Are you going to be a wimp?

Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, “Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?”
- Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and sub-2:12 marathoner

…I’m weary, my stomach aches and I’d like to get to bed early; today, I think I was a bit of both.

While jogging to Oak Bay my legs felt constricted and lifeless. Doubtless, it had more to do with the power lycra shorts & long tights I was wearing, but when my legs are unresponsive before a track workout it usually means I’m in for a good one. Don’t ask.

As it was +1C (and falling), after taking off my tights and a quick hello to Chris (my cohort for part of the evening), I jumped right into the workout. This could’ve been a mistake on many counts but perhaps most noticeably when I went into the second corner only to discover the entire back stretch covered in a very thin and dastardly layer of ice. A smarter runner would’ve run elsewhere (or worn spikes) but I carried on, destined to decelerate for 150m of every lap.

As expected the legs felt good and if it wasn’t for my stomach the workout would have been first-rate. Instead, I enjoyed a dull ache by about 1000m of the mile, only to have it reoccur passing through 200m of the 800 and unfortunately intensify. Tonight though, unlike similar situations, I don’t think it slowed me, rather fueling some frustrated anger. Bugger. I really have to sort out my nutrition. The times and HR (AHR, MAX) are as follows:

5:39.3, (155, 163), 2:38.8, (158, 165)
5:39.2, (156, 163), 2:40.7, (157, 165)
5:39.5, (157, 162), 2:41.4, (155, 164)
5:39.3, (155, 164), 2:39.1, (156, 164)

The jog home was cruel. With a damp toque and gloves, and a drained body I felt like Luke stumbling out of the snow cave on Hoth… only I didn’t have Obi-Wan Kenobi to guide me on my journey.

Training: 1:30:58, AHR 136, MAX 165, 4x(1600, 90”, 800, 3')

Ian MacMillan Remembered

When I stepped in the house from this evenings run the first words from Ally’s lips weren’t, “How was your run”, but rather, “You look tired babe”.

Frank Shorter said, “You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming”, the CIM seems only days ago and Sunday’s 10-k even closer.

I’m not sure I can accurately describe the lethargy I felt during the first 30’ of my run. My legs felt heavy and hopping the curb left me short of breath. My shoes sounded like clogs adding an unwanted punch to Moby’s base that snapped up the enjoyment & distraction I needed, I wanted. Today was my first official day of training along my road to London, and if the steps in front of me were going to fall like these… God help me.

Running a marathon has been described as “cutting yourself unexpectedly”. You dip into the pain so gradually that the damage is done before you are aware of it. Unfortunately, when awareness comes, it is excruciating. My awareness was finely tuned.

I felt like an overtired child fighting sleep, I was restless, cranky and exhausted at the same time. I was looking for excuses. During the last month, I’d tried the half dozen water fountains scattered along Dallas & Beach Drive only to find them turned off. Tonight, I stopped by one nestled alongside some bare trees just north of the Oak Bay Marina. It worked! I don’t know what I appreciated more, the eight seconds that my legs stood still or the few ounces of water that trickled down my throat.

As I left the fountain I remembered something I read once, “if you’re tired and want to slow down, try speeding up first”, the next 40’ were enjoyable, tiring but tolerable.

I still remember the small plaque on the fountain; it was built in the loving memory of Ian MacMillan (sp). I doubt I ever met him, but I’ll remember him tonight.

Training: 1:10:55, AHR 136, MAX 150, approx. 16.5 km, 6:55 mi/pace. My achilles is feeling markedly better, perhaps 89%.

Progressing Nicely

I’ve just completed updating my training log & noticed that I’ve been putting in some steady miles since the CIM, not a lot, but enough to keep the legs turning over and the blood flowing. I think this is going to pay dividends leading into the next 12-week cycle as a) I’m not burnt-out, but eagerly anticipating the training and b) not starting from scratch, like I did heading into the CIM.

I met my coach yesterday to discuss the high-level plan for London. I’m really looking forward to this build as I’ve progressed nicely from Ottawa in May (2:45:29) to Sacramento in December (2:40:19). We’re going to build on my previous two marathon cycles, adding a couple more weeks of higher mileage and upping my mid-week long run.

Total time on the feet this week amounts to 6ho2’45”, approximately 85 km. Here is how the week unfolded:

Monday: day off
Tuesday: 1:09:47, AHR 137 with 2x 2-miles at HME
Wednesday: an easy 1:10:17, AHR 130
Thursday: 42:53, with 8x(100 fast, 100 easy), AHR 134
Friday: a comfortable 48:23, AHR 140
Saturday: a comfortable 30:56, AHR 135, with 500m at race effort & 6x 50m
Sunday: Mill Bay 10-k, 35:46

C++

Our drive to Mill Bay this morning was more thrilling and eventful then the race itself. Leaving town I noticed the gas gauge was nearing E (dependant on the angle of the road), but not wanting to fritter away any time before the race, I ignored Ally’s suggestion and proceeded up the Malahat.

