vinumdelirium’s blog

Finally, efforts of training paid off, with the Baltimore Marathon time on 10/10/09 clocking in 30 minutes faster than my first marathon in Charlottesville in April this year.  The race route itself was gorgeous, the weather conditions were optimal, and the effort I put out was average.  Considering the Richmond marathon is Nov 14, I didn't want to overexert myself and pay for it by loosing out on valuable training time.
Overall, pretty happy with the race, and on day 2 of recovery, I am back at 100%.  Though, spinning class this morning was a little more difficult than usual.

MY FOOT HURTS!
a)  I hate running stressed about time
b)  The run today was pretty good
c)  A stretching session tonight will be accompanied by a bath and movie. 

Dammit. My shoes are 50 miles over their life period and I have been putting off buying new ones cause I haven't made time to go get a pair, but ... ugh, it's so frustrating!  Hopefully this will only last a day or two.

The last two days have been a mini vacation for my body, with Monday spent with backside wedged in a tube, floating down the Shenandoah River and Tuesday again spent on my backside, but this time at work, neither day's schedule including any form of physical activity.  I received two emails inquiring why I didn't post and if I was okay... so, thanks guys for being so encouraging!  I know I said I wouldn't stray much from my schedule, but the temptation of relaxation called my name.
Today I reintroduced myself to training with a nice 11.2 miles at a 8min 45sec pace.  I tried the Hammer orange gel for the first time and was quite happy with the result; as with the GU, I had a sufficient amount of energy to push me through the last few miles when I typically will start slowing down when not using a supplement.  Following today's run, I did identify a habit that brings me some concern.  I tend to take the first 45 mins or so at a fairly erratic pace, then I fall into a steady gear.  This worries me because I am uncertain as to if I am spending too much energy during the first portion of the run, hoping from sprints to easy jogs, and if this will drain me more during the marathon.  The time for me to invest in a watch may have arrived.

For the first long run of my training, by my definition, I could not have asked for a nicer day.  The sky was full of puffy white clouds that were so pretty I could've eaten them (don't know why, but they made me hungry when I looked at them), the sun was out but not too harsh, and the breezes that kicked in when I hit the hilltops were God sent.  Before the run, I stopped off and grabbed some Gu packets and Nuun electrolyte pills from the Running Store, the neighborhood running store in the same plaza as my shop, with the best customer service ever(!!).  This is the first time I have actively started incorporating supplements to my training routine, except for last year when I used Nuun for my bike rides that were planned for more than 30mi
Details of the run are as follows... The first two 5 mile loops I went at an exaggeratedly slow pace to allow my body to accustom itself to the length of the run, but I couldn't resist taking the last third of the 16mi with some energy, still running at a comfortable speed with what felt like low exertion.  When I checked my time at the end, I saw that the last loop clocked me in at 7 minute miles.  This gives me some serious hope of finishing the marathon in my most ambitious time of 3:30:00, which would shave a clean 1:30:00 off my horrible time at the mountainous Cville race. 
Now, the question is, was I running that time because I am fit, or because I took two shots of Gu during prior to the last loop, one at the beginning of the run, then the other at mile 10?  Combination of both, perhaps? 
Embarrassingly, though, I fell.  Again.  You would think that it's easy to put one foot in front of the other at a graded momentum, but apparently some of us struggle with this approach.  Maybe I should consider taking up flapping my arms while running to balance myself out. 

After following a pretty good schedule of running, today I missed my run.  Luckily it was only a quick 3 miler, and tho I am trying not to beat myself up about it, I feel a little out of sync with my day.  Not to make matters any better, the only nutrition I had was a few sips of beer and some left over chocolate from the beer tasting today due to rushing out of the house sans breakfast, and not having a moment at work to stop and put some food down my gullet.  What does this mean?  Well, in addition to being worn out by the 15 hour work day which included, among other things, receiving 100 new wines into the system, it's almost a no brainer to assume I will be a bit less than enthusiastic for my long run (16mi) in the morning.  Hopefully a good rest will perk up my attitude a bit.  

I have long ignored strength training, and my excuses have been plentiful and creative, yet the time has come to suck it up, get serious, and clock in some strength building time on a more regular basis.  With the [annoying] encouragement of a friend who has been working with kettle bells since the beginning of his time with the secret service, I finally decided to stop mocking him for it, and join in on the "fun", if you will.  Don't know what kettle bells are?  Good.  That means you're a normal, psychologically stable person with no masochistic inclinations.  Kettle bells are like little cannon balls with handles, and they are brutal.  I am certain they were invented by the Russians to punish political dissidents in Siberia.  I hate them with a passion I didn't realize was possible.  The last session I had using them left me ragged, upset, mad, tired, and annoyed.  I yelled at my friend the whole way back from the track, telling him I would never work out with him again, and how dare he put me through such hell, etc, etc.  Predictably, here I am, about to train with him again.  This time it's worse because it'll be several times a week until the marathon.  Great.  There is a video demonstrating kettle bells for your viewing pleasure:

