Paradise Is Not for Wimps!

We've been coming to Hawaii since our honeymoon in 1991.  We are well acquainted with Polynesian paralysis:

The Hawaiian approach to time has been called “Polynesian paralysis”, a term meaning people will get to where they need to go and do what needs to be done in good time. Gone are the haste, anxiety and impatience that make the rest of the world sick and frantic. In Hawaii, life is still a little slower than in most mainland states and cities and locals love the islands for this more natural state of play.

“It is the ability to simply be still and listen to your heartbeat, to stop and observe a beautiful rainbow or to watch the dolphins dance with the ocean. I would make this a priority over getting to a destination on time — the ability of observation, appreciation and relaxation.”

When we lived here most of 2013, we got a different view.  When it comes to the athletes on the island, they are tough.  Hurricane/Tropical Storm blowing in?  No problem!  We're still riding.  Pouring rain and the wind blowing?  No worries!  The Honolulu Marathon will still go on.

Yesterday was one of those types of days.  We were feeling the affects of Tropical Storm Niala.  Les got up, put on his oldest cycling kit, added a fender to his bike, and away he went.  "The storm was so thick, I had no GPS for the day.  80 miles of downpour and 25-35 gusty winds. It was crazy out there, but there were still a thousand or so hardy riders hammering through it."
 

My run on Tantalus on Saturday also included lots of rain.  The first few times I ran up there I kind of dreaded the rain.  Now it's just part of the adventure.  Besides, No Rain, No Rainbow!

I wish I had taken a picture of Les when he got home!  He was covered in road grime.  I washed his clothes in the sink, let them soak for several hours, washed them again, and they're still pretty dirty looking!  But does this look like the faces of people who had a miserable time?

M4T W11

I'll be doing my long run on Sunday instead of Saturday this week.  The Brio Ice Cream 25k Race is on Sunday!  I might do something a little longer on Thursday or Friday, but I'm really excited about this race.

This is week 11 in training. After this week, race day will be five weeks away. 

Sunday - Rest Day

Monday - 4-6 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Tuesday - Intervals - 10x 400 7-8 miles

2 miles easy running
10x400 @ 1:56 pace with 200 easy run rec.
1-2 miles easy running
Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Friday - Rest day

Saturday - LSD 18-20 (10:35-10:50 pace)

Total planned miles 41

Today's Long Run: Tantalus with Pu'u Ualaka'a Lookout

My favorite 10 mile route became a 12 mile route with a little creative running this morning.  If hills are speed work in disguise, then Tantalus is sonic speed work!  It's a loop with 5 miles of climbing and 5 miles of descending.  I have run it both clockwise and counterclockwise.  Les asked me which way is harder and my response was, "The one I'm running."  It doesn't matter which way, it's tough!  1500' of elevation gain in 5 miles.

My run today was suppose to have 6 miles at tempo (8:33 pace.)  I knew that wasn't going to happen.  My plan was to run as much as possible and really push it on the down hill parts.  Also this is my only chance to run this route because I have a race next weekend.

My right calf was really tight the first three miles:

Mile 1: 12:55, +190' elevation gain, 136 ave HR
Mile 2: 14:45, +343', 135 ave HR
Mile 3: 15:00, +340', 137 ave HR

I finally started feeling warmed up, but the road kept climbing:

Mile 4: 13:43, 285', 141 ave HR
Mile 5: 12:44, 203', 136 ave HR

First 5 miles in 1:09:09, 13:50 pace, 1,575' elevation gain, 137 ave HR.  This is what I normally think of as the halfway point.   Since I needed 12 miles today, I had a decision to make.  Turn around and go back down a mile or keep going.  I knew there was one other option:  the Pu'u Ualaka'a Lookout.  This is about 2 miles from the top but isn't always open.  I decided to go there and if it wasn't open, then I'd turn around and go back up.