With few clouds in the sky, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise and pulled over just after the summit (1,156 ft), to snap a few pictures. After a quick photo shoot, I hopped back in the car only to have my heart rate soar from resting to threshold in the turn of a key, as the bloody car wouldn’t start (with my eyes bulging out, apparently the look on my face was quite amusing).

Luckily, as I’d parked facing downhill and with Ally’s car a standard, I put it in gear, popped the clutch and drove straight to the nearest gas station.

The race started just after 7:00 under clear but cold (2C) conditions. I’m happy with the effort I put in, and more importantly that I managed to negative split (18:06, 17:40), but disappointed with my time, 35:46. I thought I had played my cards well and would’ve liked to have seen a faster (35:15) time given the level of exertion.

There was a group of 10 guys who split the first km about 5” ahead of me, but as I went through in 3:18 and was unsure of my fitness, I played it conservatively. With hindsight, I would have taken it out the group but as I managed to pull a handful of them back in the last 4-km I’m not too disappointed.

1-k 3:18
2-k 3:31
3-k 3:20
4-k 3:46
5-k 4:11
6 to 8-k 10:44
9-k 3:31
10-k 3:25

The turnaround is at the top of a significant hill and I told myself to wait until the 6-k point before going above threshold. Although not smooth, I felt controlled over the last 4-k and… had the race been another km longer think I would’ve managed to pass a few more from the early pack. Perhaps I played it too conservatively? I finished 21st overall and 5th in my age group (35-39).

Race Morning

The average, healthy, well-adjusted adult gets up at seven-thirty in the morning feeling just plain terrible. ~Jean Kerr

My alarm went off at 5:30 but it was unnecessary, as I’d been staring at the ceiling for the last 10’ pretending to sleep. I dressed and followed the cat outside receiving a curious look, before setting off for an easy mile jog around the neighborhood (it’s slick out there as the roads are covered in black ice).

Once home, I had a quick shower while waiting for the bread to brown and the water to boil. Two pieces of peanut butter on toast & at least one cup of coffee prepared to Turkish standards, “black as hell, strong as death and as sweet as love”, my typical pre-race meal.

Training: an extremely pedestrian 6:37

(It's) Warming Up

Jim and Todd swung by shortly after noon and we headed out for a light jog in preparation for tomorrows Mill Bay 10-k. A large high has established itself over the south coast and without a cloud in the sky, and the warmth (8C) of the sun on our faces we trotted around Beacon Hill Park discussing race tactics.

I’m eagerly looking forward to receiving an assessment of my fitness, using that information over the next 12 weeks… but I can’t tell you how much I’d appreciate just a few weeks of speed work in the legs.

I’m trying to think of some realistic pre-race goals. With a PB of 34:18 set in 1997, and having run 34:36 a few weeks before Ottawa last year I think my A goal should be 34:50 – 34:59, B 35:00 – 35:30, and C beating last years time of 36:08.

Training: a comfortable 30:56, AHR 135, MAX 160, 500m at race effort (1:34.7, too fast), 6x 50m strides. My achilles felt good this morning, “almost” unnoticeable.

Asics 2120, They Feel… Different

The title of this entry could easily have been “misperception”, everything was off this evening. My run felt great, almost too good, I traced part of the old 1994 Commonwealth Games route imagining I was in the lead. I felt like I was flying, my shoulders relaxed, feet easily turning over and a crisp cool breeze in my face. It was a gorgeous evening, the moon bright in a cloudless sky, the temperature cool enough to prevent you from overheating and warm enough so that… so that you don’t need a face mask (poor bugger), perhaps an enjoyable 0C? I occasionally had to check myself, easing back so that I had something left for the race on Sunday.

Once home I loaded up my Streets & Trips, curious to see how far I’d gone, I felt like I was clicking over effortlessly at 6:20 mi/pace. This is where I catch up to you; needless to say, I was surprised to map out an 11.1 km route (7:01 mi/pace), not only that the website indicated it was 6C out… go figure?

So. I was mistaken a few days back when I indicated that I’d bought new Asics 2110. Mistaken as I had assumed the company had repackaged the old with a slight variation in colour, who knew? Unbeknownst to me I had bought the new 2120s. What led me to check was that my feet seemed, undersized; they clunked around in oversized shoes. I’ve been a size 10 for years, but these shoes feel different. My right achilles (the good one) has been rubbing on the heel cup and there is a pressure point on the outside of the same foot, down near the 3rd eyelet.

Has anyone else noticed anything?

Training: a comfortable 48:23, AHR 140, MAX 153, 7:01 mi/pace. My achilles didn’t hurt but it was noticeable throughout ½ the run, not painful, just there.