I must say, I'm not leaving 2011 and entering into 2012 in the best of spirits. I think I can attribute it to sheer exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. Our family finally wrapped up the Christmas celebrations on the 29th. This year John and I hosted 34 people (20 of them being 13 and under) and all went well despite John coming down with some lingering virus this week. I feel bad. He was not feeling the love from me at all and I could go on and on about how it figured he'd get sick and I'd have to do ALL the work for the party and host my sister's family of 5 from Houston. He says the day he enters Hospice care, he's as good as dead with the way I treat him when he's sick. Give me a little credit though... he DOES pick the world's shittiest time to get sick and the thermometer in his mouth every hour makes me nuts! It's like "Ok, you have a temperature. Who cares if it is 99 or 100? Why do you keep checking it?" But despite feeling lousy all week, the man went to work, plowed through the party and stayed up to clean up afterward so I didn't wake up to a disaster zone. Ok, I just realized what a total bitch I am after I wrote that last sentence. Sorry, John. I promise not to get irritated with you when you are in Hospice. Can you just please make it when you are in your late 90s? Chances are we ain't hosing NOTHIN' at that point!
The day of the party, my house consisted of 7 children and 3 adults in the house while I prepared. The cleaning had mostly been done throughout the week so it wasn't too bad having everyone around. This year I had to let go a little. When I prepare for a party like this, I like my house empty of mess-making children and to be by myself. It wasn't going to happen this year. I had to decide not to go ape-shit about the little toys scattered about throughout the day. I had to decide this early or it would have been a very bad day. The kids were good, my sister and brother in law were helpful and all went well... as I knew it would. And the best part is that I don't have to do it again for 4 more years!
So what's the deal with the mood? Well I think it's because I feel like shit physically. Not only am I tired, but I've eaten nothing but crap and feel like crap. My roots are obnoxious, eyebrows bushy, face broken out and toenails in need of some serious attention. Most people take care of these things before they are going to a holiday get together. I honestly haven't had time to do any of it. My running is going well, though I'm not getting in the miles I long for and I haven't had a good solo run in a long time. Much as I do love running with others, I crave solo runs. It always amazes me how different runners are. Some runners won't run without company. Others only like to run alone. As I've said before, I'm a bit of both. I loved training for the ultra. Most days it was just me and whatever pace hit me that day. No pre-scheduled pace for the day, no worrying about distance or route or anything else. Simply lacing up and running and running and running. I miss it a lot. What mattered in ultra training was time on feet. What matters in marathon training with a time goal is pace, distance, hills or no hills and a lot of other things. I'm finding this less and less appealing as time goes on.
So as I look back on 2011, I'd say the biggest thing I've learned is that sometimes we are led down a different path to discover that what we thought we loved and cared about so much isn't what we love and care about at all. Yes I am racing the Flying Pig and yes, I'll do my best to nail that qualifying time that has eluded me thus far. Maybe this is a bad attitude to have when starting a new goal. But I don't think it is. I'm certain I can do it and I want to do it, otherwise I wouldn't. The difference is that now it won't be the big deal it once was if the BQ doesn't happen. It amazes me how much even my blog entries have changed over a year's time on this subject. Someone could read this and say "but you said 10 months ago that you'd NEVER stop trying and it's what you really, REALLY wanted", and to that I'd say that you are correct... I DID say that. And at that time, I felt that way.
And at the time I ran some of Burning River with Jack, I said I'd NEVER do a 100 miler either...
Here's to an awesome 2012!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Full Circle
Today my first born is a teenager. That is right... my kid keeps getting older and somehow, I do not. Strange how I can still be that 26 year old lying in that labor bed wondering if my baby was a boy or girl... a Hannah Catherine or a Nicholas August and meanwhile those years just continue to tick by and Will (who obviously was neither a Hannah nor a Nicholas) gets older.
I am not what I would consider overly sentimental when it comes to my kids growing up. I don't cry (too much) when they go to preschool or kindergarten. As a matter of fact, I was recently given a survey by the kids' school about kindergarten preference for Lucy. Would I want 3 days a week full day or 5 days a week full day? I hope they don't think I'm a horrible mother when they see the comment "How about adding weekends as well?" I mean sure, seeing my youngest off to kindergarten closes a long time chapter in my life of having a child home with me for the past 13 years, but it also opens up an entirely new chapter as well. And I enjoy watching my kids grow and develop and reach new milestones. I don't grieve what they once were but rather embrace who they are morphing into.... most of the time... when they are not acting like shit heads. And since I am not getting older, there is no reason to be sad!
But this boy turning 13 is different. I find myself flashing back to the first time I saw him, heard him cry and held him. His giant toddler looking hands were the first thing I noticed when he was born. I distinctly remember his cry as NOT annoying like some babies (damn good thing because it is ALL he did for 6 months straight, when he switched from cry baby to grumpy baby who only ever wanted momma). He was loved and spoiled by all. He was the first grandchild for John's parents and the second for mine, but the only in town. As a toddler, he quickly learned that his parents had a quirky sense of humor and he developed one as well. He formed a deep bond with my sister Maggie, who lived in Columbus for a while when we did. He could not say "Maggie" and pronounced it "Geek", which was so perfect... and stuck. She is simply Aunt Geek or Geekie as my kids call her. Even John has said "Did you talk to Geek today?" It's just as normal as ever.... and ever so fitting :)
As Will has grown, I have noticed that he lacks a terrific amount of self confidence. It really is interesting as he also acts like a know-it-all so much of the time. I am learning that the two go hand in hand. I try to get him to see what I see... a funny boy with a hugely generous heart who is also sensitive and sweet (except when he is evil to his siblings). Some of the acts of kindness I have witnessed him doing literally take my breath away. We never go downtown without Will bringing some of his money to divvy out to people with cardboard signs. We nearly went broke in Chicago with Will handing out money left and right. He even boxed up part of his lunch and gave it to a beggar sitting outside the restaurant. Will cannot stand to see anyone suffer. He makes me want to be a better person. And I must say I am a better person simply because I am his mother.
He is currently training with John to run the Cincinnati Mini Heart Half Marathon at the end of March. Now this has been amazing to watch. You see, Will is an extremely lazy kid when it comes to doing anything physical. He's got an excuse and an ailment for everything and it drives me crazy. But this has been different. He has been running almost every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with John. He always has the option of opting out and yet, he never has. He is up to a long run of now 7 miles and doing very well. I know that he is experiencing what every runner does when they exceed a distance they never thought they could run. It is very hard to explain. Running is very hard but yet unbelievably rewarding and satisfying and it boggles my mind that it is clicking for him this soon.
Maybe 13 is hitting me a little harder because at 13, Will is learning what took me 35 plus years to figure out (weird because I'm only 26). That with hard work, patience, consistency and determination, you can achieve what you once considered unachievable. I know he is proud of himself. I told John the other day that he seems different to me. He is calmer than normal (or gee, maybe he is just tired). He is not as argumentative as he once was and he seems a little more willing to do chores without so much complaining. I'm telling you, it's the running!
With just a year and a half until he hits high school, I thank God that this kid is learning the value of setting a goal and going after it, no matter how hard it is. I think he is really focused on the outcome and what that will be like for him to do a half marathon. And it's enough to keep him running when he is tired and when it is cold out. And for me, it is the abrupt reminder that he is indeed growing up and that I have much to do with who he is becoming.
And there is nothing more rewarding in my running life than that. It is not the medals, the PRs or the accomplishment of doing something for the first time that fill me with as much joy as seeing the main reason I do what I do coming full circle.
I am not what I would consider overly sentimental when it comes to my kids growing up. I don't cry (too much) when they go to preschool or kindergarten. As a matter of fact, I was recently given a survey by the kids' school about kindergarten preference for Lucy. Would I want 3 days a week full day or 5 days a week full day? I hope they don't think I'm a horrible mother when they see the comment "How about adding weekends as well?" I mean sure, seeing my youngest off to kindergarten closes a long time chapter in my life of having a child home with me for the past 13 years, but it also opens up an entirely new chapter as well. And I enjoy watching my kids grow and develop and reach new milestones. I don't grieve what they once were but rather embrace who they are morphing into.... most of the time... when they are not acting like shit heads. And since I am not getting older, there is no reason to be sad!
But this boy turning 13 is different. I find myself flashing back to the first time I saw him, heard him cry and held him. His giant toddler looking hands were the first thing I noticed when he was born. I distinctly remember his cry as NOT annoying like some babies (damn good thing because it is ALL he did for 6 months straight, when he switched from cry baby to grumpy baby who only ever wanted momma). He was loved and spoiled by all. He was the first grandchild for John's parents and the second for mine, but the only in town. As a toddler, he quickly learned that his parents had a quirky sense of humor and he developed one as well. He formed a deep bond with my sister Maggie, who lived in Columbus for a while when we did. He could not say "Maggie" and pronounced it "Geek", which was so perfect... and stuck. She is simply Aunt Geek or Geekie as my kids call her. Even John has said "Did you talk to Geek today?" It's just as normal as ever.... and ever so fitting :)
As Will has grown, I have noticed that he lacks a terrific amount of self confidence. It really is interesting as he also acts like a know-it-all so much of the time. I am learning that the two go hand in hand. I try to get him to see what I see... a funny boy with a hugely generous heart who is also sensitive and sweet (except when he is evil to his siblings). Some of the acts of kindness I have witnessed him doing literally take my breath away. We never go downtown without Will bringing some of his money to divvy out to people with cardboard signs. We nearly went broke in Chicago with Will handing out money left and right. He even boxed up part of his lunch and gave it to a beggar sitting outside the restaurant. Will cannot stand to see anyone suffer. He makes me want to be a better person. And I must say I am a better person simply because I am his mother.
He is currently training with John to run the Cincinnati Mini Heart Half Marathon at the end of March. Now this has been amazing to watch. You see, Will is an extremely lazy kid when it comes to doing anything physical. He's got an excuse and an ailment for everything and it drives me crazy. But this has been different. He has been running almost every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with John. He always has the option of opting out and yet, he never has. He is up to a long run of now 7 miles and doing very well. I know that he is experiencing what every runner does when they exceed a distance they never thought they could run. It is very hard to explain. Running is very hard but yet unbelievably rewarding and satisfying and it boggles my mind that it is clicking for him this soon.
Maybe 13 is hitting me a little harder because at 13, Will is learning what took me 35 plus years to figure out (weird because I'm only 26). That with hard work, patience, consistency and determination, you can achieve what you once considered unachievable. I know he is proud of himself. I told John the other day that he seems different to me. He is calmer than normal (or gee, maybe he is just tired). He is not as argumentative as he once was and he seems a little more willing to do chores without so much complaining. I'm telling you, it's the running!
With just a year and a half until he hits high school, I thank God that this kid is learning the value of setting a goal and going after it, no matter how hard it is. I think he is really focused on the outcome and what that will be like for him to do a half marathon. And it's enough to keep him running when he is tired and when it is cold out. And for me, it is the abrupt reminder that he is indeed growing up and that I have much to do with who he is becoming.
And there is nothing more rewarding in my running life than that. It is not the medals, the PRs or the accomplishment of doing something for the first time that fill me with as much joy as seeing the main reason I do what I do coming full circle.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Forrest Grump
I'm running a 5k today. Maybe. I haven't decided and since it's only 6:07 and the race is at 10, it's anyone's guess whether I will or not. Yesterday it was a definite. Today, not so much. So what's the problem? What's the big deal? Why or why wouldn't I do it?
For starters, I haven't raced a 5k in 10 months. The one I raced 10 months ago was a PR and that was coming off of an injury. I haven't done any consistent speed work in 6 months. Sure, I've run a few fast miles here and there, but really, to get accomplished what I was after this year, I had to slow it down. Now I'm back to the speed thing and the stupid mind games that come with that have resurfaced. I hate that I care what kind of time I clock in a stupid Christmas 5k. I hate it because I will let it bug the living shit out of me if it isn't where I hope to be as a starting point for marathon training. No one else will care, but I don't care about that. I'll care. I guess that makes me a "dweller"... and I don't want to be that. I've worked hard NOT to be that.
Now I promise, I am not saying that just to impress people if I get a super, jacked out speedy time. Those types of people seriously have issues. If you don't know the type (if you are a runner that races often, I know you know the type)... they are the ones that show up at a race "on a whim" and of course "haven't been running at all" oh and yes, usually they have some sort of ailment going on such as "Oh if only I wasn't sporting 3 stress fractures and IT band sydrome and plantar warts and BLAH BLAH BLAH...." So they set the stage as an excuse for a possible poor race time. Then, they proceed to bust out the race of their lives. I mean, they pass you, fake limp while they are doing it and just maybe, pat you on the back "for encouragement" while they sail by. I have raced with that type of runner and I can now spot bullshit a hundred miles away on the 'ol "Oh I haven't been running...." In my mind, I trip those people as they go by. Just shut up and run. No excuses. Let the clock time speak for what you have or have not been doing. No one cares but you anyway.
So ok, I just talked myself into going. And I'll leave with this... I'll race my ass off today. It may land me a slower than I'd like race time, or it may land me a surprisingly great race time... maybe even a PR. I won't even say "but I doubt it..." I'll just go and run and see where all this ramped up mileage lands me. I'll mentally prepare for either outcome. And if I see you there... then great. Just remember, I haven't been doing any speed work... oh yeah, and I didn't sleep well last night. And I'm dehydrated. And a year ago, I had a stress fracture.
For starters, I haven't raced a 5k in 10 months. The one I raced 10 months ago was a PR and that was coming off of an injury. I haven't done any consistent speed work in 6 months. Sure, I've run a few fast miles here and there, but really, to get accomplished what I was after this year, I had to slow it down. Now I'm back to the speed thing and the stupid mind games that come with that have resurfaced. I hate that I care what kind of time I clock in a stupid Christmas 5k. I hate it because I will let it bug the living shit out of me if it isn't where I hope to be as a starting point for marathon training. No one else will care, but I don't care about that. I'll care. I guess that makes me a "dweller"... and I don't want to be that. I've worked hard NOT to be that.
Now I promise, I am not saying that just to impress people if I get a super, jacked out speedy time. Those types of people seriously have issues. If you don't know the type (if you are a runner that races often, I know you know the type)... they are the ones that show up at a race "on a whim" and of course "haven't been running at all" oh and yes, usually they have some sort of ailment going on such as "Oh if only I wasn't sporting 3 stress fractures and IT band sydrome and plantar warts and BLAH BLAH BLAH...." So they set the stage as an excuse for a possible poor race time. Then, they proceed to bust out the race of their lives. I mean, they pass you, fake limp while they are doing it and just maybe, pat you on the back "for encouragement" while they sail by. I have raced with that type of runner and I can now spot bullshit a hundred miles away on the 'ol "Oh I haven't been running...." In my mind, I trip those people as they go by. Just shut up and run. No excuses. Let the clock time speak for what you have or have not been doing. No one cares but you anyway.
So ok, I just talked myself into going. And I'll leave with this... I'll race my ass off today. It may land me a slower than I'd like race time, or it may land me a surprisingly great race time... maybe even a PR. I won't even say "but I doubt it..." I'll just go and run and see where all this ramped up mileage lands me. I'll mentally prepare for either outcome. And if I see you there... then great. Just remember, I haven't been doing any speed work... oh yeah, and I didn't sleep well last night. And I'm dehydrated. And a year ago, I had a stress fracture.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Polly... the rest of the story
The refrigerator is in, working and already could stand to be cleaned out. The sign of busy family with hungry kids who open the fridge constantly!
Today wraps up the end of a hellish week. I never would have thought that a volunteer position could cause so much stress, anxiety, sleep loss and yes, tears. The job of girls' basketball coordinator for my kids' school can be compared to the job of CEO of a fortune 500 company at risk of going belly up. At least in my mind it does. One would think that jobs and lives and the honor of one's country depended on what team their daughter was placed on or what one coach thinks vs. another. Dear God, continue to grant me the common sense to place the importance of all this nonsense in perspective and sleep a little easier in the weeks to come.
This week also begins the formation of new training schedules for 6 runners who want to run all or half of the Flying Pig Marathon. I am flattered that some of these runners wanted to hire me based on word of mouth from some of the runners from my first training group. Three are from Harrison (where I live), two of them are girls I used to work with who got in touch with me and one lives in Columbus. Perhaps the biggest compliment of all is that Sarah wanted to hire me to coach her again. I say it's a compliment, because again, Sarah's job revolves around training and nutrition. Even after not quite hitting her goal mark, she wants me to formulate an individual plan and coach her for the Flying Pig. Her goal is different though. She wants to run with me. My time goal is way achievable for her. In fact, at times, my marathon pace was her long run pace when she trained for Columbus. But she wants the structure, the layout and the plan to follow. Or else she says she won't do it. I told her to just do what I do and I don't need to make her a plan. But she can't do what I do. She can't run 6 days a week with what she does for a living. She wants to do this on 3 days of running. So I now go in search of the perfect marathon training plan for my 3 day a week running friend! Looking forward to the challenge of figuring all that out for her. This morning I found myself doing what I'd missed doing over the past two months... sitting down to make weekly schedules for runners. For the first time in awhile, I was completely engaged in figuring perfect starting mileage for 6 very different athletes. I was happy, involved and consumed by what I was doing. But I realized I hadn't quite wrapped up my previous group... at least not where blogging was concerned. I needed to blog about Polly. And so here is Polly's story.
