Reinventing myself

Last weekend’s long run went considerably better than previous long runs.  I slowed down and ran with the gals (Nancy & Christina) and I felt way better and stronger all the way up to the 25k mark.  Then the sun came out and cooked me and I was done, but managed to walk/run to 27km.  But it bolstered my confidence in my ability to successfully complete these long runs.   

Recently I had Nancy shave me head; a #2 all around.  I also shaved off the beard, but am growing it back due to request by Nancy.  I feel all nice and sleek now, and it’s much cooler.  I should have done this back in the brutally hot & humid days of July.

I also bought a new running hat.  Dutch Orange as I like to call it.  A big change from the red hats I’ve always been wearing when I run.  I also picked up some equally Dutch Orange shoe laces just for fun (and because they only cost $1.99) to match the orange splashes of colour on my next pair of shoes.  My next pair of shoes are also a change as the last 4 or so pairs of shoes were the same blue colour, same make and model.  My current shoes have reached their life span of 500km, so I need to break in the new shoes now.

And last night after our usual Tuesday run, I decided to get a new water belt.  My current one (the only water belt I’ve ever used) was driving me crazy.  It’s started to fall a part a bit, plus the 3^rd water bottle sits at the very back and causes some really good chaffing on my back  as it bobs up and down a lot, so I almost never use this 3^rd water bottle.  The wee pocket on the belt is so small it’s useless so I have an additional add-on pocket thing, which isn’t the greatest either.

The new belt has 4 water bottles equally distributed around the belt (2 in front, 2 in back) so it shouldn’t cause any chaffing or bobbing issues.  Plus there is a big pocket thing on the back and a decent size pocket in front. 

It’s amazing just the amount of “stuff” you end up carrying while running these longer distances.  I eat about 7 dates at each 7k mark, so that’s 35 dates I’ll need to carry for a full marathon.  I also like to carry salt packets to replenish electrolytes while on the run.  1 taken at each 7k mark, so I need about 5 of them.  Add in some extra eload powder to replenish what’s consumed in the water bottles, plus a cliff bar and/or a gel or two.  Nancy carries her cell phone, work pager, kleenex, eload discs, bars, gels, and other stuff.  Sandra is great to run with as she carries a small pharmacy with her wherever she goes.  Whatever might ail you on the run, Sandra probably has something that will help.    

Now I’m thinking; “maybe I can carry along a spare pair of legs, so when these legs get tired I can just swap them out like tires on a race car” – wouldn’t that be great?

All this got me to thinking last night; I seem to be reinventing my running persona.  Not sure if this is all accidental, coincidental, a subconscious or perhaps a totally conscious decision.   

Who knows, maybe with all these changes it’ll somehow help with my battle in completing these exceeding longer runs and on race day.  One can only hope!

Struggles, doubts and a change of plans

I’ve been running too fast.

There’s a line of thought that in order to finish a long run well (and strong), you need to start out slow.  Really slow.  What seems like painfully slow.  I’ve tried this in the past, and it’s worked wonders.  I was able to finish feeling strong and in fact, my overall time was only a few minutes off a PB.  It works well for me, because it leaves me with something in the tank to finish the run strong; and finishing strong is what really makes me feel great about a run.  For me, nothing feels worse than starting out too fast, only to implode in the last few kms of the run.

I know this and I’ve proven this to myself many times in the past by following the formula of starting out slow.

In training for my longest race ever, why have I been running way to fast? 

I think I haven’t been “running my own race.”  This is something coaches often say to athletes and I’ve had it repeated to me many times over the years, and I’ve repeated it down the line to others.  Don’t worry about anyone else; just run your race, your way.  This is great advice and has proven to have solid results for me.

So, why have I thrown all that I’ve learned over the years out the window and run with reckless abandon at a pace that I know is way too fast that I can’t maintain for much past 10k? 

