Tuesday
23Feb2010
Wow, This is Good Reason to Run a Marathon the Day After Thanksgiving!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 11:19PM 
Via: Online Schools
Conejo Joe's Marathon Training Blog
Originally I started this training blog on April 27, 2009 after commiting to run the Inaugural Santa Barbara International Marathon on December 6, 2009. Well I did that and blogged my way through the experience and I will continue imparting thoughts, musings, tips, ramblings and random mind dumps about my my training and running in general.
I have 25 or 26 (lost count) marathons under my belt with a best time of 2 hours, 35 minutes in the Los Angeles Marathon in the mid-1990s. Since then I keep getting older, busier, more injured and more frequently sick than in my youthful days but I LOVE running and rarely go a day without it!
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 11:19PM Monday
15Feb2010
Free Form Training Runs Add Spice to the Daily Routine
Monday, February 15, 2010 at 10:31PM 
Today was President's Day, one of 10 Federal holidays that I get paid not to work. The banks, libraries, post office and stock market were also closed, though I know many people that worked anyway, including my real estate agent, the guys across the street putting a new roof in, the FedEx guy, the workers who made our sandwich at Subway and my boss (no, he doesn't work at Subway).
Perhaps coincidentally (to the fact that a new roof is going up across the street), I discovered a roofing nail in my car tire yesterday. The tire remained inflated overnight so I decided to drive the car to a local tire shop where I found more guys who had to work on this fine holiday. Twenty minutes and $20 later I was off to the gym for my standard 20 minute workout.
At this point I was about an hour into my "quick" errand to fix the flat tire but I wanted to slip a quick run in while I could without my wife knowing (shhh....don't tell her...she doesn't read this blog as she hates the fact that I run). But I figured I could get away with a 40 minute run and quickly slip in for a shower before she shes me.
So I took off on my run, with no plan in mind. These are usually my best runs, the ones where I have no idea where I'm going. So I head south from my gym and decide to figure it out as I go. About 10 minutes into the run, it dawned on me that it had been probably 10 years since I ran up a particular hill in Newbury Park. This was the perfect opportunity to do so.
In Google Maps this area is called the Potrero Open Space, accessible at the crest of Wendy Drive (there is parking available). I accessed the trails from Reino Road and found a trail that took me to the top of the hill and back down towards Wendy Drive. There were some challenging, rocky hills that I had to walk up but once I made it to the top of the hill, I was rewarded with panoramic views of Newbury Park. Instant gratification!
I do plan to do this trail again very soon, now that I'm reminded how cool the view is at the top! But next time I'll have to bring the video cam!
All told, I ran about 46 minutes, got a nice hill/trail workout in and was able to slip in to the shower without my wife noticing the sweat and dust on my legs. I rewarded myself (and my wife) by taking the kids out the rest of the day.
On a side note, still no races on the calendar for me, but I'm doing about 35 miles per week. Just enjoying running for the sake of running at the moment!
Saturday
30Jan2010
Training Without Any Goals in Mind
Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 11:23PM 
It has now been 7 weeks since I ran the Santa Barbara Marathon and I'm still in kind of limbo mode, still running, but without any particular goals.
Some friends are urging me to train for the L.A. Marathon, but that's only 7 weeks away and I don't have enough time to train sufficiently for that.
I had planned to run the 25th Anniversary Great Race of Agoura Hills' Cheseboro Half Marathon on March 27th, but I already have several other commitments that day.
When there's a race paid for and committed to and calendarized, I train harder. There are other races out there I could pick, but I think I'm procrastinating because a) deep down inside I'm feeling like I don't have the desire to train "hard" right now and b) I'm enjoying just getting out there and running without any particularly urgencies, goals and pressures.
We had a lot of rain the other week and somehow I managed to stay dry all but one day that week. I LOVE running in light rain and in between storms, when the air is clean and cool.
The only thing I don't like about the rain is that it muddies up the trails that I usually run in. So I'm relegated to the roads when it rains. But I don't mind.
This time off from running hard and racing is good for my body and brain. But I'm still doing about 35 miles per week, so it's not like I'm completely slacking off.
And as I start to feel stronger and gradually build up the mileage, what I've been doing once or twice a week is "fartlek" (yes, I know, I reacted the same way when I first heard that term, and in fact still do). Fartlek is Swedish for "speed play" - a training system where fast burst of running are interspersed with slower running.
The beauty of fartlek, other than its cool name, is that you can do it anytime in any workout. What I like to do is run a long road with cross streets, running one block fast, one block slow, one block fast, one block slow, alternating to get a little speed workout in without the inconvenience of driving to the track.
By introducing a bit of this fartlek training into some of my everyday runs, I ease my way back into the mindset of training hard and picking a new race to conquer!
Tuesday
19Jan2010
Injured Ankle Saved by a Bag of Orange Flavored Ice Cubes
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10:19PM 
It has been over 5 weeks since I ran the Santa Barbara Marathon and I still don't have another marathon planned at this point. I have my eyes on some local races, but nothing official as of yet.
Problem is, through the holidays and now into the new year, I don't have my act together yet. Instead, I've had a string of built-in excuses for not committing to my next race. I spent a few weeks recovering from the marathon. Then came Christmas and New Year's...two very natural excuses for lack of training. And since the new year, I've already battled and...knock on wood...fought off...2 sore throats that I thought were leading into full blown colds.*
But I have still been running pretty much every day, about 25 to 30 miles per week, during my hiatus from more structured training. Just enough to keep me lean and in good spirits.
This Saturday after learning of the coming onslought of rain we are currently experiencing (yet another good excuse for slacking on the training by the way), I decided it would be a good idea to fertilize the lawn. It was indeed a good idea but I still procrastinated until 4 p.m, at which point I drove to Home Depot and picked up what I thought was enough fertilizer for the entire front and back yard but later discovered was only enough for the front. Gardening let's just say is not a forte of mine.
My injury is in the anterior talofibular ligament area...from what I can tell.So in any case it was 5:30 p.m. and I was hurriedly spreading the fertilizer by hand while across the street the new neighbors were moving in. As I walked down the front steps, the combination of rushing, multitasking and sheer stupidity caused me to trip on the steps and practically twist the area above my left ankle like my 4 year old might twist one of Gumby's appendages.
I immediately felt pain and my initial reaction was to serenade my new neighbors with a fine "G%^& f^&^&%4 d()$&0 ef$&)95ing d#%^nit" (to paraphrase) as I winced in pain. It actually felt like I went into shock. For another split second my mind sidetracked on the thought that the fertilizer was now all over the steps and sidewalk and I better clean it up before my new neighbors think a bunch of messy slobs live across the street.
