Tantalus Sunday! (Week 15/52)

Happy Marathon Monday!  We are six hours behind Boston here in Hawaii, so I woke up to news of Marcel Hug winning the wheelchair competition by ONE second and setting a new world record.  Congrats to the winners and way to go USA runners for grabbing two of the top four spots in both the men's and women's divisions.  Huge kudos to the amazing Katherine Switzer on her return at age 70!

I had another solid week of running with lots of walking in the mix.  I pushed my long run to Sunday.  With only 10 miles on the schedule I wanted to hit up Tantalus.  No trip to Oahu is complete until I've run the mountain.  I stopped several times for pictures so I knew I wouldn't get any PRs but I finished really strong.

The real test of any Tantalus run for me is mile 6.  After climbing almost 1,500' there is finally some downhill.  The road drops about 200' then cruelly reverses for the next half mile.  I was able to push through and run the mile in 9:11.  My final four miles just got faster: 8:45, 8:44, 8:28 and 7:57!  I was determined to finish fast and had to really concentrate to finish my last mile in under 8:00.

We fly home mid-week and my long run for the weekend is 18 miles.  Last year the thought of running that distance filled me with dread.  Although I know it will be tough, I'm ready to take on the challenge.  I'm especially looking forward to cooler temps and lower humidity.

Totals for the week:
Running: 23.95
Walking: 8.56
Total: 32.51

Of PRs and Long Runs, but Not PRs on Long Runs (Week 14/52)

This was week seven of marathon training and I really mixed things up by flying to Hawaii on Tuesday.

Sunday - Rode 13.02 miles
This was an uneventful ride, but I knew it would be my last time on the bike for a few weeks.

Monday - Rested
I had good intentions but I spent Thursday through Sunday participating in a music workshop at our church.  Long days and nights finally caught up with me.

Tuesday - Travel Day

Wednesday - Walked 3.6 miles

Thursday - Ran 9.28 miles
This was my best run of the week!  I ran to and around Diamond Head.  I also went up the road that leads into the crater.  There is a short segment called the "Pokapahu Climb."  It is 0.2 of a mile with 234 feet of elevation gain.  My PR on this, from 2013, is 2:56.  I ran it in 2:57 on Thursday!  For some silly reason this accomplishment did not show up in Strava even though it is clearly recorded in the file.  I also had two PRs on the run - "Downhill Chicken Suey" - that I have run 38 times and a big one "Diamond Head Cliff Westbound" 1.4 miles with 108 feet of elevation gain.  I have run this 34 times, including during the Honolulu Marathon.
Also walked 2 miles

Friday - Walked 4.93 miles

Saturday - LSD Ran 13.44 miles
My training plan called for 16 miles and that's what I had intended to do.  My legs were dead.  I kept saying, "never trust the first mile."  I kept saying it through the first three miles and knew it was gonna be a long morning.  I almost turned around at mile 5.  I had nothing.  I paid for those Thursday PRs big time.  I finally got my first wind around mile 6 and kept a good pace for about 2 1/2 miles.  Then it was back to Bonksville.  I crawled home and was happy to be off my feet.  A day later I'm not feeling too bad about it.  I know I pushed hard on Thursday, which I normally wouldn't do.  I am also not at all acclimated to the weather.  But the scenery makes even a bonk beautiful!

Total:
Running:  22.72
Walking: 10.53
Cycling: 13.02
Total:  46.27

When it comes to bonking, it's a coin toss to keep going or turn around.  What do you do when you bonk?

Saga of the Long Run: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Week 12/52)

I'm getting into the heart of marathon training now - this week's long run was 14 miles.  That is a distance I did not run a single time in 2016.

Sunday - Rested

Monday - Ran 2.01 miles

This is the hill behind our house.  Loving all the green!

Tuesday - Ran 5.03 miles
I had planned on doing intervals but got rained on.  I am klutzy enough on my own, I didn't want to attempt speed work in wet conditions.

Wednesday - Rested

Thursday - Rode 9.33 miles

Friday - Rested
We have a lot going on in life right now and I'm not getting to bed as early as I'd like.  I had planned on going for a short run but couldn't get myself out the door.

