It's All About the Benjamins*

Saturday night Tessa and I went to a swanky wedding party in London for two friends of ours. One of them writes for a big tabloid here, so we were both optimistic that either Kate Moss or Martians would be there.

Instead, we found copious amounts of free wine.

The alcohol servers were proficient in what we like to call "Olive Garden" pours. This is where the wine clings to the rims of the glass, desperately waiting for something to break the surface tension so that it may spill over. Terms like "tenuous" and "meniscus" come into play. Needless to say, after drinking countless glasses, we both lost track of everything, missed our cab, had to find another cab, and stumbled to bed wearing socks on our ears and pancakes on our feet. And I had to run ten miles the next morning.

I didn't run. I stayed in bed until 2PM. I wanted to die. The whole shebang.

The real consequence, though, was that I had to push Sunday's run to Monday, which meant I had my first Monday-Friday running schedule since, possibly, forever. Five day running weeks are okay. Five-day-in-a-row weeks are a pain in the ass. After 10 miles on Monday, I had 4, then 3, then 6, then 3 again. After today's (Friday's) run, I actually did a little break dance to celebrate my ONE DAY OFF tomorrow. Which comes before another ten miles on Sunday. I believe this is what they call "the grind".

The reason I was so insistent on maintaining my mileage this week was pretty simple- If I didn't drop a run then November would become my first one-hundrend-mile month this year. And although three miles felt like thirty by the end of the week, I got there:



I checked my running log from last year, and I only hit the "centenary club" twice. I cracked ninety miles twice this spring, but just couldn't push myself over. I'm pretty pleased I squeezed it out.(I think Dr. P.P. might have joined me with an additional one hundred this month. (oder?))

There's not much else to report, other than this drunk runner is going dry for a little while. Saturday night put the smack down on me, and I need to detox before the annual "Christmas Family Drunkfest". Long story short: I'm into temperance for now, suffrage shall follow.

Here are the last five runs:



Overall Impression: So Glad to See Sixpack Healthy Again and So Glad to Rest Tomorrow (SGtSSHAaSGtRT)

(* I had to google the name "Benjamin" because I didn't think I knew how to spell it.)

Musing About the Nike Plus

Don just observed a little quirk about the Nike Plus that occurs to me relatively often: I run to a certain point on the horizon, say four miles away. Then I turn around, and at the end of my session have to run about 200 yards past my front door in order for the sensor to register another four miles. Going out is always a shorter distance than coming back. Trust me, I think about this a lot when I'm not more concerned with other pressing issues semi-related to the Spice Girls reunion.
My humanist-based attempt at reason is this: The thing assumes you run somewhat like a metronome over the course of the run. It allows for slight variations, but since it must use an equation to determine how far you go (variable distance =constant pace x constant time) things can screw up if you run with negative splits (which i usually do, and Don certainly did running up and then down a giant hill.) Ironically, if you speed up then you have to run further than you should to get to your goal because the little computer is trying so hard to maintain pace as a relative constant, that the variable distance gets compacted in order to maintain the same balance in the equation (i.e. the nike plus figures you ran for 40 minutes out to get to your halfway point of 4 miles, so it's not going to let you have 4 miles in 34 minutes...it compromises somewhere in between...say 3.9 miles.)

I must say that the difference is usually minimal for me . After ten miles on Monday, I had to run an additional .1 miles, for example. But the fire trails behind Berkeley are a bit...extreme...in many ways. The size of the discrepancy between the two split times usually determines how inaccurate the distance is. I think the Nike Plus still contains so many fantastic features, that you couldn't expect more of something at that price, without GPS or an accelerometer. Our challenges and the goal system alone have done so much to inspire me to keep logging miles.

Anyway, that's my hypothesis. If anyone reading this happens to be married to a chemical engineer or something, or has an otherwise basic grasp of things, then I would like to hear how misguided I really am and get to the root of the dilemma. Perhaps our legs are just longer when we run home.

Back on Track!

After a week of terrible disappointments--I wasn't feeling up to running until yesterday--I'm back on track. Today's run was somewhere in the area of 8 miles, yet my iPod only rated it as 7.3. It's a little goofy. Going uphill on the Berkeley fire trails I ran until it told me I was half way, then turned around and ran back downhill. For those, not in the know that's 4 miles uphill and 4 back down. However, my trusty iPod measured 4 miles up and 3.3 miles down. I was exhausted and decided that was close enough for Jazz!

