up next.

I'm still feeling quite satisfied after the half-ironman. I have no burning desire to race. Or do any more tri's this year.

I'm just starting to want to get back to a regular training routine. Just after the race, I went sailing for a couple days on a large brackish lake in Holland. I enjoyed swimming in the salty water.  Then we camped in Switzerland under the Jungfrau for almost a week.

Mountain biking and very long, high altitude hikes drained whatever was left of my legs. By the fourth day, though, the soreness was gone.

Odie loved camping and hiking.

I took Odie down to the beach today for a run. It took a little convincing before he would follow me. I'm not entirely sure he wanted to run. But we did.  Summer runs on the beach have been uneventful. But this time a very polite policeman in an off-road truck told me I was lucky to be running south with the dog. That meant I hadn't seen the sign restricting dogs from being on the beach. He let me go without a fine, only to come back a few minutes later to tell me to take Odie into the dunes, pointing over to a trail. Fair enough, except I was barefoot.  The dunes running trails are either brick or crushed shells. We made it alright. I had to stop a couple times to pick pieces of shells out of the sole of my foot, but nothing of any important.  We then took another trail  back down to the part of the beach that is dog-legal year round and made our way home.    My left hamstring was a little tender sometimes on the run, so I kept it slow and walked regularly.

Total run 12 km. Long & slow. I had intended 16 km but apparently my luck was to turn back soon enough to avoid the ticket I would have surely received had I tried to go a few more km north (and thus presumptively would have been able to read the sign saying no dog). The policeman explained that while dogs can't read, humans can. 

I've looked at my running races that are lining up for the fall and need to decide between two that six days apart. I ran them both last year and was too tired (and cold) to finish the 25 km race after running an easy 15 km the weekend before. The 15 km is a well-run, well-attended hilly race out of town.  My friend who injured herself has offered to give me her bib (and the shirt she ordered). I already registered myself for the 25 km. That one's close to home - just out my front door.  Choices choices.  I figure I could drop out again this year after 10 km, but I was harassed by club-mates last year - better to be last than a drop out. This one is an intimate race of about 400 people that includes a t-shirt and apple pie with coffee afterwards.  I registered early to avoid being shut out.

So as I move into the fall, I've come up with some goals. 

My goals: shorter term: kick some more weight to the curb; maintain my fitness; longer term: increase my ability to ride hilly/mountainous terrain; run a little faster; improve my swimming technique. continue to enjoy training & racing.

How to get there: 

Weight-loss: No sugar/no starch. Except during long exercise or immediately afterwards.
Swimming, I will resume swimming 1-2x with my club and continue to drill  Total Immersion techniques on Sundays.  

Cycling: I have group rides easily available to me with my club and with friends, plus lots of inexpensive organised tours around Holland. And the indoor TACX trainer.

Running - I enjoy 3x a week. I'll work some speed work into my training as the running races approach, so long as I get no complaints from my hamstring.

Get back into the gym 2x for core strength etc.

Racing next year. Nearly immediately I wanted to do Antwerp again, but faster. But I will have "home leave" next year, which means travelling for 4 weeks in July/early August in the US.  That means I could conceivably pick a US race and bring my bike (which would be a pain for my family). Regardless of when I decide to race, I will have to work my racing/training plans around this trip - kind of like last year. (I'm planning to summit the Grand Teton with my older son, so it won't be a "total loss.")  I also realised that I need to work on my power for cycling in the mountains. That, or abandon any hope of racing anywhere else in Europe. 

Antwerp Ironman 70.3 - Run to the Finish Line

I finally made it to the second transition zone.  The cyclist I was “chasing” – more like following –  disappeared ahead of me when the course took a couple turns.  Riding up, I saw so many people wrapped in silver space blankets. They had already finished and gave me big cheers of encouragement. I was excited and a tiny bit discouraged at the same time since they were done and I still faced a half-marathon run.

Then suddenly there was the entrance into T2.  A wonderful volunteer at the entrance asked me my number in order to direct me to the proper rack. I couldn’t remember, so she checked my bib and pointed.  I found my spot very quickly and was pleased to see my blue and black garbage bags –  the one from the lake with my wetsuit and backpack and the other with my running gear. I had read terrible stories about another race (one in Germany) where all the bags were mixed up and athletes had a terrible time finding their stuff.