Saturday - Ran 14 miles (plus 1.65 miles warm up/cool down)
My first 11 miles went great.  I ran from home and headed to Santa Susana Pass.  My plan was to run up and over and turn around at the 7 mile mark.  I made it most of the way down before hitting 7 miles.  I turned around and was back on the downhill side in good time.  About a half mile after I got off the pass my stomach got cranky.  Ugh.  I'll spare you the bad and ugly details!  I finished though, and that's a win after how my running was 6 months ago. My legs are telling me this morning that it's been a long time since I've run anything that long or hilly!  But mentally I'm feeling really good and that's a battle I couldn't seem to win last year.

Yesterday's elevation +1200'

Totals:
Running: 22.69

Cycling: 9.33
Total:  32.02

How was your week?  What are you training for?

Steady ~ Four Weeks of Marathon Training Down (Weeks 9-11/52)

One of us ran and the other rode Tantalus on the same day!

It's been almost 3 weeks since I posted anything.  We were still in Hawaii when I last checked in.  We flew home on March 2nd and I brought a sinus infection with me.  I was in absolute misery as we landed and the pressure made my head feel like it was exploding.  #wimp.  I didn't run for several days, I got up and tried a couple of times but breathing is a crucial part of running.

Marathon training has been going great.  For these four weeks my planned long runs were 8, 10, 12, and 10 miles.  My actual runs were 10, 10, 12, and 10.  Yesterday's long run was one of my best (which means I'm due an ugly one soon.)  My first mile yesterday was my slowest and my last mile was my fastest.  I ran the second five miles only 11 seconds slower than the first five!  I've always struggled with going out too fast and bonking with a few miles to go, so that was a huge win in my book.

I've done intervals 3 of the 4 weeks and this week's session was my best so far.  I call it the Ladder of Pain - 2 x 400, 1 x 800, 1 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400.  My first three were right on target.  I had hills in the 1200 and 800 intervals so they were a bit slow but I finished with a strong 400.

These green hills inspire me!  Here's a little Irish blessing a few days post St. Patrick's Day:

May those that love us, love us;
And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts:
If He can't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.

How's your training going these days?  Hope you're not limping!

Rain, Wind and a Double Digit Run (Week 2/52)

And just like that we are through the first two weeks of the year.  This was my 2 runs/3 rides week.  We've had some more rain which is great for the state, but it adds some challenges for cycling.  I will run after the rain, but am hesitant to ride on wet roads.

Sunday - Rode 13.01 miles
This was my only outdoor ride this week.

Monday - Walked 2.04 miles
It started raining just as I stepped onto our driveway.

Tuesday - Ran 7.04 miles
I beat the rain by about 15 minutes this time.  Our hills are turning green.

Wednesday - Rest day
It was raining steadily.  According to USAToday the drought is over in Northern California.  We live in Southern California, just north of Los Angeles, in the county that is still dark red (exceptional.)  We've received over 3" of rain this month and nearly 9" since July 1st so we're hopeful.

Thursday - Rode 11.83 miles
It was raining again so I opted for the trainer in the garage.  Les has a power trainer and uses TrainerRoad for his workouts.  I rode for an hour and was surprised at how quickly it went due to the changing power numbers.

Friday - Ran 10.02 miles
This was my first double digit run since October 1st!  It wasn't fast but my focus for January is endurance so that's all that mattered.  It was cool and clear with a beautiful full moon.

Saturday - Rode 16.84 miles
After my Friday run the weather took an ugly turn - Santa Ana winds started kicking up.  We are under a high wind warning, which means gusts of up to 45 mph in the passes and canyons.  I was pretty sure when I went to bed Friday night that I would not be riding outside.  Les set me up for a 90 minute trainer session and again I was really surprised at how quickly it went.  There were two 23 minute interval sessions with a 20 minute rest between and about 10 minutes warmup and cool down.  I'm hoping these bike interval sessions will help me with running speed.

Total
Running 17.06
Walking 2.04
Cycling 41.68
Total 60.78

This is the highest mileage I have had in a very long time.  My legs are a little sore today, which actually feels good!

