| Seafair Half Marathon - Post Mortem |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|10:02 am] |
I'm not going to do a mile-by-mile breakdown this year because I just don't have time. But the official results are in, and I'm sorry to say that I finished 180th out of 186 in my age group, which means that I only met one of my three goals. My official time was 2:45:57, and the average temperature throughout the race was in the 70's. Numerous people have commented in the blogosphere and elsewhere that the course this year was significantly more difficult than last year, so I can take some pride in the fact that I was well-trained enough to basically match my time from last year on a much harder/hillier course in friggin' tropical heat. Nonetheless, I am DYING to go out and run 13.1 miles on a nice trail somewhere, just to prove to myself that I can do it in under 2.5 hours.
My hips are a little sore but my legs feel fine and my knees are in great shape. This is a huge improvement from last year when I limped around with an inflamed IT band for a week afterward. I had very sore shoulders immediately after the race, which means that I need to work on my posture. I'm hoping to spend the winter doing some strength training, and my core and shoulders could definitely use the extra attention.
The Seafair race organizers really botched it. They were out of t-shirts at the race expo, which annoyed me. How can you run out of t-shirts when you know exactly how many people registered and what size t-shirt they requested when they registered? The expo was tiny and held in a parking garage--not exactly fun. And then on race day, all hell broke loose. They apparently couldn't get UW to let them use the Husky Stadium parking lots, so they had shuttle buses running from Bellevue to the starting line. Sure enough, they couldn't get all of the runners to the starting line on time. I can't believe nobody saw that coming. They aren't refunding the registration fee for those folks who couldn't get to the starting line on time, which is bogus. Mismanagement all around. Oh, and the water stop at mile 10 was out of cups! Those poor kids were pouring water straight from the bottle into the mouths of passing runners.
On a sunnier note, the people who came out to line the course were awesome--as always. The community participation is always my favorite part of these events. We ran through a neighborhood in south Bellevue and people were out with garden hoses and Otter Pops, cheering us on and having a great time. One house with a big fence had a sprinkler shooting up over the fence onto the course. I yelled "THANK YOU" as I ran through the mist and from behind the fence, an invisible voice replied, "YOU'RE WELCOME!" The kids at the water stops screamed their guts out for us, and the police officers and firefighters who blocked intersections and dealt with angry Bellevue drivers all day are heroes.
I'm not sure what to do next. I know that I can do a half marathon in under 2.5 hours, even though I technically have never done that. I'm not sure what would be accomplished by going out and doing another half marathon just to prove something to myself that I already know. So I can either try to get faster, or try to run farther. I'm really not psyched about the idea of doing a full marathon. I think I just need to relax for a few days, get through my wedding, and use my fabulous Hawaiian vacation to decide what to do next. |
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| OK, all done (again). |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|11:35 am] |
It was H-O-T hot out there today, and as a result, I'm not thrilled with my unofficial Garmin time of 2:45 in today's Seafair Half Marathon. The temperature at the start was about 70 degrees and it was probably 80 when we finished. Too damned hot for a run like that. My time is about 6 minutes faster than last year, which is notable because a) the aforementioned heat really sucked, and b) according to the Garmin, this year's course was about 1000 feet more hilly than last year's course. Hard to imagine, but there it is. I was hoping to take 20-30 minutes off my time from last year, but the heat just made that impossible.
I'm not unhappy with the results given the heat but I know I can do better, so there's that stupid little voice again...
