Since the Louisville Marathon Oct. 19, I've had some health issues that have backtracked my training and racing. My back has been giving me some problems along with some severe headaches and a few other more minimal issues I've encountered. I had an MRI on my head and lower back and they showed that I probably have a cyst on my brain along with some other more complicated problems, and my back has a few bulging discs, one that is pitching my nerve, and I might have some other problem that is a little more serious that I'm not that familiar with. I'm going to see a neurosurgeon this Friday. As you can tell, I'm a little banged up.
With that said, I recently bought a treadmill (which I've been wanting for a long time) and I'm going to start back running and continue running until a doctor tells me I shouldn't, which they have yet to do. But I am cutting my mileage, not running as many days per week and doing most of my running on the treadmill, which to me seems like less strain on my back with the even surface and no twists and turns. I'm not sure what (if any) races I'm going to attempt yet but they will most likely be low-key races around the area. If I get in good training and a few longer runs, I might attempt a marathon in early spring. I'm not sure about that, though. I guess I will just have to wait and see how it all unfolds.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Getting back on the roads
Okay, so I took three weeks off after the Louisville Marathon Oct. 19 and now it's time to get back on the roads. I'm excited to get back to training but I haven't decided on what races to do yet. Right now, I'm thinking about the Otter Creek Trail Marathon Dec. 14 but that's just five weeks away so I'm not sure yet. I might opt to do the 8-mile race or the 16-mile race but would really like to run the marathon if my training is going okay the next few weeks.
I was thinking (actually I already decided) to run the Rocky Raccoon 100-mile race in Texas this February, but after a few days decided not to attempt it for money reasons. With the situation I'm in with trying to sell my Shelbyville house, I don't have the cash to spend on a weekend trip to Texas and a $120 race fee. I guess I'll just have to save those 100-milers for later when I'm more financially stable. If only they had a 100-miler in Kentucky?
Also, I was thinking about running Boston this year since I qualified again — and a few guys I know are running it — but my wife is pregnant with our second child which is due in late April. So that's out of the question.
I'll just see how my training is going and then pick a race to focus on. I'll just see how it goes.
I was thinking (actually I already decided) to run the Rocky Raccoon 100-mile race in Texas this February, but after a few days decided not to attempt it for money reasons. With the situation I'm in with trying to sell my Shelbyville house, I don't have the cash to spend on a weekend trip to Texas and a $120 race fee. I guess I'll just have to save those 100-milers for later when I'm more financially stable. If only they had a 100-miler in Kentucky?
Also, I was thinking about running Boston this year since I qualified again — and a few guys I know are running it — but my wife is pregnant with our second child which is due in late April. So that's out of the question.
I'll just see how my training is going and then pick a race to focus on. I'll just see how it goes.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Louisville Marathon, 2:58:53
Well, I achieved my No. 1 goal to set a new PR, and I felt relatively good most of the way so I was definitely pleased with my performance in the Louisville Marathon this past Sunday. I finished the course in 2:58:53 chip time (previous PR was 2:59:13 from the Kentucky Derby Marathon 2007), which placed me 8th overall and 1st in the Male 25-29 division. It was a 6:50-per-mile average.
In the week leading up to the race, I did low mileage with nothing but easy runs with light strides. I took off the day before the race to really rest up. I was planning on running a 5K at goal marathon pace about five days out from the marathon, but decided just to run easy when my hamstrings were tight. On race morning, I felt really good after a 5-minute easy jog and one light stride. As for nutrition (for future reference) I ate a large pasta meal two nights before the race, a large breakfast of pancakes, oatmeal and scrambled eggs the morning before the race and a lighter dinner of pasta and meatballs the night before the race. On race day, I ate one piece of toast with jelly, a yogurt and a healthy bar with some powerade at 5:45 a.m. The race started at 8 a.m. I sipped on just water up to the race, but didn't drink as much as I usually do, which I preferred. Too much water makes my bladder hurt for the first half of the race and it's hard for me to drink. During the race, I took water from every water table except for the first one and took two gel packs (at miles 15 and 20), which I carried with me. I liked this approach as this was the first marathon I felt like I had energy to finish strong and wasn't dehydrated.
