The story of this marathon training cycle for me was the meltdown I had in the final few weeks of training. As the weather started warming up, I had to abort an 18 mile long run after about 13.5 miles, and my final 20 miler turned into a walk-run mess that left me cramping in places I’ve never cramped before. Those runs were a major blow to my confidence, but I also knew that I’d had run some solid long runs in cooler weather, so my performance at VCM would likely be determined by the weather on race day. I’m happy to report that Mother Nature decided to smile on me and she served up near ideal conditions!

GEAR OVERVIEW

My big decision the day before the race was what to do about shoes (of course!). I had intended to run in the Saucony Fastwitch 6, but after chatting with a Saucony rep at the expo he indicated that the drain holes in the sole might actually be a negative if there was a lot of standing water on the ground. Drain holes can help drain water from the shoe, but can also let water in through the sole when running through puddles. I hadn’t considered that, and given the near constant driving rain we had on Saturday, it was a certainty that there would be a lot of water on the course (and there indeed was!).

I brought along two other pairs of shoes, a prototype Skechers GoBionic 2 (not an option due to water absorption by the material under the sockliner – will hopefully be fixed), and the Saucony Virrata (read my Saucony Virrata review here). I left the Kinvara 4 at home since I only did one long run in them. I made a last minute decision to go with the Virrata – I had run a bunch of miles in them this cycle and though I was a bit concerned about going zero drop in a marathon, I was more worried about soaking up a ton of water in the Fastwitch 6s. Turned out to be a good choice. My feet had no issues in the Virrata – they shed water well, never felt soggy, and I got no blisters despite my feet being damp the entire race.

Saucony Virrata – My Race Day Weapon of Choice

Here’s the rest of my gear rundown:

Socks: Injinji Lightweight No-show Toe Socks. I’ve used Injinji socks for my last several marathons and they’ve made a huge difference in preventing toe blisters for me. They did so again – despite the rain and wet feet, no toe blisters from the race. The lightweight socks are super thin, which is my preference for socks these days.

Calf Sleeves: No idea if they provide any real benefit, but I usually wear calf sleeves when I race. I like Zensah sleeves, and was recently sent a pair of Zensah Reflect sleeves to try out. Nice compression and very comfortable.

Shorts/Shirt: Team Wicked Bonkproof gear! Big thanks again to Caleb Masland for coaching me through the training cycle!

Arm Sleeves: An old pair of Nike sleeves that I had. Didn’t plan on wearing them, but figured any added warmth from additional layers would be helpful.

Jacket: Merrell Torrent Shell. My other last minute decision – to wear a jacket or not to wear a jacket? Given the temperature and the rain, I decided to err on the side of layering, and the Merrell Torrent Shell is super thin and light. If need be I could take it off and tie it around my waist. Glad I wore it, actually felt plenty warm for most of the race. Never wound up taking it off. It got wet, but it dries fast and doesn’t soak and gain weight.

Gloves: Old pair of lightweight Brooks gloves. Took them off and carried in-hand for the final few miles.

GPS: Garmin FR10 (review sample from Clever Training) and Garmin FR610 (my watch). The FR10 actually measured the distance more closely than the 610. Not bad for an entry level GPS watch (review coming).

Gels: Running Warehouse connected me with VFuel and they sent me out some samples to try, so I went with their Peach Cobbler gels for the race. Mixed three gels in a Hydrapak Soft-Flask, then filled up the remainder of the space with water to thin it out. This has been my practice in my last several marathons and it works really well for me. I hand-hold the flask (it’s small) and take small sips through the first half of the race, and when the flask is empty it packs down small into a little belt pouch that I use to carry a few additional gels. I find it much easier to sip watered down gels than to take them straight from the pouch while running (though VFuel is a bit thinner out of the pouch than most gels). The peach VFuel tastes good, and I had no stomach distress at all during the race. Very happy with how it performed (Running Warehouse recently posted a group review of VFuel as well). Took one additional GU from an aid station around mile 14. No gels after that – just Gatorade from some of the aid stations, a slice of orange, and a slice of watermelon.

RACE GOALS

I knew going in that I wasn’t in PR shape, so that wasn’t even on my radar. Given that, my goals for the race were threefold:

1. Finish without hitting the wall. I’ve run this race twice before and both times I crashed at Battery hill at mile 15. In fact, I’ve managed to avoid the wall in only 2 of my previous 8 marathons. Cool weather and good pacing would be key.

2. If I managed to avoid the wall, I was pretty confident I could run a personal VCM course PR. My previous times at VCM were 3:43:38 and 3:36:12.

3. Run sub-3:30. Given that it’s been two years since my last marathon, and I built up my mileage pretty rapidly over about 12 weeks, I trained to be able to run the marathon at a conservative pace of around 8:00/mile. Slower than that would have been a disappointment.

PRE-RACE FOOD/DRINK

Had two bananas and a bagel with peanut butter and cream cheese for breakfast, all finished at least 1.5 hours before race start. One cup of regular coffee, some OJ, couple sips of water. Went real easy on the pre-race hydration given my past issues with overhydrating. Had one mini Clif-bar right before the race started.

Vermont City Marathon Elevation Profile – Recorded by Garmin FR610

RACE RECAP

Everyone who ran VCM in 2013 will remember it for the cold, rain, and wind. The temperature was in the low 40s Fahrenheit at the start, with the wind making it feel much cooler. Light drizzle alternated with steady rain throughout, though it eased up toward the end of the race. I actually felt like the weather was more of a positive than a negative as nearly all of my race PR’s have come in cold weather.