I'm psyched to be back out running. The IT still seems a bit tenuous, but I'm stretching and hoping for the best.

My Life in the Suicide Ranks

Yesterday was one for the record books. It started with an attempt at a run around 3 p.m. It didn't go so well.

I left the house with big plans to run the 8 miles I was scheduled for. Everything went well until 1.25 miles in. I mean, I was a little sore from my leg workout the day before, but I didn't think it was going to kill me. Then it hit me. Something akin to having your hip joint stabbed with a dull knife and your lower leg put in a too-tight-tourniquet. It seemed pretty clearly IT Band, and it also seemed pretty clear pretty fast that I was not going to make it another 6.5 miles. I ended up turning around and walking home. Sucky, Sucky, Sucky.

At 5:30 -- still moping from my unsuccessful run -- we sat down to dinner. It was a nice light dinner of Cornish Hen and potato salad. You didn't think you could eat that on Body For Life, but you can!!!!!! It was all great having been prepared by my wonderful partner. Then things went sour. Something didn't go down right. I tend to eat a little fast, and I think it finally caught up with me. Suddenly, I could swallow no more. That was it. I was hoping it would pass through, so I sat at home pretty miserable for 2 hours. Imagine a world where you can't even swallow your own saliva.

At 7:30 it was finally decided (A beautifully germanic phrase) that the only thing that would cure me was a trip to the emergency room. Sparing you the gory details five hours later I woke up after being knocked out so they could shove a tube down my throat and push the obstruction into my stomach. Ugh! Add Cornish Hen to the list of foods this Drunkrunner will not be eating for some time.

It turns out that I wasn't exactly being a glutton. I've been diagnosed with a hardened stomach sphincter (or something to that effect), which means that this was probably going to happen sooner or later anyway. I have to go back to the doctor next week and see what I need to do from here. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my new found freedom of being able to swallow, and I'm eating soft foods!

This is all to say that I will not be lifting weights today, and that my run has been postponed for a second attempt on Thursday. Today I will stretch the IT and see what happens.

Peace out, and remember: Chew your food!

Electrolyte Madness

I'm writing this response to PP's concerns in the open forum in order to spread the word as far as possible.

1) GU. I love it! However I have found that I need the more mild flavors. My favorites are Espresso Love (mild coffee flavor) and Vanilla. The thought of Lemon Madness or whatever that flavor was turns my stomach as I sit here at my desk. This has been my experience with other products at races as well. Go for mild flavors. In the end you really don't want to taste much, and you definitely don't want an aftertaste.
2) Gatorade-esque products. My guess, PP, is that you poured gatorade straight from the bottle into your fuel belt. Bad idea. If you are going to use it out of the bottle mix it at 50% water, 50% gatorade. I have found it much more economical to use GU2O which I can mix myself. (It's a little tricky to mix, as it congeals quite quickly in the bottom of the bottle, but the shaking of running keeps it well mixed and works out any lumps before I reach the bottom of the bottle.) My favorite flavor is Raspberry! Awesome!!!! It ends up tasting a little watery, which isn't pleasant sitting in the living room, but is perfect for running. I think Deetschei's paté experiment and PP's recent Gatorade and GU experiments affirm that the body doesn't care much for intense flavors, textures, or richness during a run. If they could make these items a little less flavorful than baby food I think they would all be perfect.
3) Running vs. Stopping! With those handy squeeze bottles I don't stop for a second. I have no problems maintaining a decent pace and drinking on the fly. In the end you do gasp a little bit, but it's quite efficient. At least for me. Works just fine.

Food, Part II

I meant to add something in my post about Sunday's post-race meal, but forgot. Since the Germans never made good with the Indians and would probably steal their corn to this very day, they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Germany. But since I am spoiled by my wonderful wife, I get to insist that we observe it. We are actually celebrating twice this year, and the first round was on Sunday. The whole nine miles I was counting the calories I was burning for lunch in advance! And I gorged myself in a way that no-one else at the table could understand. They just thought we were having a nice lunch. They didn't realize the rules state you had to have six portions of it.

