The Final Week

So it's come down to this...one last week of taper. The work is done so now the focus shifts to staying relaxed and keeping my head straight. As of today, the weather is looking good and all the pieces are in falling into place for a great weekend in VA Beach.

I'll try to post some more info this week leading up to the race. After Thursday the best source for updates will be my twitter account.

Thanks again to all my family and friends who've provided support and encouragement along this journey.

Monday	03/16/09	Off	0.0
Tuesday	03/17/09	Recovery Run	6.0
Wednesday	03/18/09	7 Miles w/ 2 Mi @ marathon pace	7.0
Thursday	03/19/09	Off	0.0
Friday	03/20/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides	5.0
Saturday	03/21/09	Recovery Run	4.0
Sunday	03/22/09	Shamrock Marathon	26.2
Week 21 Totals			48.2

Weekly recap: 3/9 - 3/15

Taper Week #1. This was a nice week of training with a significant drop in total volume. This was the lowest weekly volume going back to November. With only four runs and three days off - I had a number of moments where I didn't know what to do with myself. I was full of energy and wanted to get on with the race. The taper anxiety was beginning.

The key workout this week was my track session on Wednesday. I was supposed to run on the HHS track but the varsity soccer game forced me into the parking lot. I ran around the front of the high school which created a .3 mile loop. Not ideal, but given it was flat and had no traffic, it was the best option. The wind was bad and I honestly lacked the focus while executing the three 1 mile repeats. I ran 6:20, 6:15, and 6:16 which was about 10 to 15 seconds below my goal going into the workout. While I didn't kill the workout, I told myself that this was OK given the proximity to race day.

Sunday was my last 'medium distance' run. I did the 12 miler with Karolina running out on the W&OD. The run went well and I felt solid wearing my race shorts and compression calve guards. I did have one quick scare around mile 8 when I felt a sudden sharp pain in my right foot. I don't know what it was, but for a moment I thought I cracked something in my metatarsal. The pain went away after a few seconds and it left me wondering if I'd just given myself a stress fracture. Ahh the irony... a stress fracture on my last real run one week before the marathon. The pain was gone and when I got home but my paranoia persisted. As of today there is nothing there but I keep convincing myself that my foot feels 'off'. The taper-gremlins are messing with my head...

Below is a recap of my second-to-last week of this marathon jounry. As always, thanks for reading.

Monday	03/09/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Tuesday	03/10/09	7 Miles w/ 8x100m Strides. Ran around old north Reston and the W&OD. Started to feel good after 3 miles. Strides became more snappy and I felt more controlled.	0:59:30	7.4
Wednesday	03/11/09	8 Miles w/ 3x1600m @ 5k pace w/ 2 min recovery. Did this at the HHS parking lot b/c the track was taken. Not ideal location, very windy and I lacked my usual pop. Would have liked to have been 15 seconds faster on each interval. 1. 6:21 2. 6:15 3. 6:16	1:10:01	8.8
Thursday	03/12/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Friday	03/13/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides. Did this on the treadmill. Felt great and wanted to do more. Wore my flats to get used to them again.	0:40:48	5.0
Saturday	03/14/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Sunday	03/15/09	Medium Distance Run on W&OD. Ran the first three miles with Karolina for WU. Felt great and picked things up to 7:50 pace. Felt good but had some new foot pain after the uphill in Sterling. Kept the average HR at 141 but felt a little beat at the end.	1:37:24	12.1
Week 20 Totals			4:27:43	33.3

Two Weeks to Go = Taper City

OK -- The volume is really coming down now and I've got three days off this week (yes!). The key workout this week is on Wednesday when I do my final interval session -- 3 times a mile at 5k pace with 2 minutes rest. It seems hard but shouldn't be too bad given the rest interval. Other then that it's strides a 'short' 12 miler on Sunday. I'm starting to get the pre-race butterflies as I approach March 22. The other item I'm focusing on is my nutrition. I need to closely watch what I eat the next couple weeks and make sure I don't put down too many calories as my training effort decreases.

Welcome to Taper City!

