tri-man 47
Footballguy
Have Mrs. Furley drive 8 miles into the wind and drop you off ...run home with the wind at your back.
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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
gruecd
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
Updated weather report for tomorrows race:
43 at the gun and sunny. Wind out of the SW at about 12mph. So it will be at my back the first half of the race and in my face the second half. So pretty damn good running weather.
Just finished up my massive carb load lunch. Have felt like crap all week - just exhausted and worn down. Little bit of a head cold today. Gonna take @pbm107's advice and stroll along at 168 or so HR and see where I am. My normal sweet spot for a half is between 170 - 175.
I've been running hot lately on my runs, so if that data tells me something I might be in for a long day. But, I am going in with a positive attitude and won't let it ruin my day if it happens. Gonna have a beautiful run on a beautiful morning and let the chips fall where they may.
43 at the gun and sunny. Wind out of the SW at about 12mph. So it will be at my back the first half of the race and in my face the second half. So pretty damn good running weather.
Just finished up my massive carb load lunch. Have felt like crap all week - just exhausted and worn down. Little bit of a head cold today. Gonna take @pbm107's advice and stroll along at 168 or so HR and see where I am. My normal sweet spot for a half is between 170 - 175.
I've been running hot lately on my runs, so if that data tells me something I might be in for a long day. But, I am going in with a positive attitude and won't let it ruin my day if it happens. Gonna have a beautiful run on a beautiful morning and let the chips fall where they may.
pbm107
Footballguy
Good luck, sounds like pretty ideal weather. I think you have a good chance of running a negative split and having a good day with this approach.Updated weather report for tomorrows race:
43 at the gun and sunny. Wind out of the SW at about 12mph. So it will be at my back the first half of the race and in my face the second half. So pretty damn good running weather.
Just finished up my massive carb load lunch. Have felt like crap all week - just exhausted and worn down. Little bit of a head cold today. Gonna take @pbm107's advice and stroll along at 168 or so HR and see where I am. My normal sweet spot for a half is between 170 - 175.
I've been running hot lately on my runs, so if that data tells me something I might be in for a long day. But, I am going in with a positive attitude and won't let it ruin my day if it happens. Gonna have a beautiful run on a beautiful morning and let the chips fall where they may.
gruecd
Footballguy
Mostly rain for us down here, but still cold and windy AF. I thought I was done with the Pettit for the year (at least due to cold weather), but it looks like 44 laps for me tomorrow morning...
gianmarco
Footballguy
Tracking?Updated weather report for tomorrows race:
43 at the gun and sunny. Wind out of the SW at about 12mph. So it will be at my back the first half of the race and in my face the second half. So pretty damn good running weather.
Just finished up my massive carb load lunch. Have felt like crap all week - just exhausted and worn down. Little bit of a head cold today. Gonna take @pbm107's advice and stroll along at 168 or so HR and see where I am. My normal sweet spot for a half is between 170 - 175.
I've been running hot lately on my runs, so if that data tells me something I might be in for a long day. But, I am going in with a positive attitude and won't let it ruin my day if it happens. Gonna have a beautiful run on a beautiful morning and let the chips fall where they may.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Nah, they don't have live tracking at this event. It's a pretty big race though - they will have about 5 - 6 thousand people there.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Wanted to get this posted before the real excitement of Boston fires up this weekend.
Napa Valley 50K
I signed up for this a few weeks back as I looked for a 50K three or four weeks out from the Canyons 100K coming up on April 28th. I didn’t know anything about it, and hadn’t run on the trails up there at all. But I could see from the elevation profile and 7,500’ of elevation gain and loss that it would be a tough one that should give me a good opportunity to get some climbing and descending in. It also was an out and back course with the start/finish in downtown Calistoga, so instead of telling the girlfriend I was taking off for an entire Saturday for a race I got to tell her I was taking her to wine country for the weekend….but I’d be gone for a “few hours on Saturday”.
Pre Race
Three days before in a pre-race email there was a link to a race report from last year’s inaugural event. It was written by the female winner (so by definition a bad ###) and included these quotes:
We drove up to Calistoga through the fire zone from the wine country fires from last fall, the first time I’d been up there. It was just devastating seeing entire subdivisions wiped out, and beautiful wine country estates in ruin, many with RVs sitting there as the residents’ new living quarters. We got to town, checked in, and walked around for a bit, stopping at Vermeil’s to do some wine tasting (that’s for you, Chief!). I had scouted a restaurant that had a version of my go to pre-race meal of salmon and rice on the menu, and maybe it was the wine and a pre-dinner cocktail but damned if the Seafood (fish, oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, sausage) Paella didn’t look delicious. Basically fish and rice, right? What could go wrong?
The race started at the incredibly civilized time of 8:00 AM (must be the wine country influence). So while I kept to my tradition of poor sleeping the night before a race, I didn’t get up until 6:00. I got some coffee, used the bathroom, and got dressed. Then I used the bathroom again. I left the room to head to race check in, but had to stop at the downstairs hotel bathroom first. Uh oh. I walked the half mile to the start, checked in, pinned on my bib, then realized I was going to get an unplanned warm up by sprinting to the bathroom across the lot that had no line. This wasn’t going well. Damn you, Seafood Paella!