As I was running it occurred to me that the average American consumes about 2100 calories in the Thanksgiving meal alone, which is more calories than some llamas take down in a month. The cool thing is, the three of us burn through that many extra calories every week! It pays off to be a drunk runner!!!

Trying out Gu and Fuel Belt

I learned several very important things about myself and running on my 12 mile run today.

1. I have not suddenly become a morning runner. There is a whole new schedule you have to develop in order to be a morning runner that requires waking up early enough to eat, consume some liquids, void that food and liquid, and hit the road before it gets too warm. I am NOT that person. I am the person who didn't run the evening before because she was celebrating the Dynamo's back-to-back MLS championship!!!! and had to push her long run to the following morning. I am the person who gets up, gets dressed, pees, takes a sip of water, and then proceeds to try and run 12 miles. Hmmm, what was missing there, besides Zwiebelmettwurst? OH, that is right, breakfast!!!! No fuel in the tank = no vroom vroom.
2. Lemon Supreme Gu shots activate my gag reflex and make me want to SPEW Lemon Supreme Gu all over someone's driveway of sidewalk. BLECH BLECH BLECH. Help! Anyone have a better flavor they can recommend? Although, it wasn't so much the flavor as the consistency. Gu is a very apt name for their product, or perhaps it should be called BLECH BLECH BLECH, I WANNA PUKE. Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it? Obviously this was my first time to actually use an energy supplement while running. I recently bought a Fuel Belt - which I will talk about in a minute - and decided to try Gu while I was at it. I think I should have gone with the Clif Shot - Margarita did sound tastier... I realized that I definitely need the liquids to help wash that stuff down and to get the taste out of my mouth. Did I mention, BLECH? So, calling all Drunkrunners, give me your tried and true alternatives to energy supplements. What flavors and what brands? I would have almost rather eaten a big ol' brick Clif bar and have that thudding around in my stomach!
3. TMI: Either I am one mucousy mother f*cker or Gatorade + Gu = very very evil! I would have brought water, but I know that I need the electrolytes in a sports drink. At least I am a very conscientious spitter and always try to aim for either grass or the road but never anyones driveway or the sidewalk. I think that balances out the vulgar activity, right? Besides, spitting makes you look really tough (and nasty) which helps keep the crazys away.

On that note, I finished my 5th week of training. I am really keen on this Fuel Belt. I thought I would HATE it and that it would be very awkward, but I quickly became accustomed to it. It didn't bounce or slide, which meant I practically forgot it was there. Of course, I was only carrying 16 fl. oz. I am sure all of that will change when I carry the full 48 oz., but for now I am really satisfied with the purchase. How can you go wrong with a fuel belt called the "Terminator." In fact, after stopping off at home around mile 9.5 (when Pooperella reared her ugly head), I finished up the run without the belt and it actually felt "weird." So thanks Sixpack for the recommendation. I like it. Quick question: what is the consensus on running while drinking vs. stopping and drinking?

Other than that, this week has been pretty uneventful. My times are still coming down, which is nice, but like Deetschei, the fatigue is starting to set in. My calves, no matter how much I stretch, have stopped loosening up while running... Hmmm. Probably not a good thing. I think this next week will be spent focusing on maintaining my current speed and maybe even slowing down a bit to avoid aggravating the problems.

Miles: 20.3
Time: 3:04:28
Avg Pace: 8:57

He Runs, He Blogs, He Conquers

Last week was the fifth week of my fifteen week training plan for the big half-marathon in the desert. After five weeks of running, the schedule always becomes an incomprehensible jumble of miles and minutes to me. Each run sort of melts into the next while anxiety about increasing distances on the weekend lingers in the back of my head.

The thing is, I’m officially not at the beginning, which means I am beginning to forget what life was like before I had to magically add hours into my day so I could log those “4.5 miles at 8:54 pace with six minutes total uphill time” at all costs. (Because if I don’t run then the terrorists win). However, I’m also pretty far from the race itself, so I can’t actually visualize an end to the madness, either. If I could plot my training plan onto a map of America, with the first week located in Boston and the fifteenth in San Francisco, I would now be firmly entrenched in Ohio.

Last week was more or less a recovery week, so there weren’t a lot of notable runs, except for maybe Sunday. We spent the weekend in Germany with Tessa’s family, which meant two things:

I ran 9 miles along the Rhine (again!) and

I experimented with more spreadable meats directly before embarking.

