Seattle - I'm ready to Rock'n'Roll

So I went for my 20 mile run yesterday and I FEEL GREAT!

After the 17/18 mile run I felt awful, like I could barely finish and like doing the marathon was a big mistake. Yesterday I did the 20 at a better pace than the 18 and I felt like I could have kept on going and my legs feel awesome today.

I paid more attention to my pace, and especially my hydration and nutrition, and the weather was certainly cooler and less humid, but whatever it was, it was great.

I can't wait to get to Seattle!

June 10 - VF loop run

I met one of the new folks from red group (USA Fit) tonight at Valley Forge. It was a good think that Sam & I had plans or I would have skipped the run because it was gloomy and humid and looked a lot like rain.

She's at the fast end of red, and I think she might be a yellow, and she was pushing the upper limits of my pace. It was good though, to feel like I was working hard. We eased off a little on the 2nd half of the run (thank god!) and averaged about 11:30 miles even with all the walking at the beginning. It was a good outing and I'm glad I had her to meet or I would have missed it for sure.

Legs are feeling great and I'm looking forward to big miles this weekend as a last push for Seattle. Hopefully I can knock out 20 on Saturday.

My mysterious ankle injury seems to have spontaneously healed itself after the 18 miles this weekend. Thank goodness!

I'm super excited about the upcoming trip.

General News

On Sunday, Brian & I went out for a nearly 18 mile run. Well, it was kind of a run, kind of a walk, kind of a hike. No matter -- we were out in the sun moving for about 4 hours and very close to 18 miles. It was hot, it was sometimes fun, and ultimately I think it was good prep for Seattle.

We started out with the plan to do the Audobon Loop (hilly 4 miles) then an out on the Perkiomen to Pawlings Road connecting to the River Trail and then heading over to the Valley Forge loop before heading back to the car. We ran into a little trouble connecting to the River Trail because we decided to try to use VF trails instead of the road and they weren't very clearly marked and the grass was super high and overgrown. That part was fun and frustrating and ultimately we wasted so much time that we decided to forgo the loop for just a straight out and back along the Schuylkill & Perkiomen trails.

We also saw three snakes! One big dead one, one big LIVE one, and one tiny cute one that I had to rescue from being smooshed by zooming guys on bikes.

Running was mostly good, sometimes difficult. Tried run/walk for the last five miles and learned that my intervals were too much running for when I was tired. Galloway suggests 2/1 for my pace, which I thought seemed too wimpy, but now I think that's probably right on.

Hopefully the weather this weekend will be good enough for another long run and some more experiments.

Run/Walk plan

I walk plenty when I run, especially long distances like the marathon, but I've never tried to do a structured run/walk ala Galloway.

I know I'm going to have to employ run/walk at 20in24 so I thought last night was as good a time as any to test the plan. Thinking of my run as a science experiment helped me get out there because I was really not at all motivated to run last night despite the fabulous weather.

I was at Valley Forge and faced with the hilly loop trail. I jumped right in and started running up the hideously long first hill. Amazingly, I finished my four minutes without keeling over! The minute of walking was a nice recovery and I was surprised how well the walking/running segments worked out with the hills at the park. It wasn't perfect and I found myself walking uphill a few times during the run portions and continuing to run on a downhill if it was part of a walk segment, but overall I tried to stick to the plan.

I hated listening to the beeps from the Garmin, and I'm not sure if I'll like that over a long, long period of time, but I think the system did help me with my overall speed. It seems strange but I found that was able to push harder on the run segments knowing that they weren't very long and I'm guessing that the walk segments were shorter and at a better pace than usual.

I'm hoping to do some long runs this weekend and will be testing out the intervals on a flat trail to see how it works out.

Experimenting is fun!

Delaware Half Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Delaware Half Marathon. It was the first time for this race (prior years they had a 10 mile run) on a new course that took in all different parts of Wilmington. I had no idea that there were so manu beautiful sections of town!

This course was more challenging than the loop used when then DE marathon was 4 loops but less challenging than the Caesar Rodney Half-Marathon in March. I really liked the course a lot. There are a lot of twists and turns to navigate but over all it's just beautiful and while it's hilly, there is enough flat and downhill to make it all even out.

