Setting a Goal: Making a Plan

The first, and arguably the most important, step in achieving something is to set a goal.

I do it all the time in business and life then build plans to help me get to where I want to go.  Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t, but I have learned that due to my ADD if I don’t have a goal and a plan, then I’m not going to get anything accomplished.  I’ll just look around at stuff and be busy as all get out then look around again and realize I’ve gone nowhere.  It’s like going to the grocery store without a list to get milk and cereal.  I’ll come back with four or five items but no milk.

 

The longest memory is a short pencil.  I live that.

 
Some of the goals I set are beyond what I really think I can do, but I’ve found that helps me do more than I actually thought I could.  Especially when dealing with physical things like weights or running.  When I set those stretch goals I also have secondary ones that I plan to hit “on the way.”  That way I build in successes so I feel good and keep working.  That’s worked really well the past two years as I try to run a mile in under five minutes.

Only about ten people a year in my age group, or the one above or below for that matter, do that in any given year.  The air is rare up there.  Those guys are fast, fast, fast and I’d like to be up there with them.  Of course I haven’t run a sub-5 mile since I was 18 but, pffft, I don’t care.  It’s a stretch goal! 

I’ve already hit several of my secondary goals and had some great races along the way, plus I’ve learned a great deal about training and perseverance.  I’ve also had the good luck to be able to share a lot of those learning’s with other folks and hear about their successes, too.  So today I want to do some more sharing and give y’all some basic pointers for accomplishing any racing goals you might have.

 

First: Set the goal

 

Write it down, tell someone about it, and talk about.  Those things will help make it real to you and keep you working towards it even if you hit some setbacks.

 

Second: Have a plan

 

Things that are worthwhile don’t just happen.  They take effort and you work for them.  With the limited amount of time we all have, we can’t just be wasting it if we want to do something big for ourselves, and having a plan will help us be more efficient and improve the likelihood of reaching our goals.  Think the plan through starting with the finishing point.  If you’re goal is a PR in a Half Marathon, start with the race date and work your ways backwards understanding that you’re not going to be able to run the needed distances at the needed speeds if you don’t build up to it!  Knowing where you need to be and when will help lay out what you have to do to get there.  And be smart about it.  Don’t just go throwing big numbers out there like running 6 days a week 10 miles a day if you’ve never made yourself do it before.  If you’re a three day a week runner, stick to three days.  Play to your habits and strengths if you can.  If you do have to change something do it in small steps.  It’s really easy to get discouraged so it’s important not to plan for discouragement.  Plan for success and go after it in little, manageable steps.

 

Third:  Vary the plan

 

We all know shit happens.  Sometimes it’s self-inflicted; sometimes it’s not but you know it’s going to happen, so be ready to go with the flow.  Missing a workout isn’t going to be the end if you gave yourself the leeway when putting together your plan.  The other key point here is the “variety” in the “vary.”  Regardless of what you’re training to do, just going out and running several times a week is not going to get you very far.  When I began my training I first looked at what the world class “elites” do.  No, I’m not going to be one of them, but they obviously know what they’re doing so I imitate them!  Which brings up a pet peeve of mine: training plans where you don’t ever run the distance you’re going to race.  Please.  To me that’s just a plan to help you FINISH a distance, not race it.  Now, obviously, finishing is the goal for many people.  That was my goal when I ran my one and only Marathon.  I did pretty well even though I hit the wall hard at 23 miles, but I’d never run more than 18 leading up to that so what the hell else should I have expected?  Elite marathoners do 30 mile runs in their training from time to time.  Those of us who want to really race a marathon should think about doing that, too.

 

But back to the “variety.” 

A good training plan addresses lots of different systems and muscles in your body to help you get the most you can get out of yourself.  Marathoners do speed work, and sprinters do long slow runs.  Just in varying quantities and speeds.  Here are the pieces I suggest everyone needs to do when training for any distance.  There are a gazillion variations on these workouts as well as cross-training opportunities that make a difference but these are the ones that will give you the most bang for your buck.  Read that: give you the most benefit in the shortest amount of time. 

Sprint Work:  Short, 40 to 80 meter, full-out-hard-as-you-can sprints with about 4 to 5 minutes rest between each rep.  Those build leg muscle and help you learn to move your feet faster and faster. 

Speed Work:  Distances from 200 meters up to a mile.  Intervals, where you run at a fast pace then rest and repeat, work the best here.  One of the most used workouts anywhere is a “10 x” where you run ¼ the distance you’re going to race at your goal race pace, then rest for about a minute or jog for about a minute and a half then hit the rep again for a total of 10 times. 

Stamina Work:  Distances ranging from about 1/3 to the full distance of your goal race.  The iterations that exist here are also numerous but think Tempo Run since that’s the most used workout.  These runs are done just a little slower than race pace and usually for a distance a little shorter than your goal race.  These are the workouts the Kenyans (a generality, but there’s some merit there) focus on most.  Supposedly it’s almost all of their training and that makes sense since this most closely resembles your goal race.  If you’re training for a 10K then 2 to 5 mile Tempo Runs will be what you’re doing. 

Endurance:  Distances as long, or longer, than your goal race.  These are really important just so your body is prepared to do what it needs to do for a given period of time and distance.  It’s going to be very difficult to race for an hour if you never run that long in practice. 

The balance and focus of these segments depend entirely on your goal race and secondarily on your physical capabilities.  My goal race of the mile means my time is spent on Speed, Stamina, Sprint and Endurance in that order.  If you’re training for a Marathon then it’s going to be more Endurance, Stamina, Speed and Sprint.  But all of the pieces should be there. 

Plus one more:  Easy Days. 

One of the best things you can do for your body is have a day where you run, but it is short and very easy.  This type of run gets the fluids flowing through you to speed up healing, elevates your heartbeat and breathing so there’s a little cardiovascular benefit to it, but it doesn’t stress your muscles and joints at all.  Very, very beneficial. 

That variety of training will not only improve you physically faster than doing just one type of running, it makes running a whole lot more interesting and fun!  And those two things, interesting and fun, bring me to the last word on a training plan.

 

You're the designer, so make the plan fit YOU!

 

One size does not fit all in the running world and while a plan by Higdon might be a good one, it might not be good for you individually.  The same goes for any plan out there.  I've got books and articles you could read on the subject, but I realize not everyone is as geeked about running as I am.  Just think of yourself and your goals when you lay out a plan to reach them.  Play to your strengths and deal with your weaknesses in ways that you CAN and WILL deal with them.  If you hate rigid things, then it doesn't make much sense to have a 7 day a week plan complete with the time of day you run, rest, stretch and eat does it?  No.  Just make a list of three or four runs you're going to do that week.

 

Interesting and Fun.

 

If you keep those things in your running, you will do it more and do it better.

 

 

Outer Banks Marathon Weekend

Outer Banks Half

I had a great time over this past weekend and didn’t even run.