Kettlebell exercise: Basic drills

Training week 5 of 20 has begun for the Richmond Marathon with a lot of enthusiasm on my part.  A fixed plan is in action, and after some serious consideration, I have decided to stray only slightly from it, maintaining overall a strict exercise regimen.  A curious matter has been the drastic change in my eating habits.  As the intensity of my runs increase, the consumption of carbs has been exponential, without my realizing it.  Last week I went through about 8 pieces of toast without even blinking.  Also, my sleeping habits have been varied, with some nights following hard workouts requiring 12 hours, and some nights, like last, only 7 were permitted.  Either way, early bed is a must.  Runs have been predominately on trails for the last 3 weeks, which has allowed for my body to acclimatize to the strain of training without the appearance of the usual ailments I typically suffer from.  Another perk of trail running is the peace as well as the many sightings of deer along the way.  It wasn't until a few days ago that I fully understood how tranquil trail running is in comparison with road running; the lack of those bloody school buses creeping by and pumping my precious air full of diesel fumes is wonderful!
With all the mistakes I made with the last race, my angle in preparation for this one has been polar opposite, as experiencing one of Dante's Inferno was plenty for me. 
Rule number 1: Run.  My lack of adequate running and training for the last race left me close to being a cripple by mile 23, so this time, my easy pace has been 10 minute miles.  This week's 16 mile run will be the tell tale of my current state of endurance, which I have been preparing for with vigorous hill work that has given my legs slightly more strength than running alone would've.
Rule number 2: Stretch.  For the last week I have woken up with a strong urge to stretch and twist my body in every manner possible, especially my hip flexors and quads (probably from the hill sprints).  Never before have my muscles demanded such attention from me before, and I must say, it feels quite nice.  Half way through my 6 milers lands me atop a hill, where I stop for a midrun stretching session.  There is nothing more beautiful than doing yoga and listening to the chirping of birds and the buzz of bugs while watching the sun rise.  Gorgeous.
Rule number 3: Eat.  My runs are not nearly effective if I do not eat a healthy serving of carbs and protein for dinner.  It takes a lot longer for my legs to warm up and my pace is sporadic and difficult to maintain.  I have the potential to graze incessantly after runs, so loading up on a healthy breakfast is a must if I want to maintain a well balanced caloric intake.  Last night despite eating a ridiculously large wrap, I had hunger pains very early in the morning that were satiated with a serving of nuts and chocolate M&Ms.  Result?  My run this morning proved the best time I have had with low effort output, of 9:45 minute miles for 11 miles.  Eating is vital, however I am sticking to my no-fat portion of the diet. 
Rule number 4: Hydrate.  Apparently I am a "heavy sweater" while running.  By the time I finish my long runs, I am so sweaty that my fingers are pruned up, and I look like I just jumped into the pool.  My gear is soaked, and I have to change before getting in the car.  I didn't at first, but learned quickly that the only way to avoid a car that smells like a gym locker room is to get out of the sweaty clothes.  The more water my body puts out, the more I have to put in.  So, though I have been generously supporting Crystal Light already, I feel as though I am going to put the children of the employees through college by the time I am finished with this training block.

Training log:
Week:  Total Mileage

Week 1: 30mi
Week 2: 30mi
Week 3: 37.8
Week 4: 37.8
Week 5: 48.6mi
Week 6: 39.4mi
Week 7: 55.8mi
Week 8: 44mi
Week 9: 58.6mi
Week 10: 44mi
Week 11: 60.6mi
Week 12: 45.2mi
Week 13: 63.4mi
Week 14: 40.6mi
Week 15: 65.4mi
Week 16: 46.8mi
Week 17: 62mi
Week 18: 54.4mi
Week 19: 42mi
Week 20:  Race Week: 21.8
Race Day: 26.2

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After procrastinating the packing process by ignoring the fact that I have to move by the end of the month, on Friday of last week I was frantically shoving my apartment into boxes.  Saturday night was the same, and I barely finished in time for a few hours sleep before my volunteer moving crew arrived early Sunday morning to lug everything down three flights of stairs.  It was an incredible work out.  Whenever you have large plastic moving crates full of books and old [wine] magazines, you know your muscles will be screaming in pain by the third trip down.  I was not very popular at all by the end of the move, so to reward my worker bees I provided an endless flow of mimosas and mountainous omelets to satiate their thirst and hunger.
Monday and today I swung back into training with two short runs, just to get my legs back into the swing of things.  I would have pushed for a longer distance on both runs, but the weather was very hot and I knew I had not prepared myself accordingly for such heat.  Today at mile marker 1.5 my legs became very heavy and quite stiff.  The only reason for this that I can think of is dehydration, as there was no other explanation for them to be fatigued after such a weenie run!  So I am back on my intense water consumption regiment in preparation for the hot summer jogs.  Since the marathon I have been on a junk food eating spree, consuming everything that is greasy and full of empty calories.  By the end of this week my goal is to start reintegrating my usual doses of healthy foods into my diet.

After the marathon Saturday, I had very low energy for the few days following.  I went to wine tastings on Sunday and Monday (work related), and had Tuesday as my well deserved rest day, during which I slept all day and through the night in close to one uninterrupted block.  After the marathon, my body recovered quickly, with muscle soreness disappearing after the second day.  I was unable to eat or drink much because of an excruciating pain in my mouth which the doctor said may have been a combination of malnutrition and stress to the mucosa membrane on the roof of my mouth, but my unprofessional opinion is that it was due to my tongue suctioning on the roof during the run Saturday.  (Sounds weird, I know...) 

The pain was so bad that I was woken up by it at night, and resulted in taking some serious pain killers to ease the pain.  Today I ate some eggs... and for lunch some, and by some I mean a box, of chocolates, soooo... I think my recovery period might very well be over.

Next?  Saturday morning run, preferably at the park.

Prep for upcoming races includes a stricter stretching routine.  *I hate stretching (_________this________) much!*