I racked my bike and took a deep breath. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. It was surreal. I was so happy to be finished with the bike that I never had another thought of quitting. I did some quick time calculations and told myself that I had enough time to finish even if I had to walk the whole way. Well, on second thought I realized that wasn’t exactly true, since walking takes 10 minutes a kilometer and I didn’t actually have 210 minutes. But it was reassuring to know that even if I took a lot of walk breaks, I’d be able to finish before the course closed.

I have to explain this fixation I have about finishing in time. I learned to run distance only two years ago. In March 2009 I ran my first 10k race, which took something like 76 or 79 minutes.  Before then I had never run more than five kilometers – and then only because I was training for sprint triathlons. I had tried running in the past and had never progressed to the point where I enjoyed it. I found it too difficult. I took a big scary step at New Years 2009 and registered for a learn-to-run course that included a local 10k race. I loved it!  And I wanted to continue to run.

By September, I ran 16k from Paris to Versailles (10 miles) (2:22), and in October, I ran the Amsterdam Half Marathon (2:42).  I enjoyed it so much I set my sights on a marathon, selecting one in December that had a 5 hour time limit. It was quickly apparent to me that the required pace was beyond my ability so I chose instead the Rotterdam Marathon, with a 5:30 limit, the following April 2010.  I wasn’t last, but I was nearly, finishing in 5:30, which was my plan.  

The short course limits here have created a good deal of anxiety for me since I run “slowly” in comparison to others on the course.  In a half-marathon in March 2010 I got behind the sweepers early and got so upset when I was asked to leave the course at 7km that my race fell apart and I didn’t finish within the 2:30 time limit. I felt devastated even though I had cut about 10 minutes off last half-marathon time six months earlier.  Learning to finish last and validate my own finish have been some serious character-building lessons for me, a perennial over-achiever Type A personality.

So when I realized I had met my race plan for both the swim and the bike, I felt like I had already crossed the finish line. But I still had to put on fresh socks and my running shoes. My feet were numb getting off the bike. And my wool socks were wet with you-know-what. I was very glad to have a nice dry pair of running socks to put on my feet. I had planned for rain and “treated” myself to some dry socks  for the run. I was partly right.  The sun had come out. I started chatting and joking around with the race volunteer who had guided me to my spot. I had no sunscreen! But I had a hat.

When your feet are numb, it’s hard to feel whether your socks are on right. I got the right sock all twisted up in the process of putting it on my damp, numb foot, and had to straighten it out. Then I realized there was something in the toe of my left shoe.  I pulled my foot out and checked – and found the two salt capsules I had stashed in my shoe early this morning.

The capsules were part of my nutrition plan. Endurance racing is as much about fueling as it is about pacing. Pre-race planning required a lot of decisions:  how many calories an hour to eat (300), how much water to drink (about 500 ml an hour), and how to get enough electrolytes to avoid cramping (take capsules during the week leading up to the race, then two before the swim, two before the run).  All this I had practiced in earlier races and during training sessions.

I had also decided I was going to run “commando” – naked – that is, without a fuel belt.  In the past, I’ve looked like a running tourist with the amount of stuff I’ve carried (fanny back, hat, coat, camera, dual water bottles).  Once, when I was running home after a race, someone commented that I looked like I had strapped a BBQ on my backside. To be honest, I hadn’t run with that pack! It held my race kit.

The race instructions promised aid stations every two kilometers with water, Isostar (yuck), Powerbar Gel (edible), oranges and Coca Cola. I decided that I would rely on these rather than carrying my own stuff, except for a bottle of Gatorade that I would carry at the beginning of the run and then toss.  I planned to drink coca cola and water and eat gel. (Just the mention of that now makes me shudder. Seven and a half hours of eating pure sugar is gross). So the plan was to run between aid stations and walk through them as a reward.

The run course was three laps winding around the old quarter of Antwerp.  At each lap, runners pick up a wrist bracelet. When you have three, you enter the finish lane.  

