Finding the Right Shoes

So here's a short story about finding the right shoes.

One item that gets a lot of attention from marathoners is shoes. This is a no-brainer since it's the #1 piece of equipment for all runners. So what happens when you find the right pair of shoes and the brand discontinues or 'updates' them?

This was an issue I faced up until last weekend. Since last spring I've been running in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 9 shoe. According the the website, the shoe is described as:

ASICS' top-of-the-line cushioning shoe, the GEL-Nimbus® 9 features a Space Trusstic System® for more efficient foot function, a Biomorphic Fit Upper, and the extreme lightweight comfort of a Solyte® midsole.

What this really means is it's a shoe with minimal support or motion control and lots of cushioning. Although a little heavy at 12.4 oz, it's a solid training shoe and also the same shoe that I wore for the Baltimore Marathon.

So I was a happy man until Asics 'updated' the shoe to the version 10.0. This presented a few problems and one big opportunity. The problem was now I needed to adapt to a new shoe that might include a few new 'features' and a new fit. It might turn our better, it might also make the shoe worse for my foot. The opportunity was that with some luck, I might find some Nimbus 9s on sale as stores make room for the new version.

When it came time to get some new shoes (I usually replaced my shoes after 350+ miles), I checked the usual online shops but could not find any size 10.5 Nimbus 9s! I was resigned to paying full retail for a new pair of 'updated' shoes that might or might not work...

Luck struck in the least likely place last Saturday when I happened to walk around my local Modell's Sporting Goods shop. Modells isn't a place known for high-end running shoes so I was shocked to see my Nimbus 9s on the wall at a huge mark down. I asked if they had any 10.5 and the manager pulled out two pairs. I grabbed both boxes, confirmed the shoes inside, and went for the register. I think the manager had never seen someone grab two boxes of the same pair of shoes and run for th register without trying them on. The ulitmate bonus of finding these discontinues shoes came when they were rung up. Not only were they on sale, the attendent took another $15 off as part of a Christmas sale. I got the shoes for $50 when the original retail was $120. Christmas came early!!!

Thanks for reading.

Weekly recap: 12/8 - 12/14

Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 4.0
Total Mileage: 43.9
Total Time: 6:08:00
Other: Two RMST swim practices

This was a another good week of training. My mid-week long run didn't go well due to a lack of calories and warmer temperatures. I noted that I will need to carry fluids and calories for any run over 10 miles. My 8 mile 'stride run' went really well and my 15.8 mile long run was also a success (thanks to Mikey running with me for 12 miles). I didn't feel overly broken down or exhausted which is a very important as I continue to increase my mileage.

Weekly recap: 12/1 - 12/7

Total Runs: 6
Days Off: 1
Treadmill Miles: 16.0
Total Mileage: 42.7
Other: Two RMST swim practices, one trainer ride, one 10k running race

This was a very good week of training. It was my first week over 40 miles and it included a 10k race. I was also able to get in over two hours of swimming and one indoor bike ride. My long run was broken up by the 10k race on Sunday. Rather than a straight 13 miler I ran a 1.5 mile warm up, 6.2 mile race, and then a 6.1 mile cool down run back home for a total of 13.8.

Race Report: Fall Into Winter 10k

Race: Fall into Winter 10K
Date: Sunday, December 7, 2008
Location: Reston, VA
Race Type: Run - 10 km
Age Group: Male 30 - 34
Time: 0:41:48
Overall Place: 15 / 210
Age Group Place: 1 / 7
Comment: Wicked Cold

Race Report:
I signed up for this race to test my current run fitness. I wanted to hold below my goal Half Marathon pace (6:50) while feeling relaxed and strong. In summary, I met my goal but would have liked to run a little bit faster.

Pre-Race went well despite some linger 'effects' from the RMST Christmas party the night before. I met my youngest brother at the Reston Community Center and did a 1.5 mile warm up with some strides. It was very cold (low 20s) with a nasty wind adding to the discomfort. I wore my Nike compression top, race tights, and opted to wear my Asics Nimbus training shoes rather than racing flats. I felt OK during the warm up but not great.

