The Day After

David at the starting line just moments after the race started.

Before I talk about the race, I need to thank my wonderful wife, Jennifer. I could never have done this without her help and support (or at least her acquiescence). My work schedule is weird, my running schedule is crazy, and my dietary needs are a pain. She puts up with all of it, and I am eternally grateful.

Well, my body is beat to heck, and I am very, very sore. Both legs, especially my knees, arches, shins, and right quad, are in distress and I'm having great difficulty walking. The little toe on my right foot is a big blood blister. Oddly, the part of my body that was in the most distress yesterday and forced me to start walking, my right gastroc near the achillees tendon, doesn't feel too bad. Go figure. That is the same gastroc I ripped almost three years ago, and in the same place where the pain began during the run. I'm going to have to work on that somehow before my next big run.

I went to bed at a reasonable hour last night, but woke up after noon. I missed church, and around 3:30 went back to be for a "little nap" but slept until after 8:00. I've been up almost three hours but will be heading back to bed soon. Again, I thank my wife for enduring through my schedule.

General Stuff.

I don't know how many people signed up to run or start in each category (marathon, half, or 5k). And, under the "marathoner's option," a person running the marathon can opt, in route, to run only the half. But 1,096 finished the marathon (713 men and 383 women) and 2,633 finished the half (1,123 men and 1,510 women). So, at least 3,729 people were on the starting line at 7:00 am. There was also a 5K, which started a few minutes after the marathon.

A few finishers of note. A young lady named "Mary," age 82, finished the half marathon in only 3:22:48. Another young lady, this one named "Molly" and 15 years of age, ran the full marathon in 4:16:49. These were the youngest, and oldest, competitors in the race. A gentleman named "George" at age 70, finished the full marathon in 4:41:03. Woo Hoo!

My Race Plan.

I downloaded the course elevation chart and the course video long before race day, so I felt like I had a good handle on what I would be facing. The elevation chart showed three hilly sections. The first section goes from about 1.7 mi to about mile 5, the second starts at around 8.5 mi and goes through mile 14, and the last one goes from mile 19 to mile 23. All three reach about the same elevation, but the first two sections are quite steep while the third section is a long, slow incline.

With this in mind, I used basically the same race plan as with the Lincoln Marathon, modified to allow for additional time on the inclines and a bit faster time on the declines. In both races, I divided the race into two parts: the first 15 mi, and the final 11.2 mi. The idea was that, if I ran the first 15 mi in around 3 hours, that would give me around 3 hrs to run the remaining 11.2 (which is 3.8 miles shorter). For the Lincoln Marathon, the 15 mi/11.2 mi division was a practicality. For KC, however, the division was much more strategic. The two steepest hill segments occurred in the first 14.25 (or so) miles. So, if I could knock out the most difficult part of the course in about three hours, I could finish the geographically easier final 11.2 mi in well under 3 hours. In Lincoln, I finished the 11.2 segment in 2:57:21, with individual mile times fluctuating from 15:30 to 17:03 per mile. If I could keep each mile in that 11.2 segment under under 15 min, I could shave up to 15 minutes off my other marathon time. Barring injury, of course.

The First 15.

The first 15 miles started very well. I was concerned by the race congestion at the beginning, because some of the slower runners lined up too far in front and passing them was a chore. At this point, someone might accurately say "but Kurt, YOU are one of the slower runners." Yes, and no. The marathoners and half marathoners start at the same time, so there were 3,729 folks on the starting line. While I was one of the slowest marathoners, the finish times show that I am actually faster than many of the folks who ran the half. I passed quite a few people nefore the routes split.

Anyway, the 1 mile sign had fallen down so I missed it, and recorded my time at mile 2. When I didn't see the sign I checked my IPod, which told me that I was around the 1.3 mile mark.

The first hill, which came at the 1.7 or so mile mark and extended to mile 3, was as dramatic as the elevation chart showed. I walked part of it (along with just about everyone else around me), but still finished a few seconds ahead of schedule. I completed the frst two miles in 21:12 and, using my Ipod time to extrapolate, my best guess is that I completed the first mile in about 9:40, completed mile 2 in 11:32, and mile 3 in 12:06.

I then settled in for the long haul, and recorded some good times. For example, I completed mile 6 in under 11 minutes. Mile 9 had the steepest hill in the race, which followed a mile long uphill beginning at mile 8. My time for mile 8 was very good, but my right gastroc started to cramp around my achilles tendon in mile 9, and with a cramping leg that steep hill was a bear. I had to run to the side of the road and stretch it, and that took valuable time. I also walked part of that big hill, and finished that mile in 13:47, which was by far my worst mile in the first 13 miles of the race. My left gastroc started to hurt somewhere around mile 11 or 12, but I was able to push through it, at least initially. I then recorded solid times for miles 14 and 15 so, despite the early cramping, I finished the first 15 miles in 3:05:36. That was 2:55 slower than my Lincoln Marathon time but, given the hills and my aching calves, I was VERY pleased.

The Last 11.2.

Started well but ended poorly. I finished mile 16 in 14:45, and 17 in 15:26 (which included a bathroom break), which was good. But, the cramping intensified. I noticed that the pain in my gastrocs caused my stride to change, so now my knees and arches were aching as well, as well as part of my right quad. My times continually slowed after that, until I realized that I could no longer run. I was profoundly dissappointed because, as late as mile 17, I was still on track to shave at least 15 minutes off my previous marathon time. But, I was not about to quit, and hoped that, perhaps, my legs would loosen enough so that I could run again. It was not to be. By mile 22 my time was over 17 minutes, and by mile 24 my time was over 18 minutes. I was toast. David met me about .2 from the finish. We walked a bit together, then I noticed that the last .1 or so the finish was a fairly pronounced down hill. I always sprint to the finish anyway, so I got David ready and we took off! That sprint felt like the male version of child birth, and it hurt so bad that I was biting my lip and tears started to form in my eyes. But, we sprinted all the way to the finish line.