I was really, super undertrained for this race and the weather wasn't so great yesterday and I wasn't sure it was such a great idea to be running. During the first 3-4 miles, when it was pouring rain and cold and windy I thought I should just quit when we ran past the finish line. But I kept going, and as it turned out, I had a pretty decent run. I walked the uphills, since I knew I didn't have the fitness level I needed to run up them, and then I ran most of the rest. My legs felt great, my mental game was just fine, and I felt awesome at the end of the race -- probably because of the long downhill finish!

I also used Roctane gel for the first time yesterday and it tasted OK and my legs feel great today. Not sure if that's related to the roctane or just a coincidence.

This gives me hope that I can get my act together for the marathon in Seattle without being a miserable wretch by the end of the run.

Hmonkey Runs Again

So it's been awhile, huh!

The new season for USA Fit is about to start so it's about time for me to shake off the horrible funk I've been since the Philadelphia Marathon. I've been exceptionally lazy this winter since I didn't have any races on the schedule so I allowed myself to completely slack off on my training.

I managed to finish the MORE half marathon in late April on the first blazingly hot day of the year and that sort of jump started my enthusiasm. Since then I've been trying to get back on track and salvage what I can of the training weeks before Rock'N'Roll Seattle in late June. That race is going to stink because I'm so undertrained, but I'm determined to complete it just to log some miles so I can survive the 20in24 race in July. I think 50 miles is a complete pipe dream at that event but I want to try to beat my previous personal best of 34.9 miles in a single day. We'll see...

This Sunday is the Half marathon at Delaware and I'll be there "running" as best I can. I'm really looking forward to it so here's hoping the rain holds off and it's not a completly awful day. The weather looks good as far as temperture so it has to be an improvement over MORE.

I'm hoping that my efforts to talk up USA Fit have been working and that we get a good turnout this weekend. I really want the group to prosper.

I'm going to try to be good about blogging this summer.

A runner's Thanksgiving Prayer

[b]A Runner's Thanksgiving Prayer [/b]

It is Thanksgiving, and runners have a lot to be thankful for. First and foremost, we are thankful for healthy bodies that permit us to run; for little aches and pains that prompt us to slow down; for boundless energy that carries us through each day; and for medical staff who mend us fast when injuries get in the way.

We are thankful for the bounty that feeds our body and soul; for pasta that gives us energy for the long run; for bagels that refuel us when we are done; for the bananas that protect us from muscle cramps; and for coffee that picks us up when we feel down.

We are thankful for energy drinks that give an extra boost; for flavored granola bars that we carry along; for sticky gel in little pouches half-way into a race; for glucose tablets and chewy sticks for a quick sugar fix; and for clean water before, during and after every run.

We are thankful for garbage bags that cover us in the rain; for reflective vests and flashing lights when we run in the dark; for headbands that keep the sweat out of our eyes; for padded socks so soft and smooth to cuddle our toes; and for mittens that keep our fingers warm when it is cold outside.

We are thankful for lightweight shoes that carry our weight; for ankle supports and stability bars that protect our feet; for multi-layered EVA that cushions from the roads; for carbon soles that wear so slow and give us lots of miles; and for pointed spikes that move us forth in the cross country mud.

We are thankful for orthotics when our arches fall; for glasses that absorb UV light when we run in the sun; for mesh singlets that wick the seat and keep us cool; and for colorful jog bras that keep things in their place.

We are thankful for high-tech gear that makes us look cool; for monitors that keep our hearts in their target zones; for nasal strips that hold our noses open in the wind; and for water tanks that wrap around.

We are thankful for vaseline that keeps our thighs sliding along; for band-aid strips over our nipples that save them from rubbing raw; for bags of frozen peas to heal the swollen heels; and for loads of ibuprofen.

We are thankful for directors who enter us on race day; for volunteers that we abuse in the chute; for loving spouses who claim we look good when we feel awful and sick; and for children who endure hours of standing in the cold and pouring rain.

We are thankful for running partners who wait when we are late; for roads so flat we run each day in our wake and our sleep; for workers who fill cracks and potholes, and save our ankles and feet; for truck drivers who plow the roads, yet see us through the snow; and for sleepy motorists in the morning who wave.

We are thankful for trails so soft that give our knees a break; for trees that shade us from the sun and cool us in the heat; for streams and fountains cold and clear that refresh us when we tire; for birds that sing, squirrels that climb and deer that bound around; and for all those who work so hard to keep these trails well groomed.

Finally, we are thankful for the joy of running; for that patient first coach who got us out of the door; for the runner's high that shapes our moods; and for the healthy way of life that shapes us every day.


By Dr Kamal Jabbour, Contributing Writer