Mile 6: 9:56, -193', 142 ave HR
Mile 7: 8:44, -276', 145 ave HR

At the 7.4 mile mark I came upon the turnoff for the Pu'u Ualaka'a Lookout.  The gate was open, so in I went!

Mile 8: 11:17, -10', 143 ave HR.  This mile had quite a bit of up and down.  The first half had -102' and the second half had +92'. The lookout only added one mile, so when I came out, I headed back up for half a mile before turning around for my final 3 miles.

Mile 9:  12:12, -20', 138 ave HR (this was another half and half with -94' and +75')

Mile 10: 8:47, -322', 141 ave HR
Mile 11: 8:19, -325', 147 ave HR
Mile 12: 9:04, -263', 147 ave HR

Total 12 miles in 2:19:56, 11:39 pace
Ave HR 140, max HR 153
798 calories burned
1,732' climbing
1,778' descending

M4T W10 Results

This has been a really interesting training cycle.  It started with 2 weeks in Missouri and now we're spending 3 weeks in Hawaii.  Both places have had heat and humidity, something I don't train in at home.  Our southern California mornings are usually in the low 60s with low humidity.  I hope that these weeks will make me stronger!  One thing I do while in Hawaii is a lot of walking.  I like to keep track so if my feet are a little sore I'll know why.

Sunday - Rest Day
Results:  Rested
Sat in the car, at the airport, in the airplane...  lots of sitting!

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results:  Rested
Started our stay off with breakfast at Cinnamon's.  Red Velvet Pancakes for me, Guava Chiffon for Les.

Tuesday - Intervals - Yasso 800s 9-10 miles
Results:  Ran 6.02 in 1:05:06, 10:49 pace
First day of Hawaiian running didn't go so well.  I called it my acclimation run.
Also walked 3.48 miles

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results:  Ran 3.11 miles in 30:45, 9:54 pace
Also walked 1.83 miles

Thursday - 4 miles hills (10:35 pace)
Results:  Ran 6.04 miles in 1:02:47, 10:24 pace
This is one of my favorite routes - 2 miles down the Ala Wai, then 4 miles around beautiful Diamond Head!
My return is down the Waikiki strip - I started a new file because there are lights, taxis and tourists (oh my!)  An additional 2.3 miles at a 12:46 pace, lots of starts and stops.  I can't really call it "cool down" because I was still pretty warm when I finished, more of a "slow down."
Also walked 2.87 miles

Friday - Rest day
Results:  Rested, walked 2.13 miles

Friday Night firework courtesy of Hilton Hawaii Village as seen from our room at the Ilikai Marina

Saturday - LSD 12 miles w/6 @Tempo
Results:  Ran 12 miles in 2:19:56, 11:39 pace
I'm working on a separate post for this run.  My other favorite route - Tantalus Mountain!

Total planned miles 33
Actual
Running  29.47
Walking  10.31
Total 39.78

Acclimating

I'm always amazed when my body adjusts to a new environment.  We flew to Oahu on Sunday.  I was too jet lagged to move on Monday.  I got up to do intervals on Tuesday and thought I was going to pass out!  80 degrees with 70% humidity at 5:30 a.m.  Trying to run 800 meters in 4 minutes felt like the hardest thing I'd ever done.  I couldn't get my pace under 9 minutes a mile and finally cut it short.  I know all the guidelines about how much your pace can slow in heat, but I was disappointed that I felt like my legs could barely move.

I got up this morning with only 3 miles on the schedule.  I made a deal with my legs - just try to hit 10:35 (easy pace) for those 3 miles. I settled in to an easy pace.  Mile 1 - 10:11.  I was happily surprised with that.  Mile 2 - 9:51, mile 3 - 9:40.  3.1 miles in 30:45, 9:54 pace.  Where was that yesterday?

 

I have a race a week from Sunday - I plan to be fully acclimated by then.  And if not, I'll enjoy the scenery!