While the last 5 miles was extremely painful, I did make some good memories. Somewhere around mile 22 or so, I caught up with a young lady who was doing her first marathon. We walked most of the rest of the way together. She and her husband live in Kansas City, and her husband and family were out cheering for her in much the same way as Jen and the kids were out for the Lincoln Marathon. They didn't have the neat signs, but the husband did have something I deeply appreciated - a bottle of cold water. It tasted like ambroisa from heaven! Her young teen daughter walked the last 3 miles with us. As we approached one of the camera stations, the photographer started to focus in on us. I called out for him to wait for just a second, then asked the woman and her daughter if they were up to jogging for a few seconds. So, when we got closer, we started to jog, he took some quick pictures, and we started walking again when he raised his camera. We met another photographer about a mile later and did the same thing. I'll buy a copy of the pictures when they become available.

As we walked, we closed in on two other gentleman who had been a short distance ahead of us. I had passed both previously and knew that one had injured his knee, but they passed me when I was refilling the water bottle at the comfort station. Anyway, we caught them with about .25 left, and I introduced David when he arrived at .2. I gave them advanced notice that I was going to sprint to the finish and, when it was time, I told them that I would see them at the end and then started my sprint. Despite the pain (it was bad) I was glad that David was with me when I crossed the finish line. Actually, he beat me by a few feet!

The sports photographers sort the pictures by racer's number, and I should get an email with pictures of me in a few weeks. They are a tad expensive, but I'll probably need to order a few because I don't have any other race pictures. I'll post them when they become available.

Finished KC Marathon!

Finished the KC Marathon today! A hilly, but lovely, course. The route winds through many of the most scenic area of town, and was quite enjoyable. The event was also very well organized, so we had a wonderful experience.

I say "finished," instead of "ran," for two reasons. The first is that not every one who ran actually finished. When we finish, we get a neat medal and a "finisher" t-shirt, so to say "I finished" is better than to say "I ran." Second, "running" is not an accurate term because very little of what I did could be characterized as "running." "I shuffle-ized" might be the best term. Anyway, my second marathon completion this year.

Before I talk about the race, I need to make an admission - the old Grandparents were right.

Many grandparents tell their sweetlings that, when they were kids, they walked 4 miles to school. In the snow. Uphill. BOTH ways. I didn't doubt the four mile thing, or the snow. Uphill? ok. BOTH WAYS? What a crock!

I was wrong. The Kansas City Marathon was very hilly, and just went up, and up, and up. Admittedly, the route did have a few minor declines, but otherwise it was uphill, sometimes steeply, the entire way!

Anyway, here's the bottom line. Started strong, and for the first 13 miles was running a sub 5 hour marathon. Somewhere between miles 9 and 10, however, my right gastroc started cramping near my achilles tendon, and within a couple of miles my left gastroc started to cramp in that same spot. I was well hydrated, properly stretched, and had a fair amount of practice running on local hills. However, several of these hills were much steeper than anything we have here in Lincoln. I stopped to stretch several times, but I could not get lasting relief. I fought through the cramping to around the 21 mile mark, when the cramps intensified to the point that I could no longer run. I was not about to quit, however, so I walked the rest of the way. The walking was a bear to start, but became even harder as my legs started to wig out. I had altered my stride to help get through the cramping in my gastrocs, but that caused my knees, arches, and right quad to ache as well. I did manage a sprint during the last .2 to cross the finish line, but that little sprint did not save me from a sucky: 6:14:26.

As I write this, I am very, very sore, but I don't feel like I have any permanent damage. Overall, I am in much better condition now that I was on the day of my other Marathon, as my upper back, shoulders, and neck are just fine. My knees, gastrocs, arches, and one toe are in pretty rough shape, and I have some chafing. I won't be running for the next few days while I recover, but I will start on the weights again this week.

I'll write a more indepth entry in a few days.

Big Weekend Down, Big Weekend to Go

Spent the last week before my next marathon reffing a martial arts tournament in Minneapolis, MN. Great tournament. I officiated, among other things, at least 20 adult Black Belt fights.

While I had a great weekend, it was also a tough weekend. I worked all night Wednesday night to get ready for court on Thursday morning. I then went home after my hearing and slept a bit, but got back up and started working again. My car had mechanical problems so I was getting it fixed Thursday afternoon instead of running, but I arrived at my class in time to teach. After my class, I went back to work and worked until 5:30 am Friday morning, went to bed and slept, then got up and drove to Minneapolis (about 7.5 hours), arriving about 10:00 pm. Then went to dinner, crawled into bed after midnight, then got up early to be in my ring by 9:00 am.

After a day of officiating, I returned to our good friend's house where I was staying, napped for an hour and a half, then went back to the Arena for the finals. Got home around 11:00, and was far too tired to run. I then slept as long as I could and drove back to Nebraska on Sunday.

Not exactly the last-weekend-before-the-marathon I was planning, as I did't run Thursday through Sunday. Solid rain all day Monday so I lifted but did not run, and I finally was able to run this morning.

I planned on running a 8.5 mi, but my working caused me to shorten the run to a 3.3 mi. I ran the route in reverse again, and my time was a bit stinky (34:52). However, I was so sore from the weekend that I'm glad I didn't injure myself.

Cold run, so I was wearing sweats (top and bottom). Legs were very sore and tired from the weekend, as was the rest of me, and my entire body was "out of whack." Started strong and did the little "loop-de-loop" first at 3:07. Great time, as my standard is 3:15. I reached the first major split (the same one I use when I run the 8.5 mi) in 12:31, which would have been a 9:24 had I not run the loop first. Slowed a bit on the hwy 2 trail, reaching the split at 18:55. Went up the hill in 10:59, which is just a bit slower than the 10:47 I ran the hill, going down hill, last week during my 5.5. Also last week, I ran that segment as a down hill at 9:09. Anyway, finished the last segment in 4:54. Had I ran the loop last, I would have finished the segment in about 8:15, which would have been faster than the 8:17 I ran that segment last week at the start of my 3.3.

Anyway, not a great time. But, considering how I was feeling, not bad.

Lifted weights on Monday. A moderate lift, but went well. I have one more lift scheduled before the Marathon.

Block Update

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of my Nike+ shoes. They were nifty and served me well, and they supported my lardy butt 26.2 mi through the rain and wind on my last marathon. But the right heal became so worn (supporting said same lardy butt) that they are no longer usable for running purposes. Alas. I really like my Diadora's, but they are not motion control, etc, and they are not quite cushiony enough to carry me 26.2 mi. So, I am gently supplicating my lovely bride to help me preserve my health and carve out a more matrimonially desirous physique by acquiring a new pair of shoes. Hope springs eternal.

