Better, but ...

Last Saturday I did a 16 mile run, and it was better than the previous week's. However, I'm still running out of juice for the last few miles. I hurts my pride to admit that I have to start out at a slower pace.

This week was a recovery week, so I did 6 miles on Monday and Wednesday, and 5 miles on Friday, with cross-training on Tuesday. Most of the running was on the treadmill. I'm finding that treadmill training causes a plantar fasciitis flair-up, so am going to do more trails this week.

Except for my feet, and a slight stiffness in the right knee, I feel great. I have a podiatrist appointment for the 4th of next month.

I didn't work out on Thursday, but went home a bit early. It was Dallin's last day before heading back to BYU. The family all told me that I am too grumpy when I don't work out, so not to bother next time. Another benefit of exercise!

How to Bonk

This was my first regular training week since the 1/2 marathon. Last week was a recovery week (3 five mile runs). Today was a train wreck.

Because we traveled on Monday, I did a 3 mile easy run on Tuesday, a 12 mile bike ride on Wednesday, speed work on Thursday (3 X 1600s, with 800 rests, with 1 mile warm up and cool down), then did cross training yesterday, including 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.

Today was a 14 mile "run". I had nothing in my legs (big surprise). Around mile 6 I started running out of fuel, especially in my calves. Up to that point I was on pace, though I couldn't sustain a HR over 150 (another hint that I had overtaxed myself). The one gel I had at mile eight didn't go very far. I had to start taking increasingly long and close together walk breaks. The last 3 miles was about 50/50 run/walk. Overall, I ended up with an 11:30 minute/mile pace, rather than the targeted 10:30.

Since I will be increasing the long run mileage as I ramp up for Indianapolis, I have decided to take Thursday and Friday as rest days (at least for my legs). I can do Monday and Wednesday runs, and have Tuesday for cross-training. I especially need to work on my back, chest, and abs at least once a week. This schedule should leave me fresh for the long runs on Saturday.

First Half-marathon

I survived!

Actually, I did a bit better than I thought I would: a 2:08. Conditions were wonderful: overcast and 59 degrees at the start. The cloud cover didn't break until after the race. Anacortes was lovely and the course was very nice. I like small town races.

I started out at a 9:40/mile pace, but couldn't keep it up in the second half.

Recovery has been pretty quick, though when I ran 5 miles on Monday I felt like an old man. Could only manage an 11:32/mile pace, though my training schedule called for a 10:36 pace.

Today, I ran 5 miles at a 10:40 pace, though my legs still feel a bit wobbly and my right heel and knee are a bit sore. Both are a 2 on a pain scale of 10. It took about 2 miles before my knee loosened up.

I feel optimistic about the full marathon in October.

Day before the race

Tomorrow is the Anacortes Art Dash half-marathon. I have been tapering, hydrating, and carbo-loading, and feel really well. The last two nights I slept well, which is not a given since we are in a motel, and caring for my son anywhere but home is a challenge.

My Dad is going with me to the race, which I appreciate. This will be a dry run for October, sort of. I also really appreciate Tracy getting Brennen up. Brennen realllllly doesn't like it when I don't get him up, so I figure it is good to let others get involved.

Confession: I tried not exercising at all yesterday, and my back was sore. So, today I ran 1.5 miles (sloooowly) and stretched really well. It feels much better.

2nd Confession: What's the deal with obsessing over gear? I bought new running shorts, and then had to go and accessorize with a new running shirt, running hat, and another pair of ultra thin socks. Well, now I will be color coordinated. I swore I would never do that.

Boot vs. Sock

As I battle plantar fasciitis, I am wearing a hard boot at night on one foot and a Strassburg sock on the other. And I do lots of stretching and icing. And I am trying to lose that last 20 pounds.

Why the boot vs. sock thing? Well, I am borrowing my wife's boot, and I had the sock, and I have two sore feet.

So far, the hard boot seems to work a lot better, so I will be visiting the podiatrist when I get back from vacation.

Next: Anacortes Art Dash and ...

I am increasing my miles to get ready for the Indianapolis Marathon on October 20th. As a stepping stone, I am going to do the Anacortes Art Dash Half-marathon on July 28th.

After the last race, my feet and ankles were very sore and I had to reduce my miles for a few weeks. I got a new pair of Beasts, which help, but am still struggling a bit.

Today I ran 9 miles at a pace of 11:31 per mile. My average HR was 152. I was disappointed at the pace, since my training schedule called for a 10:36. I could of pushed harder, since 152 is where I target "easy" runs, but I am sore enough.

Today's run helped me understand what I will be able to do at Anacortes. I don't want to leave myself unable to continue my training for Indianapolis. So, I am targeting a 2:20 time for the 28th.