M4T W10

This is week 10 of training. You'll be moving your tempo running up to 6 miles in a 12 mile run. You'll also head to the track for a session of Yasso 800s. The workout, which involves running half-mile repeats close to 5-K pace, was developed by Bart Yasso of Runner's World. It's best to do this workout at a track, but you can also do it on a treadmill or a flat, traffic-free stretch of road.

You now have the option of running on Sunday if you feel recovered from last week's work and yesterday's long run. 

Sunday - Rest Day

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Tuesday - Intervals - Yasso 800s 9-10 miles

2-mile warmup
6-8 x 800 @ 4:00 with 400-meter recovery
2-mile cooldown

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Thursday - 4 miles hills (10:35 pace)

Friday - Rest day

Saturday - LSD 12 miles w/6 @Tempo
3-mile warmup
6 miles @ Tempo (8:33/mile)
3-mile cooldown

Total planned miles 33

Long Run DNF Turned Brick (M4T W9 Results)

I probably could have predicted this would happen.  I woke up super early this morning without my alarm, raring to go on my 20 miler.  I started out nice and easy, knowing it was going to be a while and not wanting to burn too many matches at once.  By mile 4 I knew I was going to be making a pit stop at home.  Hello GI distress, it's been a while...

At mile 4.5 I took care of business at home and headed back out.  By mile 7 I knew I was in trouble again.  Really??  My legs felt great!  I wore my new Bombas socks!  I was mentally prepared and my playlist was ready.  I think my legs and stomach have a secret agreement that at least once per training cycle they sabotage a long run.  It happened week 12 training for my first marathon (here,) it happened week 15 training for my second marathon (here) and it happened week 7 training for my third marathon (here.)  This is week 9.  Now I'm done with it!

I'm not sure what triggered today's problem.  I've eliminated any sugar alcohols (Xylitol, Sorbitol, etc.)  I ate my normal 2 pieces of pizza last night for dinner - no large amounts of meat or veggies. I was hydrated.  Again, I think it's just a little conspiracy that my legs and stomach have going on!

I ended up only running (and I use that term quite loosely) 9 miles. I was home for a little while and didn't want to throw in the towel completely, so I decided to finish my 20 miles on my bike.  No, it's not the same as running 20 miles, but I thought it would be better than nothing!  I don't have GI problems when I'm on the bike - running is more jarring to my system.  I noticed that I was also starting to feel dehydrated while I was out riding, which makes sense because when my stomach is sloshing around on a run the last thing I want to do is put more liquid in it!

Sunday - Rest Day
Result:  Rode 12.39 miles in 1:03:01, 11.8 mph
The one thing I miss when I'm training for a marathon is being able to ride my bike a little longer and harder.  Since last Saturday's long run was only 10 miles that I ended up doing very slowly, I rode a little longer and hillier route here.

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rested

Tuesday - Intervals - 8-9 miles
Result:  Rained out, so I rested again.

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Ran  9.82 miles in 1:44:36, 10:39 pace
This was my interval workout.

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rode 9.43 miles in 59:17, 9.5 mph
This was a trail ride.  Because of the rain we received earlier in the week the trail was perfect.  Only a couple of puddles, but not dry and dusty like it has been.  Les rode with me and he only had one hour between meetings.  I pushed hard to keep up with him and ended up having my best time on the 6.8 mile segment that is the actual part.  This was good enough for 8th woman overall on the Strava leaderboard!

Friday - Rest day
Result:  Rode 10.42 miles in 52:39, 11.9 mph
My usual Friday easy spin.  I like keeping my legs, heart and lungs moving without the actual pounding of running the day before my long run.

Saturday - LSD 18-20 miles (10:35-10:50 pace)
Result:  Ran 9 miles in 1:49:44, 12:12 pace and
Rode 11.51 miles in 1:09:52, 9.9 mph
Total 20.51 miles in 2:59:36.  The right distance, a little less time than it would have taken if I was running my planned pace.  My cycling miles were really high this week, but that's going to change.  We'll be in Hawaii for the next few weeks so I won't ride at all.