Okay, now for the actual race. I started out running with Jon Brenenstuhl at 6:30-6:40 pace, which was our pre-marathon plan. I don't really remember many splits but I know the first mile was 6:34 and we had a few (miles 8-10) right at or a little under 6:30s. Jon was feeling good and he started to pull away from me at around 12 miles (which I thought was about right). I ran by myself for a little while then got on the heels of a guy who went past me from miles 15 to 20. I think I passed the halfway point in around 1:27:30 (not exactly sure on this as it hasn't been posted yet). If I remember correctly, I passed 18 miles in 2:00:03, and 20 miles at around 2:13:30. Rewind the race a little, and at 6 miles I started to feel my hamstrings tighten up like they were about to start cramping, but I tried to ignore the pain in fear that I would tense up and cause it to cramp more. At 22 miles, though, the pain started to get worst so I slowed down to try to take shorter strides. When I opened up my stride, I could feel it tense up a little more. I have a history of cramping, and I wanted to get to the finish line cramp-free this time so I backed off even though I wasn't feeling that bad considering where I was at in the race. I'm not sure on my time, but at 25 miles I knew I had to pick it up if I wanted to get a new PR so I really tried to push it in from that point forward. I was still afraid of cramping so I ran 3 1-minute hard surges with short rests (a slower but steady pace) between each one. Then, I really kicked it in the final quarter mile to get under 2:59:00. It was tough, but I made it without cramping.
Like I said, I was pleased with the race. I think if it wasn't for the whole I'm-afraid-of-cramping scenario, I could have possibly ran at least a few minutes faster. By looking back at my training log from the 12 weeks leading up to the race (especially with the setbacks from injuries and sicknesses), it was a great race for me. This was probably the worst training I've done leading up to a marathon, but I was able to run a PR because I didn't cramp — that made all the difference.
A few days after the race, I'm obviously still sore but I'm feeling mentally fresh and ready for my next challenge. I'm not sure what that will be yet. My quads are the main thing that's hurting right now. I'll take this week completely off and might start jogging next week. Then, I'll look at my options and see how it unfolds.
By the way, Jon ran a 2:46:55 for 2nd overall off similar training that I did.
In the week leading up to the race, I did low mileage with nothing but easy runs with light strides. I took off the day before the race to really rest up. I was planning on running a 5K at goal marathon pace about five days out from the marathon, but decided just to run easy when my hamstrings were tight. On race morning, I felt really good after a 5-minute easy jog and one light stride. As for nutrition (for future reference) I ate a large pasta meal two nights before the race, a large breakfast of pancakes, oatmeal and scrambled eggs the morning before the race and a lighter dinner of pasta and meatballs the night before the race. On race day, I ate one piece of toast with jelly, a yogurt and a healthy bar with some powerade at 5:45 a.m. The race started at 8 a.m. I sipped on just water up to the race, but didn't drink as much as I usually do, which I preferred. Too much water makes my bladder hurt for the first half of the race and it's hard for me to drink. During the race, I took water from every water table except for the first one and took two gel packs (at miles 15 and 20), which I carried with me. I liked this approach as this was the first marathon I felt like I had energy to finish strong and wasn't dehydrated.
Okay, now for the actual race. I started out running with Jon Brenenstuhl at 6:30-6:40 pace, which was our pre-marathon plan. I don't really remember many splits but I know the first mile was 6:34 and we had a few (miles 8-10) right at or a little under 6:30s. Jon was feeling good and he started to pull away from me at around 12 miles (which I thought was about right). I ran by myself for a little while then got on the heels of a guy who went past me from miles 15 to 20. I think I passed the halfway point in around 1:27:30 (not exactly sure on this as it hasn't been posted yet). If I remember correctly, I passed 18 miles in 2:00:03, and 20 miles at around 2:13:30. Rewind the race a little, and at 6 miles I started to feel my hamstrings tighten up like they were about to start cramping, but I tried to ignore the pain in fear that I would tense up and cause it to cramp more. At 22 miles, though, the pain started to get worst so I slowed down to try to take shorter strides. When I opened up my stride, I could feel it tense up a little more. I have a history of cramping, and I wanted to get to the finish line cramp-free this time so I backed off even though I wasn't feeling that bad considering where I was at in the race. I'm not sure on my time, but at 25 miles I knew I had to pick it up if I wanted to get a new PR so I really tried to push it in from that point forward. I was still afraid of cramping so I ran 3 1-minute hard surges with short rests (a slower but steady pace) between each one. Then, I really kicked it in the final quarter mile to get under 2:59:00. It was tough, but I made it without cramping.
Like I said, I was pleased with the race. I think if it wasn't for the whole I'm-afraid-of-cramping scenario, I could have possibly ran at least a few minutes faster. By looking back at my training log from the 12 weeks leading up to the race (especially with the setbacks from injuries and sicknesses), it was a great race for me. This was probably the worst training I've done leading up to a marathon, but I was able to run a PR because I didn't cramp — that made all the difference.