M5T W2 Recap

And just like that, two weeks of marathon training are behind me!  We left Oahu on Wednesday just as President Obama was arriving and two hurricanes were heading that way!  We came home to incredible weather here in So Cal.

Sunday - Rest day
Rested

Monday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Rode 13.01 miles

Tuesday - Intervals - 6-7 miles total
Ran 6.18 miles
See my Cycling for Runners post for full details

This is a pedestrian bridge I cross.  It's a lot steeper than it looks!

Wednesday  - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
I had planned to go for an easy run or bike ride before our midday flight but the island was pretty socked in with rain.  Instead we spent 10 hours in transit time from our home in Hawaii to our home in California.

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Rested.  Was rudely awakened by a city workers' leaf blower.  Shouldn't those things be illegal before 8:00 a.m.?  Especially when 8:00 feels like 5:00?

Friday - Rest day
Ran 3.06 miles
It was 58 degrees when I got up!  I don't think it's ever been 58 when I've been in Hawaii.  It felt so wonderful.

Saturday - LSD 8 miles  (10:35-10:50 pace)
Ran 8 miles in 1:23, 10:22 pace
It was another cool morning.  My legs didn't feel great, but they were good enough for a really steady run.  Splits were: 9:33, 9:39, 9:38, 10:31, 10:34, 12:42, 9:46, 10:32.  The first three were speedier than planned, but I just went with it.  Mile 6?  All hills.  I also stopped and chatted with my dear neighbor, Diana.  Her husband, Joe, has had Parkinsons for many years.  When I see them, I'm always reminded of how blessed I am to be able to run.  Thanks is not just for November.

Total planned miles 25
Actual
Running  17.24
Cycling 13.01
Total 30.25

Santa Susana Pass Road - My Last Long Training Run with Some Downhill Speed Work!

Going back through my blog, I realized that I have never blogged about the Santa Susana Pass Road, otherwise known as Santa Su or SSP.  This is a single hill that connects our town (Simi Valley) with the San Fernando Valley.  There is a freeway that also connects the two, but this road has been around for a very long time.

When I signed up for the Canyon City Marathon, I knew I needed to find some good downhill training roads.  Santa Su fit the bill.  The first two miles are straight up (+ 500'), followed by two miles straight down (-450'.)  At the bottom, I make a u-turn and climb that 450' before descending 500'!

I've now done this route four times.  The road is very busy Monday-Saturday and I've only run it on Sundays.  There are no street lights, but with the time change, yesterday was the perfect morning for my final long run!

Here's a comparison chart of how I've done each time.  On the three first times I took a lot of walk breaks on the uphill really trying to conserve energy.  I decided to push the pace a bit yesterday.  I'm really happy with my overall times on this.

Date	14-Jun	28-Jun	16-Aug	1-Nov
Mile 1	13:02	12:15	12:25	11:41
Mile 2	13:39	12:49	13:15	12:08
Mile 3	9:05	8:20	8:31	8:07
Mile 4	8:53	8:16	8:04	8:17
Mile 5	12:02	12:51	13:32	11:32
Mile 6	14:21	14:41	13:49	14:33
Mile 7	8:37	8:07	7:58	8:06
Mile 8	8:36	8:08	8:02	8:20
Total Time	1:29:54	1:26:51	1:26:20	1:23:04
Ave Pace	11:04	10:42	10:42	10:22

And that is my final long run for this training cycle!  Canyon City Marathon here I come!

M4T W14 Results

I am now just two weeks away from marathon #4!  I feel like this training cycle has flown.  After last week's insomnia, I took an extra rest day.  The temps have dropped significantly with most mornings in the upper 50s ~ that is my sweet spot!

Sunday - Rest Day
Results: Rested

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

Tuesday - Intervals - 10-11 miles
Results:  Ran 7.71 miles in 1:26:13, 11:11 pace
Plus 1.21 miles cool down.

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results: Rode 12.58 miles in 1:20:56, 9.3 mph
I hadn't ridden on the trail in over a month.  It was a quiet, peaceful morning.  I saw one runner with her dog, bear tracks, and a beautiful deer.

