And I'm enjoying it with rest (from running), and will be enjoying it A LOT with friends tonight. Woo-hoo!
This past month I didn't do a lot of running. 22 runs, 135.86 miles. Ran in two 5K's, no runs were longer than 10 miles, and I haven't run since the 27th. A great run, by the way. Felt great. But I've decided that this week is going to be a week of total rest. No running. At all. I can't remember the last time I took a full week off. But I'm going to rest, refresh, and be ready on Monday to get after it again. Marathon training will begin in earnest. And none to soon. As much as I love "just running", I love having a schedule to follow, and a goal to hit every day, even more. I know that isn't always a healthy approach, but it's how I tick. If I were to get injured, I know I can step back and accept taking the time off, and be OK mentally. But when I'm healthy, I want set a path, understand what needs to be done, and get there. So now the next question...
Which marathon? Not sure. I'm leaning pretty heavily towards the Country Music Marathon, in Nashville, TN, on April 24th. It's 16 weeks out from this upcoming Monday. It's the earliest of the races I'm considering. There are several others out there in that general time period, but I have a little time to decide. Currently, I'm not planning to run the Flying Pig this year b/c there's a chance I might be going to the Kentucky Derby (same weekend) with friends who might find a way to get some tickets. I'd love to go to that!!! The Derby is one of those things that every sports fan should attend once, and I have yet to be there. And I love going to the track. I've never had a horse, I've never even ridden a horse, but I think they are one of the most beautiful animals there is. I love going to the track and seeing them. Strong, agile, lightning fast. Kinda like how I wish I was. I'm currently 0-for-3 there, but I like to think I'm still a work in progress. :) So I plan to keep that weekend free, in case they can score some tickets. I've looked at what other races are out there b/w late April and the end of May, and none of them really scream out to me more than Nashville.
What appeals to me about Nashville:
1) I know the atmosphere will be fabulous, b/c it's a RnR race.
2) It'll likely be my wife's first half-marathon too, and that kind of excitement would be a lot of fun for her.
3) It's within driving distance
4) I've never been to Nashville
So I'm about 80% sure that's where I'll be heading. Sounds like fun. After that, I'll throw my name in the hat for the Chicago lottery and see if I can get in. If not, will do the same with NYC. If I get shutout of both, we'll see. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
My 2009 totals: 293 runs, one marathon, one half-marathon, one 10K, five 5K's, one marathon DNF, 1,924.28 miles run. This far exceeded what I thought I'd accomplish this year.
This year...this year...2009...
Now that I think about it, I have to say, I've had enough of 2009. More than enough. If there were any more of it, you could have it, I don't think I'd want it. Goodbye 2009! A new year awaits. What will happen? I have no idea, but I'm ready for it. Very ready. Ready to make 2009 a distant memory. But not too distant. Not so distant that I completely forget it, b/c I was reminded just how things can change in a hurry and make you re-evaluate everything you thought was good, or safe, or sure. In the end, nothing is truly certain. I learned that very valuable lesson this year, and I have 2009 to thank. But I'm on to bigger & better things in 2010. I'm ready to enjoy it, take every day as it comes to me, and be thankful of what I have and what I can do. I want to motivate the people around me to live healthy lives. I want my family to feel more loved by me than they ever have. I want to feel like I'm becoming a better person, and a better runner.
And I want a million dollars.
Have a wonderful (and safe) New Year's Eve, and I hope 2010 is as good for you as I hope it is for me.
Dec 31, 2009
Dec 12, 2009
It's Too Cold to Run?!?
This was what I had to tell myself earlier this week when Cincy was hit with it's first true cold snap. Temp was 21 degrees, but it was the wind that was making it tough. Wind chill was 7 degrees. Certainly not unbearable, especially compared to many other areas of the country. But it was cold enough to make me question whether I really wanted to run in it. Ultimately, grudgingly, I decided that I did.
So I went upstairs and started digging my gear out:
Wind briefs, running tights, and fleece lined running pants.
Wicking socks and Smartwool socks.
Nike Coldgear baselayer, Mizuno 1/2-zip jacket, and a nice, heavy fleece.
Two pairs of gloves, fleece hat, fleece headband, and balaclava.
Sunglasses to keep eyes from watering b/c of the high winds.
That oughta do it. Lace up my shoes, grab my iPod, Blackberry, & Garmin, and out the door I go.
My body warmed up within the first 1/2 mile. My hands finally warmed up at around 2 miles, enough so that I peeled off my outer pair. I made sure to run into the wind to start so I could have it at my back to finish. Ultimately, it turned into a very nice 7-mile run.
But here's the point of this post. What I got out of this run was more important than any physical benefit I got from actually running. The conditions sucked. My attitude wasn't very good, and I could easily have packed it in and stayed home. No one would have questioned me. The battle was far more MENTAL than it was going to be physical. But it gave me a chance to remind myself that once I get out there, I love being out there. And when I finished, I re-confirmed something I've always known...I'm can be as mentally tough as I like to think I am. So the next time I think to myself, "Eh, just stay in. The weather is so lousy. You don't need to run today.", I'll remember that it won't be as bad as I think it will be, and I'll likely end up enjoying it, and even be proud of myself for doing it.
Get out there and run, folks. You'll be glad you did.
Dec 7, 2009
The Year in Review
For example, I didn't start off the year with a goal regarding how much running I'd do, except to say I expected to run more this year than last year. And given that I planned to train for both a spring & fall marathon, this wasn't going to be too tough to accomplish, barring injury. I finished 2008 with 1,118.0 miles. How far might I run in 2009? I wasn't sure.I simply trained for the events I wanted to run, and let the miles add up. But then I started getting to the point that I thought I might be able to reach 2,000 miles run for the year. That blew me away. I hadn't realized I had a shot at 2,000 miles until around late September. At that point, I kinda, sorta thought that might be a goal. I finished October at 1,684.0 and thought I had a real shot at it. But I did a very minimal amount of running in November, as I recovered from my marathon on 11/7. And as a result, at the end of November I was at a total of 1,788.4. So 2,000 is out of reach. Eh, that's OK.
