Been pretty busy in aftermath of Chicago Marathon and haven't had time to check on how well you fared. I do know all finished, so that's good. It wasn't my day and I had strong suspicion that plantar fasciaitis and hamstring tendonitis would flare-up and bring me down.
And it did, bringing me to a walk by 15th mile. Contemplated dropping out at next aid station, but by the time I got closer to one another mile or so down, I decided to give up the run for time, but stick it out and finish it by running it easier and walking at times, mostly at the water stops. Made it to the finish line just under 4:27.
Here's something a run-friend forwarded to me - a rap song someone created for the 10-10-10 Chicago Marathon OK, this was the 10-09-11 marathon, but the lyrics still apply. Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6htcIZsRO0
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
A Little More
I won't be able to post everything I originally intended to do before your big race, mostly because just running out of time, and the Thursday night pre-race dinner, then the Expo on Friday and going to my friend's 25th wedding anniversary and getting up at 8 am Saturday to start the process of readying myself for race-day has just not left a lot of time to do everything I hoped to. So, this be my last post.
First, their is "ritual." Those of my closest run-comrades that have roomed with me know my "Last of the 300" Spartans ritual. I do my 3-4 mile run followed 45-min later by my final carb-load meal, usually for Chicago, my famous pasta sauce over whole-grain rotinie, rigatoni, etc. Then, there is the final shower and tending to the long-hair, getting my race gear ready and out for dressing up early morn, then trimming and filing the toe-nails, then soaking them in the soaking salts with wintergreen and spearmint oils added to it. Then I go to bed early by 6 pm and just get up at 3 am to get dressed and do the final assembly of gear and gear-check bag. It is ritual, just as the 300 Spartans did before their final battle against the Persians. I hope you have your ritual in the making also.
Second, just need to say thanks again for the gracious gifts you afforded me Thursday at Pier 74. I need to clarify a few things and confess I am not as much an expert about the Who as I might have led Sophia to originally believe. There were two albums I favored as a youngster - those being the Who Live at Leeds and Who's Next albums. I probably should have been more cognizant of the "Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy" 1971 release as Sophia duly drudged up, but it was not an album I ever bought or listened to much, focusing more on the raucous style of the Who so well captured on that Live at Leeds release.
The "Who's Next" album is considered by many the Who's best work, and although that Live at Leeds is my number one, the latter is a close second. And, it was last year in training at the onset of one of those mega-long runs the Novices needed to do that I preceded with the "Who" contest sending out a inquiry of an explanation for the title to the song "Baba O'Reilly" that you all will recognize by that chorus that goes, "Teenage wasteland, It's only teenage wasteland." And, as I denoted in the contest, later album versions including that track did label it as "Teenage Wasteland."
But, little did I know the fruits of "googlin" and it was a simple matter for some to respond (Wikipedia has a nice expose on the subject) the answer the song's original title was based on guitarist Pete Townshend's two most influential friends - keyboard support for the Who's studio work by a fellow with the last name O'Reilly and Pete's personal Guru named Baba.
I awarded the prizes prior to the start of our long run, but the contest had nothing to do with running, but then it eventually did. My initial intent was just for it to serve as a "diversion" to the mission to run 20-miles in long-run training. But, the story comes full circle when Coach's "10-minute ladies" finished there marathon last year hearing the exact same tune, Babo OReilly that was the subject of my diversionary contest.
When I ran Rock-n-Roll Half this past August, what did I hear at the start line a little before the start - nothing but Baba O'Reilly followed by other tracks and said Who's Next album. And, I have heard that as well as other tracks from that Who's Next album at either start or finish of other races. Not sure why they always fall-back on that album, but keep it in mind as you run Chicago this Sunday. You might here songs from that album waiting for the start, or if you are lucky, you will hear Baba-O'Reilly in your ears as you sprint to the finish line! If so, you are definitely experiencing a special moment, but if not, go with the special moment of crossing the line, the end of something started 26.2 miles before, and 18-weeks ago distant!
peace all,
First, their is "ritual." Those of my closest run-comrades that have roomed with me know my "Last of the 300" Spartans ritual. I do my 3-4 mile run followed 45-min later by my final carb-load meal, usually for Chicago, my famous pasta sauce over whole-grain rotinie, rigatoni, etc. Then, there is the final shower and tending to the long-hair, getting my race gear ready and out for dressing up early morn, then trimming and filing the toe-nails, then soaking them in the soaking salts with wintergreen and spearmint oils added to it. Then I go to bed early by 6 pm and just get up at 3 am to get dressed and do the final assembly of gear and gear-check bag. It is ritual, just as the 300 Spartans did before their final battle against the Persians. I hope you have your ritual in the making also.
Second, just need to say thanks again for the gracious gifts you afforded me Thursday at Pier 74. I need to clarify a few things and confess I am not as much an expert about the Who as I might have led Sophia to originally believe. There were two albums I favored as a youngster - those being the Who Live at Leeds and Who's Next albums. I probably should have been more cognizant of the "Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy" 1971 release as Sophia duly drudged up, but it was not an album I ever bought or listened to much, focusing more on the raucous style of the Who so well captured on that Live at Leeds release.