Polly was not new to running. She had run a couple of half marathons but was more or less a non-competitive recreational runner. Polly started inquiring about being trained for the Columbus half marathon back in early June. After a long conversation with her, I discovered that Polly was a great candidate for the full marathon. During our chat, I asked Polly how much running she'd been doing. "Oh about 5-8 miles six days a week." I told Polly she was currently running more miles than some of folks who were planning on the full marathon "Why don't you think about doing the full, Polly? I mean, you have an incredible base, you've been running for years. You would be great at marathoning." "I don't know if I can run that far though..." And so I began to draw her in with scientific explanations about base building and endurance and all that stuff. I think what first timers forget when they look at marathon distance is that no one is telling you that you must do this tomorrow. Be consistent with your training and you CAN go that distance. I compare it to the two surprise pregnancies I had... I remember the freak outs of "I cannot do this..." Well no, I couldn't do it the next day, but after many months of preparation (and heavy prayer), I could... well I guess I had no choice :) We tend to relate things to come in regard to life as it is right now and it can paralyze us from going after things we dream of doing. I've noticed people saying... "50 MILES!!!! OMG are you human???" Well what I found is that any damn fool can run this distance. Anyone. They just don't know it. Yes you have to train like you have to train for any endurance event. But what I did was not amazing. It was the natural result of consistent training and mileage building. Very simple really. And I suppose anyone that desires to run this distance is a fool so yep, any damn fool can run it.
A few days after our phone chat, Polly called me and said she'd been thinking and after discussing it with her husband, Keith, wanted to run the full marathon. I was really excited because I knew Polly would be one hell of a great distance runner. However, Polly did not own a Garmin or watch with a compatible heart rate monitor. I had just purchased a new Garmin so I offered her my old one that had just lost it's 2nd replaced band. By the time I got it to Polly to use, it was essentially, a pocket watch. Even the tape wouldn't keep the band on anymore. But nonetheless, Polly assured me she would order a new band and a heart rate strap and start using them. Until then, I described her "easy" runs as "conversational pace". I told her to run a pace in which she could easily and comfortably carry on a conversation. If that was what she was doing, then that was probably the right training pace for her. The challenge was trying to hit pace days. The good thing was that Polly often ran on her treadmill, which helped her set her pace range. But on outside days, we again, had to gage effort since we had no pacing data. Well Polly, who is probably a lot like me, never got around to getting her band, heart rate monitor or figuring out how to make the Garmin work. God love her, week after week she was "going to get that band ordered" and week after week, didn't. She is exactly like me in some ways!
Polly would often meet the group for our long runs. Once we got her nutrition squared away, she had a really easy time with the long runs. She showed up for a 16 miler once with nothing but water. She just didn't know and I guess I assumed she did since she'd been running for many years. I guess I'd forgotten that she had never trained like this or run this far. With the introduction of Gatorade, energy gels and other fuel sources, Polly had no problems.
Polly's challenges during training were like everyone else's... TIME. She was the only one out of the group that would sometimes run after work. You wanna know what Polly does for a living? She is a nurse who works 12 hour days. To think that she went home and ran after a 12 hour work day is inconceivable to me. No way could I do that! But she also had a hard time getting all the running in during the week as the miles built up. She worried, I reassured her. Rest was more important and she would be ok. A lot of my exchanges with Polly were reassuring her that she was still on track and that she was still training well. Missing a workout here and there would not hurt her. That is hard for a first time marathoner to grasp. Sure, you can't go around week after week skipping runs, but you definitely can cut yourself some slack here and there and often times, benefit from the extra rest.
As the weeks closed in, training really became hard for her. Keith was out of town a lot and her girls were taking turns being sick... each one for roughly a week. Polly was missing a lot of running and again, was feeling insecure about the race. The advantage that Polly had was that she had an awesome base when she began training. She didn't just start running. This would all count and I told her it would be ok. If she could just get her long runs in, she would be fine. Two weeks before the marathon, Polly ran her longest distance ever... a 24 miler. And then her taper began.
I know I said that on marathon morning, Sarah was the only one I didn't see. Well that is not true. I never connected with Polly that day or the day before either. I talked to her on the phone and we exchanged texts, but I never saw her. Until about mile 9 of the race :)
Polly's primary marathon goal time was a 4:30. She ultimately wanted a finish, but that is what she thought she could do. She made a BEST DAY EVER goal of 4:15. Those are the paces I gave her to train at. Again, hard to tell exactly what paces she was hitting.
At mile nine of the my half marathon, I came beside Polly and her brother, who was running with her. Polly was running pretty much at that 4:15 marathon pace. She of course, had no Garmin to keep herself in check, but assured me she was comfortable. And according to my Garmin, she was pretty close to being right on track. She was certainly chatty and I was so excited to see her and run with her for a few miles. I gave her a few tips for later in the race, made sure she was fueling well and kind of did my own assessment of her. Nothing about Polly seemed off. She was very at ease and had a grin on her face the entire time we ran. When we got to the 12 mile mark, I told her I was going to speed up this last mile to finish up the half. I reminded her to stay smart and run easy.
The next time I saw Polly was after she'd finished. I first saw Keith. He told me that Polly crossed the line feeling great. She was tired, but never really struggled or hit a wall. She had met a girl who was running who's father had committed suicide the week before. She'd asked that she not leave her. Polly and her brother stayed with the girl for a while and helped her run. The pace was still rather comfortable for Polly. The last couple of miles, Keith jumped in to run with her at which point, Polly pulled ahead of the girl. Polly's brother stayed with the girl though so she did have company.
Polly didn't hit a wall. She didn't struggle or exhaust herself. She smiled and enjoyed her run. She fueled well and she didn't have a Garmin. Polly finished her first marathon in 4:18.
Polly needs to run another marathon :)
Today wraps up the end of a hellish week. I never would have thought that a volunteer position could cause so much stress, anxiety, sleep loss and yes, tears. The job of girls' basketball coordinator for my kids' school can be compared to the job of CEO of a fortune 500 company at risk of going belly up. At least in my mind it does. One would think that jobs and lives and the honor of one's country depended on what team their daughter was placed on or what one coach thinks vs. another. Dear God, continue to grant me the common sense to place the importance of all this nonsense in perspective and sleep a little easier in the weeks to come.
This week also begins the formation of new training schedules for 6 runners who want to run all or half of the Flying Pig Marathon. I am flattered that some of these runners wanted to hire me based on word of mouth from some of the runners from my first training group. Three are from Harrison (where I live), two of them are girls I used to work with who got in touch with me and one lives in Columbus. Perhaps the biggest compliment of all is that Sarah wanted to hire me to coach her again. I say it's a compliment, because again, Sarah's job revolves around training and nutrition. Even after not quite hitting her goal mark, she wants me to formulate an individual plan and coach her for the Flying Pig. Her goal is different though. She wants to run with me. My time goal is way achievable for her. In fact, at times, my marathon pace was her long run pace when she trained for Columbus. But she wants the structure, the layout and the plan to follow. Or else she says she won't do it. I told her to just do what I do and I don't need to make her a plan. But she can't do what I do. She can't run 6 days a week with what she does for a living. She wants to do this on 3 days of running. So I now go in search of the perfect marathon training plan for my 3 day a week running friend! Looking forward to the challenge of figuring all that out for her. This morning I found myself doing what I'd missed doing over the past two months... sitting down to make weekly schedules for runners. For the first time in awhile, I was completely engaged in figuring perfect starting mileage for 6 very different athletes. I was happy, involved and consumed by what I was doing. But I realized I hadn't quite wrapped up my previous group... at least not where blogging was concerned. I needed to blog about Polly. And so here is Polly's story.
Polly was not new to running. She had run a couple of half marathons but was more or less a non-competitive recreational runner. Polly started inquiring about being trained for the Columbus half marathon back in early June. After a long conversation with her, I discovered that Polly was a great candidate for the full marathon. During our chat, I asked Polly how much running she'd been doing. "Oh about 5-8 miles six days a week." I told Polly she was currently running more miles than some of folks who were planning on the full marathon "Why don't you think about doing the full, Polly? I mean, you have an incredible base, you've been running for years. You would be great at marathoning." "I don't know if I can run that far though..." And so I began to draw her in with scientific explanations about base building and endurance and all that stuff. I think what first timers forget when they look at marathon distance is that no one is telling you that you must do this tomorrow. Be consistent with your training and you CAN go that distance. I compare it to the two surprise pregnancies I had... I remember the freak outs of "I cannot do this..." Well no, I couldn't do it the next day, but after many months of preparation (and heavy prayer), I could... well I guess I had no choice :) We tend to relate things to come in regard to life as it is right now and it can paralyze us from going after things we dream of doing. I've noticed people saying... "50 MILES!!!! OMG are you human???" Well what I found is that any damn fool can run this distance. Anyone. They just don't know it. Yes you have to train like you have to train for any endurance event. But what I did was not amazing. It was the natural result of consistent training and mileage building. Very simple really. And I suppose anyone that desires to run this distance is a fool so yep, any damn fool can run it.
A few days after our phone chat, Polly called me and said she'd been thinking and after discussing it with her husband, Keith, wanted to run the full marathon. I was really excited because I knew Polly would be one hell of a great distance runner. However, Polly did not own a Garmin or watch with a compatible heart rate monitor. I had just purchased a new Garmin so I offered her my old one that had just lost it's 2nd replaced band. By the time I got it to Polly to use, it was essentially, a pocket watch. Even the tape wouldn't keep the band on anymore. But nonetheless, Polly assured me she would order a new band and a heart rate strap and start using them. Until then, I described her "easy" runs as "conversational pace". I told her to run a pace in which she could easily and comfortably carry on a conversation. If that was what she was doing, then that was probably the right training pace for her. The challenge was trying to hit pace days. The good thing was that Polly often ran on her treadmill, which helped her set her pace range. But on outside days, we again, had to gage effort since we had no pacing data. Well Polly, who is probably a lot like me, never got around to getting her band, heart rate monitor or figuring out how to make the Garmin work. God love her, week after week she was "going to get that band ordered" and week after week, didn't. She is exactly like me in some ways!
Polly would often meet the group for our long runs. Once we got her nutrition squared away, she had a really easy time with the long runs. She showed up for a 16 miler once with nothing but water. She just didn't know and I guess I assumed she did since she'd been running for many years. I guess I'd forgotten that she had never trained like this or run this far. With the introduction of Gatorade, energy gels and other fuel sources, Polly had no problems.
Polly's challenges during training were like everyone else's... TIME. She was the only one out of the group that would sometimes run after work. You wanna know what Polly does for a living? She is a nurse who works 12 hour days. To think that she went home and ran after a 12 hour work day is inconceivable to me. No way could I do that! But she also had a hard time getting all the running in during the week as the miles built up. She worried, I reassured her. Rest was more important and she would be ok. A lot of my exchanges with Polly were reassuring her that she was still on track and that she was still training well. Missing a workout here and there would not hurt her. That is hard for a first time marathoner to grasp. Sure, you can't go around week after week skipping runs, but you definitely can cut yourself some slack here and there and often times, benefit from the extra rest.
As the weeks closed in, training really became hard for her. Keith was out of town a lot and her girls were taking turns being sick... each one for roughly a week. Polly was missing a lot of running and again, was feeling insecure about the race. The advantage that Polly had was that she had an awesome base when she began training. She didn't just start running. This would all count and I told her it would be ok. If she could just get her long runs in, she would be fine. Two weeks before the marathon, Polly ran her longest distance ever... a 24 miler. And then her taper began.
I know I said that on marathon morning, Sarah was the only one I didn't see. Well that is not true. I never connected with Polly that day or the day before either. I talked to her on the phone and we exchanged texts, but I never saw her. Until about mile 9 of the race :)
Polly's primary marathon goal time was a 4:30. She ultimately wanted a finish, but that is what she thought she could do. She made a BEST DAY EVER goal of 4:15. Those are the paces I gave her to train at. Again, hard to tell exactly what paces she was hitting.
At mile nine of the my half marathon, I came beside Polly and her brother, who was running with her. Polly was running pretty much at that 4:15 marathon pace. She of course, had no Garmin to keep herself in check, but assured me she was comfortable. And according to my Garmin, she was pretty close to being right on track. She was certainly chatty and I was so excited to see her and run with her for a few miles. I gave her a few tips for later in the race, made sure she was fueling well and kind of did my own assessment of her. Nothing about Polly seemed off. She was very at ease and had a grin on her face the entire time we ran. When we got to the 12 mile mark, I told her I was going to speed up this last mile to finish up the half. I reminded her to stay smart and run easy.
The next time I saw Polly was after she'd finished. I first saw Keith. He told me that Polly crossed the line feeling great. She was tired, but never really struggled or hit a wall. She had met a girl who was running who's father had committed suicide the week before. She'd asked that she not leave her. Polly and her brother stayed with the girl for a while and helped her run. The pace was still rather comfortable for Polly. The last couple of miles, Keith jumped in to run with her at which point, Polly pulled ahead of the girl. Polly's brother stayed with the girl though so she did have company.
Polly didn't hit a wall. She didn't struggle or exhaust herself. She smiled and enjoyed her run. She fueled well and she didn't have a Garmin. Polly finished her first marathon in 4:18.
Polly needs to run another marathon :)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Polly... Part 1
A sure way to get the Home Depot delivery guys to deliver my refrigerator is for me to sit down and start a blog. It is 4:30 and I was given a "window" of between 1 and 5. They would call 1/2 hour before delivery so that I could empty the old refrigerator. Well, no phone call. Haven't wanted to start dinner, for fear I'd have the kitchen in disarray and then BAM... a phone call and rush to get the fridge emptied. So, what this does is provides a great opportunity to blog about Polly (oh yeah, Jack's at basketball and my self sufficient homework doers are working and Lucy is playing with a neighbor friend. All is well).
Oh well, wouldn't you know it. Home Depot is on the way. Gotta empty the fridge so be back in a few days :)
Oh well, wouldn't you know it. Home Depot is on the way. Gotta empty the fridge so be back in a few days :)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
JFK 50
Grab some coffee, pull up a chair and get ready to sit for awhile. Y'all know how I like DEE-TALE and I plan to recap my entire race from start to finish. So I guess you will be reading for roughly 10 1/2 hours.
I keep waiting for RW's Kristin Armstrong to blog about her first 50 miler that she ran on Saturday also. I follow her blog religiously as I relate to her on so many levels (not the level of once being married and now divorced to Lance Armstrong, but many other levels for sure). I'll admit though, I did look up her race results. She wrote about a heel issue that had come up during her taper. Her friend called it "taperitis", a condition of various unknown aches and pains that pop up during the taper due to crazy nerves. I've had that disease and it's painful :). Anyway, Kristin ran the Wild Hare 50 mile trail race in Texas. She was nervous as heck. I wondered why because she is a stellar runner and clocks marathons in the 3:30's. That doesn't matter. So does my cousin Sean and he was a bundle of nerves. While reading her blogs leading up to Saturday, I realized Kristin was nervous like I was nervous. She had never done it and had no idea what to expect. She battles race nerves as it is, so this was huge. I think we were twins separated at birth. But she got the faster running genes. Anyway, according to her results, she ran her race in 12:45 or something like that. I wondered if her heel became a big issue for her. Then I figured that was a pretty decent time considered the ENTIRE race was on trail (I'm sore thinking about it). Then I realized that since she ran with her best friend, they just had a good time enjoying the day. Then I realized that going 50 miles on foot, regardless of pace, was an incredible challenge as well as an incredible victory. Anyway, I can't wait for her recap and I'll now stop talking about some far away RW writer!
I'm not saying this because the race is over. I'm saying it because it's true. I could not have asked for a better experience in running my first ultra marathon. It can never be duplicated. Not the feeling the night before, not the feeling at 3 am on race morning and not the feeling at the start or finish line. I think those close to me who have been with me and run with me for the past couple of years can vouch for this. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, went exactly how I hoped it would. I vowed from the beginning that I would do all the things I felt would get me there as ready as possible. I left nothing to chance... from nutrition to total body conditioning to rest. I did it all. I read everything I could on what ultra runners go through physically and psychologically and took many of those points to heart. This was huge for me. Like many people, I know what's best a lot of the time, but I don't do it. Then I find myself bitching about things not coming together. I'm like this with my poor organization skills, which I have worked on a bit more this year, but I still have a long way to go. I scream and yell when I can't find things. I'm irritable with my kids when they can't find things. But you know what? It's my fault 90% of the time (not my kids' missing crap, but mine). If I just had a place for everything like all those stupid magazine organizing articles say I should, life would be SO MUCH EASIER. And so much more pleasant. So I took this concept and related it to my running world. If I wanted a successful, awesome and wonderful race, I would absolutely have to do everything within my power to do it. I couldn't control the weather. But I could pretty much control the rest of it. Including whether I went to the start injured or not. I knew I could not completely control the outcome either (twisting an ankle on the trail, stomach issues, ect..), but I would control what I could. And that came down how I prepared physically and mentally and coming up with a race strategy and sticking to it.
