LONG BEACH MARATHON 2005
I finally got through a training cycle without a huge injury. I ran the Long Beach Marathon on Oct. 16, 2005 and finished in 3:09:00, which wasn't my best time ever for a marathon, but yet another Boston Marathon qualifying time. This result qualified me into the 2006 and 2007 Boston Marathon since in the fall you get a bonus qualifying year. For the 19-week training cycle I averaged 38.81 miles. Below is October 16's entry! Click here to check out the results.
About the photos: After I crossed the finish line, my friend Mahesh, who is a great photographer, snuck into the chute and snapped this photo, which I think epitomizes the sheer exhaustion/relief after completing a marathon. Then he took another one of me crawling through the chute (on the right).
Date: October 16, 2005
Mileage: 26.2 miles
Time: 3:09:00
There are a lot of things to say about this marathon. Although I was disappointed that I did not accomplish my goal to break 3:00:00, I persevered and really fought hard in the last four miles to not succumb to a death march/walk. The conditions today were not the best due to a strong headwind along the beach and other areas of the course. I was on the verge of walking so many times in those last six miles. It was also very sunny with not much shade along the course. An overcast day would have been welcomed. Something inside me just clicked and I was able to run hard and finshed strong in the last four miles to get this Boston double qualifier. I was 40th out of 1,955 people and 4th place in my age division (25-29). The third place guy beat me by a mere 3 seconds!
At the beginning I felt prepared but very nervous. I started out way too fast of course with a 6:30-something first mile (I always do that). For some reason my pace watch did not start and I missed a minute so it was always off. There were no clocks at the mile markers - just people yelling out times which was frustrating. My left calf was tightening up per usual in the first few miles. I just ignored the pain. It went away finally around mile 7 but it wasn't easy to just ignore it. I felt like I was working harder than usual. I was on pace, probably about 6:50ish. I needed to maintain 6:52 to stay on my goal pace. I needed to get to the 13.1 halfway point in under 1:30.
The miles along the beach bike path (7-10) heading south were the hardest of the entire race. There was a very strong headwind that really slowed me down. I was doing about 7:30 pace there. There was a guy running behind me trying to sheild himself from the headwind which I did not appreciate. I could hear the rustling of his nylon running pants. Annoying!
I ran faster in the miles leading up to the half way point (10-13). We finally left the beach and were on the roads again. The halfway point was in the middle of a park. Unfortunately there was no clock still (no clocks at any of the mile markers) and I had to guess my split. I figured out my watch was a minute off. My half split was 1:29:47 - 6:50 pace. I was on target but it seemed as soon as I hit mile 14 I knew keeping that pace was going to be incredibly difficult. I simply expended so much energy contending with the headwinds that my body felt like it was at mile 18.
I took another approach to the second half of the race at that point. I simply just wanted to run a qualifying time (anything under 3:10:59). I figured if I had 1:40 to run the second half and qualify by the skin of my teeth. Honestly I didn't want to cut it that close so in my mind I was trying to run faster, but as the miles progressed I got slower and slower.
There was another stretch of the course around mile 15-17 where there were more strong headwinds. I thought I wasn't going to be able to qualify at that point, but still knew in the back of my mind that if I averaged 8:00 pace, I could at least stay within range. I got passed by this blind guy who was running with a guide. There was also a camera man on a bike. It looked like they were filming a documentary. The blind guy was running really well. I tried to stay with them for a while, but simply could not. I saw them several times again before they pulled away completely.
At mile 18 I figured out that I had to average 8:00 pace for the last 8 miles to get under 3:10:56 and re-qualify. I had some time left. I tried as hard as I could to maintain the pace but it seemed I was slipping slower and slower. I was at a critical point. I really wanted to fight it. In between mile 21 and 22 I felt like I wanted to walk. I saw a guy walking and he gave me the thumbs up and yelled, "You're doing a great job, keep it up." It motivated me to not walk. I thought the minute I walk I would not be able to get back to my pace. I learned this from my past seven marathon. Whatever you do, you should NEVER WALK in a marathon. I slowed to about 9:30 pace at that point. I was not going to give up and I was not going to walk!
At mile 22 something in clicked inside me. I told myself I was going to try to make this work and I was going to run faster no matter what my body was telling me. I was going to run as hard as I could and ignore the pain. I worked way too hard to get to this point. Even though I had qualified for Boston in 2006 already I wanted the bonus year of 2007. All of a sudden I was blazing through the miles in under 7:30 pace. I knew I needed less than an 8:00 pace at that point, but did not know exactly how much. I figured it would not hurt to run faster.
I missed the 23-mile marker completely since I was so focused on running faster. As I approached mile 24 I heard a women's voice on the sidelines tell me, "the rest of the course is all downhill" - music to my ears. It was certainly flat with a very slight decline and that helped me maintain my pace. I wouldn't call it "downhill" but it was a lot easier to run than the rest of the course.
I was now running around 7:15 pace according to my watch. I was passing people left and right. I knew I could hold it for the next two miles. My friend Ivan, who I was staying with, lives on the street right at mile 25. As I approached it I was looking for Kennebec Street for what seemed like ages. Then I finally saw it. I knew there were only 1.2 miles left. I pushed it to an even higher level. My hip flexors were firing with pain, but my calves were still ok. The toes of my right foot were swollen but I didn't care. They started to lose feeling around mile 16 or so. I did not know why but I just ignored it.
I still didn't know if I was going to break 3:10:59. It was hard to determine. I just pretended I was on the track during that last mile. I pretended I was doing a mile repeat. I passed a few more people on my way. A woman yelled "only three more lights then take a left and it's downhill to the finish." I knew I was very close. I looked at my watch. The clock was at 3:07-something.
I turned the corner and glided down the hill. I saw the finish clock read 3:08-something. I knew I was going to do it so I just continued to sprint. At this point I felt like I was going to vomit. I practically dove through the finish line and saw it was 3:09. I didn't know my official time until about an hour after. I crawled through the finish chute (seems to be my trademark). I was so exhausted and breathing very hard. I wanted to puke but could not.
This was one of my hardest marathons since I was on the verge of giving up. I dug deep in adverse conditions to make it work. This really demonstrated that the experience I gained from my 7 previous marathons came into play in a major way. I am so proud I was able to do attack the last 4 miles of the course and re-qualify despite the intense pain I was in. I was not devastated that I did not break 3 hours. I knew that goal was a bit lofty due to not putting in enough miles during my training cycle (my peak week was 48, usually I have 65 as a climax). Given that this was my first marathon of the year after a year of so many injuries, and that it was my first marathon since June of 2004, I was satisfied. I didn't think I could get a marathon in during 2005 at all.
I turned my negative thoughts around and used mental imagery to get through those last four miles of the race. Now I have a qualifying time for the 2007 Boston Marathon. I will not have the pressure to re-qualify at the 2006 Boston Marathon. Fall marathons double qualify you for both years but I already had my injury-deferment from my last marathon to get me into 2006.
In order for me to run a sub-3 hour marathon I need to do the following.
1. Speedwork - I did no organized track workouts at all this time around. I had no time and I did not want to risk injury to my sometimes unstable shins. Now I think I can handle it again.
2. More tempo runs - I really didn't do many runs faster than my marathon pace. I have to go to the running group once a week and run a faster run at about 6:30/6:15 pace for at least four miles. I used to do this all the time in Boston but here have not really done so.
3. Increase mileage - I need to simply run more miles. Maybe not do the weight training twice a week. I didn't really see a benefit and I gained about 5 pounds of muscle mass that most likely slowed me down.
I'm looking forward to taking two months off from training. I will run but not do any long runs and just take it easy until mid -December and start organized training for Boston.
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Sept 26, 2004 | 12.2 | 1:25:06 | I did a long run after work on a Sunday. It was really tough but I pushed through the pain and ended up running faster than I intended. I ran through Mission Hills neighborhoods and it was boring since I did the same thing twice as I could not get any more creative. I felt ok and my shin felt ok. |
| Sept 27, 2004 | 5.75 | 42:07 | My legs were a little sore from yesterday but a good recovery run nonetheless. |
| Sept 28, 2004 | 4.0 | --- | I did speed work tonight. I went to the San Diego Track Club's weekly workout in Balboa Park. It was tough since I had not done real speed work since last Nov before my shin fracture. We did these trails and it was really difficult but I kept up. I did a cooldown run as well for a mile or so. |
| Sept 29,2004 | 8.2 | 56:37 | I got together with some people from SDTC and did a faster paced tempo run around Mission Bay Park. It was tough at times and my legs were still sore from the track workout. |
| Sept 30, 2004 | 6.3 | 44:03 | I used my pace watch. I'm not sure if it was accurate. I did run faster than normal training pace. |
| Oct 1, 2004 | 6.0 | 45:00 | I don't remember this run much. I ran through Mission Hills like I usually do. |
| Oct 3, 2004 | 16.0 | 1:56:40 | I ran my first long run in a while. It was very tough. I did not feel good and I had to work right after. I felt rushed. We ran from Mission Bay Park through and up Mission Beach to Pacific Beach and then La Jolla and then back again. It was out and back. There was the 3-Day breast cancer walkers all around so it was hard to run around them. The second half we picked up the pace though. |
| Week Ending Oct 3, 2004 | 57.25 - net 45.25 | GOAL - 35 | This was an 8-day period so it included two long runs from each Sunday. I only started tracking after that first 12 miler that I did. Overall, I still did too much as the net total was still over 40. In the beginning weeks I should be doing around 30-35. I am too aggressive since I am training with someone who is going for a 2:50 marathon. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Oct 4, 2004 | 4.2 | 30:00 | I did not feel good since the long run took a lot out of me yesterday. |
| Oct 5, 2004 | 7.0 | --- | I did 8 X 800 meters not on a track but at Balboa. I did the following: 2:45, 2:47, 2:48, 2:50, 2:46, 2:48, 2:47 and 2:50. I should be doing 2:52s but ran the pace of my friend who is much more aggressive than me. It was my first REAL speed workout in a while. I felt really horrible throughout. I did a short warmup of 5 min or so and then over a two mile cool down. |
| Oct 6, 2004 | 6.5 | 47:00 | I ran to Mission Hills and back. It was the same boring route but I ran at a good clip |
| Oct 7, 2004 | 8.2 | 53:18 | I did the weekly tempo run that some members of the San Diego Track Club does. It is a faster-paced run. I was struggling bigtime on this run. We started out at 7:00 pace but ended up doing close to 6:00 pace that last 3-4 miles. I felt like I was going to die. It is making me get more acclimated for the faster paced runs. The thing that worries me is that a 6:30 pace overall (what we did tonight) equates to a 2:50 marathon. I don't think I can hold 6:30s for the entire 26 miles. I guess it's too early to tell. Maybe if we didn't go out as slow and kept a more consistent pace I would feel better about it. |
| Oct 8, 2004 | 4.3 | 33:36 | I ran into Mission Hills but did not do much. |
| Oct 10, 2004 | 16.5 | 1:56:20 | I ran with someone else who has run a 2:40 and 2:52 marathon. It was good to run with someone faster. We did a great pace overall (7:08) if my watch is correct. I actually felt pretty good. We did loops around Mission Bay Park. It was sunny and nice out. Not too hot. I was surprised I ran so well given that I had to get up early on not much sleep and then go to work for another 7-8 hours. |
| Week Ending Oct 11, 2004 | 46.7 | GOAL - 35 | This was another week where I did not have to run as much as I did. I felt ok though. I feel I am ahead in training and will probably cut back in the coming weeks in preparation of another buildup period. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Oct 11, 2004 | 6.3 | 46:05 | I was sore but still ran into Mission Hills again. I do these monontonous loops because I am afraid of getting another jaywalking ticket. I fought and won that ticket so I am being careful to run on non-busy streets that are more residential rather than urban. |
| Oct 12, 2004 | 4.5 | 34:03 | I didn't have that much time to run today. Just barely got this in. |