Ok, back to business.

The weather is getting colder, so I'm running in a sweater again. I ran a 5.5 hill route on October 9, finishing in 61:29. Only 7 seconds off my best time! The temp was 49F when I started, and I was a bit crampy for awhile. I was especially pleased with my time on the first major portion (start through the top of the hill), recording a 33:45. This is 16 seconds slower than my October 5th run, and I still caught that darned light again. However, I ran the last 2.5 mi much faster this time, so I completed the run 1:49 faster overall, and 2:05 faster than my last run. Notably, I completed the .95 mile "up and down" portion in 11:10 (including a 23 second delay at that darned light), and the last 1.55 mi in 16:32.

I ran my 3.3 mi route Wednesday morning. Results were ok, but not great. I started around 7:00 with a temp of 46F. And, because of a strategic miscalculation (forgot to put my running clothes into the washer), I ran in my bulky sweats. Regardless, I finished in 33:22. Ran the first segment in 8:17 (ok) where I join the 5.5 mi route. Completed the "up and down" portion in 9:09 (as opposed to 11:10 during Monday's 5.5). I slowed a bit on the last 1.55 mi, finishing in 15:55 (as opposed to 16:32 during Monday's 5.5 miler). Walked my 1 mile afterward, finishing in 16:41. OUCH!

It is apparent that I'm not going to reach my goal of under 30 min for the 3.3 route before the next marathon (next week). I might get under 60 min for the 5.5 route, which would make me quite happy.

Had a great lift on Monday, my first lift in three weeks (by design). Will lift twice more before the next big run.

David's Pumpkin Run

Ran the Pumpkin Run with David this morning. It's a 1 mile cross country event held at Pioneer's Park (gorgeous park where we had Heather's wedding reception), and is David's last Lincoln Track Club event of the year. He earned "grand slammer" status this year, so his name will be on the T-Shirt they give out next year. Congrats to David!

The race is different than the others in that it is truely a cross country event. Lovely course that has two down hills that were so steep they were difficult to run down. The uphills are equally steep, and careful footing is a must. In other words, it was quite exciting!

David wanted me to run, and the course looked like fun so I chased him around the course. The race had a bazillion kids organized into age groups. And, because of the congestion and terrain, kids were falling all over the place. Of course, kids don't understand spacing, they follow each other too closely, and they cut in front of each other, so when one falls an unintentional dog pile often results, especially near the start.

Anyway, David was on the starting rope and I was directly behind him, and when the gun sounded he was off like a shot. I tried to keep up, but kids were falling right away and helping kids get back up before they were trampled seemed more important that matching David stride for stride. Of course, kids that age are bouncy and hop right back up and run some more! If I fell like that, I would be down for a week.

I eventually caught up because David runs like an accordian. He sprints like crazy, then walks until he catches his breath, and then starts sprinting like crazy again. He has only two race speeds; full bore or walk! There is no in between. There is also no way I can catch him on a sprint, so I just maintain a solid pace and then catch him when he starts walking. I caught up, we walked together for a few seconds, and he sprinted off again. We did that several times. I caught him again during his last walk before the finish, and we walked together for about 20 or 30 seconds until he was close enough for his big sprint to the finish line. This run has so many kids, and hence the finish line so congested, that all parents cut off to the right just before the finish line so that the kids can have their pictures taken as they cross the line. Also, kids cross the finish line and then stop right there, in the middle of everything! Anyway, David ran the race in 11:07 (as best as I could tell), a good time considering the nature of the course. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact time he crossed (too many kids congesting the finish), but I think 11:07 is accurate enough.

After the run, I took David (and Heather) to breakfast, and then Heather took David shopping for a halloween costume. Personally, Jennifer and I cannot stand halloween but Heather loves it, so for the last few years she has taken David to get a costume. And, after our church "trunk or treat" event, I'm sure Heather will take him trick or treating again this year.

Anyway, a fun Saturday run.

Considered running this afternoon, but ended up doing several hours worth of yard work! By the time I was finished, I was too sore, so I called it a day.

Two Weeks Away!

The next marathon is only two weeks away! So, I hit the hill route again on Friday and then walked my mile.

I was still sore from the 12 miler, and I generally like to take at least 48 hours off from the end of a long run until I start the next. However, since I started the 12 miler on Wednesday nite and finished on Thursday after midnight, a 48 hour down time would push my next run to Saturday morning, which is David's Pumpkin Run (1 mi cross country) at Pioneers Park.


With this in mind, I ran Friday morning, starting around 9:00 am. My legs felt a bit like lead and were sore, and I took my phone so that I could answer calls as necessary. I started fast, but had to take a long call which slowed me considerably. I finished the call near the 1 mile mark and my time went from great to awful, but I felt the manly urge to accelerate! I ran hard and made up a lot of time and reached the 1.5 mile mark in 15:58. I took a moderate pace on the next leg, then wanted to give myself a big push up the hill. So, I started hustling again, and pushed through a big head wind to reach my main landmark (the corner of Pioneers and 56th) at 33:29, which is my best time for this segment. In fact, when I ran my personal best on this route, I reached this point at 34:14, so I was :45 ahead of schedule.


I was excited when I reached the intersection because I knew that, desepite my tired legs and the long phone call, I was on a PB time. My excitement waned just a bit, however, when the cursed traffic light turned red in front of me! I timed the light, and it took 32 seconds before turning green again. I wanted to just sprint across the road, but the traffic was too heavy.


I had a hard time getting my legs going after that break, and lost focus as I went down the hill. I was thinking about a legal brief I am writing and my brain went numb, and I caught myself running at a snails pace. I tried to resume my normal pace but my legs were quite tired. So, I set a nice pace and just cruised the rest of the way home. My time was 1:03:18. (or 63:18).


I walked my 1 miler just after finishing, but my time was icky yet again: 16:53. Ouch.


Will run the Pumkpin Run (1 mi cross country) with David tomorrow, and am not sure whether I will run tomorrow night or just give my legs a break. Perhaps I'll just walk a long distance. We shall see.


Cornell played a fine football game. He caught a pass for 11 yds and a first down, dropped a pass but earned a pass interference call, missed a catch in the end zone on what was an obvious pass interference call, and saved an interception by forcing the interceptor out of bounds before his feet came down. The ball was a bit overthrown and Cornell was double covered. Unfortunately, his team lost yet again. Oh well.