My plan going into the race was to go easy for the first few miles, then settle into a comfortable pace and see where it took me. The big challenge in any race is to not go out too fast, and in the marathon this is absolutely critical. I didn’t get a chance to do any kind of warmup, and my legs were cold at the start. Pushing the pace from the start would have been dangerous, so I remained disciplined and held back when the gun went off. Let everyone go, then catch as many as possible later on was the plan. I skipped the first few water stops, again part of my plan to go easy on hydration.

I was feeling really tight for the first few miles, but I knew from experience that it would take at least a few miles to warm up the legs, and that this would probably be prolonged a bit more by the rain and cold. Sure enough, around mile three I started to loosen up and the roughly 7:45/mile pace I had settled into was feeling smooth. Made a brief pit stop during mile 5 (apparently I was still plenty hydrated despite my limited intake of liquids prior to the race!), and did a good job resisting the urge to cruise on the long downhill from miles 3-7.

Splits for miles 1-7:

Between miles 7-8 I ran for a bit with a female barefoot runner who was moving along really well. We chatted for a few miles, then she took off when we reached the top of the hill back in town and I never saw her again (looks like she beat me by about 5 minutes!)

I started to feel a little tightness in my calves around mile 8, and was worried that maybe the zero drop Virratas were a bad choice. Fortunately the soreness never progressed to pain, and the tightness subsided a bit later in the race.

My goal as I approached the halfway point was to be consistent and to stay disciplined about my pacing. I was running more by consistent effort than consistent pace, so I’d speed up just a bit down hills, and slow a bit on the ups. Pace continually hovered around 7:45/mile and it was still feeling smooth. Mile 15 remained in the forefront of my mind – Battery hill crushed me twice before, and I was determined to not let it beat me again.

I crossed the 13.1 mile marker in 1:42:34, on target to meet all three of my goals and then some. I was pretty confident I could keep it up.

Mile 14 was a bit slow because the wind was whipping along the lakefront, and at one point waves were crashing over a concrete wall onto the trail we were running along. It was the only time I really felt that the weather interfered with the race.

I was still feeling strong heading toward Battery, and I ran up the big hill without issue – in fact, I passed a bunch of people on the way up. I’d run a ton of hills in this training cycle and it clearly paid off in a big way.

Splits for miles 8-15 :

When I hit the top of the hill I got a bit of an adrenaline boost – I didn’t crash, and the rest of the course was mostly downhill. It was just a matter of holding pace. I got a bit overly ambitious in miles 18 and 19 – the thought of picking it up and shooting for 3:20 crossed my mind. I wisely reeled it back in and decided to not risk the race by getting greedy with my time. A 10 minute course PR was a pretty strong possibility if I could just hold the 7:45-7:50 pace I had been running pretty consistently throughout.

The challenge with the late miles of VCM is that a lot of it is straight along roads that are pretty flat. I like a bit of up and down in marathons, and the long flats tend to grate on me a bit. I kept plugging away, started taking Gatorade at the aid stations since I was done with gels (had been having a few sips of water at each station starting around mile 5, but not a lot), and passed through miles 20-22 still feeling pretty good.

Splits for miles 16-21:

The challenging portion of the race for me really started around mile 22. Though I was mentally lucid and not feeling depleted, my legs were starting to tighten up. Nothing atypical of late marathon soreness, but it took focus to keep moving along at sub 8:00/mile pace. I’d feel my pace slip a bit, then have to give myself a little push to kick it back into gear. The last several miles of VCM are tough because they are along a bike path that is flanked by trees on both sides. It’s a long, relatively flat stretch without a lot of spectators where you really can’t see that far ahead of you. It’s challenging to maintain pace on that trail, and I could tell a lot of the other runners were having a similar mental struggle (there were surprisingly few people walking though, probably a testament to the cool weather).

I kept my eye on my watch, dumped some cold water on my head at each aid station I passed on the trail, and kept plugging away. You emerge from the trees shortly before the final stretch to the finish, and the crowds at that point were out in full force. I caught a second wind, and ran the final 0.2 faster than I ran any other portion of the race, even sprinted the final bit to the finish – good thing too, as I crossed the finish line in an official 3:24:59. One second to spare for my third sub-3:25 marathon! It was over a 10 minute PR on the course, and all three goals were fulfilled!

I caught up with my friend Alett in the finishing chute and chatted for a bit – her husband Hugh had gone sub-3:00 and got his BQ. I watched a woman get wheeled by who was shivering violently and uncontrollably – possible case of hypothermia, which I suspected might be an issue for some on the day. I felt surprisingly good – no cramping, not particularly cold, and clear-headed. My hips, quads, and calves were sore, but I was otherwise fine – a relatively comfortable post-marathon experience for me, which is pretty unusual.

The finish area was a muddy mess, and my wife wasn’t able to find parking and was driving around the city. I opted to skip the post race food and met her down the road a bit and we headed back to the hotel for some lunch and a swim (my immediate post-marathon recovery involved spending an hour holding a 3-year-old in a pool, not relaxing at all, but fun nonetheless!).

Vermont City Marathon – My Pace Chart from SportTracks

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was content and really happy with the way things went in the race – I met my goals, re-connected with the marathon, and proved to myself that a couple of lousy long runs to end a cycle don’t necessarily mean that you’ve lost your ability to run long. I learned once again that disciplined pacing and sticking to a plan is key for me to have a good marathon, and I executed my fueling/hydration plan to perfection.