| Oct 13, 2004 | 7.8 | 55:20 | I had to get a root canal today so I ran before in the heat of noon. It wasn't that hot but very sunny. I was supposed to do a tempo-paced run so I just did something around a good marathon pace so I did 7:05s or so. Maybe a little faster as my watch was off but I felt like I did this pace. |
| Oct 14, 2004 | 6.4 | 46:06 | I did another loop around Mission Hills. Very boring. |
| Oct 15, 2004 | 6.2 | 45:00 | My legs are hurting and I think I need new shoes. I have them but need to change the size. So I will start to use another pair. I used the pair of Pearl Izumi ones I wear to work mostly. My legs were ok. I will use them tomorrow as my Trigons are completely shot. |
| Oct 17, 2004 | 16.0 | 2:04:06 | This was one of my worst long runs in a while. I did not feel good at all. My legs were completely shot. It was painful and I had to stop and stretch like three times. I was happy to get this run in though before I headed to work. I started around 8AM and was done by 10. It rained for the first time since April 3 I guess. I woke up at 6AM and ate something and I could hear the rain. Then I went back to bed and woke up again to head out. It was clearing up but still there were storm clouds. It started to rain with about 3 miles left. It was weird since half the sky was blue but it was pouring. I didn't mind it as much and it was surreal to see rain. It has been so long. I don't miss the rain though. |
| Week Ending Oct 17, 2004 | 40.9 | GOAL - 35 | This week was a little better in terms of mileage but my legs have been so sore. I am replacing my shoes immediately so I don't fall into the trap like last year and get a fracture. I think I may just do 14 miles next weekend as my long run. I need to scale back. We'll see how I feel. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Oct 19, 2004 | 8.5 | --- | I did an 18:30 warm up and then did 4 X 1600 (1 mile) - 5:46, 5:46, 5:51 and 5:46. That was a bit fast for me but I was running with Rick and that is his pace. I should probably do 6:00 pace rather than what we did. We did another 18 min cool down. |
| Oct 20, 2004 | 4.7 | 35:32 | I did not feel good but just got some basic miles in. |
| Oct 21, 2004 | 6.6 | 47:00 | I ran an out and back to Mission Hills. It was boring and my legs are still not ok. |
| Oct 23, 2004 | 4.7 | 35:08 | I took yesterday off and I just barely got this run in before work. |
| Oct 24, 2004 | 14.0 | 1:45:00 | My legs felt like crap and I was really having a hard time to keep a 7:30 pace. I barely maintained it. I ran through Mission Hills down to Old Town and then down to Seaport and all the way back up 4th Ave back to Hillcrest. The last 3 miles were all up hill. I actually felt a little better on the uphill probably because I knew I was almost done. I had to fit this run in and then be at work for 10:45. |
| Week Ending Oct 24, 2004 | 38.5 | GOAL - 40 | It was a very tough week. I will take it though. I am still maintaining mileage goals despite missing 2 days this week. I am going to have to switch to a stability shoe to get more arch support. My calfs are killing me. I will have to say goodbye to my Saucony Trigons. It's been a nice two years of PRs in them. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Oct 26, 2004 | 8.0 | 1:00:12 | I was in no mood to do a track workout so I skipped it and ran longer tonight. I still am not feeling that well right now. I have changed shoes so it feels a little better. I am just very fatigued. |
| Oct 27, 2004 | 6.3 | 46:11 | I ran to Mission Hills. I felt a little better on this run. |
| Oct 28, 2004 | 4.8 | 35:15 | I ran to Mission Hills and ran a little faster than normal. I felt ok but not great. I pushed through pain a lot. I think I am going to take the next few days off. |
| Oct 31, 2004 | 12.2 | 1:31:00 | I only did 12 today since I was very tired and I felt like I needed to cut down for the sake of my health and legs. I took the last two days off to really get more rest. I think it paid off as I felt better on this run. I also ran in new shoes - the Mizuno Nirvana. I felt more stable and my calves did not hurt that much. I ran to Mission Hills, then back and then up through Normal Heights and then back down through Northpark to Balboa Park and then to Hillcrest. |
| Week Ending Oct 31, 2004 | 31.3 | GOAL - 40 | I had to take it easy this week. I had two days off and I think it helped. I know I was low on mileage but I needed to do this for the sake of my health. It's still early in my training and I can afford to do this now rather than in the later stages. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Nov 1, 2004 | 5.3 | 39:10 | I felt better on this run. My legs were a little sore from yesterday. |
| Nov 2, 2004 | 8.5 | --- | I did the track workout tonight. I ran a warmup of 20:18 and then did the following: 2000 meters X3 - Five laps around and then repeat. I did 7:01, 7:01 and 6:53. It was really tough but I was happy I could keep up. I did very fast paces - 5:38 and 5:32 minute per mile. I then ran back to my car another 15:01. |
| Nov 3, 2004 | 6.5 | 46:37 | I was sore today but still ran ok. |
| Nov 5, 2004 | 6.3 | 46:00 | I ran to Mission Hills. Same old boring loop. I really need to find another route but I don't want to deal with traffic. |
| Nov 6, 2004 | 12.9 | 1:37:00 | I did not have time to do 16 as I had planned but I felt ok on this run. I started out slow and then I sped up. I really need to run with others. I have not done my long runs with other people for over a month and it affects how I run. I did the Mission Hills route and then back up to University Heights and down through Balboa Park and back. |
| Nov 7, 2004 | 5.0 | 37:30 | I ran ok but I was dead tired. I had taken a nap and then ran. I got out of work but I was too tired to do anything immediately. |
| Week Ending Nov 7, 2004 | 44.5 | GOAL - 45 | This was a much better week. I was still tired and sore at times but I believe the new shoes (Nirvanas) are definitely helping. I will see how next week goes. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Nov 8, 2004 | 6.3 | 46:15 | I ran to Mission Hills. It was ok. I felt better. |
| Nov 9, 2004 | 10.0 | --- | It was track night. I ran to the track in 25:30. Then I did the following: 400 - 1:13 (way too fast for me) 1200 - 4:07 (I felt awful and I was way too fast) 2X 1 mile at tempo pace - I did these at 6:02 and 5:53. I felt ok on them. I ran home in 30:15. I was EXHAUSTED! I am never going to run more than 15 min after a workout. I simply have nothing left. |
| Nov 10, 2004 | 6.4 | 46:31 | I ran to Mission Hills. I had some energy and went faster at times. I used a new shoe - the Asics Empire. They are lighter weight shoes. I felt like I could run faster in them and they still gave enough support. |
| Nov 11, 2004 | 4.8 | 36:11 | I ran before work and I did not have much time. I am running long tomorrow (18+) so I did not want to do too much. |
| Nov 12, 2004 | 18.0 | 2:20:30 | I started out slower and it took me a while to get into a groove. I had to be at work at 12:30 so I was able to fit this in. I did two loops around Mission Hills neighborhoods that brought me to an hour's worth of running. Then I ran up to University Heights and down toward Balboa Park. Then through on El Prado and up 6th back to Hillcrest. It was a boring run, although I like running through the park. I feel I need to run faster on these runs. My legs were so-so. I really need rest. |
| Week Ending Nov 14, 2004 | 45.5 | GOAL - 45 | Well I made my mileage goal but it was a tough week. My paces have been off lately. It seems like I am working harder to run slower. I am tired and just want to rest. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Nov 16, 2004 | 8.0 | 1:00:05 | I did not feel like doing a speed workout tonight so I ran longer instead. I did not have much energy. Something is definitely wrong. |
| Nov 17, 2004 | 8.3 | 1:01:30 | I ran a loop around Mission Bay Park. It was another long-ish run but I tried to push it at certain points. Still I feel like something is off. I don't have the same energy. Well I had a crown put in so I was not feeling that great. My face was half swollen. |
| Nov 18, 2004 | 4.5 | 34:29 | I ran into Mission Hills. I did not have much time to run. |
| Nov 19, 2004 | 12.0 | 1:27:19 | I ran on the treadmill at Ballys. It sucked. I did maintain a decent pac of 7:19 min/mile. I forgot to wear bodyglide so my nipples were a little irritated afterwards. I just didn't feel like running outside in the dark. It's funny that I did this since the last time I ran a longer run on a treadmill (almost two years ago) I did it to avoid the bitter cold, snow and ice. Thank God for San Diego weather is all I have to say. I am spoiled. |
| Week Ending Nov 21, 2004 | 32.8 | GOAL - 45 | I did not make my goal due to purposely cutting my mileage down. I felt like I needed to rest more this week. I had a total of three days off in this period. Something is very wrong with my body. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Nov 22, 2004 | 6.2 | 45:32 | I ran to Mission Hills and back. My legs were ok before but after I felt like I did something to my knee. It feel jammed almost. |
| Nov 23, 2004 | 4.3 | 32:30 | I did not have time for a longer run. I may do 12 tomorrow AM with someone so I didn't want to push it. |
| Nov 24, 2004 | 8.0 | 1:01:07 | I did not do the 12 with my friend. Thank God since he wanted to go at 7AM. I did this one at mid-day and it was nice and sunny. I felt ok but still felt like I had to push and my legs were not feeling that great. |
| Nov 25, 2004 | 7.0 | 52:36 | It's Thanksgiving so I figured I would go out and burn some calories so I can eat more later today. I felt a little better on this run since I put on my Mizuno Nirvanas but I still have those pains in my legs. I have not had a "good" run in a while. |
| Nov 26, 2004 | 7.2 | 54:03 | I ran pretty fast for 12 min and then met up with a friend to run two miles or so at a slower pace. Then I sped up again and ran through Balboa Park and then back up to Hillcrest. I felt a little better on this run but with about 2 miles left I did not feel that great. I felt tired. My legs felt a lot better. |
| Nov 28, 2004 | 20.1 | 2:22:12 | Yes that number is correct. I ran 20 miles this afternoon with my friend Joel and it was a good workout. I struggled to keep the pace but we averaged about 7:04 pace which was great. My watch pod said we were at that pace or so. We started in Coronado and ran down the Silver Strand along the bike path that is right next to the highway. Then we reversed direction at the Imperial Beach Pier and ran back up the strand path. On the way back up the winds really started to get harder. We were running against about 20 mph head winds. It was not fun. I felt like I had to work extremely hard just to maintain the pace. This run gave some of my confidence back. I had been worried about my past long runs in which I had went much slower. Running with someone above your ability level certainly does help. |
| Week Ending Nov 28, 2004 | 52.8 | GOAL - 50 | I am very happy my long run went well and I was able to keep the pace. I felt a little better this week. I pushed it a ot more. Still, though, something is off. I am more sore than normal and it seems I have to work a lot harder on my runs. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Nov 29, 2004 | 4.6 | 34:14 | I started out slower and then ran harder. I just wanted a slower recovery run. My legs are pretty tired but surprisingly not that sore. |
| Nov 30, 2004 | 6.7 | 48:12 | I ran at a faster pace tonight. It was colder so I wore a longsleeve shirt, but still shorts. |
| Dec 1, 2004 | 5.2 | 41:21 | I had some serious stomach issues to run through. I was not comfortable for most of the run. I just ran through the pain then it was better near the end. I think it was because I drank coffee about an hour before. I usually don't drink that before runs. It was kind of cold so I wore gloves for the first time, although I probably didn't need them. Still warm enough for shorts. |
| Dec 2, 2004 | 7.2 | 53:25 | I ran a different loop today. Time went by faster. I felt pretty good on the and there were some hills involved. I went through University Heights and then back down through Northpark. It was sunny and dry out. |
| Dec 3, 2004 | 6.0 | 44:38 | I ran a little harder and pushed myself a little harder. My lower calves are still kind of bothering me. I think I need rest. I will not run tomorrow. |
| Dec 5, 2004 | 18.5 | 2:22:18 | This was by far one of my top 5 worst running experiences ever. I feared this run from the get go. I knew the forecast for today (Sunday) was going to be rain and wind. I knew the temps were only going to reach around 55. I figured that the rain wouldn't be too bad. I woke up at 8AM and ate to be running by 10AM. I looked outside and it was not raining. Of course when I got outside to run it was POURING! I had no idea how I was going to feel. I did my usual loop to Mission Hills and back so that was 6.5. I figured I would just do another 6.5 and call it a run. I ran to University Heights and then across to Normal Heights and down to NOrthpark. At the 12 mile mark I felt better and the rain let up a bit but not for long. I was drenched though. I was wearing a longsleeve shirt and shorts under pants. I felt so weighed down. My hands were numb. It was just a very bitter, cold, raw day. I figured if I ran down through Balboa Park the run would be over 2 hours. It was really tough. The last 4 miles were PAINFUL. My legs were just shot. My feet were soken wet and hurt. It was as if my shoes had not cushioning yet. My shoes are probably ruined now. I was thinking about what people go through in marathon training. We certainly have to go through a lot. Every time I want to quit, skip a run or feel pain I just run through it. I know that the hardships of training will pay off in the end. These negative experiences make me a stronger runner. If I wasn't dedicated I wouldn't have run today. |