Total planned miles 40
Actual
Running  18.82
Cycling 43.75
Total 62.57

Perfect Marathon Taper

I received a really interesting email this morning from TrainingPeaks. "4 Steps to Your Perfect Marathon Taper" by Ben Rosario.  I'm still quite a few weeks out from my taper, but I don't want to forget these great tips.  "Tapering for a marathon is almost as difficult as the training itself. The goal is to freshen up while still keeping your fitness. Following these four steps will help you reach your true potential."  Here are the four tips:

1. Evaluate where you are on “the line.”
2. Remind yourself you can only do too much at this point.
3. Stay in “the mode”
4. Relax

As for this week... I have a 20 miler tomorrow so it's hydrate and rest today.

Intervals, Mind Games and Hills

I've had two mornings off this week due to rain.  Monday was my planned rest day.  I was suppose to do intervals yesterday but it was coming down pretty hard so I stayed in bed.  Rain has been so rare around here that I just wanted to enjoy it.

I got up this morning and knew I had to get my intervals done.  I've been running them on a pretty flat route but decided to find some hills today.  I knew the pace wouldn't be as fast, but I was hoping to have a strong sustained effort.

I warmed up for about 2 miles then started my interval timer.  I use the Suunto Ambit Intervals App Designer to input my workout for the day then upload it to my watch.  It beeps at the end of each interval.  When I hit the lap button the next interval begins.

Today's workout:  1 x 400/1 x 800/1 x 1600/1 x 800/1 x 1600

1 x 400 @ 2:02, 1 x 800 @ 4:08.  I was actually a little surprised to see those paces.  Right where they were suppose to be even though I wasn't feeling super fast.  As my watch was beeping for my next lap, I hit Stop instead of Lap.  I'm not exactly sure what happened, but the workout stopped completely and the file was lost.  Ugh!  Now what to do? 

Naturally my legs said, "oh, just give up and go for any easy run."  My head said, "No!  I am going to do the rest of these intervals!"

1600 @ 8:08, 800 @ 4:11, and 1600 @ 8:48.  That last 1600 really hurt.  The road turned up and my legs were not happy about it.  But mind over matter won today.

M4T W9

And now things get real!  My first 20 miler is planned this week...

This is week nine of training. You will have the option of running 18-20 miles on your long run. The fitness you've gained over the last 8 weeks may just surprise you with how strong you are. Plan an 18 mile run with a 2 mile option toward the end. If 18 miles has you a bit tired or if it's a hot humid day that has you feeling dehydrated, stop there. If on the other hand, you are feeling good, carry on to 20.

Sunday - Rest Day

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Tuesday - Intervals - 8-9 miles

2 miles easy running
1x400 @ 1;56 pace with 200 easy run rec.
1x800 @ 3:55 pace with 400 easy run rec.
1x1 mile(1600) @ 7:50-8:00 pace with 800 easy run rec.
1x800 @ 3:55 pace with 400 easy run rec.
1x1 mile @ 7:50-8:00 pace with 800 easy run rec

1-2 miles easy running

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Friday - Rest day

Saturday - LSD 18-20 miles (10:35-10:50 pace)


Total planned miles 40

Midway Recovery Week, The Value of Keeping Records, and My Nice Neighbors (Week 8 Results)

How's that for a long title?

I knew this week was going to be tough after last week's Crystal Lake Plunge, but it was worse than expected!  I hobbled through Sunday and Monday, slowly started feeling better about Wednesday, and then my right hamstring started acting up!  I am calling this a recovery week and trying my best not to let it mess with my head.

