A Numbers Game

EugeneGreenie wrote:Thanks Mark!

Right now my biggest fear is getting sick, like a cold...I can't believe how many people wear it as a badge of honor that they come to work sick with no regard that they are infecting all their workmates with their presence.

All I have to say is: "get over yourself, you are not THAT important."

I might start wearing a mask to protect MYSELF....or maybe I will keep a stack at my desk and give them to people at the first indication they are sick.

E Greenie<--I may stay on this soapbox for a while...

I certainly understand your concern. I always 100% of the time get sick before my goal races. It really sucks and that is probably the biggest thing I need to figure out. It almost seems that it is the anticipation of the race that brings it on. Perhaps I will try Emergen-C or Airborne as I begin my taper. Best of luck at keeping the sick people out.

Thanks Tim. Yes, Emergen-C seem to work for me...they have a great one called Joint Health that I have used as well...

Today was my last super long run before Humboldt. I headed down to the Row River Trail because I haven't been there in almost a year, and we have a friend who lives up the road, so we planned a stop after the run.

http://go.nike.com/02cvblb0

As you can see, I park at the middle. DH and I ran down towards town before heading back up to the car for a quick pit stop and water (10 miles done). I tucked a GU into my waist band and headed up the trail for 5.5 miles, turned around and ran back down (21 miles total). This mimics my race in terms of elevation and support, and I am glad that DH did the first half with me and I did the second half alone. It was good to know that I can run it alone when I am tired. Humboldt is small. The hardest thing about the actual race will be to not get pulled along at a too fast pace for the first half.

I did fine, but I can tell I was tired. I did not fuel well, and i should have taken water. All fixable.

The sweetest thing was that when I got back to the car, my friend had driven out to find us, and dropped off a pint of chocolate milk. It was in my seat waiting for me. So welcome and thoughtful. Her daughter is a runner, so she asked what I might like and that is what her daughter suggested. Smart girl. Then when we got to her house, she had bagels with butter AND cream cheese waiting for me.

So, all in all a good day! Tomorrow is the ten miler, which I have decided to run after all, as a MP run. I just want to get in the miles when I am tired.

Monday: a massage....ahhhh.....

Life is soooooo good.

E Greenie<--I can't believe I ate the whole thing........

Oh wow oh wow oh wow.

Today was the 10 miler. I went into it planning to run marathon pace (8:50s), and maybe I did, a new marathon pace.

The weather was gorgeous and the course was well marked. There were lots of sweet, friendly volunteers.

I started in the middle of the pack and worked my way up, ending up running a nice progression run. I finally (at 8 miles and change) positioned myself behind two guys who would not let me through, and that was fine. Another guy caught me at the end and I cheered him on to the finish.

'cause remember, I ran 21 miles yesterday.

1 8:42
2 8:50
3 8:22
4 8:26
5 8:14
6 8:17
7 8:23 (stopped and got a volunteer to help me take off my outer shirt)
8 8:09
9 8:06
10 7:41
Avg: 8:22

TAPER!

haven't written in a while, and I keep seeing my blog getting further and further down the list, so I thought I need to write

After Saturday and Sunday's crazy double, which I would not have changed for the world because it was such a confidence booster, I took the day off Monday and got a massage.

Tuesday was speed work day (10x400 alternating 5 and 10K pace, then 2 mile at tempo, then 4X200). The best part is that there was a new woman in the group, so I introduced myself and we ran the 2 miles together. It was a little slow for me, but I really wanted to get to know her. I am so excited that our ranks are growing in this group. I hope she will come back next Tuesday.

Wednesday I ran an easy 5 at work during lunch. They built an addition to the facilities department and there are a men's and women's bathrooms with really nice showers. I think I was the first one to use it. It worked really well and I was able to get the run in and change in about 1:15 minutes.

Yesterday was 11 with the middle miles at MP. A good run, but my legs feel officially tired. Today I will run an easy 5 again, then tomorrow is my last run of any length (16) with an easy 6 on Sunday.

Then taper really officially begins...

I am so looking forward to this marathon!

E Greenie<---hey, it almost froze last night!

Well, it has been a week again since I wrote last.

Last Saturday's 16 miler went as planned, and then I ran a nice 6 at marathon pace on Sunday to round out a 50 mile week.