The "Who's Next" album is considered by many the Who's best work, and although that Live at Leeds is my number one, the latter is a close second. And, it was last year in training at the onset of one of those mega-long runs the Novices needed to do that I preceded with the "Who" contest sending out a inquiry of an explanation for the title to the song "Baba O'Reilly" that you all will recognize by that chorus that goes, "Teenage wasteland, It's only teenage wasteland." And, as I denoted in the contest, later album versions including that track did label it as "Teenage Wasteland."
But, little did I know the fruits of "googlin" and it was a simple matter for some to respond (Wikipedia has a nice expose on the subject) the answer the song's original title was based on guitarist Pete Townshend's two most influential friends - keyboard support for the Who's studio work by a fellow with the last name O'Reilly and Pete's personal Guru named Baba.
I awarded the prizes prior to the start of our long run, but the contest had nothing to do with running, but then it eventually did. My initial intent was just for it to serve as a "diversion" to the mission to run 20-miles in long-run training. But, the story comes full circle when Coach's "10-minute ladies" finished there marathon last year hearing the exact same tune, Babo OReilly that was the subject of my diversionary contest.
When I ran Rock-n-Roll Half this past August, what did I hear at the start line a little before the start - nothing but Baba O'Reilly followed by other tracks and said Who's Next album. And, I have heard that as well as other tracks from that Who's Next album at either start or finish of other races. Not sure why they always fall-back on that album, but keep it in mind as you run Chicago this Sunday. You might here songs from that album waiting for the start, or if you are lucky, you will hear Baba-O'Reilly in your ears as you sprint to the finish line! If so, you are definitely experiencing a special moment, but if not, go with the special moment of crossing the line, the end of something started 26.2 miles before, and 18-weeks ago distant!
peace all,
Chicago Marathon Race Day Weather
The weather for Sunday is pretty much what you been experiencing lately - a lot of blue skies, light S-wind and comfortably or pleasantly warm temperature in the afternoon. NOAA's Sunday point forecast for Chicago says sunny with a high of 81F and S/SW wind 5-6 mph.
Although some in my gang fear the worst with such warm temperatures, it is not as bad as a high temperature of 81F might seem because the progression is gradual. At 0700 hrs it will be a balmy 60F with RH=75%. At 0800 hrs is is still only 61F with RH=72%, climbing only to 65F and RH=65% by 0900 hrs. So, for the first 2-hrs from that 0730 start, we should be in pretty comfortably pleasant air temperature. It will be that high humidity that you have to watch out for, expecially after the first 3-4 miles and your core temperature goes up from the running. Recall, the high humidity doesn't promote evaporation, so you sweat a lot and it clings to you, but you don't get the evaporative cooling effect.
So, what do you do to compensate? You should know the answer by now after all this training and preaching this Coach has done, but you might want to resort to dousing back-side of your neck at some of the aid stations with cool water. Heck pour it over your head and get your hair wet if necessary, but that backside of the neck and looking to cool-down those main arteries located their.
The biggest change or jump occur in that window from 0900 to 100o hrs, when at 1000 hrs it is forecast to be 71F, but the humidity starts declining to 53%. That's good because dry air will go a long way to promoting optimal evaporation of both sweat and water you douse on yourself. When dousing with water, again target back-side of neck, top of head, upper arms and chest. It's the core we are trying to cool down, but if put water on your quads and calfs, all the better because they are doing a lot of work and generating a lot of heat also, so cooling them down helps to lesson the trauma to muscle tissue.
By 1100 hrs you are in the mid-70's hitting 77F at 1200 hrs, with RH 46 and 45 %, respectively. Hits 78F by 1300 hr with RH=43%, then 80F at 1400 hrs with RH=41%. You hit the peak high on Sunday at 81F with a remarkably low RH of 39% from 15-1600 hrs. The wind turns from S/SW to S/SE at 1500 hrs, then E/SE by 1700 hrs. all light wind 5-6 mph.
So, it is not as dire as some of my run friends think it is going to be. You don't even get near or at 80F until 5-6 hours from gun time, so that means some of you who plan to run between 5 and 6 hours finish times, don't get the warmest temps until the last 1 to 1.5 hrs of your race.
If you plan for this and adjust accordingly as you run through the various phases of the race, you can finish pretty close to what you originally planned to. But, the odds are against you if you are an intermediate or an advanced marathoner that intends to try to run a PR or PB or is focusing on qualifying for Boston. It can and has been done, but the probability is low that most can run top-game performance in progressively increasing temperature.
Hopefully, all or most of you running Chicago this Sunday will recall that past and very complicated clinic on marathon physiology, and also recall the fueling and hydration clinic I did, and try to keep some of those principles in the cognizant region of your brain and make adjustments accordingly as you progress through the distance and the changing conditions.
Don't have time this evening to recap everything in terms of principles, but will offer you some insight and some things to plan for in your race this Sunday.