12 Miler

Wednesday, Oct 3

Went for a long one, but kinda by accident.

Last night's plan was to run the 8.5 as hard as I could, then walked a timed 1 mi so that I could get a realistic estimate of a 1 mi walking time while sore and tired. Unfortunately, I had clock and IPod problems, so I don't know most of my times.

I started with a 2.5 mile walk (forgot to start IPod), and then ran a 8.5 mi on my standard circuit (hill last). I don't have an overall time for that, either. But, I do have some prelim times.

The 8.5 mi started with a thud. After I started running, the IPod band was pinching my arm. The IPod was inside my sweater and I had to slow to a walk to fix it, but I had to continue to walk when I put the sweater back on because the cords somehow became tangled. Sweater came back off, etc. It was a comedy of errors. I call this an "administrative loss" because I lost a great deal of time due to "administrative" or "non-running" errors. Admin lossess to me are especially perplexing and irritating. Anyway, because of these problems, I reached the Rock Island/Hwy 2 trail merge in a dismal 31:17, which is awful. The last time I ran this route, I finished this segment in 28:39. So, I had a 2:38 admin loss.

I was quite discouraged by this time, so I decided to ramp up my speed on the next segment. I finished in 27:16, which is 1:17 faster than the last time I ran this route. And, it may be my fastest time on this segment. Not bad, since I started this segment after going over 5 miles and finished it around 7.8 miles. I was very pleased! Despite the speedy split, I was still behind schedule at the Zoo merge because of the time I lost during the first split. I reached the Zoo merge at 58:33, which was 1:21 behing the 57:12 when I last ran this distance.

The moon was not yet up when I reached the crappy portion of the trail on the north side of the Zoo, so I made a tactical decision to walk this part. I have tripped on that portion of the trail several times in broad day light. Now, the night was very dark, and I didn't want to risk injury on the very uneven surface. I have done this in other (but not all) night runs, and I simply accept the time loss as a logical tradeoff - slower time, but no injury. The tradeoff is worth it.

Now, the clock problem hit. I'm not sure what happened, but I did something wrong so I don't have good times for the rest of the run.

After a good sprint up the hill and to the finish line, I set the watch and began my 1 mile walk. By this time, I had just finished 11 miles, and my legs were sore from the sprint at the finish and the long sprints on the Rock Island leg of the route. My time was horrible! Exactly 16 minutes. Aargh!

Anyway, a good long distance effort with lots of sprints.

I started late and did not finish until around 1:10 am. Because of the lateness, I am scrubbing Thurday's 5.5 miler and will do that Friday, hopefully in the morning.

Woo Hoo!

OUCH!

Yep, eating all that chili on Friday's cook off was a bad idea, at least as far as the running went. My 12 mile run turned into a 5.5 mile walk on my hill route!

Fortunately, not all was lost.

First, the stats. The walk took 1:32:45, which is 31:23 slower than my fastest run time.

Howver, I learned several things, which made this walk instructive.

I started at a nice leisurely pace, but picked up dramatically at the 1.5 mile mark. I specifically wanted to time myself walking up the hill, and what I learned was a real eye opener! The hill is about .95 miles, and my best time running up the hill is around 12 minutes. My very focused walk, however, took 15:06. In other words, I walked the hill only 3 minutes slower than I ran it. The Novartis 10 K earlier in the year went up that same hill. And, some people did a jog-walk up the hill and ended up doing better that I did by jogging the whole way.

So, what does this mean? Normally, I save 5 to 6 minutes per mile, or more, by jogging as opposed to walking. On this hill, I saved only 3. And, I felt much stronger after the hill this time than I did while running. The bottom line is that, from a timing perspective, I should probably jog-walk big hills. I'll work that out a bit in practice the next few days.

Chili Cook Off!

With an 8.5 mi yesterday and a 12 mi coming up tomorrow, I took today off and made chili for our church's chili cookoff!

AND I WON!!! WOO HOO!

There were only 24 or so entries, but the different batches of chili were actually very good! I think all the contestants had kids and were used to making good tasting food. And, because of the kiddies, all the entries were mild and flavorful. I tried them all! Of course, with a big run tomorrow, gorging myself on chili tonight may have been a bad idea. We shall see.

Before I get into my chili, I need to thank my wife, Jennifer. This week was ugly, and Jennifer kept me on schedule for making my chili. I am very grateful.

The foundation for my chili was the cubed pork and beef brisket we had left over from Heather's wedding reception. The meat had already been cubed and well marinated two days before the reception, but when we finished assembling the kabobs we had meat left over so we froze it. It was outstanding! I included some beans, three different types of peppers, some red onion, soy sauce, broth, and one of my favorite ingredients: Napolitos (cactus). Add some spices, and we have chili. Of course, as we were getting things into and out of the fridge, I noticed that we had a fairly good quantity of Pastrami left. So, as we were putting things away and getting ready to head out the door, I grabbed the Pastrami, pulled some of it apart, and tossed it into the chili! Why? dunno. But, it tasted good, and there were only a few scrapings of the chili left to take home.

Many of the entries were noteworthy. Two entered vegetarian chili, with one containing garbonzo beans and the other having a wonderful assortment of chopped vegetables. One chili was chicken based using a green sauce. It was mostly gone before I was able to starting eating, and I think I had about a tablespoon or less. When everyone eats the chili, you know its good. The second place entry was made with a batch of home made salsa. Very nice. Another one tasted like a chili version of a tortilla soup, and was quite good. A couple of folks went for the basic and simple approach and kept the ingredients limited, but they blended the right ingredients in the right quantities, and it sure tasted good. If I had the time, I could make good comments on every entry. Anyway, a wonderful event.

Chili was not the only competition, as "cinnamon rolls" were also on the menu. While a lot of folks made entries, by the time I arrived ALL of the rolls had been eaten, and I did not get a single one! Not even real piece! I missed out!

Well, back to the grind tomorrow, as the next marathon will be only three weeks away!

Cool run!

A cool 8.5 mi run today! In fact, it was a bit too cool. The temp was a bit cooler than I expected, but I didn't realize the problem until I was well out the door without a sweater. I eventually became quite uncomfortable and very tight.