When I left T2, the course did not seem clearly marked and I was a little worried I had missed a turn since I didn’t see any runners at first. Then the little road I was on fed into a stream of runners. I joined in and matched up with another woman, Liz, who was running at a similar pace. We started talking. She was running at about 6min/km (10 min/mile), which was faster than I had planned for the first lap, but I could keep up while still being able to talk.  She mistook my yellow Livestrong bracelet for a lap marker and thought that I had, like her, already run a lap. She kept telling me she thought we had already run 7km. I had just gotten onto the course, worried I had missed a part. At some point I realized she was simply a lap ahead of me.  I felt disappointed that she was going to finish sooner. She helped me to run well. I don’t think I could have pushed myself so consistently by myself. Actually, I know I could not have since I cut myself too much slack! And have a mental barrier about running faster than a 10 minute mile (6 min km).

My Garmin was giving me very strange pacing numbers, so I stopped looking at it. Talking with another runner who’s running at the same even pace makes the miles just fly by. It definitely helped me break through a mental barrier. I went from “I don’t think I can run this fast after swimming and biking” to “I’m doing it.” So we just kept going, walking through the aid stations and running to the next one.

I saw my husband and my two boys during the first lap. What a great boost that was. And besides, I could shed the hat I was carrying that ended up being too hot and unnecessary. I looked for them again throughout the rest of the race, and saw them just before the finish.

Next time I will comb my hair or something!

On my second lap, Liz’s third, we took a couple walk breaks. It’s funny how well we were motivating each other without saying a word. It’s as if we were passing silent messages of strength.  We got to the dividing point on the course where I would continue and she would finish. I teased that she should run one more lap to keep me from walking. (Silently in my head I’m thinking I can’t wait to get rid of you so I can walk).  Liz is saying to me, you better not walk or I’ll have to scream at you from the sidelines!  We gave each other a big hug and said goodbye.

I felt really strong. I had clearly reached my goal of finishing before the course closed. I just needed to keep moving, and here I was, one lap away.  I switched to cola at the aid stations and used the water to cool off. I tucked sponges on my neck, beneath my tri-suit. And squeezed water over my head. Shocking, but effective.  The aid stations, by the way, were NOT two km apart. I don’t know how they were organized, but they seemed few and far between.   

Bye Liz, hello Sue.  I continued running by myself and saw another woman, Sue. I paired up with her. She was celebrating her 50^th birthday and was eager to join her husband, who had already finished the race. She seemed a little out of gas and I asked her if she wanted to run the last lap together.  She was walking a lot and I encouraged her to run a little more and run a little faster between walk breaks.  She wasn’t quite running next to me, but just behind. I kept encouraging her. I wasn’t sure how hard to push. I didn’t want her to become discouraged or annoyed, and what do I know about racing anyway. But I thought she needed some cola and encouraged her to give it a try. She was discouraged about how tired she felt. She told me she had run a 2:10 half marathon but felt quite tired after the bike leg.  She kept telling me to go on without her and not to let her slow me down. But I had already met my goal mentally and I was enjoying running together. Helping Sue kept my mind off the blister that was forming in the usual spot on my right foot and the chafe on my inner thighs from my tri-suit that was beginning to bleed.  I liked running an easy last lap.

Me and Sue!

When we got to the finish chute I started to run as fast as I could. I put my hands in the air as I ran across the finish line and yelled as loudly as I could. 

I felt so happy to be done. Now I could sit down. My quads and my glutes were feeling pretty tired. Sue finished about five seconds after me.

 I turned to clap her across the finish line. We did it! 

Then I got my HUGE finishers medal and walked along the end of the course, clapping and cheering for the people behind me.

I met Sue’s husband and congratulated him on his finish. Then I spied my kids and husband and got some great high fives and hugs. 

Then we made the long walk back to T2 to pick up my bike. Ouch Ouch Ouch.  On the way to the bike, I met up with Liz and her husband and congratulated them. I thanked Liz a lot for helping run a good race.

After finishing the race I was suddenly really tired and hungry. I confess we stopped at McDonalds off the highway on the drive home. I liked the burger but the fries had no salt. So I didn’t eat any. Salt is what I was craving. That and coconut. I think the fatty acids in coconut attracted me.