But then I realized that I better get up RIGHT NOW and walk it off. The pain was excruciating and I thought for the first time in 16 years my running would be put on hold due to an ankle sprain. So I kept walking towards the freezer in the garage, which was completely full of food. A bag of frozen peas would have been good, but no such luck. Mostly things like frozen pizza boxes and TV dinners that wouldn't wrap nicely around my ankle.
But underneath the boxes I found a bag of ice cubes apparently from Trader Joe's that had some type of orange essence in them. I didn't have time to ponder the repercussions of using this bag for injury relief by my wife (who I hope does not read this post). The bag was frozen solid so I repeatedly slammed the bag against the concrete garage floor to break up the ice. The next 20 minutes, off and on, I iced my thrashed ankle. The spot was inflamed but I was able to gingerly walk on it and soon do my civic duty of cleaning up the mess on the sidewalk.
I am convinced that this bag of orange flavored ice saved me. The frozen DiGourno Pizza would not have been nearly as effective. But, I'm sad to say, I did not snap a picture of my icy savior. Instead, I quickly dumped the rest of the ice and disposed of the bag. I did sample the ice and was not impressed. In fact, I could barely taste the orange essence. But I digress.
Later that night I iced the ankle more and it was inflamed and became difficult to walk on. I popped one Aleve tablet and within 30 minutes the inflammation was way down.
That night and the next morning, I tightly wrapped the ankle with an elastic bandage. I was actually able to run on that ankle the next morning. In fact, after a very tentative first mile, the ankle seemed to feel better as I worked into the run, as if my body was rewarding me for running through this act of stupidity and carelessness.
So I here I am today, thankful that quick thinking and a bag of orangy ice cubes saved me from the brink of injury.
But I guess the most important reminders and lessons are:
- Think about what you are doing and don't multitask. (I didn't do this)
- Take action when you're injured. (I did do this)
- If you're gonna get injured do it in close proximity to a bag of orange flavored ice. (thankfully this applied to me)
*Some of you may be wondering what I did to fight off two colds. Basically all I did was down thousands of milligrams of Vitamin C throughout the day. I find that having a supply of chewable Vitamin C makes it much more likely for me to stick with this regimen.
Thursday
07Jan2010
Running Has Been the Constant in My Life for 15 Years
Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 11:08PM Ever since Cinco de Mayo 1993, the second most constant, recurring activity in my life has been running. The only other more consistent activity I can think of is my habit of brushing my teeth and using Listerine 2 times per day and flossing every night.
Yes, I started running on May 5, 1993 and diligently started tracking the number of miles I ran each day on an Excel spreadsheet. This same spreadsheet is now over 6,000 rows long as I continue to add to it.
This spreadsheet is nothing too fancy. Basically started out by jotting down how many miles, rounded to the nearest tenth of a mile, I ran each day. There is a column showing cumulative year-to-date mileage and later I added columns to show 7 and 10 day rolling average. There is also a cumulative mileage column along the lines of the odometer on my car.
In late 1998 I started thinking, wouldn't it be interesting to see how much of my life is spent running each year. So I started tracking the number of minutes run each day along with the mileage. Eventually I stopped tracking mileage on a "precise" basis (e.g. driving the course to get an exact tally or wear a device that measures mileage like the Nike+ iPod chip that I quickly grew tired of) and started estimating mileage based on time run and running effort.
The next year, 1999, was my personal record for most mileage run in one year: 3,645 miles. It took me 28,809 minutes, or about 480 hours, not including stretching and showers, to run those miles. I ran a decent 2 hour, 36 minute marathon that year, one minute off my personal best time. That's the last time I ran under 2 hours, 40 minutes in a marathon.
But I 'm not so sad. I had a good string of marathons from 1996 to 1999 (6 sub-2:40 performances). While injuries, aging and life has prevented such performance since then, I have not stopped running.
Through thick and thin, girlfriends, breakups, marriage, kids, job changes, good times, bad times, happy times, stressful times, sadness, frustration and everything else life threw at me, I've continued running.
I write this literally at 1:20 am on a Thursday night. It was 11 pm when I started, but my 4 year old apparently has the stomach flu and I've alternated between keyboard and changing sheets. But I still plan to drag my lifeless body out of bed at 6:30 am to do my daily run.
Running keeps me sane and whole. Without running, I wouldn't feel good. Even when I don't feel good, I go out there and run. Running is "me" time, time that no one can take away. Running is my rock. My good friend that I can turn to when I need to clear my head.
Friday
01Jan2010
Been Running Since May 5, 1993 and Tallying Mileage Ever Since
Friday, January 1, 2010 at 12:09AM Since running the Santa Barbara Marathon on December 5th, my training has been pretty sparse. I took the first 3 days post-marathon off and ran only 10 miles the entire week. Then more recently, my bad back problem made a reappearance and I was hobbling around for a week, walking like an 99 year old man, beginning on Christmas Eve. Thanks to my stellar chiropractor I was back in action after 2 treatments.
On New Year's Eve, after dining on sushi with my 6 year old and reading Power Ranger stories to my 4 year old, then after a couple glasses of bubbly, I updated my 16 year old, 6,100 row Excel spreadsheet that tracks my daily mileage. In fact, I updated the spreadsheet while celebrating the New Year with my Twitter friends.
Yes, my obsessive compulsive side forces me to jot down how much time and how many estimated miles I run each day in my daily calendar book, then periodically (used to be weekly, then monthly, now annually) I updated the manual scribbles from my book into the monster spreadsheet.
If I lose this spreadsheet, I lose a big part of me. This 1.3 MB spreadsheet is the Bible of my running. I used to study it like I was studying for an exam. It was fun to see trends...weekly mileage, how I did in a race after running at a certain level, etc. Now it is more chore than anything. But it is something I must do. It is a 16 year running journal and I'm determined to maintain it.
My running began on Cinco de Mayo 1993, the day after telling a marathon runner co-worker, in my drunken stupor at a chili cook-off, that I would run next year's Los Angeles Marathon. While I don't remember the specifics of that first run, I look at the spreadsheet and see that I ran 3.2 miles that day.
Something I DO remember about that first run is that I had to stop because, as I recall, my ankle hurt. So I ran a few blocks, stopped, started again, stopped, and so on. I see in the log that the next day I did not run, but the day after that I ran 3.2 miles again.
How did I know it was 3.2 miles and not 3 miles or 3.5 miles? Well for many years, in my youth and without wife and kids and life's goings on consuming my time, I would literally drive the course I ran and track it on the car's odometer. I drew a map of my neighborhood and tracked distances for various courses, streets, turnaround points, etc. But I was really into it back then.