I had planned to start around 5:30. I got out of bed in time (4:50), but had a case of the slows. I was very tired and had a horrible time getting moving. I didn't actually get out the door until just after 6:00 am. Bad, bad, bad, because that meant that I would have to cross traffic lights on Normal Blvd in heavy traffic, which takes time.

My 8.5 mile time was solid: 1:39:27 (99:27 min). My 26th run on this route. My 3rd best time, and only the 4th run where I've broken 1:40:00 (100 min). My best time came a few days before the Lincoln Marathon, when I ran a 1:33:58 (93:58 min). During the Lincoln Marathon, I ran the first 8.5 mi in approx 1:35:49 (95:49 min). I'll be running this distance several times in the next three weeks, and expect my time to improve to close to the 1:30:00 mark. We shall see.

I started very tight, completing the first leg in 9:41. I am now usually under 9 min. I reached the Hwy 2 Trail - Rock Island Trail merge (about the 2.6 mile mark) in 28:39, which is 47 seconds slower than my 2nd best time. I am shooting for under 27 min. I ran the Rock Island Trail segment in 28:33 (again, I'm shooting for under 27 min), and reached the Zoo merge at 57:12. My goal is to reach the merge in under 54:00 min. I hit one light which took about 20 seconds or so, and by the time I got back up to speed it cost me around 30 seconds. Bummer.

The next segment went slow, but for a different reason - traffic. I hit both traffic lights, and arrived at the longest light just as it turned red. I also got stuck for a few seconds at a busy, uncontrolled intersection. I tightened up a bit and had to get restarted three times, which is a pain. My time from the Zoo to 48th Street, which is about 1.75 miles (or so), was an ugly 23:53. Still, I arrived at 48th street at 1:21:06 (81:06). Because I'm training for hills, I saved the big hill for last. I completed the final segment, around 1.5 miles, in 18:20. Normally, when running this segment as a down hill, I almost always finish in 15:45 ish. Since I'm taking it as an uphill, I would give myself an extra minute or so and finish in 17:00 or less. Didn't get that today. On the bright side, not a bad overall time and, considering where I'm at in the trainings schedule, I'll take it!

As noted in my previous entry, I now walk 1 mile (for time) after each run, regardless of how far I go. I was pretty tight when I finished, and my walk time was horrible! 17:14. I'll need to do better than that if I want to improve my walking splits to the point that I can shave significant time off my last marathon finish time.

I won't get to the weights today, as Cornell had a football game. I thought about going before the game, but I forgot about the SCC adjunct faculty dinner! Oh well.

Good run, new walking plan

Ran my 3.3 mi route in 33:44, immediately followed by a 1 mile walking split (14:58). The run time was solid, but the walk time was not so hot.

This is the 32nd time I ran the 3.3 mi route, but it's the first time I ran the route in reverse. I have always run the route clockwise because of the terrain. The first .4 mi is flat or downhill, followed by a steep but short uphill. At about the .8 mark, the route takes an approx 1 mile rolling hill stretch which is mostly down hill, and has a couple of spots which are steep downhills (steep by Nebraska standards, of course, not by San Francisco or Omaha or KCMO standards), followed by a .6 mile flat stretch. The final stretch has a gradual uphill for just under half a mile, followed by a pretty flat half mile home. I like this route because it breaks up the uphills nicely. I have a steep uphill near the front, and a gradual uphill near the end.

By reversing my route, the approx 1 mile down hill stretch becomes a nice uphill stretch. And, those two aforementioned steep downhills become two steep uphills, with the steepest part being around the 2.5 mile mark.

In some ways, its like living half way up a hill. If you leave the house and start uphill, you face only half the hill to start, then get a nice long down hill to recoup before facing the other half of the uphill. If, however, you start down hill, when you get to the bottom you have to run up the entire hill all at once. The distance is the same, but the workout is very different. Since I'm prepping for hills, taking the hill at once is the better training option.

The walk time was pathetic, and as noted in my last entry I'm going walk one mile immediately upon finishing every run, regardless of how far I run. The walk will be timed, and I want to complete it in 13 minutes without jogging or running at all. This will help me in the later stages of the next race, when I will have to rely on well timed walking splits to help me finish the race on schedule.

Of note, not much lifting in September, by design. My weight lifting will taper off this month, with only a few lifts in October before the race. I have lifted a lot in preparation for this next race (44 times), with most of these being lengthy, very heavy sessions (lat pressdowns at over 200 lbs, pec flies at over 300 lbs, etc, 5 to 10 sets on many exercises). My strength has increased dramatically, and is almost to where it was three years ago. But my shoulders starting getting sore and I don't wish to risk an injury before the race, so it was time to throttle back.

Of note, this was my 5th fastest time on this route, and I was only 2:16 off my fastest time. In comparison to other runs, I ran the 5K (3.1) mile Thunder Run in 32:19. I was 1:25 slower today, but I ran .2 mi longer on a route that has a long and steep uphill. The Thunder run is absolutely flat - it's run on an active aircraft runway which is about the flatest running surface you'll find anywhere. Also, I was well rested when I ran my best 3.3 mi time, and was having a great day (it was my birthday). In comparison, I went 12.2 mi yesterday, and I was still sore from that run. Overall, I'm pleased with the results.

Tactical decision: I'm NOT going to run any route over 16 miles until after the Marathon. I have gone over 20 miles three times this year already, including one marathon, and each time it took me many days to recover. I know I can finish 26.2 miles. So, I need to run just far enough to make sure my body efficiently burns glycogen stores and is otherwise ready for the race. I think I can do that with a couple of 16 milers (one next week and one the week after) with most 8.5's, 5.5 two a days, with a few 3.3's thrown in.

Experimental 12 miler

Ran a 12.2 miler today. This was an experimental run, as I tested several different things in preparation for the upcoming KC Marathon. The most important thing I learned was that I should only test one thing at time, because too much variation leads to muscle cramps!

Anyway, I was going over the numbers from the Lincoln Marathon and some preliminary projections for the KC Marathon. As I've stated before, I'm not an uber-runner, so I can't just go out and run a marathon. I have to make a very careful plan and stick to it like glue, while maintaining enough flexibility to change when necessary.

My general plan in the Lincoln Marathon was to run the first 15 miles in 3:10:30, and then jog-walk the remaining 11.2 miles to finish between 6:03:30 and 6:05:30 (I actually finished in 6:00:02). I finished ahead of schedule, so by definition things went well, but as I looked at my times certain facts stood out.

