How to Run 26.2 Miles

Still Alive

2009-07-12T13:31:00.003-04:00

So, I'm in Berlin. Things have been super-hectic, and I haven't run in over a week and a half. I have been walking like a madman, though, so hopefully I haven't totally lost the fitness I gained. I'm going to start back up tomorrow, and may need to reassess and recalibrate my goals a bit, considering all of this time off.

In any case, I just need to get back on the boat. Berlin is a wonderful city, and would be great to explore with running.

Days 45 & 46 - I'm a-leavin' on a jet plane!

2009-07-02T00:12:00.002-04:00

Tues. - Off.
Weds. - 40 min. Slightly sore knees, tight something in buttocks down inner thigh.

I've basically accepted that this week is not going to go according to plan (running-wise). I'm leaving for Berlin tomorrow morning, early, and will be on a plane or in an airport until 9:30 a.m. Berlin time on Friday. So, no run tomorrow. And maybe none on Friday--we'll see. I'll also probably not update for a few days.

Right now, I'm strongly considering extending my base-building phase a couple of weeks, and then compressing hill work and anaerobic work into six weeks total. At my level of fitness, as someone coming back from a long layoff, I don't think it's incorrect to believe that building my base some more would do more good than hill work or anaerobic work.

See you in Berlin!

Days 43 & 44 - Semi-Beat

2009-06-30T00:37:00.002-04:00

Sun. - ~25 min. Ran without the watch, pulled it in easy because I was feeling pretty awful.
Mon. - 52 min. Late, cold, rainy, cloudy. Not a bad ran, though. Floated. However, I can feel a few uneasy twinges in the knees and feet.

Long run tomorrow? I may post-pone it. My legs are sore for the first time in quite awhile. I don't want to push a long run if I am not going to get the best workout from it.

Days 41 & 42

2009-06-28T11:27:00.002-04:00

Fri. - Day off, recovering from long run.
Sat. - 1:11:44 - Out and back course. Out almost all downhill, and, yes, the way back uphill. A little soreness on the inside of my knee.

Week Six Total - 364 minutes (6 hrs., 4 min.) in 6 sessions - not bad!

On Thursday, I will be leaving for Berlin. This, of course, is going to make everything a bit more uncertain for the next several weeks. I doubt I'll be able to run every day this coming week, nor should I. But, because it keeps me sane and motivated, I'll give a very tentative plan:

Week Seven Plan: 45/60/120/40/30/30/75 - 400 minutes

Day 40 - It's Been a Long, Long, Long Time

2009-06-26T07:44:00.002-04:00

Thurs. - 2:03:48!

So, back in June 2005, I was at my thus-far peak lifetime mileage of around 55 mpw. (I was training for HS cross country at the time.) I ran my long run of about 2 hours that week, then ended up busting my knee up walking my dog, then getting an ITB injury, and then ended up taking a month off which culminated in my first cross country race of the season, which went miserably. I quit.

Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 6:05 p.m., I laced up for my redemption. I got it last night. Not only did I run my longest run in 4 years--I ran longer than I have ever, period.

I ran on a rough gravel trail that lead out into the otherwise untamed boreal forests of the far-north of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I had to outsprint a hungry black-fly or six, saw a fox that saw me and then scampered away, and saw more deer than I thought feasible. Every single one had a tendency to stand dumbfounded in the middle of the trail ("What the deuce is that hairless thing with those short-shorts running at me?!?" I imagine each one thinking) until galloping off. A couple of blackbears have been spotted hanging out in residential areas around here, so I was on the lookout for those, too. (Didn't see any, fortunately or unfortunately.)

The unevenness of the trail really beat up on my legs and ankles, though I imagine it was a fair trade-off with what asphalt/concrete would have done. I also like imagining that I'm building some good ankle strength and agility. There was a huge, steep hill smack-dab in the middle of my run--that's probably where a minute or two got added onto the eventual positive split. That, and I noticed on my way back that there was a very gradual slope leading out, which meant, obviously, that I was running up it on the way back.

I was exceptionally drained after the run. Not in the fast/hard run sense--it was throughout my body, as though each cell had been sucked dry. I went to bed really early. It's morning now, and I feel excellent--the run is almost entirely out of my legs. I was prepared to take a day off, but I almost want to head out the door right now.

Day 39

2009-06-24T21:23:00.002-04:00

Weds. - 41:30, steady. Felt pretty good. Another tinge in the plantar fascia which I am going to keep an eye on.