A few days after the race, I'm obviously still sore but I'm feeling mentally fresh and ready for my next challenge. I'm not sure what that will be yet. My quads are the main thing that's hurting right now. I'll take this week completely off and might start jogging next week. Then, I'll look at my options and see how it unfolds.
By the way, Jon ran a 2:46:55 for 2nd overall off similar training that I did.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Week of Oct. 6-Oct. 12
In my final week of training before the Louisville Marathon Oct. 19, I got in lower-than-normal mileage but still maintained my fitness in an effort to rest up for the 26.2-miler. I ended up running 35 miles total with one workout on the roads, one steady-hard effort of 60 minutes and one day of speed work that included football.
The workout on the road was run last Wednesday. I measured off a 3-mile course (1.5 miles out and back) on flood road in Cropper, which had some hills and some sharp curves. My goal was to run the first one at marathon effort (6:30-6:45) and the second one at close to 6-minute miles with a 5-minute jog recovery between the two. I started out a little too fast and ended up running the first one in 19:00 (6:20-pace) which felt fine, then I ran the second one in 18:05 (6:01-pace) which was just where I wanted to be. The workout went according to plan. I had to push towards the end of the second 3-miler, but otherwise I felt fine.
On the 60-minute run, I ran mainly on a looped course on the roads so I could work on drinking water out of a cup. I always say I need to work on that before a marathon but this is the first time I ever actually did it. I ran, what I calculated to be, around 7-minute pace for most of the run and really picked it up towards the end. I had six different cups to drink during the run, and I finally figured out the best way to drink while maintaining a pace close to marathon effort. (I won't go into details here.) The run went well. It was my final run this long and at this pace before the marathon.
As for the football game the following day, Saturday, I used it as a speed workout with tons, tons and tons of sprints during the three hours. We started out playing tackle and then switched over the flag. Let me say I am way more sore than I expected to be a few days later. When I play football, I pretty much run hard, all-out routes the entire time, and also run a lot on defense, so I got a very good workout in. I counted it as four miles, but I think I probably underestimated the distance I actually completed. The football game is an annual tradition with some of my friends (we played 8-against-8 most of the time) so I decided to go ahead and play - which might not have been such a great idea the weekend before the marathon. I did get in a good day of speed though, something I haven't done in a while, which could have led to my soreness.
Here is a breakdown of my week...
Monday: 4 miles easy
Tuesday: 6 miles easy
Wednesday: 5 minutes easy, 2 x 3 miles (19:00, 18:05) with 5 minutes jog recovery, 5 minutes easy = 8 miles
Thursday: 4 miles easy
Friday: 60 minutes at sub-7 pace, plus 5 x fast strides with jog between each one = 9 miles
Saturday: 3 hours of football — used it as a day for speed workout = 4 miles
Sunday: DNR. Sore from yesterday's football game.
This week I'm going to take it easy with light runs lasting no more than 30 minutes, light strides and maybe one 3-miler on the roads at 5K pace to keep my legs moving fast. With the marathon less than a week away, hopefully I'll be ready to go this coming Sunday.
Also, I found out today that the Louisville Marathon had to switch its course back to the same one they used last year, which means it will be very flat and mainly run along River Road and through some parks. It also means the half-marathon and marathon runners will be starting together. I was actually looking forward to just running with the marathoners the entire time, but it's all right. I guess I'll just see how I'm feeling Sunday.
The workout on the road was run last Wednesday. I measured off a 3-mile course (1.5 miles out and back) on flood road in Cropper, which had some hills and some sharp curves. My goal was to run the first one at marathon effort (6:30-6:45) and the second one at close to 6-minute miles with a 5-minute jog recovery between the two. I started out a little too fast and ended up running the first one in 19:00 (6:20-pace) which felt fine, then I ran the second one in 18:05 (6:01-pace) which was just where I wanted to be. The workout went according to plan. I had to push towards the end of the second 3-miler, but otherwise I felt fine.
On the 60-minute run, I ran mainly on a looped course on the roads so I could work on drinking water out of a cup. I always say I need to work on that before a marathon but this is the first time I ever actually did it. I ran, what I calculated to be, around 7-minute pace for most of the run and really picked it up towards the end. I had six different cups to drink during the run, and I finally figured out the best way to drink while maintaining a pace close to marathon effort. (I won't go into details here.) The run went well. It was my final run this long and at this pace before the marathon.