Why is it important to keep track of how training goes?  Because there will be weeks like this one and you have to be able to look back at the good weeks to keep going.  My long runs so far have been: 10 miles @ 10:29 pace, 8 @ 10:06, 12 @ 10:38, 8 @ 10:44, 14 @ 10:29, 10.5 @ 10:48, and 15.78 @ 9:05.  My pace range for my long runs is 10:35-10:55, so I have been right on track. Today I ran 10.33 @ 12:11.  I have not lost that much speed.  It was one bad run.  I will do better next week.

So here's what a midway recovery week looks like:

Sunday - Rest day
Result:  Walked 2.01 miles in 36:41, 18:14 pace
I was a pitiful mess the entire day.

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rode 9.4 miles in 50:47, 11.1 mph
Kept the pace and gearing super easy here.

Tuesday - Intervals - 7-8 miles
Result:  Rested

About midweek our weather got really crazy.  Excessive heat warnings.  The temperature at 5:30 on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings was 77!  We often get in the 90s and triple digits, but usually cool off at night so my early morning runs are pleasant.  77 is not pleasant!

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Ran 4.04 miles in 52:55, 13:07 pace

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Ran 4.59 miles in 57:43, 12:35 pace
Hit the trail for this one.  Chatted with a couple of other runners - Ron who just hiked Mount Whitney and Larry who has completed 5 Ironman competitions.

Friday - Rest day
Result:  Rode 9.33 miles in 47:00, 11.9 mph
Saw TWO snakes on the road!  I didn't stop for a picture, but took this shot on my run this morning.  Yesterday's snake, today's roadkill.

Saturday - LSD 10 miles w/3 @tempo (8:33 pace)
Ran 10.33 miles in 2:05:55, 12:11 pace
This one hurt. I walked most of the last 3 miles.  My right hamstring is super tight.  No amount of stretching and foam rolling has seemed to help yet.  I'm sitting here in compression tights with an ice pack now.  But there was a really pretty sunrise!

Sometimes on a long or fast training run it's easy to tune into my music and ignore everything and everyone around me.  Today, at my very leisurely pace, I was able to talk to a few of my favorite neighbors.  There are two Joes that I see on a regular basis - Korean Joe (because he's Korean) and Grandpa Joe (because he's 77.)  Korean Joe has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for several years now.  He gets out and walks most mornings and is one of my cheerleaders.  Such a sweetheart!  Grandpa Joe broke both ankles many years ago while working construction.  He gets out and walks or hikes every single day.  He's amazing!  He leads a weekly group hike and he never seems to tire.  Lastly, I chatted with Korean Joe's wife, Diana.  She said Joe is now also suffering from dementia.  And that put my tight hamstring and slow running in the proper perspective.  I get to run, I'm healthy, and I will run faster again.

Totals
Running 18.96
Walking 2.01
Cycling 18.73
Total 39.70

Did Somebody Say Ice Cream?

We'll be spending some time on Oahu late this month/early next month.  Since I ran the Honolulu Marathon last year I know lots of training routes.  There is also the BioAston Marathon Readiness Series.  I didn't get to do any of those races last year, our schedule never seem to coincide.  After I booked our current flights, I checked the race schedule:

Sign me up!  My plan for that weekend is 20 miles so I'll need to add a little, but racing 25k (15.5 miles) on the windward side of Oahu will be great.  Hawaiian runners are fast and fit.  There was a 20k this past Sunday and the winner of my age group (female 50-54) averaged 7:40 a mile!  I might finish in the top half if I can run my marathon goal pace, but there's always wind, sun and humidity to take into consideration.  No matter my results, it will be a great training run just 5 weeks before my actual race.  It's only $35 and when the sponsor's name includes ice cream, there's no reason not to!

Recovery and Strength Training

At the end of each workout I upload to my Suunto Ambit2 to Movescount and I get to review all my data.  One of the features I don't always pay attention to is "Recovery Time."  After a typical run or ride, it's 8-10 hours, so I know I'll be fine the next day.  After a long run it's usually more.  After Saturday's long run it was 73 hours!

