Boston Training Weeks 11 & 12

March 10 - 23

M - AM 5 PM 5, gym

T - 11, with 6 by 3 min on, 2 min off on Mall

W - 14

Th - AM 7 PM 5

F - 9, strides

S - 18 - DC Half Marathon, 1:14:40, 16th place: In the few minutes before the race went off, I realized, up until that very moment, I hadn't really thought about my own race. My thoughts, up until that point, had been race day logistics: Emily was running her first marathon and our parents were visiting, including my Dad who was running the half.

The one thought I had about it was that I wanted to give it a hard run - faster than goal marathon pace - 1:12s, say - but I could tell early in the week that the race might end up being more of a goal MP run. The last few weeks, as I have rebounded from the tendon strain, I have entered what I believe is a very positive marathon grind - the kind in which I am tired, but not too, too tired. Warming up, I felt very sluggish, and what I experienced in the race was the feeling of very good fitness paired with turnover that perhaps just isn't any better than it needs to be. This is the purest marathon shape I have been in in many years, and I am excited to ride it out to Boston to run rested and fearlessly. Watch splits show I was decent on the flats but not grinding through the hills very well.

But what an awesome weekend. Dad, 58, was 6th in his age group, and Emily, well, she just hit it out of the park.

As a coach, she made it very simple for me. We decided early on - based on her previous half marathons, the time she could commit to training, and the type of experience she wanted to have - that sub-four-hours was a good goal. Early in her training, I discovered that sub-four pace, under 9 minutes per mile, was more or less her training pace. That eliminated any need for speed work, so we just settled into a solid Monday to Saturday routine and gradually lengthened her Sundays (she worked up to about 22 in 3:15).

Our plan to take the guess-work out of the pacing and run with the 3:55 pace group was foiled before the race even started. She seeded herself at 4:00, and the 3:55 team was two corrals ahead. So she did it alone, getting out a bit quicker than planned and running tough in the 20s. I saw her at mile 12, outside of our place, and she was just cruising along, smiling. Then we all went over to see her at 19, where I ran with her for a couple minutes until she was about to cross the bridge to Anacostia. She was really focused and tough; I knew then she would get it done.

3:56:49.
 

 

 














S - AM 10 PM 8

Total - 92

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M - AM 8 PM 6

T - 11 - 7 easy. Changed shoes and did 6 by 600 in neighborhood - up a hill, down a hill - with 90 seconds rest.

W - 15, steady

Th - AM 8 PM 5, gym

F - 12, with Capitol Hill Distance Project.

S - 20. Met up with Patrick at The Line. We did 10 in about 72 minutes, changed shoes, and did a 10-mile tempo on Beach Drive on the same course we on Feb. 15: 4.3 out from the Line to the Pierce Mill gate and 4.3 back, then add on.

February 15: 5:54, 40, 46, 46, 46, 6:00, 5:51, 6:05, 6:03, 6:04 - 58:55
March 22: 5:46, 5:37, 5:41, 5:36, 5:42, 6:02, 5:52, 6:12, 6:05, 6:11 - 58:41

It felt a lot different than the last time, when my legs were fresh but I was breathing hard. On Saturday I felt really controlled cardiovascularly but my legs were heavy, and I had a hard time getting them to move the last few miles after Patrick turned off. Afterward, the only thing I am scrutinizing is footwear, as I didn't seem to be getting the support I needed for my foot in the adidas adizero flats: they're either too worn down and need to be replaced ... or I need a little more in the heel. Good to learn this now rather than a month from now.

S - 15 - Ran with Charlie and Beth at Burke Lake. I planned to stop at 10 if I was tired, but felt fine and continued on.

Total - 100

Boston Training Week #10

March 3 - 9

M - 8, snow wiped out afternoon run

T - AM 8 PM gym, 6

W - AM 6 PM 10 Track: 2 by 2k in 6:23, 6:20; 2 by 1k in 3:03, 3:08. Skipped last 2 by 1k. Rusty with these paces, but got what I needed.