As for the football game the following day, Saturday, I used it as a speed workout with tons, tons and tons of sprints during the three hours. We started out playing tackle and then switched over the flag. Let me say I am way more sore than I expected to be a few days later. When I play football, I pretty much run hard, all-out routes the entire time, and also run a lot on defense, so I got a very good workout in. I counted it as four miles, but I think I probably underestimated the distance I actually completed. The football game is an annual tradition with some of my friends (we played 8-against-8 most of the time) so I decided to go ahead and play - which might not have been such a great idea the weekend before the marathon. I did get in a good day of speed though, something I haven't done in a while, which could have led to my soreness.
Here is a breakdown of my week...
Monday: 4 miles easy
Tuesday: 6 miles easy
Wednesday: 5 minutes easy, 2 x 3 miles (19:00, 18:05) with 5 minutes jog recovery, 5 minutes easy = 8 miles
Thursday: 4 miles easy
Friday: 60 minutes at sub-7 pace, plus 5 x fast strides with jog between each one = 9 miles
Saturday: 3 hours of football — used it as a day for speed workout = 4 miles
Sunday: DNR. Sore from yesterday's football game.
This week I'm going to take it easy with light runs lasting no more than 30 minutes, light strides and maybe one 3-miler on the roads at 5K pace to keep my legs moving fast. With the marathon less than a week away, hopefully I'll be ready to go this coming Sunday.
Also, I found out today that the Louisville Marathon had to switch its course back to the same one they used last year, which means it will be very flat and mainly run along River Road and through some parks. It also means the half-marathon and marathon runners will be starting together. I was actually looking forward to just running with the marathoners the entire time, but it's all right. I guess I'll just see how I'm feeling Sunday.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Week of Sept. 29-Oct. 5
Just a few weeks left until the Louisville Marathon and I got in decent mileage this week with about 46 miles. I count my weekly mileage from Monday through Sunday, but during a 7-day stretch (Sunday through Saturday) I actually got in 71 so I was pleased with that. Due to a couple of setbacks the last month, I don't feel as strong as I was hoping I would at this point, but I think I'm fit enough to possible PR in Louisville.
I was looking over the marathon's website the other day and noticed a few changes: (1) This will also be the USA Military Championships, which should draw in some faster runners I would think. (2) The route used last year has been completely changed for this year with the race running mainly through downtown Louisville, which might add a few more hills but it still should be a fast, flat course, and more scenic. (3) The half-marathon and marathon runners will be starting at different places but will use the same finish. Actually, I like this change since I usually get caught up in trying to pace off of an inconsistent half runner. Plus, I'll know what place I'm in with the other marathoners from the get-go.
Here's what I ran last week. Sunday I did a 24- to 25-mile long run.
Monday: DNR - rest after yesterday's long run
Tuesday: warmup, 2 x 2 miles on slow, grass course in 12:30, 12:45, cooldown = 6 miles
Wednesday: AM 6 miles, PM 4 miles = 10 miles
Thursday: AM 4 miles, PM 20 minutes, 10 x hill sprints, 10 minutes = 10 miles
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday 16 miles w/ miles 4-14 at sub-7 pace
Decent week. This upcoming week I want to cut mileage back just a tad, get in one "good" workout and a few solid runs. Then, I'll rest up for the actual marathon.
I was looking over the marathon's website the other day and noticed a few changes: (1) This will also be the USA Military Championships, which should draw in some faster runners I would think. (2) The route used last year has been completely changed for this year with the race running mainly through downtown Louisville, which might add a few more hills but it still should be a fast, flat course, and more scenic. (3) The half-marathon and marathon runners will be starting at different places but will use the same finish. Actually, I like this change since I usually get caught up in trying to pace off of an inconsistent half runner. Plus, I'll know what place I'm in with the other marathoners from the get-go.
Here's what I ran last week. Sunday I did a 24- to 25-mile long run.
Monday: DNR - rest after yesterday's long run
Tuesday: warmup, 2 x 2 miles on slow, grass course in 12:30, 12:45, cooldown = 6 miles
Wednesday: AM 6 miles, PM 4 miles = 10 miles
Thursday: AM 4 miles, PM 20 minutes, 10 x hill sprints, 10 minutes = 10 miles
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday 16 miles w/ miles 4-14 at sub-7 pace
Decent week. This upcoming week I want to cut mileage back just a tad, get in one "good" workout and a few solid runs. Then, I'll rest up for the actual marathon.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Week of Oct. 22-Oct. 28
Following the 30K race on Sunday, Oct. 21, I decided to take some down time to recover and get ready for a couple of weeks of solid training before backing down for the Louisville Marathon. Of course, with days off, my mileage was really low, but I was able to run the longest long run I've run a long time of around 25 miles (though it was brutal) and I feel reasonably fine heading into another week of training. Here's what the week consisted of:
(Sunday: 30K race in 2:05:00)
Monday: Did not run, very sore!!!