It was the Outer Banks Marathon weekend in my adopted home town but I wasn’t going to be running in any of the races this year.   Kind of odd how many people thought it was weird that I wasn’t running and it came up in every conversation I had.

“So are you running the Half?”

“Nope, just volunteering this year.”

“Why not? Are you hurt?”

That conversation was repeated a bunch.

I just did the MCM10K and am wrapping up the Rest Phase of my training for the year, so my training needs to get pretty particular at this point and I’m planning my rest days as much as I’m planning my workouts.  I need to have fresh legs to get the most out of the track and the hills, so tossing in a 13 mile run haphazardly isn’t really the best idea, plus it ain’t cheap.  Next year I’ll put it in there and maybe even see if just doing long, steady state runs can get me a decent time in the Half.  That’s what the Fall is for me: three runs a week of moderate effort and weight lifting to put back on some weight lost in the summer track season.  Not the best thing for racing, obviously, but not horrible either.  And, of course, I could make it for fun instead of for ego.  ; )

The weather in Dare County was great for races and a lot of my friends had great races.

David was running his first ever marathon after going through an amazing weight loss transformation.  He was a sprinter and talented athlete in high school, but had gained a bunch of weight after that.  The past couple of years he buckled down diet-wise and started running.  Now he’s a challenge sort of guy so simply doing a marathon just wasn’t enough:  he signed up to do the OBX Challenge and run an 8K on Saturday followed by the Marathon on Sunday.  When I raced my Half I did the same mini-version of that by running the 8K with a 13.1 mile chaser.  David hit a sub 7 minute pace time for the 8K then turned around and ran a 3:31 Marathon!  Dude…

Gretchen is a friend of mine who I helped along with a plan so she could “finish a Half Marathon and not die.”  She clocked in her first ever Half with a time of 2:16!  A whole lot faster than what she figured it would take because she didn’t have to walk any of it.

Another longtime friend of mine, Blake, was down from Maryland and surprised me with a 1:36 in the Half!  Geez…and the guy always tells me he’s not very fast.  Puhleeeze….

There were bunches of other great stories, too including Kathy who was celebrating her 1 year anniversary of beating cancer by running a 13.1 mile “victory lap” with her sisters.  Made me smile AND cry.

As for me, I got to experience the races from the other side of the barricades.  I’m being literal there.  Literally, I was on the other side of the barricades during the race.  I also got to set up those barricades the day before.  You should see what goes into the finish line area.  One serious logistical exercise being done with smiles and enthusiasm by volunteers, and it was a lot of fun.  Plus, I got to hang out and talk to friends I haven’t seen in a while which is always fun for me.

I took a couple of pictures of the “chute” and the emergency area that is massive, but somehow on race day you almost don’t even notice it.  It’s an entire hospital just like on MASH!  Okay now that just showed my age….

 

 

 For next year I’m issuing an open invitation to come run in this festival.  The first few folks who want to can avoid the hotel bill and stay with me in my house just three blocks from the finish line!  Of course you also have to pass an interview with my wife, but there won’t be any background checks (Bob) so you’re good.

Celebrate A Little Every Day

Driving home from Manteo today I made my usual stop at Border Station.  No longer can I get a Blizzard there, but it's still the place I like to make a pit stop during my three and half hour commute from one home to the other.  While I was pulling into a parking spot I noticed a young woman jogging out towards the highway.  Normally people use that area to walk their dogs and what not, but she was just sort of heading out toward the intersection so I watched her for a second.  She stopped by the side of the road and held up her phone to take a picture of the "Welcome to North Carolina" sign.

I have driven by this spot I don't know how many times over the past 18 years or so, and I don't think I've even noticed that sign but a couple of times.  Here there was somebody taking a picture of it!  I thought, "Man, she's excited to be going to North Carolina!" and I immediately was reminded of how much I love coming here.  It's the state I consider to be my Home.  I have tons of friends here, a house I love, and a town I absolutely adore.  I always get excited when I drive down here, but I've never stopped to take a picture of the sign.

Maybe it's her first trip down, or maybe she's going to be getting married down here this week.  A lot of people do that in the Outer Banks.  Whatever the reason she wanted to capture that moment so she could remember and relive it again later.  Cool.

I figure every one of us does things over and over again and we allow those things to become mundane or mechanical.  Even things we love to do.  We might have even celebrated them in the beginning, but now just sort of do them, because it's what we do.  Nothing special here.  Then we find out that very thing we take for granted is something entirely spectacular to someone else.  It's a big event, a major achievement, or a completely unique occasion that they're going to celebrate, record and relish for years to come.  I take pictures all the time, but when I drive by Border Station I should grin big and think about how incredibly cool it is that I get to do what I'm doing.

Living the dream!

And of course all this reminded me of running.

I've been watching all the comments of friends who will be running Marathons or Half's in the next month and marveling at the mileage they're all logging.  Most folks are going into their tapers or just about done and I have to laugh at seeing phrases like "I won't feel bad for only doing 8.5 miles this weekend," or "just did my last 20 miler!"  I mean, seriously.  I still remember what it was like to walk/jog a single mile.  Now I can go out and run 14 miles with friends and talk the whole way.  That's ridiculous!  Those comments, and those runs, didn't just happen.  A lot of sweat, pain and effort have gone into getting to this point and I wonder if we're stopping to take enough pictures along the way?

I know there will be lots of celebrating, story telling and commiserating after those mammoth races, but I want to encourage everyone to high five somebody during their next run and take a quick moment to celebrate the fact that the run is EASY.  That you can do it.  That you're doing it with friends or all alone.  Smile about it!

Being on the journey is a blast in itself and a big deal.

Congratulations!

Watching it Work

Prepare to get your Geek on.

Over the last couple of years I've put in a ton of work and not all of it was actually running.  If I went back and added up the hours I'm betting I've spent more time reading, studying, planning and evaluating than I have running.  A lot more.  Having kept my spreadsheets, logs and copious notes I can happily say that it is paying off nicely.  Very nicely.

Since I've experienced some great gains (went from a 5:38 1500 meters to a 5:16 in just two seasons) I'm inspired to do even more.  To learn more, push more and maybe actually reach my stretch goal of breaking 5 minutes in the mile.  But the more I train, and the more I read; the more I find out stuff I didn't know.  Thankfully, each time I learn something I immediately see how it's going to help me get faster.

This past week I went out and paid for a customized training plan from McMillan Running.  You've heard me talk about Greg McMillan and his calculator (check out his site here).  I've been using the calculator for a couple of years now along with the workout suggestions, and the price of a customized plan was very reasonable, so I bought one to get me through the State Games of America in early August.

Since I've been dishing out advice and stories I thought I'd share a nuance Greg explains for the workout I did this morning.  The difference between a Speed Workout and Cruise Intervals.

