First real week of running

Hello,

Well last week was my first full week back of running and it went ok. I got 20 miles in with nothing more then 5 miles. I did a 5 miler on the road on Tuesday that felt great (still higher then normal HR) and a 4 mile trail run on Friday then went well but my 5.4 miler in the woods on Sunday felt like I was running with 20lb ankle weights.

Last week I picked up my invitational entry for the 110th Boston Marathon from my running club and hand delivered it on the 11th to the BAA office in Hopkinton. I was really shocked to see that the registration closed on the 13th almost 2.5 months ahead of last years closing. I am very fortunate to get the opportunity to run this race for the second year in a row. The entry I have came through my running club so I don't have to commit to raising money for a charity but I am going to still raise money for the Respite Center as I did last year.

So not a bad first week back

get back lost conditioning

Hello,

So I got a 5 mile trail run in on Sunday and the weather was amazing. I ran at an 80% plus HR for an 11 minute pace so I really felt the effect of taking 3 weeks off. I got back out the next day for my lunch time 3 mile run, the HR was still in the 80% range but the pace was down to a 9:30. I am heading out at lunch to check out some new trails and hope to get 5-7 in. I picked up my Invitational BAA entry for the 2010 Boston Marathon so I am pumped to get another chance to run this marathon. I will be working to get my base miles back up to the 25-30 range before I start a 16 week training plan the first week in January. I am also thinking of running the Pineland Farm Trail Challenge (http://www.mainetrackclub.com/general-2.html) next year around Memorial day. I really want to do an Ultra and the thought of an Ultra TRAIL race would be great. Thus I am thinking that I build my miles up for Boston, run it as my last long run before the Ultra and after Boston keep the miles and intensity up to stay ready for the Ultra 4 weeks after.

Well more to come, I will share my idea to keep my training this winter and spring to the woods as much as possible. My desire to cross train this time and focus my training on the time out running versus the miles and make my long runs be LONG SLOW RUNS.

Cheers
Tim

Stress, more stress and now some good news

Hello,

Ok it has been 6 weeks since my last post and though there is no real excuse the reason has been due to the demands of my day job, my son's activities (cub scouts, school and soccer) and a nagging pain in my right shins. So more about the shin, four weeks ago I was having some steady pain in my right shin and an inflamed area about 4 inches up from the ankle. The pain wouldn't go away so I went to see my primary care Doctor who took some pictures and said there was no issue and to just give it some rest. Well two days later I get a call that the head of x-ray thought he saw a possible Tibia Stress Fracture so he wanted me to see and orthopedic specialist. I went to see the doctor and she suggested an MRI to rule out the stress fracture. Fast forward three weeks and I just found out yesterday that there is no stress fracture and I can start pack up running (slowly). That was great news because the idea of a stress fracture was going to really suck especially since this boy is running the 2010 Boston Marathon...

I was fortunate enough to get a number through my running club so I will be back again next year. I am very excited about this opportunity and I will promise to keep everyone up to date on my training progress.

Cheers,
Tim

been to long

Hello,

Sorry it has been a month since my last update, way to long and this delay is due to my laziness so sorry for that. What have I done in the last month. Well my running volume has been great on week and then crappy the next week. The demands of work and family have been tough but most importantly I have given in to the pull of saying "I will do it later" and that is the biggest culprit. Some updates, I am not running any half marathons. My friend who was going to run Portland with me has backed out and my plans got nixed for the Baystate Half Marathon due to a conflict with plans my wife made. So I decided that I didn't need an official race to prove my existence and thus I am going to stay home and run 13.1. I have been running mostly trails since I prefer the solitude. The weather for the end of August was brutal, the humidity was almost unbearable. Once the humidity vanished I noticed a giant jump in my pace compared to the same effort I was running in with terrible humidity. I have also acquired a pair of Viabram FiveFinger KSO's (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_KSO_m.cfm) and I have worn them twice for runs under 5 miles in the woods. I like the feel of them but I am not sure if my 220 lb frame is read for any distance longer then 5 miles. So right now I moving forward with 25-30 miles per week with a 90-2 hour run on Sunday's and 3-4 runs during the week. I am looking to add some mile repeats to my schedule with the goal of getting up to 5 before 2010. One last thing, I am throwing my hat in the ring to run the 2010 Boston Marathon again for the same charity so I am glad to have that on my calendar.

Cheers,
Tim

Week in review

Hello,

Last week was a pretty good week. Due to the demands of that dam full time job I wasn't able to get in my normal Wednesday run but with 4 runs for the week I did close to 24 miles. My runs on Tuesday and Thursday were only 3.5 but I ran them at a sub-9 pace with some real quick mile splits. I got out on Friday for a 5 mile loop in the woods and then back there on Sunday for 2+ loops in trails for 11. It was a nice run, I have been listening to Trilogy Running for the first time and the podcast helped me pass the time.

Here is a question to the 2 people that read my blog, how many of you treat your long runs as the top priority for the week? How many of you live for the "alone time" that comes with a run past 60 minutes? I really enjoy these runs and I know I am really selfish but this time whether on the road or in the woods is time I guard and I don't want to give it up for anything. This long run is my church, it is my therapist. I have solved a lot of the worlds problems on these runs and sorry to say I can't see myself giving up this time for anyone (ok, if Eva Longoria wanted join me I might make an exception).

Cheers,
Tim

Week in review, hot, humid, sick then trail running

So after taking Monday off as I normally do, Tuesday due to work and the humidity became a no go. On Wednesday the humidity was still oppressive but I also came down with a stomach bug that left me feeling far from ideal. It took me till Thursday afternoon to get over that but I still had some congestion and a stuffed up nose. On Friday I went out to run the West Hill Dam trails. Towards the last 2 miles I was getting a few drops of rain but nothing bad, well it turns out the trees were sheltering the down pour that was really going on. Went I made it back out to the road for the last .75 miles it was pouring with some nice thunder going on. Overall it was a great run, I was listening to the latest Phidip and time flew by.

No running on Saturday since I spent the day running errands. I set my alarm on Sunday to get up early and hit the road for my long run. Well, I slept in till 5:45 and got up to get ready. I was just about out the door when my son came down the stairs. If you guys know 6 year olds, when they are up they are up. So I didn't want to run out and have him wake my wife who was still sleeping so we turned on the TV and relaxed while watching some great cartoons. At around 8 AM my wife awoke and I got out of the house around 8:30.

I planned 10 miles, or 1:45:00 to 2 hours at a relaxed rate so instead of doing a road loop I chose a double loop on the trails of West Hill Dam. I turned on the ipod, set my watch to track pace/miles but focused more on the HR to determine if I needed to slow down or speed up. The relaxation of listening to Gordon on Running to Disney then Dan and Nik talk about running "commando" was great. I got into that grove that only comes after 4-5 miles where as long as you have water and fuel you can run forever.

I did 11 miles in 1:54 and felt great, ran back to the house and jumped into the pool with my son and then off to run some more errands. Overall, great way to finish a week were I only got two runs in for 17 miles.

Cheers,
Tim

back in the saddle, hate not feeling well

Ok, so after my less then perfect run last Sunday where the hills of Northbridge made a 10 mile run into 8.5, just ran out of steam. So I took Monday off as I normally do and then Tuesday the heat and obscene humidity set in and made the lunch time run just not something I wanted to do and the next opportunity to run was at 9:30 PM and that wasn't going to happen. On Wednesday I got hit with a stomach bug and migrane that stuck around till under just yesterday.

So today was the first time I felt up to a run and boy was it nice to get out there. I went out to my favorite trail since the humidity had broken it was a great run. I did a relaxing run at 76% MHR and listened to Phidip 197, who could ask for a better run. After coming out of the woods the light sprinkle that I felt was actually a downpour that was being sheltered by the big trees. So my last .67 mile was in a down pour. Nothing beats the motivation of a downpour to get the last pace in at sub 9 pace.

So I am back from feeling like crap and look to get 5-8 tomorrow and 10-12 on Sunday.

Cheers,
Tim

Something to look forward too...

I have one child, he is 6 yrs old and his name is Alex and he is just me in a smaller frame. I feel bad for my wife because he has all of the traits that I know drive her crazy from me. He doesn't sit still, he has no "mute" button so he just talks 100% of the time he is awake during the day.

