alicia!) We joined the cyclists out on the Bike 2 Breathe race and had a grand time. Much better than the 2 guys pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign (on their bikes!) Yeesh.

Weather was cloudy and cool. Quite enjoyable. I love my bike!

Distance: 28:20
Time: 1:47
Avg Speed: 15.8 mph
Total Elevation change: 1583 ft

Run was out to Gunn and back along the Arastradero bike path (Hi Jeff!)
Legs felt fine coming out of transition, but I was definitely generally fatigued on the last mile or two and could have used a drink. Feeling fine for recovery, though.

Distance: 5.08 miles
Time: 36:01
Avg Pace: 7:05 (whew!)

Feeling good and feeling fast. Just for kicks...
Total calories burned: 1487 + 596 = 2083

I've also started playing with ergogenic supplements. Today I took a dose of Branched Chain Amino Acids before hopping on my bike (to prevent muscle damage) and Vitamins C and E during recovery (for antioxidants) Too soon to say if they're anything more than placebos for me. Cytomax, while still not too tasty, is working pretty well. That and a powerbar got me through with plenty of energy.

It's SO lunchtime...

David out

Day 86: Long run "7" miles

2008-07-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Did the back of the Dish today. Now with extra hills!

Distance: 7.96 miles
Time: 59:50
Avg Pace: 7:15

Total elevation change: 1596 ft

David Out

Day 87: 3 miles

2008-07-10T08:19:00.001-07:00

Ran around "Lake" (pond/puddle) Lagunita.
My legs felt a bit stiff at the start today, but once I warmed up and stretched out, they were fine.

I get the feeling that this is going to be the norm as I continue increasing mileage.

Distance: 3.06 miles
Time: 22:07
Avg Pace: 7:14

Rehydrated with a bit a accelerade; I'll start tweaking my recovery food.

David out

Day 88: Track

2008-07-09T08:58:00.001-07:00

Legs felt quite dead at the start of the workout today. Gotta learn to push through it

Distance today was a bit more than 3 miles. We ran it 5 minutes on, 2 off. I finished more than 12 laps within 21 minutes, so I was running a good clip. I really must bring my gps watch to these workouts.

David out

Day 89: Long Run 10 miles

2008-07-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Makeup long run today. Made my Cytomax too strong; the correct proportions are 1 tsp to 4 oz. Ended up drinking only about 7 oz today, mostly water. Felt a little unsettled in the stomach, but otherwise fine.

Distance: 10 miles
Total time: 1:14
Avg Pace: 7: 24

David out

Day 90: 3 miles

2008-07-07T09:17:00.001-07:00

Ran around work today. Will post map when I get home

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 20:31
Pace: 6:51

David Out

Day 91: Recovery 3 miles

2008-07-06T13:07:00.003-07:00

Feeling better after a bout of indigestion, but not quite 100%. Will make up the longer run during the week.

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 23:07
Avg Pace: 7:42

David out

Also, if I don't get on my bike again soon I *will* go mad.

Day 92: Enforced Rest

2008-07-06T13:07:00.001-07:00

Day 94 and 93

2008-07-04T21:39:00.001-07:00

Rest

David out

Day 95: 4 miles (track)

2008-07-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yet another happy coincidence with a speed workout exactly the length as planned.

Warmup: Chip trail, striders
Workout: 4x1600 (1 lap fast, 3 laps....faster. Rotate the fast lap through)

1. 5:40
2. 5:50
3. 5:55
4. 5:49

Looks like I'll have to bump up my VDot from 52. My goal time was 6:11.

David out

Day 96: Pool

2008-07-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Cross training today. Man, my swimming skills have suffered, but it still felt great to get back in the water.

Warmup:
Swim (crawl) 100 m
Kick 100m
IM 100m
Drill 100m
Swim 100m

Then the ladder:
100
200 100
300 200 100
400 (and then I had to go to work)

I found the tri group at work (Hi Keenan?) Considering doing a sprint distance in Santa Cruz in August.

David out

Bonus: My commute

2008-06-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here's what I bike to work every day. Past the two guys doing tai chi, through Stanford campus, up embarcadero onto the alma bike path, through downtown palo alto past the panhandler in front of Whole Foods, then onto the bike path to Menlo Park. Quite pleasant, and only 5 lights.
Distance: 2.97 miles
Total time: 17:32
Avg Pace: 5:54 min/mile

David out (again)

Day 97: 3 miles

2008-06-30T08:21:00.001-07:00

I did the front part of the Dish, so a little hilly today.

Was feeling a bit slow. Perhaps the smoke over the weekend is affecting me, perhaps I should drink more water, or perhaps it was just one of those days.

Distance: 3.07 miles
Total Time: 23:13
Avg Pace: 7:34 min/mile

David out

Day 99: Rest Day 98: 3 miles

2008-06-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Business as usual. A bit smoky, so a relaxed maintenance run.

David out