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A little nervous

The half-marathon is less than a week away.

This is the same half-marathon I made a goal for myself last year, the one that started me running in the first place. I made it, and it was a great accomplishment for me. After, I thought how the half-marathon was probably a little too much to set out for myself. The amount of recovery time off I needed after each of my longer weekend training runs told me I was maybe pushing myself too hard. I'm not after a particular finishing time, I just want to keep running. At my age (and weight), injury to my knees or something else is the greatest risk to that longterm goal.

And yet, here I am running it again. That's the plan, anyway. It wasn't my plan at the start of the year, but my late summer I felt pretty good, and in a brave moment I clicked the registration link to sign up for the Santa Clarita Half Marathon once again. This time my training was following Jeff Galloway's run/walk method, rather than Hal Higdon's training schedule like last year. Doing the run/walk on a 4:1 minute ratio has meant I felt I could run farther . . . maybe even faster. I'll settle for farther, though.

A high point in the training came a few weeks ago (more?) when I set out on an 8-mile route . . . figured I might run 9 . . . and ended up going 10! I was invincible! The following weekend I ran the Worldwide Festival of Races, the Zen Run 10k all by myself. The fact that I was doing lots of traveling was a training complication, and the 10k fit into my schedule better than another big run. So far, so good.

The week after that I screwed it up. I had new insoles, new body glide, new fuel belt, and slept in to run mid-day when I thought it wouldn't be too hot. About half of those decisions proved to be a mistake, and I conked out after 6 miles of my intended 10-12 miler. No problem, I thought, I still have time in my training schedule. The first midweek shorter run went great, back with some new Spenco crosstrainer insoles like I've used for years, and I felt strong. But the similar run a couple days later yielded pain in my right knee. Uh-oh.

I cut that run short, took some NSAIDs, and rested it. I skipped my long run on the weekend. I skipped the short runs during the week. All the while I was nervous about this lack of training, and the fast-approaching half-marathon. Last weekend the knee felt better, so I took it out for a 6-miler. It felt ok, a little tight after the run, but the stretching at the first walk break really helped, I think. At the end I'm sure I could've gone farther than 6 miles, but I wanted to save the knee, and I'm supposed to be in my taper anyway.

The half-marathon is six days away. Two short runs, if I can squeeze them in on this east coast business trip. (Or maybe I'll just do the treadmill tomorrow.) I may not make it. Or I may have to push through some knee pain. Or who knows? I may do fine, even beating my time last year with a run/walking strategy. No matter what, I'm still a runner, so as long as I don't really screw up my knees, anything that keeps me moving is a victory of some kind.

Running in Switzerland

We've had the opportunity to travel to Europe four times now, but only this last trip was after the time when I'd started running. Like my other travels since taking it up, I was looking forward to running in a new, exciting place. That was how I felt about San Francisco, of course, but even to Long Island and Alabama. Just being in a new place is fun, and there's something about the act of running that lets me take in my surroundings in a special way (even when I'm listening to something in my earphones). Running through a historic town in central Switzerland was a real thrill, made even better by the BBC podcast in my ears about European history!

Our hotel was in a great location right in Luzern near the historic Kapellebrücke. I'd hoped to get in two runs during our week, but business and vacation took priority and I only had the chance once. It was early in the morning, still cool outside, and I went from the hotel down along the river Reuss, past several bridges in the nice part of town into the more modern, working part of the city. Then I crossed over and came back toward the remnants of the city wall & tower. For that part I had to walk since it was a steep hill & stairs. Once I'd regained my breath at the top I started up again along the wall, then down into the old town across to the lakeshore. From there I ran a little ways down, but then turned around and headed back to the hotel, finishing up across the famous wooden bridge! (3.5 miles)

Two more 5K's

After that last post I realize I'd neglected to describe two more 5K's I ran earlier in the year. The first was the Revlon Run/Walk for Women on May 9. The appeal of this event was that it was run all around USC, starting at Exposition Park and ending inside the Coliseum. Sweet! Not only that, but the finish was actually through the tunnel near the end zone that the USC Trojans football team enters through before each half of a game! Wow! Running around our old college apartments and whatnot was a lot of fun, too.

What it wasn't as great for was running fast. This is a huge fundraising event, and there were 10 times more people than I'd ever seen at a run. (The picture doesn't come close to giving you an idea of the crowds.) It didn't start on time, and for the first mile or so it was hard to keep running due to the crowds. Weaving in & out kind of worked, but I was also concerned about twisting an ankle on the roads/curbs/drains/planter boxes that we were navigating. Not such a big deal to take it slower, except that I'd committed to a goal of a 5K PR sometime this year. I know now that this wasn't going to be the race for that, but I didn't understand it then.

Just the same, it was a fun race. I had some good music in my ears to enjoy while reminiscing about the location. As I thought, running into the Coliseum at the end was a real thrill, and worth the price of admission right there. They had some sort of automated camera taking pictures of the crowds as they crossed the finish line, but I couldn't find myself in them later. My 33:08 time (10:40 pace) reflected the issue of the crowds, that's all. At the end I got to go up into the stands while waiting for Candy & Molly to finish. A great band was playing at the big party. The only weird thing was the skimpiness with snacks at the end. Quartered bagels were only for some private group?! We got corn chips instead?! As I said, weird.