Th - 9, no real signs of fatigue from track workout. PM Celebrated Emily's successful dissertation defense.

F - 12, Capitol Hill Distance Project

S - 11, drove out to Pierce Mill with Luke, who was doing a workout. Ran with him for awhile and linked up with Jake and Tex, too. Out and back and such on Beach; beautiful day. Did 10 by 20 seconds on/40 seconds off during last two miles. PM 6 with Luke and Hilary in the neighborhood, out to Kingman Island.

S - 18, back to Poolesville: Sycamore Landing. Steady hilly run with Jake, Tex, and Kieran. Felt great, though my foot acted up the last few miles when I wanted to push, much like last week. There continues to be a line. 

Total - 94

Boston Training Week #9

February 24 - March 2

M - AM 6, around Lincoln Park. PM gym, 6 on treadmill

T - 10

W - PM 15, with Patrick, Matty, Kerry

Th - AM 5 ... had a PM run planned but had to skip it

F - 13, with Capitol Hill Distance Project

S - 14.5 Tempo. Started at The Line in Rock Creek Park with Charlie and we ran the 4.3 miles down to the Pierce Mill gate, where we met Evan and Balmer. Plan was a six-mile tempo, out and back on Beach, at 5:25 pace, with a little bit of an incline early and downhill late.

 After about a mile and a half we started to split up, with Charlie gapping us. By the turnaround, we were all about even, but on the way back we started to spread out: Balmer, Charlie, Evan, me. I wasn't able to hit the hoped-for pace but ran pretty steady and was happy with the workout.

5:37, 5:41, 5:36, 5:41, 5:33, 5:41 - ~33:45

S - 21 - I returned to the Line and ran with Luke, Jake, and Outlaw. Did Stefan's loop, where, starting from the Line, you head up to Georgetown Branch, go down the CCT, back up the Rock Creek Parkway trail, pass the Pierce Mill gate, and continue up Beach. When feeling good, I like to approach marathon pace after I pass the Pierce Mill gate. And I did feel good, energy-wise, but my foot started rebelling, sort of recoiling every 6 to 10 steps. I iced it afterward and it felt fine today. I guess I just asked a bit too much of it this weekend. I will do this route one more time before Boston and make it 22.

Total - 90

Boston Training Week #8

 













February 16-23

M - 8 with Charlie before departing Westmoreland State Park

T - AM 8, felt tired still from Saturday workout. Noon: Gym. PM: Bob Weir.

W - PM 13.5 ... met up with Patrick and Evan on the hill and we ran down to Hains Points for a 3-mile pickup. Felt great on the D.C. side heading out but boy did we get crushed by wind after we made the turn. Took turns sharing the lead, running single-file. 30 minutes after the pickup I did two pretty forgettable mile pickups in the neighborhood, then jogged it in.

Th - AM 10 with Patrick and Evan

F - 11 - met up with Capitol Hill Distance Project

S - 9. I had a really busy week at work (with a Bob Weir show tossed in, to be fair). Even after a good night's sleep on Friday, I was still feeling really rundown: had a cold coming on, had inflammation creeping back into the foot. I got going with a new pair of Brooks Ghost 6. For months, I had been ordering the Ghost 5 (a shoe I really like) online because I tried the 6 once and wasn't a fan. Now the 5 is getting pretty hard to find - 'Maybe the last one was just a dud,' I thought. Nope; my foot felt terrible. So, after a block, I returned to my place, put on a 5 and carried on, feeling much, much better. Except, I still didn't really feel like running. In short, I was complaining a lot. Then ... I bumped into Luke, who has the best, most easy-going attitude ever (made the Olympic Trials, too) and his girlfriend Hilary. We ran past RFK and looped around Kingman Island for a while. All was suddenly well.

S - AM 17 - We took a GRC crew for the first time to the RRCA Club Challenge in Columbia, Md. It was the first time we had ever fielded a team for this and we all really enjoyed the way it was both kind of low key with some fun club competition thrown in. Plus, it's a very tough course and great for some hard training. 