Maybe it’s the damn Y chromosome in the way?  Maybe I’m trying to catch up to someone? Maybe I see others doing this and it’s working for them and I think I can do the same?  Maybe it’s pride?  Maybe I’m watching the clock too closely and think I can run this longer race at a pace even faster than I’ve done shorter races?  Yes, these are all dumb reasons to discard a proven methodology, but nonetheless are all part of the problem.

In the last few long runs (26k +), I’ve really been struggling, especially the last 5km + and had to walk/run to finish and my times were crap and I felt crap about the entire run.  The first 20k or so were quick (for me) but the wheels fell off the wagon after that, spoiling the entire experience for me and leaving me feeling defeated. 

I’ve had some serious doubts because of how the last few long runs went, to the point of not enjoying the training and regretting upcoming runs and it’s taken the fun out of it all.  I even thought of bailing on the race altogether.  Maybe I just can’t do a marathon after all?  Maybe I’ve reached my limit?    

I need to get my head back into the mindset I had when training for the Around the Bay 30k race.  Training for that race felt easy as I had absolutely no idea how long it would take and really didn’t care.  I just had fun and didn’t worry about pace, times, etc and everything went well.  I finished all the long runs feeling great.  I never doubted whether I could complete the race.  Now it all just seems like such a worrisome chore.       

The Niagara Falls race has been a curse for me in the past, and I really don’t want to continue with that pattern.  I’ve run the 10k race, troubled with brutal shin splints the entire time that left both lower legs totally numb and was forced to walk about ½ the race.  Last year I did the ½ marathon race and went out way too fast and started to feel tired at 4k.  At 14k I walked and ran the last 7k with more walking than running and hated the entire experience.

So the new plan is slow the heck down and run at the pace that I know I really should be running.  No matter how painfully slow it seems at first and I should finish stronger and feel better about the run.  Throw out all preconceptions about what I had intended for times and just have fun with it.  Because in the end, that’s what I know will make me happier and more fulfilled. 

Hopefully I can do this on race day as well, because that’s when I really lose all rational thought and take off like a scared jack rabbit.  I need to embrace my inner turtle, because we all know the story of how that race turned out.   

Know when to fold ‘em

Saturday’s long run of 26k was a bust for me, but I’m not upset about it.  Yeah for me! 

In the past, I’d be in a gloomy and “woe is me” funk for a while, thinking about “throwing in the towel” if a run didn’t go well, especially when training for an upcoming event.  This time however, I’m able to brush it off and say “that was just a miss.”  In fact, this was the first time I bailed and didn’t complete the scheduled run.

It all started out ok, we began at 6am to try to beat the heat, but there was no beating the brutal humidity that day.  My back was a bit achy to start and I had a few nights crappy sleep in a row which also doesn’t help either.  Despite having all these points working against me, I’m not one to let them stand in my way.  I usually just muster through it all and everything works out. 

The first hour of our run we were on our own before meeting up with the group at 7am.  Usually it’s a bit cooler at this time and the long early morning shadows help with the heat as well.  Not this day.  After meeting up with the group we were already feeling quite spent.

Things were going ok, but my calves were a bit crampy at about 12k so I took in as much salt as possible and stretched for a bit.  I even managed to snag an additional salt tab from Chris (our beloved water station on wheels guy) and pushed it out to 16k before the wheels fell off the wagon. 

Looking back on it now, this was probably a mistake.  I should have listened to the signs and turned back much earlier and just done a timed run and called it a day.  That would have been the smart thing to do.  But alas I’m of the mindset that “I planned to run 26k, and that’s what is going to happen dammit!” 

From 16k onward I walked a lot and drank copiously to keep cool.  I knew right then that I was done and would struggle to make it back and so I kept a lookout for someone from the group in a car to catch a ride back.  So, I did the walk/run thing (a lot more walk than run) and found Benny at the 5k mark.  I sat down to get off my aching feet for a while and chatted with Benny, drank more water, had some ediscs (electrolyte replacement discs), filled all my water bottles and thought “ok, now that I’ve rested a bit, I can manage that last 5k.”  More walk/run thing, again more walking than running.  Chris came by in his car at about the 2.5k mark and asked if I wanted a ride.  I think I jumped in the car before he even came to a complete stop and thanked him profusely. 

