If I can't make it, I'll make it out.

Well, I feel like I wasted 18 weeks of my life. That was a complete failure. Flying Pig Marathon '09, and this pig just didn't fly.

Start Saturday night though, when Judi suggested an awesome restaurant where we all had dinner. It was delicious. I love Judi because I feel like she's super grounded and we see eye-to-eye on so much. Then we went back to the complete mess of an expo (strategically set up so you have to walk past EVERY vendor) and made fun of the live models.

After a crappy night of not-much-sleep on a back-hurtingly-soft bed, it was up and out. I chose a t-shirt instead of sleveless, which I'd later find was a bad choice. Got to the start 2 minutes before gun and had to jump a barrier to join the field. And we're off.

Mile one, cough up a lung. For three miles, I was at or below pace. Then mile 3 I started getting overheated- probably my cold. Said hi to Ben at the bridge at mile 3 or so and already I had nothing but bad things to say. The 4:45 pace group passed me, saw Ben again, and again, I was all bad news. By mile 5 I was seeing stars and ended up puking by the side of the road. Surprised I didn't pass out. Then came the hills, and they were HILLS. Like, out of the saddle in the little ring hills. My little pit stop had me off pace, so I walked the hills, saving.

The overheating continued and screwed with my hydration. I had visions of cold showers, clear water swimming pools, drinking gallons. I knew if I drank as much as I wanted, I'd get sloshy and be done for. I really felt crappy. The decided that I'd try to keep the 5:00 pace group behind me to the half, and then do whatever after that. I accomplished this small feat.

After that, it was crawling to the finish line. Like, 12:00 miles or slower, walking through water stations to make the times even worse. I just felt fantastically terrible. I kept shuffling along and just sang to myself. I met a local girl at mile 17 and we chatted and kept eachother going till mile 25. Then her husband ran with her and I pressed on.

5:15. At least 30 minutes slower than I hoped. I cried. And cried and cried. I don't know what to think. Marathons aren't like races we usually do because you have one shot. You train 18 weeks for one day. And my one day was for shit. Why waste all spring trying only to get WORSE? I was supposed to meet Judi afterward, but we just left. I feel like a crappy friend for it, but I just couldn't handle anything.

So, that's my 4th race this year. 2 running, 2 riding. And all off-the-back, slower-than-pace, stupid excuses. I'm a real failure as a halflete. But at least I can show up with a smile, enjoy a beer, support other folks that don't suck, and be an athletic supporter.

17.

up nice 'n early, 17 done before 10am. It started hurting at mile 6 when my legs realized they were in for more than the usual. After that though, just truckin' through. ran ~8 out to the planetarium and down to 18th on the lake front path with Molly, then dropped her off at home and ran ~9 more up Ashland and then down Halsted. I like running Halsted, it's my only opportunity for hills.

10am flight to Vegas on Monday. Four days a week in Vegas for the next month or so- probably until the wedding. Sucks.

my turn for a sufferfest.

This morning's run ranks right up there with last winter's 10 degree below zero runs. I haven't struggled like this since winter, with the possible exception of that 10k. Everyone says that in heat and humidity you need to slow it down, but it wasn't even 80 degrees this morning, and despite the 75% humidity, I decided to go ahead with the 8 mile pace run as planned. Big mistake.

I managed to struggle through 5miles on pace and then, bam! I got the head crawlies and the legs filled with buckshot and nausea and that lovely mile 22 feeling, only at mile 5. Pace dropped 30 sec, then a minute. Yikes. I hate you, summer. Boo. I finished the 8 miles, but 5 were pace run and three were "you just have to finish this."
...
With each stage that goes by, I'm reminded of how badly I want to rent a motorcycle, throw a tent on the back, and follow the Tour de France. Found this in "everybody's photos" on flickr and it's a good glimpse of the traffic backups and other mayhem involved in TdF spectating, but I'd expect about that. I mentioned my ambition to Ben last night, who quite rightly replied that it would be very expensive. He's right, of course. But it's going to have to happen...

the second marathon. it's sort of secondary.

I knew that training for a second marathon wouldn't be as exciting, life-consuming, or exhilarating as training for the first, but I didn't quite expect this. Here I am, halfway into training, not registered for a race yet, changing my mind about which one to do, and sort of not focusing on it at all. I'm getting the miles in, but that's about it.