Today I measure most all of my runs by time, not by actually measured mileage. I have a pretty good gauge on my running speed and generally can estimate fairly well what my pace is, be it 7 min/mile, slower or faster. Obviously it isn't 100% accurate, but based on the 42,900 miles I've run between May 5, 1993 and December 31, 2009, I think my pace estimate is pretty well dialed in.
So here's to a Happy New Year and New Decade 2010 and may you resolve to track your mileage in a monster Excel spreadsheet like me!
For the record, I logged 1,971 miles in 2009 over the course of 14,346 minutes (or about 239 hours). Wow, that is a lot of time spent running! But I love it!
Thursday
17Dec2009
Eleven Days After the Santa Barbara Marathon
Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 09:53PM 
This is 32 year old Andrea McLarty of Santa Barbara, women's winner in 2:52 and 11th place overall! This gal is fit! Photo credit: Simon IbsenThe Santa Barbara Marathon was on Sunday, December 6th. For the next 3 days, I didn't run. I think this is a pretty good practice. With 25 past marathons in the bag, one thing I do know is that your body needs to recover after the marathon.
Muscle soreness is the most blatant sign that my body is trying to recover. My calves, quads and hamstrings were the most sore those first 3 recovery days. In fact, I had to walk downstairs very carefully, holding the handrail, one step at a time the first 2 days.
My neck, shoulders, traps and arms were sore too. Not as sore as my legs, but they were feeling the strain of running 26.2 miles (well, actually 29.2 for the entire day). What I should have done was schedule a massage. But work has been crazy busy and I simply didn't make the time.
Advil was my friend the first 2 days post-marathon. I didn't take too much...just 2 tablets in the morning and 2 at night.
Although I didn't run the first 3 days post-marathon, I did get off my butt and walk around as often as I could. The longer I sit in one place, the more painful it feels to get up. Don't know why that's the case, but it is.
The other sign that I'm in recovery mode is how I feel. Grumpy, tired, yucky are a few words to describe my mood and body the entire week after the marathon. Not to mention, I was constantly hungry.
My body deserved whatever it wanted the week after the marathon. I don't eat a lot of red meat but that thick juicy steak last Saturday sure tasted good!
But in the meantime, people left and right are getting sick. At the office, at school, friends...people are getting sore throats, the flu (I had lunch with a buddy last week who came down with the flu 2 days later that has lasted now a week), etc.
I think it was Sunday, the 13th that I started to feel a scratch in my throat...so I immediately downed 2,000 mg of chewable Vitamin C tabs and got to bed early. Your body is more susceptible to illness after a marathon...somehow I awoke on Monday feeling about 80%. I'm still feeling a bit "on the edge" of getting sick but with some luck and sleep I'll get past this.
As far as running, I've been running 2 to 4 miles at an easy pace for the past 7 days. I'm at the point now where I can start doing my "normal" base training of roughly 5 to 7 miles a day...when I get adequate sleep. So on that note, I shall end this post and attempt to hit the sheets!
Tuesday
08Dec2009
The Day of the Santa Barbara Marathon
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 10:07PM ;)
In my last post, I described my day before the marathon on Saturday, December 5th. The next day was Marathon Day.
Before going to sleep the night before, I did remember to set my watch alarm to 5:30 am. But I realized midway into my first dream that 5:30 am probably wouldn't cut it for a 6:30 am start. But to no avail, I stayed asleep. (Note to self: plan better next time.)
Luckily though, even though the Bacara is an expensive, fancy resort, the phone in the room next door went off at 5 am sharp and I heard it clear as a bell like it was a Motel 6 paper thin wall. So I was up and atom.
First thing I did was go outside to grab the Gatorade bottle I placed outside the door to keep it cold (the mini-fridge didn't have room for it). My Gatorade was gone. Darn it! Who took my Gatorade!!??
Another odd thing. No coffee maker in my fancy schmancy hotel room. What the?? Pretty much every single hotel room these days has one. But not the Bacara. Well, I later discover that there is complimentary coffee in the main lobby...but would have loved to have it in my own room.
My 2nd chocolate chunk muffin went down nicely at 5:30 am. Probably would have been good to eat more, but that's all I had other than some leftover trail mix.
So after dressing and downing the coffee, my goal was to warm up a bit and get my bodily functions moving, if you know what I mean. For some, all it takes is a cup of coffee. For others, ya gotta move around a bit. I ran slowly, for 10 minutes, I came back to the room, bodily functioned. Then repeated this process 2 more times. Huh?? Yes, I believe it was Return of the Quesadilla.
So I suddenly realize that the race STARTS in 20 minutes and I'm 1 1/2 miles away. So I go through all the preparations, change into my singlet with a long sleeve coverup and gloves (it is about 40 degrees outside...pretty cold), pack my bag and jog to the start of the race. I've already run 3 miles today. Not exactly a good idea.
With 7 minutes to spare I get there and there is a mass of people at a the local Ellwood School in Goleta. I'm all warmed up, sucked down a "GU" packet and drank all my water. Given the race was to start very soon I removed my 2nd layer and gloves, knowing I would not need them during the race. I dropped off my goody bag and situated myself in the runner corral.
Within a minute, there is an announcement. Accident on the 101 freeway. Race has been DELAYED by 30 minutes! Wait a sec!!! I'm ready to run RIGHT NOW!!! You've got to be kidding me!? We're not running on the 101 freeway, are we? So now I'm standing there, freezing, in light singlet, no gloves, no warm pants. DAMMIT!!! This sucks!!
This was no fault of the race organizers and they handled it quite well, offering up several heated rooms for runners to congregate in like sardines. But I was very frustrated, having never experienced such a long race delay in my 16 years of running. I was fuming but most people took it in stride. The atmosphere of the race was very laid back. People were having fun. I was soon over it. But still cold!
Lesson learned...prepare for the worst case scenario. I should have worn a 2nd layer and throwaway gloves for this unlikely situation. As it stood, I was freezing, burning calories off just to keep warm.
So 20 minutes later we are lining again, and of course, before the start of the Star Spangled Banner, I've gotta pee. So I run off, and in the most respectful and quick way possible, I manage to finish as I hear "land of the free" (as I'm thinking, "land of the pee" for me that particular moment).
Kudos to the race announcer. He did an OUTSTANDING and entertaining job organizing the start of the race and using humor to ensure proper placement of faster runners in front. Too many local races start dangerously due to slower runners and walkers situating themselves at the front of the pack. This race had 3,000 runners and got off to a perfect start at 7 am.