Both of these workouts involve intervals, and look very similar on the surface.  However, they train you for two very different things, both of which you need to race fast.

I've done a number of Speed Workouts where I run 5 or 6 800's at a fast pace with about the same amount of rest as there is running.  1 to 1 ratio is what Bart Yasso recommends for marathoners when doing this workout.  I tended to run an 800, then walk a little bit and jog a 400.  Then I would stand still for a few seconds to get me to 3 minutes of rest or so, then go hard again.  Last week I did 5 x 800's and they were all around 2:46 with the last two faster.  My legs would just burn earlier and earlier in the reps until I was just completely rubber legging it down the last 50 meters in my last rep.  Super hard feeling workout.

In Cruise Intervals like this morning, I ran 6 x 800's only they were all over 3:00 on purpose.  Specifically, I ran 3:02, 3:06, 3:05, 3:04, 3:03, 2:59.  The object is to make them "comfortably hard" but make each one a tad faster than the one before it.  I sort of blew the first one, because I wasn't paying as much attention to my splits and went out a little fast.  So these are decidedly slower than my Speed Workouts, but not a ton different.  The next difference was the rest.  I walked maybe 25 to 50 meters after each rep, then jogged to finish out 200m.  Without stopping I rolled right into the next rep.  The effect is that my breathing and heart rate, never really came down like it does during a Speed Workout.  I was still panting as I began each rep.

Now instead of my legs burning as I was finishing each 800, it was my lungs and heart.  I was just gasping the last couple of times and right after the last rep, which I pushed to the 2:59, I had those sudden dry heaves.  That was the only time I stood still during the workout and it was only for a second or two during each heave.  I had to keep jogging to finish the workout.

To top it all off, Greg had me doing 3 x 200's and those are supposed to be at my goal race pace for my 1500.  The goal is 5 flat, so that's 40 second 200's.  Even though I was super winded, my legs felt great so I wound up doing those in 36, 35, and 33 seconds.  Once again there was no standing still and only a 200 meter jog between each.

Two similar workouts that train two different things.  The Speed Workout is designed to work my legs and develop strength and speed.  The Cruise Intervals workout is designed to increase my VO2 max which is basically how efficiently my body processes oxygen for energy.  Instead of so much muscle development, this develops the cardiovascular system.  It makes it easier to run faster longer.

Combining these two types of workouts means I will get faster, and it will feel easier.  They feed each other.

The 200's at the end help me develop the ability to kick even when fatigued as well as make me mentally tougher under those stressful moments of finishing a race like the 1500.

Having done both types of these workouts I can tell you they feel completely different, so I know they're doing what they're supposed to do.

If you're looking to improve your pace, even for a Marathon, combining these types of workouts will make a huge difference in your race times.

Happy Running!

 

Relay For Life and One More Birthday

What a great birthday week for me.

Spent the weekend of my 50th birthday down in Manteo with just about my whole family and a bunch of friends.  I also got to spend a good bit of time on Saturday and then again Sunday morning helping out at Dare County's Relay For Life event.  And what an incredible event it is.  It's kind of surprising how much positive feeling can be generated by hearing about, and seeing, such terrible life experiences.  But that's exactly what happens.

It seems to me that we tend to find the greatest strength and hope in the face of adversity.  Of course it's easier to push back against the weight of the world when there are others facing something so similar to yourself.  The whole "strength in numbers" thing.  And events like this leave me feeling humbled and empowered at the same time.

I remember the first one I attended here.

I had just finished up my radiation treatments, gotten over "the plague", and had worked my way up to walking three miles in a row.  I'd also gained back about 20 of the 40 some pounds I had lost.  I was driving in between contracting jobs and heard an ad for Relay on the radio.  "That's perfect!" I said out loud to myself and jotted down the website address so I could sign up when I got home which is exactly what I did.  I didn't join a team, or create one, or anything.  I just signed up.

Because somehow I thought it was a 5K.  And I could walk a 5K and maybe even jog some!

The next Saturday I heard another ad and heard the words "24 hours."  WTH?  Seriously?  Who the hell does any running or walking for 24 hours?  That's when I decided to actually read the website.

"Oh," I thought.  "I'm going to need a team."

So Sunday morning I stood up in church during the prayers and concerns, admitted to everyone that I was an idiot and needed help forming a team and raising money.  A dozen or so people joined up just about immediately.  It was great.

One of those folks was my Cancer Compadre, Shane.  He and I co-captained the team and did a pretty decent job of fundraising bringing in almost $ 1500.  We also had a good time camping out together that night and talking about ways to do a better job the following year, now that we understood what the hell it was we were supposed to do.  Shane and I walked a lot, too.  Hours and hours together and taking turns.  I don't know what got into me, but I started walking at the noon kickoff and just didn't stop.

While Shane and I talked about things I had mentioned that I wanted to get back to running because the past six months had given me all I ever wanted of feeling helpless and weak.  I talked about what I used to do in high school and Shane even said that he could never really be a runner because his knees always hurt and he just knew he'd hate it.  Well, as we walked a thought sort of got in my head and I wanted to see what would happen if . . . I just didn't stop walking.  How far could I go beyond the three miles I had done a few times that past week?

Turns out that was 105 laps around the track.  26 and a quarter miles.  A marathon.

I was so exhausted and limping, but I made myself do it.  Then was in agony for the next several days, but hey.  I walked a marathon.  Having done that I decided it was time to train and do something even better.  That's another story, but six months later I ran my first and only marathon. 

One year and one day after being diagnosed with cancer.  3:48 and change.

Shane started running after that day, too.  He said he was inspired by me and my efforts and since then the guy has just blown me and himself away.  He's done marathons, Half's, ultras, and even a 200 mile relay!  Had an article written about him in Endurance Magazine.  Totally cool.  He also created the Cupcake 5K as the team's fundraising tool for each year's Relay For Life.  Now it's also become the "big finish" for the weekend.  He and his wife's efforts, along with a long list of others, has taken something as rough as cancer and created a shining diamond of a moment for many, many people.

This year we sold out weeks before the event with 400 runners.  Next year we'll have to go even bigger!

So this entry doesn't go on forever, here's some pictures from the weekend.

There's Shane with the mic getting the volunteers together.

 

 

 

 

Happy Faces at the Starting Line

 

 

The fast guys take off.  Blue shorts up there, Chad, won it.  Second was Millar the guy in black there, and third went to my motivation/inspiration, 48 year old Keith in the white with black shorts.

 

 

 

On the far right edge of the picture is the Mile 1 sign.  Missed it by that much.

 

 

It's an "out and back" course, so here's heading out...

 

 

...and heading back.

 

 

The course finishes on the track with all the attendees hanging around and walkers still on the track, too.  The runners move out to the outside lanes and through the finish line by the main stage.

