Marathon v3.0 begins today

Unlike #1, where I was excited to do something I'd never done before, and marathon #2, where I sort of skated through, #3 is going to be somewhat challenging. Why?
1) I'm training for Big Sur, the hilliest marathon in the country, by running in Chicago, the least hilly place ever.
2) I'm trying to fold a decent amount of cycling in. Unlike #2's once-a-week, or #1's no cycling at all, for #3 I'm going to be doing 4 hours/week on trainer as part of an indoor class. That's pretty hefty, and forces the schedule to shuffle a little.
3) I for some reason chose Hal's Intermediate I, a training program that has only 1 rest day, and then added the cycling on top of that. Erm. It's easy to put this stuff on paper, it's a little harder to actually do it. Thanks to Bob for helping make this fit together, but it's still a pretty tall order. So, we'll give it a shot. If this is v3.0, v3.1 might be dropping one run a week, and there are ways to make v3.2 too, if I'm burning out. But why not shoot the moon?

So, I'm already running at 10:30 pace, no problem, which will get me to the 4:35 I wanted last year (before I got sick and puked during the marathon- no joke). BUT with those hills, who knows what will happen. My goal is to finish in the 6 hour time limit- I really hope that's not an issue, or I shouldn't even be trying- but be comfortable running a decent pace and be able to enjoy the scenery. Really, I'd like to come out of this in May with a fun race under my belt but better equipped for MTB season.

And so this morning the program started, on the shortest day of the year, with a soft dusting of snow hiding the ice on the sidewalks.

the end of 2008 mtb racing.

(photo: Naz) Saturday's WEMS will mark the end-end of trail racing season for me. It's been an odd year. What with the wedding, and then Ben's season starting up in September, and all the rainouts and reschedules and whatnot, it's been a last-minute half-assed sort of season. And ending it on that note, Saturday's 10 hours of John Muir will be just 8 for Audrey and I, since I have a family commitment in Chicago at 6pm. We won't even be bringing a tent, since that has to go to DeKalb for our race.

Either way, we'll be the WEMS 12 hour women's team champions for the second year in a row, almost entirely because we're the only people in that category. Last year at least there was a smattering of folks trying it here and there for fun (though we were the only team registered for the series) but this year, by my count, it was us and just one other women's team that raced once. I'm afraid we might lose our category- completely understandable- in which case we'd race in the 12 hour open team and do it the same as always. I just wish some other ladies would come out. It really is soooooo much fun. We're also one woman down on our team, so if you're interested for next year, check us out. No need to own a mtb- we all share mine, making our trademark bike handoff between laps.

And one year after doing my first 5-mile run ever, I'm cranking them out every morning. It's that time of year where I broke out the wool yesterday and I'm getting on the sidewalks before the streetlights are out and the cool weather is making me fast. Coach says, "you have to run fast to run fast," and he's right. It seems like every day I'm pulling seconds off my best times. I'm working, so it's working.

Proud to Run 10K - well, that sucked.

Hot, hot, hot.
Lisa got sick this morning so I drove up solo, stole a semi-legal (I'd say 75%) parking spot, and sat in the car until 15 min before the start. Downed a gu, went to the line.

The race lined up in the hot sun on Montrose, and then they called a delay. We stood there baking for 10 min. I was cranky. The gun went off and traffic problems ensued, but I was feeling good and thought that I may as well use the crowd to bank some time on my pace. I felt strong, it was in the shade, and I put my first mile in under my 9:38 goal pace.

Then the course turned to the concrete lakefront and things went south fast. It was hot in the sun, there was no breeze to speak of, the humidity just hung there, and my heart rate was creeping. I was on pace still, but started slipping. The gizmo beeped when my heart rate topped 185, and I backed off. It would keep beeping through the rest of the race. (I need to figure out how to turn that off.) It wasn't till I backed all the way off to a 11:00 minute mile that I was out of the 180's, and I decided that just wasn't going to do. So, I settled in in the mid- 180's, running just over 10:15 miles. It's all I could do. I considered dropping down to the 5k but instead just let myself run the 10k reaaaally slow.

When we were in the shade, I was rockin' fast. In the sun though, I couldn't do anything but plod along. I never need water on runs less than 10 mi, but I took it every chance I got on this race. I only walked a few steps at one water stop, but ran the rest, slow and steady.

Gizmo time: 1:03:15, a 10:11 average: 9:36, 9:50, 10:17, 10:27, 10:34, 10:22, average heart rate 182 (yikes). The calculator says this is my slowest equivalent pace ever, with the exception of the marathon. Official time is 1:03:45, 19th of 33 in agegroup and 127 of 197 women. What a disappointment. But no DFL.

500! Or, how did I turn into a runner?

Today I'm celebrating a total of 500 miles run (about 64,200 calories burned) this year.
Which perplexes me. Last I checked, I was a biker. I guess I should check more often.

But the combined need to do something, need to exercise our dog, and need to have sanity-time led me to try running last summer... starting with run a block, walk a block and finishing with that stupid idea of running a marathon.