I feel so proud of my effort and so very satisfied.  I raced without any injuries. I kept a patient pace on the bike and pushed myself harder than I thought I could – without blowing up. 

While out walking the dog the next day, I caught myself wondering how much faster could I finish next year. And wondering if there was something wrong with me since I preferred an enjoyable slower lap and running with another athlete to speeding off alone.  No. I’m just fine. My desire to push myself evaporated once I realized my goal (“just finish”) was in hand.   That was enough for this race.  I ran this half in 2:33, after swimming 1.9 km and riding 90 km.  Not so bad for an Athena! 

PS After the race, we went sailing for a couple days. This proved to be the perfect way to recover from the race.  I took a lot of naps - not much moving. Some swimming when I felt ready.  I wrote my friends:

About the half ironman,I learned the most important lesson about myself. I can do the most extraordinary things if I will only reach a little further, push a little more, and believe that it's within my capacity. Throughout the race, I had to control my negative thoughts that were telling me to quit, that the next stage would be too hard. When I focused on just what I needed to do at that moment, and kept myself moving forward, I eventually crossed the finish line. Dozens of people who started didn't finish. I FEEL SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

Just gorgeous

So I just got back from the most gorgeous 16 k run - I picked the right pace and ran faster than targeted most of the time (between 7:30 & 7:45/km) 10 of the 16 were in this range. the other six included warm up, cool down and dressing/undressing for the weather. I started with my new cool wind-proof running hat I got at the marathon expo. I had been wanting one for a year, but they are so expensive for just a stupid hat. Well, the expo had a special. so I got one. I saw a friend on the beach who complimented the great hat. You know, that's the death knell for a precious possession. Well, I got too hot. So I took it off. And tucked it into my coat, between me and the coat. I ignored the angel who whispered in my ear to put it into one of the zippered pockets in my coat.

At some point, I pulled my arms out of the coat, again too hot and tied the coat around my waist, still zipped. I think I probably looked silly trying to Houdini out of the coat while still trying to run at pace. waddle waddle waddle.

Well, at 8 km these gorgeous leaden clouds opened up and pelted me with the juiciest rain drops ever. I scrambled to try to get back into my coat before getting soaked. It didn't work, and I'm quite sure at this point I dropped the hat without realising it. I had looped back to avoid one cloud burst and tried this trick again. And then realised my hat was gone. And I figured in my burst of get-out-of-this-cold-rain-quick energy that the hat must have fallen out when I had wiggled my arms out of the coat. Looking for the hat on the remainder of the run turned every piece of garbage into a potential find. I never found it. I imagine now it's far away at the turning point where I momentarily lost my mind in the excitement of the rain storm.

I hope someone finds the hat and that whoever finds it is a runner who appreciates this little number. (It is wind-proof and has a bright neon yellow stripe to tell other people not to run you over at night.) Losing it gave me the chance to live in joy - some things we have want new homes, so they find them. We only borrow them for a short while.

I just love running without those six pounds. It is so much easier. Plus I discovered if I lengthen my stride just a tiny little bit, my pace increases quite a bit without any perceptible increase in effort. I have a pretty quick stride, but i guess not a very long one! 

W18 Monday Long Run

I did my planned long run today - 90 minutes + 10 minutes warm up. I went up through the dunes and then along the beach.  The tide was unusually high, forcing me to run through soft sand or newly-wet sand, which has the foundational characteristics of quick sand.  The North Sea Regatta put scores of sailboats all over the sea.   I needed to walk a lot to stay within the heart rate limit. Speeding up, then slowing down. Odie swam and played with other dogs. It was nearly perfect. As soon as I was back on the brick or roadway I could run easily within the target range.  That restored my confidence a little. I try to remind myself I am recruiting specific changes in my energy system, and that's the point right now. Not to build speed. That comes later.  And I am already seeing improvement in my pace on the bike.

I am enjoying time-based training sessions. I know how long they'll take - something I couldn't predict as easily when going out for a 15 k run.   I have some concern that I am not getting in the distance I need to build back up to 30 km, which is the over-distance Jeff Galloway recommended to me - (I think - I have to go back and look.)  I will put this question to Mark and see what his recommendation is - whether I should walk to increase the distances if my "running" remains at such a slow pace.