Day 38 - Yes, indeed.

2009-06-24T13:25:00.002-04:00

Tues. - 59:32, negative split, felt truly amazing. As I turned around at the half-way point, I suddenly realized I had been going downhill for quite sometime. As I slogged back up the gradual but weirdly long incline, I lost some spirit--but then it evened out, the weather had cooled, I took of my shirt and just glided. Great feeling.

A more negative note on diet: it really needs a shake-up. I have a body that sticks a chosen weight and aesthetic make-up and will stay there regardless of how many or few calories I eat and no matter how much or how little I exercise. Right now, at 5'11'', I weigh 155 lbs. I don't weigh myself often but, except for a miserable three month period, my body has been this weight essentially since I quit running. (During that three month period I rapidly ballooned to 170.) When I was training and racing seriously (how long ago that was...), I weighed in at 140-145.

Now, I'm not that concerned with my actual weight in terms of numbers--that can be composed in all sorts of ways, some healthy and some unhealthy. But I also know that 15 lbs. of weight can make a HUGE difference in weight times. And I know that my eating habits are miserable. Like last night: I ate a footlong roast beef sub from Quiznos and went on my run. I decided not to eat after, and was fine until right before bed. Suddenly, the old stomach roars and I end up eating a boal of Honey Nut Cheerios, a popsicle, and half a bag of Doritoes. That, and I have this strange addiction to/dependency on energy drinks and (diet) cola. This is as much of a goal for me, now, as upping my training volume: losing 10-15 lbs, and eating more nutritiously overall.

Days 36 & 37 - Hrmph.

2009-06-23T11:32:00.002-04:00

Sun. - 38 min. Felt really good so I went a bit long. May not have been a great idea. (The whole way back was alllllll uphill.)
Mon. - 31 min. I wanted to go an hour and said to myself "I'll run an hour if it kills me." However, my plantar fascia was bothering me, and then my hip acted up, too. Gof igure. Brought it in after one loop.

This morning I walked about 35 minutes to meet my grandfather for coffee. Sat around for an hour or so and then walked back. It's really humid and pretty hot for this part of the country. Was taxing enough to write down here. I think I'll try for an hour tonight and then move the long run to Thursday.

I'm leaving for Germany next Thursday, and god only knows how that will affect my training. I'm sure the next year--and especially the next month or so--will consist of a ton of finding oneself and whatnot. I'll also be pretty damn busy with five hours of language classes per day, five days per week. But I think running will lack any sort of boredom aspect for a good long while. What better and cheaper way is there to explore Berlin?

So, I'm going to get in next week's long run on Wednesday (morning, preferably), and so am trying to hit this week;s earlier as well. We'll see how I feel tonight. I need to stop getting out the door at 10 p.m. I'm beat by then. But it's also too damn hot and humid during the main daylight hours for a pleasant run.

Days 32 - 35: Ramblin' On

2009-06-21T14:18:00.003-04:00

So, this week ended up way off from where I wanted it to be. However, I supply as my excuse the fact that I was moving out of my apartment, out of Ann Arbor, and back to my northerly hometown for 10 days before heading out to Germany. (P.s., holy shit am I pumped.)

Weds. - 48:27, steady.
Thurs. - 30 min., steady/strong.
Fri. - Off - packing, saying tear-filled good-byes, and so on.
Sat. - 1:16:07 on poor nutrition and very little sleep after a 10 hour drive - felt like shit.

Week 5: 215 minutes (3 hrs., 35 min.)

Goal for Week 6: 30/60/40/60/30/40/90 - 330 min. (5 hrs., 50 min.)

It looks like a big jump, but I think I'll be able to handle it so long as I keep the 3 longer runs at an easy, manageable pace. Hell, most of this bump is just adding in running in the two days per week I've been missing it up to now. There are also a lot of trails around here, which will minimize the pounding. I've toyed around with a few long-range schedules here and there, but have mainly been using the "Beginner's Marathon" guide in Arthur Lydiard's Running to the Top.

Days 29 - 31 - Knocking on Wood is Recommended

2009-06-17T13:49:00.002-04:00

So, I seem to have been cursed by saying I would not be taking any days off this week. I started out the week, in fact, with two days off. Oh well. The 60 min. run I took yesterday felt great, and I held an 8:30-8:40 pace for about 7 miles. I feel like the rest may actually have contributed to a real step-up in fitness. (Super-compensation and whatnot.)