Maybe it's that #1 was at the end of winter, when there was nothing else going on, as opposed to the summer's cycling and wedding planning. Mostly it's that I've been there, done that, and while I'm doing more mileage this time and running faster, it's just that I'm not hitting personal-best distances. Instead of reserving Saturdays for long runs, I'm fitting the long runs in before work, or the day after a bike race, or something.

It's also been hard seeing my pace drop when I switched from training for a half to training for a full. Makes it look like I've been slowing down, which is sort of not the best feeling.

I'm just sort of not motivated right now. Bought a new pair of running shoes last week and they're just sitting in the box while I run in my old pairs until I "earn" rotating them in. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the running I do. It's just the goal of Marathon Two that I'm not entirely invested in. I want to do it. I just don't want it nearly as badly as I wanted #1.

pace run: success!

before I begin my running-ramblings, let me take this opportunity to congratulate the second sexiest man in cycling and the world's best sprinter on his newly-held green jersey. A stage win means we'll be seeing more of him. I was worried for a spell. NORGE!

The new plan has only pace runs as speed work- runs where you go at race pace. Since my next race is the CDC, a half marathon, that means half marathon pace. Today served up a 7 mile pace run.

I've never run that far at pace, and when I tried it on the 10K I failed pretty miserably. I set the gizmo with the "training partner" - a little dude who runs with me and tells me how far ahead or behind I am. Started out strong and in three miles had a full minute gap on the gizmoman, but then it started to hurt. Started losing ground and was behind the man with one to go. Kicked out a mile :30 faster than pace, and beat pace on that 7 miler by just 10 seconds. My gizmo beeped and told me, "you win!" Finally. My fastest long run ever. I'm starting to think I can hold this pace for 13.1.

15 again.

Ah, yes. Remember 15? Back when it was winter and snowing and the distance was a monumental feat (and I got injured)? Well, jumping from the half marathon training plan to the full marathon plan meant this weekend was 15, and since I had today off, I decided this was the day. Honestly, I was- and still am- worried about the jump. Going from long runs of 12 to a 10k race to 15... that's a jump, and i'm injury-prone. Especially after yesterday's 7 mile pace run, I decided today to put the SLOOOOOW in LSD and just get the miles done.

I also decided that, hey! since Ben can decide to drive the car to where he wants to do his workouts, it's high time I did that too. I strapped Molly in with her new seat belt and away we went to the I&M Canal Trails.

We set out early - 8am- and did the black loop and 1 1/2 red loops. Never did find the yellow trail. The black loop kinda sucked- too much time under freeways and near odd industrial stuff- but the red loop was quite nice and fairly shaded. We saw a dead rattlesnake along with squirrels, chipmunks, geese, blue jays, cardinals, and small bunnies. Molly especially likes chasing bunnies. Lots of other dog people out there, too, including one lady walking with a son and two super-pudgy dachsunds who said alot i didn't hear and then, "see? The dog is overheated."

"My dog may be thirsty, but at least she's not fat." Touche!

I set the gizmo to run 15 mi at a 12:00 pace. Yeah, that's right, I said SLOW. I beat that, of course, and did my usual kick at the end, bringing the last two miles in under 11:00. Still, in the middle of the run, I slowly remembered why you gotta "respect the distance." When it's no longer the farthest I've ever run, 15 isn't all that big a deal. But when I've been on my feet more than 2 hours, it is. I also tried to do it with just gatorade (the drink served at my next two races) and no gels to try a new carb-starved training thing I heard about, which I can do if I'm not trying to go fast. Either way, gotta keep smiling. Must. Enjoy.

noncommittal change of plans.

ok, so i'm tentatively adding the Fox Cities Marathon to my schedule, and as of today I'm switching from the half marathon training plan to the full marathon Novice 2 plan, week 8. (Look at me!! I'm a Novice 2! )

I don't have a set goal time, but I'd like to be under 4:45 and I'd be quite happy to be in the 4:30 range. We'll see. I'm still going to run the Chicago Distance Classic and I'm still hoping for under 2:20 with a stretch-goal of 2:10. Now it'll just fit into week 13 of 18 instead of being the goal race. The really funny thing... the 20 miler falls on my wedding day. I guess we can assume I'll just do that on the Thursday before instead.

And coincidentally... marathon #2 will also be small (fewer than 5,000) and in a small town. I was thinking that I don't really like the races where there's lots of traffic. I'm a solo runner and having just a few folks is just fine with me.