Running: Luckily for everyone who is tired of hearing how much I love running there, I didn’t run in Cologne itself. Tessa’s grandmother lives about ten miles south of town, and although I debated running directly to the city center, I didn’t want to negotiate the tram system back home in near zero weather with soaking-wet clothing. Instead, I ran through old asparagus fields until I hit the river, then aimed myself vaguely towards Amsterdam and ran until the little voice in my headphones told me to turn around. Around then a really big wind picked up that almost froze my face off, but I found shelter behind a row of trees that were both big and strong like German women. I made it home without any major problems, but the whole run was marked by that other reminder that training has already lasted over a month: fatigue. The wind didn’t help matters, but even if the day had been completely devoid of weather I would have had a hard time lifting my big, leaden legs. I generally seem to skip most of the aches and pains, and I’m really thankful for that. Instead it’s just the whole “moving the feet” thing that is somehow beyond me.

Food: I learned a valuable lesson from eating duck paté last week: One should not toy around with eating spreadable liver before running. That is why I switched to a chemically-treated raw pork spread on Sunday morning. I always have a hard time explaining to people who don’t eat a lot of German food what Zwiebelmettwurst is, and generally when they see it they shy away because it looks like raw ground beef.



But if you have ever had it, then you are nodding your head right now in tacit agreement with me that it rocks, and that it is completely incapable of ever doing any harm to anyone, anywhere. You simply spread it onto a roll, sprinkle some pepper on it, and then eat your way into oblivion while forgetting all your cares. I think America may have banned it because it brings such joy in a package that’s not easily taxed without angering the futures markets, which is why we don’t see it at Safeway. Anyway, I hereby state clearly that it did not interfere with my run in any fashion. I was on the road less than ten minutes after eating, and I was never hit with the bowling ball in the stomach. I can honestly say that when I write my dietary book on “those other running foods”, I’m putting Zwiebelwurst on the cover.

Last Weeks Runs:



I should have clocked around twenty miles or so, with the long one being nine. Next week I run about 25. I should be comfortably running thirty miles a week by the end of training, which is where I want to be when I begin training for the London Marathon...Only problem is, I'm not entirely positive I'm getting in. Which means I need to talk to Tessa about a possible Plan B (Paris, anyone?)

PS: I just noticed that my run tracker is in German...I have no idea why...sorry guys!

Sluggish

I've been terrible the past few weeks, and I'm starting to feel bad about it. Someone cheer me up!

Two weeks in a row I did my Tuesday speed work, but then got sucked into the vortex of free time that is a long weekend. Although I had 4 days to get it done in, I never managed to get out for my long run. My bed was just too comfy in the mornings and it just wasn't worth getting up.

This puts me a little bit behind schedule for the marathon, but no so much that I'll die. I've got to get my ass in gear this week though. NO EXCUSES! I wish some or all of you were here to kick me in the ass!

The Skinny on Weightlifting

As promised, I'm finally sitting down to write up a little note about weightlifting and its great benefits toward running. It has now been 9 1/2 weeks (yes, pun intended) and we have been on Body for Life every day! The program calls for 6 days of eating well. Actually better than well. It's a diet that consists primarily of protein and carbs, with hardly any fat. Calorie intake for the day is generally in the area of 1500 calories. With those calories one must workout 6 days a week. 3 days of weight training, 3 days of cardio.
A two week schedule of weight training functions like so:
Monday - Upper Body
Wednesday - Lower Body
Friday - Upper Body
Monday Lower Body
Wednesday - Upper Body
Friday - Lower Body
Thus, in a two week period you work each half three times. The exercises are pretty intense there's an example here: BFL Exercise Plan.
The beauty of the plan though is that you often have long stretches of time when you are not working a set of muscles, i.e. the Wednesday workout is not repeated again until Monday, and the Friday workout doesn't get repeated until Wednesday. This allows for long recovery times and lessens fatigue. Granted adding the lower body week to an already packed marathon training schedule is tiring to say the least, but the following week allows for considerable recovery.
Over the past ten weeks I've stayed mostly to the running plan, and have skipped a few of the workouts. However, my legs are much stronger. Yesterday's speed work was downright easy to accomplish. Nothing like the days of Drunkrunners almost hurling on the track. It was great! I couldn't believe it went so well. I had no problems at all maintaining the speeds I was supposed to be doing.
My recovery times also seem to be much shorter! I can't recommend enough the exercise program. I wish I had begun lifting sooner.