Everything fell into place on Sunday, and I’m ready to head into summer with a solid race under my belt. My big decision now is what to do about Fall – go for a marathon PR, or switch things up and try my hand at another trail 50K…I’ve got some thinking to do!

Below is my race summary from Garmin Connect:

Fortunately, the current forecast for Burlington this Sunday is a high of 51 degrees with a 50% chance of rain. As long as the rain isn’t too heavy, this is pretty much ideal marathon weather for me. That combined with the fact that I had some pretty solid 18-20 mile runs earlier in this training cycle gives me hope that the race won’t be a total mess. I plan to approach it like I did Disney 2010 – don’t stress about pace, go easy and have fun in the first half, and pick it up in the second half if the legs feel ok. Disney 2010 was probably my most enjoyable marathon because I didn’t stress, I went in without any real plan (didn’t even look at the course map ahead of time), and I had a blast. It’s the only marathon I’ve ever run where I got progressively faster as the race went on. I know a PR is out of the question this weekend, so no point in running myself into the ground. I’ll be happy if I can finish the race without hitting the wall, always a challenge for me!

Saucony Fastwitch 6 – Current Frontrunner for Marathon Day

I’ve run 10 easy miles so far this week, with probably another 10 or so spread over the next three days. I’m as ready as I’m going to be at this point. My biggest dilemma right now is footwear. I still haven’t firmly settled on a shoe. The frontrunner is the Saucony Fastwitch 6, if for no other reason than my two best long runs this cycle have come in them. Darkhorses are the Saucony Kinvara 4 (did my final 20 miler in them and my feet were fine, the rest of my body not so much…), and a prototype Skechers GoBionic 2 I’ve been running in the past few weeks. The Skechers GoRun 2s were near the top of my list of possibilities for awhile, but I think they’re just a tad too soft for me for the distance. I’ll probably just bring all three pairs and choose at the last minute.

After Sunday I look forward to running for fun for a bit, and I’m seriously considering running the VT 50K in the Fall. I need a change from road marathons, and my run in VT last week reminded how much I love being in the woods. We’ll see!

Image via Nasa.gov

I’m at the two week countdown to marathon day and my confidence heading into the race is at the lowest point that it has been this training cycle. My major goal for last week was to get in a final, solid 20+ mile training run. Well, I ran 20 miles last Tuesday, and it was far from solid. In fact, it bordered on disastrous.

I’ve never had a good experience in a Spring marathon. Boston 2011 left me in the med tent at the end, and both previous times I’ve run the Vermont City Marathon resulted in me hitting the wall hard around the big hill at mile 15. I think the reason is twofold. First, my training is typically lousy through the winter (due to work and weather) and I enter the marathon buildup with an inadequate base. Second, I start the training cycle in cool weather and finish it in the relative heat of late Spring. I’ve come to realize that I am really sensitive to the change in temperature, and I need quite a long acclimation period before I can handle running long in warmer weather.

The plan last Tuesday was to get out as earlier as possible since the forecast was calling for the warmest day of the year so far. Unfortunately the morning wound up being busier than expected and I didn’t leave the house until around 11:00 AM with temperatures nearing 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Being the stubborn runner that I am, I opted to go for it anyway and set out for the 21 mile run that Caleb had put on the schedule.

My legs have felt dead for a few weeks now, but I felt ok at the start of the run. Not great, just ok. Given that it was going to be warm, I opted to wear a hydration pack and bring along a few gels. I planned to stop back home at about the midpoint for some sports drink, and the first 12 miles were fairly uneventful aside from the fact that I was tired, hot, and getting really hungry. I stopped at the house around mile 12 and had half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some Powerade. Shortly after heading out again things started to go badly. Here’s how I described the run on dailymile:

“This one was a complete mess. I made the epically stupid decision to run at mid-day on one of the hottest days of the year so far here in NH. By mile 14 I was reduced to a walk-jog mess, but was determined to get in the full 20 (finished the run at an average 9:37 per mile pace). In retrospect I probably shouldn’t have pushed it because I think I ran myself into heat exhaustion. Started cramping in places I’ve never cramped before after I stopped (neck, abs…) so think it was salt/hydration related and not just neuromuscular fatigue. Cooled off in the kiddie pool with some cold water, cramping the entire time, and it was intensely painful. Had some salty bouillon on the couch and fell asleep for about an hour, felt better when I woke up. Need to work on strategies for running long in heat, don’t ever want to feel like this again. On a positive note, the Saucony Kinvara 4 worked well, my feet are about the only part of me that doesn’t hurt :)”

So yes, miles 14-20 were a total mess. I’m pretty sure the heat was the major factor. I was caked in salt by the end of the run, and the cramping was quite unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Bad day all around, and not how you want to head into your taper. I’ve taken it super easy over the past week so I don’t totally wreck myself, we’ll see what happens…

So now I’m left to figure out how to approach the race in two weeks. My original plan was to just go easy since I knew I’d be doing a rapid and inadequate buildup, but a really solid 18 miler several weeks back got me to thinking about pushing it a little harder. That may have been my big mistake as things started to fall apart shortly thereafter. Not sure if I pushed the training too hard too soon, or if the heat is the really big factor. Probably a bit of both.