The race started on time without issue. The first 200 meters were straight down, then back up before settling into a gradual downhill to the 5k mark. I made an effort to go out easier than normal and stay relaxed over the first 5k. My plan worked well and I felt great over the first 3 miles. Having a rolling downhill and tailwind helped a lot too. I kept my HR in the mid 160s and went through the 5k just below 20 minutes.

The second half consisted of a rolling uphill and a nasty headwind over the last two miles. I tried to ratchet things up a notch running up Glade Drive but found that the course slowed me down a little. Despite my harder effort, I ran almost 20 seconds per mile slower over the next two miles at 7 min/mile pace. (Note: I don't check my watch during the race so I had no idea how 'fast or slow' I was running until the finish.) I think my slowed pace was more the result of a lack of 'running strength' than anything else. I honestly felt good over mile 4 and 5 but I lacked the power during the rolling uphills. This highlights my need for increased leg strength. All of my treadmill and W&OD runs are mostly flat so that helps explain my lack of power when running uphill.

The final mile was back down South Lakes Drive to Colts Neck and the finish line. This final mile was partly uphill and had a nasty headwind. Looking at my splits, I maintained my pace (adding only 6 seconds) but I remember 'suffering' a lot more than on Glade. The headwind really got to me, chilling me to the bone. I remember this section as a test of mental toughness. I think I handled it well, but I also remember a few moments where I lost my focus and slowed down. It was a good test but I still have work to do in this arena.

The final stretch went well and I was able to pick up my pace (6:30) over the last .2 miles. Even with an uphill finish I felt solid through the line. I was a little disappointed with my final time of 41:48 (6:44) which was right on my PR. Using the Jack Daniel's VDOT from my 5k the week before, I should have run about one minute faster. There are a number of factors that might have contributed to my slower time (lack of sleep, cold, wind, rolling uphills) but I tend to look past those factors and focus on the results. If viewed from the lense of my goal marathon pace, I was right on.

I think my overall effort for this race solid. I took it out at a controlled level of effort and was able to run well despite some harsh conditions. I'm still hungry to run another race this season which will likely come around New Years. It was also another great occasion to hang with family and friends. Karolina's support was critical to my success on this day. Her cheers and support helped keep me warm and motivated. It was also great to see my brother and Mike Sevier race one last time (taking 4th and 3rd overall). Both Mike's ran fast races and were a big motivation. It was also great catching up with Kevin (great race in 40:18), Tony, and the other Reston Runners.

Splits and HR details below.

Mile 1 - 6:18 HR: 158 - Quick split but felt relaxed
Mile 2 - 6:22 HR: 166 - Nice downhills and tailwind
Mile 3 - 6:38 HR: 169 - Flattened out with a climb up and down Twin Branches
Mile 4 - 6:59 HR: 171 - Rolling uphills on Glade
Mile 5 - 6:59 HR: 171 - Rolling uphills on Glade and Soapstone
Mile 6 - 7:05 HR: 171 - Back down Southlakes, cold headwind
Mile .2 - 1:23 HR: 171 - Strong downhill/uphill finish

Total 41:48 HR: 168

Thanks for reading.

The Pfitzer 18/55 Plan

One question I had going into my training cycle was which training plan to follow. Should I make one up, purchase one, find one online, or some combination of all three. After some research and excellent feedback from my friends, I decided to follow a modified version of Pete Pfitzinger's 55/18 plan. The plan is based on an eighteen week schedule with a peak mileage of 55 miles. Pete Pfitzinger developed the plan with Scott Douglas in their book Advanced Marathoning.

What I like about the plan is the simplicity. There are no major formulas or heart rate zones. The focus is on consistent training, recovery, pacing, and build-up. Recovery includes two full days off a week which is something I've fought with internally. I've always felt that I need to run 6 days a week. While this might be true at lower volumes, it doesn't translate well to longer training sessions. With a mid-distance and long run each week, ample recovery is critical to staying injury free.