 

 

In my last post I talked about coming in last on purpose to encourage the folks that were struggling to finish and take the pressure off anyone who was worried about that stigma.  Well at the Cupcake 5K, the last place finisher gets the biggest applause and is accompanied by almost all of the other people who have all ready finished the race!  Another of Shane's brilliant ideas.  The race has always had people in it that were currently going through some serious cancer treatments, so there has always been people using that event, that moment, as a way of showing they were still there and still fighting.

 

This year was no different.

 

The last place finisher went the whole way using a walker and hauling her oxygen tank along with her.

 

 



 

When she finished she took the mic from Shane and encouraged all of us to take advantage of our lives and live them to the fullest.

 

 

 

That wonderful experience was enhanced because I had another friend who came down from Maryland to run the 5K and support me and the team.  My fraternity Little Brother, Blake.  If you've read my book he played a significant part in a turning point for me during my treatments.  He and I walked together behind this woman and chuckled at each other because we were both crying behind our sunglasses.

 

 

 

And heeeeerrrreee's Blake!

 

 

 

All in all I couldn't have asked for a nicer way to spend my birthday weekend.  I even was able to win my age group.  Of course it helped that I wasn't lumped in with Keith anymore.  ; )

 

 









Race day report

Well, today was race day.  I am going to give a full and detailed report of my run.  But first, I'm gonna need to talk about what happened after the run.  Most of our running group went out for lunch afterwards.  I have spent this week eating much healthier and I actually lost about 4 pounds.  In the long run, this is going to be great.  Not sure if it sapped some of my energy for the run, but that is an excuse for another story.  The point of what I'm trying to get across now is that I ate way less food this week.  Then today, I ran a half marathon and went out to lunch.  In my mind, the eating healthy and the 13.1 miles meant that I could eat whatever the hell I wanted today.  In the olden days, people would go fairly long periods without eating much.  Then finally, they would catch a bison or an elk or maybe a huge tuna and they would eat the heck out of all that.  This is where the words feast or famine came from.  People were hungry and they were famished and then they caught a warthog and really ate it.  The stories of this always made me hungry.  Stories of roasting a warthog over an open fire on a spit.  Reading of our forefathers and mothers chewing on a greasy leg of an albatross made me really hungry.    Anyway, if we can flash forward to today, I ordered a pierogi casserole.  I think the recipe for this was as follows.  Take 100 pierogies.  Add copious amounts of cheese and onions.  Stuff them in a casserole dish and serve to the masses.  I think what the recipe was calling the masses, were my love handles.  Let's just say they were happy.  My love handles are saddle bag-like remoras of skin and lard.  In times of strife they feed off the potato chips and gravy drippings that don't make it into my mouth.  I think they call this a symbiotic relationship.  I don't know because I haven't taken science since 1956.  All I know is that my love handles need me to drop food to them and I need them for this particular post.  In all actuality, I would like to get rid of them but due to the pierogie pie thing, that won't happen for awhile.  I'm going to try and upload a picture of the casserole, but if you can just imagine a throw pillow of cheese, potatoes and pierogie, that is what you have.

Now for the race.  I felt pretty good for the start of it.  Then for the next 13.1 miles I felt like shit.  When I crossed the line and stopped, I felt good again. 

I have felt like I have been overly sappy lately, but here is the reality of today.  I saw people do incredible things.  Lots of people getting pr's.  People busting their butts to get across the finish line.  People doing whatever it takes to get over the line.  People helping other people to get to the line or get medical attention.  People running that should not have been running.  Gutting it out.  Friends coming out to cheer us on.  The moments of silence for Boston before the race brought tears to many people's eyes.  When I say silence.  I mean there was not a sound.  It was really something.  You could just feel the emotions the crowd was feeling.  I have incredible running friends.  This is one of the few times that I didn't care that much about my time.  Not that I didn't try, I was spent, but just finishing was enough.  To sum it all up, it was one of those days that will leave an impression on me.

In conclusion, it was a good day.  The bad news for my love handles is that their remora days are over. Their days of wine and pierogie pie is done.  I'm on a mission to do some serious stuff.  

I think I should be one of People Magazine's most beautiful women and not Gweneth Paltrow

As I start obsessing over what will be my 8th official half marathon, I had a thought.  It is well documented by whoever listens to me that I keep swearing off anything with the word thon in it.  I actually swore off them after my first half marathon.  My first half marathon came after my first marathon.  My first marathon was the worst experience of my life.  It took forever.  I think my time was three and a half days.  As we all know, the crowds for these events are incredible.  It seemed that all of New York was out that day in 2007.  They were all cheering for me.  At least I'm pretty sure they were.    This cheering went on for the first part of the first day.  By day two, people had kind of forgotten about me.  Day three of my marathon came and the people were getting hostile.  They wanted me out of their city.  They finally said take your medal and get out.  I did, and I swore off thons.

There is an old saying that goes something like this, "If one cannot lie to oneself, then who can one lie to?"  It is old and someone said it.  No one knows who and no one really cares.  It is one of those things that someone said around a fire or beside a river and the scribes wrote it down and it got lost in the translation over time until I found it again and put it here.  I'm bringing it back because it applies to me. I lie to myself all the time.  I keep telling myself that I am not going to run this stuff anymore and then I do.  Right now I'm mad at myself because I don't feel that I am well enough prepared to do what I want to do.  Every race I run, I want it to be faster than the last.  I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen this time.  I try and tell myself that I don't care.  That I can just run and be satisfied that I did it.  But that isn't me.  In addition, I'm just never that happy running 13.1 miles.  I am the happiest guy in the world when I'm done.  Well, about 20 minutes after I'm done, but not when I'm running.  I have moments, for sure, but it ain't every mile.  I've done enough half marathons, that I know when I'm at the starting line on Sunday, I am going to say, "what am I doing here?"  I also realize that I'm lying to myself again because I know why I do it.  Because I like a challenge.  I like to push myself.  I love the feeling when I'm done.  I say this to anyone...just running 13.1 miles is an accomplishment.  There was a time that I could barely run from telephone pole to telephone pole.  I know there are many people who can relate to that and I appreciate all the work that runners put into running.  I appreciate all the work people put into life.  It is not easy.

I have set a new goal for myself and that is to try to eat healthier.  I've rationalized long enough that I can eat what I want because I exercise a lot.  At my age, that is not the case.  It is hard to keep the weight off.  I have a goal weight in mind.  I want to make sure that I'm getting proper nutrition to ensure I keep muscle on while losing the weight I want.  I really want to see how fast this old body can go.  I do not feel I am at a plateau yet and I feel the need to really push.  I hope I have the will power to push it where I want it to go.  I would like to know, just once, that I reached some sort of potential that I have.  I love the quote by Steve Prefontaine.  "To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift."  We all have gifts, very few really appreciate them or use them to their potential.  I know I haven't.  I don't think it matters whether you are faster, stronger or smarter than someone else.  What matters is that you are as fast, strong or smart as you can be.  Wasted potential is a sad thing.  As you get older, it becomes more profound.   The feeling of lost potential.  You cannot get that time back, but, if you are lucky, you do have tomorrow.  I have tomorrow and there are some things that I want to do.