I'd convinced my buddy Shawn at work to run this, too. He's a much better (faster & farther) runner than I am, but he hadn't been to any organized races before. As he's almost anti-social, that's not surprising. I'd convinced him to run a different 5K with me earlier in the spring, but then our vacation to Washington DC interfered with those plans. This was to be our make-up event. It's kind of too bad I picked this one, as I don't know if it was a good experience for him. As someone that's not fond of crowds, this could've been the worst. Nonetheless, he struggled through the traffic to get here & park. Then he did what I should've done--positioned himself near the start of the race as one of the few that cared about their time. As a result, he didn't encounter the same crowds I did while running. He finished fast, got his goodies and immediately left. Figures. We could've talked in the stands at the end, but instead we never saw each other.

The following week I ran another 5K. This was one right here in Santa Clarita for a local cancer charity, the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund Fight It! 5K. Instead of getting up early and driving 40 minutes I would be able to almost sleep in and just drive 5 minutes to our Central Park. I wouldn't normally opt for two races on successive weekends, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up (and it was too late to cancel the previous race). Since this was kind of a "bonus" race for me, I didn't take it super-seriously--I stayed up late the night before.

The race started at 8:30 or so, and unlike other races in cooler locations it was already hot & dusty at that time. I finished in 30:28, a 9:48 pace. There's nothing wrong with that but at the time I was disappointed with how overheated I was, how I needed to walk more than I wanted, and how I couldn't managed to finish within 30 minutes. With the benefit of hindsight, though, I think I did ok and I'm definitely glad I tried it.

Just keep running

I haven't written here for a LONG time. The main reason is not a great one--I got a little more busy at work (it's always busy, this was just a bit more), and things like blogging/journaling took a nose dive. Fortunately, running did NOT. As I'd already learned about myself, I do best when I have a specific training schedule. This time it was from Jeff Galloway instead of Hal Higdon, and building up to a 10K in mid-September instead of a half-marthon in November. Which means some of the time & distances required are similar to what I was doing last summer.

A goal I'd set for myself was to run a PR in a 5K this year, and I did that on August 2nd! It was at the Free To Breathe 5K in Playa del Rey. This was the same 5K I ran at the start of my training last year, which was my previous PR! (Not the first 5K I'd ever done, but the first since I became a runner.) It's a clichéd "flat, fast course" that even has a downhill near the end without having an uphill part! That's because you walk the uphill to get to the start, then during the race you get to run down at the end. Maybe that's why my times are best there. Certainly the ocean breeze & view helps, too. Or maybe they don't mark the distance correctly. :-) Whatever it is, I'll take it.

My time was 27:52, a 9:00 pace. My notes say I had 8:52/9:50/9:00ish for my splits. Too fast at the beginning, too slow in the middle, but at least I finished faster at the end. I feel very good about this run. It's fun to compare this run to last year's. Back then I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I ran holding a small water bottle and my phone/MP3 player in a holder in my other hand. Though my time was pretty good, I didn't look like it in the photo. I've since learned to beam for the camera, but there wasn't one at this race. So I took my own photo at the end. I didn't bring my own water, and I didn't stop for any on this shorter distance. I didn't do any run-walk-run for this distance, either, but I definitely am on my training runs. I'd read about leaning into a downhill and taking advantage of it, something I'm sure I didn't do last year. I proudly took home the race t-shirt, but I ran in my own gear.

What's also incredible is how I see some of the same people in these races. Maybe they see me, too. These events are drawing me from 45 minutes away, and I run at pretty much the same pace, so perhaps it should be no surprise that we see each other. It's just that LA is so big, I'm always surprised when I see someone I recognize.

On the road again

Sure enough, after the month of March I started running again. I worried the time off to rest my knee would mean a setback in my ability to run. I guess that was true, too. Not long ago I ran a 10K and felt good about it--now running only 2K feels like work. But it's a good kind of work. Meaning, I feel good about running again, even if my performance has decreased somewhat. I can build that back up.

I ran once the first week in April, once the second (while on vacation in Washington DC), twice the following week (while on a business trip to Long Island), and three times back at home. Sounds pretty good to me, especially since I could tell it was getting easier. Also, I think I'm starting to lose a little of the weight I put back on in March. Best of all, Sam ran with me once, and plans to do so again at our next 5K.

Take it easy

I haven't been driven to write anything here because I haven't been running. Haven't really been exercising at all. Towards the end of February my right knee started to hurt. It's often hurt a little bit, especially when going down stairs (not up). I understand that to be a kneecap tracking problem, most likely caused by imbalance in the muscle groups that surround and guide the kneecap. I'd mentioned that little tweak in my right knee to my doctor a year ago when I started running, and he confirmed it with some push & pull tests he did. I've been taking glucosamine basically the entire time on his instruction for that knee, and at one time I wore one of those knee brace things with a hole it it. Supposed to help guide the kneecap, but I didn't notice any improvement, so I stopped.Probably what I should've always been doing are the leg exercises (esp. for the quads) that are supposed to help this condition.

Well, it was seemingly ok until that Saturday night in February, when my knee hurt during the night no matter how I positioned it. Since my greatest concern about injury is for my knees, I was finally spurred into action. Or rather, spurred into inaction, since the first thing they say to do is stop running. I decided to take the month of March off. I also did some icing and lots of ibuprofen for the first week, and a few of those leg exercises (but really I should make that a permanent part of my regimen).

Sad to say, I also started eating worse. There's something ridiculous about that, but I understand the human weakness. When I'm running, I'm more motivated to eat better so I lose more weight and all that running (which is still work!) isn't for nothing. Trouble is, the converse is also true--when I'm not running I don't feel as compelled to eat better.

At least March is just about over, and I'm about to start running again. My knee is back to feeling at least as good as it did before last month, perhaps a little better. I hope that means I've staved off an injury, and if I get those hamstring & quad exercises going I can hope for even more.