So every time him and I square off it is usually me arguing with him over something he did that I do all the time. As my wife says I am just fighting with myself. He is a great kid and the hardest part of being a parent for me is to remember he is a kid and I need to cut him some slack. He likes the fact that his dad runs and he enjoys going to my races or going to the track with me. He has no concept of the distance so me running 20 miles or 2 miles is out of his grasp. Heck when we say the trip will take 2 hours and he asks how long that is we say it will be "4 Sponge Bob episodes" and that he understands. When on my runs and my mind wanders one recurring thought is that when he gets 10-12 and is old enough to run I really hope he will want to run with his old man.

As much as I like my alone time or in some cases the time I take to escape the demands of parenting I think to run with him once a week would be great. I never did anything like that with my dad but if we could use the time to chat about life, what he has going on in school or just about the Red Sox or NE Patriots would be time that I would cherish. So as he grows up I am not going to push him into running but I hopes he takes to it and if he does I look forward to a new running partner for my Sunday morning runs.

Tim

Milestone, first 10 miler since Boston

Last week was a nice week. Overall the sun was visible in my world, I almost didn't recognize it, so we had a real nice week. I was able to get in 5 runs through the week for a total of 28 miles including a 10 mile run on Sunday. Since running the Boston Marathon I have averaged about 20-25 miles per week but most of my runs have been in the 5-8 mile range. As part of my training for the fall Half Marathons I am building my base up so this was my first 10 miler in 3 months and it was nice to know I hadn't lost it.

I traveled down to Norton, MA to run with my training partner Jill in her backyard since she has been driving 40 minutes to Northbridge for the last 4-6 weeks. Well Sunday morning arrived the weather was amazing and Norton was a great run because compared to my town it is FLAT....

So we headed out with the goal of focusing on the distance not the time since this was Jill's first time at this distance. I ran by heart rate only and kept my HR at 73% average and we did 10 miles in 1:43:40 (10:20 pace) with no problems. It was one of those runs that reminded me of my Marathon training were once I got past the first 4 I got into a zone that as long as I fueled I could keep going. The plan of running by HR has been working, this week I need to add a 85-90% HR run on Wednesday at the track and a tempo run on Friday were I do the first 2 miles at 70-75% then 2 miles at 80-85% then a 2 mile cool down. The next week I will shot for doing another 10 miler.

Cheers,
Tim

Back from vacation, race report

Hello, I am back from vacation and other then 400+ emails in my work email inbox I am very relaxed and refreshed. This is the second year that I have taken the week of the Fourth of July off to go camping (don’t get crazy, I am talking about an RV not sleeping on the ground) with the Family in Maine at Kokatosi Campground (http://kokatosi.maine.com/). We use a company in Maine that we rent an RV from; they deliver it, set it up and then remove it at the end of the vacation. It is a nice vacation because it allows my wife and I had the opportunity to relax, swim, hang out and work on my sunburn and get in some running. The campsite is located up Route 302, then Route 85 in Raymond Maine, as much as I thought the “RV Crowd” wasn’t my thing I found out last year that it is a great family vacation. I have one child, a very social 6 year old who really wishes he had 6-7 siblings so a vacation that allows him the ability to be around other kids all day is the perfect vacation for him.

One reason we go to Maine is to run the Bridgton 4 on the 4th road race (http://www.fouronthefourth.com/) in my wife’s hometown. This is a race that has been going on for 32 years and is one of the largest races over the holiday. It is a great race with 1722 runners this year. The course goes flat for a quarter of a mile then climbs up hills through mile 2 then one more hill at mile 3 before you run downhill for the ending. Last year I ran it in 32:53 and this year I did it in 33:51. The strategy for this year was to get out of the start quicker and run at under 85% of my Max Heart Rate through 3.5 miles then finish strong. I was successful at this and I monitored my HR not my pace during the race but I did get splits at each mile that had me running a steady 8:30 pace for miles 1-3 and then my final burst for the finish went from the last ½ mile to the last ¼ of a mile.

I was happy with the results and though I was off my PR by 58 seconds but it was a good finish for the race. I came in 417 of 1722 so top 25% and 27/62 for my age group. The time is also consistent with what I ran my 5k in this year. See the PR from last year was right after my PR for the 5k and then I got injured last year after this race and I have yet to get back to the 8 minute mile pace for 5k to 4 miles.

The rest of the vacation was very relaxing, I wanted to run at least 5 days while on vacation and get in a 10 mile run if possible. Well on Monday I tried to run the local roads but after being almost run over by a logging truck doing 90 with no interest in sharing the roads I asked around for some trails to run. The one trail I was told about was more of a run up a mountain and ¼ mile into it I discovered the trail was washed out so there went plan B. So my week of running wound up being laps on the 1 mile dirt road within the campground. It wasn’t an exciting run but I chose “Life and Boredom over the thrill of dodging tractor trailers on the area roads” and I survived.

Most of the runs through the week were focused on me keeping my HR at 75% which on most days was between a 9:45 and 10:05 pace for the 5 miles. I got back on Saturday and ended my vacation with a trail run through my back yard West Hill Dam route with Jill.

So back to reality and back to my training, I am still planning on running the Portland Maine and Bay state Half Marathons in October I just don’t know if I will be running Portland with the goal of a PR or just run to enjoy the course. Until then I am letting my HR set my paces and focusing on the time on the roads over the distance and the pace. This is tough for me but it is working I just need to remember that I “enjoy running” and that is what the goal is not how fast….

You shouldn't think on long runs...

Ok, so I should be on week 3 of the FIRST training plan for the half and I haven’t done one prescribed “Key Workout”, why is that?

The reason for my inability to step into these workouts has been the topic of many of my conversations I have had with myself while I am on my long runs. Here is what I have determined:

1.) It isn’t that I am not motivated to run, I am. I have been running 20-25 miles per week with mostly 5-6 mile runs, I am just not motivated to run PACE X, I want to run at what ever pace my body says it likes that day.

2.) I want to stay healthy and that is my number one goal because if I pull my calf muscle again then all that work to run 30 seconds faster was wasted with me being in physical therapy to repair the damage. So with that as my number one goal I have been very conservative in my pacing.

3.) I have been running trails for 80% of my runs and I find it harder to maintain faster paces while watching my footing and avoiding rocks. I know I could solve this by hitting the open roads but after all those miles training for Boston on the roads dodging cars I like the peacefulness of the trails.

4.) My friend Jill, who has been joining me on my runs, is a slower runner then I and I have enjoyed a running partner so I have slowed my pace to accommodate her needs. I am a social person, I like to run but I like to run with someone else the most. My friends say, “can you imagine how fast you would be if you shut up and ran”, and thus for me being able to solve all of the worlds problems while on a run with a running partner is more important to me then hitting the desired pace for the run.

So where does this leave me and my goal to run sub two hours in my October half marathon? I think I have decided to do the following:

* Enjoy running no matter what the pace.
* Stay healthy because if I get hurt, I can’t run thus pace doesn’t matter.
* Focus on the time on the road/trail and not the miles. I need to build my long runs up to 2.5 hours to prepare myself.
* Focus on my heart rates for these time runs to determine my improvement. I will still wear my Suunto T3C with foot pod but I will keep the readout to the HR piece and not pace and distance. Thus I will focus my easy/speed/tempo and long runs on the desired HR Zone % and not the pace number. After the run I can look at the pace and distance but I need to remove the focus while running.

I am on vacation next week, I will have 10 days in Maine to relax and run whenever I want. This is the same area and time of year that I got injured last year due to overuse and abuse, so this is a good time to reflect on running to stay healthy and focus on the enjoyment of the sport. I will let you guys know how my vacation goes and how this change in focus is working.

Race report

Ok, HUMIDITY SUCKS and I don't like it. I ran the trail race on the trails I love and it almost ruined the experience. I ran it with my friend Jill and we went out to fast for Jill and it took the second mile to try and bring her HR down. I then got some cramps and I kicked myself for not preparing for the heat with some Endorolyte tablets. Well we sloshed through the next two miles and move from the back up a little with a few passes and finished ok but way off my PR of a 45:08 on that course with a 49:45. 

So, not my greatest run but I did walk away with the thought I am going to enjoy that route and not race it. 