Let me just say the moments right before the race were nerve wracking. I had slept very well from 9 pm to 3 am. Six good hours of sleep the night before something like this is pretty damn awesome I think. I usually have broken, nervous sleep. And 3 am is only one hour before I wake up anyway. But it was a restless hour from 3-4. I thought about just going to the lobby to read, but then decided I should rest my legs the most possible before getting up. So I laid in bed and thought. Not good. I began to feel familiar panic taking over. What if I just collapsed from exhaustion out there? What if I could not even will my legs to move after a certain point? I came back at myself with "Well, then you will crawl." What if by crawling, I didn't make the cut-off? Ok, old habits die hard. Cut me some slack on thinking I'm crazy. This was a BIG deal! This is where all those stories I've read about ultra runners helped me so much. This is where remembering being with Jack during Burning River calmed me down. Those people could do it and so could I. And so could just about anyone in the world who wants to. Logically, I knew this. And reminding myself of the hours and miles spent preparing for this helped me too.
When I finally got up and moved around, the nerves dissipated. I was feeling pretty good, busily getting dressed and packing up. And yes, I put on make-up. So what? Who says you have to look like crap when you run 50 miles? I figured if I got taken out by ambulance, those medics would say "Well, she can't run very well, but she looks put together." And that was important. I'm not talking like "going out for the night" kind of make-up, but some was necessary.
After breakfast, which was a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich on WHITE bread (see, I'm learning... and I told you it'd be detailed), I went to the lobby for coffee. Now I ate this at 4:30. Because I learned you should have your breakfast 2-3 hours before your race. So I picked 2.5 to make it just right. I met Sean and Jack in the lobby. I saw lots of female runners in tights and began to second guess my choice of shorts. "Maybe I should go change?" Sean and Jack, being male, were looking at me like I was crazy. Why was I making such a big deal out of something dumb? Hey guys, I'm female. Wardrobe is a big deal like make-up is a big deal. Anyway, after careful analysis of the weather, I figured I wear what I would for a long run at home. Shorts it was.
John drove us to the meeting in the local high school gym. It was there that the race director gave his pre-race talk on procedure and guidelines. He assured us that if we were caught with headphones, we would be disqualified. No exceptions, no warnings. THIS was our warning. Thankfully, I knew this ahead of time as I am a music while running lover. Certain songs just perk me up sometimes. Anyway, Jack, Sean and I agreed to stay together at least for the first 15 miles. So essentially, for the trail segment. I knew Jack would most likely take off after that, but Sean and I agreed to run together. We both would love to hit 10 hours, but ultimately wanted to finish by the cut-off. Some people could petition to start at 5 am, giving them 14 hours. But you had to have a good reason for that to be approved. I had no such reason.
The start line was about 2/3 mile from the high school. Suddenly the race director tells us to get moving because it was just about time. We all flooded out of the gym and headed toward the start. Some of us jogging or hurrying. I got a good luck text from Sarah on my way to the start. After texting her back, I tucked my phone away, took a deep breath and within seconds, the gun went off. No turning back. I was doing it.
The first mile was relatively flat. Just about everyone (around me anyway) was sporting a comfortable jog or easy running pace. The crowd was filled with chatter and within seconds I must've met 5 different people. Well, ok... this is because I was wearing my Burning River pull-over. "Hey, when did you run that?" "Uh, er, welllll.... my brother over there" (pointing at Jack) "ran it this past summer and I crewed him and paced him for 30 miles of it. I am a poser. I did not run this entire race, but this is the best running pull-over ever so I'm wearing it." I got a few chuckles for calling myself a poser. But now come to think of it, perhaps they were laughing at me for never doing 100 miles!
Mile two began a steady, uphill climb. I took my cues from Jack and the rest of the runners and part way up, began to walk. The hill kept going. Turn the corner, it kept going. Finally... the Appalachian Trail!
We entered the trail and began running. So far so good. I was a bit winded from the uphill climb/fast walk, but I was good. I took a second to look around and notice the scenery. But it was literally, a second. I had to look at the ground the ENTIRE time of this segment. How ironic... I was in such a historic and amazing part of the country and I really couldn't soak it up and enjoy the beauty. I remembered Kathleen telling me "You have all day. Take pictures and enjoy it." So when we got to a relatively smooth section, I stopped and snapped a picture. After reviewing it, I thought it resembled Miami Whitewater's trail so I didn't bother posting :). The trail was technical. The hard part is that it was so covered with leaves that many of the rocks and roots were hidden. It was crucial to really concentrate on picking up your feet and navigating carefully. Most of this was single file running. Occasionally we would get passed or would pass someone walking when we were running. I fell twice when my foot caught a rock I didn't see. This gave me shaky confidence and forced me into an ever so conservative pace on the trail. But thank God it did! As I knew he would, Jack ditched us early on the trail. So much for Mr. "I'm sick and I'm going easy and let's stay together on the trail". This irritated me to no end. Hey Jack, JUST SAY YOU WANT TO RACE for God sakes! That's fine. But when you say you want to go easy, then ditch me, it mentally makes me thing I'm actually too slow for your very easiest pace. It's all mental, I know, but I hate when people preface a run with excuses on how they aren't prepared or are really tired or sick and then have the run of their lives. Just please shut up and run and if you end up feeling bad or slowing down or not finishing, then let me know what's up! It doesn't mean you suck. It means you had a bad run. I've stopped doing this myself because sometimes you can start out feel crappy or low on confidence and end up having a great run. And I hate when others do it. The decent coming off the AT was crazy scary. OMG... let me just say I had visions of myself plummeting to my death on this part. We were essentially making our way down a cliff with a steep drop off on the left and a narrow path in which to run (or tip toe). The humor in it was that there was a yellow piece of caution tape blocking the drop off. Gee thanks! That'll do a whole lotta nothin' if you fall! "Stay vertical" was the mantra of all of us making our way down. But we DID IT!! Sean and I made it to the 15.4 mile aid station upright. The trail segment was over. Now onto the tow path marathon! I stopped at John and the kids, did a quick shoe change, water and Gatorade refill, cliff bar and off I went. But not before John informed me that Jack was 15 minutes ahead and had "waited for Sean and I at Gathland Gap (9 mile aid station on the trail) but when we didn't come, ran on." Jack... you are RUDE! I got irritated when he told me that. Remember, we were sticking together on the trail, Jack? That was your idea. And by the way, Sean and I did a damn fine job on that mountain! We ran most of it. So there!
ANYWAY.... we began to run along the tow path. We decided we would do the run one mile/walk one minute method for the tow path segment. We took notice of the river and chatted about all kinds of things. Sean had a stop watch with running time but had lost his Garmin so wasn't able to wear it. He was feeling great at this point and I could tell was itching to go faster. He looked at his watch incessantly and asked me for each mile split. I finally told him he had to stop it. I was starting to get caught up in his pace and time goal game and it was bothering me. I reminded him that we wanted to finish. This was Sean's third time attempting to run this race and so far, the furthest he gotten during it. He laughed at himself and relaxed for a bit. Soon he began again. He asked me over and over how I was feeling. Honestly I was trying to think of anything BUT running. I was trying to get lost in thought, prayer, whatever because the minute I thought.. 30 plus miles, I got a bit upset. I realized I had to take this thing one mile at a time. But I did feel good in relation to the distance we had gone. I knew that tougher times were ahead and I was thankful for every successful mile because I was one mile closer. I did call Sarah when we first hit the tow path. I gave her a quick recap of the trail section and let her know I was doing and feeling really well. I knew she was wondering and I had promised to call if I had signal.
Along the way, we met and chatted with a few people. One guy, seen in my picture of mile 27 posted on FB, was a tough military guy running his first ultra also. He really liked our run/walk strategy and asked if we minded if he ran with us for awhile. Of course we didn't mind! Sean and I are a friendly sort and we welcomed the company. It was on the tow path that I really could soak up the beauty of my surroundings. It was incredibly beautiful and the pace was nice and easy. I wanted to remember it so I took mental notes of it all along the way. The bad thing about my Garmin was that it was reading about .4 miles ahead in distance. By the time it died at mile 40, it was .7 miles ahead. Let me tell you how upsetting it is when you know exactly where those aid stations are supposed to be and your Garmin is telling you that you are beyond it but you haven't even reached it. I'm actually glad the stupid thing died! John jumped in to run with me at 27. I saw the kids again and off we went. I was so happy to have him with me! I thought I wouldn't want him there and that he'd irritate me, but I was like a child needing the comfort of a parent at that point. Over halfway there, but still a lot to go. Again, I tried not to think about it. He told me Jack had been having some stomach issues. So I began to wonder how it would play out for him. I became less irritated with him than I had been and hoped he faired ok in the end. I was also grateful that up to this point, I was not having any problems.
Things changed a little right around mile 34-35. I began to get cramps on the sides of my legs. I did a full body assessment. My feet were good... no pain. My calves were good... THANK GOD (forgot to mention I felt my left calf tightening uphill mile 2 and got a bit concerned. But it went away and I ended up with no issues). My quads were actually ok. Big victories considering I was at mile 35. But this lateral cramping was bothering me and I was walking a bit more frequently. Called Sarah again and said "OK, only two outer loops left. I can do that, right?" By the mile 39 aid station, I knew I had to figure out something to make 11 more miles tolerable. I took some electrolyte tablets for the first time. I took 600 mg of ibuprofen, ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, went to the bathroom and continued on. Sean had come and gone out of the station and was well ahead with his daughter, Kate, who planned on running him to the finish. So I figured that was the last I'd see of him. John and I walked for about 1/4 mile and then I started running. It was getting harder to start again after running so I was trying to run as much as possible. My mile splits were in the 12 min range and considering how I felt, I was happy. I knew I was finishing this thing and sore as I was, I was really quite happy. John and I chatted a lot. I told him over and over how happy I was he was with me. I was not mean or evil like I thought I'd be. Bad as I felt, I thought I'd feel worse so I was quite relieved. I was still running and had no blisters. My back and hips weren't really as sore as some other long runs I'd done. Life was pretty damn good at mile 41! At mile 41.8, we hit pavement and I hit a 4th wind. I was on my way to finishing up and I was so excited. I put on my reflective vest, or the "vest of shame", as my brother calls it. They give it to everyone they think will finish in the dark. Two years ago, Jack didn't get one. He made that aid station in time. This year he got one and when he told the lady "ok, give me my vest of shame", she replied in a preschool teacher like voice "Oh no, THIS is the vest of safety!" It was hilarious to hear him mimic her voice. I proudly slipped my vest of safety over my head and headed into, what else, a hill! I began by running, then walked (I had no choice). I turned a corner to see Sean and Kate walking up ahead. So the miles had finally caught up with Sean. John and I ran to meet them and he admitted he was struggling now. We hung for a bit and all started running together. I don't know what happened, but I began to feel really, REALLY good. I picked up the pace and began to run what I considered fast. The miles rolled by easily and before I knew it, we were at mile 46. Emma and Will jumped in and ran with me. Sean was back a bit with Kate. I wanted to take advantage of how I felt so I continued the run/walk 1 min with Emma and Will. They were sweet and adorable and I loved that they were doing this with me. What a lucky, lucky woman I was right then. Right before I hit mile 49 I decided that I wanted to run the last mile with Sean. He hung with me through virtually all of it. He felt terrific and could have taken off and finished earlier. I know he could have. But he didn't. At times, I wanted him to. Or so I thought. But looking back, I am so grateful to have had him along the way. So at mile 49, I stopped and waited until Sean and his girls got to us. We ran that final 1.2 miles together, grabbed hands and crossed the mat together. Oh my! I had just run 50 miles all at once!!! What a day! What a feeling! What a gift! I saw Jack and gave him shit for ditching us. Turns out he had struggled a bit with his knee in the end, but finished pretty decently. We headed back to the hotel where I took an ice bath, ate some pizza and went to bed and fell into an exhaustive coma.
I now sit here contemplating next year. The desire to race for a BQ has greatly diminished after this. But I am going to begin speed training again (with much more knowledge on how to do it properly now) and race the Flying Pig. My goal will be a BQ. If I get it, AWESOME! If not, no biggie. There is always another marathon to race. No more crying over missed time goals. No more pressure that makes me sick to my stomach and unable to perform. No more grieving over not getting what I feel I am "owed". I don't need to make doing what I love so stressful. Because I KNOW I can do it for 50 miles. Knowing that is simply all I need.
I keep waiting for RW's Kristin Armstrong to blog about her first 50 miler that she ran on Saturday also. I follow her blog religiously as I relate to her on so many levels (not the level of once being married and now divorced to Lance Armstrong, but many other levels for sure). I'll admit though, I did look up her race results. She wrote about a heel issue that had come up during her taper. Her friend called it "taperitis", a condition of various unknown aches and pains that pop up during the taper due to crazy nerves. I've had that disease and it's painful :). Anyway, Kristin ran the Wild Hare 50 mile trail race in Texas. She was nervous as heck. I wondered why because she is a stellar runner and clocks marathons in the 3:30's. That doesn't matter. So does my cousin Sean and he was a bundle of nerves. While reading her blogs leading up to Saturday, I realized Kristin was nervous like I was nervous. She had never done it and had no idea what to expect. She battles race nerves as it is, so this was huge. I think we were twins separated at birth. But she got the faster running genes. Anyway, according to her results, she ran her race in 12:45 or something like that. I wondered if her heel became a big issue for her. Then I figured that was a pretty decent time considered the ENTIRE race was on trail (I'm sore thinking about it). Then I realized that since she ran with her best friend, they just had a good time enjoying the day. Then I realized that going 50 miles on foot, regardless of pace, was an incredible challenge as well as an incredible victory. Anyway, I can't wait for her recap and I'll now stop talking about some far away RW writer!
I'm not saying this because the race is over. I'm saying it because it's true. I could not have asked for a better experience in running my first ultra marathon. It can never be duplicated. Not the feeling the night before, not the feeling at 3 am on race morning and not the feeling at the start or finish line. I think those close to me who have been with me and run with me for the past couple of years can vouch for this. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, went exactly how I hoped it would. I vowed from the beginning that I would do all the things I felt would get me there as ready as possible. I left nothing to chance... from nutrition to total body conditioning to rest. I did it all. I read everything I could on what ultra runners go through physically and psychologically and took many of those points to heart. This was huge for me. Like many people, I know what's best a lot of the time, but I don't do it. Then I find myself bitching about things not coming together. I'm like this with my poor organization skills, which I have worked on a bit more this year, but I still have a long way to go. I scream and yell when I can't find things. I'm irritable with my kids when they can't find things. But you know what? It's my fault 90% of the time (not my kids' missing crap, but mine). If I just had a place for everything like all those stupid magazine organizing articles say I should, life would be SO MUCH EASIER. And so much more pleasant. So I took this concept and related it to my running world. If I wanted a successful, awesome and wonderful race, I would absolutely have to do everything within my power to do it. I couldn't control the weather. But I could pretty much control the rest of it. Including whether I went to the start injured or not. I knew I could not completely control the outcome either (twisting an ankle on the trail, stomach issues, ect..), but I would control what I could. And that came down how I prepared physically and mentally and coming up with a race strategy and sticking to it.
Let me just say the moments right before the race were nerve wracking. I had slept very well from 9 pm to 3 am. Six good hours of sleep the night before something like this is pretty damn awesome I think. I usually have broken, nervous sleep. And 3 am is only one hour before I wake up anyway. But it was a restless hour from 3-4. I thought about just going to the lobby to read, but then decided I should rest my legs the most possible before getting up. So I laid in bed and thought. Not good. I began to feel familiar panic taking over. What if I just collapsed from exhaustion out there? What if I could not even will my legs to move after a certain point? I came back at myself with "Well, then you will crawl." What if by crawling, I didn't make the cut-off? Ok, old habits die hard. Cut me some slack on thinking I'm crazy. This was a BIG deal! This is where all those stories I've read about ultra runners helped me so much. This is where remembering being with Jack during Burning River calmed me down. Those people could do it and so could I. And so could just about anyone in the world who wants to. Logically, I knew this. And reminding myself of the hours and miles spent preparing for this helped me too.
When I finally got up and moved around, the nerves dissipated. I was feeling pretty good, busily getting dressed and packing up. And yes, I put on make-up. So what? Who says you have to look like crap when you run 50 miles? I figured if I got taken out by ambulance, those medics would say "Well, she can't run very well, but she looks put together." And that was important. I'm not talking like "going out for the night" kind of make-up, but some was necessary.
After breakfast, which was a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich on WHITE bread (see, I'm learning... and I told you it'd be detailed), I went to the lobby for coffee. Now I ate this at 4:30. Because I learned you should have your breakfast 2-3 hours before your race. So I picked 2.5 to make it just right. I met Sean and Jack in the lobby. I saw lots of female runners in tights and began to second guess my choice of shorts. "Maybe I should go change?" Sean and Jack, being male, were looking at me like I was crazy. Why was I making such a big deal out of something dumb? Hey guys, I'm female. Wardrobe is a big deal like make-up is a big deal. Anyway, after careful analysis of the weather, I figured I wear what I would for a long run at home. Shorts it was.