Unlike biking, which takes three times as long to get a good workout in, and which involves things like power meters and gears and lots of gear, running is simple. Do it and you get better at it. Do it some more and lose weight like mad. Keep doing it and it becomes enjoyable. Without trying, you get faster, skinnier, happier, more focused. Oh, and it's great exercise for the dog, too.

I'm not saying I'm done biking- far from it. Biking is still really what I want to be doing, and will always be my preferred passtime/workout/transportation/way of getting a fiancé, but I just don't have the time or access to the right routes to make it stick as a workout. And I just don't see myself stopping this running thing. It's done so much good for me (and Molly).

This morning's "victory lap" was far from it. I was a little over-enthusiastic about the drinking-margaritas-on-the-porch-with-b14 thing last night, and the jump from last week's 12 to this week's 21 miles is sort of kicking my butt. I mean, my longest mileage week was 40, I can handle 21 no problem, it's just a rather fast increase (which most runners would warn against). My tired legs were no fun, and around 3 miles those margaritas came back for a not-so-refreshing-this-time buzz. I'm taking tomorrow off.

my first intervals.

awww, how cute. my first real intervals. the plan called for 5x400 at 5k pace. i set the garmin and headed out. it kept yelling at me... slow down! slow down! i was supposed to run around 8:30's. the first was 7:37, then 8:02, then 8:14, 8:18, and 8:23. i'm not happy about running slower each time, but i can't help but think the constant "BEEP! SLOW DOWN! BEEP!" had something to do with it.

i got home and it said i'd gone just 2.13 miles. yikes. i set out to at least finish a 3rd, and called it a day. the workout didn't hurt, really, but i've learned not to complain when week 1 of a training program doesn't hurt. i'm sure when i'm doing the 10x400 this summer i'll look back on this and smile.

tonight is Chicago's ride of silence in honor of cyclists killed on the road. See ya there? 6:30, Daley Plaza.

race report: crazylegs 8k

49:10.
Now, if someone had told me I'd run an 8k on a hilly course on a freaking windy day in that time, I probably would have laughed at them. Last night, we were out till bartime doing what we do in Madison, eating 1/2 a pizza each, and being goofy. This morning, it was about 45 degrees and I only brought a running skirt n' shortsleeve shirt- i was freeeeeezing. But when it was time to go and i found myself in a huge crowd- my first time ever running with a group- i settled in and hit my stride. which was less than 10:00 miles. who knew?

With that time, McMillan puts me at a 4:50 marathon. Which again I'm not really believing. But the truth is, this is my first time that didn't involve Molly or stoplights or other distractions. So maybe I should go off with the 5:00 pace group? Admittedly, I ran right past the water stations - I never need water for runs less than about 8 mi - but even adding time for that, 5:00... makes ya think. Either way, this is an equivalent time to less than 30 on the 5k and less than 2:30 on the 13.1, which is what I've always considered "respectable" for myself. Yay, achieving goals (as defined by some random dude's calculator.)

13. no, i mean 14.

i was supposed to run 13. Holly convinced me that the lakefront path was worth a shot this time of year, saying there are few bikers and it's plowed. well, she was right. i saw a total of three bikers the whole time and- credit where credit is due - it was a group of three on MTB's, 2 2CC kits and 1 met life. i half expected to see the Klug's out there, but I didn't. Running south, though, the trail was black ice and i found myself having to run in the snow to avoid falling. By the northbound trip it was mostly melted.

i miscalculated in my head, though, and the run from my house to the path down to 43rd and back was 14. it was slower than i had hoped - 3 hours- and with no stoplights on the path i've got no excuse for that beyond knocking off maybe 5 min for the elevator ride and dog chores. it was ok until around McCormick place northbound, where i got really bored. i guess i'm used to seeing street traffic. the last two miles just plain sucked.

the sight of the day was a tin with a big slice of deep dish pizza on a bench on Jackson that when i ran by again 2 1/2 hours later was half eaten.

26 miles for the week. 12 weeks till the marathon.

10!

Yup.
This one hurt, though. That 9mi Saturday was with HEED and endurolyte tabs in hand. This was just done off the peanut M&M's I ate at 4pm. The hip started pinching at mile 6, i felt like jello by mile 8. But I did my first 10 ever. I walked only two blocks of it, short ones.
Oh, and my recollections of sunny days on Haines Point totally misled me on this route-- it was creepy how that whole point had two bikers and one other runner on it, and probably only about 3 cars went by. I was thinking about whether people would have a way of identifying my body. Note to self: running through parks after dark equals bad. Though I did see 3 foxes- reddish ones with big straight bushy tails with a touch of white at the end. And yes, I know it wasn't a feral dog... its body was small and its tail as long as its body and straight... I looked closely. I guess it could have been one fox who followed me- they all looked the same. Kinda creepy.
And my empty stomach and thirsty self returned to a hotel where the closest I could get to HEED was a bottle of sweet tea.