Tim

Where have I been

So with the craziness of ending t-ball, school and the start of summer camp things have been crazy. My running is going well, I am averaging 20-25 miles a week and have really enjoyed my runs. Last week was my first week of the FIRST half marathon plan and I didn't hit one key workout. Why, because it just hasn't been my style of running right now. I have had a hard time with the rain getting to a track and when I get out to run the preferred run has been 5-7 miles at a 9:45-10 minute pace in the woods. This week due to rain and work I didn't get a run in on Monday or Tuesday but got a great 6 mile trail run in yesterday and I am running a 5 mile trail run tonight and then if work allows another 5-8 tomorrow. This weekend is going to be weird, my son is riding in a Pan-MA Challenge for kids to raise money for cancer and it suppose to be 15 miles. Now he is 6 with training wheels and last year I ran along side him for (5) 1 mile loops so this Saturday could be a 15 mile run for me with a lot of starts and stops. The goal for Sunday is an early morning run with my running partner Jill with 5 miles in the woods then 4 miles on the road, this will push Jill to her longest distance yet.

So my question is as I started my planning and I still have the focus on a sub two hour half marathon, I am getting the miles in just not the speed. So I have some races comming up and I am going to push the speed to see what I have in me. I am going to try making Friday's 5-8 a temp run at the HMP and see how that feels. Overall the relaxed run in the woods is what my body wants over the need for speed.

Cheers,
Tim

Weekend in the woods

Weekends are meant to relax and sometimes that happens and sometimes I go back to work on Monday looking forward to the rest of attending boring meetings all day to recharge the battery. Last week was hectic with my son’s Kindergarten celebration and my parents in town for the event so I didn’t get any runs in on Wednesday and Thursday which drove me nuts. See I have a schedule and I tend to get all out of sorts if I deviate from that schedule (hey, look at the butterfly syndrome coming into play). So after my parents left Friday morning, my son was on the bus and rain stopped I took off for a much needed run. It was a run of undecided length or time and nothing but latest Phidip Podcast to keep me entertained. The air was cool and crisp thanks to the rain of the morning and this was one of my favorite conditions to run in. The run was great and I did 6 miles and I felt like 12 would have been easy but regretfully due to the need to stay employed I ended my run and headed back home.

Saturday was another beautiful day and my wife and son went to an event for 4 hours leaving me with some down time. So, off I went to run the trails of West Hill Dam near my house. I did 6 miles and it was just so relaxing in the woods.

On Sunday morning I had planned to head out with my friend Jill at 7:30 for a run but it was pouring so we canceled the run. I stayed home, had breakfast with the family and watched a movie. Later in the afternoon the family took our Wii Bowling skills to the actual bowling alley for a fun family time. Later in the day I got a text from Jill and she came over to Northbridge to run the West Hill Dam trails and it was another amazing run in the woods since again we got the cool air from the post rain. We did 6.52 miles at a relaxed pace and it was a lot of fun.
So as much as I like the roads they just never offer me the enjoyment of how beautiful and tranquil Mother Nature is. I am not a religious person nor am I a touchy feely kind of guy but I do feel at peace running in the woods without the sounds or cars to bother me.

Please see the images below of where I ran this weekend and of course a great image of "Gracie" relaxing on our deck near the pool...
Cheers…

This is why I love to run

Today I had some time alone to run in the woods at a local park. As much as the roads are fun the quiet peace of the trails are just so relaxing. Went out for a relaxing 5 mile run.

Double A, Double D.... 40 year old diagnosis

Ok, it isn't the title to an adult movie....

Recently I started to get frustrated with my in ability to stay focus at work so I went online and for kicks and giggles I searched Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AADD) and took an online quiz and guess what I passed with flying colors.

So, I have just started meeting with a specialist and we are going to map out a plan to help me. It isn't like my life is miserable I just hate the working on a task and then "hey look at that butterfly" feeling. It also helps me explain my need for a structured plan (got to love a Marathon Training plan) and my need for order. It also helps me understand why when things get out of sync why I "loose it". So as much as I set out for this Blog to be running focus the blog will probably now have my ADD factored into the blog and how I use my marathon training to keep my focus in line..

So more to come, and yes I will make fun of this issue as it relates to me and I hope to not offend anyone but that is who I am.

Tim

Starting to get back into the grove...

So after a few days of consectitive mediocre runs the last couple weeks have been really nice. I am starting my half marathon training for my two fall half marathons (Portland Maine and the Baystate) on the last week of June. The goals for these two races are sub 2 hours for the half, this should be within my reach since I have run a 2:04:18 and that was with me "bonking" do to fuel and my training run at a relaxed pace in Hyannis was a 2:05.

The last week or so has me back out running 4-5 days a week and up to 8 miles on Sunday with about 18 to 25 miles per week. I am going to start adding in the speed workouts, tempo and hills over the next few weeks to add to my base and I would like to do a strong 10 mile run at 9:15 or less to test my fitness level.

I am going to follow a modified FIRST approach where I focus on hitting 3 KEY runs each week with specific distance and pace runs for each run. I want to then use 3-4 days during that week to cross train. If I follow the FIRST method to letter I will use those days for swimming, biking or rowing but I also like to run on Tuesday and Thursday with my friend Jill at work. Jill runs at a slightly slower pace then me (9:30 for 4-5 is about 85% of her max) so my 4 runs with her on those days is relaxing for me but most importantly I enjoy those runs and they keep me motivated to do my KEY runs. I will try to still do the cross training on those days while running.

I am wishing I was starting a marathon plan but my work schedule is looking BRUTAL so that isn't an option.

Ok, more to come.

Tim

Who runs at lunch?

Hello,

I have a day job because I can't seem to win the Powerball and I just can't seem to get out of bed during the week at 5 AM for a run so I have to run at lunch. Now call me weird but I actually rally like my lunch time runs. My office has a full service fitness center with showers and lockers so on most days I go over there with my friend Jill and we run between 3 and 5 miles depending on how we feel and what our schedules are like for the day. Now I work from home 2 days a weeks so this routine is my Monday, Tuesday and Thursday plan. I know that a lot of people do this but am I weird that I actually prefer these runs over sitting in the Cafe eating?

This weeks running has been a lot better then the prior week, the issue is purely mental and I guess this week I just have my head in the game.

Tim

Images from the Team Hoyt 5k

These are some images from the Team Hoyt 5k last week, 25:50:

Sorry for not updating my blog, no excuses

So, work has been insane, t-ball, end of the school year events and general family and household responsibilities have kept me busy. That I have had a real hard time staying focused on anything lately. My running quality has been crap, without a running plan I have turned a lot of 8 mile plans into 3 and a lot of 3 into 0. I have had some runs were I felt that this was my forst run ever and that has been tough. I did get to run 7 miles with Chris Russell and Buddy the wonder dog on the trails around my house and that was a good time. I learned a few things, these were things I knew but ignored. One was that I need to remind myself that I like to run and to run for that reason not to hit a target pace etc. The next thing is that I need to leave the gadgets at home and enjoy the experience of running and see what happens to my speed when I don't focus on it. The next thing is that maybe my best 5k pace of 8 minute mile is that pace because I have never tried to run a 7:00 minute pace and I need to just make that jump.

So, I ran a 5k in the 90 degree weather last night "naked", no Suunto, no Garmin nothing and it was really weird. The heat bothered me some and not nowing how far I was in the course was strange but I ran a 25:50 which when I think about it wasn't that bad, not a PR but enough of a positive experience that I will try that again.

So this weekend I plan to run on Sunday morning with just my HRM and run for 90 minutes and see what happens. I also took my road bike out today for the first time and I am going to try to go for 90 minutes on that tomorrow.

So more to come, let me know your thoughts.

Tim

My fall plans, only able to do a half not a full

Well I have been looking over my personal schedule for this fall, my work commitments and I don’t a fall marathon will fit into my schedule. I have a lot of projects around the house, some weddings and my work load in my day job is looking insane. Thus I am going to withdraw my lottery entry for the NYC marathon and focus on running two half marathons (Portland Maine 10/04, and the Baystate on 10/18).

In this tough economy my day job is pushing me to do a lot more with a lot less so I am looking at 60-80 hour work weeks starting in August through November so training 35 to 50 miles a week for a full marathon might lead me to divorce court. Thus training for a half marathon will be a lot more manageable and keep me out of divorce proceedings.