The Santa Barbara Marathon course overall is pretty flat with some rolling hills. I wouldn't call it a fast course but it is a very runner friendly course. Well organized, decent number of water stops, very clearly marked. Over half the course takes place in Goleta actually, including an initial 12 1/2 mile loop. The crowds were supportive and gracious. While the race ends at Leadbetter Beach, only the last 1 1/2 miles of the course provided ocean views. The weather was perfect for a marathon. Mostly mid 50s to low 60s.
While I was perfectly happy with my 3 hour, 16 minute performance, there are always lessons to learn from. For starters, I made not one, but TWO porta-john stops in this race, adding about 3 minutes in lost time. I'm thinking it was the quesadilla but I must figure out how to eliminate this problem for my next marathon.
After the first pit stop (around mile 4) I felt good enough to gradually make up a 1 1/2 minute gap and pass by the pack of runners I'd been running with before the stop. This took place around mile 8. BIG MISTAKE! I wasn't really trying that hard to catch them but what I should have done was take my time and reel them in. I just wasn't thinking.
Tough Going at Mile 23.5 of SB Marathon...Up Cliff Drive (Photo Courtesy of Simon Ibsen**)They caught up with me again around mile 11, then a few miles later, I believe around mile 15 or 16, I made pit stop #2. Yikes! At that point the wind came out of my sails a bit but I remembered my goals...run under 3 1/2 hours and finish with a smile on my face. Given I had passed the halfway mark in 1 hour, 30 min, I had plenty of leeway to get there.
The last 10 miles took us through residential areas, bike paths and later, a 170 foot climb up Cliff Drive. My hamstrings were killing me around mile 19/20 and I walked for about 5 minutes. Then I thought, there's no way I'm gonna walk the rest of this course! I resolve to shuffle my way in, come hell or high water. The 3 or 4 GU packs I took in earlier in the race must have started kicking in, as I picked up a steady pace to the finish.
My friends all did well and we enjoyed sharing stories after the race. None of us have anything to prove. We all went out and gave it our best shot on that particular day with whatever training each of us, given life's challenges and surprises, could muster.
The beauty of running a marathon is that we all have our own reasons for running...a challenge, competition, a charity, exercise, etc...and all run together on the same course at the same time, cheering each other on.
At the end of the day, while I didn't quite make the "big" comeback I really was seeking to do when I started this adventure on April 27, 2009, I'm certainly glad I did it. I'm thrilled that I'm here writing about it, uninjured!
I've now taken 2 days off. Tomorrow I'll be back at it. So stay tuned...
**For more of Simon's photos from the race, visit:
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049400&id=1201644501&l=4537a0414a
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049534&id=1201644501&l=91f6b964bd
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049539&id=1201644501&l=a678d592dd
Tuesday
08Dec2009
Another Marathon Down the Hatch! Completed the Inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 08:44PM 
Today is Tuesday and I'm still a bit sore from my 29.2 mile day on Sunday.
Yes, I ran and completed the Inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon two days ago! I think it was my 26th marathon.
Yes, I did run 29.2 miles. 26.2 mile marathon plus 3 miles of running before the race. But more on that later.
On Saturday morning I said that my goal for the race was to finish with a smile on my face. Goal achieved! I also said that, based on my level of training, my goal was to run something under 3 1/2 hours...I finished this one in 3:16...the other goal achieved.
That's not to say that I wasn't disappointed with a few things. But hold that thought.
So Saturday morning I ran 2 miles, after 3.5 mile runs on Thursday and Friday. Yes, for those paying attention, you are correct, I did not heed my own advice and take at least one day completely off.
I stopped by Fresh & Easy in Newbury Park to pick up some stuff to bring for my overnight stay in Santa Barbara....mmmm...chocolate chunk muffins for breakfast (at 5 a.m. I eat whatever will go down), water, Gatorade, snacks, etc. I also opted to grab a pre-made turkey sandwich, chips, fruit, trail mix and ice tea for the lunchtime drive to Santa Barbara.
Ah yes, eating a 4 course meal in the car reminds me of this humorous video spoof on our hands free cell phone law.
Race number pickup was at Santa Barbara City College. The expo was not particularly large but everyone was really nice and it was fun to walk around. I met up with my friend Chaz (congrats on your 3:38 dude!).
View of the Pacific right next to the BacaraI splurged and decided to stay at the fancy schmancy Bacara Resort in Goleta, just 1 1/2 miles from the start of the race. I spent an extra $100 on this place but my rationale was that I could sleep a little longer and walk to the start of the race. Most people took busses leaving by 5:15 am for the start of the 6:30 am race. I also thought it would be fun to convince my wife to come with, but she opted not to.
So here I am at this fancy hotel all alone with no place to go. Yeah!!! The cell phone didn't work there, nor did the wireless access! But luckily they had "free" high speed internet access (offset by the $24 they charged me to park the car for one measly day).
One thing I DID do right on Saturday was immediately unpack my stuff and arrange it for Sunday morning. I untied my shoes, I attached the timer chip to the shoes (and tried it on to make sure the chip didn't impede my running), affixed the bib number to my race shirt, laid out my shorts, socks, additional layers and cap. Then I laid out my race bag (used to transport items to the finish line), 2 bandaids (to cover up the nipplage), petroleum jelly (to slather on my toes, heel and chafe-worth body parts), room key and watch.
What to do for dinner? I started getting hungry at 5 pm and opted to venture out into Goleta. A few miles down the road I found civilization...including a completely packed Costco store (there was a long line at the food stands outside too!).
Most people try to carb up the night before a marathon by eating pasta. But I wasn't in a pasta mood. So naturally I, uh, stopped by the Baja Fresh adjacent to Costco and ordered quesadilla with chicken and an order of rice. Probably not the best choice the night before a marathon. In fact, in hindsight it was a pretty lame choice as I rarely eat that much cheese at one sitting.
So as I notice as I get in the car that stomach is gurgling and the seat belt feels tighter. Yes, cheese quesadilla w/chicken probably not the wisest choice for final pre-race meal. But heck, it tasted good!
I spent the rest of the night sending mostly obnoxious (as usual) tweets from my http://twitter.com/ConejoJoe Twitter page and caught many episodes of that great MSNBC documentary "Lockup."
Time passed by and I before I know it my wife is sending me emails telling me what an idiot I am for staying up so late the night before a marathon. OK, she was right. So at 11 pm I went to bed. But not until I had a chocolate chunk muffin for dessert.
YA KNOW, THIS POST IS GETTING KINDA LONG. I SHALL CONTINUE IN THE NEXT POST!