The biggie: I finished miles 15 through 25 in 15+ minutes each, and mile 26 in 14:58. And I was jog- walking at that. By this point I have learned to ignore most magazines, but the fact remains that just about everything I read says that a person in reasonably good health should be able to WALK a mile in 12 minutes. I jog-walked mile 19 in 17:03, and that was mostly jogging! One could easily deduce that I was actually jogging slower than I could walk. If, in the next marathon, I were to finish the first 15 miles in the same time as the last, but reduced my jog-walk time to 14 minutes a mile for the last 11.6, I could reduce my overall time by over 20 minutes. Even walking each mile in 15 minutes would reduce my overall time by approx 10 minutes.

Armed with this information, I started my basic 11.4 mile route (with a few extra's at the end) around lunch. I initially got off to a rough start. I was wearing my camel back, was very tight, and I was stopped at every single intersection that was controlled by a traffic light in the first 5 miles (and by 9 out of the 10 lights on the route). I ran the first 4 miles, and during this time did two long, hard sprint splits. The first split went just under two minutes, followed by a couple of minutes of walking and another long hard sprint split. I ended the sprint split at the mile marker, and walked to the next marker. The time for the walking mile was a HORRIBLE 16:05. I did get a business call that I had to take, but that probably cost me just a few seconds at most. I didn't actually record my time at the Zoo merge, so I'm unsure of how long it took.

I started jogging again at the Zoo merge and ran the next approx two miles, took a short walking split, then jogged up the hill on 56th street. This was an important uphill run, as the KC marathon is a bit hilly. This segment went quite well.

I then jog walked on the rolling hills and, as I dug into my pack, I came to an stark realization: I left one of my bottles of gatorade in the fridge. I didn't have my water bladder in the camelback, and I was out of all fluid at around the 9 or so mile mark. Furtunately, a fast food place is located on the corner, so I jumped in and bought two bottles of water, and drank one as I headed out the door.

I then began my second walking mile at the corner of 56th and the HWY 2 trail. The mile took almost EXACTLY the same amount of time as the first mile (about 16:03). That is a problem.

At the conclusion of that mile, I wanted to run the last 1.2 miles or so. It was not to be. Both legs began cramping fairly significantly as I ran, so I walked the rest of the way.

The two sprint splits were designed to tax me, and they did. I also pushed myself up the hill, which went well. The walk splits did not go well. I have had a problem, over the past 600 miles or so, whenever I have a walking split over about 3 or so minutes in a run. After about 4 or 5 minutes or walking, I have had significant difficulty getting back into a good running rhythm. I was able to restart after the first mile split, but not after the second.

I will rely heavily on my walking intervals in the last half of the marathon. So, from now until the marathon, I will do a timed mile immediately after every run. Hopefully, this will help me remedy this problem under realistic circumstances.

Otherwise, I may have to buy new shoes because these shoes have quite a bit of miles on them. We shall see.

New PB on the 5.5 mi hill route!

Ran my 5.5 mil hill route at lunch and finished in 61:22 - a personal best by over a minute!

I started out well, but felt tight the entire run. Finished the first leg in 15:42, which is consistent within a few seconds of other times on that first leg. I reached the corner of 56th and Pioneers, the approximate top of the hill, at 34:14. I slowed a bit on the down hill portion, mostly because I lost focus and my brain was wandering around. Again, no IPod in tng because they are verboten in the next Marathon.

I didn't really do any sprint splits, but I did three "waddle a little faster" splits. I will incorporate more in a more organized fashion in an effort to get my time below 60 min.

Light lift at night, nothing special.

NEXT MARATHON ONLY 30 DAYS AWAY!

My 25th 8.5 Mile Circuit!

Started the week with the 8.5 mi circuit in the morning, and the weightroom in the evening. I ran in 104:26. Not my best time by any means but, considering the circumstances, I'm not displeased.

The bottom line is that this is the 25th time I have run that circuit, and I recorded my 6th fastest time. While I was way off my fastest time (10:28), I have only completed the run in under 100 minutes 3 times, and my time today was close to my 4th and 5th place efforts. I haven't run that circuit in a couple of months, and I expect my time to improve as I get closer to the next marathon.

I started my run about an hour late (about 7:15). There was a heavy wind coming out of the south, so I ran the 8.5 mile circuit clockwise, meaning that the last 3.5 miles was into the wind with the hill being last. While some magazines suggest that we adjust our routes to take the wind first, I am preparing for the KC Marathon's hills, and I needed to get my money's worth today. I did.

One problem of starting late is that I was innundated with phone calls. I had three calls that I had to take. The first came just as I was launching, and got me off track. The next came around the 1/2 mile mark, and I tried to run and talk at the same time, which didn't work out well at all. The third came just after the 1 mile mark and I had to walk, which cost me at least a couple of minutes. I didn't answer the phone after that.

Another problem of starting late is traffic. I got stuck at several lights, which cost me at least a minute. I also did two planned walking splits, but they were only 1.5 minutes each and did not significantly increase my time.

I started well and finished the first mile in 9:35. I finished the first major split in 29:52, but given the phone calls I'm not overly dissappointed in that time. The next split, 29:15, was a minute or so slow, and I arrived at the Zoo merge (5 mile point) at 59:07, which is over 4 minutes slower than my preferred time (I want to reach that point at 55 min or less). I slowed considerably from there, arriving at the trail / 48th street merge at 1:24:35, and taking 19:51 to make the last leg to my home. In contrast, I ran that same distance on my 5.5 mi route in 15:45 or so (albeit I was running mostly down hill that time and up hill this time). Regardless, I like to run it in no more than 17:30 when running up hill.

I also took a 1 mile untimed walk during lunch today with one of the other attorneys in the office.

Good lift tonight, as I worked on my biceps, triceps, shoulders, and abs.

My son Cornell also played a good football game tonite. No TD's, but two very tough catches. He made a third tough catch, but the ref missed the call and called the pass incomplete (the inexperienced ref was looking up and did not see that Cornell had his foot down in bounds). Cornell also showed me something I have never seen in him before. On a punt return he creamed a lineman, knocking him on his can. It was a tough, very hard hit. Cornell is speedy, so his job is to catch the guy with the ball, not ear hole some lineman. After the game, Cornell explained to me that the guy had grabbed his face mask on a previous play when Cornell was making a tackle and jammed Cornell's head into the ground. The ref's, being inexperienced, missed that one, too. So, on the punt a few plays later, Cornell sought out the guy and planted him. Tough sport!