I have a PR of 2:04:18 in Portland from last year and I think that a sub two hour half marathon is a very realistic goal since in the past year I have gotten my race fueling under control. I am going to continue my 20-25 base mile training going between now and July when my 18 week training plan will begin. I am looking to add speed workouts and tempo runs into my base mile training to get my 5k time back to my 24:35 PR from last year (or faster). This will get me at the correct starting point for the paces I am looking to hit for my training plan.

In regards to training plans I have decided to use the FIRST Half Marathon Plan and here is my logic on why:

1. ) I like the idea of 3 key workouts focused on quality of quantity.

2.) I want to add Speed and Tempo runs into my training plan since to run a fast race I need to train at a fast pace.

3.) The concept of trading junk mile runs with cross training to reduce overtraining running injuries makes a lot of sense to me. I know I need to incorporate cycling, rowing, spinning and swimming into my routine to help with my aerobic conditioning without the wear and tear of adding running miles. This would replace the Tuesday and Thursday 3-5 mile runs I do with 30-50 minutes of cross training.

4.) I will utilize the Training Effect on my Suunto T3C to identify the appropriate effort level of my cross training equals the aerobic conditioning I would have gotten from the run. So if I do rowing I am more focused on hitting a Training Effect of a 3.0 for the effort which is what I would have gotten on a run.

5.) Add in my strength training and yoga.

6.) If this works for getting me below two hours then this might be plan for my next marathon.

I am open to ideas and opinions on this plan. I am like most of you, I need a plan that gets me prepared but at the same time deals with the reality of family commitments, work, sleep and sanity.

Cheers,
Tim

Back on the roads..

Well, I can say I am fully recovered from my 26.2 mile run on Patriot's day and when I look back I actually fared pretty well. I went out this past Sunday with my friend Rhonda for a very leisurely 5 run and it was what I needed to get the kinks out. I then decided a 4 mile run in the 93 degree heat to make sure my sweat glands were working and to remind me why I like running in 5 degrees over 93 degrees. I then did a great 5 mile run at 9:25 pace for all 5 and then a nice hill run yesterday.

So I got my running back now I just need to remember the cross training. So today I dusting off the bowflex, the bosu ball and kettlebell for a good weight workout. I need to get ready for the "half marathon challenge" next weekend. I am also thinking of doing the 100 push up challenge, anybody want to do it with me?

Oh, and this weekend I am going to Providence to watch my friend run his first half marathon. I am going to watch him off then run 6 miles downtown and then catch up with him at mile 9 or 10 to pace him in, now that is my idea of a good Sunday morning.

Cheers,
Tim

So what is this chunky runner up for next...

So the marathon was 4 days ago and I am already starting to plan what I want to do next. This list is still growing and I am still working on the specifics but here is an overview:

Ranked according to my perception of importance:

1. Get down from my current 215-220 weight range that I am fluctuating in to 195 pounds. I know what I need to do from a diet perspective and that is EAT the calories I need to loose weight which means eater more of the correct proportions (Carbs/Fat/Protein) that will both fuel my training and help me loose weight. I can only think that my next long race at 195 will be easier on me then my current weight. I also for once in my life want to "look" lean and for my body structure and height 195 should do it. I don't need to loose any more weight for my diabetes or high blood pressure but I want to for my own sake.
2. Add cross training into my running to work different muscles that I might not use if I just run and to help improve my aerobic conditioning while taking away some of the stress of just running. So I want to add lap swimming and cycling into my weekly routine.
3. This uncoordinated man who is as flexible as crowbar needs to learn some Yoga. I am terrible at stretching and I want to get myself into a daily routine that I can do to stay limber and improve my running.
4. My running goals are simple: Sub Two Hour 1/2 Marathon, Get back to my pre-calf injury 5K PR of 24:35 and do my summer 4 miler in 30 to 31 minutes. In regards marathons I want to train for another one and do it at the 4:30 pace I was shooting for in Boston and meet that goal.

So how do I put this plan into effect? Well I first off going to start using the Zone Diet method for my fueling needs. This method is not much of a calorie restriction plan as one of eating to %'s that are closer to what my Diabetes needs to function best. Also in the past I have been able to loose weight and maintain my training with this plan. I know exactly how many calories to consume to maintain my weight and to loose weight and to factor in training but the Zone allows me to easily break this down into blocks that I manage quicker. I just don't have the time to count every calorie or macro nutrient but that is what I need to do to make sure I eat enough. See for me the problem is I tend to not eat enough and my body goes into starvation mode and thus I am at the plateau that I am at.

In regards to training I first have to get back on the road for some runs and I will be doing that on Sunday for a leisurely 5 mile run. I next am planning on following through with my promise to SneakerSister to take the Half Marathon Circuit Challenge http://sneakersister.blogspot.com/search/label/HM%20Circuit%20Challenge

I am hoping to get my legs back and do this maybe next weekend.

So there is a lot more on these subjects to come, if any of you have feedback on using the Zone or workout plans such as Crossfit or P90x, I would love to hear your opinions.

Cheers,
Tim

Hey guess what I did on Monday....

THIS WILL BE A LONG POST, SO BE WARNED….

Ok, so it has been two days since I ran the 113th Boston Marathon and things are starting to get back to normal. My quads and knee joints are still considering litigation against me for excessive abuse….

So let’s take a look back at the event starting with Friday the 17th.

Friday the 17th:

I took this day as a vacation day to go into my son’s Kindergarten class and for him and my wife and me to go into the Expo at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. I had a lot of fun at my son’s school and his whole class made me a giant card wishing me well and to enjoy the race. It was a great way to start the weekend.

After attending the class the family headed to the Riverside MBTA Station to take the Green line into the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. It only took me about 1 minute to find someone else riding the train in for the same purpose and we had a great conversation on the way in. Once we got off the subway we made our way to the Expo and since it was day one of the Expo and we got there at 2:30 I had no idea of what to expect. The crowds were big but not over crowded and I was like a kid in a candy store. My goals for the Expo were the following:

* Buy my finishers Jacket.
* Buy a SPIbelt (http://www.spibelt.com/) to wear during the race to hold my bib number and my cell phone.
* Buy a pair of orange (that is my color) MOEBEN arm sleeves (http://www.moeben.com/).
* Pick up the official poster from Adidas that has all of the runner’s names on it.

So we went off to go shopping and we were able to get the jacket and find a line that wasn’t wrapped around the block. The SPIbelt that I got was great, I hadn’t seen those in the store only online and I didn’t want to pay shipping for it. It works as described and didn’t move or shake during the run. It cost me $22 but it is a nice gadget to have.

My next “had to have” was my arm sleeves. I had gone online and looked at the MOEBEN product and checked out there website. I liked the style and the UV protection so I emailed the owner to see if they came in orange and she said they did and she would have them at the Expo. So when I came upon the booth I enquired about them and spoke to the owner Shannon and she remembered my email. It turns out she made the orange just for me and was having them shipped to the Expo. I did a little more shopping and then came back to the booth just as they were arriving. The orange was great and they would match my orange Craft running shirt so I would be “color coordinated” and highly visible to friends and family in the sea of runners. Since these were a new color Shannon has offered to name the color after me so the orange will now be known as “Derv Orange” and it turns out that she sold out of that color within minutes of putting them out at the Expo. I wore them during the race and they were amazing. It was nice to be able to roll them up at the start of the race when it was cool and then as I warmed up roll them down. Also with the headwind we had coming into Boston they saved my life since it went from cold to hot real fast.

If you check out this clip (about 20 seconds in) you can see me wearing them as I do a shout out to my wife and son (http://wbztv.com/video/?id=75681@wbz.dayport.com).

So, if you are in search of the versatile gear for those in between runs take a look at Shannon’s website (http://www.moeben.com/) and just think how “styling” you would be wearing a pair of the “Derv Orange” arm sleeves. I know I was, and at mile 13 when all these college girls at Wellesley wanted to kiss just me it was because of the Moeben arm sleeves.

After leaving the Expo with 6 bags and the great feeling of personally having stimulated the economy the family headed out for Faneuil Hall in Boston for dinner. We had a great dinner and then ventured back to Riverside after a very long day. My only complaint with the Expo was that the concrete floors killed my back but that is to be expected.