Monday	03/09/09	Off	0.0
Tuesday	03/10/09	7 Miles w/ 8x100m Strides	7.0
Wednesday	03/11/09	8 Miles w/ 3x1600m @ 5k pace w/ 2 min recovery	8.0
Thursday	03/12/09	Off	0.0
Friday	03/13/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides	5.0
Saturday	03/14/09	Off	0.0
Sunday	03/15/09	Medium Distance Run.	12.0
Week 20 Totals			32.0

Week 16 Schedule

This is going to be fun and challenging week. I've got some shorter speed work on Tuesday and my usual mid-distance runs on Wednesday and Friday. The fun starts on Sunday when I race for the first time this year at the Colonial Half Marathon. It's a challenging half marathon on a cross-country style course with rolling hills. It's going to be another good test of form before going into the final four weeks of marathon prep.

Monday	02/16	Off	0.0
Tuesday	02/17	8 Mi w/ 5x600m @ 5k pace w/ 90 sec recovery	8.0
Wednesday	02/18	Easy Medium Distance Run	11.0
Thursday	02/19	Off	0.0
Friday	02/20	Easy Medium Distance Run	10.0
Saturday	02/21	4 Mi w/ 6x100m Strides	4.0
Sunday	02/22	Race - Anheuser-Busch Colonial Half Marathon	17.0
Week 17 Totals			50.0

2/15 Long Run Review

This was another 'race simulation' long run. The idea was to mimic the pacing and nutrition on similar course to race day. I went back out to the C&O Canal path which has a similar profile to Shamrock. Karolina took off on her 12 mile run and I followed after her on my 18 mile run.

I started off well, running the first mile in a relaxed 7:32 -- exactly like I want to on race day. Although it is 20 seconds slower than my goal pace, I am a firm believer in starting slow and settling in at the beginning of the race. This allows my HR to slowly rise to the low 150s rather than push too hard too soon.

The first few miles went well except my Fuel Belt was bouncing all over the place. This happens sometimes but today was really bad. One of my bottles ejected and I had to stop to pick it up. At that point I decided to carry it rather than keep it in the belt. Despite these distractions, I stayed on pace and kept my HR in the low 150s.

Approaching MD Great Falls, my HR jumped about 5 BPM given from miles 5-6. It was good to see that following those minor hills, I was able to bring my HR back down to the low 150s. Nutrition was good, hydration was good, legs felt good. Overall things were really good...until mile 14.

Then the one thing I dread hit me around mile 14...GI cramps. I had no choice but to run off the trail and make a pit stop. Although the whole thing took less than a minute, it was very hard to get back into my rhythm once I started running again. I really hope this doesn't happen on race day. I need to pay special attention to what I eat the night before...

I ran strong the rest of the way and finished up feeling solid but not great. Could I keep this (7:11 pace) up for another 8 miles? That's the magic question that I'll answer in late March. For now, confidence is high.

Miles	Split	HR
Mile 1	0:07:32	139
Mile 2	0:07:11	149
Mile 3	0:07:13	152
Mile 4	0:07:14	154
Mile 5	0:07:11	157
Mile 6	0:07:14	159
Mile 7	0:07:13	153
Mile 8	0:07:13	154
Mile 9	0:07:13	154
Mile 10	0:07:08	154
Mile 11	0:07:07	154
Mile 12	0:07:08	155
Mile 13	0:07:03	156
Mile 14	0:07:06	157
Mile 15	0:07:11	159
Mile 16	0:07:10	158
Mile 17	0:07:10	161
Mile 18	0:07:05	161
	2:09:22	155

Weekly recap: 1/19 - 1/25

Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 5.0
Total Mileage: 44.8
Total Time: 6:06:44

This was an enjoyable recovery week. There was only one workout with some intervals on Wednesday which I knocked out using the Garmin 305. The other highlight was my return to the pool. I got in two practices with the Reston Masters. Although I hoped out during the main IM sets, I still managed to get in 3000+ meters a session. I'll try to keep swimming going forward for recovery. Longish run on Sunday was nice but I felt a bit dead at the end. I should have taken in some calories when running for almost two hours. Next week is going to be huge.