| Week Ending Dec 5, 2004 | 48.2 | GOAL - 50 | This was not the best week for me. I struggled through most of my runs including the long run. I will never again run during a rainstorm. It was a stupid decision that I regret. I need to pick it up a gear now. I really need to work on doing a lot of marathon pace runs. I just wish I had more energy. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Dec 6, 2004 | 4.8 | 35:37 | I did not feel that great. I was really tired and my legs were just really stiff. I felt like I really never got going. I knew that yesterday's run was going to affect me. I think I need to stretch more. |
| Dec 7, 2004 | 6.1 | 46:02 | My legs ached intensely on this run. I really think my shoes are shot since they were soaked in the storm. I now have a shin splint on my left leg. No running tomorrow, I'll just do eliptical or something. |
| Dec 9, 2004 | 6.4 | 47:11 | I switched shoes to the Saucony Trigons again and this time my calves were in pain. My shins were ok and not aching. I will try the Mizunos tomorrow. Hopefully the cushion will be back. |
| Dec 10, 2004 | 6.27 | 42:18 | I felt a lot better on the run and I wore my pace watch. I really pushed it on the second half. I ended up with a 6:44 pace. I hope it's accurate. I did feel some pain in my calves but not as much as yesterday. I felt more in control. I may do 22 tomorrow or Sunday. I have to figure it out. |
| Dec 11, 2004 | 22.0 | 2:40:30 | Even though I had a sore throat I still went out and did this run. I am glad I did it today rather than tomorrow. I will get to sleep in tomorrow which is nice. I felt good during the run and maintained 7:17 pace the entire way. Considering I am sick I was happy. My knees started to ache at mile 13 or so. My calves did not hurt, which is good. I basically ran into Mission Hills and back for 7 miles and then up to University Heights through to Normal Heights and to City Heights, back through Northpark, down to Balboa Park and then back to Hillcrest. It was one complicated loop. I did struggle after mile 15. I was getting a cramp in my right side. I think the sunny and warmer conditions (temps in the upper 60s to low 70s) had an effect on my performance. I starte the run at 10:30 AM since I had to work at a race in the morning so it was not my usual time to do a long run. My legs were a mess when I finished. As soon as my watch said 22 I stopped and then I walked a quarter mile back to my apt. I was basically home but did not even want to run an extra .2 miles. That's how tired I was. I am glad that I got this in. I feel a little better about the marathon now that it is a month and two days away. |
| Week Ending Dec 12, 2004 | 45.57 | GOAL - 50 | Since I took two days off this period I knew I wasn't going to make my goal but I was at least close. I felt like the my long run went well considering I was sick. At the beginning of the week I had problems with my shoes due to the fact that they got drenched in the rain on my last long run. It got better mid week. I picked up the pace on my runs and things seemed to be better. I felt stronger on my run where I held a pace of 6:44 for 6 miles. That gave me some confidence going into the 22 miler. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Dec 13, 2004 | 6.5 | 46:54 | I ran at a faster pace through |
| Dec 14, 2004 | 6.9 | 50:15 | I ran at a faster pace tonight. I felt like I could do it. I ran to Mission Hills but then ran down First Ave to Balboa and then back. It was hard though to keep the pace and I slowed at certain portions and then sped back up. |
| Dec 15, 2004 | 6.2 | 45:02 | I was only going to do maybe 5 but did more. I was extremely tired but forced myself to go a little faster. Honestly I don't know how fast I was. I think around 7:15s or so. |
| Dec 16, 2004 | 6.5 | 46:32 | I was not as tired but still I did not feel great. I really pushed through my fatigue at times. I just have to run faster and get some quality runs in. It may bit me in the ass but I have to maintain paces at least close to what I want to run in the marathon so my body acclimates to it. |
| Dec 17, 2004 | 3.5 | 24:39 | I (think) am doing 22-23 tomorrow so I ran light tonight. My shins were aching though. |
| Dec 18, 2004 | 22.0 | 2:37:10 | I started around 8:45 AM. It was really sunny but not too hot yet - around 55-60. My watch said I averaged 7:07 minute miles - much better than last week! I ran mostly the same loop as I did last weekend. I did the Mission Hills loop out and back that accounted for about 8 miles. Then I ran up to University Heights, to Normal Heights, then to Kensington and down to City Heights. I went more east than I did last week. Then I ran to Northpark and then down through Balboa Park and up to Hillcrest. As soon as my watch hit 22 I just stopped and had a 1/4 mile left. I literally could not run another step. It was so painful. My knees were in really bad shape. I had to stop three times to stretch and I actually felt some sharp pains around mile 13/14. I think I just need more cushioning in my shoes. Also, all the concrete running is not that good for the knees. |
| Week Ending Dec 19, 2004 | 51.6 | GOAL - 55 | This was a tough week but I was happy with how I did. Most runs were done at a faster pace. I did struggle though. I think my body is slowly acclimating to the faster paces since my long run I was able to hold my pace to a low 7:00 min pace. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Dec 20, 2004 | 5.3 | 40:24 | I was really tired and my shoes feel like they have no cushioning left. The day off yesterday really did not make a difference. I ran to Mission Hills and back. I was kind of rushed since I had plans since it was my birthday! |
| Dec 21, 2004 | 6.5 | 47:17 | I did the usual loop. I ran in these Avia shoes I have. They were not that great. I think I just need to ice and rest tomorrow maybe. |
| Dec 23, 2004 | 6.4 | 46:16 | I tried another pair of Avia shoes that have more control. I felt a little better but my left leg still has some shin pain. It's not even the same leg where I had the stress fracture. I need to rest it. I did not run yesterday on purpose but did the elliptical machine. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I can keep up the intensity, especially with these problems. |
| Dec 25, 2004 | 7.8 | 58:00 | My shins were not really feeling that great. I don't really know what's wrong. I think it's just really bad shin splints. I know it's not a fracture since it is not as painful as last year. I can run and it gets better with time. |
| Week Ending Dec 26, 2004 | 26 | GOAL - 55 | This was a horrific week. With Christmas falling on a Saturday I was not motivated to run long that morning. I thought I could do it the next day but I got REALLY SICK and there was no way I could run at all that day. My body is telling me to stop and I need to listen. I can afford to have a low week. I hope next week I can do another 20-miler and then 2 weeks later will be the marathon. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Dec 28, 2004 | 5.5 | 43:03 | I felt ok running for the first time in 2 days. I am just getting over being sick. I had a fever and intense congestion two days ago. |
| Dec 29, 2004 | 6.5 | 47:30 | I ran slower and my pace was not the best. I just had low energy. |
| Dec 30, 2004 | 6.5 | 46:00 | I ran in Saucony Swerve shoes and felt better since they were lighter. They did bother my achilles though since I was wearing really low-cut socks. |
| Dec 31, 2004 | 4.0 | 31:00 | I was hurting on this run. My achilles was really bothered. So much for these Saucony shoes. I will have to change back to the Avias or something. My Mizuno ones are shot and I need to get a new pair. |
| Jan 1, 2005 | 20.0 | 2:26:10 | I took a chance and used a pair of Mizuno Alcehmys that I had only tried once before to see if my legs would not ache in them. I was fine! I found a shoe that works, at for now. This run was going to determine if I would either run the Carlsbad Marathon in two weeks or pull out of it. I think I will stay in. I didn't feel the greatest on this run but I maintained a decent pace (7:18) considering I had not done a long run in two weeks due to last weekend's sickness. It was in the mid 50s and sunny today. Tomorrow (Sun) the forecast was for rain so I had to rearrange my plans. I ended up running at 12:45 PM since I did not get up early to do the run. I did have some digestional problems along the way and had to stop twice to go to the bathroom. It wasn't until around mile 11 and then again at mile 13. I also had to stop and get water in Balboa at around the 17 mile mark. I did not fuel my body like I normally would for a long run as I did not expect to run today at all. I think I will be ok wearing these shoes for the race. |
| Week Ending Jan 1, 2005 | 44.5 | GOAL - 45 | Most runs this week were a struggle. I finally changed shoes to something different(Mizuno Alchemys) and things improved drastically on my long run. Now I have to hope it's not too late. I did injure my achilles tendon in my right leg slightly. It is sore and I can still run but I think I better take it easy. I am still on the fence about running the marathon on Jan 16. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Jan 3, 2005 | 6.4 | 46:00 | I ran in the new shoes and it was good. My achilles was hurting by the 3rd mile. I may not run tomorrow. |
| Jan 4, 2005 | 3.6 | 26:00 | I ran on the treadmill in my apt gym since my achilles was bothering me and I did not run that long. It was ok but it still felt sore after. |
| Jan 5, 2005 | 6.5 | 47:10 | The achilles is not bad but not great. |
| Jan 7, 2005 | 6.0 | 43:00 | I ran on the treadmill in the apt gym and pushed it harder than normal. It was tough. My achilles hurt after but not so much during. |
| Jan 9, 2005 | 8.0 | 1:01:34 | I did not run yesterday and today it was kind of humid but wet out. It wasn't raining but it was a gray day. I felt awful on the run - like out of shape. I don't know what's happening to my body. I really don't think the marathon will be possible next weekend. My achilles is hurting still. It was slight before but more tender after. It was better than the other days but still I am concerned. I think I am burnt out from marathon running. I think I need a break for a while. I am even considering not running Boston. I think I should do it just for fun and not train that much. I can't. I don't know what I will do. |
| Jan 15, 2005 | 5.2 | 38:08 | I tried running for the first time in 6 days. It was ok. I still ached in my achilles. |
| Jan 16, 2005 | 6.0 | 44:01 | Since today was the day I was supposed to run the marathon I figured why not run. I still did not feel that great but I was up in Carlsbad and ran along the beach and the coastal roads. It was sunny and warm. I felt out of shape though. |
| Jan 18, 2005 | 6.5 | 44:16 | I wore new Brooks Axiom shoes and felt GREAT on this run. My achilles tendon did not bother me! I cannot believe it! I think I am back on track. I may just do that FEb 6 marathon! |
| Jan 19, 2005 | 6.5 | 44:44 | I ran again and did have slight pain at about 4-5 miles. It wasn't that bad, but still it was some discomfort. I am not ruling out the marathon just yet. I will see how the rest of the week goes. I think I will skip running tomorrow and rest. |
| Jan 21, 2005 | 6.3 | 46:18 | I ran but did not feel great and my achilles is still hurting. Nothing has healed. I will not run for a week and see how I feel. |
| Jan 29, 2005 | 6.5 | 46:18 | I ran today ofr the first time in 7 days and the pain set in after about 2 miles. I am not healed whatsoever and need to see a doctor at this point. I will run tomorrow to see how two consecutive days will feel on it. If I still hurt I am going to have to just stop all together and deal with this. |
| Jan 30, 2005 | 4.1 | 31:10 | I ran and it wasn't hurting too bad at first but then started to hurt more and more as time went on. I am upset. I am going to try to see a doctor or at least make an appt next week. No more running. I am most likely going to have to sit out of Boston yet again for the second consecutive year. I am not happy. I just wish I was healthy. ************ |
| Feb 12, 2005 | STATUS UPDATE | --- | I saw the orthopedic doctor on Feb. 3. I have posterior tibial tendinitis. Basically he told me to go two weeks without running and then run again and get back into it. I will try a 4-miler tomorrow as it will be exactly two weeks since my last run. I hope it does not hurt. I had to take 800 mg of ibuprophen three times a day for the last few weeks. I am not used to taking that much. I don't feel pain. I have been doing elliptical machine almost everyday and no pain but that usually doesn't hurt anyway. |
| Feb 13, 2005 | 5.1 | 39:30 | I felt good running for the first time in two weeks. I had a lot of energy for hte first three miles and then fatigue set in as well are some aches in my injured area. I don't know if it is completely healed yet. |
| Feb 15, 2005 | 5.7 | 43:39 | I did not feel good at all. My legs are shot. My tendon did not hurt but I need to push through this other pain since it is the result of not running for the last few weeks. My body is not used to all the direct impact with the ground. |
| Feb 16, 2005 | 5.6 | 43:35 | I ran for the second day in a row. My legs feel so heavy. They feel like I have run a marathon with a lot of lactic acid build up. I am going to get new Asics 2100s this week and hopefully I will feel better. There is not much pain with my tendon so that is good but I ran SLOW, very slow. |
| Feb 18, 2005 | 5.6 | 43:30 | I ran with the new shoes and it went ok. My upper quads are not feeling that great. |
| Feb 19, 2005 | 7.4 | 56:30 | I decided to run longer. It was a decent day out. I felt horrible for the first 25 min but then got into a groove. Still I am exhausted and feel like a fat person would feel I guess if running. I am so out of running shape and it takes a lot out of me. |
| Feb 21, 2005 | 5.6 | 40:51 | I ran on the treadmill tonight. I started at 7:40 pace and then turned it faster and ended up at 7:15. I felt like I was working hard but my legs did not hurt that much. I think all that lactic acid is gone. |