John drove us to the meeting in the local high school gym. It was there that the race director gave his pre-race talk on procedure and guidelines. He assured us that if we were caught with headphones, we would be disqualified. No exceptions, no warnings. THIS was our warning. Thankfully, I knew this ahead of time as I am a music while running lover. Certain songs just perk me up sometimes. Anyway, Jack, Sean and I agreed to stay together at least for the first 15 miles. So essentially, for the trail segment. I knew Jack would most likely take off after that, but Sean and I agreed to run together. We both would love to hit 10 hours, but ultimately wanted to finish by the cut-off. Some people could petition to start at 5 am, giving them 14 hours. But you had to have a good reason for that to be approved. I had no such reason.
The start line was about 2/3 mile from the high school. Suddenly the race director tells us to get moving because it was just about time. We all flooded out of the gym and headed toward the start. Some of us jogging or hurrying. I got a good luck text from Sarah on my way to the start. After texting her back, I tucked my phone away, took a deep breath and within seconds, the gun went off. No turning back. I was doing it.
The first mile was relatively flat. Just about everyone (around me anyway) was sporting a comfortable jog or easy running pace. The crowd was filled with chatter and within seconds I must've met 5 different people. Well, ok... this is because I was wearing my Burning River pull-over. "Hey, when did you run that?" "Uh, er, welllll.... my brother over there" (pointing at Jack) "ran it this past summer and I crewed him and paced him for 30 miles of it. I am a poser. I did not run this entire race, but this is the best running pull-over ever so I'm wearing it." I got a few chuckles for calling myself a poser. But now come to think of it, perhaps they were laughing at me for never doing 100 miles!
Mile two began a steady, uphill climb. I took my cues from Jack and the rest of the runners and part way up, began to walk. The hill kept going. Turn the corner, it kept going. Finally... the Appalachian Trail!
We entered the trail and began running. So far so good. I was a bit winded from the uphill climb/fast walk, but I was good. I took a second to look around and notice the scenery. But it was literally, a second. I had to look at the ground the ENTIRE time of this segment. How ironic... I was in such a historic and amazing part of the country and I really couldn't soak it up and enjoy the beauty. I remembered Kathleen telling me "You have all day. Take pictures and enjoy it." So when we got to a relatively smooth section, I stopped and snapped a picture. After reviewing it, I thought it resembled Miami Whitewater's trail so I didn't bother posting :). The trail was technical. The hard part is that it was so covered with leaves that many of the rocks and roots were hidden. It was crucial to really concentrate on picking up your feet and navigating carefully. Most of this was single file running. Occasionally we would get passed or would pass someone walking when we were running. I fell twice when my foot caught a rock I didn't see. This gave me shaky confidence and forced me into an ever so conservative pace on the trail. But thank God it did! As I knew he would, Jack ditched us early on the trail. So much for Mr. "I'm sick and I'm going easy and let's stay together on the trail". This irritated me to no end. Hey Jack, JUST SAY YOU WANT TO RACE for God sakes! That's fine. But when you say you want to go easy, then ditch me, it mentally makes me thing I'm actually too slow for your very easiest pace. It's all mental, I know, but I hate when people preface a run with excuses on how they aren't prepared or are really tired or sick and then have the run of their lives. Just please shut up and run and if you end up feeling bad or slowing down or not finishing, then let me know what's up! It doesn't mean you suck. It means you had a bad run. I've stopped doing this myself because sometimes you can start out feel crappy or low on confidence and end up having a great run. And I hate when others do it. The decent coming off the AT was crazy scary. OMG... let me just say I had visions of myself plummeting to my death on this part. We were essentially making our way down a cliff with a steep drop off on the left and a narrow path in which to run (or tip toe). The humor in it was that there was a yellow piece of caution tape blocking the drop off. Gee thanks! That'll do a whole lotta nothin' if you fall! "Stay vertical" was the mantra of all of us making our way down. But we DID IT!! Sean and I made it to the 15.4 mile aid station upright. The trail segment was over. Now onto the tow path marathon! I stopped at John and the kids, did a quick shoe change, water and Gatorade refill, cliff bar and off I went. But not before John informed me that Jack was 15 minutes ahead and had "waited for Sean and I at Gathland Gap (9 mile aid station on the trail) but when we didn't come, ran on." Jack... you are RUDE! I got irritated when he told me that. Remember, we were sticking together on the trail, Jack? That was your idea. And by the way, Sean and I did a damn fine job on that mountain! We ran most of it. So there!
ANYWAY.... we began to run along the tow path. We decided we would do the run one mile/walk one minute method for the tow path segment. We took notice of the river and chatted about all kinds of things. Sean had a stop watch with running time but had lost his Garmin so wasn't able to wear it. He was feeling great at this point and I could tell was itching to go faster. He looked at his watch incessantly and asked me for each mile split. I finally told him he had to stop it. I was starting to get caught up in his pace and time goal game and it was bothering me. I reminded him that we wanted to finish. This was Sean's third time attempting to run this race and so far, the furthest he gotten during it. He laughed at himself and relaxed for a bit. Soon he began again. He asked me over and over how I was feeling. Honestly I was trying to think of anything BUT running. I was trying to get lost in thought, prayer, whatever because the minute I thought.. 30 plus miles, I got a bit upset. I realized I had to take this thing one mile at a time. But I did feel good in relation to the distance we had gone. I knew that tougher times were ahead and I was thankful for every successful mile because I was one mile closer. I did call Sarah when we first hit the tow path. I gave her a quick recap of the trail section and let her know I was doing and feeling really well. I knew she was wondering and I had promised to call if I had signal.
Along the way, we met and chatted with a few people. One guy, seen in my picture of mile 27 posted on FB, was a tough military guy running his first ultra also. He really liked our run/walk strategy and asked if we minded if he ran with us for awhile. Of course we didn't mind! Sean and I are a friendly sort and we welcomed the company. It was on the tow path that I really could soak up the beauty of my surroundings. It was incredibly beautiful and the pace was nice and easy. I wanted to remember it so I took mental notes of it all along the way. The bad thing about my Garmin was that it was reading about .4 miles ahead in distance. By the time it died at mile 40, it was .7 miles ahead. Let me tell you how upsetting it is when you know exactly where those aid stations are supposed to be and your Garmin is telling you that you are beyond it but you haven't even reached it. I'm actually glad the stupid thing died! John jumped in to run with me at 27. I saw the kids again and off we went. I was so happy to have him with me! I thought I wouldn't want him there and that he'd irritate me, but I was like a child needing the comfort of a parent at that point. Over halfway there, but still a lot to go. Again, I tried not to think about it. He told me Jack had been having some stomach issues. So I began to wonder how it would play out for him. I became less irritated with him than I had been and hoped he faired ok in the end. I was also grateful that up to this point, I was not having any problems.
Things changed a little right around mile 34-35. I began to get cramps on the sides of my legs. I did a full body assessment. My feet were good... no pain. My calves were good... THANK GOD (forgot to mention I felt my left calf tightening uphill mile 2 and got a bit concerned. But it went away and I ended up with no issues). My quads were actually ok. Big victories considering I was at mile 35. But this lateral cramping was bothering me and I was walking a bit more frequently. Called Sarah again and said "OK, only two outer loops left. I can do that, right?" By the mile 39 aid station, I knew I had to figure out something to make 11 more miles tolerable. I took some electrolyte tablets for the first time. I took 600 mg of ibuprofen, ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, went to the bathroom and continued on. Sean had come and gone out of the station and was well ahead with his daughter, Kate, who planned on running him to the finish. So I figured that was the last I'd see of him. John and I walked for about 1/4 mile and then I started running. It was getting harder to start again after running so I was trying to run as much as possible. My mile splits were in the 12 min range and considering how I felt, I was happy. I knew I was finishing this thing and sore as I was, I was really quite happy. John and I chatted a lot. I told him over and over how happy I was he was with me. I was not mean or evil like I thought I'd be. Bad as I felt, I thought I'd feel worse so I was quite relieved. I was still running and had no blisters. My back and hips weren't really as sore as some other long runs I'd done. Life was pretty damn good at mile 41! At mile 41.8, we hit pavement and I hit a 4th wind. I was on my way to finishing up and I was so excited. I put on my reflective vest, or the "vest of shame", as my brother calls it. They give it to everyone they think will finish in the dark. Two years ago, Jack didn't get one. He made that aid station in time. This year he got one and when he told the lady "ok, give me my vest of shame", she replied in a preschool teacher like voice "Oh no, THIS is the vest of safety!" It was hilarious to hear him mimic her voice. I proudly slipped my vest of safety over my head and headed into, what else, a hill! I began by running, then walked (I had no choice). I turned a corner to see Sean and Kate walking up ahead. So the miles had finally caught up with Sean. John and I ran to meet them and he admitted he was struggling now. We hung for a bit and all started running together. I don't know what happened, but I began to feel really, REALLY good. I picked up the pace and began to run what I considered fast. The miles rolled by easily and before I knew it, we were at mile 46. Emma and Will jumped in and ran with me. Sean was back a bit with Kate. I wanted to take advantage of how I felt so I continued the run/walk 1 min with Emma and Will. They were sweet and adorable and I loved that they were doing this with me. What a lucky, lucky woman I was right then. Right before I hit mile 49 I decided that I wanted to run the last mile with Sean. He hung with me through virtually all of it. He felt terrific and could have taken off and finished earlier. I know he could have. But he didn't. At times, I wanted him to. Or so I thought. But looking back, I am so grateful to have had him along the way. So at mile 49, I stopped and waited until Sean and his girls got to us. We ran that final 1.2 miles together, grabbed hands and crossed the mat together. Oh my! I had just run 50 miles all at once!!! What a day! What a feeling! What a gift! I saw Jack and gave him shit for ditching us. Turns out he had struggled a bit with his knee in the end, but finished pretty decently. We headed back to the hotel where I took an ice bath, ate some pizza and went to bed and fell into an exhaustive coma.
I now sit here contemplating next year. The desire to race for a BQ has greatly diminished after this. But I am going to begin speed training again (with much more knowledge on how to do it properly now) and race the Flying Pig. My goal will be a BQ. If I get it, AWESOME! If not, no biggie. There is always another marathon to race. No more crying over missed time goals. No more pressure that makes me sick to my stomach and unable to perform. No more grieving over not getting what I feel I am "owed". I don't need to make doing what I love so stressful. Because I KNOW I can do it for 50 miles. Knowing that is simply all I need.
Friday, November 18, 2011
I have one more runner to blog about... and by no means is she any less awesome than the other 4. I will blog about Polly when I can completely focus on her, rather than myself and my race tomorrow. But I think I should probably say just a few things regarding tomorrow's run.
Tomorrow is the day that I've have been so focused on since I got my acceptance letter in July. I will run my very first, but I am certain not my last, ultra marathon. I am nervous, but in such a different way than I was in preparation for Boston. I have slept very well this week, tapered like I should (maybe a bit too much) and am so stuffed with carbs I could burst. I am confident my training was adequate enough for the task ahead. And I am prepared to have an awesome experience. I would like to do this in 10 hours, BUT, I will take a finish in 11:59:59 or anything under, with extreme joy. I am entering a completely unknown territory and so to try to set a time goal, much as I want to, is not wise. I haven't a clue how my body will react when I hit miles 32 and beyond. I've never run that far. I've got 19 more than I've ever gone. And that's a lot! No one goes into a 20 mile training run exhausted, but I will be on my way to complete physical depletion when I do and I simply don't know what to expect. But I am so ready for the challenge. Ready to figure out how to get from one aid station to the next when I'm reduced to a shuffle or walk. Being with Jack during Burning River gave me a look at how ultra runners cope with going forward when there really is nothing left physically. Those miles are not nearly as physical as they are mental. I witnessed that and it was during those hours in the woods in the middle of the night, that I KNEW I could do this race. If I could embrace the suffering, offer it up, focus on the task at hand and my immediate needs rather than what's coming up, I could absolutely do this. It is no different than marathoning for those who have never done that distance. It's daunting and scary, yet very achievable. You don't realize it until you actually do it. And in doing it, it unlocks the mental block of "I could never...." Oh yes, we can ALL do way more amazing things than we ever imagine we could. Most of the time, we don't try. One of the things I love the most about running is watching people begin to unlock the block. I don't care if it's a 5k or an ultra. When someone goes a distance they never dreamed possible, it's so awesome to watch. Tomorrow while I'm running, twelve fifth grade girls will be running the Girls on the Run 5k. Some of these girls are so nervous! Well nerves are my specialty and so we discussed it quite a bit during our practices. We talked about pacing and walk breaks and all sorts of things. As we coaches preached these things, they were absolutely reinforced in my head over and over. I told the girls on Wednesday that although they saw us coaches as their teachers, they absolutely taught us so much. I saw some of them pushing themselves during our practices... struggling, but continuing. Figuring out how to complete a difficult lap when they were tired. I also witnessed them helping each other, the strong encouraging the struggling. Their own little running group made of girls all from the same school, but not all from the same crowd. For that hour and a half, all the cattiness associated with girls this age was no where to be found. Inside that group, they supported each other and helped each other... and believe me, the difference in personalities was huge!
Finally (because true to form, I am not completely ready but am leaving in an hour), before I do this I need to say that I could never, I repeat NEVER have gotten even this far on my own. The support, encouragement and help along the way is what continued to push me forward. Top of the list is John, who has taken all of the stress and guess work out of this race for me. Last week I asked him where I was finishing. He already knew. He's checked the weather, mapped out the aid stations, figured out everything so that I can just show up and run. Oh yes, and he became a runner so that he can run with me... even though he knows I'm likely to get evil. He will capture the experience on video. The good, bad and the ugly. The REAL feelings a runner goes through. Not just the beginning and finish line. I could never have done this training or gotten this far without him. Never.
Sarah... who has been with me through all the mental transitions that have occurred in the past three years. The freak outs, the "I can't do this" moments, the great training runs and the heartbreaks. All of it... second to John, she has witnessed the ups and downs up close and personal and I simply love her!
Jen, Suttan, Greg and Kim... providing company and support on many runs, be it training or not. Jen, focused and driven. Running marathons weeks apart in pursuit of Boston. Making a last minute decision to race Air Force took serious guts. Running Chicago with no Garmin and just totally winging it also took serious guts. Watching Jen has kept my resolve to nail my BQ quite strong. Suttan, quiet and hilarious. That run 2 years ago that crossed our paths was no coincidence. Of that, I am certain. I only wish her damn ankle would heal so we can run together. Get it together, Spot! Greg, sooo much like me when it comes to the battle of the mind. Watching him begin to beat it was thrilling. I can only imagine what's to come for Greg, who loves running, but struggles with racing. Greg really sounds like an ultra-runner! And Kim, always running to burn calories. Showing up to run with people during their roughest moments in a marathon. Providing lots and lots of stories and humor along the way. Putting the importance of all this running nonsense in perspective. Thank you, KIM!
My brother Jack, who has taught me the power of positive thinking and who promptly signed up when he learned I was doing it. He will no doubt, dump my ass early, but I can't wait to see him beaming at the finish!
My parents and their endless selflessness when it comes to babysitting so that I can do these crazy things. I love, love, LOVE my mom and dad!
My kids! Oh how they have put up with so much!!! A big part of what motivates me is showing them that great things happen when you never give up.
And finally, I said top of the list was John. And he is top in the human sense. But first and foremost I am thanking God for the ability to do this tomorrow. I have become deeply spiritual on this journey. This was not just training for my body, but for my soul as well. The focus of my training became the cross. Focusing on Christ's suffering when I did not feel well or was struggling made my tough moments so much easier! I could go on and on about this. But I'm out of time. I just wanted to say thank you BEFORE my run to the people who really did get me here!
Tomorrow is the day that I've have been so focused on since I got my acceptance letter in July. I will run my very first, but I am certain not my last, ultra marathon. I am nervous, but in such a different way than I was in preparation for Boston. I have slept very well this week, tapered like I should (maybe a bit too much) and am so stuffed with carbs I could burst. I am confident my training was adequate enough for the task ahead. And I am prepared to have an awesome experience. I would like to do this in 10 hours, BUT, I will take a finish in 11:59:59 or anything under, with extreme joy. I am entering a completely unknown territory and so to try to set a time goal, much as I want to, is not wise. I haven't a clue how my body will react when I hit miles 32 and beyond. I've never run that far. I've got 19 more than I've ever gone. And that's a lot! No one goes into a 20 mile training run exhausted, but I will be on my way to complete physical depletion when I do and I simply don't know what to expect. But I am so ready for the challenge. Ready to figure out how to get from one aid station to the next when I'm reduced to a shuffle or walk. Being with Jack during Burning River gave me a look at how ultra runners cope with going forward when there really is nothing left physically. Those miles are not nearly as physical as they are mental. I witnessed that and it was during those hours in the woods in the middle of the night, that I KNEW I could do this race. If I could embrace the suffering, offer it up, focus on the task at hand and my immediate needs rather than what's coming up, I could absolutely do this. It is no different than marathoning for those who have never done that distance. It's daunting and scary, yet very achievable. You don't realize it until you actually do it. And in doing it, it unlocks the mental block of "I could never...." Oh yes, we can ALL do way more amazing things than we ever imagine we could. Most of the time, we don't try. One of the things I love the most about running is watching people begin to unlock the block. I don't care if it's a 5k or an ultra. When someone goes a distance they never dreamed possible, it's so awesome to watch. Tomorrow while I'm running, twelve fifth grade girls will be running the Girls on the Run 5k. Some of these girls are so nervous! Well nerves are my specialty and so we discussed it quite a bit during our practices. We talked about pacing and walk breaks and all sorts of things. As we coaches preached these things, they were absolutely reinforced in my head over and over. I told the girls on Wednesday that although they saw us coaches as their teachers, they absolutely taught us so much. I saw some of them pushing themselves during our practices... struggling, but continuing. Figuring out how to complete a difficult lap when they were tired. I also witnessed them helping each other, the strong encouraging the struggling. Their own little running group made of girls all from the same school, but not all from the same crowd. For that hour and a half, all the cattiness associated with girls this age was no where to be found. Inside that group, they supported each other and helped each other... and believe me, the difference in personalities was huge!