I’ve come back around to just heading into the race with a plan to have as much fun as possible. That’s how I approached Disney back in 2010 and it was probably the most enjoyable race that I’ve run. I’m not shooting for a PR (that was never part of the plan) so there’s no point in running myself into the ground and dealing with an extra long recovery. If the forecast is hot on race day I’ll need to go really easy since it’s clear to me that I’m still not ready to run long in the warmer weather. I’ve solicited some advice on Facebook about using S-Caps or Salt Stick and I think I may give that a try.

I’m reminded once again that marathon training is hard, and I’m trying to figure out what to do in the Fall in terms of races. I don’t think I’ll be doing a road marathon. I had a blast training hard for the half-marathon last summer (I like shorter and faster better than longer and slower on the roads), but I’m also suffering a bit of peer-pressure about running the Vermont 50K in September. Decisions, decisions…

On an unrelated note, my blogging has been minimal the past few weeks since I’ve had to prioritize packing up my office and lab, and tying up loose ends at the day job. My contract is up at the end of this week, so expect a return to normal posting soon. Tons of reviews to get through!

Needless to say, I prioritized tying up my multitude of loose ends at the day job over running during the week (and blogging for that matter), and managed only about 10 miles total. In a way this was maybe a good thing given how fried my legs were last weekend.

I also knew that this weekend was going to be shot as well. Today my wife is at all day yoga-teacher training so I’m hanging with the kids (i.e., no long run possible). Yesterday I took my oldest son to compete in his first Taekwondo tournament. It was an all-day event, and I got to watch him take home a gold medal in board-breaking for his age group, and a bronze in sparring. I couldn’t have been more proud!

Jump Turning Back-Kick For The Gold!

The highlight of the day for me came after he lost his first sparring match in sudden-death overtime. He was broken up and in tears, and told me he just wanted to go home (he’s an incredibly competitive kid, and the loss stung). We had a talk about how doing your best is all that really matters, and I told him how proud I was that he was brave enough to take on the challenge that sparring presents. It takes guts for a kid his age to want to spar, and as a Taekwondo practitioner myself the thought of participating in an event like this scares me (as a runner, I also fear hurting my feet…). In fact, I may have been more nervous than he was – watching your kid fight is pretty tough, but he was really excited to do it. He pulled himself together and came back to win his second match 9-5. He looked at me after they pronounced him winner with eyes beaming. It was an incredible feeling.

Ready to Fight

Sizing Up His Opponent

Pep Talk Between Rounds

My son learned a life-lesson that will stick with him for a long time, and it’s one that we runners know all to well – defeat will happen on occasion, but you need to put it behind you and come back even stronger next time. Anders came back from his loss to win a medal, whereas if he had given up and gone home he would not have placed.

This lesson is one that I will carry with me into the coming week as I look to put a lousy training week behind me and come back to tackle my final 20+ mile run on Tuesday. Anders will also be on my mind come mile 20 of the marathon in a few weeks– I think I have found my source of strength for when the going gets tough. Last week is now behind me, it’s time to push forward!

Showing Off the Hardware!

For those who have been keeping an eye on my training plans, here’s what Caleb has prescribed for the coming week taking into account my lousy training week last week:

Monday: OFF or short run (Final Exam day)

Tuesday: 21 total miles. Run 10 miles at normal easy long run pace. Stop and put on your marathon race shoes, then run 3 x 3-mile @ MP (again, either moderate effort or shoot for PR MP) with 1 mile easy in between MP segments. So, you will finish the workout with the last 3 miles at MP. This is to simulate the late-race feeling as much as possible. Fuel on planned marathon intervals throughout this long workout.  I also like to wear my race day singlet and shorts for this run, to make it as much of a dress rehearsal as possible.

Wednesday: Short clearance run.  4 miles with 5 x 30 seconds strides.

Thursday: Non-run day.

Friday: Easy run with strides. 7-8 miles with 10 x 20 seconds hard (40 seconds in between the hard segments).

Saturday: Non-run day.

Sunday: 13-14 miles, very easy.

Coach Caleb had me scheduled to run 18 miles today. I’m nearing the end of this marathon training cycle, and my taper begins next week, so today’s 18 miler and one more 21 miler next weekend were the final two really long workouts. I left the house this afternoon with a bit of apprehension since I was feeling tired, and after just a few miles I knew the run was going to be a struggle. My legs did not want to move.

I pushed on, hoping to just go easy and finish off the workout, but at the top of a big hill at mile 8 it was clear that my legs were shot. I felt like I was at mile 24 of a marathon, and it took immense effort just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

My biggest struggle in a situation like this is mental. I get down on myself if I can’t finish a workout, and I start to worry about how I’m going to handle the race if I can’t complete 18 miles just four weeks out. It’s irrational since I’ve already had a really solid 18 miler, and a decent 20, but I have the thoughts nonetheless.

My recourse today was to focus on the purpose of the workout. The goal of a long run like this is to get me mentally prepared to run 26.2, and to get my legs physically prepared to handle the rigors of the distance. Running long forces them to continue working when tired, and that simulates the late stages of the race.

What I kept telling myself as I considered my options was that even if I cut the run short I would achieve the goal of running on tired legs. In fact, my legs were tired almost from the start, and 13 miles on tired legs might be just as good as 18 on fresh legs. I identified the three factors that were making me miserable:

1. I ran 20 miles last Sunday, then did a hard 10 miler with a fartlek in the middle on Wednesday. The 10 miler was a challenge after the 20, and I knew my legs were already fatigued earlier in the week.