I put in 31 miles this past week, and hope to put in another 135-140 or so by year's end, as I start to ramp my mileage back up in preparation for whatever spring marathon I decide to run. So that'll put me just short of 2,000. Still, a good year, IMO. Especially since (knock on wood) I should end the year injury-free! Aside from general aches & pains, of course. On this note, my left knee which I was beginning to worry about if I'd torn something...I'm now of the opinion that I didn't. The pain I was feeling, I haven't felt in weeks. It still aches sometimes, but both knees do that. Nature of the beast when you pound the pavement, right?
Some other goals I had in 2009?
Two marathons. Didn't happen. DNF in the spring. I've come to grips with it, and have put it well behind me. Doesn't bug me anymore b/c I got my marathon in this fall. I don't even really want to consider it a PR, although of course it is, being my first completed 26.2. I think of it more as my baseline marathon, a time simply there to be improved upon. And it will be improved upon! My fall training was short (8-9 weeks, since I decided late which race to run), very casual (nothing but base building, with absolutely no speedwork), and I paid far less attention to my diet than I normally would have. Why did I take this approach? Because this time, I insisted on really wanting to focus on just running the event. I didn't want to get hung up on all the other things I did before the Flying Pig. My diet was going to have to be "good enough". My speed, I didn't care. All the extra hours of sleep I'd get by getting to bed early every night? Nope. Not this time. I was just gonna live my life as if I wasn't running a marathon, and then on race day, run comfortably with no expectations. The benefit of this approach was I put no pressure on myself this time. And because I knew my training was no where near what I did in the spring, I knew I wouldn't get greedy for time on race day. I'd simply run comfortably, for as long as I could. If I had gas in the tank to kick at the end, fine. If I didn't, that was fine too. Turns out I didn't. No big deal. I didn't care how fast I crossed the line. I simply wanted to cross it. Next year...I'll care. My baseline has been set, and now it's time to focus on improvement. Even if it's a slow, gradual improvement.
Other goals?
Run a few 5K's, some for fun, some for time. I ran two for time and set PR's each time. 20:27. Will shoot for a sub-20 next year. The rest, I've run for fun. And I really am having fun with them. I have one more this year.
Start a running podcast. I've got the recorder and mic. I've "practiced" a few times, listened to them, taken notes on what I want to improve on to make it easier to listen to, and I hope to have my first episode out at the start of 2010. I'm a bit self-conscious about how I come across, but I'll get over it. If the episode is honest, open to others, and opinionated, and I feel supports this running community, I'll be very pleased.
Inspire others to start running and living better, healthier lifestyles? I don't know if I've done this or not, because I think the desire to take to the roads is an internal one. I can offer advice. I can give tips & ideas. I can cheer them on, run beside them, or any number of other things. So at best, let's just say I've tried to ENCOURAGE others. I'll support their decisions to the fullest. Ask me for help or to join you on a run, I'll do my best to be there. But inspire? I'm not the person to ask.
Lastly, to continue to learn. Through podcasts, magazines, books, social networks like Twitter & Facebook, and my own experiences, to name just a few sources. Learning more encourages me to run more, and to run better. To take each run a find something in it that I didn't know about myself before. Or to find something that is challenging and overcome it. Not every run can be personal best. But every run should help you to be your best.
That's my 2009 in a nutshell.
2010? Here I come!
Dec 6, 2009
Four runners, three PR's - Jingle Bell Run 2009
Jason and I took off, and settled into our pace pretty quickly. I told him to make sure that HE set the pace he was comfortable at, and not let me lead. I would run whatever pace he wanted. He seemed to be doing quite well. We were running comfortably and talking, and really enjoying ourselves. The only somewhat tough part of the course is the C.W. Bailey Bridge. Is it a huge, steep hill? No. Can it look a bit daunting to a beginning runner? Yes. There's some definite slope there. In any case, we ran a really nice race, and finished in 31:54. That's Jason's PR, since it's his first 5K. =) The first of many, I hope.
Melanie and Susan seemed to have had a nice race too. This was Mel's first 5K also. She'd never run a race longer than 1.5 miles, and never run more than 2 miles (twice, this week, with me). But I had no doubt she could handle it. While Sue & Mel did have to walk a little, they finished in about the amount of time I expected. Right at the end, Susan told Mel to take off for the finish. So technically, Mel beat her mom. 41:27 to 41:32. This was also a PR for Susan. The best part of it for her I think was that she felt so much better after this one than she did in her 2 5K's this summer. She felt strong at the finish. She could run the distance w/o walking, but sticking with Mel was a priority. I think Susan's got a sub-40 in her right now, and I think she thinks so too. I suspect she'd like to run another race soon and see. But it won't be the Egg Nog Jog on the 19th. That's in Mt. Adams, which means there might not be a flat section of longer than 0.1 miles throughout the entire race course. It's all hills out there. I will be running it. I mean, free egg nog after the race, at The Wine Cellar. How can you turn that down? You can't. I'm hoping it's "fully loaded" egg nog too. But soon, we'll get Susan into a race she can run and set a new PR.
So three PR's. Can't complain about that. That's a good, good day.
Saran Wrap on my feet?
Yeah, I actually tried this the other night. It was raining here in Cincinnati, at times pretty hard, but I really wanted to get out and put in a few miles. Well, a night or two before that my wife asked me if I'd ever wrapped my feet in Saran Wrap in order to help keep them dry. Apparently she's read this somewhere. I thought it was kinda silly to even consider when she first asked me. But now I was wanting to run, the rain was coming down, and it didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. Maybe I need to consider this a little more seriously. Hmmmm......I learned that wrapping your feet isn't all that easy, but I managed. I made sure to wrap beyond my toes, so I could fold the extra over, in order to help keep water from seeping in that way. I grabbed some old running shoes, and I slipped my foot into it. It kinda felt like I'd ripped through it. I took it out, looked it over, and realized I hadn't. Just a strange feeling.