Rule Number 1 - take advantage of every "gift-horse" you encounter. With the warm temperatures and the 2007, 2008 and 2010 races still in the memories of both race officials and residents that live along the course, there will by opportunities to keep oneself cool as possible, especially in that 2nd half of the race as you head through Pilsen and into Bridgeport and go through China Town and close-in on that Michigan Ave stretch to the end. There is always someone that lives along the course that will be out there with a garden hose, sometimes with their little kiddies as operators, to spray the runners that want to be sprayed. You are not just encouraged to raise your arms up in victory and get sprayed, you are expected to do so by this Coach! Yes, you will watch those that refrain from it because they are worried about wet shoes and blisters. Take your choice, run the risk of some blisters on your feet or die to a "crawl" or "slog" because the heat beat you!
Usually there will be someone or some aid station latter part of the race offering ice. Yes, ice-cubes! Got to take advantage of that! But, what do you do with ice someone offers to you from a bag of ice and what do you put it in? The answer to that question is simply carry an old bandanna with you. Take the ice and roll it up inside, then tie it around your neck so the ice sits on the back-side of your neck at the lower cervical vertebrae and just start running again and let it slowly melt. It can be the one and same bandanna you have used earlier to soak in colder water and drape over your neck or tie around your forehead. You take an old one and you can always toss it at the end of the race when you know you are home-free!
I suspect the Chicago Fire Department will have those huge "misting" fans somewhere along Michigan Ave in the last few miles of the race. Take advantage of that and get misted! You just run through it - loose not time - gain cooling effect. I doubt it will be that hot that the Fire Dept opens up fire hydrants (like they did in 2007), but if you see one open, or any form of cool, running water, you take the opportunity to cool yourself down for a few seconds, then keep it moving forward down the course.
Other tips. Recall from physiology that increasing core temperature leads to shunting of blood from the internal to the sub-cutaneous tissue to get rid of internal heat. That shunt leads to less blood volume getting to working leg muscles (and core muscles too), so they get less oxygen. Those muscles work harder and may start accumulating lactate, even at the same pace you have trained oh so hard for. Bottom line is you are expending more calories and doing more work trying to run the same speed you planned to, so you are going to "bust" and hit the "wall" with glycogen depletion. That's why you have to slow-down a bit in advance when you recognize the heat is having its effects. Heart Rate is great way to monitor that effect, but you got to have a HR monitor and you have to have been using it all along in the training to know how to interpret it. If you have, then by all means use it. Lactate threshold is somewhere around 80-85% HRmax, so if you see your HR hitting and staying in 85% or more HR zone, then there's your signal to slow down until you see HR back to where it normally is when you run marathon pace. If you don't have or haven't trained with your HR monitor, then you are at the mercy of trying to work off of perceived feel in effort, something which I haven't pushed a lot in this training program, but maybe I should have elaborated more on.
You all know your hydration and fueling strategy. Stick with that, but maybe you toss in a bit more carb in to your intake in that 2nd half of the marathon to compensate for inefficiency in metabolism that results from running in warmer temperatures. Take in more. But, don't forget to refrain from the carbohydrate according to that 30-min/3-mile principle so you maximize conditions to utilize fat for energy and make sure the insulin response is suppressed. Then it's take in carb and take it in as much as possible in the 2nd half in the forms that you have trained to.
Ultimately, if you get to the late stages to 18 through 22 miles and you feel a wall approaching or you know the wheels are ready to fall off, well, then you abandon anything I have taught you in terms of principles and/or fueling-hydration strategy and go into "triage." That means you just try something to stave-off breaking-down to a crawl or walk. So, if they are handing out gels, take more than one and hold on to it. In last ditch efforts you take two gels and wash it down with 2-cups of Gatorade, then take more Gatorade the next aid station. Don't worry about whether you are getting "optimal" absorption" in the gut, but at this point just try to get as much carb in to revive you and keep you going.
OK, that's all I can spend time on with this subject. Most of all, just enjoy the final journey, the race being simply the end of a longer journey training for it. Have fun with it as best as you can. Enjoy running with your comrades, enjoy the scenery and the diversity the City of Chicago is comprised of, and just run, one mile at a time, one foot in front of the other, and you will remarkably find yourself running up Roosevelt Road past the 26-mile marker (ca 1/2 way up on L-side of road), and making the turn down the last 0.2 stretch to the finish line!
When you get there climbing that bridge-hill at Roosevelt Road, make sure you make some connection with the people that line the N-side of the street at the 26-mile marker and around the turn. Let them know you made it and let them know you earned the right to smile, to shout and to be proud. The final stretch down Columbus (I think) is your time to reflect on your journey. You will probably be pretty fatigued, but find the energy to persist and keep it up. The hardest part for novices or first-timers is to keep you head up high, and in fact look upwards towards the cameras as you get close and run into and across the line. Don't worry about the damn watch or the split time on the watch. It will only be a few seconds off what the chip records. And, if you can remember, hold both your arms up high over your head and flash the "V" sign. It can stand for Victory, just like the elites do, and it can signify peace also. A fine statement for you to make.
Enjoy your Chicago Marathon. I will be in Bar Louie on Polk Street somewhere between 1 and 2 pm with my rowdy, non-running friends. Come on by if you can. I still have about 5 or 6 of those "Woo-Hoo I'm a Marathoner" Bondi-Bands and I will have them along, first come, first served!
Ride Tiger!