Saturday
05Dec2009
The Day Before a Marathon is the Time to Relax and Reflect
Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 08:53AM 
Today is Saturday and tomorrow is the Inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon. My goal for this marathon is to finish this marathon with a smile on my face.
Today I'll drive up to Santa Barbara, visit the race expo to pick up my bib number and check out the cool running stuff for sale by vendors, check into my hotel and basically vedge out.
It is 9 am right now and before I make the drive, I will run a mile or two, but that's about it. I didn't practice my own advice and ran about 3.5 miles each of the last few days, but I ran slowly. I have a hard time taking an entire day off from running solely for the purpose of resting. Call it obsessive-compulsive, but I prefer to save up my rest days for injuries and illnesses.
Last time I ran a competitive marathon was just over 5 years ago, when I ran a 2:48 at the age of 40. I trained 70 to 80 miles per week for that marathon and it paid off.
Since then, my life has been a blur. While I never stopped running, I did stop serious training as my family grew in size and simply put, I got too busy and tired to train hard. I did run the L.A. Marathon as a "training run" in 2005 and I believe that is my last full marathon until, hopefully, tomorrow!
I've been training for this marathon since late April. Early on I set a goal of peaking at 60 to 70 miles per week in September/October, but I never managed to get over 60. In fact, my mileage was way down in these critical pre-marathon months due to swine flu, back spasms and other lame excuses.
So while I'd love to run even just a sub 3 hour marathon, I know from past experience (25 marathons) that I CANNOT FOOL MY BODY in the marathon. The marathon distance is unforgiving. I haven't been training at a 6:52 pace, which is the pace required to break 3 hours. If I go out at that pace from the start, no doubt I'll be hurting big time at mile 20.
My goal is to ignore my pace, my watch and other runners. The marathon is a highly individual sport. We all have our own goals. I know there will be other 45 year old runners there who I should beat handily if my training had been stronger, but they will be ahead of me tomorrow if they've done their homework!
And that's o.k. with me because I've aligned my expectations with the reality of my training. I ain't gonna run a 2:45 marathon tomorrow. My expectation is to run something under 3 1/2 hours, which is still good (heck, that time will get me into the Boston Marathon).
All that said, maybe, just maybe, I'll get lucky, feel amazing good at the 20 mile mark, pick up the pace a bit, start passing runners who went out too hard, and finish in under 3 hours.
Ya just never know.
Tuesday
01Dec2009
Today is Tuesday, Marathon is Sunday
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 12:20AM 
Last week I ran 37 miles in my 2nd to last week prior to the Santa Barbara Marathon. My longest run was 7.5 miles on Saturday run at a pretty solid marathon pace.
There's not much I can do at this point other than rest up for the marathon. With 5 days left before the marathon, no training I do will help, it can only hurt. Though running 3 or 4 miles a day at race pace wouldn't be a bad thing.
The best thing I could do for myself is get to bed earlier and sleep more. But, truth be told, I'm actually typing this at midnight on Tuesday. So I ain't doing myself any favors at the moment. But my thoughts start to solidify late at night.
I'm excited about this weekend. Not so much about running the marathon...my up and down training will preclude me from running at my best...you can't fool your body in the marathon I know well. I'm looking forward to spending Saturday night in solitude.
Yes, my wife and kid will not be joining me for the marathon experience this weekend. This does kind of bum me out that my wife does not want to join me and bring the kids up for the fun. But I understand her decision, as she is not particularly interested in a weekend centered around my running.
It would certainly be motivational knowing that my young boys are at the finish line to cheer me on. But perhaps another time.
So on one hand I'll enjoy time by myself, but on the other hand I'll miss not being able to share the experience with my family.
But ya know what, I'll have plenty of friends up there with me in the same boat. I've run in solitude nearly all of the miles I've trained over the last 33 weeks. Marathoning is an individual sport.
Wish me luck! All I want to do is finish at a respectable time, uninjured! :>
Sunday
22Nov2009
Tapering Off the Mileage in Preparation for a Marathon
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 08:31PM This past week I ran a total of 41 miles with a long run of only 7 miles. I had planned to run longer today (Sunday) but sleep (or lack thereof) needs required me to stay in bed and vedge out this morning. Well truth be told, I owed my wife a "sleep in" morning today in exchange for something she provided to me. We bartered. I gave up my last opportunity for a 10 mile tempo run in preparation for the marathon in exchange for, well, let's just say that it is something that married couples with young kids usually do not get enough of.
If my wife reads this, I am dead meat. So if you enjoy reading this blog or Conejo Valley Guide in general, sshhhhh, do not tell her.
I'm doing a 3 week taper for the Santa Barbara Marathon on December 6th. The rule of thumb I use for a 3 week taper is to run 75% of "normal" mileage in the 3rd week pre-marathon, 50% 2 weeks out and 25% the final week.
My mileage in week 4 pre-marathon was 54, which means my 41 miles was exactly 75% of that. I don't usually grab a calculator and try to get precise with these calculations. I just go with my gut. I got lucky last week.
So this coming week, Thanksgiving week, should not be a problem "forcing" myself to run less, given the holiday goings on. I do intend to gastronomically enjoy the holiday, but will do my best not to overeat too much.
The final taper week is usually the hardest, especially if you've been training really hard. Since I haven't been training really hard for this marathon, slacking off the mileage won't be mentally or physically difficult for me.
The final 3 days pre-marathon one should perhaps only run once or twice, just to stay limber. No training you do the final week before a marathon will help your marathon. It's too late...what you DON'T do will help you more than what you do do (or doo doo, for that matter).
Some people do 4 week tapers, running 80% of normal week 4, 60% week 3, 40% week 2 and 20% week 1. Nothing wrong with that plan either.
Don't get too caught up in precision. The percentage don't have to be exact. The overall goal is too ease off the mileage in the final weeks prior to a marathon in order to allow the body to recover and rest up for 26.2.
Monday
16Nov2009
29 Weeks of Training, 3 Weeks of Tapering
Monday, November 16, 2009 at 08:55AM Yesterday I ran 20 miles with a buddy, my first 20 miler for 9 weeks, and my last 20 miler until the Santa Barbara Marathon on December 6th assuming all goes well.
Last week was my 29th week of training for the marathon and I manaqed 54 miles. Over those 29 weeks, I've managed to run 1,219 miles and an average of 42 miles per week. My low point was 16 miles (the week I got the swine flu) and my high point was 2 consecutive 57 mile weeks with 2 consecutive 20 milers.
