Fox Valley marathon #9

 The Fox Valley Marathon is over. It was September 22nd. Fairly flat course, pretty views, nice course. I can't complain. My finish time was 3:51 - that's 8 minutes off my last PR, again, I should not complain. I felt good for about 18 miles, I found a girl to run with, she had run a 100 mile race before... But I ended up loosing her, she had qualified for Boston the week before at a different marathon...She didn't want to miss signing up and knew the race would fill up, so she flew out to a race and made it in... She was just running the Fox valley because she had already signed up - it was originally going to be her Boston qualifier.  I broke up the race in 4 parts. 2 - 7 mile runs and 2-6 mile runs. The girl that I ran with for a while told me not to think of the miles you have already ran - to only think positive thoughts, and at mile 20 forget about the 20 miles you ran, and start fresh with the 6. So I tried to pretend that I had just started and for some reason my legs were just really tired. I struggled though. I got sore, tired... exhosted... my heart felt weird around mile 21, my breathing got labored even though my pace had decreased. I did struggle though though... The last 6 miles are what killed me though. I stopped to walk.. too much. I slowed down. too much... my time could have been 10 minutes better if I had kept it together those last 6 miles... but I do feel that I improved. I stayed positive - more then usual, I walked much less, I felt better for longer, I fueled myself pretty well. Im just waiting for the mental break through. I was able to focus more with out music, I have still not ran with music since.... it's just better that way now - I don't like the noise, I like to run and hear my breathing, and my foot steps, and just hear myself think. I would have been happy with my time - only I know I could have done better because my sister, who I train with for pretty much every important run, ran a 3:36... So because of that I feel pretty depressed about the race. How could I be so mentally weak?

 I know I am capable of much more, I should be able to train harder, run harder, race harder. Be more focused... Eat better.. I spend so much time and effort to do this, I need to be better at it. And I have no reason why I should not be, that is why it is so frustrating. If frustrates me that running a marathon is 90% mental, and that is what I lack. I wish I could just train and get through it with just training, I wish the doubt did not come in, the tiredness, the little voice inside my head that says "your really tired, you should not be breathing so hard, these runners are just better than you, you could never run that fast for that far, you need to stop and get your heart rate down, it's ok, this race does not matter, your tired, you should walk a while...." and it goes on and on and on... It's ok though. I will keep trying. I will be better, I will be stronger, I will be faster.

Another Day...Another Marathon..

It's 2 days from the Fox Valley Marathon. Debi and I are going to pick up our packets tonight. I'm not looking forward to driving through rush hour, but it will be nice to have everything early. As I may or may not have mentioned before - I'm sponsored for this race! One of my company's accounts comes in to get banners that I make him every month, his establishment, Thirsty Fox Pub, is 3 blocks from the start and finish.... He had mentioned to me before that he would sponsor me in a race - So once I saw that the Fox valley Marathon was so close to him, I decided to ask... He said yes, and is going to have a post race party - so that is where I will be going after the race for some french fries, a chicken sandwich or/and pizza. The race starts at 7am and pretty much follows the river for 13 miles, crosses the river, and then follows it back on the other side back to the start/finish. It's a very flat course compared to probably all of my other races. Perhaps comparable to the Trail Breaker race.

I think I am looking forward to the race. I have had pretty good runs all week - I ran monday - Thursday, 30 miles total. Taking today and tomorrow off.... Will be nice to sleep in on another Saturday, but will be weird to have Judah off running and me not... I think I will drink lots of coffee, watch a cartoon and make pancakes. Now that sounds like a good Saturday morning.

My plan is to run with the 3:50 pace group for the first half, and try to make my way up to a faster pace half way through.

Things I'm going to do differently:
New Newton shoes - 40 miles on them or so

Not run with my camel back - I"m going to run with a small strap with a pouch for my Blocks.... just drink the water and gatorade on the course

Not have music. I think it will help me focus.

Not drink any wine the night Before the race

Things I'm doing the same
Trying to eat lots of carbs
Get extra Sleep
Get to the race early

That's it I guess... Marathon & < #9 here I come.

