Marathon Training Log - January 31st - Day 39 - 15 miles

The last run for the month of January. Fitting that it is a 15 miler I suppose. The distances have really started to build this month, and today's was the longest so far. I got up about 6 and ate 2 bananas, 2 cups of coffee, and a cliff's bar. Those things are good! Rob came by and picked me up on his way to work. The plan was for him to drop me off at 4th and Broadway in Pittsburg (Kansas) and I would run home. This worked out pretty good, cause there are some nice paved roads that have less traffic than the major highways most people drive. Also, there was a slight breeze out of the south, and all of this run is either to the north or west. To top things off, the sun was at my back and side, so no going blind. I felt amazing, and the weather is the most perfect for a long run. No wind, 30 degrees when I left, sunny and 40 by the time I arrived. I felt awesome the first 10 miles, and just normal fatigue after that. About 14, my legs, knees and ankles got really tired. I know this has to do with knowing I was almost home. I walked about a block2 different times, to drink half my bottle and eat a gel pack. They really kick in good after a mile or so.... I need to get some more.

Stats up to now:

	Total	Average	Maximum	Minimum
Duration (hh:mm:ss)	30:33:02	0:47:00	2:06:43	0:23:24
Distance miles	215.64	5.53	15.10	3.00
Average Heart Rate (bpm)		0	0	0
Maximum Heart Rate (bpm)		0	0	0
Average Speed mph		7.09	7.94	5.68
Maximum Speed mph		0.00	0.00	0.00
Pace min/mi		8.49	10.56	7.56
Steps	0	0	0	0
Calories (kcal)	29002	743	2022	383

Marathon Training Log - January 29th - Day 38 - 5 miles

This morning was a struggle to get out of bed. Not because I didnt want to run, but because of our (now weekly) boardgame night. I hosted last night and we played Robo Rally until about midnight. That was fun, but it comes with a price... I am just not used to staying up late.

Again today there was no wind. It was about 22 degrees when I left at 5:45, actually a bit warmer than it has been for a few days. I ran 5 miles today instead of 4, just cause I felt like it... The weather was nice, and the roads were mostly clear with the exception of an icy patch here and there. All in all a good day, I wore my old shoes again, and I am convinced that I need a size 12. I will look for a pair this weekend. I will probably switch to a new pair a month or so before the race.

I really didn't think about much else this morning (probably because I was tired) but I did think that maybe I will do something to make the shorter runs a bit harder. I could wear a weighted vest, or carry some weights... I will have to think some more on that...

Tomorrow is a day off, then a BIG 15 miler on Saturday. I think I am gonna run to Pittsburg and try and hitch a ride home. I need some new scenery. Until next time...

Marathon Training Log - January 28th - Day 37 - 7.76 miles

Guess what... it was cold today. Broken freaking record. It was cold...blah blah... It was slick...blah blah.... Ran 7.76 miles in 1:09:07. Not too bad considering the snow and ice. I felt good before, during and after. Hrmmm... Oh, it was 6 degrees, no wind... I don't particularly like snow, but the sparkles reflecting on the snow from the lights was really pretty. I got passed by maybe 3 cars the entire duration of my run. It is like the world is frozen solid, and I am the last molecule in the block of ice that is still fighting to keep moving.

I realized something today. I figured out at least one of the reasons I want to do a marathon (people ask me this all the time). There is this feeling you get after you finish something extremely difficult. I have felt it before, not been able to reproduce it for a long time. By difficult, I am not talking about an algebra test or working a 12 hour shift. I am talking about something so hard that at some point the ONLY THING you can think of is how much you want to quit. When quitting seems like the only option available, the only possible outcome but you keep pushing on and finish it anyway. Finishing, when you really and truly believed that you would not be able to finish gives you an indescribable feeling of accomplishment. That is why I am running a marathon. I want to want to quit. That's why I like the cold, the ice, the wind... If I don't get it from this marathon, I will keep looking.