Firecracker 10K

Last week I chipped away by one of my running goals for 2009 by running a 10K. This was the Firecracker 10K in LA's Chinatown. Actually it starts & ends in Chinatown, but covers most of its distance circling Dodger Stadium and Elysian Park. Normally LA seems like--and is--a big, sprawling place, with no real downtown. However, this event showed how close lots of the cities landmarks and neighborhoods are to each other. That was a nice side benefit of the race, getting a feel for the old downtown.

There were several things I didn't like about this race, and many more that I did. First of all, I had already figured out that the 10K training program (which I had to accelerate to finish in time for this race) wasn't something I wanted to do. Last year's half-marathon was a personal goal I'm so glad I accomplished, though in the process I learned that I pushed myself beyond what was smart. I'm most worried about injuring something (most likely my right knee), and also worried about making running unfun. The 10K is less than half that distance, but I still found these same issues. In fact, I wish I'd only signed up for the 5K, since I was starting to enjoy training for that distance.

But no, I had already registered for the 10K distance. And since running a couple 10K's is a goal for 2009, at least I would knock one out early. Now I can delay the second until much later in the year, and get back to more fun running again.

The other downside of this race was how unprepared the organizers were. Which is weird, because this is the 31st annual running of it! I guess they had many more people turning out (which is a good thing). They actually ran out of cups at almost all of the water stations, which would've been dangerous had it been hot. Instead, it was drizzly and very cool.

On the upside, the shirts are great! Best race shirt yet. Also good was how I felt during the race--pretty much fine despite a lot of hills. For once I even turned on the gas toward the end (it helped that some good music was starting on my MP3 player), and felt strong through the finish. In fact, I wished I'd started pushing toward that finish earlier. So that was good. Finally, I love how my entire family did this race, with Candy, Molly, and now Sam running in the 5K. Sam even ran ahead on his own, and said he had a good time!

I finished the 10K in 1:08:24, which was right at a 11 minute mile pace. I'll take it!

2009 Goals

Here are my running goals for the coming year. I have lots of other goals, and I'm a fan of New Year's Resolutions as a motivator. These are the ones that relate to running & fitness.

1. Run a half-dozen races this year, two of them 10K's, the rest 5K's.
2. Run a PR at one of the 5K's.
3. Do cross-training of some time (5BX, cycling, swimming, something more than walking) 80% of the days.
4. Strengthen my right knee to reduce pain.

It's now pretty clear to me that going from no-running to a half-marathon in seven months, and at an overweight age 42 was a little too ambitious. I made it--something I'm still so happy about--but a more gradual pace is probably better for my body. Improved health & fitness is my goal, after all.

That's why I'm not planning any longer races in 2009. The 10K's are long enough, thank you. They still require some dedicated training schedules with a taper before the actual race. That's what I've read, anyway.

As for the 5K personal record, I doubt a PR is achievable every year, but it's still so early in my "running history" that I have to believe it's achievable.

I don't have an overall or monthly mileage goal, or a target pace time. If I do these things, I'll be very pleased with my continued running in 2009, ready to try more in 2010. Earlier I set a weight loss goal for myself, too, but I'm hopeful that that will just "come along for the ride" if I keep at this running and keep eating a little better. (No set goal for that, either, just keep improving.)

Accomplishments in 2008

I need goals. While I suppose I could just do things just because they're a good idea, I know my own mind, and I know that I do more when I set goals for myself. It's been that way forever, and in all aspects of my life. Naturally, I'm a big fan of New Year's Resolutions, even while I know they aren't for everybody. They help me.

Since my running started partway through 2008, I hadn't set any New Year's Resolutions for running. Nonetheless, I can look back on the year for some accomplishments, even without the formality of a January 1st commitment.

1. Started (and have kept) running. Although #2 was actually my primary goal, along the way I learned that this was more important.
2. Ran the Santa Clarita Half-Marathon, which was the one written goal I set out for myself regarding fitness (I set plenty of other goals for work, being a dad & husband, and even for my other hobbies).
3. Ate better. Though I still have much improvement to make here, I can take credit for eating smarter (and sometimes less) than I was doing a year ago. The improvement showed in my blood test (annual physical) already, and I'm looking forward to my next results.
   
4. Learned a lot about running. Even with something as physical as running, I find a way to make it a little research project, too. I read running blogs and other info on the web, copied my training program from Hal Higdon (learned who that is!), subscribed to Runner's World, am reading The Courage to Start (with another John Bingham book on the way), and "geared up" with shoes/shorts/tech-tee/etc.
5. Lost 18 lbs! I was up to 237 when I started all of this, close to my heaviest ever, and by the end of the year I just squeezed down to 219. Yeah, I gained a couple back during our New Year's vacation to Hawaii, but I'm still happy about this. Also happy that I keep having to buy pants with a smaller waist. :-)
   

The main thing I didn't do was stretching & cross-training. My doctor discovered some issue with my right kneecap (patella tracking) during an exam prior to starting my training, and gave me some exercises to help with it. I read more online about that, too. I never really did those, however, and the cross-training I began during the half-marathon training fell by the wayside as the mileage increased. Candy was after me to do more stretching, and even demonstrated some good ones for me, but I gave those short shrift, too.

Next I'll post my 2009 running/fitness goals.