Although some in my gang fear the worst with such warm temperatures, it is not as bad as a high temperature of 81F might seem because the progression is gradual. At 0700 hrs it will be a balmy 60F with RH=75%. At 0800 hrs is is still only 61F with RH=72%, climbing only to 65F and RH=65% by 0900 hrs. So, for the first 2-hrs from that 0730 start, we should be in pretty comfortably pleasant air temperature. It will be that high humidity that you have to watch out for, expecially after the first 3-4 miles and your core temperature goes up from the running. Recall, the high humidity doesn't promote evaporation, so you sweat a lot and it clings to you, but you don't get the evaporative cooling effect.
So, what do you do to compensate? You should know the answer by now after all this training and preaching this Coach has done, but you might want to resort to dousing back-side of your neck at some of the aid stations with cool water. Heck pour it over your head and get your hair wet if necessary, but that backside of the neck and looking to cool-down those main arteries located their.
The biggest change or jump occur in that window from 0900 to 100o hrs, when at 1000 hrs it is forecast to be 71F, but the humidity starts declining to 53%. That's good because dry air will go a long way to promoting optimal evaporation of both sweat and water you douse on yourself. When dousing with water, again target back-side of neck, top of head, upper arms and chest. It's the core we are trying to cool down, but if put water on your quads and calfs, all the better because they are doing a lot of work and generating a lot of heat also, so cooling them down helps to lesson the trauma to muscle tissue.
By 1100 hrs you are in the mid-70's hitting 77F at 1200 hrs, with RH 46 and 45 %, respectively. Hits 78F by 1300 hr with RH=43%, then 80F at 1400 hrs with RH=41%. You hit the peak high on Sunday at 81F with a remarkably low RH of 39% from 15-1600 hrs. The wind turns from S/SW to S/SE at 1500 hrs, then E/SE by 1700 hrs. all light wind 5-6 mph.
So, it is not as dire as some of my run friends think it is going to be. You don't even get near or at 80F until 5-6 hours from gun time, so that means some of you who plan to run between 5 and 6 hours finish times, don't get the warmest temps until the last 1 to 1.5 hrs of your race.
If you plan for this and adjust accordingly as you run through the various phases of the race, you can finish pretty close to what you originally planned to. But, the odds are against you if you are an intermediate or an advanced marathoner that intends to try to run a PR or PB or is focusing on qualifying for Boston. It can and has been done, but the probability is low that most can run top-game performance in progressively increasing temperature.
Hopefully, all or most of you running Chicago this Sunday will recall that past and very complicated clinic on marathon physiology, and also recall the fueling and hydration clinic I did, and try to keep some of those principles in the cognizant region of your brain and make adjustments accordingly as you progress through the distance and the changing conditions.
Don't have time this evening to recap everything in terms of principles, but will offer you some insight and some things to plan for in your race this Sunday.
Rule Number 1 - take advantage of every "gift-horse" you encounter. With the warm temperatures and the 2007, 2008 and 2010 races still in the memories of both race officials and residents that live along the course, there will by opportunities to keep oneself cool as possible, especially in that 2nd half of the race as you head through Pilsen and into Bridgeport and go through China Town and close-in on that Michigan Ave stretch to the end. There is always someone that lives along the course that will be out there with a garden hose, sometimes with their little kiddies as operators, to spray the runners that want to be sprayed. You are not just encouraged to raise your arms up in victory and get sprayed, you are expected to do so by this Coach! Yes, you will watch those that refrain from it because they are worried about wet shoes and blisters. Take your choice, run the risk of some blisters on your feet or die to a "crawl" or "slog" because the heat beat you!
Usually there will be someone or some aid station latter part of the race offering ice. Yes, ice-cubes! Got to take advantage of that! But, what do you do with ice someone offers to you from a bag of ice and what do you put it in? The answer to that question is simply carry an old bandanna with you. Take the ice and roll it up inside, then tie it around your neck so the ice sits on the back-side of your neck at the lower cervical vertebrae and just start running again and let it slowly melt. It can be the one and same bandanna you have used earlier to soak in colder water and drape over your neck or tie around your forehead. You take an old one and you can always toss it at the end of the race when you know you are home-free!
I suspect the Chicago Fire Department will have those huge "misting" fans somewhere along Michigan Ave in the last few miles of the race. Take advantage of that and get misted! You just run through it - loose not time - gain cooling effect. I doubt it will be that hot that the Fire Dept opens up fire hydrants (like they did in 2007), but if you see one open, or any form of cool, running water, you take the opportunity to cool yourself down for a few seconds, then keep it moving forward down the course.
Other tips. Recall from physiology that increasing core temperature leads to shunting of blood from the internal to the sub-cutaneous tissue to get rid of internal heat. That shunt leads to less blood volume getting to working leg muscles (and core muscles too), so they get less oxygen. Those muscles work harder and may start accumulating lactate, even at the same pace you have trained oh so hard for. Bottom line is you are expending more calories and doing more work trying to run the same speed you planned to, so you are going to "bust" and hit the "wall" with glycogen depletion. That's why you have to slow-down a bit in advance when you recognize the heat is having its effects. Heart Rate is great way to monitor that effect, but you got to have a HR monitor and you have to have been using it all along in the training to know how to interpret it. If you have, then by all means use it. Lactate threshold is somewhere around 80-85% HRmax, so if you see your HR hitting and staying in 85% or more HR zone, then there's your signal to slow down until you see HR back to where it normally is when you run marathon pace. If you don't have or haven't trained with your HR monitor, then you are at the mercy of trying to work off of perceived feel in effort, something which I haven't pushed a lot in this training program, but maybe I should have elaborated more on.