Saturday the 18th:

Well Saturday was a day of last minute errands, t-ball practice, Respite Center Runners Picnic and my Carbo Loading dinner with family and friends. It was great to get together with all of the families that depend on the Respite Center to get motivated for the run on Monday. The Carbo loading dinner was a great time with good wine and friends.

Sunday the 19th:

This was my day of rest and the only thing I did besides riding the couch was take a ride to the starting line in Hopkinton. I live two towns over (20 minute car ride) from the starting line. So my wife, son (Alex) and my brother-in-law Barry drove over to check things out and get some pictures. I just thought that on race day it might be hard to get some pictures of me on the starting line. After we checked that out I went home to put my feet up and relax for the day. Since this was the day before the race my diet for the day was limited to a big breakfast and then real bland food for the remainder of the day and no solids after 7 PM. My goal was to avoid my common pitfall of having pizza or something else before going to bed the night before the race and thus having “issues” once I get into the run. I have had problems in the past were 4-6 miles into the run my body thinks it needs to visit the bathroom and I really wanted to avoid that at all cost for Monday. So I stuck to my fueling plan and limited my solids and it worked. I went to bed at 9:00 PM and set the alarm for 3:30 AM and it did take me awhile to fall asleep, go figure.

RACE DAY:

Morning routine:

3:30 AM wakeup and quality time eating 3 ½ cups of unsweetened applesauce while watching infomercials in my Snuggie. The rest of the family awoke at 5:00 AM and we dropped my son off at his friend’s house for the day at 6:30 AM and then off to Hopkinton.

6:50 AM we arrived and parked in Hopkinton and I jumped on the runner’s bus and my wife and Barry took the spectator’s bus. The spectators went right to downtown and I headed to the athlete’s village to drop off my bag. The athlete’s village was cool and it looked like a “squatter’s town” and it took me about an hour to drop off my bag.

8:00 AM I had dropped off my bag and walked to the Respite Center to hang out till it was time to get into my corral.

Starting Time:

Well I went to the corrals and lined up in the 25th corral with my friend Aimee and the start was very smooth and it took me 8 minutes to get to the starting line.

Once we crossed the starting line it got a little pushy and the flow of people pushed the crowd into a 9:50 pace. I just tried to not get run over and not run to fast. It was very funny to see the rush of people to the woods on the left to “water the plants”, I myself waited till mile 3 to do the same. My pace through the first 5 miles was MP minus 10 seconds. I overall felt great through the first 15 with an average pace of around 10:20, it was about then that I ran into issues with cramping in my legs. It felt like I was about to get a “Charlie horse” so it forced me to stop and walk it out. This run, stop right before the cramp hit, walk and then repeat followed me through to the finish line.

Here are some of disappointments of the day:

Didn’t maintain my target MP pace. I wanted a 10 minute pace and my prior runs on the route were MP+10 for 16 and MP+15 for 21. The difference in those runs from race day was weather, nerves, and my race time had breaks excluded from the time.

The cramping. I drank water at each stop so I thought my hydration was good but I should have kept track of “how much” I consumed. I am also the type that once things start to happen I tend to let it get the best of me. I need to work on the mental part of this sport.

Having to WALK the hills, I didn’t have to do this in my run in the rain.

Now, don’t read into this that I don’t appreciate what I was able accomplish in my short running history and for my first marathon. I am very proud of myself and the fact that I FINISHED MY FIRST MARATHON, I am just my biggest critic on what I need to do to improve on this for my next race.

What went well and what memories will I always cherish:

Having the pleasure to run the 113th running of the Boston Marathon and share this experience with friends and family.

Raising over $6000 for the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center in this tough economy.

Being part of the wave of 26,385 registered runners leaving Hopkinton with the same goal and love of this sport.

Meeting up with my wife and brother-in-law at mile 17.

Meeting up with Mary McManus and her daughter at mile 19 and being inspired that if she can run with Post Polio then what do I have to complain about.

Getting kissed by the Wellesley college girls.

Seeing the CITGO sign as I approached Kenmore Square.

Turning left on to Boylston and running for the finish line with the crowd cheering.

Righting my name on the front of my shirt and having strangers yell “Run Derv Run” for 26.2 miles.

Finishing in 4:57:23 miles with the resolve to do this again.

The respect for the distance, the jump from 21 to 26.2 miles was huge…

Over the next couple of weeks I will further dissect parts of the race and things I did well at and things that I know I need to do differently at such as cross training and yoga for flexibility. At this time my quads are still very mad at me but once they forgive I will get back out for a short 3 mile run. I want to start working on my goal to get to 198 pounds and prepare for some 5k and 4 mile road races in June and July.

So thank you for all of you who followed my progress it meant a lot to me.

Cheers,
Tim

Brief note

Hello,

I wanted to just let everyone know that I completed the 113th Boston Marathon in 4:57:23. I will go into to all the details later this week but overall it was a great race. I am happy to have finished and other then some leg cramping on my inner quads for the last 9 miles it went well. I will not lie to you it was a hard run and I learned a lot.

So more to come.

Tim

Quick update

Hello,

I will go into more detail later but I just wanted to let everyone know that I am READY....

I went into the Expo yesterday and if I can recover the pictures from the camera I dropped I will have some great images to share.

I have some nice products to tell you about and I look forward to sharing this with all of you.

Tim

P.s. I met up with Steve Runner and John Ellis.

Tim

Last run in the training plan

One week to go, and I am really looking forward to the day. My training began in November of 2007 when I first stepped on to the treadmill with my iPod and hit the play button on week 1 of 9 for the PodRunner podcast for the “Couch to 5k” program but the actual training for this marathon began on December 15th of last year. I followed a program that I created with the help of an experienced runner friend to allow me to run for 60 minutes four days a week and a long run. This was the only schedule that would allow me to keep my job, stay married and not forget my son.

Since the start of this training here are my totals:

72 runs
Average duration of 1:10:38
Total time spent running of 83:36:02
Average Pace of 10:25 minute mile
Average Distance of 6.8 miles
3 runs of 20 miles or greater
6 runs of 15 miles or greater
Total miles of 487.9 miles

When I look back at this it seems so minor compared to those that run 50-70 miles per week but I can tell you as someone with a family, job and a life outside of the running this was a major time commitment. I am very happy with my training and I believe I am prepared to lace up my shoes and run next week.

For those of you following me online the day of the race I will be thinking of you, for those of you running or watching on the race route I will be the big guy wearing Orange, and for those watching on TV just look for the lead pack and then count back 20,000 runners and that should be me…

As I ran my last run this weekend, I snapped this picture to show everyone that I am smiling and that I am prepared for this journey.

Tim

not a bad night

So I went to see Dr. Ledesma at Central Mass Podiatry and had some x-rays taken of the right foot and nothing was found for breaks. He was able to adjust my orthotic with some foam on the inside to see if we can make it fit better. He thinks it is a soft tissue problem on the outside of the foot from over training. So I am just going to suck it up and put my toe on the line in Boston and ignore the pain. 

Then tonight I went to the local High School with my wife and son (Alex) and Gracie the bulldog. I ran along side my son as he did the .35 mile loop on his bike. I did a nice 2 mile jog with no issues/pain. The highlight of the night and my training to date was when my son asked to run with me and him and I ran the .35 loop together. He had to stop a few time, but didn't we all we just started out, I did.

It was nice to look down at him and think that I hope that we will be able to do this together again for years to come.

Have a good night and hug your kids if you can because it is a tough job that is 24/7 but the simple things make it worth the effort.

Tim

Interview with one of my running consultants

Video Update #1

Here is my first try for a video update on training:

Let me know what you think of these.

Tim

Beware of Youth...

Ok, so on Sunday I had planned to do 15 or 16 at a relaxed pace of 10:30 and if I felt up to it maybe run the middle 6-8 at a 10:00 pace. Well, that was the idea and if I didn’t run with a twenty something runner for the day I might have stuck to it. I ran with Matt C and we just couldn’t find that slower pace and we ran the 15 miles at a 9:45 pace. I don’t know if it was the faster pace or the fact that I didn’t get my normal 20 miles in during the week or that my body is getting tired but the hills on the route just seemed bigger yesterday and my feet seemed to be heavier. Prior to this run my issue with the right foot had subsided and I wasn’t feeling any discomfort but 3-4 miles in I started to feel like I was running with some strange object under my right arch. Now I have orthotics because I am flat footed and have no arches and I have 250+ miles on these orthotics without any issue, and the left foot feels fine so I don’t know what the issue is.