2. I went to a Taekwondo class yesterday morning for the first time in a few weeks. Master Jung had us doing some intensive sparring practice, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never done any exercise quite as intense as TKD sparring. My legs were sore afterward, and the soreness lingered into today (my peroneals, hamstrings, and hip adductors in particular were all barking). I paid the price for not keeping up with my TKD workouts.

3. It was hot today. Mid-70’s F and sunny might not seem hot to some, but we had a particularly long winter in New England and I am not acclimated to running in anything remotely warm yet. I think this was only the second time this year that I’ve run in temps above 70. It takes me about 3 weeks to acclimate to warmer weather, and I’m just not there yet.

Considering the above was enough to help me overcome the mental challenge of deciding to cut the run short. I opted to shoot for 13 miles. That would give me enough time to shower and eat something before heading off to meet my 5K team (I ran another 2.5 with them). I managed 13.5 before giving in, and it was probably the single hardest run I have done this training cycle. As I sit here writing this, my legs are still completely shot. I got in 42 miles for the week, so not far off my planned total, but it does still hurt just a bit to have not gotten today’s run done. However, my thinking is that going the full 18 might have set me back for the entire week to come, so hopefully shortening things today will pay off over the next few workouts.

Caleb sent me my workouts for the week this morning:

For next week (April 29-May 5):

• Easy Miles: 5, single run

• Strength Routines: Taekwondo

• Workout 1 (Tuesday/Wednesday): 11 miles total.  2 miles easy, then transition into 8 miles @ target MP. Since you are running conservatively in VT, you could run a moderate effort for this 8-mile section, or go all the way to PR MP if you are feeling frisky. After the longer MP segment, run 1 mile SLOW to cool down.

• Workout 2 (Thursday/Friday): 9 miles, easy aerobic with 8 x 30 seconds strides after mile 7.

• Long (Saturday/Sunday): 21 total miles. Run 10 miles at normal easy long run pace. Stop and put on your marathon race shoes, then run 3 x 3-mile @ MP (again, either moderate effort or shoot for PR MP) with 1 mile easy in between MP segments. So, you will finish the workout with the last 3 miles at MP. This is to simulate the late-race feeling as much as possible. Fuel on planned marathon intervals throughout this long workout.  I also like to wear my race day singlet and shorts for this run, to make it as much of a dress rehearsal as possible.

My challenge right now is to figure out if how I felt today was indeed simply a result of the three factors listed above. I’m very wary of overtraining myself into misery given that I’ve had a pretty rapid mileage buildup this cycle, and I’d rather run the race on less mileage and fresh legs than more mileage and dead legs. I’m pretty confident that my aerobic fitness and speed are where they need to be, it’s my legs that I’m worried about. You can expect that I’ll be looking to Caleb for guidance!

Workout Summary:

Monday: Planned off day.

Tuesday: 3.03 miles at 8:19 pace. Easy run in the adidas Energy Boost. Too much heel for my taste, but better than previous runs in the shoe. Definitely built for a pronounced heel striker, so not a good match for me.

Wednesday: 9.03 miles at 7:46 pace. Solid 6 mile progressive run, followed by 3 easy. Didn’t feel great out there, but got it done. Saucony Fastwitch 6 on the feet. Splits:
1 08:41.7
2 08:09.9
3 07:41.1
4 07:22.7
5 07:02.7
6 06:45.5
7 08:05.9
8 08:06.3
9 08:03.6

Thursday: 2.6 walk-jog miles with my 5K Yes I Can! team.

Friday: Family in town, took the day off.

Saturday: Family in town, took the day off.

Sunday: 20.05 miles at 8:10 pace. Ran 20 miles in 2:43:39. Got it done, but it hurt a bit in the last 5 miles. Kept the pace steady throughout, finished strong with a 7:24 mile 20. Saucony Virrata on the feet – love the shoe, but calves were sore at the end so may opt for a 4mm heel lift for the marathon. Stopped mid-way for a gel and 16oz of Nuun. Sick of the wind!!! Splits:

1 08:29.2
2 08:08.7
3 08:13.9
4 08:15.2
5 08:22.9
6 08:15.8
7 08:16.0
8 08:14.5
9 08:17.6
10 08:17.8
11 08:12.3
12 08:21.1
13 08:02.8
14 07:59.3
15 07:59.3
16 08:07.1
17 08:11.2
18 08:12.7
19 08:04.5
20 07:23.9
21 :23.7

Low mileage week, but glad I got in a solid 20 miler.

Caleb’s plan next week (April  22-28):

• Easy Miles: 5, single run

• Strength Routines: Taekwondo

• Workout 1 (Tuesday/Wednesday): 10 miles total.  Warm up for 25 minutes, then run one fartlek cycle:
  • 6 minutes on (at moderate/hard effort)
  • 2 minutes recovery
  • 5 minutes on
  • 2 minutes recovery
  • 4 minutes on
  • 2 minutes recovery
  • 3 minutes on
  • 2 minutes recovery
  • 2 minutes on
  • 2 minutes recovery
  • 1 minute HARD

Cool down to reach mileage for the day.

• Workout 2 (Thursday/Friday): 10 miles total.  Warm and cool distances are up to you.  Meat of the workout is 6 x 2k.  Run paces between MP and HMP for the first 4, then push hard for #5, and then ease back to MP/HMP for the last rep.  2:00 jog recoveries in between repeats.
• Long (Saturday/Sunday): 18 miles with some quality. Run the first 10 easy, then for the remaining 8 miles run the first 60 seconds of each mile at a moderate to hard effort, and run the remainder easy. Be sure to fuel like a marathon for this one, so you don’t bonk late in the run!