You all know your hydration and fueling strategy. Stick with that, but maybe you toss in a bit more carb in to your intake in that 2nd half of the marathon to compensate for inefficiency in metabolism that results from running in warmer temperatures. Take in more. But, don't forget to refrain from the carbohydrate according to that 30-min/3-mile principle so you maximize conditions to utilize fat for energy and make sure the insulin response is suppressed. Then it's take in carb and take it in as much as possible in the 2nd half in the forms that you have trained to.
Ultimately, if you get to the late stages to 18 through 22 miles and you feel a wall approaching or you know the wheels are ready to fall off, well, then you abandon anything I have taught you in terms of principles and/or fueling-hydration strategy and go into "triage." That means you just try something to stave-off breaking-down to a crawl or walk. So, if they are handing out gels, take more than one and hold on to it. In last ditch efforts you take two gels and wash it down with 2-cups of Gatorade, then take more Gatorade the next aid station. Don't worry about whether you are getting "optimal" absorption" in the gut, but at this point just try to get as much carb in to revive you and keep you going.
OK, that's all I can spend time on with this subject. Most of all, just enjoy the final journey, the race being simply the end of a longer journey training for it. Have fun with it as best as you can. Enjoy running with your comrades, enjoy the scenery and the diversity the City of Chicago is comprised of, and just run, one mile at a time, one foot in front of the other, and you will remarkably find yourself running up Roosevelt Road past the 26-mile marker (ca 1/2 way up on L-side of road), and making the turn down the last 0.2 stretch to the finish line!
When you get there climbing that bridge-hill at Roosevelt Road, make sure you make some connection with the people that line the N-side of the street at the 26-mile marker and around the turn. Let them know you made it and let them know you earned the right to smile, to shout and to be proud. The final stretch down Columbus (I think) is your time to reflect on your journey. You will probably be pretty fatigued, but find the energy to persist and keep it up. The hardest part for novices or first-timers is to keep you head up high, and in fact look upwards towards the cameras as you get close and run into and across the line. Don't worry about the damn watch or the split time on the watch. It will only be a few seconds off what the chip records. And, if you can remember, hold both your arms up high over your head and flash the "V" sign. It can stand for Victory, just like the elites do, and it can signify peace also. A fine statement for you to make.
Enjoy your Chicago Marathon. I will be in Bar Louie on Polk Street somewhere between 1 and 2 pm with my rowdy, non-running friends. Come on by if you can. I still have about 5 or 6 of those "Woo-Hoo I'm a Marathoner" Bondi-Bands and I will have them along, first come, first served!
Ride Tiger!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Thanks So Much
Thanks so much to all of my trainees for the nice trophy and the card! I really don't expect gifts and actually my greatest gift is that all of you run your marathon and finish to your time goal or at least finish feeling satisfied you have completed your journey!
The trophy is the largest I have ever been afforded and oh so nice to not have to run to the point of "puke my guts out" intensity to get one. Better yet that the nameplate is to a "coach" and the finale on top is a runner that has oh so good form, and not a figure with a pot-belly and holding a clipboard and whistle! I coached and I ran the same as you did!
The card is oh-so sweet and all the inscriptions are something I will cherish as long as I live. I saved the card from last year and sometimes those words give me inspiration to be my best whether it be coaching or running my own game. I appreciate the monetary gift and it will come in handy at a time when money is tight. Still waiting to get paid for my work doing that rattlesnake survey in Ann Arbor, MI last May and early June.
Once again, thanks to all of you for your gracious gift to me tonight at Pier 1. Just as gratifying, maybe even more, as running my fastest marathon at Boston last April!
Make sure you check this site Saturday evening because I will likely make a few additional posts. First will be my interpretation of the weather on an hourly basis and I will include some elements to keep close tabs on. Anything I say will be exactly what I intend to do on race day.
Additional post may be more rambling expose and just whatever I think might add some inspiration to your upcoming marathon effort.
Peace all
The trophy is the largest I have ever been afforded and oh so nice to not have to run to the point of "puke my guts out" intensity to get one. Better yet that the nameplate is to a "coach" and the finale on top is a runner that has oh so good form, and not a figure with a pot-belly and holding a clipboard and whistle! I coached and I ran the same as you did!
The card is oh-so sweet and all the inscriptions are something I will cherish as long as I live. I saved the card from last year and sometimes those words give me inspiration to be my best whether it be coaching or running my own game. I appreciate the monetary gift and it will come in handy at a time when money is tight. Still waiting to get paid for my work doing that rattlesnake survey in Ann Arbor, MI last May and early June.
Once again, thanks to all of you for your gracious gift to me tonight at Pier 1. Just as gratifying, maybe even more, as running my fastest marathon at Boston last April!
Make sure you check this site Saturday evening because I will likely make a few additional posts. First will be my interpretation of the weather on an hourly basis and I will include some elements to keep close tabs on. Anything I say will be exactly what I intend to do on race day.
