I guess I will stop apologizing for only blogging once or
twice a month, now. It seems to be all I
have any time for. However, I decided I
needed to make the time, this week, since so many have asked.
The routine of marathon training is never anything to be
taken lightly. Its very demanding on one’s
time and energy. With 4 weeks remaining
until the marathon in Tucson, I feel like I am spending every free moment on
the streets or trails. It also requires
a little more sleep than usual – which means mid-day, weekend naps are a
must. A lot of marathoners and
triathletes don’t understand the benefits of sleep – but the restorative value
keeps athletes from injury and ensures quicker muscle repair.
All this being said, in another week I will have officially (financially) committed to my first full Ironman – IMAZ! It will be Nov 16th, 2014. So, I ask all of you who actually read this blog and care about my first love (triathlon), please mark your calendars. I will need all the support I can get!
Working up to a full Ironman takes a hell of a lot more than marathon training – this I can tell you. So, one year prior to the full Ironman, I have hired a triathlon coach to assist in making sure I am safe and have all the tools necessary to be successful. My coach is Diane Alkins – 57 years old and an accomplished Ironman, having completed 22, herself. You would remember Diane – she’s my Masters Swim coach and has already had a huge impact on my swimming. Diane and I began meeting weekly 2 weeks ago – and will continue through this time next year.
In the two weeks I have worked with Diane she has modified my training calendar, completely altered my nutrition and encouraged me to really dial into my metabolic threshold. The coolest thing, so far, has been my nutrition. She looked at my running data week one – and simply walked me through mile after mile of my last 20 mile run.
So, last weekend, I had a 14 mile run on my training calendar (9.25 on the Desert Classic Trail ) and the remaining 4.75 on the streets. Strapped to my back was a Camelbak filled with 1.5 liters of water; in my hand, 21 ounces of a strong electrolyte mix (high sodium/carb), and 4 gels. Her suggestion was to take a sip of the electrolyte mix nearly every mile, to take water as needed (but routinely) and to try to take a bit of gel all along the route, as well.
Boy did I feel weighted down. But, I hit the hard landscape of the Desert Classic trail with strength and excitement. Because I had a bottle in my right hand, manipulating a gel pack every mile was nearly impossible and I had gel all over my hands within mins, incapable of folding it up neatly to put it in a little pocked in my handheld. So, by mile 5 I downed the whole gel pack and called it a day. I sipped the electrolyte mixture every moment that I remembered it was in my hand. I swear it tastes like soap for the first few sips, but within the first few miles, it’s fine. Not sure what I should expect from that much sodium in a mixture, anyway.
Well, the combination worked – at no point did I feel like I didn’t have the energy to complete the trail or the run. My feet weren’t incredibly happy on the roads with my trail shoes, but I managed, nonetheless. I was never so happy to be done, though.
The next day, Sunday, I had the pleasure of watching Anne finish the Phoenix ½ Marathon in 2:22 – a Personal Record for her! As I saw her flying to the finish line, I was jumping up and down, screaming with excitement. I knew when I saw her she had beaten all of her previous records. She’s become such a strong runner. I am so proud of her it brings tears to my eyes, most days.
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| An accomplished 1/2 marathoner! |
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| Loretta and Dan ran, too! |
Much like Anne, I was once a weight I wasn’t proud of, and running helped me figure out how to control my weight and feel incredibly healthy (and happy). Its clear that its done (and is doing) the same for Anne. Now we are just about the same size and weight and we both have a love for running. Its an incredible thing to share – and only those who participate in the experience can truly understand.
By not blogging for the last few weeks what most of you don’t know is that my workout buddy, Matt, was injured in a pretty bad car accident en route to work a few weeks ago. I will admit that not blogging was a bit of an homage to Matt, as I was pretty down about it – thinking about all that he had lost; all those months of training for the marathon.
But, I am happy to report that the two of us went out a couple of mornings this week on the bike and were able to put a couple of solid rides together. Please people – don’t text and drive. Had the woman who plowed into Matt on the highway been focused on the road instead of her phone, there’d be no doubt in his ability to push out a strong marathon finish in a few weeks with Anne, Hannah and me. Now, only time will tell. (He has a 13 miler to do in the morning – his first long run since the accident – stay tuned!)
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| Monday morning |
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| Wednesday |
I also pulled out a couple of strong 6 mile runs, this week. My times for my 10K are nearly back to where I want them – just over a 9 min mile.
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| Tuesday |
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| Thursday |
And, while I don’t have any pictures from it – the student veterans group at MCC put on a 2.5 mile fun run on Friday morning on campus, so I participated with faculty, staff and students. It was an absolute blast!
Saturday morning, I awakened at 5am for my 20 mile run with my new nutrition schedule. Now that Matt is off schedule in terms of running, I decided (for old time’s sake) to run to Anne’s.
I really felt good for the first half of the run, taking electrolyte every mile and beginning my gels at mile 6. I remember that I used to start to bonk around mile 8 and then need to mentally pull myself back up, but at mile 8 I felt stronger than ever. I hit another gel at mile 11 – glancing at my watch to see I was keeping my heart-rate around a 160 and my times just under 10 minute miles.
At mile 13, I ran passed Anne’s neighborhood only to hear Anne honking her horn at me and telling me she was going to pull over to see if I needed anything. I stopped my watch for about 30 seconds as I sipped some ZippFizz and wiped my face. Anne told me how strong I looked and wished me well on my remaining 7 miles. I really still felt fantastic and pushed off to finish.
I took my last two gels at 15 and 18 and it was the right recipe. I still had electrolyte, as I convinced myself to take a sip at every mile – which would leave me with a smidge in the bottle at the finish. The combination worked. I pulled a 9:24 in my last mile for a total time of 3:19. No issues, no breakdowns, no bonks. I was just fine the whole time. Diane’s working!
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| At Bfast, post-run. |
Saturday night I officiated my good friend, Teresia’s, wedding. She looked so beautiful.
This morning, I swam 1600 meters and then met Anne at mile 12 of her 14 miler. She looked great, too. Then, as usual, we all went to breakfast together and talked about our runs, our plans and our excitement for the upcoming marathon.
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| Post Anne's Run! |
Tomorrow Matt runs long for the first time since the South Mountain ½ -- keep him in your thoughts! K? Thanks!