So I didn’t complete 26k.  No big deal.  I managed about 23k, with the last 8k or so walking more than running. 

My back was really achy sore now but the ice bath and regular doses of ibuprofen all day seemed to help somewhat. It’s still fairly tight today. 

I’m not sure if it was the sore back, lack of sleep, heat & humidity that did me in, or maybe it “just wasn’t my day.”  Apparently a lot of runners struggled that day and had to bail. 

But I’m not worried, as there are still plenty of looong runs to go in our training.  I still have plenty of time to prove to myself that I can go the distance.  I just pray that the heat & humidity are gone by then. 

This week we have lined up 2 x 40 min runs and 10k on Sunday (we’re leaving for vacation Saturday).  Massage time with Ali (my favourite torture artist) on Tuesday.  Whew, this easy week came at just the right time.

Whoa, you wouldn't believe what's chaffed on me now...well Phil would.  You mean I have to put body glide there now too?

Intervals under the moonlight – a duet

We got our intervals done last night.

'Twas a beautiful night to run; although it was really odd to start at 9 pm when the rest of the world was winding down. 

We have an almost perfect 800m loop right at our front door.  It’s like it was destiny when we moved into this house about 8 years ago.    

Last night I opted out of the bodyglide, thinking that we’re just running a few intervals and thought I would be safe.  Guess I’ll never learn. Yes, my nipples were still burning in the shower again this morning.  Note to self:  always always always use bodyglide for every run. 

It was a bit cooler and a lot less humid for these intervals versus last week’s set, but still plenty hot to sweat abundantly.  The street lights turned on just as we started our first 800m and we wore our super bright LED blinking lights so cars could easily see us.  Luckily we did, as there were cars not stopping at the stop signs in our neighbourhood and just rounding the corners; surprised when they noticed us there. 

There were also plenty of folks walking their dogs at this time of day.  Big, burly, powerful pit-bull like dogs too.  One couple had 3 big dogs each and we gave them the entire side of the road as we passed them as I don’t think they could have controlled them if the dogs really wanted a snack.  Half way through our intervals it got really quiet with nobody else around and all you could hear was the sound of crickets and your own foot falls, along with your own breathing.  The moon was a nice crescent shape, as the sky was clear, and shining down on us sweetly.  It was really romantic; except for all the running stuff and the sweaty, smelly bodies.  But other than that, it was really quiet, calm and peaceful. 

We also both felt like the intervals were much easier this time around.  We seemed to glide over the road and breathing was steady and very much controlled.  Not the usual gasping bearlike sounds.  We’re not sure if it was the cooler temps, lower humidity or that our bodies were getting stronger, but it felt (dare I say) almost easy?

We were supposed to run the intervals at race pace minus 15 seconds which we both tried to achieve, but our bodies naturally fell to a pace much quicker than that.  Nancy seemed to stay at 5:12 min for her laps, and me at 4:34.  I think your body has its own sweet spot for some distances and it seems harder to fight this natural rhythm than to just “go with it.”

We decided to cap the number of intervals at 8, as it was just getting far too crazy late to continue to do more.  Although, I definitely felt like I could do another 8.   We finished and got back into the house at 10:15 pm and the kids began to grill us like teenagers coming home late from a party.

“Where have you been?  Do you know what time it is?  Look how dark it is outside?  What are you still doing out there when everyone else is inside?”

I felt like I was 16 years old again and making up excuses in front of my parents.  Too funny!

We stretched, showered and had something to eat and shuffled along to bed to read for a bit at 11 pm.  Yes it made for a very late night, especially as I had to wake up early this morning; but at 5:30 am I bounded out of bed all ready to take on the world and feeling a great sense of peace and contentment.  Must be the endorphins still swimming around in me head.