Additional post may be more rambling expose and just whatever I think might add some inspiration to your upcoming marathon effort.
Peace all
Monday, October 3, 2011
Plantar Fasciaitis
It was great wrapping up our last long-run of a whopping 8-miles last Saturday. I planned to run my 8 at GMP and slightly faster the last 2-miles of run with the first mile WU ca mid-8's. I accomplished that goal averaging 7:53 for the entire run, as well as meeting the objective to run the last 2-miles sub-GMP at 7:49 and 7:45 average pace.
I didn't have much issues before or during the run and actually felt the L-hamstring not saying a thing and the L-plantar very mild. But, 10-min after finishing and standing around out there, then walking out to find the last of the pack the hamstring was throbbing at the L-hip and tight down to the knee and the L-plantar was really talking to me. It loosened up a little as I slogged the 4/10 mile or so back falling behind the last of the runners, but working as a parking attendant and standing for 5 straight hours at Thorn Creek Woods Garlic Fest (as volunteer) didn't help the matters much.
But, after the 8-miler back at the store and just having gotten my paycheck for the month, I got a few products to try to beat this hamstring tendonitis and plantar issue. Noelle sold me a pair of Super Feet (the copper version that has more cushioning) and the effect in reducing plantar pain was virtually immediate in the first 2-minutes after putting in the orthotics. I am reticent to use these inserts when I run the marathon because I haven't any long-run trials to go by and I did have some negative issues last time I was running my training miles in SF that has me very cautious of using them for the race. But, they are working nicely in my everyday shoes (i.e. retired run shoes). Apparently the extra support helps alleviate the strain on the plantar tissue.
The other product I got was a Pro-Tech arch support strap. I had been doing some web research on plantar fasciatis and the PT arch support strap came up numerous times as an effective aid to alleviate the issue. Noelle didn't point me to this one, I just went and bought it and strapped it on that L-foot and within a few minutes, you could feel noticeable relief. Note that I did this test without using the shoes with the SF orthotics, so its an independent test of its effectiveness. I now where it in the shoes with the SF and getting good results and contemplating running the Chicago Marathon with the PT arch support strap.
The 3rd product I bought, again this one based on my web research, was a Strassburg sock. I didn't get a chance to use it Saturday night, but by Sunday evening I had read through all the instructions and put it on overnight. Woke up the next morning without the typical tightness and pain that I normally encounter. Yes, the plantar was still present, but it was far subdued and no noticeable limping when first starting to walk around. It definitely is a viable aid for dealing with plantar injuries. My web research showed some other "night-splints" that get some very high reviews, but still haven't bought one and probably won't resort to that until I get Chicago finished and head into 4-6 week running lay-off to totally heal-up.
OK, my post here is not about my injuries, but is intended to make you aware that there are potential, pro-active actions you can take to deal and/or treat plantar injuries. I wish I had discovered these sooner since I might have been able to better salvage my training and heal or partially heal-up the injury that would have allowed me to run my "training" best at Chicago.
If there are any of you that have incurred Plantar issues, then feel free to talk to me Thursday at the pasta festivity, or just email me individually. If none of you have Plantar issues, then great, but make a mental note of this post because the more you run, the higher the probability it will crop-up. And, taking therapeutic actions sooner at its initial onset will go a long way towards reducing your time off or playing havoc with your race goals.
I didn't have much issues before or during the run and actually felt the L-hamstring not saying a thing and the L-plantar very mild. But, 10-min after finishing and standing around out there, then walking out to find the last of the pack the hamstring was throbbing at the L-hip and tight down to the knee and the L-plantar was really talking to me. It loosened up a little as I slogged the 4/10 mile or so back falling behind the last of the runners, but working as a parking attendant and standing for 5 straight hours at Thorn Creek Woods Garlic Fest (as volunteer) didn't help the matters much.
But, after the 8-miler back at the store and just having gotten my paycheck for the month, I got a few products to try to beat this hamstring tendonitis and plantar issue. Noelle sold me a pair of Super Feet (the copper version that has more cushioning) and the effect in reducing plantar pain was virtually immediate in the first 2-minutes after putting in the orthotics. I am reticent to use these inserts when I run the marathon because I haven't any long-run trials to go by and I did have some negative issues last time I was running my training miles in SF that has me very cautious of using them for the race. But, they are working nicely in my everyday shoes (i.e. retired run shoes). Apparently the extra support helps alleviate the strain on the plantar tissue.
The other product I got was a Pro-Tech arch support strap. I had been doing some web research on plantar fasciatis and the PT arch support strap came up numerous times as an effective aid to alleviate the issue. Noelle didn't point me to this one, I just went and bought it and strapped it on that L-foot and within a few minutes, you could feel noticeable relief. Note that I did this test without using the shoes with the SF orthotics, so its an independent test of its effectiveness. I now where it in the shoes with the SF and getting good results and contemplating running the Chicago Marathon with the PT arch support strap.