I've never liked running in heat

 This week was hot. Way hotter than it has been. We have had a very mild summer so far. Great running weather, but this week, August caught up to us. It was in the 70's even at 4:40am. Pretty lame when we were used to 60's even upper 50's. In fact I even got hives after a run one morning in August. I only get hives when it's cold out, I go running, and then I take a warm shower. Cold induced hives. Strange I know. Any way...

I was really discouraged from my race pretty much all week feeling bad about it and being hard on myself. Calling myself names like week and pathetic, a horrible runner... Sometimes I take it upon myself to be my own drill Sargent. hoping that if I insult myself enough i'll somehow shape up and be awesome, but it never works. It usually just makes me depressed and angry.Maybe I should try being nicer to myself...But then maybe myself should stop being a pathetic quitter at mile 10 of a half marathon... I suppose that race is in the bast now - just like the rest of them. I need to forgive myself and move on. Someday I WILL be good at racing. with 3 half marathons, 5 marathons, and 3 50k's I really think I should already be somewhat good at racing. But the fact is, i'm not, and that's just how it is. So onward I go into training. Like I was saying it was hot all week, this week our group split up, half of them went to run in Minooka on the I&M trail, and the rest of us went to starved rock. I was happy we choose Starved rock, we were all on the fence for a while... but it ended up being a hard hot run - we all ran out of water and struggled because of how hot and humid it was. We made it though, and it ended up being around 21 miles when we only needed 18... I figured it made up for all the walking we did. Mike ended up getting a really sore knee, and the rest of us used that as an excuse to walk more with him and not leave him behind... Turns out the other group had a really hard run as well, as did several others we heard from. It just was not a good running weekend I think...
This week i'm hoping to run better now that it is cooler. I ran 3 miles in chicago yesterday, it was really fun... I use to live in chicago and really enjoyed getting on the lake trail again. This morning Deb, Judah, myself and mike and Angela ran our 7.5 mile "kit rout" I named it that because we start from Mike and Angela's house, go straight down and then kind of doing a triangle, then come back the same way... Its a fun rout, and was a good run. I have a track work out or a hill work out this week, I forgot what... Almost looking forward to it.

Training good - Racing BAD

Running through Big Rock forest preserve

On Rock creek road out for 17

 Training is going good. I have been feeling continuously better on my long runs. Was able to do some 7:45 miles in the middle of a 18 mile run and finish the last 10k around 8:00 miles or less. Not completely sure because my watch died - but I was running with Matt - and keeping up... and he's fast. My speed workouts/hill work outs have been good. I feel stronger and faster... Have not felt too burned out too often. I feel like it's coming together well.

Our group after the race

HOWEVER - just because training is going good does not mean that I have learned to race. I'm still quite horrible at it. I ran the peapod half marathon in batavia yesterday and am not happy with my performance. I know I could have done better because my sister did better & I was at least as trained as her. Infact I have had better training runs for a while now - so I should have been capable of her time or BETTER. However, I finished in 1:47 and she finished in 1:44. I was doing OK till about mile 8. it was not easy, but I was hanging in at my goal pace (7:55) then I just started slipping, and before I knew it I was walking up a hill and walking for a while after a water stop. One of my runner friends passed me, I should have been able to kick it up and keep up. I could have.
 But I didn't and couldn't. It's so frustrating. It's like i'm just mentally weak when it comes to races. I'm thinking if I do not have any races that are concidered good to me, meaning meeting my goals etc. that I will quit racing next year and just train with everyone. I love running and being with the group... getting better. But it's just so heart breaking when all my hard work does not show at all on race day. Why spend all that money if I'm just going to under preform and end up being upset? I'm considering a running psychologist, and a running coach.. But I really can't afford all that.

Debi and I after the half

Next up is some cool training runs I hope. Next week is starved rock - not sure what the following week will be, then we have an easy week and then the Fox valley marathon. I'm not all that exited about that right now. i'm exited about Starved rock training run... I kept thinking, that if I just keep racing someday I will just be good at it, I will figure it out, get past what ever my deal is with it... but it has not happened yet... I suppose I still came in 10th out of 65 in my division.... and placed pretty well over all... but I know I could have done better. Debi did better.