On the vain side: I've lost 14 pounds. Steve has lost 30! And we have a few weeks left of round one. After 10 weeks we both feel much better. We're also quite sure we will not be giving up on the program when it is over. I will more than likely continue for at least one more round, then re-evaluate as to how to bring life back into a more normal mode. The weightlifting is here to stay though. My joints aren't aching like they used to, which means it's probably helping me in that area as well.

Conclusion: Get thee to a Gym!!!!

Just putting in the miles

This week has been rather boring in terms of great running stories to share. I certainly have no forays in paté and although I might look like a pasty dumpling, I am not going to share that :)

So, I ended up still adding miles to supplement my training schedule, but I am still keeping myself to running 3 days a week. I don't know how accurate my times are, because I have a sneaking suspicion that Google maps is exaggerating my distances - the times just seem to fast for what I feel I am/should be running. I might have to borrow Ginifer's fancy-schmancy GPS running watch to get a more accurate reading.

Since I don't have a cool interactive chart, you are just going to have to settle with the ol' stats:

Distance: 20.6 mi
Time: 3:07:19
Avg. Pace: 9:05
Overall Impression: Sometimes it is nice to have someone breathing and sweating hard next to you!

In terms of stats, I believe I was only chased by one dog this week. That is pretty good! Given that the previous week I was chased by approximately 3! I didn't take my own pooch along this week, because apparently the 11 miles last week caused his back paws to split (I have no conclusive evidence that the 11 mi. caused it, because frankly I rarely spend a great deal of time looking at his paws. Anywho, he is getting a rest). So he spent the week, chugging sangria and licking his balls. Lazy dog!

Oh, Ginifer recently mentioned the Oklahoma City marathon (end of April) as another possible running opportunity. (Being from the state whose license plate sums up the experience of living there: "Oklahoma is OK." Mind you, it isn't "great" or "fantastic" or "amazing." It is just "ok.") We discussed running the half-marathon, but I would like to point out that Oklahoma City is just as flat as Houston. I don't think it is a qualifier for Boston, but I can promise you that there would be lots of barbecue and beer (sadly mostly fake 3.2 Oklahoma beer). The only downside to this race is the potential "stickiness" factor. Late April isn't too bad, but it might already be warm and humid.... Just tuck that away in the back of your minds for now.

fuel for the run

I want to mention today's breakfast of toast completely saturated in duck paté as a part of my sporadic series of entries dedicated to unsuitable foods for running.

I must admit, I initially felt good about the choice because it seemed to check every box I had: Was it starchy? (yes). Was it ducky? (yes). Unless I missed something, it seemed like the ideal meal immediately before anything. Wash it down with a pot of tea, and you have whatever comes after the superlative.

Perhaps I should have been wary when the act of bending over to tie my shoes caused a fantastic symphony of burping. I was a little surprised when walking down the stairs to the front door caused me to cramp. But being the optimist that I am, I decided I could handle it. I was flying down the street to the best of my ability when, as I was trying to dodge puddles and remind myself from which direction the cars were coming, it hit me. The bowling ball in the gut. The Homer-Simpson-cannonball -shot-from-close-range. I knew it would get better if I could work myself into a rhythm, so I kept running. Which is when it started getting unbearably warm.

I'm not sure how the weather is in the Bay Area right now, and I'm completely clueless what Texan weather is like. I imagine its like regular weather but with a side of hot sauce. Right now in London, we seem to get every season in a day (But only if the year had three seasons and summer got left out). You have to layer your running gear, but do so with the knowledge that you will undress as you progress. You can't put on too much, because it becomes a big heated burden and a hassle to take off. But shorts and a running shirt won't cut it either, unless you're okay with otter-pop-knees. Soooooo, today was a classic day in which it started semi-wintery and ended up really warm. By the time I hit the turning point in Greenwich, I had to stop at a bus station and strip down to my shorts so I could rearrange my jacket and ditch my blue-sleeved lycra superhero top. There I was: cramping, topless and bloated from paté. Everybody was walking to the restaurant for their Sunday dim sum, and I stood there doing my own enticing pasty dumpling impression. London must love having me in town.

