Goals and whatnot

Quick rundown of my race goals: 1) Enjoy the race and finish happy 2) Beat my PR, 4:05:39 3) Sub-4 hour finish 4) 3:50. This is about an 8:45/mile pace, one I know I can hold on a good day – which is what I'm going to have tomorrow.

Weather looks good, partly sunny with a high of 65. Fingers are crossed that the wind will be calm. I'm starting to get some pre-race jitters, but they're mild. There has been so much going on the past few weeks, and I have so much coming up, that this race has sort of become just another item on my to-do list. Which is kind of nice, actually – there's been no time to freak out about it.

Last year I had a list of things that I was going to think about if I found myself struggling in the last few miles. I ended up not needing it, thanks to the giant hill that took up miles 21 and 22. You might think it's cruel to have the only big hill on the course near the very end but it worked out really well for me. I was so focused on getting to the top of the hill that I didn't think about what mile I was on, and then the last three miles were an easy downhill. So even though I was hurting, there was no way I was going to stop – not on a downhill! I hope to have another good finish tomorrow, but it never hurts to be prepared. 1) Head up, shoulders back – run proud 2) Breathe. In-in, out-out. 3) Look around you, enjoy the scenery 4) And for extra motivation if things get really bleak out there: "You're not going to amount to JACK SQUAT! You're gonna end up eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!"

Have a great weekend! I know I will.

Hill run, and misc. rambling

I decided to do my patented four-mile hill run at lunch today. Since tomorrow's twenty miles will be on the flatter-than-flat Springwater Corridor, I figured today was the day to work the hill muscles. Plus it was sunny! Not warm or anything, but beggars can't be choosers. I know it's not exactly an ideal hill run because it's just one big up and one big down. But again, it's what I got. I could get more ups and downs if I ran uptown but then I'd be dodging people and risking jaywalking tickets left and right. (Now yes, I imagine I could outrun the average police officer. But what if he was astride a Segway?? Not worth the risk.) It's much more peaceful to run up among the ritzy houses in the West Hills, where the only people I ever see are mailmen and migrant workers pruning elaborate hedges.
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I've been thinking about joining Portland's Team Red Lizard for a while. I put it off because: a) they are intimidating (not that I really know who "they" are); and b) I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to training harder. This article in the Times made me reconsider, so I checked out the TRL website. As I was browsing around I found this fantastic article by their track coach Rick Lovett. It got me thinking: I am definitely still a beginning runner, racking up PRs because I've barely started training my body to go faster than a brisk walk. I ran a lot in high school and college, then took a four-year hiatus before starting to train for Yakima in fall 2007. It's been about a year and a half since then. Recent illness aside, I've definitely gotten faster. Rick's article makes me wonder how fast I could be. But it's also reassuring…in some ways it takes the pressure off. As soon as I signed up for a second marathon my thoughts went to qualifying for Boston, because it’s an exclusive marathon and a goal that’s recognizable even to people who don't run. It's nice to be reminded that *hello*, it's only my second marathon. I have years and years to get used to running and get better at it. I don't need to put all this pressure on myself and set up a potentially unrealistic goal. My goal should be to finish happy & strong. On that note, TGIF!

Chin up soldier! And bonus public transport rant.

Ran a little over six miles on Tuesday. I was a bit worried because I still felt fatigue in my legs at the start, but once I got out and loosened up I found another great groove. My legs were tired but happily truckin' along on autopilot. I wonder if that's what the high mileage (y'know, comparatively) gives you – the ability to get through runs in good shape, even when you're fatigued. Yesterday it was drizzly so I ran five on the treadmill and got back up to 7.2 mph for three miles. The last half mile I went up to 7.5 - yay! I'm finally getting back to where I was six weeks ago.

Today is another five miles and another rainy day, so I'm going to try to do three miles at 7.4 - we'll see. I'm going to give it all I have. I read a quote somewhere in the wilds of the internet that the marathon is your reward for training so hard. It made me realize that with all that's been going on I really haven't been pushing. I don't blame myself, and it was probably a good idea to ease off while I was recovering from the flu. But now that I'm feeling good again I have to re-light the fire under my ass and stop tossing off runs at 6.6 mph. Even if my time goal has changed, that's not an excuse to stop trying to go faster.
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Boat practice has really kicked into high gear this month. I ran into a little overlap last year between running and paddling, but it was only a few weeks in the very beginning of the season, so it didn't matter if I skipped a lot of practices. This year the marathon is almost two months later, which obviously makes a big difference when trying to balance the two. I've told our team manager that Saturdays are out for me until June, but that means making it to both mid-week practices. Which in turn means pulling a lot of doubles, running and paddling in the same day. It's actually not that physically challenging, because they use completely opposite muscle groups. Instead it's a mental/motivational stress thing, trying to remember to pack everything I need for both activities, fit runs in around work and practice, find time to eat, get over tiredness. Usually I end up cranky and not wanting to do one or other. Since I'm a lead this year, and one of the more experienced paddlers, I've really been trying to be positive and upbeat, which is hard when you feel pissy. Ugh. But considering I just signed up for a fall marathon I'd better figure out how to manage it more gracefully, since I'll be training all summer now.