While I didn't achieve my peak mileage goal of 60 miles per week, I'm happy because I'm not injured!! Training has had peaks and valleys but overall I KNOW I can finish the marathon without a problem. While I won't be anywhere close to my 2 hour, 35 minute PR, I'll be happy to finish in the 3 hour, 3 minute (7 minutes per mile) range.
I've been pessimistic about my training of late due to constant, recurring setbacks. Back problems, knee problems, swine flu, colds, smoke in the air, heat, more back problems, tiredness, you name it. I'm not one to not speak my mind.
But I'm also a stickler for documenting my daily training, which gives me the opportunity after 29 weeks to see the big picture. While my mind wreaks havoc on my psyche by telling me my training has sucked for 2 months, I look back at the stats and see, heck, I may not be training for a marathon record, but I've done some homework!
What surprised me the most is that my average weekly mileage over 29 weeks was 42. I was surprised by that because all I think about is the 16.5 mile swine flu week and the 25 mile vacation cruise week and how much fitness I must have lost. But not only did I run an average of 42 per week, I actually ran 16 or more miles 7 times over 7 months, including 5 18+ milers.
So I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I may not win my age group in the Santa Barbara Marathon. But heck, I've done a lot of training and by golly, I'm gonna have some fun!
Marathons for most of us are an individual fitness test. We're not competing against the other runners present that day. We set our own goals and work towards them. For the majority, the goal is to finish. For others, it is to achieve a particular time or personal record.
My goal for this marathon is to finish at or near 3 hours. I don't expect to be the fastest 45 year old at the race. I just want to have some fun with it.
Sunday
15Nov2009
Long Runs are Better When You're Not Alone
Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 08:37PM Today marked the end of my "real" training for the Santa Barbara Marathon. The event is on December 6th, 3 weeks away, but for all intents and purposes my training is done. Time for a 3 week tapering off period as I rest my body up for the race.
Today's long fun of roughly 20 miles took me from the Starbucks on Reino Road to Pacific Coast Highway via Sycamore Canyon. I've been training for the marathon for 29 weeks now and believe it or not, today was the first time in those 7 months that I did a training run with another human being!
My good friend Dave is 56 years old and one of the top age group distance runners in Southern California. He is tougher than nails and an inspiration. Dave has done nearly 50 marathons through the years with an average, not best, but AVERAGE time of 2 hours, 52 minutes, an unbelievably outstanding statistic. Dave is a rock.
You would not know Dave is 56 by looking at him. Dave and I used to run together all the time as we both live locally here in the Conejo Valley. But six years ago with the addition of kids into my life, my training took a nosedive and I opted to train on my own. But we still talk all the time.
Just so happens that Dave also signed up for the Santa Barbara Marathon because he wanted to be part of this inaugural event (race director Rusty Snow recently indicated there are over 2,000 marathon entrants, which is outstanding).
In recent months, Dave developed a case of plantar fasciitis, a condition where the bottom of the foot/heel becomes irritated and swolen. It often takes months and months to gain relief from the problem. That didn't get Dave down. He is DEDICATED and took to pool running, diligently straping a floatation device to himself and running in the pool for an hour at a time. (I could never do this unless perhaps a TV could be floating in the pool in front of me.)
So after months of pool running and a month until the marathon, Dave started back on the roads again. He asked me if I wanted to run long with him today in preparation for the marathon and I said SURE!
So we started off from Starbucks at 6:30 am. It was windy and cold so we both wore an extra layer. Within a mile I took my layer off as the wind didn't seem that cold. Dave followed suit a mile later. About half the course is paved, from Starbucks up Reino Road, turning right on Potero Road, then left onto Big Sycamore Canyon Road, which winds its way down Sycamore Canyon towards the beach.
Dave and I both chatty types, which is a nice trait to have on a long run. We hadn't run together for a while so we had lots to talk about. It certainly make the run go a lot more quickly when you run with a buddy! I've done the run myself many a time and while I always enjoyed it, it was a lot more fun today.
We resolved NOT to run too hard or fast as we both are coming off injuries and illnesses that have hampered our training. All we wanted to do today was run a nice, slow, easy 20 miles and we accomplished that goal. At times we had to remind each other to slow down.
We found the temperature to be quite bipolar running down Sycamore. We both wore gloves and I took mine off 3 miles into the run. But every mile or so we would hit a real cold patch, only to find a warm sauna-ish stretch moments later. It was kind of bizarre how quickly and extreme the temp changes were in the canyon. Towards the bottom of Sycamore Canyon, 2-3 miles from the ocean, it stayed pretty cool, to the point I had to put my gloves back on.
Dave and I have an understanding that when one of us needs to stop (restroom, water stop, etc.), we stick together. I'm a Type A that has to continue movement, running circles, as Dave does his thing. Dave is more low key and has no problem stopping to stretch in the middle of a run. We've run together enough to know each other's style and work with it. No need for explanation.
So on the return trip we made our way up the tough 800 foot climb and at the top knew that we were on the final leg of our latest marathon journey. Two more miles to Starbucks and we paced ourselves in, congratulating each other on getting it done.
In our "younger" days we'd hang out for a bit at Starbucks and savor the camaraderie. Today we both had to quickly drive off for family activities. I sat in my seat and attempted to lift my left leg to take the emergency brake off. Damn was that tough. I hard to literally pull my leg upward with my hands. Those darn hamstrings were sore, but in a good way.
Thanks Dave. You helped me through my first 20 miler for 9 weeks. You're a good man and a good friend. And a damn good runner.
Tuesday
10Nov2009
Beaten by a 15 Year Old Girl?? I Don't Think So!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 08:55PM Well the good news is that last week I upped my mileage to 50. The bad news is that I'm running out of training time for the Santa Barbara Marathon, now less than a month away. In fact, I generally plan to have all of my long, hard training done 3 weeks prior to the marathon, so as to taper off the mileage gradually over the final 3 weeks. I won't be needing much of a taper this time around.
;)
Calabasas Classic goodie bag includes an awesome "technical" running shirt!While I didn't get around (yet again) to doing a long run, I did make it to the Calabasas Classic 10K on Sunday. I highly recommend this well run local event. It is HUGE with over 1,900 runners in various events and well organized. The goodie bags have a really nice "technical" shirt made out of a breathable material. This is the only event I can think of that offers up such a nice non-cotton shirt.
As has been the case on a recurring basis over the last 6 months of training, I encountered some challenges this weekend. For the umpteenth time, I caught yet another scratchy throat and cold from my little guy on Saturday. So in my haste I decided to down about 10 chewable 500 mg vitamin C tablets on Saturday. Big mistake I'll later find out.