Sun. - Off, groin was in pain all day.
Mon. - Went to a barbecue that ended up lasting until about 11 at night, so passed on the run.
Tues. - 7.00 miles, 1:01:01 (8:43/mile) - really good-feeling run.

Days 26 - 28

2009-06-14T11:26:00.004-04:00

Thurs. - Ankle recovered remarkably fast. 30 min., easy.

Fri. - 50 min., lots of hills in the woods.

Sat. - 1:30:01, 10.11 miles (8:54/mi.). Several long, gradual hills that made the pace rather uneven. Felt great, although after I woke up from a nap, I almost decided not to go.

Week 4 - 0/30/60/0/30/50/90 = 260 min. (4 hrs., 20 min.)

The goal for next week is to avoid the accidental 2-days-off-per-week I've fallen into. This coming week is my last in Ann Arbor, and my second to last in America! I'm feeling a bit sad, but I want to explore as much of the city on foot as I can with the time I have left. I want to bring myself up to at least 5 to 6 hours of running this week, approaching my ultimate base goal of around 9 hours per week:

30/40/60/40/60/40/100 = 370 min. (6 hrs., 10 min.)

Days 22-25 - Dammit.

2009-06-10T21:36:00.003-04:00

Sun. - Off, traveling.
Mon. - 30 min., easy.
Tues. - 60:10, easy. (Followed by over an hour of walking)
Weds. - Off...walked another hour or so in the morning (friends visiting), which I think put me over the edge. The front of my ankle/shin (where the two come together) is swollen and in pain. Going to give it a day or two. I'm pretty depressed/pissed about this; but what can a person do?

The week is shaping up to be a loss, overall. Hopefully it's just one week, and not four or five or eight. Sigh.

Days 18-21 - Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

2009-06-06T21:12:00.002-04:00

Weds. - 70 min., steady. Felt great.
Thurs. - 30 min., easy.
Fri. - Off (travelling/family obligations)
Sat. - 10k race in 47:50 (7:43/mi.) + warmup

The race was on Mackinac Island, for the Lilac Festival. There were no lilacs in bloom, and the weather was pretty chilly--which was great for running. I didn't hammer it down, and basically felt an aerobic limit. My goal was to run the race in under 50 minutes, which I did, in a convincing fashion. I think it's a good place to be at at the end of my third week of training, and after four years of a sedentary pack-a-day lifestyle.

This time suggests a couple of things. First of all, my VDOT number falls right around 42 (down from a peak of 57 in 2005). This translates to a marathon time of about 3:40. I have faith in my ability to run a 3:10:59 or better by the end of October (which would qualify me for Boston).

Week 3: ~250 min. (4 hrs., 10 min.)

Day 17 - Awesome Run

2009-06-02T23:46:00.002-04:00

30:19, steady. Ran while my girlfriend biked next to me. Did the same route of my very first run since the lay off; went a decent bit farther in the same amount of time, though. I felt great the whole way. Long run tomorrow and no-pressure 10k race on Saturday.

Days 15 and 16

2009-06-02T02:30:00.001-04:00

Sunday - Off, felt worn-down.

Monday - Watch battery died after about a minute of running, so I went out and ran in the woods without paying attention to time. It felt pretty good. Really hilly course. I think I ran for between 40 and 50 minutes.

Day 14 - One Hour Closer

2009-05-31T12:07:00.002-04:00

60:01, steady. Hilly route. The weather was great. My thighs got a little chafed. My hip barely bothered me. Felt a twinge or two when I overextended my leg. Overall, the week was a bit disappointing, but I'm glad that I decided to take a couple days off to try to let my hip catch up. My time/distance goals won't be met, but I'm going to get right back into the plan this week.

This week, I will be running a 10k race, my first race in almost 4 years. I don't expect to perform particularly well, but I think it will be good to give me a general idea of where I'm starting at. A shorter race would probably be better for this kind of test, but a few family members are participating, and my entry fee has been paid as a gift, and so I'll do what I can.

Week 2 Total: 167 minutes (2 hrs., 47 min.)

Week 3 Goal: 260 min. + 10k race [~50 min] = 310 min. (5 hrs., 10 min.)

S-30, M-50, Tu-30, W-70, Th-30, F-30, Sa-10k race

Day 13 - Back, I Hope

2009-05-29T23:01:00.002-04:00

30:01, easy.