Tuesday: Did not run, still sore!!
Wednesday; Did not run, still sore!
Thursday: 4 miles easy, pushing Emma. Still sore but couldn't take another day off
Friday: 4 miles easy, still sore but feeling better
Saturday: Did not run, decided to do a long run the following day so took off to rest up
Sunday: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 40 seconds = around 25 miles I calculated. Started out at what I felt like was around 8-minute miles, slowed down to 8:30's after about 2 hours, then struggled in the final hour. Ran from my house in Pleasureville to the Game Farm in Frankfort. The last 30 minutes were really brutal, but I worked through it and got in a good long run.
So my mileage for the week was around 33 miles in just three runs. This week, my plan is to do one workout at marathon-pace or faster, one session of hill sprints to work on power and strength, and run one semi-long run at a faster pace.
(Sunday: 30K race in 2:05:00)
Monday: Did not run, very sore!!!
Tuesday: Did not run, still sore!!
Wednesday; Did not run, still sore!
Thursday: 4 miles easy, pushing Emma. Still sore but couldn't take another day off
Friday: 4 miles easy, still sore but feeling better
Saturday: Did not run, decided to do a long run the following day so took off to rest up
Sunday: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 40 seconds = around 25 miles I calculated. Started out at what I felt like was around 8-minute miles, slowed down to 8:30's after about 2 hours, then struggled in the final hour. Ran from my house in Pleasureville to the Game Farm in Frankfort. The last 30 minutes were really brutal, but I worked through it and got in a good long run.
So my mileage for the week was around 33 miles in just three runs. This week, my plan is to do one workout at marathon-pace or faster, one session of hill sprints to work on power and strength, and run one semi-long run at a faster pace.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Louisville Downtown Doubler 30K
Sunday's Louisville Downtown Doubler 30K went according to plan, but I'm a little more sore than I wanted to be two days afterwards. I finished at 2 hours and 5 minutes on the dot, which I think was 5th-place overall (the results aren't posted yet as of Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.).
I started out at a 6:49-mile, ran in the 6:50s for a while, then dropped to 6:40s, then dropped to 6:30s. I think my fastest mile was 6:27 at around mile 14. I felt relaxed but really started to feel it the final two miles. I ran in a new pair of Nike racing flats I recently bought, and I'm glad I did because now I know not to use them in the actual marathon. My feet were burning those last few miles. My pace went above 7 minutes, but I didn't push too hard at the end.
I didn't feel too bad for the rest of the day on Sunday, but when Monday morning rolled around I was definitely feeling it in my legs. It felt about like it does the day after racing a half-marathon all out. Actually, with the limited training I had the two weeks leading up to the race, I might be a little more sore. And I was just as tight Tuesday morning when I woke up.
I'll take two days off following the race, then jog for a couple of days before resuming normal training. I now have four weeks left until the marathon. My plan is to run 6:30 to 6:45 miles, which should be easier to maintain in four weeks. My key runs from now until then will be a 3-hour long run to build the all-important endurance, hill sprints to increase my strength and 2 x 5K on the track to work on pace. Hopefully I'll be ready.
I started out at a 6:49-mile, ran in the 6:50s for a while, then dropped to 6:40s, then dropped to 6:30s. I think my fastest mile was 6:27 at around mile 14. I felt relaxed but really started to feel it the final two miles. I ran in a new pair of Nike racing flats I recently bought, and I'm glad I did because now I know not to use them in the actual marathon. My feet were burning those last few miles. My pace went above 7 minutes, but I didn't push too hard at the end.
I didn't feel too bad for the rest of the day on Sunday, but when Monday morning rolled around I was definitely feeling it in my legs. It felt about like it does the day after racing a half-marathon all out. Actually, with the limited training I had the two weeks leading up to the race, I might be a little more sore. And I was just as tight Tuesday morning when I woke up.
I'll take two days off following the race, then jog for a couple of days before resuming normal training. I now have four weeks left until the marathon. My plan is to run 6:30 to 6:45 miles, which should be easier to maintain in four weeks. My key runs from now until then will be a 3-hour long run to build the all-important endurance, hill sprints to increase my strength and 2 x 5K on the track to work on pace. Hopefully I'll be ready.
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