Finally (because true to form, I am not completely ready but am leaving in an hour), before I do this I need to say that I could never, I repeat NEVER have gotten even this far on my own. The support, encouragement and help along the way is what continued to push me forward. Top of the list is John, who has taken all of the stress and guess work out of this race for me. Last week I asked him where I was finishing. He already knew. He's checked the weather, mapped out the aid stations, figured out everything so that I can just show up and run. Oh yes, and he became a runner so that he can run with me... even though he knows I'm likely to get evil. He will capture the experience on video. The good, bad and the ugly. The REAL feelings a runner goes through. Not just the beginning and finish line. I could never have done this training or gotten this far without him. Never.
Sarah... who has been with me through all the mental transitions that have occurred in the past three years. The freak outs, the "I can't do this" moments, the great training runs and the heartbreaks. All of it... second to John, she has witnessed the ups and downs up close and personal and I simply love her!
Jen, Suttan, Greg and Kim... providing company and support on many runs, be it training or not. Jen, focused and driven. Running marathons weeks apart in pursuit of Boston. Making a last minute decision to race Air Force took serious guts. Running Chicago with no Garmin and just totally winging it also took serious guts. Watching Jen has kept my resolve to nail my BQ quite strong. Suttan, quiet and hilarious. That run 2 years ago that crossed our paths was no coincidence. Of that, I am certain. I only wish her damn ankle would heal so we can run together. Get it together, Spot! Greg, sooo much like me when it comes to the battle of the mind. Watching him begin to beat it was thrilling. I can only imagine what's to come for Greg, who loves running, but struggles with racing. Greg really sounds like an ultra-runner! And Kim, always running to burn calories. Showing up to run with people during their roughest moments in a marathon. Providing lots and lots of stories and humor along the way. Putting the importance of all this running nonsense in perspective. Thank you, KIM!
My brother Jack, who has taught me the power of positive thinking and who promptly signed up when he learned I was doing it. He will no doubt, dump my ass early, but I can't wait to see him beaming at the finish!
My parents and their endless selflessness when it comes to babysitting so that I can do these crazy things. I love, love, LOVE my mom and dad!
My kids! Oh how they have put up with so much!!! A big part of what motivates me is showing them that great things happen when you never give up.
And finally, I said top of the list was John. And he is top in the human sense. But first and foremost I am thanking God for the ability to do this tomorrow. I have become deeply spiritual on this journey. This was not just training for my body, but for my soul as well. The focus of my training became the cross. Focusing on Christ's suffering when I did not feel well or was struggling made my tough moments so much easier! I could go on and on about this. But I'm out of time. I just wanted to say thank you BEFORE my run to the people who really did get me here!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sarah
The Sarah to whom I'm referring is THE Sarah. Yes, the one often talked about it this blog. The Boston qualifier and runner, the personal trainer, fitness instructor, registered dietician and the friend like no other. For four months, Sarah the teacher became Sarah... the student.
I'm not sure how it came about. I think we were running shortly after I took my certification class. I had convinced her to come with me on a slow run... the comfortable, conversational kind. Not the usual kind we did where the conversation was more like "I. KNOW. WHAT(gasp). YOU. MEAN(pant for a few breaths)". No, this kind would require a tall amount of restraint on both of our parts. And because we were going to go slow, we were going to go long... twelve miles to be exact. Little did we realize just how sore we would be from using muscles that normally slept while we ran. Both of our hips ached toward the end of that run. I think it may have been then that Sarah told me she'd like me to coach her for a fall marathon. I must say, I was quite taken aback. I was pretty certain that at least for a few years, she was not going to consider training for and running any marathons. She once talked about how the training beats her up so much physically that given her busy schedule, she just couldn't commit the time anymore. Ok, that was BEFORE she became an early morning riser and BEFORE the concept of slower and more comfortable runs. She was intrigued by the concept. When she trained for Boston, she trained HARD! Sarah pushed herself on her runs and even on scheduled "easy" days, did not really go easy. Boy did it pay off! Sarah PR'd in Boston with an amazing 3:30. So why change anything at all? Clearly speed training worked for her. Here is the thing... the girl was exhausted all the time and had also received some sort of injections weeks prior to the race for a bad knee. A knee that she spent hours in physical therapy trying to fix just so she could run Boston. Unbelievably, and like magic, it all came together that day... the weather, the knee, the whole damn thing. Sarah had run the race of her life. What a perfect ending to marathoning for her!
The year that followed brought several other races of shorter distances for her. Sarah ran a PR half marathon at the Pig two weeks after running Boston. We took first place in the Morgan's Little Miami triathlon a few weeks later, with Sarah's time being what else... a PR. She PR'd in a hilly ass 10k that summer after running 5k pace and missing the turnaround (intended to run the 5k... had to do the 10k). She ran a few 5k's, each one a bit faster than the last and last February, finally brought her 5k time below 21 minutes. Clearly she was on a roll, so why in the world would she want to change anything? I think appeal of a more comfortable training cycle with a good chance at a marathon PR was too much to resist.
Sarah filled out her marathon questionnaire. She set her three goals and they were as follows: Primary was a 3:25, fall back 3:29, BEST DAY EVER... 3:20. Now why didn't I listen to myself? Why did I let her fall back goal be a PR? A fall back is just that... a goal you focus in case all hell breaks loose and you are merely just surviving. I don't care who you are... it should NEVER be a PR. Too many unknowns in marathoning. Hers was a very small PR, but still a PR. I had no problem with it at first. As a matter of fact, I convinced Sarah she was short changing herself and that I thought she was capable of a 3:15. I changed her BEST DAY EVER to that. Not her. I began giving her speed paces based on a 3:15 time goal. Sarah would often do these workouts after teaching a morning cycling class. For the first many weeks of base building, Sarah adapted incredibly. Her pace HR range correlated with that of a sample 3:06 marathoner in my book. She said she could not believe how many miles she was running and not feeling exhausted. This was in addition to teaching roughly 5 cycling classes a week and 4 TRX classes. This was in addition to having 4 boys home all summer long and working on building her business. I continued to pile on the mileage. She continued to do her 6 days of running.
I'm not sure at what point I began to notice the not so low heart rates with the paces she was normally keeping. It was right around the same time she began to skip a run or two and began to complain of sheer exhaustion. She was sleeping very little and things were just not feeling right. She began to have some pain on the bottom of her foot that sounded pretty concerning. If I dug out her paperwork, I could tell you the exact week it happened as I printed off everyone's garmin splits and made weekly notes to myself to help make schedules. I had Sarah take a solid week off. She went to see the orthopedic doc that took care of her knee (or an associate I think) and got an unclear semi-diagnosis of either sesamoiditis or maybe a sesamoid bone stress fracture. Either way, she was told she could run on it. I thought she was full of shit at first and that she was just trying to cover up what he may have REALLY said, which naturally would be "No running until pain free..." But I also realized that she had too much at stake to risk screwing up her foot. Staying healthy and injury free was crucial to her job. So she began running again and actually, the week off did something right because the pain eased up and she did just fine. I realized that given the physicality of her work, Sarah was classically overtrained. No way I could continue to increase her mileage. We agreed on 4 days a week of running, instead of 6. She was benefitting so much aerobically from the cycling that she really did not need to do 6 days of running. Within the first week of decreased days, Sarah reported feeling so much better. We also changed her speed day to one where she had not taught cycling that morning. Soon I noticed that she was again was having some incredible pace runs with awesome heart rates. She felt much better and was once again, really confident that she was ready to nail a terrific PR. Even though 3:15 was her best day ever goal, Sarah was just never REALLY sure that she could run that pace for that long. So I told her to not even think about that time goal. We'd make a plan to pace for a PR and that after 20 miles, if things felt ok, she could run however she wanted to bring it down. So the plan was to pace for roughly a 3:25 and see what she could do after 20. If she needed to stay there, great... no problem. If she could speed up, she would. I was very clear, however, that race strategy would win this race for her, not just pace. There are many ways to get to that overall average pace and I preached quite a bit about the concept of negative splits. It requires a great deal of restraint in the beginning, but the payoff is awesome if done well. Sarah knows this. This is how she originally qualified for Boston in Athens.
The other thing I focused on heavily toward the end of training was how to fuel for the marathon. I was practicing this during my own training and was astounded by how I could run marathon distance and then follow with a normal week of running. I attributed this to how I learned to fuel during my long runs. I carb loaded for three days... had never ever done that before even though I knew I was supposed to. If there was just one person in my group of runners that I could count on to do this right, it was Sarah. Post graduate degree dietician who had dominated marathons before. I was not concerned about her fueling one bit. Yes, this is foreshadowing... guess where the girl royally screwed up?
I am going to skip to the race now. I've given too much away.
On marathon morning, Sarah was the only person I did not see. She did not come to the bag check with the rest of us. I waited and waited. Got no response from e-mail text or phone call. As a matter of fact, her phone went straight to voice mail. I was sure she'd been murdered at the hotel as this was SOOO not like her. I was getting pretty pissed off to be honest. There is always someone with a phone you can use. I finally just decided that for whatever reason, she needed to just be alone, get to her corral and start her run (but now let's just see how SHE likes it on Saturday morning.... HMMPH!). I had my phone and I checked FB for her "tweet my time" update while I was running the half. Sure enough, Sarah had crossed the 10k mat with an estimated 3:23 finish. So she was on the course and was doing well. I did raise my eyebrows a bit at the estimated finish at the 10k. Seemed a bit faster than our plan. I decided she knew what she was doing and like Boston, she was going to amaze herself. I checked again at the half. She had crossed the mat once again with an estimated finish time of 3:23. Jen had jumped in to run a couple of miles with her and texted me that she felt great. Sarah was happy, chatty and having a terrific race. I was thrilled! That all changed when I checked the 20 mile report. Sarah was now at an estimated finish time of 3:25. Oh God... PULLEEEEZZZZ let her have just gone to the bathroom or something. I was completely helpless and now simply had to wait for her. 20 miles and beyond sucks so bad and if she had begun to tank, it was only going to get worse. I could not for the life of me understand what was happening to her. Nor could I go out and meet her and run with her. I couldn't survive her pace on a regular day, let alone after all the miles I'd just run in two days. She was really REALLY ready for this. I say that with the utmost confidence. Sarah was not over paced given her capability. What was going on??
I waited anxiously close to mile 26. Soon, the 3:25 pacer went by with no Sarah in sight. I wanted to cry really. I felt like I did last year in Columbus when I was running. I was not her coach at that moment. I was her friend. Her friend who knows how competitive she is, what kind of racer she is... how strong and tough she is and that she was out there struggling to finish and unlike her running me in twice during my marathons, I was helpless. I could do nothing but wait and PRAY that I'd see her before the 3:30 pacer passed. It was a terrible few minutes.
Then I saw her... no 3:30 pacer had passed. I was unbelievably excited. No matter what, she was going to PR. Even if by a second, she was going to make it. I hopped in to run with her for just a minute. She was struggling, but listening and responding physically. She picked up her pace with me and we ran until the turn to finish. I told her where I'd be.
I came to the gate where the finishers exit. There she was, wrapped in her blanket (and I'm sorry, but those damn things don't keep anything warm!!! Fleece blankets would be nice, JEEZ!). I hugged her and looked at her Gamin... 3:31. Slacker! Well, ok... official time was 3:30:55... Um, yeah... this was not supposed to happen. But I was proud of her and in my very coach-like manner, I instructed her on an ice bath when she got home. We then proceeded to walk in the windy cold to meet her nephew, who drove her home.
What happened to Sarah? Well, even though she feels she went out too fast, I do not think that was the case. Most times, people know when they are over paced. Especially an experienced marathoner who has run many races well. I felt that way during my first Columbus Marathon. I knew at mile 10 I just didn't feel like I could hold the pace, but I held it for a very long time and came in 5 minutes under my goal time. Not too bad for feeling over paced. You can feel good, but still know you are running a bit too fast and it does catch up to you. Sarah never felt over paced and said at mile 14, she knew she was going to hit an incredible PR. At mile 18, she began to feel really bad and that is where the struggle began. After careful review of her intake, she and I are certain that she simply ran out of fuel. For starters, she ate ate only Cliff Bar for breakfast. Ok, no biggie. Lots of people do that. But then they proceed to fuel adequately during their run. She carried her own Gatorade, of which she drank maybe 20 ounces total. She brought some Power Gel Blasts... three packs I think. At the finish she handed me a completely unopened pack and then proceeded to tell me that she lost a few from a previous pack when they fell to the ground as she was getting them out of her baggie. Now, Sarah is 5ft 10 inches tall and nothing but solid muscle. The girl requires some serious fuel for something like a marathon that she is RACING!! And yes, she is a dietician. And no, there is nothing I can say that she already hasn't said to herself. And yes, this is her third consecutive Boston Qualifier and she got a DAMN incredible marathon time. But it wasn't what she wanted and it wasn't what she was trained to run.
And eventually, none of that will matter. Especially when I am walking to the start of the Boston Marathon together in 2013, fulfilling a long time dream of mine with my best buddy.
I'm not sure how it came about. I think we were running shortly after I took my certification class. I had convinced her to come with me on a slow run... the comfortable, conversational kind. Not the usual kind we did where the conversation was more like "I. KNOW. WHAT(gasp). YOU. MEAN(pant for a few breaths)". No, this kind would require a tall amount of restraint on both of our parts. And because we were going to go slow, we were going to go long... twelve miles to be exact. Little did we realize just how sore we would be from using muscles that normally slept while we ran. Both of our hips ached toward the end of that run. I think it may have been then that Sarah told me she'd like me to coach her for a fall marathon. I must say, I was quite taken aback. I was pretty certain that at least for a few years, she was not going to consider training for and running any marathons. She once talked about how the training beats her up so much physically that given her busy schedule, she just couldn't commit the time anymore. Ok, that was BEFORE she became an early morning riser and BEFORE the concept of slower and more comfortable runs. She was intrigued by the concept. When she trained for Boston, she trained HARD! Sarah pushed herself on her runs and even on scheduled "easy" days, did not really go easy. Boy did it pay off! Sarah PR'd in Boston with an amazing 3:30. So why change anything at all? Clearly speed training worked for her. Here is the thing... the girl was exhausted all the time and had also received some sort of injections weeks prior to the race for a bad knee. A knee that she spent hours in physical therapy trying to fix just so she could run Boston. Unbelievably, and like magic, it all came together that day... the weather, the knee, the whole damn thing. Sarah had run the race of her life. What a perfect ending to marathoning for her!
The year that followed brought several other races of shorter distances for her. Sarah ran a PR half marathon at the Pig two weeks after running Boston. We took first place in the Morgan's Little Miami triathlon a few weeks later, with Sarah's time being what else... a PR. She PR'd in a hilly ass 10k that summer after running 5k pace and missing the turnaround (intended to run the 5k... had to do the 10k). She ran a few 5k's, each one a bit faster than the last and last February, finally brought her 5k time below 21 minutes. Clearly she was on a roll, so why in the world would she want to change anything? I think appeal of a more comfortable training cycle with a good chance at a marathon PR was too much to resist.
Sarah filled out her marathon questionnaire. She set her three goals and they were as follows: Primary was a 3:25, fall back 3:29, BEST DAY EVER... 3:20. Now why didn't I listen to myself? Why did I let her fall back goal be a PR? A fall back is just that... a goal you focus in case all hell breaks loose and you are merely just surviving. I don't care who you are... it should NEVER be a PR. Too many unknowns in marathoning. Hers was a very small PR, but still a PR. I had no problem with it at first. As a matter of fact, I convinced Sarah she was short changing herself and that I thought she was capable of a 3:15. I changed her BEST DAY EVER to that. Not her. I began giving her speed paces based on a 3:15 time goal. Sarah would often do these workouts after teaching a morning cycling class. For the first many weeks of base building, Sarah adapted incredibly. Her pace HR range correlated with that of a sample 3:06 marathoner in my book. She said she could not believe how many miles she was running and not feeling exhausted. This was in addition to teaching roughly 5 cycling classes a week and 4 TRX classes. This was in addition to having 4 boys home all summer long and working on building her business. I continued to pile on the mileage. She continued to do her 6 days of running.