Reflections on 2008

It goes without saying that 2008 was a landmark year for my running & fitness. That's because this was the year I started running seriously. After college, before our first house I remember working out sometimes at my employer's small gym. That was almost 20 years ago, and it didn't stick more than a month or two. Same deal when I joined a gym in Livermore, probably before the kids were born (I almost forgot about that). I did try running a little bit back in those days, too. That didn't stick, either, but I can remember some runs of decent length along the streets or creek trail of Livermore, or along the causeways in the south bay above Sunnyvale. Three years ago, an imminent 40th birthday motivated me to start running some mornings, and Sam even ran with me. It was more like run/walking, but it led up to the Santa Clarita 5K in November 2006.

That was all beneficial, and when my 2006 runs were combined with some better eating I even lost some weight and was on a better path for fitness. But I didn't stick with it. This year, 2008, has been different. I'm pretty sure I've already run for a longer period of time than ever before. I've certainly run substantially more distance. The single 5K I ran in all the years prior to this one was topped by three 5K's, a 10K, and a half-marathon, all within not much more than half of 2008. My eating could still show some improvement, but I can still claim a better diet than I've had in many years, possibly my entire adult life.

That's why 2008 is a watershed year for me. The running has even helped me in other ways, showing me the power of steady, methodical dedication to improvement, serving as a metaphor for other aspects of my life. I'm finally setting a good example for my family and that makes a dad feel very good!

Here now are many notable moments from my past year:

• The act of committing to run the half-marathon as I wrote in my journal on my 42nd birthday
• My great fortune to just searching the Internet for "half marathon training," not knowing I'd find anything at all, then coming up with lots of resources & landing on Hal Higdon's program
• Using my running goals as an opportunity to connect with my sister-in-law, an avid runner
• Being too nervous & self-conscious to go to a running store, I instead got my running shoes, socks, and "runderwear" from Kohl's and Sports Chalet
• Listening to an audiobook about the Panama Canal and the podcasts Garrett's Games & Geekiness, Filmspotting, and 4 Feet Running on many runs.
• Using MapMyRun.com to plan & measure my routes.
• Looking forward to running in new places when traveling. I ran through historic Huntsville, San Francisco (first the Embarcadero and later across the GG Bridge), and in The Dalles. (In Denver and Long Island I had to settle for the hotel treadmill.) Right now I'm looking forward to running in Hawaii next week.
• Downloading new running music mixes for each race. I went with Stevie Wonder for the first 5K, followed by Guns n Roses, Van Halen, and finally Saturday Night Fever for the half-marathon.
  
• The back spasm that completely derailed my first 5 mile training run, then the exhilaration of making the very next run a few days later without mishap.
• The confidence and joy of making it through my last training run before the half-marathon in good form. The previous long run a week earlier had been a struggle, but this time I did a better job hydrating the night before and had some energy gels & more water with me.
• Learning to take a good mid-run photo by spotting the photographer and smiling. :-)

Of course, the top moment of the year was achieving my goal of finishing that half-marathon. The last mile was perhaps more fun than crossing the finish line, as I had time to savor it, knowing I was going to be successful.

It's coming back (whew!)

Achieving my goal of running the half-marathon early last month was fantastic. But I never expected that to be the end of it. Instead, I wanted to keep exercising, probably keep running, and continue to make improvements in my health & fitness. Trouble was, after the half-marathon I didn't feel as compelled to run regularly.

Well, I'm happy to report that there's been an improvement. As I mentioned before, I really do think I pushed myself too hard in that last month to achieve my half-marathon goal. I was only doing the weekend long runs in my training program, because I was just too wiped out to do the midweek stuff. And I'd dropped the off-day cross-training a long time ago. However, I also wrote earlier that I'm experiencing many things about running for the first time, and one of those was the post-race letdown. I think that, combined with the overtraining, is what led to a (natural?) drop in my running afterward.

Which is why I'm so pleased now to report that I seem to be back on the upswing. There was that 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and some more irregular running in the month of December. With a big upheaval in our main program at work, the hours were long and stressful. Combined with the holidays I found it difficult to run during the week. Still, I did so a few times, and I also got in one run most weekends, and usually a little longer. A treat was a midweek run on a cold night where I listened to the Charlie Brown Christmas Special soundtrack while running up Copper Hill to the incredible Wakefield Court neighborhood that sets out record-setting, award-winning Christmas light decorations every year.

A week ago I came down with a 24-hour flu, which interrupted some running, but when I got out there again I ran probably 4+ miles. (Lately I haven't been measuring my mileage, sometimes not even timing myself--just running to run.) Then last night I ran down to Saugus High School to use their track and attempt my first track workout. Following the helpful advice for intimidating newbies in John Bingham's book, The Courage to Start, I ran five 1/4-mile laps with resting in-between to establish a track baseline. My times were 2:07, 2:12, 2:10, 2:05, and 2:06, which looks consistent enough to me. When I got home I wrote that down in my new running journal, a gift from Molly.

We've got two 5K's already planned for early next year, the Firecracker 5K through LA's Chinatown district, and a 5K through the LA Arboretum in early spring. Maybe I'll even run one of those as a 10K, if that's an option. I'm taking my running gear to Hawaii next week, and am really looking forward to some runs in a new setting, one that happens to be paradise.

The fact that my running is picking up steam again--and that I'm looking forward to it--is very encouraging!

Just as exciting is the fact that I'm on-track for my weight-loss goal for 2009 already. I wanted to get down two more pounds in December to start the new year at 220, then try to get down to 200 by the end of that year. I don't know if I can do it or not, but that's my goal. My cheapo digital scale at home is always suspect in my mind because it only seems to report increments of 3 lbs. I was at 222 lbs for most of this month, but then just before Christmas it dropped (3 lbs--hmmm) to 219! Very encouraging, and though I ate well enough during the holidays, I still ate notably less dessert and treats than in previous years. It may well be that 24-hour flu that helped me drop the little bit more I needed to trigger my scale, but I'll take it! Now I just need to avoid losing lots of ground while on vacation in Hawaii. My plan is to cut back a little, but still enjoy myself on vacation, trusting that the extra exercise I'm getting will keep me on track.