Anyway, the run home got better. As usual, the cramping ran itself out and I managed to find the right combination of clothing. I think I finished right at 9 minute miles. Like I said earlier, I'm in a recovery week so my "big run" was only five miles. It felt like having a birthday all over again, and I'm already looking forward to Tuesday's run, knowing I won't have dead legs.

On a non-related note; I'm not sure if anyone else is interested, but I would love to hear more about Sixpack's weightlifting regimen. I have always been terrified to lift with my legs because I feel like I only have so much strength to spend over the course of a week. But, if it's working for the boy, then I would definitely be up for trying something new.

Training for another Half-Marathon

I realized last night while reading a post on Don's Facebook page that I had promised to blog something.  Two weeks ago.  And promptly didn't. Oh christ, I can't believe how bad it's become (forgive me Sixpack for I have sinned).  Basically, I've been trying to churn out words every day for something entirely different than running related prose, and the result is a complete evaporation of mental capacity by 5 PM.  And my prime blogging period has always been between 5:15-5:17:30 PM GMT.  

You can see the bind that left me in.

Although I haven't posted, there is actually quite a bit happening on the running front.  I have not joined a running group yet, but I did submit a ballot entry for the London Marathon.   The date is in early April, and in the interest of establishing a base for it I am (again) training for a half-marathon.  I will be running the "P.F. Chang's Rock & Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix Arizona" because it fulfilled my only race requirement, which was to run in a race whose title is so long that it uses up every letter of the alphabet, twice.  Call it the ("The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog" x 2)  principle. 

My training is going pretty well.  I used the Smart Coach to finagle a plan that starts at 21 miles a week and steadily increases to around 30 or so by late December.  I am currently in a "recovery" week, which means that my run on Sunday is only 5 miles (Kaching!), but I ruined the spirit of the week by pushing off my 9 mile run from last week to Monday morning.  It's not that I didn't want to run on Sunday, it's just that I was debilitated from drinking too much tequila Saturday night.

Running in London is eclectic.  At times the sidewalks are very small, and the buses are very large and constantly attempting to knock off your elbows.  Sometimes, like yesterday for instance, you find yourself wondering if you can get ebola from street water while rolling on the ground because you tripped while trying to avoid people walking with ginormous umbrellas.  Other times though, you find yourself in beautiful parks, like here in Greenwich:

These pictures aren't the best, but I'm only "borrowing" them anyway...


Basically, all my runs thus far end up in Greenwich.  The park is 2.5 miles from our apartment, and I've found a few additional miles within the park itself.  It exhausts itself after about 9  though, unless I want to start running in circles...which I generally don't enjoy.  Eventually I will need a new plan, but until then all roads lead to Greenwich, which is way okay with me.

So, here are my last 5 runs:

As you can see, I'm GETTING SLOWER :) 

It's funny, but I think the cooler weather is somehow freezing my muscles, which is making it harder to move.  My biggest challenge is finding ways to run in daylight.  The sun sets at 4:30 PM...and it doesn't rise until around 7:30...which means we must have found the only south London apartment north of the Arctic Circle.   Oh well, I'll just have to buy some bright clothes.  And watch out for Polar Bears.

Overall Impression:  I Like the Consistency, and I'll Get Fast Later (I.L.t.C.a.I.G.F.L.)

Good News / Good News / Bad News / Good News

Good News / Good News / Bad News / Good News

The good news: I was running today. Doing the 6 miles prescribed by my program, and although it was difficult I’m finding the speed workouts to go quite nicely. Not too fast for these old bones of mine. Even better is the fact that the leg pain is slowly backing up the leg. That is to say the original progression went from lower back to gluteus maximus, to thigh, to knee to shin to foot. It’s headed its way back up the leg and now only presents itself in the gluteus maximus occasionally, which has given me cause for celebration. It may be working itself out. WOOHOO!!!!!!

The good news: I’m right on track for training and although I would like to have run a 20 miler before the marathon—the plan has me running one 18 mile run—I’m willing to accept that in exchange for the trip to Houston and the chance to chase Haterella across the finish line. I’m feeling so good about the race that today I was musing about the next marathon I was going to run. I looked at the race calendar in my head and thought I would run the San Francisco Marathon! I was pretty excited about the idea, because I would have another 6 months to train for it after Houston. And then....