Puinduin report

I had a great time at the Puinduin race. It's mostly up and down steep sets of stairs. Wow.   Here you can see a photo album of the race.  And here is a blurry photo of me, from this album.  I am not long-legged or tall or particularly fast. Here's the course.

But I think I had the most fun. Especially since a couple of the race organisers ran the last lap with me as they picked up the signs and tape indicating the course.  Here's my finish photo, with my escorts.  The capture notes I'm the last finisher, and good going, because it's a tough course. I finished in 1:30 or so.

Respect to this little girl who ran 3.5k in her rain boots, towing her dad and little black dog.


I also enjoyed seeing children enjoying the race, like this little girl running up the stairs that slowed us mere mortals.

Feeling a little intimidated by my plan for the day, I  procrastinated.  In order to get to the start on time, Jeff and Odie kindly gave me a ride. Odie whined the entire time, thinking he was going to get a good run in with me today.   I started the day off short as a result.  I intended to sandwich the race in between two 10k's.

I gave it a race effort, despite my planned distance for the day. I was interviewed by the newspaper afterwards, but I forgot until this evening (Monday) to pick up a paper. The stores were already closed.  I met some nice people. The race coordinators were quite friendly and welcoming. It was put on by the local triathlon club. So I am interested maybe in training with them. The other races have been bigger events, and not being Dutch I feel as welcome as an invasive species. This time was pleasantly different.

I had an interaction with another runner on the course. During part of the race, I was wearing ear buds, listening to music.  She said something to me in Dutch as she passed me.  I didn't understand and just smiled at her.  She passed me again, and apparently repeated whatever she said, only louder.  I understood that it was something about not hearing the group or something. I guess she was telling me not to wear earbuds during the race. I still don't really know.  I was left wondering if she realised that I didn't understand the first time because of a language barrier, not because of what I had in my ears. Not having a babelfish, how am I supposed to know?  I ran with one ear free after that. Even so, I never play music so loudly that I can't hear my surroundings.

I jogged home through the hills in the southern dunes, snarfed up some lunch (spek and pea soup - spek is very thick bacon) and reconnected with the family.  I should have gone right back out, but I felt pretty tired and faded into the couch.


Low carb/high fat/enough protein seems to be working fine. I brought walnuts with me for the second run. I decided I prefer dried dates, but I was really trying to see whether I could fuel the run without sucking down hundreds of calories of sugar every half hour. I still like Joel Friel's formulas though. A 10k is short enough that I don't think I need to feed during it. But I ran in a "fasted" state. I had a nervous stomach and didn't feel like eating in the least. Then I forget to eat at the start. In the past, just before starting, I've eaten "go-gel". (I feel like a sugar junkie!).

By 6:00 I was eager to get the rest of my miles in for the day. Jeff hedged about going out for a run. He didn't want to do 12, and it was evening, and so on. So we went for four, up and back on the beach. Odie approved.

I burned 2100 calories and ate only 2500. My legs are really quite sore today. I don't remember their being so sore after the Amsterdam run. Maybe it was all those stupid stairs.  That's what made the course so fun.

As expected, my coach didn't approve of breaking the assigned run into pieces. And in the end I came up short.  He assigned 33k again for this weekend.  I think I will start measuring the long runs in miles.  Not that a 21 mile run seems that much shorter, now that I do the maths.  I'll put this race on my calendar for 2011, and use the course as a place to get stronger too.

Link to Youtube video

Time for a little LSD

I want to get leaner and stronger in order to enjoy running more. Today I've thought about diet and supporting my athletic performance. I need to be sure to eat enough even while I try to get leaner.

I'm a little nervous about tomorrow's long slow distance run. I've never run 27k before. I'm nervous about the amount of time it will take. I wish I ran faster. I suppose I have it backwards. I really enjoy running long distances. And if I ran faster, I would have a shorter run and less fun. I can change the way I think about LSD (that is, long slow distances).