Wow it's August - Time to train again



Well It's August already, and much has happened. I went to a Cardio Specialist and he said I may have Atrial fibrillation or some other things that are similar. One is common in athletes. Once I get into this next training session I am going to wear a heart rate monitor for a whole month to see if anything is going on. Some of the symptoms are really similar to mine - shortness of breath, exhausting, just being tired all the time, heart beating irregularly... This may explain my "runners burn out". Hoping after my nice month off (somewhat off) I'll be good to go for a while. SO far so good. Worse case scenario the bottom lobe of my heart will just beat really hard and the whole thing will stop and I will die... but the Dr. is not favoring that digenesis thankfully.

The Team at the start

Running in from a leg

 The Ragnar Relay race was fun. We started out in Madison - My leg was the first one - about 4.5 miles. It was pretty along the race, and I ended up with only one person in front of me with an average of 7:40 or so. Then everyone else ran their legs - pretty much all of us did the first legs fast - some of us (not me) did ALL the legs really fast... I just had 4 good ones... We kept at it all day and all night. my next leg was around 5pm - Then around 11. The night runs were interesting - we ran with head lights on a trail (paved) it was tunnel vision, and chasing the red lights on people's backs was fun... My next leg was  3am, then 6am... 

At the Finish!

Road Kills Marked on the van

One of the team members got hurt, something popped in his hip, Myself and the injured runners wife ran part of the last of his leg, it about killed him to let us, but it was the right choice... We finished up all running together in Chicago around 4pm - I was so tired, When I got home though, my mom had a birthday party at my house for my little nephew.... that was exhausting. but I made it, and my bed never felt so good that night. I ended up with 34 miles, and a pretty cool medal. It was fun to have the experience with everyone else - it's funny... When I was a Kid I never would have though Old Boring Audlts (as they all were) would ever want to do something like the Ragnar race.... Just goes to show me that getting old is not as bad as I though, and not what I expected it to be.

After that was my wedding - now not only am I old - but i'm MARRIED and old! Oh boy. Its good though. I'm happy to have it all over with. It went awesome. I did not find a cake topper with runners on it though - that was a little disappointing.

We stayed pretty active on our honey moon too We went to Costa Rica - Walking along the Beach, I got out for 2 runs, we went for a 5 hour hike, I think we may have almost killed our tour guide. I asked him "So your going to go to the Gym after this right?" and he said "NO, i'm going home, taking a shower and going to bed" hahah It was funny. We also went white river rafting, Kyaking in the Ocean (we got in trouble for going out too far.... Kinda regretted it trying to get back, the tide was trying to take us....) It was good though, I enjoyed the time off.

When we got back I go right into running again thoroughly persuaded I had gained 10 pounds. Turns out I did not, not even close, actually stayed exactually the same, pretty sure that had to do with being food poisoned for a day, my stomach did not digest anything right for a week after that.

So far I am signed up for the Pea Pod Half marathon,  the Fox Valley Marathon (sponsored by Thirsty Fox Pub!) We are going to design a post race menu too - i'm exited. and the Madison Marathon. Official training started this week. Saturdays long run is going to be 14.... SO far so good, I'm tired today, but had a good bike ride on lunch break yesterday (10 miles at around 17.5mph) then weights and abs and a 4m hill work out after work, then a 7.5 easy run this morning. So I suppose I can be tired....

 







Ragnar Relay Race

The Ragnar Relay race is tomorrow. My team of 6 starts at 12:30pm in Madison WI - we have a projected finish time of 4:30pm on Saturday in Chicago. I have not been feeling awesome. I'm actually going to the cardiologist today to see what my deal is - if it has anything to do with my heart, if not on to the asthma doctor (I know they have another name, but I don't know what it is) I did have a few good runs recently though - ran 11 miles saturday at a really good pace - under 8:30 - best mile 7:50... So I have hope. I would like to keep my pace right at 8:20 for every mile of ever leg I have... I have 34 miles... I am runner number one... SO I get to start. Kind of exited about that... I will write about how it goes! Looking forward to a new challenge (running on no sleep... and what ever else comes our way...)

Marathon #1 & shoes #2 of the year

I had more to write about last year with all my troubles and trials. Not that it has been a breeze or anything - I think i'm just use to all the garbage that comes along with distance running. It has gotten better though - let me compair:
Last year = TONS of rubs & blisters. My dog came into the bathroom last year as I stepped into the shower very concerned with all the howling that that I may be dying. Luckily for me she hates bathes enough to ensure she would not jump to my rescue... Yeah, that hurt, those little raw spots, as the water splashed on them then liquified salt from the rest of me just to aggravate them even more. I don't know why I dont' get them anymore - but i'm not complaining!