First ten miles
By that time it was almost 8:00, and after a few words from the race director we were off for about a half mile on the streets of Calistoga before heading up the trail. My goal for the day was to 1) finish healthy and 2)…well, that was pretty much it. Keep the real goal in mind, a 100K race (and Western States qualifier) in three weeks. My calf has recovered pretty well but I’ve been fighting some mild plantar fasciitis, so that was the major concern – do no harm. I settled in to a power hike as we headed up a fire road that after about three miles became more of a rocky doubletrack trail. It continued to get rockier, and then we took a turn on to the “Palisades”. It began innocently enough, some technical sections, mud, and while we got a break and the rain had stopped Friday night, the 3”-4” that had fallen the previous day was absolutely pouring down the trail. I guess that’s what the RD meant by “these trails drain well”. I might have said “these trails are the drain”, but that’s just semantics, I suppose. We got to the first aid station at mile 6 or so and it was perched up on the edge of a cliff, and one of the volunteers was the previous-year’s winner, Penny. She cracked jokes, took pictures, and sent us off on a section of trail that I can only compare to what I’ve experienced in the Cascades of Washington or the San Juans of Colorado. The best word to describe it was “gnarly”. Barely-there muddy trail carved into the side of the mountain. Crawling around boulders and trees. Rocky sections that required lots of careful foot placements. Waterfalls. You know a trail is technical when your fingernails are dirty. But the views were just incredible, as several times I came to a stop, in complete awe. We then came upon a section of huge lava flows, weathered by centuries of wind and water, that you had to pick your way across. A final descent led us down to the aid station around mile 10 and the base of the major climb in the race. It had taken me 3:15 to cover the 10+ miles, and I was starting to worry that this was going to be a 9-10 hour effort out here!
The middle ten
But this section of the race turned out to be the easy part, as after a short technical climb we were on fire road for most of the 5 mile climb to the top of Mt. St. Helena. It was a nice and steady grade made for power hiking (or running for those beasts a few hours in front of me), so I just geared down and grinded the thing out. A quick pic at the top, with unfortunately no views to speak of due to the (cold) fog, and then it was a long downhill run back to mile 20. It’s the longest, easily runnable descent I’ve experienced in the Bay Area, and I may have to work it in to future quad-toughening training sessions. Thanks to some 9-10-11 minute miles the middle ten miles was a full hour quicker than the first 10, putting me back at the aid station about 5:30 in, a time in a “normal” 50K that would have me in the final few miles. I think I was helped along by the thought of the porta-potty at the aid station, as I knew it was going to get a visit. PAELLA!!
...and that first ten miles again
That just left another 10-11 miles of the gnarliest trails in the Bay Area. But after that strong middle section I was in a pretty good mental space, and I just tried to embrace it. It wasn’t even “the suck” I was embracing, as I just decided to have as much fun as I could out there, which was much easier knowing exactly what I was in for. It was some slow going (23 and 24 minute miles????), but after getting through the mile 25 aid station and completing the final climb, it was back on to the fire road. I connected with a runner named Scott who was also running Canyons in three weeks, and we settled in to a nice rhythm and knocked out the descent in 10-12 minute miles back down on to the streets of Calistoga, and finished strong (10:11 pace for mile 31, 10:04 pace for final .23). Final time 8:35:29, 36th/50 finishers (and another 10 or so that DNFd or dropped to the 20 miler).
I came out of it feeling pretty good, probably because even though it was such a long day, there was so much hiking. My foot hurt a few times, mostly during awkward foot plants as I picked my way through the rocks and mud, but it definitely didn't get worse. The quads had that "good sore" of a solid effort the next day. So other than the gnarly poison oak I have on both legs and arms (and now the prednisone bloating going on), I accomplished exactly what I wanted to with my first big race of the year on the horizon.
Napa Valley 50K
I signed up for this a few weeks back as I looked for a 50K three or four weeks out from the Canyons 100K coming up on April 28th. I didn’t know anything about it, and hadn’t run on the trails up there at all. But I could see from the elevation profile and 7,500’ of elevation gain and loss that it would be a tough one that should give me a good opportunity to get some climbing and descending in. It also was an out and back course with the start/finish in downtown Calistoga, so instead of telling the girlfriend I was taking off for an entire Saturday for a race I got to tell her I was taking her to wine country for the weekend….but I’d be gone for a “few hours on Saturday”.
Pre Race
Three days before in a pre-race email there was a link to a race report from last year’s inaugural event. It was written by the female winner (so by definition a bad ###) and included these quotes:
That description of how technical portions of the race are got my attention, so I started looking at the finish times from last year and digging into Ultrasignup.com to compare those runners’ times to other 50Ks they’d run. Across the board, it was considerably slower. This thing was going to be tough! Instead of a six to seven hour day (pretty much the range of my previous 50Ks), I was looking at eight hours to nine hours! A little more than I bargained for, but too late now.
We drove up to Calistoga through the fire zone from the wine country fires from last fall, the first time I’d been up there. It was just devastating seeing entire subdivisions wiped out, and beautiful wine country estates in ruin, many with RVs sitting there as the residents’ new living quarters. We got to town, checked in, and walked around for a bit, stopping at Vermeil’s to do some wine tasting (that’s for you, Chief!). I had scouted a restaurant that had a version of my go to pre-race meal of salmon and rice on the menu, and maybe it was the wine and a pre-dinner cocktail but damned if the Seafood (fish, oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, sausage) Paella didn’t look delicious. Basically fish and rice, right? What could go wrong?
The race started at the incredibly civilized time of 8:00 AM (must be the wine country influence). So while I kept to my tradition of poor sleeping the night before a race, I didn’t get up until 6:00. I got some coffee, used the bathroom, and got dressed. Then I used the bathroom again. I left the room to head to race check in, but had to stop at the downstairs hotel bathroom first. Uh oh. I walked the half mile to the start, checked in, pinned on my bib, then realized I was going to get an unplanned warm up by sprinting to the bathroom across the lot that had no line. This wasn’t going well. Damn you, Seafood Paella!