I get to bed at 11 pm and am awakened by something around 1 am but I can't remember what. Playing to my favor was the recent time change, which provided an extra hour of sleep and helped me wake up feeling more refreshed. But my throat felt nasty and I would have loved to continue sleeping.
But I got up and out, grabbing a large coffee from 7 Eleven (I hate Starbucks because they don't offer the flavored cream that I like) and a blueberry muffin. Breakfast of champions.
My goal was to get some mileage in by warming up for a few miles, running the 5K at 8 am at a moderate pace, running the 10K at 9 am a solid pace, then cooling down. I succeeded in my goal.
;)
Start of Calabasas Classic 5KThe normal pre-race routine consists of the following: park, get race number, get timer chip (for larger races like this), get goodie bag, bring stuff back to car, pin number to race shirt, tie timer chip to shoelaces, drink, eat, visit the porta-potty, warm-up, change shoes, change shirt, chat with fellow runners, then get to the start of the race. This all pretty much worked out for me.
But after jogging the 5K in about 21 minutes, the 5,000 mg of vitamin C combined with jumbo cup of coffee worked a number on me. Seems I had a bit too much acid in my innards. So with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of the 10K, I would have liked to head right into the head. But even with 15 beautiful, sky-blue porta-johns sparkling in the sunlight of the Calabasas City Hall parking lot this fine morning, there were 30 other people with the same goal in mind.
Lucky for me there were mostly guys in line. Yes, that sounds bad, but guys take half the time as gals in the bathroom (based on my vast experience). So the line moved and I found myself quickly entombed in a porta-john, where within seconds my internal combustion vaporized into the scary blue liquid seas below.
But something still didn't feel right, and it wasn't my scratchy throat. It felt like someone had kicked me in the %^&* and their boot was still lodged in there.
In any case (and without further elaboration), I did make it to the start of the race, felt fine, and actually ran a respectable 38:50, good for 1st place in my age division, and nearly a minute faster than my last 10K time.
The final 2 miles of the race I was running neck and neck with a young kid who I later found out was 17. He ended up beating me by like 9 seconds. Just couldn't seem to reel him in. But when I saw the race results, somehow a 15 year old girl showed up 3 seconds ahead of me (and right behind the boy).***
Just wait a sec!? There was no 15 year old girl*** ahead of me! How the heck did that happen? I contacted the people who did the timing, who reviewed the video and said they did see a female in front of me, though she didn't look 15 and she did not look like someone who could run a sub-39 minute 10K.
This was a double loop 10K. While we were finishing the race, we were passing many of the walkers and slower joggers. What I suspect happened is that she decided to cross the finish line at the end of lap 1. I asked the timers what her 5K "split" was, but they said they weren't tracking splits.
So I KNOW she didn't beat me, THEY know it and I know the other runners in the 10K know it, but anyone else who checks the race results will think this 15 year old girl beat me out*** for 12th place overall in the Calabasas Classic. At least for now. Darn it!
I'll get over it I guess.
All that said, I feel really good about my performance and more importantly, how I feel. At this particular moment (Tuesday night 9:30 p.m), I feel GOOD! And that's what's important :>
*** A post mortem 11/12. Upon further review the race timers determined this young lady, who provided me fuel for the title of this blog posting, was actually in the 5K and was moved from 12th place overall in the 10K to DEAD LAST in the 5K in 1 hour, 38 minutes. I kid you not! Well I feel kind of sorry for her now but at the same time, I feel vindicated!!
Wednesday
04Nov2009
Long Run Plans Went Up in Smoke
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 10:18PM 
Last week's mileage was 38.5 with a "long run" of only 7 miles. I could make excuses, but I won't. No, actually I will, it'll make me feel better. I had planned on a long run on Halloween morning as I knew with my sugar high that night I'd want to sleep in on Sunday. So around 9 pm I start smelling smoke, like a fire pit.
No big deal, close the windows, hopefully they will put the fire out in an hour or so. But the smell of smoke kept getting stronger and stronger, to the point it started infiltrating my house.
I walked into the garage and it smelled like an ash tray, about as strong as when major wildfires hit us close by in Thousand Oaks last year. Maybe worse. I go to bed around 11:30 pm smelling a distinct scent but there's nothing I can do about it. Again, I'm hoping they will be good neighbors and put the damn thing out.
2:30 am. Wife wakes up and says there must be a forest fire. She calls the fire department. I go outside and hear teenagers 3 doors up from us, still partying outside. I tell her the smoke must be coming from them. Too late. Fire department drives up street to investigate. I'm too tired and embarassed to walk outside. I go back to sleep at 3:30 am.
6:30 am. My 6 year old wakes up. I can't move or breathe. Stench of lingering smoke surrounds us. I'm tired, cranky, unable to move. I open the windows (thankfully they put their fire out finally) to let some fresh air in. Way too tired and incoherent to do anything other than pour Rice Krispies and milk into bowl.
7 am. 4 year old wakes up. Pillow over my head. Spongebob on the TV. Hoping the kids get along as I lie on the couch. Fighting, arguing, punching, crying ensues. I give up. Coffee maker turned on. I'm up. I'm cranky. I'm tired. I'm coughing from the smoke. No way in hell I'll be running long on Saturday. But I do resolve to have a word with my neighbor up the street...
So here I am, 32 days from the Santa Barbara Marathon, feeling undertrained, tired and embattled as I've fought through 2 major back spasms, swine flu, sore throat, sore knee, sore big toe. Planned training schedule basically UP IN SMOKE!
But ya know what, THE PAST 3 DAYS I've actually felt great!! The time change has been good to me. While I feel quite underprepared to run the type of marathon that I'd like to run, overall I feel fit, healthy and happy. And that's what's most important.
So I shall ponder whether or not I will actually run the marathon at this point. I may defer to a Spring marathon instead. But in the meantime, I'm looking forward to a fun Calabasas Classic 10K run this Sunday!
Friday
30Oct2009
Obsessive-Compulsive Running and Running Streaks
Friday, October 30, 2009 at 03:15PM 
My last post to this blog was at 10:08 pm on Monday night. It was kind of a negative post. I shut down the computer, laced up the shoes, and went out for a run. I love the cooler temperatures this week and my body has reacted positively to both the cold and to the work of my chiropractor. So after 2 weeks of back pain and a 5 week downhill spiral in my training, I think I'm back to FEELING GOOD AGAIN!
Runner's World recently mentioned Ron Hill, who is a 3-time Olympic Marathoner who won the 1970 Boston Marathon in a (then) course record of 2 hours, 10 1/2 minutes. Hill is now 71 years old and what really got my attention is the fact that he has running streak of nearly 45 years!!
I was born in July 1964. Ron Hill has not missed a day of running since December 1964!