Yesterday, I listened to a podcast on Two Fit Chicks and  a Microphone.  The episode featured a discussion about marathon training and running in general. One of the guests worried about getting bored while out on a training run. That's never happened to me. I have never gotten bored. Mostly I run out and back. That leads to two middles - and sometimes I get a little impatient and ready to be "done" on the way back in. But I'm never bored. I enjoy the time alone. I listen to interesting podcasts or music or my own thoughts.  Sometimes I have peak moments of transcendent joy. Sometimes I have a lot of those moments.

I felt sad for the wannabe runner who was afraid of getting bored. It could be that she's simply spent too much time on a treadmill, which is indeed mind-numbing. And running on a treadmill doesn't work all your muscles anyway.

So I am going to reframe my thinking about a five hour run.  Slow means  more time in joy.  No need to hurry. I have all the time I need.

14e Mackrel Hardloopen

1. Distance assigned: 16k race on the coast. The 14th annual Mackerel run from Scheveningen harbour south to Kijkduin.

I had a great race today. The temperature was below freezing - -3 (c). It snowed here earlier this week and has been quite cold. So the run was also cold. Places were icy and snowy.

2. Pace Assigned: "take it easy" (since I've been a slug lately) ran: average pace 8:35m/k Fastest 1k was the last. The second half was mostly faster than the first half. total time: 2:17
3. Walk breaks assigned: you had recommended 1:1 ran: I didn't take regular walk breaks after warming up. I ran 4:1 for the first 15 minutes or so, then took walk breaks every half hour when I got something to drink. Generally I just kept a steady relaxing pace.
4. Speed work: none.
5. Aches & Pains: nope. liked the new shoes. I rode my bike to the start, and crossed an icy patch on the road. The bike slid out from under me. I went down hard on my hip and arm, but did not hurt myself. I saw it coming. I felt very lucky not to hurt myself half a kilometre from the start!.
6. questions: nope.
7. Next week 27k
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20723609

Anyway, I had loads of fun. At the finish, there was freshly fried fish and Snert (dutch-style pea soup with slices of kielbasa type meat). Delicious. The lifeguards were there and wonderfully helpful. The race was low-key and comfortable. I would guess about 750 runners?

I haven't been able to convince my older son to try running. Next year he'll be old enough. It would be fun to run together. Next year, I'll take ,y dog Odie. One or two other runners brought their dogs, and there were plenty romping on the beach too. Odie was very excited to watch me dress for the race, since he didn't realise he was getting left behind.

I ran & finished last. Very early in the race, I was completely alone in the back. It was fine. I like running by myself. I got lots of cheers and encouragement throughout the race (and a private escort from the lifeguards). Especially at the end, the other runners were cheering me on.

Maybe I'll be faster someday. But I don't really mind either way. I ran an enjoyable pace, faster than my 16k Paris race - but that had heat and elevation. The nice thing about starting running races in middle age is I am always having a Personal Best!

waxing gibbous moon

1. Distance assigned: you suggested between 15 & 22. ran: 14.9 k under a waxing gibbous moon. The beach was silver and black, with white breakers and dark golden sand - no yellow in it - more like a mustard colour. The good kind, not baseball hot dog mustard!

2. Pace Assigned: none ran: average 9:26/km total time: 2:20

3. Walk breaks assigned: none ran: I didn't take regular walk breaks tonight. I walked a couple times, but generally just kept a steady relaxing pace in the dark.

4. Speed work: none.

5. Aches & Pains: I tried running with my shoes again because of the cold weather. Got another blood blister on the right foot. I'm tossing the shoes. I hope to get an insulated pair of Vibrams. I like barefoot better.

I would have chosen the longer distance, but I just did not have the time - I didn't get up early enough and the whole weekend was filled with orchestra performances for my two sons - lovely, but smack in the middle of the day (one on Saturday and the other today), when I like to get my long run in. I laced up at 7 pm tonight even though my motivation was at an all time low. I think the cold, wet, darkness is doing a number on me. But tonight was warm-ish and dry-ish (I still ran with wool socks).