I finished the run and the pain is less then the week before but I am going to try and rest over the next two weeks. I plan on only running once or twice this week and substitute the other runs with some rowing or elliptical work. Next Sunday I have 10 miles scheduled but I am going to cross train for two hours instead. I want to maintain my conditioning but I don’t want to risk aggravating the foot more then I need to.

Here are the details from the 15 miler:

Mile 1: 9:34
Mile 2: 9:39
Mile 3: 9:57
Mile 4: 9:57
Mile 5: 9:35
Mile 6: 9:41
Mile 7: 9:32
Mile 8: 9:41
Mile 9: 9:37
Mile 10: 9:44
Mile 11: 10:00
Mile 12: 10:03
Mile 13: 9:47
Mile 14: 9:55
Mile 15: 9:45

My next update will be a look back at the preparation to date for this marathon and the lessons learned.

Cheers,
Tim

Paranoid...

If you have ever been injured in this sport or another you always have that injury in the back of your head. Before running I wasn't active and a sports related injury was when my remote control finger fell asleep on me and I had to switch to an alternate finger. So when I started running I got an overuse injury on my right calf that kept me off the road for 8 weeks then a stress fracture in my left foot while running the Portland Half Marathon took me out for 4 weeks. Since those two injuries if I get swelling on my calf due to a bug bite I start thinking it is a calf issue and I am out for another 6 weeks....

So after my 21 mile run in the monsoon this past Sunday my right foot started to bother me when I walked similar to the stress fracture I had, so the PARANOIA was really bad. I was smart though, I decided that I had more to gain from rest then 3-4 short runs through the week and thus rested on Monday as I normally due and swapped my Tuesday and Wednesday 4-5 mile runs with some time on the elliptical machine (thanks for the advice Mr. Ellis).

I was not feeling any pain today or yesterday so I went out today for a 3 mile run around my office and felt great with NO discomfort. My goal is to get in 5-8 miles tomorrow and then my scheduled 16 mile long run on Sunday. I am going to try and run the first 4 miles @ MP+30 then the middle 8 at MP or faster and then the last 4 @ MP+30.

So the morale of the story is that I am getting old and sometimes my body needs to remind me that for 38 of my 40 years it was use to riding the couch and that I have asked it to do a lot in the last 2 years. I don't have the heart to tell my body about my plans for my50th birthday, I am thinking 50 miler is a good goal or to qualify for Boston....

Cheers,
Tim

Nice weather if you are a DUCK....

Yesterday was my last big run as I prepare for my first marathon on April 20th in Boston. The run was sponsored by the Hopkinton Running Club and it was a 21 mile run from the starting line to the Boston College campus at mile 21. The running club charged non members $12 and it included 4 water stops on the route and transportation back to the start line. The event was very well planned and I would definitely do it again.

So, around here it was a beautiful day on Saturday with clear skies and temps in the 50’s to 60’s. As I ran my weekend errands it was great to hear everyone say “enjoy the day and the weather because nobody in there right mind wants to be outside tomorrow” and all I could do was ignore the comment and watch my wife snicker under her breath because she knew one fool that would be out there with Noah and his ark on Sunday.

I got up at 3:30 AM on Sunday to fuel for my run by eating my unsweetened applesauce, my banana while watching TV and sitting with my “Snuggly” that my son bought me for my birthday. I had to pick up my friend Aimee at 6:30 to be at the start for 7:00 AM and other then being up at that time all went well. I decided to go with running pants over shorts and I am glad I did that, I also left my new New Balance 769’s at home and took out my older shoes for a good soaking. I wore my windbreaker and my running cap which helped keep the rain off my face and the jacket did the best it could to keep my dry. The smartest thing I did was grab my running gloves as they saved my life on the run.

The start of the run was in a steady mist and soon picked up to a light rain by the time we got to Framingham. My goal was to not run any faster then a 10 minute pace for the first 16 miles and to finish with hopefully a 10:30 pace or better. There were 4 of us who started off at 7:00 (Matt, Carl, Aimee and I) and it soon became apparent that Matt and Carl were going to run a faster pace then I wanted to so Aimee and I let them go ahead. Once we got to Natick the rain picked up and it rain pretty steady through to Wesley. We tried to avoid the puddles but at a certain point that just became a useless thought since our shoes were soaked.

The run through to mile 16 went well and we were running a 10:10 average and then we started the hills after Newton Lower Falls. I had run to this spot once before and so anything after this was uncharted territory for me so I had no idea what the hills would be like. These hills were demanding but not as bad as I thought. We never stopped to walk the hills and we managed to pick up the pace on the climbs and I actually liked that there was a short level stretch after each climb. Since I had never run or driven up “Heartbreak Hill” I had no idea where it was so when I finished the hill and got to our buses I was happy to stop and get into dry clothes but I wasn’t wiped out and if I had to I could have kept going.

We ran the 21 miles at an average 10:15 pace and my fueling through the run worked fine, no “bonking” and no cramps. My only real issues were that I didn’t follow 100% my pre-run fueling plan of limiting fiber and solids the day before and that caused the need to stop on the route (thank God there are at least 200 Dunkin Doughnuts on the course with restrooms). So I need to address this before race day because I don’t want to have to do that on the course again. I was very happy to get back on the school bus and get into some dry clothes. It was funny to see 50 strangers opt for warm clothes and disrobe on the bus full strangers, most of us lost any sense of shyness or humility at mile 17 in the rain. I never wanted to get out my clothes faster in my life. We had a great ride back to Hopkinton sharing war stories about the run, prior races and marathon tips. As much as I like to share my love of the sport with my friends online it was nice to talk face to face with other obsessive compulsive people who would lace up there shoes on a raining day and run 21 miles instead of staying in there pajamas watching Meet the Press….

Also, thank you for those of you who heard me on the Runners Roundtable and dropped me a line, I haven’t listened to it yet so I don’t know how bad I sounded. I would be honored if you followed my blog and my progress on Patriots Day. If you have time drop me a line with your bib number if you are running Boston so I can check your status when I get home. I am also up for meeting for lunch on Saturday the 18th in Boston for anyone who wants to meet?

Cheers,

Tim Doiron

Compete versus Complete

I had the pleasure yesterday of being a guest panelist on the Runners Roundtable podcast (http://runnersroundtable.com/) and the topic was about race fueling and the main was guest was Anthony (http://runbikeorswimtoday.blogspot). I really enjoyed being part of the show and I know I will cringe when I listen to it on my next run and wonder why I made a fool of myself.

I was on the show to offer a different perspective on fueling since as a Type 2 diabetic my needs are different then others. The one thing from the discussion that I can’t get out of mind is the comment on the needs for runners “who run to compete versus those who run to complete”. Now I know the comment was NOT made in a derogatory manor and it wasn’t made in any manor that lessens the accomplishments of those who run with the sole goal of “finishing” the 26.2 race, but it did strike a nerve for me.

As a new runner I have always viewed the marathon as task that was beyond my reach because prior to November 2008 I didn’t run, thus I would never fool myself into thinking that a marathon was something I could do. When I began running I set small goals, being able to finish a 5K, then a 10K and then a half marathon. Once I completed my first race the thought of running a marathon for my 40th birthday did pop into the back of my head. Thanks to the help of some friends, that new a lot more then me about running, I was able to set the realistic goal of a half marathon first then the full marathon. It was also with the help of guidance from a lot of people that I learned that running to “complete” was an appropriate goal and that I needed to get the notion of time out of my head. Now I am a competitive person by nature, so this has been a tough pill to swallow.

I am now training for my first marathon which will be the 113th running of the Boston Marathon, I am running for a charity but that doesn’t lessen my right to be there. I am training like everyone else; since this is my first marathon I am fortunate to know that I am guaranteed a PR in this run so I have no expectations of a specific time I need to get. When I put my toe on line in on Patriots day (I am in corral #23 so I am hoping it is still Patriots Day when I get to cross the starting line) I am competing in every sense of the word. I am competing with all of those people including myself that said I couldn’t run, I am competing with myself for the strength to stand behind my training and not retreat, I am competing for my family. Now my family is going to love me regardless of my time, so I don’t need to impress them with a sub 4 hour finish, I just need to follow through with what I told them I was going to do which is run a marathon. So again, I know that the comment wasn’t made in a way shape or form to downplay the goals of runners it was meant to describe the goals for fueling but I just need to clarify that I am competing in the Boston Marathon by preparing to complete it.