In talking with other runners over the past 24 hours, the common thing that we all feel is that our family has been attacked. It’s a family that includes not only those of us who run, but also those who gather to watch us achieve our goals.

The road to Boylston Street is long and hard. Our friends and families support us along the way to that finish line, both in the months leading up to the race as we slog through long winter training runs, and on race day when they wait, sometimes for hours, for us to cross the finish line into their waiting arms. Finishing Boston is the culmination of a lifelong dream for many, and it is a moment to be shared with those we love.

The thing that I can’t get out of my head right now is that the Boston Marathon bombing took the life of an 8 year old boy. A boy who was watching his dad finish the race. Thinking about this is agonizingly painful.

I have a 9 year old son, a 7 year old daughter, and a 3 year old son. When I ran Boston in 2011, I suffered through much of the second half of the race. But, I knew my family would be waiting on the sidelines somewhere in the final mile. The thought of seeing them kept me going. I finally did see them after I emerged from an underpass, and it gave me the mental boost that I needed. I wound up in the medical tent after crossing the finish line (shortly after the photo above was taken), and all I wanted to do was to be able to get out so I could find them.

Whoever committed this crime took the life of a son watching his father accomplish something amazing. It injured his daughter and his wife. And I can’t help but feel as if under different circumstances that could have been my kids, or my wife standing there on the sidelines. I’m sure anyone who has run Boston feels the same way.

My heart goes out to the family of Martin Richard and all of the others who were injured (or worse) for doing nothing more than supporting their friends and families on an otherwise great day in the city of Boston. May those who lost their lives rest in peace.

Workout Summary:

Monday: Planned off day.

Tuesday: 4.04 miles at 8:35 pace. Slow and easy was the intent. Nike Free 3.0 v5 on the feet.

Wednesday: 10.05 miles at 7:34 pace. Nailed this one! Two miles warmup, 5 miles at marathon PR pace, one mile at half marathon pace, then threw in a mile at just above 5K pace to finish strong. One mile easy to cool down at the end. Saucony Fastwitch 6 on the feet, impressed by them once again!

Thursday: 4.1 miles at 8:28 pace. Easy run before the track workout for my 5K Yes I Can! group. Probably added another 1.5 walk run miles, but didn’t track them. Nike Free 3.0 v5 on the feet.

Friday: Unplanned off day. Weather was awful (sleet), and I was feeling very fatigued. Decided to skip my 9 miler and sub an easy 5 the next day instead.

Saturday: 5.1 miles at 7:49 pace. Was feeling much better and this was a solid run. Nike Free 3.0 v5 on the feet – really liking the update.

Sunday: 16.51 miles at 8:01 pace, then 2.25 miles walk-jog. Was supposed to do 18 for the long run with a strong finish, but my left soleus started to knot up around mile 9 (in the midst of a dark and windy hail squall, very ominous…), so I cut it short a bit. Plus, I knew I had at least 2 more miles coming with my 5K group. I think I ticked my calf off during an intensive foam rolling session earlier in the week. Still happy with the pace, but once again the weather was miserable – nothing like running in hail! Nike Free 3.0 v5 on the feet, great shoe but not sure it was the best choice for a run of this length over hills. Track run with the 5K group was fantastic, I’m loving co-coaching this group!

Plan for Next Week

I think I’m going to try and move my long run day to Friday this week. My work/5K coaching/running schedule combined with my wife’s Yoga teaching schedule has led to a bit of a revolving door marriage of late – I come home, she goes out, and vice versa. Weekends in particular have been tough, and we are trying to find ways to set aside more family time until things settle down in in June. My goal is to get all of the workouts below in, just need to find the right schedule.

Here’s what Caleb sent along last night:

Step-back week! 40 miles total.

For next week (April  8-14):

• Easy Miles: 7 (would actually recommend 2 shorties instead of a single run, but you can take an extra rest day, too, if you want)

• Strength Routines: Taekwondo

• Workout 1 (Tuesday/Wednesday): 9 miles total. Progressive to ~PR HMP for the first 6 miles, then 3 very easy to cool down.

• Workout 2 (Thursday/Friday): 9 miles total. 2 easy with 5 x 20 seconds strides, then 6 miles @ PR MP, then 1 mile SLOW to cool down

• Long (Saturday/Sunday): 20, very steady easy effort the entire way with fueling on planned marathon schedule

Of all things this week, the long run is the most important. We’re getting down to the point where we want to be absolutely sure the long miles happen so that you will be strong over the final miles in the race 6 weeks from now.

Boston 2011

What I remember most vividly from Boston is crossing the finish line and feeling a wave of dizziness pass over me. I remember clutching the fence just past the finish line and thinking to myself that something wasn’t right. I saw a guy with an empty wheelchair not far away, stumbled over, and plopped down into the seat. I told him I felt like was going to pass out, and he promptly wheeled me to the medical tent.

My memories of the med tend are more lucid. The folks working in the med tent concluded pretty quickly that I was mildly hyponatremic. Fortunately, it seemed I was in better shape than some of those lying on beds around me, and I slowly began to feel better. The docs made me drink a few cups of super salty bouillon, and after about a half hour it was clear that I was going to be fine, and I was allowed to check out. I was lucky, but it was an experience that I don’t want to repeat again anytime soon.