In conclusion, my concentration has been ruined by Jeopardy.  It is on, and I am trying to finish this and answer questions to Trebek.  If I were on that show, the realization has hit me that he would say, "Nourse, stick to running and lifting weights."  I'm okay with that.

The Song of Gilligan

It is exactly three weeks from the half marathon.  Three weeks.  This will be the fifth time I have done this particular one.  I remember when I did it the first time.  I said it will be my last one...ever.  So, five of these and a couple of other ones later and I'm still at it.  I keep saying that I'm not going to anything with the word thon in it again.  But, I keep signing up.  As the pain goes away from my last marathon, I am even considering doing another one of those.  I kind of feel like the last one beat me.  I'm trying to decide if I can live with that.  My biggest realization in the last few weeks is that I am pretty much full of shit.  I don't mean to be.  I fully intend to concentrate on shorter races, like 5k's, but then something happens and I get the urge to do something else.  I've done three Tough Mudders.  I thought the first one would be my last.  The second one definitely was my last.  Until the third one.  The third is probably my last.  The cost is getting prohibitive.  That is my main reason.  The cost is crazy high.  I have also gotten to the point where I don't just sign up for lots of stuff anymore.  The costs of numerous races is just a lot of money.  I'm trying to pick and choose the ones I really want to do and the ones that are for a good cause.  I would like to do something Tough Mudderish, because I like to climb over stuff and I like mud.  I like the upper body challenge.  Blah, blah...blah.  This is really boring.  I am boring myself to tears writing this.  Do I stop?  Have I gone too far to delete?  It is sort of like an out and back run.  Once you go too far, you have too far to go back.  All the sudden you are running a crap ton of miles, or in this case, writing a crap ton of words.  I'm like the Gilligan of blog post.  Go out for what you think is a three hour tour and then I'm stuck on a island for years.  This post is my island.

Let's regroup here.  Due to the fact that this is a running blog, I'm going to say something about running.  Today, while running through the woods with my friends, I made the statement that I could run forever if my legs didn't get tired.  They laughed, because the legs always get tired, but what if they were so well conditioned that they didn't?  At least for a long time.  When I was coming off my plantar's issue a few years back, I experienced a moment of zen.  I had such a bad case, that I could not do regular runs for months.  That is when I started doing the step workout, switched to training in Vibram's, running in Kinvaras and fully embraced the minimalist thing.  Taught myself to run on my forefoot again, like I did when I was a sprinter in high school and college.  Got my stride back, and stopped being a plodder.  Anyway, I strengthened my feet and my calves by doing lots of step work.  Also, did lots of kettlebell work.  When I started running again on the road and the trails, I made sure that I did a quality run.  Quantity did not matter at the time.  I just wanted to run and finish strong and with a positive attitude.  If that was two miles or three miles, it was fine...as long as I finished strong.  The kettlebells and the steps worked my legs in a way that was just incredible.  Flash foreward to my first 5k after my comeback and my legs never died.  They felt strong the whole way.  I was actually surprised to see the finish line.  It was awesome.

Knowing that my long runs have not been real good leading up to this half, I have been beating my legs up in other ways.  They are sore and tired.  I am hoping to pull all this together in the next few weeks and have a decent performance in the half.  In a way, this is like my first one again.  I just do not know what to expect.  I know I can finish.  I know that I can do okay, but I'm just not sure what okay means. Last year I knew that I could do a sub 1:50 if I was on my game.  This year, I'm not sure.  I'm getting excited to find out.  Then on to bigger and other things.

I believe this is one of the reasons I still love running.  I'm still surprised and amazed to see what my body will do on any given day.  I have to stop writing now and find a way off this island.

Choices

This was a pretty good week of running.  I did 13 miles on Sunday.  That is the most since the marathon in October.  It seems like it has taken me a long time to get back to this distance.  Both physically and mentally.  The physical thing started with the knee issue.  That got better, but I couldn't seem to push it.  Couldn't get past certain mileage.  For a while, I thought I may have lost my love and desire for running.  It seemed to coincide with my loss of feelings for my business.  I love to build.  I've spent years teaching myself the trade and the ins and outs of the business.  I made many mistakes.  My business plan was to make cabinets and sell them.  Pretty simple, really.  I jumped in and made lots of cabinets.  I loved it and I grew.  I got lots of jobs.  Too many jobs.  Knee deep in cabinets all the time.  I got behind.  I had some horrible customers.  I had some employees that milked me dry.  I was not the best manager.  When I say that, I need to make it clear that I would love to work for someone like me.  Someone who is passionate about what they do, and really only cared that the end product was good.  I am a person who hates being told what to do.  I'm quiet about it, but I hate being told what to do.  Probably makes me not such a great employee.  But my work ethic is strong.  I will work like a mule.  When the economy started to tank, I still had lots of jobs, but not lots of money.  I told myself this is not why I got into the business.  I did not want to be a manager who told people what to do and watched.  I'm hands on.  I want to be involved in the designing, the building, the installation, etc.  I started the business with a cavernous workspace.  Hardly any electricity, no showroom, no office.  On my first appointment, I had a brochure of door styles and a piece of paper to take notes.  I got the job.  I started framing out a showroom and office and making displays.  I worked all the time.  It was exciting.  Every time the phone rang it meant opportunity.  Over time, I became a slave to the business.  Payroll every week.  Overhead expenses.  I would dread when the phone rang.  I wanted to throw my cell phone in the river.  I finally had enough.  I wanted to downsize.  I wanted to be just me again.  But how to finish all these jobs with no employees?  Work all the time is how.  I had to deal with the fact that I was going to be behind, but the product would be nice.  I had some angry customers, but all the jobs got done.  I am proud of all of them.  The jobs, that is.  I got stiffed royally a few times.  Not getting paid at a time that I was already a bit sour on things really added to the fun.  But, I knew it would all be over as long as I stuck to my plan of not taking a job just for the money and not getting dependent on an employee or any other help.  This process took about two long years.  I finally cleared the slate around December of last year...2012.  I took a part time job.  Not because I didn't have work, but to see what it was like to do something else.  A couple days a week.  I like the job.  It is easy.  Just go to work, do my thing and go home.  Rinse and repeat.  It was a bit hard to balance that with the business at first, but I started to get used to it.  I thought maybe I should just get out of the business entirely.