In this plan, speedwork is centered around current 5k pace, half marathon pace, and goal marathon pace. Certain workouts include sets of 100 meter strides to help leg turnover. Overall, it's a simple but challenging plan.

This blog, appropriately named The Road to Boston, includes a few of the Pfitzinger plans in a useful web interface. As always, there is no magic bullet for marathon training. No two people are exactly alike and training plans should be customized and tailored to an individuals needs. I think these plan provide a good blueprint for success and I look forward to sharing my personal details with you over the next few months.

Thanks for reading.

Weekly recap: 11/24 - 11/30

Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 16.2
Total Mileage: 33.6
Other: A long bike ride on Friday

This was a solid week of training overall. The long holiday weekend provided a 5k race and some extra time for running and biking. The Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5k went well with a 19:23 PR. I I also got in a 2:45 bike on Friday with Karolina. Saturday's long run hurt a bit towards the end but overall training went well and was without issue.

Race Report: Turkey Trot

Karolina and I decided to continue our Thanksgiving tradition of running a 5k the morning before the feast. The past couple years we've raced the VA Run Turkey Trot in Centerville, VA and decided to do it again with some friends.

The first time we did the race was back in 2004 when we came home to visit my parents. Karolina and I were working in Thailand at the time and went into the event hoping for a fun race. The majority of my training in Thailand was on a treadmill at that point and I hadn't raced a 5k in years. I remember taking it out in 6:45 and slowing down dramatically as the pain seared through me. The highlight of the day was Karolina's race. It marked her first race ever and beginning of her running/triathlon career.

2004 Result -- 22:50

In 2007 this race marked my 'return' to training after taking a month off (following my Marine Corp marathon melt down). Once again I took it out hard and tried to hold on. My lack of training showed and the final mile was another burn session.

Mile 1 6:27 HR 158
Mile 2 6:39 HR 177
Mile 3 6:50 HR 180
Mile 3.1 0:52 HR 184

2007 Result -- 20:51 HR 172

This year I went in without any expectations. My stretch goal was to run sub 19 but my lack of speed workouts hurt my confidence. The main difference between this race and previous efforts was a more extensive warm up. I got in over 2.5 miles of warm up with strides before the race. I decided to take it out hard but hold back a little before opening it up after the one hill at 2.5KM. The race went well overall. I ran with Dan O'Connell for the first couple miles before he slowly pulled away. Dan would go on to run 18:52 which is an awesome time given his recent IT band issues. I ran well within myself and was pleased with my final time of 19:23. I was also excited to see my buddy Shawn Clark ran an awesome PR of 19:57. Mikey Orton killed it like usual in 17:17.

Mile 1 5:56 HR 170
Mile 2 6:19 HR 179
Mile 3 6:24 HR 180
Mile 3.1 0:45 HR 184

2008 Result -- 19:23 HR: 176

The results show some interesting data.
- In 2008 my starting HR was much higher than 2007. This is largely due to getting in a solid warm up where the previous year had little to no warm up.
- The delta between mile 1 and 3 was 23 seconds in 2007 and 28 seconds in 2008 -- very similar.
- The average and max HR data was very close. The averages were nearly identical both years over miles 2 and 3. I clearly max out in the low to mid 180s.

Overall it was a great day for racing. Karolina and I had a blast and really enjoyed the event. I saw some great friends there including Brad Pigage, Jason Goyanko, Jill Coleman, Shawn and Julie Clark, and el'presidente Keith Bohnenberger.

I couldn't have asked for a better start to Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Weekly recap: 11/17 - 11/23

Total Runs: 3
Days Off: 4
Treadmill Miles: 17.1
Total Mileage: 17.1
Other: none

This was a recovery week for me with some vacation built in. I did some light running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before driving down to Chincoteague Island for the Captain Steves Rockfish Tournament. The fishing didn't produce much but I did make the webpage for this awesome photo.


Thanks for reading.