6. questions: not really - just to let you know, I'm a bit at cross-purposes at the moment. I am really pushing to lose some weight, so I'm eating a lower calorie menu than I have the last couple months. I think ultimately, my running will be easier with these last 10 pounds off. I felt like I had good stamina tonight - I ate more yesterday and today to prepare for the run. My goal is to be at my goal weight by new years.

7. Next week: I'm not sure -  here's what you had put together - I'm off by a week since my household had the flu and I ran a 5k instead of distance last weekend.

Nov 22--22K
Nov 29--5K
Dec 6--27K
Dec 13--6K
Dec 19--16K

Happy Halloween

1. Distance assigned: 14k Run 13k

Oops! I took a different, slightly shorter route to the beach and turned around too soon. Today was simply delightful -- a gorgeous fall afternoon run on an empty beach under steel grey clouds. Odie and I both had a lot of fun.

2. Pace assigned: none. run: between 8:30 & 9:00m/km. I found it easy and relaxing

Garmin's average pace for this run includes the stop I made to talk to an elderly woman on the beach for 10 minutes (laps 38 & 39). She had so much to say about everything I found it hard to break away and keep going.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/17610908

3. Walk Break Ratio Assigned: none. Run: 4 min: walk 1 min.

I experimented with programming the watch with run/walk intervals. It turned out okay except that I underestimated how many there would be - So I "finished" the workout with about 20 minutes remaining to run before arriving home. My actual pace was slower than the one I used for the calculations. But I found the watch helpful.

4. Speed-work done: none.

5. Any aches/pains? nope. I ran barefoot, so no issues with feet or knees. They were very happy. There was a lot more soft sand today - like running mashed potatoes! Fun.

6. Questions? No. I really enjoyed this run. It's nicer to go long. Six k last weekend was too short.

I ended up with low blood sugar by the time I got home today. I was fine during the run, but needed some juice as soon as I got in the door. Looking back, I didn't bring enough calories or liquid to drink (only 400ml gatorade). And I think I do better including some protein in what I bring -- this is what I've done in the past. I think I was a little cavalier in my planning, considering the planned duration.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 18k


Have a great week!



Chris

23 August 09 fun run in the sun

1. Distance assigned: 20.5 Distance ran: 22k It was effortless. And fabulous

2. Pace assigned: n/a Pace actually run: total time - 3:24.

3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: as assigned - I picked up the pace a bit on the way back.

4. Speed-work done: n/a

5. Any aches/pains? nope. Feet and knees were fine during the run. My knees are mildly sore tonight.

I road 20k on my bike afterwards for fun.

6. Questions? nope. Am I running these pieces too slowly? I feel pretty pokey.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 12*800.

Feed back = go slow; don't speed up on the way back.

instructions for long runs

The simple concept with the long runs is to go slower. If you start slowly, use a 1-1 throughout, and don't pick up the pace coming back, you will recover faster and get all of the endurance of the long run. You cannot go too slow on the long one.
Don't pick up the pace on the return. This is OK in a race. But injuries in long distance running tend to come from just this type of behavior. It will not help your fitness to run faster in the second half of a long run--you will improve much more by doing the speed repetitions.

12th July: 17k Wow! Slow & steady.

1. Distance assigned: 16k Distance ran: 17k Ave temp 71 degrees.

2. Pace assigned: none. Pace actually run: total time: 2:45

3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: 1:1. Several times I forgot to stop running until 2 min - meaning a 2:1 ratio - probably less than 10 times.

4. Speed-work done: none today

5. Any aches/pains? No. Knees felt fine throughout and afterwards too. Overall felt really good. My quads felt a little fatigued the last 30 minutes or so.

6. Questions? No. Ran the beach in the rain. Learned that rain doesn't necessarily mean cold. Hard rain for the last hour was cold, though. Glad I had layered - it was fine.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 8x800m repeats

I have a feeling that the extra work, required during
beach running, was a partial cause of your quad fatigue. Normally the quads
shouldn't be used much. Try to use a "shuffle" during the last half
of your long runs, whether you run on the beach or not: keep your
feet low to the ground, short stride. When you get the shuffle right, you
don't have to use the quads at all.

You are doing great!