First ten miles
By that time it was almost 8:00, and after a few words from the race director we were off for about a half mile on the streets of Calistoga before heading up the trail. My goal for the day was to 1) finish healthy and 2)…well, that was pretty much it. Keep the real goal in mind, a 100K race (and Western States qualifier) in three weeks. My calf has recovered pretty well but I’ve been fighting some mild plantar fasciitis, so that was the major concern – do no harm. I settled in to a power hike as we headed up a fire road that after about three miles became more of a rocky doubletrack trail. It continued to get rockier, and then we took a turn on to the “Palisades”. It began innocently enough, some technical sections, mud, and while we got a break and the rain had stopped Friday night, the 3”-4” that had fallen the previous day was absolutely pouring down the trail. I guess that’s what the RD meant by “these trails drain well”. I might have said “these trails are the drain”, but that’s just semantics, I suppose. We got to the first aid station at mile 6 or so and it was perched up on the edge of a cliff, and one of the volunteers was the previous-year’s winner, Penny. She cracked jokes, took pictures, and sent us off on a section of trail that I can only compare to what I’ve experienced in the Cascades of Washington or the San Juans of Colorado. The best word to describe it was “gnarly”. Barely-there muddy trail carved into the side of the mountain. Crawling around boulders and trees. Rocky sections that required lots of careful foot placements. Waterfalls. You know a trail is technical when your fingernails are dirty. But the views were just incredible, as several times I came to a stop, in complete awe. We then came upon a section of huge lava flows, weathered by centuries of wind and water, that you had to pick your way across. A final descent led us down to the aid station around mile 10 and the base of the major climb in the race. It had taken me 3:15 to cover the 10+ miles, and I was starting to worry that this was going to be a 9-10 hour effort out here!
The middle ten
But this section of the race turned out to be the easy part, as after a short technical climb we were on fire road for most of the 5 mile climb to the top of Mt. St. Helena. It was a nice and steady grade made for power hiking (or running for those beasts a few hours in front of me), so I just geared down and grinded the thing out. A quick pic at the top, with unfortunately no views to speak of due to the (cold) fog, and then it was a long downhill run back to mile 20. It’s the longest, easily runnable descent I’ve experienced in the Bay Area, and I may have to work it in to future quad-toughening training sessions. Thanks to some 9-10-11 minute miles the middle ten miles was a full hour quicker than the first 10, putting me back at the aid station about 5:30 in, a time in a “normal” 50K that would have me in the final few miles. I think I was helped along by the thought of the porta-potty at the aid station, as I knew it was going to get a visit. PAELLA!!
...and that first ten miles again
That just left another 10-11 miles of the gnarliest trails in the Bay Area. But after that strong middle section I was in a pretty good mental space, and I just tried to embrace it. It wasn’t even “the suck” I was embracing, as I just decided to have as much fun as I could out there, which was much easier knowing exactly what I was in for. It was some slow going (23 and 24 minute miles????), but after getting through the mile 25 aid station and completing the final climb, it was back on to the fire road. I connected with a runner named Scott who was also running Canyons in three weeks, and we settled in to a nice rhythm and knocked out the descent in 10-12 minute miles back down on to the streets of Calistoga, and finished strong (10:11 pace for mile 31, 10:04 pace for final .23). Final time 8:35:29, 36th/50 finishers (and another 10 or so that DNFd or dropped to the 20 miler).
I came out of it feeling pretty good, probably because even though it was such a long day, there was so much hiking. My foot hurt a few times, mostly during awkward foot plants as I picked my way through the rocks and mud, but it definitely didn't get worse. The quads had that "good sore" of a solid effort the next day. So other than the gnarly poison oak I have on both legs and arms (and now the prednisone bloating going on), I accomplished exactly what I wanted to with my first big race of the year on the horizon.
Last edited by a moderator:
-OZ-
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
Awesome.Great report. Those pictures were awesome. That looks like a really fun trail to spend a day on.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
@SteelCurtain - wishing you all the best on Monday! The weather won't be ideal, so take what the course will give you. Five final thoughts:
- Something you haven't seen is the sharp right bend just after mile 3 in Ashland. If you can, be on the right side of the road so you're not swinging unusually wide. In general, you can expect to run more than 26.2, so don't let your finishing time shock you.
- You'll hear the Wellesley girls long before you arrive. It's really cool. They're on the right, in case you do - or don't - want to grab a kiss. Enjoy the signs, at a minimum.
- After crossing the x-way and before turning at the fire station, the street is very wide, it's a different kind of noise, and feels rather chaotic. Relax and find a good line and a good rhythm through it all before making the right turn and starting the journey home.
- You've run that downhill after Heartbreak, so you know to be careful with it. Physically, it's probably more damaging than the sequence of hills themselves.
- The crowd over those final five miles is different than in those early towns. The crowds through the towns are very G rated. At the end, they're more PG ...got an almost angrier tone to them. Very supportive, but it's more of a tough love approach. Feed off that aggressive energy!
- Something you haven't seen is the sharp right bend just after mile 3 in Ashland. If you can, be on the right side of the road so you're not swinging unusually wide. In general, you can expect to run more than 26.2, so don't let your finishing time shock you.
- You'll hear the Wellesley girls long before you arrive. It's really cool. They're on the right, in case you do - or don't - want to grab a kiss. Enjoy the signs, at a minimum.
- After crossing the x-way and before turning at the fire station, the street is very wide, it's a different kind of noise, and feels rather chaotic. Relax and find a good line and a good rhythm through it all before making the right turn and starting the journey home.
- You've run that downhill after Heartbreak, so you know to be careful with it. Physically, it's probably more damaging than the sequence of hills themselves.
- The crowd over those final five miles is different than in those early towns. The crowds through the towns are very G rated. At the end, they're more PG ...got an almost angrier tone to them. Very supportive, but it's more of a tough love approach. Feed off that aggressive energy!
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Many thanks for your support and ideas.
Settled in here at my room in Boston. Hit the expo yesterday and met Meb outside. Got a quick pic with him. Very cool! (More to that story another time).
Weather on Monday looks nasty. Temps in mid 40’s, torrential downpours, 2.42” of rain according to NWS, and 10-15 mph headwind. Not exactly how I envisioned my first Boston but I will attempt to make the best of it!
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tri-man 47
Footballguy
@SteelCurtain ...crap, what an ugly forecast for Monday! 