I'm not sure at what point I began to notice the not so low heart rates with the paces she was normally keeping. It was right around the same time she began to skip a run or two and began to complain of sheer exhaustion. She was sleeping very little and things were just not feeling right. She began to have some pain on the bottom of her foot that sounded pretty concerning. If I dug out her paperwork, I could tell you the exact week it happened as I printed off everyone's garmin splits and made weekly notes to myself to help make schedules. I had Sarah take a solid week off. She went to see the orthopedic doc that took care of her knee (or an associate I think) and got an unclear semi-diagnosis of either sesamoiditis or maybe a sesamoid bone stress fracture. Either way, she was told she could run on it. I thought she was full of shit at first and that she was just trying to cover up what he may have REALLY said, which naturally would be "No running until pain free..." But I also realized that she had too much at stake to risk screwing up her foot. Staying healthy and injury free was crucial to her job. So she began running again and actually, the week off did something right because the pain eased up and she did just fine. I realized that given the physicality of her work, Sarah was classically overtrained. No way I could continue to increase her mileage. We agreed on 4 days a week of running, instead of 6. She was benefitting so much aerobically from the cycling that she really did not need to do 6 days of running. Within the first week of decreased days, Sarah reported feeling so much better. We also changed her speed day to one where she had not taught cycling that morning. Soon I noticed that she was again was having some incredible pace runs with awesome heart rates. She felt much better and was once again, really confident that she was ready to nail a terrific PR. Even though 3:15 was her best day ever goal, Sarah was just never REALLY sure that she could run that pace for that long. So I told her to not even think about that time goal. We'd make a plan to pace for a PR and that after 20 miles, if things felt ok, she could run however she wanted to bring it down. So the plan was to pace for roughly a 3:25 and see what she could do after 20. If she needed to stay there, great... no problem. If she could speed up, she would. I was very clear, however, that race strategy would win this race for her, not just pace. There are many ways to get to that overall average pace and I preached quite a bit about the concept of negative splits. It requires a great deal of restraint in the beginning, but the payoff is awesome if done well. Sarah knows this. This is how she originally qualified for Boston in Athens.
The other thing I focused on heavily toward the end of training was how to fuel for the marathon. I was practicing this during my own training and was astounded by how I could run marathon distance and then follow with a normal week of running. I attributed this to how I learned to fuel during my long runs. I carb loaded for three days... had never ever done that before even though I knew I was supposed to. If there was just one person in my group of runners that I could count on to do this right, it was Sarah. Post graduate degree dietician who had dominated marathons before. I was not concerned about her fueling one bit. Yes, this is foreshadowing... guess where the girl royally screwed up?
I am going to skip to the race now. I've given too much away.
On marathon morning, Sarah was the only person I did not see. She did not come to the bag check with the rest of us. I waited and waited. Got no response from e-mail text or phone call. As a matter of fact, her phone went straight to voice mail. I was sure she'd been murdered at the hotel as this was SOOO not like her. I was getting pretty pissed off to be honest. There is always someone with a phone you can use. I finally just decided that for whatever reason, she needed to just be alone, get to her corral and start her run (but now let's just see how SHE likes it on Saturday morning.... HMMPH!). I had my phone and I checked FB for her "tweet my time" update while I was running the half. Sure enough, Sarah had crossed the 10k mat with an estimated 3:23 finish. So she was on the course and was doing well. I did raise my eyebrows a bit at the estimated finish at the 10k. Seemed a bit faster than our plan. I decided she knew what she was doing and like Boston, she was going to amaze herself. I checked again at the half. She had crossed the mat once again with an estimated finish time of 3:23. Jen had jumped in to run a couple of miles with her and texted me that she felt great. Sarah was happy, chatty and having a terrific race. I was thrilled! That all changed when I checked the 20 mile report. Sarah was now at an estimated finish time of 3:25. Oh God... PULLEEEEZZZZ let her have just gone to the bathroom or something. I was completely helpless and now simply had to wait for her. 20 miles and beyond sucks so bad and if she had begun to tank, it was only going to get worse. I could not for the life of me understand what was happening to her. Nor could I go out and meet her and run with her. I couldn't survive her pace on a regular day, let alone after all the miles I'd just run in two days. She was really REALLY ready for this. I say that with the utmost confidence. Sarah was not over paced given her capability. What was going on??
I waited anxiously close to mile 26. Soon, the 3:25 pacer went by with no Sarah in sight. I wanted to cry really. I felt like I did last year in Columbus when I was running. I was not her coach at that moment. I was her friend. Her friend who knows how competitive she is, what kind of racer she is... how strong and tough she is and that she was out there struggling to finish and unlike her running me in twice during my marathons, I was helpless. I could do nothing but wait and PRAY that I'd see her before the 3:30 pacer passed. It was a terrible few minutes.
Then I saw her... no 3:30 pacer had passed. I was unbelievably excited. No matter what, she was going to PR. Even if by a second, she was going to make it. I hopped in to run with her for just a minute. She was struggling, but listening and responding physically. She picked up her pace with me and we ran until the turn to finish. I told her where I'd be.
I came to the gate where the finishers exit. There she was, wrapped in her blanket (and I'm sorry, but those damn things don't keep anything warm!!! Fleece blankets would be nice, JEEZ!). I hugged her and looked at her Gamin... 3:31. Slacker! Well, ok... official time was 3:30:55... Um, yeah... this was not supposed to happen. But I was proud of her and in my very coach-like manner, I instructed her on an ice bath when she got home. We then proceeded to walk in the windy cold to meet her nephew, who drove her home.
What happened to Sarah? Well, even though she feels she went out too fast, I do not think that was the case. Most times, people know when they are over paced. Especially an experienced marathoner who has run many races well. I felt that way during my first Columbus Marathon. I knew at mile 10 I just didn't feel like I could hold the pace, but I held it for a very long time and came in 5 minutes under my goal time. Not too bad for feeling over paced. You can feel good, but still know you are running a bit too fast and it does catch up to you. Sarah never felt over paced and said at mile 14, she knew she was going to hit an incredible PR. At mile 18, she began to feel really bad and that is where the struggle began. After careful review of her intake, she and I are certain that she simply ran out of fuel. For starters, she ate ate only Cliff Bar for breakfast. Ok, no biggie. Lots of people do that. But then they proceed to fuel adequately during their run. She carried her own Gatorade, of which she drank maybe 20 ounces total. She brought some Power Gel Blasts... three packs I think. At the finish she handed me a completely unopened pack and then proceeded to tell me that she lost a few from a previous pack when they fell to the ground as she was getting them out of her baggie. Now, Sarah is 5ft 10 inches tall and nothing but solid muscle. The girl requires some serious fuel for something like a marathon that she is RACING!! And yes, she is a dietician. And no, there is nothing I can say that she already hasn't said to herself. And yes, this is her third consecutive Boston Qualifier and she got a DAMN incredible marathon time. But it wasn't what she wanted and it wasn't what she was trained to run.
And eventually, none of that will matter. Especially when I am walking to the start of the Boston Marathon together in 2013, fulfilling a long time dream of mine with my best buddy.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Nancy
Ahhhh, Nancy! What can I say? A lot, actually :) Let me try to sum up Nancy in a few sentences. Nancy is a Kindergarten teacher and a mother of four ranging from ages 12-20... two girls, two boys... like myself. Nancy likes a party, tells it like it is, dances suggestively at 5:30 in the morning in our TRX class, enjoys beer... a LOT, makes people laugh and could honestly not give a rat's ass what people think of her. She is who she is. No apologies. Oh yes, and Nancy is now a marathoner.
I mentioned in my blog about Nikki that these two were training partners. If I knew the two of them separately, I would never think to pair them together. They approached marathon training from different perspectives. Nikki's, goal oriented and serious. Nancy's, well let's just say Nancy's approach was different. When training first began, I didn't know if Nancy would be able to train for a fall marathon. She had been running in pain for several weeks and I don't think it was easing up much. She was diagnosed with turf toe (I still don't even know what that is. Just that it hurts). I'm not even sure she was supposed to be running, but nonetheless, she was. But Nancy was game for training and so I figured we'd give it a shot.
Like Nikki, Nancy bought a Garmin (all these years running and she didn't have one. Not sure why I act like people's legs don't work without a Garmin...). She too, purchased a heart rate monitor to go with it. We began training and each person was given their heart rate ranges based on age. Now I realize this is a very ROUGH estimate of maximum heart rate. But it was all we had without going to an actually lab, shelling out tons of bucks and getting a true max HR value. So we went with it. The goal for training was to keep most runs at about 80% of MHR. Depending on one's aerobic fitness level, that doesn't equate to running very fast at all. Nancy was very frustrated. She'd been running paces that were nearly 5-6 minutes FASTER prior to using a HR monitor. The reason for this was that it took her slowing down to nearly a 15 minute mile to keep her HR in the ranges I was giving her. Once I heard that, I figured she was going to bail on the program out of sheer frustration. How was she going to run a marathon close to 4 minutes per mile faster than this? I assured her (not really knowing myself) that as her aerobic energy system became more conditioned, her paces would get faster while her HR stayed in range. Nancy also began training shortly before her sister-in-law (party buddy) came in town. When Andrea was in town, She was running on late nights and mucho beer. Gee, Nancy, not sure wazzz up with that HR! She averaged very little sleep each night even as the mileage began to creep up. I'm not sure at what point Nancy finally decided she just wanted to feel better while training and decided to give up drinking ("Hi, I'm Nancy and I've been sober for...."). Ok, wait. I am making her sound like a crazy lush.. and she is NOT. I mean, doesn't everyone honor "Wine Wednesday" and "Thirsty Thursday"? No, really. Nancy keeps it in check for real, but she needed to have a little less while marathon training. That's all.
Well guess what happened? Nancy began sending me her Garmin Connect splits. Week after week, I noticed a bit faster paces with sometimes even a bit slower HR. Nancy's body was adapting beautifully to this method of training. She was hitting her speed day paces without difficulty most of the time and was following the recommended paces and HR range for her time goal. When she needed an extra rest day, without hesitation, she took it. But that didn't happen too often. Nancy really did master the fine art of balance in her training. From what I had heard, and actually experienced on a 13 mile long run with her, Nancy never stopped talking, joking or laughing during the training runs. Sounded to me like a 3-5 hour weekly Sunday early morning party!
Nancy gave me 3 goals for her first marathon: Her primary goal was a 5:30. That is what she figured she was capable of getting without too much trouble. Her BEST DAY EVER goal was 5 hours (which I gave her paces for to bring her and Nikki's 4:30 goal closer together). Her fall back goal was to finish... running, later changed to "alive".
Marathon week I checked in with everyone. Nancy was nervous. She just wanted to race to come and go, like most of us anticipating the unknown. But she seemed appropriately nervous (actually they all did. Only Greg seemed unusually calm the week of his race... oh crap, like I am this week!). At dinner the night before the marathon, Nancy seemed no different than she normally did. We had some laughs, ate and then everyone left for their hotels for a good night sleep (HA!). In the morning, we met at the baggage check and I got the chance to see everyone. Our friend Kim was headed up to meet Nancy at mile 13 and run the second half with her. We exchanged good luck wishes and Nancy, Nikki and Kristie headed to their start corral. I would not see them until the end. They seemed in good spirits. No one was particularly uptight or anxious. That was a very good thing!
After John and I finished up our half, we set out to find and wait for the full marathoners. I received a text from Kim that said "We are at mile 17. Nancy is really strong, Kristie medium, Nikki is not talking at all.." I responded "Keep em going" to which she said she had plenty of stories to keep them until Tuesday (Kim's a riot). The next text was at 19.5 "running out of fuel and steam at a rapid pace..." I told her to have them slow down (not even knowing what pace they were currently running, I just knew it could only get worse). I told Kim to have them look down at their shirts. All three were running in honor of a 13 year old boy, a good friend of Nancy's son, diagnosed with Leukemia last spring. Tanner had recently undergone a bone marrow transplant and was waiting for his sister's marrow to take over. I knew from my own experience, that in the wake of physical suffering, the thought of someone else's more difficult battle makes the task at hand suddenly seem easier.
I got one more text when they were at mile 25. They were in the home stretch and I was ready... Nikki and Kristie had just gone by. Then I saw the familiar bright pink shirt.... Nancy was coming to mile 26. I ran out to greet her and run with her for just a bit. She had salt crusted on her face and for once in all the years I'd known Nancy, was quiet. Quietly digging deeply to finish the task. I ran to the finishers gate and waited. I saw Nancy come through in 5:08. Her momentary silence minutes earlier was now filled with excitement over that awesome feeling of knowing what it's like to run a marathon.
I never worried about Nancy's ability to do this. Maybe it is because her attitude over the whole event was pretty laid back and relaxed. That is something I always neglected with my Boston attempts. I was very focused and serious. Not to say Nancy was not focused. She was. But she also put the importance of it in perspective. Her carefree and fun approach to training as well as the race allowed her to do really well. She ENJOYED herself and that made all the difference! I loved coaching them all, but particularly, Nancy. I don't think she realizes that by watching her, I have taken a really good look at how I approach training and it just may be what has kept me calm, composed and downright excited this week. Never in the past 3 years would I have thought that 4 days before my first ultra distance race I'd be this relaxed. And for that I say... Nancy, John thanks you very, very much!
Disclaimer: this is not saying I won't freak out at any given point. I may. Just haven't yet :)
I mentioned in my blog about Nikki that these two were training partners. If I knew the two of them separately, I would never think to pair them together. They approached marathon training from different perspectives. Nikki's, goal oriented and serious. Nancy's, well let's just say Nancy's approach was different. When training first began, I didn't know if Nancy would be able to train for a fall marathon. She had been running in pain for several weeks and I don't think it was easing up much. She was diagnosed with turf toe (I still don't even know what that is. Just that it hurts). I'm not even sure she was supposed to be running, but nonetheless, she was. But Nancy was game for training and so I figured we'd give it a shot.
Like Nikki, Nancy bought a Garmin (all these years running and she didn't have one. Not sure why I act like people's legs don't work without a Garmin...). She too, purchased a heart rate monitor to go with it. We began training and each person was given their heart rate ranges based on age. Now I realize this is a very ROUGH estimate of maximum heart rate. But it was all we had without going to an actually lab, shelling out tons of bucks and getting a true max HR value. So we went with it. The goal for training was to keep most runs at about 80% of MHR. Depending on one's aerobic fitness level, that doesn't equate to running very fast at all. Nancy was very frustrated. She'd been running paces that were nearly 5-6 minutes FASTER prior to using a HR monitor. The reason for this was that it took her slowing down to nearly a 15 minute mile to keep her HR in the ranges I was giving her. Once I heard that, I figured she was going to bail on the program out of sheer frustration. How was she going to run a marathon close to 4 minutes per mile faster than this? I assured her (not really knowing myself) that as her aerobic energy system became more conditioned, her paces would get faster while her HR stayed in range. Nancy also began training shortly before her sister-in-law (party buddy) came in town. When Andrea was in town, She was running on late nights and mucho beer. Gee, Nancy, not sure wazzz up with that HR! She averaged very little sleep each night even as the mileage began to creep up. I'm not sure at what point Nancy finally decided she just wanted to feel better while training and decided to give up drinking ("Hi, I'm Nancy and I've been sober for...."). Ok, wait. I am making her sound like a crazy lush.. and she is NOT. I mean, doesn't everyone honor "Wine Wednesday" and "Thirsty Thursday"? No, really. Nancy keeps it in check for real, but she needed to have a little less while marathon training. That's all.
Well guess what happened? Nancy began sending me her Garmin Connect splits. Week after week, I noticed a bit faster paces with sometimes even a bit slower HR. Nancy's body was adapting beautifully to this method of training. She was hitting her speed day paces without difficulty most of the time and was following the recommended paces and HR range for her time goal. When she needed an extra rest day, without hesitation, she took it. But that didn't happen too often. Nancy really did master the fine art of balance in her training. From what I had heard, and actually experienced on a 13 mile long run with her, Nancy never stopped talking, joking or laughing during the training runs. Sounded to me like a 3-5 hour weekly Sunday early morning party!
Nancy gave me 3 goals for her first marathon: Her primary goal was a 5:30. That is what she figured she was capable of getting without too much trouble. Her BEST DAY EVER goal was 5 hours (which I gave her paces for to bring her and Nikki's 4:30 goal closer together). Her fall back goal was to finish... running, later changed to "alive".
Marathon week I checked in with everyone. Nancy was nervous. She just wanted to race to come and go, like most of us anticipating the unknown. But she seemed appropriately nervous (actually they all did. Only Greg seemed unusually calm the week of his race... oh crap, like I am this week!). At dinner the night before the marathon, Nancy seemed no different than she normally did. We had some laughs, ate and then everyone left for their hotels for a good night sleep (HA!). In the morning, we met at the baggage check and I got the chance to see everyone. Our friend Kim was headed up to meet Nancy at mile 13 and run the second half with her. We exchanged good luck wishes and Nancy, Nikki and Kristie headed to their start corral. I would not see them until the end. They seemed in good spirits. No one was particularly uptight or anxious. That was a very good thing!