Monday	01/19/09		Off
Tuesday	01/20/09		Easy Run on the W&OD. Felt good going out but held back and didn't push. Kept HR in high 130s, low 140s and ran steady. Had some GI cramping at mile 6 but hung on to get home.	1:09:34	8.6
Wednesday	01/21/09		8 Miles w/ 5x600m (.33 mile) @ 5k pace w/ 90 sec recovery. Did this on the W&OD at night in the bitter cold. Felt OK and logged solid efforts: 1. 2:05 (6:20 pace) 2. 1:59 (6:01 pace) 3. 2:01 (6:09 pace) 4. 1:58 (5:59 pace) 5. 2:00 (6:04 pace)	1:03:42	7.8
Thursday	01/22/09		Recovery Run on the treadmill. Kept things steady and easy at 8:20 pace. Felt good.	0:43:00	5.1
Friday	01/23/09		Off
Saturday	01/24/09		8 Mile Run with Karolina on the W&OD in the snow showers. Skipped the strides. Nice relaxing run.	1:12:12	8.4
Sunday	01/25/09		Long Run on the W&OD. Felt good going out but had some GI issues around 4 miles. Once corrected things continued well. Felt a little beat from not eating at the end but overall a good run.	1:58:16	14.8
Week 13 Totals				6:06:44	44.8

Week 13 Schedule

Hello everyone. Below is my schedule for this week. Gotta love recovery week!

Monday	01/19/09		Off		0.0
Tuesday	01/20/09		Easy Run		8.0
Wednesday	01/21/09		8 Mi w/ 5x600m @ 5k pace w/ 90 sec recovery		8.0
Thursday	01/22/09		Recovery Run		5.0
Friday	01/23/09		Off		0.0
Saturday	01/24/09		8 Mi w/ 8x100m Strides		8.0
Sunday	01/25/09		Long Run		14.0
Week 13 Totals					43.0

1/18 Long Run Review

OK - On Sunday I had a 15 mile run scheduled at goal marathon race pace. I went into it the same way I will on race day. I got a good nights rest, ate my usual bowl of cereal for breakfast along with some coffee, and tried to stay relaxed. Given the weather (low 30s) I wore full tights which hopefully won't be the case on race day in March. I also opted for my fuel belt again with three flasks of HEED and one flask of Hammer Gel (diluted with water).

Overall, this was another break-through workout. I exceeded my expectations and felt absolutely awesome. Below are my splits and HR data taken from my Garmin Forerunner 305 during the run.

Miles	Split Time	Heart Rate
1.00	0:07:48	137
2.00	0:07:20	147
3.00	0:07:05	152
4.00	0:07:10	153
5.00	0:07:03	156
6.00	0:07:03	158
7.00	0:07:04	156
8.00	0:07:06	154
9.00	0:07:02	156
10.00	0:07:01	156
11.00	0:07:05	156
12.00	0:06:59	158
13.00	0:07:05	159
14.00	0:07:07	160
15.00	0:06:59	160

Total: 15 Miles, 1:47:26, Avg HR 154, Avg Pace 7:08

This was an excellent run overall. I was surprised how well I ran and that I maintained a steady HR in the mid-to-high 150s. I had a few key takeaways coming out of the workout.

• I am comfortable running low 7 min pace with my HR in the high 150s when the course is flat.
• I paced the run very well but could have run about 5 seconds per mile slower during the first few miles (7:15).
  
• On race day, I should start my race off a little slower to keep things near 7:10-7:15 pace through the first 13.1 mile.
  
• My hydration and nutrition plan worked well for this run. When I finished I felt solid and not 'dead' but I think I need to take more gels and Endurolytes on race day given the warmer temp.
  
• Running relaxed is key.

This was a great key workout. I tried to recreate my mental and physical pre-race routine and really test my fitness. The results turned out to be excellent and they've given me confidence going forward with my preparation for Shamrock.

Thanks for reading.

HOLD FAST

OK - so I'm 11 weeks into my marathon training cycle with 10 weeks to go. Since October 27 I've run 399 miles in 54 hours and 30 minutes. Going back to the original schedule, I've only missed two run workouts totaling 9 miles.

Overall, I'd assess my training and condition as very good. I can say that I haven't been this consistent in my running in a long time. This gives me a lot of confidence as I move into the second half of my training cycle.

I just need to "HOLD FAST".

Weekly recap: 1/5 - 1/11

Total Runs: 4
Days Off: 3
Treadmill Miles: 6.0
Total Mileage: 49.4
Total Time: 6:44:37

This was a challenging week on a number of fronts. Not only did I have a challenging run schedule, I also was out of town for work in King of Prussia, PA. Ultimately this resulted in juggling some workouts and led to an injury scare.