I see "ice pellets" midday on Sunday, and at least Monday's temps will be above freezing, so there's that. Do you have gear and supplies to sustain you during the pre-race wait? A long garbage bag with a hole for your head might be your new BFF. It'll be a big logistical challenge to manage warmth, keep loose, and stay fueled and hydrated. But you're a smart guy, so I trust you're working on a good plan! And what a relief it will be, then, to actually start running! #countdowntothehorn
This is one of the real Sucks of marathons: We can control and manage the training for 4-5 months, but on race day, we're totally at the whim of mother nature. #embracethesuck
I see "ice pellets" midday on Sunday, and at least Monday's temps will be above freezing, so there's that. Do you have gear and supplies to sustain you during the pre-race wait? A long garbage bag with a hole for your head might be your new BFF. It'll be a big logistical challenge to manage warmth, keep loose, and stay fueled and hydrated. But you're a smart guy, so I trust you're working on a good plan! And what a relief it will be, then, to actually start running! #countdowntothehornThis is one of the real Sucks of marathons: We can control and manage the training for 4-5 months, but on race day, we're totally at the whim of mother nature. #embracethesuck
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ChiefD
Footballguy
2018 Rock the Parkway Race Report
aka maybe i'm not done with this running thing quite yet
Pre-Race Build Up
So for those of you who are avid ChiefD running and race subscribers, you may recall the disaster that was my October 2017 race. I came in a 2:06, and was thoroughly defeated. I'm not talking about the usual "I hate running and will never do this again" defeat.
No, this one was serious. After all the health stuff, that race beat me. Physically and mentally. I knew that my new normal was not going to be good. But, like a stubborn idiot, I signed up for another race. This one is the site of my first ever race - I jumped in on a get-off-your-###-to-a-half-marathon. My PR was also set on this course, so I had a lot of good memories here.
The training going into this race was good. I stayed healthy pretty much the whole cycle - aided I think in that I figured out a good pattern that worked for me and didn't completely wipe me out. It appears I can run 3-4 days a week as long as I don't run 3 days in a row. So I learned something good during this cycle about what could work moving forward.
I went into this race in my mind as my last ever distance road race. I do believe a marathon will never work for me again - the mileage to get there would be hard on my body. And mentally I am tired of the grind of training (even though I don't do much). So I was in a nice happy place going into this race because I figured - what the heck. Let's see what you got for one final time. That trail race is February was HUGE for my training - it was the first actual long run in a long while where my body wasn't completely zapped at the end. That's when I knew I was on a pretty good cycle.
I also started trying some consistency things with my diet. I duplicated my race week diet every week leading up to my long runs. Last fiber on Wednesdays, then carb load and eat lean proteins the rest of the week. I also started trying a bottle of Gatorade every Friday after work to build up my electrolytes going into my Saturday runs. HUGE, I mean HUGE difference.
So even going into this race I had a great learning cycle of training. My goal was try and do about a 1:55.
Race Morning
So last night my wife wants to sleep with the windows open. It was 80 degrees here yesterday, but by the time we went to bed it had dropped to about 62. I told her I would prefer not, since I didn't want to wake up at 3 to a room that was 50 degrees with a stiff wind blowing. Of course she pitches a fit, so the window stays open. Sure enough, at 2:43 in the morning I am awoken to a flapping mini blind and a 50 degree room.
. Thus, no sleep the rest of the night. Welcome to marriage kids. <_<
Got up at 5, had my usual peanut butter and toast, took a great dump, and headed out. I'm pulling out of my neighborhood, and I suddenly realize I forgot my race chip that attaches to my shoes. So that cost me about 5 extra minutes, but I was thankful I did a mental checklist before I left the neighborhood. Crisis averted.
Get to the race in plenty of time, and it's chilly. 42 degrees and dropping, with about a 15 mph wind from the S/SW. Luckily I brought a trash bag, so I flung that over my trim and toned body and stayed warm in the corral before the race.
With about 5 minutes to go, the guy next to me flips his Garmin watch on to get it ready for the race, and the software is updating. 
. Everyone around him got a big laugh at that, and I think it was ready before the gun. Man I would be pissed about that.
That wind would benefit me for the first 6 or 7 miles, but I would be in a headwind the rest of the way home. My original strategy was to do as @pbm107 suggested - sit at 168 HR or so and see where I was. I decided to change that strategy at the start line. I had to take advantage of the wind when I had it and worry about the back half of the race later.
The gun fires and we are off.
The first 3 miles or so of this course is basically uphill. So I always "want" to be conservative here, but it seems like it never works out. At a minimum I try and back off a little here because there are some great downhill areas coming where I can make time.
Mile 1: 8:16 pace, HR152
Mile 2: 8:40 pace, HR 174
MIle 3: 8:49 pace, HR 175
I did a self assessment here, and all systems were firing. I knew my heart rate was at a place where if I kept it there the whole race I should be good. (helps to know your HR zones from all your data, and this is where it pays off. thanks @Ned for starting me down that path years ago)
Mile 4: 8:07 pace, HR 174
Mile 5: 8:12 pace, HR 175
Mile 6: 8:26 pace, HR 174
Mile 7: 8:23 pace, HR 175
This next stretch is where races on this course go to die. The course winds around a city park, and coming out of the valley is a long uphill section. A couple of years ago I learned how to manage this stretch, so the same strategy applied. Take it easy up the hills, but don't give away too much of your time here. This is also where I started saying to myself: "you are a bad-mutha-####ah." I saved it especially for this section. Oh, and this is where the 15mph headwind started. 
Mile 8: 9:01 pace, 176 HR
Mile 9: 8:54 pace, 176 HR
Mile 10: 8:42 pace, 178 HR
Once you reach this point, it literally is "all downhill from here." The tough part of the course is over, and if you have anything left now is the time. I did some mental calculations, which is always a exercise in idiocy, and thought I had an outside chance at sub 1:50. After a couple of seconds, I knew that would not be possible.
I KNEW I was gonna crush my goal of 1:55. And I felt awesome here. I was actually grinning on the course thinking of this race report, because I knew I was just killing it today. Such a great feeling. FINALLY!!