Marathon Training Log - January 27th - Day 36 - 3 miles

Man, to look at my 3 mile time today you would think that I broke a hip or something... My time was 29:47 for 3 miles! Yikes... At least I have an ice storm to blame. Started sleeting yesterday about 3 pm. Businesses were closing, schools were canceling, and the police were urging people just to stay at home. The funny thing is, the main part of the storm had not really hit us yet, but was expected between 3-7 am. Nice, I run about 6 am everyday. So, aside from the amazingly slick surface, the freaky cold wind, and my eyelashes freezing it was a perfect day for a run. The roads were like polished marble with a dusting of baby powder for good measure. I wore an extra fleece hood, and an additional cotton sweatsuit under my fleece shells. Temp-wise, I was not cold at all...actually quite the opposite. I was pretty sweaty at the bottom layer. The wind really wasn't too bad, and the fleece over hood is like Eskimo style (sticking out like Kenny from South Park) and it blocked the wind nicely. Mostly I am just griping cause I am ready for spring.

Other changes today include: No tape, braces, wraps... Body feels like a 10. (could have to do with the 10 min/mile pace) Also, I switched back to my old size 12 New Balance 790's. I have been wearing same shoe in size 11. I need 12's. Feet feel much better after running in the 12's. The only reason I got the 11's was cause that was all they had, and my 12's rubber is worn to the foam on the inside heel of my right shoe. I must drag that, cause that is always where my shoes wear out. So I guess that is about it... Tomorrow should be interesting, a 7 miler on crappy ice covered roads... could take me 2 hrs! Anyway, until next time...

Marathon Training Log - January 24th - Day 35 - 10.59 miles

Cold. Cold. Cold. This was a stepback week. Long mileage dropped from 14 miles to 10 miles. Unfortunately, it was much colder today than last Saturday. 13 at 9 am! 17 mph wind out of the NE. I decided to mix it up some and decided to run down an old trail that is what remains of some railroad tracks that were removed 20 years ago or so. I have run by it a lot of times, and in the winter, from the road, it looks fairly smooth and clear of weeds and brush. I turned down the old rail path, and about 300 yards down from the road, it became very over grown. Sticker bushes, fallen trees, ruts, blackberry bush...etc. It was fun going over, under, around and through all the crud and also verrrrry slow. This track used to run for miles, but about 3/4 of a mile into the bush the path ended at a farmer's fence. So much for that. I turned around, went back and that was that. I decided I would just stick to the roads and head east. With the wind out of the north, it was a safe bet that heading out by the golf course would keep me from pushing for miles directly into the wind. Wasn't too bad, I finished 10.6 miles in about 1:28. My sweat and exhaled water vapor kept freezing and i kept knocking ice off my face mask...picture follows (not bad, considering I took it with my Blackberry without breaking stride! :-> ) You can see the ice...lol. I can't wait for it to warm up, cause I look dumb. I need to invest in some more stylish cold weather gear. (Glasses due to the morning sun blinding me) At about 6 miles, I walked for about a block and slurped down about 10 ounces of water and a Strawberry Banana Powerbar Gel Pack man they are GOOD! I noticed a real good boost somewhere in the next 1-2 miles... I am definately going to start taking one or two of them with me on long runs. They are easy to swallow, taste good and give a good energy boost. If you are interested, here is the route I took today ( kinda guessing on the railroad trail). I haven't done a summary for a while, so here it goes:

Cardio Summary Report

	Total	Average	Maximum	Minimum
Duration (hh:mm:ss)	26:05:24	0:44:44	1:55:54	0:23:24
Distance miles	184.82	5.28	13.60	3.00
Average Heart Rate (bpm)		0	0	0
Maximum Heart Rate (bpm)		0	0	0
Average Speed mph		7.13	7.94	5.68
Maximum Speed mph		0.00	0.00	0.00
Pace min/mi		8.45	10.56	7.56
Steps	0	0	0	0
Calories (kcal)	24936	712	1879	383

Marathon Training Log - January 22th - Day 34 - 4.75 miles

Didn't make it out to run this morning. ;(. I was too tired after playing boardgames at Gene's house last night. But, I did make it out right after work! Before dinner is not that bad of a time to run. I kind of like it. Also, it was much much warmer today. Around 60! Oh yeah. I wore shorts and a long sleeve tee shirt. Nothing on my head at all! I usually like to take it easy on Thursdays run (especially after being out till 2 last night and getting up at 6 this morning) but apparently wearing less clothes helps. I just finished 4.75 miles in 35:54. That is less than 8 minute mile pace, and I wasn't even trying very hard. I feel pretty good... maybe I will start getting a mile or 2 in after work. Here is the map of my route today courtesy of Google hack Gmap Pedometer. Until next time...