Back to the hill route!

Entry for Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Ran the hill route today (5.5 mi). Time was 63:22, which was good considering the lateness of the hour, the long lay off, and the horrendous amount of food I've chomped down in the past few weeks. Started strong with a 15:45 first split, and hit the top of the "big hill" at 34:33 (about 3 miles or so). I wallowed a bit in places without the IPod (see yesterday's posting for that story), and would have had a better time had I kept better track of my pace. Pacing without the IPod will be a continuing theme as I prepare for my next Marathon. My wallowing was particularly grievous for about a quarter of a mile or so up the hill, and again in the "rolling hill" portion at about the 3.5 or so mile mark. I ran the last mile and a half in under 15 minutes, which was excellent for me.

The weather was wonderful, 57F when I left the house (around 23:20). Got a very late start again, this time because my wife Jen is sick an I had to look after her before hitting the road. However, a gorgeous, star-lit night, and a lovely night for a run.

Very good lift this morning. I did 5 sets on the bench, including a solid set at 225 lbs. I started on the bench as usual, but with a long day ahead didn't want to push the bench too much. Monster sets on the biceps, triceps, pec flies (one set of 8 reps at over 300 lbs) and reverse flies. Finished with abs and a good stretch.

Closing thought. I worked out of my home this afternoon because Jen was sick and asked me to come home. I jogged over to the elementary school to pick up David (about 1 mile round trip), and David was excited to be able to walk home. As I met him at the school, he sported a huge grin, started running, and then yelled back "race you to the corner." He had a big start, and was very happy when he reached the corner before I did. He then took my hand and we walked together, but after we crossed the last intersection he took off running again, looking back with that same joyful grin. He ran all the way to the front door. I was tickled to see my 7 year old so happy! Of course, the mood changed when he walked in the front door, as he asked to watch TV and mom said "homework and chores!" Regardless, I will always remember him turning around with that great big smile and happily, innocently running. What a day!

40 Days until the KC Marathon

Entry for Monday, September 10, 2007

Ran my 3.3 mi route tonight. Went to Cornell's football game before the run so I got a late start (around 23:30). Overall, it was a cool and cloudy day. The high temp was 60F, and it was a bit humid. The clouds at sunset were blue and grey with twinges of a beautiful red. The temp was about 50F when I ran, so I ran in a sweater.

Before I yak further about my running, I need to boast about our son Cornell. He plays wide receiver on the Southeast High School Varsity football team, but after 3 games has caught only 1 pass because the QB can't seem to throw the football. The QB has only thrown him 4 other passes, and all 4 have either been grossly over-thrown or way under-thrown. The team has scored only three TD's in three games - all losses.

Anyway, the coach asked Cornell if he wanted to play one game with the JV. The coach played the JV QB in the last Varsity game, and it looks as though the JV QB might take over the Varsity starting role before the end of the season. So, I think the coach wanted the JV QB and Cornell to work together for a game.

The results were fantastic. In the 1st half alone, Cornell caught two TD passes, and for his second TD he sprinted about 40 yards after the catch to outran the safety for the score (Cornell also runs track, and qualified for the state meet as a sophomore in the 4 x 400 relay). He also played defense and picked a pass and ran it about 20 yards or so before being run out of bounds. In the second half, he ran a reverse for 11 yards and a 1st down, recovered a turnover when the other team muffed the kickoff, and recoved the ball when his QB fumbled. He also had several big tackles on defense. Two TD passes for 96 yds, and 108 all purpose yds on only three plays, plus the rest. Not a bad day.

I especially enjoy seeing my kids having a great time while doing well, and being good sports about it. Today was a wonderful and memorable day for Cornell. And I love writing about my children.

Now my running.

Interesting run tonight. First, I started very late (which is not that unusual). However, with 40 days to go, the IPod is now officially on the shelf. Why? According to the KC Marathon rules, IPods and the like are prohibited for "safety" reasons. I have run with the IPod for several months and have used the music beat for pacing. I now have to transition to no music. Boo Hoo.

Running with and without music has had a curious effect. I started using the IPod months ago because I had pacing problems. I would speed up, slow down, speed up again, slow down again, all the way through the run. So, I started using the IPod, and loaded it with music with a steady beat. Initially, I ran slower with the IPod, but eventually my tempo improved and I reduced my times substantially.

Monday night, no IPod. I started with an even tempo and picked up the pace. I was a bit tired and, with all the recent wedding stuff and my gross over-eating for the past two weeks, I didn't want to push myself. This was more of a "get it done" run than a "woo hoo" run. With this in mind, I didn't do a sprint split per se, but ran two "faster paced" splits and, quite frankly, overall felt like I was running very fast. It felt great, and I was actually surprised at how fast I ran! Until I checked my stop watch. My time was actually slow: 35:15. A second slower than my Aug 7 pace, and 3:36 slower than my best time. I was a bit off my 5 K pace in the last two races, but I expected that because in the races I am competing (and that get's me quite excited) and I do a big sprint to the finish. No big sprint this time, which would have shaved 10 or 15 second off my time.

The bottom line is that, with music banging loudly in my ears, I have a different perspective than when I'm running without music. Regardless, no IPod for KC, so I'll just have to get used to it.

General Update

I have not posted in a couple of weeks, so I'll go for the mass block update.

The last few weeks have been very hectic, which has greatly impacted my training. Specifically, my weightlifting has been outstanding, but my running has been quite poor.

The biggest issue has been my work schedule. Heather is getting married this Saturday, so I've had to put in odd hours so that I can take time off for the wedding (and pay for the wedding and reception). While the groom and his family live about five miles from us, our little lovelies decided that they wanted to get married in Utah, which is 900+ miles away. So, the marriage is this Saturday, with the reception here in Nebraska the following Saturday (Sept 8). Both will be simple and modest, but I think both will be a great deal of fun for the happy couple and their friends.