I hobbled through a 2 mile walk on Sunday morning and wanted to cry any time I moved all day.  Using the foam roller was pure torture.  Before bed on Sunday night I applied Icy Hot to my legs (I like the No Mess roll on.)  Why didn't I do this on Saturday?

I did an easy bike ride yesterday morning, downshifting anytime I felt any pressure on my quads at all.  More Icy Hot and foam rolling.  My legs were a lot better.

This morning it is 73 hours later - my legs aren't completely recovered, but I could probably go for a short run.  I'm holding off one more day because of the blister on the inside of my left heel.  It is about the size of a quarter.  TrainingPeaks' advice on blisters, "Blisters aren't just painful and ugly. They may cause you to adjust your gait to avoid putting pressure on the sore spots, which can lead ot injury. They can also get infected. Ignore blisters smaller than the size of a pencil eraser. But if they're bigger, prick the side with a sterile needle and drain it. Don't remove the blister roof—cover it with an antibiotic ointment and a bandage."  I'm hoping the dead skin will come off in another day and I'll be good to go again.

On Sunday morning I Googled "Strength Training for Downhill Running."   There was an outstanding article by Runner's World (here.)  This quote describes me at the end of Saturday, "Downhill running can beat up your quads -- especially for a marathon -- leaving you hopelessly dead-legged in the final miles of the race when you need to charge to the finish line."  Since I was only at the 16 mile mark, I've got some work to do to be able to finish my marathon.  Not just finish strong, but finish at all!

So my goal for the next 8 weeks is to add in strength training, especially for my quads.  The two most common exercise are lunges and squats.  Plyometrics are also suggested.  I've always had a love/hate relationship with lunges, but I'll just have to embrace them once again!  My plan is to do my strength training immediately following my long runs and intervals.  That will give me the most time to recover from any soreness for key workouts.

I had thought about doing my 22 miler on the course, but I'm so glad I ran the course sooner!  I learned a lot more than I thought I would and have a lot to work on but time to do it.

M4T W8

I am going to shift everything at least a day this week so I have a little more time to recover from yesterday's long run. I am SO sore!  That downhill running is no joke.  We also have a big church event on Thursday and Friday nights, so I may do my long run on Sunday.  It's my training, so I get to make changes that work for me ;)

This is week eight of training. After this week the race will be eight weeks away.

This is the final buildup of mileage and intensity before the taper. You'll have four easy runs and a tempo run. Your long run will be 10 miles with tempo.

Sunday - Rest day

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Tuesday - Intervals - 7-8 miles

2 miles easy running
10x400 @ 1:56 pace with 200 easy run rec.
1-2 miles easy running

You began this program with 8 x 400 and today we're returning to those 400's but adding 2. You should find that this workout is actually well within your comfort zone. Stick to the paces, don't make the mistake of going faster and enjoy. {Enjoy?  Well... I enjoy intervals when they're DONE!}

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)

Friday - Rest day

Saturday - LSD 10 miles w/3 @tempo (8:33 pace)
3-mile warmup
4 miles @ Tempo (8:33/mile)
3-mile cooldown

Mix this run with easy and tempo running by following this pattern. Run 3 easy miles, pick it up to your 8:33 tempo pace for 4 miles and then slow it down for the last 3 miles. This run may actually feel a bit difficult, you've done some good quality this week and your legs may still be a bit sluggish from that. No worries, tomorrow's a day off.

Total planned miles 29

Crystal Lake Plunge! AKA The Saga of a Long Run

When I first read about the Revel Canyon City Marathon, I was really interested.  After telling Les about it, he was on board because he rides his bike up there a lot.  Having his expertise was a big help today as I ran the first 16 miles of the course.

We were up at 4:00 and on our way by about 4:45.  My hope was to start running by 6:30, and I actually got going at 6:45.  It was a chilly 48 degrees at the Crystal Lake Cafe, elevation 5709.