I went out and tried to run through every puddle I could find. If I was going to test this, I might as well do it right. When you go through the puddle, you get this weird cold sensation from the water. But surprisingly, my foot didn't seem to be getting wet. Very cool! I ran 6 miles that night, and my shoes were soaked. But at no point could I feel any water squishing b/w my toes. When I got home, the Saran Wrap was still wrapped around my foot, and my socks were no more wet than normal. The real tell-tale sign for me was my skin. It didn't have the cold, wet, clammy feel to it. I actually think this worked. Well enough that I'll certainly do it again.
So that led me to wonder...why hasn't anyone invented "Saran Wrap booties" for runners to wear over their socks in rain & snow? I'm picturing a sock shaped baggie, with a piece of tape, like on baby diapers, at the top, to cinch around the lower leg to help keep water from coming in at the top. Or does such a product exist? Seems like it would. I can't possibly be creative enough to invent anything.
Dec 1, 2009
100th Thanksgiving 10K Turkey Trot
This past Thursday I ran in the 100th 10K Turkey Trot, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The biggest holiday 10K in the world...according to the organizers. There were over 17,000 runners registered, and it was a beautiful day to run. Sun was out, temps were in the 40's, and only a little bit of a breeze.
I'd gotten a message from my friend Lance, who lives down in Birmingham, Alabama, but has a wife who's from Cincy. He said that he'd be running it, and wanted to know if I wanted to run too. Sounded like a great idea to me, so we made plans to meet up and we'd have a nice run together. He's about to run the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on 12/5, so he wasn't looking to race this 10K, which was A-OK by me. I'm still not 100% recovered from running the marathon in Indy. I have good days, and I have days where my legs still fell fatigued. Thankfully, on this day, my legs felt very good. We planned to cruise around in around 8:30/mile, his planned marathon pace.
First mile was a little on the slow side, but not bad. The rest were all right about on pace. He asked if I wanted to kick it up a bit on the final mile or so, and I said whatever he wanted to run, I'd run right along side of him. I didn't have to worry about a marathon the following week. So we picked up the pace after mile 5. Felt good to stride out a bit and get that turnover. No sprinting, just a nice pickup. Effort level at around 7.5/10. Our splits were...
1...8:41
2...8:18
3...8:21
4...8:25
5...8:21
6...7:14
Finished in a time of 51:19 (8:18/mile). Had a great, great time. Lance picked my brain about what worked and didn't work at my marathon 2.5 weeks earlier, and I was happy to share. We talked about mutual friends, and family, and about how much we were looking forward to the rest of the day. I'd love to run this every year. It's so nice to get up early, get out in those crisp temperatures, and get a nice run in before going and eating like an idiot...which I totally did, and LOVED! =)
He we were at the finish. Happy as could be.
I'd gotten a message from my friend Lance, who lives down in Birmingham, Alabama, but has a wife who's from Cincy. He said that he'd be running it, and wanted to know if I wanted to run too. Sounded like a great idea to me, so we made plans to meet up and we'd have a nice run together. He's about to run the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on 12/5, so he wasn't looking to race this 10K, which was A-OK by me. I'm still not 100% recovered from running the marathon in Indy. I have good days, and I have days where my legs still fell fatigued. Thankfully, on this day, my legs felt very good. We planned to cruise around in around 8:30/mile, his planned marathon pace.
First mile was a little on the slow side, but not bad. The rest were all right about on pace. He asked if I wanted to kick it up a bit on the final mile or so, and I said whatever he wanted to run, I'd run right along side of him. I didn't have to worry about a marathon the following week. So we picked up the pace after mile 5. Felt good to stride out a bit and get that turnover. No sprinting, just a nice pickup. Effort level at around 7.5/10. Our splits were...
1...8:41
2...8:18
3...8:21
4...8:25
5...8:21
6...7:14
Finished in a time of 51:19 (8:18/mile). Had a great, great time. Lance picked my brain about what worked and didn't work at my marathon 2.5 weeks earlier, and I was happy to share. We talked about mutual friends, and family, and about how much we were looking forward to the rest of the day. I'd love to run this every year. It's so nice to get up early, get out in those crisp temperatures, and get a nice run in before going and eating like an idiot...which I totally did, and LOVED! =)
He we were at the finish. Happy as could be.
I normally race, and almost exclusively train, alone. And that's fine. I like it that way. I like getting out there to run, and being able to think and reflect on whatever I want to. But to go out for a friendly run, with friends, on a beautiful day, and share that experience is something I very much enjoy too. I hope to do this more often than I do. Matter of fact, this weekend is the Jingle Bell 5K Run. My wife is going to run with Melanie, her 10-year old daughter, and I'm going to run with a past co-worker who has recently taken running back up. He ran 3 consecutive miles for the first time last weekend, and I twisted his arm into signing up for the race. I'll be running alongside him. Can't wait.
Nov 24, 2009
2 weeks post marathon
Not a great 2 weeks. Haven't run much, which is probably good. 17-18 miles the first week, 20-21 this past week. This week I'd like to get in the 30-35 range, especially considering all the food I plan to eat. =)
Knees have ached a fair amount since the race. I expected perhaps the left one would, but even my right one has. Sometimes more than the left! That's part of the reason I've been trying to take it easy.
Upcoming races include the 100th Annual Cincinnati 10K Turkey Trot, and perhaps a 5K the week after. Depends on whether my wife and step-daughter decide to run.