Mile 11: 8:58 pace, 177 HR
Mile 12: 8:41 pace, 178 HR
Mile 13:10: 8:02 pace, HR 180ish. (my watch dropped out this last mile for some reason on HR)
Final Chip Time: 1:51:50
To say I was ecstatic with this time would be an understatement. Very pleased with this result on the limited miles that I was able to run this cycle. And I feel really good right now. Which of course makes me think: "you couldn't find 3 extra minutes on that course today?"
So what's next? I honestly don't know. This result makes me re-think things of course, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. In the past, I am guilty of lagging after a race and my fitness goes to pot. And I then have to start all over again when the next cycle comes along.
My 12 year old son will be on the cross-country team next fall, so he and I will be running all summer, which will be a PERFECT opportunity for me to build slow, low HR miles to build up my engine. So my plan is to get back out there this week and still try my 3-4 days a week.
Run at the kids practices all week and then get a 10-14 miler in on Saturdays. The trail is also calling me @SFBayDuck. I have this itch, and I think I'm gonna sign up for a fall 10 mile trail race. I don't think I am gonna go another half this year. I need to build up my engine, and if the rest of this year goes well health wise, I may be able to go into 2019 with some real solid goals.
A good day to be sure.
aka maybe i'm not done with this running thing quite yet
Pre-Race Build Up
So for those of you who are avid ChiefD running and race subscribers, you may recall the disaster that was my October 2017 race. I came in a 2:06, and was thoroughly defeated. I'm not talking about the usual "I hate running and will never do this again" defeat.
No, this one was serious. After all the health stuff, that race beat me. Physically and mentally. I knew that my new normal was not going to be good. But, like a stubborn idiot, I signed up for another race. This one is the site of my first ever race - I jumped in on a get-off-your-###-to-a-half-marathon. My PR was also set on this course, so I had a lot of good memories here.
The training going into this race was good. I stayed healthy pretty much the whole cycle - aided I think in that I figured out a good pattern that worked for me and didn't completely wipe me out. It appears I can run 3-4 days a week as long as I don't run 3 days in a row. So I learned something good during this cycle about what could work moving forward.
I went into this race in my mind as my last ever distance road race. I do believe a marathon will never work for me again - the mileage to get there would be hard on my body. And mentally I am tired of the grind of training (even though I don't do much). So I was in a nice happy place going into this race because I figured - what the heck. Let's see what you got for one final time. That trail race is February was HUGE for my training - it was the first actual long run in a long while where my body wasn't completely zapped at the end. That's when I knew I was on a pretty good cycle.
I also started trying some consistency things with my diet. I duplicated my race week diet every week leading up to my long runs. Last fiber on Wednesdays, then carb load and eat lean proteins the rest of the week. I also started trying a bottle of Gatorade every Friday after work to build up my electrolytes going into my Saturday runs. HUGE, I mean HUGE difference.
So even going into this race I had a great learning cycle of training. My goal was try and do about a 1:55.
Race Morning
So last night my wife wants to sleep with the windows open. It was 80 degrees here yesterday, but by the time we went to bed it had dropped to about 62. I told her I would prefer not, since I didn't want to wake up at 3 to a room that was 50 degrees with a stiff wind blowing. Of course she pitches a fit, so the window stays open. Sure enough, at 2:43 in the morning I am awoken to a flapping mini blind and a 50 degree room.
. Thus, no sleep the rest of the night. Welcome to marriage kids. <_< Got up at 5, had my usual peanut butter and toast, took a great dump, and headed out. I'm pulling out of my neighborhood, and I suddenly realize I forgot my race chip that attaches to my shoes. So that cost me about 5 extra minutes, but I was thankful I did a mental checklist before I left the neighborhood. Crisis averted.
Get to the race in plenty of time, and it's chilly. 42 degrees and dropping, with about a 15 mph wind from the S/SW. Luckily I brought a trash bag, so I flung that over my trim and toned body and stayed warm in the corral before the race.
With about 5 minutes to go, the guy next to me flips his Garmin watch on to get it ready for the race, and the software is updating.
. Everyone around him got a big laugh at that, and I think it was ready before the gun. Man I would be pissed about that.That wind would benefit me for the first 6 or 7 miles, but I would be in a headwind the rest of the way home. My original strategy was to do as @pbm107 suggested - sit at 168 HR or so and see where I was. I decided to change that strategy at the start line. I had to take advantage of the wind when I had it and worry about the back half of the race later.
The gun fires and we are off.
The first 3 miles or so of this course is basically uphill. So I always "want" to be conservative here, but it seems like it never works out. At a minimum I try and back off a little here because there are some great downhill areas coming where I can make time.
Mile 1: 8:16 pace, HR152
Mile 2: 8:40 pace, HR 174
MIle 3: 8:49 pace, HR 175
I did a self assessment here, and all systems were firing. I knew my heart rate was at a place where if I kept it there the whole race I should be good. (helps to know your HR zones from all your data, and this is where it pays off. thanks @Ned for starting me down that path years ago)
Mile 4: 8:07 pace, HR 174
Mile 5: 8:12 pace, HR 175
Mile 6: 8:26 pace, HR 174
Mile 7: 8:23 pace, HR 175
This next stretch is where races on this course go to die. The course winds around a city park, and coming out of the valley is a long uphill section. A couple of years ago I learned how to manage this stretch, so the same strategy applied. Take it easy up the hills, but don't give away too much of your time here. This is also where I started saying to myself: "you are a bad-mutha-####ah." I saved it especially for this section.
Oh, and this is where the 15mph headwind started. Mile 8: 9:01 pace, 176 HR
Mile 9: 8:54 pace, 176 HR
Mile 10: 8:42 pace, 178 HR
Once you reach this point, it literally is "all downhill from here." The tough part of the course is over, and if you have anything left now is the time. I did some mental calculations, which is always a exercise in idiocy, and thought I had an outside chance at sub 1:50. After a couple of seconds, I knew that would not be possible.