Half-Marathon prep notes

Here are my notes in a memo on my PDA before the Half-Marathon. I'd learned the hard way in my long run training that hydrating the day before is important. Even though this race was my ultimate goal, I didn't sign up early enough to use the online system. There is no race-day registration for this event, so I needed to do all of that the day before. (Fortunately it is local to me, just a quick drive across town.)

The smileys are for things I was too embarassed to write, even in my own notes. The first one refers to what happens after coffee & breakfast, the second one what happens after several miles into the race. My low-profile running socks started being a problem, maybe more due to my slipping insole than the socks themselves.

!!! Hydrate on Saturday !!!
!!! Sign up on Saturday !!!

Buy choc gel packs
Take ibuprofen before (have some on me?)
Wake up early enough for breakfast, etc. :-)
Wear tech t
Tape up :-)
Make sure socks are pulled up tight
Update playlists--have a few
Gloves?

New goals (TBD)

My running started when I made a commitment to myself to run the Santa Clarita Half-Marathon. I made that commitment about seven months before the race, on my 42nd birthday. I didn't really know what I was jumping off into, but I knew I wanted to take better care of my body, mostly so I didn't abandon my family suddenly. You know what I mean. And although any of us could go at any time, I didn't want to be negligent in the part relating to my own health. Not quite knowing what else to do, I opted for the half-marathon.

That was great. In fact, it's been one of the most personally satisfying experiences of my life! Not only that I made my goal, but that I made it through a (mostly) slow & sure training program, I stuck with it, and I saw myself improve. It is now a metaphor for many other things in my life, things that seem too difficult or distant, now I can imagine making slow & steady progress toward them.

Ok, now what?

Apparently some people can keep running just for its own sake. I'm not that way. At least, not now. I need a goal to focus on. It could be running the half-marathon again next year. It could be doing that with a better time, or even a target time. Heck, it could even be running the full marathon in Santa Clarita next November. But I don't think any of those are the right goals. I'm not sure what is, and that's not doing my any favors. Because without that goal my running is slipping. Fewer days, fewer miles. I haven't stopped, but I've slowed way down.

I've decided on a weight loss goal, that's something. I was just over 235 lbs back on that birthday, and now I'm around 222. Still no lightweight--still overweight--but an improvement. (And Candy points out that I've both gained muscle and lost weight, which is doubly good.) At one point I dipped under 220 near the peak of my training, but now I'm back around 222. I've kept very irregular records of my weight since 2002, and I've never been lower than this. Most of the time I was up around 230. My goal is to get back to 220 by the end of the year (this month), then get down to 200 by the end of the following year. That's averaging about 2 lbs to lose each month (plus a little margin for setbacks). Can I do it? Of course I can. Will I? We'll see.

However, weight loss goals are very indirect. You lose weight by eating better and exercising more. Those are the actions you take. Weight loss is what happens. You can't do much with a "what happens" goal. You need a goal that relates to actions. That's what's still missing for me. I'm not going to figure it out today, either, but writing this all down helps.

Stockton 5K Turkey Trot

My first race after the Half-Marathon was last weekend's Turkey Trot in Stockton. We'd driven up to my folks' place in nearby Lodi for the holiday. It had been Jessie's idea to run a Turkey Trot, and I jumped at the chance. Jessie has been my virtual running coach for the past six months, and this was my first chance to run with her.

Well, not with her. There were 5K and 10K distances at this race, and though I originally thought about the longer distance I decided to stick with the 5K. Jessie still did the 10K. (Even if I'd done the same distance, she runs quite a bit faster than I do, at under 8 minutes per mile.) Candy & Molly again signed up with me to run/walk the 5K, as well. I was really happy about that. (Sam opted to sleep in at the hotel!)

I did ok, coming in somewhere around 30:04. I've run a few 5K's by now, but only have a couple reliable times (the race through CBS in Studio City wasn't accurate enough). The first 5K since I started training saw me complete it in less than a half-hour, at 29:47. Of course I wanted to do at least that well this time, but it didn't work out. I know some time was lost on a really slow start to the race: there were 3,000 people all run/walking together and it took some time to first reach the starting line and then separate yourself from the mob. I think with a cleaner start I would've finished in under 30, perhaps as good as my earlier time.

More important, I enjoyed myself. I forgot my headphones but Candy lent me her iPod which happened to have the same run music I planned to listen to. It was cool enough to make a longsleeve race shirt comfortable, not hot. I didn't walk at any time, and didn't stop for water at the halfway point, either. In previous races I haven't really pushed at the end, but this time I did. I think I pushed too early, though, because I kind of ran out of gas near the end (still running, but not as fast).

Everything is still new!

I've been running for more than half a year, completed two 5K's, a 10K, and my goal--the Santa Clarita Half-Marathon. And yet I'm still discovering new things about running. In fact, I'm discovering them all the time.

The most important discovery I've made recently is the post-race letdown. After training for half a year to do the Half Marathon earlier this month, I've struggled a bit afterward to continue my running. While a lack of motivation wasn't too surprising--after all, I just finished a goal and hadn't set another one--what did catch me off-guard was the physical difficulty in shorter runs. I guess I subconsciously thought that after running a 13.1 mile race, twice-weekly 2.5 mile runs would be easy. Even a weekend 5-miler should be a welcome relief after previous weekends of 8, 9, and 10 miles.