Marathon Training Log - January 21th - Day 33 - 7.2 miles

What can I say about today? Well, I was up at 4:58 am, and beat my alarm to the punch line. I made a cup of coffee and ate a banana before suiting up, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to eat a little something before a 7 mile pre-dawn jog. I covered up like I was headed for an Antarctic vacation and headed out about 5:30. Man I look pretty goofy. Meh...whatever...
Finished in 1:00:02. That was a good pace even with the cold wind blowing. Body felt great, wore knee brace and a piece of tape around each foot... body was a 10 after, and the run itself didn't feel that long at all. I was a bit worried about that distance before work, since I would be sitting most of the day, but I stretched out when I got home, and feel fine. That's really all I have to say about today. Until next time...

Marathon Training Log - January 20th - Day 32 - 3 miles

Tuesday runs are very enjoyable. I think there are a couple of reasons for this. The first reason is the fact that I am coming off of a day's rest and my legs feel awesome. Second, 3 miles is miniscule compared to the 13+ that I did on Saturday. Also, now that I think about it, I also miss running after taking a day off. Weird right?

So this morning I realized something; I am almost oblivious to the cold. I suppose that I have just become acclimatized. Earlier in the winter I used to not really look forward to the idea of going out in 10-20 degree weather, but now it is basically not an issue. I look at the current weather, but only to determine what I am going to wear for the run (not to be fashionable by any means -- I think I will post a pic on here with me all covered up like I'm headed to Hoth for a TaunTaun hunting expedition). This morning is was about 25, with a bit of wind out of the north.

On my Running Comfort Scale (patent pending, lol) I would give today a 10. I wore no tape, no knee braces and had no pain at all. My time was 24 minutes exactly and I was just running at a comfortable pace. This is exciting to me, because my race times in the 5k this summer were between 21:00 - 22:30 and that is in ideal weather conditions with no real long runs in between to cause any fatigue. I am curious what my time would be now under similar circumstances? I guess I will find out soon enough.

Today was the first run of week 9 in my training program so after this week, I will be officially half way complete. It really builds the miles from here out. Tomorrow the mid week distance jumps from 6 to 7 miles (quite a distance to tackle before work) and will eventually peak out at 10 in week 15. Until next time... oh wait, If I had forgotten to mention it already, since I basically quit drining alcohol all together in mid December, I am down from 189 pounds to 184 pounds. So I suppose that cutting those excess calories has helped...hmmm all my little nagging injuries have seem to clear up as well... Anyway, until next time!

Marathon Training Log - January 17th - Day 31 - 14 miles

This was my longest run to date. The program called for 13, but I just like to overshoot a bit to make sure that I got the distance covered even if I miscalculate or something. I finished in 1:55:54... Google says that is was 13.6 miles. Here is the map of the route. Wow, almost 2 hours of continuous, nonstop running and that is only a bit over half of a full marathon. I have come a long way after completing the first 8 week, but have a LOT left to go.

Well, I read stories about it, and now I get to experience it first hand. They say that some long distance runners will have toenails that turn black and fall off from the pounding. I took my shoes and socks off after I got back, and the left side of my left big toe is not quite black...but a nice charcoal gray. I don't know if it's going to fall off or not, but it feels kind of weird. Maybe I will post a picture of it later... yum... everyone loves feet. Keeping with the random nature of this post, I am learning things with almost each training run, the most important one this morning was to take it easy on the spicy foods the night before. I figured I would stock up on some high quality carbs the night before a long run, so about 8 I fired up the stove and made 4 packs of Top Ramen... yum. Well, rarely do I eat things exactly as they are designed to be eaten (seems I am always adding stuff) and added a few chicken boulion cubes, some cayenne pepper and a buch of cracked red pepper(yeah I love me some spice). Boy was it GOOD! Long story short, about 30 minutes into my long run, the sun came out and I started to sweat some. Then, about 10 mins later my eyes stared burning quite painfullly for no apparent reason. Then it hit me, I was sweating all of the capsasin (the chemical in peppers that makes it hot) directly into my peepers. Yeah, take it from me, this is one lesson you don't want to learn on your own.