The 3rd product I bought, again this one based on my web research, was a Strassburg sock. I didn't get a chance to use it Saturday night, but by Sunday evening I had read through all the instructions and put it on overnight. Woke up the next morning without the typical tightness and pain that I normally encounter. Yes, the plantar was still present, but it was far subdued and no noticeable limping when first starting to walk around. It definitely is a viable aid for dealing with plantar injuries. My web research showed some other "night-splints" that get some very high reviews, but still haven't bought one and probably won't resort to that until I get Chicago finished and head into 4-6 week running lay-off to totally heal-up.
OK, my post here is not about my injuries, but is intended to make you aware that there are potential, pro-active actions you can take to deal and/or treat plantar injuries. I wish I had discovered these sooner since I might have been able to better salvage my training and heal or partially heal-up the injury that would have allowed me to run my "training" best at Chicago.
If there are any of you that have incurred Plantar issues, then feel free to talk to me Thursday at the pasta festivity, or just email me individually. If none of you have Plantar issues, then great, but make a mental note of this post because the more you run, the higher the probability it will crop-up. And, taking therapeutic actions sooner at its initial onset will go a long way towards reducing your time off or playing havoc with your race goals.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Sat Oct 1st Update
Not much to elaborate on here and neglecting to do any written inspiration with this post and save anything I have to say for Saturday morning. In reality, really not much more a Coach can do since this Sat's run is simply wind-down and a token run in our progression through taper. We simply enjoy this run for the fun of it and save ourselves for marathon day!
Hey, bumped into that Coach Brendan from the Ronald McDonald House Charities marathon training program, but discovered he is listed as a Coach on the Chicago Marathon website and he has his own website independent of RMHC. I checked out some of the posts and links on his site, and duly confess, this guy is one heck of a coach and has the skills and knack to motivate individuals to achieve their goals, or even more! There was a very enlightening video-clip that was from CBS "Someone You Should Know" that I thought captured nicely his philosophy. Hey, he advocates run-walking, and that's a pretty good way to approach marathon or longer distances! Let me know if you want me to post the direct url to his website. Just like "PR in a Bottle" I always am amazed to learn something new, Coach Brendan not withstanding! Thanks JB for pointing me in that direction.
Not much else to do at this point but just get up Sat and get that 8-miler done. If any of you are hurting at this point or feeling overly fatigued, well, Coach just says don't worry about mileage and just run whatever feels good and be done with it! You listen to what your body says at this point and go with the flow to keep it happy as best can be (i.e. considering you are training and running a marathon!).
Coach says you're going to do this and finish a marathon! Not sure what the finish time or just how you will feel once you get it done, but I do know pay close attention to your inner feelings and your actions when you come striding cross that finish line. You may be surprised at what you discover.
From my perspective, you got this "in the bag", so speak, you just simply got to show up race morning and do it! Speaking of bags, I got this "Peace-Bag" that has miscellaneous gently used run gear in it that is free to any and all of my trainees, or anyone in the Fleet-Feet run gang! There's a few pairs of CWX tights in there (size L) that are a bit large for me, but those CWX tights are pretty pricy gear, so they are free for the taking. Some other stuff in there that I won't mess with listing - just get your run down and dig through it!
There will be no run lead by me on Saturday before the Sunday race. I already posted on that and those Intermediates that need to run, just do it on your own. If you are feeling strong and in up mood, then just go out and do a 3-4 mile run early Sat morn, running it at goal race pace (after some warm-up) and/or segue into some tempo running 10-15 s faster than GMP, then when your down, do your cool-down or stretching routine, then go carb-load withint 30-45 minutes. That's what I do before every Boston I have run these past 3-years. But, you can always just stay home, stay off your feet, make sure all your gear and stuff is ready for race-day, then get to bed real early. That always works too!
I enjoy running with you and being your Marathon Coach. Mostly, I enjoy seeing all of you have kept your commitment and seem to be in good condition to run your race come marathon day.
This is not and end, simply a beginning!
peace
Hey, bumped into that Coach Brendan from the Ronald McDonald House Charities marathon training program, but discovered he is listed as a Coach on the Chicago Marathon website and he has his own website independent of RMHC. I checked out some of the posts and links on his site, and duly confess, this guy is one heck of a coach and has the skills and knack to motivate individuals to achieve their goals, or even more! There was a very enlightening video-clip that was from CBS "Someone You Should Know" that I thought captured nicely his philosophy. Hey, he advocates run-walking, and that's a pretty good way to approach marathon or longer distances! Let me know if you want me to post the direct url to his website. Just like "PR in a Bottle" I always am amazed to learn something new, Coach Brendan not withstanding! Thanks JB for pointing me in that direction.
Not much else to do at this point but just get up Sat and get that 8-miler done. If any of you are hurting at this point or feeling overly fatigued, well, Coach just says don't worry about mileage and just run whatever feels good and be done with it! You listen to what your body says at this point and go with the flow to keep it happy as best can be (i.e. considering you are training and running a marathon!).
Coach says you're going to do this and finish a marathon! Not sure what the finish time or just how you will feel once you get it done, but I do know pay close attention to your inner feelings and your actions when you come striding cross that finish line. You may be surprised at what you discover.
From my perspective, you got this "in the bag", so speak, you just simply got to show up race morning and do it! Speaking of bags, I got this "Peace-Bag" that has miscellaneous gently used run gear in it that is free to any and all of my trainees, or anyone in the Fleet-Feet run gang! There's a few pairs of CWX tights in there (size L) that are a bit large for me, but those CWX tights are pretty pricy gear, so they are free for the taking. Some other stuff in there that I won't mess with listing - just get your run down and dig through it!