My normal long run pace is 10:35-10:50.  My plan for this run was to let gravity do some of the work, but to keep an eye on my heart rate.  My long held goal is a sub 4 hour marathon, which would qualify me for the Boston Marathon.  I need to average around 9 minutes a mile to make that happen.

A couple of pictures, a quick kiss and I was on my way.

Mile 1 - 8:58, -280 feet, Average heart rate 155
Hmm... I was feeling okay.  I had a huge HR spike in the first half mile (max 191!) but I know that was off, possibly elevated because of the elevation.

Mile 2 - 8:38, -321', Ave HR 144
Mile 3 - 8:28, -367', Ave HR 148

Just past the 4.5 mile mark was this fresh water spring.  Les and his cycling friends drink from it all the time when they ride UP to Crystal Lake (and I think I'm hardcore!)  He said they also pour it over their heads on really hot days.

Mile 4 - 8:21, -384, Ave HR 149
Mile 5 - 8:28, -319, Ave HR 150

Who is this woman and how is she running this fast?  At this point I was a little surprised, but still didn't feel like I was working too hard, my breathing was very regular, so I stuck with it, continuing to let gravity work.

Mile 6 - 8:27, -300', Ave HR 155
Mile 7 - 8:45, -232', Ave HR 154

I was at 7 miles in 1:00:05.  I was purposely ignoring my watch, only checking my pace when my watch beeped at the end of each mile.  I was just enjoying the scenery and concentrating on form/breathing.  My pace took a small hit in mile 7 with a little uphill, but I was still just clicking along.  At this point I decided to turn my music on.

Mile 8 - 8:55, -224', Ave HR 152
Mile 9 - 8:29, -396', Ave HR 149
Mile 10 - 8:32, -418', Ave HR 146
Mile 11 - 8:45, -273', Ave HR 150
Mile 12 - 8:50, -315', Ave HR 153
Mile 13 - 8:52, -279', Ave HR 152

My fastest half marathon!  13.1 miles in 1:53:44, 8:41 pace!

And then the wheels started coming off...

My left heel starting feeling pretty painful.  I stopped and actually took my shoe/sock off and found a pretty big blister forming.  I was smart enough to have packed some Body Glide in the car, so I rubbed a bunch on, but the next three miles were really tough.  I was also in the sun, the road was narrowing, lots of holiday traffic was coming with both cars and cyclists, the road started turning up, and I had a head wind!  I'm not trying to sound like a whiner, just want to remember this 9 weeks from now when it's time for the actual race.  Although traffic will not be an issue since the road will be closed.

Mile 14 - 9:59, -105', Ave HR 155
Mile 15 - 11:49, +69', Ave HR 152 - I took my first (and second) walk break during this mile.
Mile .78 - 11:45, +20', Ave HR 153 - yes, I could have gone another .22 miles, but the road got even narrower with a bridge and basically no shoulder.  I was mentally done, my quads were really angry and every step on my left foot was painful.  And I'm just not that OCD!

Total 15.78 miles in 2:23:17, 9:05 pace

Total elevation loss 4,183 feet
Total elevation gain 125 feet

Average HR 151, Max recorded 191, but I'm pretty sure it was really only about 160
Calories burned - 861 according to my Suunto Ambit2 watch and 1816 according to TrainingPeaks (I have a post brewing about this subject!)

According to my Suunto I need 72 hours of recovery time!  I'm pretty sure I'll be staying off my feet at least for a couple days to keep this blister from getting worse.

I've been home for several hours, fell into the pool, had lunch and a nap, and I don't regret not finishing that mile.  I'm happy with this pace at this stage of my training.  I needed to remind myself that I am 9 weeks out from the actual marathon with many more intervals and long runs ahead of me. It's way faster than my plan called for, but will probably be the only opportunity I have to train on the actual course so I used it as a dress rehearsal.