Read all about it by cutting and pasting this URL (because Livejournal apparently forgot how to insert links): http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/6113949
And I finished, which was goal #1. Goal #2 didn't happen; and now, I wait for the official results to see about goal #3. It looked like pretty much everyone else was getting hammered by the heat so maybe I've still got a shot at it. But first, ibuprofen. |
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| Five points make a trend |
[Jun. 28th, 2008|01:49 pm] |
Tomorrow, I'll be getting up crazy early so that I can run 13.1 miles (give or take a few tenths)--my second consecutive year of running the Seafair Half Marathon. The weather, of course, has decided to turn gorgeous with low temperatures in the mid-60's and highs in the 90's. For running, anything over 60 degrees is a scorcher so I'm a bit concerned about the heat. It's funny, because last year I knew that I wasn't well-trained and so I was anxious about finishing. I was also not sure what to expect on the course having never done such a thing before. This year, I know I'm well-trained and I know I can finish and I know what to expect. I have my goals and that's it. Now, the weather is spoiling my calm. I've never had to run in this kind of heat before and the one training run in 70-degree heat didn't go so well. My plan is simply to watch my heart rate, drink a LOT of water (maybe doubling up at every water stop) and try not to keep up with anyone in particular. Take it slow at the start, lock into a good rhythmic pace and just go until it is over. Maybe I'll put songs like "Hot In The City" on my iPod just to make myself laugh.
Meanwhile, we're also wrapping up our last wedding planning bits. To steal a nice phrase from a friend of mine, everything is locked and loaded and we're almost there. In five days, we'll be rehearsing and in seven days, we'll be married. In ten days, we'll be on a beach in Maui drinking pina coladas and relaxing. |
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| Let's try this again... |
[May. 17th, 2008|04:25 pm] |
So last year, after running no more than six "long runs", doing virtually no hill or speed training, and never running longer than 10 miles, I completed the Seafair Half Marathon in just under three hours. At the time, I was very proud of this result because I had just started running a few months prior--going from zero to half marathon in about six months was a real accomplishment for me, particularly since my training was so haphazard.
Unfortunately, there was a nagging little voice that wondered how well I'd do if I did try to train properly. The voice got louder earlier this year, when Emily decided to train for the Seafair Half Marathon and joined Team In Training again, and I found that my 5K time had improved ridiculously over last year.
I've been tagging along on most of her training runs this year, and I just registered for the half marathon myself. Last year, I registered on June 16 and it was more of an impulsive thing, but this year, I'm planning for it and training accordingly. Our training has included hill work and lots of trail running, and having lost a ton of weight (20 pounds and counting), I feel much more able to run a long distance this year in a reasonable time. My goals (in roughly descending order of priority) are:
- Finish.
- Finish in under 2:30 (which would be a 20 minute improvement over 2007!). If I can do it in under 2:20, I'll do cartwheels.
- Finish in the middle of the pack for my age group (last year, I was 62/65 but this year I'm in a different age group).
That last goal is a bit of a stretch but that's what goals are for, no? For those keeping score at home, my trusty Garmin is recording every step.
Note that the Seafair Marathon occurs on the Sunday prior to my wedding. Emily and I are nothing if not ambitious/crazy. If only we could figure out a way to work the marathon into our wedding week activities... |
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| Fun with cardio & numbers |
[May. 2nd, 2008|02:52 pm] |
I'm not sure if it is having a year of practice under my belt, or having lost about 20 pounds, or some combination thereof, but I'm noticing with my runs this year that I can go much farther, much faster without exerting myself nearly as much. And of course, being the big math nerd that I am, tracking all of this stuff via my shiny toys makes it easy to compare performance over time.
Here is a chart showing my heart rate during a run around Green Lake on July 29, 2007. Notice how my heart rate spikes up to 90% of its max (about 180 for me) right away and just stays there. I was quite proud of this run at the time because it was the first time I'd approached a 10:00 mile for an entire loop without stopping to rest or walk, but in retrospect, I can see that I was overworking myself for no good reason: [edit: graphs removed in favor of a link to MotionBased]
Now take a look at this one. This is from another lap around Green Lake, but it was last night, where I struggled to not speed up past 10:00 during the first two miles, and then kicked out the last mile or so at an 8:00 pace: [ibid]
So I'm able to run faster with less effort for a longer period of time. Personally, I can't help but think that the extra 20 pounds I was lugging around last year put extra strain on my heart. It almost makes me wonder what would be possible if I lost another 20 pounds, which of course is something I should do. |
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| Marathon! |
[Oct. 12th, 2007|09:01 am] |
I spent last weekend in Portland, OR because Emily ran the Portland Marathon. This is the second time I've waited at the finish line of a marathon and it proved to be as inspiring as ever.