On a non-running related note, I now have my real estate license back. We'll see how that goes. Not the best time to try to get back into the game, but it beats sitting at home, day after day, tooling around the house, goofing around on the computer all day, and trying to decide when to get off my ass to go run. And it certainly beats endlessly searching for jobs on websites, sending resumes all over the place, wondering if anyone will actually look at it, let alone consider me for a position.
Gonna be an interesting holiday season at the Davey household. Very interesting indeed.
Knees have ached a fair amount since the race. I expected perhaps the left one would, but even my right one has. Sometimes more than the left! That's part of the reason I've been trying to take it easy.
Upcoming races include the 100th Annual Cincinnati 10K Turkey Trot, and perhaps a 5K the week after. Depends on whether my wife and step-daughter decide to run.
On a non-running related note, I now have my real estate license back. We'll see how that goes. Not the best time to try to get back into the game, but it beats sitting at home, day after day, tooling around the house, goofing around on the computer all day, and trying to decide when to get off my ass to go run. And it certainly beats endlessly searching for jobs on websites, sending resumes all over the place, wondering if anyone will actually look at it, let alone consider me for a position.
Gonna be an interesting holiday season at the Davey household. Very interesting indeed.
Nov 16, 2009
Indy Monumental Marathon - Race Report
About time I got this report posted. Sorry in advance for it's length.
On Friday morning, at around 10 AM, my wife and I loaded the car, and left for Indianapolis. I was beginning to wonder if WE'D ever get out the door. I knew I was going, the question was whether or not Susan would be able to go. She'd been battling with the flu, and a bad case of chest & sinus congestion. She bought some OTC medication to try and help it, but unfortunately, it made her feel even worse. She was having some side effects to the meds and was wondering if she should go at all. As much as I wanted her there, she was REALLY struggling. I didn't want her to feel pressure to go, if it was best for her to stay home. But we figured so long as she didn't take anymore of the meds, and waited for them to wear off, she'd be OK. So she made the trip.
We arrived in Indy at around noon. Had a little trouble finding the hotel, but no big deal. Now, I had e-mailed the hotel and requested a late check-out, just so I could grab a quick shower after the race, before heading home. No problem, they said. My reservation had been set to indicate I had this late check-out time promised to me. When we arrive to check-in, I remind the desk clerk that I have a 2PM check-out, and she says, “Nope. Sorry. We can't accommodate that.” I tell her I have an e-mail, from an employee there at the hotel, guaranteeing it for me. She says that it doesn't matter, they can't accommodate any more late check-outs, and so no way am I getting one. I'm floored, and angry. But it is clear that there is no way I'm winning this battle with this lady. So I ask if they have showers in the fitness room that I can use after the race, and I'm told absolutely they do. OK, fine. Not what I wanted, but it'll do. I'll complain later. For the time being, I just want to get checked in, and get some food. While at lunch, I look up the e-mail, and respond back (she had also cc'd her supervisor, so I made sure she got my e-mail too) about how disappointed I was with what had just happened. I'd hoped perhaps she'd respond and ask me to stop by the desk. No luck.
We go to lunch, come back to the hotel, and Susan decides to take a nap, hoping she'll feel better when she wakes up. I go down to the lobby and tool around on the laptop. As I'm sitting there, I hear lots of folks get told that they can't get a late check-out, but that there are showers in the fitness area. Now I begin to wonder how many people are going to be vying for these showers. So I go to check it out. LOL. They have a family restroom in there, and a SINGLE shower. That's it. One shower. OMG, I'm really upset now, so I go right back to the registration desk, and I know exactly the two people I want to ask for. One of them is going to hear how unhappy I am. Next thing I know, a guy comes out and asks how he can help. I tell him my name and my situation, and it's clear he already knows exactly what this about. They say they couldn't give us the 2PM check-out b/c of the room we are in (the Houston Texans were coming into town the next day, and they needed the room). But if they could move us, they then could give us the 2PM check-out. Well, duh. OF COURSE that will work. Would that have been such a tough thing for Little-Miss-I-Don't-Care-Who-You-Got-an-E-mail-From to do?!? So I go tell Susan, who'd just woken up, that we need to repack, and move rooms. They then put us in a room on the opposite side of the floor. We think to ourselves how can this be right? Seriously? Opposite side of the elevators, and we're all good? Whatever.
At this point, my dad is now with us, and we're getting ready to leave to meet some friends for dinner. While Susan is getting ready, dad & I go to Shula's Steakhouse and have a drink at the bar. Immediately, Susan calls and says I need to come upstairs immediately. WTF?!? Manager is there saying they AGAIN put us in the wrong room. Now they put us up on the club level and, for sure, we are good until 2PM. Our room was identical, but we had access to a small lounge area, with couches and TV's, a bar at night, water bottles & snacks 24/7, breakfast in the morning. OK, fine. Whatever. So long as this is the last time we have to move, I'll be happy.
We leave for the Broad Ripple area to meet Kirk & Alissa for dinner. We get little turned around trying to find the place, but finally we do. Some little French cafe called Cafe Patachou. Broad Ripple is a very nice area, trendy. Dinner was great. The most sickeningly, delicious mashed potatoes I've ever had. Not exactly the best pre-race meal, but it wasn't too bad otherwise. After dinner, we drop off my dad at his hotel, and head back to our room. Time to sleep. Sorta.
Sleep wasn't easy. I probably woke up every hour. I was actually relieved to have my watch start beeping and tell me it was time to start getting ready. I had planned for about 45-50 minutes to get up, get dressed, eat a little food, and drink a little coffee before meeting my dad downstairs in the lobby. All things were running smoothly until I was ready to walk out the door. I suddenly realized I wasn't wearing my Garmin. I know I'd laid it out the night before with all my gear. I'd even seen it that morning. But suddenly, I couldn't find it. So I rifled through my gym bag, throwing stuff all over the place. Couldn't find it! Son of a...!!! I go back to the chair I'd put my clothes on the night before, and there it was. It had somehow gotten wedged in b/w the back of the chair and the seat cushion. WHEW! OK, time to get downstairs and warm up.