After John and I finished up our half, we set out to find and wait for the full marathoners. I received a text from Kim that said "We are at mile 17. Nancy is really strong, Kristie medium, Nikki is not talking at all.." I responded "Keep em going" to which she said she had plenty of stories to keep them until Tuesday (Kim's a riot). The next text was at 19.5 "running out of fuel and steam at a rapid pace..." I told her to have them slow down (not even knowing what pace they were currently running, I just knew it could only get worse). I told Kim to have them look down at their shirts. All three were running in honor of a 13 year old boy, a good friend of Nancy's son, diagnosed with Leukemia last spring. Tanner had recently undergone a bone marrow transplant and was waiting for his sister's marrow to take over. I knew from my own experience, that in the wake of physical suffering, the thought of someone else's more difficult battle makes the task at hand suddenly seem easier.
I got one more text when they were at mile 25. They were in the home stretch and I was ready... Nikki and Kristie had just gone by. Then I saw the familiar bright pink shirt.... Nancy was coming to mile 26. I ran out to greet her and run with her for just a bit. She had salt crusted on her face and for once in all the years I'd known Nancy, was quiet. Quietly digging deeply to finish the task. I ran to the finishers gate and waited. I saw Nancy come through in 5:08. Her momentary silence minutes earlier was now filled with excitement over that awesome feeling of knowing what it's like to run a marathon.
I never worried about Nancy's ability to do this. Maybe it is because her attitude over the whole event was pretty laid back and relaxed. That is something I always neglected with my Boston attempts. I was very focused and serious. Not to say Nancy was not focused. She was. But she also put the importance of it in perspective. Her carefree and fun approach to training as well as the race allowed her to do really well. She ENJOYED herself and that made all the difference! I loved coaching them all, but particularly, Nancy. I don't think she realizes that by watching her, I have taken a really good look at how I approach training and it just may be what has kept me calm, composed and downright excited this week. Never in the past 3 years would I have thought that 4 days before my first ultra distance race I'd be this relaxed. And for that I say... Nancy, John thanks you very, very much!
Disclaimer: this is not saying I won't freak out at any given point. I may. Just haven't yet :)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Nikki
It would be nearly impossible for me to write about one without often mentioning the other, so I am sort of combining these two runners into one entry... but Nancy will definitely get her own. The reason for this is that Nikki and Nancy were running partners and trained for this, a first marathon for both, together. However, there are vast differences in these two. Both as women and as runners. They differed in the way they selected their goals for the marathon and in the way they mentally approached training. This is the my experience with coaching them on both an individual basis, as well as together.
Nikki
I met Nikki for the first time about a year ago. I had heard her name many times from Nancy, who I know through the school our kids attend. I knew the two of them ran together in the early mornings. They had trained for a few half marathons together. I started seeing Nikki more frequently when Sarah began teaching TRX classes and Nikki attended them with Nancy. One morning last spring, following a TRX class, Nikki, Nancy and I were chatting after class and Nikki said "I don't understand how we can be pushing ourselves the way we are, but don't seem to be getting faster. How do you become a faster runner?" Mind you, this was before my course through the RRCA. Before I learned about conditioning the aerobic energy system. Before I learned that paying attention to heart rate had much to do with it. I think my response had something to do with doing more speed work, getting on the track, doing repeats (all of which are true with the exception of the MORE speed work piece).
I approached Nikki after I had decided to coach a group over the summer. Nikki had done several half marathons that she and Nancy had trained for together. Something told me that Nikki would make a great marathoner. I knew if I could get Nancy on board, or vice versa, she would most likely follow. What I didn't know at the time was just how much of a commitment this would be on top of an already busy fall schedule for her. Nikki is an athletic trainer for Fairfield High School. Fall brings about football, soccer and cross country. Nikki's sister was also engaged to be married and the wedding fell the weekend before the Columbus Marathon. She had two small Children, 4 and 1 (now 5 and 2 I think) and had to juggle her hectic work schedule along with her husband's to keep things running as smoothly as possible for the kids. Training for this was going to require a serious time commitment. The only time she had was early morning... VERY early morning. The advantage? Nikki had time off in the summer and could base build while the seas were still calm on the home and work front. I also didn't have to preach to Nikki the benefits of cross training or strength training given the nature of what she does for a living (of course I preached anyway, as ya'll may have figured). Fortunately, she liked TRX and that became her (all of our) primary means of strength training.
Nikki jumped into training, purchased a Garmin, wore a HR monitor and began to build a solid base. I should say that one thing I asked of all the runners was to set 3 goals for this marathon: a primary (or realistic) goal, a "BEST DAY EVER" goal and a fall back goal. My hope for each of the first timers was that a finish would be the primary goal and then they'd set their sights on a time as a best day ever. Not the case with any of them, actually. They all had time goals for their primary, but all three had finish as their fall back. Fair enough... I decided to go with that. I knew without question they could all get their fall back, therefore reaching at least one of their goals. One of the things that made me pursue Nikki as someone to coach was also the very thing that made me a bit crazy (bear with me here, Nikki). She is very goal oriented and driven. She expects a lot from herself and expects that if she does the work, the results will simply happen. For Nikki, training was serious business. When I got Nikki's questionnaire back, I saw her primary goal as one that would be achievable for her. Her half marathon times indicated her goal was not out of reach and that she was quite capable of getting that. The problem... Nancy's primary goal was an hour different. Now, at first, I didn't see a problem with this. Until I started getting their paperwork back and noticing that if one had 4 miles and the other had 3 for a particular day, the one with 3 ran 4. Nikki asked me one day why Nancy had a certain mileage and she had a different mileage. My answer... They were two different athletes. Two different runners. Nancy started training with turf toe. I needed to make sure I wasn't overloading Nancy and had to make sure her toe was ok to start dumping higher mileage on her. But this did tell me that these two women were in this together and their schedules should be pretty darn close, if not exact. So I had to figure out a way to individualize their plans but keep them together. Not easy with two vastly different time goals. I assured them that running the long runs together were not a problem. For the long run, the goal was to go the distance. If they were hitting their weekly paces and HR ranges, it was not a problem for them to run together. So I began giving Nancy pace ranges for her "best day ever". That closed the gap a little and made their time goals 1/2 hour different, rather than an hour. After several weeks, I stopped putting paces on their schedules and would just put "easy". For the tempo and track runs, I would give them paces based on their time goal. When Nikki would hit the track, she ran her goal paces ranges and Nancy would do hers. Realizing she was getting in her pace runs, I began not to worry about Nikki hitting her goal time.
A little over halfway through training, Nikki sent me an e-mail. The 5 days a week of high mileage training was simply overloading her already crazy home and work schedule. She had considered pulling out of training. Her husband convinced to to continue given how much she'd already put in. She and I talked about revising her schedule to decrease her running days to three. She wanted to know if that was possible. I believed given Nikki's base building over the summer, that yes, she could run Columbus on 3 days of running. I told her they would consist of a long run, a speed day and a medium long day. I did tell her that she may have to readjust her goal and set her mind on a finish, rather than a time. I knew she could train on three days a week, I just didn't have the experience or knowledge to guess how closely she could reach her goal with her schedule adjusted.
As the marathon grew closer, it seemed to me that Nikki grew more apprehensive about this particular training principal...slower paces, higher mileage training. Like myself, she had a very hard time with the concept of "How do you KNOW you can run this pace for this long if you've never done it." Well to be honest, I didn't. I mean really, I had no expertise with this type of training at all. I traditionally did high intensity training in the past. If a run wasn't a certain "pace" it was a waste in my book. I gave no credence to rest and recovery runs at all. However, I am still without my Boston goal, therefore, I was going to trust the science behind the training. I made it pretty clear in the beginning that I had no idea if it would work. They were agreeing to test this out for me so I could start building some evidence that yes, indeed this worked. This was clearly an experiment. But I did know that you could build speed and endurance separately and and decrease the likelihood of injury if you weren't pushing the pace all the time.
In the end, it's hard to tell if Nikki would have met her goal. She was unsure if she was going to race the marathon for her own time, or run it with Nancy, whom she'd trained with for 20 weeks. On race, she ran with Nancy. The two of them ended up running together for 20 or 21 miles. I was standing right by the 26 mile marker when I spotted two pink shirts coming up the road. It was Nikki and Kristie (another girl who trained with them, coached by Suttan). Nikki looked strong and when she looked up, she was smiling. I snapped a quick picture, cheered for them and then watched them turn the corner to finish.
So to sum up my experience coaching Nikki, I will say it wasn't easy. I do NOT mean that in a bad way at all. It was extremely beneficial for me as a coach. Nikki is a lot like me when it comes to training. She likes to push hard and reap the benefit of that hard work. Slowing down was not easy and I am very grateful she gave it a chance. I remember being horribly pissed about the amount of time and energy I'd put in to training for it not to come together time and time again, be it not running fast enough or getting hurt in the process. Nikki challenged me often on "why this" and "why that" and as I look back on the course of training these five runners, I thank God she did. What she forced me to do was research, read, go over what I'd learned and finally, know what the heck I was talking about. For me as a coach, I learned a ton more simply because Nikki was part of my group. I wanted to give her the right answers. The good news is that in the course of digging deeper into this type of training, I have found myself realizing that for me personally, I will have a greater chance of success meeting my Boston goal next year training this way. I don't think Nikki will continue training this way (in fact I know she won't... Nancy told me). There are so many other training principles out there. All of them work. Some of them work better than others. Some increase the chance of injury. Some of them work for one type of runner but not another. Everyone adapts differently to different types of training and people also enjoy training in different ways. Find what you love and what works for you and just RUN!
BTW, Nikki... when I told you earlier to "bear with me" because of your personality when it came to training, it was because even though I am supposed to be running this ultra to "finish", and yes, ultimately I will be thrilled with a finish, I have a time goal. A lofty one at that. I know what I'm capable of and I want that time. Can't help it. Hard wired like you.
Nikki
I met Nikki for the first time about a year ago. I had heard her name many times from Nancy, who I know through the school our kids attend. I knew the two of them ran together in the early mornings. They had trained for a few half marathons together. I started seeing Nikki more frequently when Sarah began teaching TRX classes and Nikki attended them with Nancy. One morning last spring, following a TRX class, Nikki, Nancy and I were chatting after class and Nikki said "I don't understand how we can be pushing ourselves the way we are, but don't seem to be getting faster. How do you become a faster runner?" Mind you, this was before my course through the RRCA. Before I learned about conditioning the aerobic energy system. Before I learned that paying attention to heart rate had much to do with it. I think my response had something to do with doing more speed work, getting on the track, doing repeats (all of which are true with the exception of the MORE speed work piece).
I approached Nikki after I had decided to coach a group over the summer. Nikki had done several half marathons that she and Nancy had trained for together. Something told me that Nikki would make a great marathoner. I knew if I could get Nancy on board, or vice versa, she would most likely follow. What I didn't know at the time was just how much of a commitment this would be on top of an already busy fall schedule for her. Nikki is an athletic trainer for Fairfield High School. Fall brings about football, soccer and cross country. Nikki's sister was also engaged to be married and the wedding fell the weekend before the Columbus Marathon. She had two small Children, 4 and 1 (now 5 and 2 I think) and had to juggle her hectic work schedule along with her husband's to keep things running as smoothly as possible for the kids. Training for this was going to require a serious time commitment. The only time she had was early morning... VERY early morning. The advantage? Nikki had time off in the summer and could base build while the seas were still calm on the home and work front. I also didn't have to preach to Nikki the benefits of cross training or strength training given the nature of what she does for a living (of course I preached anyway, as ya'll may have figured). Fortunately, she liked TRX and that became her (all of our) primary means of strength training.
Nikki jumped into training, purchased a Garmin, wore a HR monitor and began to build a solid base. I should say that one thing I asked of all the runners was to set 3 goals for this marathon: a primary (or realistic) goal, a "BEST DAY EVER" goal and a fall back goal. My hope for each of the first timers was that a finish would be the primary goal and then they'd set their sights on a time as a best day ever. Not the case with any of them, actually. They all had time goals for their primary, but all three had finish as their fall back. Fair enough... I decided to go with that. I knew without question they could all get their fall back, therefore reaching at least one of their goals. One of the things that made me pursue Nikki as someone to coach was also the very thing that made me a bit crazy (bear with me here, Nikki). She is very goal oriented and driven. She expects a lot from herself and expects that if she does the work, the results will simply happen. For Nikki, training was serious business. When I got Nikki's questionnaire back, I saw her primary goal as one that would be achievable for her. Her half marathon times indicated her goal was not out of reach and that she was quite capable of getting that. The problem... Nancy's primary goal was an hour different. Now, at first, I didn't see a problem with this. Until I started getting their paperwork back and noticing that if one had 4 miles and the other had 3 for a particular day, the one with 3 ran 4. Nikki asked me one day why Nancy had a certain mileage and she had a different mileage. My answer... They were two different athletes. Two different runners. Nancy started training with turf toe. I needed to make sure I wasn't overloading Nancy and had to make sure her toe was ok to start dumping higher mileage on her. But this did tell me that these two women were in this together and their schedules should be pretty darn close, if not exact. So I had to figure out a way to individualize their plans but keep them together. Not easy with two vastly different time goals. I assured them that running the long runs together were not a problem. For the long run, the goal was to go the distance. If they were hitting their weekly paces and HR ranges, it was not a problem for them to run together. So I began giving Nancy pace ranges for her "best day ever". That closed the gap a little and made their time goals 1/2 hour different, rather than an hour. After several weeks, I stopped putting paces on their schedules and would just put "easy". For the tempo and track runs, I would give them paces based on their time goal. When Nikki would hit the track, she ran her goal paces ranges and Nancy would do hers. Realizing she was getting in her pace runs, I began not to worry about Nikki hitting her goal time.
A little over halfway through training, Nikki sent me an e-mail. The 5 days a week of high mileage training was simply overloading her already crazy home and work schedule. She had considered pulling out of training. Her husband convinced to to continue given how much she'd already put in. She and I talked about revising her schedule to decrease her running days to three. She wanted to know if that was possible. I believed given Nikki's base building over the summer, that yes, she could run Columbus on 3 days of running. I told her they would consist of a long run, a speed day and a medium long day. I did tell her that she may have to readjust her goal and set her mind on a finish, rather than a time. I knew she could train on three days a week, I just didn't have the experience or knowledge to guess how closely she could reach her goal with her schedule adjusted.
As the marathon grew closer, it seemed to me that Nikki grew more apprehensive about this particular training principal...slower paces, higher mileage training. Like myself, she had a very hard time with the concept of "How do you KNOW you can run this pace for this long if you've never done it." Well to be honest, I didn't. I mean really, I had no expertise with this type of training at all. I traditionally did high intensity training in the past. If a run wasn't a certain "pace" it was a waste in my book. I gave no credence to rest and recovery runs at all. However, I am still without my Boston goal, therefore, I was going to trust the science behind the training. I made it pretty clear in the beginning that I had no idea if it would work. They were agreeing to test this out for me so I could start building some evidence that yes, indeed this worked. This was clearly an experiment. But I did know that you could build speed and endurance separately and and decrease the likelihood of injury if you weren't pushing the pace all the time.
In the end, it's hard to tell if Nikki would have met her goal. She was unsure if she was going to race the marathon for her own time, or run it with Nancy, whom she'd trained with for 20 weeks. On race, she ran with Nancy. The two of them ended up running together for 20 or 21 miles. I was standing right by the 26 mile marker when I spotted two pink shirts coming up the road. It was Nikki and Kristie (another girl who trained with them, coached by Suttan). Nikki looked strong and when she looked up, she was smiling. I snapped a quick picture, cheered for them and then watched them turn the corner to finish.
So to sum up my experience coaching Nikki, I will say it wasn't easy. I do NOT mean that in a bad way at all. It was extremely beneficial for me as a coach. Nikki is a lot like me when it comes to training. She likes to push hard and reap the benefit of that hard work. Slowing down was not easy and I am very grateful she gave it a chance. I remember being horribly pissed about the amount of time and energy I'd put in to training for it not to come together time and time again, be it not running fast enough or getting hurt in the process. Nikki challenged me often on "why this" and "why that" and as I look back on the course of training these five runners, I thank God she did. What she forced me to do was research, read, go over what I'd learned and finally, know what the heck I was talking about. For me as a coach, I learned a ton more simply because Nikki was part of my group. I wanted to give her the right answers. The good news is that in the course of digging deeper into this type of training, I have found myself realizing that for me personally, I will have a greater chance of success meeting my Boston goal next year training this way. I don't think Nikki will continue training this way (in fact I know she won't... Nancy told me). There are so many other training principles out there. All of them work. Some of them work better than others. Some increase the chance of injury. Some of them work for one type of runner but not another. Everyone adapts differently to different types of training and people also enjoy training in different ways. Find what you love and what works for you and just RUN!