Emily trained for the marathon with Team In Training, who are affiliated with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Basically, you agree to raise funds for cancer research and in return, TnT trains you to complete a marathon (or a triathlon or a century bike ride). Then, TnT arranges for everyone to travel to the race location and stay in the same hotel. In our case, we drove down to Portland on our own (the TnT people took the train) and we all stayed in the Portland Marriott.
On the first day, we went to the race expo to get Emily registered and look at some schwag. I talked with the folks from the Portland Running Company about getting some new shoes--between the lack of sales tax and the 20% expo discount, it seemed like the right time to buy! Unfortunately, they didn't have my size at the expo but extended the discount so that I could visit their retail store after the marathon and still get the discount.
Later, we went to the TnT pasta feed/pre-race pep rally at the hotel. They had a tasty dinner and some motivational speeches that made pretty much everyone in the room (including the hotel waiters) cry. There were cancer survivors and families of cancer patients there to cheer on the runners--they formed a human tunnel through which the runners had to pass to get to the pasta feed, and then during the race, they were scattered all over the course to provide support and encouragement. I'm totally sold on TnT--what a great organization!
I don't think Emily slept much on Saturday night. We woke up super-early to pound some breakfast and meet the other TnT'ers in the hotel lobby at 5:45. They walked to the starting line together at 6:00 while I wandered around looking for a good place to take pictures of the start.
I got one photo of Emily at the starting line and then walked down the street to Naito Parkway, where both the two mile and five mile markers were (the course included a lot of "down and back" loops). I got another photo of her at the two mile mark and then my camera died. I stood next to some TnT supporters at the five mile mark, and Emily ran by right after 8:00--right on schedule!
My plan then was to run/walk down to the 11-mile mark, but I quickly got lost in the industrial area and decided to turn back to ensure that I could see the finish. I spent some time at the hotel, charging up the camera. Then, around 10:30, I headed back out to the finish line.
At the finish line, you see the professional hardcore marathon people crossing first, and then the parade becomes increasingly more, I don't know...amateur? You see some people who look like they have no business whatsoever running a marathon, but they have just achieved this monumental personal goal. Both sides of the street were lined with people yelling their guts out and it was a lot of fun. I saw one guy who ran the race in a bunny suit. Many people were crying with joy (or was it pain?). And of course, there were lots of purple TnT shirts and "Go team!" cheers.
After five hours, I started to worry a little about Emily. She is typically clockwork on her long runs but I knew she was a little psyched out about not being trained for the whole distance. Once the 5:30 pace balloon went by, I started walking up the course toward the steel bridge and the mile 25 marker. I was checking my cell phone to see if she had called or if the race people had called, but no news was good news. Finally at about 5:40, I saw her come trotting up the hill. She even managed to smile for a photo before I started jogging alongside her. We "ran" the last mile together, until about a block before the finish line when I had to turn off, and then I met her again in the reunion area where she gave a very tired victory pose:
We spent the rest of the day recovering (i.e. drinking beer) and resting before heading back to Seattle via Astoria and the Washington coast on Monday.
Once again, I am in awe of the marathon. Anyone who completes a marathon has done something truly amazing. I don't see one in my future but I'm happy to tag along and cheer anytime. |
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| The best is yet to come |
[Jul. 20th, 2007|07:32 pm] |
So I've decided in the aftermath of my half marathon adventure that I need to get faster. I'd love to do another half marathon someday but only if I can do it in 2:00-2:30, which means I need to train myself to sustain a 10-minute mile or better. As always, the Green Lake outer loop is my "home court". So last night, I had a great run. See the details;. This is hands down the best running I've ever done, and in fact it is a notable improvement over the previous night;. I'm excited about these results and my progress, and I can't wait to see if I can mark off another goal this year! |
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| "Ain't nobody chasin' me, boy." |
[Jul. 14th, 2007|12:27 pm] |
Seafair Half Marathon
Originally uploaded by jeffreyp
Most of the "official" race day photos of me were taken at the finish line, where I looked decidedly tired and made no effort to smile. Not sure where this one was taken, but I have to assume it was during the first half of the race before the pain started.