My running during the last few years sort of became my sanity.  I would run when I could fit it in.  I'd save my Saturday mornings for the running group.  I would almost always work after the run, but I wouldn't schedule anything until I had run.  I remember having an appointment after a 13 mile run a few years ago and I could barely stand up.  I am in much better shape now, but then 13 miles was monumental.  I had to ask them if it was okay if I leaned on their table.  I explained that I was training for a half.  I would laugh sometimes at what I thought was going on in people's minds.  Here's this cabinet guy who could barely walk and he's saying he is going to do a half marathon.  He has to be full of crap.  Anyway...my worst days in the business sort of coincided with my best days of running.  2012 had me dreading work yet I was pr'ing in every race I entered.  The year ended with the marathon in October, running wise.  Business wise, it was December.

I still don't blame my knee issue on running.  My knees have gotten much stronger since I have been running more in the last few years.  I blame my job for my knee issues.  Kneeling, carrying...whatever. But, my knee was hurting for a long time.  Did the marathon hurt it?  Did the job hurt it?  Both. probably, but for the first time, I could not do both.  I needed to take a break from running.  Because of the business.  If I can't walk, I can't make money.  Two things that I loved to do were hurting me.  One financially and physically and the other physically.  I considered quitting both.

My part time job offered me a full time position this week.  I had a few days to think about it.  My running, to me anyway, pretty much was not going well.  I was thinking why bother anymore.  I can lift weights, and do other things.  Then, this week happened.  13 miles and it felt good.  Sprint work a few days later and that felt really good.  5 miles and dinner with some great friends on Wednesday, and today another 6 with more great people.  After my run today, I installed a bathroom vanity that I custom made.  My customer told me what nice work I do.  I called the part time people and told them that I was going to stay part time.  I've decided to stick with the business and the running.  I have way too much invested in both to quit.

I've been reading a book by Og Mandino.  The Greatest Salesman in the World is its name.  I haven't read a motivational book since my days in the mortgage business, but I thought I could use it.  Here is a quote that I like from it.

"I will live this day as if it is my last.  And what shall I do with this last precious day which remains in my keeping?  First, I will seal up its container of life so that not one drop spills itself upon the sand.  I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday's misfortunes, yesterday's defeats, yesterday's aches of the heart, for why should I throw good after bad?

Can sand flow upward in the hour glass?  Will the sun rise where it sets and set where it rises?  Can I relive the errors of yesterday and right them? Can I call back yesterday's wounds and make them whole?  Can I become younger than yesterday?  Can I take back the evil that was spoken, the blows that were struck, the pain that was caused?  No.  Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more.

I will live this day as if it is my last."

Now, I've got to get some sleep.  I have to run in the morning and I have lots of shit to build.

I failed to plan, but I don't plan to fail.

It is now about a month and a half from the half marathon.  April 28th is the date.  I still do not have a training plan for it.  That is, I am not following any plan.  I typically print out a plan and then follow it to some degree.  I always stray a bit from the plan, but I still have a plan.  This year, I have none.  This does not mean I am not training, because I am.  I do not want to be accused of saying that I am not training and then I magically have a good time for the half.  Nor do I want to be accused of saying I'm not training and then, not so magically, not getting a good time and blaming it on not training.  I just am not following a plan.  At this point, it is really too late for me to come up with a plan.  I am doing a test, though.  I am kicking up my strength training and my kettlebell training, and my speed and power workouts.  For some reason right now, I am really more into lifting and step work and that sort of thing.  I have been riding my bike more as well.  I'm beating the hell out of my legs.  I think any success I will have this year will be because my overall strength is good.  I feel like the Christopher Columbus of running right now.  He too, did not have a plan.  He just got on the Mayflower and headed for India.  He was thinking, "I'm going to see if the world is flat and I'm going to stop in India for some stuff."  As we all now know, he ended up in the United States.   Scared, lonely, hungry for spice and in a land that was not which he sought.  Yet, it worked out for him.  I don't want anyone to think that I would refer to myself as Christopher Columbus, but there are similarities.  I set out in some Saucony Kinvaras to see if I can get a good time in the half marathon in a different way than I have before.  I'm scared and lonely too.  Being a history major, I feel the need to interject some historical data into my running stories.  If I majored in astronomy, maybe somehow I would work in the Milky Way or a worm hole.

Plan B of my non plan is to fluctuate my weight up and down three or four pounds a week.  This confuses my legs and my body and makes each run that much more interesting.  I have thought about running with weight packs but I save money by just filling my love handles.  For a few days, I will eat pretty healthy.  Then for a few days, I will eat everything I see.  Many trainers talk of muscle confusion.  I like to confuse my stomach.  On the day of the half, I could quite possible have the strongest stomach ever.  I will just laugh at all the people standing in line at the Porta Potty, because I will be able to hold everything in.  My abs will be strong from the inside out.  I'm working on a reverse six pack.  You can't see it, but I know it is there.  Beauty is skin deep, right?  My beauty is skin, lard and stomach lining deep.  Or it will be.

I have had good runs, I have had bad runs and I've had so so runs.  My lifting is going great.  I have not felt this strong in a long time.  I attribute much of the gains in strength to the pushups I do.  Simple yet effective.  My legs are tired and a bit sore from the added lifting, steps, biking and  sprints that I am doing.  My legs will be used to all this well before the half and I'm anxious to see how the running feels when this happens.  I decided today to pre-make some meals for the week so I can control my food intake.  I think this will enable me to be at least 5 pounds lighter by the half.  I'll start increasing the long runs.  The long runs are the part of all this that I am enjoying the least, but I have to do it.

I'll close with my brief sermon on exercise.  Yesterday morning I just felt kind of gross.  Headache, a tiny bit nauseous and not at all motivated to run.  I went out anyway and just told myself to let my body dictate the run.  I went out three on a nice trail with my friends and started feeling tired, so I turned.  I did a combo of running, sprinting and walking the three miles back.  It felt awesome.  The short sprints I did, with the river to my right, felt really good.  My stride felt right.  My knee didn't hurt.  My head didn't hurt.  Running, exercise and fresh air.  Nature's medicine.

I can't honestly say that I'm looking forward to the half, but I'm pretty exited to see what I can do.