I have gotten a few blisters this year... the huge ones like last year. I have however discovered that it is NOT my shoes but my SOCKS to blame. I have asked my Saucany trail shoes for forgiveness for the false accusations. Turns out my feet need REAL running socks, and the more expensive the sock the more my feet like them. These happen to by my absolute favorite at $14.99 a pair and worth every penny. thorlos experia. I love these socks. I tried the ones with the individual toes IJENTA or something like that... I liked those alright, but it took forever to get my toes in the toe holes and I really just didn't feel any particular benefit. Once I get a blister it's hard to get ride of it because, of course I do not stop running to let it heal. I now have a method of blister treatment. First off is to just finish your the run and ignore the pain... after then run and after a shower and some food if it's a long run (and it usually happens on a long run) once your foot is dry - take a needle or something - even finger nail clippers work (make sure what ever it is, it is clean) pop a little hole in the top or bottom of it and let it drain. Then just leave it endless it hurts to walk around - if it does then cover it up with a band aide. When you run again however I have discovered that a regular band ade does not do the job - first of all my blisters are usually to big for both band ads AND blister pads (I like those a lot when they fit). What I did, knowing how often I get blisters, was to order a whole roll of mole skin. It's stick on one side and fuzzy on the other. You just cut it to fit & make sure your foot is dry when you put it on, press it firmly on your foot and put your sock on right away. This has always allowed my blisters to not be damaged farther by running and has allowed me to continue training.

Back to last year's troubles. Another thing I had last year was my burn out. BAD burn out. I have not experienced anything too bad yet. I have had a few bad runs though in a row where a normal rout just felt all up hill... that worries me - but it did not last. Thats how I now i'm having a bad run... it all feels up hill.

Last year I had hamstring problems & knee issues, but the knee was because I fell down roller skating.. I have not roller skated this year so i'm all good there... I also have not had to deal with the heat. As much as I hate the cold I do not run well in the heat - so I guess it being april 2nd and my run being 18 degrees is not all bad - but I sure didn't feel that way when I dragged myself out of bed knowing this it was 18 degrees outside this morning.

I tried my new trail shoes out. I like them. BUT they are not good for the road for me anyhow. way to thin. I like feeling the trail, they are great in dirt & grass, but those rock still hurt a bit. I've only run around 15 miles in them so far, so they are still on trial. No blisters or anything from them though. They have been really confortable & I love how light and flexible they are.

My Newton guidance shoes have over 400 miles on them - so I decide to get another pair of newtons. The ones that I ended up winning on ebay for $74 including shipping are the newton distance running shoes. I have not run in these before - but they felt very similar to my other newtons, the guidance &  original ones I had. It's nice to have some fresh shoes! Problem is it's just going to take me that much longer to get out the door because now I have oh... you know. just a COUPLE of shoes to choose from.

This Saturday is the Trail breaker Marathon. My Fiance and I are driving up the morning of the race and then staying over in Milwalkee for a little get away. The weather is not looking too good. 44 as a HIGH and 12mph winds with 30% chance of rain. Hoping it shapes up a little. Not sure my plan will be for sure, but i'm thinking i'm going to attempt a 8:30 pace the whole way. My fiance is running the half so I want to stay with him for the 7miles or so before he turns around - then I will continue to the ice age trail, run to the watch tower, then up it, then back. My sister and I did this race last year - She will also be running it this year but her IT band is bothering her so she is not sure how things will go. I'm looking forward to this race I think. It will be a good test to see if I can push myself. I have failed so many races and just given up - now that I have some solid problem free (for the most part) training behind me, maybe I will be able to pull this off with a decent time. No pressure - but who knows... I'm looking forward to hanging out after in Milwalkee - we are going to hotwire a hotel after or before the race... I got a good deal on a grupon for 12 at a bar/grill place we will get 2 burgers and 2 beers. It will be fun to get away...

That's all till after the race I guess - I plan on taking it easy thursday - running 7.5 to 8 at an easy pace and taking Friday off all together - just walking & doing some lawn work...