The bad news: I’m going to be in Beijing at the time of the marathon. That’s right. I’ll be stuck in Beijing NOT having the time of my life at the Olympics. No, I will be working hard and won’t ever see the sun, let alone the gymnasts. It’s not going to be pretty. :-)

The good news: I can still train for something before I leave, I just have to figure out what. I’ll look at the official calendars since the one in my head only has races I’ve either wanted to run or have already run.

Looking down the road to marathon number 3 I think I’ve actually learned a few things.

1) Never train too quickly for a race. The faster you do it the harder your body rejects.
2) I’m not a world-class athlete. It’s true. I love running, but I’m never going to be the guy way out in front. This doesn’t change the beauty of crossing the finish line in any way. It just means I cross it much later than the guy that takes home the cash.
3) Injuries need to be taken seriously. The more you ignore them the more they come back to haunt you.
4) Weightlifting is worth much more than I had previously given it credit. Over the past 7 weeks my times have gotten consistently faster, and my recovery is almost down to nothing. Sunday I ran 9 miles, Monday I did a leg workout at the gym, Tuesday (today) I’ll be running 7 miles and don’t expect much trouble with it. Not bad. Two months a go I couldn’t run three miles very easily.
5) I am a runner. When I don’t run I feel bad. I may skip a run, but that just increases my resolve for the next run. It’s that simple. Like Deetschei I’m looking to figure out how to keep doing this for years and years to come. Imagine running a marathon on your 50th or even 70th birthday. Did I hear Boston?
6) Which reminds me, this all started with a challenge to qualify for Boston. Will we ever do it? I’m not sure. I’m sure trying. With any luck I’ll survive Houston without an injury and be able to train for another marathon right away. Perhaps even in May. Consistency and lack of injury is clearly going to be the key.

I’m through being intro/retrospective.

Stats:

Weekly miles: 16 and rising
Average pace: ~10:00
Overall Impression: Sometimes Its Nice Having Someone Breathing Heavy Next To You! (SINHSBHNTY!)

Happy Birthday Deetschei and Some Running Stuff!!!!

Yesterday was Deetschei's birthday. Knowing what a slack-ass friend I totally am, I am sure he will forgive me for failing to call - I ran 9 miles for you instead (and the card really is in the mail). Anywho, in celebrating Deetschei's birthday, I am reminded that had it not been for his initiative, we wouldn't be the blogging drunkrunners that we are today. So raise your glasses and give three cheers to the ringleader of this disorderly bunch and hope that he returns to blog once more with his fellow drunkrunners!

In other more drunkrunner-like news, I successfully finished another week of training, bringing my two week total miles to 44.1. Woohoo. That is more than I have run in probably the last couple months. Well, almost.

The week went well, although the shins are up to their usual antics; however, after about half a mile into my runs, I am fine and the pain gradually migrates to the back of my mind. I even added an extra 3 mile run into the mix, mostly because the dog needed exercise. Speaking of the pooch, he is becoming quite the drunkrunner mascot: he accompanied me for a total of 11 miles this week. Although, I think the 5 miler was pushing it, but only because we had to loop by the house a couple of times and he kept wanting to turn into the driveway. He displayed his confusion and mild disdain by looking up at me and nipping at the leash. Well, at least he knows where he lives!

The 9 miler started out tedious and kind of boring - it wasn't like I had oxygen to spare for a little chit-chat, but sometimes it is nice just to have someone else breathing hard next to you. But around mile 6, things got easier and I just slipped into the mindless running mode. I got a late start, what with the whole fall backward time business, and ended up finishing in the dark - I think I have mentioned before that people in this town seem to think that street lights are an extravagance... I swear, if I twist an ankle...

All in all, a good 2nd week. My times are coming down (I curse that merciless speedwork) and the longer distances aren't as bad as I make them out to be in my mind the entire week leading up to them!

Week's Stats:
Distance: 20 miles
Time: 3:05:25
Avg. Pace: 9.16
Overall Impression: Too tired to have one :(

Death at Olympic Trials

On this tragic day, I think I speak for all of the Drunkrunners when I offer a word of condolence to the family of Ryan Shay, who passed away today during the Olympic marathon trials. Yahoo! Artickle

Nothing else can be said at times like these.