Another random item... I bought some gel style insoles to put add some cushion to my running shoes. They do absorb quite a lot of energy, however they also absorb quite a lot of stank. I was sitting by my shoes stretching and I literally thought there was a dead dog stuffed with rotting pickles and sourkraut and covered with rancid grease under may crawlspace. Then I realized it was my shoes. I have never really had 'stinky' feet, so I will deduce that it must be the Dr. Shoals gel insoles. So, for what it's worth, if your going for function they are the way to go, but if a pleasant smell is what you are after you might want to try something else.

In the event that you are still reading, some notes about the run itself... I left right at 9 am, and it was about 35 degrees. It was a stiff wind out of the southwest, so I tried to adjust my route to avoid the stretches directly to the west. I still ran about 4 miles strait into the wind and, as usual, it sucked. It was comfortable as far a temperature goes, as it was about 50 by the time I finished. By the time I came stomping up to the house I had nothing on my head and was pretty hot. I ate some instant oatmeal and drank some coffee before heading out. That was a good energy boost thru the first 8 miles or so, but next long run I am taking some gel packs to swallow every 6 miles or so. Body wise, I felt really good thru the whole distance, once my left ankle felt a little tweaked, but it went away in less than a half mile. I had neoprene braces on both knees and had no pain AT ALL. Today (it is Sunday morning) the legs are a bit tired, but really, considering that I finished in under 8.5 min miles, they feel pretty damn good. Joints too. So I will give my body a 9 on the scale I set up earlier in another post. Next week is a stepback week, considering that my Saturday runs for the last 3 weeks have been 12,12, and 14 miles. I think next Saturday is only 10. Well... stay tuned!

Marathon Training Log - January 15th - Day 30 - 3.2 miles

So... day 30... hmm.. Where to begin? First, day 30 means training run # 30, not calendar day 30. This was the 30th morning since I started this program that I have gone out and run. So far, I have run in temps ranging from 70 - 6 degrees., wind, rain, ice, snow, clouds and sun. Welcome to Kansas in the winter. Today was a tie for the coldest I think, the sign on the bank said 6, my computer said 4 at the time I walked out the door. The wind was out of the north (of course). I was bundled up like Ralphie's kid brother, so it is a good thing that I didn't fall over. In addition to my normal cold weather gear I put on a pair of sweats under my fleece pants, an extra pair of socks, an extra pair of knit gloves, and a stocking cap over the top of my fleece hood. It was kind of overkill, but I am only saying that cause I wasn't cold. My eyes were just barely showing, and it was a good thing, because when I turned back to the house into the wind they almost froze in my skull. It was bitter cold, I am just glad there was no ice to contend with. Also, it was a short 3 mile run, and despite all the freaking clothes, I finished right at 8 min/mile pace. Body felt great, but i will give the day an 8 mostly for the discomfort due to weather, and a minor twinge in my right ankle. (no tape on feet at all). The brace for my right knee came in yesterday, so I felt back in symmetry this morning. Having both knees braced for the long run on Saturday should be helpful, I am looking forward to it. But tomorrow is a rest day, and hopefully it will be warmer on Saturday.

Cumulative Distance and Time Summary

Here are the stats that I pulled from my online fitness log.

11/24/2008 - 1/14/2009

	Total	Average	Maximum	Minimum
Duration (hh:mm:ss)	20:15:37	0:41:55	1:46:49	0:23:24
Distance miles	142.38	4.91	12.20	3.00
Average Speed mph		7.06	7.71	5.68
Pace min/mi		8.53	10.56	7.78
Calories (kcal)	19228	663	1657	383

Marathon Training Log - January 14th - Day 29 - 6.15 miles

Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, I did not get my left knee support before today's longer mid-week run. Turns out that it didn't matter at all. I did not realize how much the sore foot and hip had been slowing me down until this morning. Today's run was a 6.2 miler, and I finished it in just over 49 minutes. That works out to right at 8 min mile pace (I have been shooting for 9), so I was pleased with my time, but I was even more pleased how my body felt when I was done... I have been planning on doing a 1-10 scale of how I physically feel after each run but kept forgetting. I think of lots of great ideas while I am running, but like dreams, I usually forget most of them by the time I have finished my prescribed mileage. The scale is basically like this; 1 - Can't finish the run. 10 - No pain, good breathing, good time. According to this scale I give today's 6 mile jaunt a 9, and only because I had the faintest twinge of discomfort in my right ankle. It was really good... Honestly 26+ miles is kind of scary, but with each training run I am getting stronger, the short distances seem shorter, and the long distances get easier. I am fully confident that between my own massive stubbornness, and this great training program that I will successfully finish this race. One step closer to my iron distance behemoth.