Look at that cotton t-shirt. What a goober. Both the shirt and the hat have been officially retired. |
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| The Day After - now, the story can be told. |
[Jul. 9th, 2007|09:24 am] |
I'm not nearly as sore as I expected to be after my first half marathon. I'm definitely tight and stiff, though, and my left IT band is super-tender around my knee, but it isn't anything that Advil and a trip to the swimming pool won't fix.
The official results: I finished in 2:50:53 (a 13:03 minute/mile pace). I finished in 1245th place overall (out of 1613, including half marathon walkers), 61/65 in my age group, and 555/628 in my gender.
I'm very proud of these results--it is exactly what I set out to do, and having accomplished those goals without training properly is all the more satisfying. Unfortunately, now, there is a nagging little voice in my head asking how well I could do if I did train properly...
Play-by-play after the jump.
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| OK. All done. |
[Jul. 8th, 2007|02:08 pm] |
Performance against goals in the half marathon?
1. Finish. Check!
2. Finish in under 3:00. Check! Unofficial wristwatch time was 2:52.
3. Don't finish last. Check! Not sure where I ranked in my age group but I'm not too worried.
4. Don't get passed by any of the walkers. Hah! There were guys walking 10-minute miles. See this instructional video for further info.
Three out of four ain't bad.
Lengthy commentary forthcoming once my brain is done focusing 100% of its energy on repairing my calves. |
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| Things I've Learned |
[Jul. 7th, 2007|02:31 pm] |
I'm seriously spending most of my day seated next to a big bowl of whole wheat pasta and a bottle of water and worrying about how screwed I am tomorrow.
I just read this snippet on another blog:
"A high heart rate like that (near or above my age calculated maximum) is indicative of a poorly developed fat burning system. My body had to burn glycogen the whole way, and when that started to run out, well, then I slowed down as did my heart rate. The cure for this is to do most training at or below lactate threshold (or some such, lots of different names for that) which for me is around 140. That trains my fat burning system and avoid over-reliance on glycogen burning, and thus I can now do long endurance events with a much lower heart rate."
I, on the other hand, have been at or near my peak heart rate of 185 on just about every training run regardless of distance and/or speed. In other words, if this guy's post is to be believed, the only way for me to hit my goal tomorrow is to strain my cardiovascular system in a possibly unhealthy way and then run out of gas HARD. Alternatively, I can try to keep my rate rate around 160-170 and I might have a fighting chance.
This sitting still and waiting is driving me nuts. I'd love to go out and run, like cramming for an exam or something. |
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| It's time. |
[Jul. 7th, 2007|08:29 am] |
Today marks the one year anniversary of my elbow surgery, and I'm marking the occasion by eating pasta and resting my legs in preparation for tomorrow's half marathon. I've also been reading training blogs and freaking out about keeping my heart rate under control for three hours while I run up and over hills. This is going to be a ridiculous challenge, but I'm looking forward to it in a sick way.
Yesterday, we went to the Bellevue Hilton to pick up our race materials and I discovered that my registration had not been received by Seafair, so I had to re-register and get a new bib number (3227). I have a sinking feeling that my official results might be difficult to locate. I activated my timing chip and instead of my name, I saw "CF84764". I suspect this means that I won't get to hear my name being called when I cross the finish line.