What would I change?
1.  I needed a hat.  The first 10 miles or so were completely shaded, but after that the sun was a bit harsh.  Not sure how it will be in November, but I'd rather have a hat along.
2.  I need to spend more time on my feet toughening them up.  The rest of my body feels good about all the cross training I'm doing, but my feet were paying the price.
3.  I need to take Endurolytes in capsule form.  I put Endurolyte Fizz in my water bottles, but didn't drink enough in the first hour to benefit.
4.  Be prepared for rollers during miles 13-18 of the marathon.  At that point of the race, even a little bit of uphill is going to hurt, but I need to be mentally prepared.  I need to bank some extra time in the early miles - this won't be a negative split run, but I don't need to burn all my matches in the first half.  It's going to be a tough balancing act and I'm going to stick to my pacer like glue.

What worked?
1.  I ate a GU every 45 minutes, I had no stomach issues and my energy stayed pretty steady.
2.  Gravity is my friend!  I could never have kept that pace on flat/uphill.  I think it would have taken more energy to slow down and fight the hills.  My knees feel fine.
3.  I took a Dramamine before I left the house, so the drive up didn't make me sick at all.  The roads will be closed the morning of the race and we'll be bused up, I will definitely need Dramamine for that ride!
4.  The early miles were really peaceful with cool temps and little traffic.   The scenery is spectacular!  If the temps are like today, I'll be happy, but I'd be okay if it was even a little cooler.  We'll have drop bags that we can take to the start with us, so I can pack a jacket/gloves if need be.
5.  My own personal SAG (support and gear) vehicle was awesome!  I really can't say enough about Les - he supports my endeavors with crazy early morning wake-ups.  He stayed very close the entire time - no more than 1-2 miles away.  He drove next to me when there wasn't traffic and waited at turn outs.  He opened my GUs and refilled my water bottles.  And his words of encouragement were awesome!  I'm sure the course marshals won't mind if he does that  on race day...

My final conclusion - this is going to be an awesome race!

M4T W7 Partial Results

I'm posting most of this week's activity today and will do a follow up tomorrow or Sunday.  I'm going to do my long run on the actual Revel Canyon City Marathon course, so I'll be gone a while.  I also want to make that a separate post.  Les is going to provide SAG and we've been working out the details all week!

My legs really felt last Saturday's tempo run, when I decided that I would do my long run on the actual course I wanted to make sure I was completely rested so my efforts dropped off significantly.

Sunday - Rest day
Result: Rode 10.8 miles in 59:27, 10.9 mph
I love these recovery rides!

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rested
I really prefer taking Monday as my rest day.

Tuesday - Intervals - 8-9 miles
Result: Ran 3.82 miles in 53:08, 13:55 pace
I had nothing!  I usually start off feeling slow, but by the time I've done my warm up miles I'm ready to go.  Not this time!  My first interval was 400 meters - I couldn't even hold a fast pace for that distance, I knew I wasn't going to hit anything on my 800 and 1600 intervals.  Once I had decided what Saturday's run was going to be, everything else this week was pulled way back.

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result: Rode 13.12 miles in 1:20:58, 9.7 mph
I rode the trail and was able to pull of my best effort on a 2.4 mile, 4% climb!

Thursday - 4 miles hills (no planned pace)
Result: Ran 4.48 miles in 55:43, 12:27 pace
I went back to the trail for some off-road running.  My knees were feeling a little achy, pretty sure that was from hitting the pedals so hard on Wednesday's ride!

Friday - Rest day
Result: Rested

Saturday - LSD 16 (10:35-10:50 pace)
Result:  TBD
Training Peaks said this about my long run for this week, "If possible, do some running on the course before the race. Note the locations of turns, hills, and landmarks. The familiarity will help you feel confident going into your big event. If you can't get on the course, check the topography and try to find similar terrain on your run."  Excellent advice!  I think I'll take it!

Total planned miles 36
Total through Friday
Running 8.30
Cycling  23.92
Total 32.22