Weekly recap: 11/10 - 11/16

Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 22.0
Total Mileage: 32
Other: none

This was a very busy week on the work front. I found myself running late on the treadmill and a little light on sleep. The weekend was also busy with a late night dinner at Mon Amie Gabi (fantastic place) on Saturday, long run Sunday morning, a surprise party midday, and then the Redskins-Cowboys game on Sunday night. If only the game had gone better...

Thanks for reading.

Correction: 19 Weeks to Go

As Mikey noted earlier, my initial weekly countdown was wrong.

Targeting The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon on March 22, 2009 leaves me 19 weeks to prepare.

Weekly recap: 11/3 - 11/9

Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 13.1
Total Mileage: 29.6
Other: two bike workouts including a FTP test

It was a solid week of training overall. Nothing too special. The Functional Threshold Power test on Tuesday took something out of my legs but I was fully recovered by Friday. The key workout for the weekend was Sunday's 10 mile run.

11/9 long run

OK - so Sunday I did my first long run since Baltimore. I drove out to the C&O Canal Path with Karolina and my brother. It was a perfect autumn day for running. We parked near Lock 11, did some easy stretching and started running south towards Georgetown. It's a gradual downhill heading towards the district making things easier at the start.

Mikey and I started things slow for the first mile and gradually settled into 7:50 - 7:45 pace. It wasn't too crowded and we chatted away while making our way towards Fletchers Boathouse. I carried a single gel flask filled with two servings of Raspberry Hammer Gel and water. It a nice diluted mix that provides 200 calories. Given the cool temperature, I didn't carry a water bottle. When we hit 5 miles on my Garmin Forerunner 305, we stopped for a few seconds and then made our way back towards Lock 11. We passed Karolina after a few minutes later and told her where to turnaround. She was running well at her pace and always smiling!

After an easy 6th mile, we slowly started to pick things up. Right around that time my stomach started to send me signals. Luckily there was a bathroom at Lock 6 and I was able to take care of things. After a short break, we started running again and this time we really started to pick things up. I wanted to get down to my marathon goal pace of 7:15 for the final couple miles. With Mikey gradually picking things up, we got down to 7:25, 7:10, and then 6:58 over the final three miles. My HR went from averaging in the low 150s to threshold (169).

Overall, it was a solid long run. I felt relaxed and comfortable the whole way until picking things up at the very end. Nutrition was OK except for the potty stop which was likely due to the heavy dinner I had the night before a the Dogfish Head Ale House.

Below is the data from my Garmin.

Mile	Split	HR	Pace
1	0:08:37	130	0:08:37
2	0:07:51	144	0:08:14
3	0:07:51	147	0:08:06
4	0:07:46	150	0:08:01
5	0:07:47	151	0:07:58
6	0:08:12	150	0:08:01
7	0:07:41	154	0:07:58
8	0:07:25	156	0:07:54
9	0:07:10	166	0:07:49
10	0:06:58	169	0:07:44

Summary: 10 miles, 1:17:24, 7:44 pace, 151 average HR.

Thanks for reading.

Matias Kills It

OK - So my buddy Matias ran the New York Marathon this weekend and absolutely killed it! He ran a 2:38 which is wicked fast. Here is a look at his splits.

Distance	5 km	10 km	15 km	20 km	13.1 mi	25 km	30 km	35 km	40 km	26.22 mi
Time	0:19:07	0:37:37	0:56:20	1:15:03	1:19:11	1:34:16	1:52:47	2:11:47	2:30:30	2:38:49
5k Split	0:19:07	0:18:30	0:18:43	0:18:43		0:19:13	0:18:31	0:19:00	0:18:43
Pace	0:06:10	0:06:04	0:06:03	0:06:03	0:06:02	0:06:05	0:06:04	0:06:04	0:06:04	0:06:03

He ran a solid race the entire way. He started out at 6:10 pace and then quick settled into the low 6:00s. His overall pace never changed by more than a couple seconds and the largest variance in his 5k splits was about 30 seconds from 20 t0 25 km and also from 30 to 35. I'm not positive, but I think this is when the runners reach some of the hills at the Queensboro Bridge. He also finished strong dropping his overall pace the final 2 KM so he must have been running at sub 6 pace. Awesome.