Almost forgot, today's weather report: 35, slight breeze out of the south (unusual). More interesting is the fact that a cold front is expected to move in this afternoon and when I run it is expected to be between 2-4 degrees above zero. Stay tuned!

Marathon Training Log - January 13th - Day 28 - 3 miles

Well, not too much to report for today. I ran a little yesterday... real slow, mostly just to get out and get awake (and get my runners high) also ran with a pal that is wanting to get started.

Today was real cold... 13 degrees cold... but there was no wind so it wasnt too bad at all. The worst part is when your eyes water a little and then they freeze to your eyelashes. Anywho, another 3 miler, it seems soooo short now. I mean like I never even left, so I guess all these miles are starting to add up. Anyway I did it in 24:54 so not fast, but who cares. I didnt get my new knee brace today. I was hoping to have it for tomorrow but oh well.

Marathon Training Log - January 10th - Day 27 - 12 miles

First things first... knee brace = freaking awesome. I finished my long saturday run (12 mile) in 1:46:49 in substandard weather conditions (22 degrees with a 10 mph wind out of the northwest) and my right knee feels perfect. No ache, no pain. None during the run, none after. Awesome. I am going after one for my other knee today, worth every penny of the 12 bucks it cost. Back to the weather... The temperature really doesn't matter as long as your skin is covered. Covered skin warms quickly while exercising so cold isn't a problem. Now, wind, on the other hand sucks. It sucks. It cuts through your clothes, freezes your lips and sucks the air out of your lungs. I love it. It took what was becoming an easy 12 mile jog, and added some fire to it. The wind definately added additional challenge, mental and physical. Finishing today, my body felt better after this distance than it has before despite the piercing wind. I will do a summary mileage update on monday when I have more time...

Marathon Training Log - January 8th - Day 26 - 3 miles

After all the miles I have racked up since November 24th when I started Hal Higdon's novice marathon training program (120.85), the 3 mile runs seem so short. I mean it seems like no sooner than I start that I am done. I try to push a faster pace on the shorter runs, but it seems not to matter. I guess that would mean that I am making some progress. 6 miles is now a very comfortable distance to me, I basically feel like I could do that each morning if I wanted to. Speaking of comfort, I purchased a neoprene knee brace. I bought it from my local drugstore yesterday during my lunch break. At 12 bucks it seemed kind of high, but she offered to take it back if I didn't think it helped. This morning I pulled it over my right knee and headed out. Once I got used to having something wrapped around my leg, it was amazing. The added support really made a big difference. I finished with no ache in that knee at all, and as a matter of fact, I am thinking of getting one for the other knee as well. Hell maybe I will get the ankle braces as well, it might save some wear and tear on my joints.

Daily weather report: Not to out of the norm for January in Kansas. 25 degrees, no ice, no wind. Basically the same as yesterday - just a bit colder. Nothing out of the ordinary, it was a nice quiet run. There was very little traffic - haha there never is -- I finished in 24:02. Thats a nice brisk pace of around 8:00 min mile. Not fast but a little more than a leisurely jog. (for me at least) Until next time...

Marathon Training Log - January 7th - Day 25 - 6 miles

I am kind of experimenting with tape, wraps, and braces to see if they help minimize the impact on the joints. I would really hate to stop or slow training due to a painful knee or ankle. The first time I taped, I taped too tight and had to stop and remove the tape. oops, lol. Then today I tried a wrap on my right knee, it doesn't hurt but starts to ache. I wrapped the ace bandage a bit too tight, and had to unwrap and rewrap more loosely. That seemed to help, but now, after my run I have like a sore muscle feeling in the back of my leg. I also taped my feet this morning (no ankle) and that really seemed to help the strain on my ligaments and tendons in the feet. I am considering buying a neoprene knee brace to see if it makes a difference, assuming it is fairly cheap. I may try the same with an soft foot/ankle brace instead of tape.