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results: Ran 4 miles in 42:00, 10:30 pace
I am embarrassed to admit this, but I tripped AGAIN!  This was at the end of my run (3.89 miles) and I was going UP a slight hill.  My toe caught a crack in the road and down I went!  My hands are much worse this week than last week.  Moral of the story?  Don't run on Thursday!  I had been thinking about my upcoming marathon.  It has been in the low 40s at the start this past week, so I have been contemplating wearing gloves or not.  My hands usually sweat really bad, so gloves only last a mile or two.  But now I'm wondering if I need to wear them for protection!

Friday - Rest day
Results: Rested
I thought I might do an easy bike ride but decided my hands needed a little more rest.

Saturday - LSD 16 miles or 5k Race (10:35-10:50 pace)
Results:  Ran 14 miles in 2:48:46, 12:03 pace, then walked 2 miles home.
I'm blaming my taper on today's run.  I never got into a groove.  I spent the first 6 miles worrying I was going to trip again, then I hit some hills which slowed me.  Around the 10 mile mark, I started running downhill, right into a head wind!  My GI was fine but legs felt really heavy.  It was warmer today than it had been all week, with a slight Santa Ana wind condition (my least favorite!)  I ran out of water right before mile 14 and decided that was all the running I was going to do today.  Again, blame it on the taper!

As I was finishing up this post, my daily email from TrainingPeaks came in.  Talking about taper time it said, "But whatever you do, don't do any new activities. Even if it seems like a harmless activity, like Pilates or yoga, now's the time when you're most vulnerable to injury. Just stay healthy and safe and watch your step!"  Yeah, I'm watching my step!

Total planned miles 38
Actual
Running 26.92
Walking 2.00
Cycling 12.58
Total  41.50

It Wasn't Pretty, but It's Done. 22 Miles!

I've been both dreading and looking forward to today's run. 22 miles is a long way to run without a finish line waiting for you! Training Peaks said this about today's run: "Just focus on finishing. Remember, this is your last long run. When you finish, it's tapering time. Many runners mistakenly take advantage of their well earned fitness and run this last long run too fast. DO NOT make that mistake, save that effort for race day. (Pace:10:35-10:50 /mile)"

With that in mind, I planned my route for today's run.  When I leave my house I have two choices - up or down.  I chose to go up,  I knew that would keep me from running too fast.  I also ran with a light for the first 10 miles so I wouldn't fall again.  I was hoping to finish in about 4 hours, that would have been at the upper end of my planned pace.  If you read my weekly recap, you know that didn't happen!

I don't really like to overshare.  (So why am I a blogger, right?)  Anyway, in a nutshell, I am dealing with lots of side affects of peri-menopause, one of the worst being insomnia. Bottom line, I really didn't sleep much all week.  Some nights I'd get about 3 hours, others maybe 6, and those were interrupted.  It was the "stare at the clock and the ceiling" type, not worrying about anything, just not sleeping.  Definitely not enough sleep. It is what it is, other than taking a sleeping pill, there's not much I can do.  Fortunately, this only happens about once every other month so I'm very hopeful that I will be well rested on November 7th.

So, back to my run...

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and after about 10 minutes of ceiling staring, knew I might as well get going.  I was out the door at 4:45.  My legs felt pretty good, my right knee is a little tender from Thursday's fall, but I can't blame it for slowing me down.

I ran the first 10 miles in 1:54:47, 11:30 pace.  Not great, but not too terrible because this had the biggest hill of the day in it.  I made a pit stop at home and exchanged my light for sunglasses.  I was still feeling pretty good about things at this point.

At the 14 mile mark a made another pit stop at the park.  My GI was a bit off, but I was determined to keep going.  This was my last chance for 20 miles or longer.  Mile 17 was my slowest because I started feeling sick to my stomach again!  I was pretty discouraged and feeling sorry for myself.  I really gave myself a talking to and reminded myself that my Mom went through menopause at the same time she was going through chemo.  That didn't make my stomach feel any better, but it did make me determined to finish!