Here is what Matias had to say on the Georgetown Running Company Blog:

"The plan worked though, keeping the heartrate between 174-176 on the flats, and not letting it go above 180 during any of the first 20 miles. It was tough because at mile 15 there's the Queensboro Bridge and had to let my pack go, but I think it helped keep things together towards the end."

What's amazing is that Matias is so well conditioned that he can run his heart at 174 BPM for over two and half hours. That puts his threshold almost 10 beats higher than mine (168). Amazing! It leaves me to wonder if I should be doing more interval/threshold work to raise that line up into the mid 170s. No one is the same, but it's always cool to look at the data.

Another story from Matias which speak volumes about the marathon:

"Oh and classic moment of the race was at the half marathon mark where a young gun says "Alright! Half way there!" followed by a seasoned veteran of the sport asking him if NYC was his first marathon (which is was) and then telling him somewhat viciously that the halfway point of the marathon was at the 20 mile marker. Ouch."

That second quote is right on.

Thanks for reading.

Election Day

As you know, today is election day in the US. Unlike past elections, this year has drawn significantly higher voter turnout. The scene at my local precinct was amazing. The line wrapped around the school lobby and there was a real sense of excitement among the voters. After voting I left with the feeling that I was witnessing a truly historic moment, regardless of the result.

Karolina and I can't wait to get home tonight and see the results come in. It's going to be another late one after staying up to see the Redskins get slaughtered by the Steelers on Monday Night Football.

Thanks for reading.

New York Marathon

So last weekend was the final 'big city' marathon of 2009. The New York City Marathon is one of the largest in the world and this year it attracted a super strong field for both the men and women.

The Science of Sport Blog has posted an awesome analysis of both the Men's and Women's race. Check it out to see some excellent marathon related data.

The Washington Post also did an excellent analysis of the
'marathon wall' based on mile split data taken over the final 10 miles.

I was really pleased to see Paula win her third title. She is the greatest female marathoner in the world, regardless of his missteps at the Olympics. She took the lead within the first few moments of the race and never let anyone get ahead of her.

Karolina and I both hope to run in NYC marathon some day down the road.

20 Weeks to Go

OK - So I'm officially 20 weeks out from my next marathon. Last week was my last 'free' week of training. This is where I basically train on my own without any formal direction. It was a light week of training overall given I spent three days at the Connor/Wasilewski wedding in upstate New York. It was an amazing ceremony and wonderful experience seeing one of my oldest friends get married.

Stats for last week: 4 run workouts - with a long run of 7 miles - for a total of 18 miles. Three of the runs were done on a treadmill. No issues or injuries to report.

Starting this week I'll provide more insight into my training as I receive my targeted workouts from my coach.

Thanks for reading.

endorsement

This video makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.

Reviewing Baltimore

OK - So I ran a PR about three weeks ago at the Baltimore Running Festival. It was a challenging race course but a perfect day for running. This post recaps the race by providing some data points taken during the race.

The course follows a similar profile to Boston with hills starting at mile 16.
http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Assets/Marathon+Elevation.pdf

Below are my splits, HR data, pace, and notes take from my Garmin Forerunner 305 during the race.