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Okay, one more thing. Part of the stress of managing both activities stems from the fact that I commute by bus into work. I keep my paddle and PFD at the office, so I don't have to carry them in twice a week, thank GOD. I have to bring everything else for the day with me, though, which means trying to be focused and competent at 6:30 in the morning, pre-coffee. Some days are better than others. Anyway, I've been riding various Portland-area buses into downtown for four years. About 90% of the time, everything runs smoothly and I'm a happy camper. The bus is on-time, it's not unbearably crowded, no one is shouting into their cell phone about their genital warts (oh yes, that has happened). But that other 10%...damn. Those times make me wish I had "00" status and the attendant license to kill. I would be tough but fair in meting out justice. Last night was one of those days. Rather than re-hash it all and get my blood pressure back up, let's just say that thanks to Trimet I got an extra two-mile "cool-down" walk in a frigid wind, I learned all about why a profoundly unattractive woman is fighting with her boyfriend (FYI, he hasn’t paid his share of the rent), and got home 36 minutes late. Sigh. It's probably a good thing I wasn't armed.

Getting better all the time

I ran 6 miles outside after work on Tuesday, risking the erratic spring weather. It was one of those sunny-raining-hail-sunny days. Luckily the hour I was out on the Springwater was dry. The sun chose to make an appearance as I was crossing the Hawthorne Bridge and staring right at it, which I didn't appreciate. But it's silly (and risky) to complain about the sun coming out, so I'll stop. Portland needs all the vitamin D it can get right about now.

I didn't have to take any walking breaks, but in the middle I slowed down noticeably before bouncing back in last two miles. My right foot started hurting, though, boo. I'm hoping it was random foot pain and not something that will start nagging. Yesterday was a rest day, which was slightly weird – felt like I was playing hooky. But I'll run every other day this week, so I milked it and did nothing but take a walk at lunchtime. I have a feeling that I'll be exhausted by Sunday.

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I was impulsive this morning and signed up for the Timberline Marathon in September (view from the start line at right). I really like trail running, and hopefully this will motivate me to do more of it this summer. I've been thinking about the race and how I'll fit training into my summer schedule, plus doing some rumination on running in general. I like running, obviously, or I wouldn't spend so much time doing & talking & thinking about it. What I don’t like about marathon training is feeling worn down. I think that if I varied my activities more and ran less I would feel better. (Not a new idea I realize, but a new approach for me.) I'm going to stick with my planned schedule for Newport, but try a new approach for Timberline. Rather than strictly follow a daily schedule like I've done so far, I'm going to play this one a little looser. I think I'll have a long-run plan for weekends but let the rest of the week shape up however I want it to. I want to do more weight training and cross-training (and if I bike commute like last year, that's a solid built-in workout every day). I think I'll find it more fulfilling to have a fun, relaxing, diverse summer than to have a few minutes' faster time in a race. Guess we'll see!

Plans Derailed

So, I'm alive. And I made it through the half-marathon, more on that below. But I spent the entirety of last week prostrate with an awful flu. AN AWFUL, TERRIBLE, NO-GOOD FLU, just to make sure we're clear. I haven't been that sick in years. I had lots of time to think about it while holding very still in bed, and the last time I felt so totally shitty was 2002. And that was just a 36-hour stomach bug – I can't remember the last time I was laid up for a full week. It was back when my mommy would bring me OJ and cold washcloths. I'm still nowhere near one-hundred percent, but at least I'm bathed and out of my PJs.

I didn't run at all last week. Not once. In fact if you add up the steps I took around the house (and occasionally to the mailbox) you probably don't even get a tenth of a mile. Now luckily last week was my mid-training recovery week, where I was scheduled to drop down in mileage. The longest run I missed was eight miles. But. A week of forced immobility is not the same as a recovery week. Today I tried to get back on schedule and ran five miles on the treadmill. Correction: ran most of five miles. I stopped at 2.75 and 4 miles to take cough breaks (sorry everyone near me – I'm not contagious anymore, promise) and get my HR down. At this point the last thing I want to do is drag out my recovery by pushing too hard. (I'm sure it doesn't help that I ate approximately nothing last week.) But I don't feel like I can take another week off and catch back up. So I'm going to take as many walk breaks as I need, but hit the mileage. I still have six weeks to convalesce fully. Unless I get to feeling really good really fast, I'm throwing my time goals for the marathon out the window. New goal will just be to beat the current PR.

Speaking of PRs, I did manage to wrest one from Race for the Roses, despite feeling distinctly wilted. 1:50:05, and if you think that :05 haunts me, you are correct. I did decide to race without my watch and paid the terrible price. Damn five seconds. I stuck with the 8:30 pace group for the first eight miles or so, until we turned on to the out-and-back section on Naito. The pace leader (who otherwise did a fantastic job) had a tendency to hurry through water stops. I think that's fine when you’re spread out like most of the mass of runners, but there were quite a few people sticking with him, and when we came to an aid station we overwhelmed them. Since I wasn't carrying anything I was careful to get enough liquids which meant having to hustle and catch up with the group afterward. I wanted to build up a little lead on him so that I could take my sweet time at the stops. Plus I was feeling okay, like I could go faster. So I pulled away and spent the final five miles (once again) trying to outrun annoying talkers behind me. They have every right to talk on the course, good for them, whatever. It's still annoying.

I didn't finish much ahead of the pace group, maybe 90 seconds. But it was enough for a PR, so I'm happy-ish. Still bummed that I was sick, because I know I have more in me. But what are ya gonna do? After finishing I met up with Tina and Dan, who'd run the 5k (and placed in their age groups – woohoo! spinny medals!). I was feeling progressively worse and developing a fever so I headed home. Or would've headed home if the Max was running. Instead I waited on the platform for an hour until an accident was cleared. Then I headed home. After a shower I parked myself on the couch, and pretty much didn't move for six days. All-in-all, not my best race.

PS - I did race in the new Mizunos. No problemos.