Felt rickety and stiff at first, but eventually found my groove and held it through. Still feeling stiff as hell and a bit sore, but I think I can manage.

Day 12 - Rest

2009-05-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

Rest day--let the hips catch up.

Day Ten - Ouch

2009-05-27T13:31:00.001-04:00

17 minutes or so. My hip was killing me and my watch died. So, yeah, taking tomorrow off.

Day Nine - Again With the Hips

2009-05-26T14:11:00.001-04:00

29:45, easy. My left hip did not improve, but didn't get substantially worse. Might pass on the next run if they're not improving.

Day Eight - The Hips Don't Lie

2009-05-24T22:12:00.004-04:00

30:01, very easy. My left hip was sore as hell today after a three hour car drive back home. I am still uncertain as to what the issue is. At times, I feel like a tendon is really tight inside of my leg (I can't feel it just by pressing on it). At other times, it just feels like a general soreness from underuse. It affects my stride, but in a neutral way it seems. The only time I feel it as a discomfort when I'm running is when I take a noticeably uneven or long stride. Otherwise, it's fine (even if noticeable).

I have felt the same sensation after sitting for extended periods of time, long before I started running. This makes me think that it's probably not a direct result of running, but rather something that's maybe been exacerbated by it. I almost passed on the run for today, but when evening came around it felt more like a developmental soreness than a dangerous pain; therefore, I decided to take an easy jog. It turned out fine. It's still a bit sore, but I think that this is most likely one of many aches that pop up after leaving the sedentary life behind. I'll keep an eye on it.

Besides the left hip, though, all feels good.

Days Five, Six, and Seven - Coming Along

2009-05-23T17:06:00.003-04:00

5/21 - 33:48, steady.

5/22 - 30:41, steady.

5/23 - 52:15, easy. Felt awesome, was able to kick it in a bit at the end and still feel great.

Well, Week No. 1 of training for the Frankfurt Marathon is going great. I've also totally kicked smoking, if there were any fear from my last post. (I still get some pretty good cravings and sometimes forget I'm a runner during them, but I have been able to push them away for now.) Overall, I feel great. Probably ran a good 20-23 miles this week, just to note for the records rather than caring at all about pace and whatnot.

For week two, I want to avoid the rest day (unless completely necessary), and creep up to:

Su-30, M-30, Tu-45, W-30, Th-45, F-30, Sa-60

Week 1 Total: 218 min. (3 hr., 38 min.)

Week 2 Goal: 270 min. (4 hr., 30 min.)

Build-up Goal: 540 min. (9 hr., 0 min.)

1 down, 22 to go!

p.s. - I ordered Running with Lydiard by Lydiard & Gilmour. I'm going to try to put together a more comprehensive training plan sometime late next week, after reading the book.

Day Four - Hot

2009-05-20T17:47:00.004-04:00

40 min., nice steady pace. This is the longest run I've done in ages, and it was tough, but in a very good, fulfilling way. The weather was really warm, even though I wasn't on the road until about 8:00 p.m. I should note that each run I've done so far has been exactly even split to within 5 seconds. I think that the steady, moderately-high-mileage training I did in the past ingrained in me a pretty steady pacing sense.

Day Three (Pt. 1)

2009-05-19T12:47:00.002-04:00

So, I don't think there is a point to keeping this training diary is I am not going to be honest. Last night, I broke down and smoked two cigarettes. The craving was intense, I was sitting around reading and my body seemed to go to autopilot. It was like an out-of-body experience: I felt like I was watching myself do something terrible and meaningless, and there was nothing I could do about it. The cigarettes tasted awful, and I felt extremely guilty.

I take full responsibility for this, and am putting it behind me again. I still consider this day three, and I still feel mostly proud of myself for nearly quitting. I am done for real this time.

Day Two - Let the Body Catch Up

2009-05-18T22:01:00.004-04:00

(Because my marathon training and quitting of tobacco took place on the same day, I'm going to label my posts from now on--until at least my first marathon--by day to remind myself how long I've been at it in both senses.)

Like I said, I'm listening to my body and my common sense. I'm feeling really tired today; it's my second day in a row without a cigarette, which is emotionally and physically taxing (I hear it's the worst day in the quitting process), and my muscles are still pretty sore. For all of these reasons, I am taking the night off. I also want to let my body catch up to my motivation--and not break down and get injured before things even really get rolling.

So I'm going to relax and read some poetry, and probably some bubble-gum motivational runner stuff, which always helps with my cravings.