Normally I’m a guy who likes to turn to the research in a situation like this – just how much should I be drinking during an extended run or in a race? However, I’ve also learned that though research can provide helpful guidelines, it’s not always great at identifying exactly what is best for me as an individual. As such, I’ve been playing a bit lately with hydration on my long runs with the goal of trying to figure out just how much I need to drink. Turns out that it seems I need a lot less than I thought.

So far this training cycle I have yet to carry water with me on any of my long runs. I usually bring along a few dollars in case I feel the need to stop at a gas station for a drink, but so far I think I’ve only felt the need to do this once on my first 16 miler. On Sunday I left the house for 18 miles, and didn’t drink anything until I returned home – I felt strong throughout. In fact, I ran the second half of the run considerably faster than the first half. I passed a gas station twice, and neither time did I feel a need to stop.

Now, I should say that it was cool (high 40’s, low 50’s F) and overcast when I ran on Sunday. Had it been warm and sunny, I would have definitely carried a handheld water bottle, and I probably would have stopped at the gas station at least once for a refill. I’ve run long in 90 degree summer heat enough times to know that attempting to do so without any fluids would be stupid – if I plan to go for over an hour in summer I always bring a handheld bottle along and sometimes I’ll even wear a hydration pack. I also always take fluids in marathons since the distance and pace warrant it. But, under the right conditions I seem to do just fine with minimal water during my long runs.

I guess the point of this ramble is that we are so often inundated by the message that we need to hydrate extensively when we run, but this isn’t always a good thing. The dangers of overhydration have been emphasized recently in books like Tim Noakes’ “Waterlogged” (have not read it yet), and it’s a lesson I learned firsthand in Boston. My goal next month in Vermont is to run strong, but not overdo the hydration. I’d much rather spend the immediate aftermath of the race eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the sun than lying in a cot in a med tent.

Workout summary:

Monday: Planned off day

Tuesday: 6.69 miles at 6:48 pace. Ran intervals on the track with my local running club. 1 mile warm-up, two laps with strides on the straightaways, then 2×200 at 5k pace, followed by 6×800 at 5k pace. 200m jogs in between. Managed sub-6:00 mile pace comfortably on most of the 800s, very happy with that. No foot issues. Adidas Takumi Sen on the feet.

Wednesday: 3.63 miles at 8:36 pace. Easy run with Jack (the dog), big kids came along on their bikes. Kids spent most of the run bickering, Jack decided to poop on someone’s lawn a mile into the run, so had to carry it in a plastic bag for the remainder of the run (the things you do to be considerate…). Not a relaxing run. First run in the Nike Free 5.0 – not bad, except got blisters on the outside of my little toes. Not enough space on the lateral side due to the curved last.

Thursday: 5.32 miles at 8:09 pace. Easy does it, nothing much to say about this one. Brooks PureCadence 2 on the feet.

Friday: 9.4 miles at 7:20 pace. I blame this one on the new Saucony Kinvara 4. Caleb ordered 2 miles easy, 6 at marathon pace, and 1 cool-down. Wound up being 9+ at about 20-30 seconds faster than marathon pace. Felt too good out there to slow down!

Saturday: Planned off day, youngest son’s 3rd birthday party!

Sunday: 18.18 miles at 8:06 pace. Good music in the ears, new shoes on the feet (Saucony Fastwitch 6), and 18 fantastic miles in the books. This was the confidence boost I needed. Opted for a bit of a flatter (relatively speaking) route than my last several long runs, and felt the strength the hills have built up in my legs. I was feeling really good so I ran progressively faster in the second half (see splits below) and felt strong till the end.

Took the risk of making my first run in a shoe a long run, but was surprised by how good the Fastwitch 6 felt – wasn’t expecting it since the last FT I wore was not a personal favorite. Wore a heart rate monitor for kicks and was hovering around 140bpm for most of the first 10 miles, average HR for the run was 149bpm. Drank no fluids during the run, with no ill effect, and took one gel at mile 12. I have a tendency to overhydrate (landed me in the med tent after Boston 2011), so experimenting with my hydration a bit lately.

Splits:

Later in the day I added another 1.25 miles at easy walk-jog pace with the 5K team I’m co-coaching. Loving it!

Week Total = ~44 miles

Workout schedule for the coming week – bring it on!:

• Easy Miles: 8 (2 runs)

• Strength Routines: Taekwondo

• Workout 1 (Tuesday/Wednesday): 10 miles total. 2 easy, 5 @ MP, 2 @ HMP, 1 cool-down (SLOW)

• Workout 2 (Thursday/Friday): 9 miles total.  1.5 easy to warm-up including 5 x 20 seconds strides, skips, drills, and a change of shoes into flats (if you want).  Then run 5 x mile averaging HMP.  First mile should be just faster than MP, last mile should be around 10k pace, with a progression in pace throughout the workout.  Standing/walking rest of 2:00 between repeats.  1.5 mile EASY cool-down following the mile repeats.

• Long (Saturday/Sunday): 18 with a fast finish.  15 easy, 3 assertive by feel.  Fuel throughout this run on the planned marathon fueling schedule (based on minutes, not miles).

I generally subscribe to the philosophy that easy long runs should be run at a pace about 1:00/mile slower than target marathon pace. My marathon PR (3:15:21) was set two years ago at roughly a 7:30/mile pace, so if I was in equivalent condition now that would suggest an 8:30/mile pace or higher for my long runs. I ran 16 miles last Sunday at an 8:10/mile pace, so a bit faster than that.