Thank you to all of you who said I couldn’t do this, I hope to prove to you on the 20th that I can. If you want to follow my progress on that day my bib # is 23714.

Who doesn't like the beach

On the 15th of March, I turned 40 and as a present my family took me away to Wells Maine for a little “family fun time” at the beach and pool. My wife loves the beach so even if it is to cold to play in the waves once you get my wife near the salt water she starts thinking of any way possible for us to move to the ocean. I can’t really blame her since we both grew up in Maine and were never that far from the ocean being in Northbridge (which is landlocked) is tough. So we do what we always do when my wife gets to the beach, we look at houses we would buy and we bought a lottery ticket and played the “what if game” all weekend.

We drove up after work on Thursday and settled in to a nice resort for the weekend that was pretty empty. The goal of the weekend was to relax and enjoy the time together and since the hotel came with food vouchers I decided to do my long run on Friday instead of Sunday so that I didn’t have to spend the entire weekend watching what I ate to make sure I didn’t have issues on the 20 mile run scheduled. Also, I would have spent the whole weekend driving my wife nuts as I planned out the run so getting it over on Friday made the most sense.

The alarm clock went off at 4:30 AM on Friday and I rose to start the fueling plan of applesauce as usual and relax for my 7:00 departure. I was out the door at 7:00 AM and took off from the hotel on Route 1 South to Ogunquit and then left on Shore Road past Cape Nedick to the Route 1A intercept then turn around and head back. The run on Route 1 was fine, there was traffic but the road was wide enough that I had no issues. I enjoyed Shore Road and running parallel to the ocean but Shore Rd was not as flat as I thought it would be and it was more rolling, similar to my runs around my house. The elevation wasn’t a problem for me as I wanted to stick to a 10:30 pace and did so for the entire run. My fueling was fine and I really enjoyed the run. I did the 20 miles in 3 hours and 29 minutes and other then some minor cramping in my inner quads upon stopping I was fine that day and the next.

I was so glad I did the run on Friday as it was nice to eat what I wanted for the rest of the weekend and rest on Saturday. On Sunday, the day we were checking out, I awoke at 4:30 AM and got out at 5:00 AM for a 7 mile run. I ran right along the water and it was nice and FLAT and being able to hear the waves and watch the sunrise was really beautiful.

Overall another great week of running with close to 40 miles logged in and “knock on wood” no injuries. I am looking forward to doing 21 miles on the race route this coming Sunday as my final test of my training. I want to run this at my MP to see how it feels.

Cheers,
Tim
Bib # 23714 for Boston

Looking back at my first year

Last year I ran my very first road race ever last March on my birthday (the 15th). It was a great day, I had never run a race before and I went with my wife and son. The course is suppose to be 4 miles but it is about 3.73 and there is a hill at the start and then a really steep and nasty hill at the end. This was by no means a well organized race but I will always think highly of this race because it was my first race. I ran the course last year in 33:44 and had to stop on the last hill to walk a portion but if you had asked anyone who talked to me that day, I was on top of the world. On that day I also had the pleasure of meeting Steve Runner from the “Phedippidations Podcast” (http://steverunner.com/) who lives in the town of Oxford where the race is run. I have been a big fan of Steve’s podcast and I was excited to find out he lived two towns over from me and that he was going to run the same race that I was. So we met for the first time last year and talked before the race and the nicest thing happened, he waited at the finish line to cheer me on as I crossed. I know it is corny but my wife and son cheered me on but that is to be expected, I was surprised to see someone I had just met an hour before do such a thing.

After the race I have stayed in contact with Steve via annoying “What if” emails for the last year and he has always taken the time to answer my dumb questions. I still follow his podcasts and look forward to listening to them on my long runs each week. So this year when I found out he was running the Clara Barton again I really look forwarded to meeting with him again. So on Saturday of this past week I headed to Oxford for a beautiful spring day and to challenge myself to the hills of Oxford again. When I spoke to Steve this year I told him my only real goal was to be able to cheer “him” on he crossed the finish line…

The thing I like about Steve Runner the best is I can relate to him since he is very similar in age and ability. Sometimes getting advice from those that are just so far better then you in skill makes it hard to relate. In the case of Steve there is all this information from someone who is like me a middle aged, middle of the pack runner. If you haven't had the chance to listen to his podcast please do you will not be disappointed.

So the race went well and I finish strong with no stopping on the hills and a 4:56 minute pace sprint to the finish for a time of 31:37. Most importantly Steve was ever as kind as to slow his pace down to come in about 2 minutes behind me, again his generosity amazes me. The one thing I just found out is that I registered as a 39 year old because I wasn't 40 till Sunday and if I had registered as 40 I would have come in 2nd in my division, this is a point that my wife finds very humerous...

After the race I went home and prepared for my Sunday long run of 15 miles. I was looking forward to this weeks run to redeem myself from last week. This week I ran with Matt, who is also running for the Respite Center and after him getting lost we met at 7:15 in Northbridge to head out. The goal was to run no slower then 10:30 pace and we stuck to a 10:00 pace for the entire 15.25 mile run. So I redeem myself during my rest week with some nice quality runs and I am looking forward to my last two 20 mile + runs before the taper.

As I look back over the year of my running it is hard to believe I have run over 10 races including 2 half marathons, I have built my conditioning up to handle 20 mile runs and at the same time loved every moment of this journey. I am grateful for the support my wife and son have given to my obsessive compulsive behavior and my quest to run a marathon, I grateful to have met people like Steve Runner and call him a friend and a resource and I am thankful for the ability to run and the fact that at 40, I am now in the best shape of my life and I am starting to think that I might have a chance to finish Boston.

Thank you everyone for helping me get to be 40 and to look forward to the journey ahead.

some runs are better then others

Well after a great 20 mile run with Aimee the previous week I was looking forward to another great 20 mile run, but things happen….

Thanks to day light savings time my desire to be on the road for 7:00 AM, I had to wake up at 4:30 AM which was 3:30 AM. I had my normal pre long run breakfast and I thought everything was fine and headed out. I changed up my route this week to start at Plumbers Landing and run up to Quaker then School then to Grafton and up Ferry to Hill then DOWN Sutton Street which is a 2 mile decent to build my quads then 122 to Uxbridge and then back to Northbridge via the golf course to Main street and finish with a ½ hill climb and then back down.

I just couldn’t get into the 10:30 per mile pace and stuck to the 11:00 per mile pace which frustrated me. It wasn’t because of a high HR or fatigue I just couldn’t settle into that pace on all the ups and down. I also started running into stomach issues at mile 2, 7 and 9. Since I changed my diet on the days before and the day of the long runs I have been fine so this was really frustrating and just mentally beat me up. I refused to quit and got to the top of Main Street and decide 18 was enough for the day and to skip the last hill part and of course this 2 mile shortage is still eating at me. Overall I had a good week with close to 40 miles.

I am looking forward to this week since it is my pullback week. I will still do my four 5 mile runs but one of them will be a 4 mile race on Saturday and Sunday’s long run will be 15. I want to get quality runs in this week with control of the target pace. I need to get ready for the final two long runs of over 20 miles that take place 3/21 and 3/28.

This week I went into Boston to the BAA Charity seminar and it was very informative. I cam away with the understanding that I need to “PACE not RACE” Boston and that this will be the event of a life time. I am also thinking that the amount of time needed to train for a marathon might limit me to one a year and then run some half marathons in addition to the one marathon. It isn’t that I don’t have time it is that my family doesn’t have time and I need to keep there needs in mind.

On a funny note I got home yesterday to find my son lounging around relaxing and when he asked how many miles I ran and I said 18 he immediately responded “I thought you were going to run 20”. And you wonder why the 18 bugged me all day….

This week I am just going to enjoy running my last few miles as a "thirty something" man...

20 is a magical number

After last weeks half marathon in Hyannis I set back into my normal four 5 mile runs through the week and things went well. In looking at the weather report for the upcoming weekend I decided to move my normal Sunday long run to Saturday because of the pending show storm coming in on Sunday. I teamed up this week with a new runner, Aimee, she is also training for Boston and had 16 scheduled for the week. So to accommodate her needs and mine, I simply met her 1.5 miles into the run and plan to run 16 with her then head home for 19.