Warmed up for about 20-25 minutes with some light stretching, easy jogging, and then made my way to the start area. Weather was really nice...downtown. Couldn't feel the wind. And what wind there was, was mostly in our back as we headed out the city. Things seemed to be organized fairly well. I worked my way over to the 4-hour pace group and tried to get inside the barriers to find a spot. But I literally couldn't get in. The area they had for the start was apparently a little small, and so I had to wait outside the metal barricades until after the gun went off,. As people started moving forward, hundreds of others, like me, tried file into the mob of runners. Fortunately, I was right up against the entrance to the start area, so I had little trouble. But you could see, and hear, others complaining about not being able to get into the flow. But finally, I made it to the starting mat, I started my watch, and I was off!
First several miles where pretty crowded. Through 2 miles, I felt boxed in the entire way. But in a way, I didn't mind too much b/c I wanted to make sure I didn't go blasting out from the start. I hit 3 miles in 27:31, which was perfect. Right after the 3-mile mark, we got to a section of the course where the DOT had set up these 5-foot high traffic barricades, blocking off the entire street! WTF?!? Who is the idiot that set these up when there's a freakin' marathon going through? There were gaps b/w them about 2-people wide. So we all had to funnel through them, or go around them on the sidewalks. If you were like me, and somewhere near the center of the street, there was no choice but to slowly make my way through. The next few miles were fairly uneventful. I hit the 10K mark in 56:36.
At around mile 7-8, some woman started chatting with me and that helped the next few miles go quickly. It was at about this time that we started noticing a spectator who was cheering wildly for everyone who ran by. Nothing weird about that. What was weird is that he kept popping up all over the course! You'd see him, half a mile later, there he was again. And again. And again. No bike, no roller blades, nothing. He just kept getting from spot to spot faster than we were! After about the 5th time, I started getting a little irritated. OK, not really, but damn. Lace up the shoes, and get a bib number dude.
Ran as comfortably as I could have hoped all the way to the halfway point, which I reached in 1:58:13. I was really happy with that. Exactly the pace I was looking to be at. But as soon as we turned to head back to the city, the wind that was coming out of the west-southwest really hit us in the face. No more protection of the downtown buildings. But I continued to run well. I reached 30K at 2:49:05, and knocked out miles 13-23 at 8:59/mile, over than span. I had a near disaster just short of the 20-mile mark. It was time for me to take my Endurolyte capsules, which I had in a small sandwich bag, tucked into the waist-pocket on the inside of my shorts. Took the capsules, then went to put the bag back into the pocket. As I'm looking down to see what I'm doing, I run dead-smack into a pylon in the road! I stumble badly and damn near face plant. OMG, scared me to death. Thankfully, I managed to keep my balance. Some guy running next to me asked me if I was OK, which I was, and we proceeded to run together and chat from mile 20 to mile 22.
I made it to 23.1 miles (5K to go) in 3:29-ish. I'd completed the second stage of my race plan and I was right where I wanted to be. Now on to the final part of my plan. After getting to “5K-to-go-mark” at a nice, comfortable pace, I simply wanted to run the final 5K with whatever I had in the tank. Here's where I would lay it all out, and empty the tank. I felt really good. And as soon as I thought to myself, “Here we go!”, both of my calves started to twitch and spasm a bit. I had to make a decision here, and I decided to hold off on stepping on the gas pedal for a minute or two, and see what happens. Sure enough, they started spasming again. At this point, I knew throwing the hammer down wasn't going to happen. So I decided to try and just keep running steady splits, like I had been. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible either. They kept spasming. Not so as powerfully as they did in the spring, but strongly enough that I knew I was going to have to incorporate walking breaks to get to the finish as efficiently as possible. It was while I was walking that I began to realize that I was having some tightness/soreness in my left hip too. I kept trying to apply pressure to it with my fist to help, but it was temporary relief. So I did the best I could to run & walk. Mile 24 wasn't too bad, but the 25th is when I really knew my calves were going to prevent me from getting in under 4 hours. The final 2.2-ish were really uncomfortable.
I say “ish” b/c there's some real question as to the true distance of the course. It was a topic on the Runner's World forum. I know for sure that my watch was barely off through 20 miles. After that, I paid less attention to it. When I got into downtown, it lost the signal temporarily, so my watch distance should have been less than what I actually ran. But when I load the run into Sportstracks, it adjusts for the distance covered, and since I made no turns during that stretch, it should have adjusted correctly. When my watch hit its 25th split, Sportstracks says I'd covered 25.07 miles. No problem. At the 26th split, the software says 26.23. Hmmmm. And then it says it covered another 0.76 miles, for a total of 26.99?!? Others on the RW forum have distances in the 26.5-26.9 range too. I'm not getting hung up on this though because I know my final 5K was crazy slow, and that I have plenty of work to do. No problem.
Ultimately, I covered the final 5K in about 37-38 minutes, and finished in 4:07:53. Once again, cardio fatigue was a non-issue. I had gas in the tank, I just didn't have the wheels to allow me to use it.
Indy was a very nice race, and I'm glad I went. The weather played some tricks on me. The forecast was for a cool (mid-40's), windy morning that turned into a mid-50's & windy day. I chose to wear shorts and long sleeve technical shirt. It got up in to the mid-60's later in the morning, and at that point, I was wishing I had a short sleeved shirt on. Still, I wasn't terribly uncomfortable, just a little.
The plan for the remainder of '09? 10K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with a friend from Alabama, 5K Jingle Bell Run the week or two after that with my wife & step-daughter, and nothing but easy running otherwise. The backs of my knees have been achy since the race, so I'm trying to rest, which is very difficult for me. I managed to not run on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Saturday. This week, I'll pick it up a bit, but not much.