Miles	Split Time	Cumul. Time	Heart Rate	Pace	Notes
1.00	0:09:08	0:09:08	131	0:09:08	Started easy with Karolina
2.00	0:08:14	0:17:22	144	0:08:41
3.00	0:07:53	0:25:15	148	0:08:25	Settled into my pace
4.00	0:07:59	0:33:14	145	0:08:19
5.00	0:07:53	0:41:07	142	0:08:13
6.00	0:07:52	0:48:59	147	0:08:10
7.00	0:07:16	0:56:15	147	0:08:02	Nice long downhill
8.00	0:07:50	1:04:05	150	0:08:01
9.00	0:07:52	1:11:57	149	0:08:00
10.00	0:07:52	1:19:49	150	0:07:59
11.00	0:07:55	1:27:44	152	0:07:59
12.00	0:07:44	1:35:28	152	0:07:57
13.00	0:07:47	1:43:15	155	0:07:57	Ran with a good friend for 5 miles
14.00	0:07:54	1:51:09	156	0:07:56
15.00	0:08:00	1:59:09	156	0:07:57	Start of the Hills
16.00	0:08:38	2:07:47	156	0:07:59	Hills
17.00	0:08:30	2:16:17	155	0:08:01	Hills
18.00	0:08:26	2:24:43	157	0:08:02	Hills
19.00	0:08:17	2:33:00	161	0:08:03	End of the Hills
20.00	0:08:02	2:41:02	168	0:08:03	Began to pick things up
21.00	0:07:56	2:48:58	166	0:08:03
22.00	0:08:04	2:57:02	168	0:08:03	Rollers
23.00	0:07:53	3:04:55	169	0:08:02
24.00	0:07:33	3:12:28	171	0:08:01	Dropped the hammer as the downhills began
25.00	0:07:51	3:20:19	173	0:08:01	Felt great but then calve cramps came on
26.00	0:08:21	3:28:40	170	0:08:02	Ran last mile on my heels to stop calve cramps
26.48	0:04:08	3:32:48	168	0:08:02	Shuffled home. Garmin read 26.48 total miles

Below is the data taken from the official results webpage:

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	3:33:59
Chip Time	3:33:08
Overall Place	346 / 3114
Gender Place	287 / 1998
Division Place	48 / 267
Mile6	0:49:49
Mile10	1:21:17
20K	1:43:08
Half	1:45:54
30K	2:34:51
Mile21	2:51:26
Ctz	USA
Pace	0:08:09

When reviewing the data I notice the following:

• I am comfortable running sub 8 min pace with my HR in the high 140s to low 150s when the course is flat.
• I paced the race very well, with a 1:46 first half and 1:47 second half marathon.
• I slowed my pace appropriately during the hills from mile 15 to 20 keeping my HR in the low to mid 150s.
• My hydration plan was about 1-2 miles short of the finish resulting in calve cramps.
• I had more in my tank over the final 1-2 miles and might have run faster had I taken Endurolytes during the final 10k (to hold off the cramps).

When I loaded the Garmin data into TrainingPeaks WKO+ I found that my normative graded pace (taking the hills into account) was 7:11. While this is purely hypothetical, it does give me some confidence that I can run close to BQ pace for 42 KM.

The key takeaway from Baltimore is race execution. I know that I can run a marathon well if I properly pace and execute the race. My hydration and nutritional needs are clear and even though I missed my Endurlytes during the final 10k, I think I've got a good plan that works. I also know where to keep my HR during the marathon and not blow up.

I need to take the experiences from this race and apply them to my mental and physical preparation for my next marathon.

Thanks for reading.

and it begins...

OK - So I'm starting a blog to document the next four months of my life as I prepare to race a marathon on late March. The key thing to note is this: my goal is to race the marathon, not just run it.

I've done two marathons in two years with wildly varying results.

My first marathon (2007 Marine Corp Marathon) was a colossal disaster. Following the 2007 triathlon season - I followed a compressed marathon training cycle. Over 7 weeks I built up to a 23 mile long run and felt confident I could comfortably cover the distance under 4 hours. While my training went well, my race execution went horribly wrong. I ran 4:05 in what is considered the worst and most painful racing experience of my life.

My second marathon went surprisingly well. I registered for the 2008 Baltimore marathon at the last minute to support my wife who planned on racing back in the Spring. I wrapped up an excellent triathlon season and did ZERO marathon preparation. My long run was 13 miles and I went into the race in great triathlon shape, not marathon shape. What I lacked in prep I made up for in execution. I pulled off a 3:33 on a very challenging course.

The results from Baltimore have once again peaked my interest in racing a marathon as fast as I can.

For my third 42 KM running event, I plan on doing a carefully calculated and planned training cycle over four months. The ulitimate goal will be to run 3:10:59 or faster - the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. In the running community this is known as a BQ.

Thus begins Project BQ.