Today's run was good (aside from dinking around with the wrap) and the weather was favorable. No ice on the ground, no wind, cold but not frigid. For a six miler at 5:30 am, I decided to stay in town and basically ran every north to south road in town. I like that route, and it is better lit than the county roads that I run on the weekend. My lungs feel great and my legs are growing stronger with each mile. Finished my 6 miles in about 53 minutes. I screwed up again and forgot to start the watch. Oops.

Like I mentioned, I am experimenting with bracing my feet and knees, but it is mostly just preemptive. I am really enjoying the training, and am looking forward to the race. I am also getting more serious about my diet, I ate really well yesterday. I have a problem with cake. I can't pass it up... It is like crack to me. I took the kids to a cousin's bday party and it was fully stocked with chocolate cake. I ate not one, but 4 (small) peices. I couldn't help myself. Good news, I was still under 2500 calories for the day.

Until next time...

Marathon Training Log - January 6th - Day 24 - 3 miles

Kids all go back to school today, and I forgot to set my alarm earlier so that I could get them up when I got back. I didn't leave the house until about 6:15 (usually I try to get back by 6:45 so I can wake everyone up). The weather was a balmy 35 degrees with no wind or precipitation to speak of. It really did not feel that cold at all. This morning I taped my right foot before going out. Not that it was hurting, cause it wasn't, I was doing it preemptively. Turns out, I taped it too tight, cause a mile in or so, the right side of the ball of my right foot was hurting. Damn, gotta learn I guess... So I stopped, took my shoe off, and peeled my foot out of the tape like an overripe banana. It felt perfect after that. Today was the best my body felt during a run in a while. I think this whole no alcohol thing is helping. Still doing good as far as that goes. I did screw up the schedule a little, confusing the distances of some of the long runs. Saturday was supposed to be a 7 mile stepback, and I did 12 instead. oops. Now I am looking at another 12 on saturday. I will take that for the day that I missed I guess. As long as I am still feeling good like this, I will go ahead and do the full 12, with the options to go down to 7 if need be. I sped up a little more over my standard pace...a little. I like to use the short run days as a warm up to what is coming. Tomorrow I am looking at another 6 miles. That is starting to seem like a short run... lol

Marathon Training Log - January 3rd - Day 23 - miles - 12

What an amazing day to run! I know it seems like I say that every day, but today is Jan 3rd and it was actuall 55 degrees at 9 am when I left. Almost no wind. It was awesome. I left and ran into a little bit of a south wind, and then turned to the west. Running out in the peaceful serenity of the Kansas pastureland was almost like floating through a brown dream. The sun was following me, warming my skin as I pushed on. Some where around mile 8 or so I saw a huge hawk sitting along the side of the road, most likely looking for a meal. If took to the air when I was about 10 feet from it. It had a large wingspan, yet made no noise at all when it took to the air. I had thought during previous runs that I would take pictures of any interesting sites I were to see along the way, but unfortunately I couldn't get the camera out fast enough to catch the hawk. I did take some other pictures though

I signed up!

So I registered for the marathon. Now there is no turning back. At least not without a 75 dollar sacrifice.

Marathon Training Log - January 1st 2009- Day 22 - miles - 3

Happy New Year! I made it all night only drinking water, v-8 and diet soda. Lots of good food, so I was well fueled for this morning's run. Today it is bright and sunny, but a chilly 35 degrees or so. I left the house about 9:45 after sleeping in some. No work today! HooRah. The wind is chilly and blowing pretty hard out of the south. I think this is the best I have felt since NYD since I was like 15. So my right foot still hurt this morning...these annoying little 'injuries' are getting annoying. It mellowed out after a mile or so, and then it was pretty good. I gotta start remembering to take sunglasses when I go run when the sun is out. So I did my easy 3 miler in 25:08, not fast, but fast is not really my goal. Gotta get ready for a long 12 miler on Saturday. It would be great if it was about 10 degrees warmer, but I will take what I can get. Until next time...