| Feb 22, 2005 | 6.0 | 43:32 | I ran on the treadmill again and it was very tough. I felt really tired and had trouble breathing. You sweat so much more it seems on a treadmill. My legs were definitely tired. The good thing was I had no pain in my tibial tendon. |
| Feb 23, 2005 | 6.2 | 46:08 | I ran outside to Mission Hills and back - my usual route. It's boring. I need to change it up. I was very tired and did not go as fast as last night. It was just one of those "get it over with" runs. I did push faster at the end since I wanted it over so bad. Running at night is not fun. I can't wait until I can run during daylight and the days get longer. |
| Feb 24, 2005 | 5.0 | 38:38 | This was one of my worst runs in recent memory. I was hurting a lot. My legs and shins especially were just very achey. I am very unsure if I will run Boston now. I may try 10 miles on Sat just to see how I feel, but if I can barely handle 5, how the hell am I going to endure 10, let alone 26.2. |
| Feb 25, 2005 | 4.4 | 33:25 | I had more energy tonight but legs still were aching. Tomorrow I will try 10. |
| Feb 26, 2005 | 10.4 | 1:17:12 | This run was going to determine if I would run Boston Marathon. I have decided that I will not this year and most likely do the Rock n Roll one here in San Diego instead. I am still not running well and today was a struggle. I am very fatigued and my body is not tough enough to handle the mileage at this point. I think it is the best decision financially and emotionally at this point. I know I would only want to run Boston if I was strong enough and since it is a month and a half away that is too soon. |
| Feb 28, 2005 | 6.2 | 46:09 | My shins really ached. I really think it is the orthopedic insert in my shoes. I NEVER hurt this much. Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Boston Marathon so I can keep my qualifying time to get me into 2006. |
| March 1, 2005 | 5.8 | 43:03 | My shins still hurt like hell. This is not good. Not good at all. I will change my inserts and see if that will work. I may take tomorrow off completely. What is wrong with me? My tendinitis is gone yet I am now having other problems. It always seems to be something. I signed up for Boston Marathon today so I can keep my qualifying time for next year. I know it is a waste of $100 but I could not go a year without knowing if I would be able to run it again. I had to know that I had a spot still. Now I just have to fill out the paperwork so I can withdraw on injury. |
| March 6, 2005 | STATUS UPDATE | --- | I now have shin issues. I have not run for 5 days. I will see how it goes this week. I think I can get over this. I don't think it's a fracture. |
| March 7, 2005 | 5.1 | 39:30 | I ran for the first time in a while. It went ok. I did not have too much pain but ran SLOW. I felt good and had energy though. I am going to try the "every other day" approach to getting back into it. |
| March 9, 2005 | 5.8 | 44:22 | My shins felt ok and I went a little faster. I had some good energy but felt a cramp in my side. I think it was from eating almonds around 5PM and I ran around 6:30. I need more time to digest. |
| March 11, 2005 | 3.6 | 28:10 | I did a shorter run that was really slower. I ran down this very long and steep hill into Mission Valley from the top of Hillcrest. It was good though. NOt worrying about time has helped my running. |
| March 12, 2005 | 6.1 | 46:00 | I ran on the boardwalk on Mission Beach and up to Pacific Beach and back down. I felt ok. My shins were kind of hurting a little but not a lot. I did not go that fast. |
| March 14, 2005 | 6.5 | 48:38 | I felt great on this run. I had tons of energy and was able to go faster. No pain at all. I think I am back. |
| March 16, 2005 | 5.31 | 38:26 | I wore my pace watch just to see where I was at on the run. I really had to work hard to maintain the 7:15 min/mile pace. I am worried. My shins did not hurt as bad but I kept thinking about how I ran an entire marathon at 6:55 pace and 7:15 pace seems so trying right now. I really hope I can get back to the level I was at last May. |
| March 19, 2005 | 5.8 | 45:00 | I ran in the afternoon since I had worked in the morning. Today is Sat. I had some energy but not a lot. I was kind of running slower than normal and it started to rain. |
| March 21, 2005 | 5.5 | 40:00 | I ran with a running group. Part of the run was along Seaport Village so that was nice. It was dark by the time I ended it. The course measures 5.5 apparently so this translates to a 7:16 pace. I'm not sure if that was accurate but the last part of the run was all uphill on a very steep hill on Laurel Ave. |
| March 23, 2005 | 5.5 | 37:08 | I ran with the running group again. I went really fast and I was surprised. |
| March 25, 2005 | 4.6 | 35:11 | I did an easier run. I may run tomorrow with the group. |
| March 26, 2005 | 5.5 | 37:23 | I ran harder again. I really had to work it up the steep hill on Laurel St. I was surprised I ran hard again. |
| March 28, 2005 | 5.1 | 38:35 | I had something to do after work so I had to run late, but I wanted to get it over with. I am not sure how to pace myself. |
| March 29, 2005 | 5.3 | 39:02 | I was ok on the run. It was just routine. I felt a little sore in the shins. |
| March 30, 2005 | 5.0 | 38:12 | I was really sore. I shouldn't have run tonight. I went really slow at first. Then I felt better. I took an EmergenC before the run and felt it kick in about 15 min in. |
| March 31, 2005 | 5.3 | 39:10 | I was |
| April 1, 2005 | 8.2 | 1:01:11 | I ran after work. It was ok. This was my first run over an hour for a while. My shins hurt but not too bad. I tried to push it more on different sections. I really think I just have to push through being uncomfortableness and then things will get easier. |
| April 3, 2005 | 5.5 | 41:23 | I had low energy. I ran up a a hard hill. The shin was ok but not great. |
| April 4, 2005 | 5.8 | 44:01 | I'm still not feeling that great. I had low energy again. THe pain wasn't as bad. After a while it got duller. |
| April 5, 2005 | 5.5 | 42:01 | I'm not sure if I can train for a marathon at this point. Today's run was just bad. I feel so tired and my body aches. The shin was ok but still something is off. I'm going to the doctor on the 14th to get checked out. |
| April 6, 2005 | 5.5 | 37:45 | I ran with the FrontRunner's club again. My shin was ok but still I felt very tired. I ran fast though. Around a 6:45 pace. I was feeling it though at the end. I need to get in better shape. I should be able to hold a pace like this for a marathon distance. I honestly think that it is just a minor shin splint but I want it to heal. |
| April 7, 2005 | 6.9 | 51:47 | This run was not the best. I ran to Balboa Park so I could run on grass and take away some of the shock to my legs. By the 30 min mark I was exhausted and my shin was slightly aching. I don't know if I can do 12 miles. I am seriously considering not continuing to train for the marathon in June. What the heck is my problem? I see the doc next week but still it may take a while before anything is diagnosed. |
| April 8, 2005 | 2.8 | 21:09 | I did a shorter run since tomorrow I want to run 10 or 12 miles. |
| April 9, 2005 | 10.0 | 1:15:28 | I wasn't sure how I felt on this run. I was tired. At the beginning I felt energized though. I ran in Mission Bay Park and it was really windy. It was sunny though and it felt nice. I took out my arch inserts and just wore regular ones. I wanted to see if I had less pain. Maybe I had too much support that was causing my foot to pronate more? I don't know. I didn't notice much of a difference. It still hurt somewhat. I really miss the feeling of not aching. I miss that invincible feeling I once had while on a long run when I thought I could run forever. I hope to get it back. I am still on the fence about Rock n Roll Marathon in June. I really want to do it but I want to be strong and I am definitely not that right now. |
| April 11, 2005 | 4.45 | 30:00 | I ran on a treadmill in my hotel since I am at a conference. I purposely ran faster and felt ok. My shin was not that bad but I think due to not running on such a hard surface. |
| April 12, 2005 | 5.5 | 42:01 | I was a mess tonight. I really struggled through. I had a long day in the office and then just barely had enough energy. My leg started to hurt again. |
| April 13, 2005 | 5.3 | 41:02 | My body is sore today. I did not run well. I slowed down a bit. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow finally so I can get this shin checked out or at least the process started. |
| April 18, 2005 | 3.2 | 25:00 | Today was the Boston Marathon and I was sad. I am waiting on my x-ray results from last Thurs I am sure they will not show anything and I will have to get a bone scan to determine if I have a shin fracture. I just want to be healthy. I took 4 days off but played tennis yesterday for the first time since Aug of 2003. I ran today just to see how it would feel and I did it slow. I was on the treadmill in my apt complex gym. It was ok. The shin didn't hurt but I could tell it was tender. |
| April 28, 2005 | UPDATE on INJURY | --- | I haven't ran since April 18. The x-ray was negative and I am waiting on my insurance company to authorize a bone density scan to see if I have a stress fracture. I have been doing elliptical machine only. I will not do the Rock n Roll marathon June 5 due to this. I probably will have to take all of May and part of June off. I am looking at a fall marathon at this point. I need to recover and be healthy again. |
| May 4, 2005 | UPDATE on INJURY | --- | My bone scan is on Friday May 6. I will find out once and for all if I do have another stress fracture in my right shin. I hope I don't. I have not run since April 18. It's been nearly three weeks now. |
| May 9, 2005 | UPDATE on INJURY | --- | NO STRESS FRACTURE! I am very excited I don't have one. I am going to try a three-mile run tomorrow. I will get new shoes this week and be on my way to a marathon later this year (hopefully). |
| May 10, 2005 | 4.2 | 33:04 | I felt ok on the run. My body has not seen the road in over 3 weeks. My shin did not hurt. I am still in the 2100s but I will be going to get new shoes this week to play it safe. I will run every other day. I will just do 4 miles each time and by next week be up to 5 or 6. |
| May 12, 2005 | 5.0 | 36:40 | I ran a mile and a half at Road Runner Sports on their treadmill and around their parking lots since I was there to buy Asics Kayanos and Super Feet inserts. I went all out for the highest level shoe with the most stability. It will be worth it in the end I think. I cannot sacrifice my health. I need to stay healthy and protect my legs. I then ran around Mission Bay Park for another 24 minutes or so. I was going pretty fast I think. I ran on grass mostly and felt good. My shin did not hurt! This running every other day thing will work I think. I did it last year I was recovering from injury and I came back strong. I have to resist the tempatation to run everyday for at least three weeks. |
| May 14, 2005 | 5.5 | 40:10 | I ran once again at Mission Bay Park. I was there for a race I was working at and decided to put in a run after I was done promoting. I really like running there because it is flat and a lot of soft green grass to run on. This will definitely help my bad leg since there isn't as much shock. I felt ok but I definitely ran hard. I was really feeling it in my chest. I think I was around a 7:00 pace but I am going to assume closer to 7:15. So far so good in terms of pain. I haven't really had any in my right shin. So we'll see but I am excited to be back on the roads. My new Kayanos seem to be doing to trick and this every other day strategy is working. After one week I feel pretty good. I've only run three times so we'll see how it goes the next couple of week. I really want to make it back to the shape I was in last year at this time when I eventually ran that 3:01 at Rock n Roll Marathon last June. I know I can get back there. It's going to take time. |
| May 16, 2005 | 5.5 | 38:21 | I ran with the front runner group. It was a hard run but my shin felt fine. The hill on Laurel Street was a killer. |
| May 18, 2005 | 5.7 | 42:00 | I ran down to Balboa Park and went through and came back up via Park Blvd. It was a tough run and I did not feel good since I was very tired. My leg felt ok. I am getting a little ache in my posterial tibial tendon where I had the tendonitis but it is not inflamed. I think it is just my body getting used to the pounding again. It's not really painful but feels as if it is about to become inflamed. Maybe it is my imagination. It is important that I am not running everyday and doing every other day. |
| May 20, 2005 | 5.2 | 38:30 | For the first time in a while I ran in the morning. I had to be up early to drop some samples off so I had the time for a run before I went in for work. I ran ok. I felt ok. I did not have pain. This is all good news. I still am out of running shape but feel stronger on each run. |
| May 22, 2005 | 5.0 | 37:08 | After playing an hour and a half of tennis I also went running. I took a Carb Boom gel before since I knew my energy was low. I ran a new loop from my place down through south Mission Hills and then up the dreaded Laurel Ave hill to Balboa Park. Aside from the hill I really liked this run. I felt strong too even though it was hot out (I ran mid-day around 1:30). My leg did not hurt at all. |
| May 23, 2005 | 3.1 | 23:04 | I wasn't supposed to run tonight but needed to get in some cardio before I did weights and I could not go to my gym due to time constraints. I just stayed in my apt complex and ran on the treadmill and then did weights. I felt ok but on the treadmill I sweat a lot more and feel like I am working that much harder. |
| May 24, 2005 | 5.5 | 42:00 | I ran again even though I was tired. Leg did not hurt. |