Monday I got another great massage.

This week has been a bit of an off week, with lower miles than planned, but I still got in a nice speed work session on Tuesday with warm up, then 3 miles at 8 minute pace, and 4x300 with 100 m recover jogs and jog home. Wednesday was a short recovery run and then yesterday I ran in the last of the Oregon Track Club "fun run"s. My 5k time was pretty close to a PR time at 23:40 (PR is 23:10 in fall 2011), which for not really trying to run that fast, was good . With warm up and cool down, it was 6 miles. Today I ran another easy 5. I think with a 12 miler tomorrow morning and another recovery run on Sunday, I will have 40.

My son bought me the new Hanson Marathon Method book for my birthday and doggone if I have not been running almost exactly what their plan is, except that I ran more longer runs than they suggest. But again, I think that the strength of this training session for me has been that my easy runs have been very dialed back, and I have been loving my Thursday marathon pace runs. They have become the staple of my workout...that is where the Hanson method and what I have been doing seem to be similar...they also call for a marathon pace run of up to 10 miles during the week.

The one place where they differ from what I have done is that they do not recommend racing during marathon training. Personally I think if I did not race, i would go bonkers. I have managed to achieve a mile PR (6:53) and a half marathon PR (1:44) during this training session. If for some reason I have a crap day on marathon day...for whatever reason, I will know that I have the leg speed and base training to pick back up and try again.

So, here we go down the back side...8 days and counting, which I will spend doing easy longish runs with a little pick me up on Tuesday; stuffing my face with apple products and chicken; sitting in the hot tub; staying dry and warm and out of the rain; and trying to finish knitting a hat.

My next report may be after marathon day...it's been real.

E Greenie<--now it is really raining

Good luck in the last week of taper and the race, Greenie! I can't wait to see you put all this great training to work.

Post-Marathon Blues

So, it has been three days since the marathon and I am feeling fine physically, but man, I am an emotional wreck! I think that the effort of training, the fantastic outcome, the wonderful trip, and the let down of being back to reality without any goals is really getting to my head.

Interesting.

E Greenie

EugeneGreenie wrote:Post-Marathon Blues

So, it has been three days since the marathon and I am feeling fine physically, but man, I am an emotional wreck! I think that the effort of training, the fantastic outcome, the wonderful trip, and the let down of being back to reality without any goals is really getting to my head.

Interesting.

E Greenie

I think it's a perfect time to set your next goal and possibly register for a race. Great Job Again!

EugeneGreenie wrote:Post-Marathon Blues

So, it has been three days since the marathon and I am feeling fine physically, but man, I am an emotional wreck! I think that the effort of training, the fantastic outcome, the wonderful trip, and the let down of being back to reality without any goals is really getting to my head.

Interesting.

E Greenie

Totally normal after such a great result. I just read your race report and am buzzing with excitement for you!

Still: Remember to give yourself some recovery time before launching into your next race. Your body will thank you for it.

We need a lot more details in this blog! You're a huge success, we need to know more.

Thanks John,

that is sweet....so, what do you want to know? I am pretty much a running obsessed 50 y.o. from Eugene, where we are all slightly running obsessed, if we are runners...and if not, we are football obsessed, or food obsessed, or beer obsessed...we just take ourselves way too seriously in this town

On my bedside table? Copies of Running with the Hansons, The Hanson Marathon Method and Eat to Run, all birthday gifts, all of which are now finished.

Under the bed? Strides, Hal Higdon's Marathon training book, Advanced Marathoning, Run, a bunch of old Runners Worlds, two old running journals, and about twenty dirty socks...I keep the shoes in the wardrobe in the front hall.

On the walls? photos of my son, who is a collegiate runner with a 3:43 1500m personal best. I am decidedly UNphotogenic, so no photos of me.

On the floor? Copious amounts of dog hair and icky bits of detritus thrown off from those horrible waffles in Nike Frees, which are the shoes my DH wears. As soon as he leaves tomorrow for a cross country road trip with the dog, I plan to vacuum....after I finish running

E Greenie<---Oooh, my bestie just turned 53. Only two more years until she is in the age group above me...then I can clean up at the races

Oh I love three day weekends! Three opportunities to run longer than usual.