Funkytown

I guess it is no secret that I have been in a bit of a funk, running wise at least.  Probably in the other aspects of my life as well, but I really feel it in my running.  I have cured my knee problems for the most part, but I still am not really enjoying running like I did.  To be honest, my knees always hurt to some degree, but how it felt after the marathon made me think that maybe I would have to think about not running anymore.  My job depends on me being able to walk and carry stuff and build stuff, so it was a little scary.  My philosophy is that I don't have much down time to recover from anything, so I will just keep beating the shit out of myself.  This seems to work.  I have almost come to the conclusion that constant motion is what cures most of life's problems, not rest.  I took some time off from running and did some strengthening exercises for the knee and it started to get better.  I never saw a doctor, which makes me believe one of two things.  It was just an overuse injury or I am smart enough to know how to make things better.  Or both.  Who knows?  What I do know is that I am never sick.  I do not allow myself to be sick.  I can feel a bit bad, but go to work, or work out and I always feel better than I would if I laid around all day.  I am not trying to sound like a macho ass or a tough guy, I guess I am just trying to express my belief that much can be cured by action and attitude.  Then comes the mental thing.  The funk.  It made me want to just do nothing.  It took the incentive away to go out and run the workouts I need to do to get the time I want in the half marathon I'm "training" for and it definitely had me eating more and doing way less strength training than I wanted to.  Some of it, I blame on the winter we have had.  It has been unusually cold, windy and crappy.  The thing is, I didn't do nothing.  Does that make sense?  I felt like I didn't want to do anything, but in actuality I was doing a bunch of something.  I have my business and I am doing a part time job.  We moved into a new house.  We are more active in my parent's life because of my dad's Alzheimer's.  The dogs are nuts.  The old dog is like having a baby.  She needs to go out every two hours at least.  At night, it is crazy.  She wakes me up at least 4 times a night.  We have wooden floors, and her heavy legged walk, with her longish nails, make it sound like a bear is walking across the floor.  So, that is life.  I can't really complain, because I know the most important thing is health and I have that.  My family has that.  Yet, I wanted to lay on the couch and feel sorry for myself, knowing full well that if I had the opportunity to do so, it would only make things worse.  I don't drink, smoke or have any real vices.  Except maybe a minor addiction to Facebook.  What does this mean?  In my mind, it means that I am a total failure in being depressed.  

In terms of running, I have been wondering if I have to incentive to train hard for my half marathon on April 28th.  I want to run and I want to train enough to do okay, but I have been wondering if I have it in me right now to do what it takes to do what I want to do for every race.  And that is to kick ass and get a pr.  Why not just enjoy the process and run the half and just enjoy it?  I asked one of my best running friends today what her opinion was and she said, "I don't think you will be happy if you know you didn't do your best."  She knows me.  My running partners know me.  I appreciate them more that they can ever know.  They know who they are.  They run through all kinds of stuff.  Weather, illness, family issues, etc.  They keep going and they do not complain.  I think of them and I think of the people I know who do have it much worse than I do.  Then I think of why I do this, and it is not so much for my health as it is to see what I can do.  How hard I can push myself.  I get mad sometimes that I don't push myself hard enough.

My answer came this morning to me.  I have a little less than two months to be ready for my half.  I have a decent base.  I am back to the strength training and I am eating better.  I have time to do really well if I change my state right now.  My best time in a half marathon is just under 1:48.  I think I will shoot for 1:45.  It is now in writing.  Now it must be done.

Executing the Plan

So I’ve been away from the blog for about a month but I have not, however, been away from running.

I call this time of year my “Rest Phase” because I use the winter to sort of take a break from the intensity of interval and hill training and just run for maintenance and fun.   The weekend runs I get to do with my friends in the Outer Banks are great fun and have prevented me from doing close to nothing at all for a week.  Since my vacation in October I’ve been able to average just over 23 miles every week, thanks in large part to a couple of 16 mile runs with the gang at the beach.

That consistency is what I wanted to see from myself for this winter, because it would be a first.  In the past I’ve pretty much bailed on running for maybe a month or two and find myself in February unable to run more than 5 miles at a sub-8 pace.  That’s how I measure almost everything; by my Half in 2010 which I ran in 1:39:16, or about 7:33 pace.  And I did that day after running the 8k as a warm up; holding myself to an 8:00 pace.  I was in great condition then for longer distances and would like to have that again, but that’s not my ultimate goal.

Sub 5.

First I want to hit that in the 1500.

Then I want to break 5 in the mile.

I’ve been saying that was my goal for a while because I wanted the goal out there to help me be accountable to it, but I honestly felt like the mile was pretty much a pipe dream.  However, with last year’s 5:16 in the 1500 with a couple of broken ribs and three weeks of no running leading up to that race, I’m beginning to believe it’s really possible.  I KNOW Sub 5 in the 1500 is doable, so what’s another 109 meters?  18 or 20 seconds?

Looking at my training log for last year I spent the winter really only being good about a couple of things:  Plyometrics and weight training.  The idea behind that focus was to build leg strength and develop “pop” which would increase my overall speed.  I ran some every week, but my longest runs were around 5 or 6 miles, and they were slow and easy.   I picked up my interval and hill training in February, but my long runs never got long.  Still, on March 31^st I surprised myself with a 44:04 10K which was the second longest run I’d done since November the prior year.

Of course I felt it In that last mile, but the plyo and weights seemed to have worked.

So this year I’m keeping that part “religious” as well.  I believe that really worked so I’m sticking with it.

I’ve altered the weight training a bit though, as I have followed the advice of my coaches from my track club here in Richmond and am going to build my sprinting speed.  That means different weight training.

Now last year I was doing heavy squats, lunges and step-ups but I was doing it “wrong” for building my top end speed.  I added strength and muscle to be sure, but the way I did my reps was still geared more to endurance.  I would do sets with very little rest and too many reps.  I told them I was only doing sets of 3 reps with the squats, but because I didn’t allow myself full recovery in between I wasn’t getting the full benefit of the heavy lifting.  That’s what they tell me.

Plus they want me doing dead lifts instead of squats.  Apparently that does more for the muscles I use for speed than squats do.  Both these guys are currently, and have been for years, nationally ranked in Masters Track.

I just started the dead lifts, but the plyo and sprint workouts I’ve done for over a month and I’m really pleased with the results.

Last year I maxed out my plyo routine, The Flamboyant Workout, at 4 sets.  Right now I’m doing 5 then go right out and hit the upper body work and deadlifts.

Also, my 50 meter sprints have gotten faster.  I realize my hand timing is inherently imperfect, but I am consistently hitting in the low 7 seconds where I used to be up at the top end of 7.  Another anecdotal piece is how I did against the guys this past week.  Kestner, one of the coaches and the fastest 55 year old you’ll ever see, was going full bore and could only edge me by a stride or less.  He kept beaming at me after each rep and my other coach, Spoon, was saying I looked like a sprinter in form all of a sudden.   The funniest part was how everyone else was panting after each rep and it took me about 5 seconds to get my wind back.

Next month we’re going to time me in a 200 and 400 just to see where I am, then start the interval training.  Meanwhile, I’m going to keep at the 5 to 10 mile runs three times a week and keep them around 8 minute pace or lower.

If I stay away from injuries and keep the commitment, I’ll come out of this winter in the best position I’ve ever been in to see what I can really do in the summer.

Running and Fashion Faux Pas

Ed -

Ran twice this week.  8.6 miles at 7:35 pace then 12.6 today at 8:07.  It's post Half Marathon week so I'm not disappointed or anything.

I did get a Flamboyant Workout in on Monday with some upper body and squats thrown in.  Wednesday I did my little pull up, push up, sit up cycle, and of course on Friday I did the Kettlebells class.