| May 26, 2005 | 5.1 | 37:30 | I ran in the morning. I didn't have a lot of energy but was able to get through it. |
| May 28, 2005 | 6.3 | 47:09 | I decided to run a little longer since I had more time with it being a Saturday. I ran after I got up on an empty stomach which is not always the best thing. My legs felt very tired at first. I ran up to University Heights and then back down for a change of pace. I still need a lot of work to get back to feeling "normal" but overall no pain so that's good. I stretch a lot before, especially my calves since I got some advice that I need to strech the calves a lot to help out with the shins. |
| May 30, 2005 | 4.4 | 32:20 | I ran before I played tennis. I didn't go that far but felt ok. I ran on an empty stomach. |
| June 1, 2005 | 5.5 | 40:11 | I did this run in the AM. I was really tired but I pushed through. There was no pain. I think my legs are getting stronger now. I almost feel normal but still struggle now and then. I wish I was running the marathon this weekend but I simply cannot due to a lack of training. It would have been nice to try to break three hours. |
| June 3, 2005 | 5.6 | 41:00 | It was another early morning (well for me 7:30 is early) run. I did not feel very up for this run. My body was tired. My legs were ok but I was fatigued. I had nothing in my system. I burped up like acid or something. I should have had some water before but I was rushing to get out of the door. I ran in Mission Hills. |
| June 4, 2005 | 4.2 | 33:10 | I ran for the second day in a row. It was ok. I twisted my left ankle slightly on a root running through Balboa Park. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| June 6, 2005 | 6.0 | 41:30 | I ran with the running group the 5.5 mile loop in 37:13. My breathing was WAY off and I was really having a hard time keeping it together. I got a side cramp about 2 miles in. I think I just went out way too fast. It was a slightly humid and sunny day so I think that affected it. I felt like I was so out of shape. I then ran another half mile as a cooldown. |
| June 7, 2005 | 6.2 | 46:17 | I am trying to run everyday now with a day off every 5 days. I will see how this affects my shins. Today was ok. I ran harder at times but struggled through parts. I think my body still needs to acclimate to the mileage increase. |
| June 8, 2005 | 5.1 | 38:04 | This run was more of a struggle. My legs were tired and my shins were slightly aching on both sides. I ran to Mission Hills and back. I iced for 15 min after and it felt better. I think I will take tomorrow off completely. |
| June 10, 2005 | 4.4 | 32:10 | I took yesterday off due to my achy legs. I think it helped. I cut this short due to my longer run I plan tomorrow. It will be my first long run since I did 10 miles back on April 10. |
| June 11, 2005 | 10.5 | 1:17:30 | My shins actually did not hurt that much. I was more fatigued than anything. I don't think I was fueled enough and I did not have water with me. I was expecting only to run maye 8 miles but went longer to see how it would feel. My legs were a mess after but not as bad as I thought they would be. I ran mostly on the streets with not much grass. |
| June 12, 2005 | 5.2 | 40:30 | I ran with my friend Eileen for a little over three miles. Then I ran hard the last two. We were in Santa Monica and the apt we were at was exactly two miles from the beach. We ran down there and then down to the boardwalk. It was nice and I really enjoyed it. |
| Week Ending June 12, 2005 | 37.4 | GOAL - 30 | The long run went ok and I was glad I got it in. I needed it. My legs were not the greatest this week but overall ok. Slight pain near the middle of the week. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| June 13, 2005 | 5.8 | 43:00 | I was going to run with front runners but I was too late so I ran around Balboa Park, most of it was on grass. My legs were very sore due to yesterday walking around a lot and playing an hour and a half of tennis. |
| June 14, 2005 | 6.2 | 45:00 | My legs are not that good but once I got into the run I was ok and just trudged on. My shins were fine I was just achy all over. I will rest tomorrow. Not running at all. |
| June 16, 2005 | 6.4 | 48:00 | I ran a bit longer. It was ok. I was tired. |
| June 17, 2005 | 6.2 | 42:00 | I wasn't sure how long I would go but I felt ok near the end. I ran a different loop through Mission Hills up to Balboa and incorporated the Laurel Street BIGASS hill into it. |
| June 18, 2005 | 4.2 | 30:00 | A shorter run since I may do 12 tomorrow. |
| June 19, 2005 | 12.0 | 1:24:19 | This was a solid run overall. I have not this solid of a run in at least nine months. Seriously. I felt strong. My legs felt strong. I think it was how I ate. Well the day before I was on this 25 restaurant tour so I think eating foods I normally don't eat in the middle of the afternoon helped give me glycogen stores. I ran in Mission Hills. Just did a few loops. There were some hard hills in there too and I pushed up the hills. I wore my pace watch and it seemed accurate. I was tired though. I felt like I was working hard. I averaged 6:59 pace. If I can keep this type of pace up I should be ok for sub 3 hours in Oct. I just have to see how my body holds up. |
| Week Ending June 19, 2005 | 40.8 | GOAL - 35 | It was a good week. Most of my runs were above 5 miles. I felt a little weak on some but it culminated with a strong long run with no shin pain. I think the day off in the middle did the trick. I will try that again. Time off really does help. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| June 21, 2005 | 6.8 | 50:09 | I ran with a friend for like a a mile and a half. Then I was on my own and upped the pace. I pushed hard but felt no pain in my legs. So I was happy with my performance. |
| June 22, 2005 | 6.0 | 45:00 | My calves were really tired. I did not feel good. I pushed it harder to get it over with. My shins were fine though. I think my body is getting used to the increase in mileage. |
| June 24, 2005 | 5.75 | 41:00 | My friend Erik biked along side me on this run through Mission Hills and back. I was not feeling too well since I had a big lunch. I was have a lot of stomach problems. I pushed through and it said I did 7:08 pace on my watch. |
| June 26, 2005 | 12.3 | 1:28:00 | This long run went great. I can feel by body getting more and more efficient as time goes on. I did not have my mileage watch on but I could tell by feel I was doing low 7 min pace, probably around 7:10 but I could have been faster around 7:00 flat. I started out slower and then sped up. I ran around Mission Bay Park once and then did the entire Fiesta Island loop. It was a sunny, beautiful day. I started at 10:30 a.m. since I had a race I worked in the morning. I did sweat more due to the time of day but I was done by noon. My stomach was a lot better than yesterday. For hydration I used my fuel belt and took Crank Sports gel that I mixed with water. It's a really great electrolyte replacement drink- better than Gatorade. I used it in my PR marathon last year (Rock n Roll 2004) and I really felt it made a difference. |
| June 27, 2005 | 4.2 | 30:06 | A short recovery run. My legs were not that sore from yesterday's ;long run. I pushed it kind of harder than I wanted but I was on beautiful Coronado in the sunshine and felt good. |
| Week Ending June 26, 2005 | 35.05 | GOAL - 35 | Another solid week. I am not running more than I should and the two days off really made a difference. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| June 27, 2005 | 5.5 | 37:45 | I ran with the Front Runners group. I did the Seaport Village loop. I felt pretty good and ran hard. It was a nice night. |
| June 28, 2005 | 3.0 | 22:01 | I did a shorter run since I did weights and I am running at least 8 tomorrow. |
| June 29, 2005 | 8.2 | 57:52 | I ran hard and started at Balboa Park down Laurel Street past the airport to Harbor Island Drive and then back up Laurel and through into the park area where the museums are and back. It was a hard run I pushed hard and maintained a good pace. The hill on Laurel really takes it all out of you due to its steepness. |
| July 1, 2005 | 5.0 | 35:00 | I took yesterday off but had to move into my new apt. I ran a new loop today from my new place. It was nice. More peaceful and less traffic. I know I am doing like 14 miles tomorrow so I did not want to run that long. I ran kind of hard though. |
| July 2, 2005 | 14.0 | 1:41:12 | The run started out well. I was averaging 7:05 pace through 6 miles. Then things slowly were goind downhill. I ran from University Heights to almost Talmadge through Kensington. It was really sunny and at least low 70s out with not much wind. I was feeling the affects of the sun half way through. I slowed considerably. I don't think I hydrated enough for the run. My legs just felt heavy at about 7 miles. I did not have fresh legs and the 8 miler on Wed probably was too much since I ran it hard. I ended up averaging 7:13 min/mile pace according to my watch, which is acceptable considering I need 6:52s in the marathon. We'll see how another day goes when I don't start at 10 AM like I did today. I should have started earlier. |
| July 3, 2005 | 4.3 | 32:34 | A recovery run. My calves are achy with lactic acid build up. I just barely got this before dark after a day in the sun and eating a big brunch earlier. |
| Week Ending July 3, 2005 | 40 | GOAL - 35 | This was a harder week for me. I had to pack and move but I still was able to fit in some decent runs. I am running at faster paces which is good. I have not started speed or track workouts yet. I may do that in the next few weeks. The mid-week 8 miler was a hard run for me but I kept a decent pace. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| July 5, 2005 | 6.0 | 44:36 | There is a first time for everything. I was hit by a car today about 8 minutes into my run. I am ok and nothing was injured. It could have been worse. I was in the Trader Joe's/Ralph's parking lot. There is a driveway where people drive into the lot. It's techinically 10th Ave but it's not a main road - more like an exit and entrance ramp. Anyway, there was a Fed Ex truck parked and I could not see behind it. I looked to see who was entering and I thought I could make it but there was another car before the car I saw entering so I ran right into the side of the car and knocked off his passenger side rear view mirror. I was so lucky. I thought I would have to pay but the guy was asking me if I was ok. Then I left and I assume he was more concerned with me making a claim against him. It's funny how these things work. Anyway, the run was ok. My calves are sore despite taking yesterday off but i did weights and elliptical anyway so it was just an off "run" day. I ran to Balboa Park and than back which was all uphill on a slight incline. |
| July 6, 2005 | 6.35 | 42:32 | I ran the 5.5 mile loop with the Front Runner group at a harder pace. I wore my Fitsense mileage watch and it said it was 5.25 but I honestly think my pace is off. It usually says it is slower and less mileage than it actually is. I have not callibrated it in a while. Anyway, I added on more to the end of the run. I was pretty spent though but felt strong during the run. I think my body is getting used to the mileage now. |
| July 7, 2005 | 5.0 | 37:30 | I was tired. I ran out to 30th and around some residential streets in University Heights. |
| July 9, 2005 | 14.3 | 1:41:22 | At first I had no energy. Even though I ate a lot of pasta the night before I really should have eaten it two nights before. I did have cereal with soy milk and peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread this morning with a banana. Anyway, I started around 10 AM and it was overcast and it looked like the sun was peaking out. I was glad it wasn't sunny since I last week was brutal. I used Accelerade instead of Gatorade. It has protein in it and it's supposed to help the muscles more. I did notice a difference. I had more energy near the end. I started out doing like 7:30 pace but sped up. My watch said I did 7:14 pace overall but I think my watch is off. When I did that 5.5 loop it said I only did 5.25 so I think that for every 6 miles or so it's off my .25. To be safe I will say it was .3 off for this run. I think it's off my 10 seconds a mile. Maybe not but I felt like I ran faster. I'll have to go to a track to see just how off it is. |
| July 10, 2005 | 4.1 | 30:02 | It was a recovery run. I did run some of it at a faster pace. My legs were fine a bit sore from yesterday but over all not too bad. I know my legs are just getting stronger and stronger and no shin pain. I have been stretching a lot after my runs and some before. |
| Week Ending July 10, 2005 | 35 | GOAL - 35 | I only ran 5 days but have been doing weights and elliptical on the off days. I think the key to staying uninjured is the cross-training. The body simply needs a rest from the pounding of the pavement. Overall I do think I need to increase mileage, but I feel good on my long runs so that is the most important. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| July 11, 2005 | 6.2 | 41:45 | I did the 5.5 mile loop with the group and then another part to make it more. My watch said 6.0 but I know it's about .2 off. I felt strong. My legs on Laurel Street hill were feeling it though. I hate that hill with a passion. |
| July 12, 2005 | 3.0 | 21:00 | I ran to and from the gym. I was going to take today off but felt it was important not to fight for an elliptical at the gym. |
| July 13, 2005 | 5.5 | 40:10 | My legs were lead. I was not feeling good. No pain but just heavy legs. Also it was slightly humid (very rare for San Diego). I was a bit rushed since I needed to be someplace and my stomach was off. |
| July 14, 2005 | 5.5 | 43:12 | I ran 32 min before the gym, did triceps, biceps and shoulders and then ran another 11 min home. I was tired but had to fit this in. Usually I don't do both on the same day but had to. Tomorrow I will take completely off most likely since I am headed up to LA. I will do 15 miles on Sat AM up there along the beach somewhere on a path. |