Luke led the way for us: We were 1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 55, 68. In the overall, which includes 9 scorers, we lost to Falls Road by a point . In a different division with 4 scorers (1-39), we won with 22 points. 

My goal was to get some more marathon work in and I mostly accomplished what I set out to do. The rolling course had a faster opening half. Working with Patrick, I went through 5 miles in 27:30 - about 30 seconds faster than planned - feeling very comfortable, then tried to pick it up. I felt in control, and, maybe because I was able to pull away from the people around me, felt like I really was picking it up. Turns out, I wasn't, perhaps partially because I started moving on a hill. Nonetheless, I felt pretty good out there, like I always had something extra in the tank, which leads me to believe I am moving in a solid direction. Patrick pulled up next to me in the last half mile and we ran the rest of the way together, finishing 11th and 12th in 56:37 - 2:28 marathon pace. I'm glad that, with Boston coming, I am doing a lot of my harder running on up-and-down terrain. I love surging a little on the gradual downhills, but steep ups and downs are still trouble for me. 

These are the splits I had: 5:25, 5:32, 5:42, 5:41, 5:32, 5:53, 5:34, 5:55, 5:48, 5:41.

PM - 6 easy with Luke.

Total - 83 

The 8 days off (two lost weeks, essentially, since it started on a Thursday) have certainly thrown a wrench into things. I missed some key workouts and, with 8 weeks left, haven't cracked 90 MPW. Still, I feel fine with where I am right now - I just need to really focus, stay healthy, and do things right the next five weeks before taper hits. At DC RnR, in three weeks, I think I'll need to give it a good hard run and get a brutally honest assessment of my fitness. A couple light track workouts, I can tell, will do me good right now. I'll also, if the marathon gods will it, will work in 16 at goal MP after RnR - three weeks out from Boston.

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After every race, the first thing d’Elia did was to remove her shoes and thank her feet for taking care of her. Then she would have a beer. She enjoyed introducing running to first-timers, teaching them to love the sport first before getting competitive. She viewed running as a friendship that requires nurturing.

“I view running as a necessary tool to help get me through life, so I do everything I can to nurture it, take care of it, and appreciate it. I want to hold on to my friend for as long as I live.”  --- Runner's World's obituary of Toshiko d’Elia, the first woman over 50 to break three hours in the marathon. 

Boston Training Week #7

Feb. 10 - 16

M - AM 45 PM gym

T - AM 65 PM gym

W - AM 70 PM gym

Th - Snow. Took it as a sign to rest my foot, which wasn't feeling great.

F - 5 on treadmill. Foot felt a lot better.

S - 16 with 10-mile tempo: For the tempo, I ran with Patrick, Evan, and Matty from The Line on Beach to Pierce Mills gates and back, then added on about 1.4. Good venue for this: not too hard, not too easy, and tougher - climbing a bit - coming back, with a big hill around 8. It was great to be back with my training partners; Evan and Patrick helped pull me through the last four miles. Good training partners are everything. It was cold and snowing, so the road was slick. I did this in trainers.

5:54, 40, 46, 46, 46, 6:00, 5:51, 6:05, 6:03, 6:04. I felt smooth early and had to really work late. Coming off eight missed days, I will take it and am glad I was able to get it done. Iced afterward and was very pleased to not feel any soreness or inflammation as the day went on - with the tendon, that is.

Sun - 12 in 84 minutes with Charlie on the roads near Westmoreland State Park in Montrose, VA. Out here with friends renting a couple cabins. I was tired today from the workout but my foot felt good!

This was still a very low mileage week but I was able to execute the plan, which was to be really careful working back into training but also get back in the flow by doing the week's main workout. (Originally I planned to do a little track work on Wednesday, but skipped that.) Tuesday and Wednesday, I was pretty frustrated by how the tendon was feeling; the soreness seemed to be creeping back. The day off and an easy Friday seemed to help a lot.