Now that I've finished my first marathon, I've learned some things:
1) I have a lot room for improvement, and I now have a base time to work off of and improve on.
2) My calves still need plenty of work. When it happens once, I can say was a fluke. Twice is an issue. Gotta be diligent about stretching & self-massage to help loosen them up.
3) This is kind weird...as much as I like races, I realize how much I LOVE the training. I think I prefer training. I'll keep racing, for sure. They're fun. But the grind of training gives me that everyday sense of accomplishment that I thirst for.
4) Just finishing, even if I don't finish strong, or hit a goal, or whatever, just finishing is enough for me to avoid the post-marathon blues. I'm anxious to start to training again. I want to figure out what race to run next so I can get back after it. My mental outlook is just so much better right now than after the Flying Pig.
So now it's time to enjoy the holidays, and make it to 2010 healthy. By then I hope to have a target race, or races, and a training schedule in place. And maybe finally a podcast episode? More on that later.
On Friday morning, at around 10 AM, my wife and I loaded the car, and left for Indianapolis. I was beginning to wonder if WE'D ever get out the door. I knew I was going, the question was whether or not Susan would be able to go. She'd been battling with the flu, and a bad case of chest & sinus congestion. She bought some OTC medication to try and help it, but unfortunately, it made her feel even worse. She was having some side effects to the meds and was wondering if she should go at all. As much as I wanted her there, she was REALLY struggling. I didn't want her to feel pressure to go, if it was best for her to stay home. But we figured so long as she didn't take anymore of the meds, and waited for them to wear off, she'd be OK. So she made the trip.
We arrived in Indy at around noon. Had a little trouble finding the hotel, but no big deal. Now, I had e-mailed the hotel and requested a late check-out, just so I could grab a quick shower after the race, before heading home. No problem, they said. My reservation had been set to indicate I had this late check-out time promised to me. When we arrive to check-in, I remind the desk clerk that I have a 2PM check-out, and she says, “Nope. Sorry. We can't accommodate that.” I tell her I have an e-mail, from an employee there at the hotel, guaranteeing it for me. She says that it doesn't matter, they can't accommodate any more late check-outs, and so no way am I getting one. I'm floored, and angry. But it is clear that there is no way I'm winning this battle with this lady. So I ask if they have showers in the fitness room that I can use after the race, and I'm told absolutely they do. OK, fine. Not what I wanted, but it'll do. I'll complain later. For the time being, I just want to get checked in, and get some food. While at lunch, I look up the e-mail, and respond back (she had also cc'd her supervisor, so I made sure she got my e-mail too) about how disappointed I was with what had just happened. I'd hoped perhaps she'd respond and ask me to stop by the desk. No luck.
We go to lunch, come back to the hotel, and Susan decides to take a nap, hoping she'll feel better when she wakes up. I go down to the lobby and tool around on the laptop. As I'm sitting there, I hear lots of folks get told that they can't get a late check-out, but that there are showers in the fitness area. Now I begin to wonder how many people are going to be vying for these showers. So I go to check it out. LOL. They have a family restroom in there, and a SINGLE shower. That's it. One shower. OMG, I'm really upset now, so I go right back to the registration desk, and I know exactly the two people I want to ask for. One of them is going to hear how unhappy I am. Next thing I know, a guy comes out and asks how he can help. I tell him my name and my situation, and it's clear he already knows exactly what this about. They say they couldn't give us the 2PM check-out b/c of the room we are in (the Houston Texans were coming into town the next day, and they needed the room). But if they could move us, they then could give us the 2PM check-out. Well, duh. OF COURSE that will work. Would that have been such a tough thing for Little-Miss-I-Don't-Care-Who-You-Got-an-E-mail-From to do?!? So I go tell Susan, who'd just woken up, that we need to repack, and move rooms. They then put us in a room on the opposite side of the floor. We think to ourselves how can this be right? Seriously? Opposite side of the elevators, and we're all good? Whatever.
At this point, my dad is now with us, and we're getting ready to leave to meet some friends for dinner. While Susan is getting ready, dad & I go to Shula's Steakhouse and have a drink at the bar. Immediately, Susan calls and says I need to come upstairs immediately. WTF?!? Manager is there saying they AGAIN put us in the wrong room. Now they put us up on the club level and, for sure, we are good until 2PM. Our room was identical, but we had access to a small lounge area, with couches and TV's, a bar at night, water bottles & snacks 24/7, breakfast in the morning. OK, fine. Whatever. So long as this is the last time we have to move, I'll be happy.
We leave for the Broad Ripple area to meet Kirk & Alissa for dinner. We get little turned around trying to find the place, but finally we do. Some little French cafe called Cafe Patachou. Broad Ripple is a very nice area, trendy. Dinner was great. The most sickeningly, delicious mashed potatoes I've ever had. Not exactly the best pre-race meal, but it wasn't too bad otherwise. After dinner, we drop off my dad at his hotel, and head back to our room. Time to sleep. Sorta.
Sleep wasn't easy. I probably woke up every hour. I was actually relieved to have my watch start beeping and tell me it was time to start getting ready. I had planned for about 45-50 minutes to get up, get dressed, eat a little food, and drink a little coffee before meeting my dad downstairs in the lobby. All things were running smoothly until I was ready to walk out the door. I suddenly realized I wasn't wearing my Garmin. I know I'd laid it out the night before with all my gear. I'd even seen it that morning. But suddenly, I couldn't find it. So I rifled through my gym bag, throwing stuff all over the place. Couldn't find it! Son of a...!!! I go back to the chair I'd put my clothes on the night before, and there it was. It had somehow gotten wedged in b/w the back of the chair and the seat cushion. WHEW! OK, time to get downstairs and warm up.