| July 16, 2005 | 15.3 | 1:48:00 | I ran from Culver City out to the beach (Marina del Ray?) about 8 miles and then back on this bike path that ran adjacent to this drainage river. It was not the best scenery while next to the run off, but at least I got this run in while up in LA for the weekend. My friend Brett and his friend did a 2-hour bike while I was on the run. I ate too soon before so I was burping up peanut butter and bagel. If I had more time it would have been better. I was feeling ok and had my accelerade. My watch said I did 15.0 but I know it's slightly off so I am estimating a little more for a 7:03 pace. I definitely did the first half faster. I struggled on the second half. It was slightly humid but it was not sunny yet. The sun came out just as I was finishing up. I started around 8:45 or so. |
| July 17, 2005 | 6.7 | 45:00 | I ran with a some people Brett knew in this park in Beverly Hills. My quads were not in the greatest shape. I ran with a guy who is almost professional and has run NCAA Div 1 track. Needless to say I had to really struggle to keep up with him since my quads were really heavy from my long run yesterday. There was this god awful hill about 4 miles into it that I just could not run well on it and I actually walked about 20 seconds. My legs were trashed. |
| Week Ending July 17, 2005 | 42.2 | GOAL - 40 | This was a better week in terms of mileage. I only really had the one day off and that was only due to driving up to LA on Friday and not having time. My body needed the rest. The long run was brutal but I am keeping a decent pace. I need to work in a speed or track workout in the next few weeks. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| July 18, 2005 | 5.7 | 39:45 | I did the 5.5 mile loop with Front Runners and then added a little at the end. I did it at a slower pace than usual but sped up at the end. My legs are still tired. Tomorrow will be weights and I will only run to and from the gym. |
| July 19, 2005 | 3.0 | 20:05 | I ran to the gym and then back. I did chest and back upper body weight work and then abs at the gym. I didn't feel as tired this week since I did not run 30 min before. On Thurs I may do that I think. |
| July 20, 2005 | 5.6 | 41:06 | My calves were really tight. I finally felt normal around the 4th mile. I just think I need a rest day. Tomorrow is weight day. I may or may not run there. |
| July 21, 2005 | 5.5 | 40:34 | I ran to the gym (30 min), did shoulders, bicepts and triceps and then ran back another 10 min. |
| July 22, 2005 | 4.9 | 36:36 | I had dead legs on the run. I just was tight overall. I could not go fast. |
| July 23, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back. |
| July 24, 2005 | 13.5 | 1:36:17 | I started at 9:15 AM and it was already very sunny and a bit warm, probably around 70. There was a nice cross breeze so it wasn't brutal. As the run went on I was getting hotter and hotter. I was surprised at how well I handled it though. I averaged 7:07 pace so I was happy with that, although the second half of the run I ran a lot slower so the overall pace could have been faster. I just need to stay within 20 seconds of 6:52 pace. I have to start training at a faster pace on the shorter runs though in the coming weeks. I did a 2 mile loop in University Heights and then ran through Normal Heights in various neighborhoods, then through Kensington and backtracked. It was pretty peaceful on the streets I ran on. Only Adams Ave was busy but I ran behind it mostly. |
| July 25, 2005 | 6.2 | 45:00 | I was sore but felt better as the run went on. I defintely feel stronger and recovered from my long run yesterday. I ran through University Heights up to North Park and back. The sun was about to set so it was nice to see that over the cliffs. |
| Week Ending July 25, 2005 | 47.2 | GOAL - 40 | Wow this has been my longest mileage week yet since I was injured. I felt good most of the time. I may have pushed it too hard on some of the runs. I essentially did not have a complete day off from exercise. That is ok, but I think every other week I will just not do anything on one day. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| July 26, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back. I did chest and back today. For some reason I was a bit weak on the bench presses. I did them last so that was probably why. |
| July 27, 2005 | 5.3 | 38:01 | I ran in the morning due to having an event to attend after work. I was so tired. My legs were a bit sore. I got faster on the second half once my body warmed up. |
| July 28, 2005 | 5.7 | 43:01 | I ran to the gym about 10 min, did shoulders, triceps and biceps and then ran another 33 min after. Actually I think running longer after is better than before. |
| July 29, 2005 | 6.4 | 47:15 | I am taking tomorrow off since I have to march in the parade and work a race in the AM. I will do my long run on Sunday. I pushed it on portions of this run but I also took it easy. |
| July 31, 2005 | 15.1 | 1:50:09 | The sun came out as soon as I stepped out the door so I knew I was in for a very torcherous run. The temps were in the mid 70s but there wasn't much wind. I purposely ran slower - about 10 seconds per mile slower than my other long runs. I averaged 7:18 pace or so. I ran a 6 loop around University Heights and then ran down through Hillcrest to Mission Hills and then back. At the end I just stopped with a half mile to go since I was exhausted and was already at the 15 mile mark. |
| Week Ending July 31, 2005 | 35.3 | GOAL 40 | I am not worried about not doing 40 miles this week. I had to take Sat off due to the Pride parade. I probably walked at least 6-7 miles that day alone so I am not feeling bad. Aside from the sun and slight heat on my long run I was ok with this week. I really need to start pushing it more on my runs though. I don't know if I can maintain a decent pace in the half marathon on Aug. 14 if I don't start to do that. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| August 1, 2005 | 5.3 | 37:12 | My legs were sore but I ran anyway. It was late than normal when I ran. I pushed it on sections. |
| August 2, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:10 | I ran to the gym did shoulders, biceps and triceps and ran home. I was tired and I need new shoes which I will buy tomorrow. |
| August 3, 2005 | 4.8 | 35:10 | I didn't have a lot of time to run. I got the new shoes (Asics Kayano) top of the line. I did notice it felt a lot better. My old shoes were definitely on their way out since I started using them in mid-May so it was almost three months. My left calf muscle was bothering me. I just think I need a rest day. |
| August 4, 2005 | 5.8 | 42:14 | I ran 30 min before the gym this morning. I went to work later so I did my workouts early to get them out of the way. I felt better today while running. I did chest and back at the gym then ran another 12 min home. It was sunny even at 9 AM but not too hot yet. |
| August 5, 2005 | 6.35 | 46:01 | I ran in the morning again. My legs are not the greatest. They are just very tired. I think I will run Sunday AM and take tomorrow off. Not sure. I want to get the long run over with though. I pushed it on sections of this run. I was also exhausted. |
| August 7, 2005 | 13.1 | 1:31:16 | I ran faster than normal - a 6:58/7:00 pace or so. It was getting hot and very sunny. I had to stop twice to get water since I was running out. I needed to cool down. I was feeling ok. I think the day off yesterday was a necessity and helped a lot. I am more confident now. I did not want to run longer than 13 since this was a "practice" run before my real half marathon next weekend (The AFC Half). That starts at 7AM so I should not have to deal with too much sun and there should be cloud cover. I think I can run faster in a race without much sun. Today I started around 9AM so too late. I just have to sleep in order to run well. I got up at 6:30 ate, went back to bed around 7:45 and then got back up around 8:45. I still think I was dehydrated since I was so thirsty the entire run. |
| Week Ending Aug 7, 2005 | 38.15 | GOAL 40 | Another solid week. There was no need to do 40 miles. I knew my long run was going to be cut shorter due to saving my legs for next weekend's half marathon. So far no pain in my shins. I think my running productivity is going to come down to hydration and what temperature it is outside. My legs are stonger now. I feel confident. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| August 8, 2005 | 5.5 | 36:22 | I did the loop with Front Runners. There was no one else who was running with me so I just ran as hard as I could given the humid conditions. It was not that hot but along Seaport Village it always seems to be slightly humid. I was drenched at the end and was very physically spent. |
| August 9, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back. I did shoulders, biceps and triceps. I am cutting down mileage this week in anticipation of the half marathon on Sunday. I need "fresh legs" for the race. |
| August 10, 2005 | 5.8 | 42:04 | I did not feel good on the run. My hamstrings were tight. I was too hot. I need a rest day. |
| August 11, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back this morning. I did chest and back. |
| August 12, 2005 | 5.35 | 38:10 | I ran in the AM. I felt better on the run. I was tired. My legs will rest until Sunday's race so no running tomorrow at all. |
| August 14, 2005 | 13.1 (AFC Half Marathon) | 1:24:31 | I ran the race and did well considering how stressed out I was leading up to it. I had to get up at 4:45 AM to eat and it started at 7 AM. This was the first official race for me since last year's race. I have not been in competition due to a lack f confidence and various injuries. I was 96th out of over 6400 people and was only 24 seconds off last year's time of 1:24:07. I had a pace of 6:26 min/mile. I definitely struggled after mile 7 and really had to stay strong. I slowed down considerably. I ran the first half WAY too fast so that was probably why I could not maintain. I was not taking enough fluids either since it was overcast and I was just not thirsty. I did not hydrate enough in the days leading up to the race. Still, I am satified with my result. I stayed consistent. I was hoping to get within the 1:23-1:26 range and I did. My "wish" time was breaking 1:23, which was possible, but that went out the window as soon as I hit mile 9. I knew it would be a tough task since I was so tired and felt weak. There is a mile and a half long hill at the end. Going up Sixth Avenue was my worst moment. My quads were simply not strong enough. I was very wobbly. I tried to fight it but I was barely doing 9:00 min/mile pace for a good half mile. When I got to the top I sped up again to about 6:50 pace or so. My mileage watch is officially .7 miles slow. It said I ran 12.4. I had thought it was like .3 off on my training runs so I will have to go back and adjust my miles. What I learned: I need to be tougher on the hills. I need to do hill training. I need to do speed training. I have not done a proper track workout since last November. I am afraid to do speed work since I don't want to reinjure my shin. Speed work helps since it makes you stronger and you are able to maintain a faster pace for longer periods of time. |
| Week Ending Aug 14, 2005 | 35.35 | GOAL 35 | This week didn't have to be so intensive due to a slight taper for the half marathon. My legs are feeling stronger. I did feel a bit tired leading up to the weekend. I know if I am well rested I can do even better in races. I had a lot of personal problems this week so it was tough to focus but I still came through.. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| August 16, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back. I did chest and back then ran home. My legs are not in good shape from the race. They felt heavy. I took yesterday off but should have run. |
| August 17, 2005 | 6.5 | 46:02 | I ran pretty hard and felt pretty good on this run. I just need to get back into it now that the race has passed. I have to focus on speed and faster-paced runs during the week. |
| August 18, 2005 | 4.3 | 32:04 | I ran 20:00 before the gym. I did shoulders, tri and biceps. Then I ran another 12 min home. I did not want to run more today as I was tired. |
| August 19, 2005 | 6.5 | 47:33 | I was sluggish today. I did not feel good. I ran after work. I am taking tomorrow off since I have to do 18 on Sunday. My stomach was off. |
| August 21, 2005 | 18.0 | 2:04:18 | This was my best run so far this year in terms of training. I maintained a 6:54 pace for 18 miles! I started out way too fast doing the first 6 miles or so at sub 6:50. I slowed down the second half. It was a nice cloudy morning. The sun never was a factor and I think that is why I ran so well. I got up at 5:45 AM and ate and then went back to bed until 8:00 AM and then I was on the road by 8:20. I am noticing that I should just go to sleep the night before when my body tells me to. I was on the couch and fell asleep at 10PM which is early for me. I got back up around 11 and then went back to bed around 12. Anyway, I ran to Kensington and back and did a few loops within University Heights in order to get the entire mileage. |
| Week Ending Aug 21, 2005 | 38.1 | GOAL 40 | I probably need to do more mileage but I still had a solid week. I will try to increase it now that the marathon is less than two months away. I may do doubles on certain days of the week. I feel good. My legs feel fine. I am confident. I really think the weight training is paying off. I feel a lot stronger on my runs. My posture is probably better. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| August 22, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back. I thought I had something wrong with my right leg. There was dull pain near my lower shin area. I freaked and iced it an hour at lunch today. I then was not going to run at all but ended up deciding to do the gym. I had no pain running and it has subsided. I did chest, back and abs at the gym. |