Today was more challenging than I expected. Perhaps it is because I ran a killer workout Thursday:

Warmed up by running to the practice track at Hayward Field....yes Hayward is so precious that there is a practice track . That was 2 miles. Then I didn't want to seem like I was special, so I warmed up with the rest of the group, about 10...smaller than usual. Then we did the workout. 4x400 with 10 squats, 10 pushups and 10 lunges, in between each lap...just one each, so 400, 10 squats, 400, 10 pushups, etc....then 2 minutes rest, and do it again, three times total. Then ran home.

8 miles. zoinks.

And oh, I forgot to mention that the workout was being coached by Julia Lucas and Ian Dobson, Olympic Trials competitors. The nicest young people, and so funny coaching us, as we were all at least 10 years older than they are...I could be their mom for crying out loud.

But, hey, it got me out there, and smiling, and warmed me up, even though it was rainy and cold.

I love this sport. Like I love three day weekends.

E Greenie

Sounds like recovery is going well. But what is a 3-day weekend?

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Sounds like recovery is going well. But what is a 3-day weekend?

Teehee

I don't have to work tomorrow. So it means a day to get ready to travel later this week, and a chance to catch up with family.

Today's run was an easy 5 miler. The weather is changing and I have to remember to wear more clothes.

I've been doing my core and strength workouts more regularly since I am not running quite as much. I am sore in new places. But the exercises do help me stay strong in my core and arms, which help running.

E Greenie

Hit the trail today. I was thinking as I ran with my friend that I need to start carrying a camera like Mark does. We could have a little competition to see who has the prettiest trails close to home.

10.3 miles. Kicked my butt. I had to walk up a lot of the hills...

I am thinking about doubling though, as the group run is tonight and I could just go do an easy 5. It'll give me a chance to see some folks and bank a few miles. Getting in runs later this week is going to be tough as I head down to Joplin, MO to see XC Div II Nats. My son is competing in his last collegiate XC meet as an Oredigger for Colorado Mines. They are ranked 3rd in the nation right now for Division II, and plan to have their best finishing ever. The women Orediggers also made it to Nationals as a team for the first time in years, so we are very excited to be able to see both teams compete.

Go Orediggers!

E Greenie

I'm going to start up a chant for you to start taking photos of your trail runs.

Pix! Pix! Pix! Pix!

Walking up hills is perfectly fine if you're not using them as specific VOMax training. And there's a great selfish benefit! The more you moderate the effort, the farther you can go.

(Orediggers? What a gneiss name!)

Mark B wrote:I'm going to start up a chant for you to start taking photos of your trail runs.

Pix! Pix! Pix! Pix!

Walking up hills is perfectly fine if you're not using them as specific VOMax training. And there's a great selfish benefit! The more you moderate the effort, the farther you can go.

(Orediggers? What a gneiss name!)

Oh Mark, sometimes I really do take your sense of humor for granite.

Hey all!

Long time no write.

It's been an amazing 5 weeks, with a great trip across the country to see R run in the XC Nats. His team got 2nd. He did not have the best race of his career, but he did what was needed for the team. He ended up being first team All Academic for his conference and evidently there is a big trophy somewhere with his name on it. Eventually it will end up here at home and I plan to take a photo to share with y'all.

I have had a so so recovery from Humboldt which was put on hold about ten days ago when I fell hard on the concrete pavement on the way to a night workout. I bruised my rib cage. The doctor said i did not break anything, but it will still take about a month to six weeks to heal. I have been slowly getting back to running even though it hurts like a s.o.b. I have no strength in my left side, and have been using small weights to stretch everything and lots of yoga...

It is crazy how running life can change in an instant

Happy Holidays all. Here's to health and happiness in 2013, lots of PRs, and if I dont mind asking for it, a new sense of compassion and community for our nation.

E Greenie <----Everyday is truly a gift.

Yeowch! Sorry about your tumble. Here's best wishes for fast(er) healing and a great 2013.

Thanks Mark!

Well, I have been running every day since Monday. Not fast or long, but I am getting out there every day. I decided to do the 8 day challenge on Marathon Nation so that I dont turn into a couch potato. The day I wake up lying on my left side is the day i will declare myself better enough to start speed work again. It kinda hurts.

Meanwhile, I have been playing lots of Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook and knitting and hanging out with R and T. It has really been a good, relaxing holiday.

E Greenie