There will be no run lead by me on Saturday before the Sunday race. I already posted on that and those Intermediates that need to run, just do it on your own. If you are feeling strong and in up mood, then just go out and do a 3-4 mile run early Sat morn, running it at goal race pace (after some warm-up) and/or segue into some tempo running 10-15 s faster than GMP, then when your down, do your cool-down or stretching routine, then go carb-load withint 30-45 minutes. That's what I do before every Boston I have run these past 3-years. But, you can always just stay home, stay off your feet, make sure all your gear and stuff is ready for race-day, then get to bed real early. That always works too!
I enjoy running with you and being your Marathon Coach. Mostly, I enjoy seeing all of you have kept your commitment and seem to be in good condition to run your race come marathon day.
This is not and end, simply a beginning!
peace
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Week 17 Saturday, October 1st LR
FYI to all of you well-conditioned runners and run-walkers! This upcoming Saturday is for the most part the culmination of this training program. We are in taper and both Novices and Intermediates take a stroll in the park with an easy 8-miles! The run-walkers I think just do 6-miles, so that's great, we are all on the down-hill in this training.
Your Coach may or may not do the full 8-miles, contending with major injury flare-ups in aftermath of Cal-Mini. I should be back to reasonable condition by Sat's LR. Anyways, there will only be 2 aid stations, the standard at Burr Street shelter (but I have instructed Coach Alex to 1/2 fill her 2-gal jug of Gatorade). I still have 3-gal Gatorade mixed up and hope to get it mostly used up this Sat and it will be at the Colfax St shelter. So drink up!
Just in case you missed other email posts from Coach Misty, the Pre-Race pasta dinner at Fleet-Feet store is re-scheduled to Thursday, October 6th. So, if you want to maximize carb-load gain, then that's the day you do a decent run, either run it for duration of up to 1-1.5 hr at slow pace, or do it up to 1-hr at race pace. Objective is to deplete gylcogen stores, then east up. After that you don't run too much and each meal is just "topping-off" reserves.
If you want to go more advanced on this carb-load schema, then you run your Thursday run before the FF dinner and run 1-mile WU, then do a few miles at threshold pace, then finish out the last mile at goal race pace. Then shower up and eat-up and pack it in. And, on Saturday morning, the day before the marathon, if you are not contending with injuries and feeling pretty good, go out and do a 30-45 min run, 1st mile WU, then run the rest at brisk, but comforable feeling pace, probably goal marathon pace to 10s faster. Then, 30-min later, eat your high-carb meal, but not as bulky as Thursday's. Then relax, rest, get ready to rock-run-roll your marathon.
Finally, at end of Week 18 on Saturday, the schedule indicates Novices don't run (but you can go by what I said above if feeling good) and Intermediates have option of 1-3 miles. We won't meet nor run those scheduled miles at FF that Saturday - you are on your own and do it close to home!
I may or may not post inspiration on blogsite for Week 17. If not, then you get in person Sat morn. Do watch for something on blog the Friday or Saturday before the race!
That's all this Frog has to croak for now.
peace,
Your Coach may or may not do the full 8-miles, contending with major injury flare-ups in aftermath of Cal-Mini. I should be back to reasonable condition by Sat's LR. Anyways, there will only be 2 aid stations, the standard at Burr Street shelter (but I have instructed Coach Alex to 1/2 fill her 2-gal jug of Gatorade). I still have 3-gal Gatorade mixed up and hope to get it mostly used up this Sat and it will be at the Colfax St shelter. So drink up!
Just in case you missed other email posts from Coach Misty, the Pre-Race pasta dinner at Fleet-Feet store is re-scheduled to Thursday, October 6th. So, if you want to maximize carb-load gain, then that's the day you do a decent run, either run it for duration of up to 1-1.5 hr at slow pace, or do it up to 1-hr at race pace. Objective is to deplete gylcogen stores, then east up. After that you don't run too much and each meal is just "topping-off" reserves.
If you want to go more advanced on this carb-load schema, then you run your Thursday run before the FF dinner and run 1-mile WU, then do a few miles at threshold pace, then finish out the last mile at goal race pace. Then shower up and eat-up and pack it in. And, on Saturday morning, the day before the marathon, if you are not contending with injuries and feeling pretty good, go out and do a 30-45 min run, 1st mile WU, then run the rest at brisk, but comforable feeling pace, probably goal marathon pace to 10s faster. Then, 30-min later, eat your high-carb meal, but not as bulky as Thursday's. Then relax, rest, get ready to rock-run-roll your marathon.
Finally, at end of Week 18 on Saturday, the schedule indicates Novices don't run (but you can go by what I said above if feeling good) and Intermediates have option of 1-3 miles. We won't meet nor run those scheduled miles at FF that Saturday - you are on your own and do it close to home!
I may or may not post inspiration on blogsite for Week 17. If not, then you get in person Sat morn. Do watch for something on blog the Friday or Saturday before the race!
That's all this Frog has to croak for now.
peace,
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