Heck, now I'm feeling guilty that I took 5 days off when I had the swine flu earlier this month! I could have run just 1 measly mile each day!
Nah!! I'm not THAT obsessed with running (though my wife would argue that point).
Ron Hill has been able to run at least 1 mile each day at ANY pace, so he was able to continue to continue his streak after bunion surgery, wearing a plaster cast crutch), by running some miles in the 20 minute range. He broke his sternum in a 1993 head-on car crash but luckily had already run earlier that day. But for the next month he sneaked out of the house while his wife was out shopping or was still asleep.
This dude is crazy and obsessed with his running! I love it!
I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive with my running but I have my limits. Call me a wimp, but if I'm REALLY sick I'll take time off. If I'm injured to the point I cannot run, I don't run. On rare occasions I am simply too tired to run.
Sometimes I'll take a rare day off while on vacation. But running makes me feel good! So usually, and my wife tries to understand, I RUN.
Ron Hill has been running for 45 years straight. There's no way I could catch him if I started now (especially if he keeps this up another 10, 20 years!). So thankfully I feel no competitive need to not take a day off.
Ron Hill is based in the U.K. The longest running streak in the U.S. is held by Mark Covert, 58, of Lancaster, California. Covert has been running every day since 7/23/68. So he is nearly 4 years behind Hill. But...Covert is 13 years younger than Hill.
Interestingly, the 2nd person on the U.S. list is also close by. Jon Sutherland of West Hills, California is also 58 and has been running since 5/26/69.
Simply amazing. Even more amazing is that there is an actual organization that tracks and certifies the country's longest running streaks. The United States Running Streak Association, Inc. tracks U.S. run streaks at www.runeveryday.com.
The USRSA accept runners with a streak of 1 year or more into their database. A run qualifies as part of a streak as long as it is continuous and under one's own body power, unaided by canes or crutches.
On the home page of the USRSA website is a link to an article called "Caution: The Dangers of Streak Running." Ha ha ha.
Well happy Halloween running and enjoy the extra hour of sleep this Sunday as we fall back!
Monday
26Oct2009
Back at It, Almost Recovered
Monday, October 26, 2009 at 10:08PM I'm not real happy to report that last week's mileage was only 28.5 feeble, slow miles as I battled a combination of lower back pain, hot weather and general tiredness and lazyness. My longest run was a slowpoke 5.5 miles.
Six weeks until the Santa Barbara Marathon and at this point I'm not really sure I want to run it. My mileage and training has been hampered by illness and injuries but we shall see.
Truth be told...the back spasm was less of an issue than my general inability to wake up and run. I am so looking forward to the additional hour of sleep this Sunday as Daylight Saving Time goes away until the spring.
In the latest Runners World magazine the publisher had a nice discussion about his own training and how he's doing all the right thing in preparation for an upcoming marathon. Something that hit home with me was his insistence on getting to bed early enough so that he could wake up for his early morning run. He mentioned he was dedicated to the task, with the occasional exception of his hometown team playing late.
My commitment to this "comeback" marathon has waned of late I think in large part to my inability to train properly. On the other hand, MY SLEEP HAS BEEN INADEQUATE for most of the last 6 months. Probably 75% of that is my own fault...staying up late with this website that I love, writing, corresponding...and then winding down at midnight with the TV on. Not good at all for the training...
So here I am at 10:15 pm...writing this blog post and planning on a 20 minute run afterwards. Shower and get to bed by midnight.
Do as I say, not as I do...
Wednesday
21Oct2009
I'm Sitting Here Writhing in Back Pain Again
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 10:53PM 
Darn it! It was only a few months ago that a major back spasm sidelined my running for 3 weeks. I visited the chiropractor and the problem finally went away. Well at 3 a.m. Monday morning my 4 year old awoke me out of a deep sleep to help him go potty...I turned too fast as I was getting out of bed and...SNAP...there goes my back again. First froggies, then 4 year olds.
Strangely, while my current back spasm and nerve irritation makes cause me excrutiating discomfort when I'm sitting down, I can run without major incident. This is good. Weird though. So in the meantime I'm back at the chiro office 3X per week.
In the meantime, last week I had 48 miles of running under my belt, ending with my slow but steady 16.3 miler on Sunday. I was able to get that much mileage last week only by doubling up my runs 3 days. Not particularly enjoyable for me but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
The other good thing is that I pretty much feel 100% recuperated now from my wonderful swine flu experience. Just when I'm over and done with one injury, illness or other stumbling block in my training, some new issue pops up. Boy am I glad I'm not a professional runner. I don't know how I could deal with so many setbacks! But as a casual runner, it is easier to take these problems in stride.
That's it for tonight. Better get to bed before midnight or I'll turn into a pumpkin.
Sunday
18Oct2009
True Grit Running This Week
Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 05:05PM 
Today was a day of sheer grit and determination. Seven weeks away from the Santa Barbara Marathon and I felt that if I didn't get a long run in, I would not be able to run the marathon.
The last 4 weeks were supposed to be 60 mile weeks for me, but between getting the flu and slowly recovering from it, my training has been way off the plan. In fact, last week's total mileage of 16.5 was the lowest in recent memory for me. Not good.
This week and today, I STILL don't feel quite right. I'm not sick. But my body is still recovering from being sick. Still coughing in the morning and sluggish and tired overall. Wasn't able to wake up earlier than 6:45 a.m. this week. So to make up for the short morning runs I doubled up on Tues, Wed and Thurs. Not fun! But I felt I HAD to get my mileage where it needed to be.
It was nice, cool and rainy up through Wed. Then Thurs through Sat it was unseasonably hot out. Between the heat and my inability to drag myself out of bed early, I was worried about my critical long run today.
Good luck! It was cool out when I started my run at 8 a.m. today! And the temp didn't rise higher than about 75 degrees.
The goal: Run for 2 1/2 hours. Pace irrelevant. Normally I run around a 7 min pace but given the way my body has felt, I'll settle for anything! Just need to knock this run out.
But 20 minutes into the run, physically I felt like stopping. Just didn't have anything in the tank. But I swallowed my pride and ignored my dead legs...and resolved to KEEP RUNNING, even if it felt like I was walking!
Two hours, 26 minutes later, I was done. I was not surprised this afternoon when, using MapMyRun.com found out I ran 16.3 miles today. That equates to about a 9 minute per mile pace. I slogged my way through this run. But I did it! It didn't feel good today. But mentally it was necessary that I was able to PUSH myself into making it happen!
So for those of you who, like me, don't feel up to a particular run...change your mental outlook, tweak your goal and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