| August 23, 2005 | 5.9 | 43:30 | I didn't feel the greatest on this run. I was very sluggish. I sped up in the last mile or so. |
| August 24, 2005 | 5.0 | 36:15 | I ran about 26 min before the gym, did biceps, triceps, abs and shoulders and then ran home. |
| August 25, 2005 | 6.7 | 48:20 | I was at Mission Bay for a work outing. It was about 4PM when I ran. It was very sunny and hot so not the best running conditions. It was nice to run along the boardwalk. I ran up to Pacific Beach and then back down by Mission Beach. It was hard. I was so hot and needed water. My legs were not feeling it today. |
| August 27, 2005 | 20.0 | 2:22:48 | I got up at 5AM to eat then went back to bed and up at 7AM, on the road a little after 7:30. It was VERY sunny but not too hot. I guess there will be no morning clouds for some time. The weather pattern this time of year is just pure sun, which is great for the beach but not for running. I started out a lot slower than normal on purpose so I would have enough energy for the entire run. I ran loops around University Heights then went up to Kensington and ran more loops there down Marlborough Ave, where there were plenty of nice houses. I love running in that neighborhood. I wish I could afford property there. Anyway, I ended up averaging 7:08 miles so I was happy. I did slow considerably for the last 8 miles or so. I simply took it a lot easier on this run. If it was less sunny I would have pushed it more. All in all I was satisfied. I am right where I should be. I had to stop a few times to get water from people's hoses in their yards. I asked this one woman in Kensington. Then I took water from someone's sprinkler. I also stopped in the Trolley Barn park to get some near the end. I used Accelerade in two of my fuel belt bottled. I also drank 16 oz of Ultima drink mix before when I ate to hydrate. I think that helped a lot so I will use that in the future. |
| Week Ending Aug 28, 2005 | 40.4 | GOAL 40 | I really need to up my mileage during the week. So far I have not really gotten above 50 miles. I need to hit 50 at least for a few weeks. I am hesitating from doing doubles though. I was happy I got my 20-miler in as I did not think I was going to be able to do that so soon. I am not sure if I will do another one next weekend. My body need more rest and I can just do 15 or so. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| August 29, 2005 | 2.8 | 20:00 | I ran to the gym and back. I did chest and back. |
| August 30, 2005 | 6.8 | 49:13 | I had a little more energy on this run. I ran later since I worked later. It was dark when I finished. I am a little sick due to lack of sleep and stress in my life. I got a bit sluggish near the end. |
| August 31, 2005 | 4.2 | 30:00 | I ran 20 min before the gym, did triceps, biceps, abs and shoulders and then ran back. I was feeling low-energy today. No sense in pushing it too much. |
| Sept 1, 2005 | 6.0 | 45:13 | I ran horribly today. I simply did not have energy and my legs were sore, especially my shins. It wasn't excruciating, but it was uncomfortable. I don't know what my problem is. I think I ate too much salt at luch (had Vietnamese food). I think I will take both tomorrow and Sat off and then run my long run on Sunday. I can't afford to re-injure myself - not after all this training I have already put in. |
| Sept 2, 2005 | 4.1 | 33:31 | I ran shorter today. I am feeling sick. I have this chest congestion. I can't get rid of it. Not sure if I can run long on Sunday. I will see. |
| Week Ending Sept 4, 2005 | 23.9 | GOAL 40 | This was one of the worst training weeks for me. Obviously I did not even hit close to goal. I had to miss the entire weekend due to being sick with this chest congestion. If I were to run it would have made things even worse. I had trouble breathing. I think at this point I could afford to miss a long run. I am still in great shape. I want to do three more 20-milers. Next weekend I will tackle the second one then I have two left which will include my longest run about 2-3 weeks before. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Sept 5, 2005 | 5.8 | 45:14 | I ran really slow today. I had not run in two days missing my long run completely. The outside of my calves really burned. I think two days off will do that. I also ran at 11AM so a bit late. I ran slow since I was tired and it was a bit warm. |
| Sept 6, 2005 | 6.25 | 45:24 | I ran later at night since I taught some tennis to some friends earlier. I was tired but still ran hard and felt a lot better. |
| Sept 7, 2005 | 5.8 | 42:51 | My legs are crap right now. Trashed. I had no energy on this run. I ran about 33 min before the gym and then did chest, back and abs, then ran home another 10 min or so. I was so tired, just exhausted. |
| Sept 8, 2005 | 5.65 | 41:10 | I still feel tired. I am NOT running tomorrow in anticipation of my 20 miler on Sat AM. I need to rest! My legs are like lead. I did run harder today though. I did not run with my CD walkman and it seems I can focus better although it's more boring. |
| Sept 10, 2005 | 21.0 | 2:26:06 | Finally a nice cloudy morning - not a hint of sun so PERFECT running conditions. I ran extremely well after about the first 5-6 miles. The sides of my calves were burning it seemed and I had to stop and stretch a few times during that stretch. Then I started to gel and just ran faster and faster. I averaged 6:57 pace so I am definitely on target for my goal pace of 6:52 in the actual marathon. Experts say you should do your long runs about 30 seconds slower than goal but since I have not done much speed I have been doing mine a lot closer to goal pace. I was dreading this run but I think not running last weekend due to being sick actually helped me. I ran a loop around University Heights then I ran through Normal Heights out to Kensington and then ran two loops in those pristine neighborhoods before reversing direction and heading back. I did one mile more than I was going to but felt ok to do so. I was tired but not that bad. I recovered well. I have two more 20+ milers. Next weekend I think I may do 22. Not sure. |
| Week Ending Sept 11, 2005 | 44.5 | GOAL 45 | A very solid week. I was a bit scared I was not going to run well but things came together. I am looking forward to my taper in a few weeks. Until then I must focus and continue to do what I am doing. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Sept 12, 2005 | 6.1 | 46:10 | I did not feel good. My calves were BURNING on the outside, especially my right one. I think I have been having these problems since I played tennis. All that lateral movement is probably not good for my legs. I had to stop and stretch like three different times. |
| Sept 13, 2005 | 5.7 | 40:51 | I ran 19:30 to Bally's down in Mission Valley. I did shoulders, triceps, biceps and abs. Then I ran back. It was a TOUGH run back since I had to run UP the KILLER Texas Street. Texas street has a really steep incline. I have only run it once. It was BRUTAL but probably good for me. If I do this hill twice a week it will be a good strengthening exercise for my legs. |
| Sept 14, 2005 | 5.5 | 40:05 | I ran in the AM since I am going to the Tori show tonight. My legs felt the same as yesterday but I was TIRED. Running at night then the morning takes a lot out of me. It's running with less than 12 hours in between. I pushed it harder in the last mile, pretending to be on a track. I have to incorporate some harder segments into my week day miles. My heart was pounding fast at the end. |
| Sept 15, 2005 | 6.4 | 45:05 | I was exhausted after work and then took a nap then ran. I felt good on the run. |
| Sept 16, 2005 | 4.3 | 34:06 | I had to run during my lunch break. It was sunny and about 70- not bad running weather. My legs were tired though. |
| Sept 18, 2005 | 20.25 | 2:22:01 | I started at around 8:30 AM. It was cloudy but as I gazed into the sky I could see blue patches breaking up. I knew that it would be soon that the sun would come out. It was cool in the lower 60s so that helped. Lo and behold an hour into the run it became sunny. I was running faster in the beginning but slowed in the last 6 miles or so. I had to hit the bathroom at Starbucks in Kensington at around mile 12. I think it was the popcorn I ate late last night. I was very fatigued in the last 5 miles. I did take a GU at mile 16 and I think it upset my stomach slightly but did help with my lightheadedness. My pace watch started to malfunction around mile 16 so I had to estimate what I was doing. |
| Week Ending Sept 18, 2005 | 48.25 | GOAL 45 | My mileage was where I should be. It's tough to get up into the 50 range without doing doubles. It's weird. It seems most of my runs this week got me very tired and sore. I did not feel good on the shorter runs but on the long run I was ok. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Sept 19, 2005 | 6.6 | 51:01 | My legs were absolute trash today. I was not feeling good at all. I just put in a slower run. I did run faster for the last few miles. |
| Sept 20, 2005 | 5.6 | 41:30 | I ran 19:35 to the gym and then did chest, back and abs and then ran home. Texas Street was INSANELY difficult. I was litterally almost walking up the damn hill. I had to stop and walk for about 10 seconds but then I pushed myself. |
| Sept 21, 2005 | 6.3 | 45:20 | My legs are just really tired. I ran around 4:30 today since I got to leave early from work. The sun was shining and it was not that hot but not cool enough for a nice run. I was slow at first but then sped in the last few miles due to wanting to get it over with. I will take tomorrow off and just do the gym. |
| Sept 23, 2005 | 6.8 | 48:30 | I'm in Chicago and ran around Lake Michigan on the paths. I ran pretty hard tonight to get a good tempo run in. I think I averaged under 7:00 pace. |
| Sept 25, 2005 | 22.2 | 2:45:01 | This was one of my worst long runs in a long time. It was very humid, raining and just not good running conditions in Chicago. I now appreciate even more the fact that San Diego one of the best places in the country to run. did not sleep that well, making up at 6:00 AM to eat and then set my alarm for 8:00. Now I am still on west coast time so my body felt like it was 4AM when I got up to eat. I was on the road by 9:15 due to hitting snooze at least five times. I needed to get the run over with. I started out from my friend Phil's place in Lakeview, which is about a half mile from the paths along Lake Michigan. I decided to go south towards downtown and beyond. The rain started about 10 minutes into the run. I was sad since I knew it was not going to be an easy day. It was quite warm about 75 or so when I started. I felt ok for the first six miles or so but my shirt became wetter and wetter and it was not so comfortable. My breathing was off due to the humidity and it was harder to run faster. I felt sluggish and my legs did not feel fresh. I was barely holding on to 7:30 pace according to my watch. I ran down to the Alder planetarium (about 10 miles) and then reversed back. I ran through the Navy Pier twice and over this bridge just before. There were a lot of tourists walking around in the way. I told myself this was just going to be what it was, and I could not focus on the time. In the last 5 miles or so I did try to push my pace harder but it was so painful. My legs at that point were gone. I was so happy to complete it. I did have to stop three times to get water since I ran out in my fuel belt. I did have to stop once to stretch my leg since my right knee was in pain for a brief period. It went away. I know the watch was off but it had new batteries since they died on my last run. With adjustments I ran 22.2 at a 7:25 pace or so - well below my target race time of 6:52 but I should have at least run this around 7:10 or so to be on target. All my other 20-milers have been at a 7:05 pace or better so this was a disappointment and did not give me confidence going into Long Beach Marathon on Oct. 16 - it's three weeks away! Here's my analysis of what went wrong. I was in a different environment (weather wise) than I usually train in - hot and humid, raining versus cool and dry. I did not sleep properly or enough (on a coach). Since I was at a conference I ate things I normally don't eat (part of a filet mignon at a dinner the night before). Even though I had a big pasta dinner two night before and ate bagels and other carbs throughout the weekend I felt like I did not have enough energy. I also did not have my Accelerade with me so I did not take in enough electrolytes during the run. I only used EmergenC but I don't think that was enough. I was more active than usual (going out, in bars with smokers, standing a lot, etc). Actually in Chicago you can still smoke in the bars and that really affected my lungs and throat. I guess I can't really take my performance on this run and compare it to anything else. I have to believe I will perform up to my standards on race day with "fresh legs". The taper has begun and the hard work is befind me. |
| Week Ending Sept 25, 2005 | 47.5 | GOAL 50 | Let's face it. I should have done at least 60 miles this week but didn't even make 50. I just don't think I can do the higher mileage. Since I traveled I thought I did a pretty good job of getting some miles in. Since I am weight training twice a week my mileage has gone down during this training cycle. It's ok. I know my body is stronger because of it. The long run this week was a disaster but that's ok. It's only one run out of many. Now is the time to focus on tapering. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Sept 26, 2005 | 5.6 | 42:00 | I ran with Front Runners and a few of us did trails through Balboa Park. It was very difficult to run trails since I have not done so in over a year. It was very shaky and I felt at time my ankles were going to turn. We went slower since it is impossible to go fast. My quads were in agony. I knew running today was going to be difficult but it was important for recovery to get the lactic acids out. |