Saturday and Sunday helped flip the switch mentally: feeling much more positive. The week coming up was originally designed as a down week, and it looks right to me for this stage of the game. Now, I hope, I can get back on schedule and put in 5-6 solid weeks. Sunday I have the RRCA 10 miler and I will look to run the first half at MP and see if I can pick it up. Also, I saw Dr. Pribut again on Friday and he gave me some strengthening exercises to start doing. Evan had some good ideas there as well. 

Boston Training Week #6

February 3 - 9

Monday to Thursday I wore a boot and also applied a topical gel called Voltaren in the mornings and evenings. By Wednesday, my foot was feeling a lot better: I could walk around normally during the few minutes after I woke up when I didn't have the boot on. Monday and Tuesday, I didn't take a step without it.

F - 30 minutes. I could feel the area a little bit but it didn't get worse during the first 30 minutes. Was it inflamed or weak? The eight days off did me no favors.

Sat - 45 minutes. Feeling a little better.

Sun - 60 minutes. Emily and I went to Burke Lake, where the guys trained a week earlier, and I felt like I was running again. While Emily finished her long run (~22 in 3:15; this will be her longest run for DC RnR), I read the entire New York Times and made a sandwich and Swiss bakery run. (No, Ryan McGrath, faithful reader, I did not run on the ice.)

I am not entirely in the clear yet. Monday, I woke up, after a whole day feeling fine, and the foot didn't feel great.

I can't wait around for it to be perfect. I can't just ignore it, either.

Boston Training Week #5

January 27 - February 2

M - AM 6 PM 5, gym

T - 9

W - 15 - The workout, as planned, was a warmup; 2 by 10 minutes with 3 minutes rest, 60 minutes, another 10-minute pickup, cooldown. I ran down to Hains Point from work and met up the Capitol Hill Distance Project crew. I did a 2-mile pickup around Hains Point, keying off Charlie, in about 11 minutes. Jogged a few minutes, then did another 10-minute pickup, keeping it in the 5:30s. After the second pickup, I started feeling really cold and hungry, so I threw in the 3rd 10-min rep about 45 minutes after the last one instead of after 60. I had that feeling I was really entering into good marathon shape: wasn't going that fast (about 5:45 pace) but felt like I could run "hard" for a long time without it really wearing on me - if that makes sense. Does it?

That night, though, as I was falling asleep, my right foot didn't feel right. For a couple months, I had been dealing with what felt like a minor hot spot below the ankle - an irritation caused by friction. I had been keeping the area covered and putting antiobiotic ointment on it, and while I never seemed to fully kick it, I never really felt it while I was running; rather, I'd notice it when I came to a stop or was wearing work shoes.

Th - 0. I woke up and basically couldn't put any pressure on the foot. Emily got me some ibuprofen, I iced my foot in bed for 30 minutes, took a shower, got dressed, walked around gingerly until the pain eased enough to put on my shoes, and biked to work. By the end of the day it was feeling better, but there was also a lot of swelling and I knew I wasn't getting past this one that easily. Not a hot spot, apparently.

F - 0. Saw Dr. Pribut, who is a real pleasure to work with. I also have had good experiences addressing foot issues (I have a history of getting weird infections in my feet) with Dr. Spector, but his office is a little tougher for me to get to these days. Dr. Pribut diagnosed it as a tendon strain - specifically, the peroneus brevis tendon. It had been aggravated for a while, and I guess it was just a matter of time until it acted up.

I have had one bad tendon strain prior to this - in 2006, I believe. It was in the lower leg and hurt like hell; I thought for sure it was a stress fracture. It took in the ballpark of 10 days to 2 weeks to heal. This one? We'll see. We tried stabilizing it with an ankle brace, but I could still feel it a little ... so Dr. Pribut fit me with a boot (a first for me).

Right now the plan is to keep the boot on basically all the time (except for when sleeping, obviously), give it a little test on Friday, and go from there.

"To succeed at anything, you need passion. You have to be a bit of a fanatic. If you would move anyone to action, you must first be moved yourself. To instigate, said Emerson, you must first be instigated." Doc Sheehan