I KNEW I was gonna crush my goal of 1:55. And I felt awesome here. I was actually grinning on the course thinking of this race report, because I knew I was just killing it today. Such a great feeling. FINALLY!!
Mile 11: 8:58 pace, 177 HR
Mile 12: 8:41 pace, 178 HR
Mile 13:10: 8:02 pace, HR 180ish. (my watch dropped out this last mile for some reason on HR)
Final Chip Time: 1:51:50
To say I was ecstatic with this time would be an understatement. Very pleased with this result on the limited miles that I was able to run this cycle. And I feel really good right now. Which of course makes me think: "you couldn't find 3 extra minutes on that course today?"
So what's next? I honestly don't know. This result makes me re-think things of course, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. In the past, I am guilty of lagging after a race and my fitness goes to pot. And I then have to start all over again when the next cycle comes along.
My 12 year old son will be on the cross-country team next fall, so he and I will be running all summer, which will be a PERFECT opportunity for me to build slow, low HR miles to build up my engine. So my plan is to get back out there this week and still try my 3-4 days a week.
Run at the kids practices all week and then get a 10-14 miler in on Saturdays. The trail is also calling me @SFBayDuck. I have this itch, and I think I'm gonna sign up for a fall 10 mile trail race. I don't think I am gonna go another half this year. I need to build up my engine, and if the rest of this year goes well health wise, I may be able to go into 2019 with some real solid goals.
A good day to be sure.
Last edited by a moderator:
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
JShare87
Footballguy
This is great! So happy for you and glad you didn’t give up on running that time. Enjoy the weekend!2018 Rock the Parkway Race Report
aka maybe i'm not done with this running thing quite yet
Pre-Race Build Up
So for those of you who are avid ChiefD running and race subscribers, you may recall the disaster that was my October 2017 race. I came in a 2:06, and was thoroughly defeated. I'm not talking about the usual "I hate running and will never do this again" defeat.
No, this one was serious. After all the health stuff, that race beat me. Physically and mentally. I knew that my new normal was not going to be good. But, like a stubborn idiot, I signed up for another race. This one is the site of my first ever race - I jumped in on a get-off-your-###-to-a-half-marathon. My PR was also set on this course, so I had a lot of good memories here.
The training going into this race was good. I stayed healthy pretty much the whole cycle - aided I think in that I figured out a good pattern that worked for me and didn't completely wipe me out. It appears I can run 3-4 days a week as long as I don't run 3 days in a row. So I learned something good during this cycle about what could work moving forward.
I went into this race in my mind as my last ever distance road race. I do believe a marathon will never work for me again - the mileage to get there would be hard on my body. And mentally I am tired of the grind of training (even though I don't do much). So I was in a nice happy place going into this race because I figured - what the heck. Let's see what you got for one final time. That trail race is February was HUGE for my training - it was the first actual long run in a long while where my body wasn't completely zapped at the end. That's when I knew I was on a pretty good cycle.
I also started trying some consistency things with my diet. I duplicated my race week diet every week leading up to my long runs. Last fiber on Wednesdays, then carb load and eat lean proteins the rest of the week. I also started trying a bottle of Gatorade every Friday after work to build up my electrolytes going into my Saturday runs. HUGE, I mean HUGE difference.
So even going into this race I had a great learning cycle of training. My goal was try and do about a 1:55.
Race Morning
So last night my wife wants to sleep with the windows open. It was 80 degrees here yesterday, but by the time we went to bed it had dropped to about 62. I told her I would prefer not, since I didn't want to wake up at 3 to a room that was 50 degrees with a stiff wind blowing. Of course she pitches a fit, so the window stays open. Sure enough, at 2:43 in the morning I am awoken to a flapping mini blind and a 50 degree room.
Got up at 5, had my usual peanut butter and toast, took a great dump, and headed out. I'm pulling out of my neighborhood, and I suddenly realize I forgot my race chip that attaches to my shoes. So that cost me about 5 extra minutes, but I was thankful I did a mental checklist before I left the neighborhood. Crisis averted.
Get to the race in plenty of time, and it's chilly. 42 degrees and dropping, with about a 15 mph wind from the S/SW. Luckily I brought a trash bag, so I flung that over my trim and toned body and stayed warm in the corral before the race.
With about 5 minutes to go, the guy next to me flips his Garmin watch on to get it ready for the race, and the software is updating.
That wind would benefit me for the first 6 or 7 miles, but I would be in a headwind the rest of the way home. My original strategy was to do as @pbm107 suggested - sit at 168 HR or so and see where I was. I decided to change that strategy at the start line. I had to take advantage of the wind when I had it and worry about the back half of the race later.
The gun fires and we are off.
The first 3 miles or so of this course is basically uphill. So I always "want" to be conservative here, but it seems like it never works out. At a minimum I try and back off a little here because there are some great downhill areas coming where I can make time.
Mile 1: 8:16 pace, HR152
Mile 2: 8:40 pace, HR 174
MIle 3: 8:49 pace, HR 175
I did a self assessment here, and all systems were firing. I knew my heart rate was at a place where if I kept it there the whole race I should be good. (helps to know your HR zones from all your data, and this is where it pays off. thanks @Ned for starting me down that path years ago)
Mile 4: 8:07 pace, HR 174
Mile 5: 8:12 pace, HR 175
Mile 6: 8:26 pace, HR 174
Mile 7: 8:23 pace, HR 175
This next stretch is where races on this course go to die. The course winds around a city park, and coming out of the valley is a long uphill section. A couple of years ago I learned how to manage this stretch, so the same strategy applied. Take it easy up the hills, but don't give away too much of your time here. This is also where I started saying to myself: "you are a bad-mutha-####ah." I saved it especially for this section.
Mile 8: 9:01 pace, 176 HR
Mile 9: 8:54 pace, 176 HR
Mile 10: 8:42 pace, 178 HR
Once you reach this point, it literally is "all downhill from here." The tough part of the course is over, and if you have anything left now is the time. I did some mental calculations, which is always a exercise in idiocy, and thought I had an outside chance at sub 1:50. After a couple of seconds, I knew that would not be possible.