We had great weather, about 35 degrees and some headwinds but overall very pleasant. I committed this run to stick to my fueling religiously and not add any additional fuel and that worked very well. My second goal was to run this between 10:30 and 10:45 pace and I was able to do that. So due to some bad mapping on my part the 19 turned into 20 and the last three was UPHILL so with 20 miles in 3:29:39 I was thrilled with the run and the progress made with training. Then the best reward came on Sunday when there wasn’t an alarm clock in the house turned on and I could sleep in.
So another good week of 37 miles on the books and I am looking forward to this weeks training (I know I am sick in the head)…

Cheers
Tim

Race report, friends made and things to be greatful for.

Ok for the solo sport that running is where only I can pick up my two feet (or kind of shuffle) at times and move along, there is a great social atmosphere to the task of running. I was never involved with group sports after T-Ball so this is all new to me. I began running a little over a year ago and I have run about 10 races and I am always amazed at how many people I meet at these events and enjoy doing such. Now as a disclaimer I am extremely outgoing and not shy at all, I would talk to a rock if I could. So put me in an event with a group of like minded people and I will be heaven. I love the fact that regardless of how fast or slow people are we all share the same passion.

This past weekend I took the family to Hyannis for the Hyannis Marathon so I could run the half marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday. We arrived on Saturday and the hotel was not as ideal as it could have been mostly because of location so next time I will spend the $20 extra and stay at the hotel at the race and not 2 miles down the road.

So, how was the race? It was well organized and the weather was over cast, 35 degrees and a 10 mph wind with threats of rain in the afternoon. I got up 3 hours ahead of schedule as planned, had my morning fuel (got to love 3 cups of unsweetened applesauce) and got to the race for 8:30 AM. Once I got there I found some rug and made myself comfortable. It only took me minutes to start talking to a guy who was running the full marathon and then to meet another Mainer who was also running the full. He lives in the same town as my grandparents and came in 2nd overall in the marathon. After fighting the portal potty lines I made my way to start and met up with my friend Steve who was running the 10k. I lined up between the 9 minute and 10 minute group and when the gun went off and the crowd took about a mile to break up.

About 2 miles in I met up with another runner and you guessed it, I started a conversation that went for the entire race. The start of the race went well but while chatting with my new friend Jill we got into an 8:30-8:45 pace and that was way to fast and that came back to haunt me at the end. After 3-4 miles of this fast pace we settled into a 9:12 and the miles went well. I managed to talk to my new friend the whole run and it made the miles go by, but holding a conversation at 85%-90% HR is a chore. We stayed together until mile 12.5 then I faded about 40 seconds back but still finished strong. Compared to my first half were I crossed the finish line completely spent and drained I felt great yesterday. Though I didn’t beat my PR 2:04:18 (I finished 2:05:41) I learned a lot from the run and had a great run.

Here are my lessons learned:

I was coming off a rest week that I had to cut my miles by 70% to baby my calves and my longest run in 2 weeks was 5 miles, so my conditioning was still good and since my calves didn’t bother me it was a smart idea.

Cons/Mistakes:

I need to stick to my PACE and not try to go out to fast since it will not help you in the end. I would have been better to religiously stick to 9:20-9:30 for the first 10 and then have the reserves to turn it up for the last 5k.

I followed my fueling plan for the 2 days before and the morning of but during the race I “improvised” and that was STUPID. I added fuel between my normal 2 mile intervals thinking it would help and it most likely hurt and was to blame for the lack of steam I felt at mile 12.5 and that was just dumb.

I need to add tempo runs in on Fridays and run the middle at MP or faster.

Pros/Things I did right:

I didn’t get injured, no stress fractures.

Other then stopping to wait for someone to use the portal potty I didn’t stop because I had to.

I ran a fun race and enjoyed myself and met a lot of nice people.

So overall I had a great weekend with my family, made some new friends and met some web friends in person. I try not to get caught up on running times and pace but it is tough I need to remember that this is suppose to be fun and in the grand scheme of things my friends and family are not going to care if I run a 1:58 or a 2:05 so I need to lighten up.

My friend Mary McManus ran the half in 3:28:19 with her husband Tom, that amount of time out in the NE weather is more dedication to the sport then I can imagine. I think it is tougher to be slower then the pack because the amount of time you need to put in is significantly longer then most, in some cases they are taking down the signs, closing up water stations, turning the lights out and going home while you are running and I always respect these runners because at least they are “doing it” and not sitting on there but. So, Mary and Tom great race and remember the medal they gave to the winner, the one I got and the one you got are all the same and I checked and they don’t write the time on the back so savor the “bling”. If you ever need someone to pace you for another half let me know.

Thank you everyone, to the friends I met and to my family for tolerating my new compulsive obsession, it has made me a healthier, thinner and a better man. It is hard to believe but I am actually looking forward to my 40th on 03/15, I am healthier then I was when I was 20 and I have family and friends to share it with.

So remember:

“The will to win means nothing if you haven’t the will to prepare”

Juma Ikangaa 1989 NYC Marathon Winner

Cheers,
Tim

Dose of humble pie, return of the calf issue

Ok, so my running was going great, I was running 35+ miles a week, the new fueling plan was working and I was maintaining my MP in my runs. I was even thinking of pushing the upcoming half marathon for a PR instead of a MP-10 run but that has all changed. I have had issues in the past with my calves and through some stability work, some physical therapy and overall care they have been fine but that changed last week. After 3-4 weeks of Dreadmill running then hitting the open roads and these roads are not flat my calves began to protest and demanded some TLC. So last week was my rest week and I was to cut back to four 5 mile runs and a 12 mile long run but I wound up only doing 4 on Tuesday and 5 on Sunday and spent the rest of the week with the TP Therapy to try and get the knots out. It was more of a fear of tearing or straining the calves again and being out for 4-6 weeks that drove me to rest and I am hoping that was the correct action. I am feeling better this week and I will go back to my normal schedule this week and hope that the calves are better. So everybody out there keep your fingers crossed and remember that it requires a dose of humble pie every once in a while to remind you to keep your goals in check.

Week 10 update

Wow it is hard to believe that the Boston Marathon is 68 days away, as much as I am looking forward to the day getting here, I need as much time to train as possible. The training is going very well and I am feeling very confident at this point that my plan is preparing me for the race.

I am averaging about 35-40 miles per week with 5 runs per week. I have gotten up to 17.5 miles on my Sunday morning runs which are very time consuming and eats up the majority of my day. The thing about my long runs that are keeping me positive is that the pace has been right on, I did 16 on the race route at my MP and I did 17.5 this past Sunday on a very hilly route at MP+45.

So at this point the miles pick up to 18, 19, 20 then 22 and this is where I will push my training to the max but it will make the marathon all that much easier (who am I kidding?). My next test is the Hyannis Half Marathon on 02/22. This is a flat course and with my new fueling plan I am looking to run the firs 5 miles at 9:10-9:15 and if that feels good I will continue that steady pace through 11 and then give the last 2 miles 100% of what I have to get a new PR. If the 9:15 doesn’t seem possible then I will settle back into a slower 9:40 pace and enjoy the race.

Cheers,
Tim

Midway into week 16 of my Boston training

Hello,

I hope everyone had a nice holiday? My holiday was nice, I was a good boy last year so Santa was nice to me. I got some running gear, some clothes etc and the little man (Alex, who is now 6) had a great holiday. Santa brought the family a Wii so that has been a lot of fun. Well a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. Here is the update:

• I was using the Furhman FIRST Marathon training plan but I was having a hard time getting the cross training sessions in and thus the 3 runs per week were not going to cut it. So I did some sole searching and talked a lot with friends and did a lot of searching on the web and I have decided to go with a plan that works for me. I am able to run 60 minutes per day during the work week at any one time and I need to rest atleast once over the weekend to handle the needs of every day life so I am going to run Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri and Sunday with Sunday as my LTR, Friday as a tempo run and Wed as Speed and Hills and the other days for easy runs. This will bring me to 35-50 per week which is more realistic.
• The health of my calves and left foot have been great and I have not had any pain since getting the orthotics

Overall, training is now going well and I am enjoying getting the miles in even if it means running on New Years Day when it is 7 BELOW ZERO....

Tim