Another 14k - another fabulous run

Too many horses. Not enough dogs. Today's morning run included a shot of adrenaline. Two girls galloped their horses along the water line, racing each other. They had no control over the horses. They came up from behind me. Hearing the hooves (they really do thunder), I raced over to grab Odie and we huddled on the ground as the horses passed us, splitting and leaving us in the middle. I had goose bumps all over my body.

This made the interactions with the trotters a non-event. Odie hasn't been too interested in chasing horses generally. He's now a rug. Shadowing me from room to room.

Here's today's stats. I've been having some "issues" with knee inflammation. Thankfully, no issues today.

1. Distance assigned: 13k Distance actually run: 14k

2. Pace assigned: n/a Pace actually run: Pace 10:22 (avg) Speed: 5.77 (km/hr) (avg)

3. Walk break ratio assigned: Walk 5 minute warm up; 1:1 Walk break ratio used: as assigned,plus five minute walking cool-down

4. Speed-work done: No. Slow run. Slower than last long run.

5. Any aches/pains? No. This week I was "aware of" my knees - they didn't hurt, but they didn't feel invisible either. I x-trained on the erg rather than run on Thursday. Tuesday was a 42 minute run on an island in the North Sea. Today, my "usual" minor soreness" in my knees did not appear until two hours out. This is an improvement, since I usually notice my knees after 30 min. I didn't get enough sleep this week.

6. Questions? No.

7. Weekend workout planned for the following week: May 17--Magic Mile (MM) 400 meter times: 2:30, 2:28, 2:26, 2:24 (9:48)

Set the Right Pace for Long Runs

To prepare for my race, the long ones will increase gradually up to 20K. Coach says, "The pace of these long runs should be slow enough so that you are not huffing and puffing at any time--even at the end. I recommend a pace no faster than 9:30 per kilometer, at a temperature of 14C (or cooler). It is always OK to go slower."
"The best run-walk-run ratio is 20/40 (run 20 seconds and walk for 40 seconds). The slower the long run pace, and the more liberal walk breaks, the better chance you have of avoiding aches, pains and excess fatigue. Even a pace that is 3-4 min/mi slower than goal pace will give you all of the endurance. Remember to watch the temperature and slow down by 20 sec per km for every 2 degrees above 14C."
Mr Galloway says, "On hot days, start early enough so that you can finish before the sun gets above the horizon, being aware of safety issues." Makes me wonder if he has any idea how early the summer sun rises this far north.
I realise I have no knowledge of how to set a pace for myself. So this was one of my first questions.
On the shorter long run weekends, Mr Galloway suggests running at any pace I wish, using any run-walk-run ratio I wish. In the race his initial suggestion would be to use 1-1 for the first 10K and either 2-1 or 1-1 for the last 6K. On these shorter weekends, Mr Galloway suggests practicing 1-1 and 2-1. We will discuss this more as I get closer to the race date. I have been trying a 4-1 ratio and it feels too easy. But my pace resembles a tortoise.
On long ones, whether walking or running, Mr Galloway suggests keeping a short stride, with feet low to the ground--as in a shuffle. Mr Galloway doesn't recommend power walk or race walk. It is OK to walk fast by using quicker turnover with a short stride through practice.
Eating a snack of 200-300 calories within 30 min of finishing a long one has helped his runners recover faster. Mr Galloway's website offers links to the specific products he recommends to promote recovery & fluid replacement on the day before and day after long runs.
Mr Galloway recommends taking a day of rest from exercise on the day before long runs. If you want, you can do non-pounding cross training on the other non running days (water running, cycling, swimming, elliptical, etc).
On the Tues/Thurs runs (30 minutes each), Mr Galloway suggests running at any pace and using any run-walk-run ratio that I wish. I will try the 1-1 and 2-1 on these short runs. I may also try the 30/30 on the short days.

Fluid Intake on Long Runs

Fluid Intake on long runs: Generally, Mr Galloway recommends drinking water only during a long one because it reduces the chance of nausea, and is absorbed quicker. Marathon Medicial Directors recommend no more than 27 oz (850ml) of fluid an hour during marathons--and long runs. The day before long ones, and the day after, Mr Galloway recommends a sports drink --about 6-8 oz (@200ml), every 2-3 hours, with other fluids as needed.