BTW, Nikki... when I told you earlier to "bear with me" because of your personality when it came to training, it was because even though I am supposed to be running this ultra to "finish", and yes, ultimately I will be thrilled with a finish, I have a time goal. A lofty one at that. I know what I'm capable of and I want that time. Can't help it. Hard wired like you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Coaches Corner
I don't know... I didn't know what else to title this entry. The one I chose is kind of queer, I know. This is about my first experience coaching adults. One of biggest things I learned this summer is that no two people adapt to the same method of training. Everyone walks a fine line between not enough vs. overtraining when marathon training. But that line is different for everyone. Finding that line for five very different runners was tricky. It was a challenge. It was also a privilege, a headache, very stressful, satisfying and a complete joy. I guess you could say it was the whole package. This is about the five runners who graciously agreed to be my guinea pigs over the summer and be coached for a fall marathon. In exchange, they were to keep documentation of their training, monitor their heart rates and follow specific pace and heart rate ranges in accordance with their goals. This would be training like no other for each of them. They were going to have to adopt a higher mileage, slower pace method of training. The majority of their runs would be easy paced, comfortable mileage, with 1-2 days of speed work to develop speed and fine tune race pace. All five were experienced runners, although for 3 of them, this would be their first full marathon. All five have children, jobs and otherwise busy lives. And since the bulk of training would be in the summer, the day began VERY early for most of them (to beat the heat and avoid having to run after work). As one can imagine, higher mileage and slower paces meant a lot more time out running. Time was not on these runners' sides, however they all remained committed and focused on their goals. The runners were not given a 20 week schedule, but rather each week, a new schedule would be emailed to them. Initially, I would only send out the new week's schedule after being given their training logs from the previous weeks. This would allow me to analyze signs of overtraining by comparing heart rate/pace changes and make out new schedules accordingly (perhaps someone needed an extra rest day or someone could handle more mileage). I quickly realized that some of them were much like myself and I just wasn't going to get all their data.... so I settled for some. Garmin Connect became a very useful evaluative tool and I had access to most of their Garmin data. Because I was also training for my upcoming 50 miler, I wasn't able to devote the actual running time WITH them as I otherwise would have. I had to make sure I was getting in the mileage and paces I needed as well as my cross training activities. In the end, all completed their training and ran their marathons. This is the training story of each of them, who all gave me permission to blog about them.
Greg
Greg's marathon was first. Greg chose to run the Air Force Marathon. I think he would have preferred Columbus, however Greg had a milestone anniversary coming up and a promised trip to his wife. One that did NOT revolve around running a marathon. He'd be the first to tell you his wife Mary is the most supportive person in his running network, but she had a limit. And her anniversary was her anniversary. Plain and simple (smart lady!).
I sought Greg out because I just KNEW this program would be so great for him and bring him the PR he wanted so badly. Greg has been running for roughly 10 years and has done a handful of marathons. I met him over a year ago when I was training for my second BQ attempt in Columbus and he was training for Marine Corps. This was in 2010. Our mutual friend (and Greg's co-worker Kim) told him that there was a group training for the Columbus half and full marathon and he should join us for track work at the high school track. That is how I met Greg.
Greg did not meet his time goal at Marine Corps. Again, I was unaware of some of the mental struggles of Greg when it came to marathoning. He jumped back into training that winter with sights set on 4 hours at the Flying Pig (2011). Greg was using a training plan of intense speed and medium high weekday mileage, with the longest run being 16 miles. Greg seemed to do very well on this plan, though I just couldn't get the rationale behind a maximum 16 mile long run for a marathon. I didn't run with him much (if at all) during this training cycle since for the first few months I was injured and then I was training for the Pig half, however I had heard that he was doing an exceptional job, getting faster and displayed utmost confidence in his ability the night before the Pig at my sister's pre-race party. Sadly, the week before the Flying Pig, Greg's sister passed away from cancer. Not knowing how the heck he could even bring himself to the start of the Flying Pig, I marveled at his silent strength.
The Pig did not go as planned for Greg. Greg finished in over 5 hours. The reason (per Greg)? Total mental collapse beginning at mile 3. Knowing this started so early in the race, I realized Greg was actually way tougher than he credited himself for. All I could say is that I would not have been able to go much further.
Knowing Greg had some disappointing performances given the amount of time and energy he devoted to training made me want badly to coach him with this different type of training. One thing about Greg is he is a hard knocked gadget NUT JOB. I mean, if you could see the charts, graphs and tables he has created around his running, your mind would spin. Greg is overly meticulous with his training data. I believe he analyzes every run very carefully. After explaining the scientific premise of this training to Greg, he agreed to come aboard. He willingly hopped on board with HR training and was happy to get started. Slowing down was NOT easy for him to do as evidenced by some of his training data. I had to really reign him in. After all, how can comfortable training really work? I mean, isn't this supposed to suck? Aren't you supposed to be breathless and spent after each run? NO! I kept telling him the goal was to train optimally, not maximally (Greg McMillan's words). Two days a week, Greg did speed work. One was usually in the form of a tempo run, with specific pace ranges, and the other track work. I would get to the track at 5 am some mornings and Greg was midway through his repeats. The guy was hard core at training. He also slept very little, which was a huge concern of mine given the mileage he was running and the life he led outside of running. I began hearing from some of the gals that ran with him regularly that Greg liked to throw in extra mileage or run a bit, shall we say, over paced. Now Greg blamed them at first, but he was definitely the culprit. However, after a few blasting e-mails, Greg did settle down. His HR (won't even get into the fiasco his Garmin monitor created in the beginning) was well within his aerobic range even at his race pace. This was awesome! He asked me if we should re-evaluate the goal because race pace for him, was truly a comfortable and easy pace. Uh, NO! I wanted him to get the 4 hour time, regardless that his training and HR indicated he is a sub 4 hour marathoner. Once he was able to get through a marathon comfortably with a nice PR, he could go for what he is capable of. So he continued as planned.
As race day approached, Greg appeared confident and excited. I sent him information on carb loading and tapering. I'm sure the taper was very difficult for Greg, who peaked at roughly 65 miles a week in training. We joked often about his obsession and precision to detail when racing... such as how many times he would re-evaluate his wardrobe and how often he'd re-pin his bib number on. He also "joked" at one point that he was busy lining up and counting shot bloks. I kind of think he wasn't kidding!
On the morning of the marathon, Greg was calm, chatty and ready. Our trusty friend Suttan was going to run with him and keep him on pace. His goal pace was a 9:09. My advice to Greg was start slower than pace and then bring it down slowly. I knew there would be miles that dipped below race pace after he was good and warmed up, with rested muscles and carb loaded (or so I thought he'd loaded... he recently confided that he fuels as well as he sleeps... holy shit, Greg, sounds like you may have been running on empty. Literally.). At 7:30, we were off! I quickly lost sight of Greg and Suttan. I saw them at around mile 10 when they had turned around and were running in the opposite direction. Right on pace with a huge smile, I snapped a picture of the two of them. A huge wave of relief washed over me. It was all going to be fine. I had no doubts the Greg would finally hit his goal, perhaps even below. I knew I would not see him until he greeted John and me at the finish.
When will I learn that you just never know what can happen in this god forsaken distance of 26.2 miles? When?
At mile 18, I chatted on the phone with Sarah. At mile 20, my sister Maggie. At mile 21, John says to me "Is that Suttan and Greg?" My heart dropped. John and I were running roughly a 4:20 paced marathon. If we were approaching Greg, something had gone terribly wrong. I came up to him, put my hand on his back and said "Greg, what's going on?" I'll never forget the look on his face or the tone of his voice as he said "I'm so sorry, Kate." Sorry? For me? You can't be serious. This was his race, his goal, his dream. Not mine. I could definitely empathize with his crushing disappointment. No doubt I could, but at that moment, it was Greg's heartbreak that mattered. I knew how hard he'd worked. I knew how much he wanted this. I knew everything he was feeling. It was the Flying Pig all over again for him. I don't think you can possibly get it unless you've been there. I've been there.
We walked/jogged with Greg for 2 miles. Something was going on with his right hip and he seemed to be in pain with every step. I knew he'd gone to the start uninjured so I didn't get it. I thought maybe he didn't disclose something. That would certainly be like Greg :). Greg urged us to go on. It was as if he just wanted to be alone to finish. I understood. Sometimes being alone is what is needed. I am a lot like that when I am struggling. I realized that there was nothing I could say or do. Everything I said sounded stupid and pointless. Encouraging him was no longer effective or helpful. Greg needed to be alone.
Greg finished in 5 hrs and 3 minutes after running 16 miles on pace for a 4 hour marathon. I worried about his hip. He later told me it was his mind. I'll call them his racing demons. He was running again that Thursday (I knew he couldn't wait a full week like he said!).
Greg is running Indy's Monumental Marathon on November 4th.... FOR FUN!!! He is not letting all that training go to waste but he is also not after a time goal. We are going to go for a long run. His long runs are much faster than his races (his 24 miler smoked his marathon!). We'll take walk breaks (or wine and cheese parties as he and Jen like to call our long fuel stops), and for 13 miles or so of it, I will make him fuel and slow him down (I'm officially tapering as of Sunday so I will not be running all of it). I will be that very annoying person. Greg "says" he has no expectations for this marathon. I am trying to believe him, yet when I suggested leaving the Garmin at home and just running, he replied "I will NEVER run without my Garmin...." SO... Greg, I am going to try and believe you are without a goal, but forgive me if I'm skeptical. November 4th is a long run in which you will be given a medal at the end. It is an awesome way to enjoy something you love to do! No stress, no expectations, no pressure. Just running. Just like our summer long runs. I think you'll be happy with the clock time when you are really able to run that way :)
Since I am never at a loss for words, I am going to blog about each runner separately. I should have known I could not do it in one entry!
Greg
Greg's marathon was first. Greg chose to run the Air Force Marathon. I think he would have preferred Columbus, however Greg had a milestone anniversary coming up and a promised trip to his wife. One that did NOT revolve around running a marathon. He'd be the first to tell you his wife Mary is the most supportive person in his running network, but she had a limit. And her anniversary was her anniversary. Plain and simple (smart lady!).
I sought Greg out because I just KNEW this program would be so great for him and bring him the PR he wanted so badly. Greg has been running for roughly 10 years and has done a handful of marathons. I met him over a year ago when I was training for my second BQ attempt in Columbus and he was training for Marine Corps. This was in 2010. Our mutual friend (and Greg's co-worker Kim) told him that there was a group training for the Columbus half and full marathon and he should join us for track work at the high school track. That is how I met Greg.
Greg did not meet his time goal at Marine Corps. Again, I was unaware of some of the mental struggles of Greg when it came to marathoning. He jumped back into training that winter with sights set on 4 hours at the Flying Pig (2011). Greg was using a training plan of intense speed and medium high weekday mileage, with the longest run being 16 miles. Greg seemed to do very well on this plan, though I just couldn't get the rationale behind a maximum 16 mile long run for a marathon. I didn't run with him much (if at all) during this training cycle since for the first few months I was injured and then I was training for the Pig half, however I had heard that he was doing an exceptional job, getting faster and displayed utmost confidence in his ability the night before the Pig at my sister's pre-race party. Sadly, the week before the Flying Pig, Greg's sister passed away from cancer. Not knowing how the heck he could even bring himself to the start of the Flying Pig, I marveled at his silent strength.
The Pig did not go as planned for Greg. Greg finished in over 5 hours. The reason (per Greg)? Total mental collapse beginning at mile 3. Knowing this started so early in the race, I realized Greg was actually way tougher than he credited himself for. All I could say is that I would not have been able to go much further.
Knowing Greg had some disappointing performances given the amount of time and energy he devoted to training made me want badly to coach him with this different type of training. One thing about Greg is he is a hard knocked gadget NUT JOB. I mean, if you could see the charts, graphs and tables he has created around his running, your mind would spin. Greg is overly meticulous with his training data. I believe he analyzes every run very carefully. After explaining the scientific premise of this training to Greg, he agreed to come aboard. He willingly hopped on board with HR training and was happy to get started. Slowing down was NOT easy for him to do as evidenced by some of his training data. I had to really reign him in. After all, how can comfortable training really work? I mean, isn't this supposed to suck? Aren't you supposed to be breathless and spent after each run? NO! I kept telling him the goal was to train optimally, not maximally (Greg McMillan's words). Two days a week, Greg did speed work. One was usually in the form of a tempo run, with specific pace ranges, and the other track work. I would get to the track at 5 am some mornings and Greg was midway through his repeats. The guy was hard core at training. He also slept very little, which was a huge concern of mine given the mileage he was running and the life he led outside of running. I began hearing from some of the gals that ran with him regularly that Greg liked to throw in extra mileage or run a bit, shall we say, over paced. Now Greg blamed them at first, but he was definitely the culprit. However, after a few blasting e-mails, Greg did settle down. His HR (won't even get into the fiasco his Garmin monitor created in the beginning) was well within his aerobic range even at his race pace. This was awesome! He asked me if we should re-evaluate the goal because race pace for him, was truly a comfortable and easy pace. Uh, NO! I wanted him to get the 4 hour time, regardless that his training and HR indicated he is a sub 4 hour marathoner. Once he was able to get through a marathon comfortably with a nice PR, he could go for what he is capable of. So he continued as planned.
As race day approached, Greg appeared confident and excited. I sent him information on carb loading and tapering. I'm sure the taper was very difficult for Greg, who peaked at roughly 65 miles a week in training. We joked often about his obsession and precision to detail when racing... such as how many times he would re-evaluate his wardrobe and how often he'd re-pin his bib number on. He also "joked" at one point that he was busy lining up and counting shot bloks. I kind of think he wasn't kidding!
On the morning of the marathon, Greg was calm, chatty and ready. Our trusty friend Suttan was going to run with him and keep him on pace. His goal pace was a 9:09. My advice to Greg was start slower than pace and then bring it down slowly. I knew there would be miles that dipped below race pace after he was good and warmed up, with rested muscles and carb loaded (or so I thought he'd loaded... he recently confided that he fuels as well as he sleeps... holy shit, Greg, sounds like you may have been running on empty. Literally.). At 7:30, we were off! I quickly lost sight of Greg and Suttan. I saw them at around mile 10 when they had turned around and were running in the opposite direction. Right on pace with a huge smile, I snapped a picture of the two of them. A huge wave of relief washed over me. It was all going to be fine. I had no doubts the Greg would finally hit his goal, perhaps even below. I knew I would not see him until he greeted John and me at the finish.
When will I learn that you just never know what can happen in this god forsaken distance of 26.2 miles? When?
At mile 18, I chatted on the phone with Sarah. At mile 20, my sister Maggie. At mile 21, John says to me "Is that Suttan and Greg?" My heart dropped. John and I were running roughly a 4:20 paced marathon. If we were approaching Greg, something had gone terribly wrong. I came up to him, put my hand on his back and said "Greg, what's going on?" I'll never forget the look on his face or the tone of his voice as he said "I'm so sorry, Kate." Sorry? For me? You can't be serious. This was his race, his goal, his dream. Not mine. I could definitely empathize with his crushing disappointment. No doubt I could, but at that moment, it was Greg's heartbreak that mattered. I knew how hard he'd worked. I knew how much he wanted this. I knew everything he was feeling. It was the Flying Pig all over again for him. I don't think you can possibly get it unless you've been there. I've been there.
We walked/jogged with Greg for 2 miles. Something was going on with his right hip and he seemed to be in pain with every step. I knew he'd gone to the start uninjured so I didn't get it. I thought maybe he didn't disclose something. That would certainly be like Greg :). Greg urged us to go on. It was as if he just wanted to be alone to finish. I understood. Sometimes being alone is what is needed. I am a lot like that when I am struggling. I realized that there was nothing I could say or do. Everything I said sounded stupid and pointless. Encouraging him was no longer effective or helpful. Greg needed to be alone.
Greg finished in 5 hrs and 3 minutes after running 16 miles on pace for a 4 hour marathon. I worried about his hip. He later told me it was his mind. I'll call them his racing demons. He was running again that Thursday (I knew he couldn't wait a full week like he said!).
Greg is running Indy's Monumental Marathon on November 4th.... FOR FUN!!! He is not letting all that training go to waste but he is also not after a time goal. We are going to go for a long run. His long runs are much faster than his races (his 24 miler smoked his marathon!). We'll take walk breaks (or wine and cheese parties as he and Jen like to call our long fuel stops), and for 13 miles or so of it, I will make him fuel and slow him down (I'm officially tapering as of Sunday so I will not be running all of it). I will be that very annoying person. Greg "says" he has no expectations for this marathon. I am trying to believe him, yet when I suggested leaving the Garmin at home and just running, he replied "I will NEVER run without my Garmin...." SO... Greg, I am going to try and believe you are without a goal, but forgive me if I'm skeptical. November 4th is a long run in which you will be given a medal at the end. It is an awesome way to enjoy something you love to do! No stress, no expectations, no pressure. Just running. Just like our summer long runs. I think you'll be happy with the clock time when you are really able to run that way :)
Since I am never at a loss for words, I am going to blog about each runner separately. I should have known I could not do it in one entry!
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