Heart & Sole 10K

It's been a while since I raced. I tore a calf muscle at the Castle Rock trail run, so had to take about 6 weeks to heal. This gave me a good opportunity to evaluate my training and make some changes. One thing I changed was to do one tempo, one speed work, and one endurance run a week, with 3 days of cross-training.

Last Saturday was the Heart & Sole 10k in Salinas. My time was 54:36. At 5K, my time was 26:42. That would have been a personal best for a 5K, too.

I plan on running in the Indianapolis Marathon on October 20th. In order to ease into it, I am adding one mile a week. Currently, I am up to 20 miles a week, or was until last week.

Last Thursday was bike to work day, so I did. Both ways. On my comfort bike. Dummy me had bought the wrong sized tubes for my road bike. The 700X23s get a flat as soon as a bump hits opposite the valve stem on the rear wheel. I needed 700X25s. Well, I didn't have any of the right sized tubes, and I had to be on the road at 6:10 to meet my group at 6:30. I ended riding about 40 miles that day. Since I hadn't been riding much, I was pretty tired, but my legs felt decent on Friday. Because of the long ride on Thursday, and Friday as a taper day, and the 10K on Saturday, I only ran 15 miles last week.

Last Race/Next Race

The Stanford Habitat For Humanity Home Run was my first non-trail 10K. I met my goal with a time of 58:52. It was a lot of fun. Beautiful weather. My ankles held up very well.

Next race will be the Castle Rock Trail Run 10K on 11/18. See: http://www.redwoodtrails.com/final/castle.html.

Things I am changing:

I have some plantar fasciitis in my left foot. Yesterday I switched to SuperFeet insoles, to see if that helps.

For my ankles, stretching and wobble board are helping, so that will be part of my daily routine.

I am going to lose 14 pounds by the second week of January (I will do it this time!). This will reduce stress on my body. This will take me from 212 to 198, which is closer to where I was last year. Still better than the 300 lbs. I was 3 years ago.

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the Stanford Habitat For Humanity Home Run. I am feeling pretty good, though I still worry about my ankles.

I found out that I needed to stretch a lot more than I was. Once I stretch my major calf muscles long enough, I can actually stretch the ones that were hurting.

What I can't fix by stretching, however, is whatever I have done to the ligaments over the years. The wobble board is helping me develop some stability, but it is going to take some time.

Next Event

On 10/21 I will do another 10k - Home Run 2006, at Stanford. I had about given up on the idea of doing a lot of running, but have found some things that helped:

• New shoes. My old Asics were worn out. I went to Runner's Factory in Los Gatos and had them look at my gait. I over pronate. I bought a pair of Empire IIs, which offer more support. Also I went to a larger and wider size, to give me feet some room.
  
• I changed my stride, based on something I read in Triathlete magazine. I was overstriding, so now I make sure my foot strike is under my head, and that I lean forward from the ankles.
• With the help of my older daughter and her grisly anatomy book, I realized that the pain along the outside of the calf, the pain around the bones on the outside of my ankle joint, and the pain halfway back along the outside edge of my foot were all related. The fibularus longus is a muscle along the outside of the calf that turns into a tendon along the outside of the ankle, passes through a groove in the ankle bones and fastens to the bone halfway back aong the outside edge of the foot. Tightness in the muscle can lead to pain in all the aforementioned places, as well as to overpronation. The fix isn't just to stretch the muscle, but also to strengthen the muscles that balance this one. So, I am doing a combination of stretching and wobble board work, but it's going to take a while before I can do away with ...
  
• Ice, ice, ice.

I ran a 10K yesterday, and don't feel nearly as bad as I thought I would. I stiffen up when I sit, but if I move around I don't hurt.

10K

Today I ran in the the San Pablo Bay Trail Run (see: http://redwoodtrails.com/final/calendar.html ). This was my first 10K. It took me 64 minutes, which was close to what I was hoping. My goal for next month is to break 60 minutes.

For the 10K training I have been running 3 days a week, with alternate exercise between, such as cycling, strength, etc.

Learned a lot

I learned a lot at the Tri-For-Fun on 8/19, mostly that I need to learn how to swim in open water. The ride and run went very well, but I had to be fished out when I aspirated some lake water. My goal now is to be ready to complete all three stages next June.

For now, I am looking for a Master's swim class, and working on longer running events. I entered a 10k for next month: The Stanford Habitat For Humanity Home Run.

Sprint Tri On 8/19

Correction: The Tri-For-Fun in Pleasanton is on 8/19. I registered for it, so now I gotta do it. 8-)

The running and cycling I knww I can muddle through, but the swimming was a big worry for me. So I did what any red blooded chicken would do: I bought a triathlon wetsuit. I did, but only after adding swimming to my workouts. The suit really makes a difference in bouyancy. Oddly, this has helped me feel how the body roll should be and has improved my swimming w/o the suit.