Warmed up for about 20-25 minutes with some light stretching, easy jogging, and then made my way to the start area. Weather was really nice...downtown. Couldn't feel the wind. And what wind there was, was mostly in our back as we headed out the city. Things seemed to be organized fairly well. I worked my way over to the 4-hour pace group and tried to get inside the barriers to find a spot. But I literally couldn't get in. The area they had for the start was apparently a little small, and so I had to wait outside the metal barricades until after the gun went off,. As people started moving forward, hundreds of others, like me, tried file into the mob of runners. Fortunately, I was right up against the entrance to the start area, so I had little trouble. But you could see, and hear, others complaining about not being able to get into the flow. But finally, I made it to the starting mat, I started my watch, and I was off!
First several miles where pretty crowded. Through 2 miles, I felt boxed in the entire way. But in a way, I didn't mind too much b/c I wanted to make sure I didn't go blasting out from the start. I hit 3 miles in 27:31, which was perfect. Right after the 3-mile mark, we got to a section of the course where the DOT had set up these 5-foot high traffic barricades, blocking off the entire street! WTF?!? Who is the idiot that set these up when there's a freakin' marathon going through? There were gaps b/w them about 2-people wide. So we all had to funnel through them, or go around them on the sidewalks. If you were like me, and somewhere near the center of the street, there was no choice but to slowly make my way through. The next few miles were fairly uneventful. I hit the 10K mark in 56:36.
At around mile 7-8, some woman started chatting with me and that helped the next few miles go quickly. It was at about this time that we started noticing a spectator who was cheering wildly for everyone who ran by. Nothing weird about that. What was weird is that he kept popping up all over the course! You'd see him, half a mile later, there he was again. And again. And again. No bike, no roller blades, nothing. He just kept getting from spot to spot faster than we were! After about the 5th time, I started getting a little irritated. OK, not really, but damn. Lace up the shoes, and get a bib number dude.
Ran as comfortably as I could have hoped all the way to the halfway point, which I reached in 1:58:13. I was really happy with that. Exactly the pace I was looking to be at. But as soon as we turned to head back to the city, the wind that was coming out of the west-southwest really hit us in the face. No more protection of the downtown buildings. But I continued to run well. I reached 30K at 2:49:05, and knocked out miles 13-23 at 8:59/mile, over than span. I had a near disaster just short of the 20-mile mark. It was time for me to take my Endurolyte capsules, which I had in a small sandwich bag, tucked into the waist-pocket on the inside of my shorts. Took the capsules, then went to put the bag back into the pocket. As I'm looking down to see what I'm doing, I run dead-smack into a pylon in the road! I stumble badly and damn near face plant. OMG, scared me to death. Thankfully, I managed to keep my balance. Some guy running next to me asked me if I was OK, which I was, and we proceeded to run together and chat from mile 20 to mile 22.
I made it to 23.1 miles (5K to go) in 3:29-ish. I'd completed the second stage of my race plan and I was right where I wanted to be. Now on to the final part of my plan. After getting to “5K-to-go-mark” at a nice, comfortable pace, I simply wanted to run the final 5K with whatever I had in the tank. Here's where I would lay it all out, and empty the tank. I felt really good. And as soon as I thought to myself, “Here we go!”, both of my calves started to twitch and spasm a bit. I had to make a decision here, and I decided to hold off on stepping on the gas pedal for a minute or two, and see what happens. Sure enough, they started spasming again. At this point, I knew throwing the hammer down wasn't going to happen. So I decided to try and just keep running steady splits, like I had been. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible either. They kept spasming. Not so as powerfully as they did in the spring, but strongly enough that I knew I was going to have to incorporate walking breaks to get to the finish as efficiently as possible. It was while I was walking that I began to realize that I was having some tightness/soreness in my left hip too. I kept trying to apply pressure to it with my fist to help, but it was temporary relief. So I did the best I could to run & walk. Mile 24 wasn't too bad, but the 25th is when I really knew my calves were going to prevent me from getting in under 4 hours. The final 2.2-ish were really uncomfortable.
I say “ish” b/c there's some real question as to the true distance of the course. It was a topic on the Runner's World forum. I know for sure that my watch was barely off through 20 miles. After that, I paid less attention to it. When I got into downtown, it lost the signal temporarily, so my watch distance should have been less than what I actually ran. But when I load the run into Sportstracks, it adjusts for the distance covered, and since I made no turns during that stretch, it should have adjusted correctly. When my watch hit its 25th split, Sportstracks says I'd covered 25.07 miles. No problem. At the 26th split, the software says 26.23. Hmmmm. And then it says it covered another 0.76 miles, for a total of 26.99?!? Others on the RW forum have distances in the 26.5-26.9 range too. I'm not getting hung up on this though because I know my final 5K was crazy slow, and that I have plenty of work to do. No problem.
Ultimately, I covered the final 5K in about 37-38 minutes, and finished in 4:07:53. Once again, cardio fatigue was a non-issue. I had gas in the tank, I just didn't have the wheels to allow me to use it.
Indy was a very nice race, and I'm glad I went. The weather played some tricks on me. The forecast was for a cool (mid-40's), windy morning that turned into a mid-50's & windy day. I chose to wear shorts and long sleeve technical shirt. It got up in to the mid-60's later in the morning, and at that point, I was wishing I had a short sleeved shirt on. Still, I wasn't terribly uncomfortable, just a little.
The plan for the remainder of '09? 10K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with a friend from Alabama, 5K Jingle Bell Run the week or two after that with my wife & step-daughter, and nothing but easy running otherwise. The backs of my knees have been achy since the race, so I'm trying to rest, which is very difficult for me. I managed to not run on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Saturday. This week, I'll pick it up a bit, but not much.
Now that I've finished my first marathon, I've learned some things:
1) I have a lot room for improvement, and I now have a base time to work off of and improve on.