I’m awake now, but by 3 pm I’ll be the guy in the cubicle slapping himself to stay awake. 

I’m sure glad we didn’t bail on running last night.  We would have missed out on a beautiful experience.

Need for speed

Its interval time once again.  I love interval and hill training.  Most runners think I’m crazy, but I’m built for this sort of thing. 

Running intervals and hills requires short bursts of speed, followed by a brief rest period.  These are two things I‘m good at; running fast over a short distance, followed by NOT running. 

I also like interval and hill training for a few other reasons.  It’s a great workout that kicks my butt and leaves me whipped.  I love that.  Plus it’s just plain fun to run fast.  Ever see a dog or an infant run?  They run with reckless abandon and smile and giggle the whole time (yes, dogs giggle).  Tell me they’re not having loads of fun.  It’s the closest feeling to flying that I can think of.  Sometimes towards the end of the workout, I’ll actually finish with my arms sticking out, mimicking an airplane and swerve along the road yelling “Wooo!”  It also makes you feel strong, being able to move that fast (versus the slow poke I am for the long runs).

The other part is more of an appreciation of what the intervals or hills do for my long runs later.  Next time out for a long run and I’m breathing so easily and everything feels almost effortless.  Awesome!  “Hills are like spinach!” you’ll often hear me say.  (Hill training has a more profound impact on the long runs for me.)  Ok, if you don’t get this joke, think Popeye and spinach.

The part of running intervals and hills that I don’t like?  It brings out all the aches & pains you thought were gone.  If something is a bit achy (tight calves, hams, etc), then running fast will aggravate that.  So it’s a risk you take, but I’ve learned to listen to my body and be smart.

I used to run this type of training “full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes” and would push myself beyond what I should and injury something.  Strained hams, calves, etc. and then I couldn’t run for weeks afterwards.  I just let my enthusiasm get carried away.  Now I’ve learned to listen to my body when the warning signs start and take heed.  It’s just not worth it to push on when things flare up and injury yourself, especially when you are training for a specific upcoming race and you just can’t afford the time off your training schedule.  It’s not fun to have to dial it down, but it’s the right/smart thing to do if you want to continue to run afterwards. 

I’m also like a metronome when running intervals.  Often we’ll do a set of 10 X 800 meters and my times for all 10 are within 1 second apart.  Mr. Consistency is what coaches have called me.  Sweet!

Alas, tonight’s intervals present a different challenge.  We’re home from work just before 6 pm and Noah has a soccer game at 7:10pm, Gracie’s soccer game is at 7:20pm, both lasting about 1 hr.  Nancy will take Gracie to her game, and I’ll take Noah to his.  There’s not enough time to run before soccer, and by the time we get home afterwards and ready to run it’ll be somewhere close to 9pm. 

So we start with an easy 2k warm up run, more stretching and then 800m interval, rest 2 min and repeat for 10 times.  End with an easy 2k.  This whole process often takes a long time when we run with the group at 6:15pm.  So if we start by 9pm, just how long will I be out there?  I should be in bed at 10pm to get up for work at 5:30am.  Hmm…don’t see that happening.  Do we totally bail on running tonight?  That’s not really an option either.  Maybe just run a few intervals and shorten the workout.  That’s probably the smart thing to do, but knowing me, during the 6^th interval at about 10 pm, I’ll say “just a few more, I’ll sleep later.”  Maybe Friday night I’ll catch up on sleep.  Nope.  Up early on Saturday for a long ass run of 26k.  With the heat lately I’ll probably want to start the Saturday morning run at 6am, which means wake up at 5am.  I’ll go to bed on Friday at 8 or 9pm.  Again, that would be the smart thing to do, but that never happens either.

So tonight if you drive past our house in the dark hours of the night, you can see this nutbar with his blinking LED lights, pretending he’s an airplane and running around in circles.