The second schedule killer was that we agreed to take a sibling group of 4 children for an emergency (30 day) foster placement. This brings our total to 54 foster kids since 1988. Woo Hoo! The 30 days ended last Friday and the kids were moved to long term homes. While we can't comment on cases for privacy reasons, I can say that behaviors on the part of the foster kids and their family made this a very difficult placement for us. The kids problems impacted my afternoon running schedule, and their family habits (sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon and stay awake until 3:00 am or later) was a constant struggle. I like to run in the evernings after kids have gone to bed (usually 9:00 p.m. to midnight), but these foster kids came from a family which does not understand what bed time is about. We sent them to their rooms at 10:00, but they sat on their beds and made noise until the early morning. And, because of their belligerance, I could not leave.

Anyway, lifting has gone quite well. I have hit the weights 13 times so far this month, which is quite satisfying. And, I'll keep hitting the weights all the way through to the Marathon.

I did run another 5K a week ago. The time was a bit slower than the 5K the week before, but I am happy with the result. The kids one miler was first, but David, our 7 year old, was having a icky day. This was his 8th or 9th one miler, but this time he started whining and wanted me to run with him. I did, but he stopped several times along the way. He did finish, which is important, but his time was around 15 minutes (as compared to 9 minutes and change the week before). I then had just enough time to grab a drink of water a stretch a tiny bit before my race began. So, I did a one miler, stopped, and then did a 3.1 miler. The route went through the University of Nebraska Campus and around Haymarket park, so it was a lovely run. It had a couple of large overpasses which substituted quite nicely for hills so I got a bit of a hill workout. The run was in the morning so the temp was reasonable, but the humidity was still high. No injuries and a decent time (for me, anyway) so a successful run.

With the kiddos leaving on Friday, I was able to play in a slow pitch softball tournament on Saturday. I pitched 2 full games without relief and went 2-0! I also umpired one game. I didn't check on my stats, but I gave up 4 earned runs over the two games, with several K's and only two walks (both walks in the second game). My hitting was a bit rusty, as I had four hits over the two games, with only 2 RBI'S and I scored once. Of course, I would like to beat my chest about my fine pitching performance, but the fact that we cranked out 17 runs over the two games helped quite a bit!

Thunder Run

What a difference a year makes.

David and I ran the Thunder Run again this year. David did the kids 1 Mi, and I ran the 5K (3.1 mi)., and we both improved fairly dramatically over our performance last year.

David did great. Last year, he completed the mile in 12:03. This year he shaved off 2:20 to finish in 9:43. He improved 30 places to place 101 out of 165 runners.

I didn't quite get the time I wanted, but I finished in 32:19, which was an improvement of 9:24 over last year. I'm still slow ( I finished second to last in my age division) I am improving.

Last week was not quite the robust running week I had hoped for. The temps and humidity were quite high, and I had to scrub one of the runs to weather and another to my work schedule. I ran three times for 10.6 miles and lifted weights three times.

My Thursday run was a bear. The weather was hot and humid (91 F, 78% humidity) when I started. I ran the first 1.5 miles in solid time (15:14), and hit the two mile mark strong. I quickly realized, however, that the temp and humidity were a lot higher than I had realized. So, to avoid injury, I cut the route short by 1.3 miles and ducked through some tree lined neighborhoods rather than finish my 5.5 hill route which has little shade. It was a good thing, as I scored a lovely sunburn after being out under an hour.

Another 5K on Saturday. Woo Hoo!

Humid runswim.

Getting ready for the 5K Saturday, so I ran my 3.3 mi route. Time was a bit sucky, 35:14, but the humidity was oppressive and my misadventurous July saw so few running miles that I need to rebuild a bit.

We enjoyed a lovely rainfall for some of the night, so when I went out to run in the morning the humidity smacked me the moment I hit the door. The temp was reasonable, about 85F, but the air was so humid that I was drenched within a few minutes, and at times I felt like I was wading through water. When I got back to the house, Jen looked up the humidity, which was listed at 79%. I think it might have been even a bit higher in some of the places where I ran.

Weightlifting is going great. I am getting in quality sets and my strength is improving. I have been doing some lifts and exercises that I don't like and have assiduously avoided over the years, so I think I'm building muscle in new areas which helps me dramatically improve my overall strength. I have always hated pulls ups/chin ups, and have never been able to do more than 3 or 4, regardless of my overall condition. I like dips but do them poorly, and have not done seated rows in years. So, I started using the pull up and dip machine, which allows me to offset my weight and get in a decent number of reps and sets. And, the seated rows seem to be going well. Since starting these lifts, I have noticed that other lifts (like lat press downs, pull downs, etc) have improved.

Despite the work, I have NOT jumped on the scale. I am way too heavy, and I think my wimpy running schedule in July has resulted in me gaining weight. Not fine muscle weight, but blob weight. I have noticed that my clothes don't fit quite as loosely as they should, but the problem is in my waist and not muscled areas. I need to lose a significant amount of weight if I'm going to make 5 hours in my next marathon. So, I'm back on the proverbial water wagon. I don't drink alcohol for religious reasons, but I love root beer and flavored lemonades. Sadly, they have been excised from my diet until after the KC marathon in October. I'll jump on the scale before the next marathon, but am afraid that if I weigh myself now I'll be too discouraged.

Busy week ahead, so we'll see how it goes.

July in Review

July's analysis is simple. Running was horrible, weight lifting was excellent.

I missed the first 9 days of the month due to vacation, 2 days because I gave blood, about a week when I crashed into the cement and banged my knee hard, and about a week to bronchitis. That, my friends, is most of the month. I ran 3 whole times for a whopping 19.6 miles.

Weight lifting went better than expected. I was still able to lift weights with my knee banged up and I pushed through the bronchitis. I lifted weights 12 times in the last 22 days of the month. Just about all of these were heavy lifts and heavy abs, and it felt great! My bench is back above 225, leg press was at 850 lbs, and today I did lat presses at over 190 lbs (the picture of me in the top right corner was taken at 156 lbs, which at the time was near my max.) So, I'm making progress. Diet piece and sleep are ok. Not great, but better than last time.

The good news is that my next marathon is 80 days away. In my last marathon, I completed 288.3 miles in the last 80 days. I'm looking forward to over 300 this time. It will be hard because of Heather's upcoming wedding, but we don't have weather issues this time around (I run in the heat and the rain, and we don't have snow or ice storms in Aug or Sept). Woo Hoo.