I have also been assembling a playlist of some horrible awful music for my iPod. We're talking butt rock (Motley Crue, Poison, Quiet Riot), cheesy movie soundtracks (Rocky theme) and gay dance music (Paul Oakenfold, Le Disko) along with some weirdness (Devo, Reload) thrown in for good measure. I can't wait--three hours' worth of music that I'd otherwise be ashamed to listen to!
I feel like I've trained haphazardly--no attention paid to pace vs. heart rate, etc. and just focused on distance. I keep telling myself not to worry, that this is just a baselining exercise, but I can't help but wonder what could happen if I trained properly. I haven't given much thought to what happens next, but... |
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| Two weeks to go |
[Jun. 24th, 2007|01:36 pm] |
One of my favorite scenes in the movie "Rocky" occurs after all of the training when Rocky realizes that, in spite of his best efforts to prepare, he cannot beat Apollo Creed. He says, "'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."
That is not too different from how I feel this afternoon thinking about the half marathon in two weeks. I ran ten miles last week on flat terrain. Then, we drove the marathon course yesterday and I saw all of the hills. So today, I ran my last long run before the event on hilly streets and sidewalks. Have a look at the route. My shins ache from the cement sidewalks and the terrain took a mile per hour off my pace.
I still think I can finish the half marathon in under 3:00 but it is going to be close. I need to remember that it isn't about winning, it is about going the distance--no matter how slowly. It is about proving to myself that I can do it. I'll have to put the "Rocky" theme song on my iPod for some time after mile 10. I'm going to need it. |
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| First workout with new toy |
[Jun. 18th, 2007|08:15 pm] |
I bought a fancy Garmin 305 heart rate monitor that also has built-in GPS so that it can track my location, elevation, pace, etc. I wasn't going to run today, but with a new toy in hand, I figured a quick lap around Green Lake wouldn't kill me.
Here are my workout results.
See if you can figure out where I stopped for water.
If you change the graph options to display speed vs. heart rate, you can see that there are considerable variances in my speed which I attribute more to the device than my own herky-jerky rookie running style. More interesting to me is how my heart rate stays relatively constant but rises and drops very quickly when I slow down or stop.
It is awfully nice (and motivating) to be able to look down at my wrist and instantly see how far I've gone and how fast I'm going. My worries about maintaining a 12-minute mile just evaporated...I can even set an alarm on the 305 to ring if I drop below a 12-minute mile pace. I wish I'd bought this thing a long time ago. |
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| Another milestone |
[Jun. 16th, 2007|11:05 am] |
I ran 10 miles today in 2:00, which isn't exactly Olympian speed but it is fast enough for me. I think the Seafair Half Marathon is calling my name. I am setting tentative goals to a) finish, b) finish in 3:00, and c) not get passed by any walkers. Honestly, I think I can definitely finish in 2:30-3:00, which would be pretty damned satisfying for a formerly-300 lb. pack-a-day smoker. Once I have a baseline to work with, I can train for something else and set better/faster goals, but as I noted previously, every journey begins with a single step (although I'll probably skip the fun hat this time).
Update: I registered. Now, let's see how badly Dan kicks my ass. |
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| This is turning out to be rather addicting. |
[May. 23rd, 2007|10:04 pm] |
My horrible music taste is already legendary enough without me subjecting the entire internet to it, but here are some songs I'm putting together for jogging purposes:
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| Every journey starts with a single step and a fun hat. |
[Mar. 24th, 2007|11:48 am] |
We finished the St. Patrick's Day Dash! I mean, it took almost 50 minutes to walk/run three miles, but still...
I've made great progress since I started running six or seven weeks ago. I can now get all the way around Green Lake in about 40 minutes, with some walking. Today, my time was 36 minutes with 4 minutes of walking. I can run for 25 consecutive minutes. A month ago, I could barely run for five minutes. I hate to admit it, but I'm really enjoying this. I haven't had a new challenge for awhile, and I feel like I'm making good progress. If I can get all the way around Green Lake without walking in under 30 minutes before I leave for India on Thursday, I'll be quite satisfied with myself. |
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