Turns out it isn't like that. Or it wasn't for me, at least. Instead, I'm finding that the 2.5 mile runs are still a lot of work. Just work for a shorter duration. But they still take a lot of motivation to get out the door, they still tax my body, and I'm still looking forward to them being over before I'm halfway through them!

Lucky for me, I picked up a subscription to Runners World. I did this earlier through my kid's fundraising magazine drive for school. This month, there's an article by Kelly Bastone called The Next Step, and it discusses the very situation I'm facing. It's a big help for me to know that what I'm going through is normal, and that if I keep plugging away (and being patient with myself) that I won't revert back to my pre-running lifestyle.

10 miles per week

I ran (mostly) 5 miles this morning, like I did last Sunday. My "sustaining" plan is to run 5 miles on the weekend, and 2.5 miles twice during the week, making 10 miles per week. After finishing that half-marathon, I foolishly thought 5 miles would be easy for me. It's weird--it's been pretty tough! Tougher than I remember the 10K race last month was. I think I was pumped up for that, with a healthy respect for the distance, but this Sunday 5 miler I've been underestimating.

Run, rookie, run!

Here's how I looked running the 5k in an earlier part of my training schedule, back in early September. A few things to note...

1. I hadn't learned to smile at the camera. You'll see that I didn't learn that lesson until the half-marathon. It's pretty easy, really, since you see the photographer set up in front of you, and other runners may cheer or gesture for their own photos. Now that I've seen how these things turn out, I'm always going to smile for the camera!

2. I'm running with a water bottle in my hand. Rookie. Of course the race had water stations along the way. No need to do that unless you're on a long training run.

3. I've holding my phone/mp3 player in my other hand. Actually, it's in the neoprene armband holder I still use, but back then I had that around my wrist so I could hold the phone itself, too. I guess I was worried about it slipping out somehow. Now I use a girl's flat ponytail band to make sure it won't pop out, and wear it on my arm as intended.

The rest looks pretty much ok to me. I'm still using the same sort of shorts, the same shoes & socks, same watch, same hat. (Now that I finished the half-marathon, I also have a white 13.1 running hat.)

My running girls

Candy & Sam came with me to the first 5K of my training program. After that Candy run/walked with me. Now for the Santa Clarita run, both Candy and Molly ran the 5K. (We let Sam sleep in after a long band review the night before.)

It's great to accomplish my own goals, but it makes me feel even better as a husband and father to see these two do it, too.

I did it!

On Sunday I ran the Half Marathon in Santa Clarita, finishing with a time of 2:27:20. This was a goal I set out for myself on my 42nd birthday back in April . . . when I couldn't run around the block without stopping. And as great as it was to achieve this goal, I think it was just as amazing to know I was going to make it. I've been on a training program (from Hal Higdon) ever since I started around May 1st, and it was steady progress all the time.

There were times in the middle where I would be happy about my accomplishments, moving from a run/walk beginner's program to a 5K, then a 10K . . . but I would still worry about my ability to run more than twice that distance, the 13.1 miles of a half-marathon. My first 5-mile run was cut short by a minor injury, and when the long runs grew to 8-9-10 miles I had to cut back my midweek shorter runs to give me knees a chance to recover. In fact, two weeks before the half-marathon I really struggled to complete my 9.5-mile training run.

But the following week was notably better, helped by rest during the week, better preparation the night before, and the pressure of the nearing deadline! When I ran 10.5 miles the next weekend and felt good about it, I knew I could finish the half-marathon.

My only complication was one faced by many male runners, the dreaded bloody nipples. Ouch! Actually, they didn't hurt so much as embarrass me. When I saw a photographer or onlookers I tried to hide it with my arms, like you see above. Band-aids didn't work on my training runs, and medical tape didn't work on this final run. Next time I'll have to get even more serious with duct tape, like I read about online... This little problem cropped up even before the halfway point of the race, and I lost 2-3 minutes making a portapotty stop to try to tape up again, without success.

Now the question is: what next? I plan to keep running, but to dial back down the distance so that I don't need to take so much time off to rest. Probably something like 5 miles for my long runs on the weekend, and a couple 2-mile runs during the week.

To that I want to add some upper body strength training, something like the Hundred Pushup Challenge, just spread over 6 months instead of 6 weeks. I haven't looked ahead to other races yet, but Candy has started to enjoy the 5k runs, which I'd gladly do again. I'd also like to try another 10k, which is a good distance for me. It's a definitely challenge, but not one that requires its own training program & schedule, now that I've built up my "endurance base."

The goal in sight

The half-marathon I committed to running more than six months ago (on my 42nd birthday) is three days away. That's kind of scary, but not as much as it was earlier. During the beginning parts of my training, even when I moved from run/walking to finishing 5K and 10K races, I kept thinking that I hadn't even run half of the distance of my goal.

I had struggled at the 5-mile mark, but made it past. Same for six and seven miles. Something good happened during my first 8-mile run, when I swear I made it easier than the previous week's seven. Plus, now I was over the halfway point to my goal. The attached email below describes how that mostly continued as my mileage increased, with one tough week in between.

Just like the running books say, I'm beginning to know my body and what it's ready to do...or not. When I was running 4,5,6 miles, I still was feeling good about midweek runs of 2-3 miles. My crosstraining on the offdays dropped to nil (possibly a mistake) because I needed the rest. When I've built up to 9-10 miles on my long runs, my knees ache for days after and I'm pretty tired every evening. So much so that I took the whole week off after that big run. And while that helps me make the next big run (like my goal this weekend), I think a better routine for my body would be something more like 5 miles on the weekend, and a couple 2-3 mile runs during the week.