 

Happy Running Face

Tomorrow is the first day our track club has access to the indoor track so I'm going up to do a little sprint pyramid workout just to have something a little extra in there.  I'm thinking two sets of 100, 200, 400, 200, 100 with 60 seconds between each rep and 4 minutes between the sets.  Nothing brutal, but since the sprinters will take turns jumping in on one of my reps it should be fun and force me to push at least a little.

The schedule per week going forward is one Flamboyant workout moving up to 5 or 6 sets during that, one Kettlebell class, heavy squats adding lunges and step ups with the bar, upper body basics (pull ups, push ups, sit ups) once a week, and three runs.  The runs will be about 8 miles twice and 12 miles once.  This should have me building a little muscle mass while increasing my stamina for the more intense stuff starting in January/February.

So a week or so ago I wrote about the human scenery at road races and how guys sometimes wear some just bad stuff.  I mentioned that I wasn't really sure what I might have done, but didn't doubt I dressed badly at times.  Well, this morning I was layered up for the cold and noticed something that would qualify as "bad" in my book.

Our track team got new uniforms last winter for the 2012 indoor and outdoor seasons.  They were those Nike superman type uniforms that the U.S. Track team wears only they're red with a little white trim.

The guys reading this that have ever worn spandex know where this is going.

Well, I was a little self conscious about the way the shorts showed off "stuff" as it were but found that wearing those Under Armor shorts helped provide better support as well as reduce the "definition" that was so prominent.  It didn't seem embarrassingly bad at the time and in the first meet so many teams were wearing the same sorts of uniforms so I didn't think much about it after that.

When I was getting undressed from my run in the cold this morning, I took off the long winter Asics leggings I was wearing and then actually looked at myself in those racing shorts in the mirror.

Really?  Ed, you wore those in public?  In front of tons of people?

Do these make my ass look fat?

 

 

Looks like I just painted the lower half of my body.

 

...and of course I just published a picture of it.

 

Oh, I get the irony.  I do.

 

I think I'll stick to the racing shorts from our old uniforms from  here out.



2012 Outer Banks Half Marathon

Ed -

This  past weekend I was suppose to do a long run on Saturday or Sunday.  Something to get me close to the 25 miles per week goal I've got for myself during my base phase of training for next summer.  10 or maybe 12 miles would be good.

My wife and I were going down to Manteo for the weekend and had a bunch of cleaning and painting stuff we wanted to get done and I didn't get down there until late Friday night because of work.

I bagged the Saturday run.

Which meant I would have to run on Sunday.

Which was when the Outer Banks Marathon and Half Marathon were being run.

While I painted the front of my house I traded texts with people in the local running club and a friend who works for Outer Banks Sporting Events which puts on the races each year.

There was room in the Half and I could catch a ride to the start with a couple of friends.  One of whom was Amanda who was hoping to break 2 hours and get a PR for the Half.  Another club member and friend, Pete, had worked out a strategy for her and the three of us decided to run together to help get her there.

Run a Half Marathon on less than 24 hours notice?  Sure.  Why not.

The weather at the start of the race was absolutely perfect.  Hell, for the whole race it was wonderful!  Right on 50 degrees and sunny, then up to about 65 degrees by late morning and the finish of the full marathon.

Pete, Amanda and I talked about her goal of breaking 2 hours and decided we would go out somewhere close to 8:45 pace and just see how she felt.  Pete tracked every mile, and my garmin was set to track the overall average.  Pete also became the official cameraman and got a lot of great shots.

That's me and Amanda somewhere in the first couple of miles along with Pete's shadow.  For running backwards and snapping pictures he did really well!

We settled in right at 8:39 pace and Amanda said she felt great and that it was even a little slow.  Since the temperature was going to rise we told her to hold tight at this pace until at least 7 miles instead of accelerating now.  After 7 she could move up a little if she wanted, but we had the bridge to cross at mile 10 and that is a long, slow incline that tends to take a lot out of people.  Run this race right and you just cruise by folks near the top of the bridge.

We enjoyed the weather and Pete and I talked pretty much constantly.  Big surprise there.  Amanda remained conversational the whole time, too and Pete and I would give each other smiles here and there because we could tell from her breathing that she was at a good pace.

And ahead of her goal.

 

Here we are around mile 6 and Amanda was looking strong.

We held that 8:39 pace all the way through mile 9!

As we approached the bridge I told Amanda that the thing to do here was just hold this pace up the hill.  It would feel harder, but she wouldn't lose time and would be strong on the other side for the last 2.5 miles.  We were doing great overall and didn't need to force the bridge to gain any time.  Just hold pace.

Apparently, Amanda is like me.  The steeper it got, the more speed she picked up.

Pete spoke up once and said "8:20."  I suggested she go a little easier and save some for the last couple of miles.

I talk with my hands...

 

 

Amanda pretty much took over and just drove right up the thing.  She struggled a little right near the top, but we gained more than a second on our overall pace average in about half a mile!  She was winded, but excited she just clicked by the 10 mile mark on the toughest part of this course like she was a machine!

 

 

 

I'm about to touch the center mark at the peak of the bridge.  A thing I do whenever I run it.

 

 

It took the downhill side of the bridge to get her wind back and Amanda started to say she didn't feel well.  Pete and I both knew she was ahead of pace and could afford to back off so we kept telling her to relax, breathe easy, and slow down for a bit.

 

She relaxed and controlled her breathing really well, but kept on moving.

 

Faster.

 

With a mile and half to go, Pete and I started in on her.

 

"You've got this!"

 

"We've run this mile a thousand times, look how close we are!"

 

"Think of the crowd coming up on Fernando Street."

 

As we went through a little S turn with just under a half mile to go I talked Amanda towards each turn like a race car driver.

 

"Shorten the race here.  Cut the corners."

 

Amanda was straining now.

 

The emotions of what was happening began to flood and she started to get a little weepy.

 

"Hold on just a little more.  We'll all cry at the end!" Pete told her.

 

She was hauling ass as we came around the last turn and saw the big finish line and the crowd and got swallowed up by all the music.

 

Amanda took off and Pete and I had to push to stay with her.

 

Her goal was 1:59 something and Pete and I were busting huge grins because she had blown that away.

 

We crossed the line in 1:53:32!!

 

 

 There she is landing in the top 20 of her age group:  Amanda!

 

We showed her our watches and the three of us jumped up and down in the chute and hugged.  I have rarely seen someone as elated as Amanda was at that moment.  As any runner knows, most of what we do is early in the morning, late at night and all alone.  It's hard, tedious at times, and takes an enormous amount of determination to keep at it when there just isn't all that much coming from the work.

 

And then there's a PR.

 

One of the best feelings of all time is when you do something you had no idea you could do.

 

It was an absolute joy to witness Amanda's moment.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Amanda!  And thank you, Pete for the strategy and company.  What a great, great day!!