One last pit stop just before mile 18 and then I was determined to get home.  Luckily I had run a big enough loop that the only way to get home was to finish my 22 miles!  No shortcuts at this point and Les was an hour away on a bike ride.  Mile 20 was my third fastest mile at 10:40. I was happy to see my pace drop to about 9:30 for a little bit during that time.  I hit 22 miles about a quarter of a mile from home but I stopped by watch immediately!  I was done.

I'm starting to wonder if GU is the culprit with my stomach issues.  Until late last year I'd always used Hammer Gel.  I'm going to use Hammer Gel next week and see how I do.  Although I used GU during my 25k and didn't have any problems, so I just don't know what is going on!

I've had several hours to think about this.  While my pace wasn't what I wanted, I'm glad I went the distance.  Surprisingly, my legs aren't feeling too bad.  My plan for the marathon will now include Imodium.

A bunch of data:

22 miles in 4:32:29, 12:23 pace
Ave HR 128
Max HR 151
Calories burned 1,116
1,129 feet ascending
1,207 feet descending
Recovery time 53 hours
Average temperature 76

M4T W12 Results

I'm four weeks away from marathon #4!  Two long runs in six days time made this an interesting week.  I've done a ton of recovering and walking!  The pictures in this post were all taken during this morning's run. We fly home tonight and I'm looking forward to cool morning temps again.

You can go anywhere on Oahu, just take Tha Bus!

Sunday - Rest Day
Results:  Ran 14.67 miles in 2:47:56, 11:27 pace
The Brio Ice Cream 25k!
Followed that up with a walk to Les' company picnic and back - 2 miles.

Diamond Head

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results:  Rested
Walked 3.94 miles

Tuesday - Intervals - 10-11 miles
Results:  Walked 7.18 miles
I knew I wouldn't do my intervals this close after a race.  My legs were still feeling pretty sore.  I walked 3.4 miles first thing in the morning, then ended up wandering through the Waikiki strip for a while.

The Fountain at Kapiolani Park

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results:  Rested
We were up really late Tuesday night and I decided to sleep in.
Walked 2.03 miles

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Results:  Ran 3.12 miles in 33:43, 10:49 pace
I was ready for a run but wanted to take it a little easy with my long run planned for Friday.
Also walked 3.75 miles

The sunrises here...

Friday - Rest day
Results:  Ran 9.2 miles in 1:44:40, 11:23 pace.  Plus walked 2.8 miles for my cool down.
My legs felt so good this morning.  I started off really strong and had an average pace of 10:45 at the five mile mark.  My average heart rate was 149 and I knew I was working hard.  I stopped to top off my water about that time and started feeling nauseated again like I did during Sunday's race.  I ran/walked for the next couple of miles and noticed when my HR was under 140 I felt okay, but when it started climbing so did my symptoms.  I finally stopped my watched at 9.2 miles as I was really suffering.

After a little research, I think I may have been on the verge of heat exhaustion.  One type of heat exhaustion is salt depletion - signs include nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, and dizziness.  I had both nausea and dizziness.  I probably didn't drink enough early on and even though I was taking Endurolytes, I must have needed more.  Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are not something to play around with, it is dangerous to vital organs so continuing on would not have been good.  I also know passing out in Waikiki would have been a really bad idea.

As soon as I got home, I ate a bunch of pretzels and drank a bunch of water.  Normally I would have a protein shake, but that didn't sound good at all, so I finished off the last of our Brio Ice Cream!  I figured I would benefit from all the nutrients provided.  I feel fine now and going home to cooler temps is sounding very appealing right now. 

According to Suunto, I spent 28 minutes at hard effort (127-144 bpm), 1:07:04 at very hard (145-162 bpm) and 1:36 at maximal (above 162 bpm.)  About 8 minutes at easy or moderate. I knew I was working hard.

Saturday - LSD 12 w/6@ tempo (10:35-10:50 pace)
Results:  I know I'll be resting.  Our flight is scheduled to land at LAX at 7:40 a.m. and I'll be a zombie all day.

Total planned miles 37
Actual:
Running 26.99
Walking 25.09
Total 52.08