| Sept 27, 2005 | 3.0 | 21:52 | I drove down Texas Street and parked. Then I ran about 11:00 to the gym, did chest, back and abs and then ran back to the car. I knew I was not going to be able to run back up Texas Street since my quads are still in rough shape. |
| Sept 28, 2005 | 6.6 | 45:20 | I ran harder and wore my pace watch. I averaged under 6:52 my marathon pace but it was not easy. I started out slow then sped up at the end. My legs are still off from my long run on Sunday. Tomorrow should be back to normal. |
| Sept 29, 2005 | 4.0 | 26:58 | I ran on the treadmill at the gym before I did my workout. I started out at 7:08 pace for the first mile or so and then kept speeding it up every so often. I finished with an average pace of 6:44. I ran really hard in the last mile. I can stay more focused on the treadmill since I am forced to run a pace and cannot slow down unless I input that I want to. |
| Oct 1, 2005 | 13.5 | 1:32:42 | I pushed it hard on this run. I wanted to try to get as close to marathon pace as possible as this is my last long run before my marathon. I think my watch is off by a half mile, so this came out to a 6:52 pace exactly - my marathon pace! I was very happy with how it went. I started at 9 AM and the sun was just coming out. My left calf is still kind of sore on the outside. I am getting new shoes this week so hopefully that will help. It goes away by the 5th mile usually. |
| Oct 2, 2005 | 4.6 | 30:16 | I ran very hard at times since I wanted to get a good tempo-ish run in. Now is the time to run harder and acclimate my body to the stress of holding a fast pace. |
| Week Ending Oct. 2, 2005 | 37.3 | GOAL 40 | This was the first taper week. I still wanted to do 40 but 37 I guess is close enough. I felt strong on my long run. All the hard work is behind me now. I am going to focus on pacing over the next two weeks until RACE DAY. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Oct. 3, 2005 | 3.8 | 27:33 | I didn't have a lot of time to run so I did a shorter run. |
| Oct. 4, 2005 | 5.5 | 38:30 | I am still having a problem with the side of my calf on my left leg. I know it's from being pushed too far out in terms of pronation of the foot. I am going to run without the insert in that shoe and see if that helps. I think I just need new shoes as these are now two months old. I can't be bothered like this in the marathon. It's too important. I have to have a strategy to deal with this. |
| Oct. 6, 2005 | 7.0 | 51:09 | I felt better on this run. I took yesterday off and just did elliptical for 30 min and weights (chest, back, abs). I definitely need to get my new sneakers tomorrow. I only have a week until the marathon. I know the cushion on these are faltering since I could feel slight pains in my knees - always a sign I need new shoes. I wish I had not waited so long. |
| Oct. 9, 2005 | 10.6 | 1:09:17 | I took the last two days off. I did elliptical and shoulders/tri/biceps/abs on Friday. Yesterday I did not run at all but walked a bit. Today's run went really well. I wore my new Kayanos which I got on Friday. I don't have that pain in my left calf muscle anymore. This run was hard. I pushed it from the beginning and I ended up averaging 6:35 pace if my watch was indeed off my .4 which I think it is for this distannce. I think I am ready for this marathon. Seven days left!! |
| Week Ending Oct. 9, 2005 | 27.4 | GOAL 30 | This was the second taper week. I took an extra day off so I did not hit goal but was close. I felt good on the runs later in the week. The new shoes help now. Training is pretty much over. I will let destiny pave the way next Sunday. |
| Date | Estimated Mileage | Time | Observations |
| Oct. 10, 2005 | 6.3 | 45:00 | I should not have run this hard. I had already walked about three miles earlier in the day. My legs were a bit heavy due to yesterday's hard run. I ran into Mission Hills from my friend's place in Hillcrest. I am focusing on drinking more water now. |
| Oct. 12, 2005 | 4.6 | 33:31 | I felt great the first 1.5 miles or so and then my left calf kind of tightened up with that not-so-stretched-out feeling. I was in a rush so I did not stretch properly and I did not drink enough water after lunch today. I am focusing more on water consumption so my body is very hydrated leading into the marathon. I have been carb loading starting today. My last run will be tomorrow. Then two days off and then the BIG DAY! |
| Oct. 13, 2005 | 6.66 | 44:30 | This was my last run before the marathon. I usually don't run two days before so my legs are fully rested. I wore my pace watch and it said I did 6.33 miles in 7:02 pace. I was trying to get it at my goal marathon pace (6:52). Since I know my watch is off I have calculated what pace I really ran. Since I ran the half marathon in Aug my watch said the distance was 12.4 instead of 13.1. Based on that my watch seems to be off by 5.3 percent. Taking that percentage and applying it to the distance I ran equates to 6.66 miles at a 6:41 pace. I ran way too fast and felt like I did. This is good since in the marathon I will run a lot slower than that. I am nervous but hopefully it will be a good day. Expect a report the evening of the marathon (Oct. 16) or the next day. I am crossing my fingers. |
| Oct 16, 2005 | 26.2 (Long Beach Marathon) | 3:09:00 | There are a lot of things to say about this marathon. Although I was disappointed that I did not accomplish my goal to break 3:00:00, I persevered and really fought hard in the last four miles to not succumb to a death march/walk. The conditions today were not the best due to a strong headwind along the beach and other areas of the course. I was on the verge of walking so many times in those last six miles. It was also very sunny with not much shade along the course. An overcast day would have been welcomed. Something inside me just clicked and I was able to run hard and finshed strong in the last four miles to get this Boston double qualifier. I was 40th out of 1,955 people and 4th place in my age division (25-29). The third place guy beat me by a mere 3 seconds! At the beginning I felt prepared but very nervous. I started out way too fast of course with a 6:30-something first mile (I always do that). For some reason my pace watch did not start and I missed a minute so it was always off. There were no clocks at the mile markers - just people yelling out times which was frustrating. My left calf was tightening up per usual in the first few miles. I just ignored the pain. It went away finally around mile 7 but it wasn't easy to just ignore it. I felt like I was working harder than usual. I was on pace, probably about 6:50ish. I needed to maintain 6:52 to stay on my goal pace. I needed to get to the 13.1 halfway point in under 1:30. The miles along the beach bike path (7-10) heading south were the hardest of the entire race. There was a very strong headwind that really slowed me down. I was doing about 7:30 pace there. There was a guy running behind me trying to sheild himself from the headwind which I did not appreciate. I could hear the rustling of his nylon running pants. Annoying! I ran faster in the miles leading up to the half way point (10-13). We finally left the beach and were on the roads again. The halfway point was in the middle of a park. Unfortunately there was no clock still (no clocks at any of the mile markers) and I had to guess my split. I figured out my watch was a minute off. My half split was 1:29:47 - 6:50 pace. I was on target but it seemed as soon as I hit mile 14 I knew keeping that pace was going to be incredibly difficult. I simply expended so much energy contending with the headwinds that my body felt like it was at mile 18. I took another approach to the second half of the race at that point. I simply just wanted to run a qualifying time (anything under 3:10:59). I figured if I had 1:40 to run the second half and qualify by the skin of my teeth. Honestly I didn't want to cut it that close so in my mind I was trying to run faster, but as the miles progressed I got slower and slower. There was another stretch of the course around mile 15-17 where there were more strong headwinds. I thought I wasn't going to be able to qualify at that point, but still knew in the back of my mind that if I averaged 8:00 pace, I could at least stay within range. I got passed by this blind guy who was running with a guide. There was also a camera man on a bike. It looked like they were filming a documentary. The blind guy was running really well. I tried to stay with them for a while, but simply could not. I saw them several times again before they pulled away completely. At mile 18 I figured out that I had to average 8:00 pace for the last 8 miles to get under 3:10:56 and re-qualify. I had some time left. I tried as hard as I could to maintain the pace but it seemed I was slipping slower and slower. I was at a critical point. I really wanted to fight it. In between mile 21 and 22 I felt like I wanted to walk. I saw a guy walking and he gave me the thumbs up and yelled, "You're doing a great job, keep it up." It motivated me to not walk. I thought the minute I walk I would not be able to get back to my pace. I learned this from my past seven marathon. Whatever you do, you should NEVER WALK in a marathon. I slowed to about 9:30 pace at that point. I was not going to give up and I was not going to walk! At mile 22 something in clicked inside me. I told myself I was going to try to make this work and I was going to run faster no matter what my body was telling me. I was going to run as hard as I could and ignore the pain. I worked way too hard to get to this point. Even though I had qualified for Boston in 2006 already I wanted the bonus year of 2007. All of a sudden I was blazing through the miles in under 7:30 pace. I knew I needed less than an 8:00 pace at that point, but did not know exactly how much. I figured it would not hurt to run faster. I missed the 23-mile marker completely since I was so focused on running faster. As I approached mile 24 I heard a women's voice on the sidelines tell me, "the rest of the course is all downhill" - music to my ears. It was certainly flat with a very slight decline and that helped me maintain my pace. I wouldn't call it "downhill" but it was a lot easier to run than the rest of the course. I was now running around 7:15 pace according to my watch. I was passing people left and right. I knew I could hold it for the next two miles. My friend Ivan, who I was staying with, lives on the street right at mile 25. As I approached it I was looking for Kennebec Street for what seemed like ages. Then I finally saw it. I knew there were only 1.2 miles left. I pushed it to an even higher level. My hip flexors were firing with pain, but my calves were still ok. The toes of my right foot were swollen but I didn't care. They started to lose feeling around mile 16 or so. I did not know why but I just ignored it. I still didn't know if I was going to break 3:10:59. It was hard to determine. I just pretended I was on the track during that last mile. I pretended I was doing a mile repeat. I passed a few more people on my way. A woman yelled "only three more lights then take a left and it's downhill to the finish." I knew I was very close. I looked at my watch. The clock was at 3:07-something. I turned the corner and glided down the hill. I saw the finish clock read 3:08-something. I knew I was going to do it so I just continued to sprint. At this point I felt like I was going to vomit. I practically dove through the finish line and saw it was 3:09. I didn't know my official time until about an hour after. I crawled through the finish chute (seems to be my trademark). I was so exhausted and breathing very hard. I wanted to puke but could not. This was one of my hardest marathons since I was on the verge of giving up. I dug deep in adverse conditions to make it work. This really demonstrated that the experience I gained from my 7 previous marathons came into play in a major way. I am so proud I was able to do attack the last 4 miles of the course and re-qualify despite the intense pain I was in. I was not devastated that I did not break 3 hours. I knew that goal was a bit lofty due to not putting in enough miles during my training cycle (my peak week was 48, usually I have 65 as a climax). Given that this was my first marathon of the year after a year of so many injuries, and that it was my first marathon since June of 2004, I was satisfied. I didn't think I could get a marathon in during 2005 at all. I turned my negative thoughts around and used mental imagery to get through those last four miles of the race. Now I have a qualifying time for the 2007 Boston Marathon. I will not have the pressure to re-qualify at the 2006 Boston Marathon. Fall marathons double qualify you for both years but I already had my injury-deferment from my last marathon to get me into 2006. In order for me to run a sub-3 hour marathon I need to do the following. 1. Speedwork - I did no organized track workouts at all this time around. I had no time and I did not want to risk injury to my sometimes unstable shins. Now I think I can handle it again. 2. More tempo runs - I really didn't do many runs faster than my marathon pace. I have to go to the running group once a week and run a faster run at about 6:30/6:15 pace for at least four miles. I used to do this all the time in Boston but here have not really done so. 3. Increase mileage - I need to simply run more miles. Maybe not do the weight training twice a week. I didn't really see a benefit and I gained about 5 pounds of muscle mass that most likely slowed me down. I'm looking forward to taking two months off from training. I will run but not do any long runs and just take it easy until mid -December and start organized training for Boston. |