The 5Ks are fun, and the 10k was a great challenge. One that I knew I could make, but was still work. That seems like a good distance for me, one to keep working on, improving my times.

But this close to my goal, I'm not about to change now! No, I'm going to push through this half-marathon the way I said I would. At least now I'm pretty confident I can do it.

-Mark

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Johnson
Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: How was your marathon?
To: Jessie Hunt


Yeah, my race is on Sunday. I feel a lot better about it this week
than I did the previous one. My last three Sundays have been 9.5, 10,
and 10.5 miles, but after the second one I was concerned. My right
knee has always been a little tweaky, but even my left was hurting
after the 10 miles. I also was really tired, walked some, and went
through all of my water.

But I figured I did a few things wrong, namely starting when it was
too warm and not having enough water (and any fuel) with me. I didn't
run at all for several days. Then I hydrated like mad the night
before, got an earlier (cooler) start, had better stuff to listen to
on my MP3 player, and even tried out some of those carb/electrolyte
fuels along the way. Figured I'd experiment on a trial run rather than
the real deal.

It went much better! I ran for time, not distance, going for just over
2 hours, then later mapping it online to find it was 10.5 miles. I
know I could've gone farther, too, so I'm crossing my fingers that
I'll be ok on Sunday. Best of all, although my legs are sore, I don't
feel the same knee pain. I think I'm ready!

-Mark

Channel Islands Harbor 10K

[I'm writing this months after the date of this post, but realize I'd missed an entry for my first 10K.]

The training program called for a 10K at some point, and this run in Oxnard fit the schedule. My previous runs had been largely fundraisers for some good cause, but this was was strictly a run. The website for the event gave the impression that it was just about running. And it was a pretty straightforward event, without a lot of fanfare. But it was still pretty good, especially the made-to-order crepes by Whole Foods after the race. (I'm sure the line became unbearably long, but we were some of the first.)

Candy did the 5K, too!


Despite it being a running club sort of event, with chip timers and everything, the official times for Candy & I were way off. I think it's possible that our start & finish times were transposed, since mine were about 20 minutes too fast, and hers about 20 minutes too slow. Jessie told me to write the race director to see if that could still be cleared up.

Another 5K

The Sunday before last was my second 5K since I started running. The Hal Higdon training schedule I'm using calls for those at the end of certain weeks, and this was just one of those. I'm lucky that there are enough organized event runs on EVERY weekend around here (SoCal).

It happened to be another charity run, this one to raise money & awareness in the fight against ovarian cancer. It was held at CBS Studios in (where else?) Studio City. Candy came with me, and beyond that she run/walked the 5K, too! It wasn't organized very well, with confusion around parking, start times, and even the race route! They had volunteers trying to direct how the 10K, 5K, and 3K routes differed, but they didn't all appear well-informed themselves. I heard someone complain after the race that it was longer than 5K. I'm pretty sure that's right, since I know my pace very well by now. I should've come in at 30:00, and I finished after 36:00. No problem.

The cool part was how the route ended, sending us through the CBS studio lot, running down "New York Street" which had facade storefronts to look like a location in NYC for tv shoots (maybe movies). It had a deli, brownstones, an independent bookstore... cool! At other parts of the route we ran along internal company streets named Gunsmoke, Newhart, and Mary Tyler Moore. We saw the bungaloes where writers and producers for today's shows work during the week.

6 miles! But it wasn't easy...

The good news--the great news--is that I made my runs the rest of the week, including the increase to six miles for my big run on Sunday (this morning). In fact, even the midweek runs made a big jump to 4 miles on two workdays. So far, so good, but I'm starting to encounter some problems. Maybe not big problems, but I'm concerned.

First, there was that back spasm last week. Nothing like that has happened again, so hopefully that's behind me.

Those midweek runs are becoming much more time-consuming, which got me into work later than I'd like two days. Of course I could just get up earlier, but I'm already up at 5:30 or so. It's still too hot around here to run in the evening. I guess I just need to go to bed earlier and set that alarm.

I needed to walk during some of the 6-miler today, especially between 4-5 miles. I was just wiped out. At least I eventually recovered enough to run the last mile and a half. Since this was a weekend, I didn't get up super early, which meant by the time I was out there it was already getting hot. I had my little 8 oz water bottle which I drained during the run. Perhaps I need more? I doubt a powerbar would make a difference, though I guess that's possible. I think it's just that my training program is ramping up, and it's a struggle for me.

I bet the best thing for me to do is get back on the wagon to do my cross-training on the off days, and eat better. I've gotten pretty bad about both of these lately. A month ago I was still running greater distances all the time, but I was keeping up with the rest of the program, too (eating right & cross-training). Gotta get back to that.

-Mark

Made it!

Last night I tried the 5-miler again, and this time I made it. Same route (with the hills), just after about 36 hours of rest. I took some ibuprofen (NSAID), Candy rubbed my back, and on Sunday I spent some time in the spa with the jet working on that sore spot. Whew!

First setback

Rats, I was trying another 5-mile run this morning, when I was stopped by a back spasm before I made it to 2 miles! I never had one of those before, running or otherwise, and it ended my run on the spot. I tried walking it out for a while, stretching, whatever, then running again, but it was no-go. Ugh, it was still a 2-mile walk around the loop back
to the car. This is an upper back spasm, while most of what I read about online was lower back. When I got home I took some vitamin I, Candy rubbed it, we put on bengay, and now I'm taking it easy. I can still feel it, but later today I'll get in the hot tub which should help. I'm really hoping I can retry that 5-miler tomorrow morning after more bengay and ibuprofen tonight.