I KNEW I was gonna crush my goal of 1:55. And I felt awesome here. I was actually grinning on the course thinking of this race report, because I knew I was just killing it today. Such a great feeling. FINALLY!!
Mile 11: 8:58 pace, 177 HR
Mile 12: 8:41 pace, 178 HR
Mile 13:10: 8:02 pace, HR 180ish. (my watch dropped out this last mile for some reason on HR)
Final Chip Time: 1:51:50
To say I was ecstatic with this time would be an understatement. Very pleased with this result on the limited miles that I was able to run this cycle. And I feel really good right now. Which of course makes me think: "you couldn't find 3 extra minutes on that course today?"
So what's next? I honestly don't know. This result makes me re-think things of course, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. In the past, I am guilty of lagging after a race and my fitness goes to pot. And I then have to start all over again when the next cycle comes along.
My 12 year old son will be on the cross-country team next fall, so he and I will be running all summer, which will be a PERFECT opportunity for me to build slow, low HR miles to build up my engine. So my plan is to get back out there this week and still try my 3-4 days a week.
Run at the kids practices all week and then get a 10-14 miler in on Saturdays. The trail is also calling me @SFBayDuck. I have this itch, and I think I'm gonna sign up for a fall 10 mile trail race. I don't think I am gonna go another half this year. I need to build up my engine, and if the rest of this year goes well health wise, I may be able to go into 2019 with some real solid goals.
A good day to be sure.
gruecd
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
@MAC_32 Do you have a meal plan for this week? I think I could use some ideas. I’m promising myself to focus more on nutition marathon week than I have for past races.
Edit: Of course, comments/suggestions from anyone else also welcomed and appreciated, as always.
Edit: Of course, comments/suggestions from anyone else also welcomed and appreciated, as always.
Last edited by a moderator:
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Here’s the plan.@SteelCurtain ...crap, what an ugly forecast for Monday!
This is one of the real Sucks of marathons: We can control and manage the training for 4-5 months, but on race day, we're totally at the whim of mother nature. #embracethesuck
I paid for a “VIP” bus so I can sit on a coach bus until I have to make the walk to the start. It appears I will not be seeing Athlete’s Village this year.
I have brought a running baseball hat (which I’ve only run in once in my life). I bought arm warmers, headband and gloves to wear for the race. So much for not trying anything new on race day! Ha ha
I brought a garbage bag as well to prepare for wind and rain. I am also going to try to put those plastic bags that you get at the grocery store over my shoes and use rubber bands on my shins to hold them. I’ll take those off right before the gun goes off for my wave.
I’ve never run in weather quite like this. I’ll plan to lubricate the feet and, um, groin area. That’s my normal for a marathon. Any other places I should consider (waistband of my shorts? Somewhere around my singlet?)???
No idea on how this impacts my pace. My gut is to try to run my normal pace but I may think otherwise once I’m out on the course.
pbm107
Footballguy
Don’t forget the nips. I am hoping it will be warm enough for you that you’ll be able to ditch the arm warmers and gloves during the race.
Brony
Footballguy
mr. furley
Footballguy
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mr. furley
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
Sounds like a great plan. That VIP bus sounds like money well spent.
On a personal note, it breaks my heart that you will have to deal with these conditions after working so hard to get to Boston. I have so much admiration for you (and all the others here) that put all those lonely miles in to get to this point.
Alas, we cannot control what we get come race day. And to your credit: you are a beast and will fight through this. So looking forward to your race Monday and the subsequent race report.
Just try and line up next to a taller guy with a huge afro shaped like an umbrella that runs at the exact pace as you for 26.2 miles.
MAC_32
Footballguy
I am currently watching hockey and count 7 pizza crusts on my plate.
Thankfully there was no crust on whatever my wife baked earlier, so I can't remind myself how many of those I ate.
JShare87
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
Thanks fellas for the support. Much appreciated.
A couple of other things I have thought about after a couple of beers.
1. I started doing core work about 2 months ago. Every day I would so something: either sit-ups or planks. I do believe that this helped tremendously in how my legs felt during that race. Felt strong the whole way.
2. I ran this race two ways. The first part of the race I ran strictly by heart rate. I wanted to stay within that zone of 170-175 if possible, knowing that historically that is my sweet spot and whatever time that was at the end - well, that is what I was trained for.
The back half of the race I ran by pace. I didn't want my heart rate to dictate the finishing kick. I was feeling good and wanted to finish strong, so I knew if I kept my pace somewhere around 8:30 my heart rate was gonna be fine.
It's the first time I approached a race this way by thinking through these scenarios and adjusting mid-race. Worked out well.
A couple of other things I have thought about after a couple of beers.
1. I started doing core work about 2 months ago. Every day I would so something: either sit-ups or planks. I do believe that this helped tremendously in how my legs felt during that race. Felt strong the whole way.
2. I ran this race two ways. The first part of the race I ran strictly by heart rate. I wanted to stay within that zone of 170-175 if possible, knowing that historically that is my sweet spot and whatever time that was at the end - well, that is what I was trained for.
The back half of the race I ran by pace. I didn't want my heart rate to dictate the finishing kick. I was feeling good and wanted to finish strong, so I knew if I kept my pace somewhere around 8:30 my heart rate was gonna be fine.
It's the first time I approached a race this way by thinking through these scenarios and adjusting mid-race. Worked out well.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
This is awesome, really happy for you @ChiefD! And yes, sign up for some trail races!2018 Rock the Parkway Race Report
aka maybe i'm not done with this running thing quite yet
Final Chip Time: 1:51:50
To say I was ecstatic with this time would be an understatement. Very pleased with this result on the limited miles that I was able to run this cycle. And I feel really good right now. Which of course makes me think: "you couldn't find 3 extra minutes on that course today?"
So what's next? I honestly don't know. This result makes me re-think things of course, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. In the past, I am guilty of lagging after a race and my fitness goes to pot. And I then have to start all over again when the next cycle comes along.