Getting into the suit is theatre of the absurd. Snug, but it is what the size chart says I should wear. I don't think it supposed to be too easy, otherwise it would be too loose. It is quite comfortable once I am in it.

The wetsuit is a Quintan Roo Ultrajohn (sleeveless, with full legs). I would have to get a full-sleeve suit for a cold ocean swim, but it will be good for any lake swims or warmer ocean swims.

Also, I bought a Pearl Izumi Tri short. Good for swimming, cycling, and running. And I bought a TYR SwimMask.

Let's see. Do I have everything?

Wetsuit, tri shorts, mask (Need: swim cap, wetsuit repair kit)
Bike, bike shoes, socks, gloves, shell, helmet, pump, spare tube, bike jersey (Need: race belt?)
Running shoes, hat (Run in the bike jersey and same socks as the bike leg)
Towell
Water bottle and gels
Sunscreen
Money ($6 for parking, ??)

Not sure if I should bring:

Heart rate monitor

Fouth Of July Run

I ran in a 5k on July 4th in Ridgefield, WA, and finally broke 30 minutes: 29:20.

Two weeks of vacation was good for exercise, since I got to ride or run 6 days a week. There was lots of food, which was a challenge, but I don't think I gained anything.

Sprint Tri On 8/13

It turns out there is a Sprint Tri in Pleasanton on 8/19. Closer, and, hopefully, cooler.

I ran today and my right ankle was twinging. I need to get my weight down. The neoprene wraps on my ankles help, as do the exercises, but ...

Also, I have to start swimming laps, of course. This will be new for me.

What Next?

Now what?

First, I am going to get back under 200 pounds (I am at 210 or so). Since I am not particularly muscular, I can get what the weight charts say I should weigh, which is around 187, but one step at a time.

If allergies permit, I will continue to ride twice a week, but won't be doing as many long rides as I did. Regardless, I will be exercising 6 times a week, just as I have done for the last 2 years.

The problem is that I have trouble losing weight and training for an event at the same time. So, I will lose, then train, lose, then train.

As a reward for getting back under 200 pounds, I am wondering what I should do? Another Century or a Sprint Tri? When I am under 200 pounds, my ankles can handle the running better. Right now, I can only run once a week.

There is a Sprint Tri on Aug 5 in Sacramento. That will be warm. There aren't a lot of Centuries in August. Bummer.

Did It!

The Century went pretty well, i.e. I survived. Yay!

My legs were pretty rubbery the last 25 miles. I slept very well last night and woke up not sore at all. However, I am feeling it in my legs now.

The weather was lovely, though the morning started out pretty cool. Registration didn't take long, and I was on my bike at 7:15. I wore my windbreaker until mile 20 (Gilroy Hot Springs). Decending on Canada Road through the fog was neat, but a little freaky.

There were lots of rest stops available, with lots of food and water, which was very nice. Once the day warmed up, it was around 80 degrees. I got a bit of sunburn in spots I missed (How did I miss the sides of my wrists? I suspect it really is there are spots where the sunscreen gets rubbed off).

It took me 7 hours and 45 minutes to complete the 100 miles, which was pretty much what I expected. Maybe a little slower than I had hoped, but I was just glad to finish.

At the last rest stop I called home so they could be there when I finished. It really cheered me up to see Shannon with her camera at the finish. Tracy got me balloons and candy. I really appreciate their support through all this.

Then we went to In-And-Out. Never has a hamburger and fries tasted so wonderful.

Almost Here!

Just a few days until my first Century. I was very nervous about the most hilly portion of the Century (Roop Rd.), so I tried it out today. I did Roop to Canada to Pacheco Pass Highway to Ferguson to Leavesley to New Rd. to Roop, which is a bit over 20 miles. Not nearly as hard as Metcalf. I am relieved.

Gearing Up

Friday I rode the Willow Springs loop, and yesterday did the Baily loop again. Average speed for the Baily loop was 17.4 MPH.

I am starting to be able to use the drops fairly comfortably, which helps get my speed up a bit, though I don't spend a lot of the ride on the drops. Mostly on the hoods.

Over the next couple of weeks I will have to do a lot of climbing, to be ready for the Century.

Recent Rides

On 4/15 I rode 54 miles (lunch in Gilroy route), with 1400 feet of climbing. Since this was the longest ride I have done, I limited the climbing. This took me 3 hours and 45 minutes (Ave speed 14.4 MPH). Ave. heart rate was 135.

Today I rode 20 miles (Baily loop). I was feeling ill yesterday, but I think it was really allergies. Nasty sinus headache. Regardless, I chose an easy route today. Once the ride got going, I felt well, so pushed harder. Average speed was 16 MPH, with ave. heart rate of 145. This is a new high ave. speed for me.

We finally have nice weather, and it was painful not to be out in it yesterday.