The week started off well with some recovery and a 6 mile treadmill run at the hotel gym. From there, my workouts were switched around to accommodate work and I ended up doing a 12 mile and 11 mile threshold run back-to-back once I got home (skipping the scheduled day off). During the threshold run I tweaked my left calve. I was able to run home but there was a noticeable knot in my calve. To avoid any risk of making things worse, I bagged my 5 mile recovery run on Saturday and rest for Sunday. Instead, I did some active stretching and maintained some compression on my lower leg.

My long run on Sunday was scheduled for 20 miles. I decided to go out easy and assess how my leg felt at 2, 4, and 6 miles. If there was any pain or discomfort, I'd quit. If not, I'd press on to get in 20. I started running with Karolina on the W&OD trail and felt surprisingly good. The time off and stretching must have helped because I felt no pain. I started easy with Karolina and then settled into low 8 min mile pace. The weather was cold and windy but overall I felt comfortable until about 9 miles when I had to make a potty stop at Smith's Switch Station. Once done I made my way back to Reston and maintained a steady pace with my HR comfortably in low Zone 3. I picked things up a bit and ran the last four miles in the high 7s. Overall it was an excellent long run. I didn't run as fast as last week (7:40s vs 8:09s) but I felt more relaxed and fresh afterwards. Most importantly, my leg felt OK giving me some confidence that I avoided a potential injury.

This week is going to be challenging with more high mileage running and some long marathon-pace efforts. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and allow for some good conditions for fast training.

Thanks for reading.

Weekly Recaps and Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone rang in the new year with some Champaign and set a few resolutions/goals for 2009.

I apologize for the lack of updates. I decided to take some time off from my computer during the holidays. Below is a recap from the past few weeks.

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Weekly recap: 12/29 - 1/4
Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 10.0
Total Mileage: 51.9
Total Time: 6:53:22

This was the first week over 50 miles. The focus has started to shift from base to muscle endurance so the overall pace of the workouts increased to 80% to 90% of goal marathon pace. The key threshold workout on Tuesday included 5 miles at threshold. It was a hard session but I ran well at 6:50 pace. Looking back it was more of a mental-toughness session than anything.

I did my recovery runs on the Pink Trail in Reston and made a decision to do all future recovery runs on the treadmill. The reason is to minimize impact and also control the environment. As much as I like running out on the Reston paths, I find that the frequent hills, twists, and turns don't allow for a relaxed recovery run. In an effort to limit the risk of injury, I'm moving to the deck for all future recovery runs.

The breakthrough this week came during my long run on Sunday. Karolina and I ran on the C&O Canal trail and I tried to closely mimic my race day nutrition. I wore a Fuel Belt and took off running north from Locke 9 towards MD Great Falls. I felt fantastic on the long, straight, and flat gravel trail. I settled into 7:35 pace and stayed consistent and relaxed for the next 14 miles. Nutrition was perfect with a steady stream of Endurolytes, Heed and Hammer Gel. I made it back to Locke 9 and started to feel the efforts of the run. I slowed down a little over the last three miles and finished a little short of my 18 mile goal. In the end I ran 17.2 miles at 7:40 pace with an average HR of 154. I was within 30 seconds of my goal marathon pace and felt pumped after the solid effort.

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Weekly recap: 12/22 - 12/28
Total Runs: 4
Days Off: 3
Treadmill Miles: 0.0
Total Mileage: 34.7
Total Time: 4:45:18

Recovery week! This was well timed with the Christmas holiday. I took things very easy and did all the runs outdoors. I did miss one workout (4 mile recovery run) on Saturday which dropped the weekly mileage a bit. Overall it was an excellent 'down' week and my legs felt rested and injury free.

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Weekly recap: 12/15 - 12/21
Total Runs: 5
Days Off: 2
Treadmill Miles: 19.0
Total Mileage: 46.0
Total Time: 6:25:52

This was my last 'base' training week. It went well overall with the highlight being the threshold workout on Friday. It was a 9 mile run with 4 miles at threshold. I ran the four miles at 6:50 pace and kept my HR in the low 160s. In hind sight I might have been able to run it faster but the overall effort was solid. The 17 mile long run on Sunday didn't go too well. I ate too soon before running and overdressed for the conditions. It resulted in overheating and a much slower effort overall. Overall a solid base training week.

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I'll get back to regular weekly posts and recaps going forward. Thanks for reading.

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.

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: 11/10 - 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.

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.

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.