2) My calves still need plenty of work. When it happens once, I can say was a fluke. Twice is an issue. Gotta be diligent about stretching & self-massage to help loosen them up.
3) This is kind weird...as much as I like races, I realize how much I LOVE the training. I think I prefer training. I'll keep racing, for sure. They're fun. But the grind of training gives me that everyday sense of accomplishment that I thirst for.
4) Just finishing, even if I don't finish strong, or hit a goal, or whatever, just finishing is enough for me to avoid the post-marathon blues. I'm anxious to start to training again. I want to figure out what race to run next so I can get back after it. My mental outlook is just so much better right now than after the Flying Pig.
So now it's time to enjoy the holidays, and make it to 2010 healthy. By then I hope to have a target race, or races, and a training schedule in place. And maybe finally a podcast episode? More on that later.
Nov 4, 2009
Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever, Nestle+1+1+1
Makes 1 batch:
Get a bag of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips. Follow the recipe on the back, verbatim. SCREEEEEEEEECH!!!! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Stop the bus! The Toll House cookie recipe? Surely, I must be joking, right? Actually, no. Start with that recipe. Trust me.
But now I have a confession to make. I'm not particularly fond of the Toll House recipe. At all. Yet, I still use it here. So for me to use a recipe I don't even like must tell you that what I am about to suggest you do it must be pretty darn good. And it's very easy to remember. To the Nestle recipe add 1, plus 1, plus 1.
What are the 1's? 1 EXTRA egg, 1 EXTRA cup of flour, 1 regular box of instant pudding mix. Not the large box, the regular/small one. And it must be instant. I believe it is a 3.9 oz. box. Personally, my favorite to use is French Vanilla. But you can use whatever flavor you'd like to have in your cookie. I kinda think I'd avoid lemon, or pistachio. Vanilla is good, chocolate was fine. But French Vanilla wins in my house. And since I make 'em, I get to pick the flavor.
That's it. Follow everything else the recipe says to do. How simple is that?
How do these cookies differ from you'd normally get? They don't bake thin, they aren't hard, dry or crispy. I prefer soft, moist, cookies with the outside ever so slightly crunchy. And that's what you get with this recipe. They bake in nearly identically the shape they go into the oven in, i.e. they barely spread. And the inside is pure soft, chewy goodness. Just the edges crisp up. Just enough to provide that contrast in texture that I'm looking for.
When I make them, I always double-batch it. I know better than to think one batch will last more than 2 days. I've always had great reviews, and am often asked for my recipe. When I tell them what it is, I always get the same reaction..."That's it?!? That's all you do?" Uh...yeah. What can I say? Simple is good. And this is a simple tweak, to a simple recipe, that (IMO) greatly improves the finished product.
Try it, and let me know what you think.
72 hours away
Getting so close to race day. I'm ready. Trying to stay calm, not overthink it, not make it more than it is. But I really wish it was Saturday, not Wednesday.
Arriving somewhere b/w 11-12, will check to see if can get into hotel room, then go to expo. After that, my dad will have likely arrived by then, so we'll go find him. I think we should go the start/end of the course and scope it out for where my dad can easily get to, and perhaps figure out what he can do while I'm running miles 4-24. Susan will be trying to see me at other spots on the course, and there's no way he'd be able to keep up. Then at 6PM we'll be meeting some friends who live in Indy for dinner, which will be fun. Not sure where we're heading, but I'm sure I'll be a good boy. Light dinner, no more than 1 glass of wine (if that). With an 8AM race start, I'd like to get to the start area around 7AM so I can warmup properly. So that means get to bed b/w 9-10PM the night before. Any earlier than that, I'll have a lousy night's sleep. I'll wake up at around 4:30-5AM to quickly eat a small breakfast, and then lay back down until it's time to head out.
Weather forecast looks great. Currently...sunny, low 48, high 63, 10% chance of rain. That would be short sleeve shirt weather! I was expecting to wear long sleeves. I actually prefer long sleeves. But I certainly won't complain.
Knee continues to feel better as I rest, and run fewer miles over the last 2 weeks. I'm encouraged by that.
I'll be tweeting periodically (at the same time as I text my wife to let her know how I'm doing so she can know when/where to expect to see me). Feel free to follow me. I'm rich_davey. I protect tweets, to help avoid all the spam that seems to be going through lately. But send a request to follow me, and if you are clearly not a spammer, I'll approve it.
Arriving somewhere b/w 11-12, will check to see if can get into hotel room, then go to expo. After that, my dad will have likely arrived by then, so we'll go find him. I think we should go the start/end of the course and scope it out for where my dad can easily get to, and perhaps figure out what he can do while I'm running miles 4-24. Susan will be trying to see me at other spots on the course, and there's no way he'd be able to keep up. Then at 6PM we'll be meeting some friends who live in Indy for dinner, which will be fun. Not sure where we're heading, but I'm sure I'll be a good boy. Light dinner, no more than 1 glass of wine (if that). With an 8AM race start, I'd like to get to the start area around 7AM so I can warmup properly. So that means get to bed b/w 9-10PM the night before. Any earlier than that, I'll have a lousy night's sleep. I'll wake up at around 4:30-5AM to quickly eat a small breakfast, and then lay back down until it's time to head out.
Weather forecast looks great. Currently...sunny, low 48, high 63, 10% chance of rain. That would be short sleeve shirt weather! I was expecting to wear long sleeves. I actually prefer long sleeves. But I certainly won't complain.
Knee continues to feel better as I rest, and run fewer miles over the last 2 weeks. I'm encouraged by that.
I'll be tweeting periodically (at the same time as I text my wife to let her know how I'm doing so she can know when/where to expect to see me). Feel free to follow me. I'm rich_davey. I protect tweets, to help avoid all the spam that seems to be going through lately. But send a request to follow me, and if you are clearly not a spammer, I'll approve it.
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