My 12 year old son will be on the cross-country team next fall, so he and I will be running all summer, which will be a PERFECT opportunity for me to build slow, low HR miles to build up my engine. So my plan is to get back out there this week and still try my 3-4 days a week.
Run at the kids practices all week and then get a 10-14 miler in on Saturdays. The trail is also calling me @SFBayDuck. I have this itch, and I think I'm gonna sign up for a fall 10 mile trail race. I don't think I am gonna go another half this year. I need to build up my engine, and if the rest of this year goes well health wise, I may be able to go into 2019 with some real solid goals.
A good day to be sure.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Lube all the places. The weird sport for me is on the inside of my upper arms and under my armpit, as I tend to get chaffage there. Of course I'm fat, so I chafe in places you runner types probably don't have to worry about.
MAC_32
Footballguy
But seriously, thank you for unintentionally reminding me i need to plot out my week and make sure our inventory is stocked up.
I'll probably still cheat a little tomorrow, but Mon and Tues are about clean up, Thurs and Fri carbs, and Wednesday somewhere in between.
Breakfast - half bagel, oatmeal, banana, and black coffee
Late morning - almonds and an orange
Pocket full of honey stingers, fruit snacks, and graham cracker snacks on run days (just in case)
Post run (Mon, Tue) - cottage cheese and a hard boiled egg. If my other run is Thursday then I'll probably just have both rice (hi @JShare87) and potatoes that day.
Lunch - either a sandwich or leftovers with raw veggies (various colored peppers and cucumber)
Mid afternoon - pistachios and an apple
If I need more - baking somepotatoes tomorrow I'll have on standby
Dinner - Monday Pork and Sprouts with a salad, Tuesday Turkey Sausage and Rice with a salad, Wednesday Meditteranean Spaghetti Squash, Thursday Shrimp Pasta and bread, Friday whatever carbs are left.
Snacks - something salty or with dark chocolate that's easy on my stomach, decrease quantity as the week goes on.
Most importantly, water only.
I'll probably still cheat a little tomorrow, but Mon and Tues are about clean up, Thurs and Fri carbs, and Wednesday somewhere in between.
Breakfast - half bagel, oatmeal, banana, and black coffee
Late morning - almonds and an orange
Pocket full of honey stingers, fruit snacks, and graham cracker snacks on run days (just in case)
Post run (Mon, Tue) - cottage cheese and a hard boiled egg. If my other run is Thursday then I'll probably just have both rice (hi @JShare87) and potatoes that day.
Lunch - either a sandwich or leftovers with raw veggies (various colored peppers and cucumber)
Mid afternoon - pistachios and an apple
If I need more - baking somepotatoes tomorrow I'll have on standby
Dinner - Monday Pork and Sprouts with a salad, Tuesday Turkey Sausage and Rice with a salad, Wednesday Meditteranean Spaghetti Squash, Thursday Shrimp Pasta and bread, Friday whatever carbs are left.
Snacks - something salty or with dark chocolate that's easy on my stomach, decrease quantity as the week goes on.
Most importantly, water only.
Nigel
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Awesome work, @ChiefD !! Really happy for you. What a great performance! In terms of training, sometimes less is more ...and that cross-training sounds like it helped a lot, too.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Thanks. This is going to be hard for me. I’m so used to consuming fat to get easy calories (cheeses, oils). I’ve never carbed up correctly before. I should have “practiced” weeks ago.
JShare87
Footballguy
Not sure if this helped me in my last marathon or not, but I figured I’d offer it up to everyone. Starting about 5 days before my marathon, I carried around a gallon of water. I made sure I consumed at least a gallon a day on top of any other water (at the gym etc.). I sometimes have an issue staying hydrated. So, by having a gallon of water for each day, I knew I would be more hydrated than I was accustomed to.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
I don't have a good understanding of the ratio of complex vs. simple carbs I should be having. I've been surprised reading suggestions such as jam on toast and even having juice. I get the warning about having too much fiber but other than that, I would have assumed a high percentage of complex.
Brony
Footballguy
jabarony
Footballguy
So i did my first ever 1/2, yesterday. Some "highlights".
I did the big pasta lunch Friday. I didn't manage to evacuate it all before the race Saturday morning. Luckily it wasn't an issue (whew).
Friday night got a call from my buddies i was supposed to run with. The forcast was 38 and solid rain Saturday morning, so they bailed. They are either weak or smart, or a little of both.
The forecast rang true. Sure enough Saturday morning was miserable. I put a plastic poncho on, but was pretty wet by the time i walked the 2 blocks to the start area. 1 mile into the race i was thoroughly soaked.
My legs were slightly tight going into the race. I couldn't get them fully loose for some reason. Luckily they really didn't get worse during the race.
Being my first race, i didn't realize what a cluster the start can be. It took about a mile to get some decent space. Then probably another 2 miles to find a nice pocket where i didn't have to worry about bumping others much at all. By halfway through the race there were 4 of us with no one else 50 yards in front or behind. So it was spacious, but not empty. I just stayed with them instead of fighting to get my phone out of the plastic bag to check time/pace.
Other than the start, i ran fairly consistent throughout. The course was level most of the way except for the last mile which was had a lot of up n down hills (mostly up). I ended up passing a bunch of people in that mile because they were slowing down on the uphill portions. Although it was tempting, i did not part partake. I wanted to pee and get dry, so i was powering through at my normal pace - maybe even a bit more as the end was in sight.
Finished the race at just under 2 hours. I'll credit myself with an extra 30 seconds for the 5 lbs of wet clothes i carried with me. Syraba showed i ran a bit further with a better pace than the official chip did, so I'll go with that! I guess my path wasn't so efficient.
My biggest takeaway from the training & race - You guys who do full marathons and more are freaking nuts. Very impressive.
Thank you all for the great advice. Any recommendations on recovery other than stretching & napping? My sromach was a wreck last night from the odd diet. But today I'm just tired.
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