I did all my runs this week, but had flaked out on the cross-training that I'm supposed to do on the off days. This was the first week I let that slip so much, and I wonder if there's any connection.

5 miles

On Sunday I ran 5 miles. I was away for the weekend, so considered just running on the hotel's fitness room treadmill. Candy says it's better on my knees, and I'm sure she's right. However, there's a lot to be said for interesting (or at least new) scenery when I'm running. MapMyRun.com makes it so easy to chart out a new route, with Google Map's street, photo, and hybrid views. It even has an elevation plot so I can avoid big hills.

It was tough, but not horribly so. I finished in 52:30, which is a 10:30 pace on the button. I felt great for having finished it. Now I have some shorter runs during the week, before another 5-miler on Sunday.

I have two trips for work during this time, right now to San Francisco, and next week to Houston. The SF trip gives me the chance to run across the GG Bridge, while Houston has nothing but humidity! I don't know, maybe it's better than that.

My weight stays the same, no doubt because I'm exercising well but eating poorly. For the moment, I'm ok with that. The next 5k is about three weeks away, but it's the 10k beyond that looks like the challenge. Of course, I'm still concerned about the huge increase to 13.1 miles for that half-marathon in just 2.5 months...

At least I'm starting to see some improvement. This morning I noticed some better definition in my legs.

-Mark

Am I a runner now?

I'm a runner right now in the sense that I'm running regularly. But am I a runner? I'm not sure. I ordered John Bingham's book, the Courage to Start, about the "penguin chronicles." That sounded like me, until I read the intro of the actual book, and Bingham talks about always feeling the joy of running, from when he was a young kid.

That's not me. I was never a runner. I was slow, and never had good form. Then for years I had problems with my feet. Though I dabbled in running throughout my adult life (i.e. taking it up & dropping again once every five years), it was always something I did to try to get in shape, lose weight, etc.

That's my motivation now, too. I'd wanted to run the 5k in my own town before I turned 40. Then that shifted into running it when I was 40. Which I did! That was in 2006, and despite the pride of the accomplishment, I stopped running after that. This year I turned 42, and have been growing increasingly concerned about my health. In particular, my cholesterol was hovering in the border zone, and I knew I was overweight. Particularly as the sole wage-earner, I want to take responsibility for my own well-being for my own sake and that of my family.

So with a gulp I decided on my birthday to run the half-marathon this year. And I started running. Does that make me a runner?

It definitely helps to have a defined training plan. I didn't have that when I did the 5k, but now I've got one. I don't think that makes me a runner by itself, but it gives me focus and measured progress that I didn't have before. It also pushed me to sign up for two more 5k's and a 10k on the way to the half-marathon.

I still don't feel a joy to get out there and run, but I do feel a drive to keep progressing along my training plan. I can even feel a little restless after a couple days of not running, anxious to attempt the next increment. It's also been fun to look forward to new runs in new cities, like when I'm on some sort of trip.

Yesterday I picked up Runner's World magazine, and today I discovered running podcasts. In all of my hobbies, I've enjoyed studying up on it. It happens all the time with games, it happened with model rockets, with travel... It's a good sign that I want to "study" running. Maybe if this keeps up I will really be a runner!

4 miles!

This morning I ran 4 miles, farther than I've ever run before. I made it, but beyond that I made it pretty easily. It wasn't EASY, but I thought I could've gone even farther if I would've had to. These four miles felt a little easier than the 3.1 miles (5K) I ran last week.

This morning I got up early, starting my run by 6am when it was still cool and not yet bright. That must've helped.

-Mark

The start of half-marathon training

I'm now a couple days into the 12 weeks of half-marathon training. Mondays are now Strengthen & Stretch, which I did. Partway through I started to feel like I had a clue what I was doing. It'll get more productive with repetition.

Then tonite was a 3 mile run, something that will ramp up on Tuesdays. I tried using the Freestyle MP3 player on an armband instead of the Treo. Between that & no water bottle I was running with nothing in my hands. Which was good.

It's still pretty hot in the evenings, but at least I made it.

-Mark

My first 5K

Today I ran my first 5K, and that's a good a note as any to start my personal training blog on. Almost two years ago I ran/walked the Santa Clarita 5K, but this one (the Free To Breathe run in Los Angeles) was the first time I ran the whole way. That's an accomplishment I can be proud of.

Even better it what it means: I'm progressing on my plan to run a half-marathon in Santa Clarita this November. That was a commitment I made to myself on my 42nd birthday this year. With some trepidation, I could add. Not knowing much of anything about it, I just typed "half marathon training" into a Google search a few days after that commitment, and was lucky to find a lot of good material. I had no idea! I ended up following what Hal Higdon had to say about novice runners training for various distances, including a half-marathon.

That was pretty fortunate, because I learned later that Hal Higdon isn't just some hack, but instead he's one of the leading authorities on the subject. I just put his intro, 5K, and half-marathon training schedules back-to-back-to-back, and ended up with something that had me run this Free To Breathe 5K this morning. Although the goal of that half-marathon is VERY intimidating, I'm trying to maintain confidence in the training program, which I've been successfully following since the end of April. If it's got me this far, I can go the rest of the way, right?

Still, looking at the final 12 weeks of my training gives me the impression of jumping off a cliff. I think it takes a significant step up in intensity, and I just hope I can make it.