Long runs provide aerobic benefit, but the main goal for me is to get my legs used to working for a long period of time (i.e., time on feet). Running too fast on long runs tends to wipe me out for several days, and thus impacts subsequent training runs. The problem for me right now is that I don’t think I’m in good enough shape to run a PR this Spring. I set a half-marathon PR in the Fall (1:27:36), but my training suffered over the winter, I put on a few pounds, and it has only been within the past month or so that my mileage has gotten back to marathon training level. Knowing that my best time on the Vermont City Marathon course was a bit over 3:30, I set a conservative goal of shooting for a sub-3:30 this Spring, with hope that it will set me off on the right foot heading into summer training and a goal for a fast race in the Fall.

Given these goals, my approach to long runs has been to just run by feel. I rarely look at my GPS for pacing, I just go and let my body tell me how fast it wants to run. I find that I tend to settle in between 8:00-8:10/mile for my comfortable, easy pace. Trying to force myself to run slower actually makes feel as if I’m working harder, so what I instead do is walk up the really steep hills if I feel my heart start pounding (most all long runs where I live include some considerable hills). If I want to force a run to be really easy, I usually take my son in the BOB stroller, but I’m not brave enough to do that for double-digit mileage.

Right now I think I have the speed to run a marathon PR. However, the issue I face is mainly one of not enough mileage. I don’t know what pace I can sustain for the full 26.2, and I have no idea how well my legs will handle running that distance. Who knows, maybe I’ll surprise myself and run a stronger race than I expect (as happened at Disney 2010). But, given that I haven’t run a marathon in two years and my mileage has been low, I’m going with a more conservative approach this time around. Also, given that I’ve smacked hard into the wall in about 3/4 of the marathons I’ve run, I know the results of making mistakes with pacing.

I’m trying to be smart and cautious, and we’ll see how it works out in about 7 weeks!

(Update: Just after posting this, I read a great article by Amby Burfoot on the topic of marathon pacing and listening to your body – check it out here)

My mantra for this week has been “do no harm.” I messed up my middle right toe last week during a speed workout, and it has been a cause of concern ever since. I’m not sure exactly what the problem is, but early on this week it felt like there was a lump under the base of the toe, and it hurt when I squeezed the proximal phalange or put weight on it. My biggest fear was that I somehow broke it.

My plan for this week included two quality workouts during the week, some easy miles, and a 16 mile long run. The speed workouts were mostly at marathon pace, but Coach Caleb had included some strides in one of them, and the second was supposed to be a bit harder than marathon pace effort. My fear was that pushing the pace too much (e.g., doing strides) might force me to push off hard and aggravate the toe. As such, I modified the plan to eliminate any running much faster than marathon pace (which hopefully will be somewhere between 7:45 and 8:00 min/mile), and I opted to do the easy miles very, very easy. The plan seems to have worked as my toe didn’t bother me much on my long run today, and it feels pretty good right now as I write this.

Here’s what the week looked like:

Monday: Planned off day for long run recovery.

Tuesday: 5.16 miles at 7:46 min/mile pace. First run with my local running club in several years. Toe felt sore during the run. Felt great to have some company, miles pass by so much faster! Saucony Virrata on the feet.

Wednesday: Toe felt sore in the morning so I took the day off.

Thursday: 10.61 miles total at 7:55 min/mile pace. I’m co-coaching a couch to 5K program starting next week and had an appointment scheduled to check out our meeting location. It was only 5.5 miles away and not formal at all so I decided to run to it instead of drive. Ran a few more miles to scope out some easy routes to start the program, and felt good enough that I opted to run home as well. The toe started acting up after a few uphill miles and luckily my wife passed me in the car (she was driving my sleeping 2yo around, the life of a parent!) and I opted to hitch a ride the rest of the way home. Asics Gel Lyte33 on the feet.

Friday: Toe sore in the morning, took the day off.

Saturday: 6.02 miles at 9:16 min/mile pace. Did Taekwondo in the morning for an hour, no toe issues. Wanted to get some miles in since it felt ok, but wanted to go super easy since I had 16 miles planned for Sunday. Took all three kids along with me to ensure a nice, easy pace (little guy in the BOB stroller, big kids on their bikes). Toe felt fine throughout, which was encouraging. Asics Gel Lyte33 on the feet.

Sunday: 16.06 miles at 8:10 min/mile pace. Another hilly long run, but not as bad as last week. Felt good until mile 13-14 when I started to feel a bit dehydrated (didn’t carry any water). Stopped at a gas station for a drink then finished up the final 2 miles. Tough run, but no major complaints from the toe, so happy about that. Asics Gel Lyte33 on the feet, hopefully will get a review up this week.

Elevation profile for the long run:

37+ miles on the week. Encouraged by how the toe feels, glad I scaled back the speed. On to next week!

Here’s what’s on tap, fearing the 18 miler just a bit…

Easy Miles: 6 (1 run)

Strength Routines: Taekwondo

Workout 1 (Tuesday/Wednesday): 9 miles total.  Warm/cool up to you.  Middle portion is 3 x 3k with paces descending from MP (first 3k) to 10-mile pace (last 3k).  Jog recovery for 3 minutes in between 3k’s.  If you are doing this by Garmin, 3k = 1.86 miles.  I would recommend trainers for warm-up and cool-down, flats (Virrata?) for the pacing work.

Workout 2 (Thursday/Friday): 9 miles total.  2 easy, 6 @ MP, 1 easy.  Complete 30 seconds each of side shuffles and backward skips after this run to open your hips back up.

Long (Saturday/Sunday): 18, steady easy effort throughout.